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.
Cameron Beaubier to make MotoAmerica racing return at “The Ridge” this weekend
Tytlers Cycle Racing is pleased to announce the racing return of Cameron Beaubier.
Beaubier, who missed the most recent round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship in Brainerd after sustaining a heel injury at Road America, will be back on the grid this weekend as the season hits the halfway mark.
Beaubier, who won the opening round of this year’s series, had been a front runner until his race one crash in Wisconsin.
The team wishes to thank Troy Herfoss and Indian Motorcycles for stepping in last time out. Herfoss will be present at “The Ridge” to compete in the Super Hooligan category and will be on standby if needed.
Cameron Beaubier: “Recovery has been going pretty good on my heel and I am looking forward to giving it a go with the team at ‘The Ridge’ this weekend. The championship is pretty tight up top and so it would be nice to put some points on the board.”
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “This must be the easiest quote I have ever been asked to give. Cam is going to be back on the bike! Troy will be at ‘The Ridge’ to race Super Hooligan and will be on standby. We are incredibly grateful to Indian Motorcycles and Troy for helping us out. We cannot wait to see Cam back on track this coming weekend.”
The McGinley Clinic Partners with the US Motorcycle Coaching Association
Wildomar, California — The US Motorcycle Coaching Association is excited to announce its partnership with The McGinley Clinic. “We are passionate about patient education and helping our patients get back to their sports as quickly as possible. We believe this partnership with the USMCA is a great opportunity to educate coaches and riders about the latest technologies and minimally invasive treatments available for sports injuries,” said Dr. Joseph C. McGinley.
Throughout Dr. McGinley’s years as an amateur motocross racer and now a sports medicine interventional physician, he has witnessed firsthand the struggles riders have with Arm Pump. Traditionally, riders who suffer from severe Arm Pump have two options: an aggressive surgery that keeps them off the track for weeks, or as many athletes have sadly found, they must stop riding. With a background in mechanical engineering, Dr. McGinley analyzed the condition and sought to address the root cause. He developed a patented minimally invasive treatment, MVP Treatment or “McGinley Vascular Pressure Treatment”. A recent study of this same syndrome in the legs, looking at hundreds of his patients, showed the treatment was 87% effective in treating exertional compartment syndrome. Instead of weeks of recovery from surgery, Dr. McGinley treats riders with an outpatient procedure with minimal downtime. Other minimally invasive treatments offered at the Clinic include Stem Cells, PRP, Tenex Bone Spur removal, carpal tunnel and trigger finger release, and many other treatments for orthopedic issues.
“We believe this partnership is a great opportunity for us to provide more education and resources to our certified coaches and, in turn, help educate riders and provide them with information they need to make informed decisions,” said USMCA’s Executive Director, Lindsey Scheltema.
About the McGinley Clinic
For more information about The McGinley Clinic and its services, visit www.mcginleyclinic.com. Contact: Xerina Kahler, Marketing, The McGinley Clinic, Phone: 307-315-6403, Email: [email protected].
About the U.S. Motorcycle Coaching Association (USMCA)
USMCA is an association where riders and parents can connect to motorcycle coaches they can trust through the network, www.MotorcycleCoaching.org.
All USMCA Certified Coaches are required to adhere to a code of conduct, pass a background check and hold certifications in abuse prevention, CPR/First Aid, concussion protocol, heat illness & cardiac arrest training.
For more information on the USMCA or become a USMCA Certified Coach, visit www.USMCA.org.
Back with a bang: buckle up as MotoGP™ returns at Assen
75 years of history, 4.54km of awesome: the world’s most exciting sport arrives at the Cathedral
Monday, 24 June 2024
Image courtesy Dorna.
Have there ever been so many talking points created off track in such a short space of time? Despite three weekends off, MotoGP™ has been making headlines since the Mugello Test, when 6pm local time saw the first bombshell rider announcement of the season drop: Jorge Martin moves from Prima Pramac Racing to Aprilia Racing from 2025. That made it fairly clear who was going to be announced alongside reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati Lenovo Team, and sure enough it was confirmed not too long thereafter: Marc Marquez will move from Gresini Racing MotoGP™ to the factory team. We’ll leave the debate about whether that was the concrete plan before 6pm on Monday at Mugello to the rumour mill.
There was then a détente in the rush to win announcement roulette before KTM came out with their big reveal for 2025. The rumour of Enea Bastianini’s move from alongside Bagnaia to Austrian machinery was true. But the rumour of who would be his teammate had not even begun as KTM managed to keep their full line-up under wraps, and it was another bombshell: Maverick Viñales will join a newly orange Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad alongside the ‘Beast’.
Now, we know who will replace him at Aprilia: Marco Bezzecchi, moving from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The dominoes are falling into their own fascinating jigsaw, but that’s all 2025. This season, there remains a Championship to win. 13 Grands Prix, 13 Tissot Sprints and a maximum of 481 points still await the world’s most exciting sport in 2024 and we get back on track with a back-to-back line-up of two classics, starting with the TT Circuit Assen.
As MotoGP™ celebrates our 75th anniversary, Assen celebrates its 75th Grand Prix as it’s been on the calendar every year since 1949 barring one gap in 2020. But heritage isn’t a throwback at the Cathedral, it lives alongside what’s often one of the most spectacular race weekends of the season, and there’s even more to race for as everyone rolls out.
Bagnaia, winner of the last two and superfan of the venue, wants to rule both for the points and to make one as his 2025 teammate is confirmed. Martin, with only one Moto3™ win at the venue so far, wants to show even more. That the track doesn’t matter, that his speed and consistency are there. Maybe that his decisions for the future are backed by both. Marc Marquez, having somewhat made a point already, is still missing that Grand Prix win in 2024 too. Can he take that at Assen, one of Bagnaia’s most coveted top steps? With the three riders covered by 35 points, these two weekends are tantalising as the form book for Assen doesn’t much resemble that for Germany.
Then there’s Bastianini, only 57 off the top, and that could be less barring his adventures garnering attention from the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards at Le Mans and Barcelona, including his one-man insurrection there that dropped him outside the points. Mugello’s last lap, last corner move on Martin, however, shows what he’s got when the cards fall right. Viñales, meanwhile, is a master of Assen. His CV at the venue is one of the best on the grid and his form in 2024 strong. Can he get back into the podium fight and revive some COTA BatMav?
Teammate Aleix Espargaro has form at Assen too, including a podium last year as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) got done for track limits and the Aprilia was promoted. Espargaro has also pulled off that stunning two-for-one on Binder and now-teammate Jack Miller at the final chicane within recent memory. Binder, track limits aside, had podium pace too, and Miller – now on the market for 2025 – has fair form at Assen including his historic first MotoGP™ win in the rain in 2016.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), now confirmed in orange next season, will want to get back in the podium battle, and his teammate Augusto Fernandez will hope Assen – where he won his first Grand Prix, in Moto2™, and which is one of his favourite tracks – helps his luck to turn. After a much tougher run of late, Bezzecchi will be looking for a turnaround too. Last year here he won the Sprint to deny Bagnaia the chance at the double, and even if the eventual Champion took the spoils on Sunday, Bezzecchi wasn’t too far behind for an impressive podium.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, is quietly impressing as he keeps the upper hand on a fair few fellow GP23 riders, and he’ll want to continue doing that. Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) are looking to put a stop to it. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) is on his own mission, with the speed now there more often than not, but more points-paying finishes on the menu.
At Trackhouse Racing, the rumour mills remain full steam ahead, but Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez have to maximise the weekend regardless. Fernandez’ 2024 is showing flashes of what we’ve been waiting for since his promotion to the premier class, including that impressive Sprint lead a few races ago, but he’ll want more, and Oliveira wants to stamp some authority back on the dynamic.
Those rumour mills still abound at Honda, too. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) is now in the spotlight there, with the 2020 Champion seemingly a big piece of the remaining puzzle. Still, on track the mission remains simple: move forward. Teammate Luca Marini, already signed up and with no market stress, joins him in that, and likewise Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) on both counts. Meanwhile Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) is quietly impressing in the battle there, and he’s also a former Moto2™ winner at Assen.
At Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will be hoping Assen – where last year his speed was impressive – will help give their mission back to the front a boost, and his own record at the venue is a good one, too. He’s also out the shop window, head down and focused on the mission in hand. Alex Rins, meanwhile, remains on the hunt for more points in a difficult season as Yamaha look to rebuild into frontrunners, but reports from the Iwata marque’s recent test were very positive.
The headlines off track will keep us talking as we head into the weekend, but once the action starts we know Assen will grab the spotlight back for the stunning racing promised at the Cathedral. So don’t miss it, with the Championship poised for more twists, the rumour mill still going strong, and the longest-serving venue on the calendar primed to serve up another classic.
SHOWTIME
Saturday
Tissot Sprint: 15:00 (UTC +2)
Sunday
Grand Prix: 14:00 (UTC +2)
What’s happening at the #DutchGP
On Thursday afternoon, podcast Last On The Brakes welcomes Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Giannantonio at 15:05 (UTC +2).
The first Press Conference at 16:00 then hosts Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
The second line-up at 16:35 is Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
Moto2™: can Roberts close in on Garcia?
Following a lower-key Catalan GP, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) bounced back brilliantly at Mugello to claim a pole position and race win, seeing the American pick up his first 25-point haul since 2022. Roberts’ timely victory sees the #16 claw back valuable points on World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) after the Spaniard missed out on a rostrum finish for the first time since the Spanish GP. Garcia grabbed P4 at the chequered flag, as the Boscoscuro star heads to Assen holding a seven-point advantage in the overall standings. It’s tight at the top.
A third podium of 2024 was pocketed by Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) as the Spaniard pushed Roberts all the way in Italy, and after two no-scores in Le Mans and Barcelona, Gonzalez needed that P2. Having been just 0.067s away from the win, can he now build on his best finish of the season in the Netherlands?
Elsewhere, mixed fortunes came the way of the Speed Up Racing duo. The positive was Alonso Lopez finished P3, but Fermin Aldeguer’s tougher-than-many-expected season continued after he was caught up in an incident involving Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team). A second DNF in as many races sees the pre-season favourite needing results – and fast.
2023 Dutch TT winner Jake Dixon (CFMoto Aspar Team) likewise wants a lot more as we return to the venue in 2024. The Briton’s Catalan GP podium couldn’t be backed up with another promising result at Mugello, so the #96 will be hunting a repeat of his 2023 heroics this weekend. In that memorable outing, Dixon pipped Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) to the top step, and after a P5 in Italy, the Japanese star will be fancying a rostrum return too.
Can the Cathedral of Speed deliver another classic? And who’s coming out on top? We’ll find out on Sunday!
Moto3™: Veijer takes aim at Alonso
The current Moto3™ state of play can be summed up in two words: David Alonso. The CFMoto Aspar Team rider has racked up three consecutive wins as the Colombian’s early season march has now birthed five victories in seven races, with his lead up to a healthy 37 points as a trip to the Cathedral of Speed awaits.
This weekend though it’s a homecoming for Mugello runner-up Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The Dutchman arrives in Assen with three podiums in his last four outings, the other being a P4. Veijer, after Daniel Holgado’s (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) more difficult Italian GP, is now just 11 points off the Spaniard, who currently occupies P2 in the Championship. Does a second win of 2024 beckon on home turf for Veijer? Many thousands of fans will be hoping so, and he’ll do anything to deliver.
At Mugello, that long-awaited debut podium visit was secured by Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), while teammate Ivan Ortola will be hoping to respond after a crash on the final lap cost the Spaniard a top three finish. The latter is now 15 points adrift of Veijer as we approach the summer break. Can they close the gap near the top? And can anyone defeat Alonso?
Simply the Bez. Marco Bezzecchi with Aprilia Racing from 2025
ITALIAN DUO: BEZZECCHI WILL RIDE THE APRILIA RS-GP UNDER A MULTIPLE-YEAR CONTRACT
Marco Bezzecchi has signed a multiple-year contract to race with Aprilia Racing beginning from 2025. This is an important step for the manufacturer from Noale, with a full-time Italian rider once again in the top class, after Lorenzo Savadori’s MotoGP début in 2020.
The return of an Italian rider is a significant step for the Italian Team Aprilia Racing. The 2025 line-up will have Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín Almoguera as teammates, a duo ready to establish Aprilia at the top of the MotoGP standings.
From his 2022 MotoGP début, Marco has shown great talent and fierce determination, qualities which allowed him to achieve 3 wins, 9 podium finishes, and 4 pole positions, not to mention winning over the hearts of Italian fans.
MASSIMO RIVOLA
APRILIA RACING CEO
“Welcome aboard to one of the best Italian talents, who has demonstrated his worth from his début in the lower categories and especially last year in MotoGP, with outstanding performances and even breakaway victories. We can’t wait to embrace Bez in Noale; the Italian bike and Italian rider duo are extremely exciting, but even more so is the rider pair which will be formed with Jorge. We are really happy with our line-up for 2025, Martín and Bezzecchi were our first choices for their age, talent, grit, and determination. With them we can write a new and important chapter in the history of Aprilia Racing”.
Collins outduels Dumas for thrilling race two win at Edmonton
Edmonton, AB – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship produced another new GP Bikes Pro Superbike winner on Sunday, as wildcard Torin Collins came out on top of a thrilling battle with Alex Dumas in race two at RAD Torque Raceway.
The two young talents first had to fight through championship leader Ben Young, who got a terrific start from pole position and led for the opening four laps, but all the chaos kicked off on lap five as Young got a bad launch out of the final corner and was passed by both riders into turn one – including a brave move around the outside by Collins.
The pair would quickly break away from Young and begin their showdown, with Collins attempting a number of passes and Dumas slamming the door each time. It appeared as though Dumas may have secured the win after a brilliant move to put lapped traffic between himself and Collins late in the race, but Collins immediately reeled the 2021 champion back in with five laps to go.
The Calgary native would then make the decisive move one lap later, barging his way through on Dumas with an aggressive pass in turn 12 to take the lead and promptly stretching out a slight advantage, one he would hold the rest of the way en route to a spectacular maiden victory.
The win puts Collins firmly in the CSBK record books, becoming the third-youngest Pro Superbike winner in history at 18 years old and 347 days (ironically surpassing Dumas by eleven days), and becoming the second-fastest rider to win a feature class race after doing so in just his second start.
“I got a bad start again, but today I just didn’t want to waste any time so I put my head down right away and was able to get around Ben on the outside in turn one,” Collins said. “I didn’t know how I was going to get past Alex, he was just so strong everywhere, so I kind of just went for it. We did make a little bit of contact – I hope he’s not too upset about that – but rubbing is racing!”
The stunning victory also proved to be a historic one for Kawasaki, as the Novalda-sponsored rider handed the manufacturer their 75th all-time Superbike victory, despite piloting a privateer machine he normally only uses for testing.
As for his future in Canada, Collins wouldn’t rule out a return to the CSBK paddock, as he juggles his duties with Altus Suzuki in the MotoAmerica Supersport championship.
“Obviously my commitment is to the current MotoAmerica season, but if there’s no conflicts, I’m open to anything,” Collins admitted. “I knew this was a great series, but even still I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It’s a lot of fun and the grid is really strong, so I definitely won’t close any doors.”
As for Dumas, the newly-minted Economy Lube Ducati rider will be forced to leave Edmonton without a win, but his third and second-place finishes will still represent a fantastic return to the series after missing the opening two rounds.
“It was a fun race, I’m pretty happy with most of it. There was a bit of contact, for sure, but I knew Torin was faster than me in some spots so I had to defend hard,” Dumas said. “I really wanted the top step of the podium today, but I’m happy to be back in CSBK and I can’t thank Steve Moxey and Economy Lube enough for the opportunity.”
While it was an unusually quiet third-place finish for Young, the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider admitted that once he lost the lead he was content with avoiding any unnecessary drama between the two non-title contenders.
“Congrats to these two, they both rode unbelievably well and it’s nice to have another new winner in the series,” Young said. “We had some front-end issues yesterday that I thought were resolved, but then I lost a lot of drive and they both got by me. After that I knew they were really going to push the issue and race hard, so I just kept the championship in mind.”
Despite his worst result of the season, Young would manage his 12th consecutive podium (the fourth-longest streak of all-time) and exit Edmonton with a 34-point lead, a much higher total than the eleven-point gap he held coming into round three.
That advantage was aided by Jordan Szoke in fourth, who held off title challenger Sam Guerin in an exciting battle further back. The two both ran with Young for majority of the race, with Szoke even attempting a few daring passes on his old rival, but their late duel would prove to be insufficient for Guerin as he settled for fifth.
David MacKay put his race one crash behind him and finished a much-needed sixth on Sunday, retaining fourth overall in the championship as he continues to build momentum for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda.
Local star Brian Worsdall was seventh, battling with fellow Alberta native Philip DeGama-Blanchet before Worsdall separated himself late on for Mots Machining Honda.
DeGama-Blanchet would take eighth for Vass Performance Kawasaki and move into third in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year fight, albeit 31 points behind his close friend Collins, who takes over the award lead from Connor Campbell.
Collins’ victory will also help boost Kawasaki’s hopes in the Constructors Championship, cutting their deficit to 71 points behind leaders BMW and giving them a larger cushion over third-place Honda, who are also coming under fire from Ducati with the addition of Dumas to the mix.
The series will now get two full weeks of recovery before venturing east to Atlantic Motorsport Park, with round four getting underway in Nova Scotia, July 12-14.
Full results from Sunday’s action can be found on the series’ official website.
American racer Garrett Gerloff and his videographer Brad Schwartzrock recap the FIM Superbike World Championship event at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 26 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -00.703 second
3. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -00.955
4. James Ott (Hus), -1.520 seconds
5. Trent Lowe (Hon), -2.659
6. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -6.219
7. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -7.528
8. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -9.716
9. Aidan RoosEvans (Yam), -10.928
10. Tarren Santero (Hon), -11.012
11. Jared Lowe (Hon), -11.355
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -11.588
13. Evan Kelleher (KTM), -12.533
14. Landen Kawczak (KTM), -16.016
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM), -17.288
16. Olin Kissler (KTM), -19.949
17. Aidan Brown (Hon), -1 lap
18. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -21 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 32 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -0.086 second
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -4.683 seconds
4. Briar Bauman (KTM), -5.576
5. Davis Fisher (Ind), -8.223
6. Brandon Price (Yam), -9.549
7. Trevor Brunner (Ind), -10.292
8. Declan Bender (Ind), -10.293
9. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -13.707
10. Dalton Gauthier (Roy), -13.981
11. Dan Bromley (Hon), -20.109
12. Cameron Smith (KTM), -1 lap
13. Billy Ross (Kaw), -1 lap
14. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -1 lap
15. Wyatt Vaughan (Kaw), -1 lap
16. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap
17. Chad Cose (Ind), -2 laps
18. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -3 laps
19. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -26 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Robinson Defeats Daniels in Bridgeport Thriller
Brandon Robinson (44), Jared Mees (1), and Jarod VanDerKooi (20) lead the way early in the AFT Mission SuperTwins main event at the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile, in New Jersey. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2024) – Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) served up a timely reminder that remains a genuine contender for this season’s Grand National Championship with an inspired performance in the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile presented by Drag Specialties, Round 8 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And his victory at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, New Jersey, couldn’t have come under much more demanding circumstances, with Mission AFT SuperTwins title leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) breathing down his neck and desperate to fight through after charging his way forward the bottom of the top ten.
Earlier, Daniels had made quick work of a big swath of riders to slot ahead of Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) and into fourth. Meanwhile, Robinson was busy clearing off in front as Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) scraped it out for second.
Once Daniels worked past Vanderkooi, he and Mees prodded each other forward, closing the gap back to first position in the process. Mees would eventually fall off that chase, but Daniels would not. He successfully reeled in Robinson and then slung his Estenson Racing Yamaha into first with approximately half of the Main Event still to go.
However, in his bid to break free in first, Daniels ran wide, providing Robinson with a golden opportunity to reclaim the position. Daniels proceeded to stalk the Mission Roof Systems rider from that point forward, but his intended quarry had an answer for every late-race attempt to snatch away the win.
Robinson’s triumph saw him become the first rider to claim a third win this season just as it reached its halfway point. It also catapulted him ahead of Mees and into second in the points, some 14 back of title leader Daniels (170-156).
Robinson, who originally hails from nearby Oxford, Pennsylvania, said, “This is awesome. That’s the stuff dreams are made of right there. It’s just awesome to have my parents, my grandparents, my mother-in-law, my wife’s family, and all our friends here. That means the world to me. This win is my favorite right now. A super huge thank you to Jerry Stinchfield with Roof Systems and Juan Gonzalez at Mission Foods. Without those guys, this program wouldn’t be possible… Third win of the season? Let’s keep this ball rolling.”
Mees managed to hold off Bauman to earn the final spot on the podium despite still riding at less than 100% after getting beaten up in a mountain bike crash suffered a little over a week earlier.
Vanderkooi was a late-race DNF, allowing Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) to break into the top five.
He was followed by Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750) and Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke).
Tenth place went to Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), who added a second top-ten result to his stint with Royal Enfield after earning the squad its first premier-class podium last weekend.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
There was hardly a moment to catch a breath while witnessing the latest masterpiece of double defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) take shape under the lights of Bridgeport Speedway.
Returning to a venue where he finished outside the top five a year ago, Kopp once again looked more like an interested observer than a potential winner for a significant portion of the contest. While the Rick Ware Racing ace spent much of his race swapping position with Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) over third, last year’s winner, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), traded haymakers and handlebars with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) as they waged war for first.
But with two minutes remaining, Kopp turned up the heat and closed in on that fight. He then made his move to steal away the lead with less than a minute remaining and carried that momentum forward to a 0.703-second margin of victory over runner-up Drane.
The win was not only Kopp’s third in succession, it was the 20th of his Progressive AFT career, handing him sole possession of the all-time victory mark in the category.
He said, “That’s why we train through the week because that’s the hardest I’ve ever pushed on a flat track bike. I had a big moment when I was back in third watching Tom and Chase duke it out, and they were going at it. I thought I had no chance. I had a big moment and almost highsided. But this one is huge to come from that far back. Wow. Big thanks to my dad for always being there. This is an awesome one to get 20 career wins. And thanks to everyone behind me. This one means a lot to them and to me.”
Saathoff finished third less than a second off the win, while Ott and Lowe settled into fourth and fifth respectively after factoring into the podium mix until the waning stages of the race.
Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) registered his third finish of sixth or better, while Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), Hunter Bauer (No. 24 Vinson Construction/American Harley-Davidson Yamaha YZ450F), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
The rolling Kopp now boasts a commanding 33-point advantage over Saathoff (183-150) in his quest for an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles crown. Drane is another three points back in third with 147.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track completes its run of three Half-Miles in as many weeks with the fabled Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 29. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/lima-half-mile-87016 to secure your tickets today.
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile presented by Drag Specialties, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 29, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).
Young holds off Collins to win hectic race one at Edmonton
Edmonton, AB – Ben Young escaped with a crucial and dramatic victory at RAD Torque Raceway on Saturday, fending off Torin Collins in a last-lap duel at the third round of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship.
Young led the race from start-to-finish, grabbing the holeshot and gradually extending a comfortable advantage as the rest of the field battled behind him, but a charging Collins rapidly erased that gap in the final five laps as he chased a historic victory in his CSBK debut.
Collins got a poor start from second on the grid and slid to fourth behind Alex Dumas and Jordan Szoke, allowing Young to build up as much as a five-second advantage by the midway point, but Collins would eventually claw his way through Szoke and Dumas to find clean air and begin his hunt towards Young.
The 18-year-old Collins was carving away nearly a second-per-lap on Young before the championship leader stabilized things with three laps to go, but lapped traffic held Young up just enough to allow Collins to close within striking distance on the final lap.
The two would go side-by-side in the final few corners before Young slammed the door, escaping with the race one victory by just 0.4 seconds at the line.
It was a massive result for the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider, who almost doubled his championship lead from 15 points to 29 in his first race at RAD Torque Raceway.
“I knew it was going to be wicked pace, and I was kinda keeping an eye on Torin all weekend,” Young admitted. “But our Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW was working well enough that I knew I could put my head down and run a comfortable pace, so it’s nice to bring home the win in my first trip here.”
The win was also a monumental one for BMW as a manufacturer, as they score their 63rd career Superbike victory – equalling Suzuki’s mark for second all-time (and now just eleven behind Kawasaki for the feature class lead).
Opening lap Superbike race one action with Ben Young (1) leading the field at RAD Torque Raceway. Defending CSBK champion Young went on to lead every lap on his way to the win. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
As for Collins, the Novalda Kawasaki rookie put on quite the impressive showing in his wildcard debut, reeling in Young and nearly stealing a victory in his first ever Superbike race, a feat that would have put him alongside Dumas as the only riders to ever do so.
“I knew I was going to have to work really hard out there, but I got a bad start and then the bike just felt a little slow,” Collins said. “After the first couple laps I knew I had better pace though, so once I got by Alex I was lapping really well. Another lap or two would have been nice, but I’ll take second.”
Settling for third in his CSBK return was Dumas, who didn’t have as much of a challenge for his rival Young as he would have hoped. However, the Economy Lube Ducati rider remains confident that with some mechanical fixes he can close the gap on Sunday.
“First off, I have to thank Steve Moxey from Economy Lube, crew chief Scott Miller, and the whole team for the opportunity. A week ago I didn’t even know if we’d be here,” Dumas said. “I had some front chatter which was weird and made things really difficult, but we’ll do our homework tonight and get back up to the front tomorrow.”
Dumas extended his streak of having every career finish be on the podium, but by the finest of margins after Szoke nearly spoiled his return on the final lap.
The CKM Kawasaki veteran managed to stay with Dumas once Collins had made his way through the pair and wound up just three second off the victory, one of his closest efforts yet as he continues to work his way back from 2022 injuries.
Rounding out the top five was Sam Guérin, who ran a lonely race for the EFC Group BMW team as he ultimately couldn’t stick with the lead quartet. While still a solid result in his first trip to RAD Torque, it was a bitter one for the championship fight as Guérin slips to 29 points behind Young entering race two.
Local favourite Paul Macdonell earned a career-best sixth in his homecoming, charging through a late-race battle with former regional foes Brian Worsdall and Tosh Gable. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native made a great pass on Worsdall into turn one and held on the rest of the way aboard his PMR/Vass Performance BMW, moving him into fifth in the overall championship.
Edmonton Superbike Race One podium: Ben Young (center), Torin Collins (left), and Alex Dumas (right). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Worsdall would relinquish another position to 16-year-old Philip DeGama-Blanchet in the final laps, an excellent result for the rookie aboard his lesser-powered Vass Performance Kawasaki Sport Bike machine, though Worsdall held on for an impressive eighth for Mots Machining Honda.
Pro Rookie of the Year leader Connor Campbell made some late improvements to earn ninth, keeping him tied with Macdonell for fifth in the championship aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.
Jon Bullee would complete the top ten at his home circuit for Riverside Honda, holding off Bronti Verbeek in a late battle. Verbeek, notably the first female pro since Stacey Nesbitt in 2017, would settle for a strong eleventh for Jack Carter Powersports BMW.
Missing from the final order was David MacKay, who crashed out of sixth early in the race. The ODH Snow City Cycle Honda rider was reeling in Guérin for fifth when he fell in turn ten, though he’ll retain fourth in the championship entering Sunday.
While it was a difficult day for Guérin, his performance coupled with Young’s victory was enough to add a slight extension to BMW’s total in the Constructors Championship, though Kawasaki countered with an excellent day from Collins and Szoke.
BMW will hope for an even better day in race two as they try to build upon their dominant 82-point advantage, while Kawasaki tries to hold off Honda, Suzuki, and Ducati for second.
Race two of the feature class is scheduled to get underway at roughly 3 pm local time (5 pm ET) on Sunday, with the full slate kicking off at 1 pm local time.
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.
Cameron Beaubier (6) as seen at Road America, before his crash. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Cameron Beaubier to make MotoAmerica racing return at “The Ridge” this weekend
Tytlers Cycle Racing is pleased to announce the racing return of Cameron Beaubier.
Beaubier, who missed the most recent round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship in Brainerd after sustaining a heel injury at Road America, will be back on the grid this weekend as the season hits the halfway mark.
Beaubier, who won the opening round of this year’s series, had been a front runner until his race one crash in Wisconsin.
The team wishes to thank Troy Herfoss and Indian Motorcycles for stepping in last time out. Herfoss will be present at “The Ridge” to compete in the Super Hooligan category and will be on standby if needed.
Cameron Beaubier: “Recovery has been going pretty good on my heel and I am looking forward to giving it a go with the team at ‘The Ridge’ this weekend. The championship is pretty tight up top and so it would be nice to put some points on the board.”
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “This must be the easiest quote I have ever been asked to give. Cam is going to be back on the bike! Troy will be at ‘The Ridge’ to race Super Hooligan and will be on standby. We are incredibly grateful to Indian Motorcycles and Troy for helping us out. We cannot wait to see Cam back on track this coming weekend.”
Dr. Joseph C. McGinley working on a patient at The McGinley Clinic. Photo courtesy USMCA.
The McGinley Clinic Partners with the US Motorcycle Coaching Association
Wildomar, California — The US Motorcycle Coaching Association is excited to announce its partnership with The McGinley Clinic. “We are passionate about patient education and helping our patients get back to their sports as quickly as possible. We believe this partnership with the USMCA is a great opportunity to educate coaches and riders about the latest technologies and minimally invasive treatments available for sports injuries,” said Dr. Joseph C. McGinley.
Throughout Dr. McGinley’s years as an amateur motocross racer and now a sports medicine interventional physician, he has witnessed firsthand the struggles riders have with Arm Pump. Traditionally, riders who suffer from severe Arm Pump have two options: an aggressive surgery that keeps them off the track for weeks, or as many athletes have sadly found, they must stop riding. With a background in mechanical engineering, Dr. McGinley analyzed the condition and sought to address the root cause. He developed a patented minimally invasive treatment, MVP Treatment or “McGinley Vascular Pressure Treatment”. A recent study of this same syndrome in the legs, looking at hundreds of his patients, showed the treatment was 87% effective in treating exertional compartment syndrome. Instead of weeks of recovery from surgery, Dr. McGinley treats riders with an outpatient procedure with minimal downtime. Other minimally invasive treatments offered at the Clinic include Stem Cells, PRP, Tenex Bone Spur removal, carpal tunnel and trigger finger release, and many other treatments for orthopedic issues.
“We believe this partnership is a great opportunity for us to provide more education and resources to our certified coaches and, in turn, help educate riders and provide them with information they need to make informed decisions,” said USMCA’s Executive Director, Lindsey Scheltema.
About the McGinley Clinic
For more information about The McGinley Clinic and its services, visit www.mcginleyclinic.com. Contact: Xerina Kahler, Marketing, The McGinley Clinic, Phone: 307-315-6403, Email: [email protected].
About the U.S. Motorcycle Coaching Association (USMCA)
USMCA is an association where riders and parents can connect to motorcycle coaches they can trust through the network, www.MotorcycleCoaching.org.
All USMCA Certified Coaches are required to adhere to a code of conduct, pass a background check and hold certifications in abuse prevention, CPR/First Aid, concussion protocol, heat illness & cardiac arrest training.
For more information on the USMCA or become a USMCA Certified Coach, visit www.USMCA.org.
The start of the MotoGP race at Assen in 2023. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Back with a bang: buckle up as MotoGP™ returns at Assen
75 years of history, 4.54km of awesome: the world’s most exciting sport arrives at the Cathedral
Monday, 24 June 2024
Image courtesy Dorna.
Have there ever been so many talking points created off track in such a short space of time? Despite three weekends off, MotoGP™ has been making headlines since the Mugello Test, when 6pm local time saw the first bombshell rider announcement of the season drop: Jorge Martin moves from Prima Pramac Racing to Aprilia Racing from 2025. That made it fairly clear who was going to be announced alongside reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati Lenovo Team, and sure enough it was confirmed not too long thereafter: Marc Marquez will move from Gresini Racing MotoGP™ to the factory team. We’ll leave the debate about whether that was the concrete plan before 6pm on Monday at Mugello to the rumour mill.
There was then a détente in the rush to win announcement roulette before KTM came out with their big reveal for 2025. The rumour of Enea Bastianini’s move from alongside Bagnaia to Austrian machinery was true. But the rumour of who would be his teammate had not even begun as KTM managed to keep their full line-up under wraps, and it was another bombshell: Maverick Viñales will join a newly orange Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad alongside the ‘Beast’.
Now, we know who will replace him at Aprilia: Marco Bezzecchi, moving from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The dominoes are falling into their own fascinating jigsaw, but that’s all 2025. This season, there remains a Championship to win. 13 Grands Prix, 13 Tissot Sprints and a maximum of 481 points still await the world’s most exciting sport in 2024 and we get back on track with a back-to-back line-up of two classics, starting with the TT Circuit Assen.
As MotoGP™ celebrates our 75th anniversary, Assen celebrates its 75th Grand Prix as it’s been on the calendar every year since 1949 barring one gap in 2020. But heritage isn’t a throwback at the Cathedral, it lives alongside what’s often one of the most spectacular race weekends of the season, and there’s even more to race for as everyone rolls out.
Bagnaia, winner of the last two and superfan of the venue, wants to rule both for the points and to make one as his 2025 teammate is confirmed. Martin, with only one Moto3™ win at the venue so far, wants to show even more. That the track doesn’t matter, that his speed and consistency are there. Maybe that his decisions for the future are backed by both. Marc Marquez, having somewhat made a point already, is still missing that Grand Prix win in 2024 too. Can he take that at Assen, one of Bagnaia’s most coveted top steps? With the three riders covered by 35 points, these two weekends are tantalising as the form book for Assen doesn’t much resemble that for Germany.
Then there’s Bastianini, only 57 off the top, and that could be less barring his adventures garnering attention from the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards at Le Mans and Barcelona, including his one-man insurrection there that dropped him outside the points. Mugello’s last lap, last corner move on Martin, however, shows what he’s got when the cards fall right. Viñales, meanwhile, is a master of Assen. His CV at the venue is one of the best on the grid and his form in 2024 strong. Can he get back into the podium fight and revive some COTA BatMav?
Teammate Aleix Espargaro has form at Assen too, including a podium last year as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) got done for track limits and the Aprilia was promoted. Espargaro has also pulled off that stunning two-for-one on Binder and now-teammate Jack Miller at the final chicane within recent memory. Binder, track limits aside, had podium pace too, and Miller – now on the market for 2025 – has fair form at Assen including his historic first MotoGP™ win in the rain in 2016.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), now confirmed in orange next season, will want to get back in the podium battle, and his teammate Augusto Fernandez will hope Assen – where he won his first Grand Prix, in Moto2™, and which is one of his favourite tracks – helps his luck to turn. After a much tougher run of late, Bezzecchi will be looking for a turnaround too. Last year here he won the Sprint to deny Bagnaia the chance at the double, and even if the eventual Champion took the spoils on Sunday, Bezzecchi wasn’t too far behind for an impressive podium.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, is quietly impressing as he keeps the upper hand on a fair few fellow GP23 riders, and he’ll want to continue doing that. Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) are looking to put a stop to it. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) is on his own mission, with the speed now there more often than not, but more points-paying finishes on the menu.
At Trackhouse Racing, the rumour mills remain full steam ahead, but Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez have to maximise the weekend regardless. Fernandez’ 2024 is showing flashes of what we’ve been waiting for since his promotion to the premier class, including that impressive Sprint lead a few races ago, but he’ll want more, and Oliveira wants to stamp some authority back on the dynamic.
Those rumour mills still abound at Honda, too. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) is now in the spotlight there, with the 2020 Champion seemingly a big piece of the remaining puzzle. Still, on track the mission remains simple: move forward. Teammate Luca Marini, already signed up and with no market stress, joins him in that, and likewise Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) on both counts. Meanwhile Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) is quietly impressing in the battle there, and he’s also a former Moto2™ winner at Assen.
At Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will be hoping Assen – where last year his speed was impressive – will help give their mission back to the front a boost, and his own record at the venue is a good one, too. He’s also out the shop window, head down and focused on the mission in hand. Alex Rins, meanwhile, remains on the hunt for more points in a difficult season as Yamaha look to rebuild into frontrunners, but reports from the Iwata marque’s recent test were very positive.
The headlines off track will keep us talking as we head into the weekend, but once the action starts we know Assen will grab the spotlight back for the stunning racing promised at the Cathedral. So don’t miss it, with the Championship poised for more twists, the rumour mill still going strong, and the longest-serving venue on the calendar primed to serve up another classic.
SHOWTIME
Saturday
Tissot Sprint: 15:00 (UTC +2)
Sunday
Grand Prix: 14:00 (UTC +2)
What’s happening at the #DutchGP
On Thursday afternoon, podcast Last On The Brakes welcomes Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Giannantonio at 15:05 (UTC +2).
The first Press Conference at 16:00 then hosts Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
The second line-up at 16:35 is Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
Moto2™: can Roberts close in on Garcia?
Following a lower-key Catalan GP, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) bounced back brilliantly at Mugello to claim a pole position and race win, seeing the American pick up his first 25-point haul since 2022. Roberts’ timely victory sees the #16 claw back valuable points on World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) after the Spaniard missed out on a rostrum finish for the first time since the Spanish GP. Garcia grabbed P4 at the chequered flag, as the Boscoscuro star heads to Assen holding a seven-point advantage in the overall standings. It’s tight at the top.
A third podium of 2024 was pocketed by Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) as the Spaniard pushed Roberts all the way in Italy, and after two no-scores in Le Mans and Barcelona, Gonzalez needed that P2. Having been just 0.067s away from the win, can he now build on his best finish of the season in the Netherlands?
Elsewhere, mixed fortunes came the way of the Speed Up Racing duo. The positive was Alonso Lopez finished P3, but Fermin Aldeguer’s tougher-than-many-expected season continued after he was caught up in an incident involving Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team). A second DNF in as many races sees the pre-season favourite needing results – and fast.
2023 Dutch TT winner Jake Dixon (CFMoto Aspar Team) likewise wants a lot more as we return to the venue in 2024. The Briton’s Catalan GP podium couldn’t be backed up with another promising result at Mugello, so the #96 will be hunting a repeat of his 2023 heroics this weekend. In that memorable outing, Dixon pipped Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) to the top step, and after a P5 in Italy, the Japanese star will be fancying a rostrum return too.
Can the Cathedral of Speed deliver another classic? And who’s coming out on top? We’ll find out on Sunday!
Moto3™: Veijer takes aim at Alonso
The current Moto3™ state of play can be summed up in two words: David Alonso. The CFMoto Aspar Team rider has racked up three consecutive wins as the Colombian’s early season march has now birthed five victories in seven races, with his lead up to a healthy 37 points as a trip to the Cathedral of Speed awaits.
This weekend though it’s a homecoming for Mugello runner-up Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The Dutchman arrives in Assen with three podiums in his last four outings, the other being a P4. Veijer, after Daniel Holgado’s (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) more difficult Italian GP, is now just 11 points off the Spaniard, who currently occupies P2 in the Championship. Does a second win of 2024 beckon on home turf for Veijer? Many thousands of fans will be hoping so, and he’ll do anything to deliver.
At Mugello, that long-awaited debut podium visit was secured by Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), while teammate Ivan Ortola will be hoping to respond after a crash on the final lap cost the Spaniard a top three finish. The latter is now 15 points adrift of Veijer as we approach the summer break. Can they close the gap near the top? And can anyone defeat Alonso?
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola (left) and Marco Bezzecchi (right). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Simply the Bez. Marco Bezzecchi with Aprilia Racing from 2025
ITALIAN DUO: BEZZECCHI WILL RIDE THE APRILIA RS-GP UNDER A MULTIPLE-YEAR CONTRACT
Marco Bezzecchi has signed a multiple-year contract to race with Aprilia Racing beginning from 2025. This is an important step for the manufacturer from Noale, with a full-time Italian rider once again in the top class, after Lorenzo Savadori’s MotoGP début in 2020.
The return of an Italian rider is a significant step for the Italian Team Aprilia Racing. The 2025 line-up will have Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín Almoguera as teammates, a duo ready to establish Aprilia at the top of the MotoGP standings.
From his 2022 MotoGP début, Marco has shown great talent and fierce determination, qualities which allowed him to achieve 3 wins, 9 podium finishes, and 4 pole positions, not to mention winning over the hearts of Italian fans.
MASSIMO RIVOLA
APRILIA RACING CEO
“Welcome aboard to one of the best Italian talents, who has demonstrated his worth from his début in the lower categories and especially last year in MotoGP, with outstanding performances and even breakaway victories. We can’t wait to embrace Bez in Noale; the Italian bike and Italian rider duo are extremely exciting, but even more so is the rider pair which will be formed with Jorge. We are really happy with our line-up for 2025, Martín and Bezzecchi were our first choices for their age, talent, grit, and determination. With them we can write a new and important chapter in the history of Aprilia Racing”.
Polesitter Ben Young (1) leads the GP Bikes Pro Superbike field into Turn One Sunday during Round Three action at RAD Torque Raceway near Edmonton, AB.
Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Collins outduels Dumas for thrilling race two win at Edmonton
Edmonton, AB – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship produced another new GP Bikes Pro Superbike winner on Sunday, as wildcard Torin Collins came out on top of a thrilling battle with Alex Dumas in race two at RAD Torque Raceway.
The two young talents first had to fight through championship leader Ben Young, who got a terrific start from pole position and led for the opening four laps, but all the chaos kicked off on lap five as Young got a bad launch out of the final corner and was passed by both riders into turn one – including a brave move around the outside by Collins.
The pair would quickly break away from Young and begin their showdown, with Collins attempting a number of passes and Dumas slamming the door each time. It appeared as though Dumas may have secured the win after a brilliant move to put lapped traffic between himself and Collins late in the race, but Collins immediately reeled the 2021 champion back in with five laps to go.
The Calgary native would then make the decisive move one lap later, barging his way through on Dumas with an aggressive pass in turn 12 to take the lead and promptly stretching out a slight advantage, one he would hold the rest of the way en route to a spectacular maiden victory.
The win puts Collins firmly in the CSBK record books, becoming the third-youngest Pro Superbike winner in history at 18 years old and 347 days (ironically surpassing Dumas by eleven days), and becoming the second-fastest rider to win a feature class race after doing so in just his second start.
“I got a bad start again, but today I just didn’t want to waste any time so I put my head down right away and was able to get around Ben on the outside in turn one,” Collins said. “I didn’t know how I was going to get past Alex, he was just so strong everywhere, so I kind of just went for it. We did make a little bit of contact – I hope he’s not too upset about that – but rubbing is racing!”
The stunning victory also proved to be a historic one for Kawasaki, as the Novalda-sponsored rider handed the manufacturer their 75th all-time Superbike victory, despite piloting a privateer machine he normally only uses for testing.
As for his future in Canada, Collins wouldn’t rule out a return to the CSBK paddock, as he juggles his duties with Altus Suzuki in the MotoAmerica Supersport championship.
“Obviously my commitment is to the current MotoAmerica season, but if there’s no conflicts, I’m open to anything,” Collins admitted. “I knew this was a great series, but even still I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It’s a lot of fun and the grid is really strong, so I definitely won’t close any doors.”
As for Dumas, the newly-minted Economy Lube Ducati rider will be forced to leave Edmonton without a win, but his third and second-place finishes will still represent a fantastic return to the series after missing the opening two rounds.
“It was a fun race, I’m pretty happy with most of it. There was a bit of contact, for sure, but I knew Torin was faster than me in some spots so I had to defend hard,” Dumas said. “I really wanted the top step of the podium today, but I’m happy to be back in CSBK and I can’t thank Steve Moxey and Economy Lube enough for the opportunity.”
While it was an unusually quiet third-place finish for Young, the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider admitted that once he lost the lead he was content with avoiding any unnecessary drama between the two non-title contenders.
“Congrats to these two, they both rode unbelievably well and it’s nice to have another new winner in the series,” Young said. “We had some front-end issues yesterday that I thought were resolved, but then I lost a lot of drive and they both got by me. After that I knew they were really going to push the issue and race hard, so I just kept the championship in mind.”
Despite his worst result of the season, Young would manage his 12th consecutive podium (the fourth-longest streak of all-time) and exit Edmonton with a 34-point lead, a much higher total than the eleven-point gap he held coming into round three.
That advantage was aided by Jordan Szoke in fourth, who held off title challenger Sam Guerin in an exciting battle further back. The two both ran with Young for majority of the race, with Szoke even attempting a few daring passes on his old rival, but their late duel would prove to be insufficient for Guerin as he settled for fifth.
David MacKay put his race one crash behind him and finished a much-needed sixth on Sunday, retaining fourth overall in the championship as he continues to build momentum for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda.
Local star Brian Worsdall was seventh, battling with fellow Alberta native Philip DeGama-Blanchet before Worsdall separated himself late on for Mots Machining Honda.
DeGama-Blanchet would take eighth for Vass Performance Kawasaki and move into third in the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year fight, albeit 31 points behind his close friend Collins, who takes over the award lead from Connor Campbell.
Collins’ victory will also help boost Kawasaki’s hopes in the Constructors Championship, cutting their deficit to 71 points behind leaders BMW and giving them a larger cushion over third-place Honda, who are also coming under fire from Ducati with the addition of Dumas to the mix.
The series will now get two full weeks of recovery before venturing east to Atlantic Motorsport Park, with round four getting underway in Nova Scotia, July 12-14.
Full results from Sunday’s action can be found on the series’ official website.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
American racer Garrett Gerloff and his videographer Brad Schwartzrock recap the FIM Superbike World Championship event at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Brandon Robinson (44), Jared Mees (1), and Jarod VanDerKooi (20) lead the way early in the AFT Mission SuperTwins main event at the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile, in New Jersey. Photo courtesy AFT.
Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) Championship
Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile
Bridgeport Speedway
Swedesboro, New Jersey
June 22, 2024
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles AL Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 26 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -00.703 second
3. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -00.955
4. James Ott (Hus), -1.520 seconds
5. Trent Lowe (Hon), -2.659
6. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -6.219
7. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -7.528
8. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -9.716
9. Aidan RoosEvans (Yam), -10.928
10. Tarren Santero (Hon), -11.012
11. Jared Lowe (Hon), -11.355
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -11.588
13. Evan Kelleher (KTM), -12.533
14. Landen Kawczak (KTM), -16.016
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM), -17.288
16. Olin Kissler (KTM), -19.949
17. Aidan Brown (Hon), -1 lap
18. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -21 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 32 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -0.086 second
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -4.683 seconds
4. Briar Bauman (KTM), -5.576
5. Davis Fisher (Ind), -8.223
6. Brandon Price (Yam), -9.549
7. Trevor Brunner (Ind), -10.292
8. Declan Bender (Ind), -10.293
9. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -13.707
10. Dalton Gauthier (Roy), -13.981
11. Dan Bromley (Hon), -20.109
12. Cameron Smith (KTM), -1 lap
13. Billy Ross (Kaw), -1 lap
14. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -1 lap
15. Wyatt Vaughan (Kaw), -1 lap
16. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap
17. Chad Cose (Ind), -2 laps
18. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -3 laps
19. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -26 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Robinson Defeats Daniels in Bridgeport Thriller
Brandon Robinson (44), Jared Mees (1), and Jarod VanDerKooi (20) lead the way early in the AFT Mission SuperTwins main event at the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile, in New Jersey. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2024) – Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) served up a timely reminder that remains a genuine contender for this season’s Grand National Championship with an inspired performance in the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile presented by Drag Specialties, Round 8 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And his victory at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, New Jersey, couldn’t have come under much more demanding circumstances, with Mission AFT SuperTwins title leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) breathing down his neck and desperate to fight through after charging his way forward the bottom of the top ten.
Earlier, Daniels had made quick work of a big swath of riders to slot ahead of Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) and into fourth. Meanwhile, Robinson was busy clearing off in front as Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) scraped it out for second.
Once Daniels worked past Vanderkooi, he and Mees prodded each other forward, closing the gap back to first position in the process. Mees would eventually fall off that chase, but Daniels would not. He successfully reeled in Robinson and then slung his Estenson Racing Yamaha into first with approximately half of the Main Event still to go.
However, in his bid to break free in first, Daniels ran wide, providing Robinson with a golden opportunity to reclaim the position. Daniels proceeded to stalk the Mission Roof Systems rider from that point forward, but his intended quarry had an answer for every late-race attempt to snatch away the win.
Robinson’s triumph saw him become the first rider to claim a third win this season just as it reached its halfway point. It also catapulted him ahead of Mees and into second in the points, some 14 back of title leader Daniels (170-156).
Robinson, who originally hails from nearby Oxford, Pennsylvania, said, “This is awesome. That’s the stuff dreams are made of right there. It’s just awesome to have my parents, my grandparents, my mother-in-law, my wife’s family, and all our friends here. That means the world to me. This win is my favorite right now. A super huge thank you to Jerry Stinchfield with Roof Systems and Juan Gonzalez at Mission Foods. Without those guys, this program wouldn’t be possible… Third win of the season? Let’s keep this ball rolling.”
Mees managed to hold off Bauman to earn the final spot on the podium despite still riding at less than 100% after getting beaten up in a mountain bike crash suffered a little over a week earlier.
Vanderkooi was a late-race DNF, allowing Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) to break into the top five.
He was followed by Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750) and Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke).
Tenth place went to Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), who added a second top-ten result to his stint with Royal Enfield after earning the squad its first premier-class podium last weekend.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
There was hardly a moment to catch a breath while witnessing the latest masterpiece of double defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) take shape under the lights of Bridgeport Speedway.
Returning to a venue where he finished outside the top five a year ago, Kopp once again looked more like an interested observer than a potential winner for a significant portion of the contest. While the Rick Ware Racing ace spent much of his race swapping position with Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) over third, last year’s winner, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), traded haymakers and handlebars with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) as they waged war for first.
But with two minutes remaining, Kopp turned up the heat and closed in on that fight. He then made his move to steal away the lead with less than a minute remaining and carried that momentum forward to a 0.703-second margin of victory over runner-up Drane.
The win was not only Kopp’s third in succession, it was the 20th of his Progressive AFT career, handing him sole possession of the all-time victory mark in the category.
He said, “That’s why we train through the week because that’s the hardest I’ve ever pushed on a flat track bike. I had a big moment when I was back in third watching Tom and Chase duke it out, and they were going at it. I thought I had no chance. I had a big moment and almost highsided. But this one is huge to come from that far back. Wow. Big thanks to my dad for always being there. This is an awesome one to get 20 career wins. And thanks to everyone behind me. This one means a lot to them and to me.”
Saathoff finished third less than a second off the win, while Ott and Lowe settled into fourth and fifth respectively after factoring into the podium mix until the waning stages of the race.
Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) registered his third finish of sixth or better, while Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), Hunter Bauer (No. 24 Vinson Construction/American Harley-Davidson Yamaha YZ450F), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
The rolling Kopp now boasts a commanding 33-point advantage over Saathoff (183-150) in his quest for an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles crown. Drane is another three points back in third with 147.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track completes its run of three Half-Miles in as many weeks with the fabled Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 29. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/lima-half-mile-87016 to secure your tickets today.
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Arai Bridgeport Half-Mile presented by Drag Specialties, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 29, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).
Last-lap Superbike action Saturday at RAD Torque Raceway saw Torin Collins (71) try multiple times to make a pass for the lead over victor Ben Young (1). Collins would finish second in his first CSBK race start. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Young holds off Collins to win hectic race one at Edmonton
Edmonton, AB – Ben Young escaped with a crucial and dramatic victory at RAD Torque Raceway on Saturday, fending off Torin Collins in a last-lap duel at the third round of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship.
Young led the race from start-to-finish, grabbing the holeshot and gradually extending a comfortable advantage as the rest of the field battled behind him, but a charging Collins rapidly erased that gap in the final five laps as he chased a historic victory in his CSBK debut.
Collins got a poor start from second on the grid and slid to fourth behind Alex Dumas and Jordan Szoke, allowing Young to build up as much as a five-second advantage by the midway point, but Collins would eventually claw his way through Szoke and Dumas to find clean air and begin his hunt towards Young.
The 18-year-old Collins was carving away nearly a second-per-lap on Young before the championship leader stabilized things with three laps to go, but lapped traffic held Young up just enough to allow Collins to close within striking distance on the final lap.
The two would go side-by-side in the final few corners before Young slammed the door, escaping with the race one victory by just 0.4 seconds at the line.
It was a massive result for the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider, who almost doubled his championship lead from 15 points to 29 in his first race at RAD Torque Raceway.
“I knew it was going to be wicked pace, and I was kinda keeping an eye on Torin all weekend,” Young admitted. “But our Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW was working well enough that I knew I could put my head down and run a comfortable pace, so it’s nice to bring home the win in my first trip here.”
The win was also a monumental one for BMW as a manufacturer, as they score their 63rd career Superbike victory – equalling Suzuki’s mark for second all-time (and now just eleven behind Kawasaki for the feature class lead).
Opening lap Superbike race one action with Ben Young (1) leading the field at RAD Torque Raceway. Defending CSBK champion Young went on to lead every lap on his way to the win. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
As for Collins, the Novalda Kawasaki rookie put on quite the impressive showing in his wildcard debut, reeling in Young and nearly stealing a victory in his first ever Superbike race, a feat that would have put him alongside Dumas as the only riders to ever do so.
“I knew I was going to have to work really hard out there, but I got a bad start and then the bike just felt a little slow,” Collins said. “After the first couple laps I knew I had better pace though, so once I got by Alex I was lapping really well. Another lap or two would have been nice, but I’ll take second.”
Settling for third in his CSBK return was Dumas, who didn’t have as much of a challenge for his rival Young as he would have hoped. However, the Economy Lube Ducati rider remains confident that with some mechanical fixes he can close the gap on Sunday.
“First off, I have to thank Steve Moxey from Economy Lube, crew chief Scott Miller, and the whole team for the opportunity. A week ago I didn’t even know if we’d be here,” Dumas said. “I had some front chatter which was weird and made things really difficult, but we’ll do our homework tonight and get back up to the front tomorrow.”
Dumas extended his streak of having every career finish be on the podium, but by the finest of margins after Szoke nearly spoiled his return on the final lap.
The CKM Kawasaki veteran managed to stay with Dumas once Collins had made his way through the pair and wound up just three second off the victory, one of his closest efforts yet as he continues to work his way back from 2022 injuries.
Rounding out the top five was Sam Guérin, who ran a lonely race for the EFC Group BMW team as he ultimately couldn’t stick with the lead quartet. While still a solid result in his first trip to RAD Torque, it was a bitter one for the championship fight as Guérin slips to 29 points behind Young entering race two.
Local favourite Paul Macdonell earned a career-best sixth in his homecoming, charging through a late-race battle with former regional foes Brian Worsdall and Tosh Gable. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native made a great pass on Worsdall into turn one and held on the rest of the way aboard his PMR/Vass Performance BMW, moving him into fifth in the overall championship.
Edmonton Superbike Race One podium: Ben Young (center), Torin Collins (left), and Alex Dumas (right). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Worsdall would relinquish another position to 16-year-old Philip DeGama-Blanchet in the final laps, an excellent result for the rookie aboard his lesser-powered Vass Performance Kawasaki Sport Bike machine, though Worsdall held on for an impressive eighth for Mots Machining Honda.
Pro Rookie of the Year leader Connor Campbell made some late improvements to earn ninth, keeping him tied with Macdonell for fifth in the championship aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.
Jon Bullee would complete the top ten at his home circuit for Riverside Honda, holding off Bronti Verbeek in a late battle. Verbeek, notably the first female pro since Stacey Nesbitt in 2017, would settle for a strong eleventh for Jack Carter Powersports BMW.
Missing from the final order was David MacKay, who crashed out of sixth early in the race. The ODH Snow City Cycle Honda rider was reeling in Guérin for fifth when he fell in turn ten, though he’ll retain fourth in the championship entering Sunday.
While it was a difficult day for Guérin, his performance coupled with Young’s victory was enough to add a slight extension to BMW’s total in the Constructors Championship, though Kawasaki countered with an excellent day from Collins and Szoke.
BMW will hope for an even better day in race two as they try to build upon their dominant 82-point advantage, while Kawasaki tries to hold off Honda, Suzuki, and Ducati for second.
Race two of the feature class is scheduled to get underway at roughly 3 pm local time (5 pm ET) on Sunday, with the full slate kicking off at 1 pm local time.
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To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
