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MotoAmerica: More From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

David Swarts
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MotoAmerica: More From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY RACER KYLE WYMAN WINS SUNDAY AND FINISHES SECOND SATURDAY AT MID-OHIO; RETAINS KING OF THE BAGGERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS LEAD

Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Racer Cory West Takes Over Super Hooligan Points Lead

MILWAUKEE (August 19, 2024) – Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman scored his sixth victory of the season and maintained his points lead in the MotoAmerica® Mission King Of The Baggers series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Aboard a race-prepared 2024 Road Glide® motorcycle, Wyman was the top qualifier and finished 2-1 in the double header race weekend. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Rocco Landers placed third in both races to run his string of consecutive podium finishes to four.

“It was good get another win and keep the points lead,” said Wyman following the Sunday race, which was red flagged after four laps following an incident involving RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim. “I thought we were going to have a battle with the Indian at the end today but I think we are due some luck so we’ll take it and carry our momentum to Circuit of The Americas.”

In the Mission Super Hooligan race series on Sunday, Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West took over the series points lead with a second-place finish in Race 1 and his third win of the season in Race 2 on a race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Pan America® 1250 Special motorcycle. Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis scored his third win of the season in Race 1, beating West and KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz to the finish for an all-Harley-Davidson podium.

On Saturday, Wyman led from the pole position and battled with Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss for the lead in the early laps. Close behind was a fierce fight for third place between Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider James Rispoli, and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Gillim and Landers. Wyman trailed Herfoss by 1.040 seconds at the finish. Landers claimed third place ahead of Gillim and Rispoli.

On Sunday the start was delayed by a brief rain shower and the race was shortened from 9 to 6 laps. Wyman led from the start, with Herfoss in close pursuit as the pair pulled away from Landers and Rispoli. On lap 4 Gillim lost control of his bike, which came to a stop on the racing surface causing the race to be stopped. The race was declared complete with Wyman 0.280 seconds ahead of Herfoss. Landers finished in third place and Rispoli was fourth.

“It was a great weekend for the H-D team all around,” said Rispoli. “Kyle did an amazing job keeping the points lead. We did a great job recovering from some lost time during the weekend. I felt comfortable in the race, and a podium was in the cards. Hayden’s incident and the red flag really scrapped that opportunity, but I hope he is OK. I can’t wait for COTA!”

After 14 of 18 rounds in the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers series, Wyman has 282 points and a 14-point lead over Herfoss, with 268 points. Gillim is in third place with 189 points, followed by Factory Indian rider Tyler O’Hara with 182 points, Rispoli with 154 points, and Landers with 138 points.

After 8 of 10 rounds in the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan series, Team Saddlemen’s West leads with 147 points. S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara is second with 143 points, followed by Lewis with 113 points and KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Cody Wyman with 105 points.

The Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan series return to action September 13-15 at Circuit of The Americas in Travis County, Texas.

The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.

Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing is sponsored by Mission® Foods, Rockford Fosgate®, Brembo®, Öhlins®, Protolabs®, SYN3® lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts and Accessories.

 

MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 1

  1. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  2. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  3. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  4. Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  5. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  6. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  7. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  8. Larry Pegram (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
  9. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  10. Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports
  11. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

 

MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 2

  1. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  2. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  3. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  4. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  5. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  6. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  7. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  8. Larry Pegram (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
  9. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  10. Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports

 

Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 1 (Top 15)

  1. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  2. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  3. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  4. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  5. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  6. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  7. Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
  8. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
  9. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing
  10. Kole King (TRI) King Performance

 

Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 2 (Top 15)

  1. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  2. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  3. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  4. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  5. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  6. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  7. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  8. Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
  9. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
  10. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Petersen Comes Back to Finish Eighth In Race 2 at Mid-Ohio

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen and Jake Gagne score top 10 finishes on a tough weekend in Ohio

 

Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha's Cameron Petersen (45) and Jake Gagne (1) in action at Mid-Ohio. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen (45) leads his teammate Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (behind Gagne), Brandon Paasch (96), Ashton Yates (27), and Hayden Gillim (69) at Mid-Ohio. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.

 

MARIETTA, Ga. –  August 19, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen finished eighth as he returned to action for Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. It was a tough weekend for the team, with both riders feeling less than 100% with injuries. His teammate Jake Gagne also salvaged points, finishing 10th on the technical track.

Petersen had a big crash during Thursday’s Official Dunlop Test, adding an ankle injury to an already torn meniscus from training during the break. After being sidelined for Saturday’s opening race with another crash in the second qualifying session, he got the all-clear Sunday morning to race. Despite feeling less than 100%, the South African got a great start from the second row of the grid into fourth and was in fifth after the opening lap. Petersen was shuffled to seventh on Lap 5 and then continued to battle for position, ultimately finishing eighth to salvage some points on a tough weekend. 

Gagne didn’t get the start he was hoping for in Race 2 and was seventh after the start. He was shuffled to eighth on the opening lap but continued to work on making his way forward on the technical track despite his lingering arm pump issues. Gagne passed his teammate on Lap 8 and maintained seventh for five laps, but ultimately would cross the line 10th to salvage some more points, leaving Ohio third in the point standings and tied with fellow Yamaha rider Bobby Fong. 

The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns to action next month for the penultimate round of the MotoAmerica season and a Superbike tripleheader at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on September 13-15. 

Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“It was not the results we were looking for. We’re moving on and will come back at COTA.”

Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45

“It was a super rough weekend for the team and myself. Unfortunately, I had a big crash on Thursday that changed the outcome of the whole weekend, but a massive thank you to the team for the incredible work they did this weekend. We will get them at the next one.”

Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1

“It was another tough race today, continuing to deal with hand issues. The team and bike deserve stronger results, so we’ll get it sorted.”

2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Results

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Energica:

MINGLING AT MID-OHIO: SOLID PROGRESS BUILDING UP TO SEASON FINALE

 

Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS. Photo courtesy Energica.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS KCC. Photo courtesy Energica.

 

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course made a long awaited, perhaps surprising appearance with MotoAmerica, after a decade of absence from national motorcycle series competition. Only a handful of current MotoAmerica riders (or perhaps less) have ever raced on the narrow and technical, twisty 3.862mile Midwest racetrack, which has a long history of two- and four-wheeled racing dating back to 1962.

It is of no surprise then that there was a welcome reception for the fans and the locals, who flocked to the venue for a weekend of racing (and camping, as the course is famous for excellent camper facilities with great views and plentiful shade) with friends and family alike. Given their relatively short history in racing, neither Energica nor team Tytlers Cycle Racing had ever turned wheels at this circuit, so it was a bit of a step into the unknown.

Nevertheless, the team’s only rider for the Super Hooligan National Championship, Stefano Mesa, had a chance to get to grips with the track on Thursday, albeit on TCR’s Supersport machine, before jumping on the powerful Eva Ribelle RS KCC to begin the penultimate event of the season.

The results went as follows: Mesa was tenth in qualifying, eighth in Race One and then tenth again in Race Two. As much as these results mirror in many ways those achieved in Laguna Seca five weeks prior, the gap to the frontrunners is getting slimmer, albeit not enough to get in the mix – not this at least – for podium contention.

When a new track arrives with no prior testing, set-up and feeling have to be built as the weekend progresses, with very little room for experimentation. If we throw in the notorious unpredictability of Midwestern summer weather, chances are that track-time will be further reduced. Which it happened, of course, as due to torrential rain Qualifying 2 was really of no use, causing the Sunday warmup to be replaced by Race One as the latter had to be postponed due the impracticability of the track.

In what was a race for adaptation, the Eva Ribelle RS KCC proved to be more than capable of solid performance throughout, with top speed matching the frontrunners and Mesa able to improve by one second his fastest race time across the two encounters (which ended up being separated by merely two hours).

By quoting a classic of the movie industry: ‘It could be worse, it could be raining’. Luckily it didn’t happen today, so we did get to race.

Time to pack and get ready for the Circuit of The Americas. (September 13-15).

Click on the links to re-watch the two Super Hooligans races at Mid-Ohio on YouTube: Race 1 – Race 2

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:

VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI RACER TY SCOTT FIGHTS FOR THE WIN, EARNS SECOND AT MID-OHIO

Brea, CA, (August 19, 2024) — Suzuki Motor USA (Suzuki) and Team Hammer tackled the undulating corners of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time in a decade with the MotoAmerica tour bringing the nation’s top motorcycle racers back to the iconic track last raced at in 2014.

Race Highlights

  • Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott returned to the podium with a strong second on Sunday.
      • Teagg Hobbs charged to fifth in Saturday’s wild Race 1.
      • Joel Ohman improved several positions from Saturday to Sunday.
    • Superbike
      • Richie Escalante impressed with his speed and grit in his return despite still fighting his way back to full health.
      • Brandon Paasch again teased his podium potential with a strong qualifying performance despite his final results falling short of that promise. 

 

Ty Scott (70) capped off a challenging weekend with a podium result in Sunday’s Supersport race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Ty Scott (70) capped off a challenging weekend with a podium result in Sunday’s Supersport race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Tyler Scott (70) closed out what had been a dramatic weekend of inclement weather and delays in a straight fight for victory in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport contest. Sunday’s dry conditions came as a relief after a protracted Saturday of changeable conditions resulted in a hard-earned sixth. Finally able to again show his true potential on the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750, Scott led several laps and battled for victory to the flag, ultimately finishing in second just 0.160 seconds off the win.

“We had a result we liked today and ended an up-and-down weekend the way we wanted,” Scott said. “My Suzuki was really strong, and over the last ten days – with testing and this weekend’s racing – we saw some fantastic improvements. The GSX-R750 felt amazing. We have made great progress. But this weekend, I crashed on Thursday, and it basically cost the team two sessions. We were playing catch-up, then got into a mixed conditions race on Saturday where the setup choices were not that clear. We did okay, then made big changes for today and the front end setup was what I wanted. I felt we were very competitive, and getting second at a new track for us is a great reward. I am excited about the next races because we are heading forward.”

 

Teagg Hobbs (79) charged through the field on Saturday, carding a top-five Supersport result. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs (79) charged through the field on Saturday, carding a top-five Supersport result. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

While most riders were mired in Saturday’s chaos, Teagg Hobbs (79) used it as a ladder. With riders opting for contrasting tire strategies as the track’s surface changed from dry to wet to dry, Hobbs charged his way up from 15th to end the day inside the top five, finishing one position ahead of teammate Scott in fifth. However, Sunday was not quite as kind as Hobbs came home 14th in the rematch.

Hobbs said, “We went with the right tire choice and had a strong bike for those conditions. We needed the top-five result, and it was great to get it. Sunday did not go as well. We had a crash on the first lap of the warm-up, and it seems we have had bad luck all year. We’re working hard on getting a solid direction to put us back up front.”

 

Joel Ohman (92) continues to progress and gain speed despite the challenges of a new track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Joel Ohman (92) continues to progress and gain speed despite the challenges of a new track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

The team’s third Supersport pilot, Joel Ohman (92), used the weekend as another opportunity to gain valuable race experience and confirmed his ability to convert that opportunity into results, improving several positions from Saturday to Sunday.

“It was an eventful weekend for us,” Ohman said. “In the end, I learned a lot. It was also good to have Richie Escalante back. Saturday was pretty challenging. A bike blew up in front of me, and I was covered in his oil, including my visor so I couldn’t see very well at the beginning of the race. Then I had rain tires on, but as the track dried, it made for a race where I felt I could lose either end of the bike as the track became completely dry. Sunday was also challenging, with a change to the bike that helped one area but hurt us in another. Still, we were able to pick up some positions, and improved on our starting position. We changed up our debrief, and now we have all three SuperSport riders debriefing together instead of individually. I felt I learned a lot from Teagg and Ty.”

 

Richie Escalante’s (54) return to Superbike competition resulted in a top-ten result in Sunday’s race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante’s (54) return to Superbike competition resulted in a top-ten result in Sunday’s race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike rider Richie Escalante (54) made his long-awaited return to action after suffering a left wrist fracture, left ankle fracture, and compression fracture of the L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae in the MotoAmerica Superbike opener at Road Atlanta in April. Still fighting his way back to full health and fitness, Escalante was unfortunate to suffer an early race fall in his race return on Saturday. Undaunted, Escalante was back in the fight on Sunday, executing a last-lap pass aboard his GSX-R1000R to secure seventh position at the checkered flag.

“I am super happy to be racing again,” said Escalante. “The doctor cleared me last week. I am recovered from the injuries but not quite up to my normal fitness because I haven’t been able to run my normal training. I felt that a little this weekend. I was unable to be as aggressive as I need to be to fight for the podium. Still, I am happy to be back out there competing, I really missed the speed, my GSX-R, and working with the team. Thanks to the team, Suzuki, and our sponsors for being patient while I recuperated. It was awesome to be back. On Saturday, I made a mistake and crashed, which is easy to do when you haven’t been on the bike for a while. Today, I wanted to finish with a good result we would build on going forward. I felt we earned that. I’ll be ready to push harder for the next one. We improved our lap times all weekend at a new track for me, so we are going in the right direction.”

 

Brandon Paasch (96) continues with strong qualifying performances in Superbike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Brandon Paasch (96) continues with strong qualifying performances in Superbike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Brandon Paasch (96) endured a repeat of his previous round’s efforts at Laguna Seca. At Mid-Ohio, Paasch earned a second-row grid position but was unable to capitalize on his speed and grid slot due to an opening-lap crash suffered while jockeying for position near the front on Saturday; and then encountering an issue on Sunday. Paasch was ultimately credited with 18th after coming into the pits and returning to the race a couple laps down.

Paasch said, “It was a mixed weekend for me, with some good sessions followed up with tough races. We matched our best qualifying, but I crashed on the first lap trying to make a pass. I hit some mud on the track and high-sided to the moon. I banged up my ankle, which was numb Sunday and I had to wear an oversize boot because of the swelling. I couldn’t feel what my brake lever was doing and locked it up a couple of times. I pulled into the pits to make sure it wasn’t oil or a mechanical issue. Everything was clear, so I went back out and got some laps in.”

The 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship will head to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for its penultimate round on September 13-15.

For Suzuki road racing news, results, and team updates, visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing. For more information and updates on Team Hammer, visit teamhammer.com.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won over 130 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 370 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation.  For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA):

MotoAmerica Makes Successful Return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Fan-favorite track delivers big crowd and action-packed racing

 

Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates MotoAmerica on a triumphant return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, after a 10-year absence from the iconic track. MotoAmerica, home of the AMA Superbike Championship, visited Mid-Ohio for its eighth round of the 2024 season.

“It has been a long time coming but worth the wait to welcome the AMA Superbike Championship back to the flowing curves of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “The weekend wasn’t without some challenges from Mother Nature, but the MotoAmerica team, supported by the Mid-Ohio track crew, were decisive and flexible, squeezing in as much racing action as possible.”

Race officials and track personnel battled volatile weather on both Saturday and Sunday but successfully completed the program. The hard work and quick planning allowed for a full slate of racing, rewarding fans with two championships and memorable moments on the newly paved road-race course.

In the premier Steel Commander Superbike class, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin had a perfect weekend, with a clean sweep of the class doubleheader. While his first race was a runaway, the second offered some of the most exciting racing action of the weekend, with a full race battle with Sean Dylan Kelly and Cameron Beaubier, both on BMWs.

Two support class championships were decided on Sunday. Mikayla Moore wrapped up the 2024 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. title with her seventh win of the season, and Matthew Chapin locked down the 2024 Junior Cup Championship on his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki with the double-header sweep.

The titles also are notable because both young riders have been selected to represent North America at the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Intercontinental Games on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in Jerez, Spain. Teams from all six of the FIM Continental Unions of Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania will compete for world bragging rights at the two-day event.

“Congratulations to Mikalya and Chapin for outstanding seasons,” said Dingman, who presented Moore with her AMA No. 1 plate. “Their performances this year have been impressive, and both Mikalya and Matt will represent us well on the international stage in Jerez.”

 

Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The Supersport class saw a split in wins, with Rahal Ducati’s PJ Jacobsen winning on Saturday and Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz finishing out front on Sunday with his seventh win of the year.

Saturday’s Supersport race likely will be remembered by Mid-Ohio fans for the rider who crossed the line in third behind Jacobsen and second-place finisher Scholtz: veteran AMA racer and Ohio native Larry Pegram. With the race starting in the wet, the 51-year old, riding a Suzuki for TopPro Racing, led the race on rain tires for several laps before fading slightly. It was his first AMA podium finish since 2014 in the AMA Superbike class at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

In the Mission Super Hooligan class, Saddlemen Racing/Harley Davidson’s Jake Lewis easily won the first race, with Lewis’s teammate Cory West winning by just 0.105 of a second over S&S/Indian Motorcycles Tyler O’Hara in the second contest.

In King Of The Baggers, the two riders at the top of the points standings, Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman and Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss split wins.

MotoAmerica resumes its season on Sept. 13-15 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. For racing and ticket information, see MotoAmerica.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:

Podiums for Cam and JD as Mesa makes the top six on MotoAmerica’s Mid-Ohio return

MotoAmerica made its first appearance at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend and the Tytlers Cycle Racing team were in the mix once again. 

On track in Superbike, Supersport and Super Hooligans the team’s riders Cameron Beaubier, JD Beach and Stefano Mesa were at the sharp end of their respective racing categories and from the opening practice sessions on Thursday they remained competitive throughout. 

Happy to be back at Mid-Ohio, Cameron Beaubier was the man to beat from the off, the #6 topping several practice sessions before claiming Pole Position by 0.122s aboard his BMW M1000 RR.

Race one was cut short by three laps following a rain shower and a wet weather familiarisation session that was held prior to lights out. When the race did get going Cameron was once again at the front, running strongly but unable to match the pace of the leader. He took second at the flag. Sunday’s race ran the full distance of nineteen laps with Cameron once again in contention for the podium but once again unable to produce the pace he had in qualifying due to grip issues outside of his control. He sits fourth overall in the championship standings, sixty points adrift of the current leader, ahead of the penultimate round of the series at COTA and the season finale in New Jersey.

On the other side of the Superbike garage JD Beach had his best event of the season so far. He made the most of the opening laps in Saturday’s shortened sixteen lap encounter after qualifying seventh. Holding third in the early stages he was pushed back to fourth, before moving back into P3 with just a couple of laps to go following a Loris Baz crash. JD was understandably elated as he crossed the line to secure his second podium finish of the season. He finished an equally impressive sixth in Sunday’s race. He sits eighth overall in the points.

A sixth and seventh place finish in Supersport were the rewards for Stefano Mesa’s efforts across the weekend, the Kawasaki mounted rider running consistently. Ninth on the grid, Mesa, along with the entire field were unable to improve their times on Saturday morning and then, as in Superbike, the #37 took to the track in an extra wet weather familiarisation session.

Mesa was also on track aboard the Energica electric bike in the Super Hooligans category. Both races took place on Sunday after Saturday’s rainfall. Stefano achieved eighth and ninth place finishes in the weekend’s two encounters.

 

Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

Cameron Beaubier: “It was nice to race at Mid-Ohio again. It’s a fun track and it was pretty cool to see how packed with fans the place was for the first year back. We had great pace all week, but the races were a different story with some struggles. All in all, two podiums are nice, and I want to say a big thanks to the team for all their hard work. It’s not over until it’s over and I am looking forward to lining up at COTA again.”

 

JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

JD Beach: “It was nice to get back on the road race bike after the season break, we had. Going back to Mid-Ohio after ten years was really cool. Luckily, we had a tyre test on Thursday before the race weekend got started which gave us a day to work through some parts and pieces that we have been wanting to try but haven’t had a chance to during a race weekend. I feel like we made some improvements with the bike Thursday and Friday. Then I gave the team a bit of extra work when I threw the bike down Saturday morning in qualifying before Race 1. They worked their magic as always and had the bike fixed back up and ready to go for the race. The track conditions were a bit tricky with off and on rain during the day, but with the improvements the crew made to the bike I felt good from the start. We were able to have a little battle with my teammate Cam and got to follow him for a quite a few laps and learn some stuff. Taking another podium was a big reward I could give them team. Race two was a bit of a struggle from the start with rear grip. It was weird, from the start I couldn’t get the BMW horsepower to the ground, but we were able to snag a sixth. I still feel like that’s an improvement from our mid-season form. We have another couple of weeks off and then it’s time for COTA.”

 

Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

Stefano Mesa: “It was good to be back at Mid-Ohio after so many years and to see all the fans that came out to this place. We had double duty again on the Supersport and Hooligan. Supersport race one got delayed after a red flag for weather. The race got pushed to the end of the day and by this point we had a drying track, and we had to make a tyre decision. The team ended up going with slicks. The first few laps were still a bit too wet but by the end of the race we found some good pace and had a good race. In race two we had a red flag come out which helped us since we didn’t get a good start. After the restart we got to work and made up a few spots to end P6. The Hooligan weekend was positive with a lot of data gained to keep improving the bike. The weather didn’t let us race on Saturday, so they moved both races to Sunday. Race one was good. We had a good start and had some good battles. The boys had to change the battery in less than two hours so we could make race two and they got it done in time! Race two was a bit better. We made a good start, and I was able to go with the front group for a few laps found my best lap of the weekend in the race. Thanks to the Tytlers and Energica boys for a good weekend on both bikes.”

American Flat Track: Indian FTR750 Ineligible To Race In 2025

David Swarts
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0
American Flat Track: Indian FTR750 Ineligible To Race In 2025

Indian Motorcycle Celebrates the End of an Era of Flat Track Racing Dominance, As New AFT Rules Call for Production-Only Engines, Rendering the FTR750 Ineligible

Indian Motorcycle’s Championship-Winning Race Bike Leaves Behind Unprecedented Legacy, Securing Seven SuperTwins Titles & More than 100 Race Wins in 135 races

Minneapolis, MN. (August 19, 2024) – In 2016, Indian Motorcycle introduced the FTR750, a flat track race machine designed to propel the brand back into professional racing following a 60-year hiatus. Amid its eighth season of competition, the Indian FTR750 has established itself as the most dominant race bike in the sport’s history.

“Since 1901, racing has been core to the Indian Motorcycle brand DNA,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “From our founders, Hendee and Hedstrom, competing in endurance races in the early 1900s, to the dominant Wrecking Crew of the late 1940s, Indian Motorcycle has been winning races. The FTR750 was the vehicle that reestablished Indian Motorcycle Racing and returned the brand to a place of competitive dominance.”

Since its debut, the FTR750 has not only revived the storied tradition of the original Indian Wrecking Crew, but it revolutionized the landscape of flat track racing – quickly earning a reputation as the most dominant machine in the AFT paddock. With three races remaining in the 2024 season, the FTR750 has a 75%-win ratio, winning 101 of the 135 races. It has secured 286 total podiums at 129 races, earning a 96%-podium ratio. The FTR750 has a perfect championship record, winning all premier class titles since 2017.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be on this journey with Indian Motorcycle since day one,” said reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees. “Racing the FTR750 has been an incredible experience, as I’ve never experienced a bike like the FTR750 in all my years competing. We’ve had immense success over the past eight years, and it’s been a true honor to be a part of the Indian Wrecking Crew.”

Mees has been an instrumental piece to the FTR750’s success. In addition to being Indian Motorcycle’s hero factory rider since 2017, Mees played an invaluable role in developing the FTR750 – providing expert-level feedback and insights to Indian Motorcycle engineers and S&S Cycle, who developed the FTR750’s chassis. Piloting the FTR750, Mees has secured five championship titles. With a six-point lead in the SuperTwins standings, and three races remaining, Mees looks to complete the FTR750’s perfect record and secure a new all-time record of 10-career championships.

In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle has been a great supporter of privateer teams, paying out more than $4,000,000 in privateer contingency.

Since 2017, 45 riders have competed aboard the Indian FTR750. The complete roster of legendary riders includes the following:

  • Kevin Anderson
  • Brad Baker
  • Briar Bauman
  • Bronson Bauman
  • Shayna Texter-Bauman
  • Declan Bender
  • Trevor Brunner
  • Dan Bromley
  • Patrick Buchanan
  • Kolby Carlile
  • Jeffrey Carver Jr.
  • Kenny Coolbeth Jr.
  • Chad Cose
  • Danny Eslick
  • Davis Fisher
  • Hayden Gillim 
  • Sammy Halbert
  • Patrick Jacobsen
  • Jesse Janisch
  • Jake Johnson
  • Ronnie Jones 
  • Joe Kopp
  • Johnny Lewis
  • Ben Lowe
  • Andrew Luker
  • Jay Maloney
  • Jared Mees
  • Morgen Mischler
  • James Monaco
  • Tyler O’Hara
  • Robert Pearson
  • Larry Pegram
  • Brandon Price
  • Brandon Robinson
  • Billy Ross
  • Jake Shoemaker
  • Bryan Smith
  • Dan Stanley
  • Kevin Stollings
  • Cory Texter
  • Jarod Vanderkooi
  • Stephen Vanderkuur
  • Ryan Varnes
  • Ryan Wells
  • Henry Wiles

For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit  www.indianmotorcycle.com.

 

MotoGP: Dovizioso Testing In Place Of Crutchlow At Misano

David Swarts
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0
MotoGP: Dovizioso Testing In Place Of Crutchlow At Misano

Andrea Dovizioso to ride as Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider at Private Misano Test

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is sad to announce that Cal Crutchlow is still not fully fit to resume his Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider duties due to complications following a hand surgery. Andrea Dovizioso will step up as his replacement at the forthcoming private Misano test.

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 19th August 2024

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm that Cal Crutchlow is unfortunately incapable of fulfilling his Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider duties due to complications following a hand surgery. Italian MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso has agreed to replace Crutchlow as Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider at a private Misano test.

Crutchlow was operated on his hand earlier this year but suffered complications. While Crutchlow concentrates on making a full recovery, Dovizioso will fulfil the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider role for the present.

Dovizioso and Yamaha completed a preliminary test a few weeks ago in Mugello to confirm that the bond between Dovizioso and the YZR-M1 was still as strong as ever. The rider from Forlì will be aboard the Yamaha again during a private test that will be held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st August.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

Team Director

First of all, let me start by saying that we all wish Cal a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on track soon with our test team.

“However, in the meantime we can’t afford to be idle. We are therefore delighted to confirm that Andrea has agreed to fill in for Cal and take on the role of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test rider at the private Misano test. 

“Andrea and Yamaha have had a close relationship for many years. Dovi is a highly skilled and precise rider who also has a clear understanding of the technical side of MotoGP. Furthermore, besides his experience in the MotoGP championship, he is also familiar with Yamaha’s MotoGP Project, so we are greatly looking forward to continuing our partnership with him. We think he will help us collect valuable data and give us good feedback.

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO

Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider

“I am sorry that Cal is still not well, and I hope he recovers quickly.

“Having said that, I am happy and excited to have the chance to get on a MotoGP bike again, and I would like to thank Yamaha for this opportunity. I hope I will be able to make my contribution to the development of the bike.

AHRMA: Pro Challenge Now Open To MotoAmerica Supersport Bikes

David Swarts
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AHRMA: Pro Challenge Now Open To MotoAmerica Supersport Bikes

AHRMA Expands 2024 AHRMA Pro Challenge at the 19th Barber Vintage Festival

 

(Knoxville, TN) The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) announces the expansion of the field of eligible racers for the 2024 AHRMA Pro Challenge to include 2024 professional racers (MotoAmerica, MotoGP, World Superbike, etc.) competing on 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines.

Eligibility requirements have been expanded to allow pro racers to compete on MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines as follows:

  1. The machine must meet the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport specifications, with the exception that open ECU mapping is permitted. 
  2. Riders must have raced a 2024 MotoAmerica or an equivalent international event.
  3. AHRMA has the final say on waivers/exemptions for the Pro Challenge and reserves the right to limit the number of participants.
  4. Certain MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines are already eligible for the AHRMA Formula Thunder class, this simply expands available machines for pros to compete on.

Interested pro racers and teams can reach out directly to AHRMA ([email protected]) with specific questions regarding eligibility and race format. Additional details about the AHRMA Pro Challenge can be found here: ahrma.org/barber-vintage-festival/pro-challenge-returning-to-barber-vintage-festival

 

About AHRMA:

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage machines along with a wide range of modern motorcycles.  With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world.  The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.

 

Moto2: Dixon Signs With Elf Marc VDS Racing Team

David Swarts
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0
Moto2: Dixon Signs With Elf Marc VDS Racing Team

Elf Marc VDS Racing Team signs Jake Dixon for 2025

The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team is thrilled to announce the signing of British star Jake Dixon for the 2025 Moto2 World Championship campaign.

Dixon’s wealth of experience and proven race winning pedigree makes him the perfect choice to lead the team’s exciting new adventure next year when it will compete for Moto2 glory using the Boscoscuro chassis.

The 28-year-old is currently enjoying a great run of success in his sixth full season in Moto2 and an impressive run of three successive podium finishes in Assen, Silverstone and Spielberg has moved him firmly back into title contention in 2024.

Dixon has won three times in his Moto2 career, with his most recent success coming in memorable fashion earlier this month when he became the first British winner of his home Grand Prix at Silverstone in nearly 10 years.

Dixon finished inside the top six overall in 2022 and 2023 and he has scored 15 podiums since making his Moto2 debut back in 2019.

Marc Van Der Straten, Team Owner

“He is a fighter on and off the track”

“I am personally very happy with the arrival of Jake Dixon to our team. He is a fighter on and off the track and I love that. The 2025 season will be very important for us as we face the exciting challenge of competing with the Boscoscuro chassis. We need someone who is fast and able to quickly adapt to changes and Jake has these characteristics. I’m looking forward to seeing him fighting at the front and defending the VDS colours”.

Jake Dixon 

“Moving to this team gives me so much motivation”

“Firstly, I want to say a huge thanks to Marc for giving me the opportunity to ride for such a fantastic team. They have been at the top in Moto2 for such a long time and won three titles and all I can say is it’s an absolute pleasure to be joining Elf Marc VDS Racing next season. I feel I am ready for a new challenge and a new adventure and moving to this team gives me so much motivation. I really can’t wait to get started next year and look forward to bringing more success to the team.”

MotoAmerica: Junior Cup Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

David Swarts
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0
MotoAmerica: Junior Cup Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Mathew Chapin won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. BARTCON Racing’s Chapin was leading on lap seven of 11 when the race was stopped due to rain. The race was declared complete and Chapin was awarded the victory, his sixth of the season. The win also allowed 16-year-old Chapin to clinch the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with two races still remaining.

New York Safety Track’s Yandel Medina was the runner-up and officially finished 0.075 second behind Chapin, with Wolfe Racing’s Ryan Wolfe just 0.015 second behind Medina in third.

Royalty Racing’s Carson King got fourth, and Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez rounded out the top five finishers.

The entire field rode Kawasaki Ninja 400s.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_JRC_R2_res (1)
 24_10_MIDOHIO_JRC_PTS_points

 

ASRA: Race Results From Pittsburgh International Race Complex

David Swarts
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0
ASRA: Race Results From Pittsburgh International Race Complex

Race results from the ASRA Championship Series event held August 17-18 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, in Wampum, Pennsylvania. For more information, go to www.asraracing.com.

 

day 1 races - ASRA 400 - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA SPORTBIKE - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA SUPERSTOCK - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA THUNDERBIKE - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA 400 THUNDERBIKE BAGGER RACE 2 - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA SPORTBIKE RACE 2 - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA SUPERSTOCK RACE 2 - RaceReduced

 

MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

David Swarts
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0
MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Wyman was leading Troy Herfoss with a gap back to Rocco Landers and Hayden Gillim just past the halfway point of the race when it was stopped by a red flag.

Gillim, the defending Champion, got spit off his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide at the entrance to Thunder Valley. Gillim eventually walked away from the crash scene, but his motorcycle came to a stop partially on the track and it was leaking fluids, forcing the race to be stopped.

The race was called complete and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman was declared the winner. S&S Indian Challenger pilot Herfoss was right behind Wyman and formulating his strategy when the race was halted, taking away any opportunity to attack Wyman late in the race and locking him in at the runner-up position.

Landers scored third place, giving him his second podium finish in as many days.

Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli got fourth, just ahead of Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara in fifth.

The start of the race was delayed due to a short rain shower. It was then shortened from nine to seven laps and eventually run in dry conditions.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_KTB_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_KTB_PTS_points

 

MotoAmerica: Superbike Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

David Swarts
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0
MotoAmerica: Superbike Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. 

EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW’s Sean Dylan Kelly led most of the race with Herrin right behind him on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R and Cameron Beaubier right behind Herrin on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.

With two laps to go, Herrin passed Kelly going into Turn One, put his head down, and tried to sprint to the checkered flag. Kelly didn’t give up and stayed right with Herrin to the end, but Herrin was strong enough to hold his lead and win the race by a fraction of a second.

With the victory, his fifth of the season and fourth in the last five races, Herrin extended his lead atop the Championship point standings.

For runner-up Kelly, it was his fourth podium finish of his rookie Superbike season.

Beaubier had nothing for the lead duo and had to settle for a close third, less than one second behind Kelly.

Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz bounced back from a crash late in Race One to score fourth in Race Two.

Bobby Fong finished fifth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.

After finishing third in the drying conditions of Race One, Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach took sixth in Race Two.

Out since being injured after the first race of the 2024 season, Richie Escalante passed Cameron Petersen to claim seventh in his comeback appearance on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.

Petersen crossed the finish line 0.475 second behind Escalante in eighth on his Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha.

Ashton Yates took ninth overall and the Superbike Cup victory on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Petersen’s teammate, three-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne rounded out the top 10 finishers.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_PTS_points
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_PTS_sbcpts

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

A Double Dose Of Herrin In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio

Josh Herrin Completes The Sweep After A Thrilling Finale At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Sean Dylan Kelly (40) led almost all of the Steel Commander Superbike race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before being passed two laps from the end by Josh Herrin (2). Cameron Beaubier (6) ended up third. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) led almost all of the Steel Commander Superbike race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before being passed two laps from the end by Josh Herrin (2). Cameron Beaubier (6) ended up third. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

LEXINGTON, OH (August 18, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin had a near-perfect weekend in Superbike racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a 10-year hiatus as he stormed to a clean sweep of the two MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike races for the first Superbike doubleheader sweep of the 34-year-old’s career.

A day after running away from the pack in the first of two Superbike races, things were a bit different for Herrin on Sunday. Instead of charging to the front from the get-go, Herrin had to come from behind and when he got there, he didn’t find it to be a walk in the park. Instead, he got all he could handle for the entire distance from a pair of BMWs in the capable hands of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier.

The trio ran in formation for the entire distance with Herrin hounding Kelly from behind while Beaubier was doing all he could to stay on Herrin’s tail as he struggled with rear grip issues.

With two laps to go, Herrin made his move – diving under Kelly going into turn one.

Kelly stuck with the Ducati to the finish, ending up just .384 of a second behind Herrin when the pair crossed the finish line. Beaubier was a disappointed third, 1.3 seconds behind after finishing second to Herrin the day prior.

The win was the 15th of Herrin’s Superbike career, which moves him into a tie with Eric Bostrom and Freddie Spencer on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.

Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was a rather lonely fourth, a day after crashing out of second place. He was 8.3 seconds adrift of Beaubier and 2.9 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Bobby Fong on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.

Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing’s teammate JD Beach followed up on his third-place finish on Saturday to finish sixth on Sunday, some five seconds clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, who in turn barely beat Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen to the line. Petersen was back in action after being ruled medically unfit to race in yesterday’s race one and this weekend’s two races were Escalante’s return to racing after his injuries from round one at Road Atlanta.

Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was ninth with Petersen’s three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne ending up 10th as his season long arm-pump continue to slow him.

With two rounds and five races left to run, Herrin’s lead in the championship has been stretched to 52 points over the tied pairing of Gagne and Fong, 244-192. Beaubier moves to fourth with 184 points, nine better than Petersen’s tally.

Superbike Race 2

  1. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
  2. Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
  3. Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
  4. Loris Baz (Ducati)
  5. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
  6. JD Beach (BMW)
  7. Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
  8. Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
  9. Ashton Yates (Honda)
  10. Jake Gagne (Yamaha)

 

Quotes…

Josh Herrin – Winner

“During the race, I got a terrible start. I almost stalled the bike on the line. I don’t know what happened. I went back to sixth I think, or something like that. The years of watching Cam (Beaubier), whenever he has something kind of ruffle his feathers, he just stays calm and just kind of picks through the guys. I tried to take one from his book and just be calm and kind of pick my way through the pack. Got back up there. Eventually I made a move on Sean (Dylan Kelly) and made an aggressive pass in the Keyhole that at first during the race I was thinking, this guy is trying to help his BMW boy out or something. But now that I’ve calmed down, I’m like, actually on the first lap he did the same thing to Cam in the same spot. So it wasn’t that at all. I was like, maybe I should just be a little careful. I sat back and just decided that if I can stay in front of Cam and just see what Sean’s doing, because I have a pretty big lead over Sean in the championship, I’ll just wait until Cam makes a move and if I need to, go around Sean then. So, just tried my hardest to save my tires for an attack at the end and save my energy. I was going to go for it on the last lap, and then I was thinking about it. I’m like, if Cam is doing the same thing I am, maybe he’s going to attack with two laps to go. So, I’m going to try to stir things up a little bit and go a little earlier. That’s what we did. I just put my head down. The Ducati, since I’ve been on it, I feel like I have an advantage when there’s less grip on the track, which is funny because on Richard’s (Stanboli) podcast he does, he says it’s the opposite when the track has a lot of grip. But I feel like when there’s not a lot of grip, our bike does pretty good. Then, I feel like I let my tires cool down too much during the race by not being aggressive like I normally would be exiting the corners. It was just sliding all over when it hadn’t moved at all during the whole race. So, I had a couple big moments in my best part of the track where I was really trying to attack, and it scared me. Luckily, we were able to hold him off. It’s crazy. I don’t know how many years I’ve tried, but it’s been 12 years since my first Superbike season, and I’ve never had a double. So, it just goes to show I think, obviously I’ve put in a lot more work than I ever have in my career, but also just being with the same team on the same bike for two years in a row is the biggest thing ever for me to really up my game. So, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that Bobby and the De Naples gave me to do two years on this bike and let me show… Maybe I’m different than some guys. I just needed a little bit longer to ripen up. I’m hoping that these last years of my career are better than the beginning years. I’m just stoked to end the weekend like this and go into our best track of the year at COTA. The goal is to just have a really good weekend there and then be able to clinch it before Jersey because Jersey, if it rains, that’s what will definitely scare us. I want to get ahead as much as I can before then.”

Sean Dylan Kelly – Second Place

“To be honest, I was really confused up until the grid today. I even did the sighting lap with an old tire. I was sliding as if I was on ice with the rear tire. I went into the race pretty pissed off, to be honest. I was frustrated with the race yesterday. I again felt like I was ice skating out there, and obviously I was really nowhere, especially the first three laps. Finished fifth yesterday which was disappointing after being pretty much up there all weekend. This morning, I was two and a half seconds off. I had no idea what was going on. It was really strange. But as soon as I got that new tire, that was obviously the race tire prepped for the race, and I’m glad that the rain stayed away. Conditions were a lot better. As soon as I started the race, I’m like, I feel like I’ve got my bike back. I got a good start. I was up front. I did some good pass there to (Cameron) Beaubier when he got past me. I wanted to be up front, and I felt good. Once I was clicking away, I actually felt like I was getting better and better, getting more comfortable even being at the front. So, I knew that Josh (Herrin) got by me at one point, and I attacked right back. So, I knew that he had something on me. I just tried to keep my rhythm, and with three laps to go I really did everything I could to just do the best I can. Whether he could follow me or not, I obviously had no idea. But I did a 24.8 with a few laps to go. I’m just happy I did that, regardless of getting second or not. I’m just happy that I was able to do that pace on my own up front. This guy had a little extra, but I tried to get him back at the end and it was just too tight. I really got to be happy, especially with how I was feeling only a few minutes before the race. So, super pumped. Super happy with my whole team, everything that they’re working on and just helping me become a better Superbike rider. Still learning a lot on this thing, but I think I’m definitely getting there. I think the win is coming soon.”

Cameron Beaubier – Third Place

“I don’t want to take anything away from these guys because they rode incredible – not just today but all weekend. I’m just frustrated. I feel like we can’t catch a break. I don’t know what was going on with my rear tire, but I had zero grip from the start, on the entry, mid-corner, exit. I was struggling so hard just to hang with these guys. I was trying to make it up all on the brakes, and then the rear end was coming around. It just felt like the tire never came in. Yesterday, we had that little electric problem in the race and it’s just frustrating. I feel like we just can’t catch a break right now, and it’s not a good time to be dealing with this stuff. Like I said, I’m not taking anything away from these guys because they’re riding incredible right now. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. The Tytlers guys have been working their butts off all year, been giving me an incredible bike. We just need everything to line up for these last couple rounds. I rode as hard as I could and third was the best we had today.” 

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Warhorse HSBK Ducati moves into prime championship contention following Herrin’s double win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Josh Herrin. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin. Photo courtesy Ducati.

 

Sunnyvale, Calif., August 18, 2024 — Josh Herrin is proving the class of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike field after taking the first double win in his illustrious Superbike career at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scorching his way to a commanding title lead.

The lead rider for Warhorse HSBK Ducati qualified fourth but used that as fuel for the fire, charging into an early lead and putting down a pace no one—other than his own teammate, Loris Baz—could follow. Herrin would eventually cross the line some 18 seconds clear over second-placed Cameron Beaubier after Baz suffered an unfortunate late-race crash.

Race two was a nailbiter as Herrin, Sean Dylan Kelly, and Beaubier cleared off at the front, Herrin making an early pass for the lead before Kelly hit straight back. From there, Herrin played the waiting game, conserving his tires and energy at the physically demanding Mid-Ohio layout. With two laps to go, the number 2 Ducati pulled the pin, hitting the lead at turn one and putting down two qualifying-speed laps to edge out a 0.3-second win and move into a 52-point championship lead.

Baz rebounded from his Saturday results by taking fourth on the number 76 Ducati Panigale V4 R to make it two Ducatis in the top four.

2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship After Round Seven

P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 244

P2 – Bobby Fong 192

P2 – Jake Gagne 192

P4 – Cameron Beaubier 184

P5 – Cameron Petersen 175

P7 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 155

 

Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)

“What a great weekend,” Herrin beamed. “It wasn’t the best practice and qualifying, but the racing is what matters, and both races were great. The first win was by 18 seconds, and in the second, I felt like I had half a second on Sean—I tried one pass on him, and he passed me straight back, so I didn’t want to risk anything. I just sat there and relaxed and went for it in the last two laps.

“It’s funny, all weekend, people have been telling me to relax and go for points, but I have more experience than anyone here, so I wanted to show them what I can do. I wanted to apply the pressure and get some points so we’re in a good position at COTA. We’re in a good spot in the championship. The second half of the season has been awesome. I just want to thank my Warhorse HSBK Ducati team for everything—a great bike, great team environment, everything. I’m really looking forward to COTA, which is an excellent track for our bike.”

Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)

“We did a big step with the bike so I must say thank you to all the Warhorse HSBK Ducati guys, as well as Ducati in Italy,” Baz said. “I have the bike turning how I want, which makes a big difference here, a track I love.

“After the qualifying, I had a top-four pace, but I could see the top guys had a little more. In race one, I was really surprised to see +10 on my board. But I made the biggest mistake of my life in race one by crashing. I can’t apologize to everyone enough, but today, I tried to understand the crash and not make any mistakes again.

“Josh helped me understand where and how to push here because this track is quite particular on the front tire. So, I tried to manage my pace and the force of the front tire, but the top three were a touch quicker today, so I did everything I could to bring it home.

“Josh is riding so well and we’re heading to two of my favorite tracks in COTA and New Jersey. I want to see the title come to this team with Josh, and I will do everything possible to help him.”

Warhorse HSBK Ducati now heads to one of their favorite hunting grounds of Circuit of The Americas in Texas for the decisive triple-header on September 13-15.

MotoAmerica: Supersport Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

David Swarts
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MotoAmerica: Supersport Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

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Mathew Scholtz won MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Scholtz put on a big push late in the race, made one gutsy move in the closing laps, and held on to win the race on his Dunlop-equipped Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. It was Scholtz’s seventh race win of the season, allowing him to increase his lead in the Championship point standings.

Tyler Scott battled for the lead throughout the race but had to settle for a very close runner-up finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.

Jake Lewis brought his Altus Motorsports Suzuki home in third place.

Scholtz’s primary Championship challenger PJ Jacobsen led most of the race on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2, but Jacobsen encountered suspected issues with his soft-compound front tire late in the race and quickly slipped backward to a fourth-place finish.

EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki’s Maxi Gerardo rounded out the top five finishers.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_SSP_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SSP_PTS_points

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Chapin Crowned, Scholtz Back On Top In Support Class Action At Mid-Ohio

Exciting Racing, Champions Crowned In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

LEXINGTON, OH (August 18, 2024) – Seventeen-year-old Matthew Chapin is having quite a rookie season in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, and Sunday was his best day yet. The BARTCON Racing Kawasaki rider won both Junior Cup races, with Saturday’s race one postponed due to rain and rescheduled on Sunday. All the better for the Marylander because his two Super Sunday wins clinched the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.

From one end to the other, it was a perfect weekend for Chapin, who was fastest in Friday’s Practice 1, earned the provisional pole in first qualifying later on Friday, secured pole position in final qualifying on Saturday, and won both races on Sunday.

Chapin made light work of race one, winning by an unheard of for-that-class 3.4 seconds over Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez with Fernandez some nine seconds ahead of what was the first real battle in the race, with third through seventh finishing on the same second. The final podium spot went to Chapin’s BARTCON Racing teammate Eli Block.

“Oh, man,” Chapin said after race one. “It was a great race. Pulled the holeshot, and I knew I had the pace to get away, so I just put my head down, did some fast laps. Man, it was a great race.”

Junior Cup race two was a lot closer at the finish line for Chapin, who nipped New York Safety Track Racing Kawasaki’s Yandel Medina by just .074 of a second. Third place went to Wolfe Racing’s Ryan Wolfe, who was only .015 of a second behind Medina.

All in all, Chapin, led every lap of both of Sunday’s Junior Cup races.

“Man, I feel great,” Chapin said on the podium while clutching his number-one Championship plate. “This feels awesome. From this being my first full season of doing MotoAmerica to winning the championship. Wow! I’m so thankful. I couldn’t do this without all my sponsors. I want to give a huge thanks to Mike (Skowronek) at TripleStrong Racing for coming out and helping me with all the motor work and everything and getting the bike dialed in. Huge thanks to my mom and dad. Chuck, Tim, Connie, and everybody that came out. Brian. This feels great. Thanks to Woodcraft, KYT, Bison, Vortex, and everybody else who helps me out. Thank you, guys.”

 

Strack Racing's Mathew Scholtz won his seventh Supersport race of the season to extend his championship points lead to 25. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz won his seventh Supersport race of the season to extend his championship points lead to 25. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Supersport – Scholtz Back On Top

With PJ Jacobsen winning three races in a row, including Saturday’s Supersport victory at Mid-Ohio, Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz admits he was getting a little worried about his championship points lead. On Sunday, the South African changed all that with his seventh win of the year to extend his points lead to 25 over the Rahal Ducati Moto rider.

Scholtz’s win was of the come-from-behind variety as his rival Jacobsen was at the front but busy defending that lead from Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scholtz, meanwhile, worked his way through to third, bringing Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis with him.

And just like that, Scholtz was on top of the Jacobsen/Scott battle and suddenly was in front of both. Jacobsen was visibly struggling with front-end grip, and he started to go backwards and ultimately finished fourth.

Scholtz sped to the finish line, .160 of a second ahead of Scott with Lewis 3.1 seconds adrift.

Jacobsen finished fourth with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo rounding out the top five.

 

Kyle Wyman (33) leads Troy Herfoss (17), Rocco Landers (97), James Rispoli (43) and Hayden Gillim in the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Troy Herfoss (17), Rocco Landers (97), James Rispoli (43) and Hayden Gillim (10 in the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman!

What was shaping up to be another fight to the finish between Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss didn’t get the chance to materialize as Hayden Gillim crashed his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson on the third lap in Sunday’s race, bringing out the red flag and ultimately the end of the race.

Since he was leading Herfoss when the red flag came out, Wyman was declared the winner, giving him his sixth win of the season and the five points back that he’d lost to Herfoss on Saturday.

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers finished third for the second time on the weekend as the series rookie continues to get closer to the top two.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Wyman said. “I thought we were coming into the pits to rerack them. So, I didn’t really notice until everybody was running off of pit lane, up the hill with stands, that we had actually called the race. I was actually surprised as well. I thought we were going to restart that one. It didn’t seem like there was any more threat of weather at that point. It seemed like a pretty quick cleanup. But, my plan that I executed turned out to be what put me in that position. I wanted to get the holeshot. I wanted to control the race and try to go from the front. I’ve had a lot of really bad days over the last couple years with just really sh*t luck in a lot of different scenarios. So it feels like I’ve been owed one a little bit. Not by Troy, but just from the universe, I guess. It feels good in that way, but when we’ve gone down to the last lap and raced to the flag, even when I’ve finished second when we’ve raced to the flag it feels better than this does just because it’s a hell of a lot of fun. So, for sure, it’s a bummer not to see it go full race distance, especially for the fans. But like I said, we’ll take it.”

 

Cory West (13) won the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race on Sunday and the win gave him the series points lead. Chris Fillmore (11) gives chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Cory West (13) won the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race on Sunday and the win gave him the series points lead. Chris Fillmore (11) gives chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Lewis!

It was also a doubleheader Sunday for the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship class with Saturday’s race getting bumped off the schedule with poor weather wreaking havoc.

When they did get started in the first of two races, Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Jake Lewis turned what looked to be an exciting Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at Mid-Ohio into a dull one when he pulled away from the scrap behind him to win his second race of the season on Sunday morning.

Lewis topped his teammate Cory West by 1.2 seconds after separating himself from the pack in the closing stages with West beating KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz by just .057 of a second.

Then came the pair of S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s with Tyler O’Hara fourth and Troy Herfoss fifth, respectively. Herfoss was slowed somewhat by a clutch issue.

“It’s honestly been an up-and-down weekend on the Hooligan bike so far, but every session I’ve been out in, I’ve been either first or second,” Lewis said after race one. “So, I knew I had a good feeling, but starting ninth was tough. I think I was fifth coming out of turn one, and then (Chris) Fillmore looked like he had a little bit of an issue. I was up into fourth quick. Cory (West) and I talked before the race. I know the Indian boys are going to try to play their games. So, I figured I’d fire one off on the first lap under (Tyler) O’Hara there. Kind of stood him up and then after that, I was like, ‘this is mine to lose, as far as championship-wise.’ I have to win these races, and that’s my only goal is either win or I’m going to end up in the grass. I rode my ass off, but big thank you to the Saddlemen Race Development team. They’ve been working so hard on these Harley-Davidson Pan Americas. It’s a nice way to reward them. I’m excited for that one. Sometimes winning I don’t get too excited, but I was really pumped for that. It’s been 10 years since we’ve been here. Last time we were here I won as well. It feels good to do it in front of these Mid-Ohio fans.”

If race one turned into a runaway in Hooligan terms, race two was anything but with six riders in the lead group all the way to the finish. And what a difference another race makes as race-one winner Lewis was at the back of that lead group in sixth place.

This one went to new championship points leader West after his two-one finishes on the day. West beat O’Hara, his main championship rival, by .105 of a second. Third place on the track went to KTM Development Team’s Chris Fillmore, but Fillmore was here on a KTM DUKE Prototype and not eligible for championship points.

That gave third to Herfoss with KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz and West’s teammate Travis Wyman rounding out the top five.

“How crazy?” West said after race two. “That first race, I was pretty nervous going into it. So, I just rode smart. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and do anything silly. I told my guys, ‘I’ve got a little more in me.’ I just didn’t want to do anything silly in that first race. So, I put my head down, got to the front, and it was just a scrap. Those guys kept coming by me and doing crazy stuff. I just was trying to be cool and be smart. Then on the last lap, TO (O’Hara) came up under me in the Keyhole and I just made sure I got a really good drive. I just had three guys in front of me to give me an awesome draft. I got down there on the brakes and kind of lost the front in the right-hander. I was like, ‘man, I just got a few more right-handers until the checkered.’ I kind of parked it in that last corner, but I just figured there wasn’t any way around me. Today is my dad’s birthday. This is awesome. Happy birthday to my pop. All the guys at Saddlemen, my wife, who’s pregnant. It’s crazy. We’re making it happen. We’re leading the points again and we’re on to COTA. Let’s make it happen.”

 

Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore Wraps It Up

Mikayla Moore put a nice little bow on the top of her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with her seventh win of the season coming a day after she wrapped up that second title. As always, Moore made the race her own, winning by a tick over 20 seconds ahead of Kira Knebel, who was also second in yesterday’s race.

The only race Moore didn’t win this season was the only race she didn’t take part in when an injury took her out of race one in the season-opener at Road America.

Third place went to first-time podium finisher Miranda Cain with Cain improving from her fifth-place finish in Saturday’s race. Emma Betters and Holly Varey rounded out the top five in the season-ender for the class.

“The Royal Enfield 650 GT today went on rails,” Moore said. “I knew yesterday the race started off pretty close. I knew as long as I did what I did yesterday and put my head down and focus and hit my marks I could get to where I am at now, which is the number-one spot, just by hard work throughout the season. Thanks to my dad, my family, just for all the support, even the Royal Enfield team’s support. It means a lot. To do this two years in a row, I’m super happy with how my season went.” 

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE RACE 2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2024 | WARM-UP & RACE 2

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course skies threatened rainfall throughout the day, however, held off with crystal clear skies for the duration of Race 2.

Similarly to Race 1, a competitor’s engine expired on Lap 2, leaking oil onto the track surface. A red flag was waved, and the riders had to return to their original starting positions for a condensed 12-lap race. Unfortunately, Alexander, who had fought his way through the pack to 6th, was forced to restart at 15th. His Ducati’s mechanical issues persisted after the restart, ending his time on track early. The crew will have to continue to diagnose the bike’s issues before the next rounds of competition at Circuit of The Americas.

PJ Jacobsen’s momentum shifted after suffering tire degradation, pushing him back to fourth position in the last few laps after leading a majority of the race. Four rounds remain for Jacobsen and the XPEL team to close the gap to the championship leader, Mathew Scholtz, who is currently 25 points ahead.

With an unfavorable ending to the team’s visit to their home track, the crew packs the truck to head back to home base in Zionsville, Indiana, before Rounds 15 and 16 of Supersport competition in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of The Americas on September 13- 15.

PJ JACOBSEN

No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 1st

FINISHED: 4th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (279 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I honestly feel like I could’ve won that race. I guess we made the wrong tire choice, but it’s strange since we tested with that tire on Thursday, and put in a lot of good laps with it. We had no problems before. The heat was similar on the Thursday test, and it was only a 12-lap race, so I’m not sure what happened. With two laps to go, the tire dropped terribly on the right hand side. It was completely shredded and I could barely ride. Risking crashing to hold on to my position would not have been smart.”

KAYLA YAAKOV

No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 7th

FINISHED: 10th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (120 pts)

WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today wasn’t the best day. Going into the race I felt very confident and excited to have another go at it. I felt like my pace was there to be in the top six. I was getting great starts, but unfortunately some things happened during the race that caused me to drop back a little bit. I tried to claw my way back up to eighth position, fighting for sixth, but with about four laps remaining, the front tire was completely done and the focus was trying to get the bike back safe and not crash out of the race. It’s really unfortunate, but i’m confident we can bounce back with the last two rounds of the season, and we can put these bikes back where we know they can be. Overall, I had a good time here at Mid-Ohio. Hopefully next year we have more luck. It was great to announce that all three of us will be back for 2025.”

COREY ALEXANDER

No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 15th

FINISHED: DNF

CHAMPIONSHIP: 9th (111 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Super bummed for my guys on the Rahal Ducati Moto team with Roller Die + Forming. It was just one of those weekends, but that’s how it goes in racing sometimes. We had the bike, and everyone on the team worked so hard, but we just couldn’t get it done. We’re going to have to figure out what the issue was somehow. Nothing the guys did seemed to make a difference. Thank you to the entire team for working so hard the whole weekend – I know it was a lot of hard work on their part. Nobody gave up, but it just didn’t work out.”

BEN SPIES

TEAM PRINCIPAL

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a bit of a frustrating day, but that’s how it is in racing sometimes. PJ rode really well, but the front tire blistered and came apart, and there was nothing he could do. Kayla had a great start. We’re not sure what happened when she lost a few positions but she still rode a really strong race. The bike issue with Corey was frustrating, but it happens, unfortunately. We’ve had plenty of good races this season, and we will be back at COTA.” 

MotoAmerica: More From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

Kyle Wyman (33) at speed on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
Kyle Wyman (33) at speed on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY RACER KYLE WYMAN WINS SUNDAY AND FINISHES SECOND SATURDAY AT MID-OHIO; RETAINS KING OF THE BAGGERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS LEAD

Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Racer Cory West Takes Over Super Hooligan Points Lead

MILWAUKEE (August 19, 2024) – Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman scored his sixth victory of the season and maintained his points lead in the MotoAmerica® Mission King Of The Baggers series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Aboard a race-prepared 2024 Road Glide® motorcycle, Wyman was the top qualifier and finished 2-1 in the double header race weekend. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Rocco Landers placed third in both races to run his string of consecutive podium finishes to four.

“It was good get another win and keep the points lead,” said Wyman following the Sunday race, which was red flagged after four laps following an incident involving RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim. “I thought we were going to have a battle with the Indian at the end today but I think we are due some luck so we’ll take it and carry our momentum to Circuit of The Americas.”

In the Mission Super Hooligan race series on Sunday, Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West took over the series points lead with a second-place finish in Race 1 and his third win of the season in Race 2 on a race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Pan America® 1250 Special motorcycle. Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis scored his third win of the season in Race 1, beating West and KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz to the finish for an all-Harley-Davidson podium.

On Saturday, Wyman led from the pole position and battled with Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss for the lead in the early laps. Close behind was a fierce fight for third place between Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider James Rispoli, and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Gillim and Landers. Wyman trailed Herfoss by 1.040 seconds at the finish. Landers claimed third place ahead of Gillim and Rispoli.

On Sunday the start was delayed by a brief rain shower and the race was shortened from 9 to 6 laps. Wyman led from the start, with Herfoss in close pursuit as the pair pulled away from Landers and Rispoli. On lap 4 Gillim lost control of his bike, which came to a stop on the racing surface causing the race to be stopped. The race was declared complete with Wyman 0.280 seconds ahead of Herfoss. Landers finished in third place and Rispoli was fourth.

“It was a great weekend for the H-D team all around,” said Rispoli. “Kyle did an amazing job keeping the points lead. We did a great job recovering from some lost time during the weekend. I felt comfortable in the race, and a podium was in the cards. Hayden’s incident and the red flag really scrapped that opportunity, but I hope he is OK. I can’t wait for COTA!”

After 14 of 18 rounds in the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers series, Wyman has 282 points and a 14-point lead over Herfoss, with 268 points. Gillim is in third place with 189 points, followed by Factory Indian rider Tyler O’Hara with 182 points, Rispoli with 154 points, and Landers with 138 points.

After 8 of 10 rounds in the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan series, Team Saddlemen’s West leads with 147 points. S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara is second with 143 points, followed by Lewis with 113 points and KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Cody Wyman with 105 points.

The Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan series return to action September 13-15 at Circuit of The Americas in Travis County, Texas.

The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.

Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing is sponsored by Mission® Foods, Rockford Fosgate®, Brembo®, Öhlins®, Protolabs®, SYN3® lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts and Accessories.

 

MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 1

  1. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  2. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  3. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  4. Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  5. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  6. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  7. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  8. Larry Pegram (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
  9. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  10. Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports
  11. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson

 

MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 2

  1. Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  2. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  3. Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
  4. James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
  5. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  6. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  7. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  8. Larry Pegram (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
  9. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  10. Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports

 

Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 1 (Top 15)

  1. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  2. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  3. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  4. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  5. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  6. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  7. Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
  8. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
  9. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing
  10. Kole King (TRI) King Performance

 

Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Mid-Ohio Race 2 (Top 15)

  1. Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  2. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  3. Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
  4. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  5. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  6. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
  7. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
  8. Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
  9. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
  10. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Petersen Comes Back to Finish Eighth In Race 2 at Mid-Ohio

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen and Jake Gagne score top 10 finishes on a tough weekend in Ohio

 

Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha's Cameron Petersen (45) and Jake Gagne (1) in action at Mid-Ohio. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen (45) leads his teammate Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (behind Gagne), Brandon Paasch (96), Ashton Yates (27), and Hayden Gillim (69) at Mid-Ohio. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.

 

MARIETTA, Ga. –  August 19, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen finished eighth as he returned to action for Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. It was a tough weekend for the team, with both riders feeling less than 100% with injuries. His teammate Jake Gagne also salvaged points, finishing 10th on the technical track.

Petersen had a big crash during Thursday’s Official Dunlop Test, adding an ankle injury to an already torn meniscus from training during the break. After being sidelined for Saturday’s opening race with another crash in the second qualifying session, he got the all-clear Sunday morning to race. Despite feeling less than 100%, the South African got a great start from the second row of the grid into fourth and was in fifth after the opening lap. Petersen was shuffled to seventh on Lap 5 and then continued to battle for position, ultimately finishing eighth to salvage some points on a tough weekend. 

Gagne didn’t get the start he was hoping for in Race 2 and was seventh after the start. He was shuffled to eighth on the opening lap but continued to work on making his way forward on the technical track despite his lingering arm pump issues. Gagne passed his teammate on Lap 8 and maintained seventh for five laps, but ultimately would cross the line 10th to salvage some more points, leaving Ohio third in the point standings and tied with fellow Yamaha rider Bobby Fong. 

The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns to action next month for the penultimate round of the MotoAmerica season and a Superbike tripleheader at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on September 13-15. 

Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“It was not the results we were looking for. We’re moving on and will come back at COTA.”

Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45

“It was a super rough weekend for the team and myself. Unfortunately, I had a big crash on Thursday that changed the outcome of the whole weekend, but a massive thank you to the team for the incredible work they did this weekend. We will get them at the next one.”

Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1

“It was another tough race today, continuing to deal with hand issues. The team and bike deserve stronger results, so we’ll get it sorted.”

2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Results

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Energica:

MINGLING AT MID-OHIO: SOLID PROGRESS BUILDING UP TO SEASON FINALE

 

Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS. Photo courtesy Energica.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS KCC. Photo courtesy Energica.

 

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course made a long awaited, perhaps surprising appearance with MotoAmerica, after a decade of absence from national motorcycle series competition. Only a handful of current MotoAmerica riders (or perhaps less) have ever raced on the narrow and technical, twisty 3.862mile Midwest racetrack, which has a long history of two- and four-wheeled racing dating back to 1962.

It is of no surprise then that there was a welcome reception for the fans and the locals, who flocked to the venue for a weekend of racing (and camping, as the course is famous for excellent camper facilities with great views and plentiful shade) with friends and family alike. Given their relatively short history in racing, neither Energica nor team Tytlers Cycle Racing had ever turned wheels at this circuit, so it was a bit of a step into the unknown.

Nevertheless, the team’s only rider for the Super Hooligan National Championship, Stefano Mesa, had a chance to get to grips with the track on Thursday, albeit on TCR’s Supersport machine, before jumping on the powerful Eva Ribelle RS KCC to begin the penultimate event of the season.

The results went as follows: Mesa was tenth in qualifying, eighth in Race One and then tenth again in Race Two. As much as these results mirror in many ways those achieved in Laguna Seca five weeks prior, the gap to the frontrunners is getting slimmer, albeit not enough to get in the mix – not this at least – for podium contention.

When a new track arrives with no prior testing, set-up and feeling have to be built as the weekend progresses, with very little room for experimentation. If we throw in the notorious unpredictability of Midwestern summer weather, chances are that track-time will be further reduced. Which it happened, of course, as due to torrential rain Qualifying 2 was really of no use, causing the Sunday warmup to be replaced by Race One as the latter had to be postponed due the impracticability of the track.

In what was a race for adaptation, the Eva Ribelle RS KCC proved to be more than capable of solid performance throughout, with top speed matching the frontrunners and Mesa able to improve by one second his fastest race time across the two encounters (which ended up being separated by merely two hours).

By quoting a classic of the movie industry: ‘It could be worse, it could be raining’. Luckily it didn’t happen today, so we did get to race.

Time to pack and get ready for the Circuit of The Americas. (September 13-15).

Click on the links to re-watch the two Super Hooligans races at Mid-Ohio on YouTube: Race 1 – Race 2

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:

VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI RACER TY SCOTT FIGHTS FOR THE WIN, EARNS SECOND AT MID-OHIO

Brea, CA, (August 19, 2024) — Suzuki Motor USA (Suzuki) and Team Hammer tackled the undulating corners of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time in a decade with the MotoAmerica tour bringing the nation’s top motorcycle racers back to the iconic track last raced at in 2014.

Race Highlights

  • Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott returned to the podium with a strong second on Sunday.
      • Teagg Hobbs charged to fifth in Saturday’s wild Race 1.
      • Joel Ohman improved several positions from Saturday to Sunday.
    • Superbike
      • Richie Escalante impressed with his speed and grit in his return despite still fighting his way back to full health.
      • Brandon Paasch again teased his podium potential with a strong qualifying performance despite his final results falling short of that promise. 

 

Ty Scott (70) capped off a challenging weekend with a podium result in Sunday’s Supersport race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Ty Scott (70) capped off a challenging weekend with a podium result in Sunday’s Supersport race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Tyler Scott (70) closed out what had been a dramatic weekend of inclement weather and delays in a straight fight for victory in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport contest. Sunday’s dry conditions came as a relief after a protracted Saturday of changeable conditions resulted in a hard-earned sixth. Finally able to again show his true potential on the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750, Scott led several laps and battled for victory to the flag, ultimately finishing in second just 0.160 seconds off the win.

“We had a result we liked today and ended an up-and-down weekend the way we wanted,” Scott said. “My Suzuki was really strong, and over the last ten days – with testing and this weekend’s racing – we saw some fantastic improvements. The GSX-R750 felt amazing. We have made great progress. But this weekend, I crashed on Thursday, and it basically cost the team two sessions. We were playing catch-up, then got into a mixed conditions race on Saturday where the setup choices were not that clear. We did okay, then made big changes for today and the front end setup was what I wanted. I felt we were very competitive, and getting second at a new track for us is a great reward. I am excited about the next races because we are heading forward.”

 

Teagg Hobbs (79) charged through the field on Saturday, carding a top-five Supersport result. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs (79) charged through the field on Saturday, carding a top-five Supersport result. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

While most riders were mired in Saturday’s chaos, Teagg Hobbs (79) used it as a ladder. With riders opting for contrasting tire strategies as the track’s surface changed from dry to wet to dry, Hobbs charged his way up from 15th to end the day inside the top five, finishing one position ahead of teammate Scott in fifth. However, Sunday was not quite as kind as Hobbs came home 14th in the rematch.

Hobbs said, “We went with the right tire choice and had a strong bike for those conditions. We needed the top-five result, and it was great to get it. Sunday did not go as well. We had a crash on the first lap of the warm-up, and it seems we have had bad luck all year. We’re working hard on getting a solid direction to put us back up front.”

 

Joel Ohman (92) continues to progress and gain speed despite the challenges of a new track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Joel Ohman (92) continues to progress and gain speed despite the challenges of a new track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

The team’s third Supersport pilot, Joel Ohman (92), used the weekend as another opportunity to gain valuable race experience and confirmed his ability to convert that opportunity into results, improving several positions from Saturday to Sunday.

“It was an eventful weekend for us,” Ohman said. “In the end, I learned a lot. It was also good to have Richie Escalante back. Saturday was pretty challenging. A bike blew up in front of me, and I was covered in his oil, including my visor so I couldn’t see very well at the beginning of the race. Then I had rain tires on, but as the track dried, it made for a race where I felt I could lose either end of the bike as the track became completely dry. Sunday was also challenging, with a change to the bike that helped one area but hurt us in another. Still, we were able to pick up some positions, and improved on our starting position. We changed up our debrief, and now we have all three SuperSport riders debriefing together instead of individually. I felt I learned a lot from Teagg and Ty.”

 

Richie Escalante’s (54) return to Superbike competition resulted in a top-ten result in Sunday’s race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante’s (54) return to Superbike competition resulted in a top-ten result in Sunday’s race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike rider Richie Escalante (54) made his long-awaited return to action after suffering a left wrist fracture, left ankle fracture, and compression fracture of the L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae in the MotoAmerica Superbike opener at Road Atlanta in April. Still fighting his way back to full health and fitness, Escalante was unfortunate to suffer an early race fall in his race return on Saturday. Undaunted, Escalante was back in the fight on Sunday, executing a last-lap pass aboard his GSX-R1000R to secure seventh position at the checkered flag.

“I am super happy to be racing again,” said Escalante. “The doctor cleared me last week. I am recovered from the injuries but not quite up to my normal fitness because I haven’t been able to run my normal training. I felt that a little this weekend. I was unable to be as aggressive as I need to be to fight for the podium. Still, I am happy to be back out there competing, I really missed the speed, my GSX-R, and working with the team. Thanks to the team, Suzuki, and our sponsors for being patient while I recuperated. It was awesome to be back. On Saturday, I made a mistake and crashed, which is easy to do when you haven’t been on the bike for a while. Today, I wanted to finish with a good result we would build on going forward. I felt we earned that. I’ll be ready to push harder for the next one. We improved our lap times all weekend at a new track for me, so we are going in the right direction.”

 

Brandon Paasch (96) continues with strong qualifying performances in Superbike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Brandon Paasch (96) continues with strong qualifying performances in Superbike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Brandon Paasch (96) endured a repeat of his previous round’s efforts at Laguna Seca. At Mid-Ohio, Paasch earned a second-row grid position but was unable to capitalize on his speed and grid slot due to an opening-lap crash suffered while jockeying for position near the front on Saturday; and then encountering an issue on Sunday. Paasch was ultimately credited with 18th after coming into the pits and returning to the race a couple laps down.

Paasch said, “It was a mixed weekend for me, with some good sessions followed up with tough races. We matched our best qualifying, but I crashed on the first lap trying to make a pass. I hit some mud on the track and high-sided to the moon. I banged up my ankle, which was numb Sunday and I had to wear an oversize boot because of the swelling. I couldn’t feel what my brake lever was doing and locked it up a couple of times. I pulled into the pits to make sure it wasn’t oil or a mechanical issue. Everything was clear, so I went back out and got some laps in.”

The 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship will head to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for its penultimate round on September 13-15.

For Suzuki road racing news, results, and team updates, visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing. For more information and updates on Team Hammer, visit teamhammer.com.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won over 130 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 370 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation.  For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA):

MotoAmerica Makes Successful Return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Fan-favorite track delivers big crowd and action-packed racing

 

Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates MotoAmerica on a triumphant return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, after a 10-year absence from the iconic track. MotoAmerica, home of the AMA Superbike Championship, visited Mid-Ohio for its eighth round of the 2024 season.

“It has been a long time coming but worth the wait to welcome the AMA Superbike Championship back to the flowing curves of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “The weekend wasn’t without some challenges from Mother Nature, but the MotoAmerica team, supported by the Mid-Ohio track crew, were decisive and flexible, squeezing in as much racing action as possible.”

Race officials and track personnel battled volatile weather on both Saturday and Sunday but successfully completed the program. The hard work and quick planning allowed for a full slate of racing, rewarding fans with two championships and memorable moments on the newly paved road-race course.

In the premier Steel Commander Superbike class, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin had a perfect weekend, with a clean sweep of the class doubleheader. While his first race was a runaway, the second offered some of the most exciting racing action of the weekend, with a full race battle with Sean Dylan Kelly and Cameron Beaubier, both on BMWs.

Two support class championships were decided on Sunday. Mikayla Moore wrapped up the 2024 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. title with her seventh win of the season, and Matthew Chapin locked down the 2024 Junior Cup Championship on his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki with the double-header sweep.

The titles also are notable because both young riders have been selected to represent North America at the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Intercontinental Games on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in Jerez, Spain. Teams from all six of the FIM Continental Unions of Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Oceania will compete for world bragging rights at the two-day event.

“Congratulations to Mikalya and Chapin for outstanding seasons,” said Dingman, who presented Moore with her AMA No. 1 plate. “Their performances this year have been impressive, and both Mikalya and Matt will represent us well on the international stage in Jerez.”

 

Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The Supersport class saw a split in wins, with Rahal Ducati’s PJ Jacobsen winning on Saturday and Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz finishing out front on Sunday with his seventh win of the year.

Saturday’s Supersport race likely will be remembered by Mid-Ohio fans for the rider who crossed the line in third behind Jacobsen and second-place finisher Scholtz: veteran AMA racer and Ohio native Larry Pegram. With the race starting in the wet, the 51-year old, riding a Suzuki for TopPro Racing, led the race on rain tires for several laps before fading slightly. It was his first AMA podium finish since 2014 in the AMA Superbike class at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

In the Mission Super Hooligan class, Saddlemen Racing/Harley Davidson’s Jake Lewis easily won the first race, with Lewis’s teammate Cory West winning by just 0.105 of a second over S&S/Indian Motorcycles Tyler O’Hara in the second contest.

In King Of The Baggers, the two riders at the top of the points standings, Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman and Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss split wins.

MotoAmerica resumes its season on Sept. 13-15 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. For racing and ticket information, see MotoAmerica.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:

Podiums for Cam and JD as Mesa makes the top six on MotoAmerica’s Mid-Ohio return

MotoAmerica made its first appearance at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend and the Tytlers Cycle Racing team were in the mix once again. 

On track in Superbike, Supersport and Super Hooligans the team’s riders Cameron Beaubier, JD Beach and Stefano Mesa were at the sharp end of their respective racing categories and from the opening practice sessions on Thursday they remained competitive throughout. 

Happy to be back at Mid-Ohio, Cameron Beaubier was the man to beat from the off, the #6 topping several practice sessions before claiming Pole Position by 0.122s aboard his BMW M1000 RR.

Race one was cut short by three laps following a rain shower and a wet weather familiarisation session that was held prior to lights out. When the race did get going Cameron was once again at the front, running strongly but unable to match the pace of the leader. He took second at the flag. Sunday’s race ran the full distance of nineteen laps with Cameron once again in contention for the podium but once again unable to produce the pace he had in qualifying due to grip issues outside of his control. He sits fourth overall in the championship standings, sixty points adrift of the current leader, ahead of the penultimate round of the series at COTA and the season finale in New Jersey.

On the other side of the Superbike garage JD Beach had his best event of the season so far. He made the most of the opening laps in Saturday’s shortened sixteen lap encounter after qualifying seventh. Holding third in the early stages he was pushed back to fourth, before moving back into P3 with just a couple of laps to go following a Loris Baz crash. JD was understandably elated as he crossed the line to secure his second podium finish of the season. He finished an equally impressive sixth in Sunday’s race. He sits eighth overall in the points.

A sixth and seventh place finish in Supersport were the rewards for Stefano Mesa’s efforts across the weekend, the Kawasaki mounted rider running consistently. Ninth on the grid, Mesa, along with the entire field were unable to improve their times on Saturday morning and then, as in Superbike, the #37 took to the track in an extra wet weather familiarisation session.

Mesa was also on track aboard the Energica electric bike in the Super Hooligans category. Both races took place on Sunday after Saturday’s rainfall. Stefano achieved eighth and ninth place finishes in the weekend’s two encounters.

 

Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

Cameron Beaubier: “It was nice to race at Mid-Ohio again. It’s a fun track and it was pretty cool to see how packed with fans the place was for the first year back. We had great pace all week, but the races were a different story with some struggles. All in all, two podiums are nice, and I want to say a big thanks to the team for all their hard work. It’s not over until it’s over and I am looking forward to lining up at COTA again.”

 

JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

JD Beach: “It was nice to get back on the road race bike after the season break, we had. Going back to Mid-Ohio after ten years was really cool. Luckily, we had a tyre test on Thursday before the race weekend got started which gave us a day to work through some parts and pieces that we have been wanting to try but haven’t had a chance to during a race weekend. I feel like we made some improvements with the bike Thursday and Friday. Then I gave the team a bit of extra work when I threw the bike down Saturday morning in qualifying before Race 1. They worked their magic as always and had the bike fixed back up and ready to go for the race. The track conditions were a bit tricky with off and on rain during the day, but with the improvements the crew made to the bike I felt good from the start. We were able to have a little battle with my teammate Cam and got to follow him for a quite a few laps and learn some stuff. Taking another podium was a big reward I could give them team. Race two was a bit of a struggle from the start with rear grip. It was weird, from the start I couldn’t get the BMW horsepower to the ground, but we were able to snag a sixth. I still feel like that’s an improvement from our mid-season form. We have another couple of weeks off and then it’s time for COTA.”

 

Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.

Stefano Mesa: “It was good to be back at Mid-Ohio after so many years and to see all the fans that came out to this place. We had double duty again on the Supersport and Hooligan. Supersport race one got delayed after a red flag for weather. The race got pushed to the end of the day and by this point we had a drying track, and we had to make a tyre decision. The team ended up going with slicks. The first few laps were still a bit too wet but by the end of the race we found some good pace and had a good race. In race two we had a red flag come out which helped us since we didn’t get a good start. After the restart we got to work and made up a few spots to end P6. The Hooligan weekend was positive with a lot of data gained to keep improving the bike. The weather didn’t let us race on Saturday, so they moved both races to Sunday. Race one was good. We had a good start and had some good battles. The boys had to change the battery in less than two hours so we could make race two and they got it done in time! Race two was a bit better. We made a good start, and I was able to go with the front group for a few laps found my best lap of the weekend in the race. Thanks to the Tytlers and Energica boys for a good weekend on both bikes.”

American Flat Track: Indian FTR750 Ineligible To Race In 2025

Jared Mees (1) has won dozens of races and multiple AFT SuperTwins Championships on the Indian FTR750. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Jared Mees (1) has won dozens of races and multiple AFT SuperTwins Championships on the Indian FTR750. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.

Indian Motorcycle Celebrates the End of an Era of Flat Track Racing Dominance, As New AFT Rules Call for Production-Only Engines, Rendering the FTR750 Ineligible

Indian Motorcycle’s Championship-Winning Race Bike Leaves Behind Unprecedented Legacy, Securing Seven SuperTwins Titles & More than 100 Race Wins in 135 races

Minneapolis, MN. (August 19, 2024) – In 2016, Indian Motorcycle introduced the FTR750, a flat track race machine designed to propel the brand back into professional racing following a 60-year hiatus. Amid its eighth season of competition, the Indian FTR750 has established itself as the most dominant race bike in the sport’s history.

“Since 1901, racing has been core to the Indian Motorcycle brand DNA,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “From our founders, Hendee and Hedstrom, competing in endurance races in the early 1900s, to the dominant Wrecking Crew of the late 1940s, Indian Motorcycle has been winning races. The FTR750 was the vehicle that reestablished Indian Motorcycle Racing and returned the brand to a place of competitive dominance.”

Since its debut, the FTR750 has not only revived the storied tradition of the original Indian Wrecking Crew, but it revolutionized the landscape of flat track racing – quickly earning a reputation as the most dominant machine in the AFT paddock. With three races remaining in the 2024 season, the FTR750 has a 75%-win ratio, winning 101 of the 135 races. It has secured 286 total podiums at 129 races, earning a 96%-podium ratio. The FTR750 has a perfect championship record, winning all premier class titles since 2017.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be on this journey with Indian Motorcycle since day one,” said reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees. “Racing the FTR750 has been an incredible experience, as I’ve never experienced a bike like the FTR750 in all my years competing. We’ve had immense success over the past eight years, and it’s been a true honor to be a part of the Indian Wrecking Crew.”

Mees has been an instrumental piece to the FTR750’s success. In addition to being Indian Motorcycle’s hero factory rider since 2017, Mees played an invaluable role in developing the FTR750 – providing expert-level feedback and insights to Indian Motorcycle engineers and S&S Cycle, who developed the FTR750’s chassis. Piloting the FTR750, Mees has secured five championship titles. With a six-point lead in the SuperTwins standings, and three races remaining, Mees looks to complete the FTR750’s perfect record and secure a new all-time record of 10-career championships.

In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle has been a great supporter of privateer teams, paying out more than $4,000,000 in privateer contingency.

Since 2017, 45 riders have competed aboard the Indian FTR750. The complete roster of legendary riders includes the following:

  • Kevin Anderson
  • Brad Baker
  • Briar Bauman
  • Bronson Bauman
  • Shayna Texter-Bauman
  • Declan Bender
  • Trevor Brunner
  • Dan Bromley
  • Patrick Buchanan
  • Kolby Carlile
  • Jeffrey Carver Jr.
  • Kenny Coolbeth Jr.
  • Chad Cose
  • Danny Eslick
  • Davis Fisher
  • Hayden Gillim 
  • Sammy Halbert
  • Patrick Jacobsen
  • Jesse Janisch
  • Jake Johnson
  • Ronnie Jones 
  • Joe Kopp
  • Johnny Lewis
  • Ben Lowe
  • Andrew Luker
  • Jay Maloney
  • Jared Mees
  • Morgen Mischler
  • James Monaco
  • Tyler O’Hara
  • Robert Pearson
  • Larry Pegram
  • Brandon Price
  • Brandon Robinson
  • Billy Ross
  • Jake Shoemaker
  • Bryan Smith
  • Dan Stanley
  • Kevin Stollings
  • Cory Texter
  • Jarod Vanderkooi
  • Stephen Vanderkuur
  • Ryan Varnes
  • Ryan Wells
  • Henry Wiles

For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE

Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit  www.indianmotorcycle.com.

 

MotoGP: Dovizioso Testing In Place Of Crutchlow At Misano

Andrea Dovizioso testing a Yamaha YZR-M1 a few weeks ago at Mugello. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Dovizioso testing a Yamaha YZR-M1 a few weeks ago at Mugello. Photo courtesy Yamaha.

Andrea Dovizioso to ride as Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider at Private Misano Test

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is sad to announce that Cal Crutchlow is still not fully fit to resume his Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider duties due to complications following a hand surgery. Andrea Dovizioso will step up as his replacement at the forthcoming private Misano test.

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 19th August 2024

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm that Cal Crutchlow is unfortunately incapable of fulfilling his Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider duties due to complications following a hand surgery. Italian MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso has agreed to replace Crutchlow as Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider at a private Misano test.

Crutchlow was operated on his hand earlier this year but suffered complications. While Crutchlow concentrates on making a full recovery, Dovizioso will fulfil the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider role for the present.

Dovizioso and Yamaha completed a preliminary test a few weeks ago in Mugello to confirm that the bond between Dovizioso and the YZR-M1 was still as strong as ever. The rider from Forlì will be aboard the Yamaha again during a private test that will be held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st August.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

Team Director

First of all, let me start by saying that we all wish Cal a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on track soon with our test team.

“However, in the meantime we can’t afford to be idle. We are therefore delighted to confirm that Andrea has agreed to fill in for Cal and take on the role of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test rider at the private Misano test. 

“Andrea and Yamaha have had a close relationship for many years. Dovi is a highly skilled and precise rider who also has a clear understanding of the technical side of MotoGP. Furthermore, besides his experience in the MotoGP championship, he is also familiar with Yamaha’s MotoGP Project, so we are greatly looking forward to continuing our partnership with him. We think he will help us collect valuable data and give us good feedback.

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO

Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider

“I am sorry that Cal is still not well, and I hope he recovers quickly.

“Having said that, I am happy and excited to have the chance to get on a MotoGP bike again, and I would like to thank Yamaha for this opportunity. I hope I will be able to make my contribution to the development of the bike.

AHRMA: Pro Challenge Now Open To MotoAmerica Supersport Bikes

Geoff May (99) celebrates his victory in the AHRMA Pro Challenge at the Barber Vintage Festival in 2023. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.
Geoff May (99) celebrates his victory in the AHRMA Pro Challenge at the Barber Vintage Festival in 2023. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.

AHRMA Expands 2024 AHRMA Pro Challenge at the 19th Barber Vintage Festival

 

(Knoxville, TN) The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) announces the expansion of the field of eligible racers for the 2024 AHRMA Pro Challenge to include 2024 professional racers (MotoAmerica, MotoGP, World Superbike, etc.) competing on 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines.

Eligibility requirements have been expanded to allow pro racers to compete on MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines as follows:

  1. The machine must meet the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport specifications, with the exception that open ECU mapping is permitted. 
  2. Riders must have raced a 2024 MotoAmerica or an equivalent international event.
  3. AHRMA has the final say on waivers/exemptions for the Pro Challenge and reserves the right to limit the number of participants.
  4. Certain MotoAmerica Supersport-spec machines are already eligible for the AHRMA Formula Thunder class, this simply expands available machines for pros to compete on.

Interested pro racers and teams can reach out directly to AHRMA ([email protected]) with specific questions regarding eligibility and race format. Additional details about the AHRMA Pro Challenge can be found here: ahrma.org/barber-vintage-festival/pro-challenge-returning-to-barber-vintage-festival

 

About AHRMA:

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage machines along with a wide range of modern motorcycles.  With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world.  The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.

 

Moto2: Dixon Signs With Elf Marc VDS Racing Team

Jake Dixon (left) and Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Owner Marc Van Der Straten (right). Photo courtesy Elf Marc VDS Racing Team.
Jake Dixon (left) and Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Owner Marc Van Der Straten (right). Photo courtesy Elf Marc VDS Racing Team.

Elf Marc VDS Racing Team signs Jake Dixon for 2025

The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team is thrilled to announce the signing of British star Jake Dixon for the 2025 Moto2 World Championship campaign.

Dixon’s wealth of experience and proven race winning pedigree makes him the perfect choice to lead the team’s exciting new adventure next year when it will compete for Moto2 glory using the Boscoscuro chassis.

The 28-year-old is currently enjoying a great run of success in his sixth full season in Moto2 and an impressive run of three successive podium finishes in Assen, Silverstone and Spielberg has moved him firmly back into title contention in 2024.

Dixon has won three times in his Moto2 career, with his most recent success coming in memorable fashion earlier this month when he became the first British winner of his home Grand Prix at Silverstone in nearly 10 years.

Dixon finished inside the top six overall in 2022 and 2023 and he has scored 15 podiums since making his Moto2 debut back in 2019.

Marc Van Der Straten, Team Owner

“He is a fighter on and off the track”

“I am personally very happy with the arrival of Jake Dixon to our team. He is a fighter on and off the track and I love that. The 2025 season will be very important for us as we face the exciting challenge of competing with the Boscoscuro chassis. We need someone who is fast and able to quickly adapt to changes and Jake has these characteristics. I’m looking forward to seeing him fighting at the front and defending the VDS colours”.

Jake Dixon 

“Moving to this team gives me so much motivation”

“Firstly, I want to say a huge thanks to Marc for giving me the opportunity to ride for such a fantastic team. They have been at the top in Moto2 for such a long time and won three titles and all I can say is it’s an absolute pleasure to be joining Elf Marc VDS Racing next season. I feel I am ready for a new challenge and a new adventure and moving to this team gives me so much motivation. I really can’t wait to get started next year and look forward to bringing more success to the team.”

MotoAmerica: Junior Cup Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Mathew Chapin won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. BARTCON Racing’s Chapin was leading on lap seven of 11 when the race was stopped due to rain. The race was declared complete and Chapin was awarded the victory, his sixth of the season. The win also allowed 16-year-old Chapin to clinch the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with two races still remaining.

New York Safety Track’s Yandel Medina was the runner-up and officially finished 0.075 second behind Chapin, with Wolfe Racing’s Ryan Wolfe just 0.015 second behind Medina in third.

Royalty Racing’s Carson King got fourth, and Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez rounded out the top five finishers.

The entire field rode Kawasaki Ninja 400s.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_JRC_R2_res (1)
 24_10_MIDOHIO_JRC_PTS_points

 

ASRA: Race Results From Pittsburgh International Race Complex

An ASRA starting grid at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Photo by Mark Lienhard, courtesy ASRA.
An ASRA starting grid at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (a.k.a. PittRace) in 2023. Photo by Mark Lienhard, courtesy ASRA.

Race results from the ASRA Championship Series event held August 17-18 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, in Wampum, Pennsylvania. For more information, go to www.asraracing.com.

 

day 1 races - ASRA 400 - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA SPORTBIKE - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA SUPERSTOCK - RaceReduced
 day 1 races - ASRA THUNDERBIKE - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA 400 THUNDERBIKE BAGGER RACE 2 - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA SPORTBIKE RACE 2 - RaceReduced
 day 2 races - ASRA SUPERSTOCK RACE 2 - RaceReduced

 

MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Wyman was leading Troy Herfoss with a gap back to Rocco Landers and Hayden Gillim just past the halfway point of the race when it was stopped by a red flag.

Gillim, the defending Champion, got spit off his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide at the entrance to Thunder Valley. Gillim eventually walked away from the crash scene, but his motorcycle came to a stop partially on the track and it was leaking fluids, forcing the race to be stopped.

The race was called complete and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman was declared the winner. S&S Indian Challenger pilot Herfoss was right behind Wyman and formulating his strategy when the race was halted, taking away any opportunity to attack Wyman late in the race and locking him in at the runner-up position.

Landers scored third place, giving him his second podium finish in as many days.

Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli got fourth, just ahead of Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara in fifth.

The start of the race was delayed due to a short rain shower. It was then shortened from nine to seven laps and eventually run in dry conditions.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_KTB_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_KTB_PTS_points

 

MotoAmerica: Superbike Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. 

EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW’s Sean Dylan Kelly led most of the race with Herrin right behind him on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R and Cameron Beaubier right behind Herrin on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.

With two laps to go, Herrin passed Kelly going into Turn One, put his head down, and tried to sprint to the checkered flag. Kelly didn’t give up and stayed right with Herrin to the end, but Herrin was strong enough to hold his lead and win the race by a fraction of a second.

With the victory, his fifth of the season and fourth in the last five races, Herrin extended his lead atop the Championship point standings.

For runner-up Kelly, it was his fourth podium finish of his rookie Superbike season.

Beaubier had nothing for the lead duo and had to settle for a close third, less than one second behind Kelly.

Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz bounced back from a crash late in Race One to score fourth in Race Two.

Bobby Fong finished fifth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.

After finishing third in the drying conditions of Race One, Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach took sixth in Race Two.

Out since being injured after the first race of the 2024 season, Richie Escalante passed Cameron Petersen to claim seventh in his comeback appearance on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.

Petersen crossed the finish line 0.475 second behind Escalante in eighth on his Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha.

Ashton Yates took ninth overall and the Superbike Cup victory on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Petersen’s teammate, three-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne rounded out the top 10 finishers.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_PTS_points
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SBK_PTS_sbcpts

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

A Double Dose Of Herrin In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio

Josh Herrin Completes The Sweep After A Thrilling Finale At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Sean Dylan Kelly (40) led almost all of the Steel Commander Superbike race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before being passed two laps from the end by Josh Herrin (2). Cameron Beaubier (6) ended up third. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) led almost all of the Steel Commander Superbike race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before being passed two laps from the end by Josh Herrin (2). Cameron Beaubier (6) ended up third. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

LEXINGTON, OH (August 18, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin had a near-perfect weekend in Superbike racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a 10-year hiatus as he stormed to a clean sweep of the two MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike races for the first Superbike doubleheader sweep of the 34-year-old’s career.

A day after running away from the pack in the first of two Superbike races, things were a bit different for Herrin on Sunday. Instead of charging to the front from the get-go, Herrin had to come from behind and when he got there, he didn’t find it to be a walk in the park. Instead, he got all he could handle for the entire distance from a pair of BMWs in the capable hands of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier.

The trio ran in formation for the entire distance with Herrin hounding Kelly from behind while Beaubier was doing all he could to stay on Herrin’s tail as he struggled with rear grip issues.

With two laps to go, Herrin made his move – diving under Kelly going into turn one.

Kelly stuck with the Ducati to the finish, ending up just .384 of a second behind Herrin when the pair crossed the finish line. Beaubier was a disappointed third, 1.3 seconds behind after finishing second to Herrin the day prior.

The win was the 15th of Herrin’s Superbike career, which moves him into a tie with Eric Bostrom and Freddie Spencer on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.

Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was a rather lonely fourth, a day after crashing out of second place. He was 8.3 seconds adrift of Beaubier and 2.9 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Bobby Fong on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.

Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing’s teammate JD Beach followed up on his third-place finish on Saturday to finish sixth on Sunday, some five seconds clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, who in turn barely beat Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen to the line. Petersen was back in action after being ruled medically unfit to race in yesterday’s race one and this weekend’s two races were Escalante’s return to racing after his injuries from round one at Road Atlanta.

Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was ninth with Petersen’s three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne ending up 10th as his season long arm-pump continue to slow him.

With two rounds and five races left to run, Herrin’s lead in the championship has been stretched to 52 points over the tied pairing of Gagne and Fong, 244-192. Beaubier moves to fourth with 184 points, nine better than Petersen’s tally.

Superbike Race 2

  1. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
  2. Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
  3. Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
  4. Loris Baz (Ducati)
  5. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
  6. JD Beach (BMW)
  7. Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
  8. Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
  9. Ashton Yates (Honda)
  10. Jake Gagne (Yamaha)

 

Quotes…

Josh Herrin – Winner

“During the race, I got a terrible start. I almost stalled the bike on the line. I don’t know what happened. I went back to sixth I think, or something like that. The years of watching Cam (Beaubier), whenever he has something kind of ruffle his feathers, he just stays calm and just kind of picks through the guys. I tried to take one from his book and just be calm and kind of pick my way through the pack. Got back up there. Eventually I made a move on Sean (Dylan Kelly) and made an aggressive pass in the Keyhole that at first during the race I was thinking, this guy is trying to help his BMW boy out or something. But now that I’ve calmed down, I’m like, actually on the first lap he did the same thing to Cam in the same spot. So it wasn’t that at all. I was like, maybe I should just be a little careful. I sat back and just decided that if I can stay in front of Cam and just see what Sean’s doing, because I have a pretty big lead over Sean in the championship, I’ll just wait until Cam makes a move and if I need to, go around Sean then. So, just tried my hardest to save my tires for an attack at the end and save my energy. I was going to go for it on the last lap, and then I was thinking about it. I’m like, if Cam is doing the same thing I am, maybe he’s going to attack with two laps to go. So, I’m going to try to stir things up a little bit and go a little earlier. That’s what we did. I just put my head down. The Ducati, since I’ve been on it, I feel like I have an advantage when there’s less grip on the track, which is funny because on Richard’s (Stanboli) podcast he does, he says it’s the opposite when the track has a lot of grip. But I feel like when there’s not a lot of grip, our bike does pretty good. Then, I feel like I let my tires cool down too much during the race by not being aggressive like I normally would be exiting the corners. It was just sliding all over when it hadn’t moved at all during the whole race. So, I had a couple big moments in my best part of the track where I was really trying to attack, and it scared me. Luckily, we were able to hold him off. It’s crazy. I don’t know how many years I’ve tried, but it’s been 12 years since my first Superbike season, and I’ve never had a double. So, it just goes to show I think, obviously I’ve put in a lot more work than I ever have in my career, but also just being with the same team on the same bike for two years in a row is the biggest thing ever for me to really up my game. So, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that Bobby and the De Naples gave me to do two years on this bike and let me show… Maybe I’m different than some guys. I just needed a little bit longer to ripen up. I’m hoping that these last years of my career are better than the beginning years. I’m just stoked to end the weekend like this and go into our best track of the year at COTA. The goal is to just have a really good weekend there and then be able to clinch it before Jersey because Jersey, if it rains, that’s what will definitely scare us. I want to get ahead as much as I can before then.”

Sean Dylan Kelly – Second Place

“To be honest, I was really confused up until the grid today. I even did the sighting lap with an old tire. I was sliding as if I was on ice with the rear tire. I went into the race pretty pissed off, to be honest. I was frustrated with the race yesterday. I again felt like I was ice skating out there, and obviously I was really nowhere, especially the first three laps. Finished fifth yesterday which was disappointing after being pretty much up there all weekend. This morning, I was two and a half seconds off. I had no idea what was going on. It was really strange. But as soon as I got that new tire, that was obviously the race tire prepped for the race, and I’m glad that the rain stayed away. Conditions were a lot better. As soon as I started the race, I’m like, I feel like I’ve got my bike back. I got a good start. I was up front. I did some good pass there to (Cameron) Beaubier when he got past me. I wanted to be up front, and I felt good. Once I was clicking away, I actually felt like I was getting better and better, getting more comfortable even being at the front. So, I knew that Josh (Herrin) got by me at one point, and I attacked right back. So, I knew that he had something on me. I just tried to keep my rhythm, and with three laps to go I really did everything I could to just do the best I can. Whether he could follow me or not, I obviously had no idea. But I did a 24.8 with a few laps to go. I’m just happy I did that, regardless of getting second or not. I’m just happy that I was able to do that pace on my own up front. This guy had a little extra, but I tried to get him back at the end and it was just too tight. I really got to be happy, especially with how I was feeling only a few minutes before the race. So, super pumped. Super happy with my whole team, everything that they’re working on and just helping me become a better Superbike rider. Still learning a lot on this thing, but I think I’m definitely getting there. I think the win is coming soon.”

Cameron Beaubier – Third Place

“I don’t want to take anything away from these guys because they rode incredible – not just today but all weekend. I’m just frustrated. I feel like we can’t catch a break. I don’t know what was going on with my rear tire, but I had zero grip from the start, on the entry, mid-corner, exit. I was struggling so hard just to hang with these guys. I was trying to make it up all on the brakes, and then the rear end was coming around. It just felt like the tire never came in. Yesterday, we had that little electric problem in the race and it’s just frustrating. I feel like we just can’t catch a break right now, and it’s not a good time to be dealing with this stuff. Like I said, I’m not taking anything away from these guys because they’re riding incredible right now. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. The Tytlers guys have been working their butts off all year, been giving me an incredible bike. We just need everything to line up for these last couple rounds. I rode as hard as I could and third was the best we had today.” 

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Warhorse HSBK Ducati moves into prime championship contention following Herrin’s double win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Josh Herrin. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin. Photo courtesy Ducati.

 

Sunnyvale, Calif., August 18, 2024 — Josh Herrin is proving the class of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike field after taking the first double win in his illustrious Superbike career at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scorching his way to a commanding title lead.

The lead rider for Warhorse HSBK Ducati qualified fourth but used that as fuel for the fire, charging into an early lead and putting down a pace no one—other than his own teammate, Loris Baz—could follow. Herrin would eventually cross the line some 18 seconds clear over second-placed Cameron Beaubier after Baz suffered an unfortunate late-race crash.

Race two was a nailbiter as Herrin, Sean Dylan Kelly, and Beaubier cleared off at the front, Herrin making an early pass for the lead before Kelly hit straight back. From there, Herrin played the waiting game, conserving his tires and energy at the physically demanding Mid-Ohio layout. With two laps to go, the number 2 Ducati pulled the pin, hitting the lead at turn one and putting down two qualifying-speed laps to edge out a 0.3-second win and move into a 52-point championship lead.

Baz rebounded from his Saturday results by taking fourth on the number 76 Ducati Panigale V4 R to make it two Ducatis in the top four.

2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship After Round Seven

P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 244

P2 – Bobby Fong 192

P2 – Jake Gagne 192

P4 – Cameron Beaubier 184

P5 – Cameron Petersen 175

P7 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 155

 

Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)

“What a great weekend,” Herrin beamed. “It wasn’t the best practice and qualifying, but the racing is what matters, and both races were great. The first win was by 18 seconds, and in the second, I felt like I had half a second on Sean—I tried one pass on him, and he passed me straight back, so I didn’t want to risk anything. I just sat there and relaxed and went for it in the last two laps.

“It’s funny, all weekend, people have been telling me to relax and go for points, but I have more experience than anyone here, so I wanted to show them what I can do. I wanted to apply the pressure and get some points so we’re in a good position at COTA. We’re in a good spot in the championship. The second half of the season has been awesome. I just want to thank my Warhorse HSBK Ducati team for everything—a great bike, great team environment, everything. I’m really looking forward to COTA, which is an excellent track for our bike.”

Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)

“We did a big step with the bike so I must say thank you to all the Warhorse HSBK Ducati guys, as well as Ducati in Italy,” Baz said. “I have the bike turning how I want, which makes a big difference here, a track I love.

“After the qualifying, I had a top-four pace, but I could see the top guys had a little more. In race one, I was really surprised to see +10 on my board. But I made the biggest mistake of my life in race one by crashing. I can’t apologize to everyone enough, but today, I tried to understand the crash and not make any mistakes again.

“Josh helped me understand where and how to push here because this track is quite particular on the front tire. So, I tried to manage my pace and the force of the front tire, but the top three were a touch quicker today, so I did everything I could to bring it home.

“Josh is riding so well and we’re heading to two of my favorite tracks in COTA and New Jersey. I want to see the title come to this team with Josh, and I will do everything possible to help him.”

Warhorse HSBK Ducati now heads to one of their favorite hunting grounds of Circuit of The Americas in Texas for the decisive triple-header on September 13-15.

MotoAmerica: Supersport Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio (Updated)

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Michael Gougis.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

 

Mathew Scholtz won MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Scholtz put on a big push late in the race, made one gutsy move in the closing laps, and held on to win the race on his Dunlop-equipped Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. It was Scholtz’s seventh race win of the season, allowing him to increase his lead in the Championship point standings.

Tyler Scott battled for the lead throughout the race but had to settle for a very close runner-up finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.

Jake Lewis brought his Altus Motorsports Suzuki home in third place.

Scholtz’s primary Championship challenger PJ Jacobsen led most of the race on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2, but Jacobsen encountered suspected issues with his soft-compound front tire late in the race and quickly slipped backward to a fourth-place finish.

EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki’s Maxi Gerardo rounded out the top five finishers.

 

24_10_MIDOHIO_SSP_R2_res
 24_10_MIDOHIO_SSP_PTS_points

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Chapin Crowned, Scholtz Back On Top In Support Class Action At Mid-Ohio

Exciting Racing, Champions Crowned In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

 

Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Matthew Chapin wrapped up the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

LEXINGTON, OH (August 18, 2024) – Seventeen-year-old Matthew Chapin is having quite a rookie season in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, and Sunday was his best day yet. The BARTCON Racing Kawasaki rider won both Junior Cup races, with Saturday’s race one postponed due to rain and rescheduled on Sunday. All the better for the Marylander because his two Super Sunday wins clinched the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.

From one end to the other, it was a perfect weekend for Chapin, who was fastest in Friday’s Practice 1, earned the provisional pole in first qualifying later on Friday, secured pole position in final qualifying on Saturday, and won both races on Sunday.

Chapin made light work of race one, winning by an unheard of for-that-class 3.4 seconds over Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez with Fernandez some nine seconds ahead of what was the first real battle in the race, with third through seventh finishing on the same second. The final podium spot went to Chapin’s BARTCON Racing teammate Eli Block.

“Oh, man,” Chapin said after race one. “It was a great race. Pulled the holeshot, and I knew I had the pace to get away, so I just put my head down, did some fast laps. Man, it was a great race.”

Junior Cup race two was a lot closer at the finish line for Chapin, who nipped New York Safety Track Racing Kawasaki’s Yandel Medina by just .074 of a second. Third place went to Wolfe Racing’s Ryan Wolfe, who was only .015 of a second behind Medina.

All in all, Chapin, led every lap of both of Sunday’s Junior Cup races.

“Man, I feel great,” Chapin said on the podium while clutching his number-one Championship plate. “This feels awesome. From this being my first full season of doing MotoAmerica to winning the championship. Wow! I’m so thankful. I couldn’t do this without all my sponsors. I want to give a huge thanks to Mike (Skowronek) at TripleStrong Racing for coming out and helping me with all the motor work and everything and getting the bike dialed in. Huge thanks to my mom and dad. Chuck, Tim, Connie, and everybody that came out. Brian. This feels great. Thanks to Woodcraft, KYT, Bison, Vortex, and everybody else who helps me out. Thank you, guys.”

 

Strack Racing's Mathew Scholtz won his seventh Supersport race of the season to extend his championship points lead to 25. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz won his seventh Supersport race of the season to extend his championship points lead to 25. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Supersport – Scholtz Back On Top

With PJ Jacobsen winning three races in a row, including Saturday’s Supersport victory at Mid-Ohio, Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz admits he was getting a little worried about his championship points lead. On Sunday, the South African changed all that with his seventh win of the year to extend his points lead to 25 over the Rahal Ducati Moto rider.

Scholtz’s win was of the come-from-behind variety as his rival Jacobsen was at the front but busy defending that lead from Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scholtz, meanwhile, worked his way through to third, bringing Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis with him.

And just like that, Scholtz was on top of the Jacobsen/Scott battle and suddenly was in front of both. Jacobsen was visibly struggling with front-end grip, and he started to go backwards and ultimately finished fourth.

Scholtz sped to the finish line, .160 of a second ahead of Scott with Lewis 3.1 seconds adrift.

Jacobsen finished fourth with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo rounding out the top five.

 

Kyle Wyman (33) leads Troy Herfoss (17), Rocco Landers (97), James Rispoli (43) and Hayden Gillim in the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Troy Herfoss (17), Rocco Landers (97), James Rispoli (43) and Hayden Gillim (10 in the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman!

What was shaping up to be another fight to the finish between Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss didn’t get the chance to materialize as Hayden Gillim crashed his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson on the third lap in Sunday’s race, bringing out the red flag and ultimately the end of the race.

Since he was leading Herfoss when the red flag came out, Wyman was declared the winner, giving him his sixth win of the season and the five points back that he’d lost to Herfoss on Saturday.

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers finished third for the second time on the weekend as the series rookie continues to get closer to the top two.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Wyman said. “I thought we were coming into the pits to rerack them. So, I didn’t really notice until everybody was running off of pit lane, up the hill with stands, that we had actually called the race. I was actually surprised as well. I thought we were going to restart that one. It didn’t seem like there was any more threat of weather at that point. It seemed like a pretty quick cleanup. But, my plan that I executed turned out to be what put me in that position. I wanted to get the holeshot. I wanted to control the race and try to go from the front. I’ve had a lot of really bad days over the last couple years with just really sh*t luck in a lot of different scenarios. So it feels like I’ve been owed one a little bit. Not by Troy, but just from the universe, I guess. It feels good in that way, but when we’ve gone down to the last lap and raced to the flag, even when I’ve finished second when we’ve raced to the flag it feels better than this does just because it’s a hell of a lot of fun. So, for sure, it’s a bummer not to see it go full race distance, especially for the fans. But like I said, we’ll take it.”

 

Cory West (13) won the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race on Sunday and the win gave him the series points lead. Chris Fillmore (11) gives chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Cory West (13) won the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race on Sunday and the win gave him the series points lead. Chris Fillmore (11) gives chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Lewis!

It was also a doubleheader Sunday for the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship class with Saturday’s race getting bumped off the schedule with poor weather wreaking havoc.

When they did get started in the first of two races, Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Jake Lewis turned what looked to be an exciting Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at Mid-Ohio into a dull one when he pulled away from the scrap behind him to win his second race of the season on Sunday morning.

Lewis topped his teammate Cory West by 1.2 seconds after separating himself from the pack in the closing stages with West beating KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz by just .057 of a second.

Then came the pair of S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s with Tyler O’Hara fourth and Troy Herfoss fifth, respectively. Herfoss was slowed somewhat by a clutch issue.

“It’s honestly been an up-and-down weekend on the Hooligan bike so far, but every session I’ve been out in, I’ve been either first or second,” Lewis said after race one. “So, I knew I had a good feeling, but starting ninth was tough. I think I was fifth coming out of turn one, and then (Chris) Fillmore looked like he had a little bit of an issue. I was up into fourth quick. Cory (West) and I talked before the race. I know the Indian boys are going to try to play their games. So, I figured I’d fire one off on the first lap under (Tyler) O’Hara there. Kind of stood him up and then after that, I was like, ‘this is mine to lose, as far as championship-wise.’ I have to win these races, and that’s my only goal is either win or I’m going to end up in the grass. I rode my ass off, but big thank you to the Saddlemen Race Development team. They’ve been working so hard on these Harley-Davidson Pan Americas. It’s a nice way to reward them. I’m excited for that one. Sometimes winning I don’t get too excited, but I was really pumped for that. It’s been 10 years since we’ve been here. Last time we were here I won as well. It feels good to do it in front of these Mid-Ohio fans.”

If race one turned into a runaway in Hooligan terms, race two was anything but with six riders in the lead group all the way to the finish. And what a difference another race makes as race-one winner Lewis was at the back of that lead group in sixth place.

This one went to new championship points leader West after his two-one finishes on the day. West beat O’Hara, his main championship rival, by .105 of a second. Third place on the track went to KTM Development Team’s Chris Fillmore, but Fillmore was here on a KTM DUKE Prototype and not eligible for championship points.

That gave third to Herfoss with KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz and West’s teammate Travis Wyman rounding out the top five.

“How crazy?” West said after race two. “That first race, I was pretty nervous going into it. So, I just rode smart. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and do anything silly. I told my guys, ‘I’ve got a little more in me.’ I just didn’t want to do anything silly in that first race. So, I put my head down, got to the front, and it was just a scrap. Those guys kept coming by me and doing crazy stuff. I just was trying to be cool and be smart. Then on the last lap, TO (O’Hara) came up under me in the Keyhole and I just made sure I got a really good drive. I just had three guys in front of me to give me an awesome draft. I got down there on the brakes and kind of lost the front in the right-hander. I was like, ‘man, I just got a few more right-handers until the checkered.’ I kind of parked it in that last corner, but I just figured there wasn’t any way around me. Today is my dad’s birthday. This is awesome. Happy birthday to my pop. All the guys at Saddlemen, my wife, who’s pregnant. It’s crazy. We’re making it happen. We’re leading the points again and we’re on to COTA. Let’s make it happen.”

 

Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore Wraps It Up

Mikayla Moore put a nice little bow on the top of her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with her seventh win of the season coming a day after she wrapped up that second title. As always, Moore made the race her own, winning by a tick over 20 seconds ahead of Kira Knebel, who was also second in yesterday’s race.

The only race Moore didn’t win this season was the only race she didn’t take part in when an injury took her out of race one in the season-opener at Road America.

Third place went to first-time podium finisher Miranda Cain with Cain improving from her fifth-place finish in Saturday’s race. Emma Betters and Holly Varey rounded out the top five in the season-ender for the class.

“The Royal Enfield 650 GT today went on rails,” Moore said. “I knew yesterday the race started off pretty close. I knew as long as I did what I did yesterday and put my head down and focus and hit my marks I could get to where I am at now, which is the number-one spot, just by hard work throughout the season. Thanks to my dad, my family, just for all the support, even the Royal Enfield team’s support. It means a lot. To do this two years in a row, I’m super happy with how my season went.” 

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE RACE 2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2024 | WARM-UP & RACE 2

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course skies threatened rainfall throughout the day, however, held off with crystal clear skies for the duration of Race 2.

Similarly to Race 1, a competitor’s engine expired on Lap 2, leaking oil onto the track surface. A red flag was waved, and the riders had to return to their original starting positions for a condensed 12-lap race. Unfortunately, Alexander, who had fought his way through the pack to 6th, was forced to restart at 15th. His Ducati’s mechanical issues persisted after the restart, ending his time on track early. The crew will have to continue to diagnose the bike’s issues before the next rounds of competition at Circuit of The Americas.

PJ Jacobsen’s momentum shifted after suffering tire degradation, pushing him back to fourth position in the last few laps after leading a majority of the race. Four rounds remain for Jacobsen and the XPEL team to close the gap to the championship leader, Mathew Scholtz, who is currently 25 points ahead.

With an unfavorable ending to the team’s visit to their home track, the crew packs the truck to head back to home base in Zionsville, Indiana, before Rounds 15 and 16 of Supersport competition in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of The Americas on September 13- 15.

PJ JACOBSEN

No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 1st

FINISHED: 4th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (279 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I honestly feel like I could’ve won that race. I guess we made the wrong tire choice, but it’s strange since we tested with that tire on Thursday, and put in a lot of good laps with it. We had no problems before. The heat was similar on the Thursday test, and it was only a 12-lap race, so I’m not sure what happened. With two laps to go, the tire dropped terribly on the right hand side. It was completely shredded and I could barely ride. Risking crashing to hold on to my position would not have been smart.”

KAYLA YAAKOV

No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 7th

FINISHED: 10th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (120 pts)

WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today wasn’t the best day. Going into the race I felt very confident and excited to have another go at it. I felt like my pace was there to be in the top six. I was getting great starts, but unfortunately some things happened during the race that caused me to drop back a little bit. I tried to claw my way back up to eighth position, fighting for sixth, but with about four laps remaining, the front tire was completely done and the focus was trying to get the bike back safe and not crash out of the race. It’s really unfortunate, but i’m confident we can bounce back with the last two rounds of the season, and we can put these bikes back where we know they can be. Overall, I had a good time here at Mid-Ohio. Hopefully next year we have more luck. It was great to announce that all three of us will be back for 2025.”

COREY ALEXANDER

No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 15th

FINISHED: DNF

CHAMPIONSHIP: 9th (111 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Super bummed for my guys on the Rahal Ducati Moto team with Roller Die + Forming. It was just one of those weekends, but that’s how it goes in racing sometimes. We had the bike, and everyone on the team worked so hard, but we just couldn’t get it done. We’re going to have to figure out what the issue was somehow. Nothing the guys did seemed to make a difference. Thank you to the entire team for working so hard the whole weekend – I know it was a lot of hard work on their part. Nobody gave up, but it just didn’t work out.”

BEN SPIES

TEAM PRINCIPAL

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a bit of a frustrating day, but that’s how it is in racing sometimes. PJ rode really well, but the front tire blistered and came apart, and there was nothing he could do. Kayla had a great start. We’re not sure what happened when she lost a few positions but she still rode a really strong race. The bike issue with Corey was frustrating, but it happens, unfortunately. We’ve had plenty of good races this season, and we will be back at COTA.” 

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