Ashton Yates, the son of former Pro Superbike racer Aaron Yates, won MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Riding his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop control tires, Yates took the lead early in the 14-lap race, withstood pressure all the way to the end, and held on to collect his career-first win in the class.
Jayson Uribe led early, dropped backwards, caught back up to Yates with the fastest lap of the race, but had to settle for the runner-up spot on his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim also had a complicated race that saw him slip all the way back to sixth, but he fought forward in the second half of the race to score third on his Real Steel Motorsports Honda.
Andrew Lee got fourth on his Motorsport Exotica BMW, and Danilo Lewis rounded out the top five on his Team Brazil BMW.
Adrian Huertas won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Donington Park, in England.
Yari Montella actually crossed the finish line first on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2, but the Italian exceeded track limits on the final lap and was demoted one finishing position.
This promoted Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Huertas from second to first place.
Montella was scored in second place.
Jorge Navarro placed third on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise got eighth on his Evan Bros. Yamaha YZF-R6.
Herrera just pips Carrasco to the WorldWCR Race 2 win
Race 2 Highlights:
Maria Herrera (6) held off Ana Carrasco (22) to win Race Two at Donington Park. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) and Sunday’s Race 1 victor Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) proved to be in a league of their own in Race 2 at Donington Park, with Herrera securing her third win in four races, just two tenths of a second ahead of a very combative Carrasco
From second on the grid, Herrera made a lightning start to take an early lead ahead of Carrasco. Soon breaking away from their closest rivals, the pair crossed the finish line almost twelve seconds ahead of the rest of the field
Fellow Spaniards Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) were embroiled in an exciting battle of their own for third, a duel that was ultimately won by Sara, with Beatriz closing just a fraction behind in fourth
Israeli rider Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Australian Tayla Relph (Tayco Motorsport) both brought home solid points after crossing the line P5 and P6 respectively
Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) sustained a back injury after a lap two crash and has been transported to Queen’s Medical Centre for further assessment. Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) also failed to finish after crashing on lap five, while Yamaha Motoxracing WCR team-mates Roberta Ponziani and Ornella Ongaro both went down at turn 11 on lap seven
Britain’s Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) was ruled unfit to compete in Race 2 after sustaining a left wrist contusion in Saturday’s Race 1
The third round of the WorldWCR championship is scheduled to take place over the weekend of 9-11 August at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal
Championship Standings:Now with 88 points, Herrera retains the championship lead, followed closely by Race 1 winner Carrasco (81)
Sanchez (68) and Neila (57) place third and fourth in the standings, with both having worked hard to boost their tally this weekend
Key Points:
Race 1 winner: Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team)
Race 2 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race fastest lap: Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) – 1’39.209 (Race 2)
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team
“I felt confident that we could do well today. I was fast in warm-up and knew that I had to push right from the start of the race to build a gap. Ana followed me but I knew I was going to be able to battle until the end as I felt comfortable and strong on the brakes. I was pretty angry about the Race 1 result, to be honest, as I knew I had the potential to finish at least P2 but lost ground when I had to brake to avoid Beatriz when she made a mistake. So honestly I set out to make up for that result today, aware that I needed to break away from the pack early on to avoid any risky situations.”
P2 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team
“I’m really happy with my weekend and it was difficult to ask for more. I wanted the win in Race 2 and did my best but lost a little time on the first lap with Beatriz, which meant I then had to push to reach Maria, who was really fast in the beginning. I eventually caught her and got in front but in the end, she got the better of me when I ran wide. But we’ve had a good weekend, scoring pole, a race win and the fastest lap in Race 2 so this is a positive result. I felt really good and now it will be important to continue in this way, as I know Maria and I will battle like this all season long. We’re really close in the championship right now and so we need to continue working to be ready for the next round at Portimao.”
P3 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team
“Ana and Maria had more than us today; I did my best to stick with them through the early stages, but it was not possible, their pace was simply stronger. I lost ground when Neila passed me, and it was hard to close that gap once it opened up in front of us. I was also struggling a little with corner entry in some places. But the important thing is to be on the podium, and we were able to secure third again today, so we’re pleased with that.”
More, from a press release issued by Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team:
Smashing time for Sekhmet Racing at Donington Park
Three DNFs, one DNS and one fractured scaphoid. You couldn’t make it up.
Donington Park UK, 14 July 2024
The second round of the World WCR Championship proved to be a trying weekend for Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team. Despite promising performances, no points were secured.
Mallory Dobbs showed potential with two near top-10 finishes. Unfortunately, her first race saw her tenth position lost due after interference from another competitor on the last corner of the last lap. In the second race, Dobbs was in P9 when she suffered a crash with seven laps remaining, ending her race prematurely.
Lissy Whitmore also faced difficulties. She sustained a fractured scaphoid following a crash at Craner Curves in Race 1, rendering her unfit to compete in the rest of the weekend’s events.
The team remains determined to make strides in the following rounds with plans to follow for Portimao, August 9-11.
Maddi Patterson, Team Principal
First of all to our Lissy, I hope she recovers and recuperates. She has made strides and I won’t be told otherwise. It was an unfortunate crash that left her with a broken scaphoid – it happens.
Unfortunately for Mallory, it felt like she had her points taken from her yesterday. The lack of cohesion of rulings across classes is quite obvious as well. Today, however, I’m not sure what to say really. What will be, will be.
My observation of the box this weekend was quite simple – there is a fixation on the things we don’t have rather than improving the things we do. I can’t sit here and make excuses for the performance; it’s a single make championship. Motorcycle riding on the world stage is all encompassing, and I’m afraid it is all part of the job.
Donington is one to forget.
Mallory Dobbs, #14
Race 1 DNF, Race 2 DNF
It was shit. Our goal today was to get a good start and to hang on to that front group. We did that. We slotted into eighth off the line, so gained four spots off the grid. We stuck up with one other person that was up there, and really just hanging onto it for the most of the race. I dropped a whole second from yesterday, went faster than we did yesterday. We had a pace – kept clicking off 1 minute 41s so really only one or two seconds off the fast girls. We tucked the front in a place that a lot of people tuck the front. And I don’t have long legs like Toprak to save me. That’s basically what happened.
It’s hard to think about the positives, as it’s probably the shittiest race weekend I’ve had in my career. There’s that. But there are things – we did do some development. We did work our way through the pack. We have the pace and we showed it – even if the results don’t.
Reset. Do some training at home. Ride the bike. Learn some more about the front end, just really try to figure out how we can ride around this front end. Everyone is dealing with the same thing, so we got to figure out how to ride it. Regardless of if it sucks or not, we’re all dealing with the same things. That’s the nice thing about the same bike championship. So yeah, just go home, learn more about it, ride some more, regroup and try to mentally forget a lot of this negative stuff and start planning for Portimao.
Toprak Razgatlioglu completed a weekend of pure dominance with a victory in World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at Donington Park, in England.
Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on spec Pirelli slicks, Razgatlioglu led every session, qualified on pole position with a new lap record, ran away with the win in Race One, did the same thing again in the Superpole race, and then set a new Race Lap Record on his way to winning Race Two by eight seconds.
Rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Alex Lowes thrilled his British fans by taking third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
Scott Redding finished his best weekend of the season with fourth place on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Two-time and defending Champion Alvaro Bautista, Bulega’s teammate, got fifth.
Perfect weekend for dominant Razgatlioglu at Donington Park
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads at Donington Park. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dominated the UK Round of WorldSBK with pole position, three victories and three fastest laps at Donington Park
Razgatlioglu extends his championship lead to 41 points from Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a further 14 points adrift
Tissot Superpole Race Highlights:
Bulega took the hole-shot and led the opening two laps before Razgatlioglu came through to lead at Turn 11
Razgatlioglu opened his lead consistently to take the victory by just under five second from Bulega
Starting from the middle of the third row Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was able to move into third position on the opening lap. With riders fighting behind him Rea opened a lead over the chasing pack and after 14 races was able to claim his first Yamaha podium
After suffering a technical failure in Race 1 Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed his first top five finish of the season in fourth position. Redding ran inside the top six throughout before moving past Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) as the race progressed to finish fourth
Race 2 highlights:
A crash for Bautista on his way to the grid for Race 2 saw the Ducati team repair his bike on the grid. Despite a good start he dropped down the order from sixth position on the grid. The Spaniard recovered to finish fifth
Razgatlioglu led for the 23 lap duration of Race 2 with the BMW rider able to claim his seventh consecutive victory. The win also marked his ninth for BMW and equalled the record of Marco Melandri as the most successful rider for the German manufacturer
Bulega was the closest challenger to Razgatlioglu throughout the race and held an advantage of two seconds to the chasing pack for much of the race. It was Bulega’s eighth second place finish of the season
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the leading British rider once again and finished third after battling with Redding for the opening third of the race
Key Points:
Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’24.629s
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Tissot Superpole winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu – 1’25.597s – new lap record
More on worldsbk.com
P1| Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m feeling incredible. My target coming here was to win all three races and we did that. I’m strong but my bike was also incredible at this circuit, and the team found improvements for the bike each day. I want to say thank you to everyone because I’m really happy about how this weekend went. We will see what happens in the next race but even though there are many races to go we can look to the World Championship title.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega| Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I’m really happy because we improved the bike from yesterday. I worked a lot with all my guys inside the garage and we found some improvements. The feeling on the bike was better and it was a great Superpole Race this morning. I started really well and then Toprak overtook me. When he overtook me I forgot about him because this weekend he was very fast. In Race 2 I understood that if I could follow Toprak during the first laps I could open a gap to the riders behind. Alex was very fast at the end and he pushed until the last lap. It’s very difficult to keep your concentration and stay on the bike until the last corner, but I’m really happy to have another podium.”
P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
“I’m delighted. I was on the limit for the whole race. I didn’t make the best start and I had to attack from the first lap to pass Johnny and Alvaro and then I managed to pass Scott. I hoped that Nicolo would come back to me a little bit, but his pace was relentless. I was on my limit to stay in third and I couldn’t do any more. I wanted to try to get into second but I wasn’t fast enough. I did a good job this weekend and the team did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed the weekend. To have two podiums at my home round is a dream come true with everybody here.”
Jones continues mid-season ASBK blitz at Morgan Park
Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones has continued his mid-season purple patch at round four of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul (ASBK), at Morgan Park Raceway.
The Queenslander was the Sunday supremo yet again, winning both races to claim the overall Alpinestars Superbike honours on his Yamaha YZF-R1 ahead of polesitter Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), championship leader Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Penrite Racing Yamaha duo Cameron Dunker and Max Stauffer.
It was his second maximum-point haul in succession this season and his fourth and fifth victories at Morgan Park in ASBK Championship mode, where his speed, temperament and metronomic consistency are a perfect fit for a circuit which can throw massive curve balls at the unsuspecting.
The dominant performance has also given the 30-year-old’s 2024 championship aspirations a massive boost. He’s now on 162.5pts, only 17 behind Waters ahead of round five at Phillip Island on September 7-8. Jones’ teammate Cru Halliday is third on 145pts.
“It’s great to get two wins, which is super critical for the championship,” said Jones. “Both races were super hard, and most importantly I was able to pull back on a few points on Josh.
“The Yamaha worked a treat, in what was basically the same setup I used last year although the track and weather conditions have been a lot different this time around.
“Tough racing today, and I’m just pleased to take the wins.”
Alpinestars Superbike race one
Despite feeling stiff and sore after a huge crash in qualifying, Stauffer came out all guns blazing in the opening 14-lap Alpinestars Superbike race, setting the fastest lap and keeping his Yamaha at the sharp end of the pack for most of the journey.
Jones was glued to his bumper the whole way, though, before making his move on lap 10 – around the same time as Stauffer’s battered body started to cry enough.
Pearson then pushed Stauffer back to third two laps later, and that was the podium locked in for the opener with Waters in fourth from the fast-finishing Dunker, Halliday, Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – on his spare bike after also crashing hard in qualifying – and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha).
There were two DNFs, with veteran Bryan Staring one of them after a bingle on lap three left behind a very second-hand MotoGo Yamaha.
Alpinestars Superbike race two
Staring didn’t front the starter for race two, which began in a similar vein to the opener as Stauffer nailed the start with Pearson and Jones in tow.
On lap nine both Jones and Pearson passed Stauffer, who would slip further back to finish seventh.
However, all signs were pointing to a box-office battle for the win, and that’s how it panned out. Pearson passed Jones at turn one on the second last lap and, just when a maiden Superbike victory was in sight, he lost traction exiting turn four on the final circuit – an opportunity to reclaim the ascendancy that a wily customer like Jones wasn’t going to leave begging.
Pearson didn’t wave the white flag, though, and Jones’ final winning margin was just 0.044 seconds as they flashed across Morgan Park’s short front straight.
Only a few laps earlier, Waters looked like making it a three-way scrap for the win before he settled for third – with preservation firmly at the forefront of his mind as he heads to Japan next weekend to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours world endurance race which will also feature West and Stauffer.
Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) was an excellent fourth after being shunted off the track in race one, ahead of Dunker, Halliday, Stauffer and West.
Allerton crashed on lap five but remounted to finish 14th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday morning at Donington Park, in England. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on Pirelli control tires, the Turkish star won the 10-lap race by nearly five seconds.
Nicolo Bulega, the reigning Supersport World Champion, was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea thrilled the home fans by taking third on his Pata Prometeon Yamaha YZF-R1.
Scott Redding was fourth on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Alex Lowes made it four makes of motorcycles in the top five by finishing fifth on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff, Redding’s teammate, got 14th.
Guerin’s gamble pays off with crucial race one win at AMP
Shubenacadie, NS – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship added another twist to its 2024 season on Saturday, as Sam Guerin won a thrilling race one in changing conditions at Atlantic Motorsport Park, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki.
The clear skies and scorching heat found throughout the day took a brief pause shortly before the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike race, with nearby thunderstorms delaying the start and producing a mostly wet track for when the lights did go out, but that didn’t faze Guerin as he gambled on a slick rear Bridgestone tire.
With all other frontrunners on duel wet tires, Guerin ran into some early trouble as he bounced up and down the order, climbing as high as second before drifting back as low as fifth.
All the chopping and changing tightened up the field as a nine-rider group battled early on, with Jordan Szoke, Alex Dumas, and Ben Young all taking brief turns at the front with no one having enough clear pace to pull away on the damp track.
That played right into Guerin’s hands, as the sun began to shine and temperatures continued to ramp up on lap five, allowing Guerin to move from fourth to first in just two corners to begin the lap.
That would be the last anyone would see of the EFC Group BMW rider, as he outlasted a pair of comeback attempts before settling on the drying track and cruising to a near-nine second victory.
The risky strategy led to a much-needed second career victory for Guerin, who closes his title deficit to 28 points after a tough start to the weekend which included a pair of crashes in practice and qualifying.
“It wasn’t a safe bet, and the first few laps were really tricky, but I was getting such good drives out of the corner. It’s a bit of a surprise after the rough Friday and rough morning we had, but to get a win today is awesome,” Guerin said. “It was such a long race. Every lap I was hoping the white flag would come out, but thankfully I got it to the finish!”
The win would be even more pivotal for the Quebec City native after points leader Young was passed on the final lap, with Dumas making a beautiful move on the inside of turn nine to snatch second.
It was the first real on-track battle between rivals Dumas and Young since the former’s return to the series, and while Dumas is still waiting for his first win with his new Economy Lube Ducati team, the 2021 champion decided it was best not to push to boundaries with race two on the horizon.
“A part of me almost wanted to put the slick rear on, but I also wanted to race tomorrow,” Dumas joked to Guerin in parc fermé. “It was a lot of fun. I didn’t know how quick the track would dry up, but we kept everything in one piece for race two.”
Saturday’s Superbike podium from Atlantic Motorsport Park: (from left) Alex Dumas, Sam Guerin, and Ben Young. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
The last lap pass shunted Young to third for the second race in a row, though the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider didn’t seem to be sweating the nine points he’ll concede to Guerin given the treacherous conditions at AMP.
“Honestly, you’re always happy to just finish a rain race. Sam’s a wild man on the slick, and clearly it was an awesome decision, but we made the safe one,” Young said. “We just didn’t have the tire at the end, but nobody really did except Sam. I would have loved to race in the dry with the pace we have, but hopefully we get a better shot tomorrow.”
The double-podium will extend BMW’s lead in the Constructors Championship to a commanding 88 points, but Guerin’s victory will more importantly move the brand past Suzuki and into second on the all-time Superbike win list with 64 – now just eleven behind Kawasaki for the most in the feature class.
A pair of Kawasaki’s would just miss out on the podium places, with veteran Szoke settling for fourth after grabbing the holeshot and briefly leading the race in the early, unpredictable stint.
The CKM Kawasaki rider had to deal with one of multiple youngsters under his tent, though this time an unfamiliar one as he battled with Philip DeGama-Blanchet in the middle stages.
The 16-year-old rookie stole the show at times aboard his lesser-powered, Sport Bike spec Vass Performance Kawasaki machine, challenging Szoke and Dumas for a podium spot before settling into a career-best fifth at AMP.
David MacKay would take sixth for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda, while Connor Campbell claimed seventh after an early podium bid aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.
Ernest Bernhard would put in a late charge to claim a strong eighth and valuable Constructors points for W.D. Jeans Yamaha, while Brian Worsdall was the last of the finishers in ninth for Mot’s Machining Honda.
The feature class will hope for better weather in race two on Sunday, scheduled for roughly 3 pm local time (2 pm ET) at AMP.
Tyler O’Hara won MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan Race One Saturday afternoon at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California.
It was a multi-rider brawl from start to finish and ugly at times with mistakes, mechanical issues, and awkward passes, but in the end, defending Champion O’Hara got his S&S Indian FTR to the checkered flag first to take his first win of the season and extend his lead in the Championship point standings.
Cory West led into the final corner on his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America, but he fell victim to a pass by O’Hara, was unsuccessful in his counterattack, and had to settle for second place.
On the final lap, Hayden Schultz moved up from fifth to take third place on his KWR Harley-Davidson Pan America.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis was a close fourth, and O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss finished fifth, just 1.5 seconds behind the winner, after setting a new All-Time and Race Lap record of 1:29.188 during the race.
Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Riding his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide, Wyman withstood pressure throughout the entire nine-lap race and held on to win for the fifth time this season, moving into the Championship point lead.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim shadowed Wyman for most of the race, but on the final lap, Gillim had problems downshifting his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide going into Turn Two and ran very wide. This allowed Gillim’s teammate Rocco Landers to come through and grab second place.
Gillim recovered in time to salvage third place.
Bobby Fong got off to a slow start on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Challenger but ended up fourth and with a new Race Lap Record of 1:28.321. The old record was a 1:28.338 set by Kyle Wyman in 2023.
Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli rounded out the top five finishers.
Troy Herfoss, the Championship point leader coming into the race, was in the fight for third with Landers and Fong late in the race when he ran off the edge of the track at Turn 10 and crashed. The reigning Australian Superbike Champion was able to pick up his S&S Indian Challenger and continue on to salvage points for 11th.
Just six weeks after breaking his right foot, Cameron Beaubier won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Race One Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. The five-time Champion got the holeshot from pole position, built up a lead that reached 4.9 seconds at one point, and then held on to win by a deceptively small margin of 1.157 seconds.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin closed in on a cruising Beaubier at the end of the race but had to settle for the runner-up spot. That, however, was enough for Herrin to take over the Championship point lead, albeit by a single point.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen battled Herrin for second place for much of the race and crossed the line not far behind the Ducati rider in third place. Petersen was given a five-second time penalty for jumping the start, but luckily for him it had no effect on his finishing position. Petersen is now third in the Championship standings, just two points behind leader Herrin.
Sean Dylan Kelly crossed the finish line fourth, shortly after Herrin and Petersen, and like Petersen, Kelly was given a five-second time penalty for a start infraction that ultimately had no impact on his race finish.
Petersen’s teammate, three-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne came home fifth, which put him second in the Championship point standings after the race.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was closing in on Gagne at the end of the race but came up short and finished sixth.
Xavi Fores held off his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Brandon Paasch in a race-long duel over seventh.
Team Brazil BMW’s Danilo Lewis scored ninth overall and the Superbike Cup race victory, just 0.386 second ahead of fellow Superbike Cup competitor Ashton Yates and his Jones Honda in 10th place.
Championship contender Bobby Fong crashed his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha out of third place near the midway point of the race, and Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach fell a few laps later. Neither Fong nor Beach finished the race.
Beaubier Wins His Fourth, Title Chase Tightens Even More At Laguna Seca
Just three points covers the top three in the 2024 Steel Commander Superbike Championship
Cameron Beaubier (6) got the jump on the field, including Cameron Petersen (45) and Josh Herrin (2), and led every lap of Saturday’s Steel Commander Superbike race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MONTEREY, CA (July 13, 2024) – If you thought the points race in the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship was close coming into the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round, turns out you were wrong. Now it’s close.
How does three points separating the top three sound? That’s what we have with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin now atop the championship by one point over Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne, who in turn is just one point ahead of his teammate Cameron Petersen.
So, who among those three won Saturday’s first of two Steel Commander Superbike races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca? None of them.
The win went to five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, the rider who is trying to claw back the most points on the lead group in the championship after missing several rounds with a broken heel.
On Saturday, Beaubier was dominant and claw back he did. Going into today’s race, Beaubier trailed Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong by 55 points. Following his fourth win of the season today, Beaubier now trails Herrin by 41 points.
Beaubier beat Herrin to the line by 1.1 seconds, though the margin was much bigger before the slow down and celebration in the final few corners.
Herrin had his hands full with Petersen for most of the race, but the South African had jumped the start and incurred a five-second penalty. Thus, Herrin was never in any real danger of losing the spot. The second place was Herrin’s sixth podium of the season, and it moved him into the points lead, albeit by just a point.
Petersen rode hard and it was enough to give him third place, despite the five-second penalty. At the finish he was seven seconds behind Herrin and some three seconds clear of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly with the Floridian also fighting through after incurring a five-second jump start penalty.
Somehow Gagne and his arm-pump issues managed a top-five finish as the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion continues to garner points despite his physical condition. He is planning on getting surgery following the Laguna Seca weekend. Through all of this, Gagne is just a point behind Herrin in the title battle.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was sixth, less than a second behind Gagne and well clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Xavi Forés, who barely beat his teammate Brandon Paasch to the finish line.
Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis was ninth and the winner of the Superbike Cup, a class within a class for Stock 1000 spec bikes. Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 and was second in the Superbike Cup.
Notables not finishing the race were Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach and Wrench Motorcycles’ Fong with both riders crashing out in separate incidents. Fong suffered the most as he lost the lead in the championship and now trails Herrin by 11 points.
Earlier in the day, Beaubier earned pole position with a new lap record in Q2 of 1:22.556 to break Herrin’s record from 2018.
Herrin leads the title chase with 169, followed by Gagne with 168 and Petersen with 167 points. Fong is fourth with 158, 26 more than Baz. Beaubier is sixth with 128 points, eight ahead of Kelly.
Superbike Race 1
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Loris Baz (Ducati)
Xavi Forés (Suzuki)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Quotes
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“To be honest, I’m pretty tired. The last month has been a roller coaster, from breaking my heel and flying straight down to Dr. Brian to get it fixed, then watching these guys race at Brainerd and just knowing how good we started the season and how good I was feeling on the bike and how hard the team has been working to just see it thrown away in front of me. It was pretty tough. Like I said before, I saw the points going into Ridge and I felt like if I could just go get a couple points there, we could be in contention towards the end of the year, just with how the way everything is shaking out. But yesterday felt amazing – just to ride the bike like I know how to ride it. I can ride at 100 percent, I can push. I feel good. Yeah, I’m definitely struggling a little bit with my fitness because I haven’t done anything in the past month. I’ve ridden the bicycle a couple times and been to the gym a couple times, but definitely not my normal program. It feels amazing to get this today.”
Josh Herrin – Second Place
“I saw him (Cameron Petersen) and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) creep at the beginning, but I just saw plus whatever it was on the board. For some reason I thought I saw plus 2.5, which wouldn’t have made sense because he had a five-second penalty. I don’t know. I was just in my head like, ‘what’s going on?’ I had a feeling that that’s what it was from, but I was trying to shake my head at him to just let me focus on what I got to do in front of me instead of what’s behind me. I knew he was there no matter what. It’s not like I’m going to slow down. I raced here last year with a broken ankle, so I know it’s a difficult track for your ankle and obviously just your foot in general. So, I just kept pushing as hard as I could, just in case something happened at the end and he (Beaubier) started fading a little bit, that I was there. I didn’t want to worry about what my gap was to the guy behind me. But he never got it and it just stayed plus five. But I figured, about halfway through I’m like, that must be what it’s for. Like I said, every time Cam (Petersen) went by me, I just would fight right back just in case I could make some way on Beaubier at the front, but he was just riding too good today, so it wasn’t possible. Just hoping that tomorrow can be a little bit better.”
Cameron Petersen – Third Place
“Yeah, I knew straightaway. As the lights went out, I knew I jump-started. I saw my number up on the yellow board. I kind of figured what was going on. Josh (Herrin) did have some really good pace at the end there. I was kind of struggling to hold onto the back of him. I had a few big moments right there and then because I knew even if I did make the pass, it wouldn’t have changed anything. I just kind of decided to settle down a little bit. At the same time, I kind of chilled for a couple laps. Then I remembered, I still got to beat the guys by five seconds behind me. So, I put my head down again. But they held the lights for a long, long time and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) just crept next to me and I kind of went off of his movement. But, stoked to be back up on the podium. Hopefully, we don’t do the same stupid mistake tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Petersen Strengthens Superbike Championship Bid with Podium Finish at Laguna Seca
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen keeps podium streak rolling to close the points gap in the hotly contested MotoAmerica Superbike title fight
MARIETTA, Ga. – July 14, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen overcame a five-second penalty to finish third in yesterday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. The South African continues to strengthen his position in the hotly contested premier class title fight, moving to within two points of the leader. Despite feeling less than 100% with lingering arm pump issues, Jake Gagne maintained his position in the championship with a top-five finish on the physically demanding 2.238-mile track in Monterey, California. The Colorado rider heads into today’s final race before the break, trailing by one point in the runner-up spot.
Petersen had a good start to the day and qualified third to start on the front row of the grid. In the first race of Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, he slotted into the runner-up spot and maintained the position but was ultimately shuffled to third. Unfortunately, the South African was assessed a five-second penalty for jumping the start, and although he was third on the track, he was shuffled down the order. Petersen kept pushing and threw down some fast times, staying on the heels of the competition and ultimately making back the five seconds to score a third-place finish. His fourth consecutive podium and eighth of the season closed the gap to the leaders, just two points from the top spot and a point behind his teammate.
Although he had a tough start to the weekend qualifying eighth in the combined times, Gagne had a solid start in seventh and made the pass for sixth on the following lap. The defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode a strong pace despite dealing with lingering arm pump issues and scored a top-five finish. Gagne’s efforts earned valuable points to remain within a point of the championship leader.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks to return to the top step of the podium as racing resumes this afternoon with MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Laguna is always a special place and almost the home track tor the team. We are pleased that despite the circumstances, we are still in a good championship position with both Jake and Cameron. We will have a look at our information from Race 1 and see if we can improve the results for Race 2.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“I kind of knew straight away that I jump-started. They held the red light for a long time, and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) started creeping up, and I messed up going off of him. It was a great race, though. I tried to go with Cam (Beaubier) in the beginning but his pace was a little bit too strong for me. Then Josh and I had a good battle the whole race. I knew the situation and what was going on, so even if I passed him it wouldn’t change anything on the podium. I had a couple of moments there towards the end, so I was like, ‘Just bring it home.’ We’ll come back stronger tomorrow.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“After struggling so much at the last couple of rounds, it was good to feel a bit better physically and to be a bit closer to the front. Hopefully we can be closer to the front tomorrow and score some points.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Ashton Yates, the son of former Pro Superbike racer Aaron Yates, won MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Riding his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop control tires, Yates took the lead early in the 14-lap race, withstood pressure all the way to the end, and held on to collect his career-first win in the class.
Jayson Uribe led early, dropped backwards, caught back up to Yates with the fastest lap of the race, but had to settle for the runner-up spot on his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim also had a complicated race that saw him slip all the way back to sixth, but he fought forward in the second half of the race to score third on his Real Steel Motorsports Honda.
Andrew Lee got fourth on his Motorsport Exotica BMW, and Danilo Lewis rounded out the top five on his Team Brazil BMW.
Adrian Huertas won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Donington Park, in England.
Yari Montella actually crossed the finish line first on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2, but the Italian exceeded track limits on the final lap and was demoted one finishing position.
This promoted Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Huertas from second to first place.
Montella was scored in second place.
Jorge Navarro placed third on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise got eighth on his Evan Bros. Yamaha YZF-R6.
Herrera just pips Carrasco to the WorldWCR Race 2 win
Race 2 Highlights:
Maria Herrera (6) held off Ana Carrasco (22) to win Race Two at Donington Park. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) and Sunday’s Race 1 victor Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) proved to be in a league of their own in Race 2 at Donington Park, with Herrera securing her third win in four races, just two tenths of a second ahead of a very combative Carrasco
From second on the grid, Herrera made a lightning start to take an early lead ahead of Carrasco. Soon breaking away from their closest rivals, the pair crossed the finish line almost twelve seconds ahead of the rest of the field
Fellow Spaniards Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) were embroiled in an exciting battle of their own for third, a duel that was ultimately won by Sara, with Beatriz closing just a fraction behind in fourth
Israeli rider Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Australian Tayla Relph (Tayco Motorsport) both brought home solid points after crossing the line P5 and P6 respectively
Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) sustained a back injury after a lap two crash and has been transported to Queen’s Medical Centre for further assessment. Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) also failed to finish after crashing on lap five, while Yamaha Motoxracing WCR team-mates Roberta Ponziani and Ornella Ongaro both went down at turn 11 on lap seven
Britain’s Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) was ruled unfit to compete in Race 2 after sustaining a left wrist contusion in Saturday’s Race 1
The third round of the WorldWCR championship is scheduled to take place over the weekend of 9-11 August at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal
Championship Standings:Now with 88 points, Herrera retains the championship lead, followed closely by Race 1 winner Carrasco (81)
Sanchez (68) and Neila (57) place third and fourth in the standings, with both having worked hard to boost their tally this weekend
Key Points:
Race 1 winner: Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team)
Race 2 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race fastest lap: Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) – 1’39.209 (Race 2)
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team
“I felt confident that we could do well today. I was fast in warm-up and knew that I had to push right from the start of the race to build a gap. Ana followed me but I knew I was going to be able to battle until the end as I felt comfortable and strong on the brakes. I was pretty angry about the Race 1 result, to be honest, as I knew I had the potential to finish at least P2 but lost ground when I had to brake to avoid Beatriz when she made a mistake. So honestly I set out to make up for that result today, aware that I needed to break away from the pack early on to avoid any risky situations.”
P2 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team
“I’m really happy with my weekend and it was difficult to ask for more. I wanted the win in Race 2 and did my best but lost a little time on the first lap with Beatriz, which meant I then had to push to reach Maria, who was really fast in the beginning. I eventually caught her and got in front but in the end, she got the better of me when I ran wide. But we’ve had a good weekend, scoring pole, a race win and the fastest lap in Race 2 so this is a positive result. I felt really good and now it will be important to continue in this way, as I know Maria and I will battle like this all season long. We’re really close in the championship right now and so we need to continue working to be ready for the next round at Portimao.”
P3 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team
“Ana and Maria had more than us today; I did my best to stick with them through the early stages, but it was not possible, their pace was simply stronger. I lost ground when Neila passed me, and it was hard to close that gap once it opened up in front of us. I was also struggling a little with corner entry in some places. But the important thing is to be on the podium, and we were able to secure third again today, so we’re pleased with that.”
More, from a press release issued by Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team:
Smashing time for Sekhmet Racing at Donington Park
Three DNFs, one DNS and one fractured scaphoid. You couldn’t make it up.
Donington Park UK, 14 July 2024
The second round of the World WCR Championship proved to be a trying weekend for Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team. Despite promising performances, no points were secured.
Mallory Dobbs showed potential with two near top-10 finishes. Unfortunately, her first race saw her tenth position lost due after interference from another competitor on the last corner of the last lap. In the second race, Dobbs was in P9 when she suffered a crash with seven laps remaining, ending her race prematurely.
Lissy Whitmore also faced difficulties. She sustained a fractured scaphoid following a crash at Craner Curves in Race 1, rendering her unfit to compete in the rest of the weekend’s events.
The team remains determined to make strides in the following rounds with plans to follow for Portimao, August 9-11.
Maddi Patterson, Team Principal
First of all to our Lissy, I hope she recovers and recuperates. She has made strides and I won’t be told otherwise. It was an unfortunate crash that left her with a broken scaphoid – it happens.
Unfortunately for Mallory, it felt like she had her points taken from her yesterday. The lack of cohesion of rulings across classes is quite obvious as well. Today, however, I’m not sure what to say really. What will be, will be.
My observation of the box this weekend was quite simple – there is a fixation on the things we don’t have rather than improving the things we do. I can’t sit here and make excuses for the performance; it’s a single make championship. Motorcycle riding on the world stage is all encompassing, and I’m afraid it is all part of the job.
Donington is one to forget.
Mallory Dobbs, #14
Race 1 DNF, Race 2 DNF
It was shit. Our goal today was to get a good start and to hang on to that front group. We did that. We slotted into eighth off the line, so gained four spots off the grid. We stuck up with one other person that was up there, and really just hanging onto it for the most of the race. I dropped a whole second from yesterday, went faster than we did yesterday. We had a pace – kept clicking off 1 minute 41s so really only one or two seconds off the fast girls. We tucked the front in a place that a lot of people tuck the front. And I don’t have long legs like Toprak to save me. That’s basically what happened.
It’s hard to think about the positives, as it’s probably the shittiest race weekend I’ve had in my career. There’s that. But there are things – we did do some development. We did work our way through the pack. We have the pace and we showed it – even if the results don’t.
Reset. Do some training at home. Ride the bike. Learn some more about the front end, just really try to figure out how we can ride around this front end. Everyone is dealing with the same thing, so we got to figure out how to ride it. Regardless of if it sucks or not, we’re all dealing with the same things. That’s the nice thing about the same bike championship. So yeah, just go home, learn more about it, ride some more, regroup and try to mentally forget a lot of this negative stuff and start planning for Portimao.
Toprak Razgatlioglu completed a weekend of pure dominance with a victory in World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at Donington Park, in England.
Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on spec Pirelli slicks, Razgatlioglu led every session, qualified on pole position with a new lap record, ran away with the win in Race One, did the same thing again in the Superpole race, and then set a new Race Lap Record on his way to winning Race Two by eight seconds.
Rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Alex Lowes thrilled his British fans by taking third on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
Scott Redding finished his best weekend of the season with fourth place on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Two-time and defending Champion Alvaro Bautista, Bulega’s teammate, got fifth.
Perfect weekend for dominant Razgatlioglu at Donington Park
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads at Donington Park. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dominated the UK Round of WorldSBK with pole position, three victories and three fastest laps at Donington Park
Razgatlioglu extends his championship lead to 41 points from Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a further 14 points adrift
Tissot Superpole Race Highlights:
Bulega took the hole-shot and led the opening two laps before Razgatlioglu came through to lead at Turn 11
Razgatlioglu opened his lead consistently to take the victory by just under five second from Bulega
Starting from the middle of the third row Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was able to move into third position on the opening lap. With riders fighting behind him Rea opened a lead over the chasing pack and after 14 races was able to claim his first Yamaha podium
After suffering a technical failure in Race 1 Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed his first top five finish of the season in fourth position. Redding ran inside the top six throughout before moving past Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) as the race progressed to finish fourth
Race 2 highlights:
A crash for Bautista on his way to the grid for Race 2 saw the Ducati team repair his bike on the grid. Despite a good start he dropped down the order from sixth position on the grid. The Spaniard recovered to finish fifth
Razgatlioglu led for the 23 lap duration of Race 2 with the BMW rider able to claim his seventh consecutive victory. The win also marked his ninth for BMW and equalled the record of Marco Melandri as the most successful rider for the German manufacturer
Bulega was the closest challenger to Razgatlioglu throughout the race and held an advantage of two seconds to the chasing pack for much of the race. It was Bulega’s eighth second place finish of the season
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the leading British rider once again and finished third after battling with Redding for the opening third of the race
Key Points:
Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’24.629s
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Tissot Superpole winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu
Race fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu – 1’25.597s – new lap record
More on worldsbk.com
P1| Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m feeling incredible. My target coming here was to win all three races and we did that. I’m strong but my bike was also incredible at this circuit, and the team found improvements for the bike each day. I want to say thank you to everyone because I’m really happy about how this weekend went. We will see what happens in the next race but even though there are many races to go we can look to the World Championship title.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega| Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I’m really happy because we improved the bike from yesterday. I worked a lot with all my guys inside the garage and we found some improvements. The feeling on the bike was better and it was a great Superpole Race this morning. I started really well and then Toprak overtook me. When he overtook me I forgot about him because this weekend he was very fast. In Race 2 I understood that if I could follow Toprak during the first laps I could open a gap to the riders behind. Alex was very fast at the end and he pushed until the last lap. It’s very difficult to keep your concentration and stay on the bike until the last corner, but I’m really happy to have another podium.”
P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
“I’m delighted. I was on the limit for the whole race. I didn’t make the best start and I had to attack from the first lap to pass Johnny and Alvaro and then I managed to pass Scott. I hoped that Nicolo would come back to me a little bit, but his pace was relentless. I was on my limit to stay in third and I couldn’t do any more. I wanted to try to get into second but I wasn’t fast enough. I did a good job this weekend and the team did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed the weekend. To have two podiums at my home round is a dream come true with everybody here.”
Jones continues mid-season ASBK blitz at Morgan Park
Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones has continued his mid-season purple patch at round four of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul (ASBK), at Morgan Park Raceway.
The Queenslander was the Sunday supremo yet again, winning both races to claim the overall Alpinestars Superbike honours on his Yamaha YZF-R1 ahead of polesitter Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), championship leader Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati) and Penrite Racing Yamaha duo Cameron Dunker and Max Stauffer.
It was his second maximum-point haul in succession this season and his fourth and fifth victories at Morgan Park in ASBK Championship mode, where his speed, temperament and metronomic consistency are a perfect fit for a circuit which can throw massive curve balls at the unsuspecting.
The dominant performance has also given the 30-year-old’s 2024 championship aspirations a massive boost. He’s now on 162.5pts, only 17 behind Waters ahead of round five at Phillip Island on September 7-8. Jones’ teammate Cru Halliday is third on 145pts.
“It’s great to get two wins, which is super critical for the championship,” said Jones. “Both races were super hard, and most importantly I was able to pull back on a few points on Josh.
“The Yamaha worked a treat, in what was basically the same setup I used last year although the track and weather conditions have been a lot different this time around.
“Tough racing today, and I’m just pleased to take the wins.”
Alpinestars Superbike race one
Despite feeling stiff and sore after a huge crash in qualifying, Stauffer came out all guns blazing in the opening 14-lap Alpinestars Superbike race, setting the fastest lap and keeping his Yamaha at the sharp end of the pack for most of the journey.
Jones was glued to his bumper the whole way, though, before making his move on lap 10 – around the same time as Stauffer’s battered body started to cry enough.
Pearson then pushed Stauffer back to third two laps later, and that was the podium locked in for the opener with Waters in fourth from the fast-finishing Dunker, Halliday, Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – on his spare bike after also crashing hard in qualifying – and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha).
There were two DNFs, with veteran Bryan Staring one of them after a bingle on lap three left behind a very second-hand MotoGo Yamaha.
Alpinestars Superbike race two
Staring didn’t front the starter for race two, which began in a similar vein to the opener as Stauffer nailed the start with Pearson and Jones in tow.
On lap nine both Jones and Pearson passed Stauffer, who would slip further back to finish seventh.
However, all signs were pointing to a box-office battle for the win, and that’s how it panned out. Pearson passed Jones at turn one on the second last lap and, just when a maiden Superbike victory was in sight, he lost traction exiting turn four on the final circuit – an opportunity to reclaim the ascendancy that a wily customer like Jones wasn’t going to leave begging.
Pearson didn’t wave the white flag, though, and Jones’ final winning margin was just 0.044 seconds as they flashed across Morgan Park’s short front straight.
Only a few laps earlier, Waters looked like making it a three-way scrap for the win before he settled for third – with preservation firmly at the forefront of his mind as he heads to Japan next weekend to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours world endurance race which will also feature West and Stauffer.
Arthur Sissis (Stop and Seal Yamaha) was an excellent fourth after being shunted off the track in race one, ahead of Dunker, Halliday, Stauffer and West.
Allerton crashed on lap five but remounted to finish 14th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday morning at Donington Park, in England. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR on Pirelli control tires, the Turkish star won the 10-lap race by nearly five seconds.
Nicolo Bulega, the reigning Supersport World Champion, was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea thrilled the home fans by taking third on his Pata Prometeon Yamaha YZF-R1.
Scott Redding was fourth on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Alex Lowes made it four makes of motorcycles in the top five by finishing fifth on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff, Redding’s teammate, got 14th.
Saturday's Pro Superbike race at Atlantic Motorsport Park started on a wet, but drying, track with Sam Guerin (2) taking his second win of the season after a gamble on tire choice paid off. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Guerin’s gamble pays off with crucial race one win at AMP
Shubenacadie, NS – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship added another twist to its 2024 season on Saturday, as Sam Guerin won a thrilling race one in changing conditions at Atlantic Motorsport Park, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki.
The clear skies and scorching heat found throughout the day took a brief pause shortly before the feature GP Bikes Pro Superbike race, with nearby thunderstorms delaying the start and producing a mostly wet track for when the lights did go out, but that didn’t faze Guerin as he gambled on a slick rear Bridgestone tire.
With all other frontrunners on duel wet tires, Guerin ran into some early trouble as he bounced up and down the order, climbing as high as second before drifting back as low as fifth.
All the chopping and changing tightened up the field as a nine-rider group battled early on, with Jordan Szoke, Alex Dumas, and Ben Young all taking brief turns at the front with no one having enough clear pace to pull away on the damp track.
That played right into Guerin’s hands, as the sun began to shine and temperatures continued to ramp up on lap five, allowing Guerin to move from fourth to first in just two corners to begin the lap.
That would be the last anyone would see of the EFC Group BMW rider, as he outlasted a pair of comeback attempts before settling on the drying track and cruising to a near-nine second victory.
The risky strategy led to a much-needed second career victory for Guerin, who closes his title deficit to 28 points after a tough start to the weekend which included a pair of crashes in practice and qualifying.
“It wasn’t a safe bet, and the first few laps were really tricky, but I was getting such good drives out of the corner. It’s a bit of a surprise after the rough Friday and rough morning we had, but to get a win today is awesome,” Guerin said. “It was such a long race. Every lap I was hoping the white flag would come out, but thankfully I got it to the finish!”
The win would be even more pivotal for the Quebec City native after points leader Young was passed on the final lap, with Dumas making a beautiful move on the inside of turn nine to snatch second.
It was the first real on-track battle between rivals Dumas and Young since the former’s return to the series, and while Dumas is still waiting for his first win with his new Economy Lube Ducati team, the 2021 champion decided it was best not to push to boundaries with race two on the horizon.
“A part of me almost wanted to put the slick rear on, but I also wanted to race tomorrow,” Dumas joked to Guerin in parc fermé. “It was a lot of fun. I didn’t know how quick the track would dry up, but we kept everything in one piece for race two.”
Saturday’s Superbike podium from Atlantic Motorsport Park: (from left) Alex Dumas, Sam Guerin, and Ben Young. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
The last lap pass shunted Young to third for the second race in a row, though the Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider didn’t seem to be sweating the nine points he’ll concede to Guerin given the treacherous conditions at AMP.
“Honestly, you’re always happy to just finish a rain race. Sam’s a wild man on the slick, and clearly it was an awesome decision, but we made the safe one,” Young said. “We just didn’t have the tire at the end, but nobody really did except Sam. I would have loved to race in the dry with the pace we have, but hopefully we get a better shot tomorrow.”
The double-podium will extend BMW’s lead in the Constructors Championship to a commanding 88 points, but Guerin’s victory will more importantly move the brand past Suzuki and into second on the all-time Superbike win list with 64 – now just eleven behind Kawasaki for the most in the feature class.
A pair of Kawasaki’s would just miss out on the podium places, with veteran Szoke settling for fourth after grabbing the holeshot and briefly leading the race in the early, unpredictable stint.
The CKM Kawasaki rider had to deal with one of multiple youngsters under his tent, though this time an unfamiliar one as he battled with Philip DeGama-Blanchet in the middle stages.
The 16-year-old rookie stole the show at times aboard his lesser-powered, Sport Bike spec Vass Performance Kawasaki machine, challenging Szoke and Dumas for a podium spot before settling into a career-best fifth at AMP.
David MacKay would take sixth for ODH Snow City Cycle Honda, while Connor Campbell claimed seventh after an early podium bid aboard his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki.
Ernest Bernhard would put in a late charge to claim a strong eighth and valuable Constructors points for W.D. Jeans Yamaha, while Brian Worsdall was the last of the finishers in ninth for Mot’s Machining Honda.
The feature class will hope for better weather in race two on Sunday, scheduled for roughly 3 pm local time (2 pm ET) at AMP.
Tyler O’Hara won MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan Race One Saturday afternoon at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California.
It was a multi-rider brawl from start to finish and ugly at times with mistakes, mechanical issues, and awkward passes, but in the end, defending Champion O’Hara got his S&S Indian FTR to the checkered flag first to take his first win of the season and extend his lead in the Championship point standings.
Cory West led into the final corner on his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America, but he fell victim to a pass by O’Hara, was unsuccessful in his counterattack, and had to settle for second place.
On the final lap, Hayden Schultz moved up from fifth to take third place on his KWR Harley-Davidson Pan America.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis was a close fourth, and O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss finished fifth, just 1.5 seconds behind the winner, after setting a new All-Time and Race Lap record of 1:29.188 during the race.
Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Riding his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide, Wyman withstood pressure throughout the entire nine-lap race and held on to win for the fifth time this season, moving into the Championship point lead.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim shadowed Wyman for most of the race, but on the final lap, Gillim had problems downshifting his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide going into Turn Two and ran very wide. This allowed Gillim’s teammate Rocco Landers to come through and grab second place.
Gillim recovered in time to salvage third place.
Bobby Fong got off to a slow start on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Challenger but ended up fourth and with a new Race Lap Record of 1:28.321. The old record was a 1:28.338 set by Kyle Wyman in 2023.
Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli rounded out the top five finishers.
Troy Herfoss, the Championship point leader coming into the race, was in the fight for third with Landers and Fong late in the race when he ran off the edge of the track at Turn 10 and crashed. The reigning Australian Superbike Champion was able to pick up his S&S Indian Challenger and continue on to salvage points for 11th.
Just six weeks after breaking his right foot, Cameron Beaubier won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Race One Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. The five-time Champion got the holeshot from pole position, built up a lead that reached 4.9 seconds at one point, and then held on to win by a deceptively small margin of 1.157 seconds.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin closed in on a cruising Beaubier at the end of the race but had to settle for the runner-up spot. That, however, was enough for Herrin to take over the Championship point lead, albeit by a single point.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen battled Herrin for second place for much of the race and crossed the line not far behind the Ducati rider in third place. Petersen was given a five-second time penalty for jumping the start, but luckily for him it had no effect on his finishing position. Petersen is now third in the Championship standings, just two points behind leader Herrin.
Sean Dylan Kelly crossed the finish line fourth, shortly after Herrin and Petersen, and like Petersen, Kelly was given a five-second time penalty for a start infraction that ultimately had no impact on his race finish.
Petersen’s teammate, three-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne came home fifth, which put him second in the Championship point standings after the race.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was closing in on Gagne at the end of the race but came up short and finished sixth.
Xavi Fores held off his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Brandon Paasch in a race-long duel over seventh.
Team Brazil BMW’s Danilo Lewis scored ninth overall and the Superbike Cup race victory, just 0.386 second ahead of fellow Superbike Cup competitor Ashton Yates and his Jones Honda in 10th place.
Championship contender Bobby Fong crashed his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha out of third place near the midway point of the race, and Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach fell a few laps later. Neither Fong nor Beach finished the race.
Beaubier Wins His Fourth, Title Chase Tightens Even More At Laguna Seca
Just three points covers the top three in the 2024 Steel Commander Superbike Championship
Cameron Beaubier (6) got the jump on the field, including Cameron Petersen (45) and Josh Herrin (2), and led every lap of Saturday’s Steel Commander Superbike race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MONTEREY, CA (July 13, 2024) – If you thought the points race in the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship was close coming into the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round, turns out you were wrong. Now it’s close.
How does three points separating the top three sound? That’s what we have with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin now atop the championship by one point over Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne, who in turn is just one point ahead of his teammate Cameron Petersen.
So, who among those three won Saturday’s first of two Steel Commander Superbike races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca? None of them.
The win went to five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, the rider who is trying to claw back the most points on the lead group in the championship after missing several rounds with a broken heel.
On Saturday, Beaubier was dominant and claw back he did. Going into today’s race, Beaubier trailed Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong by 55 points. Following his fourth win of the season today, Beaubier now trails Herrin by 41 points.
Beaubier beat Herrin to the line by 1.1 seconds, though the margin was much bigger before the slow down and celebration in the final few corners.
Herrin had his hands full with Petersen for most of the race, but the South African had jumped the start and incurred a five-second penalty. Thus, Herrin was never in any real danger of losing the spot. The second place was Herrin’s sixth podium of the season, and it moved him into the points lead, albeit by just a point.
Petersen rode hard and it was enough to give him third place, despite the five-second penalty. At the finish he was seven seconds behind Herrin and some three seconds clear of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly with the Floridian also fighting through after incurring a five-second jump start penalty.
Somehow Gagne and his arm-pump issues managed a top-five finish as the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion continues to garner points despite his physical condition. He is planning on getting surgery following the Laguna Seca weekend. Through all of this, Gagne is just a point behind Herrin in the title battle.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was sixth, less than a second behind Gagne and well clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Xavi Forés, who barely beat his teammate Brandon Paasch to the finish line.
Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis was ninth and the winner of the Superbike Cup, a class within a class for Stock 1000 spec bikes. Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 and was second in the Superbike Cup.
Notables not finishing the race were Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach and Wrench Motorcycles’ Fong with both riders crashing out in separate incidents. Fong suffered the most as he lost the lead in the championship and now trails Herrin by 11 points.
Earlier in the day, Beaubier earned pole position with a new lap record in Q2 of 1:22.556 to break Herrin’s record from 2018.
Herrin leads the title chase with 169, followed by Gagne with 168 and Petersen with 167 points. Fong is fourth with 158, 26 more than Baz. Beaubier is sixth with 128 points, eight ahead of Kelly.
Superbike Race 1
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Loris Baz (Ducati)
Xavi Forés (Suzuki)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Quotes
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“To be honest, I’m pretty tired. The last month has been a roller coaster, from breaking my heel and flying straight down to Dr. Brian to get it fixed, then watching these guys race at Brainerd and just knowing how good we started the season and how good I was feeling on the bike and how hard the team has been working to just see it thrown away in front of me. It was pretty tough. Like I said before, I saw the points going into Ridge and I felt like if I could just go get a couple points there, we could be in contention towards the end of the year, just with how the way everything is shaking out. But yesterday felt amazing – just to ride the bike like I know how to ride it. I can ride at 100 percent, I can push. I feel good. Yeah, I’m definitely struggling a little bit with my fitness because I haven’t done anything in the past month. I’ve ridden the bicycle a couple times and been to the gym a couple times, but definitely not my normal program. It feels amazing to get this today.”
Josh Herrin – Second Place
“I saw him (Cameron Petersen) and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) creep at the beginning, but I just saw plus whatever it was on the board. For some reason I thought I saw plus 2.5, which wouldn’t have made sense because he had a five-second penalty. I don’t know. I was just in my head like, ‘what’s going on?’ I had a feeling that that’s what it was from, but I was trying to shake my head at him to just let me focus on what I got to do in front of me instead of what’s behind me. I knew he was there no matter what. It’s not like I’m going to slow down. I raced here last year with a broken ankle, so I know it’s a difficult track for your ankle and obviously just your foot in general. So, I just kept pushing as hard as I could, just in case something happened at the end and he (Beaubier) started fading a little bit, that I was there. I didn’t want to worry about what my gap was to the guy behind me. But he never got it and it just stayed plus five. But I figured, about halfway through I’m like, that must be what it’s for. Like I said, every time Cam (Petersen) went by me, I just would fight right back just in case I could make some way on Beaubier at the front, but he was just riding too good today, so it wasn’t possible. Just hoping that tomorrow can be a little bit better.”
Cameron Petersen – Third Place
“Yeah, I knew straightaway. As the lights went out, I knew I jump-started. I saw my number up on the yellow board. I kind of figured what was going on. Josh (Herrin) did have some really good pace at the end there. I was kind of struggling to hold onto the back of him. I had a few big moments right there and then because I knew even if I did make the pass, it wouldn’t have changed anything. I just kind of decided to settle down a little bit. At the same time, I kind of chilled for a couple laps. Then I remembered, I still got to beat the guys by five seconds behind me. So, I put my head down again. But they held the lights for a long, long time and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) just crept next to me and I kind of went off of his movement. But, stoked to be back up on the podium. Hopefully, we don’t do the same stupid mistake tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Petersen Strengthens Superbike Championship Bid with Podium Finish at Laguna Seca
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen keeps podium streak rolling to close the points gap in the hotly contested MotoAmerica Superbike title fight
MARIETTA, Ga. – July 14, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen overcame a five-second penalty to finish third in yesterday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. The South African continues to strengthen his position in the hotly contested premier class title fight, moving to within two points of the leader. Despite feeling less than 100% with lingering arm pump issues, Jake Gagne maintained his position in the championship with a top-five finish on the physically demanding 2.238-mile track in Monterey, California. The Colorado rider heads into today’s final race before the break, trailing by one point in the runner-up spot.
Petersen had a good start to the day and qualified third to start on the front row of the grid. In the first race of Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, he slotted into the runner-up spot and maintained the position but was ultimately shuffled to third. Unfortunately, the South African was assessed a five-second penalty for jumping the start, and although he was third on the track, he was shuffled down the order. Petersen kept pushing and threw down some fast times, staying on the heels of the competition and ultimately making back the five seconds to score a third-place finish. His fourth consecutive podium and eighth of the season closed the gap to the leaders, just two points from the top spot and a point behind his teammate.
Although he had a tough start to the weekend qualifying eighth in the combined times, Gagne had a solid start in seventh and made the pass for sixth on the following lap. The defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode a strong pace despite dealing with lingering arm pump issues and scored a top-five finish. Gagne’s efforts earned valuable points to remain within a point of the championship leader.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks to return to the top step of the podium as racing resumes this afternoon with MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Laguna is always a special place and almost the home track tor the team. We are pleased that despite the circumstances, we are still in a good championship position with both Jake and Cameron. We will have a look at our information from Race 1 and see if we can improve the results for Race 2.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“I kind of knew straight away that I jump-started. They held the red light for a long time, and SDK (Sean Dylan Kelly) started creeping up, and I messed up going off of him. It was a great race, though. I tried to go with Cam (Beaubier) in the beginning but his pace was a little bit too strong for me. Then Josh and I had a good battle the whole race. I knew the situation and what was going on, so even if I passed him it wouldn’t change anything on the podium. I had a couple of moments there towards the end, so I was like, ‘Just bring it home.’ We’ll come back stronger tomorrow.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“After struggling so much at the last couple of rounds, it was good to feel a bit better physically and to be a bit closer to the front. Hopefully we can be closer to the front tomorrow and score some points.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
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