Rossi Moor won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Starting from pole position on his Fairium NGRT – Gray Area Racing KTM RC 390 R, Moor got the holeshot and controlled the pace for much of the race on his way to his first win in the class.
Max Van, riding his SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki Ninja 400, drafted past Race One winner Avery Dreher on the run to the checkered flag to take the runner-up spot. Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki’s Dreher came in third by 0.057 second behind Van and left still holding the Championship point lead.
Travis Wyman won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Wyman, riding his Travis Wyman Racing BMW M 1000 RR, got the holeshot, never surrendered the lead, and won the eight-lap race by 2.130 seconds.
Kaleb De Keyrel pressured Wyman from start to finish but had to settle for second place on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Hayden Gillim ran off the track twice but fought back to salvage third place on his Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
De Keyrel’s teammate Ezra Beaubier ran off the track on the first lap, dropped back to eighth, and worked his way back up to salvage fourth, which allowed him to maintain the Championship point lead.
Mikayla Moore completed her perfect debut by taking another victory in Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Race Two Sunday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, Moore won the five-lap race by 11.786 seconds.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck bounced back from a mechanical DNF in Race One to score second in Race Two.
Aubrey Credaroli placed third in the all-female race.
Alvaro Bautista extended his Superbike World Championship lead with a victory in Race Two Sunday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Spaniard won the 21-lap race by 8.4 seconds. It was Bautista’s 10th win in 10 full-length races and his 14th win overall so far in 2023.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, and Axel Bassani finished on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati.
American Garrett Gerloff was ninth and the top-finishing BMW rider on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Dominant Bautista completes a hat-trick of wins on Ducati’s home soil
Alvaro Bautista (1) Photo courtesy Dorna.
Reigning WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista beat Toprak Razgatlioglu and Axel Bassani in Race 2 to take his tenth consecutive victory. He became the first rider in WorldSBK history with 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. He extends his lead his championship tally to 298 points.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“Fortunately, in red or yellow, I have the same feeling with the bike. We had the same performance, so the colour doesn’t matter, what’s important is inside. It was a very special weekend for Ducati and also for me because, in the end, I feel half-Italian half-Spanish because I’ve worked with Ducati for many years, and I feel so good. Last year, we won two out of three races but this year we did the hat-trick so I’m happy.
It’s unbelievable how we started the season, but the important thing is the feeling I have with the bike. I can ride it at my best, and I can get to the limit of the bike at all tracks and in all situations so I’m really happy for that. Records are to be looked at after my retirement but, now, we are building our way to try and keep this feeling with the bike to work. This is not the end. We have to keep working like this.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu took second place in Race 2 as he crossed the finish line 8.446s behind the race winner. He remains second in the standings with 212 points, 86 fewer than Bautista.
Local hero Axel Bassani completed the Race 2 podium to take his fifth podium, the first one since San Juan 2022. He is fifth in the standings with 126 points and is the top Independent rider.
P3 | Axel Bassani | Motorcorsa Racing
“It’s a really special place for a first podium of the year. I’m really happy for the team because we worked really hard and never gave up. I’m really happy and want to continue in this way but now we need to enjoy the moment and then focus on the next races after! I’m totally happy, I don’t have a lot of words to say! To have a podium at home is like a victory!
It’s always special to battle with Jonathan; for me, he’s the best rider in WorldSBK as he’s a legend! To have some laps with him is good but it’s also good to beat him! Today, it was hard to do, because he’s crazy and like an animal! He pushes every lap until the end, but I’m happy to beat him. I made a mistake but recovered the position and tried to get to Toprak and Michael. I tried, but these are the races! I’m very happy!”
Jonathan Rea finished fourth, his best result since Catalunya Race 1. With 129 points, he stands in fourth place in the standings.
Third in the Championship standings with 150 points, Andrea Locatelli completed Race 2 top six.
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
There were fights up and down the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid during Race 2 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a stunning win to take a Misano hat-trick wearing a special yellow livery for Ducati, while his teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, crashed out from third place when fighting for the podium.
As the lights went out, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got the holeshot to lead into Turn 1 before Rinaldi battled his way through on his teammate at Turn 4 to move into second. However, it did not take long for Bautista to head to the front of the field as he overtook his teammate and then went through on Razgatlioglu at Turn 8 on Lap 2. From there, he was able to build a gap to Razgatlioglu behind him as the Turkish star found himself under pressure from Rinaldi.
That pressure soon told for Razgatlioglu as the pair battled it out for second place before Rinaldi overtook the 2021 Champion heading into Turn 8 on Lap 3. Despite Rinaldi pulling away, Razgatlioglu started closing the gap but, by the halfway point of the race, Rinaldi had stabilised the gap slightly to around three tenths. On Lap 13, Razgatlioglu again closed the gap on Rinaldi as he looked to take second place from the home hero. Razgatlioglu made his overtake on Rinaldi at Turn 8 on Lap 15 to move into second but Rinaldi kept the pressure on, with the pair making contact at Turn 1 when Rinaldi looked to re-gain second place; Rinaldi’s race ended when he went into the gravel.
Originally a battle for fourth but turning into a podium fight after Rinaldi’s crash, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) went head to head with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Rea got ahead in the early stages before Bassani responded on Lap 3 to move ahead of Rea to claim what turned into third place to claim his first podium on home soil and his first of the 2023 campaign as he pulled out a gap over Rea behind him.
Rea claimed fourth place after losing touch with Bassani as the race progressed, but he was able to finish more than two seconds clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in fifth place as he enjoyed a strong Emilia-Romagna Round. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) came home in sixth place after fending off Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in the closing stages of the race to take six, finishing a second behind Vierge and 0.245s clear of Petrucci in seventh after he bounced back from two incidents in the Tissot Superpole Race.
WorldSBK will be back in action for the Prosecco DOC UK Round at Donington Park from the 30th of June to the 2nd of July.
Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Manzi won the 18-lap race by 0.2 second over Nicolo Bulega, who rode an Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Marcel Schroetter was a close third on his factory MV Agusta F3 RR, an 800cc triple.
Defending Champion Alvaro Bautista rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R to a narrow victory in the World Superbike Superpole race Sunday at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Toprak Razgatlioglu finished second, just 0.101 second behind Bautista and just 0.637 second ahead of Bautista’s teammate Michael Rinaldi in third.
American Garrett Gerloff placed 9th overall on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Saturday’s MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup by Motul race results from the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
There are two PDFs below. The first contains the Race One results for each of the five Mini Cup classes, and the second contains the Race Two results for each of the five Mini Cup classes. Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
Mikayla Moore won Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race One Saturday at Road America. Making her debut in the class, 19-year-old Moore won the five-lap race by 17.206 seconds on her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.
Crystal Martinez got the runner-up spot by 1.5 seconds over third-place Sonya Lloyd.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck retired with a mechanical problem.
Kyle Wyman, riding his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide, won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One Saturday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Wyman edged out defending Champion Tyler O’Hara and his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger by 0.567 second.
Third place went to James Rispoli, who used his Vance & Hines/Mission Harley-Davidson Road Glide to beat O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams by 0.418 second.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim rounded out the top five finishers.
Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One Saturday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Beaubier started second but lost several places when he ran wide in Turn Three on the first lap. The Californian then worked his way forward, turned the fastest lap of the race at 2:09.396 (a new Race Lap Record), and took the lead on lap six.
Beaubier was pulling away at the front on lap nine when Zachary Butler’s Yamaha suffered an engine failure and dumped fluid on the front straightaway, causing the race to be stopped.
With two-thirds race distance completed and a significant cleanup to do, MotoAmerica called the race complete based on the lap-eight running order.
Josh Herrin led from the start until he was passed by Beaubier on lap six. The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider then lost another spot when Beaubier’s teammate PJ Jacobsen stuffed him going into the chicane on lap eight, forcing him to run wide.
Jacobsen was running second just ahead of Herrin when the race was stopped, and they were awarded second and third, respectively.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fourth, just four seconds behind Jacobsen and Herrin when the race was stopped.
Cameron Petersen got fifth on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
Petersen’s teammate, two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne, retired after suffering a mechanical problem on lap seven.
With Beaubier’s win and Gagne’s DNF, Beaubier takes over the Championship point lead.
All Change At The Top: Beaubier Wins, Gagne DNFs In Race One At Road America Cameron Beaubier Wins His 11th Superbike Race In Wisconsin
Cameron Beaubier (6) bounced back to pass both Josh Herrin (2) and PJ Jacobsen (99) en route to victory in Saturday’s Medallia Superbike race at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2023) – A near off-track excursion in turn three of Road America on the opening lap of the Medallia Superbike race dropped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier back in the thick of the pack, but it didn’t’ stop him from working his way to the front and ultimately scoring his second race win of the season.
After completing lap one in sixth, while pole sitter Josh Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R streaked away at the front of the field, Beaubier put his head down and started his charge. On lap two, Beaubier was fourth and a lap later he was third. He stayed there for two more laps before passing his teammate PJ Jacobsen and chasing down Herrin. Beaubier took the lead on the sixth lap and two laps later the race was red flagged when a blown engine oiled the racing surface. At that point the race was called complete with Beaubier 2.7 seconds clear of Jacobsen, who forced his way past Herrin and into second the lap prior.
Beaubier not only won his 11th career Superbike race at Road America (and 56th of his Superbike career), but he also took over the lead of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship when Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne suffered a mechanical issue that knocked him out of the race and the points lead.
After five races in 2023, Beaubier leads the title chase by four points, 99-95, heading into tomorrow’s second race as Gagne’s weekend went from bad to horrible on Saturday.
Herrin held on for third place after earning pole position with a new lap record in qualifying on Saturday morning.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante finished fourth for the second race in a row, ending up four seconds adrift of Herrin and four and a half seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen, the South African bravely racing despite an injured right wrist.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Toni Elias was sixth, well clear of seventh-placed Corey Alexander on the third Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was eighth after being penalized two positions for passing under a waving yellow flag. Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounded out the top 10 finishers.
With Beaubier atop the standings with 99 points, Gagne is second on 95 with Scholtz and his 71 points third. Herrin is fourth with 65 points with Escalante rounding out the top five with 56 points.
Superbike Race One
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Toni Elias (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Superbike Quotes
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“I just basically ran out of track on the outside. When you’re braking straight up and down there without any angle, it’s really easy to run wide. I knew once I was wide off the racing line the track is slick because it almost caught me out a couple times this weekend just being off-line and having the rear end come around and the front push. So, I just tried to make sure I got through there on two wheels and then started my race from there.”
That’s your 11th win at this track. Is it a track you’ve always enjoyed?
“Yeah. Something about this track is just special for me. I love coming here. It seems like for the most part we always get pretty lucky on the weather here. Just staying by Elkhart Lake and going to have dinner at night. It’s just an amazing area. This track really suits my style, I feel like. It’s kind of crazy to think that I’ve got eleven wins here, for sure.”
PJ Jacobsen – Second Place
“It got off to a pretty decent start. I think my starts have not been too great this year, so I’ve still got to figure out how to get off the line. Then I was just sitting behind Josh. He kind of got away and pulled a little gap in the beginning, then I caught up to him. Cam ran wide in turn two because of some stuff. The race was going pretty good. I just had a problem with my brakes. They were just very inconsistent. So, we need to take a look at that because I was pretty not thrilled about that in the race with my front brakes. I really couldn’t make any overtaking passes straight up and down. Josh is always good on the brakes and that kind of hurt me in the race with that problem going on. But I had to make a pass in the carousel because he was struggling there after a few laps. So, I went into the chicane and that was my only option. So, I had to do that and then I kind of just stood on the rear brake to completely stop the bike. I ran Josh a little bit wide, and he had to cut the chicane, probably. I apologized to him for that. It’s a bummer that it got red-flagged because it would have been nice to finish the race completely, the twelve laps. But congratulations to my teammate. He did a great job. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and be stronger and have a better race all of us tomorrow again.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Yeah. I’m happy with how the bike was the first couple laps. Then really like lap three I started getting really big front tucks in the carousel where there was just nothing I could do. I tried changing my line through. I thought maybe I went in tight, maybe I did something wrong, but it just ended up after lap three, lap four once I tried that, I tried everything I could in the carousel, and it didn’t work. Then it started happening on the right-hand corners so I kind of figured the front was chewed. I’m honestly kind of lucky that the race got called early because I was worried about the guys behind me catching me just because it was getting so bad. We haven’t had any problems with the front tire the whole weekend. It’s been perfectly fine. We did 14 laps on the front on Friday morning and did our fastest lap at the end on the last lap. It’s frustrating because we got a lap record this morning. Got off to a great start. I felt really good. Stayed out of trouble. To have something like that be the reason why we are sitting third instead of possibly at least second and closer to the front is disappointing. Super happy with the work that my team has done. We’ve got the bike working really well this weekend. The incident with PJ going into the chicane, I think he just got in there a little bit hot. He said his brakes weren’t working that great. I felt like I didn’t have anywhere to go except to go straight, because I just felt like it would be safer than trying to make that turn where I was on the track. Like I said, disappointed but also at the same time happy to get some solid points. I know Gagne had an engine problem, so we were able to make up at least whatever it is, 16 points on him. So, that’s good. We’ve just got to try to capitalize on having a good bike at this racetrack tomorrow, and hopefully we’re further up in the battle.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Petersen Bounces Back to Top Five Finish in Road America Race 1
Cameron Petersen takes a top-five finish despite a challenging start to the weekend for the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team
MARIETTA, Ga. – June 3, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen overcame challenges to secure a top-five finish in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Road America. Unfortunately, his teammate Jake Gagne was unable to finish the race.
The third round of the championship got off to a tough start with limited track time on the newly repaved surface at the 4.05-mile track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In addition to those challenges, Petersen came into the weekend not quite 100% with a wrist injury, but he overcame adversity and had a solid qualifying result in fifth. The South African was seventh after the start but kept pushing and advanced to fifth, where he would ultimately finish the shortened red-flagged race.
Although he didn’t have many laps in qualifying, Gagne quickly got up to speed and was able to qualify sixth. The reigning champ got a great start from the second row of the grid, slotted into third, and moved into the runner-up spot. He was shuffled back to third a lap later and then to fourth before having to withdraw from the race on Lap 7 with a technical issue.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team looks to return to the top in tomorrow’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 on Sunday, June 4, at Road America.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“This weekend has been challenging with technical issues and limited time on a track surface that does not seem to suit our bikes. Despite those challenges, Jake is ready to race tomorrow, and Cameron is riding well despite his wrist injury. We will bounce back as usual and continue the championship fight.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I didn’t really know what to expect going into the race after doing pretty much no laps, but I was able to find my feet and the speed towards the end of the race. I’m excited for race two now that we know what we need to work on.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough start going into race one without having many laps. This new surface has thrown us a curveball, but we still learned a lot and can make improvements for tomorrow. Luck wasn’t on our side with a technical issue, but I’m up for the challenge!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.:
SUZUKI RACERS TEAGG HOBBS AND RICHIE ESCALANTE EARN FOURTH PLACE RESULTS AT ROAD AMERICA
GSX-R750s Continue to Dominate the Supersport Class
BREA, CA – June 4, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer displayed impressive speed and consistency on Saturday, scooping up four top-six finishes as the MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport race action kicked off on the blazing fast Road America circuit.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his best-ever premier-class finish with a second consecutive ride to fourth.
Toni Elias made big strides with his best performance of the season.
Supersport
Teagg Hobbs charged forward to earn the top result of his young Supersport career.
Tyler Scott led early before collecting solid points in sixth.
Richie Escalante (54) proves to be consistent aboard his GSX-R1000R. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante remains persistent in his hunt for a maiden MotoAmerica Superbike podium. Despite starting from Row 3, Escalante leaped off the line aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike and slashed his way up to fifth at the beginning of the race. Another pass executed while climbing the start/finish line hill at the end of the opening lap saw him earn one more position. Following a quick back-and-forth, Escalante established himself a clear and solid fourth, when the race was ultimately called complete with a red flag after eight of a scheduled 12 laps. The result equaled his best-ever finish in the class – marking the fourth time he’s finished fourth in Superbike and the second time he’s done so in as many attempts.
Escalante said, “After our good weekend at Barber, we are really motivated to keep improving. We have more top speed thanks to technical improvements from the team and a couple of suspension changes to try. Because the track was resurfaced, I came into it without too many expectations. I improved my race pace in practice and qualifying, but the fast lap on a soft tire wasn’t as fast as we would have liked. We had a solid race. I had a couple of moments with the front group, and then I worked on my consistency and pace. I was catching the rider in front of me, then he had a problem. In the end, I finished fourth. The crew is happy, and I am glad to finish with a good result. We have one more practice before Race 2 and will try to make some more improvements. We’re working hard to get that first Superbike podium.”
Making improvements every session, Toni Elias (24) finishes in the top six in Race 1. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Escalante was joined in the top six by his world championship-winning teammate, Toni Elias. The Spaniard showed major signs that he’s returning to form with a strong effort at Road America. After running eighth for much of the contest, Elias picked up two positions before the race stoppage, to end his day credited with a promising sixth.
“We made big, big changes and the team did a lot of work. I was 2.5 seconds faster today than yesterday,” said Elias. “I have more confidence and can attack more. I had fun riding the bike despite having a poor start. I was able to catch up to the group in front. I was ready to attack for podium positions but the red flag ended the race early. It was much better. Still not where we want but we will keep working to reduce the gap.”
With a fifth in Race 1, Teagg Hobbs (79) has his best finish of the season so far. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
The premier-class effort was mirrored by Team Hammer in Supersport, this time headlined by the ascending Teagg Hobbs. The class rookie was shuffled down to seventh early, but systematically clawed his way forward on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600. During his charge, Hobbs temporarily joined teammate Tyler Scott in a three-rider battle for fourth before ultimately running away with the position. Hobbs finished as the first of five Suzuki-mounted riders who together locked down fourth-through-eighth in what was Teagg’s best Supersport result yet.
“Being the top Suzuki rider feels great,” said Hobbs. “I didn’t have a really good start to the race, but I was trying to be consistent and run a fast pace. I was tracking down fourth and was able to get it done. If I can improve in the first few laps tomorrow, we have a good chance of running at the very front.”
Tyler Scott (70) is looking to make some improvements in Race 2 after a challenging first race. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Tyler Scott enjoyed a spectacular launch, diving into Turn 1 with the early lead. Displaced to fourth by the end of the lap, the aggressive Scott did what he could cling to the leading trio before finishing himself in a fight for his position. Scott ultimately settled into a clear sixth, where he took the checkered flag.
“We have had some challenges this weekend,” Scott admitted. “The suspension wasn’t where we needed to be, and the bike has been more difficult to ride at the pace we need to be upfront. We know where we need to go and will make some changes for tomorrow. I think we can improve for race two.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action tomorrow as the 2023 MotoAmerica season resumes with a second day of racing at Road America.
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 346 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.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Rossi Moor won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Starting from pole position on his Fairium NGRT – Gray Area Racing KTM RC 390 R, Moor got the holeshot and controlled the pace for much of the race on his way to his first win in the class.
Max Van, riding his SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki Ninja 400, drafted past Race One winner Avery Dreher on the run to the checkered flag to take the runner-up spot. Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki’s Dreher came in third by 0.057 second behind Van and left still holding the Championship point lead.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Travis Wyman won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Wyman, riding his Travis Wyman Racing BMW M 1000 RR, got the holeshot, never surrendered the lead, and won the eight-lap race by 2.130 seconds.
Kaleb De Keyrel pressured Wyman from start to finish but had to settle for second place on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Hayden Gillim ran off the track twice but fought back to salvage third place on his Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
De Keyrel’s teammate Ezra Beaubier ran off the track on the first lap, dropped back to eighth, and worked his way back up to salvage fourth, which allowed him to maintain the Championship point lead.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Mikayla Moore completed her perfect debut by taking another victory in Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Race Two Sunday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Riding her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, Moore won the five-lap race by 11.786 seconds.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck bounced back from a mechanical DNF in Race One to score second in Race Two.
Aubrey Credaroli placed third in the all-female race.
Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alvaro Bautista extended his Superbike World Championship lead with a victory in Race Two Sunday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Spaniard won the 21-lap race by 8.4 seconds. It was Bautista’s 10th win in 10 full-length races and his 14th win overall so far in 2023.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, and Axel Bassani finished on his Motocorsa Racing Ducati.
American Garrett Gerloff was ninth and the top-finishing BMW rider on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Dominant Bautista completes a hat-trick of wins on Ducati’s home soil
Alvaro Bautista (1) Photo courtesy Dorna.
Reigning WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista beat Toprak Razgatlioglu and Axel Bassani in Race 2 to take his tenth consecutive victory. He became the first rider in WorldSBK history with 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. He extends his lead his championship tally to 298 points.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“Fortunately, in red or yellow, I have the same feeling with the bike. We had the same performance, so the colour doesn’t matter, what’s important is inside. It was a very special weekend for Ducati and also for me because, in the end, I feel half-Italian half-Spanish because I’ve worked with Ducati for many years, and I feel so good. Last year, we won two out of three races but this year we did the hat-trick so I’m happy.
It’s unbelievable how we started the season, but the important thing is the feeling I have with the bike. I can ride it at my best, and I can get to the limit of the bike at all tracks and in all situations so I’m really happy for that. Records are to be looked at after my retirement but, now, we are building our way to try and keep this feeling with the bike to work. This is not the end. We have to keep working like this.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu took second place in Race 2 as he crossed the finish line 8.446s behind the race winner. He remains second in the standings with 212 points, 86 fewer than Bautista.
Local hero Axel Bassani completed the Race 2 podium to take his fifth podium, the first one since San Juan 2022. He is fifth in the standings with 126 points and is the top Independent rider.
P3 | Axel Bassani | Motorcorsa Racing
“It’s a really special place for a first podium of the year. I’m really happy for the team because we worked really hard and never gave up. I’m really happy and want to continue in this way but now we need to enjoy the moment and then focus on the next races after! I’m totally happy, I don’t have a lot of words to say! To have a podium at home is like a victory!
It’s always special to battle with Jonathan; for me, he’s the best rider in WorldSBK as he’s a legend! To have some laps with him is good but it’s also good to beat him! Today, it was hard to do, because he’s crazy and like an animal! He pushes every lap until the end, but I’m happy to beat him. I made a mistake but recovered the position and tried to get to Toprak and Michael. I tried, but these are the races! I’m very happy!”
Jonathan Rea finished fourth, his best result since Catalunya Race 1. With 129 points, he stands in fourth place in the standings.
Third in the Championship standings with 150 points, Andrea Locatelli completed Race 2 top six.
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
There were fights up and down the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid during Race 2 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a stunning win to take a Misano hat-trick wearing a special yellow livery for Ducati, while his teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, crashed out from third place when fighting for the podium.
As the lights went out, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got the holeshot to lead into Turn 1 before Rinaldi battled his way through on his teammate at Turn 4 to move into second. However, it did not take long for Bautista to head to the front of the field as he overtook his teammate and then went through on Razgatlioglu at Turn 8 on Lap 2. From there, he was able to build a gap to Razgatlioglu behind him as the Turkish star found himself under pressure from Rinaldi.
That pressure soon told for Razgatlioglu as the pair battled it out for second place before Rinaldi overtook the 2021 Champion heading into Turn 8 on Lap 3. Despite Rinaldi pulling away, Razgatlioglu started closing the gap but, by the halfway point of the race, Rinaldi had stabilised the gap slightly to around three tenths. On Lap 13, Razgatlioglu again closed the gap on Rinaldi as he looked to take second place from the home hero. Razgatlioglu made his overtake on Rinaldi at Turn 8 on Lap 15 to move into second but Rinaldi kept the pressure on, with the pair making contact at Turn 1 when Rinaldi looked to re-gain second place; Rinaldi’s race ended when he went into the gravel.
Originally a battle for fourth but turning into a podium fight after Rinaldi’s crash, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) went head to head with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Rea got ahead in the early stages before Bassani responded on Lap 3 to move ahead of Rea to claim what turned into third place to claim his first podium on home soil and his first of the 2023 campaign as he pulled out a gap over Rea behind him.
Rea claimed fourth place after losing touch with Bassani as the race progressed, but he was able to finish more than two seconds clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in fifth place as he enjoyed a strong Emilia-Romagna Round. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) came home in sixth place after fending off Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in the closing stages of the race to take six, finishing a second behind Vierge and 0.245s clear of Petrucci in seventh after he bounced back from two incidents in the Tissot Superpole Race.
WorldSBK will be back in action for the Prosecco DOC UK Round at Donington Park from the 30th of June to the 2nd of July.
Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Manzi won the 18-lap race by 0.2 second over Nicolo Bulega, who rode an Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Marcel Schroetter was a close third on his factory MV Agusta F3 RR, an 800cc triple.
Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Defending Champion Alvaro Bautista rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R to a narrow victory in the World Superbike Superpole race Sunday at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Toprak Razgatlioglu finished second, just 0.101 second behind Bautista and just 0.637 second ahead of Bautista’s teammate Michael Rinaldi in third.
American Garrett Gerloff placed 9th overall on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Nathan Gouker (1). Photo by Klingsporn Media, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Saturday’s MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup by Motul race results from the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
There are two PDFs below. The first contains the Race One results for each of the five Mini Cup classes, and the second contains the Race Two results for each of the five Mini Cup classes. Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Mikayla Moore won Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Race One Saturday at Road America. Making her debut in the class, 19-year-old Moore won the five-lap race by 17.206 seconds on her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650.
Crystal Martinez got the runner-up spot by 1.5 seconds over third-place Sonya Lloyd.
Defending Champion Kayleigh Buyck retired with a mechanical problem.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Kyle Wyman, riding his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide, won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One Saturday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Wyman edged out defending Champion Tyler O’Hara and his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger by 0.567 second.
Third place went to James Rispoli, who used his Vance & Hines/Mission Harley-Davidson Road Glide to beat O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams by 0.418 second.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim rounded out the top five finishers.
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy Road America.
Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One Saturday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Beaubier started second but lost several places when he ran wide in Turn Three on the first lap. The Californian then worked his way forward, turned the fastest lap of the race at 2:09.396 (a new Race Lap Record), and took the lead on lap six.
Beaubier was pulling away at the front on lap nine when Zachary Butler’s Yamaha suffered an engine failure and dumped fluid on the front straightaway, causing the race to be stopped.
With two-thirds race distance completed and a significant cleanup to do, MotoAmerica called the race complete based on the lap-eight running order.
Josh Herrin led from the start until he was passed by Beaubier on lap six. The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider then lost another spot when Beaubier’s teammate PJ Jacobsen stuffed him going into the chicane on lap eight, forcing him to run wide.
Jacobsen was running second just ahead of Herrin when the race was stopped, and they were awarded second and third, respectively.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fourth, just four seconds behind Jacobsen and Herrin when the race was stopped.
Cameron Petersen got fifth on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
Petersen’s teammate, two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne, retired after suffering a mechanical problem on lap seven.
With Beaubier’s win and Gagne’s DNF, Beaubier takes over the Championship point lead.
All Change At The Top: Beaubier Wins, Gagne DNFs In Race One At Road America Cameron Beaubier Wins His 11th Superbike Race In Wisconsin
Cameron Beaubier (6) bounced back to pass both Josh Herrin (2) and PJ Jacobsen (99) en route to victory in Saturday’s Medallia Superbike race at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2023) – A near off-track excursion in turn three of Road America on the opening lap of the Medallia Superbike race dropped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier back in the thick of the pack, but it didn’t’ stop him from working his way to the front and ultimately scoring his second race win of the season.
After completing lap one in sixth, while pole sitter Josh Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R streaked away at the front of the field, Beaubier put his head down and started his charge. On lap two, Beaubier was fourth and a lap later he was third. He stayed there for two more laps before passing his teammate PJ Jacobsen and chasing down Herrin. Beaubier took the lead on the sixth lap and two laps later the race was red flagged when a blown engine oiled the racing surface. At that point the race was called complete with Beaubier 2.7 seconds clear of Jacobsen, who forced his way past Herrin and into second the lap prior.
Beaubier not only won his 11th career Superbike race at Road America (and 56th of his Superbike career), but he also took over the lead of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship when Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne suffered a mechanical issue that knocked him out of the race and the points lead.
After five races in 2023, Beaubier leads the title chase by four points, 99-95, heading into tomorrow’s second race as Gagne’s weekend went from bad to horrible on Saturday.
Herrin held on for third place after earning pole position with a new lap record in qualifying on Saturday morning.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante finished fourth for the second race in a row, ending up four seconds adrift of Herrin and four and a half seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen, the South African bravely racing despite an injured right wrist.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Toni Elias was sixth, well clear of seventh-placed Corey Alexander on the third Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was eighth after being penalized two positions for passing under a waving yellow flag. Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounded out the top 10 finishers.
With Beaubier atop the standings with 99 points, Gagne is second on 95 with Scholtz and his 71 points third. Herrin is fourth with 65 points with Escalante rounding out the top five with 56 points.
Superbike Race One
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Toni Elias (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Superbike Quotes
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“I just basically ran out of track on the outside. When you’re braking straight up and down there without any angle, it’s really easy to run wide. I knew once I was wide off the racing line the track is slick because it almost caught me out a couple times this weekend just being off-line and having the rear end come around and the front push. So, I just tried to make sure I got through there on two wheels and then started my race from there.”
That’s your 11th win at this track. Is it a track you’ve always enjoyed?
“Yeah. Something about this track is just special for me. I love coming here. It seems like for the most part we always get pretty lucky on the weather here. Just staying by Elkhart Lake and going to have dinner at night. It’s just an amazing area. This track really suits my style, I feel like. It’s kind of crazy to think that I’ve got eleven wins here, for sure.”
PJ Jacobsen – Second Place
“It got off to a pretty decent start. I think my starts have not been too great this year, so I’ve still got to figure out how to get off the line. Then I was just sitting behind Josh. He kind of got away and pulled a little gap in the beginning, then I caught up to him. Cam ran wide in turn two because of some stuff. The race was going pretty good. I just had a problem with my brakes. They were just very inconsistent. So, we need to take a look at that because I was pretty not thrilled about that in the race with my front brakes. I really couldn’t make any overtaking passes straight up and down. Josh is always good on the brakes and that kind of hurt me in the race with that problem going on. But I had to make a pass in the carousel because he was struggling there after a few laps. So, I went into the chicane and that was my only option. So, I had to do that and then I kind of just stood on the rear brake to completely stop the bike. I ran Josh a little bit wide, and he had to cut the chicane, probably. I apologized to him for that. It’s a bummer that it got red-flagged because it would have been nice to finish the race completely, the twelve laps. But congratulations to my teammate. He did a great job. Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and be stronger and have a better race all of us tomorrow again.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Yeah. I’m happy with how the bike was the first couple laps. Then really like lap three I started getting really big front tucks in the carousel where there was just nothing I could do. I tried changing my line through. I thought maybe I went in tight, maybe I did something wrong, but it just ended up after lap three, lap four once I tried that, I tried everything I could in the carousel, and it didn’t work. Then it started happening on the right-hand corners so I kind of figured the front was chewed. I’m honestly kind of lucky that the race got called early because I was worried about the guys behind me catching me just because it was getting so bad. We haven’t had any problems with the front tire the whole weekend. It’s been perfectly fine. We did 14 laps on the front on Friday morning and did our fastest lap at the end on the last lap. It’s frustrating because we got a lap record this morning. Got off to a great start. I felt really good. Stayed out of trouble. To have something like that be the reason why we are sitting third instead of possibly at least second and closer to the front is disappointing. Super happy with the work that my team has done. We’ve got the bike working really well this weekend. The incident with PJ going into the chicane, I think he just got in there a little bit hot. He said his brakes weren’t working that great. I felt like I didn’t have anywhere to go except to go straight, because I just felt like it would be safer than trying to make that turn where I was on the track. Like I said, disappointed but also at the same time happy to get some solid points. I know Gagne had an engine problem, so we were able to make up at least whatever it is, 16 points on him. So, that’s good. We’ve just got to try to capitalize on having a good bike at this racetrack tomorrow, and hopefully we’re further up in the battle.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Petersen Bounces Back to Top Five Finish in Road America Race 1
Cameron Petersen takes a top-five finish despite a challenging start to the weekend for the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team
MARIETTA, Ga. – June 3, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen overcame challenges to secure a top-five finish in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Road America. Unfortunately, his teammate Jake Gagne was unable to finish the race.
The third round of the championship got off to a tough start with limited track time on the newly repaved surface at the 4.05-mile track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In addition to those challenges, Petersen came into the weekend not quite 100% with a wrist injury, but he overcame adversity and had a solid qualifying result in fifth. The South African was seventh after the start but kept pushing and advanced to fifth, where he would ultimately finish the shortened red-flagged race.
Although he didn’t have many laps in qualifying, Gagne quickly got up to speed and was able to qualify sixth. The reigning champ got a great start from the second row of the grid, slotted into third, and moved into the runner-up spot. He was shuffled back to third a lap later and then to fourth before having to withdraw from the race on Lap 7 with a technical issue.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team looks to return to the top in tomorrow’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 on Sunday, June 4, at Road America.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“This weekend has been challenging with technical issues and limited time on a track surface that does not seem to suit our bikes. Despite those challenges, Jake is ready to race tomorrow, and Cameron is riding well despite his wrist injury. We will bounce back as usual and continue the championship fight.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I didn’t really know what to expect going into the race after doing pretty much no laps, but I was able to find my feet and the speed towards the end of the race. I’m excited for race two now that we know what we need to work on.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough start going into race one without having many laps. This new surface has thrown us a curveball, but we still learned a lot and can make improvements for tomorrow. Luck wasn’t on our side with a technical issue, but I’m up for the challenge!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.:
SUZUKI RACERS TEAGG HOBBS AND RICHIE ESCALANTE EARN FOURTH PLACE RESULTS AT ROAD AMERICA
GSX-R750s Continue to Dominate the Supersport Class
BREA, CA – June 4, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer displayed impressive speed and consistency on Saturday, scooping up four top-six finishes as the MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport race action kicked off on the blazing fast Road America circuit.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his best-ever premier-class finish with a second consecutive ride to fourth.
Toni Elias made big strides with his best performance of the season.
Supersport
Teagg Hobbs charged forward to earn the top result of his young Supersport career.
Tyler Scott led early before collecting solid points in sixth.
Richie Escalante (54) proves to be consistent aboard his GSX-R1000R. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante remains persistent in his hunt for a maiden MotoAmerica Superbike podium. Despite starting from Row 3, Escalante leaped off the line aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike and slashed his way up to fifth at the beginning of the race. Another pass executed while climbing the start/finish line hill at the end of the opening lap saw him earn one more position. Following a quick back-and-forth, Escalante established himself a clear and solid fourth, when the race was ultimately called complete with a red flag after eight of a scheduled 12 laps. The result equaled his best-ever finish in the class – marking the fourth time he’s finished fourth in Superbike and the second time he’s done so in as many attempts.
Escalante said, “After our good weekend at Barber, we are really motivated to keep improving. We have more top speed thanks to technical improvements from the team and a couple of suspension changes to try. Because the track was resurfaced, I came into it without too many expectations. I improved my race pace in practice and qualifying, but the fast lap on a soft tire wasn’t as fast as we would have liked. We had a solid race. I had a couple of moments with the front group, and then I worked on my consistency and pace. I was catching the rider in front of me, then he had a problem. In the end, I finished fourth. The crew is happy, and I am glad to finish with a good result. We have one more practice before Race 2 and will try to make some more improvements. We’re working hard to get that first Superbike podium.”
Making improvements every session, Toni Elias (24) finishes in the top six in Race 1. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Escalante was joined in the top six by his world championship-winning teammate, Toni Elias. The Spaniard showed major signs that he’s returning to form with a strong effort at Road America. After running eighth for much of the contest, Elias picked up two positions before the race stoppage, to end his day credited with a promising sixth.
“We made big, big changes and the team did a lot of work. I was 2.5 seconds faster today than yesterday,” said Elias. “I have more confidence and can attack more. I had fun riding the bike despite having a poor start. I was able to catch up to the group in front. I was ready to attack for podium positions but the red flag ended the race early. It was much better. Still not where we want but we will keep working to reduce the gap.”
With a fifth in Race 1, Teagg Hobbs (79) has his best finish of the season so far. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
The premier-class effort was mirrored by Team Hammer in Supersport, this time headlined by the ascending Teagg Hobbs. The class rookie was shuffled down to seventh early, but systematically clawed his way forward on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600. During his charge, Hobbs temporarily joined teammate Tyler Scott in a three-rider battle for fourth before ultimately running away with the position. Hobbs finished as the first of five Suzuki-mounted riders who together locked down fourth-through-eighth in what was Teagg’s best Supersport result yet.
“Being the top Suzuki rider feels great,” said Hobbs. “I didn’t have a really good start to the race, but I was trying to be consistent and run a fast pace. I was tracking down fourth and was able to get it done. If I can improve in the first few laps tomorrow, we have a good chance of running at the very front.”
Tyler Scott (70) is looking to make some improvements in Race 2 after a challenging first race. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.
Tyler Scott enjoyed a spectacular launch, diving into Turn 1 with the early lead. Displaced to fourth by the end of the lap, the aggressive Scott did what he could cling to the leading trio before finishing himself in a fight for his position. Scott ultimately settled into a clear sixth, where he took the checkered flag.
“We have had some challenges this weekend,” Scott admitted. “The suspension wasn’t where we needed to be, and the bike has been more difficult to ride at the pace we need to be upfront. We know where we need to go and will make some changes for tomorrow. I think we can improve for race two.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action tomorrow as the 2023 MotoAmerica season resumes with a second day of racing at Road America.
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 346 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.
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Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to