Canadian Superbike: Race One Report From CTMP

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

Canadian Superbike: Race One Report From CTMP

Dumas fends off Young in dramatic Superbike race one at CTMP

Bowmanville, ON – The trip back to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was a good one for Alex Dumas, as the former champion secured his first victory of the season in a thrilling race one battle in the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship on Saturday.

Starting second on the GP Bikes Pro Superbike grid, Dumas grabbed the holeshot from pole-sitter Sam Guerin and led for virtually the entire race, but never by a comfortable margin as title rivals Guerin and Ben Young pressured him from start-to-finish.

Young wasted no time in making up for his disastrous ninth-place spot on the grid, moving to third by the end of lap one as he followed the duo with Jordan Szoke in tow.

Guerin would hold second for the first half of the race, though, and seemed to be lining up a move on Dumas when Young decided to pounce, shunting Guerin to third and beginning his chase towards Dumas.

The old championship foes would run almost nose-to-tail for the final eight laps, with Young trying a late cut-back out of the tight final turn ten but ultimately falling just 0.071 seconds shy at the line – the fifth-closest margin of victory in Pro Superbike history.

That would hand Dumas his first win since the 2023 finale at Shannonville, and his first victory since the 2021 champion switched to Economy Lube Ducati machinery – scoring Ducati’s first Superbike triumph in nearly 30 years.

“Both Sam and I got a great start, but I was able to get under him in turn one and just tried to put my head down and pull away,” Dumas said. “I was struggling with the setup yesterday, but today felt a lot better so I owe a huge thanks to the team. It feels good to be back on top, hopefully we can do it again tomorrow!”

The charge from ninth to second was a spectacular salvage job from Young and the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW squad, who inched slightly closer to a fourth Canada Cup with a 40-point lead and just 79 points remaining.

However, the points leader would take a veiled shot at the Economy Lube Ducati team after an unusual pre-race refueling process, with the high-powered BMW’s surprisingly unable to catch the V4 Panigale down the long Andretti Straightaway.

“We had a bit of a mishap in qualifying yesterday, but I got a great start and was able to catch right back up to the back of Sam and then tried to hunt down Alex,” Young said. “It’s amazing, we have 12 more horsepower than the bike in front us but can’t seem to go faster than that one. But the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW crew got the bike back together and it did the best it could within the legal power limit.”

The subtle jab was seemingly shared by Guerin and the EFC Group BMW team, as Guerin settled for a strong third after his own attempts to pass Dumas were denied.

“It was an interesting race with Alex. His bike is super fast down the straight, it was really hard to stay in the draft,” Guerin said. “Once Ben got me in turn five and started to chase after Alex, I just looked at the gap behind me and decided to bring it home and be ready to fight again tomorrow.”

Guerin’s championship hopes will take a slight hit as Young claws back the four points he lost in qualifying, though he will remain firmly in contention entering a pivotal race two on Sunday.

The duo did inch closer to a third consecutive Constructors Championship for BMW, stretching out a 113-point advantage over Kawasaki with only 135 points remaining to each manufacturer. The battle for third in the standings heated up with Ducati’s victory, as they leapfrog Honda with three races left on the calendar.

Jordan Szoke would keep his perfect run of top-four finishes alive, fading from the lead battle around the midway point but managing his CKM Kawasaki enough to fend off a late push from Tomas Casas and Torin Collins.

Collins and Casas went back-and-forth across the final five laps after dispatching David MacKay earlier in the contest, though Casas got the last laugh with a strong final lap in his season debut for Yamaha Motors Canada.

That would leave Collins sixth in his first race for Economy Lube/CKM Kawasaki, a strong effort as he continues to adjust to his new machine at the new venue.

MacKay’s early bid for a top-five would fade away as Casas and Collins charged through, though he was able to settle things down aboard his ODH Snow City Cycle Honda and exit race one with a strong seventh-place finish.

Eli Daccache would claim eighth for Yamaha, a strong but lonely ride as he moved clear of front row starter Trevor Daley in the middle portion.

Daley was seemingly battling issues in the first half as he sank down the order for OneSpeed Suzuki, though he rebounded with stronger pace in the second half to come out on top of a hectic duel with Paul Macdonell and Sebastian Hothaza.

Hothaza would score the final top-ten spot in his Superbike debut for Ride42 Yamaha, narrowly defeating Macdonell aboard the PMR/Vass Performance BMW by just 0.369 seconds.

The feature class will now prepare for race two on Sunday at CTMP, just an hour east of Toronto, where Young and Guerin will continue their title battle at roughly 2:30 pm ET.

Full results can be found on the series’ official website.

MotoAmerica: Race Results From Day One Of Mini Cup National Final

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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MotoAmerica: Race Results From Day One Of Mini Cup National Final

Nationals_r1
Nationals_r2

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Winners Earn Big Points Leads After Saturday Sweeps in MotoAmerica Mini Cup Finals

Perfect First Day For All Five Winners Going Into Sunday’s Championship Deciders At Road America

ELKHART LAKE, WI (August. 10, 2024) – The first day of racing in the MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul National Final on Saturday witnessed great racing and the rising talent of some of America’s leading youth racers.

Riders raced two legs on Saturday and will race two more on Sunday on a different track layout at the Briggs & Statton Motorplex to determine the overall class champions. Saturday was a day of sweeps with all five winners scoring wins in both legs of their races in windy conditions.

There was some exciting action Saturday, on and off the track. In the GP 190 class leading qualifier Mahdi Salem almost missed race one and it was just by the luck of a red flag that he was able to race.

Mahdi’s machine blew a motor in qualifying and his is father installed a new engine and had it ready just before the drop of the green flag. Unfortunately, the screws on the cylinder head were not completely tight and oil was seeping out of Mahdi’s bike and onto the pavement. On the grid MotoAmerica officials made him pull off to the side of the track and the race started without him. But Lady Luck was on Mahdi’s side. There was a red flag that stopped the race and Mahdi’s dad was able to tighten the loose screws and he made the restart.

After taking the lead, Mahdi pulled away to a convincing victory over Kensei Matsudaira. Mahdi also won the second leg, this time with little drama, to take a big points lead going into Sunday’s action.

The most exciting race of the day was Stock 50 race two where brothers Chase and Cooper Jazikoff battled for the lead in the middle laps of the race. Little brother Cooper made a mistake and nearly crashed in the closing laps, but recovered to finish fourth. Chase won and was later seen trying to cheer up his little brother.

Chase Jazikoff (right) tries to cheer up his little brother Cooper (left) after Stock 50 race two on Saturday. Cooper challenged his big brother for the lead, but a mistake in the closing laps dropped him out of contention. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.

Jase Dill is all smiles while being interviewed by Roger Hayden after winning Saturday’s GP 160 race one at Road America. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.

Other winners on Saturday included Jase Dill, who scored two wins in GP 160, Gabriel Datis in Stock 110 and Cameron Jones in Street GP.

It was Gabriel Datis (shown here on his Ohvale) coming through in the Stock 110 class to win on his Kawasaki. Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.

Tomorrow’s action promises to be hot and heavy and you can tune in to watch the racing on MotoAmerica Live+ with live streaming and video on-demand for Sunday’s race action with commentary from MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Roger Hayden and current Mission King Of The Baggers star James Rispoli. MotoAmerica Live+ will start streaming at 1 p.m. (central time) on Sunday and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. (central time).

Cameron Jones used the power of his Honda Grom to score victories in the Street GP class.Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica. — Cameron Jones used the power of his Honda Grom to score victories in the Street GP class.
Photo by Larry Lawrence, courtesy MotoAmerica.

British Superbike: Race One Results From Thruxton

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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British Superbike: Race One Results From Thruxton

Editorial Note: Americans Julian Correa, Joshua Raymond, Jr., and Eli Banish finished third, ninth, and 17th, respectively, in British Talent Cup Race One Saturday at Thruxton.

BSB R1
BSB Points after R1

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR):

Ryde wins opening Thruxton thriller after seven-strong last lap dogfight

Kyle Ryde (77), Jason O'Halloran (22), and Ryan Vickers (7) fight for the lead at Thruxton. Photo courtesy MSVR. — Kyle Ryde (77), Jason O’Halloran (22), and Ryan Vickers (7) fight for the lead at Thruxton. Photo courtesy MSVR.

Kyle Ryde delivered an incredible hard-fought victory in a thrilling Thruxton dogfight in the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend, which went down to the wire with seven riders involved in the high-speed duel for supremacy.

The lead changed seven times on the final lap with Tommy Bridewell holding the edge as the last lap got underway but the Honda Racing UK rider was instantly under attack and both Ryde and Danny Kent moved ahead.

A defiant Bridewell fought back in determined style with a move on both of his Yamaha rivals to move from third to second with a decisive move around the outside.

Bridewell led the freight train out of Goodwood but as they approached Church, Ryde struck back with a big move to push to the front, before Billy McConnell swooped into the lead, before Vickers then led the pack.

Into the Club Chicane for the final time, Ryde won the battle on the brakes as he launched back ahead as Andrew Irwin dramatically crashed out of seventh place as the Honda Racing UK Fireblade cartwheeled out of contention.

Ryde held the edge to the line as Vickers dived into second to make it an OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing one-two with O’Halloran able to carve into third, which pushed Bridewell into fourth place.

McConnell celebrated his best result of the season in fifth place for the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda ahead of Leon Haslam, who was the top BMW rider in sixth place for the ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad team.

Kent had been embroiled in the battle to the finish, but he was forced wide on the final lap and subsequently he ended the race with a mechanical issue, which forced him out at the last corner.

Lee Jackson held seventh ahead of Max Cook, with Christian Iddon in the battle for the podium before dropping to ninth in the closing stages on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati with Peter Hickman completing the top ten.

The opening race has moved Ryde into second ahead of Glenn Irwin in the standings, with the Hager PBM Ducati rider finishing 14th.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Race 1 result:

Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing)
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +0.168s
Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +0.502s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +0.650s
Billy McConnell (C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda) +1.044s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +1.358s
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +1.784s
Max Cook (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +2.057s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.585s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +2.722s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:

Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 229
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 203
Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) 200
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 200
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 162
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 148
Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) 142
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) 132
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 105
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) 105

For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Kyle Ryde

OMG GRILLA Racing Yamaha

“As I said on Friday, the two practice sessions were really good which I think helped us achieve at least a podium today.

“I worked really hard to win the race and the overtakes at the last corner during the race certainly helped me win it at the end!

“We have our hands full tomorrow starting from 13th in the shorter race, but we’ll dig in and take the most from it as we possibly can.

“That was definitely a tough race but one you want to be in!”

One Fast Move: A Movie Where The “Racing” Didn’t Make Me Cringe

John Ulrich

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August 10, 2024

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One Fast Move: A Movie Where The “Racing” Didn’t Make Me Cringe

First Person/Opinion:

By Michael Gougis

The Amazon MGP Studios film “One Fast Move” is not a story about motorcycle road racing. Ironically, that frees the creators to make a movie where the parts about motorcycle road racing are about as realistic as it gets in the world of fictionalized narratives. The “racing” in the movie is just background for the storyline, but“One Fast Move” gets more right about racing than it gets wrong.

“One Fast Move” — a partial quote from beat author Jack Kerouac — is a movie about father-son relationships, about abandonment, pain, redemption, definitions of masculinity and hope. The movie explores those themes through events that happen in the world of club racing, on and off the track.

Director Kelly Blatz, a self-described motorcycle addict and road racing fan, says his team went to great lengths to make sure the on-track footage looked authentic. A fan of classic racing movies like “Grand Prix” with James Garner, Blatz sought top-level talent and brought on renowned Hollywood motorcycle action coordinator (a past AMA National race winner) Greg Smrz. The production team hired current racers — including two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch, who now races a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R in MotoAmerica Superbike. They brought on motojournalist and former racer Zach Courts as a consultant. Hanging out at club races at Willow Springs International Raceway and Buttonwillow Raceway Park gave Blatz a first-hand look at what club racing looks like. And creating the equipment to capture the on-track action was key as well, Blatz says.

“We realized that the way to capture speed was by putting a camera on a racebike,” Blatz said. “We developed (movie camera) rigs for a racebike — I believe it was a Yamaha YZF-R1. We built a custom race car … and we also used a helicopter because a drone won’t keep up with a racebike.”

The result is footage from Atlanta Motor Speedway and Road Atlanta that looks somewhat realistic to anyone who has spent time at a club race. Part of the authenticity came from capturing racers in unscripted mock race action on the track, although reigning in their competitive urges and getting them to follow the script proved to be a challenge at times.

“We’d say, ‘I know you want to win, but at a certain point you’re going to have to allow this particular bike to pass you,’” Blatz says.

The atmosphere and the images from a club racing paddock are spot-on. Everyone works under a pop-up canopy — there is no row of tractor-trailers. The main character — Wes Neal, played by KJ Apa — starts his racing career on a Suzuki SV650. Having Neal, an overconfident former street racer, crash in his first practice session brings a smile. It was so refreshing to see club racers on the screen who actually had club racer money, or lack thereof. There are very few club racers who couldn’t relate to Apa’s bodged-together SV650 that he rides on the street after retiring it from track duty. A Frankenbike, indeed!

Perfect? No. Hollywood racing scenes seem always to feature impossible closing and passing speeds, and that happens here. Suddenly, a rider seems to find another gear and go whistling past a competitor; why wasn’t the first rider going as fast as they could in the first place? Some of the action seems slow, likely due to the lack of lean angle at the corner apexes.

Other things aren’t exactly inaccurate, but they are rare in the world of racing. While bikes do burst into flames and riders do deliberately bump each other off the track or engage in fistfights, the time between such incidents is usually years or decades, not hours or weekends. Same with the progression to faster, more competitive bikes–moving up from being a Novice on a Suzuki SV650 to Expert on a Yamaha YZF-R6 is usually the stuff of months or years, not a weekend or two. A lot of time seems to be spent on burnouts, and even more time involves chain-smoking cigarettes. Some of the safety stuff could be more realistic, as in, riders actually fastening their helmet straps, and putting on their helmet before they put on their gloves. And not even a fictional character should ever ride counter-course! There’s a need to tell a story, of course, but some of this stuff is just a matter of paying attention to the details. There is no downside to being reasonably accurate.

Still, compared to such migrane-inducing clunkers like “Silver Dream Racer,” where a one-man basement-built special wins the 500cc British Grand Prix, the racing and racing environment in “One Fast Move” is candid, somewhat genuine, and doesn’t distract from the rest of the film.

“I love the world of club racing. It’s mostly about passion. These racers are paying to race. I love that aspect,” Blatz says. “Hopefully, we captured something as authentic as possible.”

Best to think of the racing in this movie as a vehicle for exploring the other themes that caught Blatz’s imagination. A review of the sports car movie “Le Mans” with Steve McQueen included a line that has stuck with me for years. “This is a movie about flawed humans doing remarkable things,” the reviewer said, or words to that effect, and that applies here.

Each of the characters, including Neal; his drunken, womanizing father, played by Eric Dane; and the father’s mentor, played by Edward James Olmos; is deeply damaged by their relationships, or lack thereof, with their fathers. Watching the characters coming to terms with their issues, changing their behavior, refusing to accept their flaws or doing an imperfect job of trying to right their past wrongs are the memories that resurfaced for me days after watching the movie. Setting those deep, emotional conflicts against the world of racing, where feelings don’t matter but lap times do, lends a depth to the movie that so many other racing films just completely lack. For example, by the end of “Driven” with Sylvester Stallone, the only checkered flag I cared about was the one that signaled the merciful end of the movie.

“I had these questions about what it means to be a man in the modern world,” Blatz says. “I had these questions about fathers and sons and absentee fathers. And I felt like the two worlds really lent themselves to each other.”

No one winds up with a MotoGP contract at the end of “One Fast Move.” The main character still lives at home at the end of the movie, and it’s not a palace. It’s club racing, and Blatz wanted to give the viewer a taste of a sport that he clearly cares for. “One Fast Move” hits more often than it misses.

“I wanted to introduce people to the world of motorcycle road racing,” Blatz says. “I wanted them to get a sense of what it feels like.”

Video: John Kocinski Interviewed On Gypsy Tales Podcast

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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Video: John Kocinski Interviewed On Gypsy Tales Podcast

John Kocinski, the 1990 250cc Grand Prix World Champion and 1997 Superbike World Champion, was recently interviewed on the Gypsy Tales Podcast. Watch the video from that interview here.

Mike Velasco Celebration Of Life Is August 11 in Washington (Second Update)

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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Mike Velasco Celebration Of Life Is August 11 in Washington (Second Update)

A celebration of life for famed Superbike mechanic Mike Velasco has been scheduled August 11 at Brothers Powersports, 5205 1st Street, Bremerton, Washington, 98312.

The event is open to the public, but the family asks for those who plan to attend to please RSVP by July 20.

The family is also asking friends of Velasco to share their photos of him via email at [email protected].

For more information about the event and to connect with others planning to attend, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/838356514861620.

Below is our original report on the passing of Mike Velasco.

Pioneering Superbike mechanic and former racer Mike Velasco died just before midnight Friday, January 5th at a hospital in Washington State. He was 74 years old.

He is survived by his wife Alana, daughter Mishell, son Grant, and grand-daughter Tyra.

Velasco was a key player in the formative years of AMA Superbike, first with Yoshimura R&D and then with the American Honda team and worked with riders such as Wes Cooley (R.I.P.), Gary Fisher (R.I.P.), David Emde (R.I.P.), Freddie Spencer, Steve Wise, Fred Merkel, Steve McLaughlin, Roberto Pietri, Ron Pierce, Bubba Shobert, Larry Pegram, and others.

We will post additional information as it becomes available.

May he Rest In Peace.

Mike Velasco in 1982. Photo by John Owens/Superbike Book. Copyright 2023.

Mike Velasco with Freddie Spencer at Daytona 1982. Photo by John Owens/Superbike Book. Copyright 2023.

Mike Velasco with Fred Merkel’s Superbike at Loudon, 1986. Photo by John Owens/Superbike Book. Copyright 2023.

WorldSBK: Race One Results From Algarve International Circuit

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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WorldSBK: Race One Results From Algarve International Circuit

Toprak Razgatlioglu won World Superbike Race One Saturday evening at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. On board his Pirelli-shod ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, the Turkish star won the 20-lap race by just 0.780 second. It was Razgatlioglu’s 11th straight race win.

Two-time and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Italian Danilo Petrucci placed third on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati, just 0.670 second behind Bautista.

American Garrett Gerloff finished a season-high fourth on his Bonovo Action BMW.

WSBK R1
WSBK Points after R1

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

History beckons for Toprak after his 11th consecutive win

Toprak Razgatlioglu won World Superbike Race One Saturday in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Tissot Superpole Highlights

Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed his fourth consecutive Superpole success. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider ended the session with an advantage of just over one tenth of a second
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was Razgatlioglu’s nearest challenger. The Englishman claimed his second consecutive front row start
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) made it three different manufacturers on the front row. He narrowly ousted Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the closing moments of the 15 minute sessions

Race 1 Highlights

Razgatlioglu became the third rider in WorldSBK history to win 11 races in a row. His run of success stretches back to the Dutch Round at Assen. The Turkish star will try to make history during tomorrow’s Tissot Superpole Race. Razgatlioglu now leads the championship by 80 points from Bulega
The 20 lap race saw a gaggle of riders fighting it out at the front throughout. Lowes led in the early stages having taken the holeshot before Petrucci led until the final third of the race. Razgatlioglu led eight laps and would eventually win by just eight tenths of a second after a race long battle at the front
From the second row of the grid Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) endured a difficult start to the 20 lap race and dropped to 13th position during the opening laps. The Spaniard recovered to come through the pack to finish second. This was his best result since Round 3 at Assen. The double World Champion is now 29 points behind his teammate Bulega in the standings
Petrucci led a WorldSBK for the first time and ultimately he converted a front row into his third podium of the season
Fourth position marked the best result of the season for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) after the American rider came out on top of a four rider battle with Lowes, van der Mark and Bulega

Key Points:

Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu

Race fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.612More on worldsbk.com

P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team

“I’m really happy about this race. At the beginning we were fighting with Petrucci. In the last ten laps I just tried to push as hard as I could for a good lap time. We won again today and I’m really happy. It hasn’t been an easy weekend because everyone was pushing harder and the hot conditions also made it tough. We did a very good job. I need one more win for the new consecutive wins record and we’ll see tomorrow if I can do it!”

P2 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati

“We’ve struggled a lot this year in the Superpole but today we weren’t bad. I made my worst start of the season and lost a lot of positions on lap one so I had to push throughout the entire race. I couldn’t relax at any point during the race so I’m happy because, in the end, I managed to keep a good pace and catch up with the leading riders. I still need to do more to be at 100% but this is my 100th podium and I’m really happy about that. It’s always nice to celebrate these milestones with a win but this year has been difficult. The good thing is that we’re making progress, and I’m starting to feel much better on the bike. So I hope that tomorrow I can fight again for the podium and maybe even for the victory!”

P3 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team

“This was a really nice race! I’ve led a WorldSBK race for the first time and it’s something I’ve been trying to do for a while! During the race I was pushing at 90% because I knew it would be impossible to follow Toprak. I had a bit left at the end but Alvaro was a bit faster in the corners. It’s a podium though and that’s always nice. I want to say thanks to my crew because I really had a good bike today.”

World Supersport: Race One Results From Algarve International Circuit

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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World Supersport: Race One Results From Algarve International Circuit

Yari Montella won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the Italian won the 17-lap race by 3.241 seconds. It was Montella’s third win of the season but his first since the opening round in Australia.

Adrian Huertas, the current World Championship point leader, was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

Stefano Manzi placed third on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise finished sixth in spite of crashing his Evan Bros. Yamaha on the sighting lap.

WSS R1
WSS Points after R1

WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Takes Pole Position In Portugal

David Swarts

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August 10, 2024

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WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Takes Pole Position In Portugal

Toprak Razgatlioglu earned pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on Pirelli control tires, the Turkish star turned a lap time of 1:39.783 to lead the field of 23 riders.

Alex Lowes was second-best with a 1:39.887 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Danilo Petrucci earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:39.971 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4 R.

American Garrett Gerloff qualified ninth with a time of 1:40.398 on his Bonovo Action BMW, just 0.6 second off Razgatlioglu’s pole time.

In fact, the top 17 riders in Superpole qualifying were covered by just 1.066 seconds.

WSBK SP Qual

American Flat Track: New-Look Sturgis TT Is Sunday

David Swarts

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August 9, 2024

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American Flat Track: New-Look Sturgis TT Is Sunday

Progressive AFT Hits the Streets for Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2024) – History is now mere days away. On Sunday, August 11, the stars of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will take the Grand National Championship into the Streets of Downtown Sturgis, South Dakota, for the inaugural Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT presented by Rick Ware Racing & The CAT Rental Store.

The innovative event, developed and promoted in collaboration with AFT Events, Øuterkind and the City of Sturgis, reconnects the city to its legacy of motorcycle racing that dates back to the very origins of the fabled Sturgis Motorcycle Racing, now in the midst of its 84th edition.

Equal parts heritage and modern-day spectacle, the Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT will not just honor the past by way of the present but also look to the future with the highly anticipated introduction of the all-new AFT AdventureTrackers™ class.

However, the season’s headlining story continues to be the quest of reigning Mission AFT SuperTwins champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) to become the first rider in the seven-decade history of the series to claim a tenth Grand National Championship. That mission came even more clearly into focus this past Tuesday night when Mees moved to the top of the points race for the first time this season.

A victory this weekend would push him that much closer to the unprecedented achievement, but it will not come easily. When the series last did battle on a hybrid TT circuit that combined dirt and asphalt at the 2021 Atlanta Super TT, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) was fastest in every practice and qualifying session, won both his heat and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and ran away with the Main Event victory by several seconds. Despite spending the bulk of his season racing a Tytlers Cycle BMW Superbike, Beach is already back at the top of his dirt track game as evidenced by his runner-up finish at the Peoria TT and a first-career Half-Mile victory at Black Hills Speedway.

The fact that Beach was beaten at all in Peoria underlines the fact that Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) is a rider to watch this weekend as well. Besides being a rider with the all-around talents to excel at the circuit, he’s also one who will be looking to make amends coming off a difficult Main Event in Rapid City.

But perhaps no rider is more in need of a big day than Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who currently ranks second to Mees in the championship race. While TTs have never been Robinson’s forte, the Mission Roof Systems rider has improved in the discipline, and the novel nature of the circuit provides ample opportunity to shock the world.

Pit up against a 17-point disadvantage with four rounds remaining, Robinson would be well served to put riders between himself and Mees. Fortunately for his championship hopes, Beach isn’t the only wild card with the potential to run up front; Multi-time TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Martin Trucking/ Castro Yamaha MT-07) is back in the mix following a run of hugely impressive rides earlier this season.

Several series regulars could also play the role of spoiler, including the likes of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), not to mention red-hot rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), who both claimed maiden premier-class top fives earlier this week.

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Double defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER king Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) has a chance to secure one of the few remaining accomplishments that has thus far eluded him during his record-breaking stint in the class. Now holding either sole possession or a share of the all-time lead in championships as well as career, single-season, Half-Mile, and Short Track victories, Kopp has yet to stand atop the podium at a TT.

Doing so this Sunday would also tilt the balance of power back in his direction after seeing the last four races go to his primary rivals, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who figure to once again be Kopp’s biggest threats this weekend.

Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R), Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 BigR/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) were next best in Peoria. However, those results should be considered, at best, a rough guide of what may transpire this weekend, with the Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT promising to be a different beast entirely.

Meanwhile, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) will resume their fight for fourth in the championship hunt and hope to do so by adding to their seasons’ tally of podium finishes.

AFT AdventureTrackers

One of the fastest growing and fiercely competitive segments of the global motorcycle market will take their respective claims of supremacy to the Streets of Downtown Sturgis with the long-awaited debut of the AFT AdventureTrackers. And as a showcase for Dual Adventure bikes specifically designed to dominate any and all terrain they are confronted with, the hybrid TT course couldn’t possibly be more perfectly suited for the task at hand.

The AFT AdventureTrackers class has been designed around production-based race bikes that are as close to street stock as is feasible. And in turn, an incredibly decorated and diverse collection of riders has been recruited to demonstrate exactly what these versatile machines are capable of.

Saddlemen Race Development will field a Daytona 200 legend and big-bike specialist in teammates Danny Eslick (No. 64 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) and Frankie Garcia (No. 14 Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250).

Meanwhile, Memphis Shades/Vinson Honda comes armed with a championship-winning dirt tracker in Dan Bromley (No. 62 Sody Enterprises/Memphis Shades/Vinson Honda Africa Twin).

And Triumph has its bases well covered with big-name riders hailing from across dirt track, world enduro, stunt riding, and Superhooligan in Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200), Robby McLendon (No. 169 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200), Ivan Cervantes (No. 25 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200), Nick ‘Apex’ Brocha (No. 777 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 1200), and Kole King (No. 80 Triumph Racing/Triumph Indianapolis Triumph Tiger 1200).

Which style will prove superior for these machines and this course? That’s a fascinating question that won’t be answered until the AdventureTrackers’ rubber hits the road (and dirt) for the first time in history this Sunday.

Due to its setting in Downtown Sturgis on the final day of the 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, race fans will obviously have a huge number of off-track attractions at their disposal. Included among them are the Progressive Insurance Sturgis TT Demo & Display Lot, numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and live music from the Rally Point stage performed throughout the day by country music star and The Voice alum Joey Green.

Attendance for Sunday, August 11’s inaugural Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT presented by Rick Ware Racing & The CAT Rental Store is free of charge. Fans also have a unique opportunity to witness history in comfort from ideal vantage points offered by legendary Sturgis Main Street bars Loud American and One-Eyed Jacks Saloon. These Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT VIP Experiences are available for $175 at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/sturgis-tt-112510.

Practice will start at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:0 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. ET (1:45 p.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

The Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT pre-race show will air on FS2 on Saturday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), immediately followed by the race broadcast on FOX at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The complete two-hour pre-race and race package will then re-air on FS1 later that evening, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT).

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Canadian Superbike: Race One Report From CTMP

August 10, 2024

Eventual winner Alex Dumas (23) leads the GP Bikes Pro Superbike field through turn one at the start of Saturday's race one at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Ben Young (1) worked his way from ninth on the grid to finish second ahead of Sam Geurin (2). Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.