Home Blog Page 480

World Supersport: Huertas Takes Pole Position At Cremona

Adrian Huertas topped FIM Supersport World Championship Superpole qualifying Friday afternoon at Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires around the 2.34-mile course, the current Championship point leader recorded a lap time of 1:31.478 to lead the field of 32 riders.

Stefano Manzi was second-best with a 1:31.776 on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6.

Yari Montella did a third-quickest 1:31.808 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise qualified ninth with a 1:32.439 on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha.

 

WSS SP Qual

Moto2: Arbolino P1, Roberts P5 Friday Afternoon At Misano

Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in Italy. On board his Pirelli-fitted Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex, the Italian navigated the 2.6-mile road course in 1:35.386, which was close to Aron Canet’s two-week-old All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.185.

Canet was the best of the rest in the afternoon with a 1:35.777 on his Fantic Racing Kalex.

Diogo Moreira did a third-fastest 1:35.795 on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.

Fermin Aldeguer was fourth with a 1:35.800 on his MB Conveyors SpeedUp Boscoscuro.

American Joe Roberts finished the session with a fifth-best 1:35.809 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

 

Moto2 FP2

WorldSBK: Alex Lowes Leads FP2 At Cremona

Alex Lowes led FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR on spec Pirelli tires, the Englishman covered the new 2.34-mile track in 1:29.685 to lead the field of 25 riders.

Fan favorite Danilo Petrucci was second-best with a 1:29.765 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Championship contender Nicolo Bulega was third with a 1:29.836 on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

American Garrett Gerloff was eighth overall and the top BMW rider on his Bonovo Action M 1000 RR.

 

WSBK FP2

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Cremona welcomes WorldSBK with Lowes fastest on Day 1

WorldSBK Free Practices

 

Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 

The Cremona Circuit became the 53rd venue for WorldSBK and the seventh different Italian venue to host the series
 
After overnight rain the opening day of action was one of contrasts. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) led the way in damp conditions before twin brother Alex (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) holding the advantage in FP2
 
Championship contender Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third fastest having completed 22 laps across both sessions. The Ducati rider is 55 points behind the championship standings so has the chance to leave Italy as the championship leader before the Aragon Round next weekend

 

Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 
With championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sidelined through injury it was Garrett Gerloff who ended the day as the fastest BMW rider. The Bonovo Action BMW rider crashed at Turn 7 during the early laps of FP2 but was fast throughout the 45 minute session. He ended the day one hundredth of a second faster than his teammate, Scott Redding, with Michael van der Mark tenth fastest following a crash in FP2
 
Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed 32 laps during the 90 minutes of track action. The Spaniard ended the day fourth fastest but his best lap of the day was deleted for yellow flag infringements. His fastest time would have left him second fastest

 

Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was second fastest but an on track clash with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) left both riders penalised three grid positions by the FIM Stewards
 
Yamaha unveiled their newly homologated YZF-R1 at Cremona. The new bike, complete with aerodynamic wings, was given its on track debut with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) ending the day 13th fastest

More on worldsbk.com

P1 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

“Honestly, I want to say congratulations to the circuit because they’ve done a fantastic job with all the work they’ve put in. It feels like a completely different circuit. They’ve improved the run-off in a few areas and the new grandstands around the track are great. I hope we can see a lot of fans filling those grandstands this weekend. Today was a positive day. We missed most of the first session due to the damp conditions. In the afternoon, in the dry, I was able to find my rhythm quickly and try a couple of the tyres we had from Pirelli. Overall, it was quite positive. I feel like my race pace should be okay. It’s the very first session of the weekend, and everybody will improve a lot. We don’t know this track that well, but I’m usually able to get down to competitive lap times quite quickly. I have a very good team; they really understand what I need from the bike, and I’m sure we can improve further for tomorrow. So, I expect to be strong.”

P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team

“It’s good to be here. There are already a lot of fans which is really great. I’m really happy about today. It’s quite a difficult track and today was my first time on a superbike here. I found myself in good shape, and the seating position on the bike feels pretty good. I started with a positive feeling. In the afternoon session compared the two race tyres. I think it will be really tough. Alex Lowes is a little faster than us, but we’ll try to stay close and aim for the win in this race.”

P3 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati

“I didn’t have a very good feeling on the bike today. I think my riding style isn’t suited to this circuit. I need to adapt because I have to do something different at this track. We have to work hard because we need to overcome some problems. I hope that tomorrow we can make some changes and have a better feeling from the start. I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike so it’s difficult to push. I feel like I’m at 80% but we have the potential to be much faster. I’m not thinking about the Championship right now. I just want to take it race by race, fight for the podium in every race, and then we’ll see where we are by the last race of the season.”

P4 | Tito Rabat | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing

“This was my best performance in practice during a race weekend. It’s a new track for us but we were able to test here three months ago. We’re in the same situation as the rest of the riders. The track is narrow and the camber works well for me. As a private team, we’re trying to adapt quickly. My crew chief and electronic engineer are working hard to understand all the information from Kawasaki. I’m trying to operate like an official team and get some help to make the step forward that the factory guys will make tomorrow.”

Moto3: Fernandez Fastest In FP2 At Misano

Adrian Fernandez was fastest in Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile road course in 1:41.071, which was just shy of his teammate Angel Piqueras’ Race Lap Record of 1:40.856.

 

Moto3 FP2

MotoGP: Marc Marquez Tops Opening Practice At Misano

Marc Marquez led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday morning at Misano II at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. On board his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici and Michelin control tires, the six-time MotoGP World Champion lapped the 2.6-mile track in 1:32.082.

Championship contender Jorge Martin was second with a 1:32.145 on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.

Martin’s teammate Franco Morbidelli was third with a 1:32.268.

Two-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was fourth at  1:32.373.

Maverick Vinales was fifth – and the top non-Ducati rider – with a 1:32.491 on his Aprilia RS-GP.

The top 14 riders in the session were covered by just 1.051 seconds.

 

MotoGP FP1

World Supersport: Huertas Heads FP1 At Cremona

Adrian Huertas led FIM Supersport World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at rainy Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the World Championship point leader lapped the 2.34-mile track in 1:32.607 to lead the field of 32 riders.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise was ninth with a time of 1:33.212 on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

 

WSS FP1

Moto2: Lopez Quickest In FP1 At Drying Misano

Alonso Lopez was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Pirelli-equipped MP Conveyors SpeedUp Boscoscuro on the drying 2.6-mile course, the Spaniard recorded a lap time of 1:39.682, which is about 3.5 seconds off race pace.

American Joe Roberts was 26th in the session with a 1:50.889 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

 

Moto2 FP1

WorldSBK: Sam Lowes Leads Wet FP1 At Cremona

Sam Lowes was fastest during FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at the Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Pirelli-shod Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4 R on the wet 2.34-mile track, Lowes did a 1:36.007.

Lowes’ identical twin brother Alex Lowes was second-best with a 1:37.765 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Michael Rinaldi did a third-quickest 1:38.941 on his Team Motocorsa Racing Ducati.

Only 11 riders the 25-entry field recorded a lap time during the wet session.

American Garrett Gerloff was one of the riders who chose to sit out the session.

 

WSBK FP1

Moto3: Piqueras P1 In Wet FP1 At Misano

Angel Piqueras was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice Friday morning at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda on the wet 2.6-mile track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:52.819 to lead the field of 26 riders.

 

Moto3 FP1

FBI Raids Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s IndyCar Shop (Updated)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) raided the 100,000-square-foot building that houses Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s IndyCar and IMSA shop in Zionsville, Indiana, on September 18, according to multiple media reports.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is co-owned by former Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, Indiana native and former late night TV talk show host David Letterman, and businessman Mike Lanigan. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing fields teams in the IndyCar and IMSA automobile racing series. Bobby Rahal’s son Graham drives for the team and also owns and operates the Rahal Ducati Moto team in the MotoAmerica series.

According to Rahal Ducati Moto spokesperson Britni Stewart, “We do not operate out of that building nor do we have any affiliation with RLL. We are owned and operated separately.”

The F.B.I. has not provided media outlets with the reason for the raid, but Racer.com reports that it may be linked to alleged theft of intellectual property from a rival team.

Read one of the articles about this HERE.

This story was updated with the statement from Rahal Ducati Moto.

World Supersport: Huertas Takes Pole Position At Cremona

Adrian Huertas (99). Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Adrian Huertas (99). Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

Adrian Huertas topped FIM Supersport World Championship Superpole qualifying Friday afternoon at Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires around the 2.34-mile course, the current Championship point leader recorded a lap time of 1:31.478 to lead the field of 32 riders.

Stefano Manzi was second-best with a 1:31.776 on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6.

Yari Montella did a third-quickest 1:31.808 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise qualified ninth with a 1:32.439 on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha.

 

WSS SP Qual

Moto2: Arbolino P1, Roberts P5 Friday Afternoon At Misano

Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.

Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in Italy. On board his Pirelli-fitted Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex, the Italian navigated the 2.6-mile road course in 1:35.386, which was close to Aron Canet’s two-week-old All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.185.

Canet was the best of the rest in the afternoon with a 1:35.777 on his Fantic Racing Kalex.

Diogo Moreira did a third-fastest 1:35.795 on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex.

Fermin Aldeguer was fourth with a 1:35.800 on his MB Conveyors SpeedUp Boscoscuro.

American Joe Roberts finished the session with a fifth-best 1:35.809 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

 

Moto2 FP2

WorldSBK: Alex Lowes Leads FP2 At Cremona

Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki Racing Team.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki Racing Team.

Alex Lowes led FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR on spec Pirelli tires, the Englishman covered the new 2.34-mile track in 1:29.685 to lead the field of 25 riders.

Fan favorite Danilo Petrucci was second-best with a 1:29.765 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Championship contender Nicolo Bulega was third with a 1:29.836 on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

American Garrett Gerloff was eighth overall and the top BMW rider on his Bonovo Action M 1000 RR.

 

WSBK FP2

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Cremona welcomes WorldSBK with Lowes fastest on Day 1

WorldSBK Free Practices

 

Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 

The Cremona Circuit became the 53rd venue for WorldSBK and the seventh different Italian venue to host the series
 
After overnight rain the opening day of action was one of contrasts. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) led the way in damp conditions before twin brother Alex (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) holding the advantage in FP2
 
Championship contender Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third fastest having completed 22 laps across both sessions. The Ducati rider is 55 points behind the championship standings so has the chance to leave Italy as the championship leader before the Aragon Round next weekend

 

Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 
With championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sidelined through injury it was Garrett Gerloff who ended the day as the fastest BMW rider. The Bonovo Action BMW rider crashed at Turn 7 during the early laps of FP2 but was fast throughout the 45 minute session. He ended the day one hundredth of a second faster than his teammate, Scott Redding, with Michael van der Mark tenth fastest following a crash in FP2
 
Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed 32 laps during the 90 minutes of track action. The Spaniard ended the day fourth fastest but his best lap of the day was deleted for yellow flag infringements. His fastest time would have left him second fastest

 

Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.

 
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was second fastest but an on track clash with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) left both riders penalised three grid positions by the FIM Stewards
 
Yamaha unveiled their newly homologated YZF-R1 at Cremona. The new bike, complete with aerodynamic wings, was given its on track debut with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) ending the day 13th fastest

More on worldsbk.com

P1 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

“Honestly, I want to say congratulations to the circuit because they’ve done a fantastic job with all the work they’ve put in. It feels like a completely different circuit. They’ve improved the run-off in a few areas and the new grandstands around the track are great. I hope we can see a lot of fans filling those grandstands this weekend. Today was a positive day. We missed most of the first session due to the damp conditions. In the afternoon, in the dry, I was able to find my rhythm quickly and try a couple of the tyres we had from Pirelli. Overall, it was quite positive. I feel like my race pace should be okay. It’s the very first session of the weekend, and everybody will improve a lot. We don’t know this track that well, but I’m usually able to get down to competitive lap times quite quickly. I have a very good team; they really understand what I need from the bike, and I’m sure we can improve further for tomorrow. So, I expect to be strong.”

P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team

“It’s good to be here. There are already a lot of fans which is really great. I’m really happy about today. It’s quite a difficult track and today was my first time on a superbike here. I found myself in good shape, and the seating position on the bike feels pretty good. I started with a positive feeling. In the afternoon session compared the two race tyres. I think it will be really tough. Alex Lowes is a little faster than us, but we’ll try to stay close and aim for the win in this race.”

P3 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati

“I didn’t have a very good feeling on the bike today. I think my riding style isn’t suited to this circuit. I need to adapt because I have to do something different at this track. We have to work hard because we need to overcome some problems. I hope that tomorrow we can make some changes and have a better feeling from the start. I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike so it’s difficult to push. I feel like I’m at 80% but we have the potential to be much faster. I’m not thinking about the Championship right now. I just want to take it race by race, fight for the podium in every race, and then we’ll see where we are by the last race of the season.”

P4 | Tito Rabat | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing

“This was my best performance in practice during a race weekend. It’s a new track for us but we were able to test here three months ago. We’re in the same situation as the rest of the riders. The track is narrow and the camber works well for me. As a private team, we’re trying to adapt quickly. My crew chief and electronic engineer are working hard to understand all the information from Kawasaki. I’m trying to operate like an official team and get some help to make the step forward that the factory guys will make tomorrow.”

Moto3: Fernandez Fastest In FP2 At Misano

Adrian Fernandez (31). Photo courtesy Leopard Racing Team.
Adrian Fernandez (31). Photo courtesy Leopard Racing Team.

Adrian Fernandez was fastest in Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile road course in 1:41.071, which was just shy of his teammate Angel Piqueras’ Race Lap Record of 1:40.856.

 

Moto3 FP2

MotoGP: Marc Marquez Tops Opening Practice At Misano

Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.

Marc Marquez led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday morning at Misano II at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. On board his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici and Michelin control tires, the six-time MotoGP World Champion lapped the 2.6-mile track in 1:32.082.

Championship contender Jorge Martin was second with a 1:32.145 on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.

Martin’s teammate Franco Morbidelli was third with a 1:32.268.

Two-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was fourth at  1:32.373.

Maverick Vinales was fifth – and the top non-Ducati rider – with a 1:32.491 on his Aprilia RS-GP.

The top 14 riders in the session were covered by just 1.051 seconds.

 

MotoGP FP1

World Supersport: Huertas Heads FP1 At Cremona

Adrian Huertas (99). Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Adrian Huertas (99), as seen earlier this season. Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.

Adrian Huertas led FIM Supersport World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at rainy Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2 on Pirelli control tires, the World Championship point leader lapped the 2.34-mile track in 1:32.607 to lead the field of 32 riders.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise was ninth with a time of 1:33.212 on his Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

 

WSS FP1

Moto2: Lopez Quickest In FP1 At Drying Misano

Alonso Lopez (21). Photo courtesy Team SpeedUp.
Alonso Lopez (21). Photo courtesy Team SpeedUp.

Alonso Lopez was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Pirelli-equipped MP Conveyors SpeedUp Boscoscuro on the drying 2.6-mile course, the Spaniard recorded a lap time of 1:39.682, which is about 3.5 seconds off race pace.

American Joe Roberts was 26th in the session with a 1:50.889 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

 

Moto2 FP1

WorldSBK: Sam Lowes Leads Wet FP1 At Cremona

Sam Lowes. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Sam Lowes. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.

Sam Lowes was fastest during FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at the Cremona Circuit, in Italy. Riding his Pirelli-shod Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4 R on the wet 2.34-mile track, Lowes did a 1:36.007.

Lowes’ identical twin brother Alex Lowes was second-best with a 1:37.765 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Michael Rinaldi did a third-quickest 1:38.941 on his Team Motocorsa Racing Ducati.

Only 11 riders the 25-entry field recorded a lap time during the wet session.

American Garrett Gerloff was one of the riders who chose to sit out the session.

 

WSBK FP1

Moto3: Piqueras P1 In Wet FP1 At Misano

Angel Piqueras (36). Photo courtesy Leopard Racing Team.
Angel Piqueras (36). Photo courtesy Leopard Racing Team.

Angel Piqueras was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice Friday morning at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda on the wet 2.6-mile track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:52.819 to lead the field of 26 riders.

 

Moto3 FP1

FBI Raids Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s IndyCar Shop (Updated)

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teams pose in front of their race shop in Zionsville, Indiana, in 2023. Photo courtesy Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teams pose in front of their race shop in Zionsville, Indiana, in 2023. Photo courtesy Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) raided the 100,000-square-foot building that houses Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s IndyCar and IMSA shop in Zionsville, Indiana, on September 18, according to multiple media reports.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is co-owned by former Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, Indiana native and former late night TV talk show host David Letterman, and businessman Mike Lanigan. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing fields teams in the IndyCar and IMSA automobile racing series. Bobby Rahal’s son Graham drives for the team and also owns and operates the Rahal Ducati Moto team in the MotoAmerica series.

According to Rahal Ducati Moto spokesperson Britni Stewart, “We do not operate out of that building nor do we have any affiliation with RLL. We are owned and operated separately.”

The F.B.I. has not provided media outlets with the reason for the raid, but Racer.com reports that it may be linked to alleged theft of intellectual property from a rival team.

Read one of the articles about this HERE.

This story was updated with the statement from Rahal Ducati Moto.