Jaume Masia won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by just 0.081 second over Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna rider Ayumu Sasaki. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Deniz Oncu was a very close third, just 0.276 second behind Masia.
The top eight finishers were covered by just 1.056 seconds at the end of the race.
Moto3 Race
American Flat Track/Lima Half-Mile
Lima, Ohio
June 24, 2023
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 4 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -00.390 seconds
3. James Ott (Hus), -01.308
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -02.789
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 4 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -00.078 seconds
3. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -01.601
4. JD Beach (Yam), -02.865
Provisional Hooligans Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Shawn Baer (BMW), 5 laps
2. George Roeder (Har), -02.785 seconds
3. Dominic Beaulac (Har), -04.386
4. Shawn Raggio (Har), -04.420
5. Dave Kilkenny (Har), -05.068
6. Kole King (KTM), -07.634
7. JJ Flairty (Har), -13.075
8. Jeremy DeRuyter (Har), -13.088
9. Steven Glasgow (Har), -13.473
10. Daniel Poole (Har), -13.688
11. Johnny Bova (Har), -15.822
12. Charles Holmes (Har), -16.250
13. Joseph Houston (Har), -16.561
14. Blake Berry (Kaw), -18.354
15. Scott Jones (Har), -26.149
16. Lowell Bronstad (Har), -5 laps, DNF
17. Erik Hartley (Tri), -5 laps, DNF
18. Matt Johnson (Har), -5 laps, DNF
19. Kirt Emerick (Har), -5 laps, DNF
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 21 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -02.533 seconds
3. James Ott (Hus), -08.178
4. Max Whale (KTM), -09.703
5. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -13.393
6. Trent Lowe (Hon), -16.447
7. Chad Cose (Hus), -19.077
8. Hunter Bauer (Hon), -21.731
9. Jared Lowe (Hon), -22.914
10. Cole Zabala (Hon), -23.638
11. Tarren Santero (Hon), -26.032
12. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -1 lap
13. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -1 lap, -01.286
14. Travis Petton (KTM), -1 lap, -01.386
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM), -1 lap, -03.737
16. Jacob Vanderkooi (Hus), -1 lap, -05.004
17. Declan Bender (KTM), -1 lap, -05.519
18. Clarke Morian (KTM), -1 lap, -11.544
19. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -12 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 25 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -01.145 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -03.459
4. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -08.154
5. JD Beach (Yam), -08.503
6. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -12.197
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -14.931
8. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -15.868
9. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -23.625
10. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -24.356
11. Ben Lowe (Ind), -24.671
12. Henry Wiles (Ind), -26.948
13. Ryan Wells (Roy), -1 lap
14. Jeremiah Duffy (Kaw), -1 lap, -19.674
15. Jeffery Lowery (Yam), -1 lap, -19.727
16. Billy Ross (Kaw), -16 laps, DNF
17. Cody Johncox (Yam), -17 laps, DNF
18. Cameron Smith (Yam), -21 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Bauman Makes History at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 24, 2023) – Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) took an emotional and historic victory in Saturday night’s Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio.
Following an often challenging half-season spent developing an all-new racebike for an all-new team, Bauman kicked off the second half of 2023 by claiming the first premier-class victory for a KTM twin in the history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And that win came at the conclusion of a thrilling Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event. Bauman, who earned the crown in 2019 and 2020, spent all ten minutes plus two laps embroiled in a non-stop dogfight with the rider who currently has the inside track on this year’s title, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).
Bauman and Daniels alternated high and low lines as theft continually swapped the lead, running side-by-side when one or the other wasn’t making a futile attempt to shake loose at the front. And all the while, their engagement threatened to transform the race for the win into a three-rider affair with reigning king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) lurking right around one second back and just waiting for his chance to strike.
Finally, with less than minute to go, Bauman seized the upper hand and then refused to allow Daniels a last-gasp bid to steal away his hard-earned win for Rick Ware Racing.
The emotion of the victory was further amplified as Bauman reflected on both the recent passing of his mother as well as his triumphant performance at the scene of his maiden Mission SuperTwins win.
He said, “I think these guys are probably going to start making fun of me because I think I cry every time I win. But aside from all that, my brother (Bronson) and I lost our mom six months ago last Sunday, and this is where I got my first Twins win. The love that everyone gives in this sport no matter how hard you’re going up against one another… We’re fighting for everything we can get. I just appreciate all these guys a lot more than maybe I used to.
“There are so many people who have supported us. To actually get this done… It’s an honor to be a part of this program. I’m just proud, and I know my mom is proud. We did it.”
Last year’s Lima HM winner, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), outlasted JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) as the two finished fourth and fifth, respectively, just over eight seconds behind the fight for the win.
Sixth went to Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who quietly earned his best result yet aboard the Fastrack KTM. Just behind in seventh and eighth were Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750).
Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) finished ninth, while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) completed the top ten in his return to action even after suffering an ugly heat race crash earlier in the evening.
Despite falling short of victory, Daniels maintained his season-long perfect podium record and picked up some points in the title fight in the process. He now leads Mees by 12 points (219-207), while Bauman has moved ahead of Beach to take control of third (166-161).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) notched up a timely victory on a night that proved to be a huge boon for his title defense.
Kopp came to Lima as the odds-on favorite due to his performance here a year ago, along with his general Half-Mile mastery, but this one did not come easily. Kopp took the holeshot but soon found himself in second and losing ground to rising star Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).
The KTM ace regrouped and successfully countered Drane’s bid to shake free, clawing his way back to the Australian at mid-distance. The two then wove the lead back-and-forth with around three minutes remaining on the clock before Kopp finally got a firm grip on the position.
He then stretched open his advantage as the two slithered through lapped traffic, ultimately claiming his fourth victory of the season with more than two seconds in hand.
“That was a tough one,” Kopp said. “I got a good start and led it for a couple laps, but Tom is so fast on this stuff, it’s really underrated. We had a heck of a fight, and it was really fun. A lot of hard work went into this one. Those last three Miles were really frustrating as a team in general, but we never gave up and we’re here to fight for a championship.”
Kopp and Drane were joined on the podium by the resurgent James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), who fought off second factory KTM pilot Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) to register his second trophy-earning ride of the season.
Drane’s teammate, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), rounded out the top five.
Kopp’s championship outlook was further enhanced by the misfortune of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who entered the weekend having closed to within ten points of the title leader. That advantage is significantly greater now, as Saathoff’s momentum was slammed to a halt by a mechanical DNF suffered while running in third position.
Kopp’s lead more than tripled as a result, expanding from just nine points to 29 (191-162). His closest challenger shifted as well, with Whale taking over second from Saathoff, who is now ranked third with 158 points after being credited with 19th place in the Main.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track will now travel to Mineral Wells, West Virginia, for the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile at West Virginia Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 1. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/west-virginia-half-mile-58480 to reserve your seats today.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of the Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
DEFENDING AFT SINGLES CHAMPION KODY KOPP BACK ON TOP AT LIMA HALF-MILE
Round 10 – American Flat Track Championship
LIMA, Ohio. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp has returned to victory lane at tonight’s Lima Half-Mile, Round 10 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with teammate Max Whale recording a fourth-place finish in the AFT Singles Main Event.
The defending class champion, 18-year-old Kopp powered the KTM 450 SX-F to his fourth win of the season, importantly extending his advantage in the current standings to 29 points as a result.
It was a convincing day on-track for Kopp, qualifying in third position and then claiming P2 in the opening Heat race. From there he went on to win the Dash-For-Cash and took that momentum into the 21-lap Main Event, where he ultimately took charge in the closing stages for a 2.533-second victory.
Kody Kopp: “It’s a really good feeling to get back on top here at the Lima Half-Mile and to build on our lead in the championship. We put up a strong fight here tonight and it paid off, so I’m stoked with the result and had a lot of fun out there. Now I’m looking forward to hopefully keeping this going in the coming rounds!”
As for Whale, he finished directly behind Kopp in the Heat and marginally missed out on a podium in the Main Event. After a race-long battle, he crossed the finish-line in fourth position, gaining valuable points in the process and climbing to second in the championship.
Max Whale: “I felt good out there and ended up finishing fourth. We were in the battle for third, but couldn’t quite get there in the end, so that was disappointing because it would have been cool to get up there with Kody. But, we will look to the next one and definitely aim to keep this thing rolling.”
Next Race: West Virginia Half-Mile – Mineral Wells, WV – July 1, 2023
Round 10 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Tom Drane, Yamaha
3. James Ott, Husqvarna
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
13. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
14. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
17. Declan Bender, KTM
18. Clarke Morian V, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 191 points
2. Max Whale, 162
3. Chase Saathoff, 158
4. Dalton Gauthier, 155
OTHER KTM
11. Travis Petton IV, 53
12. Justin Jones, 52
13. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 49
16. Hunter Bauer, 37
20. Logan Eisenhard, 28
23. Declan Bender, 23
24. Hayden Gillim, 14
25. Landen Smith, 13
26. Clarke Morian V, 12
27. Tanner Dean, 9
34. Olin Kissler, 4
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull:
Piqueras snatches thrilling win and almost the Cup in Assen 1
Angel Piqueras pushed his KTM to the limit for every one of the 15 laps of Assen with a hoard of identical machines taking any opportunity to overtake. The 16-year-old Spaniard never got clear, had to pass and repass but at the final chicane he was ahead and perfect.
Álvaro Carpe, the 16-year-old Spaniard flashed across the line 0.208 seconds back with Irish 15-year-old Casey O’Gorman just 0.048 further adrift.
Half a second covered the top 5 at the line but with 3 of his closest rivals, Màximo Quiles, Alberto Ferrandez and Rico Salmela all making mistakes, Piqueras could well clinch the title on Sunday.
Quiles stalled on the grid and started from pit lane only to slide off on the first lap.
Piqueras in front when it counts
“On the first lap, I tried to make a break and get a gap. I thought that I should be able to get away from the group but finally, I didn’t.”
“Anyway, I am really happy because this victory means a lot for the championship. The points are very good.”
“I will not change the bike, I ran the shorter gearing, it gives me the punch out of the corners even if I am hitting the limiter when I am in the slipstream.”
“On the last lap my strategy, my plan was just to push as hard as I could. That was all I could do.”
Carpe didn’t know it was over
“I’m really happy with that, with second and it was a very exciting race. I didn’t know it was the last lap, I came out of the chicane, saw the flag and thought, what happened, it’s over!”
“Still we had a great battle everyone was pushing so hard, so aggressive. It was a really hot race and I had a great time, thanks to everyone for supporting me.”
“I am so happy with the bike, I really like the circuit and we can have another good race tomorrow.”
O’Gorman geared for toughest race
“For sure this was the hardest race I’ve ever done because I was losing so much time out of turn 5 onto the back straight because I am running the tall gearing. I lost so much time, nearly every lap I lose a position on the straight.”
“But in the last laps, the final sector the fast sweepers the gearing was so good, everyone else was on the limiter and I could go past 3 people. So maybe the struggle out of 5 is worth it for the run to the last corners.”
“In the last 5 laps, I came from the back of the group. I planned it quite well for the last lap. I was going to have a go at Piqueras for the win but he covered it so well, no way to do it.”
“I’ll keep the gearing and have another go tomorrow.”
Jacob Roulstone takes 4th
“Super happy, got an awesome start, set into a good rhythm, worked to the front, remembered to just relax, settled in, fell back to about 6th position,” explained the 18-year-old Australian.
“With about 4 laps to go I pushed on and on the last lap was right there, went to pass Casey into the last turn, felt the front not liking it too much so just relaxed and thought, ‘better 4th than no result’.
“I’m thinking of changing things slightly for tomorrow, a small issue in the front on the fast corners that I think we can improve. The rest is very good and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Ruche Moodley fights back to brilliant 6th
“At the start, Cormac took my position on the grid, which was 15,” stated the 16-year-old South African. “I lined up next to him and hit him to tell him to move to P12. When the lights came on I was pushing my bike into position so I was quite stressed and jumped the start.”
“So I had to do 2 long lap penalties, I think I was like 16th, then I pushed really hard, passed a lot of guys and got 6th I think. So happy to be back from injury.”
Alberto Ferrandez recovers to 11th
“A very very good race, I battled in the front group the whole race,” enthused the 15-year-old Spaniard. “Then, on the last lap, I felt the front slide, closed, I saved it, went straight and through the gravel. Saved it but I was back in the second group. Finally, I finished first in the 2nd group but I don’t know the position.”
“I rode much better than in Qualifying, I enjoyed I feel good for tomorrow so I think I can have a good race, I feel strong and should battle at the front again.”
Marco Morelli remounts to 16th
“A good race, I was a bit unlucky but the important thing is that I had a good battle and that is what I need to do because I have not been in such battles too much the other races this year,” explained the 15-year-old Argentine who featured well in the lead battle.
“I then made a little mistake but the pace is good and I think I can do well tomorrow and get a good result. I am still trying to get the rear the way I want and will probably change again for tomorrow but I am loving the bike and the track.”
Rico Salmela learning and 20th
“I don’t know what to say, I didn’t get such a good start, then I tried to make up some positions and stay in a safe place,” explained the 15-year-old Finn.
“We did a few laps and then going onto the back straight I had contact with another rider and crashed.”
“I got going again, I just wanted to make some laps and learn more about the track, get a good feeling with the bike for tomorrow.”
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP Sprint Race Saturday afternoon at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian won the 13-lap race by 1.294 seconds over reigning World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, who rode his Lenovo Ducati. 2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo got the final podium position, a close third, on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1.
MotoGP Sprint Race
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bezzecchi hits back in the title fight with stunning first Tissot Sprint win
Bez is back! The number 72 keeps the roll going to deny Bagnaia as Quartararo takes third following a late penalty for Binder
Saturday, 24 June 2023
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is back on top! The Italian took the Tissot Sprint win at the Motul TT Assen in some style, outpacing title rival and reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to gain some precious points back on his compatriot. Third place saw Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) come home for his first Sprint rostrum, but after a slightly controversial penalty for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)…
It was a manic start and none more so than Binder as the South African shot to the inside line and was immediately up into third behind Bagnaia and Bezzecchi. The number 33 didn’t wait long to attack either, slicing through into second and left with a small gap to Pecco in the lead ahead of him. But neither did Bezzecchi waste any time, pouncing immediately once he was back on the back of the 33 and then setting off in pursuit of Bagnaia. That mission didn’t take long either. By 10 to go, he was through and putting the hammer down.
Bagnaia followed by Binder followed by Quartararo and then Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), up from 10th on the grid, was the group on the chase behind the number 72. Soon enough, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) joined the party too, with Luca Marini the big loser off the line as the Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider dropped from the front row to seventh once the shuffle calmed down.
As Bezzecchi eked out a tenth here and a hundredth there, the first key move was Aleix Espargaro getting past a slightly scrappy Martin, and as the laps ticked down Quartararo started to home in on Binder. The gap from Binder to Bagnaia ahead was around a second, but from Bagnaia to Bezzecchi? Now, it was coming down. With three to go, the reigning Champion took nearly four tenths out of the lead, just as Aleix Espargaro joined the party in the fight for third.
Bezzecchi, however, wasn’t going to let that happen. The hammer went down again and he was able to hold onto an impressive and convincing win, setting himself up for an assault on the top on Sunday.
Just behind him, onto the last lap it first looked as though Quartararo was going to make a move on Binder, but then the South African was the rider on the move. Homing in on Bagnaia in the fight for second, he was close but not quite close enough to make a final chicane dive… but the drama wasn’t over. After a track limits warning earlier in the Sprint, the number 33 was given a Long Lap just at the flag after heading onto the green one too many times, which becomes a three-second penalty. And that, therefore, makes it a pitch perfect Sprint for Bezzecchi, a solid second for Bagnaia, and the first podium on Saturday for Quartararo after the Frenchman only previously scored a single point over the first seven Sprints.
Aleix Espargaro is therefore fourth, ahead of Binder demoted to fifth by that penalty. Martin takes sixth for some damage limitation after his P10 in qualifying, but he’ll want a lot more on Sunday. Likewise Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who took seventh from seventh on the grid.
Enea Bastianini (Ducato Lenovo Team) was next up as he made some serious progress when the lights went out despite a tough qualifying, and he was the protagonist of a moment at the final chicane with Marini as he attacked and the Mooney VR46 rider straight-lined the chicane. It wasn’t quite the gravel trip of 2015, but in 2023 it saw the number 10 get a time penalty that drops him to tenth behind Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
Next: Grand Prix Sunday!
Bezzecchi looks surpreme, Quartararo has form, Bagnaia remains a threat as ever… and Binder wants revenge. That’s not even half the storylines we’ve got to look forward to on Sunday, so make sure to tune into the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) for another stunning showdown!
Lopez denies Dixon by 0.009 as both Acosta and Arbolino miss out on the front row
Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) rolled out the Alonshow on Saturday to deny Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) pole by just 0.009s at the Motul TT Assen. Ai Ogura (IDEMISTU Honda Team Asia) holds the all-time lap record after Practice 3, and the Japanese rider bagged P3 on the grid in an incredible return to form.
Dixon set the pace early on but a strong lap from Lopez in the final minutes denied the Brit the pole position in Assen. A crash from Aron Canet (Pons Wegwow Los40) brought out the yellow flags in sector one too, meaning the riders were unable to threaten Lopez’s time.
The poleman’s teammate Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tool SpeedUp) heads the 2nd row in P4, with Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) joining him. Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) will start from the front of row three ahead of Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing), with Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) rounding out the top 10.
We’ve seen Arbolino and Acosta win every race so far this season. Will that run end at the TT Circuit Assen as some key rivals find some serious pace? We’ll find out on Sunday at 12:15 (GMT +2)… so make sure to tune in!
Muñoz takes lap record maiden pole as Holgado starts last at Assen
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) set a scintillating 1:34.181 to take pole position at the Motul TT Assen by 0.291s, sercuring his maiden pole in style. Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) believes he’s found a big step forward with his CFMoto machine, which has put him in the middle of the front row ahead of Sunday’s race, with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) rounding out the top 3. Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) failed to deliver after a tough Q1 session saw the no. 96 end up dead last on the grid.
The Moto3™ contenders were given the perfect opportunity to capitalise on a struggling Holgado, and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) latched himself onto an on-form Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) to take the top spot after the first shots were fired. The 2nd run of laps came around and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was looking strong as he set the fastest lap of the weekend so far to snatch the top spot from Öncü. The times continued to tumble as Muñoz pulled out the lap of his life to smash the lap record and deny the field of the top spot, with Masia then crashing out half lap later too, rider ok.
After Kelso and Rossi sliced up, Sasaki was bumped down to P4 and will front row 2 ahead of Öncü and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team). Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took P7 ahead of Masia who despite topping practice, only had enough for row three. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took the final spot on the third row, with Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounding out the top 10.
Can Holgado make a comeback? Can those on the chase capitalise? Find out at 11:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday!
Tyler O’Hara won MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
O’Hara got off to a slow start, worked his forward, took the lead from his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Jeremy McWilliams on lap seven of eight, and then rode on to victory, his third straight in the class.
McWilliams was second, 0.956 second behind O’Hara, and local hero Andy DiBrino was third on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
23_6_RIDGE_RSD_R1_res
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Gagne led from the start on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 and was holding off Cameron Beaubier on lap 14 of 16 when Beaubier crashed his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR going into Turn One.
Beaubier’s BMW hit some haybales and put some debris onto the racetrack, causing the race to be stopped and called complete.
Westby Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz was scored second and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin was awarded third.
Beaubier quickly ran to his motorcycle, picked it up, and rode it back to the pits — other words he was still actively competing, but the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion was given a 20-second “time adjustment” under new-for-2023 Rule 1.27.d., which demoted him to seventh. The 20 seconds was the amount of time from when Beaubier crashed until he remounted his motorcycle and is the time he would have lost if the race had continued, according to MotoAmerica.
The new rule applying to races stopped by red flags is shown in the photo below.
23_6_RIDGE_SBK_R1_res
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Gagne Wins A Tough One Race One At Ridge Motorsports Park
Jake Gagne Wins His Fourth Of The Year, His Fifth In A Row At Ridge, And The 33rd Of His Career
SHELTON, WA (June 24, 2023) – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won his fourth MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race of the season on a sunny Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, but it wasn’t as easy as the misleading 8.6-second margin of victory would have you believe.
With 13 of 16 laps in the books, Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier had tracked Gagne down, trailing the two-time and defending series champion by less than a second and setting up what looked to be a thrilling finish. But going into turn one to start the 14th lap, Beaubier lost the front of his BMW M 1000 RR and crashed with hay bales and other debris from the incident bringing out the red flag.
The race was called complete, and the win was Gagne’s by 8.6 seconds over Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Beaubier, meanwhile, was given a 20 second time adjustment and that dropped him to seventh in the final standings.
A brave third place went to Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin just hours after a big crash in Q2 that left him battered and bruised and forced to use his back-up Panigale V4 R. Herrin had briefly led Gagne in the left-right chicane off the start but ended up running wide a few laps later while trying to keep Beaubier at bay. The mistake put Herrin back in seventh place, but he battled through to fourth, which became third with Beaubier’s crash.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had the best Medallia Superbike race of his career, the non-defending Stock 1000 Champion riding his BMW M 1000 RR to fourth and just .441 of a second behind Herrin.
Almost a second later came Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with the Mexican barely ahead of the third Tytlers BMW ridden by PJ Jacobsen.
With Beaubier seventh, eighth fell to Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim with Aftercare Scheibe BMW’s Ashton Yates and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Gagne’s win was the 33rd Superbike win of his career, and it moved him out of a tie with Miguel Duhamel and Toni Elias and into fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list. Gagne trails Mat Mladin, Josh Hayes and Beaubier on that list.
With his fourth win of the year and his fifth in a row at Ridge Motorsports Park, Gagne now leads the championship by 28 points over Beaubier, 136-108, with Beaubier now just two points ahead of Herrin. Scholtz is fourth, just five points behind Herrin with Jacobsen fifth and 54 points adrift of Gagne.
Notables not scoring points in the race were Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who crashed out of second place early in the race, and Wrench Racing’s Bobby Fong who was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.
Superbike Race One
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“I was keeping an eye on my pit board. I got off to a great start. The Yamaha gets off to a good start. I went inside because I know Josh (Herrin) is always going to be deep on the brakes. Then, somehow, he runs around the outside of me. I’m like, ‘I don’t even know how he got there.’ Fortunately, it’s tough to make that line so I squared him up and put my head down. I was really happy with the bike. Everything was working good. I was a little bit surprised to see, I know Josh was hurting and I was a little bit surprised to see the gap just kind of going a couple tenths a lap, and then it was up to a second and a half about halfway, and then it started dropping. Honestly, I thought it was Josh. I didn’t know with how fast he was going earlier. I thought it was him. I couldn’t see who was behind me. I was surprised. I could hear the lap before the red flag up over the top chicane, I’m like, ‘Whoever is behind me is on me now.’ It was not a half second, or whatever it was. So, I was ready for a banger for the last three laps. I was going to try to put my head down. I was kind of riding everything I had to keep it on. Trying to get a couple more tenths a lap would have been pretty risky, I think. Unfortunately, it was a bummer to see Cam (Beaubier) go down and the red flag come out. I didn’t know until I got back who had crashed and who was second. A little luck on our side points-wise, but it would have been nice to bring that thing down to the last couple laps. I think that would have been fun racing. Tomorrow it will be the same. Everybody is going to step it up, so we got to step it up a little bit too. But I think we learned a lot from today’s race. I’m just stoked. Of course, after the last couple years, it’s nice to win all these races but I’m a racer and it’s awesome to see the class so stacked and so close. Practice here this weekend, all these guys within a couple tenths. So, it really comes down to figuring out how to do it consistently in the race. Just keep doing our job and look forward to more good racing.”
Mathew Scholtz – Second Place
“The first couple laps, I just was struggling. I felt like I was pushing the front end really hard. There were a couple spots where the bike was backing in. I felt like I nearly ran off the circuit a couple times, so I just had to steady everything and made a couple passes. It seemed like Jake (Gagne), Cameron Petersen and (Cameron) Beaubier and Josh Herrin were kind of going backwards and forward, so I knew that that was going to help me slightly. Then Josh (Herrin) ran wide. Cam Petersen crashed. I was kind of a couple seconds back and the next four laps or so I put down some pretty quick lap times. I managed to catch up to Beaubier a little bit then, but I think that he kind of noticed that and turned it up. I had a couple moments after that. I think the rear tire dropped off a hell of a lot more than I thought. So, it’s certainly something we have to look at now. But, after last race out, barely getting eighth in the first race and sixth in the second race, sitting up here in second place, this is a massive win for me and the Westby crew. We made a complete change on the front end of the motorcycle. Definitely seems to help me turn better than we have been. So, considering this is the first race on that setup I’m very, very pumped. I know that we have a lot more to gain there. So really looking forward to the second race. Hopefully I’ll be challenging Jake up at the front. I know Josh is going to pick up the pace. Beaubier will be there. Petersen will be there. I’ll be there. Richie (Escalante), Corey (Alexander), PJ (Jacobsen)… So, I’m looking to bang some bars tomorrow.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“On that sighting lap before we came to the grid with the crew, I told Bobby, (Shek), “I’m screwed.” He said, “Well, if it gets too bad, come in. It’s not worth it.” I think that fired me up. I’m like, “What? No, I’m fighting for it.” After the warmup lap, I took a bunch of tape off that the medics wrapped my foot up with and it actually helped it. I think that it was maybe too tight in the boot, and it was making it hurt worse on the sighting lap. So, I took all the tape off and I think it helped a lot. It was worse like twisting on the peg, but at least I could move, and I didn’t have pain. I got up there in the beginning and then I had some shifting problems at the top of the hill. That’s where I lost all the time. I just couldn’t get the gear to shift down. It happened a couple times in the race. I’m not sure if it was the bike or if it was just my foot. My left foot is a little banged up too, so maybe not being able to put enough pressure or something. But once I battled my way back up to fourth, I was kind of settled in. I was going to keep charging, but I settled in. Just got lucky with Cam (Beaubier) going down. Happy that he’s okay, but we really needed those points. I’m stoked to be up here. Just hoping that if we can ice it up enough tonight and take care of it that maybe the swelling will go down a little bit tomorrow and it will be better.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz Is Runner-Up In Superbike Race One At Ridge Motorsports Park
Shelton, WA – June 24, 2023 – Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz has never finished outside the top five at Ridge Motorsports Park. And now, he can add a second runner-up finish to his repertoire. In Saturday’s Superbike race one at Ridge, Mathew matched his second-place finish in 2020 with another runner-up result.
Starting the race from the outside of row three in seventh position, Mathew moved up to sixth on lap one, and then, on lap two, he was in fourth. He held onto fourth for three laps, and then moved into a podium position on lap five. Mathew then maintained his position all the way until the race was red-flagged on lap 14 and declared complete. Also, the red flag ended up benefitting Mathew because he was moved up to the runner-up position in the final results.
“The first couple laps, I just was struggling,” commented Mathew. “I felt like I was pushing the front end really hard. There were a couple spots where the bike was backing in. I felt like I nearly ran off the circuit a couple times, so I just had to steady everything and made a couple passes. It seemed like Jake (Gagne), Cameron Petersen, and (Cameron) Beaubier and Josh Herrin were kind of going backwards and forward, so I knew that that was going to help me slightly. Then, Josh (Herrin) ran wide. Cam Petersen crashed. I was kind of a couple seconds back, and the next four laps or so, I put down some pretty quick lap times. I managed to catch up to Beaubier a little bit then, but I think that he kind of noticed that and turned it up. I had a couple moments after that. I think the rear tire dropped off more than I thought it would. So, it’s certainly something we have to look at now. But, after last race out, barely getting eighth in the first race and sixth in the second race, sitting up here in second place, this is a massive win for me and the Westby crew. We made a complete change on the front end of the motorcycle. Definitely seems to help me turn better than we have been. So, considering this is the first race on that setup, I’m very, very pumped. I know that we have a lot more to gain there. So, I’m really looking forward to the second race. Hopefully I’ll be challenging Jake up at the front. I know Josh is going to pick up the pace. Beaubier will be there. Petersen will be there. I’ll be there. Richie (Escalante), Corey (Alexander), PJ (Jacobsen)… So, I’m looking to bang some bars tomorrow.”
Superbike race two will go green on Sunday afternoon at 3:10 PT, and the race will be broadcast live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel. For all the action from Ridge Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:40 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Ridge Motorsports Park. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Pro-Bolt USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Gagne’s Hot Streak at The Ridge Continues
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne makes championship gains with fifth-consecutive victory at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – June 24, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne returned to the top step of the podium with his fifth-consecutive MotoAmerica Superbike win at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. It also marked his fourth win of the season and 33rd-career victory in the class, expanding the reigning champ’s lead to 28 points in the hotly contested premier class championship. His teammate Cameron Petersen was running a great pace but unfortunately crashed out of the race while battling up front.
Gagne got the weekend off to a great start and topped the timesheets in both sessions on Friday. Although he was shy of the pole position in today’s final qualifying session, he got a great start from the number-two spot on the grid and quickly claimed the lead. The defending champ was putting in some fast times, including the fastest lap of the race with a 1:40.195 on Lap 5, and started to build a little gap up front but was unable to break away. Gagne continued to run his own race up front even as his championship rival slowly reeled him back in and went on to score his fourth victory of the season in the shortened red-flagged race. In addition to expanding his lead in the championship, the victory added to his personal win streak and maintained Yamaha’s perfect score in the Superbike class at the Washington State 2.5-mile track.
Although Petersen had a rough start to the weekend with some food poisoning the night before round four of the championship, he rebounded with a solid qualifying effort in fourth. From there, he got a great start into third and advanced to the runner-up spot on the second lap. The South African was on the heels of his teammate and putting in some fast times, but unfortunately tucked the front on Lap 5 and ultimately withdrew from the race.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team looks to keep the R1’s win streak rolling in tomorrow’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Our Yamaha R1 once again proved to be the rage at The Ridge. Even though Jake did not start from pole, we knew that we had the pace for the race. He did a great job and had the grunt to win from the front. We are looking forward to tomorrow, and our goal will be a Yamaha 1-2-3.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to a great start and was able to get some clean laps out front with Cam (Petersen) on my tail. I had a small lead for a bit, but it was getting close towards the end, with (Cam) Beaubier closing in. I was bummed to see him go down and the red flag come out. It will be another fight tomorrow, and we are looking to improve some things for Race 2.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It’s been a tough start to the weekend. I’ve been dealing with a bit of food poisoning, but we rallied back and had a good qualifying. We got a great start and got into second, and I was reeling Jake in and then, unfortunately, went down. It’s really disappointing because we had the pace to be up front, but we’re going to focus ahead on tomorrow and come back stronger.”
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).
Xavi Fores took a dominant victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Fores, riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, won the 15-lap race by 11.955 seconds. It was Fores’ sixth straight win in six races on the season.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes held off several challengers to take the runner-up spot on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Teagg Hobbs came home third, his career-first Supersport podium finish, on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Stefano Mesa was running third, chasing Hayes and fending off Hobbs, on the final lap when he crashed his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R. Mesa walked away from the high-speed tumble.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Forés Still Perfect, Doyle Gets His First At Ridge Motorsports Park
Xavi Forés Wins His Sixth Supersport Race In A Row, Dominic Doyle Gets First REV’IT Twins Cup Win
SHELTON, WA (June 24, 2023) – Spaniard Xavi Forés continued his dominant march through the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider running his unbeaten streak to six in perhaps his finest performance thus far.
Forés was joined in the win column today by Dominic Doyle (REV’IT! Twins Cup), Tyler O’Hara (Mission Super Hooligan National Championship) and Mikayla Moore (Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race.).
Supersport – Perfect Forés
Xavi Forés is a long, long way from his home in Llombai, Spain. But, as he’s done at all four of the racetracks at which he’s raced in the MotoAmerica series so far this season, Forés acclimates quickly, learns the track fast, and speaking of fast, he gets up to speed in almost no time.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and also a five-race unbeaten streak, Forés won Saturday’s Superport race one, which made it six victories in a row to start the 2023 season.
Saturday started out even better than usual for Forés since he also captured his first pole position of the season in the morning’s final qualifying.
Second place went to Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who continues to chase the all-time AMA race wins record. Earning provisional pole on Friday afternoon steeled his determination, but it was a different story on Saturday afternoon because he just couldn’t match Forés’s torrid pace.
Third place went to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs, who was especially happy that he notched his first career podium in MotoAmerica’s hugely popular middleweight class.
“I used the Friday just to learn the track, and when I realized the track was suiting well for me and for the bike, I started to do long-distance sessions,” Fores said. “So, all the time, I was on the used tires. I tried to set my race pace for today. It was working quite well for me. The bike is working super nice here. I like the track. So, it was good for me. The first time on this season that I do a good start and I arrive first to the first corner, so this is important in order to have clear, initial laps, because this bike also on the initial laps it’s easy to warm the tires and they seem to go fast. I tried to make the gap in the beginning, and I was trying to stay on the pace of 43, 44 low. I did five or six 43s and I was trying to stay consistent in order to stay focused on myself. I was always counting that Josh (Hayes) was on the back. You can never relax when he’s on the back. So, the first four or five laps I was like 3.2, 3.5. The gap was nearly there all the time, so I started to do 43 and then I got the gap. Hopefully for tomorrow we can improve something on the front fork, but anyway the bike here is working amazing and I have not too much to say. Happy for me and also for the team, and also for the six victories in a row.”
REV’IT Twins Cup – Doyle Wins After Landers Gets Docked
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers won Saturday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park right up until the time that he didn’t.
Landers, who crossed the finish line first, was penalized two spots for passing under a yellow flag on the final lap of the race and that gave the victory to Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle.
The win, Doyle’s first in the class, came over defending series champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7. With Landers moved to third, Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio was fourth with Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Jackson Blackmon rounding out the top five.
When the dust had cleared on a day of change, Davis was still atop the point standings by nine over Rodio, 107-98, with Landers 16 points behind Davis in third.
Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz had plenty to be woeful about as he crashed out of the race early while running with the frontrunners. Schultz went from being just two points out of the championship lead to 22 points behind.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – More Winning For Moore
The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program started off the first day’s races at Ridge Motorsports Park, and the group of a dozen female riders who each race-prep their own Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycles, train aboard them, and ultimately compete against each other at selected MotoAmerica rounds, put on quite a show for the fans. Mikayla Moore, who won both BTR races a few weeks ago at Road America, emerged victorious again. Moore was recommended to the program by her friend Kayleigh Buyck, who ironically finished as runner-up to Moore. Sonya Lloyd, who was third in the first race of the BTR season at Road America, finished third again in race one at Ridge.
Moore took the checkered flag with a gap of over 16 seconds back to Buyck, but she was the first to admit that it was not a flawless race for her.
“I caught a false neutral and instead of going to the higher gear, I thought it maybe didn’t get into gear, so I went into a lower gear, and it got a little out of hand,” Moore said. “So, I just shifted quick and then just get back on track without making the bike any more upset than what it was.
“This morning, I made some suspension changes, and I made some tire pressure changes, and I went out on freshies and gearing changes. So, all those combinations definitely helped for this race.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara’s Third
The Mission Super Hooligan National Championship is holding their second round of the season at Ridge Motorsports Park, and after taking both wins way back in March at Daytona, defending class champion Tyler O’Hara chased down his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods teammate and race leader Jeremy McWilliams in MSHNC race one at Ridge, overtook him, and went one to notch his third consecutive class win this season.
McWilliams, meanwhile, finished second and just under a second behind O’Hara. DiBrino Racing/KTM rider Andy DiBrino, who started from the pole position in the race, rounded out the podium in third. It was a good showing for Oregonian DiBrino who was racing on his home track and in front of his home crowd.
“Well, it didn’t go the way I planned it,” O’Hara said. “I knew. I studied it a lot and lost a lot of feeling. It’s not an easy track to pass. I knew I had to be aggressive and just kind of let the race come to me. I knew we had pace, and we were all right there. I felt really strong on the brakes and had a lot of roll speed mid-corner. We were kind of protected all of us in a couple sections that were kind of passing zones. When Jeremy (McWilliams) passed DiBrino in (turn) 11 there, we all started tightening that up after that. That was a beautiful pass. I was getting some chatter and having some moments, as well, but just kind of let the race come to me. Getting into the lappers there at the end was a little bit sketchy, but what a race. Just really proud of our team for working so hard and just never giving up. Like Jeremy said, this is the first time we’ve been here. We rode here on Tuesday in the rain. Really glad that our team was able to allow us and help us come out and ride this track. It is one of the most technical tracks I’ve ever ridden. I would say it’s kind of one of my specialties is really technical tracks. It’s a track where it’s got a lot of flow, but you can kind of charge it, as well. So, I’ve just been really enjoying this track. Every dry session we’ve had, we’re just going faster and faster. I didn’t really get to ride with Andy at all until the race. It was just a lot of fun, really. This Hooligan class, we were all just goon-riding on the way. Just gooning it around, just having fun. Just hats off to everybody on the whole team. Just really appreciate it. S&S Cycles, they’ve been working their butts off.”
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TEAGG HOBBS SCORES HIS FIRST SUPERSPORT PODIUM FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750 Continues to Impact the Supersport Class
BREA, CA – June 24, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer celebrated the opening day of MotoAmerica race action at Ridge Motorsports Park from the podium following a breakthrough ride from rising star Teagg Hobbs.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs was rewarded for his continued rise in speed and confidence with a career-first Supersport podium. Hobbs qualified alongside teammate Tyler Scott on the front row aboard their identical Suzuki GSX-R750s, and the two spent the early stages of the race in a multi-rider scrap near the front. Hobbs clawed his way up from fifth to make a late run at the podium contenders. He arrived on the back wheel of the fight for second with three laps to go and was initially denied in a last-lap battle for third position. However, Hobbs’ continued application of intense pressure paid off, forcing the rider in front of him into a mistake. That handed Hobbs third place with just a half-lap remaining.
“I was having fun out there,” Hobbs said. ”I knew 15 laps was going to take a little bit of time, and I chose the right tire for the race. In the first few laps, I was held up a little bit, but towards the end I put my head down, tried to hit my marks, and chased after the riders in second and third. Once that crash happened with a half-a-lap to go, that was my sign to relax and bring it home. I wanted to race for second, but that was just a little too far ahead. I can’t thank my whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team enough. They’ve been working incredibly hard, and my Suzuki worked flawlessly. We’re going to go back and see if we can do even better tomorrow.”
Tyler Scott endured and enjoyed an eventful day of his own. The 17-year-old ran in second early on aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 before being displaced to fourth in the early shuffle. While looking for a way around teammate Hobbs Scott ran off track and lost two positions. Undeterred, Scott worked his way back up to fifth and then successfully defended what became fourth position, following the last-lap incident ahead to the checkered flag.
“We had an issue in the race,” Scott said. “We worked through it, and I think the race pace was good. We may make some small changes for tomorrow, but everything is heading in a positive direction. We qualified second and showed a decent pace. I had a moment related to that issue and that set us back, but overall, I think we can improve for Sunday.” In addition to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s solid performance, Saturday’s Supersport race was filled once more with Suzuki GSX-Rs, earning almost half of the top ten finishing positions.
Richie Escalante continued his strong form on Saturday, collecting his third Superbike top five in his last four outings aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R. Escalante jumped into the top five from his startling slot on the outside of Row 2 and then spent his race battling for position. Escalante continued battling when the race was concluded three laps early due to a red flag, resulting in an official fifth-place finish.
Escalante said, “Overall, not as good of a day as we have been having, but the result was positive. I’ve been working on race pace all weekend, and I liked where we were on Friday. On Saturday morning, the weather was cooler and for some reason, we did not have the pace we had before. In the first half of the race, I felt quite good. Then we developed an issue that set us back a bit. I was mainly concentrating on finishing the race. I was feeling good apart from the issue. Tomorrow, I think we will have a better result.”
Taylor Knapp picked up a handful of championship points for the team in the first race of his one-weekend substitute ride for the team. Knapp quickly came to grips with the team’s powerful GSXR-1000R racebike to reel in a solid 13th-place result in the experienced rider’s premier-class return.
“We’re learning, and I am getting more familiar with the bike. Looking at the data after the race, we see things to try,” said Knapp. “It takes time and laps, but a strong team is helping me. I am happy to get another shot at it on Sunday.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will be back on track tomorrow to close out the MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park.
For more racing news, results, and special team content please visit https://suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 348 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
Rocco Landers dominated MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, Landers broke the Race Lap Record and got to the checkered flag 4.8 seconds ahead of the field.
After the race, however, Landers was penalized two finishing positions for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
This promoted Team Iso Yamaha’s Dominic Doyle to first place, giving the South Africa native his first Twins Cup race win.
N2/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis was elevated to the runner-up spot, and Landers was officially scored in third.
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Mikayla Moore, age 19, won MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck finished a distant second, and Sonya Lloyd took a lonely third.
Aubrey Credaroli, the third-fastest qualifier, crashed out while running third in the race.
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Local hero Andy DiBrino took pole position during MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan qualifying Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Riding his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R, DiBrino led the 25-rider field with a 1:45.497.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara was second-quickest with a 1:45.906 on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian FTR 1200.
O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams earned the third and final spot on the third row of the grid with a 1:46.391.
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Jaume Masia won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Leopard Racing Honda, the Spaniard won the 20-lap race by just 0.081 second over Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna rider Ayumu Sasaki. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Deniz Oncu was a very close third, just 0.276 second behind Masia.
The top eight finishers were covered by just 1.056 seconds at the end of the race.
Moto3 Race
American Flat Track/Lima Half-Mile
Lima, Ohio
June 24, 2023
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 4 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -00.390 seconds
3. James Ott (Hus), -01.308
4. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -02.789
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 4 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -00.078 seconds
3. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -01.601
4. JD Beach (Yam), -02.865
Provisional Hooligans Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Shawn Baer (BMW), 5 laps
2. George Roeder (Har), -02.785 seconds
3. Dominic Beaulac (Har), -04.386
4. Shawn Raggio (Har), -04.420
5. Dave Kilkenny (Har), -05.068
6. Kole King (KTM), -07.634
7. JJ Flairty (Har), -13.075
8. Jeremy DeRuyter (Har), -13.088
9. Steven Glasgow (Har), -13.473
10. Daniel Poole (Har), -13.688
11. Johnny Bova (Har), -15.822
12. Charles Holmes (Har), -16.250
13. Joseph Houston (Har), -16.561
14. Blake Berry (Kaw), -18.354
15. Scott Jones (Har), -26.149
16. Lowell Bronstad (Har), -5 laps, DNF
17. Erik Hartley (Tri), -5 laps, DNF
18. Matt Johnson (Har), -5 laps, DNF
19. Kirt Emerick (Har), -5 laps, DNF
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 21 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -02.533 seconds
3. James Ott (Hus), -08.178
4. Max Whale (KTM), -09.703
5. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -13.393
6. Trent Lowe (Hon), -16.447
7. Chad Cose (Hus), -19.077
8. Hunter Bauer (Hon), -21.731
9. Jared Lowe (Hon), -22.914
10. Cole Zabala (Hon), -23.638
11. Tarren Santero (Hon), -26.032
12. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -1 lap
13. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -1 lap, -01.286
14. Travis Petton (KTM), -1 lap, -01.386
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM), -1 lap, -03.737
16. Jacob Vanderkooi (Hus), -1 lap, -05.004
17. Declan Bender (KTM), -1 lap, -05.519
18. Clarke Morian (KTM), -1 lap, -11.544
19. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -12 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 25 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -01.145 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -03.459
4. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -08.154
5. JD Beach (Yam), -08.503
6. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -12.197
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -14.931
8. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -15.868
9. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -23.625
10. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -24.356
11. Ben Lowe (Ind), -24.671
12. Henry Wiles (Ind), -26.948
13. Ryan Wells (Roy), -1 lap
14. Jeremiah Duffy (Kaw), -1 lap, -19.674
15. Jeffery Lowery (Yam), -1 lap, -19.727
16. Billy Ross (Kaw), -16 laps, DNF
17. Cody Johncox (Yam), -17 laps, DNF
18. Cameron Smith (Yam), -21 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Bauman Makes History at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 24, 2023) – Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) took an emotional and historic victory in Saturday night’s Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio.
Following an often challenging half-season spent developing an all-new racebike for an all-new team, Bauman kicked off the second half of 2023 by claiming the first premier-class victory for a KTM twin in the history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And that win came at the conclusion of a thrilling Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event. Bauman, who earned the crown in 2019 and 2020, spent all ten minutes plus two laps embroiled in a non-stop dogfight with the rider who currently has the inside track on this year’s title, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).
Bauman and Daniels alternated high and low lines as theft continually swapped the lead, running side-by-side when one or the other wasn’t making a futile attempt to shake loose at the front. And all the while, their engagement threatened to transform the race for the win into a three-rider affair with reigning king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) lurking right around one second back and just waiting for his chance to strike.
Finally, with less than minute to go, Bauman seized the upper hand and then refused to allow Daniels a last-gasp bid to steal away his hard-earned win for Rick Ware Racing.
The emotion of the victory was further amplified as Bauman reflected on both the recent passing of his mother as well as his triumphant performance at the scene of his maiden Mission SuperTwins win.
He said, “I think these guys are probably going to start making fun of me because I think I cry every time I win. But aside from all that, my brother (Bronson) and I lost our mom six months ago last Sunday, and this is where I got my first Twins win. The love that everyone gives in this sport no matter how hard you’re going up against one another… We’re fighting for everything we can get. I just appreciate all these guys a lot more than maybe I used to.
“There are so many people who have supported us. To actually get this done… It’s an honor to be a part of this program. I’m just proud, and I know my mom is proud. We did it.”
Last year’s Lima HM winner, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), outlasted JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) as the two finished fourth and fifth, respectively, just over eight seconds behind the fight for the win.
Sixth went to Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who quietly earned his best result yet aboard the Fastrack KTM. Just behind in seventh and eighth were Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750).
Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) finished ninth, while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) completed the top ten in his return to action even after suffering an ugly heat race crash earlier in the evening.
Despite falling short of victory, Daniels maintained his season-long perfect podium record and picked up some points in the title fight in the process. He now leads Mees by 12 points (219-207), while Bauman has moved ahead of Beach to take control of third (166-161).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) notched up a timely victory on a night that proved to be a huge boon for his title defense.
Kopp came to Lima as the odds-on favorite due to his performance here a year ago, along with his general Half-Mile mastery, but this one did not come easily. Kopp took the holeshot but soon found himself in second and losing ground to rising star Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).
The KTM ace regrouped and successfully countered Drane’s bid to shake free, clawing his way back to the Australian at mid-distance. The two then wove the lead back-and-forth with around three minutes remaining on the clock before Kopp finally got a firm grip on the position.
He then stretched open his advantage as the two slithered through lapped traffic, ultimately claiming his fourth victory of the season with more than two seconds in hand.
“That was a tough one,” Kopp said. “I got a good start and led it for a couple laps, but Tom is so fast on this stuff, it’s really underrated. We had a heck of a fight, and it was really fun. A lot of hard work went into this one. Those last three Miles were really frustrating as a team in general, but we never gave up and we’re here to fight for a championship.”
Kopp and Drane were joined on the podium by the resurgent James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), who fought off second factory KTM pilot Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) to register his second trophy-earning ride of the season.
Drane’s teammate, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), rounded out the top five.
Kopp’s championship outlook was further enhanced by the misfortune of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who entered the weekend having closed to within ten points of the title leader. That advantage is significantly greater now, as Saathoff’s momentum was slammed to a halt by a mechanical DNF suffered while running in third position.
Kopp’s lead more than tripled as a result, expanding from just nine points to 29 (191-162). His closest challenger shifted as well, with Whale taking over second from Saathoff, who is now ranked third with 158 points after being credited with 19th place in the Main.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track will now travel to Mineral Wells, West Virginia, for the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile at West Virginia Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 1. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/west-virginia-half-mile-58480 to reserve your seats today.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of the Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
DEFENDING AFT SINGLES CHAMPION KODY KOPP BACK ON TOP AT LIMA HALF-MILE
Round 10 – American Flat Track Championship
LIMA, Ohio. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp has returned to victory lane at tonight’s Lima Half-Mile, Round 10 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with teammate Max Whale recording a fourth-place finish in the AFT Singles Main Event.
The defending class champion, 18-year-old Kopp powered the KTM 450 SX-F to his fourth win of the season, importantly extending his advantage in the current standings to 29 points as a result.
It was a convincing day on-track for Kopp, qualifying in third position and then claiming P2 in the opening Heat race. From there he went on to win the Dash-For-Cash and took that momentum into the 21-lap Main Event, where he ultimately took charge in the closing stages for a 2.533-second victory.
Kody Kopp: “It’s a really good feeling to get back on top here at the Lima Half-Mile and to build on our lead in the championship. We put up a strong fight here tonight and it paid off, so I’m stoked with the result and had a lot of fun out there. Now I’m looking forward to hopefully keeping this going in the coming rounds!”
As for Whale, he finished directly behind Kopp in the Heat and marginally missed out on a podium in the Main Event. After a race-long battle, he crossed the finish-line in fourth position, gaining valuable points in the process and climbing to second in the championship.
Max Whale: “I felt good out there and ended up finishing fourth. We were in the battle for third, but couldn’t quite get there in the end, so that was disappointing because it would have been cool to get up there with Kody. But, we will look to the next one and definitely aim to keep this thing rolling.”
Next Race: West Virginia Half-Mile – Mineral Wells, WV – July 1, 2023
Round 10 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Tom Drane, Yamaha
3. James Ott, Husqvarna
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
13. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
14. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
17. Declan Bender, KTM
18. Clarke Morian V, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 191 points
2. Max Whale, 162
3. Chase Saathoff, 158
4. Dalton Gauthier, 155
OTHER KTM
11. Travis Petton IV, 53
12. Justin Jones, 52
13. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 49
16. Hunter Bauer, 37
20. Logan Eisenhard, 28
23. Declan Bender, 23
24. Hayden Gillim, 14
25. Landen Smith, 13
26. Clarke Morian V, 12
27. Tanner Dean, 9
34. Olin Kissler, 4
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull:
Piqueras snatches thrilling win and almost the Cup in Assen 1
Angel Piqueras pushed his KTM to the limit for every one of the 15 laps of Assen with a hoard of identical machines taking any opportunity to overtake. The 16-year-old Spaniard never got clear, had to pass and repass but at the final chicane he was ahead and perfect.
Álvaro Carpe, the 16-year-old Spaniard flashed across the line 0.208 seconds back with Irish 15-year-old Casey O’Gorman just 0.048 further adrift.
Half a second covered the top 5 at the line but with 3 of his closest rivals, Màximo Quiles, Alberto Ferrandez and Rico Salmela all making mistakes, Piqueras could well clinch the title on Sunday.
Quiles stalled on the grid and started from pit lane only to slide off on the first lap.
Piqueras in front when it counts
“On the first lap, I tried to make a break and get a gap. I thought that I should be able to get away from the group but finally, I didn’t.”
“Anyway, I am really happy because this victory means a lot for the championship. The points are very good.”
“I will not change the bike, I ran the shorter gearing, it gives me the punch out of the corners even if I am hitting the limiter when I am in the slipstream.”
“On the last lap my strategy, my plan was just to push as hard as I could. That was all I could do.”
Carpe didn’t know it was over
“I’m really happy with that, with second and it was a very exciting race. I didn’t know it was the last lap, I came out of the chicane, saw the flag and thought, what happened, it’s over!”
“Still we had a great battle everyone was pushing so hard, so aggressive. It was a really hot race and I had a great time, thanks to everyone for supporting me.”
“I am so happy with the bike, I really like the circuit and we can have another good race tomorrow.”
O’Gorman geared for toughest race
“For sure this was the hardest race I’ve ever done because I was losing so much time out of turn 5 onto the back straight because I am running the tall gearing. I lost so much time, nearly every lap I lose a position on the straight.”
“But in the last laps, the final sector the fast sweepers the gearing was so good, everyone else was on the limiter and I could go past 3 people. So maybe the struggle out of 5 is worth it for the run to the last corners.”
“In the last 5 laps, I came from the back of the group. I planned it quite well for the last lap. I was going to have a go at Piqueras for the win but he covered it so well, no way to do it.”
“I’ll keep the gearing and have another go tomorrow.”
Jacob Roulstone takes 4th
“Super happy, got an awesome start, set into a good rhythm, worked to the front, remembered to just relax, settled in, fell back to about 6th position,” explained the 18-year-old Australian.
“With about 4 laps to go I pushed on and on the last lap was right there, went to pass Casey into the last turn, felt the front not liking it too much so just relaxed and thought, ‘better 4th than no result’.
“I’m thinking of changing things slightly for tomorrow, a small issue in the front on the fast corners that I think we can improve. The rest is very good and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Ruche Moodley fights back to brilliant 6th
“At the start, Cormac took my position on the grid, which was 15,” stated the 16-year-old South African. “I lined up next to him and hit him to tell him to move to P12. When the lights came on I was pushing my bike into position so I was quite stressed and jumped the start.”
“So I had to do 2 long lap penalties, I think I was like 16th, then I pushed really hard, passed a lot of guys and got 6th I think. So happy to be back from injury.”
Alberto Ferrandez recovers to 11th
“A very very good race, I battled in the front group the whole race,” enthused the 15-year-old Spaniard. “Then, on the last lap, I felt the front slide, closed, I saved it, went straight and through the gravel. Saved it but I was back in the second group. Finally, I finished first in the 2nd group but I don’t know the position.”
“I rode much better than in Qualifying, I enjoyed I feel good for tomorrow so I think I can have a good race, I feel strong and should battle at the front again.”
Marco Morelli remounts to 16th
“A good race, I was a bit unlucky but the important thing is that I had a good battle and that is what I need to do because I have not been in such battles too much the other races this year,” explained the 15-year-old Argentine who featured well in the lead battle.
“I then made a little mistake but the pace is good and I think I can do well tomorrow and get a good result. I am still trying to get the rear the way I want and will probably change again for tomorrow but I am loving the bike and the track.”
Rico Salmela learning and 20th
“I don’t know what to say, I didn’t get such a good start, then I tried to make up some positions and stay in a safe place,” explained the 15-year-old Finn.
“We did a few laps and then going onto the back straight I had contact with another rider and crashed.”
“I got going again, I just wanted to make some laps and learn more about the track, get a good feeling with the bike for tomorrow.”
Marco Bezzecchi won the MotoGP Sprint Race Saturday afternoon at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian won the 13-lap race by 1.294 seconds over reigning World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, who rode his Lenovo Ducati. 2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo got the final podium position, a close third, on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1.
MotoGP Sprint Race
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bezzecchi hits back in the title fight with stunning first Tissot Sprint win
Bez is back! The number 72 keeps the roll going to deny Bagnaia as Quartararo takes third following a late penalty for Binder
Saturday, 24 June 2023
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is back on top! The Italian took the Tissot Sprint win at the Motul TT Assen in some style, outpacing title rival and reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to gain some precious points back on his compatriot. Third place saw Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) come home for his first Sprint rostrum, but after a slightly controversial penalty for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)…
It was a manic start and none more so than Binder as the South African shot to the inside line and was immediately up into third behind Bagnaia and Bezzecchi. The number 33 didn’t wait long to attack either, slicing through into second and left with a small gap to Pecco in the lead ahead of him. But neither did Bezzecchi waste any time, pouncing immediately once he was back on the back of the 33 and then setting off in pursuit of Bagnaia. That mission didn’t take long either. By 10 to go, he was through and putting the hammer down.
Bagnaia followed by Binder followed by Quartararo and then Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), up from 10th on the grid, was the group on the chase behind the number 72. Soon enough, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) joined the party too, with Luca Marini the big loser off the line as the Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider dropped from the front row to seventh once the shuffle calmed down.
As Bezzecchi eked out a tenth here and a hundredth there, the first key move was Aleix Espargaro getting past a slightly scrappy Martin, and as the laps ticked down Quartararo started to home in on Binder. The gap from Binder to Bagnaia ahead was around a second, but from Bagnaia to Bezzecchi? Now, it was coming down. With three to go, the reigning Champion took nearly four tenths out of the lead, just as Aleix Espargaro joined the party in the fight for third.
Bezzecchi, however, wasn’t going to let that happen. The hammer went down again and he was able to hold onto an impressive and convincing win, setting himself up for an assault on the top on Sunday.
Just behind him, onto the last lap it first looked as though Quartararo was going to make a move on Binder, but then the South African was the rider on the move. Homing in on Bagnaia in the fight for second, he was close but not quite close enough to make a final chicane dive… but the drama wasn’t over. After a track limits warning earlier in the Sprint, the number 33 was given a Long Lap just at the flag after heading onto the green one too many times, which becomes a three-second penalty. And that, therefore, makes it a pitch perfect Sprint for Bezzecchi, a solid second for Bagnaia, and the first podium on Saturday for Quartararo after the Frenchman only previously scored a single point over the first seven Sprints.
Aleix Espargaro is therefore fourth, ahead of Binder demoted to fifth by that penalty. Martin takes sixth for some damage limitation after his P10 in qualifying, but he’ll want a lot more on Sunday. Likewise Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who took seventh from seventh on the grid.
Enea Bastianini (Ducato Lenovo Team) was next up as he made some serious progress when the lights went out despite a tough qualifying, and he was the protagonist of a moment at the final chicane with Marini as he attacked and the Mooney VR46 rider straight-lined the chicane. It wasn’t quite the gravel trip of 2015, but in 2023 it saw the number 10 get a time penalty that drops him to tenth behind Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
Next: Grand Prix Sunday!
Bezzecchi looks surpreme, Quartararo has form, Bagnaia remains a threat as ever… and Binder wants revenge. That’s not even half the storylines we’ve got to look forward to on Sunday, so make sure to tune into the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) for another stunning showdown!
Lopez denies Dixon by 0.009 as both Acosta and Arbolino miss out on the front row
Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) rolled out the Alonshow on Saturday to deny Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) pole by just 0.009s at the Motul TT Assen. Ai Ogura (IDEMISTU Honda Team Asia) holds the all-time lap record after Practice 3, and the Japanese rider bagged P3 on the grid in an incredible return to form.
Dixon set the pace early on but a strong lap from Lopez in the final minutes denied the Brit the pole position in Assen. A crash from Aron Canet (Pons Wegwow Los40) brought out the yellow flags in sector one too, meaning the riders were unable to threaten Lopez’s time.
The poleman’s teammate Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tool SpeedUp) heads the 2nd row in P4, with Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) joining him. Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) will start from the front of row three ahead of Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing), with Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) rounding out the top 10.
We’ve seen Arbolino and Acosta win every race so far this season. Will that run end at the TT Circuit Assen as some key rivals find some serious pace? We’ll find out on Sunday at 12:15 (GMT +2)… so make sure to tune in!
Muñoz takes lap record maiden pole as Holgado starts last at Assen
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) set a scintillating 1:34.181 to take pole position at the Motul TT Assen by 0.291s, sercuring his maiden pole in style. Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) believes he’s found a big step forward with his CFMoto machine, which has put him in the middle of the front row ahead of Sunday’s race, with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) rounding out the top 3. Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) failed to deliver after a tough Q1 session saw the no. 96 end up dead last on the grid.
The Moto3™ contenders were given the perfect opportunity to capitalise on a struggling Holgado, and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) latched himself onto an on-form Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) to take the top spot after the first shots were fired. The 2nd run of laps came around and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was looking strong as he set the fastest lap of the weekend so far to snatch the top spot from Öncü. The times continued to tumble as Muñoz pulled out the lap of his life to smash the lap record and deny the field of the top spot, with Masia then crashing out half lap later too, rider ok.
After Kelso and Rossi sliced up, Sasaki was bumped down to P4 and will front row 2 ahead of Öncü and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team). Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took P7 ahead of Masia who despite topping practice, only had enough for row three. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took the final spot on the third row, with Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounding out the top 10.
Can Holgado make a comeback? Can those on the chase capitalise? Find out at 11:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday!
Tyler O’Hara won MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
O’Hara got off to a slow start, worked his forward, took the lead from his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Jeremy McWilliams on lap seven of eight, and then rode on to victory, his third straight in the class.
McWilliams was second, 0.956 second behind O’Hara, and local hero Andy DiBrino was third on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
23_6_RIDGE_RSD_R1_res
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Gagne led from the start on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 and was holding off Cameron Beaubier on lap 14 of 16 when Beaubier crashed his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR going into Turn One.
Beaubier’s BMW hit some haybales and put some debris onto the racetrack, causing the race to be stopped and called complete.
Westby Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz was scored second and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin was awarded third.
Beaubier quickly ran to his motorcycle, picked it up, and rode it back to the pits — other words he was still actively competing, but the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion was given a 20-second “time adjustment” under new-for-2023 Rule 1.27.d., which demoted him to seventh. The 20 seconds was the amount of time from when Beaubier crashed until he remounted his motorcycle and is the time he would have lost if the race had continued, according to MotoAmerica.
The new rule applying to races stopped by red flags is shown in the photo below.
23_6_RIDGE_SBK_R1_res
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Gagne Wins A Tough One Race One At Ridge Motorsports Park
Jake Gagne Wins His Fourth Of The Year, His Fifth In A Row At Ridge, And The 33rd Of His Career
SHELTON, WA (June 24, 2023) – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won his fourth MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race of the season on a sunny Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, but it wasn’t as easy as the misleading 8.6-second margin of victory would have you believe.
With 13 of 16 laps in the books, Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier had tracked Gagne down, trailing the two-time and defending series champion by less than a second and setting up what looked to be a thrilling finish. But going into turn one to start the 14th lap, Beaubier lost the front of his BMW M 1000 RR and crashed with hay bales and other debris from the incident bringing out the red flag.
The race was called complete, and the win was Gagne’s by 8.6 seconds over Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Beaubier, meanwhile, was given a 20 second time adjustment and that dropped him to seventh in the final standings.
A brave third place went to Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin just hours after a big crash in Q2 that left him battered and bruised and forced to use his back-up Panigale V4 R. Herrin had briefly led Gagne in the left-right chicane off the start but ended up running wide a few laps later while trying to keep Beaubier at bay. The mistake put Herrin back in seventh place, but he battled through to fourth, which became third with Beaubier’s crash.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had the best Medallia Superbike race of his career, the non-defending Stock 1000 Champion riding his BMW M 1000 RR to fourth and just .441 of a second behind Herrin.
Almost a second later came Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with the Mexican barely ahead of the third Tytlers BMW ridden by PJ Jacobsen.
With Beaubier seventh, eighth fell to Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim with Aftercare Scheibe BMW’s Ashton Yates and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Gagne’s win was the 33rd Superbike win of his career, and it moved him out of a tie with Miguel Duhamel and Toni Elias and into fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list. Gagne trails Mat Mladin, Josh Hayes and Beaubier on that list.
With his fourth win of the year and his fifth in a row at Ridge Motorsports Park, Gagne now leads the championship by 28 points over Beaubier, 136-108, with Beaubier now just two points ahead of Herrin. Scholtz is fourth, just five points behind Herrin with Jacobsen fifth and 54 points adrift of Gagne.
Notables not scoring points in the race were Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who crashed out of second place early in the race, and Wrench Racing’s Bobby Fong who was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.
Superbike Race One
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“I was keeping an eye on my pit board. I got off to a great start. The Yamaha gets off to a good start. I went inside because I know Josh (Herrin) is always going to be deep on the brakes. Then, somehow, he runs around the outside of me. I’m like, ‘I don’t even know how he got there.’ Fortunately, it’s tough to make that line so I squared him up and put my head down. I was really happy with the bike. Everything was working good. I was a little bit surprised to see, I know Josh was hurting and I was a little bit surprised to see the gap just kind of going a couple tenths a lap, and then it was up to a second and a half about halfway, and then it started dropping. Honestly, I thought it was Josh. I didn’t know with how fast he was going earlier. I thought it was him. I couldn’t see who was behind me. I was surprised. I could hear the lap before the red flag up over the top chicane, I’m like, ‘Whoever is behind me is on me now.’ It was not a half second, or whatever it was. So, I was ready for a banger for the last three laps. I was going to try to put my head down. I was kind of riding everything I had to keep it on. Trying to get a couple more tenths a lap would have been pretty risky, I think. Unfortunately, it was a bummer to see Cam (Beaubier) go down and the red flag come out. I didn’t know until I got back who had crashed and who was second. A little luck on our side points-wise, but it would have been nice to bring that thing down to the last couple laps. I think that would have been fun racing. Tomorrow it will be the same. Everybody is going to step it up, so we got to step it up a little bit too. But I think we learned a lot from today’s race. I’m just stoked. Of course, after the last couple years, it’s nice to win all these races but I’m a racer and it’s awesome to see the class so stacked and so close. Practice here this weekend, all these guys within a couple tenths. So, it really comes down to figuring out how to do it consistently in the race. Just keep doing our job and look forward to more good racing.”
Mathew Scholtz – Second Place
“The first couple laps, I just was struggling. I felt like I was pushing the front end really hard. There were a couple spots where the bike was backing in. I felt like I nearly ran off the circuit a couple times, so I just had to steady everything and made a couple passes. It seemed like Jake (Gagne), Cameron Petersen and (Cameron) Beaubier and Josh Herrin were kind of going backwards and forward, so I knew that that was going to help me slightly. Then Josh (Herrin) ran wide. Cam Petersen crashed. I was kind of a couple seconds back and the next four laps or so I put down some pretty quick lap times. I managed to catch up to Beaubier a little bit then, but I think that he kind of noticed that and turned it up. I had a couple moments after that. I think the rear tire dropped off a hell of a lot more than I thought. So, it’s certainly something we have to look at now. But, after last race out, barely getting eighth in the first race and sixth in the second race, sitting up here in second place, this is a massive win for me and the Westby crew. We made a complete change on the front end of the motorcycle. Definitely seems to help me turn better than we have been. So, considering this is the first race on that setup I’m very, very pumped. I know that we have a lot more to gain there. So really looking forward to the second race. Hopefully I’ll be challenging Jake up at the front. I know Josh is going to pick up the pace. Beaubier will be there. Petersen will be there. I’ll be there. Richie (Escalante), Corey (Alexander), PJ (Jacobsen)… So, I’m looking to bang some bars tomorrow.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“On that sighting lap before we came to the grid with the crew, I told Bobby, (Shek), “I’m screwed.” He said, “Well, if it gets too bad, come in. It’s not worth it.” I think that fired me up. I’m like, “What? No, I’m fighting for it.” After the warmup lap, I took a bunch of tape off that the medics wrapped my foot up with and it actually helped it. I think that it was maybe too tight in the boot, and it was making it hurt worse on the sighting lap. So, I took all the tape off and I think it helped a lot. It was worse like twisting on the peg, but at least I could move, and I didn’t have pain. I got up there in the beginning and then I had some shifting problems at the top of the hill. That’s where I lost all the time. I just couldn’t get the gear to shift down. It happened a couple times in the race. I’m not sure if it was the bike or if it was just my foot. My left foot is a little banged up too, so maybe not being able to put enough pressure or something. But once I battled my way back up to fourth, I was kind of settled in. I was going to keep charging, but I settled in. Just got lucky with Cam (Beaubier) going down. Happy that he’s okay, but we really needed those points. I’m stoked to be up here. Just hoping that if we can ice it up enough tonight and take care of it that maybe the swelling will go down a little bit tomorrow and it will be better.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz Is Runner-Up In Superbike Race One At Ridge Motorsports Park
Shelton, WA – June 24, 2023 – Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz has never finished outside the top five at Ridge Motorsports Park. And now, he can add a second runner-up finish to his repertoire. In Saturday’s Superbike race one at Ridge, Mathew matched his second-place finish in 2020 with another runner-up result.
Starting the race from the outside of row three in seventh position, Mathew moved up to sixth on lap one, and then, on lap two, he was in fourth. He held onto fourth for three laps, and then moved into a podium position on lap five. Mathew then maintained his position all the way until the race was red-flagged on lap 14 and declared complete. Also, the red flag ended up benefitting Mathew because he was moved up to the runner-up position in the final results.
“The first couple laps, I just was struggling,” commented Mathew. “I felt like I was pushing the front end really hard. There were a couple spots where the bike was backing in. I felt like I nearly ran off the circuit a couple times, so I just had to steady everything and made a couple passes. It seemed like Jake (Gagne), Cameron Petersen, and (Cameron) Beaubier and Josh Herrin were kind of going backwards and forward, so I knew that that was going to help me slightly. Then, Josh (Herrin) ran wide. Cam Petersen crashed. I was kind of a couple seconds back, and the next four laps or so, I put down some pretty quick lap times. I managed to catch up to Beaubier a little bit then, but I think that he kind of noticed that and turned it up. I had a couple moments after that. I think the rear tire dropped off more than I thought it would. So, it’s certainly something we have to look at now. But, after last race out, barely getting eighth in the first race and sixth in the second race, sitting up here in second place, this is a massive win for me and the Westby crew. We made a complete change on the front end of the motorcycle. Definitely seems to help me turn better than we have been. So, considering this is the first race on that setup, I’m very, very pumped. I know that we have a lot more to gain there. So, I’m really looking forward to the second race. Hopefully I’ll be challenging Jake up at the front. I know Josh is going to pick up the pace. Beaubier will be there. Petersen will be there. I’ll be there. Richie (Escalante), Corey (Alexander), PJ (Jacobsen)… So, I’m looking to bang some bars tomorrow.”
Superbike race two will go green on Sunday afternoon at 3:10 PT, and the race will be broadcast live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel. For all the action from Ridge Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:40 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Ridge Motorsports Park. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Pro-Bolt USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Gagne’s Hot Streak at The Ridge Continues
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne makes championship gains with fifth-consecutive victory at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – June 24, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne returned to the top step of the podium with his fifth-consecutive MotoAmerica Superbike win at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. It also marked his fourth win of the season and 33rd-career victory in the class, expanding the reigning champ’s lead to 28 points in the hotly contested premier class championship. His teammate Cameron Petersen was running a great pace but unfortunately crashed out of the race while battling up front.
Gagne got the weekend off to a great start and topped the timesheets in both sessions on Friday. Although he was shy of the pole position in today’s final qualifying session, he got a great start from the number-two spot on the grid and quickly claimed the lead. The defending champ was putting in some fast times, including the fastest lap of the race with a 1:40.195 on Lap 5, and started to build a little gap up front but was unable to break away. Gagne continued to run his own race up front even as his championship rival slowly reeled him back in and went on to score his fourth victory of the season in the shortened red-flagged race. In addition to expanding his lead in the championship, the victory added to his personal win streak and maintained Yamaha’s perfect score in the Superbike class at the Washington State 2.5-mile track.
Although Petersen had a rough start to the weekend with some food poisoning the night before round four of the championship, he rebounded with a solid qualifying effort in fourth. From there, he got a great start into third and advanced to the runner-up spot on the second lap. The South African was on the heels of his teammate and putting in some fast times, but unfortunately tucked the front on Lap 5 and ultimately withdrew from the race.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team looks to keep the R1’s win streak rolling in tomorrow’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Our Yamaha R1 once again proved to be the rage at The Ridge. Even though Jake did not start from pole, we knew that we had the pace for the race. He did a great job and had the grunt to win from the front. We are looking forward to tomorrow, and our goal will be a Yamaha 1-2-3.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to a great start and was able to get some clean laps out front with Cam (Petersen) on my tail. I had a small lead for a bit, but it was getting close towards the end, with (Cam) Beaubier closing in. I was bummed to see him go down and the red flag come out. It will be another fight tomorrow, and we are looking to improve some things for Race 2.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It’s been a tough start to the weekend. I’ve been dealing with a bit of food poisoning, but we rallied back and had a good qualifying. We got a great start and got into second, and I was reeling Jake in and then, unfortunately, went down. It’s really disappointing because we had the pace to be up front, but we’re going to focus ahead on tomorrow and come back stronger.”
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).
Xavi Fores took a dominant victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Fores, riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, won the 15-lap race by 11.955 seconds. It was Fores’ sixth straight win in six races on the season.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes held off several challengers to take the runner-up spot on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Teagg Hobbs came home third, his career-first Supersport podium finish, on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Stefano Mesa was running third, chasing Hayes and fending off Hobbs, on the final lap when he crashed his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R. Mesa walked away from the high-speed tumble.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Forés Still Perfect, Doyle Gets His First At Ridge Motorsports Park
Xavi Forés Wins His Sixth Supersport Race In A Row, Dominic Doyle Gets First REV’IT Twins Cup Win
SHELTON, WA (June 24, 2023) – Spaniard Xavi Forés continued his dominant march through the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider running his unbeaten streak to six in perhaps his finest performance thus far.
Forés was joined in the win column today by Dominic Doyle (REV’IT! Twins Cup), Tyler O’Hara (Mission Super Hooligan National Championship) and Mikayla Moore (Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race.).
Supersport – Perfect Forés
Xavi Forés is a long, long way from his home in Llombai, Spain. But, as he’s done at all four of the racetracks at which he’s raced in the MotoAmerica series so far this season, Forés acclimates quickly, learns the track fast, and speaking of fast, he gets up to speed in almost no time.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and also a five-race unbeaten streak, Forés won Saturday’s Superport race one, which made it six victories in a row to start the 2023 season.
Saturday started out even better than usual for Forés since he also captured his first pole position of the season in the morning’s final qualifying.
Second place went to Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who continues to chase the all-time AMA race wins record. Earning provisional pole on Friday afternoon steeled his determination, but it was a different story on Saturday afternoon because he just couldn’t match Forés’s torrid pace.
Third place went to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs, who was especially happy that he notched his first career podium in MotoAmerica’s hugely popular middleweight class.
“I used the Friday just to learn the track, and when I realized the track was suiting well for me and for the bike, I started to do long-distance sessions,” Fores said. “So, all the time, I was on the used tires. I tried to set my race pace for today. It was working quite well for me. The bike is working super nice here. I like the track. So, it was good for me. The first time on this season that I do a good start and I arrive first to the first corner, so this is important in order to have clear, initial laps, because this bike also on the initial laps it’s easy to warm the tires and they seem to go fast. I tried to make the gap in the beginning, and I was trying to stay on the pace of 43, 44 low. I did five or six 43s and I was trying to stay consistent in order to stay focused on myself. I was always counting that Josh (Hayes) was on the back. You can never relax when he’s on the back. So, the first four or five laps I was like 3.2, 3.5. The gap was nearly there all the time, so I started to do 43 and then I got the gap. Hopefully for tomorrow we can improve something on the front fork, but anyway the bike here is working amazing and I have not too much to say. Happy for me and also for the team, and also for the six victories in a row.”
REV’IT Twins Cup – Doyle Wins After Landers Gets Docked
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers won Saturday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park right up until the time that he didn’t.
Landers, who crossed the finish line first, was penalized two spots for passing under a yellow flag on the final lap of the race and that gave the victory to Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle.
The win, Doyle’s first in the class, came over defending series champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7. With Landers moved to third, Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio was fourth with Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Jackson Blackmon rounding out the top five.
When the dust had cleared on a day of change, Davis was still atop the point standings by nine over Rodio, 107-98, with Landers 16 points behind Davis in third.
Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz had plenty to be woeful about as he crashed out of the race early while running with the frontrunners. Schultz went from being just two points out of the championship lead to 22 points behind.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – More Winning For Moore
The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program started off the first day’s races at Ridge Motorsports Park, and the group of a dozen female riders who each race-prep their own Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycles, train aboard them, and ultimately compete against each other at selected MotoAmerica rounds, put on quite a show for the fans. Mikayla Moore, who won both BTR races a few weeks ago at Road America, emerged victorious again. Moore was recommended to the program by her friend Kayleigh Buyck, who ironically finished as runner-up to Moore. Sonya Lloyd, who was third in the first race of the BTR season at Road America, finished third again in race one at Ridge.
Moore took the checkered flag with a gap of over 16 seconds back to Buyck, but she was the first to admit that it was not a flawless race for her.
“I caught a false neutral and instead of going to the higher gear, I thought it maybe didn’t get into gear, so I went into a lower gear, and it got a little out of hand,” Moore said. “So, I just shifted quick and then just get back on track without making the bike any more upset than what it was.
“This morning, I made some suspension changes, and I made some tire pressure changes, and I went out on freshies and gearing changes. So, all those combinations definitely helped for this race.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara’s Third
The Mission Super Hooligan National Championship is holding their second round of the season at Ridge Motorsports Park, and after taking both wins way back in March at Daytona, defending class champion Tyler O’Hara chased down his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods teammate and race leader Jeremy McWilliams in MSHNC race one at Ridge, overtook him, and went one to notch his third consecutive class win this season.
McWilliams, meanwhile, finished second and just under a second behind O’Hara. DiBrino Racing/KTM rider Andy DiBrino, who started from the pole position in the race, rounded out the podium in third. It was a good showing for Oregonian DiBrino who was racing on his home track and in front of his home crowd.
“Well, it didn’t go the way I planned it,” O’Hara said. “I knew. I studied it a lot and lost a lot of feeling. It’s not an easy track to pass. I knew I had to be aggressive and just kind of let the race come to me. I knew we had pace, and we were all right there. I felt really strong on the brakes and had a lot of roll speed mid-corner. We were kind of protected all of us in a couple sections that were kind of passing zones. When Jeremy (McWilliams) passed DiBrino in (turn) 11 there, we all started tightening that up after that. That was a beautiful pass. I was getting some chatter and having some moments, as well, but just kind of let the race come to me. Getting into the lappers there at the end was a little bit sketchy, but what a race. Just really proud of our team for working so hard and just never giving up. Like Jeremy said, this is the first time we’ve been here. We rode here on Tuesday in the rain. Really glad that our team was able to allow us and help us come out and ride this track. It is one of the most technical tracks I’ve ever ridden. I would say it’s kind of one of my specialties is really technical tracks. It’s a track where it’s got a lot of flow, but you can kind of charge it, as well. So, I’ve just been really enjoying this track. Every dry session we’ve had, we’re just going faster and faster. I didn’t really get to ride with Andy at all until the race. It was just a lot of fun, really. This Hooligan class, we were all just goon-riding on the way. Just gooning it around, just having fun. Just hats off to everybody on the whole team. Just really appreciate it. S&S Cycles, they’ve been working their butts off.”
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TEAGG HOBBS SCORES HIS FIRST SUPERSPORT PODIUM FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750 Continues to Impact the Supersport Class
BREA, CA – June 24, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer celebrated the opening day of MotoAmerica race action at Ridge Motorsports Park from the podium following a breakthrough ride from rising star Teagg Hobbs.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs was rewarded for his continued rise in speed and confidence with a career-first Supersport podium. Hobbs qualified alongside teammate Tyler Scott on the front row aboard their identical Suzuki GSX-R750s, and the two spent the early stages of the race in a multi-rider scrap near the front. Hobbs clawed his way up from fifth to make a late run at the podium contenders. He arrived on the back wheel of the fight for second with three laps to go and was initially denied in a last-lap battle for third position. However, Hobbs’ continued application of intense pressure paid off, forcing the rider in front of him into a mistake. That handed Hobbs third place with just a half-lap remaining.
“I was having fun out there,” Hobbs said. ”I knew 15 laps was going to take a little bit of time, and I chose the right tire for the race. In the first few laps, I was held up a little bit, but towards the end I put my head down, tried to hit my marks, and chased after the riders in second and third. Once that crash happened with a half-a-lap to go, that was my sign to relax and bring it home. I wanted to race for second, but that was just a little too far ahead. I can’t thank my whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team enough. They’ve been working incredibly hard, and my Suzuki worked flawlessly. We’re going to go back and see if we can do even better tomorrow.”
Tyler Scott endured and enjoyed an eventful day of his own. The 17-year-old ran in second early on aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 before being displaced to fourth in the early shuffle. While looking for a way around teammate Hobbs Scott ran off track and lost two positions. Undeterred, Scott worked his way back up to fifth and then successfully defended what became fourth position, following the last-lap incident ahead to the checkered flag.
“We had an issue in the race,” Scott said. “We worked through it, and I think the race pace was good. We may make some small changes for tomorrow, but everything is heading in a positive direction. We qualified second and showed a decent pace. I had a moment related to that issue and that set us back, but overall, I think we can improve for Sunday.” In addition to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s solid performance, Saturday’s Supersport race was filled once more with Suzuki GSX-Rs, earning almost half of the top ten finishing positions.
Richie Escalante continued his strong form on Saturday, collecting his third Superbike top five in his last four outings aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R. Escalante jumped into the top five from his startling slot on the outside of Row 2 and then spent his race battling for position. Escalante continued battling when the race was concluded three laps early due to a red flag, resulting in an official fifth-place finish.
Escalante said, “Overall, not as good of a day as we have been having, but the result was positive. I’ve been working on race pace all weekend, and I liked where we were on Friday. On Saturday morning, the weather was cooler and for some reason, we did not have the pace we had before. In the first half of the race, I felt quite good. Then we developed an issue that set us back a bit. I was mainly concentrating on finishing the race. I was feeling good apart from the issue. Tomorrow, I think we will have a better result.”
Taylor Knapp picked up a handful of championship points for the team in the first race of his one-weekend substitute ride for the team. Knapp quickly came to grips with the team’s powerful GSXR-1000R racebike to reel in a solid 13th-place result in the experienced rider’s premier-class return.
“We’re learning, and I am getting more familiar with the bike. Looking at the data after the race, we see things to try,” said Knapp. “It takes time and laps, but a strong team is helping me. I am happy to get another shot at it on Sunday.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will be back on track tomorrow to close out the MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park.
For more racing news, results, and special team content please visit https://suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 348 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
Rocco Landers dominated MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, Landers broke the Race Lap Record and got to the checkered flag 4.8 seconds ahead of the field.
After the race, however, Landers was penalized two finishing positions for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
This promoted Team Iso Yamaha’s Dominic Doyle to first place, giving the South Africa native his first Twins Cup race win.
N2/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis was elevated to the runner-up spot, and Landers was officially scored in third.
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Mikayla Moore, age 19, won MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race One Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck finished a distant second, and Sonya Lloyd took a lonely third.
Aubrey Credaroli, the third-fastest qualifier, crashed out while running third in the race.
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Local hero Andy DiBrino took pole position during MotoAmerica Roland Sands Design (RSD) Mission Super Hooligan qualifying Saturday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Riding his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R, DiBrino led the 25-rider field with a 1:45.497.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara was second-quickest with a 1:45.906 on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian FTR 1200.
O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams earned the third and final spot on the third row of the grid with a 1:46.391.
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