Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez set a new MotoGP outright lap record at Lusail International Circuit, clocking a 1:51.108 to lead the final practice session before qualifying.
The top 12 riders all were under the old record of 1:51.762, set by Luca Marini last year.
With Saturday’s final practice determining qualifying groupings, both factory Yamahas and all four Hondas missed out on transferring to Q2, with Ducati locking out the top four spots and European machines taking the first 13 placings.
Aron Canet took his Fantic Racing Kalex to the top of the timesheets on Saturday in Moto2 practice, setting a new outright lap record. Canet’s 1:57.176 edged the 1:57.305 mark set last year by American Joe Roberts.
Somkiat Chantra, Tony Arbolino and Fermin Aldeguer followed Canet, ahead of Ai Ogura and Zonta van den Goorbergh, the top six covered by less than half a second. Roberts improved from Friday, finishing 17th, 1.044 seconds off the pace.
Jose Rueda took his Red Bull KTM Ajo to the top of the Moto3 timesheets in Practice Two at Lusail International Circuit, lowering the lap record that was set less than 24 hours prior.
Rueda’s 2:03.465 edged the 2:03.606 mark set yesterday by Daniel Holgado on the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine. KTM dominated the charts, locking out the first eight places.
Provisional Royal Enfield BTR Main Event (10 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kenzie Luker (Roy), 10 laps
2. Taia Little (Roy), -0.275 second
3. Mya Maffei (Roy), -7.358 seconds
4. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -7.854
5. Mikaela Nichols-Lionetti (Roy), -15.978
6. Hannah Lange (Roy), -20.207
7. Hannah Robertson (Roy), -1 lap
8. Kristiana Ross (Roy), -1 lap, 10.335 seconds
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Tom Drane (Yam), 22 laps
2. Kody Kopp (KTM), -1.951 seconds
3. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -5.849
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -6.331
5. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -7.939
6. Justin Jones (Hus), -8.911
7. Aidan RoosEvans (Yam), -8.960
8. James Ott (Hus), -9.422
9. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -11.043
10. Trent Lowe (Hon), -11.132
11. Tarren Santero (Hon), -12.819
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -14.924
13. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -15.217
14. Jared Lowe (Hon), -15.255
15. Chad Cose (KTM), -18.372
16. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -18.829
17. Reece Pottorf (Hon), -1 lap
18. Jacob Cascio (Hon), -1 lap, 4.944 seconds
19. Jordan Jean (Hon), -1 lap, 5.075
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event (10 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 34 laps
2. Sammy Halbert (Har), -1.134 seconds
3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -2.679
4. Briar Bauman (KTM), -3.857
5. Jared Mees (Ind), -4.697
6. Davis Fisher (Ind), -6.067
7. Jarod VanDerkooi (Ind), -7.171
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -9.914
9. Brandon Price (Yam), -11.232
10. Max Whale (Har), -11.711
11. Cameron Smith (KTM), -13.037
12. Dan Bromley (Hon), -16.612
13. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -1 lap
14. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -1 lap, 2.127 seconds
15. Declan Bender (Ind), -1 lap, 3.135
16. Wyatt Vaughan (Kaw), -1 lap, 3.396
17. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -2 laps
18. Ben Lowe (KTM), -22 laps, DNF
19. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -24 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Robinson Overcomes Halbert to Claim Fourth Daytona Triumph
Brandon Robinson (44) and Sammy Halbert (69). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 8, 2024) – Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) successfully defended his adopted home turf to reign in Friday’s Mission SuperTwins Main Event to conclude a hugely entertaining Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II at the Daytona International Speedway Short Track.
Robinson had to overcome potential Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, history in order to do so, forced to chase down an in-form Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Dodge Bros. Racing/Castrol Harley-Davidson XR750) to get the win. Halbert actually led the opening six-and-a-half minutes of the Main Event after earlier winning his heat race and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge a full 53 years, 10 months, and five days after Mert Lawwill took the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 to its maiden win at the Cumberland Half-Mile.
Following an extended pursuit, the Mission Roof Systems pilot finally dove up the inside of Dodge Bros.-backed Halbert, who then was thrown out of his saddle after encountering a bump while off his usual line. Undeterred, Halbert nearly clawed his way back within striking distance before at last conceding the race to Robinson in its final minute.
The victory was the fourth of Robinson’s career at the DAYTONA Short Track, moving him equal with Friday adversary Halbert for most all-time at the event. Afterward, Robinson, who originally hails from Pennsylvania but now resides just fifteen minutes from the World Center of Racing, unsurprisingly professed his affection for the track.
He said, “This feels amazing. It feels like forever since I’ve won a race. Going winless last year really (made me angry) to be honest. I came to the Main with a chip on my shoulder. I love this place. I love Daytona. Something about this dirt – it’s the greatest dirt in the world as far as I’m concerned… This is a dream ending to the week.”
Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), himself the winner of the three prior premier-class showdowns at the venue, battled with Robinson and hunted Halbert over the Main’s opening half before falling into the clutches of the resurgent Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke).
The two then traded third multiple times – a melee complete with crisscrossing lines and squared-up counters – before Daniels laid claim on the spot for good. He finished a little more than a second ahead of Bauman with reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) not far behind in fifth.
Sixth went to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) a short distance ahead of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) in seventh.
Premier-class rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished eighth and tenth, respectively, with Thursday runner-up Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07) sandwiched in between.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) rebounded from his Thursday disappointment to claim a dominating win in Friday’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER rematch.
The young Australian ripped out to the holeshot in the restart that followed an early red flag and immediately stretched out a second-plus advantage at the front. Meanwhile, triple Daytona ST winner and double defending class champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) moved up from third into second after working past impressive sophomore Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) with five of the race’s scheduled six minutes still on the clock.
With clear air in front of him and plenty of time to work with, Kopp’s attempts to close the gap saw him make minor inroads on Drane’s advantage for a spell. But despite the determined effort, the Yamaha ace’s speed and consistency ultimately won out to the tune of a 1.951-second margin of victory at the checkered flag.
The victory was Drane’s first in the Short Track discipline, after previously winning three Miles and a Half-Mile. He said, “This means so much to finally get a Short Track win. I’d struggled a lot with these, but I just kept working and chipping away. I put all that effort in to try to become good (at them) so I can fight for the title this year.”
Eisenhard kept his head down in search of a maiden Progressive AFT podium and very nearly pulled it off. However, he was swallowed up and then pushed aside in rapid succession by a pair of the category’s established stars, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) with just 30 seconds still on the clock.
Gauthier then fended off Saathoff to secure his second podium of the young ’24 season. Despite losing out on his podium bid, Eisenhard did hold on to finish inside the top five even with Justin Jones (No. 91 J&H Racing Husqvarna FC 450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) running just behind in close formation.
Heralded rookie Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) finished ninth, one spot in front of his charging Turner Honda teammate, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), whose early-race crash prompted the aforementioned red flag.
In the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race Main, Kenzie Luker (No. 17 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) edged Thursday winner Taia Little (No. 11 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) by 0.275 seconds for the Friday victory.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at http://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, March 16, at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT), while the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II will air the following day, Sunday, March 17, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. Progressive American Flat Track is televised on FOX Sports and streams live via FloRacing. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on X, and check us out on Instagram.
JOSH HERRIN JOINS KYT HELMETS AND DEBUTS NEW KX-1 RACE AT DAYTONA 200
KYT Americas welcomes Herrin to the team as the newest MotoAmerica rider in an already stacked lineup
Daytona Beach, FL; March 8, 2024 – KYT Americas proudly announces the addition of seasoned racer Josh Herrin to its roster of sponsored athletes for the 2024 racing season.
Herrin will debut his KX-1 Race during the Daytona 200 as he looks to defend his 2023 title. Herrin is no stranger to winning, with multiple championships in several different classes—most recently the 2022 Supersport Championship on the Ducati Panigale V2 with his current team.
Herrin, a veteran in the MotoAmerica paddock and one of the biggest names in American road racing, brings a wealth of experience and talent to the KYT Americas team. Racing his second season on the Ducati superbike Herrin looks to improve on his impressive second place finish in the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike series.
Consistently finishing on the podium throughout his career, Herrin is poised to make a significant impact wearing the KYT KX-1 Race.
As a sponsored racer for KYT Americas competing in the premier national series, Herrin will be equipped with the cutting-edge KX-1 Race helmet. The FIM homologated KX-1 Race, designed and developed in Italy and tested by Ducati Corse Factory riders, is the latest KYT helmet infused with world-class safety and aerodynamic technology. Boasting an enhanced vertical and peripheral field of vision (92 deg and 210 deg) and weighing approximately 1400 grams, the KX-1 Race is a game changer.
Josh Herrin commented on the new partnership; “I am excited to be joining the KYT family for 2024-25. I have a great relationship with the team at KYT Americas and think that KYT will be one of the leading brands in America. They have great style, great fit and great protection that is priced for everyone to enjoy!”
“The KYT Americas team is looking forward to having Josh join the expanding KYT Americas family. Josh connects with racing fans but also attracts attention from outside of the industry with his tenacity and creativity. We can’t wait to see him running up front in MotoAmerica Superbike this year in his new KYT helmet!”
For more information about KYT and its commitment to motorsport safety, please visit www.kytamericas.com.
About KYT:
At KYT, we incorporate over two decades of experience in world-class competition into sleek, race-engineered helmets designed to protect and perform. Our designs offer optimal ventilation and aerodynamics while maintaining the highest level of crash protection. Since 1998, KYT’s intense focus on the competitive environment allows us to produce a helmet with quality and function designed to perform at the highest level of motorsports and performance. KYT America now brings its industry leading safety, style, and service to one of the most innovative motorcycle markets in the world.
Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One in dramatic fashion Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Wyman was locked into a last-lap duel with pole-sitter Troy Herfoss just ahead of the rest of the front-runners.
Herfoss led into the chicane and then checked up at its exit in a move similar to the one fellow Australian Mat Mladin used to beat Ben Spies in the AMA Pro Superbike race at Daytona in 2006.
But it didn’t work for Herfoss, and Wyman won the race – the 13th of his King Of The Baggers career — by 0.018 second on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Herfoss had to settle for the runner-up spot on his S&S Indian Challenger.
The last-lap game being played between Herfoss and Wyman allowed Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli to close in, but Rispoli only got within 0.129 second of Herfoss and finished third.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim was a close fourth, and his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Rocco Landers came home fifth.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara crashed while racing in the lead pack on the last lap.
Wyman Wins Mission King Of The Baggers Opener At Daytona
Kyle Wyman Tops Troy Herfoss In Baggers Thriller, Herfoss Takes Super Hooligan And Gus Rodio Dominates Twins Cup
Kyle Wyman (33) won King Of The Baggers Race One over Troy Herfoss (17) and James Rispoli (43). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 8, 2024) – Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman won a game of cat and mouse with S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss in Friday’s Mission King Of The Baggers battle at Daytona International Speedway with Wyman crossing the finish line just .018 of a second ahead of the Daytona first timer.
The win was the 13th of Wyman’s Mission King Of The Baggers career, which extended his mark as the winningest rider in the class.
Herfoss, meanwhile, finished second not long after earning his first MotoAmerica victory in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race earlier in the day. In that one, Herfoss successfully broke away from the pursuing pack in the infield and held on to the finish line. In the Baggers race, Herfoss couldn’t get away and he led going into the chicane. At that point, Herfoss slowed his pace dramatically, forcing Wyman and his teammate James Rispoli to check up. The move almost worked with Wyman just managing to draft past the Aussie and his Indian.
Rispoli looked to have lost the draft to the first two in the closing stages, but a quick last lap brought him back to the draft. He was slowed a little on that final lap when Herfoss’s S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle teammate Tyler O’Hara crashed in front of him. Still, Rispoli was able to work himself into the draft on the backstraight and into the chicane where the Herfoss/Wyman battle baulked in front of him.
Rispoli was just .137 behind his teammate Wyman as the three crossed the finish line in formation. Fourth place, and less than a second behind, was RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim, the defending series champion blowing turn one late in the race to lose the draft of the top three.
Fifth place went to Gillim’s new teammate Rocco Landers with the 19-year-old making his King Of The Baggers debut.
“I’ve never really been in that kind of game exactly like that here, and I always wondered how it would go and how stressed I would be,” Wyman said. “The last two laps were pretty slow. I was just trying to sit there and wait and preserve the tire. I was worried that he was going to slow it down enough that we were going to have a four-rider group again, and anything can happen at that point. I was like, ‘just go just enough so we can at least make it a one-on-one fight here.’ It kind of turned into that. I was just playing off of Troy (Herfoss) at that point. Wherever he’s going to go, I’m going to try to get a run somewhere, somehow. When he went into the chicane on the last lap, we were going 15 mile an hour slower down the back straightaway than we were the rest of the race. I just refused to go by. He parked it so hard in the chicane that I thought I was going to have to take another downshift to be able to get out of there. I just kind of timed where I thought he was going to end up and try to get a run where he kind of got out of my way as soon as I went by. I might have touched the dirt on the inside there, but I think at that point that was just the only chance I had, and fortunately it was the right one. We all know you can do all the right things here and lose, and sometimes do a lot of things wrong and win. I’m just happy to be on the right side of this one. Try to keep it going. I’ve never won the first race of the year, so it’s a big deal for me to start off the season like this. I’ve always left the first round on the back foot, whether we came here and had mechanicals or had a problem at the first Atlanta race. It just feels amazing to get the win to start the year.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Rookie Herfoss Gets It Done
Troy Herfoss (17). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Three-time Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss wasted no time getting down to business in his very first visit to Daytona International Speedway. The S&S/Indian rider beat his teammate Tyler O’Hara in Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race one to record the first MotoAmerica road racing victory of his career.
O’Hara, who started from the pole, crossed the finish line just under half a second after Herfoss, with Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West rounding out the podium in third.
“First of all, thanks for having me,” Herfoss said, “It’s an honor to be here in this championship. I’ve been trying for a long time to come to the States again and road race. It’s a real treat to be out here racing with you guys. It’s easy to learn a track when you’re comfortable on a motorbike, but you can’t buy that experience of riding around the banks of Daytona. In the race, I worked on seeing how much of a gap I would need to get to the finish line. By the sound of it, a lot of stuff went my way with the fight in the background. I watched all the videos last year, and it was Tyler (O’Hara) and Jeremy (McWilliams) a lot of the time. This year, I’m like, ‘Where are all these other guys coming from?’ A lot of guys have stepped up this year, and it looks like everyone’s teams have put in a big effort. Maybe that helped me in the end. It was exciting for us. I can’t explain how happy I am to be here, to be able to compete at the front of the race in America.”
BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Rodio Dominates
Gus Rodio (96) leads Avery Dreher (99) and Alessandro Di Mario (27) early in Twins Cup Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In the season-opening BellissiMoto Twins Cup race, Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering, Aprilia rider Gus Rodio put in a dominating performance. Rodio, who also won the first Twins Cup race at Daytona last year and was runner-up in last year’s Twins Cup final standings, took the checkered flag on Friday at Daytona with a gap of nearly 12 seconds over second-place finisher Dominic Doyle.
Doyle put in an heroic performance just to make the start of the race let alone finish on the podium. The Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha rider crashed in Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race one just prior to Twins Cup race one and dislocated his shoulder. But he recovered and was declared fit to race just in time to make the Twins Cup start.
Third place went to TopPro Racing Aprilia rider Avery Dreher, who made his 2024 debut in BellissiMoto Twins Cup at Daytona after winning last year’s Junior Cup Championship.
“We were contemplating moving up to Supersport this year, and so far, this weekend, I have been doing double sessions, so I’ve had double the track time as these guys,” said Rodio. “This morning, I went out on the Twins Cup bike at 9:30 and then get in at 10:00 and right back out on the V2. Don’t even have time to take your helmet off. The V2 is really like taking me for a ride. I’m just struggling on that thing. It’s all new and we’re jumping right into the biggest race of the year. So, I’m just kind of trying to figure that thing out. I think that’s helped me with the Twin a little bit, because I get on the Aprilia and everything feels like it’s in slow motion, and when stuff is in slow motion, you can kind of focus a little bit more and put the clean laps together. So, I knew I was going to have a lot of work this weekend with both classes, but I kind of thought coming into the weekend it might mess me up on the Twin a little bit, but it seems to have helped me a little bit. I’m honestly really happy. It was the perfect race for me.”
Daytona 200 Time Attack – Great Scott
Tyler Scott (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott will start Saturday’s Daytona 200 from pole position with the 18-year-old lapping at 1:48.047 during Friday afternoon’s Supersport Time Attack.
Scott showed little effects of his high-speed crash from Thursday in the chicane to not only lap faster than anyone else, but do so alone and without the aid of another rider’s draft.
Boulder Motor Sports’ Stefano Mesa will start the 200 from the middle of the front row after lapping at 1:48.147 with Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong set to start the race from the outside of row one.
Row two will consist of Vesrah Racing’s Hayden Gillim; Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, the defending race champion; and Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Xavi Forés will make up row two
Gus Rodio took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup Race One Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, the racer from New Jersey won the nine-lap race by 11.493 seconds.
In spite of crashing and separating his shoulder in Super Hooligan Race One less than an hour earlier and then starting from the back of the grid, Dominic Doyle was able to come through and earn second place on his Giaccmoto Yamaha YZF-R7.
Avery Dreher, the reigning MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, was 0.034 second behind Doyle in third on his TopPro Racing Aprilia, while Rodio’s teammate Alessandro Di Mario was just another 0.087 second behind Dreher in fourth.
Rocco Landers rounded out the top five finishers on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R.
Series newcomer Troy Herfoss won MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan Race One Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Riding his S&S Indian FTR, the reigning Australian Superbike Champion won the restarted four-lap race by 0.491 second over his teammate Tyler O’Hara.
Cory West placed third, just 1.013 second behind Herfoss, on his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Originally scheduled for six laps, the race was stopped on lap three for an incident on the West Banking involving Dominic Doyle, Andy DiBrino, and Hunter Dunham.
Dunham was able to make the restart, Doyle was treated for a separated shoulder and released from the infield care center in time to do Twins Cup Race Two, but DiBrino announced via his social media that he suffered a broken leg.
An unexpected rainstorm disrupted Friday evening’s activities at Lusail International Circuit, but the first official timed sessions of 2024 left some looking forward to Saturday’s qualifying and sprint race while others had work to do overnight.
Defending and two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, who dominated pre-season testing, was only 10th after the first practice session, and a wet surface meant no one improved their lap times in FP2. Bagnaia’s practice start was a disaster, with his 2024 factory Desmosedici slewing sideways and leaving a big, drag race-style stripe of rubber – not an effective launch for a modern MotoGP machine.
Rookie Pedro Acosta pushed his GASGAS Tech3 machine hard, sliding sideways hard enough to launch his feet off the pegs while saving the bike on his elbow. Undaunted, Acosta set the third-quickest time in both dry and wet sessions, faster than the factory KTM riders.
Raul Fernandez (25) took the Trackhouse Racing Aprilia to sixth in the wet. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The new American Trackhouse Racing team found that the 2023-spec Aprilia RS-GP performed well in the hands of Raul Fernandez, who was sixth in the wet. Fernandez was impressive in the off-season, and Fernandez outperformed many of the factory riders in difficult conditions on Friday night.
Johann Zarco (5) was the fastest on a Japanese machine on Friday, finishing sixth in the dry FP1 session. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The Japanese manufacturers continued to struggle, with Johann Zarco’s sixth place in the dry FP1 an unexpected high point for the Castrol Honda LCR squad as the best of the Honda RC213Vs. New recruit Alex Rins was the quickest Yamaha in FP1, finishing 15th, but he dropped to the bottom of the scoring sheets in the wet FP2.
Joe Roberts (16) fought technical gremlins in FP1 and rain kept him in the garage during FP2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
American Joe Roberts struggled with technical issues during the first practice session and the team, like most others, chose to sit out the wet second session.
He said he needed to rebuild his confidence, to learn how to adapt from the Honda RC213V to the very different Ducati Desmosedici GP23. Then Marc Marquez went out in the wet and went faster than anyone. Photo by Michael Gougis.
We’ve got a school happening in Vegas this weekend on March 9th & 10th, and there’s still space for a few more folks. Drop what you’re doing and join us in Vegas! Weather forecast predicts a high of 70 degrees. Ideal! The same goes for Willow Springs later this month. We’ve got some spots left there too. It’s single-day schools on March 23rd & 24th, and a Two-Day Camp on March 25th & 26th. Whitney and Sami are available in the office if you have any questions about signing up. 800-530-3350
Here’s the lineup of West Coast schools before we head off to the East Coast in May:
March 9 & 10: Las Vegas Two Day Camp.
March 23/24: Willow Springs Single Day Schools.
March 25 & 26: Willow Springs Two Day Camp.
April 5 & 6: Las Vegas Two Day Camp.
April 11/12: Willow Springs Two Day Camp.
April 13 & 14: Willow Springs Single Day Schools.
Dylan Code made a guest appearance on a video podcast hosted by Motobeemer. If you’ve got some time to spare, check out the link below to watch the episode.
California Superbike School Founder Keith Code (second from right). Photo courtesy California Superbike School.
Did you know Keith still goes to all the schools? You can’t keep him away from the track and working with riders—his favorite thing to do. Here’s a message from Keith:
As we embark on our 45th year of schooling, two elements consistently leave a lasting impression on me.
Firstly, the remarkable evolution and refinement of riding technology, with advancements like ABS, Traction Control, wheelie control, and Lean-angle/power control for wet conditions. Despite these brilliant electronic innovations, the fundamental skills of riding remain largely unchanged. The fact that one can still “outsmart” these technologies is a daily observation at our school. Additionally, some common rider errors pose as much danger as they ever did. This reality has driven us to develop over 200 specific on and off-track drills for our coaching staff to address and rectify these errors, ultimately boosting riders’ confidence. We stand by our guarantee to elevate anyone’s proficiency with their riding.
Alex Marquez (73) lowered the outright lap record in practice in Qatar. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez set a new MotoGP outright lap record at Lusail International Circuit, clocking a 1:51.108 to lead the final practice session before qualifying.
The top 12 riders all were under the old record of 1:51.762, set by Luca Marini last year.
With Saturday’s final practice determining qualifying groupings, both factory Yamahas and all four Hondas missed out on transferring to Q2, with Ducati locking out the top four spots and European machines taking the first 13 placings.
Aron Canet (44) broke the Moto2 outright lap record in Saturday practice in Qatar. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Aron Canet took his Fantic Racing Kalex to the top of the timesheets on Saturday in Moto2 practice, setting a new outright lap record. Canet’s 1:57.176 edged the 1:57.305 mark set last year by American Joe Roberts.
Somkiat Chantra, Tony Arbolino and Fermin Aldeguer followed Canet, ahead of Ai Ogura and Zonta van den Goorbergh, the top six covered by less than half a second. Roberts improved from Friday, finishing 17th, 1.044 seconds off the pace.
Jose Rueda (99) was fastest in Saturday practice in Qatar. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Jose Rueda took his Red Bull KTM Ajo to the top of the Moto3 timesheets in Practice Two at Lusail International Circuit, lowering the lap record that was set less than 24 hours prior.
Rueda’s 2:03.465 edged the 2:03.606 mark set yesterday by Daniel Holgado on the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine. KTM dominated the charts, locking out the first eight places.
Provisional Royal Enfield BTR Main Event (10 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kenzie Luker (Roy), 10 laps
2. Taia Little (Roy), -0.275 second
3. Mya Maffei (Roy), -7.358 seconds
4. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -7.854
5. Mikaela Nichols-Lionetti (Roy), -15.978
6. Hannah Lange (Roy), -20.207
7. Hannah Robertson (Roy), -1 lap
8. Kristiana Ross (Roy), -1 lap, 10.335 seconds
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event (6 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Tom Drane (Yam), 22 laps
2. Kody Kopp (KTM), -1.951 seconds
3. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -5.849
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -6.331
5. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -7.939
6. Justin Jones (Hus), -8.911
7. Aidan RoosEvans (Yam), -8.960
8. James Ott (Hus), -9.422
9. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -11.043
10. Trent Lowe (Hon), -11.132
11. Tarren Santero (Hon), -12.819
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -14.924
13. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -15.217
14. Jared Lowe (Hon), -15.255
15. Chad Cose (KTM), -18.372
16. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -18.829
17. Reece Pottorf (Hon), -1 lap
18. Jacob Cascio (Hon), -1 lap, 4.944 seconds
19. Jordan Jean (Hon), -1 lap, 5.075
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event (10 Minutes + 2 Laps) Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 34 laps
2. Sammy Halbert (Har), -1.134 seconds
3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -2.679
4. Briar Bauman (KTM), -3.857
5. Jared Mees (Ind), -4.697
6. Davis Fisher (Ind), -6.067
7. Jarod VanDerkooi (Ind), -7.171
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -9.914
9. Brandon Price (Yam), -11.232
10. Max Whale (Har), -11.711
11. Cameron Smith (KTM), -13.037
12. Dan Bromley (Hon), -16.612
13. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -1 lap
14. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -1 lap, 2.127 seconds
15. Declan Bender (Ind), -1 lap, 3.135
16. Wyatt Vaughan (Kaw), -1 lap, 3.396
17. Logan Mcgrane (Kaw), -2 laps
18. Ben Lowe (KTM), -22 laps, DNF
19. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -24 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Robinson Overcomes Halbert to Claim Fourth Daytona Triumph
Brandon Robinson (44) and Sammy Halbert (69). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 8, 2024) – Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) successfully defended his adopted home turf to reign in Friday’s Mission SuperTwins Main Event to conclude a hugely entertaining Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II at the Daytona International Speedway Short Track.
Robinson had to overcome potential Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, history in order to do so, forced to chase down an in-form Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Dodge Bros. Racing/Castrol Harley-Davidson XR750) to get the win. Halbert actually led the opening six-and-a-half minutes of the Main Event after earlier winning his heat race and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge a full 53 years, 10 months, and five days after Mert Lawwill took the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 to its maiden win at the Cumberland Half-Mile.
Following an extended pursuit, the Mission Roof Systems pilot finally dove up the inside of Dodge Bros.-backed Halbert, who then was thrown out of his saddle after encountering a bump while off his usual line. Undeterred, Halbert nearly clawed his way back within striking distance before at last conceding the race to Robinson in its final minute.
The victory was the fourth of Robinson’s career at the DAYTONA Short Track, moving him equal with Friday adversary Halbert for most all-time at the event. Afterward, Robinson, who originally hails from Pennsylvania but now resides just fifteen minutes from the World Center of Racing, unsurprisingly professed his affection for the track.
He said, “This feels amazing. It feels like forever since I’ve won a race. Going winless last year really (made me angry) to be honest. I came to the Main with a chip on my shoulder. I love this place. I love Daytona. Something about this dirt – it’s the greatest dirt in the world as far as I’m concerned… This is a dream ending to the week.”
Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), himself the winner of the three prior premier-class showdowns at the venue, battled with Robinson and hunted Halbert over the Main’s opening half before falling into the clutches of the resurgent Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke).
The two then traded third multiple times – a melee complete with crisscrossing lines and squared-up counters – before Daniels laid claim on the spot for good. He finished a little more than a second ahead of Bauman with reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) not far behind in fifth.
Sixth went to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) a short distance ahead of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) in seventh.
Premier-class rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished eighth and tenth, respectively, with Thursday runner-up Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07) sandwiched in between.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) rebounded from his Thursday disappointment to claim a dominating win in Friday’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER rematch.
The young Australian ripped out to the holeshot in the restart that followed an early red flag and immediately stretched out a second-plus advantage at the front. Meanwhile, triple Daytona ST winner and double defending class champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) moved up from third into second after working past impressive sophomore Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) with five of the race’s scheduled six minutes still on the clock.
With clear air in front of him and plenty of time to work with, Kopp’s attempts to close the gap saw him make minor inroads on Drane’s advantage for a spell. But despite the determined effort, the Yamaha ace’s speed and consistency ultimately won out to the tune of a 1.951-second margin of victory at the checkered flag.
The victory was Drane’s first in the Short Track discipline, after previously winning three Miles and a Half-Mile. He said, “This means so much to finally get a Short Track win. I’d struggled a lot with these, but I just kept working and chipping away. I put all that effort in to try to become good (at them) so I can fight for the title this year.”
Eisenhard kept his head down in search of a maiden Progressive AFT podium and very nearly pulled it off. However, he was swallowed up and then pushed aside in rapid succession by a pair of the category’s established stars, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) with just 30 seconds still on the clock.
Gauthier then fended off Saathoff to secure his second podium of the young ’24 season. Despite losing out on his podium bid, Eisenhard did hold on to finish inside the top five even with Justin Jones (No. 91 J&H Racing Husqvarna FC 450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) running just behind in close formation.
Heralded rookie Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) finished ninth, one spot in front of his charging Turner Honda teammate, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), whose early-race crash prompted the aforementioned red flag.
In the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race Main, Kenzie Luker (No. 17 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) edged Thursday winner Taia Little (No. 11 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) by 0.275 seconds for the Friday victory.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at http://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, March 16, at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT), while the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II will air the following day, Sunday, March 17, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. Progressive American Flat Track is televised on FOX Sports and streams live via FloRacing. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on X, and check us out on Instagram.
Josh Herrin wearing his custom painted KYT KX-1 Race helmet while testing a Ducati 698 Hypermotard. Photo courtesy Ducati and KYT Americas.
JOSH HERRIN JOINS KYT HELMETS AND DEBUTS NEW KX-1 RACE AT DAYTONA 200
KYT Americas welcomes Herrin to the team as the newest MotoAmerica rider in an already stacked lineup
Daytona Beach, FL; March 8, 2024 – KYT Americas proudly announces the addition of seasoned racer Josh Herrin to its roster of sponsored athletes for the 2024 racing season.
Herrin will debut his KX-1 Race during the Daytona 200 as he looks to defend his 2023 title. Herrin is no stranger to winning, with multiple championships in several different classes—most recently the 2022 Supersport Championship on the Ducati Panigale V2 with his current team.
Herrin, a veteran in the MotoAmerica paddock and one of the biggest names in American road racing, brings a wealth of experience and talent to the KYT Americas team. Racing his second season on the Ducati superbike Herrin looks to improve on his impressive second place finish in the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike series.
Consistently finishing on the podium throughout his career, Herrin is poised to make a significant impact wearing the KYT KX-1 Race.
As a sponsored racer for KYT Americas competing in the premier national series, Herrin will be equipped with the cutting-edge KX-1 Race helmet. The FIM homologated KX-1 Race, designed and developed in Italy and tested by Ducati Corse Factory riders, is the latest KYT helmet infused with world-class safety and aerodynamic technology. Boasting an enhanced vertical and peripheral field of vision (92 deg and 210 deg) and weighing approximately 1400 grams, the KX-1 Race is a game changer.
Josh Herrin commented on the new partnership; “I am excited to be joining the KYT family for 2024-25. I have a great relationship with the team at KYT Americas and think that KYT will be one of the leading brands in America. They have great style, great fit and great protection that is priced for everyone to enjoy!”
“The KYT Americas team is looking forward to having Josh join the expanding KYT Americas family. Josh connects with racing fans but also attracts attention from outside of the industry with his tenacity and creativity. We can’t wait to see him running up front in MotoAmerica Superbike this year in his new KYT helmet!”
For more information about KYT and its commitment to motorsport safety, please visit www.kytamericas.com.
About KYT:
At KYT, we incorporate over two decades of experience in world-class competition into sleek, race-engineered helmets designed to protect and perform. Our designs offer optimal ventilation and aerodynamics while maintaining the highest level of crash protection. Since 1998, KYT’s intense focus on the competitive environment allows us to produce a helmet with quality and function designed to perform at the highest level of motorsports and performance. KYT America now brings its industry leading safety, style, and service to one of the most innovative motorcycle markets in the world.
Kyle Wyman won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One in dramatic fashion Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Wyman was locked into a last-lap duel with pole-sitter Troy Herfoss just ahead of the rest of the front-runners.
Herfoss led into the chicane and then checked up at its exit in a move similar to the one fellow Australian Mat Mladin used to beat Ben Spies in the AMA Pro Superbike race at Daytona in 2006.
But it didn’t work for Herfoss, and Wyman won the race – the 13th of his King Of The Baggers career — by 0.018 second on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Herfoss had to settle for the runner-up spot on his S&S Indian Challenger.
The last-lap game being played between Herfoss and Wyman allowed Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli to close in, but Rispoli only got within 0.129 second of Herfoss and finished third.
Defending Champion Hayden Gillim was a close fourth, and his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Rocco Landers came home fifth.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara crashed while racing in the lead pack on the last lap.
Wyman Wins Mission King Of The Baggers Opener At Daytona
Kyle Wyman Tops Troy Herfoss In Baggers Thriller, Herfoss Takes Super Hooligan And Gus Rodio Dominates Twins Cup
Kyle Wyman (33) won King Of The Baggers Race One over Troy Herfoss (17) and James Rispoli (43). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 8, 2024) – Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman won a game of cat and mouse with S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss in Friday’s Mission King Of The Baggers battle at Daytona International Speedway with Wyman crossing the finish line just .018 of a second ahead of the Daytona first timer.
The win was the 13th of Wyman’s Mission King Of The Baggers career, which extended his mark as the winningest rider in the class.
Herfoss, meanwhile, finished second not long after earning his first MotoAmerica victory in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race earlier in the day. In that one, Herfoss successfully broke away from the pursuing pack in the infield and held on to the finish line. In the Baggers race, Herfoss couldn’t get away and he led going into the chicane. At that point, Herfoss slowed his pace dramatically, forcing Wyman and his teammate James Rispoli to check up. The move almost worked with Wyman just managing to draft past the Aussie and his Indian.
Rispoli looked to have lost the draft to the first two in the closing stages, but a quick last lap brought him back to the draft. He was slowed a little on that final lap when Herfoss’s S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle teammate Tyler O’Hara crashed in front of him. Still, Rispoli was able to work himself into the draft on the backstraight and into the chicane where the Herfoss/Wyman battle baulked in front of him.
Rispoli was just .137 behind his teammate Wyman as the three crossed the finish line in formation. Fourth place, and less than a second behind, was RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim, the defending series champion blowing turn one late in the race to lose the draft of the top three.
Fifth place went to Gillim’s new teammate Rocco Landers with the 19-year-old making his King Of The Baggers debut.
“I’ve never really been in that kind of game exactly like that here, and I always wondered how it would go and how stressed I would be,” Wyman said. “The last two laps were pretty slow. I was just trying to sit there and wait and preserve the tire. I was worried that he was going to slow it down enough that we were going to have a four-rider group again, and anything can happen at that point. I was like, ‘just go just enough so we can at least make it a one-on-one fight here.’ It kind of turned into that. I was just playing off of Troy (Herfoss) at that point. Wherever he’s going to go, I’m going to try to get a run somewhere, somehow. When he went into the chicane on the last lap, we were going 15 mile an hour slower down the back straightaway than we were the rest of the race. I just refused to go by. He parked it so hard in the chicane that I thought I was going to have to take another downshift to be able to get out of there. I just kind of timed where I thought he was going to end up and try to get a run where he kind of got out of my way as soon as I went by. I might have touched the dirt on the inside there, but I think at that point that was just the only chance I had, and fortunately it was the right one. We all know you can do all the right things here and lose, and sometimes do a lot of things wrong and win. I’m just happy to be on the right side of this one. Try to keep it going. I’ve never won the first race of the year, so it’s a big deal for me to start off the season like this. I’ve always left the first round on the back foot, whether we came here and had mechanicals or had a problem at the first Atlanta race. It just feels amazing to get the win to start the year.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Rookie Herfoss Gets It Done
Troy Herfoss (17). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Three-time Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss wasted no time getting down to business in his very first visit to Daytona International Speedway. The S&S/Indian rider beat his teammate Tyler O’Hara in Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race one to record the first MotoAmerica road racing victory of his career.
O’Hara, who started from the pole, crossed the finish line just under half a second after Herfoss, with Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West rounding out the podium in third.
“First of all, thanks for having me,” Herfoss said, “It’s an honor to be here in this championship. I’ve been trying for a long time to come to the States again and road race. It’s a real treat to be out here racing with you guys. It’s easy to learn a track when you’re comfortable on a motorbike, but you can’t buy that experience of riding around the banks of Daytona. In the race, I worked on seeing how much of a gap I would need to get to the finish line. By the sound of it, a lot of stuff went my way with the fight in the background. I watched all the videos last year, and it was Tyler (O’Hara) and Jeremy (McWilliams) a lot of the time. This year, I’m like, ‘Where are all these other guys coming from?’ A lot of guys have stepped up this year, and it looks like everyone’s teams have put in a big effort. Maybe that helped me in the end. It was exciting for us. I can’t explain how happy I am to be here, to be able to compete at the front of the race in America.”
BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Rodio Dominates
Gus Rodio (96) leads Avery Dreher (99) and Alessandro Di Mario (27) early in Twins Cup Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In the season-opening BellissiMoto Twins Cup race, Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering, Aprilia rider Gus Rodio put in a dominating performance. Rodio, who also won the first Twins Cup race at Daytona last year and was runner-up in last year’s Twins Cup final standings, took the checkered flag on Friday at Daytona with a gap of nearly 12 seconds over second-place finisher Dominic Doyle.
Doyle put in an heroic performance just to make the start of the race let alone finish on the podium. The Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha rider crashed in Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race one just prior to Twins Cup race one and dislocated his shoulder. But he recovered and was declared fit to race just in time to make the Twins Cup start.
Third place went to TopPro Racing Aprilia rider Avery Dreher, who made his 2024 debut in BellissiMoto Twins Cup at Daytona after winning last year’s Junior Cup Championship.
“We were contemplating moving up to Supersport this year, and so far, this weekend, I have been doing double sessions, so I’ve had double the track time as these guys,” said Rodio. “This morning, I went out on the Twins Cup bike at 9:30 and then get in at 10:00 and right back out on the V2. Don’t even have time to take your helmet off. The V2 is really like taking me for a ride. I’m just struggling on that thing. It’s all new and we’re jumping right into the biggest race of the year. So, I’m just kind of trying to figure that thing out. I think that’s helped me with the Twin a little bit, because I get on the Aprilia and everything feels like it’s in slow motion, and when stuff is in slow motion, you can kind of focus a little bit more and put the clean laps together. So, I knew I was going to have a lot of work this weekend with both classes, but I kind of thought coming into the weekend it might mess me up on the Twin a little bit, but it seems to have helped me a little bit. I’m honestly really happy. It was the perfect race for me.”
Daytona 200 Time Attack – Great Scott
Tyler Scott (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott will start Saturday’s Daytona 200 from pole position with the 18-year-old lapping at 1:48.047 during Friday afternoon’s Supersport Time Attack.
Scott showed little effects of his high-speed crash from Thursday in the chicane to not only lap faster than anyone else, but do so alone and without the aid of another rider’s draft.
Boulder Motor Sports’ Stefano Mesa will start the 200 from the middle of the front row after lapping at 1:48.147 with Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong set to start the race from the outside of row one.
Row two will consist of Vesrah Racing’s Hayden Gillim; Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, the defending race champion; and Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Xavi Forés will make up row two
Gus Rodio took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup Race One Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, the racer from New Jersey won the nine-lap race by 11.493 seconds.
In spite of crashing and separating his shoulder in Super Hooligan Race One less than an hour earlier and then starting from the back of the grid, Dominic Doyle was able to come through and earn second place on his Giaccmoto Yamaha YZF-R7.
Avery Dreher, the reigning MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, was 0.034 second behind Doyle in third on his TopPro Racing Aprilia, while Rodio’s teammate Alessandro Di Mario was just another 0.087 second behind Dreher in fourth.
Rocco Landers rounded out the top five finishers on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R.
Series newcomer Troy Herfoss won MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan Race One Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Riding his S&S Indian FTR, the reigning Australian Superbike Champion won the restarted four-lap race by 0.491 second over his teammate Tyler O’Hara.
Cory West placed third, just 1.013 second behind Herfoss, on his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Originally scheduled for six laps, the race was stopped on lap three for an incident on the West Banking involving Dominic Doyle, Andy DiBrino, and Hunter Dunham.
Dunham was able to make the restart, Doyle was treated for a separated shoulder and released from the infield care center in time to do Twins Cup Race Two, but DiBrino announced via his social media that he suffered a broken leg.
MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta (31) was third-quickest in the wet and the dry, besting the factory KTM team. Photo by Michael Gougis.
An unexpected rainstorm disrupted Friday evening’s activities at Lusail International Circuit, but the first official timed sessions of 2024 left some looking forward to Saturday’s qualifying and sprint race while others had work to do overnight.
Defending and two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, who dominated pre-season testing, was only 10th after the first practice session, and a wet surface meant no one improved their lap times in FP2. Bagnaia’s practice start was a disaster, with his 2024 factory Desmosedici slewing sideways and leaving a big, drag race-style stripe of rubber – not an effective launch for a modern MotoGP machine.
Rookie Pedro Acosta pushed his GASGAS Tech3 machine hard, sliding sideways hard enough to launch his feet off the pegs while saving the bike on his elbow. Undaunted, Acosta set the third-quickest time in both dry and wet sessions, faster than the factory KTM riders.
Raul Fernandez (25) took the Trackhouse Racing Aprilia to sixth in the wet. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The new American Trackhouse Racing team found that the 2023-spec Aprilia RS-GP performed well in the hands of Raul Fernandez, who was sixth in the wet. Fernandez was impressive in the off-season, and Fernandez outperformed many of the factory riders in difficult conditions on Friday night.
Johann Zarco (5) was the fastest on a Japanese machine on Friday, finishing sixth in the dry FP1 session. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The Japanese manufacturers continued to struggle, with Johann Zarco’s sixth place in the dry FP1 an unexpected high point for the Castrol Honda LCR squad as the best of the Honda RC213Vs. New recruit Alex Rins was the quickest Yamaha in FP1, finishing 15th, but he dropped to the bottom of the scoring sheets in the wet FP2.
Joe Roberts (16) fought technical gremlins in FP1 and rain kept him in the garage during FP2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
American Joe Roberts struggled with technical issues during the first practice session and the team, like most others, chose to sit out the wet second session.
He said he needed to rebuild his confidence, to learn how to adapt from the Honda RC213V to the very different Ducati Desmosedici GP23. Then Marc Marquez went out in the wet and went faster than anyone. Photo by Michael Gougis.
A California Superbike School student in action in Las Vegas. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy California Superbike School.
The riding season has kicked off!
We’ve got a school happening in Vegas this weekend on March 9th & 10th, and there’s still space for a few more folks. Drop what you’re doing and join us in Vegas! Weather forecast predicts a high of 70 degrees. Ideal! The same goes for Willow Springs later this month. We’ve got some spots left there too. It’s single-day schools on March 23rd & 24th, and a Two-Day Camp on March 25th & 26th. Whitney and Sami are available in the office if you have any questions about signing up. 800-530-3350
Here’s the lineup of West Coast schools before we head off to the East Coast in May:
March 9 & 10: Las Vegas Two Day Camp.
March 23/24: Willow Springs Single Day Schools.
March 25 & 26: Willow Springs Two Day Camp.
April 5 & 6: Las Vegas Two Day Camp.
April 11/12: Willow Springs Two Day Camp.
April 13 & 14: Willow Springs Single Day Schools.
Dylan Code made a guest appearance on a video podcast hosted by Motobeemer. If you’ve got some time to spare, check out the link below to watch the episode.
California Superbike School Founder Keith Code (second from right). Photo courtesy California Superbike School.
Did you know Keith still goes to all the schools? You can’t keep him away from the track and working with riders—his favorite thing to do. Here’s a message from Keith:
As we embark on our 45th year of schooling, two elements consistently leave a lasting impression on me.
Firstly, the remarkable evolution and refinement of riding technology, with advancements like ABS, Traction Control, wheelie control, and Lean-angle/power control for wet conditions. Despite these brilliant electronic innovations, the fundamental skills of riding remain largely unchanged. The fact that one can still “outsmart” these technologies is a daily observation at our school. Additionally, some common rider errors pose as much danger as they ever did. This reality has driven us to develop over 200 specific on and off-track drills for our coaching staff to address and rectify these errors, ultimately boosting riders’ confidence. We stand by our guarantee to elevate anyone’s proficiency with their riding.
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Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
