Our East Coast tour is starting in Virginia at the end of this month. After that is New Jersey, which was just freshly re-paved! Next is the National Corvette track in Kentucky (outstanding grip there), then six days straight at Barber Motorsports Park, the most beautiful track in America. Seriously, it’s the most beautiful track in America—ask anyone who has been there.
With the season getting rolling, weather shifting to motorcycle-friendly type, and the US MotoGP just happening in Texas, riding is on people’s minds and with that comes a desire to make each ride better with increased confidence from improved skills. We have recently been witnessing students’ huge breakthroughs in the art of cornering. Things like knee down for the first time without trying, just applying good technique and it coming naturally. More importantly we are seeing riders who can recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and have the knowledge to fix their own weak areas.
We will be returning to the West Coast in June and July with Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, the also freshly-repaved Sonoma Raceway, and six days straight at The Ridge just south of Seattle.
From there we go back East again with Barber, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. From September on we will be on the West Coast.
Take a look at our schedule and sign up for the ones that fit. We’ll see you at the track!
In other news we will be carrying the new Alpinestars Tech Air 7x air vest. It’s $999 and can be deployed twice before being serviced, and YOU can replace the canisters yourself without sending it in. For those wishing to spend less, we can get you the Tech Air 5. We shamelessly push safety equipment for the obvious reasons but also the little extra peace of mind it provides.
Fun fact: did you know the California Superbike School is the largest motorcycle track school in the world and has been since 1980? Because of the name, newcomers get the idea we are only in California. We have been international since the 1990’s. So far this year we have done schools in India, England, Australia, and the Philippines. Coming are events in Norway, Poland, and Cyprus. Over our 44 year history we have been to 138 tracks around the world across 39 countries. We often get return students who had no idea we are in other countries or have been in operation for so long. So if you didn’t know, now you know!
More on the internal side, we have created some elements to increase coaching efficiency and our ability to zero in on the student’s actual primary area of technical weakness versus the apparent one. Sometimes breakthroughs come from uncovering the hidden deficiency that may not be so evident to the rider or a casual observer. Our mission to improve your student experience will never end.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, finished 2nd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 wins, 5 total podiums), crashed out of the lead on last lap of CIV Aprilia RS 660 Cup race at Imola, won 12 CVMA race wins; 2022 season, won Northern Talent Cup Championship (5 wins, 10 total podiums in 12 race starts); 2021 season, finished 3rd in Northern Talent Cup Championship (3 wins and 6 total podiums in 14 races), finished 22nd while racing as a wild card in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship event at Valencia; 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Mini Cup 190 Championship, won FIM Ohvale 190 Mini Road Racing Championship; 2019 season, placed 2nd in CIV (Italian) Ohvale GP-0 190 National Championship, won MotoAmerica Ohvale Talent Cup at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, won Ohvale GP-0 190 races in Hungarian National Championship, earned pole position and led a race at Ohvale World Championship, finished 25th in European Talent Cup race at Jerez (was youngest participant).
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
Racing career goals: Win MotoGP World Championship.
Racing heroes: Valentino Rossi, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
WILLOW SPRINGS GRAND PRIX APRIL 13TH & 14TH – EVENT REPORT
When headed out to the track, no matter the discipline, your end goal is to get to the starting line, start and finish the race, hopefully do well enough for a trophy, and return home safely for Monday morning’s work alarm. But to accomplish that task, there may be a lot of other races mixed in to meet that goal. Racing home from work on Friday to make sure you get to the track before the gate closes. Racing to fix your bike if you break in practice. Your heartbeat racing as you line up for the green flag. And sometimes you get in a race with an entity that you cannot control: Mother Nature. The story of the 2024 Willow Springs Grand Prix (WSGP) became just that: a race against the predicted weather that tried its best to squash the event. Thankfully we have a team of veteran race staff and a group of hardcore participants who were up for the challenge.
The April race weekend at Willow Springs has been going on for 25 years before my team worked with the raceway to keep it alive for the last few years. I have personally experienced 100-degree heat as well as snow and sideways hail with 30 mph steady winds during this historical racing weekend. While April weather in Southern California has always been semi-predictable, this year was an exception. Although seeing 80-degree days during the week leading up to the event, every weekend over the last six weeks has been attacked by startling cold & wet. Confident we would have a super spectator turn out with excellent weather the week before the event, our confidence fell as the week drew out. To our dismay, 90-degree weather with little wind on Friday afternoon turned to 40 degree weather with fantastic wind that evening. It was gusting so strongly throughout the night I thought our trailer would be blown on its side. While still howling at my 5am wake up call, miraculously the wind quit by 9am on Saturday morning with a dry track.
The Classic Track Day team diligently watched the radar throughout the day as the practice day and festival pushed on. And much to our luck, the weather held up! The wind backed off a bit and the temps almost broke 60. The Classic British Spares performance motorcycle show collected nearly twenty entries and the moto swap meet had hundreds of gawkers throughout the day. The Sly Fox performance stunt team was able to get in a few sessions for revelers with their drifter cross program. But minutes after the last rider was off the track at 5pm the wind picked up and dumped rain for a few hours. While the rain unfortunately ruined the Speedkings evening drag races, we were all stoked to get in eight hours of decent track riding and practice.
As we hung out in the garages Saturday evening, working on bikes and enjoying libations, we lamented the weather prediction for Sunday. It was not looking good with even lower temps and the threat of rain as early as noon. We had to come up with a plan to pull off the WSGP races…so we did! My 5am wake up call found ice on the windows and a temp of 30 degrees. Would it be too cold to race even without the rain? I spoke with fellow racers as the morning drew on, and as the temps began to increase, the consensus was: “Let’s Race!”
Caroline Patterson (110) prepares for a race at the Willow Springs Grand Prix. Photo by CaliPhotography.com, courtesy Willow Springs Grand Prix.
To avoid the impending threat of rain we decided to hold an open practice at 9am followed by a quick session for sidecars. The first race, the twenty lap Ironman, began early at 9:45 a.m., and we pushed through with the rest of the program as quickly as we could, knowing that lunch could wait. While a sprinkle of rain drew a few modern superbike riders into the pits for Race 5, we finished the eight-race program just before 12:30 p.m. And as crazy as it sounds, just minutes after the last race it started to sprinkle, followed by a full downpour for hours in the afternoon. During the awards ceremony there were cheers for racers and organizers alike for pulling off the WSGP against all odds of the impending weather!
Now, down to race business. The WSGP held eight races of combined classes for nearly every motorcycle made after 1960, including sidecars.
MAIN CLASSES (Light / Medium / Heavy):
VINTAGE – pre-1973 air-cooled, drum brakes *Presented by JRC Engineering*
CLASSIC 80s – pre-1983 air-cooled, any performance enhancements *Presented by Moto Republic*
SUPER CLASSIC – all bikes up to 2001 *Presented by Classic British Spares*
MODERN STANDARD – no superbikes, all adventure and naked bikes *Presented by San Diego BMW*
MODERN SUPERBIKE – modern full-fairing inline four superbikes *Presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys*
SIDCARS – determined by SRA-West *Presented by Barnett Clutch & Cable*
AMERICAN TWINS – USA made, any year *Presented by Danny’s Electric*
ADD ON CLASSES (Light / Medium / Heavy – All Years):
IRONMAN – 20 laps *Presented by SoCal Motorcycles*
SUPER SINGLES *Presented by Moto Chop Shop*
POWER TWINS *Presented by Biltwell, Inc*
VINTAGE LEMANS PURSUIT – pre 1983, delayed start for 350cc machines, winner takes all *Presented by McMarrow Family Restaurants*
Standout performances included the beat down by John James in the Ironman Heavyweight class over other competitors, with a best time of 1.29.647. Not far behind in Ironman Middleweight was Demond Wilson with a best time of 1.33.216. Kevin Kautzky and Bernard Juchli battled with Wade Boyd & his passenger for a few laps before checking out and sailing in for the win in sidecars. The LeMans pursuit was a treat to watch and the format actually worked with two middleweight competitors catching the lightweight bikes after 4 laps, giving Jason Lindquist and his TZ125 the win over second place Paul Piskor on his Bridgestone, followed by Caroline Patterson in third on her Honda CL350. While Race 5 saw some rain spotting on turn 8 during the races, seven competitors stayed on the track for a wet and wild race, seeing Wayne Gann of Cha Cha Cha Motorsports take the overall win! A great battle between Danny Spina & Gilbert Conde went down in American Twins, with Danny’s monster Harley finally checking out halfway through the race. An unexpected battle happened in the same race with Eric Reyes on his big, modern bagger leading Jason Lindquist on Rob North’s personal 1971 BSA Rocket III. While Eric had the upperhand the entire race, Jason shared with the awards ceremony crowd that while he wasn’t prepared to detonate Rob’s bike, he saw that he was inching closer to catching Eric and put the hammer down to come in third overall on the last lap. Not too often one gets to see and hear those mismatched machines battling on the front straight of Willow!
With a mix of vintage & modern race bikes on the track, it was a treat to see where the competition would lie. More of a treat was that AMA Pro Mookie Wilkerson passed six new racers in his school on Saturday with half of them competing Sunday’s races, including Tom Ferguson, Jay Stock & Craig Beecher. Congrats and welcome to the party guys! As a promoter, the financials are always a big concern. But to be the catalyst of seeing six new competitors get on the racetrack feeds my soul and I am so proud that our organization can help make that happen. Curtis Adams, the WSGP 2024 grand marshal, agrees with this sentiment and he shared words of wisdom & congratulations to staff and racers alike at the awards ceremony.
While numbers were down on both the track day & races because of the weather, support was up on sponsorship of this annual event. Classic British Spares joined as the title sponsor, which allowed us to advertise with Road Racing World and add more to the marketing budget to help spread the word. Kyle & his dad Malcolm were on hand all weekend greeting guests and making the paddock look sharp. Class sponsors included Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, Moto Chop Shop, Barnett Clutch & Cable, JRC Engineering, SoCal Motorcycles, McMarrow Family Restaurants, Moto Republic, San Diego BMW & Danny’s Electric. Support also came from Oxford Suites of Lancaster, Motion Pro & Biltwell Inc. Lastly, Cha Cha Cha Motorsports tossed $800 towards a racer-only raffle at the end of the awards ceremony with eight lucky folks taking $100 home for gas money. Y’all might hear this statement all of the time, but I am telling the truth that we would not have been able to make this event happen without the support of these moto-centric businesses. Thank you all ten times over!
The fourth annual Willow Springs Grand Prix will return next Spring, hopefully to better weather. In an effort to get more spectators and racers to the event, we will look to move off of MotoGP weekend in Austin. We are always looking for more support with very affordable sponsorship packages for those businesses and individuals who are looking to gain more exposure through our fun-first, one-off motorcycle race & classic motorcycle celebration weekend. Contact Brady to learn more.
Wrapping up this race report, I want to thank my friends (read: volunteer staff) who show up to regularly to make the WSGP and Classic Track Day happen. Financial support is amazing & necessary, but the support I receive from this gang outweighs anything else. Thank you to Scott Fabbro, Dave Ehrhart, Jason Reeves, Cal & Les Lewis, Brian Herzfeldt, Jim Connelly, Pat Wilkening, Don Leanhardt, Jay Larossa, Miki Masuda & Russ Granger for your support and camaraderie. Bad weather or not, I know it will always be a great day at the track with this crew! See y’all next year!
ASRA Adds Premier Motorcycle Race Event at VIR to August Schedule
Motorcycle racing is coming back to the prestigious VIRginia International Raceway. The American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA), Evolve GT track days, and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) have partnered to host a major motorcycle racing event August 2-4.
“We are extremely excited to partner with VIR to bring motorcycle racing back to this internationally recognized and revered facility. I cannot thank VIR enough for sharing the opportunity to race in 2024 and years to come,” said Alex Spellman, President, ASRA.
The three-day, multi-track event will thrill spectators with access to world-class facilities and services at VIR, the paddocks, vendors, and tons of racing action. The racing lineup for the weekend includes a wide range of motorcycle classes and age ranges, featuring 400s, Twins, Middleweight, and Unlimited classes on the VIR North Course circuit and the FIM Mini Cup series racing on VIR’s kart track.
Youth-focused championship open to riders of Groms, some CRF-F models
Red Rider Rewards contingencies available to Honda-mounted Mini Cup racers
Following American Honda’s recent announcement that it is offering the powersports industry’s most generous contingency payouts for MotoAmerica’s Superbike and Stock 1000 classes, the company revealed today that it is supporting MotoAmerica’s Mission Mini Cup, for which it is now an official supporting manufacturer. Touted by MotoAmerica as the first step in a process that could lead talented young racers to eventually reach elite levels of competition, the Mini Cup offers an opportunity for Red Riders to push themselves on challenging kart tracks, riding Honda miniMOTO models including the Grom, CRF110F, CRF50F and more.
While Honda’s small-displacement motorcycle offerings have been a staple in training upcoming on- and off-road racers, their eligibility in the Mini Cup has previously been relatively limited. The Mini Cup includes six classes for 2024, four of which are open to racers campaigning Honda motorcycles (other manufacturers are also eligible):
For 2024, MotoAmerica has adopted a regional qualifying system, in which club-organized events decide finalists who will be eligible to compete in a signature MotoAmerica-promoted, AMA-sanctioned National Final at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 9-11.
In addition, Honda is offering Red Rider Rewards contingency funds in MotoAmerica Mini Cup races. Street GP Grom racers who finish in first, second or third place at regional events are eligible to earn $400, $250 and $150, respectively, and the amounts increase to $800, $500 and $300 for the National Final. In the other Mini Cup classes, Red Rider Rewards are $150, $100 and $50 for regional races, and $300, $200 and $100 for the National Final. This adds up to a per-race total of $1,700 in available awards at each regional event, and $2,200 for the National Final.
“We’re excited that MotoAmerica is pushing to grow youth road racing in the U.S., and we’re happy to support those efforts,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Racing & Advertising at American Honda. “Honda has always been about bringing more people to the world of motorcycles, and no model represents that philosophy more than the Grom—one of the industry’s best-selling models. The Mini Cup provides an opportunity for owners of Groms and other Honda models to use their bikes in alternative ways, and this new, grassroots-focused format makes for an easy, affordable, realistic way to go road racing. We look forward to seeing many new Red Riders on racetracks across the country.”
Road Atlanta Preview: 10th Anniversary Season Set To Begin For MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
The 2024 Steel Commander Superbike Series Begins In Georgia, April 19-21
IRVINE, CA (April 17, 2024) – The 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship is set to begin on April 20 – 209 days after JD Beach won the 2023 series finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park and 244 days since Jake Gagne clinched a third successive MotoAmerica Superbike title in the third of three races at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Later this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, a full slate of five MotoAmerica will get the 2024 championship started in earnest with three of the classes having their opening day (Steel Commander Superbike, Supersport and Junior Cup) while the other two (Mission King Of The Baggers and BellissiMoto Twins Cup) have already started their championships.
With the Steel Commander Superbike Championship kicking off its 10th season of racing, all eyes will be on MotoAmerica’s premier class at Road Atlanta. And for a fourth straight season, three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne remains the target for those wanting to earn the Superbike crown.
Simply put, if you want to be the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Champion, you’re gonna have to take it from Mr. Gagne.
Gagne will open defense of his title on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 following an 11-win, 17-podium season that ended with him 128 points clear of second place after scoring a nice and tidy 400 points on the season.
Gagne was off the podium three times and two of those were when his bike failed him. Once was an engine failure at Road America and the other was when he was stripped of his second place in race two at Circuit of The Americas for using illegal fuel. Gagne’s third off-the-podium finish was when he tip-toed his way to fourth place in horrible conditions at NJMP in the season finale.
It was Josh Herrin who came “closest” to Gagne in 2023 as he rode his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R to second in the championship with two wins and 12 total podiums. He will return to the team for a third season and second on the team’s Panigale V4 R. He will also do so with a new teammate with whom to share data, Loris Baz. Last year, was a one-man Superbike team on the Warhorse squad.
Baz returns to both the MotoAmerica Championship and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team after two years in World Superbike with the Bonovo Action BMW team. Baz finished fourth in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, but is still searching for his first win in the U.S. The Frenchman should prosper as he’s raced on eight of the nine tracks the series will visit and he won’t be alone in having to learn Mid-Ohio Sports Car course as MotoAmerica adds the iconic track to its schedule for the first time.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier returned to the MotoAmerica series last year after his two years in Moto2, won five races and looked to be a serious challenger for what could have been a sixth championship. Beaubier had some bad luck in the latter part of the season and a horrific accident at Pittsburgh International Race Complex put him out of action for the rest of the year. With his five wins, including the season opener in his Tytlers Cycle Racing debut on the team’s BMW M1000 RR at Road Atlanta, and eight total podiums, Beaubier still managed sixth in the championship.
Beaubier spent the end of the 2023 season recuperating and has completed a full slate of team testing in preparation for another go at title number six in 2024. Beaubier is also just two wins behind 61-time winner Josh Hayes for second on the all-time AMA Superbike win list with 59 victories.
Beaubier will be joined on the Tytlers team by JD Beach with the Kentuckian earning his way back into a full-time Superbike ride with two podiums and a victory while filling in on the Attack Performance Yamaha team for the injured Cameron Petersen at the end of last year.
Petersen, however, will be back on the Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 as a teammate to Gagne after rehabilitating his broken right wrist. Prior to the injury, Petersen had two podium finishes, including a second-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante had an outstanding season in his sophomore year of racing in the Superbike class. Escalante earned his first MotoAmerica Superbike podium in race one at COTA and was consistently in the top five all season long to end up fourth in the final standings.
Escalante will be back to lead the Suzuki GSX-R750-mounted team and he will be joined there again by Brandon Paasch. Paasch started the season late after recovering from back surgery and he was also impressive with a best finish of fourth coming at COTA.
Among those returning in the Superbike class are Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong, FlowLaw Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders.
Hayden Gillim is also entered in the Steel Commander Superbike class on a Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R SP. Another late entry is Ezra Beaubier with Cameron’s younger brother set to race a BMW M 1000 RR for the Scheibe Racing team.
A lot of interest will fall on the return to MotoAmerica for 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly. Kelly left the series for a shot in the Moto2 World Championship, but the Floridian has opted to return and will make his Superbike debut on the team’s BMW M 1000 RR at Road Atlanta. Kelly’s teammate will be team owner Alex Arango.
Among the notables missing from the Steel Commander Superbike class are PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz. Jacobsen, who finished third in last year’s Superbike title fight, will race in the Supersport class on a Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2. Scholtz, who was fifth in the 2023 Superbike Championship, will also move to the Supersport class on a Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 after his Westby Racing pulled the plug on its Superbike program at the end of last season.
Pre-Road Atlanta Superbike Notes…
This year’s MotoAmerica round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will again be the opening round for the Steel Commander Superbike, Supersport and Junior Cup Championships while the Mission King Of The Baggers and BellissiMoto Twins Cup have already had their series openers. In fact, Mission King Of The Baggers teams arrive at Road Atlanta with four races under their belt – two at Daytona and two at Circuit of The Americas. The Twins Cup teams, meanwhile, had two races at Daytona in early March.
While the top Supersport racers (and some from Superbike as well) took part in the Daytona 200, that race isn’t a points-paying race in the MotoAmerica Championship, thus Road Atlanta marks the opening round of the Supersport Championship.
Jake Gagne earned pole position for the two Superbike race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with his lap of 1:23.453 to best Cameron Beaubier’s 1:24.381. Overnight rain meant that the Q1 lap times from Friday afternoon weren’t improved upon.
Gagne’s best lap in Q1 wasn’t fast enough to beat his Road Atlanta track record of 1:23.407.
Race one last year was won by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier by just .340 of a second over Jake Gagne as the two fought out front for the duration of the 19-lap race. Josh Herrin was third, 1.9 seconds adrift.
Race two on Sunday at Road Atlanta will be remembered most by Josh Herrin losing his brakes going into the turn 10A-10B chicane and nearly taking out Cameron Beaubier, who had pushed Herrin wide in the fast right-hand kink at the end of the backstraight. Somehow the top four all made it through the melee with Jake Gagne beating Beaubier to the line by half a second. Mathew Scholtz was third and Herrin recovered for fourth.
Twenty-three riders have entered the two Steel Commander Superbike races at Road Atlanta on five different brands of motorcycles. BMW will have the most entries in the race with seven of the M 1000 RRs set to compete. Next up is Yamaha with six YZF-R1s. Then comes Suzuki with four GSX-R1000s and Ducati with three Panigale V4 Rs and a lone Honda CBR1000RR-R SP. For those of you doing math, that equals 22 bikes as Kaleb De Keyrel’s entry doesn’t yet have what bike the Scheibe Racing team will be racing.
Riders from four different countries have entered the season opener in the Steel Commander Superbike series: USA, Mexico, France and Brazil.
While Australian Mat Mladin sits atop the all-time AMA Superbike win list with his 82 wins, second place might come under fire during the 2023 Superbike season. Currently, that spot is held by four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes with 61 victories, but he’s now just two wins ahead of five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier and his 59 wins. Jake Gagne, meanwhile, has 40 career Superbike wins and he sits fourth all-time.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo Josh Herrin and Loris Baz fired up for round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 18, 2024 — It’s game time as the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati outfit of Josh Herrin and Loris Baz get set to take on America’s best at Road Atlanta for round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship over the April 19-21 weekend.
The 2024 season marks 10 years since the creation of the MotoAmerica Superbike era and Ducati will celebrate the milestone by fielding a two-rider Superbike team for the first time in series history.
Josh Herrin comes into his home race of Road Atlanta full of confidence after a dominating performance in the Daytona 200, the Georgian taking his third win in the iconic event and second straight victory for Ducati.
Shifting his attention to the Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike, Herrin was in contention right to the end of race two at Road Atlanta in 2024 and knows his way around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course better than anyone. And after a solid three-day test at Barber Motorsports Park, the number 2 has only the top step in mind come race time.
For Loris Baz, Road Atlanta marks his return to the series after a two-year hiatus in the WorldSBK Championship. Back to full fitness after a tough 2023 season, the popular Frenchman is looking for his first win in the series. Still, he will have the advantage of racing eight of the nine tracks on this year’s calendar, a luxury he didn’t have during his last MotoAmerica season with Ducati in 2021.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“We just finished up three days of testing at Barber Motorsports Park, so it’s nice to have some time on the Superbike right before we head to the first race,” Herrin said. “The test was productive as we got to try some things that we couldn’t use last year, which made me feel comfortable with the 2024 package.
“Getting to ride with Loris Baz has been great. I’m so excited to have him as a teammate. We get along well and can bounce ideas off each other to continually improve the V4 R’s setup.
“Road Atlanta was a great round for us last year. We were fighting for the win, and I really want to see two Ducatis on the podium in both races this year.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It felt great to be back on the Ducati Panigale V4 R and get the feeling of going fast again after six months of injury recovery ahead of Road Atlanta,” Baz enthused. “I think we’ve found a good set-up direction for the first round but, more than that, it’s just nice to be back working with this team in the Ducati family.
“I love the V4 R, and it suits the Road Atlanta layout, so we’re aiming for nothing less than the podium. The weather might be strange, but we’ll be ready for whatever it does. Josh and I are looking forward to a great season.”
Round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will see Superbike action kick off with Free Practice 1 at 10:50 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 19. Race One will occur on Saturday, April 20, at 3:10 p.m., with Race Two scheduled for 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, April 21.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing is ready to launch its fifth-consecutive MotoAmerica Superbike title campaign with returning riders Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen
MARIETTA, Ga. – April 17, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is pleased to announce a strengthened partnership with Attack Performance, which will continue to head its efforts in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for another three seasons. The championship-winning program looks to add a fifth-consecutive premier class title in 2024 aboard the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing R1s with a returning two-rider roster – reigning three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen. This weekend, they will launch their title run at the season opener at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, on April 19-21.
Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes, has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1. In just four seasons as the official MotoAmerica Superbike team for YMUS, the program has enjoyed a resounding success with four consecutive titles and 59 victories in the premier class. Progressive Insurance also returns in 2024 to support the championship-winning program.
Returning for his fifth season with the team, Gagne looks to defend his crown and keep his impressive premier-class title streak rolling. The Colorado rider has enjoyed a meteoric rise in MotoAmerica Superbike with the team over the past three seasons. In addition to claiming three successive titles, Gagne has amassed an impressive tally of 40 race victories, advancing him to fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.
Petersen also returns in 2024 and enters his third season with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. The 2020 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion enjoyed a strong debut with the team in 2022, scoring a pair of wins and multiple podiums. Unfortunately, he was sidelined for most of the season last year and underwent surgery last Summer to repair a wrist injury. Back to full fitness, Petersen is eager to return to action and add more wins and podiums to his tally.
The team would also like to thank Yamalube, Yamaha Financial Services, Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Podium Club at Atessa, Capit, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, Zero Gravity, and Full Spectrum for their support.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Attack Performance Racing. They have the passion, technical knowledge and the right people in the right positions to be successful in this ultra-competitive sport. It seems like every season MotoAmerica has raised the bar, and we are very happy to be racing with them into the near future.
“Our three-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne had a very productive testing season, and it’s great to see that Cameron Petersen is strong, fast, and ready to prove we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Attack Performance is excited to continue our collaboration with Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, to race the R1 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for the next three years. Together we’ve enjoyed a lot of success over these first four years and have added more premier class titles to Yamaha’s 15 years of nearly continuous Superbike Championships. We’re also happy have the continued support of Progressive Insurance and our technical partners, and look to bring them another #1 plate in 2024.
“We’re looking forward to having both Jake and Cameron back this season, which we feel will continue to be a winning combination for the team. It’s been great to see Jake rise to become one of the winningest riders in the sport, and I look forward to the upcoming season and defending the championship. We’re also happy to have Cameron back and feeling healthy. It’s been a productive off-season, and we can’t wait to get on track and see our fans this weekend at Road Atlanta.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It’s awesome to be going on year five with the team. We’ve had a great three years here, and I’m just excited to get back to racing in 2024. We’ve had a good off-season and got some good riding in. The Superbike class is going to be really stacked this year. So I think we’ll have some good racing, and we’ll try to start off the year strong in Atlanta. I’m just ready to get riding again.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“I’m really looking forward to my third year with the team. Obviously, my second year wasn’t ideal. I had to sit out of most of it. It’s been a hard nine months and a tough off-season, but getting to ride the bike last week at the test, it’s the first time in a long time that my wrist has felt 100%, so I’m excited for 2024. The main thing for me is not to get ahead of myself and slowly build into it and get back to fighting for wins and podiums. The guys have done a lot of work on the motorcycle during the off-season, and the bike is on a different level, so I think it’s going to be a good year.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. (Yamaha Financial Services), an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha customers nationwide. Yamaha Financial Services provides retail and commercial financing for the diverse line of Yamaha brand motor products based out of Cypress, CA and Marietta, GA.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Current tuner/mechanic: Juaner Ortiz, Carlos Medina (father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: TopPro Motorsport, New York Safety Track, Carlo’s Track Day, Heroic Apparel, Hope Farm, Certified Knee Draggers, Mark Tenn Motorsports, Street & Competition, Moto-D Racing, Spears Racing, Ride On Time Limousine, Shelbys Powersport, WRS Brake Pads, Spark Exhaust System.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, placed 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 podiums, 7 total top-five finishes), won two ASRA National Championships at Race of Champions at Daytona; 2022 season, placed 11th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 top-six finishes); 2021 season, won Nicky Hayden Road Race Horizon Award, won 4 CCS National Championships (Moto3, 500 Supersport, 500 Superbike, GT500), won 2 AMA Grand Championships (500 Supersport & 500 Superbike), finished 2nd in AMA Moto3 Grand Championship race, won ASRA Moto3 race at Daytona, won CCS Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic overall Regional Championships, won 4 CCS Atlantic class Championships (Moto3, GT500, 500 Supersport, 500 Superbike).
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Race in MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Fabio Quartararo.
Favorite track: New York Safety Track.
Favorite hobby: Cycling.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A baseball player.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
A New Generation of Racers Take the Track at 2024 Race School
Byers, CO – The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) has concluded its 2024 Race School at High Plains Raceway. Blessed with clear skies and temperatures in the mid to high 70s, the weekend provided ideal conditions for both the educational classroom and the on-track sessions.
The classroom session was hosted by Fay Myers Motorcycle World with instruction kicking off on Friday, April 12th. This foundational instruction set the stage for the next day’s practical experience. On Saturday, 38 students tackled the 2.55-mile Full Course at High Plains Raceway, applying lessons learned from MRA New Rider Director, Dan Spurlock, with their coaches.
“Weather usually isn’t on our side this time of year,” said Spurlock. “We were so fortunate for the conditions and the organization is excited by the strong turnout. I think it’s going to be a great season for the new racers!”
The main focuses of the Race School were safety, predictability, and understanding the track layout to enhance racing lines. Students were specifically coached on corner entry and exit techniques, as well as using their vision effectively to optimize their drive out of corners.
Student, Josh Radcliffe, shared his newfound enthusiasm for racing stating, “I definitely have a new perception of racing after completing the school. It’s even more awesome than I thought it would be! The MRA did a great job putting together a safe environment to learn proper race craft and being better on a motorcycle on and off the track. After the class, I have a new take on what I need to be successful in racing and have a ton to work on.”
Ryan Damian, another student, highlighted a critical learning moment, “My biggest ah-ha moment was realizing that I can be just as fast and work half as hard. For instance, coming out of turn three, I always tried to slam down the back straight to make up time; now that I have a good exit I don’t have to break super hard for turn four and push my body harder than I should.”
To conclude the day’s training, students participated in a mock race, putting their new skills to the test. This final exercise served as a practical assessment of their abilities and a direct introduction to motorcycle racing, marking a successful end to the 2024 School.
Of the participants, 15 have committed to purchasing their racing licenses, indicating a strong influx of new talent into the MRA. The MRA will continue to support these new racers as they prepare for the start of the season, fostering the growth of motorcycle road racing in Colorado and beyond.
Looking ahead, the excitement continues with MRA Round 1 at High Plains Raceway, scheduled for May 11-12. For more information on how to get involved or to sign up for MRA events, visit MRA Racing.
The MRA thanks all participants, coaches, the safety crew, and Dan Spurlock for making this year’s Race School a resounding success. The MRA looks forward to an exciting racing season ahead.
California Superbike School has six days of instruction coming up at Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama. Photo courtesy California Superbike School.
Our East Coast tour is starting in Virginia at the end of this month. After that is New Jersey, which was just freshly re-paved! Next is the National Corvette track in Kentucky (outstanding grip there), then six days straight at Barber Motorsports Park, the most beautiful track in America. Seriously, it’s the most beautiful track in America—ask anyone who has been there.
With the season getting rolling, weather shifting to motorcycle-friendly type, and the US MotoGP just happening in Texas, riding is on people’s minds and with that comes a desire to make each ride better with increased confidence from improved skills. We have recently been witnessing students’ huge breakthroughs in the art of cornering. Things like knee down for the first time without trying, just applying good technique and it coming naturally. More importantly we are seeing riders who can recognize their own strengths and weaknesses and have the knowledge to fix their own weak areas.
We will be returning to the West Coast in June and July with Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, the also freshly-repaved Sonoma Raceway, and six days straight at The Ridge just south of Seattle.
From there we go back East again with Barber, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. From September on we will be on the West Coast.
Take a look at our schedule and sign up for the ones that fit. We’ll see you at the track!
In other news we will be carrying the new Alpinestars Tech Air 7x air vest. It’s $999 and can be deployed twice before being serviced, and YOU can replace the canisters yourself without sending it in. For those wishing to spend less, we can get you the Tech Air 5. We shamelessly push safety equipment for the obvious reasons but also the little extra peace of mind it provides.
Fun fact: did you know the California Superbike School is the largest motorcycle track school in the world and has been since 1980? Because of the name, newcomers get the idea we are only in California. We have been international since the 1990’s. So far this year we have done schools in India, England, Australia, and the Philippines. Coming are events in Norway, Poland, and Cyprus. Over our 44 year history we have been to 138 tracks around the world across 39 countries. We often get return students who had no idea we are in other countries or have been in operation for so long. So if you didn’t know, now you know!
More on the internal side, we have created some elements to increase coaching efficiency and our ability to zero in on the student’s actual primary area of technical weakness versus the apparent one. Sometimes breakthroughs come from uncovering the hidden deficiency that may not be so evident to the rider or a casual observer. Our mission to improve your student experience will never end.
Rossi Moor (92) on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, finished 2nd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 wins, 5 total podiums), crashed out of the lead on last lap of CIV Aprilia RS 660 Cup race at Imola, won 12 CVMA race wins; 2022 season, won Northern Talent Cup Championship (5 wins, 10 total podiums in 12 race starts); 2021 season, finished 3rd in Northern Talent Cup Championship (3 wins and 6 total podiums in 14 races), finished 22nd while racing as a wild card in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship event at Valencia; 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Mini Cup 190 Championship, won FIM Ohvale 190 Mini Road Racing Championship; 2019 season, placed 2nd in CIV (Italian) Ohvale GP-0 190 National Championship, won MotoAmerica Ohvale Talent Cup at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, won Ohvale GP-0 190 races in Hungarian National Championship, earned pole position and led a race at Ohvale World Championship, finished 25th in European Talent Cup race at Jerez (was youngest participant).
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
Racing career goals: Win MotoGP World Championship.
Racing heroes: Valentino Rossi, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
Craig Beecher (091), seen here riding a Yamaha FZR750, took the new racer school at the weather-affected Willow Springs Grand Prix. Photo by CaliPhotography.com, courtesy Willow Springs Grand Prix.
WILLOW SPRINGS GRAND PRIX APRIL 13TH & 14TH – EVENT REPORT
When headed out to the track, no matter the discipline, your end goal is to get to the starting line, start and finish the race, hopefully do well enough for a trophy, and return home safely for Monday morning’s work alarm. But to accomplish that task, there may be a lot of other races mixed in to meet that goal. Racing home from work on Friday to make sure you get to the track before the gate closes. Racing to fix your bike if you break in practice. Your heartbeat racing as you line up for the green flag. And sometimes you get in a race with an entity that you cannot control: Mother Nature. The story of the 2024 Willow Springs Grand Prix (WSGP) became just that: a race against the predicted weather that tried its best to squash the event. Thankfully we have a team of veteran race staff and a group of hardcore participants who were up for the challenge.
The April race weekend at Willow Springs has been going on for 25 years before my team worked with the raceway to keep it alive for the last few years. I have personally experienced 100-degree heat as well as snow and sideways hail with 30 mph steady winds during this historical racing weekend. While April weather in Southern California has always been semi-predictable, this year was an exception. Although seeing 80-degree days during the week leading up to the event, every weekend over the last six weeks has been attacked by startling cold & wet. Confident we would have a super spectator turn out with excellent weather the week before the event, our confidence fell as the week drew out. To our dismay, 90-degree weather with little wind on Friday afternoon turned to 40 degree weather with fantastic wind that evening. It was gusting so strongly throughout the night I thought our trailer would be blown on its side. While still howling at my 5am wake up call, miraculously the wind quit by 9am on Saturday morning with a dry track.
The Classic Track Day team diligently watched the radar throughout the day as the practice day and festival pushed on. And much to our luck, the weather held up! The wind backed off a bit and the temps almost broke 60. The Classic British Spares performance motorcycle show collected nearly twenty entries and the moto swap meet had hundreds of gawkers throughout the day. The Sly Fox performance stunt team was able to get in a few sessions for revelers with their drifter cross program. But minutes after the last rider was off the track at 5pm the wind picked up and dumped rain for a few hours. While the rain unfortunately ruined the Speedkings evening drag races, we were all stoked to get in eight hours of decent track riding and practice.
As we hung out in the garages Saturday evening, working on bikes and enjoying libations, we lamented the weather prediction for Sunday. It was not looking good with even lower temps and the threat of rain as early as noon. We had to come up with a plan to pull off the WSGP races…so we did! My 5am wake up call found ice on the windows and a temp of 30 degrees. Would it be too cold to race even without the rain? I spoke with fellow racers as the morning drew on, and as the temps began to increase, the consensus was: “Let’s Race!”
Caroline Patterson (110) prepares for a race at the Willow Springs Grand Prix. Photo by CaliPhotography.com, courtesy Willow Springs Grand Prix.
To avoid the impending threat of rain we decided to hold an open practice at 9am followed by a quick session for sidecars. The first race, the twenty lap Ironman, began early at 9:45 a.m., and we pushed through with the rest of the program as quickly as we could, knowing that lunch could wait. While a sprinkle of rain drew a few modern superbike riders into the pits for Race 5, we finished the eight-race program just before 12:30 p.m. And as crazy as it sounds, just minutes after the last race it started to sprinkle, followed by a full downpour for hours in the afternoon. During the awards ceremony there were cheers for racers and organizers alike for pulling off the WSGP against all odds of the impending weather!
Now, down to race business. The WSGP held eight races of combined classes for nearly every motorcycle made after 1960, including sidecars.
MAIN CLASSES (Light / Medium / Heavy):
VINTAGE – pre-1973 air-cooled, drum brakes *Presented by JRC Engineering*
CLASSIC 80s – pre-1983 air-cooled, any performance enhancements *Presented by Moto Republic*
SUPER CLASSIC – all bikes up to 2001 *Presented by Classic British Spares*
MODERN STANDARD – no superbikes, all adventure and naked bikes *Presented by San Diego BMW*
MODERN SUPERBIKE – modern full-fairing inline four superbikes *Presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys*
SIDCARS – determined by SRA-West *Presented by Barnett Clutch & Cable*
AMERICAN TWINS – USA made, any year *Presented by Danny’s Electric*
ADD ON CLASSES (Light / Medium / Heavy – All Years):
IRONMAN – 20 laps *Presented by SoCal Motorcycles*
SUPER SINGLES *Presented by Moto Chop Shop*
POWER TWINS *Presented by Biltwell, Inc*
VINTAGE LEMANS PURSUIT – pre 1983, delayed start for 350cc machines, winner takes all *Presented by McMarrow Family Restaurants*
Standout performances included the beat down by John James in the Ironman Heavyweight class over other competitors, with a best time of 1.29.647. Not far behind in Ironman Middleweight was Demond Wilson with a best time of 1.33.216. Kevin Kautzky and Bernard Juchli battled with Wade Boyd & his passenger for a few laps before checking out and sailing in for the win in sidecars. The LeMans pursuit was a treat to watch and the format actually worked with two middleweight competitors catching the lightweight bikes after 4 laps, giving Jason Lindquist and his TZ125 the win over second place Paul Piskor on his Bridgestone, followed by Caroline Patterson in third on her Honda CL350. While Race 5 saw some rain spotting on turn 8 during the races, seven competitors stayed on the track for a wet and wild race, seeing Wayne Gann of Cha Cha Cha Motorsports take the overall win! A great battle between Danny Spina & Gilbert Conde went down in American Twins, with Danny’s monster Harley finally checking out halfway through the race. An unexpected battle happened in the same race with Eric Reyes on his big, modern bagger leading Jason Lindquist on Rob North’s personal 1971 BSA Rocket III. While Eric had the upperhand the entire race, Jason shared with the awards ceremony crowd that while he wasn’t prepared to detonate Rob’s bike, he saw that he was inching closer to catching Eric and put the hammer down to come in third overall on the last lap. Not too often one gets to see and hear those mismatched machines battling on the front straight of Willow!
With a mix of vintage & modern race bikes on the track, it was a treat to see where the competition would lie. More of a treat was that AMA Pro Mookie Wilkerson passed six new racers in his school on Saturday with half of them competing Sunday’s races, including Tom Ferguson, Jay Stock & Craig Beecher. Congrats and welcome to the party guys! As a promoter, the financials are always a big concern. But to be the catalyst of seeing six new competitors get on the racetrack feeds my soul and I am so proud that our organization can help make that happen. Curtis Adams, the WSGP 2024 grand marshal, agrees with this sentiment and he shared words of wisdom & congratulations to staff and racers alike at the awards ceremony.
While numbers were down on both the track day & races because of the weather, support was up on sponsorship of this annual event. Classic British Spares joined as the title sponsor, which allowed us to advertise with Road Racing World and add more to the marketing budget to help spread the word. Kyle & his dad Malcolm were on hand all weekend greeting guests and making the paddock look sharp. Class sponsors included Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, Moto Chop Shop, Barnett Clutch & Cable, JRC Engineering, SoCal Motorcycles, McMarrow Family Restaurants, Moto Republic, San Diego BMW & Danny’s Electric. Support also came from Oxford Suites of Lancaster, Motion Pro & Biltwell Inc. Lastly, Cha Cha Cha Motorsports tossed $800 towards a racer-only raffle at the end of the awards ceremony with eight lucky folks taking $100 home for gas money. Y’all might hear this statement all of the time, but I am telling the truth that we would not have been able to make this event happen without the support of these moto-centric businesses. Thank you all ten times over!
The fourth annual Willow Springs Grand Prix will return next Spring, hopefully to better weather. In an effort to get more spectators and racers to the event, we will look to move off of MotoGP weekend in Austin. We are always looking for more support with very affordable sponsorship packages for those businesses and individuals who are looking to gain more exposure through our fun-first, one-off motorcycle race & classic motorcycle celebration weekend. Contact Brady to learn more.
Wrapping up this race report, I want to thank my friends (read: volunteer staff) who show up to regularly to make the WSGP and Classic Track Day happen. Financial support is amazing & necessary, but the support I receive from this gang outweighs anything else. Thank you to Scott Fabbro, Dave Ehrhart, Jason Reeves, Cal & Les Lewis, Brian Herzfeldt, Jim Connelly, Pat Wilkening, Don Leanhardt, Jay Larossa, Miki Masuda & Russ Granger for your support and camaraderie. Bad weather or not, I know it will always be a great day at the track with this crew! See y’all next year!
VIRginia International Raceway. Photo courtesy of VIR.
ASRA Adds Premier Motorcycle Race Event at VIR to August Schedule
Motorcycle racing is coming back to the prestigious VIRginia International Raceway. The American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA), Evolve GT track days, and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) have partnered to host a major motorcycle racing event August 2-4.
“We are extremely excited to partner with VIR to bring motorcycle racing back to this internationally recognized and revered facility. I cannot thank VIR enough for sharing the opportunity to race in 2024 and years to come,” said Alex Spellman, President, ASRA.
The three-day, multi-track event will thrill spectators with access to world-class facilities and services at VIR, the paddocks, vendors, and tons of racing action. The racing lineup for the weekend includes a wide range of motorcycle classes and age ranges, featuring 400s, Twins, Middleweight, and Unlimited classes on the VIR North Course circuit and the FIM Mini Cup series racing on VIR’s kart track.
Racers using the Grom and other Honda models can win contingency prizes in MotoAmerica Mini Cup. Photo courtesy American Honda.
Honda to Support MotoAmerica Mini Cup
— ALPHARETTA, Georgia
Youth-focused championship open to riders of Groms, some CRF-F models
Red Rider Rewards contingencies available to Honda-mounted Mini Cup racers
Following American Honda’s recent announcement that it is offering the powersports industry’s most generous contingency payouts for MotoAmerica’s Superbike and Stock 1000 classes, the company revealed today that it is supporting MotoAmerica’s Mission Mini Cup, for which it is now an official supporting manufacturer. Touted by MotoAmerica as the first step in a process that could lead talented young racers to eventually reach elite levels of competition, the Mini Cup offers an opportunity for Red Riders to push themselves on challenging kart tracks, riding Honda miniMOTO models including the Grom, CRF110F, CRF50F and more.
While Honda’s small-displacement motorcycle offerings have been a staple in training upcoming on- and off-road racers, their eligibility in the Mini Cup has previously been relatively limited. The Mini Cup includes six classes for 2024, four of which are open to racers campaigning Honda motorcycles (other manufacturers are also eligible):
For 2024, MotoAmerica has adopted a regional qualifying system, in which club-organized events decide finalists who will be eligible to compete in a signature MotoAmerica-promoted, AMA-sanctioned National Final at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 9-11.
In addition, Honda is offering Red Rider Rewards contingency funds in MotoAmerica Mini Cup races. Street GP Grom racers who finish in first, second or third place at regional events are eligible to earn $400, $250 and $150, respectively, and the amounts increase to $800, $500 and $300 for the National Final. In the other Mini Cup classes, Red Rider Rewards are $150, $100 and $50 for regional races, and $300, $200 and $100 for the National Final. This adds up to a per-race total of $1,700 in available awards at each regional event, and $2,200 for the National Final.
“We’re excited that MotoAmerica is pushing to grow youth road racing in the U.S., and we’re happy to support those efforts,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Racing & Advertising at American Honda. “Honda has always been about bringing more people to the world of motorcycles, and no model represents that philosophy more than the Grom—one of the industry’s best-selling models. The Mini Cup provides an opportunity for owners of Groms and other Honda models to use their bikes in alternative ways, and this new, grassroots-focused format makes for an easy, affordable, realistic way to go road racing. We look forward to seeing many new Red Riders on racetracks across the country.”
The boys are back in town: Jake Gagne (1), Cameron Beaubier (6), Josh Herrin (2), Cameron Petersen (45) and the rest of the Steel Commander Superbike class will begin its season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 19-21. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Road Atlanta Preview: 10th Anniversary Season Set To Begin For MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
The 2024 Steel Commander Superbike Series Begins In Georgia, April 19-21
IRVINE, CA (April 17, 2024) – The 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship is set to begin on April 20 – 209 days after JD Beach won the 2023 series finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park and 244 days since Jake Gagne clinched a third successive MotoAmerica Superbike title in the third of three races at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Later this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, a full slate of five MotoAmerica will get the 2024 championship started in earnest with three of the classes having their opening day (Steel Commander Superbike, Supersport and Junior Cup) while the other two (Mission King Of The Baggers and BellissiMoto Twins Cup) have already started their championships.
With the Steel Commander Superbike Championship kicking off its 10th season of racing, all eyes will be on MotoAmerica’s premier class at Road Atlanta. And for a fourth straight season, three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne remains the target for those wanting to earn the Superbike crown.
Simply put, if you want to be the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Champion, you’re gonna have to take it from Mr. Gagne.
Gagne will open defense of his title on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 following an 11-win, 17-podium season that ended with him 128 points clear of second place after scoring a nice and tidy 400 points on the season.
Gagne was off the podium three times and two of those were when his bike failed him. Once was an engine failure at Road America and the other was when he was stripped of his second place in race two at Circuit of The Americas for using illegal fuel. Gagne’s third off-the-podium finish was when he tip-toed his way to fourth place in horrible conditions at NJMP in the season finale.
It was Josh Herrin who came “closest” to Gagne in 2023 as he rode his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R to second in the championship with two wins and 12 total podiums. He will return to the team for a third season and second on the team’s Panigale V4 R. He will also do so with a new teammate with whom to share data, Loris Baz. Last year, was a one-man Superbike team on the Warhorse squad.
Baz returns to both the MotoAmerica Championship and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team after two years in World Superbike with the Bonovo Action BMW team. Baz finished fourth in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, but is still searching for his first win in the U.S. The Frenchman should prosper as he’s raced on eight of the nine tracks the series will visit and he won’t be alone in having to learn Mid-Ohio Sports Car course as MotoAmerica adds the iconic track to its schedule for the first time.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier returned to the MotoAmerica series last year after his two years in Moto2, won five races and looked to be a serious challenger for what could have been a sixth championship. Beaubier had some bad luck in the latter part of the season and a horrific accident at Pittsburgh International Race Complex put him out of action for the rest of the year. With his five wins, including the season opener in his Tytlers Cycle Racing debut on the team’s BMW M1000 RR at Road Atlanta, and eight total podiums, Beaubier still managed sixth in the championship.
Beaubier spent the end of the 2023 season recuperating and has completed a full slate of team testing in preparation for another go at title number six in 2024. Beaubier is also just two wins behind 61-time winner Josh Hayes for second on the all-time AMA Superbike win list with 59 victories.
Beaubier will be joined on the Tytlers team by JD Beach with the Kentuckian earning his way back into a full-time Superbike ride with two podiums and a victory while filling in on the Attack Performance Yamaha team for the injured Cameron Petersen at the end of last year.
Petersen, however, will be back on the Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 as a teammate to Gagne after rehabilitating his broken right wrist. Prior to the injury, Petersen had two podium finishes, including a second-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante had an outstanding season in his sophomore year of racing in the Superbike class. Escalante earned his first MotoAmerica Superbike podium in race one at COTA and was consistently in the top five all season long to end up fourth in the final standings.
Escalante will be back to lead the Suzuki GSX-R750-mounted team and he will be joined there again by Brandon Paasch. Paasch started the season late after recovering from back surgery and he was also impressive with a best finish of fourth coming at COTA.
Among those returning in the Superbike class are Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong, FlowLaw Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders.
Hayden Gillim is also entered in the Steel Commander Superbike class on a Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R SP. Another late entry is Ezra Beaubier with Cameron’s younger brother set to race a BMW M 1000 RR for the Scheibe Racing team.
A lot of interest will fall on the return to MotoAmerica for 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly. Kelly left the series for a shot in the Moto2 World Championship, but the Floridian has opted to return and will make his Superbike debut on the team’s BMW M 1000 RR at Road Atlanta. Kelly’s teammate will be team owner Alex Arango.
Among the notables missing from the Steel Commander Superbike class are PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz. Jacobsen, who finished third in last year’s Superbike title fight, will race in the Supersport class on a Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2. Scholtz, who was fifth in the 2023 Superbike Championship, will also move to the Supersport class on a Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 after his Westby Racing pulled the plug on its Superbike program at the end of last season.
Pre-Road Atlanta Superbike Notes…
This year’s MotoAmerica round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will again be the opening round for the Steel Commander Superbike, Supersport and Junior Cup Championships while the Mission King Of The Baggers and BellissiMoto Twins Cup have already had their series openers. In fact, Mission King Of The Baggers teams arrive at Road Atlanta with four races under their belt – two at Daytona and two at Circuit of The Americas. The Twins Cup teams, meanwhile, had two races at Daytona in early March.
While the top Supersport racers (and some from Superbike as well) took part in the Daytona 200, that race isn’t a points-paying race in the MotoAmerica Championship, thus Road Atlanta marks the opening round of the Supersport Championship.
Jake Gagne earned pole position for the two Superbike race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with his lap of 1:23.453 to best Cameron Beaubier’s 1:24.381. Overnight rain meant that the Q1 lap times from Friday afternoon weren’t improved upon.
Gagne’s best lap in Q1 wasn’t fast enough to beat his Road Atlanta track record of 1:23.407.
Race one last year was won by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier by just .340 of a second over Jake Gagne as the two fought out front for the duration of the 19-lap race. Josh Herrin was third, 1.9 seconds adrift.
Race two on Sunday at Road Atlanta will be remembered most by Josh Herrin losing his brakes going into the turn 10A-10B chicane and nearly taking out Cameron Beaubier, who had pushed Herrin wide in the fast right-hand kink at the end of the backstraight. Somehow the top four all made it through the melee with Jake Gagne beating Beaubier to the line by half a second. Mathew Scholtz was third and Herrin recovered for fourth.
Twenty-three riders have entered the two Steel Commander Superbike races at Road Atlanta on five different brands of motorcycles. BMW will have the most entries in the race with seven of the M 1000 RRs set to compete. Next up is Yamaha with six YZF-R1s. Then comes Suzuki with four GSX-R1000s and Ducati with three Panigale V4 Rs and a lone Honda CBR1000RR-R SP. For those of you doing math, that equals 22 bikes as Kaleb De Keyrel’s entry doesn’t yet have what bike the Scheibe Racing team will be racing.
Riders from four different countries have entered the season opener in the Steel Commander Superbike series: USA, Mexico, France and Brazil.
While Australian Mat Mladin sits atop the all-time AMA Superbike win list with his 82 wins, second place might come under fire during the 2023 Superbike season. Currently, that spot is held by four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes with 61 victories, but he’s now just two wins ahead of five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier and his 59 wins. Jake Gagne, meanwhile, has 40 career Superbike wins and he sits fourth all-time.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo Josh Herrin and Loris Baz fired up for round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 18, 2024 — It’s game time as the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati outfit of Josh Herrin and Loris Baz get set to take on America’s best at Road Atlanta for round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship over the April 19-21 weekend.
The 2024 season marks 10 years since the creation of the MotoAmerica Superbike era and Ducati will celebrate the milestone by fielding a two-rider Superbike team for the first time in series history.
Josh Herrin comes into his home race of Road Atlanta full of confidence after a dominating performance in the Daytona 200, the Georgian taking his third win in the iconic event and second straight victory for Ducati.
Shifting his attention to the Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike, Herrin was in contention right to the end of race two at Road Atlanta in 2024 and knows his way around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course better than anyone. And after a solid three-day test at Barber Motorsports Park, the number 2 has only the top step in mind come race time.
For Loris Baz, Road Atlanta marks his return to the series after a two-year hiatus in the WorldSBK Championship. Back to full fitness after a tough 2023 season, the popular Frenchman is looking for his first win in the series. Still, he will have the advantage of racing eight of the nine tracks on this year’s calendar, a luxury he didn’t have during his last MotoAmerica season with Ducati in 2021.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“We just finished up three days of testing at Barber Motorsports Park, so it’s nice to have some time on the Superbike right before we head to the first race,” Herrin said. “The test was productive as we got to try some things that we couldn’t use last year, which made me feel comfortable with the 2024 package.
“Getting to ride with Loris Baz has been great. I’m so excited to have him as a teammate. We get along well and can bounce ideas off each other to continually improve the V4 R’s setup.
“Road Atlanta was a great round for us last year. We were fighting for the win, and I really want to see two Ducatis on the podium in both races this year.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It felt great to be back on the Ducati Panigale V4 R and get the feeling of going fast again after six months of injury recovery ahead of Road Atlanta,” Baz enthused. “I think we’ve found a good set-up direction for the first round but, more than that, it’s just nice to be back working with this team in the Ducati family.
“I love the V4 R, and it suits the Road Atlanta layout, so we’re aiming for nothing less than the podium. The weather might be strange, but we’ll be ready for whatever it does. Josh and I are looking forward to a great season.”
Round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will see Superbike action kick off with Free Practice 1 at 10:50 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 19. Race One will occur on Saturday, April 20, at 3:10 p.m., with Race Two scheduled for 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, April 21.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha's Jake Gagne (left) and Cameron Petersen (right). Photo courtesy Yamaha motor Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Reveals 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Team
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing is ready to launch its fifth-consecutive MotoAmerica Superbike title campaign with returning riders Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen
MARIETTA, Ga. – April 17, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is pleased to announce a strengthened partnership with Attack Performance, which will continue to head its efforts in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for another three seasons. The championship-winning program looks to add a fifth-consecutive premier class title in 2024 aboard the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing R1s with a returning two-rider roster – reigning three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen. This weekend, they will launch their title run at the season opener at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, on April 19-21.
Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes, has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1. In just four seasons as the official MotoAmerica Superbike team for YMUS, the program has enjoyed a resounding success with four consecutive titles and 59 victories in the premier class. Progressive Insurance also returns in 2024 to support the championship-winning program.
Returning for his fifth season with the team, Gagne looks to defend his crown and keep his impressive premier-class title streak rolling. The Colorado rider has enjoyed a meteoric rise in MotoAmerica Superbike with the team over the past three seasons. In addition to claiming three successive titles, Gagne has amassed an impressive tally of 40 race victories, advancing him to fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.
Petersen also returns in 2024 and enters his third season with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. The 2020 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion enjoyed a strong debut with the team in 2022, scoring a pair of wins and multiple podiums. Unfortunately, he was sidelined for most of the season last year and underwent surgery last Summer to repair a wrist injury. Back to full fitness, Petersen is eager to return to action and add more wins and podiums to his tally.
The team would also like to thank Yamalube, Yamaha Financial Services, Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Podium Club at Atessa, Capit, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, Zero Gravity, and Full Spectrum for their support.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Attack Performance Racing. They have the passion, technical knowledge and the right people in the right positions to be successful in this ultra-competitive sport. It seems like every season MotoAmerica has raised the bar, and we are very happy to be racing with them into the near future.
“Our three-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne had a very productive testing season, and it’s great to see that Cameron Petersen is strong, fast, and ready to prove we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Attack Performance is excited to continue our collaboration with Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, to race the R1 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for the next three years. Together we’ve enjoyed a lot of success over these first four years and have added more premier class titles to Yamaha’s 15 years of nearly continuous Superbike Championships. We’re also happy have the continued support of Progressive Insurance and our technical partners, and look to bring them another #1 plate in 2024.
“We’re looking forward to having both Jake and Cameron back this season, which we feel will continue to be a winning combination for the team. It’s been great to see Jake rise to become one of the winningest riders in the sport, and I look forward to the upcoming season and defending the championship. We’re also happy to have Cameron back and feeling healthy. It’s been a productive off-season, and we can’t wait to get on track and see our fans this weekend at Road Atlanta.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It’s awesome to be going on year five with the team. We’ve had a great three years here, and I’m just excited to get back to racing in 2024. We’ve had a good off-season and got some good riding in. The Superbike class is going to be really stacked this year. So I think we’ll have some good racing, and we’ll try to start off the year strong in Atlanta. I’m just ready to get riding again.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“I’m really looking forward to my third year with the team. Obviously, my second year wasn’t ideal. I had to sit out of most of it. It’s been a hard nine months and a tough off-season, but getting to ride the bike last week at the test, it’s the first time in a long time that my wrist has felt 100%, so I’m excited for 2024. The main thing for me is not to get ahead of myself and slowly build into it and get back to fighting for wins and podiums. The guys have done a lot of work on the motorcycle during the off-season, and the bike is on a different level, so I think it’s going to be a good year.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. (Yamaha Financial Services), an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha customers nationwide. Yamaha Financial Services provides retail and commercial financing for the diverse line of Yamaha brand motor products based out of Cypress, CA and Marietta, GA.
Yandel Medina (39) leading Max Van (48) on track during the 2023 season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Current tuner/mechanic: Juaner Ortiz, Carlos Medina (father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: TopPro Motorsport, New York Safety Track, Carlo’s Track Day, Heroic Apparel, Hope Farm, Certified Knee Draggers, Mark Tenn Motorsports, Street & Competition, Moto-D Racing, Spears Racing, Ride On Time Limousine, Shelbys Powersport, WRS Brake Pads, Spark Exhaust System.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, placed 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 podiums, 7 total top-five finishes), won two ASRA National Championships at Race of Champions at Daytona; 2022 season, placed 11th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 top-six finishes); 2021 season, won Nicky Hayden Road Race Horizon Award, won 4 CCS National Championships (Moto3, 500 Supersport, 500 Superbike, GT500), won 2 AMA Grand Championships (500 Supersport & 500 Superbike), finished 2nd in AMA Moto3 Grand Championship race, won ASRA Moto3 race at Daytona, won CCS Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic overall Regional Championships, won 4 CCS Atlantic class Championships (Moto3, GT500, 500 Supersport, 500 Superbike).
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Race in MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Fabio Quartararo.
Favorite track: New York Safety Track.
Favorite hobby: Cycling.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A baseball player.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
MRA President Bob Hasenhundl (center) coaching two students. Photo by Kelly Vernell, courtesy MRA.
A New Generation of Racers Take the Track at 2024 Race School
Byers, CO – The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) has concluded its 2024 Race School at High Plains Raceway. Blessed with clear skies and temperatures in the mid to high 70s, the weekend provided ideal conditions for both the educational classroom and the on-track sessions.
The classroom session was hosted by Fay Myers Motorcycle World with instruction kicking off on Friday, April 12th. This foundational instruction set the stage for the next day’s practical experience. On Saturday, 38 students tackled the 2.55-mile Full Course at High Plains Raceway, applying lessons learned from MRA New Rider Director, Dan Spurlock, with their coaches.
“Weather usually isn’t on our side this time of year,” said Spurlock. “We were so fortunate for the conditions and the organization is excited by the strong turnout. I think it’s going to be a great season for the new racers!”
The main focuses of the Race School were safety, predictability, and understanding the track layout to enhance racing lines. Students were specifically coached on corner entry and exit techniques, as well as using their vision effectively to optimize their drive out of corners.
Student, Josh Radcliffe, shared his newfound enthusiasm for racing stating, “I definitely have a new perception of racing after completing the school. It’s even more awesome than I thought it would be! The MRA did a great job putting together a safe environment to learn proper race craft and being better on a motorcycle on and off the track. After the class, I have a new take on what I need to be successful in racing and have a ton to work on.”
Ryan Damian, another student, highlighted a critical learning moment, “My biggest ah-ha moment was realizing that I can be just as fast and work half as hard. For instance, coming out of turn three, I always tried to slam down the back straight to make up time; now that I have a good exit I don’t have to break super hard for turn four and push my body harder than I should.”
To conclude the day’s training, students participated in a mock race, putting their new skills to the test. This final exercise served as a practical assessment of their abilities and a direct introduction to motorcycle racing, marking a successful end to the 2024 School.
Of the participants, 15 have committed to purchasing their racing licenses, indicating a strong influx of new talent into the MRA. The MRA will continue to support these new racers as they prepare for the start of the season, fostering the growth of motorcycle road racing in Colorado and beyond.
Looking ahead, the excitement continues with MRA Round 1 at High Plains Raceway, scheduled for May 11-12. For more information on how to get involved or to sign up for MRA events, visit MRA Racing.
The MRA thanks all participants, coaches, the safety crew, and Dan Spurlock for making this year’s Race School a resounding success. The MRA looks forward to an exciting racing season ahead.
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