Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
How can you tell a good rider from a legendary one? How does body language factor into it? Does a crew chief earn more or less than the rider? And what are the perfect circumstances for a ripper of a party in the paddock?
Those are just some of the questions you asked us, and now it’s time for Mat and Peter to give you the answers. So go pour yourself something summery, relax, and enjoy this Q&A special!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Here are complete race results from the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series event held June 22-23 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
Editorial Note: This release notes that the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team, which competes in the MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers series, is moving to the Juneau Avenue campus. In this video from FOX6 News, Harley-Davidson President, CEO, and Chairman Jochen Zeitz also talks about the company’s racing activities starting at 18:00 into the video.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON UNVEILS DAVIDSON PARK, A NEW COMMUNITY PARK AT ICONIC MILWAUKEE HEADQUARTERS
Spearheaded by the Harley-Davidson Foundation and designed by acclaimed designers Heatherwick Studio, Davidson Park will benefit employees, local community and visitors to Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE (June 24, 2024) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (“Harley-Davidson” or “H-D”) (NYSE: HOG) today formally unveiled the newly created community park, Davidson Park (“the Park”), at its iconic Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee.
The project, pioneered by the Harley-Davidson Foundation (“the Foundation”), has been created in partnership with internationally acclaimed designers, Heatherwick Studio who conceived and oversaw an original design to transform the 4-acre parking lot just south of the Company’s 3700 W. Juneau Avenue building into a soulful green space that can be used by everyone who lives in and visits Milwaukee’s Near West Side (“NWS”). As part of the project team, HGA served as the architect and engineer of record and Greenfire Management Services as the construction partner, with both Milwaukee-based firms partnering with Heatherwick Studio to bring the design vision to life.
“When we started this project, we did so with one main goal, and that was to further connect the Company with our hometown Milwaukee, a place that we’ve been proud to call home for over 120 years,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “No matter how fast you move forward, you can never forget where you’ve come from – this project both celebrates our heritage and reinforces the power of the Harley-Davidson brand to be a force for good within our communities.”
“Davidson Park has been an extraordinary collaboration between the studio and local partners, schools, artists and the Forest County Potawatomi community, to transform an uninspiring concrete parking lot into a new public park and events amphitheater for Milwaukee. Created for the local community, with the community’s collaboration and help, it’s a place where people can come together with friends and family to enjoy some of the wildness of Wisconsin’s incredible nature, listen to the state’s best music, or experience the energy of a motorcycle rally. Harley-Davidson has been part of Near West Side’s history for over 120 years and the park is a natural next chapter in their joint story. As the plants grow and mature, the intention is that the space increasingly honours both the heritage of Harley-Davidson and gives the residents something to not just enjoy, but to feel proud of,” said Thomas Heatherwick, Founder and Director, Heatherwick Studios.
An overhead shot of the new Davidson Park. Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
“On behalf of the Harley-Davidson Foundation, we are really excited to formally unveil Davidson Park – we believe that the Park will provide a much-needed greenspace in our local community – but importantly a space that can be shared by all,” said Tori Termaat, President, The Harley-Davidson Foundation.
History and Concept
In 2021, the Foundation sponsored an Appreciative Inquiry Summit in partnership with Near West Side Partners, a non-profit founded to make the NWS a great place to live, work, play and stay by revitalizing and sustaining thriving business and residential corridors.
The Summit brought together over 200 NWS stakeholders, including residents, youth, and local businesses, to realize their hopes and dreams for the neighborhood. Among the key community needs identified was a safe green space that supports health, well-being, art and culture, and a place for youth to play. Input from the stakeholders served as the basis for Heatherwick Studio’s unique community park design.
From the start, the ambition for Davidson Park has been to create an inclusive place that everyone who lives or visits NWS can call their own – whether they use the park as a space to relax, to enjoy the local art and culture scene or attend an event.
“Davidson Park is a testament to the power of collaboration and listening,” says Peter Balistrieri, Principal and National Corporate Market Sector Leader at HGA. “Voices from all over the Near West Side—from Potawatomi leaders to local students and community groups—played a crucial role throughout the process. This is truly a park for the community, by the community.”
Davidson Park Features
The Hub and Foundation Stone
Celebrating togetherness and paying homage to history and community, at the heart of Davidson Park is “The Hub”, a sunken multi-use events space, an amphitheater approximately 272 feet wide with tiered seating, set among lush plants and trees. The design promotes coming together with its circular layout defined by a combination of motorcycle driveways and turning circles, parking bays, sidewalks, plants, seats, and 360-degree viewpoints.
In one direction, “The Hub” will provide views of the brick buildings of the original home of Harley-Davidson. In the other, visitors will see a park sown with 120 native plant species, including 20 species of trees and 100 species of perennials, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi tribe, who have helped provide guidance throughout the process.
The Hub has been built with ten types of locally sourced brick, natural wany-edge timber, and weathered steel with a beautiful warm patina. In addition to tripling the green space such as lawns and plantings, the park integrates a dynamic system of green infrastructure, including native bioswales, permeable pavers and cisterns to capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater – a significant contribution to regional infrastructure and the environment. With a commitment to sustainability, the park’s design will be one of the first SITES—a rating system for sustainable land design and development—certified projects in Wisconsin.
The Foundation Stone is located at the center of the Hub (the event and gatherings amphitheater, recessed into the ground) and is four feet in diameter made from cast iron. The Foundation Stone has been designed by local artist, and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design student, Megan Huss, and celebrates the Near West Side and the creation of this new community park in Milwaukee.
“I am incredibly honored to be a part of the history of Harley-Davidson and I am able to showcase the sense of community in the Near West Side neighborhood through my work,” said Huss.
Main Street
Main Street is the main pedestrian thoroughfare through the Park, envisioned for use for events such as farmers’ markets, craft fairs & food trucks. The street also connects all major areas of the park including the Hub, playground, community lawn, picnic knoll, serenity garden, and viewing lawns, surrounded by native plants, including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees. People can walk across or around Main Street to access the Hub, making it a lively place for social interaction. At night, the street will have a festive ambiance with catenary lights above that change colors.
Union Plaza
The main pedestrian entrance to the park is Union Plaza, located off West Highland Boulevard. At approximately 11,000 square feet, the plaza leads to Main Street and the Hub and will be a destination in itself, with flexible space for temporary markets, food trucks, and events. Union Plaza will be made from concrete with varying textures. It is home to a 10-foot tall, weathered steel sculpture inspired by Harley Davidson’s iconic bar and shield.
North and South Lawn
Located off Main Street to the northeast is the community North Lawn. The Lawn is approximately 7,600 square feet in size and is surrounded by planting, which will provide shade and a beautiful setting for relaxation, play & community events.
The South Lawn picnic knoll is adjacent and east of Main Street and north of the Union Plaza. It is a place for people to gather on picnic benches, whether this be family lunch, dog walkers having a chat, or school children taking part in learning activities. The picnic knoll is approximately 5,750 square feet in size and is a wonderful place to be while surrounded by greenery.
Little Legends Playground
Located in the south portion of the park off Main Street, Legends Play Area was designed in collaboration with the NWS community to realize the vision of a nature play area. Elements include wooden log climbers, steppingstones, and hillside climbing. Little Legends Playground is 6,000 square feet of accessible elements for kids ages 1 to 12.
Viewing Hills
Three hillside Viewing Hills are adjacent to the southwest portion of the Hub. Each hill is approximately 2,300 square feet and provides views overlooking the Hub during special events such as movie nights, theatre events, or music performance events. The Hills also provide a place to relax surrounded by native plants, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi., including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees.
1903 Tavern
In partnership with Molson Coors, 1903 Tavern brings together two iconic Near West Side anchor institutions to offer Davidson Park visitors a relaxed open-air environment to socialize while enjoying a cold beverage. 1903 Tavern will serve an assortment of canned beverages including beer, malt, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages. A portion of the revenue from 1903 Tavern goes back into amplifying Davidson Park’s ambition.
Potawatomi Serenity Garden
The Serenity Garden is a result of a close collaboration between the Forest County Potawatomi leaders and the Harley-Davidson Foundation. The garden reflects the geometry of the medicine wheel, a symbol of significance for many Native American tribes including the Potawatomi. A grandfather stone is located at the center of four quadrants of medicine plants that mark the cardinal directions of the wheel. These plants include tobacco to the east, cedar to the south, sage to the west, and sweetgrass to the north. All are invited to use this garden as a place for contemplation, reflection, and meditation.
An accessible and inclusive space, Davidson Park will be open and welcoming for all (residents, community members, and visitors) to enjoy, gather, and connect. We will continue to seek ongoing stakeholder feedback – incorporating and encouraging community and visitor voices to inform future enhancements and changing interests.
Future Campus Development
Today’s opening marks the first phase of development at Juneau Avenue. The Company’s vision for the campus is to focus on multi-purpose development, ensuring that developments continue to celebrate Harley-Davidson and its history, while recognizing the need to evolve the space to be relevant not only for today, but for the future. And as the Company continues to explore opportunities for the wider campus, we remain committed to our mission and vision.
As part of the next phase of development, two exciting additions are coming to Juneau Ave – a STEAM Lab and the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Headquarters.
Harley-Davidson recognizes the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) in education and the importance of helping build the next generation of skilled workers. The STEAM lab will enable H-D to further partner with local organizations and schools to provide students direct access to resources, receive mentoring from our talented employees, experience hands-on learning, and encourage career exploration in STEAM fields.
Racing has been part of H-D history for over 100 years and is a compelling way to bring its brand narrative to life for customers and fans. The H-D Factory Racing Team will move back to where it all began, giving visitors to the historic H-D headquarters an exciting and engaging behind-the-scenes look and enhancing customer-facing experiences in alignment with the Company’s campus strategy.
To learn more about Davidson Park, including upcoming events, visit h-d.com/davidsonpark.
About Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Our ambition is to maintain our place as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in LiveWire Group, Inc., the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the United States. LiveWire is the future in the making for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. Drawing on its DNA as an agile disruptor from the lineage of Harley-Davidson and capitalizing on a decade of learnings in the EV sector, LiveWire’s ambition is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world. Learn more at harley-davidson.com and livewire.com.
About The Harley-Davidson Foundation
The Harley-Davidson Foundation, established in 1993, is the philanthropic arm of Harley-Davidson, Inc. The Foundation cultivates social impact through employee volunteerism, collaboration with other non-profit organizations and investments in youth programs that foster STEAM innovation and programming. Our Foundation priorities include a commitment to our home, the Near West Side of Milwaukee, and the communities where we live and work across the globe.
About Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio is a team of over 250 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studios in London, Shanghai, and California, we create buildings, spaces, objects and infrastructure. We want to see a world where the buildings and places around us are radically more joyful, engaging and human.
Our team of architects, designers, makers, engineers and landscape architects share a motivation to design soulful and impactful places, which celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design belief.
The studio’s completed projects include several internationally celebrated buildings, including the recently completed Little Island, a new park and performance space in New York, the award-winning Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Azabudai Hill district in Tokyo, Coal Drops Yard in London, and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries. These include Hainan Performance Art Centre, a major cultural institution in China, mixed-use projects in Shanghai and Seoul, as well as new headquarters for Google in London (in collaboration with BIG).
About HGA
HGA is an acclaimed interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. The firm believes that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. HGA is a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists, with 13 offices. The national practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Greenfire Management Services
Greenfire Management Services is a minority-owned construction company with offices in Milwaukee and Wausau, Wisconsin and is managing projects throughout the Midwest. Founded in 2010, Greenfire is a subsidiary of Potawatomi Ventures, the investment arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. Greenfire is a reputable, local construction manager that provides innovative construction services to every project throughout multiple industries. In 2021, Greenfire was recognized by the State of Wisconsin with the highest certified spend for construction/architecture and engineering.
Just Two Points Separate Jacobsen And Scholtz In Supersport Battle
The Tight Supersport Title Chase Highlights This Weekend’s MotoAmerica Round At Ridge Motorsports Park In Washington
IRVINE, CA (June 26, 2024) – Only two points separate the top two in the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship as the series heads to Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 28-30, for round five. And those two are the two most experienced racers in the field – PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz.
The Supersport class will be one of four support classes racing this weekend with Stock 1000, Mission Super Hooligan National Championship and Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. in addition to the two Steel Commander Superbike races.
Supersport – A Battle Of Veterans
Although it seems odd referring to Rahal Ducati Moto’s Jacobsen and Strack Racing’s Scholtz as veterans, they are. At least based on experience and not necessarily age.
Jacobsen, 30, and Scholtz, 32, have been at the game a long time and were both racing in the Superbike class a year ago. It’s hard to imagine one of them not winning this championship as they have combined to win seven of the eight races held so far as the series holds its fifth round this weekend in Washington.
Although Jacobsen leads the title chase by two points, Scholtz has won the most races – four to three – over Jacobsen. The difference in the point standings is in the non-podium finishes. Scholtz has one – a fourth – while Jacobsen has stood on the podium in all eight races.
The only other rider to win a race in 2024 is Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, but he has three non-finishes to go with his win and he’s mired back in fifth in the point standings.
Third in the championship is held by a third veteran – Jake Lewis. The Altus Motorsports-backed Kentuckian has earned points in every round, including two podium finishes. Thanks to the pace of the two ahead of him, however, he is 86 points behind.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis is fourth in the series standings, seven behind Lewis and 93 behind Jacobsen.
Stock 1000 – The Gillim Runaway Train
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim looked to be headed to his fourth Stock 1000 win of the season two weeks ago at Brainerd when it all went wrong. Gillim crashed out of the lead and with that went any hope of a perfect season for the defending Stock 1000 Champion. Up to that point, Gillim looked like a shoo-in to at least take victory number four.
Gillim later admitted he wanted to see just how fast he could go at a circuit that he’s fond of. He wanted to see how his times would match up against the Superbikes. In retrospect, he said it was a silly thing to be doing.
Even with that miscue, Gillim holds down a 16-point lead on OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe with Uribe taking advantage of Gillim’s error to win his first-career MotoAmerica race on Sunday at Brainerd. The win marked Uribe’s first podium of the season and it vaulted him to second in the point standings.
The man he passed was BPR Racing’s Bryce Prince with the Californian failing to match his two-podium start to the season at Barber. Still, Prince has finished all four races and that puts him three points clear of fifth-placed Benjamin Smith and his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – The Hooligans Are Back
March is a long time ago and Daytona is a distant memory, but the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship makes its return this weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park after a near-five-month hiatus.
With just the two races at Daytona in the books, it’s Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West who sits atop the championship standings by five points over S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss by five points and Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara by eight points.
Indian FTR1200-mounted Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Pan America-mounted West came out of Daytona with a victory apiece in the two races.
With the top six covered by 21 points, there are still plenty of chances to move up the leaderboard and that’s exactly what KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman, Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Jake Lewis and Roland Sands Design’s Hawk Mazzotta are aiming for from their fourth, fifth and sixth spots in the title chase.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Three Give Chase
With Mikayla Moore opting to sit out race one of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. at Road America after suffering some bumps and bruises in her Twins Cup practice crash, everybody else in the class was given a glimmer of hope.
That lasted for a race. After Cassie Creer won race one in Moore’s absence, Moore struck back with a win in race two that gives her three victories in the first four races of the 2024 season.
But thanks to her sitting out race one, there are three racers within 12 points of Moore in the title chase. Emma Betters and Camille Conrad are tied for second, 10 points adrift, with Creer holding down fourth and 12 points behind Moore.
Aubrey Credaroli is fifth in the standings and working to make up for a non-finish in the first race of the season at Barber.
Pre-Ridge Support Notes…
Xavi Forés swept both of the Supersport races at Ridge Motorsports Park last year en route to the Spaniard ultimately winning the championship. Forés beat Josh Hayes and Teagg Hobbs in race one with Tyler Scott and Hobbs finishing second and third, respectively, in race two.
In Mission Super Hooligan National Championship action a year ago, Tyler O’Hara won both races on the track but was later disqualified after race two for an illegal handlebar modification. O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams was second in both races but was also DQ’d from race two. The pair’s DQ gifted the win to Andy DiBrino with Mark Price second and Bobby Fong third. DiBrino was third in Saturday’s race one.
Mikayla Moore came away from Ridge with a clean sweep of the two Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race battles. Moore topped Kayleigh Buyck in both races with Sonya Lloyd scoring a pair of third-place finishes.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
RETURN TO THE RIDGE – THE EVA RIBELLE IS BACK
Stefano Mesa (137) on his electric Energica Super Hooligan racebike. Photo courtesy Energica.
Stefano Mesa #137 and the Tytlers Cycle Racing team reappear at The Ridge a second year in the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan series to showcase what electric can really do.
After a podium at COTA, the Energica Ribelle RS with the Kit Corsa Clienti piloted by Mesa finished the 2023 season with an historic 4th place overall. What can we accomplish at The Ridge this time around, where Mesa famously struggled last year at a track he’d never seen before in his life? Can we compete against 25 ICE bikes, OEM factory teams and a host of eager hard-core competitors? There’s only one way to find out.
Root with us for the team during next week’s race weekend from Friday June 28 – Sunday June 30. Note the schedule below is subject to change, all times are PST (GMT -7)
Friday June 28
9:00 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Practice 1 (20 mins)
1:10 pm – Mission Super Hooligan National Championships Qualifying 1 (20 min)
Saturday June 29
11:05 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Qualifying 2 (20 mins)
4:10 PM – Mission Super Hooligan Race 1 (8 laps – Quick Start)
Sunday June 30
10:25 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Warm Up (10 mins)
12:45 PM – Mission Super Hooligan Race 2 (8 laps – Quick Start)
Where can you watch the action?
To watch live on your TV, go to MotoAmerica Live+ at https://www.motoamericaliveplus.com. Season access is $109.99 but you can score an event pass for just $12.99.
The Super Hooligan National Championship Races will also be LIVE for FREE on MotoAmerica’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
To view after the races for free, go to Moto America’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@MotoAmerica.
We hope to see you there as for the second year in a row, Energica makes history combatting endothermic machines head-to-head in a full-on national race series.
Mikey Lou Sanchez finishes 15th in his first ETC Race at Portimao.
Now racing a Honda NSF250R with the Finetwork MIR Racing Team in the European Talent Cup, Mikey had some ups and downs in his debut June 20-23 at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Mikey was at a disadvantage from the start. With this track being the hardest circuit on the calendar to learn, a lot of the teams were there two weeks earlier doing testing. Mikey, unfortunately, was still recovering from a broken collarbone and was unable to test there.
The weekend started off with practice on Thursday. On Friday, Mikey was still struggling to get a good feeling on the bike and get his lap times down. During the last session on Friday he had a minor lowside crash, but he was able to recover and finish the session.
The next morning was the super-important “Practice” session that determines whether or not you make it straight to Q2, which automatically qualifies riders for the main race, or you have to fight it out in Q1, where only the top four riders move on to Q2.
In Saturday morning’s Practice session Mikey found himself in a pack on the beginning of his first flying lap. When he arrived in the fast second corner another rider took him out and ended his Practice session. This meant he was going to Q1 to fight for a spot to move on to Q2.
Q1 went well and Mikey advanced to Q2, which guaranteed a spot on the grid for the main race. Learning a new format for qualifying, he adapted and ended up finishing 10th in his qualifying session, which put him 19th overall on the final grid for his first ETC Race.
On Sunday, the race began with clear and sunny skies and temperatures in the 90s F. Mikey got off the line and headed into Turn One in about P16. On the first lap, he ran wide in a couple of turns and got roughed up and went back to P22. From there, he began taking back positions. He never gave up and pushed to P15 at the checkered flag.
Mikey Lou said, “I know my result wasn’t anything to cheer about, but this is the real rodeo right here. I know i can do better in the next race at Jerez because it’s a track that I like and know very well. Bring it on!”
Mikey Lou’s next race with the Finetwork MIR Racing Team is on September 15 at the Circuito de Jerez.
We would like to thank our sponsors: Chic-fil-a East Dallas, Texas Motorcycle Academy, HJC Helmets, Williams Custom Painting, Moto Liberty, Stax Moto, Fred and Maggie Beck, Shawn Knoche, Paul Stamper, Ben Fondu, Theodore Bick, Mark Niemi, and Stephen Hagberg.
Contenders Aplenty as Progressive AFT Arrives at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 25, 2024) – The 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicks off its second half with the fabled Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 29.
The opening half of the ‘24 season makes for a fascinating showdown this weekend, especially when considered in conjunction with past history at Lima.
Three of the four leaders in the ongoing Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight have taken multiple race wins at the Lima Half-Mile. That list is headed by nine-time Grand National Champion, Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), who boasts five prior victories in the race, the first of which came 19 years ago today.
Meanwhile, two-time class champ Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) has taken three Lima Half-Mile wins on three different makes of equipment. His first came in 2017 on a Kawasaki, his second in 2021 on a factory Indian, and last year saw him claim KTM’s maiden twin-cylinder victory in the premier class.
And it’s best not to overlook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), as he’s repeatedly demonstrated with his class-leading three race wins in 2024, the most recent coming just days ago. Robinson also happens to be a two-time winner at Lima, including just two years ago.
That leaves Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), the current Mission AFT SuperTwins championship leader, as the sole rider among the four leading contenders without a Lima Half-Mile victory to his name. However, a closer inspection shows that in his two attempts, he’s twice been the fast qualifier and he’s twice finished a fighting second. With a perfect podium record on the line and driven by the sting that accompanies a defeat of 0.086 seconds this past weekend, Daniels is as strong a bet as any to stand atop the podium this weekend.
Can any of the remainder of a stacked field mix it up with Mees, Bauman, Robinson, and Daniels this weekend? Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) have all shown the capacity to do so on numerous occasions in the past and all four are eager to do so again as soon as is humanly possible.
Meanwhile, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Cameron Smith (No. 34 RVR/KTM/Schaefer’s Motorsport KTM 790 Duke) continue to gather the experience and data necessary to break into the top five on any given weekend.
Two riders who have already done so this season – Billy Ross (No. 29 Mission Foods/Digitale Kawasaki Ninja 650) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) – will look to do so again, and at the same track where Johnny Lewis raced the Royal Enfield Twins FT to victory in the Mission Production Twins class in 2021.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Can anyone hope to contain the surging Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) this weekend?
Not only is Kopp the reigning two-time defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion. Not only is Kopp the class’ all-time winningest rider and co-leader in the Half-Mile discipline specifically. And not only is Kopp currently riding a three-race win streak; he also happens to have dominated the previous two visits to Lima, claiming blowout victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Title hopefuls Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R), Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) are all desperate to snap Kopp’s winning streak and shift the momentum in their direction as the season heads down its second half.
Meanwhile, James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) flashed last year’s frontrunning form at the Bridgeport Half-Mile and may at last be ready to challenge for wins, particularly at a circuit where he landed on the podium a year ago.
Young guns Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R), Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/A.M Ortega KTM 450 SX-F), Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F), Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) are all primed to make a splash at any moment.
And how about the possibility of a resurgent ride on the part of Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F)? With two previous Lima Half-Mile victories to her name, Texter-Bauman could reclaim a piece of the all-time wins lead and retake sole possession at the top of the Half-Mile wins list with a third Lima HM win this weekend.
There will be plenty to keep spectators entertained off the track as well, including live music courtesy of Gypsy Kyngs, a bouncy house for kids, numerous vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
Additionally, flat track fans can head out to the track a day early to watch the amateur racing scheduled for Friday, June 28, from 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) until 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT), free of admission. Following the race action, Angels of Dirt will be shown on the Jumbotron starting at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT).
Today is the final day to save $10 on tickets, with all prices set to increase to their standard rate on Wednesday, June 26. If you act fast, General Admission Bleacher tickets remain just $30 (kids 12 and under free with paid adult ticket), Reserved Grandstand tickets are $35 (All Ages), Premier Reserved Grandstand tickets only $40 (All Ages), and the new VIP tickets, which provides access to the VIP trailer, are $125 (All Ages). The Pit Pass Upgrade ($40 for adults, $20 for kids in general admission, and free for kids with reserved seating tickets) provides all-day access to the pit area.
Gates will open for fans at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage of the Lima Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 6, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT).
Red-Hot Fong Leads The Superbike Pack As MotoAmerica Heads To The Pacific Northwest
Bobby Fong Is Riding A Two-Race Win Streak As Steel Commander Superbike Rolls Into Ridge Motorsports Park And Beaubier Is Back
IRVINE, CA (June 25, 2024) – Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong and his eight-point lead in the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship will embark on Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend, June 28-30, with little doubt that he can improve upon his results from a year ago at the racetrack in Shelton, Washington.
Fong’s 2023 visit to Washington was a bust as he was disqualified from race one for ignoring a black flag, and he failed to finish race two. That’s zero points on the weekend for those of you counting at home.
But that was then and this is now and it’s highly unlikely that with his confidence level at an all-time high, and with his team operating smoothly and efficiently, things won’t be very different than they were in 2023.
Fong arrives at the track in the shadows of Mount Rainier after two resounding victories at Brainerd International Raceway two weeks ago and it has him atop the standings with the series set for two stops on the West Coast beginning with the Ridge round.
Fong’s season thus far has been one of up-and-down consistency (pardon the oxymoron) early and flat-out speed of late. He began his 2024 season with a podium in race one at Road Atlanta but followed that up with a 10th (in wet conditions) in race two. In the three races at Barber Motorsports Park, Fong was ninth, fifth and second, and at Road America he was eighth (again in the wet) and second. Fong was starting to hit his stride, and he followed up on Road America with his pole position and two victories at Brainerd.
Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne is the only rider in the top 10 other than Fong to score points in every round, but they haven’t come in bucketfuls like what we’ve come to expect from the three-time and defending Steel Commander Superbike Champion.
All you really need to know is that Gagne has only won one race and that came at Road Atlanta way back in April. That’s simply unheard of for Gagne. The cause? Debilitating arm-pump issues that have Gagne barely holding on (literally), and with just one podium in the past six races. It’s been difficult to watch and even his rivals feel his pain. Unlike Fong, it’s gotten to the point where Gagne longs for wet races as his last podium was a second-place finish in the wet at Road America.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin has fought his way to third in the series standings after his race-two crash at Barber put a zero in his points column. Herrin has one win and four total podiums, including his victory in race one at Road America, and his points tally features his two second-place finishes to Fong at Brainerd. Herrin sits 19 points behind Fong and 11 behind Gagne.
Also, remember that Herrin was fast last year at Ridge Motorsports Park, qualifying on pole and finishing third in both races.
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen has been quick all year and, after nine races, finds himself still in the hunt for the championship. With two wins and five total podiums, Petersen is 28 points behind Fong and nine behind Herrin.
Nine points behind Petersen is Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz with the Frenchman earning his second podium of the season in the most recent round at Brainerd. Baz only has one non-score on his season when he was hit from behind by a lapped rider in race three at Barber.
EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly started his season on a tear as he raced to two podiums in the first five races of his rookie campaign in the Steel Commander Superbike class. Kelly has slipped down the order a bit with crashes in the two of the past four races and he is now sixth in the championship – 42 points behind Fong and five behind Baz.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier is seventh, despite the non-score from his crash in the rain at Road America and the three subsequent races of zero points while he recovered from his surgically repaired broken heel. But wait. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s team announced this week that Beaubier will return to action at Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend.
Let’s not forget that Beaubier won three of the first five races to start the season prior to his injury and he’s won 62 of these Superbike races in his career. So, in looking at the point standings, Beaubier is 43 points behind. With a five-point difference between first and second, and 11 races left to run… okay, it’s too early for that.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach is eighth in the title chase and still trying to recover from the hit his points tally took with two non-finishes in the three races at Barber. Beach, however, showed podium speed with his third in race two at Road America.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch had a rocky start to his season but has turned things around with four strong outings in a row at Road America and Brainerd. Paasch is ninth in the championship heading to Washington.
Despite not competing in the past four Superbike races, Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim still finds himself in the top 10 after a solid start to his season on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
With Beaubier set to return, Xavi Forés will be the only Superbike fill-in rider as he will continue to replace the injured Richie Escalante on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Pre-Race Ridge Notes…
The Superbike men failed to top Jake Gagne’s lap record of 1:39.145 from Q2 in 2022 last year on the 2.47-mile Ridge Motorsports Park, though Cameron Beaubier did set a race-record lap of 1:39.633 in the second of two races in 2023.
Jake Gagne beat Mathew Scholtz and Josh Herrin to win race one a season ago at Ridge Motorsports Park for what was his fifth win in a row. On Sunday, however, Cameron Beaubier broke Gagne’s win streak by topping Gagne and Herrin to win race two.
Three-time MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne is the winningest rider in the four-year (eight-race) history of MotoAmerica holding a round of its championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. Gagne has won five of the eight races with Cameron Beaubier winning the first two races in 2020 and a third in race two last year.
With his two victories at Brainerd International Raceway two weeks ago, Bobby Fong has now won five AMA Superbike races in his career. That puts him in a tie for 26th on the all-time Superbike win list with Larry Pegram, Jake Zemke, Mathew Scholtz and Danilo Petrucci.
With its five wins thus far in 2024, Yamaha is closing in on the 125-win mark in the MotoAmerica Superbike era. Yamaha has 122 wins in MotoAmerica Superbike and 195 total AMA Superbike wins, which places them second to Suzuki’s 216 AMA Superbike victories.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Summoned by The Ridge Motorsports Park for the Fifth Round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif. — One of the most picturesque venues on the calendar awaits the Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship field this weekend with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo Josh Herrin and Loris Baz looking to capitalize on a streak of form that has seen four straight podiums for the team.
The Ridge Motorsports Park is located 25 miles northwest of Olympia, WA, and has only been on the MotoAmerica calendar since 2020. It has since become a firm favorite with the nation’s best Superbike riders. Its snaking 2.47-mile ribbon of road provides an undulating challenge quite unlike any other circuit in the MotoAmerica championship.
Josh Herrin loves The Ridge and has a healthy history with the track. Herrin saw positive results in the MotoAmerica Supersport field on the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2 in 2022 for two resounding wins and backed that up with a double Superbike podium last year. He knows this is the best opportunity to whittle down the 19-point margin to series leader Bobby Fong.
Likewise, Loris Baz has good memories of The Ridge. Having only competed once at the venue in 2021, the flying Frenchman secured third position in race two and will be looking to add to his tally of two podiums from the last two rounds in 2024.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’m really excited about racing at The Ridge,” Herrin said. “It’s one of our better tracks, and it’s been good to me on the Ducati. We’re coming off a high from the last two races and all eager for another win, especially me. I’m really enjoying my time right now with the team, with my teammate Loris, and the atmosphere in the garage.”
“Warhorse HSBK Ducati Racing is looking for another strong weekend. We need to be getting at least 40 points per weekend, and we’ve done that over the last two rounds. Another strong meeting at The Ridge this weekend will put us in a really good position in the championship heading into Laguna Seca next month.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“
We’re coming with a good spirit to The Ridge, getting back to the right pace,” Baz said. “The team is getting stronger each race, and my feeling for the bike is improving each time I leave the pit lane. The Warhorse HSBK Ducati Racing team has done a great job helping to improve the base set-up of the Ducati Panigale V4 R and I want to continue this path.”
“I’m coming back to the right level for me. Being able to fight for first place in race one at Brainerd gave me a lot of confidence. I can’t wait to get to The Ridge—that place is awesome. It suits the bike well; both Josh and I have had good results there in the past. The championship is wide open, so we’re aiming to get as many points and podiums as possible.”
On-track action for the fifth round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship kicks off at 9:00 a.m. CDT on Friday, June 28, with Herrin and Baz first taking to the track for Free Practice 1 at 10:45 a.m. CDT .
MotoAmerica Superbike racing action commences with race one at 3:10 p.m. PST on Saturday, June 29. Race two is scheduled for Sunday, June 30, at 3:10 p.m. PST.
NEXT GENERATION SHIFT TECHNOLOGY BRINGS NEW LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT TO MOTORCYCLING A NEW DIMENSION OF SPORTS RIDING
Yamaha has long been at the forefront of motorcycle innovation. Each step in the company’s technological development seeks to offer a more immersive riding experience which is even more gratifying for the rider.
This approach is inspired by Yamaha’s Jin-Ki Kanno philosophy, which emphasizes the seductive enjoyment of a rider truly feeling in symbiosis with their machine.
The new Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT) is set to take that feeling further, marking the start of a new era for Yamaha by offering an advanced gear shifting technology that introduces a new dimension to sports riding.
Y-AMT allows riders to fully focus on enjoying the sports performance offered by their motorcycle, by delivering consistently linear shifts to create the most engaging riding experience with the choice of a slick, finger operated manual shift or a two-mode fully automatic transmission.
FAST AND PRECISE SHIFTS AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON
With a closer and more refined connection to the brain than the feet, the hands are one of the most tactile and powerful tools the human body has.
Shifting by hand alone, as opposed to a foot-and-hand combination, is not only quicker but requires less thinking time, allowing the rider to hyper-focus on throttle and brake application, lean angle, body position and tire grip levels to intensify the ride. It is for this reason that on Y-AMT models the shifting pedal will not be installed. This means the rider does not have to move their left foot from the footpeg, allowing them to instead focus on their body position and weight distribution through the pegs in order to enhance the control of their motorcycle, especially in cornering.
The Y-AMT system allows for the shifting characteristics of the machine to be adjusted to meet the rider’s preference and different road conditions, with a choice of a finger-operated manual shift, ‘MT’ or the fully automatic ‘AT’.
Using manual transmission (MT), fast and precise gear shifts take just one touch of a button without manually operating a clutch lever. Shifts are controlled with the index finger and thumb, via two see-saw shifting levers – a plus lever for upshifts and a minus lever for downshifts. For greater control in sportier riding, the plus lever can also be pulled to shift up and pushed to shift down with the index finger alone, offering greater freedom, as there is no need to remove the thumb from the handlebars. The size, position and stroke of the lever have been designed to be ideal while wearing gloves, meaning only a minimal amount of finger movement is required to perform shifts.
The clutch actuation is highly progressive, providing the rider with completely natural operation at all speeds. Maximizing the power characteristics of Yamaha’s crossplane-concept engine designs and sportiest ride modes, MT has been developed to amplify the fun of sports riding. And with the speed and precision of each shift more consistent than when using even the latest quickshifter, the excitement and adrenaline of the fast, slick gear changes in the sportiest of riding conditions is even more thrilling for the rider.
Using the fully automatic transmission (AT), riders can choose between two programs to suit different riding scenarios – easily switchable at any time via the press of a dedicated thumb operated ‘mode’ button.
Those looking for a spirited ride on the open road can opt for ‘D+’, which offers a sporty gear change by shifting later in the rev range to maintain the thrill of the ride while still offering the benefits of a fully automatic transmission.
Riders commuting or putting in long distances on the motorways can opt for ‘D’ mode, which delivers a softer gear shift experience, while maintaining a low rpm, to maximize rider confidence during low speed, urban riding and maneuverability.
While in AT, the rider can also choose to shift manually at any time by simply using the see-saw shift levers.
In all cases, Y-AMT delivers consistently linear shifts, allowing riders to focus on their body position, cornering, braking and acceleration, whether riding in the city or on the open road.
RESEARCH DRIVEN NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Yamaha has previously been at the forefront of automatic shifting on motorcycles, developing the YCC-S (Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift) system for the FJR1300 sports tourer almost two decades ago. YCC-S featured an automatic hydraulic clutch actuation system which allowed the rider to change gears manually using a finger operated gear lever.
In many ways, YCC-S was ahead of its time, and now as a result of Yamaha’s technological development, Y-AMT is set to change the face of sports riding.
The Y-AMT system is the most sporting solution in the two wheeled sector, providing an innovative alternative for the next generation of motorcyclists who crave the exhilaration and performance of a manual gearbox, while gaining the convenience of a fully automatic transmission.
Unlike the hydraulically actuated YCC-S system, Y-AMT utilizes two electric actuators to take on the functions traditionally carried out by the rider’s left hand and foot. The system weighs in at only 2.8 kg (6.2 pounds) and has been designed to allow for a slim and lightweight installation, ensuring Yamaha’s famed compact chassis design philosophy is intact with the engine no wider, retaining the light feeling of a conventional motorcycle and preserving the machine’s handling or performance.
Working in conjunction with Yamaha’s ‘ride-by-wire’ throttle control system (YCC-T), switchable ride modes and cruise control functions, a Y-AMT equipped motorcycle can be configured for all kinds of riding.
Where previous similar transmissions for motorcycles have typically been aimed at touring applications, Y-AMT has been developed to enhance the purity of sports riding, allowing the rider to better focus on the more thrilling aspects of the ride.
BORN FROM JIN-KI KANNO
Y-AMT perfectly exemplifies the rider-machine relationship emphasized by Yamaha’s Jin-Ki Kanno philosophy, providing a fun and new riding experience whatever the riding conditions, road or purpose of the journey.
Y-AMT equipped motorcycles will mark a shift in the perception of how motorcycles are ridden, resulting in an even more engaged riding experience and delivering Kando, a Japanese word expressing the feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement experienced when encountering a product of exceptional value, quality and performance.
Yamaha will begin introducing Y-AMT to a range of models in the near future, bringing this innovation to sport riding, touring and commuting.
TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Manual shifting via finger-operated ‘see-saw’ switch
Two automatic shift modes: D+ (sportier gear change) and D
Automated clutch and gear shift actuated by electric motor
Collins tops CSBK test at Rocky Mountain Motorsports
Calgary, AB – The first official Bridgestone CSBK test at Rocky Mountain Motorsports concluded on Monday, with local star Torin Collins topping the timesheets at the private circuit just north of Calgary, Alberta.
Following a successful round three at Edmonton’s RAD Torque Raceway, the Canadian national series invited its competitors to make the trip to nearby Carstairs for a one-day test at RMM, with the goal of collecting data and information for a potential future race weekend.
The 18-turn, “chicane-layout” version of the track, featuring ten rights and eight lefts and numerous elevation changes, was popular with the pro paddock but described as a unique circuit with elements of various other tracks.
Collins – the most recent winner in the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class – had prior experience at the venue located just north of his hometown in Calgary, and was the rider to beat all day as he topped every pro session aboard his Novalda Kawasaki.
The 18-year-old didn’t have to face all the same threats as this past weekend, as championship leader Ben Young, runner-up Sam Guerin, and former champion Alex Dumas were amongst the absences on Monday.
However, he did have to go up against 14-time champion Jordan Szoke, with the two exchanging fast laps throughout the afternoon. Collins would ultimately set the fastest motorcycle lap ever recorded in the final session, a time of 1:41.174, with Szoke going second-best and just 0.986 off the front in his first ever trip to RMM.
While Collins admittedly has slightly more track time at the venue than most of the other riders in attendance, the rookie (who’s currently racing full-time in MotoAmerica) had nothing but good things to say about the day.
Jordan Szoke (101) claimed the second fastest lap at RMM during Monday’s test day – slightly faster than the previous lap record at the circuit north of Calgary. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
“It’s a fun track. It would be interesting for racing, it has some tight sections but I think there’s a lot of spots to pass still, and the asphalt is really good,” Collins said. “There would be some really fun races if CSBK came here. It’s physical, so it might be a bit of a tough race and the pace might drop off a bit, but I think it would be really cool.”
Despite lacking the experience of his younger counterpart at RMM, Szoke worked his way down to a very competitive time by the end of the day, going slightly faster than Collins’ previous unofficial lap record was at the start of the day.
The CKM Kawasaki rider opened up a near 1.5 second gap to the rest of the field, with Sebastien Tremblay going third-fastest on the day. The Turcotte Performance Suzukl rider was the lead Sport Bike rider on the day and very competitive with the Superbike field, a good launching point for a potential middleweight round in the future.
Home rider Philip DeGama-Blanchet was fourth and only marginally behind Tremblay for top honours in the Sport Bike ranks, posting a time of 1:44.360 aboard his Vass Performance Kawasaki.
Last year’s Sport Bike championship runner-up Matt Simpson turned in an excellent effort for PMR/Vass Performance BMW, going fifth-fastest with a time of 1:45.837 in just his first ever day riding a Superbike machine, filling in for Paul Macdonell.
As for the most recent Sport Bike winner, teenager Andrew Van Winkle was sixth-fastest for FD Racing Suzuki, only 0.129 seconds behind Simpson for a spot in the top-five.
Pro Rookie of the Year frontrunner Connor Campbell was seventh on the day, putting in a number of late improvements for B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki to put himself just 0.020 seconds clear of fellow star rookie Mavrick Cyr aboard the Economy Lube Ducati.
Photos and times from the official test can be found on the series’ official website.
Hall sweeps AHRMA 2024 Vintage Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park
(Knoxville, TN) Old bikes plus new pavement added up to fast and exciting racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Rounds 10 and 11 of AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup series, which highlights its 350 GP class, were held June 22 and 23, at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ as part of the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series.
Rob Hall, aboard a 1965 AJS 7R won both days while a veritable talent show of bikes and racers tried to chase him down.
“An old racer friend used to say to me, ‘It’s gonna be hot and hazy, fast and crazy.’ Going into the 350GP Vintage Cup at NJMP this past weekend was no exception. With temps in the mid-90s and new, black tarmac, we had some heavyweights heading into quite a heated points battle under the sun,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup features the 350 GP class which includes 350cc four-stroke and 250cc two-stroke powered machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include bikes such as the AJS 7R “Boy Racer”, 350 Manx Norton, Benelli 350-Four, Aermacchi 350 Road Racer, Yamaha TD2, and more.
In Saturday’s race Alex McLean, on Rob McKeever’s 1967 Drixton-framed Aermacchi took the hole shot into turn one with Hall in second. Hall overtook McLean in turn four, and was able to maintain and increase his lead, taking the checkered flag unchallenged. McLean was second, with Christopher Spargo, who was aboard a two-stroke 1967 Yamaha TD2, third.
The balance of the grid in order of finish included: David Roper riding a Team Obsolete John Surtees Special 1960 AJS 7R, Vincent Barbone on a 1967 Kawasaki A1, and Brian Larrabure on 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro.
On Sunday, McLean repeated his strong start and led into the first turn with Hall in close pursuit. Hall passed McLean halfway through lap one but was unable to increase his lead. McLean overtook Hall at the end of the front straight, leading into turn one but Hall again took the lead on lap two. Hall increased his lead to take the win unchallenged with McLean second and Spargo third.
The rest of the racers, in order of finish, was Larrabure, Borbone, and Roper riding his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT.
“Rob Hall has really gelled with the Seeley, and Alex McLean knows how to get that Drixton through the corners, while Chris Spargo is always threatening on that peaky Yamaha, so it was anyone’s race to lose this weekend,” Cummings said. “Hall managed the double and thus cemented him as the guy to beat now that we’re midway through this exciting 2024 season.”
Greg Tomlinson, 2024 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees said, “I’m stoked at the bikes that are on the track for our Vintage Cup this year and double-stoked that we have some super-fast racers who can really show them off.”
Rounds 12 and 13 of the AHRMA National Road Race Series will be July 19-20 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA.
“We’ll be enjoying the California sun next at Laguna Seca. I’m anxious to see how this points chase unfolds as the season progresses,” Cummings said.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race will be reported in RoadracingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
3 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
4 – 7 David Roper, John Surtees Special 1960 AJS 7R, Hicksville, NY
5 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1967 Kawasaki A1, Hampstead, NH
6 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro, Calabasas, CA
Sunday, June 23, 2024
1 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
2 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
3 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
4 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro, Calabasas, CA
5 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1967 Kawasaki A1, Hampstead, NH
6 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage 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.
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley (right) and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom (left). Photo courtesy Mat Oxley.
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
How can you tell a good rider from a legendary one? How does body language factor into it? Does a crew chief earn more or less than the rider? And what are the perfect circumstances for a ripper of a party in the paddock?
Those are just some of the questions you asked us, and now it’s time for Mat and Peter to give you the answers. So go pour yourself something summery, relax, and enjoy this Q&A special!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
AHRMA racers Kevin Rammer (1z), Harry Vanderlinden (32), Noel Korowin (510), Jeff Nelson (43), and Bruce Testa (954) in action at New Jersey Motorsports Paek. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.
Here are complete race results from the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series event held June 22-23 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
The new Davidson Park at Harley-Davidson's Juneau Avenue campus - the site of the original Harley-Davidson factory and soon-to-be home of the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team. Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
Editorial Note: This release notes that the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team, which competes in the MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers series, is moving to the Juneau Avenue campus. In this video from FOX6 News, Harley-Davidson President, CEO, and Chairman Jochen Zeitz also talks about the company’s racing activities starting at 18:00 into the video.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON UNVEILS DAVIDSON PARK, A NEW COMMUNITY PARK AT ICONIC MILWAUKEE HEADQUARTERS
Spearheaded by the Harley-Davidson Foundation and designed by acclaimed designers Heatherwick Studio, Davidson Park will benefit employees, local community and visitors to Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE (June 24, 2024) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (“Harley-Davidson” or “H-D”) (NYSE: HOG) today formally unveiled the newly created community park, Davidson Park (“the Park”), at its iconic Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee.
The project, pioneered by the Harley-Davidson Foundation (“the Foundation”), has been created in partnership with internationally acclaimed designers, Heatherwick Studio who conceived and oversaw an original design to transform the 4-acre parking lot just south of the Company’s 3700 W. Juneau Avenue building into a soulful green space that can be used by everyone who lives in and visits Milwaukee’s Near West Side (“NWS”). As part of the project team, HGA served as the architect and engineer of record and Greenfire Management Services as the construction partner, with both Milwaukee-based firms partnering with Heatherwick Studio to bring the design vision to life.
“When we started this project, we did so with one main goal, and that was to further connect the Company with our hometown Milwaukee, a place that we’ve been proud to call home for over 120 years,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “No matter how fast you move forward, you can never forget where you’ve come from – this project both celebrates our heritage and reinforces the power of the Harley-Davidson brand to be a force for good within our communities.”
“Davidson Park has been an extraordinary collaboration between the studio and local partners, schools, artists and the Forest County Potawatomi community, to transform an uninspiring concrete parking lot into a new public park and events amphitheater for Milwaukee. Created for the local community, with the community’s collaboration and help, it’s a place where people can come together with friends and family to enjoy some of the wildness of Wisconsin’s incredible nature, listen to the state’s best music, or experience the energy of a motorcycle rally. Harley-Davidson has been part of Near West Side’s history for over 120 years and the park is a natural next chapter in their joint story. As the plants grow and mature, the intention is that the space increasingly honours both the heritage of Harley-Davidson and gives the residents something to not just enjoy, but to feel proud of,” said Thomas Heatherwick, Founder and Director, Heatherwick Studios.
An overhead shot of the new Davidson Park. Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
“On behalf of the Harley-Davidson Foundation, we are really excited to formally unveil Davidson Park – we believe that the Park will provide a much-needed greenspace in our local community – but importantly a space that can be shared by all,” said Tori Termaat, President, The Harley-Davidson Foundation.
History and Concept
In 2021, the Foundation sponsored an Appreciative Inquiry Summit in partnership with Near West Side Partners, a non-profit founded to make the NWS a great place to live, work, play and stay by revitalizing and sustaining thriving business and residential corridors.
The Summit brought together over 200 NWS stakeholders, including residents, youth, and local businesses, to realize their hopes and dreams for the neighborhood. Among the key community needs identified was a safe green space that supports health, well-being, art and culture, and a place for youth to play. Input from the stakeholders served as the basis for Heatherwick Studio’s unique community park design.
From the start, the ambition for Davidson Park has been to create an inclusive place that everyone who lives or visits NWS can call their own – whether they use the park as a space to relax, to enjoy the local art and culture scene or attend an event.
“Davidson Park is a testament to the power of collaboration and listening,” says Peter Balistrieri, Principal and National Corporate Market Sector Leader at HGA. “Voices from all over the Near West Side—from Potawatomi leaders to local students and community groups—played a crucial role throughout the process. This is truly a park for the community, by the community.”
Davidson Park Features
The Hub and Foundation Stone
Celebrating togetherness and paying homage to history and community, at the heart of Davidson Park is “The Hub”, a sunken multi-use events space, an amphitheater approximately 272 feet wide with tiered seating, set among lush plants and trees. The design promotes coming together with its circular layout defined by a combination of motorcycle driveways and turning circles, parking bays, sidewalks, plants, seats, and 360-degree viewpoints.
In one direction, “The Hub” will provide views of the brick buildings of the original home of Harley-Davidson. In the other, visitors will see a park sown with 120 native plant species, including 20 species of trees and 100 species of perennials, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi tribe, who have helped provide guidance throughout the process.
The Hub has been built with ten types of locally sourced brick, natural wany-edge timber, and weathered steel with a beautiful warm patina. In addition to tripling the green space such as lawns and plantings, the park integrates a dynamic system of green infrastructure, including native bioswales, permeable pavers and cisterns to capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater – a significant contribution to regional infrastructure and the environment. With a commitment to sustainability, the park’s design will be one of the first SITES—a rating system for sustainable land design and development—certified projects in Wisconsin.
The Foundation Stone is located at the center of the Hub (the event and gatherings amphitheater, recessed into the ground) and is four feet in diameter made from cast iron. The Foundation Stone has been designed by local artist, and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design student, Megan Huss, and celebrates the Near West Side and the creation of this new community park in Milwaukee.
“I am incredibly honored to be a part of the history of Harley-Davidson and I am able to showcase the sense of community in the Near West Side neighborhood through my work,” said Huss.
Main Street
Main Street is the main pedestrian thoroughfare through the Park, envisioned for use for events such as farmers’ markets, craft fairs & food trucks. The street also connects all major areas of the park including the Hub, playground, community lawn, picnic knoll, serenity garden, and viewing lawns, surrounded by native plants, including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees. People can walk across or around Main Street to access the Hub, making it a lively place for social interaction. At night, the street will have a festive ambiance with catenary lights above that change colors.
Union Plaza
The main pedestrian entrance to the park is Union Plaza, located off West Highland Boulevard. At approximately 11,000 square feet, the plaza leads to Main Street and the Hub and will be a destination in itself, with flexible space for temporary markets, food trucks, and events. Union Plaza will be made from concrete with varying textures. It is home to a 10-foot tall, weathered steel sculpture inspired by Harley Davidson’s iconic bar and shield.
North and South Lawn
Located off Main Street to the northeast is the community North Lawn. The Lawn is approximately 7,600 square feet in size and is surrounded by planting, which will provide shade and a beautiful setting for relaxation, play & community events.
The South Lawn picnic knoll is adjacent and east of Main Street and north of the Union Plaza. It is a place for people to gather on picnic benches, whether this be family lunch, dog walkers having a chat, or school children taking part in learning activities. The picnic knoll is approximately 5,750 square feet in size and is a wonderful place to be while surrounded by greenery.
Little Legends Playground
Located in the south portion of the park off Main Street, Legends Play Area was designed in collaboration with the NWS community to realize the vision of a nature play area. Elements include wooden log climbers, steppingstones, and hillside climbing. Little Legends Playground is 6,000 square feet of accessible elements for kids ages 1 to 12.
Viewing Hills
Three hillside Viewing Hills are adjacent to the southwest portion of the Hub. Each hill is approximately 2,300 square feet and provides views overlooking the Hub during special events such as movie nights, theatre events, or music performance events. The Hills also provide a place to relax surrounded by native plants, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi., including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees.
1903 Tavern
In partnership with Molson Coors, 1903 Tavern brings together two iconic Near West Side anchor institutions to offer Davidson Park visitors a relaxed open-air environment to socialize while enjoying a cold beverage. 1903 Tavern will serve an assortment of canned beverages including beer, malt, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages. A portion of the revenue from 1903 Tavern goes back into amplifying Davidson Park’s ambition.
Potawatomi Serenity Garden
The Serenity Garden is a result of a close collaboration between the Forest County Potawatomi leaders and the Harley-Davidson Foundation. The garden reflects the geometry of the medicine wheel, a symbol of significance for many Native American tribes including the Potawatomi. A grandfather stone is located at the center of four quadrants of medicine plants that mark the cardinal directions of the wheel. These plants include tobacco to the east, cedar to the south, sage to the west, and sweetgrass to the north. All are invited to use this garden as a place for contemplation, reflection, and meditation.
An accessible and inclusive space, Davidson Park will be open and welcoming for all (residents, community members, and visitors) to enjoy, gather, and connect. We will continue to seek ongoing stakeholder feedback – incorporating and encouraging community and visitor voices to inform future enhancements and changing interests.
Future Campus Development
Today’s opening marks the first phase of development at Juneau Avenue. The Company’s vision for the campus is to focus on multi-purpose development, ensuring that developments continue to celebrate Harley-Davidson and its history, while recognizing the need to evolve the space to be relevant not only for today, but for the future. And as the Company continues to explore opportunities for the wider campus, we remain committed to our mission and vision.
As part of the next phase of development, two exciting additions are coming to Juneau Ave – a STEAM Lab and the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Headquarters.
Harley-Davidson recognizes the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) in education and the importance of helping build the next generation of skilled workers. The STEAM lab will enable H-D to further partner with local organizations and schools to provide students direct access to resources, receive mentoring from our talented employees, experience hands-on learning, and encourage career exploration in STEAM fields.
Racing has been part of H-D history for over 100 years and is a compelling way to bring its brand narrative to life for customers and fans. The H-D Factory Racing Team will move back to where it all began, giving visitors to the historic H-D headquarters an exciting and engaging behind-the-scenes look and enhancing customer-facing experiences in alignment with the Company’s campus strategy.
To learn more about Davidson Park, including upcoming events, visit h-d.com/davidsonpark.
About Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Our ambition is to maintain our place as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in LiveWire Group, Inc., the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the United States. LiveWire is the future in the making for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. Drawing on its DNA as an agile disruptor from the lineage of Harley-Davidson and capitalizing on a decade of learnings in the EV sector, LiveWire’s ambition is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world. Learn more at harley-davidson.com and livewire.com.
About The Harley-Davidson Foundation
The Harley-Davidson Foundation, established in 1993, is the philanthropic arm of Harley-Davidson, Inc. The Foundation cultivates social impact through employee volunteerism, collaboration with other non-profit organizations and investments in youth programs that foster STEAM innovation and programming. Our Foundation priorities include a commitment to our home, the Near West Side of Milwaukee, and the communities where we live and work across the globe.
About Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio is a team of over 250 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studios in London, Shanghai, and California, we create buildings, spaces, objects and infrastructure. We want to see a world where the buildings and places around us are radically more joyful, engaging and human.
Our team of architects, designers, makers, engineers and landscape architects share a motivation to design soulful and impactful places, which celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design belief.
The studio’s completed projects include several internationally celebrated buildings, including the recently completed Little Island, a new park and performance space in New York, the award-winning Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Azabudai Hill district in Tokyo, Coal Drops Yard in London, and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries. These include Hainan Performance Art Centre, a major cultural institution in China, mixed-use projects in Shanghai and Seoul, as well as new headquarters for Google in London (in collaboration with BIG).
About HGA
HGA is an acclaimed interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. The firm believes that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. HGA is a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists, with 13 offices. The national practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Greenfire Management Services
Greenfire Management Services is a minority-owned construction company with offices in Milwaukee and Wausau, Wisconsin and is managing projects throughout the Midwest. Founded in 2010, Greenfire is a subsidiary of Potawatomi Ventures, the investment arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. Greenfire is a reputable, local construction manager that provides innovative construction services to every project throughout multiple industries. In 2021, Greenfire was recognized by the State of Wisconsin with the highest certified spend for construction/architecture and engineering.
Just Two Points Separate Jacobsen And Scholtz In Supersport Battle
The Tight Supersport Title Chase Highlights This Weekend’s MotoAmerica Round At Ridge Motorsports Park In Washington
IRVINE, CA (June 26, 2024) – Only two points separate the top two in the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship as the series heads to Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 28-30, for round five. And those two are the two most experienced racers in the field – PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz.
The Supersport class will be one of four support classes racing this weekend with Stock 1000, Mission Super Hooligan National Championship and Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. in addition to the two Steel Commander Superbike races.
Supersport – A Battle Of Veterans
Although it seems odd referring to Rahal Ducati Moto’s Jacobsen and Strack Racing’s Scholtz as veterans, they are. At least based on experience and not necessarily age.
Jacobsen, 30, and Scholtz, 32, have been at the game a long time and were both racing in the Superbike class a year ago. It’s hard to imagine one of them not winning this championship as they have combined to win seven of the eight races held so far as the series holds its fifth round this weekend in Washington.
Although Jacobsen leads the title chase by two points, Scholtz has won the most races – four to three – over Jacobsen. The difference in the point standings is in the non-podium finishes. Scholtz has one – a fourth – while Jacobsen has stood on the podium in all eight races.
The only other rider to win a race in 2024 is Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, but he has three non-finishes to go with his win and he’s mired back in fifth in the point standings.
Third in the championship is held by a third veteran – Jake Lewis. The Altus Motorsports-backed Kentuckian has earned points in every round, including two podium finishes. Thanks to the pace of the two ahead of him, however, he is 86 points behind.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis is fourth in the series standings, seven behind Lewis and 93 behind Jacobsen.
Stock 1000 – The Gillim Runaway Train
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim looked to be headed to his fourth Stock 1000 win of the season two weeks ago at Brainerd when it all went wrong. Gillim crashed out of the lead and with that went any hope of a perfect season for the defending Stock 1000 Champion. Up to that point, Gillim looked like a shoo-in to at least take victory number four.
Gillim later admitted he wanted to see just how fast he could go at a circuit that he’s fond of. He wanted to see how his times would match up against the Superbikes. In retrospect, he said it was a silly thing to be doing.
Even with that miscue, Gillim holds down a 16-point lead on OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe with Uribe taking advantage of Gillim’s error to win his first-career MotoAmerica race on Sunday at Brainerd. The win marked Uribe’s first podium of the season and it vaulted him to second in the point standings.
The man he passed was BPR Racing’s Bryce Prince with the Californian failing to match his two-podium start to the season at Barber. Still, Prince has finished all four races and that puts him three points clear of fifth-placed Benjamin Smith and his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – The Hooligans Are Back
March is a long time ago and Daytona is a distant memory, but the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship makes its return this weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park after a near-five-month hiatus.
With just the two races at Daytona in the books, it’s Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West who sits atop the championship standings by five points over S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss by five points and Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara by eight points.
Indian FTR1200-mounted Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Pan America-mounted West came out of Daytona with a victory apiece in the two races.
With the top six covered by 21 points, there are still plenty of chances to move up the leaderboard and that’s exactly what KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman, Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Jake Lewis and Roland Sands Design’s Hawk Mazzotta are aiming for from their fourth, fifth and sixth spots in the title chase.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Three Give Chase
With Mikayla Moore opting to sit out race one of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. at Road America after suffering some bumps and bruises in her Twins Cup practice crash, everybody else in the class was given a glimmer of hope.
That lasted for a race. After Cassie Creer won race one in Moore’s absence, Moore struck back with a win in race two that gives her three victories in the first four races of the 2024 season.
But thanks to her sitting out race one, there are three racers within 12 points of Moore in the title chase. Emma Betters and Camille Conrad are tied for second, 10 points adrift, with Creer holding down fourth and 12 points behind Moore.
Aubrey Credaroli is fifth in the standings and working to make up for a non-finish in the first race of the season at Barber.
Pre-Ridge Support Notes…
Xavi Forés swept both of the Supersport races at Ridge Motorsports Park last year en route to the Spaniard ultimately winning the championship. Forés beat Josh Hayes and Teagg Hobbs in race one with Tyler Scott and Hobbs finishing second and third, respectively, in race two.
In Mission Super Hooligan National Championship action a year ago, Tyler O’Hara won both races on the track but was later disqualified after race two for an illegal handlebar modification. O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams was second in both races but was also DQ’d from race two. The pair’s DQ gifted the win to Andy DiBrino with Mark Price second and Bobby Fong third. DiBrino was third in Saturday’s race one.
Mikayla Moore came away from Ridge with a clean sweep of the two Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race battles. Moore topped Kayleigh Buyck in both races with Sonya Lloyd scoring a pair of third-place finishes.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
RETURN TO THE RIDGE – THE EVA RIBELLE IS BACK
Stefano Mesa (137) on his electric Energica Super Hooligan racebike. Photo courtesy Energica.
Stefano Mesa #137 and the Tytlers Cycle Racing team reappear at The Ridge a second year in the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan series to showcase what electric can really do.
After a podium at COTA, the Energica Ribelle RS with the Kit Corsa Clienti piloted by Mesa finished the 2023 season with an historic 4th place overall. What can we accomplish at The Ridge this time around, where Mesa famously struggled last year at a track he’d never seen before in his life? Can we compete against 25 ICE bikes, OEM factory teams and a host of eager hard-core competitors? There’s only one way to find out.
Root with us for the team during next week’s race weekend from Friday June 28 – Sunday June 30. Note the schedule below is subject to change, all times are PST (GMT -7)
Friday June 28
9:00 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Practice 1 (20 mins)
1:10 pm – Mission Super Hooligan National Championships Qualifying 1 (20 min)
Saturday June 29
11:05 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Qualifying 2 (20 mins)
4:10 PM – Mission Super Hooligan Race 1 (8 laps – Quick Start)
Sunday June 30
10:25 AM – Mission Super Hooligan Warm Up (10 mins)
12:45 PM – Mission Super Hooligan Race 2 (8 laps – Quick Start)
Where can you watch the action?
To watch live on your TV, go to MotoAmerica Live+ at https://www.motoamericaliveplus.com. Season access is $109.99 but you can score an event pass for just $12.99.
The Super Hooligan National Championship Races will also be LIVE for FREE on MotoAmerica’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
To view after the races for free, go to Moto America’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@MotoAmerica.
We hope to see you there as for the second year in a row, Energica makes history combatting endothermic machines head-to-head in a full-on national race series.
American Mikey Lou Sanchez (55) in action at Algarve International Circuit in Portugal. Photo courtesy Sanchez Racing.
Mikey Lou Sanchez finishes 15th in his first ETC Race at Portimao.
Now racing a Honda NSF250R with the Finetwork MIR Racing Team in the European Talent Cup, Mikey had some ups and downs in his debut June 20-23 at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Mikey was at a disadvantage from the start. With this track being the hardest circuit on the calendar to learn, a lot of the teams were there two weeks earlier doing testing. Mikey, unfortunately, was still recovering from a broken collarbone and was unable to test there.
The weekend started off with practice on Thursday. On Friday, Mikey was still struggling to get a good feeling on the bike and get his lap times down. During the last session on Friday he had a minor lowside crash, but he was able to recover and finish the session.
The next morning was the super-important “Practice” session that determines whether or not you make it straight to Q2, which automatically qualifies riders for the main race, or you have to fight it out in Q1, where only the top four riders move on to Q2.
In Saturday morning’s Practice session Mikey found himself in a pack on the beginning of his first flying lap. When he arrived in the fast second corner another rider took him out and ended his Practice session. This meant he was going to Q1 to fight for a spot to move on to Q2.
Q1 went well and Mikey advanced to Q2, which guaranteed a spot on the grid for the main race. Learning a new format for qualifying, he adapted and ended up finishing 10th in his qualifying session, which put him 19th overall on the final grid for his first ETC Race.
On Sunday, the race began with clear and sunny skies and temperatures in the 90s F. Mikey got off the line and headed into Turn One in about P16. On the first lap, he ran wide in a couple of turns and got roughed up and went back to P22. From there, he began taking back positions. He never gave up and pushed to P15 at the checkered flag.
Mikey Lou said, “I know my result wasn’t anything to cheer about, but this is the real rodeo right here. I know i can do better in the next race at Jerez because it’s a track that I like and know very well. Bring it on!”
Mikey Lou’s next race with the Finetwork MIR Racing Team is on September 15 at the Circuito de Jerez.
We would like to thank our sponsors: Chic-fil-a East Dallas, Texas Motorcycle Academy, HJC Helmets, Williams Custom Painting, Moto Liberty, Stax Moto, Fred and Maggie Beck, Shawn Knoche, Paul Stamper, Ben Fondu, Theodore Bick, Mark Niemi, and Stephen Hagberg.
Briar Bauman (3). Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Contenders Aplenty as Progressive AFT Arrives at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 25, 2024) – The 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicks off its second half with the fabled Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 29.
The opening half of the ‘24 season makes for a fascinating showdown this weekend, especially when considered in conjunction with past history at Lima.
Three of the four leaders in the ongoing Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight have taken multiple race wins at the Lima Half-Mile. That list is headed by nine-time Grand National Champion, Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), who boasts five prior victories in the race, the first of which came 19 years ago today.
Meanwhile, two-time class champ Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) has taken three Lima Half-Mile wins on three different makes of equipment. His first came in 2017 on a Kawasaki, his second in 2021 on a factory Indian, and last year saw him claim KTM’s maiden twin-cylinder victory in the premier class.
And it’s best not to overlook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), as he’s repeatedly demonstrated with his class-leading three race wins in 2024, the most recent coming just days ago. Robinson also happens to be a two-time winner at Lima, including just two years ago.
That leaves Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), the current Mission AFT SuperTwins championship leader, as the sole rider among the four leading contenders without a Lima Half-Mile victory to his name. However, a closer inspection shows that in his two attempts, he’s twice been the fast qualifier and he’s twice finished a fighting second. With a perfect podium record on the line and driven by the sting that accompanies a defeat of 0.086 seconds this past weekend, Daniels is as strong a bet as any to stand atop the podium this weekend.
Can any of the remainder of a stacked field mix it up with Mees, Bauman, Robinson, and Daniels this weekend? Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) have all shown the capacity to do so on numerous occasions in the past and all four are eager to do so again as soon as is humanly possible.
Meanwhile, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Cameron Smith (No. 34 RVR/KTM/Schaefer’s Motorsport KTM 790 Duke) continue to gather the experience and data necessary to break into the top five on any given weekend.
Two riders who have already done so this season – Billy Ross (No. 29 Mission Foods/Digitale Kawasaki Ninja 650) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) – will look to do so again, and at the same track where Johnny Lewis raced the Royal Enfield Twins FT to victory in the Mission Production Twins class in 2021.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Can anyone hope to contain the surging Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) this weekend?
Not only is Kopp the reigning two-time defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion. Not only is Kopp the class’ all-time winningest rider and co-leader in the Half-Mile discipline specifically. And not only is Kopp currently riding a three-race win streak; he also happens to have dominated the previous two visits to Lima, claiming blowout victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Title hopefuls Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R), Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) are all desperate to snap Kopp’s winning streak and shift the momentum in their direction as the season heads down its second half.
Meanwhile, James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) flashed last year’s frontrunning form at the Bridgeport Half-Mile and may at last be ready to challenge for wins, particularly at a circuit where he landed on the podium a year ago.
Young guns Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R), Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/A.M Ortega KTM 450 SX-F), Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F), Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) are all primed to make a splash at any moment.
And how about the possibility of a resurgent ride on the part of Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F)? With two previous Lima Half-Mile victories to her name, Texter-Bauman could reclaim a piece of the all-time wins lead and retake sole possession at the top of the Half-Mile wins list with a third Lima HM win this weekend.
There will be plenty to keep spectators entertained off the track as well, including live music courtesy of Gypsy Kyngs, a bouncy house for kids, numerous vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
Additionally, flat track fans can head out to the track a day early to watch the amateur racing scheduled for Friday, June 28, from 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) until 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT), free of admission. Following the race action, Angels of Dirt will be shown on the Jumbotron starting at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT).
Today is the final day to save $10 on tickets, with all prices set to increase to their standard rate on Wednesday, June 26. If you act fast, General Admission Bleacher tickets remain just $30 (kids 12 and under free with paid adult ticket), Reserved Grandstand tickets are $35 (All Ages), Premier Reserved Grandstand tickets only $40 (All Ages), and the new VIP tickets, which provides access to the VIP trailer, are $125 (All Ages). The Pit Pass Upgrade ($40 for adults, $20 for kids in general admission, and free for kids with reserved seating tickets) provides all-day access to the pit area.
Gates will open for fans at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage of the Lima Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 6, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT).
Red-Hot Fong Leads The Superbike Pack As MotoAmerica Heads To The Pacific Northwest
Bobby Fong Is Riding A Two-Race Win Streak As Steel Commander Superbike Rolls Into Ridge Motorsports Park And Beaubier Is Back
IRVINE, CA (June 25, 2024) – Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong and his eight-point lead in the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship will embark on Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend, June 28-30, with little doubt that he can improve upon his results from a year ago at the racetrack in Shelton, Washington.
Fong’s 2023 visit to Washington was a bust as he was disqualified from race one for ignoring a black flag, and he failed to finish race two. That’s zero points on the weekend for those of you counting at home.
But that was then and this is now and it’s highly unlikely that with his confidence level at an all-time high, and with his team operating smoothly and efficiently, things won’t be very different than they were in 2023.
Fong arrives at the track in the shadows of Mount Rainier after two resounding victories at Brainerd International Raceway two weeks ago and it has him atop the standings with the series set for two stops on the West Coast beginning with the Ridge round.
Fong’s season thus far has been one of up-and-down consistency (pardon the oxymoron) early and flat-out speed of late. He began his 2024 season with a podium in race one at Road Atlanta but followed that up with a 10th (in wet conditions) in race two. In the three races at Barber Motorsports Park, Fong was ninth, fifth and second, and at Road America he was eighth (again in the wet) and second. Fong was starting to hit his stride, and he followed up on Road America with his pole position and two victories at Brainerd.
Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne is the only rider in the top 10 other than Fong to score points in every round, but they haven’t come in bucketfuls like what we’ve come to expect from the three-time and defending Steel Commander Superbike Champion.
All you really need to know is that Gagne has only won one race and that came at Road Atlanta way back in April. That’s simply unheard of for Gagne. The cause? Debilitating arm-pump issues that have Gagne barely holding on (literally), and with just one podium in the past six races. It’s been difficult to watch and even his rivals feel his pain. Unlike Fong, it’s gotten to the point where Gagne longs for wet races as his last podium was a second-place finish in the wet at Road America.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin has fought his way to third in the series standings after his race-two crash at Barber put a zero in his points column. Herrin has one win and four total podiums, including his victory in race one at Road America, and his points tally features his two second-place finishes to Fong at Brainerd. Herrin sits 19 points behind Fong and 11 behind Gagne.
Also, remember that Herrin was fast last year at Ridge Motorsports Park, qualifying on pole and finishing third in both races.
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen has been quick all year and, after nine races, finds himself still in the hunt for the championship. With two wins and five total podiums, Petersen is 28 points behind Fong and nine behind Herrin.
Nine points behind Petersen is Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz with the Frenchman earning his second podium of the season in the most recent round at Brainerd. Baz only has one non-score on his season when he was hit from behind by a lapped rider in race three at Barber.
EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly started his season on a tear as he raced to two podiums in the first five races of his rookie campaign in the Steel Commander Superbike class. Kelly has slipped down the order a bit with crashes in the two of the past four races and he is now sixth in the championship – 42 points behind Fong and five behind Baz.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier is seventh, despite the non-score from his crash in the rain at Road America and the three subsequent races of zero points while he recovered from his surgically repaired broken heel. But wait. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s team announced this week that Beaubier will return to action at Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend.
Let’s not forget that Beaubier won three of the first five races to start the season prior to his injury and he’s won 62 of these Superbike races in his career. So, in looking at the point standings, Beaubier is 43 points behind. With a five-point difference between first and second, and 11 races left to run… okay, it’s too early for that.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach is eighth in the title chase and still trying to recover from the hit his points tally took with two non-finishes in the three races at Barber. Beach, however, showed podium speed with his third in race two at Road America.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch had a rocky start to his season but has turned things around with four strong outings in a row at Road America and Brainerd. Paasch is ninth in the championship heading to Washington.
Despite not competing in the past four Superbike races, Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim still finds himself in the top 10 after a solid start to his season on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
With Beaubier set to return, Xavi Forés will be the only Superbike fill-in rider as he will continue to replace the injured Richie Escalante on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Pre-Race Ridge Notes…
The Superbike men failed to top Jake Gagne’s lap record of 1:39.145 from Q2 in 2022 last year on the 2.47-mile Ridge Motorsports Park, though Cameron Beaubier did set a race-record lap of 1:39.633 in the second of two races in 2023.
Jake Gagne beat Mathew Scholtz and Josh Herrin to win race one a season ago at Ridge Motorsports Park for what was his fifth win in a row. On Sunday, however, Cameron Beaubier broke Gagne’s win streak by topping Gagne and Herrin to win race two.
Three-time MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne is the winningest rider in the four-year (eight-race) history of MotoAmerica holding a round of its championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. Gagne has won five of the eight races with Cameron Beaubier winning the first two races in 2020 and a third in race two last year.
With his two victories at Brainerd International Raceway two weeks ago, Bobby Fong has now won five AMA Superbike races in his career. That puts him in a tie for 26th on the all-time Superbike win list with Larry Pegram, Jake Zemke, Mathew Scholtz and Danilo Petrucci.
With its five wins thus far in 2024, Yamaha is closing in on the 125-win mark in the MotoAmerica Superbike era. Yamaha has 122 wins in MotoAmerica Superbike and 195 total AMA Superbike wins, which places them second to Suzuki’s 216 AMA Superbike victories.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Summoned by The Ridge Motorsports Park for the Fifth Round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif. — One of the most picturesque venues on the calendar awaits the Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship field this weekend with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo Josh Herrin and Loris Baz looking to capitalize on a streak of form that has seen four straight podiums for the team.
The Ridge Motorsports Park is located 25 miles northwest of Olympia, WA, and has only been on the MotoAmerica calendar since 2020. It has since become a firm favorite with the nation’s best Superbike riders. Its snaking 2.47-mile ribbon of road provides an undulating challenge quite unlike any other circuit in the MotoAmerica championship.
Josh Herrin loves The Ridge and has a healthy history with the track. Herrin saw positive results in the MotoAmerica Supersport field on the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2 in 2022 for two resounding wins and backed that up with a double Superbike podium last year. He knows this is the best opportunity to whittle down the 19-point margin to series leader Bobby Fong.
Likewise, Loris Baz has good memories of The Ridge. Having only competed once at the venue in 2021, the flying Frenchman secured third position in race two and will be looking to add to his tally of two podiums from the last two rounds in 2024.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’m really excited about racing at The Ridge,” Herrin said. “It’s one of our better tracks, and it’s been good to me on the Ducati. We’re coming off a high from the last two races and all eager for another win, especially me. I’m really enjoying my time right now with the team, with my teammate Loris, and the atmosphere in the garage.”
“Warhorse HSBK Ducati Racing is looking for another strong weekend. We need to be getting at least 40 points per weekend, and we’ve done that over the last two rounds. Another strong meeting at The Ridge this weekend will put us in a really good position in the championship heading into Laguna Seca next month.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“
We’re coming with a good spirit to The Ridge, getting back to the right pace,” Baz said. “The team is getting stronger each race, and my feeling for the bike is improving each time I leave the pit lane. The Warhorse HSBK Ducati Racing team has done a great job helping to improve the base set-up of the Ducati Panigale V4 R and I want to continue this path.”
“I’m coming back to the right level for me. Being able to fight for first place in race one at Brainerd gave me a lot of confidence. I can’t wait to get to The Ridge—that place is awesome. It suits the bike well; both Josh and I have had good results there in the past. The championship is wide open, so we’re aiming to get as many points and podiums as possible.”
On-track action for the fifth round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship kicks off at 9:00 a.m. CDT on Friday, June 28, with Herrin and Baz first taking to the track for Free Practice 1 at 10:45 a.m. CDT .
MotoAmerica Superbike racing action commences with race one at 3:10 p.m. PST on Saturday, June 29. Race two is scheduled for Sunday, June 30, at 3:10 p.m. PST.
The handlebar-mounted hardware that comes with the Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission system. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Europe.
Editorial Note: Scroll down to watch the video
Y-AMT: YAMAHA AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NEXT GENERATION SHIFT TECHNOLOGY BRINGS NEW LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT TO MOTORCYCLING A NEW DIMENSION OF SPORTS RIDING
Yamaha has long been at the forefront of motorcycle innovation. Each step in the company’s technological development seeks to offer a more immersive riding experience which is even more gratifying for the rider.
This approach is inspired by Yamaha’s Jin-Ki Kanno philosophy, which emphasizes the seductive enjoyment of a rider truly feeling in symbiosis with their machine.
The new Yamaha Automated Manual Transmission (Y-AMT) is set to take that feeling further, marking the start of a new era for Yamaha by offering an advanced gear shifting technology that introduces a new dimension to sports riding.
Y-AMT allows riders to fully focus on enjoying the sports performance offered by their motorcycle, by delivering consistently linear shifts to create the most engaging riding experience with the choice of a slick, finger operated manual shift or a two-mode fully automatic transmission.
FAST AND PRECISE SHIFTS AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON
With a closer and more refined connection to the brain than the feet, the hands are one of the most tactile and powerful tools the human body has.
Shifting by hand alone, as opposed to a foot-and-hand combination, is not only quicker but requires less thinking time, allowing the rider to hyper-focus on throttle and brake application, lean angle, body position and tire grip levels to intensify the ride. It is for this reason that on Y-AMT models the shifting pedal will not be installed. This means the rider does not have to move their left foot from the footpeg, allowing them to instead focus on their body position and weight distribution through the pegs in order to enhance the control of their motorcycle, especially in cornering.
The Y-AMT system allows for the shifting characteristics of the machine to be adjusted to meet the rider’s preference and different road conditions, with a choice of a finger-operated manual shift, ‘MT’ or the fully automatic ‘AT’.
Using manual transmission (MT), fast and precise gear shifts take just one touch of a button without manually operating a clutch lever. Shifts are controlled with the index finger and thumb, via two see-saw shifting levers – a plus lever for upshifts and a minus lever for downshifts. For greater control in sportier riding, the plus lever can also be pulled to shift up and pushed to shift down with the index finger alone, offering greater freedom, as there is no need to remove the thumb from the handlebars. The size, position and stroke of the lever have been designed to be ideal while wearing gloves, meaning only a minimal amount of finger movement is required to perform shifts.
The clutch actuation is highly progressive, providing the rider with completely natural operation at all speeds. Maximizing the power characteristics of Yamaha’s crossplane-concept engine designs and sportiest ride modes, MT has been developed to amplify the fun of sports riding. And with the speed and precision of each shift more consistent than when using even the latest quickshifter, the excitement and adrenaline of the fast, slick gear changes in the sportiest of riding conditions is even more thrilling for the rider.
Using the fully automatic transmission (AT), riders can choose between two programs to suit different riding scenarios – easily switchable at any time via the press of a dedicated thumb operated ‘mode’ button.
Those looking for a spirited ride on the open road can opt for ‘D+’, which offers a sporty gear change by shifting later in the rev range to maintain the thrill of the ride while still offering the benefits of a fully automatic transmission.
Riders commuting or putting in long distances on the motorways can opt for ‘D’ mode, which delivers a softer gear shift experience, while maintaining a low rpm, to maximize rider confidence during low speed, urban riding and maneuverability.
While in AT, the rider can also choose to shift manually at any time by simply using the see-saw shift levers.
In all cases, Y-AMT delivers consistently linear shifts, allowing riders to focus on their body position, cornering, braking and acceleration, whether riding in the city or on the open road.
RESEARCH DRIVEN NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Yamaha has previously been at the forefront of automatic shifting on motorcycles, developing the YCC-S (Yamaha Chip Controlled Shift) system for the FJR1300 sports tourer almost two decades ago. YCC-S featured an automatic hydraulic clutch actuation system which allowed the rider to change gears manually using a finger operated gear lever.
In many ways, YCC-S was ahead of its time, and now as a result of Yamaha’s technological development, Y-AMT is set to change the face of sports riding.
The Y-AMT system is the most sporting solution in the two wheeled sector, providing an innovative alternative for the next generation of motorcyclists who crave the exhilaration and performance of a manual gearbox, while gaining the convenience of a fully automatic transmission.
Unlike the hydraulically actuated YCC-S system, Y-AMT utilizes two electric actuators to take on the functions traditionally carried out by the rider’s left hand and foot. The system weighs in at only 2.8 kg (6.2 pounds) and has been designed to allow for a slim and lightweight installation, ensuring Yamaha’s famed compact chassis design philosophy is intact with the engine no wider, retaining the light feeling of a conventional motorcycle and preserving the machine’s handling or performance.
Working in conjunction with Yamaha’s ‘ride-by-wire’ throttle control system (YCC-T), switchable ride modes and cruise control functions, a Y-AMT equipped motorcycle can be configured for all kinds of riding.
Where previous similar transmissions for motorcycles have typically been aimed at touring applications, Y-AMT has been developed to enhance the purity of sports riding, allowing the rider to better focus on the more thrilling aspects of the ride.
BORN FROM JIN-KI KANNO
Y-AMT perfectly exemplifies the rider-machine relationship emphasized by Yamaha’s Jin-Ki Kanno philosophy, providing a fun and new riding experience whatever the riding conditions, road or purpose of the journey.
Y-AMT equipped motorcycles will mark a shift in the perception of how motorcycles are ridden, resulting in an even more engaged riding experience and delivering Kando, a Japanese word expressing the feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement experienced when encountering a product of exceptional value, quality and performance.
Yamaha will begin introducing Y-AMT to a range of models in the near future, bringing this innovation to sport riding, touring and commuting.
TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Manual shifting via finger-operated ‘see-saw’ switch
Two automatic shift modes: D+ (sportier gear change) and D
Automated clutch and gear shift actuated by electric motor
Torin Collins (71) will return to Canadian Superbike action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a.k.a. Mosport. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Collins tops CSBK test at Rocky Mountain Motorsports
Calgary, AB – The first official Bridgestone CSBK test at Rocky Mountain Motorsports concluded on Monday, with local star Torin Collins topping the timesheets at the private circuit just north of Calgary, Alberta.
Following a successful round three at Edmonton’s RAD Torque Raceway, the Canadian national series invited its competitors to make the trip to nearby Carstairs for a one-day test at RMM, with the goal of collecting data and information for a potential future race weekend.
The 18-turn, “chicane-layout” version of the track, featuring ten rights and eight lefts and numerous elevation changes, was popular with the pro paddock but described as a unique circuit with elements of various other tracks.
Collins – the most recent winner in the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike class – had prior experience at the venue located just north of his hometown in Calgary, and was the rider to beat all day as he topped every pro session aboard his Novalda Kawasaki.
The 18-year-old didn’t have to face all the same threats as this past weekend, as championship leader Ben Young, runner-up Sam Guerin, and former champion Alex Dumas were amongst the absences on Monday.
However, he did have to go up against 14-time champion Jordan Szoke, with the two exchanging fast laps throughout the afternoon. Collins would ultimately set the fastest motorcycle lap ever recorded in the final session, a time of 1:41.174, with Szoke going second-best and just 0.986 off the front in his first ever trip to RMM.
While Collins admittedly has slightly more track time at the venue than most of the other riders in attendance, the rookie (who’s currently racing full-time in MotoAmerica) had nothing but good things to say about the day.
Jordan Szoke (101) claimed the second fastest lap at RMM during Monday’s test day – slightly faster than the previous lap record at the circuit north of Calgary. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
“It’s a fun track. It would be interesting for racing, it has some tight sections but I think there’s a lot of spots to pass still, and the asphalt is really good,” Collins said. “There would be some really fun races if CSBK came here. It’s physical, so it might be a bit of a tough race and the pace might drop off a bit, but I think it would be really cool.”
Despite lacking the experience of his younger counterpart at RMM, Szoke worked his way down to a very competitive time by the end of the day, going slightly faster than Collins’ previous unofficial lap record was at the start of the day.
The CKM Kawasaki rider opened up a near 1.5 second gap to the rest of the field, with Sebastien Tremblay going third-fastest on the day. The Turcotte Performance Suzukl rider was the lead Sport Bike rider on the day and very competitive with the Superbike field, a good launching point for a potential middleweight round in the future.
Home rider Philip DeGama-Blanchet was fourth and only marginally behind Tremblay for top honours in the Sport Bike ranks, posting a time of 1:44.360 aboard his Vass Performance Kawasaki.
Last year’s Sport Bike championship runner-up Matt Simpson turned in an excellent effort for PMR/Vass Performance BMW, going fifth-fastest with a time of 1:45.837 in just his first ever day riding a Superbike machine, filling in for Paul Macdonell.
As for the most recent Sport Bike winner, teenager Andrew Van Winkle was sixth-fastest for FD Racing Suzuki, only 0.129 seconds behind Simpson for a spot in the top-five.
Pro Rookie of the Year frontrunner Connor Campbell was seventh on the day, putting in a number of late improvements for B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki to put himself just 0.020 seconds clear of fellow star rookie Mavrick Cyr aboard the Economy Lube Ducati.
Photos and times from the official test can be found on the series’ official website.
Rob Hall (270), Alex McLean (122), Christopher Spargo (19), and Dave Roper (7) at the start of an AHRMA Vintage Cup race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Craig Chawla, courtesy AHRMA.
Hall sweeps AHRMA 2024 Vintage Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park
(Knoxville, TN) Old bikes plus new pavement added up to fast and exciting racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Rounds 10 and 11 of AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup series, which highlights its 350 GP class, were held June 22 and 23, at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ as part of the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series.
Rob Hall, aboard a 1965 AJS 7R won both days while a veritable talent show of bikes and racers tried to chase him down.
“An old racer friend used to say to me, ‘It’s gonna be hot and hazy, fast and crazy.’ Going into the 350GP Vintage Cup at NJMP this past weekend was no exception. With temps in the mid-90s and new, black tarmac, we had some heavyweights heading into quite a heated points battle under the sun,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup features the 350 GP class which includes 350cc four-stroke and 250cc two-stroke powered machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include bikes such as the AJS 7R “Boy Racer”, 350 Manx Norton, Benelli 350-Four, Aermacchi 350 Road Racer, Yamaha TD2, and more.
In Saturday’s race Alex McLean, on Rob McKeever’s 1967 Drixton-framed Aermacchi took the hole shot into turn one with Hall in second. Hall overtook McLean in turn four, and was able to maintain and increase his lead, taking the checkered flag unchallenged. McLean was second, with Christopher Spargo, who was aboard a two-stroke 1967 Yamaha TD2, third.
The balance of the grid in order of finish included: David Roper riding a Team Obsolete John Surtees Special 1960 AJS 7R, Vincent Barbone on a 1967 Kawasaki A1, and Brian Larrabure on 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro.
On Sunday, McLean repeated his strong start and led into the first turn with Hall in close pursuit. Hall passed McLean halfway through lap one but was unable to increase his lead. McLean overtook Hall at the end of the front straight, leading into turn one but Hall again took the lead on lap two. Hall increased his lead to take the win unchallenged with McLean second and Spargo third.
The rest of the racers, in order of finish, was Larrabure, Borbone, and Roper riding his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT.
“Rob Hall has really gelled with the Seeley, and Alex McLean knows how to get that Drixton through the corners, while Chris Spargo is always threatening on that peaky Yamaha, so it was anyone’s race to lose this weekend,” Cummings said. “Hall managed the double and thus cemented him as the guy to beat now that we’re midway through this exciting 2024 season.”
Greg Tomlinson, 2024 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees said, “I’m stoked at the bikes that are on the track for our Vintage Cup this year and double-stoked that we have some super-fast racers who can really show them off.”
Rounds 12 and 13 of the AHRMA National Road Race Series will be July 19-20 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA.
“We’ll be enjoying the California sun next at Laguna Seca. I’m anxious to see how this points chase unfolds as the season progresses,” Cummings said.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race will be reported in RoadracingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
3 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
4 – 7 David Roper, John Surtees Special 1960 AJS 7R, Hicksville, NY
5 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1967 Kawasaki A1, Hampstead, NH
6 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro, Calabasas, CA
Sunday, June 23, 2024
1 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
2 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
3 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
4 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro, Calabasas, CA
5 – 860 Vincent Borbone, 1967 Kawasaki A1, Hampstead, NH
6 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage 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.
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as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
