FIM JuniorGP: American Daniel LCQ To P7 In European Talent Cup At Catalunya

David Swarts

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July 17, 2023

FIM JuniorGP: American Daniel LCQ To P7 In European Talent Cup At Catalunya

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP: FIRST TOP 10 FINISH FOR AMERICAN KRISTIAN DANIEL JR

Kristian Daniel Jr finishes 7th place in a chaotic European Talent Cup race

July 16th – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain

After securing a career best 12th position earlier in the year at Round 2 of the FIM European Talent Cup, MRE Talent Team rider Kristian Daniel Jr fought through a chaotic race this past weekend in Barcelona to cross the line in the top ten of the elite junior racing series.

The young American was showing great pace during Thursday and Friday’s practices but ended Friday with a high-speed crash in the last corner of Circuit de Catalunya, seeing rider and bike tumble through the gravel. Kristian walked away uninjured and the team repaired the Honda NSF250R in order to run a strong qualifying Saturday. Bad luck struck Saturday when during Qualifying One, two crash-related technical issues saw Kristian and team lose valuable laps while the team repaired the bike. They had another chance during Qualifying Two, but half way through the session a rock broke the radiator, putting an end to their session. Kristian finished 0.3 second away from a position that would have qualified him straight into the main race, which meant that he had to compete in the Last Chance Qualifying (LCQ) race Sunday morning in order to participate in the main race Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning, 24 riders lined up in the seven-lap LCQ race, where only the first and 2nd place finishers advanced to the main race in the afternoon. Kristian was in control for most of the race, except for the penultimate lap when he dropped back to sixth after being slipstreamed down the main straight. He recovered the positions in the final lap, crossing the line in second, qualifying him to compete in the main race.

On Sunday afternoon, Kristian was supposed to line up 30th on the grid for the Main Race, but due to penalties handed out to riders further ahead who were moved to the back of the grid, he started from 25th position. The young American showed his pace early on, moving from 25th to 15th by lap three. While he battled and led the second group for most laps, this race quickly turned into a race of attrition, seeing many riders either crash or make mistakes. By lap eight, Kristian was engrossed in a fierce battle against eight other riders for 11th position. During the last lap, four of the leading riders crashed out in corner 10, and Kristian, seeing this, made a daring last-corner move to cross the line in seventh position. This marks his best finish in the championship and the best result for an American in the European Talent Cup.

N2/WERA National Endurance: Army Of Darkness Overcomes Adversity To Win Again

David Swarts

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July 17, 2023

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N2/WERA National Endurance: Army Of Darkness Overcomes Adversity To Win Again

Army Of Darkness Digs Out Of A Mud Hole to Overall And Heavyweight Class Wins at the WERA/N2 National Endurance Race by Dunlop at Roebling Road Raceway

Josh Hayes and Hunter Dunham piloted the AOD Yamaha YZF-R1 to a win with a four-lap lead over second place on July 15th. The race was won on the track, but the war was waged in the pits.

Josh Hayes (99) at speed on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo courtesy Army of Darkness. — Josh Hayes (99) at speed on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo by Aaron Galloway, courtesy Army of Darkness.

Ben Walters shared, “I am a certified industrial safety consultant and one of the things we always stress is you can have the systems and procedures in place on paper, but you can’t replace real live drills to help your people succeed.”

With that selfless commitment to team improvement, Walters lowsided the A Bike in practice on Friday in Turn Four. Both he and the bike ultimately exhausted their potential energy in a shallow muddy pond with a rock wedging the dry brake on the gas tank open. The bike had to be recovered with tow straps looped around the wheels inverted and it was unceremoniously deposited on the recovery trailer on its side.

Flood damage is the most insidious of mechanical projects and yet, in the 107^o F real feel heat, the team set to tearing the bike down to try to clean as much sand and water out of it; cognizant that a single grain of sand in an injector or switch could spell the difference between victory, or losing the overall razor-thin points lead.

Saturday saw Hayes qualify on pole but the bike lost power shortly thereafter.

Hunter Dunham (99) at speed on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo courtesy Army of Darkness. — Hunter Dunham (99) at speed on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo by Aaron Galloway, courtesy Army of Darkness.

Another two hours of cleaning and preparation finally saw the start of the race. While the crew chewed their nails down to the quick, Hayes took the lead from the start and AOD never relinquished it for the duration of the four hours.

Tim Gooding, AOD Crew Chief, “It was really selfless of Ben to sacrifice the well being of his leathers and his [possibly fractured] tibia to help us do a drill of what we would have to do to recover from dropping the bike into a mud pond with the dry brakes on the tank open. That sort of commitment to the long term strength of the team is hard to find in today’s younger riders.”

Dunlop’s Tony Romo judged “Today was a legit race story.”

(From left) Madeline Tucker, Tony Romo, Hunter Dunham, Anthony Consorte, Sam Fleming, Melissa Berkoff, Tim Gooding, Josh Hayes, Chris Manfrin, Ben Walters, Steve Brunton, YT Lechner and the drowned and revived Gaijin (currently wearing Yankii’s clothes). Photo courtesy Army of Darkness.

Valentino Rossi Wins GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Race At Misano

David Swarts

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July 17, 2023

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Valentino Rossi Wins GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Race At Misano

MAIDEN FANATEC GT WIN FOR ROSSI-MARTIN WHILE KRUETTEN-WILLIAMS TAKE SECOND VICTORY IN THE GOLD CUP

It was a memorable weekend of glory for Team WRT at Misano in the second round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, as Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin took a dominant victory in race two, in the heat of the Italian track. A historic win for the legendary Italian driver, who signed his first Fanatec GT win in front of his fans, at his home track and where he won many times on two wheels. There was more satisfaction for the Belgian squad as two other overall podium finishes were netted by Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, with a third place in race one, and by Thomas Neubauer and Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, claiming third in race two. Calan Williams and Niklas Kruetten rounded the results, taking their second Gold Cup Sprint win and a second place.

Team Principal Vincent Vosse could not hide his feelings after the race: “We went through a lot of emotions this weekend, and it’s a very emotional moment now. After a frustrating first qualifying yesterday, we had a great come back in race one with cars #32 and #30, which got onto their respective podiums, third overall and second in the Gold Cup. Then this Sunday, we took pole position and a spot on the second row. We won the race with Vale and Maxime, took one more overall podium with car #31, won in the Gold Cup and won the Pit Stop Challenge thanks to our impressive crews. Misano has always been a special place for us, we have had great success here in the past, but winning here with Vale is really something different. On a more personal note, I would like to dedicate this win to my mum, who on top of having always supported me in everything I did, is a great fan of Vale since his MotoGP days, and is very, very happy today!”

The free practice session was promising, as the four cars of Team WRT made it to the top-20, with car #32 third-fastest and car #31 ninth, but the better top speed pace of rivals materialised from pre-qualifying onwards. In the qualifying for race one, the best-placed was #32’s Charles Weerts in P22, with Valentino Rossi placing #46 in P24, and #30’s Niklas Kruetten #30 in P35, right ahead of Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer with car #31.

Race one was going to be a recovery exercise for all Team WRT drivers, and that is what they did perfectly, avoiding trouble and climbing positions, often with great moves and heated duels. Shortly before the pit stop, Weerts was already 14^th, Rossi 16^th, Kruetten 18^th and third in the Gold Cup, and Simmenauer 25^th. The pit stops were perfectly executed, in laps 17 and 18, and allowed to gain further positions, while Dries Vanthoor set the fastest lap of the race shortly after taking the wheel.

After all driver changes, Vanthoor was sixth and Martin ninth, while Williams took second in the Gold Cup, running 15^th overall, and Neubauer was 18^th. There were more fierce battles for all of them, with Vanthoor gaining an incredible three positions in the final laps to finish on the podium. Martin crossed the line in eighth, Williams 12^th, securing second in the Gold Cup, and Neubauer 15^th.

On Sunday, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees celsius and 63 degrees on track, things changed drastically. Dries Vanthoor took pole position for race two, with Martin qualifying third, Neubauer ninth, and Williams second in the Gold Cup.

Everything went well in the first part of the race, with Vanthoor building a 2-second lead overall and Martin keeping third, while Neubauer climbed up to 7^th and Williams took the Gold Cup lead shortly before a safety car period right ahead of the driver changes. The pit stop didn’t go as expected for the leading #32 car, but Valentino Rossi emerged first after all changes and posted the provisional fastest lap of the race. Progressively, his gap reached five seconds, with Simmenauer an excellent third and Weerts in ninth. Kruetten, on his side, held station in the lead of the Gold Cup. Nothing got in the way of the WRT drivers, which signed a sensational team success.

Niklas Kruetten (car #30): “It is a really positive weekend, difficult to predict after a difficult qualifying. But in the races, the set-up was so good and much better than our rivals. Today we had a difficult pit stop, but it didn’t prevent us to win. We scored very good points and we’ll try to keep it going as it is.”

Calan Williams (car #30): “The weekend started tricky in qualifying, it looked as if it was going to be a difficult weekend, but we kept working and pushing hard and in the end, second and first in the class, are very good results. It’s great, we are now leading the championship in the Gold Cup. On my side, there are still things I need to work on, the pace was good but I did a mistake during the driver change, I take responsibility for this, it’s a pity because we could have comfortably finished in the top 10 and even the top five overall.”

Thomas Neubauer (car #31): “P3 overall in race two is a positive result and a good way to finish the weekend, after the difficulties we had in qualifying and race one to find the right pace. Today, we had a good start and an excellent pit stop, thank you to the mechanics for all their good work. After a difficult start of the season, today I can finally leave a track with a smile on my face.”

Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (#31): “It’s our first overall podium of the season, it feels very good after yesterday’s race. I am very pleased with how things went today, Thomas did a great job, the pit stop was perfect, and I just had to bring the car home.”

Dries Vanthoor (car #32): “In general, it’s been a positive weekend for us. Knowing the car, we were not expecting a lot from Misano, but we are working in the right direction and the car is improving at every race. We showed we have a very strong car, finishing third yesterday after starting from P21. I really had some fun in yesterday’s race and today, with the pole and a good first stint, we proved again that we are here. Unfortunately, a mistake in the pit stop cost us the victory, but there is nothing to complain about or anyone to blame. We still have the best crews of the whole paddock, they have helped us so many times achieve great things, and today is our turn to support them.”

Charles Weerts (car #32): “Overall, a good weekend, considering where we came from in qualifying, where we had some issues. We managed to pull out a great race one, it was a good team effort, and got a well-deserved podium. Today, it started well with the pole position, a great stint from Dries, but unfortunately, the safety car erased the gap, then we had some issues in the pit stop, which is very unusual at WRT, but it just shows that we are all human. I feel lucky to work with such amazing guys and with Dries, today we still managed to salvage some points, and so let’s move to the next one.”

Maxime Martin (car #46): “It’s definitely a fantastic weekend! We struggled a little bit yesterday but we came back in race one, with a good result. Today, I qualified well, which allowed us to stay with the front-runners, the pit stop was perfect, our crew won the Pit Stop Challenge, and Vale finished the job. For sure, if we were to choose one race to win, Vale would have said ‘Misano’, so we couldn’t dream for a better result. I am also very happy for BMW, as it is since 2015 they hadn’t won a sprint race. I was in that car, at Nogaro, with Dirk Müller, and it’s great to prove the brand is back also in sprint races.”

Valentino Rossi (car #46): “I cannot be happier. To win here at Misano is very special. We knew we could be strong, but winning is another story! I won my first GT race at Road to Le Mans, but this is different, as this is our main championship, the level is so high and there are so many fast drivers. It all started one and a half years ago, with Vincent, with the entire WRT team, and this is a great achievement. Everybody did a mega job, Maxime, the boys, and I thank everybody and BMW. I’m enjoying the moment and let’s continue like this.”

Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup – Round 2

Misano Adriatico, Italy, 15-16 July 2023

Race 1 results:

1. Marciello-Boguslavskiy (Mercedes AMG GT3) 38 laps

2. Altoè-Lappainen (Ferrari 296 GT3) + 7s461

3. Vanthoor-Weerts (BMW M4 GT3) +15s909

4. Vervisch-Baert (Audi R8 LMS) +18s057

5. Costa-Vermeulen (Ferrari 296 GT3) +18s438

8. Martin-Rossi (BMW M4 GT3) +28s043

11. Kruetten-Williams (BMW M4 GT3) +34s808 (2^nd in Gold)

15. Simmenauer-Neubauer (BMW M4 GT3) +44s057

Race 2 results:

1. Martin-Rossi (BMW M4 GT3) 36 laps

2. Légeret-Haase (Audi R8 LMS) + 4s743

3. Neubauer-Simmenauer (BMW M4 GT3) + 6s105

4. Marciello-Boguslavskiy (Mercedes AMG GT3) +10s644

5. Costa-Vermeulen (Ferrari 296 GT3) +11s618

9. Vanthoor-Weerts (BMW M4 GT3) +16s789

12. Kruetten-Williams (BMW M4 GT3) +24s562 (1^st in Gold)

MotoGP: Practice And Qualifying Sessions Tweaked

David Swarts

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July 17, 2023

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MotoGP: Practice And Qualifying Sessions Tweaked

FIM Grand Prix World Championship

Decisions of the Grand Prix Commission

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Paul Duparc (FIM), Hervé Poncharal (IRTA) and Biense Bierma (MSMA), assisted by Messrs. Jorge Viegas (FIM President), Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA, Secretary of the meeting) and Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), in electronic meetings held in July 2023, made the following decisions, effective immediately:

MotoGP™ Class Practice Sessions timed for entry into Q2

Following unanimous agreement between the MotoGP™ Class Teams, the GPC has approved a proposal to change the sessions timed for entry into Qualifying 2.

The first premier class practice session of a Grand Prix weekend will no longer be timed for
qualifying/entry into Qualifying 2.

It will remain 45 minutes in length and will now be named Free Practice 1.

The second, 60-minute practice session on Friday will now be named Practice. It will be the sole practice session timed for entry into Q2.

The 30-minute session on Saturday morning will now be named Free Practice 2.

MotoGP™ Class sessions therefore now comprise:

• Friday

− Free Practice 1 (FP1): 45 mins

− Practice (PR): 60 mins, timed for entry into Q2

• Saturday

− Free Practice 2 (FP2): 30 mins

− Qualifying 1 (Q1): 15 mins

− Qualifying 2 (Q2): 15 mins

− MotoGP™ Tissot Sprint (SPR)

• Sunday

− Warm Up (WUP): 10 mins

− Race (RACE)

A regularly updated version of the FIM Grand Prix Regulations which contains the detailed text of the regulation changes may be viewed shortly on:
https://www.fim-moto.com/en/sports/view/fim-world-championship-grand-prix-4327

FIM JuniorGP: Race Report From Catalunya

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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FIM JuniorGP: Race Report From Catalunya

Editorial Notes: Canadian Torin Collins, riding his AGR Team KTM, finished 27th inn JuniorGP Race One and 18th in Race Two. American Max Toth, riding his MMR Kalex, finished 15th in Moto2 Race One and he DNF Moto2 Race Two. American Kristian Daniel Jr., riding his MRE Talent Honda, finished a season-high seventh in the sole European Talent Cup (ETC) race.

Zurutuza and Aditama take stunning JuniorGP™ wins as Moto2™ title race intensifies

Six thrilling races saw six different winners under the beating Barcelona sun, and all title fights going another round

The blistering Spanish sun welcomed riders to its shores as Round 5 of the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship took place at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya. Six races saw six different winners, with Xabier Zurutuza (MTA Junior Team) and Fadillah Arbi Aditama (Astra Honda Racing Team) claiming JuniorGP™ honours, with Xavier Cardelus (Promoracing) and Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing) securing success in the Moto2™ European Championship.

In the single races in Catalunya, Guido Pini (AC Racing Team) stood on the top step in the European Talent Cup with Daniel Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) doing likewise in the Stock European Championship, both after some incredible last lap drama.

In JuniorGP™, Xabi Zurutuza emerged from a large group of riders to take Race 1 victory in Barcelona, showing his class to lead the last lap and withstand pressure from behind to take the chequered flag first, and in the process, earn a second win of the campaign. Jacob Roulstone (Aspar Junior Team) followed the Spaniard over the line, while Championship leader Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) claimed third.

The opening race didn’t pass without incident, with David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) crashing out of his podium charge on the last lap after luck deserted him, while poleman Piqueras’ podium meant he could set his sights on securing the title in Race 2.

There was drama from lights out to the chequered flag, and beyond, in the afternoon event, with a dramatic race seeing Indonesia rider Fadillah Arbi Aditama given the win. Once again, a large lead group formed, with P1 changing hands on a corner by corner basis. With two laps to go and space at a premium, there was a mid-pack collision that saw Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing), Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team), Jacob Roulstone and Xabi Zurutuza hit the gravel trap.

A lap and a half later, Almansa squeezed over the line ahead of Aditama by just 0.005s, but the Spaniard was adjudged to have overtaken under yellow flags and was demoted a place to second. Luca Lunetta (AC Raccing Team) came across third, but like Almansa, was penalized for the same infringement, with Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) benefitting. Piqueras came home sixth, but it wasn’t enough for the title, and his charge continues into Aragon after the summer break where he will hold a comfortable 68 point advantage.

In Moto2™, Championship leader Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Team) was ruled out of both races, handing a big opportunity to his rivals to close the gap, and Xavi Cardelus duly obliged. The Andorran started on pole and led the majority of the race, put on an exhibitionary defensive performance to reject the advances of Unai Orradre for the win, though, the STV Laglisse Racing rider claimed a debut podium in the class. Alberto Surra (Team Ciatti – Boscoscuro) followed the two over the line, and those three riders were the main protagonists in Race 2.

Later in the day, Orradre did manage to get the win in fine fashion in what has proved a breakthrough weekend, while it was Surra who came second, and Cardelus third after an epic three way battle for the win. All that means that going into the next round, Cardelus comes back into the title picture and sits just 20 points behind Agius in the standings.

There were twists and turns at every corner in the European Talent Cup race in Barcelona. Guido Pini claimed the win, with Casey O’Gorman (SuperHugo44 Team) and Ruche Moodley (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) on the podium after showstopping event.

Championship leader Max Quiles (Aspar Junior Team) started at the back of the grid, while his main rival Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) launched from pole. However, Quiles found himself among the lead group after just a few laps while Uriarte ended up in the gravel, ending his victory charge. The drama continued onto the last lap, with Quiles’ teammate Dodo Boggio attempting an ambitious move at Turn 10, only for the Italian to wipe out his teammate and Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0). As a result, Pini profited enormously to take the win and enter the title picture heading to Aragon.

Rounding out the day’s runs was the Stock European Championship, and keeping with the theme of the day, it was a gripping watch to the very end. Daniel Muñoz took the win, and did so in style.

In a race that often saw a strangely slow pace set at the front, the Championship leader decided to take things into his own hands with just a few laps remaining. Eric Fernandez (FAU55 Racing Team) applied the pressure from behind, and even took the lead on the last lap after a brilliant Turn 10 maneuver, but Muñoz showed his x-factor with a Valentino Rossi-like overtake at the final corner to secure a sensational win. Dino Iozzo (IUM Motorsports) ran with the top two in the title race, and claimed a superb P3.

After Muñoz sensational late move, it stretches his advantage in the Championship to 35 points, and with just 50 left on the board, he can claim the Stock crown in Aragon after the summer break.

Next up for the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship is MotorLand Aragon, which is penciled in for October 8th. Make sure you join us then!
You can also find all the results, videos, photos and information regarding the championship on the official website: www.fimjuniorgp.com

Australian Superbike: Race Results From Morgan Park Raceway

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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Australian Superbike: Race Results From Morgan Park Raceway

Race One
Race Two

More, from a press release issued by ASBK:

Herfoss Seizes Championship Lead With Decisive Morgan Park Victories

Alpinestars Superbike

The fifth round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul was absolutely breathtaking with exceptional racing across all the classes and has wet the appetite for a monumental last two rounds. Every race featured at least four riders duking it out for the win with some races decided by tens of thousandths of a second.

As for the premier category, the Alpinestars Superbike class, the championship has been turned on its head.

Race One

The first 16-lap race exploded into action with Herfoss grabbing the holeshot from Jones, Waters, Allerton, Halliday, and Arthur Sissis who had a blinding start while Broc Pearson went backward from the first row to be back in eighth position after the first lap with the top five separated by just 0.766 seconds.

Halliday was the first to be dropped off the extremely fast pace with Allerton valiantly hanging on to the leading trio of Herfoss, Jones and Waters. The leading pair were locked together as Waters was on the rear wheel of Jones as Herfoss tried to break away. Herfoss led for the opening five laps from Jones and Waters as Jones tried everything in the book but on the sixth lap, he found the page with the move to take the lead in a great braking move, but Herfoss was back in front two laps later.

The pace started to tell on Waters as he was noticeably dropping off the pair to be over a second off the lead after 10-laps as millimetres separated the two riders who have dominated the previous two rounds. On the start of the twelfth lap as Waters tried valiantly to keep in touch, in a déjà vu moment from Darwin ran off the track at Turn Two but managed to re-join way back in eleventh place nearly 20 seconds adrift while Allerton inherited third place. The mistake ensured that Herfoss would take the lead in the championship. It all is depending on how many places Waters could make up to salvage as many points as possible.

The dynamic duo was all over each other with no rider able to make a break as Jones retook the lead on the fourteenth lap setting the scene for a lightning bolt finish. For nine of the sixteen laps the pair were separated by less than a tenth of a second bringing back memories of the golden years of Australian road racing with the legendary battles of Robbie Phillis and Mal Campbell. The engrossed spectators all knew that there was one shot left for Herfoss in the closing two laps and it happened at the sixth corner on the last lap as Herfoss jammed his Honda on the inside of Jones and in a perfect brake check forced Jones wide with the pair side by side on the exit, but Herfoss had the slight advantage to get on the gas that millisecond earlier.

Jones tried a way through in the final few corners, but Herfoss was not to be denied and took the win by 0.097 of a second from Jones to move into the championship lead. Allerton was third a little over a second in front of Halliday with Pearson recovering from his bad start to claim another sixth place from Bryan Staring, Anthony West, and Arthur Sissis. The end results saw Waters eight-point lead turn around to be a five-point deficient. As Jones continued to clamber up the points table in his sterling efforts to retain his Number One plate.

Race Two

By the time the Alpinestars Superbike field lined up for race two, the track temp was over 38 degrees and the wind had dropped to ensure the race would be run at a red-hot pace.

Lights out and it was Herfoss again who stormed into the lead with Allerton in hot pursuit with Pearson third from Jones, but Jones was into third by the end of the opening lap while Waters had a shocker of a start in his view to end lap one in sixth place.

Jones muscled his way into second place on the fifth lap with a gap of about eight bike lengths to make up as Herfoss set the pace at the front although Jones bettered Herfoss’ 2018 lap record on the second lap and on the fifth lowered it again to take almost half a second off the old record. An amazing feat considering the tight nature of Morgan Park where it is so very difficult to make up time.

Allerton held third for the entire race while Pearson managed to maintain fourth spot for the entire race as some battles raged behind with Halliday, Waters, Staring, West and Sissis having some great battles just out of the top four spots.

Back at the front, the Jones and Herfoss street fight continued unabated as Herfoss attempted to keep the ever-closing Jones at bay. Jones had his wish answered at the halfway point to take the lead and held it for five laps before Herfoss found a way through, but it was far from over. With just over a lap remaining Jones hit the front again and it appeared that he had enough of a gap to finally grab his first victory since the final round at The Bend Motorsport Park last year.

But with just three corners remaining Jones tried to cover his line but entered turn ten a little too hot and a little too tight as he attempted to prevent Herfoss from a final attack but the rear tyre of his bike slid out which was enough for Herfoss to slip underneath the Yamaha and take the lead with enough momentum to hang onto take the win by nearly eight-tenths of a second, the biggest gap between the pair the entire weekend.

Herfoss’ victory has seen his lead over Waters increase to fourteen points with Jones in third just six points ahead of Allerton.

With four races left and 102 points up for grabs the 2023 season is shaping up as another to provide another exciting climax to an enthralling season.

MIR Racing Finetwork Cup: American Sanchez P2 In Race Two At Navarra

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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MIR Racing Finetwork Cup: American Sanchez P2 In Race Two At Navarra

Texan Mikey Lou Sanchez, age 13, placed second in MIR Racing Finetwork Cup Promo3 Race Two Sunday at Circuito de Navarra, in Spain.

Sanchez actually crossed the finish first, but according to a social post by his family, he was penalized one finishing position for weaving too aggressively on the run to the finish line.

WorldSBK: Race Two Results From Imola (Updated)

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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WorldSBK: Race Two Results From Imola (Updated)

Toprak Razgatlioglu won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at the Imola circuit, in Italy. Razgatlioglu won the 15-lap race by 1.966 seconds on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1.

It was Razgatlioglu’s first full-distance race win of the season, breaking a streak of 13 consecutive full-length race wins so far in 2023 by Alvaro Bautista.

Bautista, the defending World Champion, crashed his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R early in the race and DNF.

Italian Axel Bassani thrilled the home crowd by taking second on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, just ahead of six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea and his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

American Garrett Gerloff placed 13th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.

WSBK R2
WSBK Points after R2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Toprak Razgatlioglu secures Race 2 win as Alvaro Bautista crashes

Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) celebrates his victory in Race Two at Imola. Photo courtesy Dorna.

In Race 2 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) emerged victorious after an intense battle with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). The race took a surprising turn as Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) suffered a crash in Tamburello on the first lap. Razgatlioglu capitalised on Bautista’s misfortune to claim the lead, ultimately securing his first feature-length race win of 2023.

Axel Bassani finished in second position whilst Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) secured a well-deserved third place. The race also witnessed a strong performance from Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who finished in fourth place, adding valuable points to his Championship campaign. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured fifth place as he looks to retain his seat in the team for 2024. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) achieved a career-best sixth-place finish.

After Race 2, Alvaro Bautista maintains his lead in the WorldSBK Championship standings with 391 points, but Toprak Razgatlioglu’s victory reduces the gap to 70 points.

Read the full report from Race 2 on worldsbk.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu secured a well-deserved victory in Race 2, marking his 4th win of the season.

P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK

“I’m very happy that this year, finally, I’ve won! I waited for this moment, so thanks to my team who did an incredible job this weekend. Every session, we improved the bike but I am also sorry for Alvaro but this is racing, and you try and do your best. It’s the first time he’s crashed. After, I made a plan and didn’t want to risk. I followed Axel and in the last three laps I passed him and took a good pace. In general, I’m very happy this weekend! It’s the first time that Yamaha have won at Imola this weekend and I love this track too. It was very hot this weekend and congratulations to everyone because of this. I think it’s been a very good weekend as everybody’s watched real racing! The Championship is not over; I am riding like before, I’m focusing just on winning.”

Axel Bassani finished second and equaling his best result, as he narrowly missed out on his maiden victory.

Jonathan Rea claimed a solid third-place finish in Race 2 at Imola, reducing the gap to Andrea Locatelli in the championship standings.

Bradley Ray showcased his potential and achieved a career-best sixth-place finish in Race 2.

Alvaro Bautista takes the holeshot but crashes out at Turn 3, bringing an end to his streak of feature-length wins in 2023.

Alvaro Bautista crashed out of Race Two at Imola. Photo courtesy Dorna.

DNF | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati

“We decided to make the race shorter… and I made it even shorter! I made a mistake. I had a good start and kept a good line, but I just touched the inside white line at Turn 3. Maybe in other laps I touched it without problems but perhaps, on the first laps, the tyres were not 100%, I made a mistake. Next time, I have to be more careful. A pity because we were quite competitive this weekend. We were quite strong in Race 1 and in the Superpole Race. We had a nice battle with Toprak. we were stronger than I expected this weekend. I have to be positive, look forward and try to learn from the mistake.”

World Supersport: Race Two Results From Imola

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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World Supersport: Race Two Results From Imola

Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at the Imola circuit, in Imola. Riding his Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF-R6, the Italian won the 17-lap race by 7.188 seconds. It was Manzi’s third win of the season.

Nicolo Bulega, the current Championship point lead, was the best of the rest on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2.

Yari Montella finished third on his Barni Spark Racing Panigale V2.

Only 16 of the 30 starters finished the race, which was run in dry conditions.

WSS R2 Results
WSS Points after R2

WorldSBK: Superpole Race Results From Imola

David Swarts

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July 16, 2023

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WorldSBK: Superpole Race Results From Imola

Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday at the Imola circuit, in Italy. Riding his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, the Turkish rider won the 10-lap race by 0.244 second. It was Razgatlioglu’s third Superpole Race win of the season.

Defending Champion Alvaro Bautista was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Razgatlioglu’s teammate Andrea Locatelli finished a close third.

American Garrett Gerloff DNF the race, pulling his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR into the pits and retiring.

WSBK SP Race
WSBK Points affter SP Race

FIM JuniorGP: American Daniel LCQ To P7 In European Talent Cup At Catalunya

July 17, 2023

Kristian Daniel Jr. (70). Photo by Manu Tormo, courtesy Kristian Daniel Jr. Racing.

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP: FIRST TOP 10 FINISH FOR AMERICAN KRISTIAN DANIEL JR

Kristian Daniel Jr finishes 7th place in a chaotic European Talent Cup race

July 16th – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain

After securing a career best 12th position earlier in the year at Round 2 of the FIM European Talent Cup, MRE Talent Team rider Kristian Daniel Jr fought through a chaotic race this past weekend in Barcelona to cross the line in the top ten of the elite junior racing series.

The young American was showing great pace during Thursday and Friday’s practices but ended Friday with a high-speed crash in the last corner of Circuit de Catalunya, seeing rider and bike tumble through the gravel. Kristian walked away uninjured and the team repaired the Honda NSF250R in order to run a strong qualifying Saturday. Bad luck struck Saturday when during Qualifying One, two crash-related technical issues saw Kristian and team lose valuable laps while the team repaired the bike. They had another chance during Qualifying Two, but half way through the session a rock broke the radiator, putting an end to their session. Kristian finished 0.3 second away from a position that would have qualified him straight into the main race, which meant that he had to compete in the Last Chance Qualifying (LCQ) race Sunday morning in order to participate in the main race Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning, 24 riders lined up in the seven-lap LCQ race, where only the first and 2nd place finishers advanced to the main race in the afternoon. Kristian was in control for most of the race, except for the penultimate lap when he dropped back to sixth after being slipstreamed down the main straight. He recovered the positions in the final lap, crossing the line in second, qualifying him to compete in the main race.

On Sunday afternoon, Kristian was supposed to line up 30th on the grid for the Main Race, but due to penalties handed out to riders further ahead who were moved to the back of the grid, he started from 25th position. The young American showed his pace early on, moving from 25th to 15th by lap three. While he battled and led the second group for most laps, this race quickly turned into a race of attrition, seeing many riders either crash or make mistakes. By lap eight, Kristian was engrossed in a fierce battle against eight other riders for 11th position. During the last lap, four of the leading riders crashed out in corner 10, and Kristian, seeing this, made a daring last-corner move to cross the line in seventh position. This marks his best finish in the championship and the best result for an American in the European Talent Cup.

N2/WERA National Endurance: Army Of Darkness Overcomes Adversity To Win Again

July 17, 2023

Army of Darkness Captain Sam Fleming pulls his crashed Yamaha YZF-R1 off the crash truck's trailer the day before the N2/WERA National Endurance four-hour race at Roebling Road Raceway. Team rider Hunter Dunhaam (right) and Crew Chief Tim Gooding (far left) stand by to help. Photo courtesy Army of Darkness. — Army of Darkness Captain Sam Fleming prepares to upright his crashed Yamaha YZF-R1 the day before the N2/WERA National Endurance four-hour race at Roebling Road Raceway. Team rider Hunter Dunham (right) and Crew Chief Tim Gooding (far left) stand by to help. Photo courtesy Army of Darkness.