Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
Want to be a famous MotoGP racer? Then you’d better start young, move to southern Europe and make a name for yourself. And one of the best places to do that is in Red Bull Rookie Cup.
This week, we invite former racer and journalist Peter Clifford for a chat. For the last 18 years, he’s been responsible for guiding and helping the young talent in the Rookie Cup. He’s worked with people like Acosta and Binder when they were just teenagers, and knows exactly what goes into developing young talent into legendary riders.
What’s the selection process like? How do you make sure that talent from all over the world gets a fair shot? And what does he think about the future of MotoGP, as someone who works with the next generation of riders on a daily basis?
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) Championship Series
Sturgis TT
Sturgis, South Dakota
August 11, 2024
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 16 laps
2. Tarren Santero (Hon), -1.956 seconds
3. Tom Drane (Yam), -2.050
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -3.905
5. Bronson Pearce (Hon), -6.461
6. Chad Cose (Hus), -6.924
7. Justin Anselmi (Yam), -11.272
8. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -12.603
9. Olin Kissler (KTM), -14.184
10. Jared Lowe (Hon), -19.238
11. Trent Lowe (Hon), -19.380
12. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -21.938
13. Travis Petton (KTM), -1 lap
14. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -1 lap, -14.570
15. Ryan Hiatt (Hon), -2 laps
16. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -4 laps
Provisional AFT AdventureTrackers Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Sammy Halbert (Tri), 15 laps
2. Ivan Cervantes (Tri), -4.809 seconds
3. Danny Eslick (Har), -6.291
4. Robby McLendon (Tri), -12.162
5. Kole King (Tri), -12.989
6. Frankie Garcia (Har), -20.922
7. Dan Bromley (Hon), -1 lap
8. Ernie Vigil (Tri), -1 lap, -7.186
9. Nick Brocha (Tri), -2 laps
Provisional Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event (8 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 19 laps
2. Briar Bauman (KTM), -1.715 seconds
3. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -2.268
4. Davis Fisher (Ind), -7.106
5. Jared Mees (Ind), -9.693
6. Sammy Halbert (Yam), -10.641
7. Max Whale (Har), -13.667
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -18.083
9. Dalton Gauthier (Roy), -18.219
10. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -19.220
11. Brandon Price (Yam), -21.856
12. Dan Bromley (Yam), -1 lap
13. Kole King (KTM), -1 lap
14. Cameron Smith (KTM), -2 laps
15. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -2 laps
16. Jimmy McAllister (KTM), -3 laps
17. Daniel Poole (Kaw), -10 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Beach Does the Dakota Double, AFT AdventureTrackers Put on a Show in Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT Debut
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 11, 2024) – Neither pavement, dirt, rain, nor restart could prevent JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) from putting on yet another exhibition of all-around motorcycle mastery in Sunday’s Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT presented by Rick Ware Racing & The CAT Rental Store, Round 13 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
While inclement weather pushed the planned proceedings back several hours, the event proved every bit the spectacle that was promised once the world’s elite dirt trackers finally locked handlebars on the unique hybrid racetrack laid out in the Streets of Downtown Sturgis, South Dakota.
And while the combination of pavement turns, dirt jumps and switchbacks put the talents of even the greatest Mission AFT SuperTwins riders to the test, world-class dirt tracker/road racer Beach looked to be in his natural environment.
Beach powered into the lead from pole and immediately threatened to sap all tension right from the race’s opening lap. However, despite Beach’s best efforts, reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) managed to inject the Main Event with an abundance of drama soon after.
The nine-time series king sank down the order at the light due to a poor launch, getting clipped and nearly taken out by Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Martin Trucking Yamaha MT-07) as he was swallowed up by the pack. Trapped down in eighth early, Mees threw in a hard overtake on Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07) entering the dirt section. That attempt resulted in contact, which knocked his opponent over and brought a stop to the race.
But the red flag only temporarily delayed Beach’s escape to victory. Peoria TT winner Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) got away well in second following the restart and hounded Beach for a time, but in time, the Estenson Racing substitute rider systemically eked away, one and two tenths per circulation, before finally working his way to a 1.715-second margin of victory.
The triumph was Beach’s second in the week, backing up his Tuesday night win at the Black Hills Half-Mile. It also increased his career TT wins total to nine, equal to Steve Eklund for third all-time and now training only Henry Wiles and Chris Carr. It also saw him set the new standard for wins at the most different TT courses at six.
“It’s been a great three rounds, but this round was amazing,” Beach said. “I’ve got to give it up to the whole fansbase. All of the fans were going crazy all day long, and so many people stuck it out despite all the rain. I think this race was awesome. And I’ve got to thank the Estenson Racing Monster team for letting me come out and do these three rounds to fill in for Dallas (Daniels). I’m bummed he’s not here because I know he would have given me a run for my money too, but it’s been a real good three races.”
Bauman, meanwhile, held on for second; this despite the late-race charge of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), who finally earned his first podium of the ‘24 season by finishing third after several near misses along the way.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) limped his way to fourth after injuring his foot in the Mission #2Fast#Tasty Challenge, colliding with the wall while harrying Beach for the win.
And for all the excitement, Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) completed what must be considered a successful evening in fifth, as that result pulled him further clear of second-ranked (and tenth-placed) Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in the title chase.
Meanwhile, Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Martin Trucking Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) sandwiched between the championship leaders in sixth through ninth, respectively.
Mees’ advantage now sits at a healthy 22 points (251-229) with three rounds remaining, with Bauman closing in on second at 224.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) did his part in ensuring the historic nature of the Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT. The double defending class champion earned his first career TT victory at the event, which upped his record-setting tally of wins to 21, completed his quest for a Singles Grand Slam, and moved that much closer to an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles crown.
Kopp figured to be in for a serious fight when rival (and experienced roadracer) Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) grabbed the holeshot. But rather than let that become a problem, Kopp executed an aggressive pass as the two transitioned onto the dirt section for the first time.
Once through, Kopp simply set sail at the front. Drane might have liked to formulate a plan to strike back at Kopp but was instead forced to worry about what was behind him as a pack of five riders closed in on his rear wheel – a group headed by an on-form Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R).
Drane and Santero then two carried their fight for second to the checkered flag as Bronson Pearce (No. 132 Scott Cason @ USA Mortgage Honda CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 D&D Cycles/DG79 Husqvarna FC450), and Justin Anselmi (No. 115 Team TDR/Unsettled Racing Yamaha YZ450F) retreated from the podium battle even as Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) marched his way forward.
Saathoff’s climb merely gave him a front-row seat from fourth to witness Santero pull off a final-lap acing of Drane in order secure his first career Progressive AFT podium with a runner-up result.
Supermoto specialist Pearce was right at home on the pavement-heavy circuit and it showed with a fifth-place finish just ahead of Cose, who finished sixth while sitting in for former teammate James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450).
Rookie Anselmi took seventh followed by another first-year pilot in Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Olin Kissler (No. 40 JCM Construction KTM 450 SX-F) and Jared Lowe (No. 63 BigR/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Kopp’s victory puts him in strong position to lock up a championship early for the third time. He now leads by 34 points over Saathoff and 40 over Drane as the series next heads to Springfield with the #1 plate both on his bike and in his sights.
He said, “It’s awesome to get a TT (win) finally. It took a lot of starts and a lot of days on TTs where we were fastest all day and just didn’t finish the job… We’re on track for a third championship and this break coming up is much needed.”
Sammy Halbert (69). Photo courtesy AFT.
AFT AdventureTrackers™
As both hoped and expected, the AFT AdventureTrackers made a huge impression in the class’ eagerly awaited debut. Featuring near-stock Dual Adventure bikes piloted by riders from a diverse set of racing backgrounds – including dirt track, roadracing, enduro, Super Hooligan, and stunt – the AFT AdventureTrackers competitors treated fans to a one-of-a-kind demonstration that illustrated the full potential of the versatile machines.
And none did so as effectively as a pair of full-time flat trackers in Dan Bromley (No. 62 Sody Enterprises/Memphis Shades/Vinson Honda Africa Twin) and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200).
The two ran off at the front, Bromley looking smooth and controlled while Halbert was all aggression and excitement. Halbert took the lead momentarily, but a bobble allowed Bromley right back through and once again in control.
However, any and all potential for last-lap fireworks was erased when Bromley momentarily lost power, handing first position – and ultimately the win – over to Halbert.
“It was actually quite easy for me to ride that Triumph, it worked so well,” Halbert said. “I’m just a little guy and that’s a big bike, but it’s so nice and easy to ride. I’m so stoked to get that win in the inaugural race for the class… It was a rad event.”
Five-time Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes (Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200) worked his way around four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick (No. 64 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) to secure second place as the two completed a star-studded podium.
Robby McLendon (No. 169 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200) and Kole King (No. 80 Triumph Racing/Triumph Indianapolis Triumph Tiger 1200) made it four Triumphs in the top five, followed by pre-race favorite Frankie Garcia (No. 14 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250), whose shot at the win stalled off the line.
Next Up:
The battle for the Grand National Championship will resume when Progressive AFT descends on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, for the Mission Springfield Mile I & II on August 31-September 1. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/springfield-i-and-ii-89223 to purchase your tickets today.
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
The Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT pre-race show will air on FS2 on Saturday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), immediately followed by the race broadcast on FOX at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The complete two-hour pre-race and race package will then re-air on FS1 later that evening, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT).
Champions Crowned In The Inaugural MotoAmerica Mini Cup National Championships
Five Riders Earn Number-One Plates And More In The Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final At Road America’s Briggs & Stratton Motorplex
ELKHART LAKE, WI (August 11, 2024) – The final day of racing in the MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final on Sunday, saw racers from across the nation face the challenge of a new course layout at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America. When the final checkered flag was thrown five riders claimed national titles in the first running of Mini Cup National Final.
As they did on Saturday, riders raced two legs on Sunday, and on a different circuit at the Motorplex, and the total of four rounds determined the overall class champions.
On Sunday, riders and spectators were greeted by picture-perfect weather with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.
TopPro Racing’s Gabriel Datis was the first rider to complete a clean sweep when he clinched the Stock 110 Championship with a perfect score racing his Kawasaki. Team Sorrentino’s Blake Sorrentino finished second in the class and Beastmode Racing’s Christian Berlowitz took third.
“It feels really great to be a champion,” Datis said. “I felt a little pressure in that last race, but I just kept working and putting in good laps.”
Riders Club’s Mahdi Salem faced a much stiffer challenge on Sunday in the GP 190 class. Ohvale USA’s Kensei Matsudaira led the early laps of race three on Sunday, before Mahdi took control late. The two saved the best for last in race two, with several passes for the lead and Mahdi not securing his fourth consecutive win until a pass for the lead on the last set of turns. It was easily the most exciting race of the weekend and Kensei ended up turning in the fastest race lap of the day in any class with a 52.391-second lap in race two during their epic battle.
“I wasn’t going to pass him [Matsudaira] on the last lap where I did, but I got a good drive down that straight and had a lot of speed,” said Mahdi, who is set to begin his first year of high school this fall. “I almost hit his rear tire when I came up on him, but I was able to sweep by at the last second to take the win.”
Kensei finished runner-up in GP 190 with all second-place finishes and Williams Dalu took third.
Apex Racing’s Chase Jazikoff won the Stock 50 Championship with a perfect sweep of four races. Jazikoff endured a great challenge from CTR/Roof Systems’ Cruise Texter in both of Sunday’s races, with Cruise leading portions of both. Cruise’s strong Sunday earned him second in the Stock 50 class championship just ahead of Lucky 13’s Bron Macanga.
Ohvale USA’s Jase Dill was another rider with a perfect score at the end of the weekend in the GP 160 class. Historic GP’s Connor Raymond kept Dill honest by staying close in the final race on Sunday. Raymond, with four-straight runner-up results, was second in the overall and Datis was third. That made Datis the only rider in the championship to finish on the podium in two different classes.
CJR Performance’s Cameron Jones went unchallenged in the Street GP class on his very quick Honda Grom. Jones took convincing wins in all four rounds over the weekend in an unrestricted age class where the dads can race.
(Left to right) The top GP 190 riders on the weekend with second-placed Kensei Matsudaira, champion Mahdi Salem and third-placed Williams Dalu. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Cruise Texter (26) led portions of both Stock 50 races on Sunday, but it was Chase Jazikoff (1) coming through to take victory in both races. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Jase Dill dressed like a champion on the GP 160 podium. Dill (center) was joined on the podium by second-placed Connor Raymond (left) and third-placed Gabriel Datis (right). Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The start of the first GP 160 race on Sunday with race winner Jase Dill (97) taking the early lead. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) The Stock 50 podium featured Cruise Texter, class champion Chase Jazikoff and Bron Macanga. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) The Stock 110 podium with second-placed Blake Sorrentino, champion Gabriel Datis third-placed Christian Berlowitz. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Street GP Champion Cameron Jones is flanked by runner-up Joshua Rodriguez and third-place finisher Shawn Bandel. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) We proudly present your 2024 Mission Foods MotoAmerica Mini Cup By Motul National Champions Jase Dill (GP 160 Champion); Gabriel Datis (Stock 110 Champion); Mahdi Salem (GP 190 Champion); Chase Jazikoff (Stock 50 Champion) and Cameron Jones (Street GP Champion). Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Daley doubles up again as Young inches closer to Superbike title at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – Sunday again proved to be Trevor Daley’s day in round five of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, as he doubled up for the second time this season in changing conditions at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
All eyes were on the championship battle between Ben Young and pole-sitter Sam Guerin in GP Bikes Pro Superbike race two, but Daley stole show with a spectacular start-to-finish win for his second career feature class victory just hours after winning in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike category.
Daley snatched the lead on lap one from the end of the first row, pacing Young and Tomas Casas on a wet but drying track in a surprising lead trio after Young started from ninth and Casas battered and bruised himself in a Friday crash.
The story then immediately shifted to the chaos behind, as race one winner Alex Dumas crashed out in turn eight of the opening lap just moments before Guerin fell in turn nine, seemingly handing a fourth career Canada Cup to Young.
Daley ironically helped deny his close friend that honour, though, fending off a persistent Young for most of the contest before stretching out a slight advantage in the final four laps, mastering the unpredictable conditions aboard his OneSpeed Suzuki.
“If you asked me yesterday if I was going to win, I probably wouldn’t have seen it coming, but I think Sport Bike gave me some clue about what the track was going to do” Daley admitted, after injuring his wrist in a Saturday crash. “People keep saying this Suzuki GSX-R1000 is outdated, but that’s two wins now in only two weekends this year.”
The win secured yet another “Daley double” for him after his Sunday sweep earlier this season in Grand Bend, a remarkable feat for Daley and the OneSpeed Suzuki team.
As for Young, his championship celebrations will be put on hold for a pair of reasons, as Daley’s victory coincided with a remarkable comeback effort from Guerin to finish sixth.
Still, it was yet another podium for the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW star as he opens up an even 50-point lead with just 54 points left on offer, meaning he can secure a third Canada Cup in a row as early as qualifying at Shannonville.
“I obviously wanted the win, but Trevor was pretty gnarly out there, especially through turns two and four, so I just did the wise thing for the championship,” Young said. “The grip was starting to go as the track dried, but this BMW was bulletproof again today so it was nice to have that safety net.”
Completing the podium was Casas, who wasn’t able to fully stay with the lead duo but settled into a strong third for the entire race.
The Yamaha Motors Canada rider was banged up for his season debut but still managed an impressive third career Superbike podium, holding off a dramatic late charge from Jordan Szoke.
“It’s been a tough couple years, so it means a lot to be back up here and have everyone stick with me,” Casas said. “It sucked to not do the whole series this year, but hopefully we can end the year strong in Shannonville and put something together for next year.”
A few less clouds may have dramatically changed things for Szoke, who was one of a handful of riders to gamble on a rear slick tire and began to carve his way through the field in the last half of the race.
It was ultimately too little, too late for the CKM Kawasaki rider as he missed the podium by four seconds, though it was a small margin in the greater picture of his race after running outside the top-15 in the first two laps.
Completing the top five was David MacKay, who lost out to the rear slick gamble of Szoke in the last few laps but otherwise flashed great pace in yet another top-five finish for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda.
Guerin would make a similar gamble to Szoke and flashed both the risk and reward of that decision in the same race, crashing on lap one before remounting his EFC Group BMW and lapping as much as eight seconds a lap faster than the rain-mounted riders ahead of him to salvage sixth.
It’s a difficult setback for the EFC Group BMW team as they now need a near-perfect weekend at SMP just to have a shot at the title, though Guerin did manage to keep his chances alive after it looked impossible earlier in the race.
His performance would also help BMW to a third consecutive Constructors Championship, clinching the title as they take a 125-point lead into the final round with a max of only 90 points remaining to rivals Kawasaki.
Paul Macdonell would take seventh for PMR/Vass Performance BMW in the next group of rain-tire runners, while slick-mounted Mavrick Cyr charged through the field to take eighth on the final lap for Economy Lube Ducati.
Brian Worsdall would earn ninth for Mot’s Machining Honda after running as high as fifth in the early full-wet conditions, while Sebastian Hothaza completed the top ten for the second day in a row in his Pro Superbike debut.
Connor Campbell would claim a crucial eleventh over Torin Collins, giving him the lead in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year award fight over his satellite Kawasaki teammate.
Campbell will have an eight-point cushion going into the last round aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki, with Collins’ status for the finale yet to be confirmed in the Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki tent.
Full results can be found on the series’ official website.
Editorial Note: Americans Julian Correa, Joshua Raymond, Jr., and Eli Banish finished third, ninth, and 20th, respectively, in British Talent Cup Race Two Sunday at Thruxton Circuit.
Vickers strikes twice as Cook and McConnell celebrate podium success
Ryan Vickers won both British Superbike races Sunday at Thruxton Circuit. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Ryan Vickers was an unstoppable force in today’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship races at Thruxton as the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider stormed to a double victory, holding off the his title rivals to celebrate his seventh win of the season in race three.
Kyle Ryde had given the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing team the first victory of the weekend in Saturday’s race, but Vickers delivered a high-speed masterclass in Hampshire to take the double in two very different contests.
Vickers stormed from his fifteenth place grid position to take the victory in a dramatic second Bennetts race as he continued the team’s winning momentum.
Max Cook had fired off the Omologato Pole position to take the lead on the opening lap ahead of Storm Stacey and Glenn Irwin, but there was drama for the Hager PBM Ducati rider who crashed out after a huge highside at Campbell, which meant the race was red flagged.
On the restart, Stacey launched the Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki into the lead ahead of Cook and Josh Brookes, but on the second lap, Alex Olsen and Franco Bourne crashed out at Village and the BMW Safety Car was deployed.
When the race got back underway, it became a five-lap sprint to the finish and Cook was holding the lead until the penultimate lap when Vickers gained two places to return to the front, making his move into the Complex.
Cook then had Brookes and Danny Kent for company, as the McAMS Racing Yamaha rider carved his way through the pack and he was pushing for a return to the podium. Cook was able to hold second to the line to celebrate a career first podium finish in Bennetts BSB.
Brookes narrowly missed out on his first podium of the season for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad as Kent stole third on the final lap.
In race three, Kent launched to the front of the field ahead of Tommy Bridewell and McConnell and on the opening lap the lead changed three times with the trio all having a spell before the reigning champion held the edge.
Bridewell was holding the advantage from McConnell when he dramatically slowed on the exit of the chicane caused by a quickshifter problem and the pack concertinaed and the Honda Racing UK rider lost ground that dropped him down the order before he recovered to sixth at the chequered flag.
Vickers had swept into the lead on the fifth lap and then was trying to manage the race, whilst McConnell and BSB Pathway Lewis Rollo were initially the front of the chasing pack. The IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia rider later dropped to just outside the top ten, whilst Kent got embroiled in the battle for the podium.
Vickers had enough to take the chequered flag despite a last corner moment, when the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing R1 slid out of line, with Kent able to move into second with five laps remaining and then he held off McConnell.
The podium for the Australian marked the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda team’s first since joining the championship this year as he became the 14th different rider to take a top three finish in 2024, whilst the achievement marked the eleventh different team to celebrate podium success.
Bridewell continues his title defence by leading the standings ahead of Honda Racing UK’s home round at Cadwell Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. He holds a 25-point advantage over Ryde as Christian Iddon moved ahead of Glenn Irwin in the standings as Vickers elevated himself into the top five.
Ryan Vickers
OMG GRILLA Racing Yamaha
“It’s been a strong weekend for us and the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Team, taking two wins today. It was always going to be difficult starting 15th in what was planned to be a ten-lap race, but it’s even harder to go from 15th to 1st in six laps!
“I’m really happy with how I rode in that race, I attacked in the right places at the right time and managed to pick up a handful of positions each lap and eventually took the lead when Max Cook had a moment ahead. The last lap I just pushed, hit my markers and brought it home.
“The final race of the weekend didn’t actually go to my plan because I hit the front early on. I could see Billy was quick but it maybe wasn’t coming quite as easy. I got by and just ticked the laps off. Had a bit of a moment on the final corner, but it’s all good and I’m delighted to take the lucky number seven R1 to a seventh win of 2024. I’m now looking forward to continuing this form on to Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday evening at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on spec Pirelli tires, Razgatlioglu won the 20-lap race by a scant 0.035 second. It was the Turkish star’s 13th consecutive race victory, extending his lead in the World Championship standings.
Rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up, finishing right behind Razgatlioglu on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Alex Lowes placed third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Gerloff Garrett, riding his Bonovo Action BMW, won a battle for eighth place with Team HRC’s Xavi Vierge (ninth) and GYTR GRT Yamaha’s Dominic Aegerter (10th).
Toprak Razgatlioglu held off Nicolo Bulega to win Race Two in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Tissot Superpole Race Highlights
Toprak Razgatlioglu made WorldSBK history by winning his 12th consecutive race. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider was one of the few front runners to use the harder rear tyre during the shorter 10 lap race but took the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 2 and was never challenged there after. Razgatlioglu held a comfortable three second lead by the time he took the flag and celebrated his milestone victory
A first career Superpole Race podium for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his strong Portuguese Round.
From the middle of the front row Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) once again made a good start. He held onto second position for the first half of the race before Petrucci and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came past him. On the final lap Lowes was able to surprise van der Mark at Turn 8 and held off his former teammate to the line by just 0.021s
Race 2 Highlights
While it was another hat-trick for Razgatlioglu this was a challenging race. A clash with Alex Lowes on Lap 6 saw the right wing ripped off the BMW. With the balance of his bike changed Razgatlioglu struggled in the longer corners and was under attack from Bautista and Bulega
Bautista was the closest challenger but the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 on Lap 15. Having been able to set the fastest lap of the race the Ducati rider was charging and chasing down Razgatlioglu’s lead. Having taken the lead Razgatlioglu shot back at Turn 4 before Bautista’s mistake. The double World Champion was chasing his first win since the Superpole Race at Assen. The Ducati star remounted but finished outside the points
There were eight changes of the lead over the course of the 20 lap race. For the first time since 2021 Michael van der Mark led a race with the BMW rider eventually finishing in seventh position after a race long battle with Petrucci and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha)
Bulega continued his run of finishing on the podium at every round this season. The reigning WorldSSP champion started from fifth position on the grid but dropped to sixth position at one third distance before recovering through the leading group to get into the podium positions at half distance. After Bautista’s crash it was Bulega’s turn to carry the baton for Ducati and while he led the race he wasn’t able to claim the win. Just 0.035s separated Bulega from a second win of the season
Alex Lowes led three laps and was running comfortably in fourth position when Bautista crashed. Elevated to the podium he opened a gap of 2.5s to Iannone at the flag. The Englishman now trails Bautista by just ten points for third in the standings
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) enjoyed a strong day. Having finished ninth in the Superpole Race the rookie was able to have a combative race in the evening to finish as the leading Independent Rider in fourth position
In the championship Razgatlioglu holds a 92 point lead from Bulega with Bautista a further ten points adrift. BMW leads the manufacturers standings by 20 points from Ducati
Key Points:
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“This race was very difficult. It wasn’t easy to ride with the strong wind but I kept fighting. In the last sector I was struggling and I was always slower in the last corner. I gave it everything, and we won again. This is my 13th win in a row and my 54th in total. I’m very happy after today. It’s been an incredible weekend for me and the team. Everybody is working very hard and we want to continue like this for the next race in Magny-Cours!”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This was one of the most difficult weekends I’ve had this season. I felt sick all weekend but I never gave up. I tried to improve every time I was out on the bike. My team did a great job too. Unfortunately, I lost the battle with Toprak. There was almost nothing between us at the end but this was my first race weekend here in WorldSBK. I’m happy. It’s always nice to be on the podium.”
P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team
“This is a track that I enjoy. The bike works really well here but, honestly, it was a hard race for us. The wind changed and it was so physical. The bike was moving a lot but I think I had some strong areas of the track all weekend. That was great because I was able to make some overtaking moves. Against the two Ducatis and Toprak I just didn’t have the speed. I made a couple of mistakes too because the bike was moving so much. The braking was a bit inconsistent for me but I’m not going to complain too much! To have two podiums today is fantastic for the team.”
DNF | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The feeling with the bike is coming back. Yesterday, we had a very bad start but finished second. I was the second fastest on track in the Superpole Race. In Race 2 I lost a lot of ground at the start but the feeling was similar to yesterday. The conditions were a bit tricky today because the wind was too strong. I understood more or less how the wind was affecting the track but the feeling with the bike was good. Today was the first time this season that I really felt strong. At that moment, I thought maybe I could relax for a few laps and then attack but it’s been a long time since I’ve fought for victory, so I wanted to put on a bit of a show. I wanted to have some fun, and play a little with Toprak. Unfortunately, in Turn 5, he passed me and went a bit wide. I tried to get back to the line but I lost the front. It’s a bit of a pity because the performance was really good. Now, we need to reset and start fresh with this feeling on the bike.”
Yari Montella won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the Italian won the 17-lap race by nearly six seconds. It was Montella’s second straight win and his fourth of the season.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise placed third on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha.
Adrian Huertas, the current World Championship point leader, crashed his Aruba.it Racing Ducati, but was able to rejoin the race and still finish 12th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Piloting his Pirelli-shod ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, Razgatlioglu won the 10-lap race by nearly three seconds. It was the Turkish star’s 12th race win in a row, a new World Superbike record, extending his lead in the World Championship point standings.
Barni Spark Racing Team’s Danilo Petrucci was the runner-up on his Ducati Panigale V4 R, and Alex Lowes placed third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Dumas fends off Young in dramatic Superbike race one at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – The trip back to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was a good one for Alex Dumas, as the former champion secured his first victory of the season in a thrilling race one battle in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship on Saturday.
Starting second on the GP Bikes Pro Superbike grid, Dumas grabbed the holeshot from pole-sitter Sam Guerin and led for virtually the entire race, but never by a comfortable margin as title rivals Guerin and Ben Young pressured him from start-to-finish.
Young wasted no time in making up for his disastrous ninth-place spot on the grid, moving to third by the end of lap one as he followed the duo with Jordan Szoke in tow.
Guerin would hold second for the first half of the race, though, and seemed to be lining up a move on Dumas when Young decided to pounce, shunting Guerin to third and beginning his chase towards Dumas.
The old championship foes would run almost nose-to-tail for the final eight laps, with Young trying a late cut-back out of the tight final turn ten but ultimately falling just 0.071 seconds shy at the line – the fifth-closest margin of victory in Pro Superbike history.
That would hand Dumas his first win since the 2023 finale at Shannonville, and his first victory since the 2021 champion switched to Economy Lube Ducati machinery – scoring Ducati’s first Superbike triumph in nearly 30 years.
“Both Sam and I got a great start, but I was able to get under him in turn one and just tried to put my head down and pull away,” Dumas said. “I was struggling with the setup yesterday, but today felt a lot better so I owe a huge thanks to the team. It feels good to be back on top, hopefully we can do it again tomorrow!”
The charge from ninth to second was a spectacular salvage job from Young and the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW squad, who inched slightly closer to a fourth Canada Cup with a 40-point lead and just 79 points remaining.
However, the points leader would take a veiled shot at the Economy Lube Ducati team after an unusual pre-race refueling process, with the high-powered BMW’s surprisingly unable to catch the V4 Panigale down the long Andretti Straightaway.
“We had a bit of a mishap in qualifying yesterday, but I got a great start and was able to catch right back up to the back of Sam and then tried to hunt down Alex,” Young said. “It’s amazing, we have 12 more horsepower than the bike in front us but can’t seem to go faster than that one. But the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW crew got the bike back together and it did the best it could within the legal power limit.”
The subtle jab was seemingly shared by Guerin and the EFC Group BMW team, as Guerin settled for a strong third after his own attempts to pass Dumas were denied.
“It was an interesting race with Alex. His bike is super fast down the straight, it was really hard to stay in the draft,” Guerin said. “Once Ben got me in turn five and started to chase after Alex, I just looked at the gap behind me and decided to bring it home and be ready to fight again tomorrow.”
Guerin’s championship hopes will take a slight hit as Young claws back the four points he lost in qualifying, though he will remain firmly in contention entering a pivotal race two on Sunday.
The duo did inch closer to a third consecutive Constructors Championship for BMW, stretching out a 113-point advantage over Kawasaki with only 135 points remaining to each manufacturer. The battle for third in the standings heated up with Ducati’s victory, as they leapfrog Honda with three races left on the calendar.
Jordan Szoke would keep his perfect run of top-four finishes alive, fading from the lead battle around the midway point but managing his CKM Kawasaki enough to fend off a late push from Tomas Casas and Torin Collins.
Collins and Casas went back-and-forth across the final five laps after dispatching David MacKay earlier in the contest, though Casas got the last laugh with a strong final lap in his season debut for Yamaha Motors Canada.
That would leave Collins sixth in his first race for Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki, a strong effort as he continues to adjust to his new machine at the new venue.
MacKay’s early bid for a top-five would fade away as Casas and Collins charged through, though he was able to settle things down aboard his ODH Snow City Cycle Honda and exit race one with a strong seventh-place finish.
Eli Daccache would claim eighth for Yamaha, a strong but lonely ride as he moved clear of front row starter Trevor Daley in the middle portion.
Daley was seemingly battling issues in the first half as he sank down the order for OneSpeed Suzuki, though he rebounded with stronger pace in the second half to come out on top of a hectic duel with Paul Macdonell and Sebastian Hothaza.
Hothaza would score the final top-ten spot in his Superbike debut for Ride42 Yamaha, narrowly defeating Macdonell aboard the PMR/Vass Performance BMW by just 0.369 seconds.
The feature class will now prepare for race two on Sunday at CTMP, just an hour east of Toronto, where Young and Guerin will continue their title battle at roughly 2:30 pm ET.
Full results can be found on the series’ official website.
Winners Earn Big Points Leads After Saturday Sweeps in MotoAmerica Mini Cup Finals
Perfect First Day For All Five Winners Going Into Sunday’s Championship Deciders At Road America
ELKHART LAKE, WI (August. 10, 2024) – The first day of racing in the MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final on Saturday witnessed great racing and the rising talent of some of America’s leading youth racers.
Riders raced two legs on Saturday and will race two more on Sunday on a different track layout at the Briggs & Statton Motorplex to determine the overall class champions. Saturday was a day of sweeps with all five winners scoring wins in both legs of their races in windy conditions.
There was some exciting action Saturday, on and off the track. In the GP 190 class leading qualifier Mahdi Salem almost missed race one and it was just by the luck of a red flag that he was able to race.
Mahdi’s machine blew a motor in qualifying and his is father installed a new engine and had it ready just before the drop of the green flag. Unfortunately, the screws on the cylinder head were not completely tight and oil was seeping out of Mahdi’s bike and onto the pavement. On the grid MotoAmerica officials made him pull off to the side of the track and the race started without him. But Lady Luck was on Mahdi’s side. There was a red flag that stopped the race and Mahdi’s dad was able to tighten the loose screws and he made the restart.
After taking the lead, Mahdi pulled away to a convincing victory over Kensei Matsudaira. Mahdi also won the second leg, this time with little drama, to take a big points lead going into Sunday’s action.
The most exciting race of the day was Stock 50 race two where brothers Chase and Cooper Jazikoff battled for the lead in the middle laps of the race. Little brother Cooper made a mistake and nearly crashed in the closing laps, but recovered to finish fourth. Chase won and was later seen trying to cheer up his little brother.
Chase Jazikoff (right) tries to cheer up his little brother Cooper (left) after Stock 50 race two on Saturday. Cooper challenged his big brother for the lead, but a mistake in the closing laps dropped him out of contention. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Jase Dill is all smiles while being interviewed by Roger Hayden after winning Saturday’s GP 160 race one at Road America. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Other winners on Saturday included Jase Dill, who scored two wins in GP 160, Gabriel Datis in Stock 110 and Cameron Jones in Street GP.
It was Gabriel Datis (shown here on his Ohvale) coming through in the Stock 110 class to win on his Kawasaki. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Tomorrow’s action promises to be hot and heavy and you can tune in to watch the racing on MotoAmerica Live+ with live streaming and video on-demand for Sunday’s race action with commentary from MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Roger Hayden and current Mission King Of The Baggers star James Rispoli. MotoAmerica Live+ will start streaming at 1 p.m. (central time) on Sunday and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. (central time).
Cameron Jones used the power of his Honda Grom to score victories in the Street GP class. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley (right) and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom (left). Photo courtesy Mat Oxley.
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
Want to be a famous MotoGP racer? Then you’d better start young, move to southern Europe and make a name for yourself. And one of the best places to do that is in Red Bull Rookie Cup.
This week, we invite former racer and journalist Peter Clifford for a chat. For the last 18 years, he’s been responsible for guiding and helping the young talent in the Rookie Cup. He’s worked with people like Acosta and Binder when they were just teenagers, and knows exactly what goes into developing young talent into legendary riders.
What’s the selection process like? How do you make sure that talent from all over the world gets a fair shot? And what does he think about the future of MotoGP, as someone who works with the next generation of riders on a daily basis?
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) Championship Series
Sturgis TT
Sturgis, South Dakota
August 11, 2024
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 16 laps
2. Tarren Santero (Hon), -1.956 seconds
3. Tom Drane (Yam), -2.050
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -3.905
5. Bronson Pearce (Hon), -6.461
6. Chad Cose (Hus), -6.924
7. Justin Anselmi (Yam), -11.272
8. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -12.603
9. Olin Kissler (KTM), -14.184
10. Jared Lowe (Hon), -19.238
11. Trent Lowe (Hon), -19.380
12. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -21.938
13. Travis Petton (KTM), -1 lap
14. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -1 lap, -14.570
15. Ryan Hiatt (Hon), -2 laps
16. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -4 laps
Provisional AFT AdventureTrackers Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Sammy Halbert (Tri), 15 laps
2. Ivan Cervantes (Tri), -4.809 seconds
3. Danny Eslick (Har), -6.291
4. Robby McLendon (Tri), -12.162
5. Kole King (Tri), -12.989
6. Frankie Garcia (Har), -20.922
7. Dan Bromley (Hon), -1 lap
8. Ernie Vigil (Tri), -1 lap, -7.186
9. Nick Brocha (Tri), -2 laps
Provisional Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event (8 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 19 laps
2. Briar Bauman (KTM), -1.715 seconds
3. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -2.268
4. Davis Fisher (Ind), -7.106
5. Jared Mees (Ind), -9.693
6. Sammy Halbert (Yam), -10.641
7. Max Whale (Har), -13.667
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -18.083
9. Dalton Gauthier (Roy), -18.219
10. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -19.220
11. Brandon Price (Yam), -21.856
12. Dan Bromley (Yam), -1 lap
13. Kole King (KTM), -1 lap
14. Cameron Smith (KTM), -2 laps
15. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -2 laps
16. Jimmy McAllister (KTM), -3 laps
17. Daniel Poole (Kaw), -10 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Beach Does the Dakota Double, AFT AdventureTrackers Put on a Show in Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT Debut
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 11, 2024) – Neither pavement, dirt, rain, nor restart could prevent JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) from putting on yet another exhibition of all-around motorcycle mastery in Sunday’s Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT presented by Rick Ware Racing & The CAT Rental Store, Round 13 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
While inclement weather pushed the planned proceedings back several hours, the event proved every bit the spectacle that was promised once the world’s elite dirt trackers finally locked handlebars on the unique hybrid racetrack laid out in the Streets of Downtown Sturgis, South Dakota.
And while the combination of pavement turns, dirt jumps and switchbacks put the talents of even the greatest Mission AFT SuperTwins riders to the test, world-class dirt tracker/road racer Beach looked to be in his natural environment.
Beach powered into the lead from pole and immediately threatened to sap all tension right from the race’s opening lap. However, despite Beach’s best efforts, reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) managed to inject the Main Event with an abundance of drama soon after.
The nine-time series king sank down the order at the light due to a poor launch, getting clipped and nearly taken out by Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Martin Trucking Yamaha MT-07) as he was swallowed up by the pack. Trapped down in eighth early, Mees threw in a hard overtake on Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07) entering the dirt section. That attempt resulted in contact, which knocked his opponent over and brought a stop to the race.
But the red flag only temporarily delayed Beach’s escape to victory. Peoria TT winner Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) got away well in second following the restart and hounded Beach for a time, but in time, the Estenson Racing substitute rider systemically eked away, one and two tenths per circulation, before finally working his way to a 1.715-second margin of victory.
The triumph was Beach’s second in the week, backing up his Tuesday night win at the Black Hills Half-Mile. It also increased his career TT wins total to nine, equal to Steve Eklund for third all-time and now training only Henry Wiles and Chris Carr. It also saw him set the new standard for wins at the most different TT courses at six.
“It’s been a great three rounds, but this round was amazing,” Beach said. “I’ve got to give it up to the whole fansbase. All of the fans were going crazy all day long, and so many people stuck it out despite all the rain. I think this race was awesome. And I’ve got to thank the Estenson Racing Monster team for letting me come out and do these three rounds to fill in for Dallas (Daniels). I’m bummed he’s not here because I know he would have given me a run for my money too, but it’s been a real good three races.”
Bauman, meanwhile, held on for second; this despite the late-race charge of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), who finally earned his first podium of the ‘24 season by finishing third after several near misses along the way.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) limped his way to fourth after injuring his foot in the Mission #2Fast#Tasty Challenge, colliding with the wall while harrying Beach for the win.
And for all the excitement, Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) completed what must be considered a successful evening in fifth, as that result pulled him further clear of second-ranked (and tenth-placed) Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in the title chase.
Meanwhile, Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Martin Trucking Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) sandwiched between the championship leaders in sixth through ninth, respectively.
Mees’ advantage now sits at a healthy 22 points (251-229) with three rounds remaining, with Bauman closing in on second at 224.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) did his part in ensuring the historic nature of the Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT. The double defending class champion earned his first career TT victory at the event, which upped his record-setting tally of wins to 21, completed his quest for a Singles Grand Slam, and moved that much closer to an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles crown.
Kopp figured to be in for a serious fight when rival (and experienced roadracer) Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) grabbed the holeshot. But rather than let that become a problem, Kopp executed an aggressive pass as the two transitioned onto the dirt section for the first time.
Once through, Kopp simply set sail at the front. Drane might have liked to formulate a plan to strike back at Kopp but was instead forced to worry about what was behind him as a pack of five riders closed in on his rear wheel – a group headed by an on-form Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R).
Drane and Santero then two carried their fight for second to the checkered flag as Bronson Pearce (No. 132 Scott Cason @ USA Mortgage Honda CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 D&D Cycles/DG79 Husqvarna FC450), and Justin Anselmi (No. 115 Team TDR/Unsettled Racing Yamaha YZ450F) retreated from the podium battle even as Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) marched his way forward.
Saathoff’s climb merely gave him a front-row seat from fourth to witness Santero pull off a final-lap acing of Drane in order secure his first career Progressive AFT podium with a runner-up result.
Supermoto specialist Pearce was right at home on the pavement-heavy circuit and it showed with a fifth-place finish just ahead of Cose, who finished sixth while sitting in for former teammate James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450).
Rookie Anselmi took seventh followed by another first-year pilot in Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Olin Kissler (No. 40 JCM Construction KTM 450 SX-F) and Jared Lowe (No. 63 BigR/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Kopp’s victory puts him in strong position to lock up a championship early for the third time. He now leads by 34 points over Saathoff and 40 over Drane as the series next heads to Springfield with the #1 plate both on his bike and in his sights.
He said, “It’s awesome to get a TT (win) finally. It took a lot of starts and a lot of days on TTs where we were fastest all day and just didn’t finish the job… We’re on track for a third championship and this break coming up is much needed.”
Sammy Halbert (69). Photo courtesy AFT.
AFT AdventureTrackers™
As both hoped and expected, the AFT AdventureTrackers made a huge impression in the class’ eagerly awaited debut. Featuring near-stock Dual Adventure bikes piloted by riders from a diverse set of racing backgrounds – including dirt track, roadracing, enduro, Super Hooligan, and stunt – the AFT AdventureTrackers competitors treated fans to a one-of-a-kind demonstration that illustrated the full potential of the versatile machines.
And none did so as effectively as a pair of full-time flat trackers in Dan Bromley (No. 62 Sody Enterprises/Memphis Shades/Vinson Honda Africa Twin) and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200).
The two ran off at the front, Bromley looking smooth and controlled while Halbert was all aggression and excitement. Halbert took the lead momentarily, but a bobble allowed Bromley right back through and once again in control.
However, any and all potential for last-lap fireworks was erased when Bromley momentarily lost power, handing first position – and ultimately the win – over to Halbert.
“It was actually quite easy for me to ride that Triumph, it worked so well,” Halbert said. “I’m just a little guy and that’s a big bike, but it’s so nice and easy to ride. I’m so stoked to get that win in the inaugural race for the class… It was a rad event.”
Five-time Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes (Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200) worked his way around four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick (No. 64 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) to secure second place as the two completed a star-studded podium.
Robby McLendon (No. 169 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200) and Kole King (No. 80 Triumph Racing/Triumph Indianapolis Triumph Tiger 1200) made it four Triumphs in the top five, followed by pre-race favorite Frankie Garcia (No. 14 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250), whose shot at the win stalled off the line.
Next Up:
The battle for the Grand National Championship will resume when Progressive AFT descends on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, for the Mission Springfield Mile I & II on August 31-September 1. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/springfield-i-and-ii-89223 to purchase your tickets today.
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
The Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT pre-race show will air on FS2 on Saturday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), immediately followed by the race broadcast on FOX at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The complete two-hour pre-race and race package will then re-air on FS1 later that evening, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT).
Mahdi Salem (10) and Kensei Matsudaira (74) had the best race of the weekend Sunday with the two swapping the lead until the final lap when Mahdi made a pass in the last set of turns. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Champions Crowned In The Inaugural MotoAmerica Mini Cup National Championships
Five Riders Earn Number-One Plates And More In The Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final At Road America’s Briggs & Stratton Motorplex
ELKHART LAKE, WI (August 11, 2024) – The final day of racing in the MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final on Sunday, saw racers from across the nation face the challenge of a new course layout at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America. When the final checkered flag was thrown five riders claimed national titles in the first running of Mini Cup National Final.
As they did on Saturday, riders raced two legs on Sunday, and on a different circuit at the Motorplex, and the total of four rounds determined the overall class champions.
On Sunday, riders and spectators were greeted by picture-perfect weather with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.
TopPro Racing’s Gabriel Datis was the first rider to complete a clean sweep when he clinched the Stock 110 Championship with a perfect score racing his Kawasaki. Team Sorrentino’s Blake Sorrentino finished second in the class and Beastmode Racing’s Christian Berlowitz took third.
“It feels really great to be a champion,” Datis said. “I felt a little pressure in that last race, but I just kept working and putting in good laps.”
Riders Club’s Mahdi Salem faced a much stiffer challenge on Sunday in the GP 190 class. Ohvale USA’s Kensei Matsudaira led the early laps of race three on Sunday, before Mahdi took control late. The two saved the best for last in race two, with several passes for the lead and Mahdi not securing his fourth consecutive win until a pass for the lead on the last set of turns. It was easily the most exciting race of the weekend and Kensei ended up turning in the fastest race lap of the day in any class with a 52.391-second lap in race two during their epic battle.
“I wasn’t going to pass him [Matsudaira] on the last lap where I did, but I got a good drive down that straight and had a lot of speed,” said Mahdi, who is set to begin his first year of high school this fall. “I almost hit his rear tire when I came up on him, but I was able to sweep by at the last second to take the win.”
Kensei finished runner-up in GP 190 with all second-place finishes and Williams Dalu took third.
Apex Racing’s Chase Jazikoff won the Stock 50 Championship with a perfect sweep of four races. Jazikoff endured a great challenge from CTR/Roof Systems’ Cruise Texter in both of Sunday’s races, with Cruise leading portions of both. Cruise’s strong Sunday earned him second in the Stock 50 class championship just ahead of Lucky 13’s Bron Macanga.
Ohvale USA’s Jase Dill was another rider with a perfect score at the end of the weekend in the GP 160 class. Historic GP’s Connor Raymond kept Dill honest by staying close in the final race on Sunday. Raymond, with four-straight runner-up results, was second in the overall and Datis was third. That made Datis the only rider in the championship to finish on the podium in two different classes.
CJR Performance’s Cameron Jones went unchallenged in the Street GP class on his very quick Honda Grom. Jones took convincing wins in all four rounds over the weekend in an unrestricted age class where the dads can race.
(Left to right) The top GP 190 riders on the weekend with second-placed Kensei Matsudaira, champion Mahdi Salem and third-placed Williams Dalu. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Cruise Texter (26) led portions of both Stock 50 races on Sunday, but it was Chase Jazikoff (1) coming through to take victory in both races. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Jase Dill dressed like a champion on the GP 160 podium. Dill (center) was joined on the podium by second-placed Connor Raymond (left) and third-placed Gabriel Datis (right). Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The start of the first GP 160 race on Sunday with race winner Jase Dill (97) taking the early lead. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) The Stock 50 podium featured Cruise Texter, class champion Chase Jazikoff and Bron Macanga. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) The Stock 110 podium with second-placed Blake Sorrentino, champion Gabriel Datis third-placed Christian Berlowitz. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Street GP Champion Cameron Jones is flanked by runner-up Joshua Rodriguez and third-place finisher Shawn Bandel. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
(From left to right) We proudly present your 2024 Mission Foods MotoAmerica Mini Cup By Motul National Champions Jase Dill (GP 160 Champion); Gabriel Datis (Stock 110 Champion); Mahdi Salem (GP 190 Champion); Chase Jazikoff (Stock 50 Champion) and Cameron Jones (Street GP Champion). Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Two wins for Trevor Daley (9) on Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - The Suzuki rider won Pro Sport Bike earlier in the day before also taking the Superbike victory in challenging conditions over Ben Young (1). Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Daley doubles up again as Young inches closer to Superbike title at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – Sunday again proved to be Trevor Daley’s day in round five of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, as he doubled up for the second time this season in changing conditions at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
All eyes were on the championship battle between Ben Young and pole-sitter Sam Guerin in GP Bikes Pro Superbike race two, but Daley stole show with a spectacular start-to-finish win for his second career feature class victory just hours after winning in the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike category.
Daley snatched the lead on lap one from the end of the first row, pacing Young and Tomas Casas on a wet but drying track in a surprising lead trio after Young started from ninth and Casas battered and bruised himself in a Friday crash.
The story then immediately shifted to the chaos behind, as race one winner Alex Dumas crashed out in turn eight of the opening lap just moments before Guerin fell in turn nine, seemingly handing a fourth career Canada Cup to Young.
Daley ironically helped deny his close friend that honour, though, fending off a persistent Young for most of the contest before stretching out a slight advantage in the final four laps, mastering the unpredictable conditions aboard his OneSpeed Suzuki.
“If you asked me yesterday if I was going to win, I probably wouldn’t have seen it coming, but I think Sport Bike gave me some clue about what the track was going to do” Daley admitted, after injuring his wrist in a Saturday crash. “People keep saying this Suzuki GSX-R1000 is outdated, but that’s two wins now in only two weekends this year.”
The win secured yet another “Daley double” for him after his Sunday sweep earlier this season in Grand Bend, a remarkable feat for Daley and the OneSpeed Suzuki team.
As for Young, his championship celebrations will be put on hold for a pair of reasons, as Daley’s victory coincided with a remarkable comeback effort from Guerin to finish sixth.
Still, it was yet another podium for the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW star as he opens up an even 50-point lead with just 54 points left on offer, meaning he can secure a third Canada Cup in a row as early as qualifying at Shannonville.
“I obviously wanted the win, but Trevor was pretty gnarly out there, especially through turns two and four, so I just did the wise thing for the championship,” Young said. “The grip was starting to go as the track dried, but this BMW was bulletproof again today so it was nice to have that safety net.”
Completing the podium was Casas, who wasn’t able to fully stay with the lead duo but settled into a strong third for the entire race.
The Yamaha Motors Canada rider was banged up for his season debut but still managed an impressive third career Superbike podium, holding off a dramatic late charge from Jordan Szoke.
“It’s been a tough couple years, so it means a lot to be back up here and have everyone stick with me,” Casas said. “It sucked to not do the whole series this year, but hopefully we can end the year strong in Shannonville and put something together for next year.”
A few less clouds may have dramatically changed things for Szoke, who was one of a handful of riders to gamble on a rear slick tire and began to carve his way through the field in the last half of the race.
It was ultimately too little, too late for the CKM Kawasaki rider as he missed the podium by four seconds, though it was a small margin in the greater picture of his race after running outside the top-15 in the first two laps.
Completing the top five was David MacKay, who lost out to the rear slick gamble of Szoke in the last few laps but otherwise flashed great pace in yet another top-five finish for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda.
Guerin would make a similar gamble to Szoke and flashed both the risk and reward of that decision in the same race, crashing on lap one before remounting his EFC Group BMW and lapping as much as eight seconds a lap faster than the rain-mounted riders ahead of him to salvage sixth.
It’s a difficult setback for the EFC Group BMW team as they now need a near-perfect weekend at SMP just to have a shot at the title, though Guerin did manage to keep his chances alive after it looked impossible earlier in the race.
His performance would also help BMW to a third consecutive Constructors Championship, clinching the title as they take a 125-point lead into the final round with a max of only 90 points remaining to rivals Kawasaki.
Paul Macdonell would take seventh for PMR/Vass Performance BMW in the next group of rain-tire runners, while slick-mounted Mavrick Cyr charged through the field to take eighth on the final lap for Economy Lube Ducati.
Brian Worsdall would earn ninth for Mot’s Machining Honda after running as high as fifth in the early full-wet conditions, while Sebastian Hothaza completed the top ten for the second day in a row in his Pro Superbike debut.
Connor Campbell would claim a crucial eleventh over Torin Collins, giving him the lead in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year award fight over his satellite Kawasaki teammate.
Campbell will have an eight-point cushion going into the last round aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki, with Collins’ status for the finale yet to be confirmed in the Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki tent.
Full results can be found on the series’ official website.
Max Cook (30) leads the British Superbike field Sunday at Thruxton. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Editorial Note: Americans Julian Correa, Joshua Raymond, Jr., and Eli Banish finished third, ninth, and 20th, respectively, in British Talent Cup Race Two Sunday at Thruxton Circuit.
Vickers strikes twice as Cook and McConnell celebrate podium success
Ryan Vickers won both British Superbike races Sunday at Thruxton Circuit. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Ryan Vickers was an unstoppable force in today’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship races at Thruxton as the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider stormed to a double victory, holding off the his title rivals to celebrate his seventh win of the season in race three.
Kyle Ryde had given the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing team the first victory of the weekend in Saturday’s race, but Vickers delivered a high-speed masterclass in Hampshire to take the double in two very different contests.
Vickers stormed from his fifteenth place grid position to take the victory in a dramatic second Bennetts race as he continued the team’s winning momentum.
Max Cook had fired off the Omologato Pole position to take the lead on the opening lap ahead of Storm Stacey and Glenn Irwin, but there was drama for the Hager PBM Ducati rider who crashed out after a huge highside at Campbell, which meant the race was red flagged.
On the restart, Stacey launched the Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki into the lead ahead of Cook and Josh Brookes, but on the second lap, Alex Olsen and Franco Bourne crashed out at Village and the BMW Safety Car was deployed.
When the race got back underway, it became a five-lap sprint to the finish and Cook was holding the lead until the penultimate lap when Vickers gained two places to return to the front, making his move into the Complex.
Cook then had Brookes and Danny Kent for company, as the McAMS Racing Yamaha rider carved his way through the pack and he was pushing for a return to the podium. Cook was able to hold second to the line to celebrate a career first podium finish in Bennetts BSB.
Brookes narrowly missed out on his first podium of the season for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad as Kent stole third on the final lap.
In race three, Kent launched to the front of the field ahead of Tommy Bridewell and McConnell and on the opening lap the lead changed three times with the trio all having a spell before the reigning champion held the edge.
Bridewell was holding the advantage from McConnell when he dramatically slowed on the exit of the chicane caused by a quickshifter problem and the pack concertinaed and the Honda Racing UK rider lost ground that dropped him down the order before he recovered to sixth at the chequered flag.
Vickers had swept into the lead on the fifth lap and then was trying to manage the race, whilst McConnell and BSB Pathway Lewis Rollo were initially the front of the chasing pack. The IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia rider later dropped to just outside the top ten, whilst Kent got embroiled in the battle for the podium.
Vickers had enough to take the chequered flag despite a last corner moment, when the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing R1 slid out of line, with Kent able to move into second with five laps remaining and then he held off McConnell.
The podium for the Australian marked the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda team’s first since joining the championship this year as he became the 14th different rider to take a top three finish in 2024, whilst the achievement marked the eleventh different team to celebrate podium success.
Bridewell continues his title defence by leading the standings ahead of Honda Racing UK’s home round at Cadwell Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. He holds a 25-point advantage over Ryde as Christian Iddon moved ahead of Glenn Irwin in the standings as Vickers elevated himself into the top five.
Ryan Vickers
OMG GRILLA Racing Yamaha
“It’s been a strong weekend for us and the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Team, taking two wins today. It was always going to be difficult starting 15th in what was planned to be a ten-lap race, but it’s even harder to go from 15th to 1st in six laps!
“I’m really happy with how I rode in that race, I attacked in the right places at the right time and managed to pick up a handful of positions each lap and eventually took the lead when Max Cook had a moment ahead. The last lap I just pushed, hit my markers and brought it home.
“The final race of the weekend didn’t actually go to my plan because I hit the front early on. I could see Billy was quick but it maybe wasn’t coming quite as easy. I got by and just ticked the laps off. Had a bit of a moment on the final corner, but it’s all good and I’m delighted to take the lucky number seven R1 to a seventh win of 2024. I’m now looking forward to continuing this form on to Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday evening at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on spec Pirelli tires, Razgatlioglu won the 20-lap race by a scant 0.035 second. It was the Turkish star’s 13th consecutive race victory, extending his lead in the World Championship standings.
Rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up, finishing right behind Razgatlioglu on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Alex Lowes placed third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Gerloff Garrett, riding his Bonovo Action BMW, won a battle for eighth place with Team HRC’s Xavi Vierge (ninth) and GYTR GRT Yamaha’s Dominic Aegerter (10th).
Toprak Razgatlioglu held off Nicolo Bulega to win Race Two in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Tissot Superpole Race Highlights
Toprak Razgatlioglu made WorldSBK history by winning his 12th consecutive race. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider was one of the few front runners to use the harder rear tyre during the shorter 10 lap race but took the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 2 and was never challenged there after. Razgatlioglu held a comfortable three second lead by the time he took the flag and celebrated his milestone victory
A first career Superpole Race podium for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his strong Portuguese Round.
From the middle of the front row Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) once again made a good start. He held onto second position for the first half of the race before Petrucci and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came past him. On the final lap Lowes was able to surprise van der Mark at Turn 8 and held off his former teammate to the line by just 0.021s
Race 2 Highlights
While it was another hat-trick for Razgatlioglu this was a challenging race. A clash with Alex Lowes on Lap 6 saw the right wing ripped off the BMW. With the balance of his bike changed Razgatlioglu struggled in the longer corners and was under attack from Bautista and Bulega
Bautista was the closest challenger but the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 on Lap 15. Having been able to set the fastest lap of the race the Ducati rider was charging and chasing down Razgatlioglu’s lead. Having taken the lead Razgatlioglu shot back at Turn 4 before Bautista’s mistake. The double World Champion was chasing his first win since the Superpole Race at Assen. The Ducati star remounted but finished outside the points
There were eight changes of the lead over the course of the 20 lap race. For the first time since 2021 Michael van der Mark led a race with the BMW rider eventually finishing in seventh position after a race long battle with Petrucci and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha)
Bulega continued his run of finishing on the podium at every round this season. The reigning WorldSSP champion started from fifth position on the grid but dropped to sixth position at one third distance before recovering through the leading group to get into the podium positions at half distance. After Bautista’s crash it was Bulega’s turn to carry the baton for Ducati and while he led the race he wasn’t able to claim the win. Just 0.035s separated Bulega from a second win of the season
Alex Lowes led three laps and was running comfortably in fourth position when Bautista crashed. Elevated to the podium he opened a gap of 2.5s to Iannone at the flag. The Englishman now trails Bautista by just ten points for third in the standings
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) enjoyed a strong day. Having finished ninth in the Superpole Race the rookie was able to have a combative race in the evening to finish as the leading Independent Rider in fourth position
In the championship Razgatlioglu holds a 92 point lead from Bulega with Bautista a further ten points adrift. BMW leads the manufacturers standings by 20 points from Ducati
Key Points:
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“This race was very difficult. It wasn’t easy to ride with the strong wind but I kept fighting. In the last sector I was struggling and I was always slower in the last corner. I gave it everything, and we won again. This is my 13th win in a row and my 54th in total. I’m very happy after today. It’s been an incredible weekend for me and the team. Everybody is working very hard and we want to continue like this for the next race in Magny-Cours!”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This was one of the most difficult weekends I’ve had this season. I felt sick all weekend but I never gave up. I tried to improve every time I was out on the bike. My team did a great job too. Unfortunately, I lost the battle with Toprak. There was almost nothing between us at the end but this was my first race weekend here in WorldSBK. I’m happy. It’s always nice to be on the podium.”
P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team
“This is a track that I enjoy. The bike works really well here but, honestly, it was a hard race for us. The wind changed and it was so physical. The bike was moving a lot but I think I had some strong areas of the track all weekend. That was great because I was able to make some overtaking moves. Against the two Ducatis and Toprak I just didn’t have the speed. I made a couple of mistakes too because the bike was moving so much. The braking was a bit inconsistent for me but I’m not going to complain too much! To have two podiums today is fantastic for the team.”
DNF | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The feeling with the bike is coming back. Yesterday, we had a very bad start but finished second. I was the second fastest on track in the Superpole Race. In Race 2 I lost a lot of ground at the start but the feeling was similar to yesterday. The conditions were a bit tricky today because the wind was too strong. I understood more or less how the wind was affecting the track but the feeling with the bike was good. Today was the first time this season that I really felt strong. At that moment, I thought maybe I could relax for a few laps and then attack but it’s been a long time since I’ve fought for victory, so I wanted to put on a bit of a show. I wanted to have some fun, and play a little with Toprak. Unfortunately, in Turn 5, he passed me and went a bit wide. I tried to get back to the line but I lost the front. It’s a bit of a pity because the performance was really good. Now, we need to reset and start fresh with this feeling on the bike.”
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Yari Montella won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the Italian won the 17-lap race by nearly six seconds. It was Montella’s second straight win and his fourth of the season.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise placed third on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha.
Adrian Huertas, the current World Championship point leader, crashed his Aruba.it Racing Ducati, but was able to rejoin the race and still finish 12th.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Piloting his Pirelli-shod ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, Razgatlioglu won the 10-lap race by nearly three seconds. It was the Turkish star’s 12th race win in a row, a new World Superbike record, extending his lead in the World Championship point standings.
Barni Spark Racing Team’s Danilo Petrucci was the runner-up on his Ducati Panigale V4 R, and Alex Lowes placed third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Eventual winner Alex Dumas (23) leads the GP Bikes Pro Superbike field through turn one at the start of Saturday's race one at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Ben Young (1) worked his way from ninth on the grid to finish second ahead of Sam Geurin (2). Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Dumas fends off Young in dramatic Superbike race one at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – The trip back to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was a good one for Alex Dumas, as the former champion secured his first victory of the season in a thrilling race one battle in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship on Saturday.
Starting second on the GP Bikes Pro Superbike grid, Dumas grabbed the holeshot from pole-sitter Sam Guerin and led for virtually the entire race, but never by a comfortable margin as title rivals Guerin and Ben Young pressured him from start-to-finish.
Young wasted no time in making up for his disastrous ninth-place spot on the grid, moving to third by the end of lap one as he followed the duo with Jordan Szoke in tow.
Guerin would hold second for the first half of the race, though, and seemed to be lining up a move on Dumas when Young decided to pounce, shunting Guerin to third and beginning his chase towards Dumas.
The old championship foes would run almost nose-to-tail for the final eight laps, with Young trying a late cut-back out of the tight final turn ten but ultimately falling just 0.071 seconds shy at the line – the fifth-closest margin of victory in Pro Superbike history.
That would hand Dumas his first win since the 2023 finale at Shannonville, and his first victory since the 2021 champion switched to Economy Lube Ducati machinery – scoring Ducati’s first Superbike triumph in nearly 30 years.
“Both Sam and I got a great start, but I was able to get under him in turn one and just tried to put my head down and pull away,” Dumas said. “I was struggling with the setup yesterday, but today felt a lot better so I owe a huge thanks to the team. It feels good to be back on top, hopefully we can do it again tomorrow!”
The charge from ninth to second was a spectacular salvage job from Young and the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW squad, who inched slightly closer to a fourth Canada Cup with a 40-point lead and just 79 points remaining.
However, the points leader would take a veiled shot at the Economy Lube Ducati team after an unusual pre-race refueling process, with the high-powered BMW’s surprisingly unable to catch the V4 Panigale down the long Andretti Straightaway.
“We had a bit of a mishap in qualifying yesterday, but I got a great start and was able to catch right back up to the back of Sam and then tried to hunt down Alex,” Young said. “It’s amazing, we have 12 more horsepower than the bike in front us but can’t seem to go faster than that one. But the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW crew got the bike back together and it did the best it could within the legal power limit.”
The subtle jab was seemingly shared by Guerin and the EFC Group BMW team, as Guerin settled for a strong third after his own attempts to pass Dumas were denied.
“It was an interesting race with Alex. His bike is super fast down the straight, it was really hard to stay in the draft,” Guerin said. “Once Ben got me in turn five and started to chase after Alex, I just looked at the gap behind me and decided to bring it home and be ready to fight again tomorrow.”
Guerin’s championship hopes will take a slight hit as Young claws back the four points he lost in qualifying, though he will remain firmly in contention entering a pivotal race two on Sunday.
The duo did inch closer to a third consecutive Constructors Championship for BMW, stretching out a 113-point advantage over Kawasaki with only 135 points remaining to each manufacturer. The battle for third in the standings heated up with Ducati’s victory, as they leapfrog Honda with three races left on the calendar.
Jordan Szoke would keep his perfect run of top-four finishes alive, fading from the lead battle around the midway point but managing his CKM Kawasaki enough to fend off a late push from Tomas Casas and Torin Collins.
Collins and Casas went back-and-forth across the final five laps after dispatching David MacKay earlier in the contest, though Casas got the last laugh with a strong final lap in his season debut for Yamaha Motors Canada.
That would leave Collins sixth in his first race for Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki, a strong effort as he continues to adjust to his new machine at the new venue.
MacKay’s early bid for a top-five would fade away as Casas and Collins charged through, though he was able to settle things down aboard his ODH Snow City Cycle Honda and exit race one with a strong seventh-place finish.
Eli Daccache would claim eighth for Yamaha, a strong but lonely ride as he moved clear of front row starter Trevor Daley in the middle portion.
Daley was seemingly battling issues in the first half as he sank down the order for OneSpeed Suzuki, though he rebounded with stronger pace in the second half to come out on top of a hectic duel with Paul Macdonell and Sebastian Hothaza.
Hothaza would score the final top-ten spot in his Superbike debut for Ride42 Yamaha, narrowly defeating Macdonell aboard the PMR/Vass Performance BMW by just 0.369 seconds.
The feature class will now prepare for race two on Sunday at CTMP, just an hour east of Toronto, where Young and Guerin will continue their title battle at roughly 2:30 pm ET.
Full results can be found on the series’ official website.
Mahdi Salem tucked the front end of his Ohvale early in race one on Saturday, but went on to take a comfortable win in the GP 190 class at Road America's Briggs & Stratton Motorplex in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Winners Earn Big Points Leads After Saturday Sweeps in MotoAmerica Mini Cup Finals
Perfect First Day For All Five Winners Going Into Sunday’s Championship Deciders At Road America
ELKHART LAKE, WI (August. 10, 2024) – The first day of racing in the MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final on Saturday witnessed great racing and the rising talent of some of America’s leading youth racers.
Riders raced two legs on Saturday and will race two more on Sunday on a different track layout at the Briggs & Statton Motorplex to determine the overall class champions. Saturday was a day of sweeps with all five winners scoring wins in both legs of their races in windy conditions.
There was some exciting action Saturday, on and off the track. In the GP 190 class leading qualifier Mahdi Salem almost missed race one and it was just by the luck of a red flag that he was able to race.
Mahdi’s machine blew a motor in qualifying and his is father installed a new engine and had it ready just before the drop of the green flag. Unfortunately, the screws on the cylinder head were not completely tight and oil was seeping out of Mahdi’s bike and onto the pavement. On the grid MotoAmerica officials made him pull off to the side of the track and the race started without him. But Lady Luck was on Mahdi’s side. There was a red flag that stopped the race and Mahdi’s dad was able to tighten the loose screws and he made the restart.
After taking the lead, Mahdi pulled away to a convincing victory over Kensei Matsudaira. Mahdi also won the second leg, this time with little drama, to take a big points lead going into Sunday’s action.
The most exciting race of the day was Stock 50 race two where brothers Chase and Cooper Jazikoff battled for the lead in the middle laps of the race. Little brother Cooper made a mistake and nearly crashed in the closing laps, but recovered to finish fourth. Chase won and was later seen trying to cheer up his little brother.
Chase Jazikoff (right) tries to cheer up his little brother Cooper (left) after Stock 50 race two on Saturday. Cooper challenged his big brother for the lead, but a mistake in the closing laps dropped him out of contention. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Jase Dill is all smiles while being interviewed by Roger Hayden after winning Saturday’s GP 160 race one at Road America. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Other winners on Saturday included Jase Dill, who scored two wins in GP 160, Gabriel Datis in Stock 110 and Cameron Jones in Street GP.
It was Gabriel Datis (shown here on his Ohvale) coming through in the Stock 110 class to win on his Kawasaki. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Tomorrow’s action promises to be hot and heavy and you can tune in to watch the racing on MotoAmerica Live+ with live streaming and video on-demand for Sunday’s race action with commentary from MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Roger Hayden and current Mission King Of The Baggers star James Rispoli. MotoAmerica Live+ will start streaming at 1 p.m. (central time) on Sunday and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. (central time).
Cameron Jones used the power of his Honda Grom to score victories in the Street GP class. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.
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for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
