Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Ridge Motorsports Park and returned to the podium with a runner-up finish in today’s Race 2. The defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s 1-2 score at the fourth round of the championship has him leaving Shelton, Washington, with a 23-point lead. His teammate Cameron Petersen overcame adversity to finish sixth.
On the heels of his fifth-consecutive victory at The Ridge, Gagne got another great start to take the lead and threw down some fast times up front. He tried to break away, but his championship rival closed the gap. Gagne kept a strong pace but was passed after the halfway point and rode a smart race to finish second and score some valuable points in the title fight.
After a tough start to the weekend with some food poisoning and a crash in yesterday’s race, Petersen looked to rebound. He got a good start from the second row of the grid to battle in the top five and was holding down fourth with the competition on his heels, but ultimately was shuffled to sixth in the final laps.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to Monterey, California, in two weeks for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the iconic Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 7-9.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We missed the setup for Race 2, but Jake still managed to finish second and collect some good championship points. Cameron was set back a little from the two crashes earlier this weekend and struggled to maintain the pace at the front. The team will learn from this race and further improve for Laguna Seca. We look forward to seeing our California fans.”
Jake Gagne got second in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to another great start for Race 2 and had some clean opening laps. About halfway, I got passed, and I couldn’t hold the pace to make a run for the win and had to bring it home in second. Overall it was a good weekend, and we got some good points. We’re looking forward to Laguna.”
Cameron Petersen (45). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend for me. I felt great on the motorcycle, but unfortunately a few too many mistakes cost me. Having said that, we can take a few positives away from this weekend. My pace was strong, and we can build off of that for Laguna.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati Duo on the Podium at The Ridge
Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés spray the champagne with two exceptional races each in the Pacific Northwest
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Round four of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship saw America’s fastest road racers head to the beautiful Ridge venue in Washington state with both Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés scoring some champagne for their efforts.
Herrin’s weekend in the premier Superbike division saw him suffer a nasty spill immediately after securing pole position, the Georgian native injuring his ankle and being pretty bashed and bruised all over, but still fit enough to start race one.
Herrin battled on to a pair of third places, gritting his teeth through the pain in a heroic effort given the circumstances. He will visit his doctor tomorrow for further checks ahead of two weeks’ rest leading up to Laguna Seca’s fifth round of the championship.
The MotoAmerica Supersport Championship is fast becoming the Xavi Forés show as the sensational Spaniard took his seventh race win in a row at The Ridge, making his undefeated as the series nears its halfway point.
Forés was flying in the PNW, his margin of victory of 11.9 seconds in race one and five seconds in race two a sign of his domination.
Forés now leads the Supersport points standings by a massive 76 points, some three race wins clear of second-placed, Stefano Mesa.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Four
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 156
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 133
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 122
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 101
P5 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 91
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Two
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 200
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 124
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 112
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 103
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 83
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“It’s been an amazing weekend. I did my first pole position of the championship and the bike worked perfectly. I love this track and today in race two it was a little tougher than yesterday’s race one. We made some fork changes that didn’t really work but it was ok to keep the gap to second place. Seven race wins in a row in so far in front of what I expected at the start of the year so now we move the focus to Laguna Seca to keep the momentum.”
Josh Herrin finished third in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“For how bad Saturday was with the injures I got, I’m super excited to get two third place finishes,” Herrin said. “The V4 R was amazing this weekend. It’s the best it has felt all year, I just wasn’t able to ride it to its full potential. I’m bummed about that but happy with two podium finishes. Now I’m ready to heal up and come back to Laguna strong.”
Round Five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at Laguna Seca on the beautiful Californian coastline over the June 5-7 weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Ridge Weekend Ends Early
Mathew Scholtz (11) leading a group of riders early in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Shelton, WA – Hopes and expectations were high on Sunday morning for Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team after Mathew finished as runner-up in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Ridge Motorsports Park. Unfortunately, however, Mathew suffered a tipover in Sunday’s race two, along with some technical issues with his Yamaha YZF-R1, and he was unable to finish.
“We made another step in the positive direction overnight and the morning warm up was also positive,” Mathew said. “We were pretty confident heading into the second race, but unfortunately, I realized early on that we had an electronic issue going into the chicane, and I ran off the track, which moved me further back. I kind of got stuck there further back, and it was difficult to overtake anyone. But, I put my head down and tried to make a charge towards the front. I got a little too eager with the bike, though, and I had a tipover, which bent the right handlebar, so I couldn’t continue. It was very disappointing because I thought we deserved to be at the front. It wasn’t the Sunday we were looking for, but I’m happy with the steps forward that we made in the setup, and it should help us a lot at (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca. We showed that, when the bike is right, we have phenomenal pace, and with the way things are now, I’m optimistic about Laguna.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on July 7 through 9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for round five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
Cresting The Ridge: Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing rise to the challenge
Stefano Mesa (137) takes the checkered flag on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
Team Tytlers Cycle Racing and Stefano Mesa have just completed rounds three and four of the 2023 Super Hooligan National Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. The experienced Colombian rider crossed the line in sixth place at the end of the seven-lap, second race of the weekend, aboard the Energica Eva Ribelle RS sporting the new, striking Petronas colours and equipped with the Kit Corsa Clienti. However, both the first and second placed Indian motorcycles and their riders were disqualified due to a technical breach, leaving Mesa in fourth position.
Mesa was able to maintain his position at the start as the Super Hooligan field entered the first chicane and maintained a solid pace throughout the encounter, while keeping seventh-place rider AJ Peaslee (riding an ICE-powered KTM machine) at bay right up to the chequered flag. He did so by using the rear brake to back into the corner – all without having the use of the clutch.
Race one saw Mesa crossing the line in seventh place after starting from the back of the grid – dramatically cutting “like a knife through butter” (as one of the race announcers exclaimed) as he rapidly made his way up to eighth position and then gained one more place just before the chequered flag. He was able to make his final move on Peaslee in part because the latter – by his own words – had a hard time hearing him coming through!
All in all, this was an exceptional performance for rider #137, considering the dramatic crash he had in the Supersport race only a couple of hours prior. Unfortunately, the hard-won result was voided due to a technical rule infringement (sensor).
The level of performance shown at the spectacular, Washington-state venue, provides a welcome boost of fresh confidence for the team, now looking forward to the upcoming event taking place in a fortnight’s time at Monterey’s own WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.
The team will use the time available to digest the experience gained at The Ridge, in order to continue optimising the technical package for what is, in many respects, a very different challenge for Energica. For this is a series where ICE and EV share not only the same track but also identical spec-tyres – all while diverging significantly when it comes to technology and specs.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
In Stefano Mesa’s own words “The electric gives me a smoother acceleration and much easier control and focus because I don’t have to shift in order to have the right horsepower or torque at the rear wheel; on the other hand, the bike makes so much torque that we have to find a way to tame it for a course like this, with so many turns and so many twists.”
Energica’s presence as the first and only electric motorcycle manufacturer in the full series keeps attracting an intense level of attention and curiosity from fans, motorcycle enthusiasts, fellow racers and other insiders. As one spectator said to his friends while walking past Tytlers Cycle Racing’s tent “this is the future”. The team is looking forward to meeting the fans at Laguna Seca, with a surprise in store.
Click on the following links to watch the full encounters (YouTube) Race one – Race two
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS EARN VICTORY, PAIR OF PODIUM FINISHES IN MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACES AT THE RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
RODIO RACING – POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING RIDERS LANDERS, RODIO, NOW SECOND, THIRD, IN POINTS STANDINGS
SHELTON, WA – It turned out to be a near-perfect weekend for Aprilia rider Rocco Landers at The Ridge Motorsports Park. The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering rider and three-time MotoAmerica class champion was the fastest rider in practice, qualifying and both races at the northwest Washington State circuit. Though a post-race penalty reduced a victory to a podium finish on Saturday, Landers and his teammate — and fellow podium finisher at The Ridge — Gus Rodio are now just 11 and 13 points out of the lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup standings.
The Ridge’s undulating and technical 2.5-mile road course also proved to be a good match for the Aprilia RS 660. Aprilia riders claimed four of the top 10 grid spots in qualifying, half of the podium finishes and nearly half of the top 10 places in the weekend’s two Twins Cup races.
Landers and Rodio showed immediate pace in the first on-track session of the weekend. Landers led the field in Friday morning practice with a 1:48.063 lap time — which was 0.525 seconds faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth place, and Luke Luciano of Zone 9 Racing/EDR Performance and Tyler Duffy of Duffy Racing gave Aprilia four riders in the session’s top 10. Later Friday, Landers ended the first of two qualifying sessions on provisional pole and improved his best lap time to 1:45.546. Rodio finished the session fifth-fastest, and Jacob Crossman of 3D Motorsports was the third Aprilia rider to end the session in the top 10.
Landers didn’t improve his blistering lap time from Qualifying 1 in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but still clinched pole position. Rodio found some additional pace in Qualifying 2 and joined his teammate on the front row by qualifying third. Also qualifying in the top 10 was Agustin Sierra of Top Pro Motorsports, who secured 10th on the starting grid for the round’s two Twins Cup races.
Saturday’s Race 1 saw Landers put in a dominant performance that was partially undone by a late-race infraction. Landers briefly lost and then re-took the lead during the short run to the first corner and didn’t relinquish the lead after that. He crossed the finish line in first place by a margin of 4.8 seconds. However, Landers passed a lapped rider in a yellow flag zone at the start of the final lap, and as a result was reclassified in third place. Rodio got a good start and finished the first lap running in fourth. After falling as low as fifth in the running order at the end of Lap 2 and nearly crashing on Lap 3, he gradually got closer to the battle for the last two steps on the podium but had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Landers and Rodio were joined in the top 10 by three other Aprilia riders – Top Pro Motorsports’ Alex Arango in eighth, Duffy in ninth and Righteous Racing’s Ray Hoffman in 10th.
The start of Race 2 was a near-mirror image of Race 1, with Landers getting an OK jump off the line but still leading the field through the holeshot. Rodio also dropped one position in the running order like he did on Saturday and was running in a lonely fifth place for the first couple laps. As Landers gradually built a big lead at the front of the field, Rodio gained pace as the race went on. By the end of Lap 4, Rodio had moved up to third place and finished Laps 9-11 of the 12-lap contest in second place. Landers took the victory in commanding fashion — crossing the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up — while Rodio lost one position in the closing stages of the last lap and finished third. Two other Aprilia riders – Crossman and Arango – finished in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
More than half of the riders registered for the Ridge round – 16 of 29 – were set to compete aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
The MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a one-weekend break before it’s back in action July 7-9 at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California. More information on that round and the series can be found on https://motoamerica.com/
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“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 (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“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.”
Cameron Beaubier came from behind to win MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne got the holeshot and led the first nine laps on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha, but Beaubier passed his former teammate on lap 10 of 16 and held on to take his third win of the season on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 R.
Gagne pushed Beaubier to the end but came up 2.045 seconds short and finished second, but he still left Washington with the Championship point lead.
Josh Herrin, battered and bruised from a high-speed crash in qualifying on Saturday, dug deep to pull off a close third-place finish — just 1.2 seconds behind and closing on Gagne — on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Richie Escalante crossed the finish line fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, just 4.750 seconds behind Beaubier.
Beaubier’s teammate Corey Alexander rounded out the top five finishers only 2.9 seconds behind Escalante.
Beaubier And BMW Stop Yamaha’s Win Streak At Ridge Motorsports Park
Cameron Beaubier Tops Jake Gagne To Win At The Washington Racetrack
Jake Gagne (1) leads the field through the Turn One chicane at the start of Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – The talk coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class was that the track is tailor made for Yamaha, as evidenced by six straight wins for the YZF-R1. In Saturday’s race one, Jake Gagne ran that streak to seven straight wins for Yamaha, but it ended on Sunday with a BMW M 1000 RR crossing the finish line first.
Ironically, that BMW was ridden to victory by the man who started Yamaha’s win streak at Ridge in 2020 – Cameron Beaubier.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Beaubier hinted at the possibility of a BMW win in Washington when he ran down Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 on Saturday, only to crash out of the race on the 14th of 16 laps while on the R1’s rear wheel. On Sunday, Beaubier replicated the feat only this time he didn’t falter. He caught the fast-starting Gagne, took over at the front on the 10th lap and beat the championship points leader to the flag by a tick over two seconds.
For Beaubier it was his third win of the year and the 57th AMA Superbike win of his career.
Cameron Beaubier (6) topped Jake Gagne (1) in Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
When he was passed by Beaubier, Gagne knew he didn’t have the pace to match his former teammate and he opted to make certain of second place in the closing laps. At the finish Gagne was 2.045 behind Beaubier and 1.2 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Josh Herrin on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Herrin was fighting the injuries suffered in a qualifying crash on Saturday morning, didn’t get much sleep on Saturday night, and limped his way through his Sunday and onto the podium for a second straight day.
With Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante getting the better of the rest to finish fourth, it translated to the top four featuring four different manufacturers – BMW, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had his second straight day of Superbike success with a fifth-place finish on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was some three seconds behind Escalante and 3.4 seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen.
PJ Jacobsen was seventh on the third of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMWs with Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim eighth. Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders and CW Moto Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10.
Among the non-finishers were Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Taylor Knapp with both riders crashing out in separate incidents.
After four rounds and eight races, Gagne leads Beaubier in the Medallia Superbike Championship by 23 points, 156-133. Herrin is third with 122 points, 21 more than Scholtz. Jacobsen rounds out the top five with 91 points.
The series heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, July 7-9, for round five.
Superbike Race Two
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Quotes…
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“Yesterday the race was a really good confidence boost for us because, let’s be honest, Jake (Gagne) was setting the pace all weekend and also (Josh) Herrin was really fast on Saturday morning. So, I felt like going into the race we could do a couple of those laps, but I didn’t think we could sustain them. The guys have not stopped working on the thing and we came up with a good race bike yesterday and they made it even better overnight for today. I was feeling really good. Herrin and I were going back and forth there at the beginning. I feel like we were honestly both kind of making a couple mistakes. I was running wide here and there and so was he. Once the race kind of settled down, I put my head down and I was really surprised how good my bike felt. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I was able to run Jake down, but he was really strong getting off the last corner onto the front straight. I was struggling. I was spinning out of there pretty good. But I knew I had some spots that I was better than him in. Same for him, he had some spots that he was better than me in. I was able to get the lead and just kind of kept my head down but kept a little in reserve just so I didn’t throw it away like I did yesterday. I was honestly really surprised to see a little gap on my board. Feels great for the team. It’s a bummer yesterday, falling down like that, but it feels really good to cap a weekend off like we did. Plain and simple, the Superbike class is just pretty gnarly this year. To have three different manufacturers on the box and all the incredible riders up in the top 10, it’s tough but it’s pretty fun.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I wasn’t surprised, for sure. I watched the race last night. I got off to a clean start and kind of made that gap from him, but once Cam (Beaubier) made his way through yesterday, he just reeled me in. Same thing today. At one point, I had a second gap on my pit board, and then by the top of the chicane I could hear him right behind me. That’s probably the lap he did a 39.6. At that point, I was struggling a little bit. I thought we kind of made the bike a little bit better today, but I was struggling a little more to even run the 40s that we ran yesterday. I knew Cam was going to make his way by at some point, and then once he made his way by, I tried to latch on a little bit but there was nothing I could do. At that point, I knew Josh (Herrin) was back there and I knew he was going to be strong until the end, so I just tried to do what I could to bring it home in second. Either way, I think we learned a lot. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to race with these guys really for this full race distance and kind of see what the bikes are doing differently. All three of these bikes really have different strengths and different weaknesses. So, we got some good data. Know what we need to improve. I think we’re still in the points lead, so that’s always a good day.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Both third places I wasn’t expecting, so I guess it’s the hard weekends that count. I tried my hardest to take advantage of it and, luckily, we were able to come out with two thirds. I’m bummed because I wanted to be there. I feel like this weekend nobody thought that me or Cam (Beaubier) were going to be here at this track, I don’t think. I think they thought it was going to be a Yamaha show all weekend. He’s (Beaubier) riding super strong, and I felt super strong up until race one. I think we’re going to be there all year. No matter what track we go to, I think we’ll be competitive. I just got to keep trying to find more out of this thing. I’m still riding a little bit… Up until Saturday, I was riding timid on this thing, like nervous to really throw it in there. I’m finally getting the confidence. Obviously, found the limit now on the front. I’m really happy with this. I’ve been lucky enough to win three championships and know that consistency is key. The only problem is that I’m dealing with two guys that have more championships than I do. So, they know the name of the game also. It’s going to be a hard year, but I’m glad that we’re still all pretty tight in the championship and it seems like it’s going to be a really good battle the whole year, which is the way that everybody wants to win a title. Nobody wants to win a title by running away. It’s always fun to just look back at years like this. I just hope that we can have a really good weekend at Laguna and rest up and heal as much as I can. I’m stoked. Hats off to these guys and thanks to my team.”
Xavi Fores took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, Fores pulled away from the start and won the 15-lap race by 5.008 seconds. It was the Spaniard’s seventh win in a row, tying him with Garrett Gerloff for the longest MotoAmerica Supersport winning streak.
Tyler Scott bounced back from an electronically troubled Race One to score a solid second-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs followed up his career-first Supersport podium finish in Race One by taking third place in Race Two.
Landers Rebounds, Forés Still Undefeated At Ridge Motorsports Park
Rocco Landers Bounces Back From Penalty, Xavi Forés Takes Seventh Straight Supersport Victory
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – On Saturday, Rocco Landers won the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park but was docked two places for passing under a waving yellow flag. Nothing could stop Landers on Sunday, however, as the Robem Engineering-backed 18-year-old dominated race two with an 11-second win – his fourth victory of the season.
In other support class action from Ridge Motorsports Park, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés kept his undefeated season alive. Ditto for Mikayla Moore in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race where she took her fourth consecutive victory.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – The Revenge Of Landers
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers was still fuming about his penalty from Saturday when Sunday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup left the start line for its 12-lap race two and he promptly took out his aggression on the rest of the field.
(From left) Blake Davis, Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio celebrate their top-three finishes in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Landers led from the start on his Aprilia RS 660 and was never headed in topping defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto-backed Yamaha YZF-R7 by a tick over 11 seconds. Davis, in turn, had his hands full with Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio leading the Virginian on the final lap only to have the 16-year-old pass him on the final lap.
Rodio held onto third, ending a three-race podium drought after finishing fourth on Saturday. Sunday’s result was his fifth podium of the season.
Davis still leads the title chase though Landers has closed to within 11 points, 127-116. Rodio is still very much in the mix and just two points behind Landers.
“The bike was working amazing,” Landers said. “Robem Engineering/Rodio Racing worked really hard to make the thing work as good as possible. I don’t even think we made a change since qualifying one. The thing has just been on rails all weekend. I felt good. The thing felt like it was just doing whatever I wanted. The wind was a bit gnarly. Felt like it was kind of screwing with the front end, especially long corners. But on the track, we’ve been undefeated this season on paper though some would say different. But I see no reason why we can’t continue this momentum into Laguna.”
Supersport – Xavi Times Seven
Seven MotoAmerica Supersport races have been held thus far in 2023 and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés has won all of them. That’s seven for seven. That’s a perfect 200 points. Spanish for perfect is perfecto. An easy one to remember. And about as easy as Forés had it on Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Xavi Forés (12) led the Supersport race at Ridge Motorsports Park from start to finish for his seventh consecutive victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Although changes to the fork of his Ducati Panigale V2 didn’t pan out the way he wanted them to, it didn’t do much to hamper his performance as he sped away to a five-second victory over Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, who in turn was some three seconds ahead of his teammate Teagg Hobbs.
With seven races in the books, Forés’s 200 points puts him 76 points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa with the Floridian finishing fifth on Sunday in Washington. Scott is third in the standings – 12 points behind Mesa and nine clear of Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who crashed out of today’s race.
“I felt worse the front (fork) today,” Forés said. “I felt a little bit already this morning on the warmup, but I thought it was the track temperature. We keep the bike with stiffer springs on the front, but definitely was worse. I had a couple of moments on the front, especially in turn 13. I lost the front a couple of times. I wanted to try to stay all the race in 43s, but it was impossible to have the same feeling on the front, so I had to roll off a little bit and stay in the 44 mid, 44 low. I was expecting Tyler (Scott) coming strong today, because already this morning on the warmup I felt good. I saw good lines from him when he was in front of me. I was trying to put the gap as yesterday and I felt worse, so I couldn’t stay quite focused. I did a lot of mistakes on the laps, the speed, the pace. But anyway, another victory is good for me and good for the team and also for the championship points. We move now to Laguna. The track I know from the past. A track that I love. I always did good on the World Championship, so I hope to keep this momentum.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Even More Of Moore
Race two of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program kicked off the final day of MotoAmerica Superbikes at Ridge Motorsports Park, and it’s quite obvious that we’re starting to see a pattern here. Among the 12 ladies selected to compete in the spec series, Mikayla Moore has firmly established herself as the alpha-rider. She was recommended to the program by last year’s champion Kayleigh Buyck because Buyck felt Moore would be great competition for her. Is she ever. In Saturday’s race one, Moore beat Buyck by more than 16 seconds, and then, on Sunday, Moore won by more than 18 seconds over Buyck. That’s four consecutive wins for Moore, and she already seems unbeatable even though we’re only at the halfway point of the season.
Mikayla Moore (78) kept her perfect 2023 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. record intact with a fourth straight victory on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Sunday race-two podium was a carbon copy of Saturday’s race-one podium with Moore first, Buyck second, and Sonya Lloyd rounding out the podium.
“When I’m out there, I have a lap timer on my bike so it’s really easy for me to keep myself going,” Moore said. “As long as I hit my marks, and I always try to find time wherever I can. Every lap, I was finding time and finding better pace. In yesterday’s race, I caught a false neutral, so I wasn’t trying to have that happen again today. I just made sure I was really smooth with the bike and wasn’t aggressive at all with it.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – All Change
Following Sunday’s race two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, the Indian FTR1200 motorcycles ridden by race winner Jeremy McWilliams and second-place finisher Tyler O’Hara were protested by another team. Upon inspection, the ends of the handlebars were found to be below the top plane of the triple clamp, which is a violation of the class’s technical rules.
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Andy DiBrino (62) and Jeremy McWilliams (99) in the Mission Super Hooligan race on Sunday. McWilliams won on track, but both he and O’Hara were DQ’d for a technical infraction which resulted in DiBrino taking the victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified, and third-place finisher Andy DiBrino, who was aboard a DiBrino Racing KTM, was declared the race winner. Second place went to Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Cory West, and Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong completed the revised podium.
Rocco Landers rebounded from disappointment on Saturday to take a victory in MotoAmerica REV’IT Twins Cup Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
In Race One, Landers crossed the finish line first but was demoted two finishing positions to third for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
In Race Two, however, Landers had clean running and won the 12-lap race by 11.024 seconds on his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis used a last-lap pass to take the runner-up spot from Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Gus Rodio, who placed third.
Jeremy McWilliams turned the tables on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Tyler O’Hara in MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park. McWilliams out braked defending Champion O’Hara on the last lap to capture his first win in the class. Pole-sitter Andy DiBrino finished third for the second straight day on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
Update: Following the conclusion of Race Two, Team Saddlemen (the entrant of rider Cory West) protested the legality of the handlebars on the factory Indian FTR 1200s of winner Jeremy McWilliams and runner-up Tyler O’Hara.
Section 2.7.10.8.b of the Super Hooligan Technical Regulations states: “No clip-ons that have been converted to top-mounted handlebars permitted. The end of the handlebar must sit above the top plane of the upper triple clamp.”
Jeremy McWilliams’ Indian FTR 1200, as seen in MotoAmerica Technical Control after Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by David Swarts.
The protest was upheld by the AMA/FIM North America Stewards Panel. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian team appealed that decision to the AMA/FIM Appeals Panel, but the appeal was denied.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified from Race Two and revised results were issued with DiBrino the winner of Race Two. The revised results are immediately below and the original results are below them.
Piqueras takes the Assen double and the Rookies Cup
Stealing the win from arch-rival Màximo Quiles on the brakes into the final chicane Angel Piqueras took his 7th win of the season, his 2nd of the weekend and enough points to secure the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.
Angel Piqueras, the 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Champion. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
Again, the 16-year-old Spaniard had to fight for victory from first corner to last. Quiles, the 15-year-old Spaniard was determined to make amends for his Saturday fall and did much of the leading often swapping places with fellow countryman Álvaro Carpe who came into the race closest to Piqueras on points.
16-year-old Carpe had the front for most of the second half of the race but so intense was the lead battle that he crossed the line 6th.
It was Australian 18-year-old Jacob Roulstone who joined Piqueras and Quiles on the podium, getting the better of Casey O’Gorman and Alberto Ferrandez on the last lap.
Piqueras perfect but almost not
“Coming into the chicane on the last lap I thought that Carpe was behind me and I knew that I needed to finish in front of him to take the Cup. So I went as late as possible and passed Quiles.”
“Then I caught neutral in the middle of the corner, I was in trouble, I got a gear and got the win but it nearly didn’t happen.”
“I didn’t think the year would be like this when I injured myself in the off-season. I had to work very hard to be fit. I knew I could race for the win after last year but I didn’t know it would be possible to win so many races.”
“It’s very special and very important for my career to win the Cup and unbelievable to do it like this.”
Quiles gave it everything
“I really enjoyed riding here in Assen, Race 2 was a very good race. On the last lap, I took a lot of risk to go first, I knew that on the back straight everyone would get the slipstream.”
“Coming back to the finish, Piqueras took the slipstream to catch me. I braked as late as I possibly could, I covered a bit but when I saw he was coming past I let him go and tried to get the better run through the corner but the finish was too close and I couldn’t get him.”
“Still, 2nd is good and I have to be happy with that.”
Roulstone racing wise
“I am super happy, it was a very tricky race, with the heat it was very tough. I was just trying to keep myself and the tyres a bit cool for the last lap. I was just moving out of the slipstream a bit where I could to catch some fresh air for myself and the tyres.”
“I’m happy with the podium, happy with the way I rode and congratulations to Angel, he’s been amazing all season. For me, looking forward to the next races, keep the ball rolling.”
O’Gorman on the edge of another podium
“It was good, in the beginning, I was really struggling even to stay on the back of the group,” explained the 15-year-old Irishman. “The group kept pulling away but then they’d battle, slow themselves down and I’d catch up again.”
“A few crashes helped me and then in the last lap I started at the back of the group, made 3 overtakes, into the last sector. I thought that Jacob went on the green in front of me so I thought there was no need to pass him. But he didn’t go on the green, my mistake.”
Ferrandez fighting for grip
“I made a good enough start and I push so hard but it was such a hot race, the track was hot, the tyres were hot and I slid the front so many times but managed to keep it up,” stated the 15-year-old Spaniard.
“I was also hot and it was also a tough race for the mind, push so hard, sliding so much, so much on the limit and keep pushing.”
“Finally in the last corner, I braked too late and went across off track. I’m happy with my pace though and happy with the weekend.”
Carpe not in front when it mattered
“I was leading but you know, sometimes things just don’t finish the way you want.”
“I finished 6th but I am still second in the Cup points, I’m really happy about that.”
“Today’s race was a lot hotter than yesterday, there was again a lot of overtaking like yesterday and always in Rookies Cup. This time I couldn’t make the podium but I still want to say thanks to all the Rookies Cup staff and my family.”
Marco Morelli led the early laps
“The start was very good, I opened up a lead,” enthused the 15-year-old Argentine. “But then I made a very little mistake… and if you do a little mistake here the group catches you.”
“But I’m happy with the race. At least I could show that I am fast. We now have a bit of a break and I am going to train very hard to come back in Austria to score a podium or even more in the last races.”
Guido Pini out of luck
“The second race crash was just bad luck, Moodley touched my back wheel,” explained the 15-year-old Italian.
“Not the best results, two falls but I still think it was one of the best weekends. The feeling with the bike was so good. In the 2nd race, there was a big gap from us to the front group but I got to the front of the 2nd group and closed right up to the front group and was fighting for at least a podium place or even the win.”
“So I have a great feeling with the bike and I am looking forward to the next races.”
Mikayla Moore took another dominant victory in MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, 19-year-old Moore won the eight-lap race by 18.321 seconds. It was her fourth win in four starts so far in 2023.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck hung with Moore for the first lap, but Buyck said her bike developed a front-end chatter and she had to slow her pace and settle for second place.
Sonya Lloyd repeated her Race One performance by taking third again, just 4.120 seconds behind Buyck, in Race Two.
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici, the defending World Champion won the 26-lap race by 1.223 seconds over pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi, who rode a Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati to second place. Aleix Espargaro finished third on his factory Aprilia RS-GP just 1.925 seconds behind Bagnaia.
Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder crossed the finish line third, but the South African was penalized one finishing position for exceeding track limits on the final lap and was scored fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing Ducati’s Jorge Martin placed fifth, just 1.934 seconds behind Bagnaia.
Six riders crashed during the race including Jack Miller, Johann Zarco, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini, and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Marc Marquez did not start the race. He aggravated injuries he sustained in crashes at Sachsenring and was declared unfit to ride.
The reigning Champion sends a clear message to his rivals, with Bezzecchi second and Aleix Espargaro taking third as Binder loses out on ANOTHER top three
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 25 June 2023
A lot was riding on the Motul TT Assen as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) went from struggling for form in Practice 1 to adding another win to his 2023 title tilt, outpacing Tissot Sprint winner Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on Sunday. Bezzecchi went into the Grand Prix race as the rider to beat with incredible pace around Assen, but was forced to settle for second place on Sunday. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) once again crossed the line in third but was demoted out of the top three for exceeding track limits, this time on the last lap, which promoted Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) into third to take an important Grand Prix podium.
Action underway in Assen
The grid settled on one of the most iconic circuits on the 2023 MotoGP™ calendar, as with points to be won ahead of the summer break. The pressure was on for the title-fighting trio as third-placed rider in the standings, Bezzecchi, was looking strong in the Netherlands after taking pole and the Sprint win. With just 31 points covering the top three, there was plenty to play for with Championship leader Bagnaia sat alongside Bezzecchi on the front row and third overall, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), faced a mountain to climb from the fourth row.
When the lights went out it was Binder who flew his way into the lead of the race from fifth on the grid, diving up the inside of Bagnaia at Turn 1 to snatch the holeshot at the apex, elbows out as ever. Binder led the way on lap one ahead of Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, with Aleix Espargaro and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) keeping themselves in contention in fourth and fifth.
Meanwhile, Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) had made a good start to his Grand Prix, flying up to fifth from seventh on the grid. The opposite was true for Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he then crashed out from behind the Aprilia, leaving Viñales to shoot off. He was the fastest rider on the circuit, too, past Marini on a charge until he crashed out.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) also suffered early dramas, he enjoyed a return to the top three in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint but got a terrible start in Sunday’s Grand Prix dropping down to 12th place from 4th on the grid, and then crashed out alongside Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in a premature end to their races.
At first there were three
Meanwhile at the front, Bagnaia took the lead from Binder with 24 laps to go, making light work of the South African to put down a blistering pace at the front. The Italian began to put the hammer down, with Binder latched onto his rear wheel and Bezzecchi next up, the top three beginning to break away from the rest of the field.
The laps ticked away and it seemed Bagnaia was controlling the pace, stretching out the leading battle. But Binder and Bezzecchi were still very much on the chase, and with 10 to go Bezzecchi had had enough of following the KTM. The Italian decided it was his turn to follow the race leader Bagnaia as he pushed the South African to one side to take over in second, the mission now: catch Pecco.
It went down to eight tenths, back up to a second and then down to nine tenths. Then it was 1.3, 1.1… but Bezzecchi couldn’t breach the gap. Binder wasn’t going down without a fight either, as he tried all he could to bite back.
By the last lap, it was clear: Bagnaia had controlled the race perfectly, just staying clear of Bezzecchi as the two came home separated by just over a second. But the fight for third rolled on…
Fine margins make the difference in MotoGP™
By the last few laps, Binder had company from Aleix Espargaro and Martin, with the three glued together. First it looked like the Aprilia was closest to try and strike on the KTM, and the number 41 homed in on the first part of the final lap. But Binder put in a masterclass defensive performance and fended off the two behind to take third… or did he?
Fine margins decided the South African’s fate once again, however, as a track limits breach on the final lap warranted a +1 position penalty, demoting him to fourth.
Espargaro had his hands full on the last lap with Martin trying to find his way through, too. It was an epic drag to the line that saw the Prima Pramac Ducati pull alongside the factory Aprilia as they crossed the line side by side, with almost nothing in it – but that almost nothing was enough to see Aleix Espargaro awarded that final place on the rostrum. Binder is classified fourth, and Martin fifth.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) finished sixth ahead of Marini as the Italian got mugged through the final chicane mid-race, losing four positions at once. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMISTU) bagged P8, some distance up the road from Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and rookie Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), who rounded out the top ten in a solid Sunday effort.
It was a big weekend for Bagnaia’s 2023 Championship campaign as the Italian not only displayed the ability he and Ducati have to overcome a lack of feeling in Practice, but also showed his Championship rivals he means business in 2023. MotoGP™ now takes a short break for the summer before returning to action at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix from the 4th to the 6th of August. Make sure to join us there!
Jake Dixon (96). Photo courtesy Dorna.
That winning feeling! Dixon takes first Grand Prix victory at Assen
The Brit takes to the top step for the first time after fending off Ogura and Acosta in a memorable showdown at Assen
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar M2) is now a Grand Prix winner! The British rider converted some serious form into a maiden win at the Motul TT Assen, getting the better of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) late in the race. Ogura was back on the box after taking a step back into the frontrunning postcodes we’ve seen him challenge before, and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium after an eventful journey into third.
Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took the holeshot from pole and Ogura jumped Dixon off the line, with the Brit slotting into third and that trio then immediately getting the hammer down. But Acosta was on the move, picking his way past his teammate, Albert Arenas, and Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) to get into clear air and then chase them down.
It became a quartet as Dixon stalked Ogura and got past, then Lopez, and the Brit then made a move stick at Turn 1 to take over. Ogura then shoved his way past Lopez and the even Spaniard dropped behind Acosta not long after, before then Dixon then headed wide and gave up the lead dropping to third.
Ogura led Acosta led Dixon, but the next to suffer a moment was Acosta as the Spaniard was forced into a save at the Geert Timmer chicane, heading wide and letting Dixon back through. At that moment, it seemed Ogura had checked out in the lead too – over a second clear and on fine form. It was a reset, reload, and gear up for seven laps to go for those on the chase.
That’s what Dixon did, and when the Brit struck at Turn 1 it was a slightly brutal move – one he apologized for as his bike got sucked in – but he made it stick. And then he kept it clean to the flag for that fabulous first Grand Prix win, and in convincing style.
Ogura may well not have taken that win but after a stunning weekend running back at the front, the second place is a great sign for last year’s title challenger after an injury-hit start to 2023. And Acosta, on a tougher weekend, kept himself on the podium – despite some late drama.
After an adventurous start, the number 37 was then also hit with a Long Lap after that moment and subsequent shortcut at Turn 17. And when he complied, it was on the limit. Just on the white line as he caned it round, it was deemed completed and he took that all the way to another podium – but it still wasn’t plain sailing. A late race charge from Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) saw him glued to Acosta into the final chicane on the final lap, and the two had a drag race to the line, just won by the number 37 by hundredths.
Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) was only a few tenths behind in fifth, with Lopez fading to sixth – just ahead of Arbolino. Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp), Arenas and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing), the latter despite a Long Lap, completed the top ten in a close trio.
That’s all she wrote at Assen, and Dixon leaves the track on top of the world just in time for the Monster Energy British Grand Prix next time out. The top two? The lead for Arbolino is just eight points over Acosta heading into the summer break… so make sure to come back for more from Silverstone!
Jaume Masia (5) held off Ayumu Sasaki (71) to win in Moto3. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Masia takes masterful Assen win as the standings close up
A 0 for Holgado sees the top four at Assen – Masia, Sasaki, Öncü and Ortola – make big gains after a classic final chicane decider
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) put in a stunner at the Motul TT Assen, taking his first victory of the season and making serious gains on Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who failed to score. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was just denied at the last corner once again but takes yet another podium as his roll continues, and likewise German GP winner Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Turkish rider completed the rostrum at Assen.
Polesitter David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) took the holeshot from Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), but the Aussie was through soon after as the two went side by side. It didn’t take long for those on the chase to get back into the groove though, and the drama was amping up elsewhere.
After a disastrous qualifying that left him last on the grid, Championship leader Holgado was already facing a mountain to climb – and on the first lap it only got worse. Crashing and off into the gravel early on, losing a whole chunk of time, the race was on for him to try and recover the impossible.
Meanwhile fellow Championship challenger Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), who qualified well down the order too, was on a mission. He was straight into the top ten, then into the top three, and despite serving his Long Lap given on Saturday for not respecting a black and orange flag, right in the fight at the front in a seriously impressive performance under pressure.
And so, with Ortola back in the mix and a top group of ten escaping the rest, the freight train to decide the podium rolled on. As ever, it all went down to the final chicane, and Sasaki was at the head of the group – one week on from the Japanese rider just losing out at the final corner at the Sachsenring. This time around, an attack came again as Masia shot up the inside into the Geert Timmer chicane, and the number 5 made the move stick, and made it cleanly. The drag to the line saw Masia just hold onto it by 0.081, with Sasaki forced to settle for second but both making big strides in the standings.
Likewise does Öncü, who held onto third for another podium finish – just edging out Ortola after the Angeluss MTA Team rider’s stunning charge from 20th. Muñoz, after a late tangle with Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team), takes fifth, ahead of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and fellow rookie Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) on his home turf. Fenati was forced to settle for eighth after the late shuffle, with Kelso ninth and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), after straightlining the chicane, completing the front group and the top ten.
That’s a wrap on Assen and it’s next stop Silverstone for the Monster Energy British GP. Holgado now heads Masia by 16 points, with Sasaki 26 off the top and both Ortola and Öncü 31 in arrears. Join us for more once Moto3™ has recharged!
Jake Dixon won the Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Inde GASGAS Aspar Team Kalex, the British racer won the 22-lap race by 1.334 seconds over Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura. Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Pedro Acosta finished third.
American Joe Roberts finished 18th on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, while his countryman Sean Dylan Kelly brought his OnlyFans American Racing Kalex into the pits and retired with seven laps remaining.
Jake Gagne (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Gagne Returns to the Podium at The Ridge
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Ridge Motorsports Park and returned to the podium with a runner-up finish in today’s Race 2. The defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s 1-2 score at the fourth round of the championship has him leaving Shelton, Washington, with a 23-point lead. His teammate Cameron Petersen overcame adversity to finish sixth.
On the heels of his fifth-consecutive victory at The Ridge, Gagne got another great start to take the lead and threw down some fast times up front. He tried to break away, but his championship rival closed the gap. Gagne kept a strong pace but was passed after the halfway point and rode a smart race to finish second and score some valuable points in the title fight.
After a tough start to the weekend with some food poisoning and a crash in yesterday’s race, Petersen looked to rebound. He got a good start from the second row of the grid to battle in the top five and was holding down fourth with the competition on his heels, but ultimately was shuffled to sixth in the final laps.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to Monterey, California, in two weeks for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the iconic Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 7-9.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We missed the setup for Race 2, but Jake still managed to finish second and collect some good championship points. Cameron was set back a little from the two crashes earlier this weekend and struggled to maintain the pace at the front. The team will learn from this race and further improve for Laguna Seca. We look forward to seeing our California fans.”
Jake Gagne got second in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to another great start for Race 2 and had some clean opening laps. About halfway, I got passed, and I couldn’t hold the pace to make a run for the win and had to bring it home in second. Overall it was a good weekend, and we got some good points. We’re looking forward to Laguna.”
Cameron Petersen (45). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend for me. I felt great on the motorcycle, but unfortunately a few too many mistakes cost me. Having said that, we can take a few positives away from this weekend. My pace was strong, and we can build off of that for Laguna.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati Duo on the Podium at The Ridge
Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés spray the champagne with two exceptional races each in the Pacific Northwest
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Round four of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship saw America’s fastest road racers head to the beautiful Ridge venue in Washington state with both Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés scoring some champagne for their efforts.
Herrin’s weekend in the premier Superbike division saw him suffer a nasty spill immediately after securing pole position, the Georgian native injuring his ankle and being pretty bashed and bruised all over, but still fit enough to start race one.
Herrin battled on to a pair of third places, gritting his teeth through the pain in a heroic effort given the circumstances. He will visit his doctor tomorrow for further checks ahead of two weeks’ rest leading up to Laguna Seca’s fifth round of the championship.
The MotoAmerica Supersport Championship is fast becoming the Xavi Forés show as the sensational Spaniard took his seventh race win in a row at The Ridge, making his undefeated as the series nears its halfway point.
Forés was flying in the PNW, his margin of victory of 11.9 seconds in race one and five seconds in race two a sign of his domination.
Forés now leads the Supersport points standings by a massive 76 points, some three race wins clear of second-placed, Stefano Mesa.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Four
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 156
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 133
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 122
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 101
P5 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 91
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Two
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 200
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 124
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 112
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 103
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 83
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“It’s been an amazing weekend. I did my first pole position of the championship and the bike worked perfectly. I love this track and today in race two it was a little tougher than yesterday’s race one. We made some fork changes that didn’t really work but it was ok to keep the gap to second place. Seven race wins in a row in so far in front of what I expected at the start of the year so now we move the focus to Laguna Seca to keep the momentum.”
Josh Herrin finished third in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“For how bad Saturday was with the injures I got, I’m super excited to get two third place finishes,” Herrin said. “The V4 R was amazing this weekend. It’s the best it has felt all year, I just wasn’t able to ride it to its full potential. I’m bummed about that but happy with two podium finishes. Now I’m ready to heal up and come back to Laguna strong.”
Round Five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at Laguna Seca on the beautiful Californian coastline over the June 5-7 weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Ridge Weekend Ends Early
Mathew Scholtz (11) leading a group of riders early in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Shelton, WA – Hopes and expectations were high on Sunday morning for Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team after Mathew finished as runner-up in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Ridge Motorsports Park. Unfortunately, however, Mathew suffered a tipover in Sunday’s race two, along with some technical issues with his Yamaha YZF-R1, and he was unable to finish.
“We made another step in the positive direction overnight and the morning warm up was also positive,” Mathew said. “We were pretty confident heading into the second race, but unfortunately, I realized early on that we had an electronic issue going into the chicane, and I ran off the track, which moved me further back. I kind of got stuck there further back, and it was difficult to overtake anyone. But, I put my head down and tried to make a charge towards the front. I got a little too eager with the bike, though, and I had a tipover, which bent the right handlebar, so I couldn’t continue. It was very disappointing because I thought we deserved to be at the front. It wasn’t the Sunday we were looking for, but I’m happy with the steps forward that we made in the setup, and it should help us a lot at (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca. We showed that, when the bike is right, we have phenomenal pace, and with the way things are now, I’m optimistic about Laguna.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on July 7 through 9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for round five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
Cresting The Ridge: Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing rise to the challenge
Stefano Mesa (137) takes the checkered flag on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
Team Tytlers Cycle Racing and Stefano Mesa have just completed rounds three and four of the 2023 Super Hooligan National Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. The experienced Colombian rider crossed the line in sixth place at the end of the seven-lap, second race of the weekend, aboard the Energica Eva Ribelle RS sporting the new, striking Petronas colours and equipped with the Kit Corsa Clienti. However, both the first and second placed Indian motorcycles and their riders were disqualified due to a technical breach, leaving Mesa in fourth position.
Mesa was able to maintain his position at the start as the Super Hooligan field entered the first chicane and maintained a solid pace throughout the encounter, while keeping seventh-place rider AJ Peaslee (riding an ICE-powered KTM machine) at bay right up to the chequered flag. He did so by using the rear brake to back into the corner – all without having the use of the clutch.
Race one saw Mesa crossing the line in seventh place after starting from the back of the grid – dramatically cutting “like a knife through butter” (as one of the race announcers exclaimed) as he rapidly made his way up to eighth position and then gained one more place just before the chequered flag. He was able to make his final move on Peaslee in part because the latter – by his own words – had a hard time hearing him coming through!
All in all, this was an exceptional performance for rider #137, considering the dramatic crash he had in the Supersport race only a couple of hours prior. Unfortunately, the hard-won result was voided due to a technical rule infringement (sensor).
The level of performance shown at the spectacular, Washington-state venue, provides a welcome boost of fresh confidence for the team, now looking forward to the upcoming event taking place in a fortnight’s time at Monterey’s own WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.
The team will use the time available to digest the experience gained at The Ridge, in order to continue optimising the technical package for what is, in many respects, a very different challenge for Energica. For this is a series where ICE and EV share not only the same track but also identical spec-tyres – all while diverging significantly when it comes to technology and specs.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
In Stefano Mesa’s own words “The electric gives me a smoother acceleration and much easier control and focus because I don’t have to shift in order to have the right horsepower or torque at the rear wheel; on the other hand, the bike makes so much torque that we have to find a way to tame it for a course like this, with so many turns and so many twists.”
Energica’s presence as the first and only electric motorcycle manufacturer in the full series keeps attracting an intense level of attention and curiosity from fans, motorcycle enthusiasts, fellow racers and other insiders. As one spectator said to his friends while walking past Tytlers Cycle Racing’s tent “this is the future”. The team is looking forward to meeting the fans at Laguna Seca, with a surprise in store.
Click on the following links to watch the full encounters (YouTube) Race one – Race two
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS EARN VICTORY, PAIR OF PODIUM FINISHES IN MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACES AT THE RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
RODIO RACING – POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING RIDERS LANDERS, RODIO, NOW SECOND, THIRD, IN POINTS STANDINGS
SHELTON, WA – It turned out to be a near-perfect weekend for Aprilia rider Rocco Landers at The Ridge Motorsports Park. The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering rider and three-time MotoAmerica class champion was the fastest rider in practice, qualifying and both races at the northwest Washington State circuit. Though a post-race penalty reduced a victory to a podium finish on Saturday, Landers and his teammate — and fellow podium finisher at The Ridge — Gus Rodio are now just 11 and 13 points out of the lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup standings.
The Ridge’s undulating and technical 2.5-mile road course also proved to be a good match for the Aprilia RS 660. Aprilia riders claimed four of the top 10 grid spots in qualifying, half of the podium finishes and nearly half of the top 10 places in the weekend’s two Twins Cup races.
Landers and Rodio showed immediate pace in the first on-track session of the weekend. Landers led the field in Friday morning practice with a 1:48.063 lap time — which was 0.525 seconds faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth place, and Luke Luciano of Zone 9 Racing/EDR Performance and Tyler Duffy of Duffy Racing gave Aprilia four riders in the session’s top 10. Later Friday, Landers ended the first of two qualifying sessions on provisional pole and improved his best lap time to 1:45.546. Rodio finished the session fifth-fastest, and Jacob Crossman of 3D Motorsports was the third Aprilia rider to end the session in the top 10.
Landers didn’t improve his blistering lap time from Qualifying 1 in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but still clinched pole position. Rodio found some additional pace in Qualifying 2 and joined his teammate on the front row by qualifying third. Also qualifying in the top 10 was Agustin Sierra of Top Pro Motorsports, who secured 10th on the starting grid for the round’s two Twins Cup races.
Saturday’s Race 1 saw Landers put in a dominant performance that was partially undone by a late-race infraction. Landers briefly lost and then re-took the lead during the short run to the first corner and didn’t relinquish the lead after that. He crossed the finish line in first place by a margin of 4.8 seconds. However, Landers passed a lapped rider in a yellow flag zone at the start of the final lap, and as a result was reclassified in third place. Rodio got a good start and finished the first lap running in fourth. After falling as low as fifth in the running order at the end of Lap 2 and nearly crashing on Lap 3, he gradually got closer to the battle for the last two steps on the podium but had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Landers and Rodio were joined in the top 10 by three other Aprilia riders – Top Pro Motorsports’ Alex Arango in eighth, Duffy in ninth and Righteous Racing’s Ray Hoffman in 10th.
The start of Race 2 was a near-mirror image of Race 1, with Landers getting an OK jump off the line but still leading the field through the holeshot. Rodio also dropped one position in the running order like he did on Saturday and was running in a lonely fifth place for the first couple laps. As Landers gradually built a big lead at the front of the field, Rodio gained pace as the race went on. By the end of Lap 4, Rodio had moved up to third place and finished Laps 9-11 of the 12-lap contest in second place. Landers took the victory in commanding fashion — crossing the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up — while Rodio lost one position in the closing stages of the last lap and finished third. Two other Aprilia riders – Crossman and Arango – finished in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
More than half of the riders registered for the Ridge round – 16 of 29 – were set to compete aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
The MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a one-weekend break before it’s back in action July 7-9 at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California. More information on that round and the series can be found on https://motoamerica.com/
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“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 (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“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.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Cameron Beaubier came from behind to win MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne got the holeshot and led the first nine laps on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha, but Beaubier passed his former teammate on lap 10 of 16 and held on to take his third win of the season on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 R.
Gagne pushed Beaubier to the end but came up 2.045 seconds short and finished second, but he still left Washington with the Championship point lead.
Josh Herrin, battered and bruised from a high-speed crash in qualifying on Saturday, dug deep to pull off a close third-place finish — just 1.2 seconds behind and closing on Gagne — on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Richie Escalante crossed the finish line fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, just 4.750 seconds behind Beaubier.
Beaubier’s teammate Corey Alexander rounded out the top five finishers only 2.9 seconds behind Escalante.
Beaubier And BMW Stop Yamaha’s Win Streak At Ridge Motorsports Park
Cameron Beaubier Tops Jake Gagne To Win At The Washington Racetrack
Jake Gagne (1) leads the field through the Turn One chicane at the start of Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – The talk coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class was that the track is tailor made for Yamaha, as evidenced by six straight wins for the YZF-R1. In Saturday’s race one, Jake Gagne ran that streak to seven straight wins for Yamaha, but it ended on Sunday with a BMW M 1000 RR crossing the finish line first.
Ironically, that BMW was ridden to victory by the man who started Yamaha’s win streak at Ridge in 2020 – Cameron Beaubier.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Beaubier hinted at the possibility of a BMW win in Washington when he ran down Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 on Saturday, only to crash out of the race on the 14th of 16 laps while on the R1’s rear wheel. On Sunday, Beaubier replicated the feat only this time he didn’t falter. He caught the fast-starting Gagne, took over at the front on the 10th lap and beat the championship points leader to the flag by a tick over two seconds.
For Beaubier it was his third win of the year and the 57th AMA Superbike win of his career.
Cameron Beaubier (6) topped Jake Gagne (1) in Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
When he was passed by Beaubier, Gagne knew he didn’t have the pace to match his former teammate and he opted to make certain of second place in the closing laps. At the finish Gagne was 2.045 behind Beaubier and 1.2 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Josh Herrin on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Herrin was fighting the injuries suffered in a qualifying crash on Saturday morning, didn’t get much sleep on Saturday night, and limped his way through his Sunday and onto the podium for a second straight day.
With Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante getting the better of the rest to finish fourth, it translated to the top four featuring four different manufacturers – BMW, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had his second straight day of Superbike success with a fifth-place finish on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was some three seconds behind Escalante and 3.4 seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen.
PJ Jacobsen was seventh on the third of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMWs with Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim eighth. Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders and CW Moto Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10.
Among the non-finishers were Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Taylor Knapp with both riders crashing out in separate incidents.
After four rounds and eight races, Gagne leads Beaubier in the Medallia Superbike Championship by 23 points, 156-133. Herrin is third with 122 points, 21 more than Scholtz. Jacobsen rounds out the top five with 91 points.
The series heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, July 7-9, for round five.
Superbike Race Two
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Quotes…
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“Yesterday the race was a really good confidence boost for us because, let’s be honest, Jake (Gagne) was setting the pace all weekend and also (Josh) Herrin was really fast on Saturday morning. So, I felt like going into the race we could do a couple of those laps, but I didn’t think we could sustain them. The guys have not stopped working on the thing and we came up with a good race bike yesterday and they made it even better overnight for today. I was feeling really good. Herrin and I were going back and forth there at the beginning. I feel like we were honestly both kind of making a couple mistakes. I was running wide here and there and so was he. Once the race kind of settled down, I put my head down and I was really surprised how good my bike felt. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I was able to run Jake down, but he was really strong getting off the last corner onto the front straight. I was struggling. I was spinning out of there pretty good. But I knew I had some spots that I was better than him in. Same for him, he had some spots that he was better than me in. I was able to get the lead and just kind of kept my head down but kept a little in reserve just so I didn’t throw it away like I did yesterday. I was honestly really surprised to see a little gap on my board. Feels great for the team. It’s a bummer yesterday, falling down like that, but it feels really good to cap a weekend off like we did. Plain and simple, the Superbike class is just pretty gnarly this year. To have three different manufacturers on the box and all the incredible riders up in the top 10, it’s tough but it’s pretty fun.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I wasn’t surprised, for sure. I watched the race last night. I got off to a clean start and kind of made that gap from him, but once Cam (Beaubier) made his way through yesterday, he just reeled me in. Same thing today. At one point, I had a second gap on my pit board, and then by the top of the chicane I could hear him right behind me. That’s probably the lap he did a 39.6. At that point, I was struggling a little bit. I thought we kind of made the bike a little bit better today, but I was struggling a little more to even run the 40s that we ran yesterday. I knew Cam was going to make his way by at some point, and then once he made his way by, I tried to latch on a little bit but there was nothing I could do. At that point, I knew Josh (Herrin) was back there and I knew he was going to be strong until the end, so I just tried to do what I could to bring it home in second. Either way, I think we learned a lot. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to race with these guys really for this full race distance and kind of see what the bikes are doing differently. All three of these bikes really have different strengths and different weaknesses. So, we got some good data. Know what we need to improve. I think we’re still in the points lead, so that’s always a good day.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Both third places I wasn’t expecting, so I guess it’s the hard weekends that count. I tried my hardest to take advantage of it and, luckily, we were able to come out with two thirds. I’m bummed because I wanted to be there. I feel like this weekend nobody thought that me or Cam (Beaubier) were going to be here at this track, I don’t think. I think they thought it was going to be a Yamaha show all weekend. He’s (Beaubier) riding super strong, and I felt super strong up until race one. I think we’re going to be there all year. No matter what track we go to, I think we’ll be competitive. I just got to keep trying to find more out of this thing. I’m still riding a little bit… Up until Saturday, I was riding timid on this thing, like nervous to really throw it in there. I’m finally getting the confidence. Obviously, found the limit now on the front. I’m really happy with this. I’ve been lucky enough to win three championships and know that consistency is key. The only problem is that I’m dealing with two guys that have more championships than I do. So, they know the name of the game also. It’s going to be a hard year, but I’m glad that we’re still all pretty tight in the championship and it seems like it’s going to be a really good battle the whole year, which is the way that everybody wants to win a title. Nobody wants to win a title by running away. It’s always fun to just look back at years like this. I just hope that we can have a really good weekend at Laguna and rest up and heal as much as I can. I’m stoked. Hats off to these guys and thanks to my team.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Xavi Fores took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, Fores pulled away from the start and won the 15-lap race by 5.008 seconds. It was the Spaniard’s seventh win in a row, tying him with Garrett Gerloff for the longest MotoAmerica Supersport winning streak.
Tyler Scott bounced back from an electronically troubled Race One to score a solid second-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs followed up his career-first Supersport podium finish in Race One by taking third place in Race Two.
Landers Rebounds, Forés Still Undefeated At Ridge Motorsports Park
Rocco Landers Bounces Back From Penalty, Xavi Forés Takes Seventh Straight Supersport Victory
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – On Saturday, Rocco Landers won the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park but was docked two places for passing under a waving yellow flag. Nothing could stop Landers on Sunday, however, as the Robem Engineering-backed 18-year-old dominated race two with an 11-second win – his fourth victory of the season.
In other support class action from Ridge Motorsports Park, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés kept his undefeated season alive. Ditto for Mikayla Moore in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race where she took her fourth consecutive victory.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – The Revenge Of Landers
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers was still fuming about his penalty from Saturday when Sunday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup left the start line for its 12-lap race two and he promptly took out his aggression on the rest of the field.
(From left) Blake Davis, Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio celebrate their top-three finishes in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Landers led from the start on his Aprilia RS 660 and was never headed in topping defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto-backed Yamaha YZF-R7 by a tick over 11 seconds. Davis, in turn, had his hands full with Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio leading the Virginian on the final lap only to have the 16-year-old pass him on the final lap.
Rodio held onto third, ending a three-race podium drought after finishing fourth on Saturday. Sunday’s result was his fifth podium of the season.
Davis still leads the title chase though Landers has closed to within 11 points, 127-116. Rodio is still very much in the mix and just two points behind Landers.
“The bike was working amazing,” Landers said. “Robem Engineering/Rodio Racing worked really hard to make the thing work as good as possible. I don’t even think we made a change since qualifying one. The thing has just been on rails all weekend. I felt good. The thing felt like it was just doing whatever I wanted. The wind was a bit gnarly. Felt like it was kind of screwing with the front end, especially long corners. But on the track, we’ve been undefeated this season on paper though some would say different. But I see no reason why we can’t continue this momentum into Laguna.”
Supersport – Xavi Times Seven
Seven MotoAmerica Supersport races have been held thus far in 2023 and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés has won all of them. That’s seven for seven. That’s a perfect 200 points. Spanish for perfect is perfecto. An easy one to remember. And about as easy as Forés had it on Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Xavi Forés (12) led the Supersport race at Ridge Motorsports Park from start to finish for his seventh consecutive victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Although changes to the fork of his Ducati Panigale V2 didn’t pan out the way he wanted them to, it didn’t do much to hamper his performance as he sped away to a five-second victory over Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, who in turn was some three seconds ahead of his teammate Teagg Hobbs.
With seven races in the books, Forés’s 200 points puts him 76 points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa with the Floridian finishing fifth on Sunday in Washington. Scott is third in the standings – 12 points behind Mesa and nine clear of Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who crashed out of today’s race.
“I felt worse the front (fork) today,” Forés said. “I felt a little bit already this morning on the warmup, but I thought it was the track temperature. We keep the bike with stiffer springs on the front, but definitely was worse. I had a couple of moments on the front, especially in turn 13. I lost the front a couple of times. I wanted to try to stay all the race in 43s, but it was impossible to have the same feeling on the front, so I had to roll off a little bit and stay in the 44 mid, 44 low. I was expecting Tyler (Scott) coming strong today, because already this morning on the warmup I felt good. I saw good lines from him when he was in front of me. I was trying to put the gap as yesterday and I felt worse, so I couldn’t stay quite focused. I did a lot of mistakes on the laps, the speed, the pace. But anyway, another victory is good for me and good for the team and also for the championship points. We move now to Laguna. The track I know from the past. A track that I love. I always did good on the World Championship, so I hope to keep this momentum.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Even More Of Moore
Race two of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program kicked off the final day of MotoAmerica Superbikes at Ridge Motorsports Park, and it’s quite obvious that we’re starting to see a pattern here. Among the 12 ladies selected to compete in the spec series, Mikayla Moore has firmly established herself as the alpha-rider. She was recommended to the program by last year’s champion Kayleigh Buyck because Buyck felt Moore would be great competition for her. Is she ever. In Saturday’s race one, Moore beat Buyck by more than 16 seconds, and then, on Sunday, Moore won by more than 18 seconds over Buyck. That’s four consecutive wins for Moore, and she already seems unbeatable even though we’re only at the halfway point of the season.
Mikayla Moore (78) kept her perfect 2023 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. record intact with a fourth straight victory on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Sunday race-two podium was a carbon copy of Saturday’s race-one podium with Moore first, Buyck second, and Sonya Lloyd rounding out the podium.
“When I’m out there, I have a lap timer on my bike so it’s really easy for me to keep myself going,” Moore said. “As long as I hit my marks, and I always try to find time wherever I can. Every lap, I was finding time and finding better pace. In yesterday’s race, I caught a false neutral, so I wasn’t trying to have that happen again today. I just made sure I was really smooth with the bike and wasn’t aggressive at all with it.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – All Change
Following Sunday’s race two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, the Indian FTR1200 motorcycles ridden by race winner Jeremy McWilliams and second-place finisher Tyler O’Hara were protested by another team. Upon inspection, the ends of the handlebars were found to be below the top plane of the triple clamp, which is a violation of the class’s technical rules.
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Andy DiBrino (62) and Jeremy McWilliams (99) in the Mission Super Hooligan race on Sunday. McWilliams won on track, but both he and O’Hara were DQ’d for a technical infraction which resulted in DiBrino taking the victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified, and third-place finisher Andy DiBrino, who was aboard a DiBrino Racing KTM, was declared the race winner. Second place went to Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Cory West, and Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong completed the revised podium.
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Rocco Landers rebounded from disappointment on Saturday to take a victory in MotoAmerica REV’IT Twins Cup Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
In Race One, Landers crossed the finish line first but was demoted two finishing positions to third for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
In Race Two, however, Landers had clean running and won the 12-lap race by 11.024 seconds on his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis used a last-lap pass to take the runner-up spot from Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Gus Rodio, who placed third.
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Jeremy McWilliams turned the tables on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Tyler O’Hara in MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park. McWilliams out braked defending Champion O’Hara on the last lap to capture his first win in the class. Pole-sitter Andy DiBrino finished third for the second straight day on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
Update: Following the conclusion of Race Two, Team Saddlemen (the entrant of rider Cory West) protested the legality of the handlebars on the factory Indian FTR 1200s of winner Jeremy McWilliams and runner-up Tyler O’Hara.
Section 2.7.10.8.b of the Super Hooligan Technical Regulations states: “No clip-ons that have been converted to top-mounted handlebars permitted. The end of the handlebar must sit above the top plane of the upper triple clamp.”
Jeremy McWilliams’ Indian FTR 1200, as seen in MotoAmerica Technical Control after Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by David Swarts.
The protest was upheld by the AMA/FIM North America Stewards Panel. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian team appealed that decision to the AMA/FIM Appeals Panel, but the appeal was denied.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified from Race Two and revised results were issued with DiBrino the winner of Race Two. The revised results are immediately below and the original results are below them.
Piqueras takes the Assen double and the Rookies Cup
Stealing the win from arch-rival Màximo Quiles on the brakes into the final chicane Angel Piqueras took his 7th win of the season, his 2nd of the weekend and enough points to secure the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.
Angel Piqueras, the 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Champion. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
Again, the 16-year-old Spaniard had to fight for victory from first corner to last. Quiles, the 15-year-old Spaniard was determined to make amends for his Saturday fall and did much of the leading often swapping places with fellow countryman Álvaro Carpe who came into the race closest to Piqueras on points.
16-year-old Carpe had the front for most of the second half of the race but so intense was the lead battle that he crossed the line 6th.
It was Australian 18-year-old Jacob Roulstone who joined Piqueras and Quiles on the podium, getting the better of Casey O’Gorman and Alberto Ferrandez on the last lap.
Piqueras perfect but almost not
“Coming into the chicane on the last lap I thought that Carpe was behind me and I knew that I needed to finish in front of him to take the Cup. So I went as late as possible and passed Quiles.”
“Then I caught neutral in the middle of the corner, I was in trouble, I got a gear and got the win but it nearly didn’t happen.”
“I didn’t think the year would be like this when I injured myself in the off-season. I had to work very hard to be fit. I knew I could race for the win after last year but I didn’t know it would be possible to win so many races.”
“It’s very special and very important for my career to win the Cup and unbelievable to do it like this.”
Quiles gave it everything
“I really enjoyed riding here in Assen, Race 2 was a very good race. On the last lap, I took a lot of risk to go first, I knew that on the back straight everyone would get the slipstream.”
“Coming back to the finish, Piqueras took the slipstream to catch me. I braked as late as I possibly could, I covered a bit but when I saw he was coming past I let him go and tried to get the better run through the corner but the finish was too close and I couldn’t get him.”
“Still, 2nd is good and I have to be happy with that.”
Roulstone racing wise
“I am super happy, it was a very tricky race, with the heat it was very tough. I was just trying to keep myself and the tyres a bit cool for the last lap. I was just moving out of the slipstream a bit where I could to catch some fresh air for myself and the tyres.”
“I’m happy with the podium, happy with the way I rode and congratulations to Angel, he’s been amazing all season. For me, looking forward to the next races, keep the ball rolling.”
O’Gorman on the edge of another podium
“It was good, in the beginning, I was really struggling even to stay on the back of the group,” explained the 15-year-old Irishman. “The group kept pulling away but then they’d battle, slow themselves down and I’d catch up again.”
“A few crashes helped me and then in the last lap I started at the back of the group, made 3 overtakes, into the last sector. I thought that Jacob went on the green in front of me so I thought there was no need to pass him. But he didn’t go on the green, my mistake.”
Ferrandez fighting for grip
“I made a good enough start and I push so hard but it was such a hot race, the track was hot, the tyres were hot and I slid the front so many times but managed to keep it up,” stated the 15-year-old Spaniard.
“I was also hot and it was also a tough race for the mind, push so hard, sliding so much, so much on the limit and keep pushing.”
“Finally in the last corner, I braked too late and went across off track. I’m happy with my pace though and happy with the weekend.”
Carpe not in front when it mattered
“I was leading but you know, sometimes things just don’t finish the way you want.”
“I finished 6th but I am still second in the Cup points, I’m really happy about that.”
“Today’s race was a lot hotter than yesterday, there was again a lot of overtaking like yesterday and always in Rookies Cup. This time I couldn’t make the podium but I still want to say thanks to all the Rookies Cup staff and my family.”
Marco Morelli led the early laps
“The start was very good, I opened up a lead,” enthused the 15-year-old Argentine. “But then I made a very little mistake… and if you do a little mistake here the group catches you.”
“But I’m happy with the race. At least I could show that I am fast. We now have a bit of a break and I am going to train very hard to come back in Austria to score a podium or even more in the last races.”
Guido Pini out of luck
“The second race crash was just bad luck, Moodley touched my back wheel,” explained the 15-year-old Italian.
“Not the best results, two falls but I still think it was one of the best weekends. The feeling with the bike was so good. In the 2nd race, there was a big gap from us to the front group but I got to the front of the 2nd group and closed right up to the front group and was fighting for at least a podium place or even the win.”
“So I have a great feeling with the bike and I am looking forward to the next races.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Mikayla Moore took another dominant victory in MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, 19-year-old Moore won the eight-lap race by 18.321 seconds. It was her fourth win in four starts so far in 2023.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck hung with Moore for the first lap, but Buyck said her bike developed a front-end chatter and she had to slow her pace and settle for second place.
Sonya Lloyd repeated her Race One performance by taking third again, just 4.120 seconds behind Buyck, in Race Two.
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici, the defending World Champion won the 26-lap race by 1.223 seconds over pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi, who rode a Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati to second place. Aleix Espargaro finished third on his factory Aprilia RS-GP just 1.925 seconds behind Bagnaia.
Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder crossed the finish line third, but the South African was penalized one finishing position for exceeding track limits on the final lap and was scored fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing Ducati’s Jorge Martin placed fifth, just 1.934 seconds behind Bagnaia.
Six riders crashed during the race including Jack Miller, Johann Zarco, Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini, and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Marc Marquez did not start the race. He aggravated injuries he sustained in crashes at Sachsenring and was declared unfit to ride.
The reigning Champion sends a clear message to his rivals, with Bezzecchi second and Aleix Espargaro taking third as Binder loses out on ANOTHER top three
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 25 June 2023
A lot was riding on the Motul TT Assen as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) went from struggling for form in Practice 1 to adding another win to his 2023 title tilt, outpacing Tissot Sprint winner Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on Sunday. Bezzecchi went into the Grand Prix race as the rider to beat with incredible pace around Assen, but was forced to settle for second place on Sunday. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) once again crossed the line in third but was demoted out of the top three for exceeding track limits, this time on the last lap, which promoted Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) into third to take an important Grand Prix podium.
Action underway in Assen
The grid settled on one of the most iconic circuits on the 2023 MotoGP™ calendar, as with points to be won ahead of the summer break. The pressure was on for the title-fighting trio as third-placed rider in the standings, Bezzecchi, was looking strong in the Netherlands after taking pole and the Sprint win. With just 31 points covering the top three, there was plenty to play for with Championship leader Bagnaia sat alongside Bezzecchi on the front row and third overall, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), faced a mountain to climb from the fourth row.
When the lights went out it was Binder who flew his way into the lead of the race from fifth on the grid, diving up the inside of Bagnaia at Turn 1 to snatch the holeshot at the apex, elbows out as ever. Binder led the way on lap one ahead of Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, with Aleix Espargaro and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) keeping themselves in contention in fourth and fifth.
Meanwhile, Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) had made a good start to his Grand Prix, flying up to fifth from seventh on the grid. The opposite was true for Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he then crashed out from behind the Aprilia, leaving Viñales to shoot off. He was the fastest rider on the circuit, too, past Marini on a charge until he crashed out.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) also suffered early dramas, he enjoyed a return to the top three in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint but got a terrible start in Sunday’s Grand Prix dropping down to 12th place from 4th on the grid, and then crashed out alongside Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in a premature end to their races.
At first there were three
Meanwhile at the front, Bagnaia took the lead from Binder with 24 laps to go, making light work of the South African to put down a blistering pace at the front. The Italian began to put the hammer down, with Binder latched onto his rear wheel and Bezzecchi next up, the top three beginning to break away from the rest of the field.
The laps ticked away and it seemed Bagnaia was controlling the pace, stretching out the leading battle. But Binder and Bezzecchi were still very much on the chase, and with 10 to go Bezzecchi had had enough of following the KTM. The Italian decided it was his turn to follow the race leader Bagnaia as he pushed the South African to one side to take over in second, the mission now: catch Pecco.
It went down to eight tenths, back up to a second and then down to nine tenths. Then it was 1.3, 1.1… but Bezzecchi couldn’t breach the gap. Binder wasn’t going down without a fight either, as he tried all he could to bite back.
By the last lap, it was clear: Bagnaia had controlled the race perfectly, just staying clear of Bezzecchi as the two came home separated by just over a second. But the fight for third rolled on…
Fine margins make the difference in MotoGP™
By the last few laps, Binder had company from Aleix Espargaro and Martin, with the three glued together. First it looked like the Aprilia was closest to try and strike on the KTM, and the number 41 homed in on the first part of the final lap. But Binder put in a masterclass defensive performance and fended off the two behind to take third… or did he?
Fine margins decided the South African’s fate once again, however, as a track limits breach on the final lap warranted a +1 position penalty, demoting him to fourth.
Espargaro had his hands full on the last lap with Martin trying to find his way through, too. It was an epic drag to the line that saw the Prima Pramac Ducati pull alongside the factory Aprilia as they crossed the line side by side, with almost nothing in it – but that almost nothing was enough to see Aleix Espargaro awarded that final place on the rostrum. Binder is classified fourth, and Martin fifth.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) finished sixth ahead of Marini as the Italian got mugged through the final chicane mid-race, losing four positions at once. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMISTU) bagged P8, some distance up the road from Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and rookie Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), who rounded out the top ten in a solid Sunday effort.
It was a big weekend for Bagnaia’s 2023 Championship campaign as the Italian not only displayed the ability he and Ducati have to overcome a lack of feeling in Practice, but also showed his Championship rivals he means business in 2023. MotoGP™ now takes a short break for the summer before returning to action at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix from the 4th to the 6th of August. Make sure to join us there!
Jake Dixon (96). Photo courtesy Dorna.
That winning feeling! Dixon takes first Grand Prix victory at Assen
The Brit takes to the top step for the first time after fending off Ogura and Acosta in a memorable showdown at Assen
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar M2) is now a Grand Prix winner! The British rider converted some serious form into a maiden win at the Motul TT Assen, getting the better of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) late in the race. Ogura was back on the box after taking a step back into the frontrunning postcodes we’ve seen him challenge before, and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the podium after an eventful journey into third.
Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took the holeshot from pole and Ogura jumped Dixon off the line, with the Brit slotting into third and that trio then immediately getting the hammer down. But Acosta was on the move, picking his way past his teammate, Albert Arenas, and Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) to get into clear air and then chase them down.
It became a quartet as Dixon stalked Ogura and got past, then Lopez, and the Brit then made a move stick at Turn 1 to take over. Ogura then shoved his way past Lopez and the even Spaniard dropped behind Acosta not long after, before then Dixon then headed wide and gave up the lead dropping to third.
Ogura led Acosta led Dixon, but the next to suffer a moment was Acosta as the Spaniard was forced into a save at the Geert Timmer chicane, heading wide and letting Dixon back through. At that moment, it seemed Ogura had checked out in the lead too – over a second clear and on fine form. It was a reset, reload, and gear up for seven laps to go for those on the chase.
That’s what Dixon did, and when the Brit struck at Turn 1 it was a slightly brutal move – one he apologized for as his bike got sucked in – but he made it stick. And then he kept it clean to the flag for that fabulous first Grand Prix win, and in convincing style.
Ogura may well not have taken that win but after a stunning weekend running back at the front, the second place is a great sign for last year’s title challenger after an injury-hit start to 2023. And Acosta, on a tougher weekend, kept himself on the podium – despite some late drama.
After an adventurous start, the number 37 was then also hit with a Long Lap after that moment and subsequent shortcut at Turn 17. And when he complied, it was on the limit. Just on the white line as he caned it round, it was deemed completed and he took that all the way to another podium – but it still wasn’t plain sailing. A late race charge from Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) saw him glued to Acosta into the final chicane on the final lap, and the two had a drag race to the line, just won by the number 37 by hundredths.
Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) was only a few tenths behind in fifth, with Lopez fading to sixth – just ahead of Arbolino. Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp), Arenas and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing), the latter despite a Long Lap, completed the top ten in a close trio.
That’s all she wrote at Assen, and Dixon leaves the track on top of the world just in time for the Monster Energy British Grand Prix next time out. The top two? The lead for Arbolino is just eight points over Acosta heading into the summer break… so make sure to come back for more from Silverstone!
Jaume Masia (5) held off Ayumu Sasaki (71) to win in Moto3. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Masia takes masterful Assen win as the standings close up
A 0 for Holgado sees the top four at Assen – Masia, Sasaki, Öncü and Ortola – make big gains after a classic final chicane decider
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) put in a stunner at the Motul TT Assen, taking his first victory of the season and making serious gains on Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who failed to score. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was just denied at the last corner once again but takes yet another podium as his roll continues, and likewise German GP winner Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Turkish rider completed the rostrum at Assen.
Polesitter David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) took the holeshot from Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), but the Aussie was through soon after as the two went side by side. It didn’t take long for those on the chase to get back into the groove though, and the drama was amping up elsewhere.
After a disastrous qualifying that left him last on the grid, Championship leader Holgado was already facing a mountain to climb – and on the first lap it only got worse. Crashing and off into the gravel early on, losing a whole chunk of time, the race was on for him to try and recover the impossible.
Meanwhile fellow Championship challenger Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), who qualified well down the order too, was on a mission. He was straight into the top ten, then into the top three, and despite serving his Long Lap given on Saturday for not respecting a black and orange flag, right in the fight at the front in a seriously impressive performance under pressure.
And so, with Ortola back in the mix and a top group of ten escaping the rest, the freight train to decide the podium rolled on. As ever, it all went down to the final chicane, and Sasaki was at the head of the group – one week on from the Japanese rider just losing out at the final corner at the Sachsenring. This time around, an attack came again as Masia shot up the inside into the Geert Timmer chicane, and the number 5 made the move stick, and made it cleanly. The drag to the line saw Masia just hold onto it by 0.081, with Sasaki forced to settle for second but both making big strides in the standings.
Likewise does Öncü, who held onto third for another podium finish – just edging out Ortola after the Angeluss MTA Team rider’s stunning charge from 20th. Muñoz, after a late tangle with Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team), takes fifth, ahead of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and fellow rookie Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) on his home turf. Fenati was forced to settle for eighth after the late shuffle, with Kelso ninth and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), after straightlining the chicane, completing the front group and the top ten.
That’s a wrap on Assen and it’s next stop Silverstone for the Monster Energy British GP. Holgado now heads Masia by 16 points, with Sasaki 26 off the top and both Ortola and Öncü 31 in arrears. Join us for more once Moto3™ has recharged!
Jake Dixon won the Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Inde GASGAS Aspar Team Kalex, the British racer won the 22-lap race by 1.334 seconds over Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura. Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Pedro Acosta finished third.
American Joe Roberts finished 18th on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, while his countryman Sean Dylan Kelly brought his OnlyFans American Racing Kalex into the pits and retired with seven laps remaining.
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