Black Hills Half-Mile to Replace Buffalo Chip TT on Sunday, August 6 as Round 15 of the Progressive AFT Schedule
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that despite best efforts of all involved, the previously-announced Buffalo Chip TT will be replaced by the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway on Sunday, August 6.
Producing the unique, purpose-built TT circuit planned for the Buffalo Chip Campgrounds requires a considerable amount of construction work to ensure the racing circuit would provide a safe and entertaining experience for both racers and fans. Unfortunately, inclement weather during key construction windows has prevented the initiation of the intensive construction schedule required to deliver a professional track suitable for hosting an AFT national.
Fortunately, the Black Hills Half-Mile will still give fans attending the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally an opportunity to catch Progressive AFT while on their annual trek to Sturgis, S.D. The half-mile track in nearby Rapid City is known for playing host to some of the most incredible racing all season and has been a featured attraction on the AFT schedule 15 times since debuting on the series calendar in 1991.
In the spirit of cooperation, this season’s Black Hills Half-Mile will feature a twilight race schedule, starting earlier in the day and ending earlier in the evening, giving fans time to attend both the AFT race in Rapid City and still make it to Buffalo Chip Campground for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
Progressive AFT is hopeful that the Buffalo Chip’s much-awaited return to the schedule will take place as early as 2024.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $25 (kids 12 and under $5 with a paid adult GA ticket), while Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets are $35 (all ages). Enjoy the heart-pumping race action from an exclusive, premium indoor VIP viewing area. Food and beverage are included, and all VIP pass holders will receive a Pit Pass included with their VIP ticket purchase of $125 (all ages).
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv 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 https://www.fanschoice.tv.
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, 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. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Buell® Unveils 40th-anniversary Freedom Edition Hammerhead to Celebrate Independence and Company Milestone
Grand Rapids, MI – Buell Motorcycles, proud manufacturer of the only American-built sport bike lineup, announces the launch of a 40th-anniversary Freedom Edition Hammerhead 1190. With a striking paint scheme featuring red, white, and blue stars and stripes, it celebrates 40 years of Buell Motorcycles and the lifeblood of American freedom.
A close-up of the painted carbon-fiber bodywork on the Freedom Edition Buell Hammerhead 1190. Photo courtesy Buell.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the new Freedompaint scheme. Applied directly to the Hammerhead’s standard full carbon fiber bodywork, its design commemorates 40 years of Buell’s exciting journey and our enthusiasm for the next 40,” said Bill Melvin, CEO of Buell. “To us, the Freedom Edition represents our unwavering commitment to our heritage, our fans, and the freedom that comes with riding a Buell.”
The Buell Hammerhead 1190 boasts 185 horsepower, weighs 419 lbs., and delivers 102 foot-lbs. of torque. The first 40 Freedom Edition bikes will also feature a special four-year warranty and the underside of the bodywork will be autographed by the Buell factory family – Team Buell.
Starting July 1, 2023, enthusiasts can own this special edition priced at $24,990. Top-tier models are available at $26,775 for those seeking enhanced features and customization. The Freedom Edition can be purchased directly through the Buell website or from an authorized Premium and Display Service Center, promising a seamless, personalized buying experience.
“Our fans have been requesting a red, white, and blue color scheme for a long, long time. We listened. And we’re proud to deliver a design that truly reflects the fiercely independent spirit Buell shares with this great country,” continued Melvin.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s regular FIM Superbike World Championship duo of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes are soon to participate in their home round at Donington Park. Track action will take place between 30 June to 2 July.
A month after the previous race weekend in Italy the sixth round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship will be held at the very circuit where WorldSBK first became a reality in 1988.
Both Rea and Lowes started their professional careers in the British Superbike paddock, which makes every return to Donington a happy event for them on a personal level. Lowes, originally from Lincolnshire, now lives just minutes from Donington Park.
The 4.023km long parkland circuit is one of the most widely used and popular WorldSBK venues, having hosted no fewer than 61 individual races.
Both KRT riders are enthused to get back into competitive action, particularly after a positive single day test, in hot conditions, at the Motorland Aragon circuit on Friday 23 June.
Donington has been one of Rea’s happy hunting grounds in recent seasons, having scored six race wins there since 2015. The six times WorldSBK Champion has secured four podiums this year, helping to place him in fourth place overall after five rounds and 15 races.
Lowes, a former British Superbike Champion, has taken four WorldSBK podium places at Donington and one Superpole qualifying ‘win’.
Despite the vast experience of the KRT squad at the UK’s established WorldSBK circuit there will be a new factor to evaluate this year, after a complete track resurfacing since the last round in 2022. The layout itself remains unchanged, with the first sector of the track featuring fast and flowing corners, while the last part features very hard braking areas, a tight chicane and two hairpins.
A busy month of July sees two more rounds taking place before the traditional August summer break. The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola race weekend takes place between 14-16 July and the Autodrom Most hosts the Czech Round between 28-30 July.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “Donington is a track I have been looking forward to racing at for a while now. It is a special one in the season because it’s a home race, with lots of family and friends there. Growing up in the BSB paddock some of the same fans turn out now just like they did then, so you feel like you know everyone. It really helps that we have had good success there in the past. This time of year the weather should be good so I expect a cool weekend with a lot of fans there. It helps that we had a test last week, trying to improve the package of the bike. We had some positive results from that. Some things we can use straight away and some things we hope to see in the future. The Donington track itself is a real challenge to set the bike up for, so it is important that we are productive on Friday. The first two sectors are fast and flowing in nature but the last sector is really unique. You want an agile bike that handles well – but also one that is very stable and stops well in the last sector. On top of that, the track has been resurfaced completely. We need to keep an eye on what challenges that throws us, and then just put the weekend together like normal. The target is the podium and it would be amazing to come away from Donington with a good haul of points. Standing on the podium at your home race would be very special.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It is a unique race weekend at Donington. We are now based not even ten minutes from the track. It is always nice to have some family and friends get to the event. And it’s great to race in front of the British crowd. Coming from BSB, I always feel a close connection with them. The track has been resurfaced so we need to check that on Friday, get a feel for it, as sometimes when a track is resurfaced it can be hard for tyre life. That’s something we need to consider. It is always a pleasure to race at home and I can’t wait to get started. Some of the stuff we tried in testing last week could help us. My plan is to fight for the podium places and that is what we are trying to achieve at our home race. I am really looking forward to it, aiming to enjoy the whole week and see how we get on.”
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing signed up the experienced Tito Rabat shortly before the most recent Misano round of WorldSBK. The 2014 Moto2 World Champion is now a ‘veteran’ of 34 WorldSBK race starts, including three at Donington Park in 2021.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) should be fit to race at Donington Park having largely recovered from an ankle injury. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) will head for Donington in search of championship points.
Media, PA (June 2023) – N2 Track Days is proud to announce that the 2023 N2 Airfence fund-raiser event to benefit the Roadracing World Action Fund is LIVE online and will conclude at Road Atlanta on Saturday, July 1st, 2023. The fundraiser will be held on Saturday evening during the two-day track day event both in-person as well as online starting today. N2 Track Days has been holding Airfence fund raiser events with the Roadracing World Action Fund (RWAF) since 2014 and they have been wildly successful generating more than $131,000 to buy and deploy life-saving Airfence soft barriers. N2 is currently looking for partners, companies, sponsors, and individuals willing to donate products, memorabilia, and services for the auction.
The online auction can be found on BiddingOwl.com. Click on the link below to go to the N2 RRW auction site. You must create an account to place bids. When creating an account make sure to select the check box(es) to ‘receive notifications if out-bid’ or else you could miss out!
If you or your company would like to donate items, services, or memorabilia to be auctioned for this amazing cause, please contact Chip Spalding at [email protected]
Here is a partial list of some of the amazing companies who have donated to the auction.
MORE ITEMS WILL BE ADDED SO CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY.
Current Auction Donors
Alpha Omega
Autographed Collectables
Barnes Brothers
Chicken Hawk Racing
Carbon Smith
Dainese
Hey Chef Eats
Highside Photo/Raul Jerez
Inline4 Designs
Karns Motorsports
Kustom Cockpits
KYT America
KWS Motorsports
Millennium Technologies
N2 Trackday
NJ MiniGP
PIt Bull Products
Pittsburgh International Raceway
REB Graphics
Rise Moto
Tri-State Powdercoating
Wiseco
Woodcraft CFM
Yamaha Champions Riding School
Yamaha Motor USA
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: Dunlop Motorcycle Tire, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier put an updated Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR Superbike to good use at Ridge Motorsports Park, setting a new Race Lap Record on his way to winning Race Two on Sunday.
But using the word “updated” may be understating the situation, as Beaubier’s machine featured a new frame and matching fuel tank and subframe that are the same as the ones used by ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders Scott Redding and Tom Sykes.
A close up of Cameron Beaubier’s new BMW M 1000 RR Superbike shows extra welding on the frame spars. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“From what I understand it’s identical to what the factory team is using,” said Beaubier’s Crew Chief and Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Technical Director David Weaver.
The new frame, which was first used by Beaubier at Ridge Motorsports Park, features extensive bracing and gusseting and is visually much different than the frames on the BMWs of his teammates PJ Jacobsen and Corey Alexander.
Cameron Beaubier’s new BMW M 1000 RR Superbike without its bodywork reveals extensive bracing and gusseting. Photo by Peter Hively.
Cameron Beaubier’s BMW M 1000 RR’s frame as seen at the season-opener at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The left side of the new frame on Cameron Beaubier’s BMW M 1000 RR. Photo by Peter Hively.
Under FIM rules: “The main frame may be altered by the addition of gussets, tubes or plates. The additions may be welded or bonded and their material is free. No gussets or tubes may be removed, other allowed modifications are detailed within the following section of these rules.”
Beaubier also used a new swingarm, but that unit is different than the swingarm used by the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, according to Weaver.
Byers, CO – The third race of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of June 24-25th. For the first and only time this season, racers used the two-mile West Course configuration.
The Race of the Rockies (RoR) Qualifying on Sunday was conducted under clear blue skies, which was a nice change from the previous round which saw mostly damp conditions. Ray Thornton claimed pole position with a best time of 1:23.75 followed by Mike Applegate (1:24.37) and James Wilkerson (1:25.15).
The Start of RoR saw Wilkerson get the holeshot going into turn one, Applegate was in close pursuit followed by Thornton and Brad Hendry. On the exit of Turn Five, a rider further back in the field suffered a highside, and unfortunately their bike was on the racing surface, which brought out a red flag on lap one. The second start of the race saw Wilkerson once again get an incredible start and secure the lead going into Turn One. Applegate was close behind and lined up his move nicely on the exit of Turn Three to take the lead going down the back straight. Applegate, Wilkerson, Hendry, and Thornton started to break away from the rest of the field as they all were clicking on times in the 1:25’s. At the halfway point, Hendry made his way through the pack and executed an excellent pass to take the lead from Applegate. However, on lap 10, Applegate fired back and reclaimed the lead from Hendry. Thornton was biding his time and on lap 12 he decided it was time to strike. Thornton seized his opportunity, took the lead, and stayed out front for the final two laps, claiming his third RoR GTO victory of the season. Applegate managed to maintain his second place, while Hendry took third, rounding off a tense and exciting race.
In Race of the Rockies (RoR) GTU, Ken Yee took the lead and was followed closely by Jeremiah Downing and Salvatore Rizzo. Downing was putting up a good fight and was doing his best to take the lead and prevent a third successive victory from Yee. Rizzo was maintaining his third position by throwing down some impressive lap times ensuring a sizable gap to fourth place. Downing was unable to pass Yee and maintained his second position until the final lap of the race when he ran off in Turn Eight. This moved Rizzo up to second position and Tyrel Diekmann to third. Diekmann fought hard with Dennis Stowers and just narrowly beat him across the finish line by three hundredths of a second. Yee was able to claim his third straight RoR GTU win of the season, followed by Rizzo in second, and Diekmann in third.
Next up, the MRA returns to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for Round 4 on July 15-16. The highly anticipated 4-hour endurance race will take place this weekend running on the full course configuration. There will be no Superstreet this weekend due to the endurance race. See https://www.mra-racing.org/racers/come-race-with-us/ for details.
Progressive AFT Returns to Scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to West Virginia Motor Speedway for the first time in 17 years with this weekend’s All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, on Saturday July 1.
Renowned for its mountainside setting and high-speed 5/8-mile track, West Virginia Motor Speedway has hosted the Grand National Championship on eight previous occasions, all coming in the ‘90s outside of a return visit in 2006. During that run, a number of iconic riders claimed victory in the event, including the likes of Scott Parker (‘94), Ricky Graham (‘93), and Will Davis (‘92, ‘97, and ‘98). Following a multi-year closure, the track was resurrected, renovated, and reopened in 2021, paving the way for Progressive AFT’s triumphant return.
Despite the race’s proud history, the time between stops means it will be a new circuit on the tour for almost the entire field… but not the entire field.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) finished fourth when the series last visited in ‘06. Back then, he had three Half-Mile victories to his name. Now he returns with 34 and looking to add one more in order to equal Parker for most in GNC history.
That was true this past weekend in Lima as well, and he’ll be facing a similar challenge. Mission SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) has proven that he should be expected to contend for victory every single weekend as he comes in riding a ten-race podium streak.
Meanwhile, two-time Mission SuperTwins champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) is also back in the business of winning. One of the sport’s all-time great Half-Milers himself, Bauman enjoyed a breakthrough ride this past weekend, hustling the Rick Ware Racing KTM 790 Duke to its maiden victory with an inspiring ride at the Lima Half-Mile.
Following a layoff of nearly two decades, not to mention recent track improvements, it’s difficult to predict exactly who’s bikes or styles might mesh best with West Virginia Motor Speedway. What is known is that JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) all have what it takes to beat anyone on the planet when everything is clicking in their favor.
The same can be said of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who earned his best finish yet on the Fastrack KTM with a sixth-place finish at Lima. And don’t discount the chances of Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), all of whom have finished inside the top five already this season.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) was less than two years old the last time Progressive AFT came to Mineral Wells, while key rivals Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) were not even one year old. But now the three rank among the fastest rising dirt track stars in the world and more than capable of putting on a spectacular show.
Kopp put his title defense back in order with a clutch victory at the Lima Half-Mile, despite the best efforts of Drane, who has won two of the season’s most recent four races.
Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), meanwhile, is still seeking his maiden pro win despite several near misses that came in a run of five-consecutive podium finishes. His motivation was further amped up after that podium streak ended due to a mechanical DNF that left him much work to do in order to claw his way back up to Kopp in the points standings.
This trio of talented teens expect to be joined up front once again by the category’s contingent of more-experienced-but-still-young contenders, including Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450).
Meanwhile, the class’ most prominent riders old enough to have been alive during the race’s heydays in the ‘90s – namely Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) – all come into the weekend in need of a strong result if only to remind the field exactly what they’re capable of following some relatively quiet showings n recent weeks.
All Seasons Powersports, which is located just a mile-and-a-half from West Virginia Motor Speedway, will host a Pre-Event Open House Party at the dealership on Friday, June 30, from 4:00 p.m. ET to 7:00 p.m. ET. There fans can meet and greet Progressive AFT stars and partake in food and drinks to get the weekend started off right.
There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket), and Single Day-General Admission Camping Passes can be purchased for Friday and Saturday at $25 per day.
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv 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 https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, 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. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Action-packed WorldSBK summer leg commences at Donington Park
Embarking on the summer chapter of the 2023 season, the Prosecco DOC UK Round will be held at Donington Park, the historic venue that witnessed the inaugural WorldSBK event 35 years ago. It will mark the first of three rounds scheduled for July.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ducati has won in all the tracks of the current calendar. They have won at least once as late as last year (excluding the returning Imola, where Ducati last won in 2017), but at Donington Park, their last win came in 2011 (Carlos Checa).
DONINGTON PARK’S HOT SPOTS WITH ALEX LOWES
T1/ “Donington is a track of two halves, but a great track – a lovely track to ride. I will just touch the limiter in fourth, and then go down to second gear for Redgate. As you brake you just let the bike slide a little bit so that the back of the bike goes into the entry of pit lane, just to open up the corner a little bit. The hardest part of Redgate is not to go in too early, as it has a late apex on the run down to Hollywood. You have to start tipping in just before the end of the white line at the pit exit, basically.”
T9-10/ “The straight has got a little jump in the middle, so you can’t relax too much there. I lean the bike as it wheelies, to stop it wheeling too much, and use a lot of rear brake. The Esses, just like the final corners, is all about hard braking. ”
T11/ “The straight into the hairpin is not a straight at all. It sort of goes around and then you have to make quite a lot of effort to go back to the left so that you are braking upright. Get it stopped, down to first, a little bit downhill and always a good place to pass. And always lots of action! ”
WorldSBK | KEY STAT
14
In Misano, Alvaro Bautista became the first rider in WorldSBK history to secure 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. With the second half of the season still to come, he is now aiming for the all-time season record of 17 wins currently held by Doug Polen (1991) and Jonathan Rea (2018 and 2019).
What to look out for in Donington Park
All eyes will be on Alvaro Bautista, the current Championship leader with an impressive 298 points. Bautista will be eager to extend his lead and continue his dominant form at Donington Park, a track where Ducati has not won since 2011. The 2022 WorldSBK Champion made the most out of the three-week break after Misano to ride the Desmosedici GP at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during a two-day test in Italy as a reward for his 2022 WorldSBK title success.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, with just one win under his belt in the 2023 season, will be aiming to regain his form. Having won five of the last six races at Donington Park, the Turkish sensation will be eager to add more victories to his name in his final season with Yamaha.
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea has yet to secure a victory this year. Racing on familiar territory with his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Rea will be determined to put an end to his winless streak and make a statement in front of his home crowd. He participated in a private test at MotorLand Aragon prior to the UK Round.
Currently third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli will be eager to overcome his previous struggles at Donington Park and secure a top 3 finish, with his last podium achieved at the Catalunya Round.
Donington Park has undergone significant work since last year. The resurfacing of the 2.5-mile circuit, the first in over 20 years, aimed to eliminate undulations, improve drainage, and enhance corner camber, while also promoting sustainability by repurposing materials for other areas of the circuit.
The start of a World Supersport race at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
WorldSSP charges into Donington Park for Round 6 of the 2023 season
What to look out for in Donington Park
Leading the World Supersport Championship charge is Nicolo Bulega, who has been in strong form with four pole positions, six wins, and a strong podium record. Bulega established himself as the rider to beat at Donington Park, a track where he has never won so far.
Second in the Championship standings with 161 points, Stefano Manzi will race for the first time with Yamaha at Donington Park. Building on his recent triumph in the previous Misano race, he aims to secure his third WorldSSP race victory, and progressively close in on Bulega in the overall standings.
MV Agusta’s Marcel Schroetter will race for the first time at Donington Park with World Supersport. The German Rookie, who has displayed consistent performance in 2023 achieving several top positions, is still aiming for his first win in the category.
THE NEW SPEED 400 AND SCRAMBLER 400 X
TWO ALL-NEW TRIUMPH MODERN CLASSICS
The Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X: two all-new models are joining the Triumph range in 2024.
Born into a peerless bloodline, the Speed 400 joins Triumph’s most successful modern classic line-up, the Speed Twin 900 and 1200 while the Scrambler 400 X takes its rugged design cues from the Scrambler 900 and 1200, with an off-road pedigree that goes back to the first factory Scramblers of the 1950s.
Designed from the ground-up with a brand new single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine platform at their heart, these new models are designed to deliver a fun, agile, and confidence-inspiring ride for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Together, with class-leading capability, rider-focused technology and category-leading quality and detail, and with a high level of standard specification, long service intervals, and a comprehensive warranty, these accessible new models represent incredible value and bring Triumph’s iconic style, quality, and performance to a whole new generation of Triumph riders.
The Triumph Speed 400 (left) and Scrambler 400 X (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
TRIUMPH’S ICONIC SPEED AND SCRAMBLER DESIGN DNA
Conceived and designed in Hinckley, UK, these two new additions to the modern classics line-up have been developed with the same exacting attention to detail as Triumph’s most celebrated models. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their timeless Triumph silhouettes, signature sculpted fuel tanks and classic engine profiles and have been designed to deliver all of the quality, feel, and presence of their larger capacity stablemates. Traditional touches, like the distinctive finned cylinder head and traditional exhaust header clamps combine with contemporary details like the upswept silencer, bold graphics and sensitively-incorporated technology, such as concealed liquid-cooling and a flowing exhaust run with hidden primary silencer. All combining to deliver that unmistakeable Triumph modern custom style. The high-quality finish and elegant detailing continues with the trademark black powder-coated engine casings, tough gold anodised forks, high-quality paint, and logo detailing which ensure the finish on these new models is premium throughout.
The Speed 400’s two-tone paint schemes, each feature a prominent Triumph tank graphic, reflect its dynamic style, with Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and Phantom Black colors available.
Accentuating the Scrambler 400 X’s all-road attitude are lots of purposeful and practical features, including protection for the headlight, radiator, and sump, as well as handguards, a handlebar brace with pad, and a longer front mudguard.
The Scrambler 400 X is available in three stylish and contemporary color schemes, each featuring Triumph’s distinctive ‘Scrambler’ tank stripe and triangle badge, with Matte Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Black and Silver Ice options.
Timeless Triumph Design DNA with Contemporary Poise:
Timeless Triumph classic roadster and Scrambler silhouettes
Signature sculpted tank with knee indents
Classic Triumph engine profile with triangle badge
Distinctive finned cylinder head and exhaust header clamps
Contemporary upswept silencer
Premium materials and finishes
Each available in a choice of three distinctive model-specific color schemes
THE ALL-NEW TR-SERIES ENGINE
Named to celebrate the historic Triumph ‘Trophy’ bloodline, whose roots can be traced back to the racing singles of the early twentieth century, and International Six Day Trials offroad competition. This all-new fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 398cc single-cylinder engine combines Triumph’s trademark modern classic style with state-of-the-art engineering to deliver class-beating performance with a responsive, fun, and characterful power delivery along with an evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note.
Technical highlights include a four-valve, DOHC cylinder head and a crankshaft that has been perfectly weighted and balanced to optimize inertia for low-speed rideability. A finger-follower valvetrain with a low reciprocating mass and DLC coatings that reduce friction also contribute to the capacity-defying performance of this free-revving yet tractable engine.
The six-speed gearbox delivers light, precise gear selection with ratios perfectly spread to make the most of this characterful and torque-rich engine.
Key features of this all-new engine include:
Class-leading 39.5 HP peak power and 27.7 LB-FT of peak torque
Four valve, Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder
Concealed liquid-cooling and machined cooling fins
Trademark black powder-coated engine casings
Characterful, compelling, and responsive power delivery
Evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note
Six-speed gearbox
Exceeds Euro 5 emissions
TRIUMPH’S EASY, AGILE, DYNAMIC, AND CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING RIDE
With ergonomics designed for optimum comfort and control, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X benefit from a slim standover which combines with an accessible seat height of 31 inches (790mm) and 32.9 inches (835mm) respectively and a low weight of 375lb (170kg) / 395lb (179kg) to offer assured low-speed handling and the ability to get feet to the ground.
Both models benefit from their own model-specific chassis, with a new frame, bolt-on rear subframe and cast-aluminum swingarm paired with suspension set-ups tailored to each use case, both delivering Triumph’s famously easy, agile, and dynamic handling.
The Speed 400 features large 43mm big-piston upside-down front forks, mono-shock Rear Suspension Unit with external reservoir, lightweight 17-inch wheels and roadster-specific geometry and wheelbase. Giving an engaging and intuitive ride along with a comfortable, neutral riding position that inspires confidence for riders of all sizes and skill levels. Powerful four-piston radial front brakes with a 300mm front disc and braided lines give a responsive brake feel for improved rider confidence.
The Scrambler 400 X features a longer wheelbase, longer travel suspension, larger 19-inch front wheel and wide handlebars for greater stability and control when riding on loose surfaces, as well as providing a more upright and commanding Scrambler riding position. A larger cast steel brake pedal and high-grip foot pegs that are positioned lower and wider also make for a more natural standing riding position when riding off-road, while a larger 320mm front brake disc and optimized pad compound deliver reassuringly progressive braking performance in all conditions.
Fun, Confidence-inspiring and Intuitive Feel
All-new frame with bolt-on rear subframe and cast aluminum swingarm
Model-specific Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X set-up and geometry
Slender standover width creates a more accessible seat height
Comfortable and engaging riding position for the Speed 400 with a more upright and commanding riding position for the Scrambler 400 X
Big-piston 43mm diameter upside-down front forks
Monoshock rear suspension unit with external reservoir
Optimized for solo or passenger riding with adjustable rear suspension preload
Four-piston radial caliper with braided brake lines
Longer wheelbase and more upright ergonomics for Scrambler 400 X
Approachable motorcycle specifications approved for new rider training courses, including official Motorcycle Safety Foundation training
MODERN RIDER-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY
Adding rider convenience, performance, and safety, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X share some of the latest rider-focused technology, tailored to suit each model.
Ride-by-wire throttle
Bosch engine management with ride-by-wire throttle delivers a linear and intuitive throttle response with predictable power delivery for enhanced rideability, safety, and control.
Traction Control and ABS
The traction control system on both models is switchable with a simple on or off selection, so the rider can quickly and easily deactivate the intervention.
Bosch dual-channel ABS delivers assured braking in all conditions for added safety and peace of mind and on the Scrambler 400 X can also be deactivated for enhanced control when riding off-road.
Stylish new dual format instruments
The clean and contemporary dual format instruments feature a large analogue speedometer and integrated LCD screen which includes a digital tachometer, a fuel range remaining, and a prominent gear indicator, clearly visible in all lighting conditions.
All this functionality is accessed via an intuitive easy to use handlebar-mounted scroll button, and the display is even pre-enabled to show the status of accessory fitted heated grips, if fitted. A conveniently located USB-C charging port allows on-the-move charging of handlebar mounted devices, such as smartphones and navigation systems.
Torque-assist clutch
This ingenious system reduces clutch lever effort to reduce fatigue during stop/start riding, as well as improving rider confidence and peace of mind by preventing rear wheel locking during downshifts.
All-LED lighting
Designed for performance and presence, the powerful headlight features a distinctive always-on glow, while the taillight also includes a modern light signature together with molded light guides and Triumph branding.
Factory-fitted Security
Both the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X come equipped with a steering lock and an anti-theft immobilizer as standard. The transponder chip integrated into the ignition key ensures only the owner can start the engine.
Specification highlights include:
A high level of rider-focused technology to enhance performance and safety
Ride-by-wire throttle for enhance rideability, safety, and control
Switchable Traction Control on both Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X
Dual-channel ABS (switchable on Scrambler 400 X for off-road use)
Torque-assist clutch
Stylish new dual format instruments
All-LED lighting
Immobilizer
BUILT TO MAKE YOUR OWN
More than 25 genuine accessories are available for the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X. From styling and comfort to luggage and security, both bikes can be accessorized to suit a broad range of riders’ needs.
Owners can configure their new motorcycle in the easy-to-use online configurator, or they can purchase accessories from any authorized Triumph dealer — All Triumph accessories are designed and developed hand-in-hand with the motorcycles to ensure perfect fit and function and are covered by the same two year unlimited mileage warranty.
UNBEATABLE VALUE
With class-leading performance, unrivalled quality, and low running costs, these exciting new modern classics represent incredible value.
Both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X will be competitively priced versus the key competitors in each market, ensuring an incredibly attractive buyer proposition both in terms of overall value, but also initial purchase price.
Both models will launch in India starting in July of 2023 and will be on sale in all other markets in the start of 2024, when prices for these markets will be announced.
Unbeatable value:
Leading performance and quality
Class-leading 10,000 miles service interval
Two-year unlimited mileage Warranty
Two-year unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance
On sale from Q1 2024
Competitive pricing relative to category to be announced upon availability
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine and transmission
Speed 400
Scrambler 400 X
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 4 valve, DOHC, single-cylinder
Capacity
398.15 cc
Bore
89.0 mm
Stroke
64.0 mm
Compression
12:1
Maximum Power
40 PS / 39.5 bhp (29.4 kW) @ 8,000 rpm
Maximum Torque
37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Fuel System
Bosch electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Exhaust
Stainless twin-skin header system with stainless steel silencer
Beaubier wins again, Corey races to career best as PJ consistently scores at The Ridge
Cameron Beaubier, Corey Alexander, and PJ Jacobsen – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s BMW Superbike trio – were back on track in the latest round of the MotoAmerica series at The Ridge Motorsports Park this past weekend with all three once again adding significantly to their overall points tally. Another win for Cameron, a career best fourth for Corey and a top six for PJ just some of the highlights of the round!
MotoAmerica returnee Beaubier was once again at the sharp end throughout the event at the 2.47-mile circuit. Qualifying third, the #6 rider was in contention for the win on Saturday after reducing the deficit to early leader Jake Gagne. Unfortunately, with three laps to go the multiple MotoAmerica champion slid out of contention. Remounting he was classified seventh. Sunday once again saw Beaubier going wheel to wheel with Gagne, his race winning overtake coming just after half race distance. Extending his advantage until the flag, Cameron took his third win of the season by over a second to consolidate second overall in the standings.
Corey Alexander dominated in Stock 1000 at The Ridge twelve months ago and he was in fine form once again this year. Achieving his best qualifying position ever in the Superbike class, fifth, Alexander ran consistently in the leading group in both races, underlining his speed at the Washington stage venue and showing that his adaption to the SBK category continues at an impressive rate. Fourth on Saturday, he finished fifth on Sunday to record the first double top five of his Superbike career.
The team’s third rider PJ Jacobsen qualified on row three. He too gained positions despite struggling a little with set up during the weekend. He finished sixth and seventh on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
With all three riders having now shown front running pace this season, Tytlers Cycle Racing heads to California in a fortnight for the first triple head weekend of the season at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit.
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace in Race 1 and slowly chipped away the lead to Jake but unfortunately, I lost the front in turn one with three laps to go. It was a bummer, but I was happy with the pace and the progress we are making. Yesterday was a good day. The guys made two changes to the bike, to the front end and with engine brake, that gave me a good feel from warm up on. It felt really good to get a win here on a track I thought we would struggle at coming in. Onto Laguna!”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “Since the first session of the weekend I’ve felt very comfortable on the bike and the times have come a bit easier. Our best qualifying of fifth put us in the mix for the races. I was a little too reserved the first half of the race one but really started to work my way forward and after running sixth lucked a top five with Cam’s (Beaubier’s) misfortune. I’m very happy with yesterday’s result in race two even though the position is one less than what we achieved on Saturday. We finished seven seconds back from Cam which is less than half the gap to the lead from yesterday. I’m excited to keep this momentum going forward to Laguna. Thanks to the team and my guys for giving me a great bike to work with.”
PJ Jacobsen: “I was a bit lucky to get away with sixth position on Saturday after a few people crashed, but I felt as the race went on we had a bit better pace and the guys in front were coming back to me. It was annoying that there was a red flag as I really thought we could have made up a few spots but that’s racing. We made some changes for Sunday as I haven’t had much front end confidence at all since the very first session. I ran off in race two at turn twelve and lost five or six seconds. That really set me back and cost us what could have been at least another top six. I am super disappointed to only get a P6 and P7, it’s not where I want to be or where we have shown we can be, but we will go again in two weeks. Laguna is one of my favourite tracks and I am hoping the front-end confidence returns there.”
More, form a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
SCOTT AND HOBBS EARN PODIUMS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN WASHINGTON
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a second and third podium result of the weekend to conclude a bountiful MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park with Team Hammer’s 350th podium.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott equaled his best result of the season with a strong runner-up.
Teagg Hobbs earns his second Supersport podium in hard-fought Race 2.
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his career-best Superbike finish with a highly competitive fourth.
Taylor Knapp suffered a DNF after attempting to soldier on following a crash.
Tyler Scott (70) bounces back from Race 1 with a strong second-place finish in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott made his intentions known from the start of Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport rematch. The 17-year-old locked down second position after starting from the center of Row 1 aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750. Scott then put his head down and stuck closely behind the race’s pacesetter long enough to pull free from the pack. Scott definitively put on a strong ride to second place. It was Scott’s second runner-up of the season and his third podium finish.
Scott said, “We made some changes overnight for this morning’s warm-up. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team did a great job dialing the bike this weekend. Yesterday, we had an issue during the race, which was unfortunate, but today our goal was to get a strong start and manage the gap to first and third. In the end, it was a really great race, and I’m happy with the result.”
Coming off the momentum of his first podium, Teagg Hobbs (79) follows up with another podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs followed up Saturday’s breakthrough performance to a first-career MotoAmerica Supersport podium by adding a second one on Sunday. While Scott shook free early, Hobbs found himself mired in a multi-rider battle for third. Hobbs eventually broke his competition and earned some breathing space en route to another third-place podium aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Suzuki GSX-R750s once again achieved more top-ten class positions than any other manufacturer on the grid.
“It was a battle right from the start,” Hobbs said. “I had a decent start and tried to be as aggressive as possible. Tyler got away from me. I finished ahead of him on Saturday, so I knew he was going to be on it today. I’ve got to give it up for the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. I’ve got an amazing motorcycle underneath me, and I’m as happy as can be just to be here racing this bike.”
Richie Escalante (54) is gaining speed every race and is closing the gap to the front runners. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed one of the strongest performances of his Superbike career. Escalante spent the bulk of the contest pressuring the rider in fourth before finally forcing him into a small mistake. He then took control of the position himself. Escalante pushed to the maximum aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R with a maiden podium ride in his sights. While he came up just short, Escalante ultimately earned his third fourth-place result in his last five outings, finishing less than five seconds back of the win. The race is the closest Escalante has been to the winner at the checkered flag.
“What an amazing weekend,” Escalante said, “We made a change to the geometry of the bike this morning to find a little bit more grip. We got a strong start and had a good rhythm. I saw how close we were to a podium result, so I pushed hard and did my best. I’m super happy and really proud of my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew. We need to keep working, but overall, it was a particularly good weekend.”
Taylor Knapp (44) showed grit and determination even though it was a tough weekend for him. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Taylor Knapp’s one-round ride aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike ended on a tough note. Knapp crashed while fighting for 12th position, and while he remounted in an attempt to continue racing, he was ultimately forced to retire.
“We improved the lap time and dropped a second and a half, but I had an unfortunate crash in Turn 1. I am bummed about that,” said Knapp. “I was hoping to do better for the team and give them a good result. The bike was incredible to ride and the team was great all weekend. Hopefully, the team will benefit from me riding the bike and my feedback. Thanks to Suzuki and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki for giving me the chance.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will now travel to Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for the next round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season on July 7-9.
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 350 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing:
Landers victorious, shares podium with teammate Rodio Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at The Ridge Motorsports Park
Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering riders claim half of the podium places at June 23-25 event
SHELTON, Wash. — After enduring a trying weekend at the previous MotoAmerica Twins Cup round at Barber Motorsports Park, the Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering duo of Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio found more success at the June 23-25 Twins Cup round at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Landers was in dominant form from the start of the round, as he earned pole, a third place and a win. And Rodio was back in frontrunning form as he netted a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a podium finish on Sunday.
Thanks to their positive on-track performances in both Twin Cup races at The Ridge, Landers and Rodio and now just 11 and 13 points out of the championship lead, respectively.
Landers set the pace in Friday morning practice. His best lap time was a 1:48.063, which was more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also had a good start to the weekend, as he finished Friday practice fourth fastest. Landers and Rodio rounded out Friday’s on-track activity with more positive results, as Landers claimed provisional pole — while lowering his best lap time by about 1.5 seconds — and Rodio ended that session fifth-fastest.
The second and final qualifying session of the round took place Saturday morning and saw Landers clinch his third pole position of the season. Rodio also had a very good end to qualifying. He improved his best qualifying lap time by about 1.5 seconds and qualified third — which put both of the team’s riders on the front row for both Twins Cup races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 was the site of another dominating performance by Landers. After a short battle for the lead into Turn 1, Landers paced the field and — in the later laps — began building a several second gap to the battle for second place. Rodio finished Lap 1 running in fourth place and briefly fell to fifth in the running order on Lap 2. After a rider in front of him crashed on Lap 3 — and after nearly crashing himself — Rodio gradually reeled in the two riders battling for second place. Rodio wasn’t able to get close enough to the other riders to overtake them and finished the race in fourth place. As Landers began the final lap, he came up to the back of a lapped rider that was experiencing a mechanical problem and going slowly at the start of a yellow flag zone. Landers was unable to slow down enough to avoid overtaking the rider within the yellow flag zone and was assessed a penalty that dropped him from first to third in the race results.
Sunday’s Race 2 also started with Landers briefly being challenged for the lead before taking the holeshot. After clearing the first chicane, Landers steadily built a gap to the rest of the field while Rodio slipped to fifth in the running order for the first several laps. As Landers stretched out his advantage over the rest of his competition, Rodio upped his pace and had worked his way up to third place by the end of Lap 4 and second place by the end of Lap 9. Landers ended up taking the win by a margin of more than 11 seconds, while Rodio had to settle for third place after being passed on the last lap by another frontrunning rider.
The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering team is back in action in two weeks time when the MotoAmerica Twins Cup takes to the Laguna Seca circuit July 7-9.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Wild Weekend at Road America for the Altus Motorsports Team
(Shelton, WA) Stock 1000 and the Junior Cup were not on the schedule for the MotoAmerica round at The Ridge in Shelton, Washington, which meant that only half the team would be running. Jaret Nassaney in the Supersport class and Joseph LiMandri Jr. in the Twins Cup. Both riders arrived in the Pacific Northwest looking to revitalize their seasons.
Supersport:
As great as the 2022 MotoAmerica season was for Jaret Nassaney, the beginning of this year has not measured up to it. Crashes, setup issues, and mechanicals have been the theme. The trend continued in Washington with a crash at the very beginning of Friday’s practice. With no laps on Friday, Jaret and the team had a lot of work to do in Q2 on Saturday. Lack of seat time led to a less-than-ideal grid position; P13. Unfortunately, a front brake issue put him on the ground a second time at the beginning of Race 1. Then, in Race 2, Jaret had a rear brake issue that limited him to an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. and the team had to do battle with a few electrical gremlins at The Ridge. During Q2 on Saturday, the bike began shutting off intermittently. After the session, the team determined the battery was defective. Joseph started both races from 8th on the grid. He finished the first race in 7th. A crash early in Sunday’s warm-up may have led to a mechanical issue that caused the bike to shut off on Lap 1 of Race 2. After restarting the bike, LiMandri crossed start/finish dead last on Lap 2. Undeterred, he put his head down and ran his fastest laps of the weekend to finish in 8th place.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Joseph LiMandri Jr.: “This wasn’t the turnaround weekend we were hoping for, but we aren’t done yet and we will continue to keep fighting. Huge thanks to Fuzzy my crew chief and the rest of the team for working their butts off all weekend long to help get this bike dialed. I’m excited to get to Laguna and continue to push”
George Nassaney: “It has been an exceptionally difficult season but we are not quitters. The Ridge is in the books and we are looking for a fresh start on the fresh surface at Laguna Seca. As a team, we have decided we need a ‘Hard Reset!’ For the next round, we are bringing in extra staff, and doing everything we can to give our riders the support they need to deliver the results we know they are capable of.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
Black Hills Speedway. Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Black Hills Half-Mile to Replace Buffalo Chip TT on Sunday, August 6 as Round 15 of the Progressive AFT Schedule
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that despite best efforts of all involved, the previously-announced Buffalo Chip TT will be replaced by the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway on Sunday, August 6.
Producing the unique, purpose-built TT circuit planned for the Buffalo Chip Campgrounds requires a considerable amount of construction work to ensure the racing circuit would provide a safe and entertaining experience for both racers and fans. Unfortunately, inclement weather during key construction windows has prevented the initiation of the intensive construction schedule required to deliver a professional track suitable for hosting an AFT national.
Fortunately, the Black Hills Half-Mile will still give fans attending the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally an opportunity to catch Progressive AFT while on their annual trek to Sturgis, S.D. The half-mile track in nearby Rapid City is known for playing host to some of the most incredible racing all season and has been a featured attraction on the AFT schedule 15 times since debuting on the series calendar in 1991.
In the spirit of cooperation, this season’s Black Hills Half-Mile will feature a twilight race schedule, starting earlier in the day and ending earlier in the evening, giving fans time to attend both the AFT race in Rapid City and still make it to Buffalo Chip Campground for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
Progressive AFT is hopeful that the Buffalo Chip’s much-awaited return to the schedule will take place as early as 2024.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $25 (kids 12 and under $5 with a paid adult GA ticket), while Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets are $35 (all ages). Enjoy the heart-pumping race action from an exclusive, premium indoor VIP viewing area. Food and beverage are included, and all VIP pass holders will receive a Pit Pass included with their VIP ticket purchase of $125 (all ages).
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv 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 https://www.fanschoice.tv.
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, 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. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
A Freedom Edition Buell Hammerhead 1190. Photo courtesy Buell.
Buell® Unveils 40th-anniversary Freedom Edition Hammerhead to Celebrate Independence and Company Milestone
Grand Rapids, MI – Buell Motorcycles, proud manufacturer of the only American-built sport bike lineup, announces the launch of a 40th-anniversary Freedom Edition Hammerhead 1190. With a striking paint scheme featuring red, white, and blue stars and stripes, it celebrates 40 years of Buell Motorcycles and the lifeblood of American freedom.
A close-up of the painted carbon-fiber bodywork on the Freedom Edition Buell Hammerhead 1190. Photo courtesy Buell.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the new Freedompaint scheme. Applied directly to the Hammerhead’s standard full carbon fiber bodywork, its design commemorates 40 years of Buell’s exciting journey and our enthusiasm for the next 40,” said Bill Melvin, CEO of Buell. “To us, the Freedom Edition represents our unwavering commitment to our heritage, our fans, and the freedom that comes with riding a Buell.”
The Buell Hammerhead 1190 boasts 185 horsepower, weighs 419 lbs., and delivers 102 foot-lbs. of torque. The first 40 Freedom Edition bikes will also feature a special four-year warranty and the underside of the bodywork will be autographed by the Buell factory family – Team Buell.
Starting July 1, 2023, enthusiasts can own this special edition priced at $24,990. Top-tier models are available at $26,775 for those seeking enhanced features and customization. The Freedom Edition can be purchased directly through the Buell website or from an authorized Premium and Display Service Center, promising a seamless, personalized buying experience.
“Our fans have been requesting a red, white, and blue color scheme for a long, long time. We listened. And we’re proud to deliver a design that truly reflects the fiercely independent spirit Buell shares with this great country,” continued Melvin.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s regular FIM Superbike World Championship duo of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes are soon to participate in their home round at Donington Park. Track action will take place between 30 June to 2 July.
A month after the previous race weekend in Italy the sixth round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship will be held at the very circuit where WorldSBK first became a reality in 1988.
Both Rea and Lowes started their professional careers in the British Superbike paddock, which makes every return to Donington a happy event for them on a personal level. Lowes, originally from Lincolnshire, now lives just minutes from Donington Park.
The 4.023km long parkland circuit is one of the most widely used and popular WorldSBK venues, having hosted no fewer than 61 individual races.
Both KRT riders are enthused to get back into competitive action, particularly after a positive single day test, in hot conditions, at the Motorland Aragon circuit on Friday 23 June.
Donington has been one of Rea’s happy hunting grounds in recent seasons, having scored six race wins there since 2015. The six times WorldSBK Champion has secured four podiums this year, helping to place him in fourth place overall after five rounds and 15 races.
Lowes, a former British Superbike Champion, has taken four WorldSBK podium places at Donington and one Superpole qualifying ‘win’.
Despite the vast experience of the KRT squad at the UK’s established WorldSBK circuit there will be a new factor to evaluate this year, after a complete track resurfacing since the last round in 2022. The layout itself remains unchanged, with the first sector of the track featuring fast and flowing corners, while the last part features very hard braking areas, a tight chicane and two hairpins.
A busy month of July sees two more rounds taking place before the traditional August summer break. The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola race weekend takes place between 14-16 July and the Autodrom Most hosts the Czech Round between 28-30 July.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “Donington is a track I have been looking forward to racing at for a while now. It is a special one in the season because it’s a home race, with lots of family and friends there. Growing up in the BSB paddock some of the same fans turn out now just like they did then, so you feel like you know everyone. It really helps that we have had good success there in the past. This time of year the weather should be good so I expect a cool weekend with a lot of fans there. It helps that we had a test last week, trying to improve the package of the bike. We had some positive results from that. Some things we can use straight away and some things we hope to see in the future. The Donington track itself is a real challenge to set the bike up for, so it is important that we are productive on Friday. The first two sectors are fast and flowing in nature but the last sector is really unique. You want an agile bike that handles well – but also one that is very stable and stops well in the last sector. On top of that, the track has been resurfaced completely. We need to keep an eye on what challenges that throws us, and then just put the weekend together like normal. The target is the podium and it would be amazing to come away from Donington with a good haul of points. Standing on the podium at your home race would be very special.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It is a unique race weekend at Donington. We are now based not even ten minutes from the track. It is always nice to have some family and friends get to the event. And it’s great to race in front of the British crowd. Coming from BSB, I always feel a close connection with them. The track has been resurfaced so we need to check that on Friday, get a feel for it, as sometimes when a track is resurfaced it can be hard for tyre life. That’s something we need to consider. It is always a pleasure to race at home and I can’t wait to get started. Some of the stuff we tried in testing last week could help us. My plan is to fight for the podium places and that is what we are trying to achieve at our home race. I am really looking forward to it, aiming to enjoy the whole week and see how we get on.”
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing signed up the experienced Tito Rabat shortly before the most recent Misano round of WorldSBK. The 2014 Moto2 World Champion is now a ‘veteran’ of 34 WorldSBK race starts, including three at Donington Park in 2021.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) should be fit to race at Donington Park having largely recovered from an ankle injury. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) will head for Donington in search of championship points.
A rider at speed in front of Airfence Bike soft barriers purchased with funds from a previous N2 Track Days fundraiser for the Roadracing World Action Fund. Photo by Apex Pro Photo, courtesy N2 Track Days.
The 2023 N2 Air Fence Fund Raiser is LIVE!
Media, PA (June 2023) – N2 Track Days is proud to announce that the 2023 N2 Airfence fund-raiser event to benefit the Roadracing World Action Fund is LIVE online and will conclude at Road Atlanta on Saturday, July 1st, 2023. The fundraiser will be held on Saturday evening during the two-day track day event both in-person as well as online starting today. N2 Track Days has been holding Airfence fund raiser events with the Roadracing World Action Fund (RWAF) since 2014 and they have been wildly successful generating more than $131,000 to buy and deploy life-saving Airfence soft barriers. N2 is currently looking for partners, companies, sponsors, and individuals willing to donate products, memorabilia, and services for the auction.
The online auction can be found on BiddingOwl.com. Click on the link below to go to the N2 RRW auction site. You must create an account to place bids. When creating an account make sure to select the check box(es) to ‘receive notifications if out-bid’ or else you could miss out!
If you or your company would like to donate items, services, or memorabilia to be auctioned for this amazing cause, please contact Chip Spalding at [email protected]
Here is a partial list of some of the amazing companies who have donated to the auction.
MORE ITEMS WILL BE ADDED SO CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY.
Current Auction Donors
Alpha Omega
Autographed Collectables
Barnes Brothers
Chicken Hawk Racing
Carbon Smith
Dainese
Hey Chef Eats
Highside Photo/Raul Jerez
Inline4 Designs
Karns Motorsports
Kustom Cockpits
KYT America
KWS Motorsports
Millennium Technologies
N2 Trackday
NJ MiniGP
PIt Bull Products
Pittsburgh International Raceway
REB Graphics
Rise Moto
Tri-State Powdercoating
Wiseco
Woodcraft CFM
Yamaha Champions Riding School
Yamaha Motor USA
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: Dunlop Motorcycle Tire, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
Cameron Beaubier (6) at speed on his new BMW M 1000 RR Superbike at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier put an updated Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR Superbike to good use at Ridge Motorsports Park, setting a new Race Lap Record on his way to winning Race Two on Sunday.
But using the word “updated” may be understating the situation, as Beaubier’s machine featured a new frame and matching fuel tank and subframe that are the same as the ones used by ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders Scott Redding and Tom Sykes.
A close up of Cameron Beaubier’s new BMW M 1000 RR Superbike shows extra welding on the frame spars. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“From what I understand it’s identical to what the factory team is using,” said Beaubier’s Crew Chief and Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Technical Director David Weaver.
The new frame, which was first used by Beaubier at Ridge Motorsports Park, features extensive bracing and gusseting and is visually much different than the frames on the BMWs of his teammates PJ Jacobsen and Corey Alexander.
Cameron Beaubier’s new BMW M 1000 RR Superbike without its bodywork reveals extensive bracing and gusseting. Photo by Peter Hively.
Cameron Beaubier’s BMW M 1000 RR’s frame as seen at the season-opener at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The left side of the new frame on Cameron Beaubier’s BMW M 1000 RR. Photo by Peter Hively.
Under FIM rules: “The main frame may be altered by the addition of gussets, tubes or plates. The additions may be welded or bonded and their material is free. No gussets or tubes may be removed, other allowed modifications are detailed within the following section of these rules.”
Beaubier also used a new swingarm, but that unit is different than the swingarm used by the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, according to Weaver.
Ray Thornton (717), Mike Applegate (1), Brad Hendry (616), James Wilkerson (2) at High Plains Raceway. Photo by Kelly Vernell, courtesy MRA.
Byers, CO – The third race of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of June 24-25th. For the first and only time this season, racers used the two-mile West Course configuration.
The Race of the Rockies (RoR) Qualifying on Sunday was conducted under clear blue skies, which was a nice change from the previous round which saw mostly damp conditions. Ray Thornton claimed pole position with a best time of 1:23.75 followed by Mike Applegate (1:24.37) and James Wilkerson (1:25.15).
The Start of RoR saw Wilkerson get the holeshot going into turn one, Applegate was in close pursuit followed by Thornton and Brad Hendry. On the exit of Turn Five, a rider further back in the field suffered a highside, and unfortunately their bike was on the racing surface, which brought out a red flag on lap one. The second start of the race saw Wilkerson once again get an incredible start and secure the lead going into Turn One. Applegate was close behind and lined up his move nicely on the exit of Turn Three to take the lead going down the back straight. Applegate, Wilkerson, Hendry, and Thornton started to break away from the rest of the field as they all were clicking on times in the 1:25’s. At the halfway point, Hendry made his way through the pack and executed an excellent pass to take the lead from Applegate. However, on lap 10, Applegate fired back and reclaimed the lead from Hendry. Thornton was biding his time and on lap 12 he decided it was time to strike. Thornton seized his opportunity, took the lead, and stayed out front for the final two laps, claiming his third RoR GTO victory of the season. Applegate managed to maintain his second place, while Hendry took third, rounding off a tense and exciting race.
In Race of the Rockies (RoR) GTU, Ken Yee took the lead and was followed closely by Jeremiah Downing and Salvatore Rizzo. Downing was putting up a good fight and was doing his best to take the lead and prevent a third successive victory from Yee. Rizzo was maintaining his third position by throwing down some impressive lap times ensuring a sizable gap to fourth place. Downing was unable to pass Yee and maintained his second position until the final lap of the race when he ran off in Turn Eight. This moved Rizzo up to second position and Tyrel Diekmann to third. Diekmann fought hard with Dennis Stowers and just narrowly beat him across the finish line by three hundredths of a second. Yee was able to claim his third straight RoR GTU win of the season, followed by Rizzo in second, and Diekmann in third.
Next up, the MRA returns to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for Round 4 on July 15-16. The highly anticipated 4-hour endurance race will take place this weekend running on the full course configuration. There will be no Superstreet this weekend due to the endurance race. See https://www.mra-racing.org/racers/come-race-with-us/ for details.
Dallas Daniels (32) on his Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07. Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Progressive AFT Returns to Scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to West Virginia Motor Speedway for the first time in 17 years with this weekend’s All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, on Saturday July 1.
Renowned for its mountainside setting and high-speed 5/8-mile track, West Virginia Motor Speedway has hosted the Grand National Championship on eight previous occasions, all coming in the ‘90s outside of a return visit in 2006. During that run, a number of iconic riders claimed victory in the event, including the likes of Scott Parker (‘94), Ricky Graham (‘93), and Will Davis (‘92, ‘97, and ‘98). Following a multi-year closure, the track was resurrected, renovated, and reopened in 2021, paving the way for Progressive AFT’s triumphant return.
Despite the race’s proud history, the time between stops means it will be a new circuit on the tour for almost the entire field… but not the entire field.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) finished fourth when the series last visited in ‘06. Back then, he had three Half-Mile victories to his name. Now he returns with 34 and looking to add one more in order to equal Parker for most in GNC history.
That was true this past weekend in Lima as well, and he’ll be facing a similar challenge. Mission SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) has proven that he should be expected to contend for victory every single weekend as he comes in riding a ten-race podium streak.
Meanwhile, two-time Mission SuperTwins champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) is also back in the business of winning. One of the sport’s all-time great Half-Milers himself, Bauman enjoyed a breakthrough ride this past weekend, hustling the Rick Ware Racing KTM 790 Duke to its maiden victory with an inspiring ride at the Lima Half-Mile.
Following a layoff of nearly two decades, not to mention recent track improvements, it’s difficult to predict exactly who’s bikes or styles might mesh best with West Virginia Motor Speedway. What is known is that JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) all have what it takes to beat anyone on the planet when everything is clicking in their favor.
The same can be said of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who earned his best finish yet on the Fastrack KTM with a sixth-place finish at Lima. And don’t discount the chances of Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), all of whom have finished inside the top five already this season.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) was less than two years old the last time Progressive AFT came to Mineral Wells, while key rivals Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) were not even one year old. But now the three rank among the fastest rising dirt track stars in the world and more than capable of putting on a spectacular show.
Kopp put his title defense back in order with a clutch victory at the Lima Half-Mile, despite the best efforts of Drane, who has won two of the season’s most recent four races.
Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), meanwhile, is still seeking his maiden pro win despite several near misses that came in a run of five-consecutive podium finishes. His motivation was further amped up after that podium streak ended due to a mechanical DNF that left him much work to do in order to claw his way back up to Kopp in the points standings.
This trio of talented teens expect to be joined up front once again by the category’s contingent of more-experienced-but-still-young contenders, including Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450).
Meanwhile, the class’ most prominent riders old enough to have been alive during the race’s heydays in the ‘90s – namely Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) – all come into the weekend in need of a strong result if only to remind the field exactly what they’re capable of following some relatively quiet showings n recent weeks.
All Seasons Powersports, which is located just a mile-and-a-half from West Virginia Motor Speedway, will host a Pre-Event Open House Party at the dealership on Friday, June 30, from 4:00 p.m. ET to 7:00 p.m. ET. There fans can meet and greet Progressive AFT stars and partake in food and drinks to get the weekend started off right.
There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket), and Single Day-General Admission Camping Passes can be purchased for Friday and Saturday at $25 per day.
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv 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 https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, 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. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Action-packed WorldSBK summer leg commences at Donington Park
Embarking on the summer chapter of the 2023 season, the Prosecco DOC UK Round will be held at Donington Park, the historic venue that witnessed the inaugural WorldSBK event 35 years ago. It will mark the first of three rounds scheduled for July.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ducati has won in all the tracks of the current calendar. They have won at least once as late as last year (excluding the returning Imola, where Ducati last won in 2017), but at Donington Park, their last win came in 2011 (Carlos Checa).
DONINGTON PARK’S HOT SPOTS WITH ALEX LOWES
T1/ “Donington is a track of two halves, but a great track – a lovely track to ride. I will just touch the limiter in fourth, and then go down to second gear for Redgate. As you brake you just let the bike slide a little bit so that the back of the bike goes into the entry of pit lane, just to open up the corner a little bit. The hardest part of Redgate is not to go in too early, as it has a late apex on the run down to Hollywood. You have to start tipping in just before the end of the white line at the pit exit, basically.”
T9-10/ “The straight has got a little jump in the middle, so you can’t relax too much there. I lean the bike as it wheelies, to stop it wheeling too much, and use a lot of rear brake. The Esses, just like the final corners, is all about hard braking. ”
T11/ “The straight into the hairpin is not a straight at all. It sort of goes around and then you have to make quite a lot of effort to go back to the left so that you are braking upright. Get it stopped, down to first, a little bit downhill and always a good place to pass. And always lots of action! ”
WorldSBK | KEY STAT
14
In Misano, Alvaro Bautista became the first rider in WorldSBK history to secure 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. With the second half of the season still to come, he is now aiming for the all-time season record of 17 wins currently held by Doug Polen (1991) and Jonathan Rea (2018 and 2019).
What to look out for in Donington Park
All eyes will be on Alvaro Bautista, the current Championship leader with an impressive 298 points. Bautista will be eager to extend his lead and continue his dominant form at Donington Park, a track where Ducati has not won since 2011. The 2022 WorldSBK Champion made the most out of the three-week break after Misano to ride the Desmosedici GP at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during a two-day test in Italy as a reward for his 2022 WorldSBK title success.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, with just one win under his belt in the 2023 season, will be aiming to regain his form. Having won five of the last six races at Donington Park, the Turkish sensation will be eager to add more victories to his name in his final season with Yamaha.
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea has yet to secure a victory this year. Racing on familiar territory with his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Rea will be determined to put an end to his winless streak and make a statement in front of his home crowd. He participated in a private test at MotorLand Aragon prior to the UK Round.
Currently third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli will be eager to overcome his previous struggles at Donington Park and secure a top 3 finish, with his last podium achieved at the Catalunya Round.
Donington Park has undergone significant work since last year. The resurfacing of the 2.5-mile circuit, the first in over 20 years, aimed to eliminate undulations, improve drainage, and enhance corner camber, while also promoting sustainability by repurposing materials for other areas of the circuit.
The start of a World Supersport race at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
WorldSSP charges into Donington Park for Round 6 of the 2023 season
What to look out for in Donington Park
Leading the World Supersport Championship charge is Nicolo Bulega, who has been in strong form with four pole positions, six wins, and a strong podium record. Bulega established himself as the rider to beat at Donington Park, a track where he has never won so far.
Second in the Championship standings with 161 points, Stefano Manzi will race for the first time with Yamaha at Donington Park. Building on his recent triumph in the previous Misano race, he aims to secure his third WorldSSP race victory, and progressively close in on Bulega in the overall standings.
MV Agusta’s Marcel Schroetter will race for the first time at Donington Park with World Supersport. The German Rookie, who has displayed consistent performance in 2023 achieving several top positions, is still aiming for his first win in the category.
The all-new Triumph Scrambler 400 X (left) and Speed 400 (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
THE NEW SPEED 400 AND SCRAMBLER 400 X
TWO ALL-NEW TRIUMPH MODERN CLASSICS
The Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X: two all-new models are joining the Triumph range in 2024.
Born into a peerless bloodline, the Speed 400 joins Triumph’s most successful modern classic line-up, the Speed Twin 900 and 1200 while the Scrambler 400 X takes its rugged design cues from the Scrambler 900 and 1200, with an off-road pedigree that goes back to the first factory Scramblers of the 1950s.
Designed from the ground-up with a brand new single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine platform at their heart, these new models are designed to deliver a fun, agile, and confidence-inspiring ride for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Together, with class-leading capability, rider-focused technology and category-leading quality and detail, and with a high level of standard specification, long service intervals, and a comprehensive warranty, these accessible new models represent incredible value and bring Triumph’s iconic style, quality, and performance to a whole new generation of Triumph riders.
The Triumph Speed 400 (left) and Scrambler 400 X (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
TRIUMPH’S ICONIC SPEED AND SCRAMBLER DESIGN DNA
Conceived and designed in Hinckley, UK, these two new additions to the modern classics line-up have been developed with the same exacting attention to detail as Triumph’s most celebrated models. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their timeless Triumph silhouettes, signature sculpted fuel tanks and classic engine profiles and have been designed to deliver all of the quality, feel, and presence of their larger capacity stablemates. Traditional touches, like the distinctive finned cylinder head and traditional exhaust header clamps combine with contemporary details like the upswept silencer, bold graphics and sensitively-incorporated technology, such as concealed liquid-cooling and a flowing exhaust run with hidden primary silencer. All combining to deliver that unmistakeable Triumph modern custom style. The high-quality finish and elegant detailing continues with the trademark black powder-coated engine casings, tough gold anodised forks, high-quality paint, and logo detailing which ensure the finish on these new models is premium throughout.
The Speed 400’s two-tone paint schemes, each feature a prominent Triumph tank graphic, reflect its dynamic style, with Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and Phantom Black colors available.
Accentuating the Scrambler 400 X’s all-road attitude are lots of purposeful and practical features, including protection for the headlight, radiator, and sump, as well as handguards, a handlebar brace with pad, and a longer front mudguard.
The Scrambler 400 X is available in three stylish and contemporary color schemes, each featuring Triumph’s distinctive ‘Scrambler’ tank stripe and triangle badge, with Matte Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Black and Silver Ice options.
Timeless Triumph Design DNA with Contemporary Poise:
Timeless Triumph classic roadster and Scrambler silhouettes
Signature sculpted tank with knee indents
Classic Triumph engine profile with triangle badge
Distinctive finned cylinder head and exhaust header clamps
Contemporary upswept silencer
Premium materials and finishes
Each available in a choice of three distinctive model-specific color schemes
THE ALL-NEW TR-SERIES ENGINE
Named to celebrate the historic Triumph ‘Trophy’ bloodline, whose roots can be traced back to the racing singles of the early twentieth century, and International Six Day Trials offroad competition. This all-new fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 398cc single-cylinder engine combines Triumph’s trademark modern classic style with state-of-the-art engineering to deliver class-beating performance with a responsive, fun, and characterful power delivery along with an evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note.
Technical highlights include a four-valve, DOHC cylinder head and a crankshaft that has been perfectly weighted and balanced to optimize inertia for low-speed rideability. A finger-follower valvetrain with a low reciprocating mass and DLC coatings that reduce friction also contribute to the capacity-defying performance of this free-revving yet tractable engine.
The six-speed gearbox delivers light, precise gear selection with ratios perfectly spread to make the most of this characterful and torque-rich engine.
Key features of this all-new engine include:
Class-leading 39.5 HP peak power and 27.7 LB-FT of peak torque
Four valve, Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder
Concealed liquid-cooling and machined cooling fins
Trademark black powder-coated engine casings
Characterful, compelling, and responsive power delivery
Evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note
Six-speed gearbox
Exceeds Euro 5 emissions
TRIUMPH’S EASY, AGILE, DYNAMIC, AND CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING RIDE
With ergonomics designed for optimum comfort and control, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X benefit from a slim standover which combines with an accessible seat height of 31 inches (790mm) and 32.9 inches (835mm) respectively and a low weight of 375lb (170kg) / 395lb (179kg) to offer assured low-speed handling and the ability to get feet to the ground.
Both models benefit from their own model-specific chassis, with a new frame, bolt-on rear subframe and cast-aluminum swingarm paired with suspension set-ups tailored to each use case, both delivering Triumph’s famously easy, agile, and dynamic handling.
The Speed 400 features large 43mm big-piston upside-down front forks, mono-shock Rear Suspension Unit with external reservoir, lightweight 17-inch wheels and roadster-specific geometry and wheelbase. Giving an engaging and intuitive ride along with a comfortable, neutral riding position that inspires confidence for riders of all sizes and skill levels. Powerful four-piston radial front brakes with a 300mm front disc and braided lines give a responsive brake feel for improved rider confidence.
The Scrambler 400 X features a longer wheelbase, longer travel suspension, larger 19-inch front wheel and wide handlebars for greater stability and control when riding on loose surfaces, as well as providing a more upright and commanding Scrambler riding position. A larger cast steel brake pedal and high-grip foot pegs that are positioned lower and wider also make for a more natural standing riding position when riding off-road, while a larger 320mm front brake disc and optimized pad compound deliver reassuringly progressive braking performance in all conditions.
Fun, Confidence-inspiring and Intuitive Feel
All-new frame with bolt-on rear subframe and cast aluminum swingarm
Model-specific Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X set-up and geometry
Slender standover width creates a more accessible seat height
Comfortable and engaging riding position for the Speed 400 with a more upright and commanding riding position for the Scrambler 400 X
Big-piston 43mm diameter upside-down front forks
Monoshock rear suspension unit with external reservoir
Optimized for solo or passenger riding with adjustable rear suspension preload
Four-piston radial caliper with braided brake lines
Longer wheelbase and more upright ergonomics for Scrambler 400 X
Approachable motorcycle specifications approved for new rider training courses, including official Motorcycle Safety Foundation training
MODERN RIDER-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY
Adding rider convenience, performance, and safety, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X share some of the latest rider-focused technology, tailored to suit each model.
Ride-by-wire throttle
Bosch engine management with ride-by-wire throttle delivers a linear and intuitive throttle response with predictable power delivery for enhanced rideability, safety, and control.
Traction Control and ABS
The traction control system on both models is switchable with a simple on or off selection, so the rider can quickly and easily deactivate the intervention.
Bosch dual-channel ABS delivers assured braking in all conditions for added safety and peace of mind and on the Scrambler 400 X can also be deactivated for enhanced control when riding off-road.
Stylish new dual format instruments
The clean and contemporary dual format instruments feature a large analogue speedometer and integrated LCD screen which includes a digital tachometer, a fuel range remaining, and a prominent gear indicator, clearly visible in all lighting conditions.
All this functionality is accessed via an intuitive easy to use handlebar-mounted scroll button, and the display is even pre-enabled to show the status of accessory fitted heated grips, if fitted. A conveniently located USB-C charging port allows on-the-move charging of handlebar mounted devices, such as smartphones and navigation systems.
Torque-assist clutch
This ingenious system reduces clutch lever effort to reduce fatigue during stop/start riding, as well as improving rider confidence and peace of mind by preventing rear wheel locking during downshifts.
All-LED lighting
Designed for performance and presence, the powerful headlight features a distinctive always-on glow, while the taillight also includes a modern light signature together with molded light guides and Triumph branding.
Factory-fitted Security
Both the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X come equipped with a steering lock and an anti-theft immobilizer as standard. The transponder chip integrated into the ignition key ensures only the owner can start the engine.
Specification highlights include:
A high level of rider-focused technology to enhance performance and safety
Ride-by-wire throttle for enhance rideability, safety, and control
Switchable Traction Control on both Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X
Dual-channel ABS (switchable on Scrambler 400 X for off-road use)
Torque-assist clutch
Stylish new dual format instruments
All-LED lighting
Immobilizer
BUILT TO MAKE YOUR OWN
More than 25 genuine accessories are available for the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X. From styling and comfort to luggage and security, both bikes can be accessorized to suit a broad range of riders’ needs.
Owners can configure their new motorcycle in the easy-to-use online configurator, or they can purchase accessories from any authorized Triumph dealer — All Triumph accessories are designed and developed hand-in-hand with the motorcycles to ensure perfect fit and function and are covered by the same two year unlimited mileage warranty.
UNBEATABLE VALUE
With class-leading performance, unrivalled quality, and low running costs, these exciting new modern classics represent incredible value.
Both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X will be competitively priced versus the key competitors in each market, ensuring an incredibly attractive buyer proposition both in terms of overall value, but also initial purchase price.
Both models will launch in India starting in July of 2023 and will be on sale in all other markets in the start of 2024, when prices for these markets will be announced.
Unbeatable value:
Leading performance and quality
Class-leading 10,000 miles service interval
Two-year unlimited mileage Warranty
Two-year unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance
On sale from Q1 2024
Competitive pricing relative to category to be announced upon availability
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine and transmission
Speed 400
Scrambler 400 X
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 4 valve, DOHC, single-cylinder
Capacity
398.15 cc
Bore
89.0 mm
Stroke
64.0 mm
Compression
12:1
Maximum Power
40 PS / 39.5 bhp (29.4 kW) @ 8,000 rpm
Maximum Torque
37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Fuel System
Bosch electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Exhaust
Stainless twin-skin header system with stainless steel silencer
Beaubier wins again, Corey races to career best as PJ consistently scores at The Ridge
Cameron Beaubier, Corey Alexander, and PJ Jacobsen – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s BMW Superbike trio – were back on track in the latest round of the MotoAmerica series at The Ridge Motorsports Park this past weekend with all three once again adding significantly to their overall points tally. Another win for Cameron, a career best fourth for Corey and a top six for PJ just some of the highlights of the round!
MotoAmerica returnee Beaubier was once again at the sharp end throughout the event at the 2.47-mile circuit. Qualifying third, the #6 rider was in contention for the win on Saturday after reducing the deficit to early leader Jake Gagne. Unfortunately, with three laps to go the multiple MotoAmerica champion slid out of contention. Remounting he was classified seventh. Sunday once again saw Beaubier going wheel to wheel with Gagne, his race winning overtake coming just after half race distance. Extending his advantage until the flag, Cameron took his third win of the season by over a second to consolidate second overall in the standings.
Corey Alexander dominated in Stock 1000 at The Ridge twelve months ago and he was in fine form once again this year. Achieving his best qualifying position ever in the Superbike class, fifth, Alexander ran consistently in the leading group in both races, underlining his speed at the Washington stage venue and showing that his adaption to the SBK category continues at an impressive rate. Fourth on Saturday, he finished fifth on Sunday to record the first double top five of his Superbike career.
The team’s third rider PJ Jacobsen qualified on row three. He too gained positions despite struggling a little with set up during the weekend. He finished sixth and seventh on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
With all three riders having now shown front running pace this season, Tytlers Cycle Racing heads to California in a fortnight for the first triple head weekend of the season at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit.
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace in Race 1 and slowly chipped away the lead to Jake but unfortunately, I lost the front in turn one with three laps to go. It was a bummer, but I was happy with the pace and the progress we are making. Yesterday was a good day. The guys made two changes to the bike, to the front end and with engine brake, that gave me a good feel from warm up on. It felt really good to get a win here on a track I thought we would struggle at coming in. Onto Laguna!”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “Since the first session of the weekend I’ve felt very comfortable on the bike and the times have come a bit easier. Our best qualifying of fifth put us in the mix for the races. I was a little too reserved the first half of the race one but really started to work my way forward and after running sixth lucked a top five with Cam’s (Beaubier’s) misfortune. I’m very happy with yesterday’s result in race two even though the position is one less than what we achieved on Saturday. We finished seven seconds back from Cam which is less than half the gap to the lead from yesterday. I’m excited to keep this momentum going forward to Laguna. Thanks to the team and my guys for giving me a great bike to work with.”
PJ Jacobsen: “I was a bit lucky to get away with sixth position on Saturday after a few people crashed, but I felt as the race went on we had a bit better pace and the guys in front were coming back to me. It was annoying that there was a red flag as I really thought we could have made up a few spots but that’s racing. We made some changes for Sunday as I haven’t had much front end confidence at all since the very first session. I ran off in race two at turn twelve and lost five or six seconds. That really set me back and cost us what could have been at least another top six. I am super disappointed to only get a P6 and P7, it’s not where I want to be or where we have shown we can be, but we will go again in two weeks. Laguna is one of my favourite tracks and I am hoping the front-end confidence returns there.”
More, form a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
SCOTT AND HOBBS EARN PODIUMS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN WASHINGTON
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a second and third podium result of the weekend to conclude a bountiful MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park with Team Hammer’s 350th podium.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott equaled his best result of the season with a strong runner-up.
Teagg Hobbs earns his second Supersport podium in hard-fought Race 2.
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his career-best Superbike finish with a highly competitive fourth.
Taylor Knapp suffered a DNF after attempting to soldier on following a crash.
Tyler Scott (70) bounces back from Race 1 with a strong second-place finish in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott made his intentions known from the start of Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport rematch. The 17-year-old locked down second position after starting from the center of Row 1 aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750. Scott then put his head down and stuck closely behind the race’s pacesetter long enough to pull free from the pack. Scott definitively put on a strong ride to second place. It was Scott’s second runner-up of the season and his third podium finish.
Scott said, “We made some changes overnight for this morning’s warm-up. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team did a great job dialing the bike this weekend. Yesterday, we had an issue during the race, which was unfortunate, but today our goal was to get a strong start and manage the gap to first and third. In the end, it was a really great race, and I’m happy with the result.”
Coming off the momentum of his first podium, Teagg Hobbs (79) follows up with another podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs followed up Saturday’s breakthrough performance to a first-career MotoAmerica Supersport podium by adding a second one on Sunday. While Scott shook free early, Hobbs found himself mired in a multi-rider battle for third. Hobbs eventually broke his competition and earned some breathing space en route to another third-place podium aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Suzuki GSX-R750s once again achieved more top-ten class positions than any other manufacturer on the grid.
“It was a battle right from the start,” Hobbs said. “I had a decent start and tried to be as aggressive as possible. Tyler got away from me. I finished ahead of him on Saturday, so I knew he was going to be on it today. I’ve got to give it up for the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. I’ve got an amazing motorcycle underneath me, and I’m as happy as can be just to be here racing this bike.”
Richie Escalante (54) is gaining speed every race and is closing the gap to the front runners. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed one of the strongest performances of his Superbike career. Escalante spent the bulk of the contest pressuring the rider in fourth before finally forcing him into a small mistake. He then took control of the position himself. Escalante pushed to the maximum aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R with a maiden podium ride in his sights. While he came up just short, Escalante ultimately earned his third fourth-place result in his last five outings, finishing less than five seconds back of the win. The race is the closest Escalante has been to the winner at the checkered flag.
“What an amazing weekend,” Escalante said, “We made a change to the geometry of the bike this morning to find a little bit more grip. We got a strong start and had a good rhythm. I saw how close we were to a podium result, so I pushed hard and did my best. I’m super happy and really proud of my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew. We need to keep working, but overall, it was a particularly good weekend.”
Taylor Knapp (44) showed grit and determination even though it was a tough weekend for him. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Taylor Knapp’s one-round ride aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike ended on a tough note. Knapp crashed while fighting for 12th position, and while he remounted in an attempt to continue racing, he was ultimately forced to retire.
“We improved the lap time and dropped a second and a half, but I had an unfortunate crash in Turn 1. I am bummed about that,” said Knapp. “I was hoping to do better for the team and give them a good result. The bike was incredible to ride and the team was great all weekend. Hopefully, the team will benefit from me riding the bike and my feedback. Thanks to Suzuki and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki for giving me the chance.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will now travel to Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for the next round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season on July 7-9.
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 350 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing:
Landers victorious, shares podium with teammate Rodio Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at The Ridge Motorsports Park
Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering riders claim half of the podium places at June 23-25 event
SHELTON, Wash. — After enduring a trying weekend at the previous MotoAmerica Twins Cup round at Barber Motorsports Park, the Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering duo of Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio found more success at the June 23-25 Twins Cup round at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Landers was in dominant form from the start of the round, as he earned pole, a third place and a win. And Rodio was back in frontrunning form as he netted a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a podium finish on Sunday.
Thanks to their positive on-track performances in both Twin Cup races at The Ridge, Landers and Rodio and now just 11 and 13 points out of the championship lead, respectively.
Landers set the pace in Friday morning practice. His best lap time was a 1:48.063, which was more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also had a good start to the weekend, as he finished Friday practice fourth fastest. Landers and Rodio rounded out Friday’s on-track activity with more positive results, as Landers claimed provisional pole — while lowering his best lap time by about 1.5 seconds — and Rodio ended that session fifth-fastest.
The second and final qualifying session of the round took place Saturday morning and saw Landers clinch his third pole position of the season. Rodio also had a very good end to qualifying. He improved his best qualifying lap time by about 1.5 seconds and qualified third — which put both of the team’s riders on the front row for both Twins Cup races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 was the site of another dominating performance by Landers. After a short battle for the lead into Turn 1, Landers paced the field and — in the later laps — began building a several second gap to the battle for second place. Rodio finished Lap 1 running in fourth place and briefly fell to fifth in the running order on Lap 2. After a rider in front of him crashed on Lap 3 — and after nearly crashing himself — Rodio gradually reeled in the two riders battling for second place. Rodio wasn’t able to get close enough to the other riders to overtake them and finished the race in fourth place. As Landers began the final lap, he came up to the back of a lapped rider that was experiencing a mechanical problem and going slowly at the start of a yellow flag zone. Landers was unable to slow down enough to avoid overtaking the rider within the yellow flag zone and was assessed a penalty that dropped him from first to third in the race results.
Sunday’s Race 2 also started with Landers briefly being challenged for the lead before taking the holeshot. After clearing the first chicane, Landers steadily built a gap to the rest of the field while Rodio slipped to fifth in the running order for the first several laps. As Landers stretched out his advantage over the rest of his competition, Rodio upped his pace and had worked his way up to third place by the end of Lap 4 and second place by the end of Lap 9. Landers ended up taking the win by a margin of more than 11 seconds, while Rodio had to settle for third place after being passed on the last lap by another frontrunning rider.
The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering team is back in action in two weeks time when the MotoAmerica Twins Cup takes to the Laguna Seca circuit July 7-9.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Wild Weekend at Road America for the Altus Motorsports Team
(Shelton, WA) Stock 1000 and the Junior Cup were not on the schedule for the MotoAmerica round at The Ridge in Shelton, Washington, which meant that only half the team would be running. Jaret Nassaney in the Supersport class and Joseph LiMandri Jr. in the Twins Cup. Both riders arrived in the Pacific Northwest looking to revitalize their seasons.
Supersport:
As great as the 2022 MotoAmerica season was for Jaret Nassaney, the beginning of this year has not measured up to it. Crashes, setup issues, and mechanicals have been the theme. The trend continued in Washington with a crash at the very beginning of Friday’s practice. With no laps on Friday, Jaret and the team had a lot of work to do in Q2 on Saturday. Lack of seat time led to a less-than-ideal grid position; P13. Unfortunately, a front brake issue put him on the ground a second time at the beginning of Race 1. Then, in Race 2, Jaret had a rear brake issue that limited him to an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. and the team had to do battle with a few electrical gremlins at The Ridge. During Q2 on Saturday, the bike began shutting off intermittently. After the session, the team determined the battery was defective. Joseph started both races from 8th on the grid. He finished the first race in 7th. A crash early in Sunday’s warm-up may have led to a mechanical issue that caused the bike to shut off on Lap 1 of Race 2. After restarting the bike, LiMandri crossed start/finish dead last on Lap 2. Undeterred, he put his head down and ran his fastest laps of the weekend to finish in 8th place.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Joseph LiMandri Jr.: “This wasn’t the turnaround weekend we were hoping for, but we aren’t done yet and we will continue to keep fighting. Huge thanks to Fuzzy my crew chief and the rest of the team for working their butts off all weekend long to help get this bike dialed. I’m excited to get to Laguna and continue to push”
George Nassaney: “It has been an exceptionally difficult season but we are not quitters. The Ridge is in the books and we are looking for a fresh start on the fresh surface at Laguna Seca. As a team, we have decided we need a ‘Hard Reset!’ For the next round, we are bringing in extra staff, and doing everything we can to give our riders the support they need to deliver the results we know they are capable of.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
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