Defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia kept his perfect record over the weekend at the Motul TT Assen intact, leading a tight field in the third practice session. Bagnaia has led every session so far this weekend, although he was 0.330 seconds slower than he was on Friday. Maverick Vinales was second, as he was during practice on Friday, and Pedro Acosta finished the session third.
MotoGP Saturday practice Classification
Somkiat Chantra took his IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex to the top in Saturday’s Moto2 practice, lowering the outright Moto2 lap record set by Fermin Aldeguer on Friday. Chantra’s time of 1:35.341 was more than a second faster than the race lap record and nearly six-tenths faster than Aldeguer’s time the day before.
American Racing Team’s Marcos Ramirez was 10th, 0.392 seconds back.
Moto2 Saturday practice Classification
Collin Veijer continued to set the pace at his home Grand Prix, lowering his own outright lap record by more than half a second to lead the final Moto3 practice session at the Motul TT Assen. Veijer’s 1:39.703 was good enough to lead Angel Piqueras and Ivan Ortola in a session where the first 13 riders were under the outright lap record Veijer set on Friday.
Moto3 Saturday 1 Practice Classification
Francesco Bagnaia topped both MotoGP practice sessions on Friday at the Motul TT Assen, continuing his dominance at a circuit where he has won the last two races, while a major change for the MotoGP 2025 season was finally confirmed.
The biggest news was the announcement that Prima Pramac Racing signed a multi-year deal with Yamaha to run a pair of factory-spec YZR-M1s in the MotoGP category. Yamaha’s downturn in competitiveness has been due, at least in part, to the fact that the company has only two bikes on the grid.
“The new partnership with Prima Pramac Racing will take a different form than we have used in the past,” said Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing.
“Rather than a satellite team, with this new agreement Yamaha have put their trust in Pramac Racing, and we will be providing them with Factory bikes of the same specification used by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”
In Moto2, American Joe Roberts broke his collarbone in a high-speed crash in Turn Seven. The break was not displaced, and Roberts hopes to race next weekend in Germany.
American based Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez continued his upturn in performance, finishing the first MotoGP practice session in third place. Fernandez, who recently underwent surgery on his right arm, showed up for his media interview with a bag of ice on a massive surgical scar on his arm.
Maverick Vinales said he decided to leave Aprilia for KTM because of the inconsistency of the machine’s performance. Vinales was on form on Friday, finishing the final practice session second.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bagnaia slams in new lap record to edge out Viñales at the Cathedral
The reigning Champion ends both sessions fastest, edging out Viñales by 0.065 as Alex Marquez heads the chasing pack
Friday, 28 June 2024
With rumours, tension, and excitement swirling around the paddock at the Motul TT Assen as we get back in gear, the battle for direct entry to Q2 did not disappoint in the hour-long Practice session on Friday afternoon. Ending the day at the top of the timesheets it’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who completed a perfect day in the Netherlands. The #1 set a blistering time early on in Practice before improving later in the session, setting a brilliant 1:31.340. In a remarkable stat, Bagnaia going fastest in the first session on Friday was also the first time he’s ever done that in the premier class, despite two premier class World Championships and a full CV by nearly every metric.
Nevertheless, it was close at the top by the end of the all-important afternoon Practice session, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) claiming second after improving yet again on his final fast lap – ending the day only 0.065s shy of Bagnaia. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had a positive end to Friday after a magnificent lap allowed the #73 to round out the top three, leading the chasing pack but with a small deficit to the top duo… and one he’ll be looking to bridge on Saturday.
It was a dramatic session throughout which all came down to the final 15-minute time attack. Bagnaia was at the top as red sectors began to pop up everywhere, and it was Viñales who took over for the first time this weekend. Bagnaia soon responded on his next flying lap, however, securing that P1.
There would be drama heading into the final run elsewhere though, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) having a close moment with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), but utlimately no hard done.
Further back, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took fourth and showed great pace throughout the session – completing over 20 laps. However, the #41 suffered a crash in the closing minutes at the final corner, ending his session just before the flag came out. He’s been given the all clear and passed fit to race, but remains a little bruised. Behind the Spaniard was compatriot Martin, who rounded out the top five.
Sixth place went the way of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who had an incredible front-end save during the session – improving on his 22nd lap. Brad Binder was next up, flying the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing flag inside the top 10 with his teammate Miller down in 18th place at the end of Friday.
Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) held onto eighth place and a spot inside Q2 despite suffering from a crash of his own with three minutes to go. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) took ninth as his solid form continues to hold, with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) taking the final spot inside the top 10 and the final direct entry spot into Q2.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was the rider in P11 just missing out, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio. They’ll be some of the first looking to attack in Q1 to move through. Join us on Saturday morning for that, before the Tissot Sprint lights up the TT Circuit Assen.
FP2: 10:10 (UTC +2)
Q1: 10:50
Q2: 11.15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
More from Friday at the Motul TT Assen
Aside from the on-track action, there was one especially headline-making breaking news story on Friday at the Motul TT Assen: Yamaha’s new multi-year partnership with Prima Pramac Racing, set to begin in 2025.
Mikayla Moore was fastest in MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Qualifying One Friday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion covered the 2.5-mile course in 2:04.845, breaking her own lap record of 2:05.286.
Aubrey Credaroli was the best of the rest with a 2:09.200, and Lauren Prince was third-quickest with a 2:09.603.
Emma Betters and Cassie Creer both crashed in a chain-reaction accident heading into Turn One that brought out a red flag. Both riders walked away from the scene.
24_7_RIDGE_BTR_Q1_res
Hayden Gillim was fastest during MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion turned a 1:41.180, which was enough to claim provisional pole position and eclipse Corey Alexander’s 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:41.531.
Jayson Uribe was the best of the rest at 1:42.050 on his OrangeCat Racing BMW.
Jones Honda rider Ashton Yates was third-fastest with a lap time of 1:42.551.
Benjamin Smith crashed his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha during the session, but the 1:43.027 he did before he fell ranked him fourth.
Andrew Lee finished fifth with a 1:43.198 on his Motorsport Exotica BMW.
Other crashers in Q1 included BPR Racing’s Bryce Prince and BWR – Ron Bishop Motorcycles’ Bradley Ward.
24_7_RIDGE_STK_Q1_res
Loris Baz topped MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Dunlop Sportmax Slick control tires, the Frenchman navigated the 2.5-mile course in 1:40.034 to claim provisional pole position.
Baz’s teammate Josh Herrin was second-best and only 0.163 second back with a 1:40.197.
Bobby Fong, the current Championship point leader, was third-fastest Friday afternoon with a time of 1:40.304 on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.
Free Practice One leader Cameron Petersen was fourth in Q1 with a lap at 1:40.382.
Petersen’s teammate Jake Gagne was right behind him in fifth at 1:40.809.
Back from an injury suffered at Road America, Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW rider Cameron Beaubier finished the session in sixth with a 1:41.113 he did after suffering a small crash.
Xavi Fores’ 1:41.244 on his Vision Wheel Suzuki GSX-R1000R was good enough for seventh.
Sean Dylan Kelly was eighth with a time of 1:41.418 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Real Steel Motorsports Honda rider Hayden Gillim finished ninth with a 1:41.611.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach rounded out the top 10 in the session with a lap at 1:42.309.
24_7_RIDGE_SBK_Q1_res
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Baz Leads The Way On Opening Day At Ridge Motorsports Park
It’s A Ducati One-Two With Baz And Herrin On Top In Washington
SHELTON, WA (June 28, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz and Josh Herrin had a perfect afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park with the pair riding their Ducati Panigale V4 Rs to the top two spots on the front row provisionally heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2 session.
Loris Baz led the way on Friday by earning provisional pole position in Steel Commander Superbike qualifying at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
The pair were just .063 of a second apart after the 40-minute Q1 session on a sunny Friday with both setting their best laps on their 12th go-around. Baz lapped at a best of 1:40.034 with Herrin turning in a 1:40.197.
MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship points leader Bobby Fong ended up third quickest on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 and just .270 of a second behind Baz.
Next came the two Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen and Jake Gagne with those two the last two riders in the 1:40s.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier was sixth fastest in his return to action after undergoing surgery three weeks ago on his broken right heel. Beaubier’s session was shortened with a slow tip-over and he ended up just a tick over a second from Baz’s best lap.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Xavi Forés was seventh and the best Suzuki and just ahead of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and his BMW M 1000 RR.
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow’s Q2 session.
Stock 1000 – Gillim Over Uribe
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim was the only rider to lap in the 1:41s with him and his Honda CBR1000RR-R SP breaking the lap record in the Stock class with his 1:41.180 on Friday, which was .870 of a second better than OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe.
Gillim has won three of the first four Stock 1000 races of the season with Uribe winning the fourth.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, who earned his first podium finish of the season at the past round in Brainerd, Minnesota, ended the day third fastest with FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith and OrangeCat Racing’s Travis Wyman completing the top five in Q1.
Supersport – Scholtz!
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz broke the Supersport lap record on Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park on Friday en route to earning provisional pole position on his Yamaha YZF-R6.
Scholtz, who sits second in the Supersport series point standings coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round, led championship points leader PJ Jacobsen and his Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2 by .450 of a second to earn provisional pole.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis ended opening day third and .493 of a second off Scholtz’s best lap.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/Code 3 Associates’ Corey Alexander ended the day fourth fastest and just ahead of his teammate Kayla Yaakov with three Rahal Ducatis in the top five on opening day.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Starts It Off
S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycles’ Tyler O’Hara led the way in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship class on Friday with the defending series champion earning provisional pole position.
O’Hara ran off track early in the session but bounced back to lap at 1:46.432 and top championship points leader Cory West and his Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson Pan America by just .017 of a second.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis ended the day third fastest with KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa rounding out the top five. Lewis was just .260 of a second behind O’Hara
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss, who sits second in the title chase, only did four laps before his Indian had a technical issue and only completed two laps on a track he’d never seen before. Herfoss ended the day 11th.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race – Who Else But Moore
Mikayla Moore did what she normally does on a Friday, on a Saturday and a Sunday. She went fast. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland, rider started off her weekend with provisional pole position and a new lap record on her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.
Moore lapped at a best of 2:04.845, which was 4.455 faster than second-placed Aubrey Credaroli. Lauren Prince had her best effort to date with the third fastest lap of the day and less than a second off Credaroli’s best.
Kira Knebel and Emma Betters rounded out the top five.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati domination on day one at The Ridge for the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 28, 2024 — Loris Baz and Josh Herrin painted The Ridge Motorsport Park red on the opening day of action for round five of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo produced a dominant performance in Washington, Baz leading the charge with a 1:40.034 lap time of the 2.5-mile venue in Qualifying 1. Baz’s growing confidence was clear as the Frenchman delved into the Ducati Panigale V4 R’s electronics for his time attack, and after 18 laps across the day, he’s confident of grabbing a first-ever MotoAmerica victory this weekend.
Josh Herrin’s run of excellent form continued at The Ridge as he looks to further the Warhorse HSBK team’s podium streak. Herrin completed 17 laps across the day and finished with a best time of 1:40.197 for second overall.
All eyes will now be on the ultra-important Qualifying 2 session, which will start at 10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, June 29.
2024 The Ridge Superbike Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 1:40.034
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:40.197
P3 – Bobby Fong 1:40.304
P4 – Cameron Petersen 1:40.382
P5 – Jake Gagne 1:40.809
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It’s been a good day for sure,” Baz said. “FP1 was tough as I was still relearning the track. I had ridden here in 2021, but that was a long time ago, so I had to refamiliarize myself with the layout and get all the references correct because the corners are so blind here.
“This morning, I think we all made the same mistake of using the soft tire in the cold weather for FP1, but I was confident we could do the lap times. For qualifying, we made some electronic changes, and I did a lot of laps on the hard tire in case we needed to use that for the race. Then we put the softer tire in, and I felt great. The times came, and so did the confidence. I can ride more and more like I want, and this is a great feeling.”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“Obviously, I want to be the guy in first, but to see our team finish the day one-two like that was really cool,” Herrin said. “It’s been a long time since Ducati had a one-two in American Superbike like that. It’s got to be at least since the early 2000s, so to do that is huge for this team.
“I’m happy to see Loris stepping up the pace because now we are close enough in terms of speed that we can use each other’s data and information to help each other. So, I’m really happy and I think we’ve got something for the pack come race one and two.”
Qualifying 2 is set for 10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, June 29. Race one is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CDT that same day, and race two is set for 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 30.
Mathew Scholtz was fastest during MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 on Dunlop control tires, the South African lapped the 2.5-mile track in 1:42.538. Not only was that enough to top the field of 30 entries and claim provisional pole position, it was also fast enough to break Rocco Landers’ 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:42.774.
PJ Jacobsen, the current Championship point leader, was second-best with a 1:42.988 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2.
Jake Lewis was third-quickest with a 1:43.031 on his Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R750.
Corey Alexander finished the session fourth with a lap time of 1:43.357 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/Code 3 Associates Panigale V2.
Jacobsen’s 17-year-old teammate Kayla Yaakov rounded out the top five riders in Q1 with a 1:43.529.
24_7_RIDGE_SSP_Q1_res
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
SHELTON, WA., (6.28.2024) – Spirits are high in the paddock after all three riders ended Qualifying 1 in the top 5, with PJ Jacobsen finishing P2, Corey Alexander following in P4, and Kayla Yaakov rounding out P5.
The team looks forward to the rest of the weekend at the scenic Ridge Motorsports Park as the trio of riders take on Round 9 and 10 of competition, marking the half-way point of the championship season.
Jacobsen heads into tomorrow’s race as the championship leader with a two-point lead over Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. In order to keep the championship lead, Jacobsen must finish ahead of Scholtz who is currently sitting on the provisional pole.
Despite missing the doubleheader at Road America, Alexander raced his way to sixth in the championship at Brainred after falling to ninth following the Road America weekend.
Yaakov has continued to make strides in her racing craft and abilities since her full-time debut in the Supersport Series. The 16-year old currently sits 10th in the championship with hopes of leaving the weekend sitting higher in the points rankings.
Tomorrow’s schedule hosts Qualifying 2 from 12:45 PM to 1:15 PM EST and the green flag will wave for Race 1 at 5:10 PM. Coverage of Race 1 will be available live on MAVTV and streamed at motoamericaliveplus.com.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P4 (1:45.501)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (1:42.988)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “The first qualifying session went really well and we made some good improvements. This morning I had a small crash, but the first qualifying session was pretty positive. I feel confident going into tomorrow morning. I got held up in traffic, so I wasn’t able to make the time I wanted to make. We’re pretty close to lap record pace, [Mathew] Scholtz did it today, so we will see who goes faster tomorrow and try to get pole position on the XPEL bike.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P2 (1:44.803)
QUALIFYING 1: P4 (1:43.357)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great day overall. I’ve always liked The Ridge a lot. Pace-wise, we are way ahead of where we were last year so we are in a better position to close the gap up to the front guys. I think we will make some improvements tonight and hopefully take some steps forward tomorrow.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P8 (1:46.468)
QUALIFYING 1: P5 (1:43.529)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today was really good! We made some huge improvements from Practice 1 to Qualifying 1. It’s the best Friday we’ve had so far. The bike feels really solid, we just have to make some small tweaks before tomorrow. We have a really good chance of battling for the top five all weekend. I’m really excited and ready to go.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a really positive Friday for us. We had all three riders in the top five. That’s a first for our team. All the riders are happy with their bikes, so we’re going to try and make some small improvements to move up a bit and have a good race tomorrow and Sunday.”
Tyler O’Hara topped MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his S&S Indian FTR 1200 on Dunlop control tires, the defending Champion lapped the 2.5-mile course in 1:46.432 to lead the field of 24 entries.
Cory West came up just short of O’Hara’s lap time with a 1:46.449 on his Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis was third-quickest with a 1:46.692.
Kyle Wyman Racing’s (KWR) Hayden Scholtz made it three Harley-Davidsons in the top four thanks to his lap of 1:48.340.
And Stefano Mesa rounded out the top five riders with a 1:49.154 on his race-kitted Tytlers Cycle Racing Energica Eva Ribelle electric machine.
24_7_RIDGE_RSD_Q1_res
Mikayla Moore led MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion navigated the 2.5-mile track in 2:09.636, to top the field of 13 female riders.
Camille Conrad was second with a 2:10.444, which put her much closer to Moore than at previous rounds.
Lauren Prince was equally close in third with a 2:11.375.
24_7_RIDGE_BTR_P1_res
Defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia kept his perfect record over the weekend at the Motul TT Assen intact, leading a tight field in the third practice session. Bagnaia has led every session so far this weekend, although he was 0.330 seconds slower than he was on Friday. Maverick Vinales was second, as he was during practice on Friday, and Pedro Acosta finished the session third.
MotoGP Saturday practice Classification
Somkiat Chantra took his IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex to the top in Saturday’s Moto2 practice, lowering the outright Moto2 lap record set by Fermin Aldeguer on Friday. Chantra’s time of 1:35.341 was more than a second faster than the race lap record and nearly six-tenths faster than Aldeguer’s time the day before.
American Racing Team’s Marcos Ramirez was 10th, 0.392 seconds back.
Moto2 Saturday practice Classification
Collin Veijer continued to set the pace at his home Grand Prix, lowering his own outright lap record by more than half a second to lead the final Moto3 practice session at the Motul TT Assen. Veijer’s 1:39.703 was good enough to lead Angel Piqueras and Ivan Ortola in a session where the first 13 riders were under the outright lap record Veijer set on Friday.
Moto3 Saturday 1 Practice Classification
Francesco Bagnaia topped both MotoGP practice sessions on Friday at the Motul TT Assen, continuing his dominance at a circuit where he has won the last two races, while a major change for the MotoGP 2025 season was finally confirmed.
The biggest news was the announcement that Prima Pramac Racing signed a multi-year deal with Yamaha to run a pair of factory-spec YZR-M1s in the MotoGP category. Yamaha’s downturn in competitiveness has been due, at least in part, to the fact that the company has only two bikes on the grid.
“The new partnership with Prima Pramac Racing will take a different form than we have used in the past,” said Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing.
“Rather than a satellite team, with this new agreement Yamaha have put their trust in Pramac Racing, and we will be providing them with Factory bikes of the same specification used by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”
In Moto2, American Joe Roberts broke his collarbone in a high-speed crash in Turn Seven. The break was not displaced, and Roberts hopes to race next weekend in Germany.
American based Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez continued his upturn in performance, finishing the first MotoGP practice session in third place. Fernandez, who recently underwent surgery on his right arm, showed up for his media interview with a bag of ice on a massive surgical scar on his arm.
Maverick Vinales said he decided to leave Aprilia for KTM because of the inconsistency of the machine’s performance. Vinales was on form on Friday, finishing the final practice session second.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bagnaia slams in new lap record to edge out Viñales at the Cathedral
The reigning Champion ends both sessions fastest, edging out Viñales by 0.065 as Alex Marquez heads the chasing pack
Friday, 28 June 2024
With rumours, tension, and excitement swirling around the paddock at the Motul TT Assen as we get back in gear, the battle for direct entry to Q2 did not disappoint in the hour-long Practice session on Friday afternoon. Ending the day at the top of the timesheets it’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who completed a perfect day in the Netherlands. The #1 set a blistering time early on in Practice before improving later in the session, setting a brilliant 1:31.340. In a remarkable stat, Bagnaia going fastest in the first session on Friday was also the first time he’s ever done that in the premier class, despite two premier class World Championships and a full CV by nearly every metric.
Nevertheless, it was close at the top by the end of the all-important afternoon Practice session, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) claiming second after improving yet again on his final fast lap – ending the day only 0.065s shy of Bagnaia. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had a positive end to Friday after a magnificent lap allowed the #73 to round out the top three, leading the chasing pack but with a small deficit to the top duo… and one he’ll be looking to bridge on Saturday.
It was a dramatic session throughout which all came down to the final 15-minute time attack. Bagnaia was at the top as red sectors began to pop up everywhere, and it was Viñales who took over for the first time this weekend. Bagnaia soon responded on his next flying lap, however, securing that P1.
There would be drama heading into the final run elsewhere though, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) having a close moment with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), but utlimately no hard done.
Further back, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took fourth and showed great pace throughout the session – completing over 20 laps. However, the #41 suffered a crash in the closing minutes at the final corner, ending his session just before the flag came out. He’s been given the all clear and passed fit to race, but remains a little bruised. Behind the Spaniard was compatriot Martin, who rounded out the top five.
Sixth place went the way of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who had an incredible front-end save during the session – improving on his 22nd lap. Brad Binder was next up, flying the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing flag inside the top 10 with his teammate Miller down in 18th place at the end of Friday.
Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) held onto eighth place and a spot inside Q2 despite suffering from a crash of his own with three minutes to go. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) took ninth as his solid form continues to hold, with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) taking the final spot inside the top 10 and the final direct entry spot into Q2.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was the rider in P11 just missing out, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio. They’ll be some of the first looking to attack in Q1 to move through. Join us on Saturday morning for that, before the Tissot Sprint lights up the TT Circuit Assen.
FP2: 10:10 (UTC +2)
Q1: 10:50
Q2: 11.15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
More from Friday at the Motul TT Assen
Aside from the on-track action, there was one especially headline-making breaking news story on Friday at the Motul TT Assen: Yamaha’s new multi-year partnership with Prima Pramac Racing, set to begin in 2025.
Mikayla Moore was fastest in MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Qualifying One Friday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion covered the 2.5-mile course in 2:04.845, breaking her own lap record of 2:05.286.
Aubrey Credaroli was the best of the rest with a 2:09.200, and Lauren Prince was third-quickest with a 2:09.603.
Emma Betters and Cassie Creer both crashed in a chain-reaction accident heading into Turn One that brought out a red flag. Both riders walked away from the scene.
24_7_RIDGE_BTR_Q1_res
Hayden Gillim was fastest during MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion turned a 1:41.180, which was enough to claim provisional pole position and eclipse Corey Alexander’s 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:41.531.
Jayson Uribe was the best of the rest at 1:42.050 on his OrangeCat Racing BMW.
Jones Honda rider Ashton Yates was third-fastest with a lap time of 1:42.551.
Benjamin Smith crashed his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha during the session, but the 1:43.027 he did before he fell ranked him fourth.
Andrew Lee finished fifth with a 1:43.198 on his Motorsport Exotica BMW.
Other crashers in Q1 included BPR Racing’s Bryce Prince and BWR – Ron Bishop Motorcycles’ Bradley Ward.
24_7_RIDGE_STK_Q1_res
Loris Baz topped MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Dunlop Sportmax Slick control tires, the Frenchman navigated the 2.5-mile course in 1:40.034 to claim provisional pole position.
Baz’s teammate Josh Herrin was second-best and only 0.163 second back with a 1:40.197.
Bobby Fong, the current Championship point leader, was third-fastest Friday afternoon with a time of 1:40.304 on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.
Free Practice One leader Cameron Petersen was fourth in Q1 with a lap at 1:40.382.
Petersen’s teammate Jake Gagne was right behind him in fifth at 1:40.809.
Back from an injury suffered at Road America, Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW rider Cameron Beaubier finished the session in sixth with a 1:41.113 he did after suffering a small crash.
Xavi Fores’ 1:41.244 on his Vision Wheel Suzuki GSX-R1000R was good enough for seventh.
Sean Dylan Kelly was eighth with a time of 1:41.418 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Real Steel Motorsports Honda rider Hayden Gillim finished ninth with a 1:41.611.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach rounded out the top 10 in the session with a lap at 1:42.309.
24_7_RIDGE_SBK_Q1_res
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Baz Leads The Way On Opening Day At Ridge Motorsports Park
It’s A Ducati One-Two With Baz And Herrin On Top In Washington
SHELTON, WA (June 28, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz and Josh Herrin had a perfect afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park with the pair riding their Ducati Panigale V4 Rs to the top two spots on the front row provisionally heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2 session.
Loris Baz led the way on Friday by earning provisional pole position in Steel Commander Superbike qualifying at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
The pair were just .063 of a second apart after the 40-minute Q1 session on a sunny Friday with both setting their best laps on their 12th go-around. Baz lapped at a best of 1:40.034 with Herrin turning in a 1:40.197.
MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship points leader Bobby Fong ended up third quickest on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 and just .270 of a second behind Baz.
Next came the two Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen and Jake Gagne with those two the last two riders in the 1:40s.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier was sixth fastest in his return to action after undergoing surgery three weeks ago on his broken right heel. Beaubier’s session was shortened with a slow tip-over and he ended up just a tick over a second from Baz’s best lap.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Xavi Forés was seventh and the best Suzuki and just ahead of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and his BMW M 1000 RR.
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow’s Q2 session.
Stock 1000 – Gillim Over Uribe
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim was the only rider to lap in the 1:41s with him and his Honda CBR1000RR-R SP breaking the lap record in the Stock class with his 1:41.180 on Friday, which was .870 of a second better than OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe.
Gillim has won three of the first four Stock 1000 races of the season with Uribe winning the fourth.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, who earned his first podium finish of the season at the past round in Brainerd, Minnesota, ended the day third fastest with FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith and OrangeCat Racing’s Travis Wyman completing the top five in Q1.
Supersport – Scholtz!
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz broke the Supersport lap record on Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park on Friday en route to earning provisional pole position on his Yamaha YZF-R6.
Scholtz, who sits second in the Supersport series point standings coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round, led championship points leader PJ Jacobsen and his Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2 by .450 of a second to earn provisional pole.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis ended opening day third and .493 of a second off Scholtz’s best lap.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/Code 3 Associates’ Corey Alexander ended the day fourth fastest and just ahead of his teammate Kayla Yaakov with three Rahal Ducatis in the top five on opening day.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Starts It Off
S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycles’ Tyler O’Hara led the way in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship class on Friday with the defending series champion earning provisional pole position.
O’Hara ran off track early in the session but bounced back to lap at 1:46.432 and top championship points leader Cory West and his Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson Pan America by just .017 of a second.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis ended the day third fastest with KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa rounding out the top five. Lewis was just .260 of a second behind O’Hara
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss, who sits second in the title chase, only did four laps before his Indian had a technical issue and only completed two laps on a track he’d never seen before. Herfoss ended the day 11th.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race – Who Else But Moore
Mikayla Moore did what she normally does on a Friday, on a Saturday and a Sunday. She went fast. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland, rider started off her weekend with provisional pole position and a new lap record on her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.
Moore lapped at a best of 2:04.845, which was 4.455 faster than second-placed Aubrey Credaroli. Lauren Prince had her best effort to date with the third fastest lap of the day and less than a second off Credaroli’s best.
Kira Knebel and Emma Betters rounded out the top five.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati domination on day one at The Ridge for the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 28, 2024 — Loris Baz and Josh Herrin painted The Ridge Motorsport Park red on the opening day of action for round five of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati duo produced a dominant performance in Washington, Baz leading the charge with a 1:40.034 lap time of the 2.5-mile venue in Qualifying 1. Baz’s growing confidence was clear as the Frenchman delved into the Ducati Panigale V4 R’s electronics for his time attack, and after 18 laps across the day, he’s confident of grabbing a first-ever MotoAmerica victory this weekend.
Josh Herrin’s run of excellent form continued at The Ridge as he looks to further the Warhorse HSBK team’s podium streak. Herrin completed 17 laps across the day and finished with a best time of 1:40.197 for second overall.
All eyes will now be on the ultra-important Qualifying 2 session, which will start at 10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, June 29.
2024 The Ridge Superbike Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 1:40.034
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:40.197
P3 – Bobby Fong 1:40.304
P4 – Cameron Petersen 1:40.382
P5 – Jake Gagne 1:40.809
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It’s been a good day for sure,” Baz said. “FP1 was tough as I was still relearning the track. I had ridden here in 2021, but that was a long time ago, so I had to refamiliarize myself with the layout and get all the references correct because the corners are so blind here.
“This morning, I think we all made the same mistake of using the soft tire in the cold weather for FP1, but I was confident we could do the lap times. For qualifying, we made some electronic changes, and I did a lot of laps on the hard tire in case we needed to use that for the race. Then we put the softer tire in, and I felt great. The times came, and so did the confidence. I can ride more and more like I want, and this is a great feeling.”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“Obviously, I want to be the guy in first, but to see our team finish the day one-two like that was really cool,” Herrin said. “It’s been a long time since Ducati had a one-two in American Superbike like that. It’s got to be at least since the early 2000s, so to do that is huge for this team.
“I’m happy to see Loris stepping up the pace because now we are close enough in terms of speed that we can use each other’s data and information to help each other. So, I’m really happy and I think we’ve got something for the pack come race one and two.”
Qualifying 2 is set for 10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, June 29. Race one is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CDT that same day, and race two is set for 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 30.
Mathew Scholtz was fastest during MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 on Dunlop control tires, the South African lapped the 2.5-mile track in 1:42.538. Not only was that enough to top the field of 30 entries and claim provisional pole position, it was also fast enough to break Rocco Landers’ 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:42.774.
PJ Jacobsen, the current Championship point leader, was second-best with a 1:42.988 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2.
Jake Lewis was third-quickest with a 1:43.031 on his Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R750.
Corey Alexander finished the session fourth with a lap time of 1:43.357 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/Code 3 Associates Panigale V2.
Jacobsen’s 17-year-old teammate Kayla Yaakov rounded out the top five riders in Q1 with a 1:43.529.
24_7_RIDGE_SSP_Q1_res
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
SHELTON, WA., (6.28.2024) – Spirits are high in the paddock after all three riders ended Qualifying 1 in the top 5, with PJ Jacobsen finishing P2, Corey Alexander following in P4, and Kayla Yaakov rounding out P5.
The team looks forward to the rest of the weekend at the scenic Ridge Motorsports Park as the trio of riders take on Round 9 and 10 of competition, marking the half-way point of the championship season.
Jacobsen heads into tomorrow’s race as the championship leader with a two-point lead over Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. In order to keep the championship lead, Jacobsen must finish ahead of Scholtz who is currently sitting on the provisional pole.
Despite missing the doubleheader at Road America, Alexander raced his way to sixth in the championship at Brainred after falling to ninth following the Road America weekend.
Yaakov has continued to make strides in her racing craft and abilities since her full-time debut in the Supersport Series. The 16-year old currently sits 10th in the championship with hopes of leaving the weekend sitting higher in the points rankings.
Tomorrow’s schedule hosts Qualifying 2 from 12:45 PM to 1:15 PM EST and the green flag will wave for Race 1 at 5:10 PM. Coverage of Race 1 will be available live on MAVTV and streamed at motoamericaliveplus.com.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P4 (1:45.501)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (1:42.988)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “The first qualifying session went really well and we made some good improvements. This morning I had a small crash, but the first qualifying session was pretty positive. I feel confident going into tomorrow morning. I got held up in traffic, so I wasn’t able to make the time I wanted to make. We’re pretty close to lap record pace, [Mathew] Scholtz did it today, so we will see who goes faster tomorrow and try to get pole position on the XPEL bike.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P2 (1:44.803)
QUALIFYING 1: P4 (1:43.357)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great day overall. I’ve always liked The Ridge a lot. Pace-wise, we are way ahead of where we were last year so we are in a better position to close the gap up to the front guys. I think we will make some improvements tonight and hopefully take some steps forward tomorrow.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P8 (1:46.468)
QUALIFYING 1: P5 (1:43.529)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today was really good! We made some huge improvements from Practice 1 to Qualifying 1. It’s the best Friday we’ve had so far. The bike feels really solid, we just have to make some small tweaks before tomorrow. We have a really good chance of battling for the top five all weekend. I’m really excited and ready to go.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a really positive Friday for us. We had all three riders in the top five. That’s a first for our team. All the riders are happy with their bikes, so we’re going to try and make some small improvements to move up a bit and have a good race tomorrow and Sunday.”
Tyler O’Hara topped MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his S&S Indian FTR 1200 on Dunlop control tires, the defending Champion lapped the 2.5-mile course in 1:46.432 to lead the field of 24 entries.
Cory West came up just short of O’Hara’s lap time with a 1:46.449 on his Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis was third-quickest with a 1:46.692.
Kyle Wyman Racing’s (KWR) Hayden Scholtz made it three Harley-Davidsons in the top four thanks to his lap of 1:48.340.
And Stefano Mesa rounded out the top five riders with a 1:49.154 on his race-kitted Tytlers Cycle Racing Energica Eva Ribelle electric machine.
24_7_RIDGE_RSD_Q1_res
Mikayla Moore led MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 on Dunlop spec tires, the defending Champion navigated the 2.5-mile track in 2:09.636, to top the field of 13 female riders.
Camille Conrad was second with a 2:10.444, which put her much closer to Moore than at previous rounds.
Lauren Prince was equally close in third with a 2:11.375.
24_7_RIDGE_BTR_P1_res
