BACK TO EUROPE: GASGAS FACTORY RACING TECH3 HEADS TO ICONIC JEREZ CIRCUIT FOR SPANISH GRAND PRIX
It is time for MotoGP™ to start its European tour, and the first stop of GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 is nowhere else than at the iconic Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, which will host the Gran Premio de España, the fourth round of this 2023 campaign.
After scoring his first MotoGP™ Top 10 in Austin, in addition to closing the third race out of three in the points, rookie Augusto Fernandez will be looking forward to coming back to more familiar tracks, and Jerez is without a doubt one that the Spaniard will have the most experience on. However, hitting the iconic Andalousian layout with a MotoGP™ machine will be a different story, but the three past weekends have proven that Augusto has adapted surprisingly well to the tracks with his GASGAS RC16. With fifteen points in the bag, he will look to continue his progress in the category, with the objectives to reduce the gap with the other riders, and why not finishing in higher positions in both the Tissot sprint on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.
On the other side of the garage, German Jonas Folger will once again line up with GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 as captain Pol Espargaro continues his recovery at home. The number 94 made an impressive comeback at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas for his first race in MotoGP™ in six years, as he finished twelfth and scored points for his adoptive team. He will head to Jerez with more experience on the RC16, and his good memories from the past at the circuit (Moto2™ win in 2015) should help him heading to Spain with even more enthusiasm. Folger will also participate in the Official Jerez MotoGP™ Test, on Monday, May 1st.
Don’t miss the action from the Spanish Grand Prix with Practice 1 starting at 10:45 local time (GMT+2), followed by the one hour long Practice 2 at 15:00. The first highlights of the weekend will already be on Saturday morning just after the free practice, with the qualifying sessions kicking off at 10:50. Rookie Augusto Fernandez will line up for the first time in MotoGP™ on home turf for the Tissot Sprint, at 15:00 (GMT+2). Finally, all eyes will be on Sunday’s race, scheduled at 14:00 local time, and both GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 riders will look to fly the flag of Spanish brand GASGAS as high as possible.
Augusto Fernandez
Championship: 15th
Points: 14
“I can not wait to go to Jerez for the Spanish Grand Prix. To be honest, I am really looking forward to being back in Europe on tracks that I know better, at least much more than Austin for example. Continuing our progression is our main goal, but I am hoping that my level of knowledge of this track will help me to be closer to the other guys and fight for higher positions.”
Jonas Folger
Championship: 21st
Points: 4
“With Texas in the bag, we have a bit more experience with the bike and the team now, so I feel confident about going to Jerez. It is a familiar track to me and I have good memories there from the past, including a win in Moto2 and a podium in the 125cc category. It is definitely one of my favorite tracks, so I am looking forward to going racing there with my team and more confidence, and hopefully we can make a good result.”
Nicholas Goyon, Team Manager
“We are back racing in Europe for the fourth round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, and we are starting the European tour at the iconic Andalousian circuit in Jerez. After an impressive start to his rookie season and his first top 10 in Austin, Augusto Fernandez will aim to achieve a strong result at his first home race in MotoGP. According to the last tests made in Jerez back in March, the Pierer Mobilty machine seems to have made some significant steps and we are all looking forward to discovering them in Jerez this week. On the other side of the garage, Jonas Folger will once again line up with us while Pol Espargaro carries on with his recovery. Jonas scored strong points in Austin for his comeback in the category and will aim to continue in this direction. He will also help the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 team to develop the bike as he will attend the Jerez Test with us on Monday, May 1st.”
KODY KOPP AND MAX WHALE TAKE TOP FIVE FINISHES FOR RED BULL KTM IN DALLAS HALF-MILE
Round 5 – American Flat Track Championship
MESQUITE, Tex. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Kody Kopp and Max Whale each claimed top five results in AFT Singles during the fifth round of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with the Dallas Half-Mile featuring at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Texas.
Following a difficult qualifying session, defending champion Kopp regrouped in the opening Heat race of the night, securing a direct transfer to the Main Event after a third-place finish. From there, it was a determined ride from Kopp onboard his KTM 450 SX-F to a fourth-place result in the fast-paced Main Event, maintaining his AFT Singles points-lead five rounds into the season.
Red Bull KTM’s Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Kody Kopp: “We ended up P4 on the night and I was super happy with my riding. We started the Main Event as far back as 10th on the lap charts, just had to dig because it was totally different riding and the line was up really high in the Main Event. I just had to go to work, fought my way through the pack to make seven passes all the way up to fourth place, and had some great battles! I really closed in on the leaders over the last few laps, was within about two-tenths of a podium position, so that was huge progress. Hats off to my whole team, we’re really looking forward to these next rounds now.”
Red Bull KTM teammate Whale began the day inside the top five at the conclusion of qualifying, continuing his early season form. A fifth-place ride in the opening Heat of the night set him up well for the Main Event, where he would also charge through the pack on his way to a fifth-place result, retaining third in the standings as the series next heads to Ventura, California.
Red Bull KTM’s Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Max Whale: “Dallas started out pretty good, qualifying fifth, and then I sort of struggled a little bit in the Heat, but was able to finish fifth again. I fought really hard in the Main Event, was outside of the top 10 on the first lap, and came through to fifth. To bring it home fifth was a really good night, for what could have happened being so far back early on. We salvaged a strong points finish, the team worked really hard all day, and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Next Race: Ventura Short Track – Ventura, California – May 6, 2023
Round 5 Results
AFT Singles Main event
1. Trent Lowe, Honda
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Morgen Mischler, Honda
4. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
5. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
7. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
9. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
13. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Clarke Morian V, KTM
16. Justin Jones, KTM
17. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 102 points
2. Dalton Gauthier, 98
3. Max Whale, 86
OTHER KTM
11. Justin Jones, 40
13. Logan Eisenhard, 25
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 22
16. Travis Petton IV, 19
18. Hayden Gillim, 14
22. Hunter Bauer, 11
24. Clarke Morian V, 10
25. Tanner Dean, 9
30. Olin Kissler, 4
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
Indian Motorcycle Racing and Reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees Win Big at Dallas Half-Mile
Mees Captures Second Win of the Season, Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson Finishes Third
Jared Mees (1). Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
MINNEAPOLIS – Under the lights of the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) action continued, where Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their second win of the season. Taking third and reaching the podium for the second time this season was Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson.
Piloting his Indian FTR750, Mees took the hole shot off the line during Saturday night’s Main event. After falling back to fourth and chasing a pack of three riders, Mees was able to stay close and make a move past the group along the outside. Once there, the eight-time champion locked in and kept his lead until the checkered flag.
“This was a classic bounce back performance by Jared, as he knows each and every race is critical to the season standings as he continues to chip away and push for his record-tying ninth championship,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “It’s great to see Robinson grind out a podium finish. He’s one of the sport’s most talented riders, and we’d expect to see plenty more top finishes from him and his team this season.”
For Robinson, consistency was key as he started near the back of the pack, but steadily improved his positioning throughout the race. One-by-one, Robinson edged his way into third place with two laps to go and would finish in this position.
Mees’s second win of the season places him squarely in second on the leaderboard with 96 total points – 17 points off the lead. The 2023 AFT season will continue on Saturday, May 6, at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Gagne Returns to the Top in Epic Superbike Battle at Road Atlanta
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne wins MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Road Atlanta
MARIETTA, Ga. – April 24, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne came out on top in a thrilling MotoAmerica Superbike battle in Race 2 at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. It was a strong start to the season for the reigning back-to-back MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, whose second and first-place finish at the opening round has him tied for the points lead. Unfortunately, his teammate Cameron Petersen had a technical issue early in the restarted race and did not finish.
Once again, Gagne grabbed the holeshot, but he would have to make another attempt at a perfect start from pole position as the race was red-flagged on the second lap. The race was shortened to 15 laps with a complete restart, and this time he found himself second but moved into the lead at the end of the opening lap. From there on, it was a heated battle with multiple lead changes. Around the halfway point, a third rider was added to the mix, and shortly after, a fourth, making it an absolute dogfight for top honors. Sitting third, Gagne reclaimed the lead after the frontrunners made contact on the final lap and rode on to his 30th-career superbike victory and first of the season.
Petersen went into the final race of the opening round looking to fight for a win. The South African had a good start both times in third, but unfortunately, on Lap 3, he had a technical issue and had to withdraw from the race.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team returns to action next month for Round 2 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on May 19-21.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“I think it was a super exciting race for the fans. It’s something different than they’ve seen in the last three years, with us pretty much dominating every single weekend. So I think it was fun for the fans. I’m glad some of the other manufacturers are in the mix, and we get to bring a lot of excitement. Jake rode really well, despite his arm pump. The pace was quite a bit slower than we were last year, so we’re trying to figure out why. It could have been Jake’s arm pump, or maybe it’s the new Dunlops. We haven’t got our heads around it quite yet, but we’ll work on that. I think Barber should be a much better track for us, and we look to get back to dominating the competition.”
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“That was a crazy one! I got off to a good start. I really wanted to push the pace, but Cam (Beaubier) and I went back and forth in those first couple of laps. He knew I wanted to get away, so any opportunity that he could, he went past me, especially down into Turn 10. Then after that, the pace was pretty slow. I think at that point, we knew no one was getting away, so we were kind of sizing each other up for the last lap. I was in third, and I was kind of planning on that I could get a good drive up over the hill in the second-to-last turn and maybe make a pass there, but those guys came together in the kink at like 180 (mph). The seas just kind of parted, and I got straight down the center of them. I got a little lucky on that one, for sure. I was kind of counting on something crazy happening on that last lap. All things considered, I’m really happy leaving here. I had a lot of struggles with arm pump this weekend. From lap three on, I couldn’t ride as hard as I wanted to ride, so to come out of the first round with a second and first is pretty awesome.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“There’s not much to say, to be honest. It’s just one of those things; it’s just part of racing. I felt really good all weekend, other than the crash I had on Friday. I had some really good race pace, and even in the second race there, I felt really great. I really felt like I had the pace to go win one of these things this weekend. So I’m a little bit bummed out, but like I said, it’s part of racing. At least the next few tracks we go to are ones that I really enjoy. So, I’m going to bounce back and try and get some wins under my belt and claw my way back into this championship.”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
KYLE WYMAN DOES THE DOUBLE ON FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT ROAD ATLANTA
Two Wins and Three Lap Records as Wyman Takes MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Points Lead
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Bobby Fong (50) and the rest of the King Of The Baggers field at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman scored two convincing wins in MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers races on Saturday and Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. Wyman has now won three consecutive races on the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle and leads the King of the Baggers series in points.
“This is so awesome to win three in a row and grab that points lead,” said Wyman after Sunday’s victory. “We had no changes to the bike today from yesterday. That’s how good this Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson bike is. I’m having a lot of fun with our Road Glide. Let’s keep the momentum going for Road America.”
Wyman paced the field in Friday’s qualifying session on the 2.55-mile Road Atlanta course, setting a new track record for the King of the Baggers class with a lap of 1:30.427. Wyman took the lead at the start of the eight-lap race on Saturday and pulled away from the field, opening a gap of 2.67 seconds by lap 5 and breaking his own track record with a best lap of 1:30.304. Factory Indian racer Tyler O’Hara finished second, 3.09 seconds behind Wyman. Hayden Gillim finished third on the Vance & Hines Racing Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman finished in sixth place.
Travis Wyman (10) at speed on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
On Sunday, it was O’Hara leading the field from the start with Kyle Wyman on his rear tire. But before the end of the first lap, O’Hara ran off the track as Wyman challenged him on the brakes in turn 6 with O’Hara ultimately over-shooting the turn. Kyle then began to pull away from the field and led by 2.56 seconds after lap 4 and set yet another class record with a best lap time of 1:30.036. O’Hara recovered to finish second, 1.83 seconds behind Wyman, with Bobby Fong finishing third on the Roland Sands Indian. Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth respectively on their Vance & Hines Racing Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles. Travis Wyman finished seventh on the Factory Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
After four of 14 rounds in the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Kyle Wyman leads the championship with 75 points, followed by Rispoli with 67 points and Gillim with 65 points. O’Hara sits in fourth place with 61 points. Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis is fifth with 37 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team returns to action June 2-4 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Road Atlanta Race 1
Kyle Wyman (H-D) Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
Hayden Gillim (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
Bobby Fong (Ind) Sacramento Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands
Harley-Davidson invites you to enhance the 2023 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season with some adrenaline pumping action. Check out, ‘Push the Limit,’ a film that shares the story of defending 2021 champion Kyle Wyman, teammate Travis Wyman and the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle race team’s 2022 championship pursuit. Watch it now on Harley-Davidson’s YouTube channel.
Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure and freedom for the soul. Go to H-D.com to learn more about the complete line of 2023 Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring, Sport, Adventure Touring, Cruiser and Trike motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Certified™ pre-owned motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, Harley-Davidson MotorClothes and gear, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia USA:
LANDERS WINS, RODIO EXTENDS MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP POINTS LEAD ABOARD RS 660 AT ROAD ATLANTA
RODIO RACING, POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING, RIDERS FINISH FIRST AND SECOND IN RACE 2 ON SUNDAY
BRASELTON, GA – 24 APRIL 2023 – Three years ago, the Aprilia RS 660 made its debut in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship at Road Atlanta, each year showing new competition, with no shortage of challenges at the Georgia circuit. After a competitive weekend, and Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio claimed half of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium finishes at the April 21-23 event to give the Aprilia RS 660 its second victory in four races this season, with Gus Rodio adding to his lead in the Twins Cup points standings.
The three-time MotoAmerica class champion Landers – who was filling in for injured rider Ben Gloddy – claimed a pole position and a win in his first weekend competing aboard an Aprilia and ended the weekend in eighth place in the Twins Cup standings. Gus Rodio’s pair of second place finishes allowed him to end the weekend with a 26 point advantage over the second rider in the championship as they head to Barber in May.
Optimum Performance Motorsports’ Jody Barry put in a strong performance, qualifying second on the starting grid, before an injury prevented him from competing in either of the round’s two Twins Cup contests.
The weekend began with an Aprilia RS 660 at the top of the time sheets. Landers was the fastest rider in Friday morning practice and was more than half a second faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished Friday practice third fastest, while Barry struggled in the session to finish 11th. Later Friday, Landers was again the top rider in the first of two qualifying sessions. He posted a best lap time of 1:31.907 and was nearly a second faster than Barry — who was the second-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth to give Aprilia three of the top four provisional qualifying positions.
Landers again paced the field in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but track conditions did not allow riders to improve their lap times from Qualifying 1 — which handed Landers pole position and ensured Barry and Rodio would start the weekend’s races from second place and fourth place, respectively.
In the lead up to Saturday’s Race 1, Barry had an unfortunate incident on the warm-up lap and crashed near Turn 5. The damage to his motorcycle did now allow him to participate in the race. When racing did get underway, Rodio got a good jump when the lights went out and was running in second as the field took the holeshot. Landers didn’t get off the line well but was running just behind Rodio and another rider. That group of three riders steadily broke away from the rest of the field during the first lap. Landers’ race was unfortunately cut short by a mechanical failure that his motorcycle suffered near the end of Lap 3, leaving Rodio and the other rider to vie for the win. Both riders took turns in the lead, and Rodio made a calculated attempt to get the lead back on the last lap. His effort came up short, but he still managed to finish second and add 20 points to his championship bid. Rodio was one of two Aprilia riders to finish in the top 10, as Righteous Racing’s Ray Hofman came home in 10th.
Sunday’s Race 2 featured a notable absence on the starting grid, as Barry was not cleared to take part in the race.
Landers made his presence known from the start of Race 2 and put in a commanding performance. He got a good launch off the line, grabbed the holeshot, and continued with a lead that was never in doubt. As Rodio labored through a three-way battle for second, Landers gradually built a lead that topped out at more than seven seconds. He took the win by 4.166 seconds. Rodio finished nine of the race’s 12 laps in second place and pulled away from the third-place rider during the last two laps to secure his second runner-up finish of the weekend and give the Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team its first 1-2 finish of the 2023 season. Landers’ best lap time of 1:31.950 in Race 2 lowered the Twins Cup race lap record by more than 0.8 seconds.
Two other Aprilia riders also finished in the top 10 in Race 2. Unreal Racing’s Daniel Garver finished in ninth place and Hofman secured his second 10th-place finish of the round.
Rodio’s pair of second place finishes added 40 points to his tally, giving him 85 points on the season and a 26-points lead in the Twins Cup points standings. Though he didn’t score any points in Race 1, Landers’ victory on Sunday elevated him to eighth in the class standings with 25 points to his credit.
Of the 38 riders registered to compete in MotoAmerica Twins Cup at the Road Atlanta round, 18 were slated to race aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a three-weekend break before it’s back in action May 19-21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo courtesy Aprilia USA.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“My first time on the Aprilia RS 660 was amazing. It handled very similar to a 600cc bike, in that it gave me a ton of feel on the front tire. I really like riding it. It’s really easy to adapt to, which is a blessing when you get on a new bike. Once I got on it, I knew I was going to gel with it immediately. Saturday’s race was a bit of a bummer, but a day like today always makes you feel better about a day like yesterday. I’m very, very happy to be able to ride the Aprilia to a win today, and I’m excited about the rest of the season.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo courtesy Aprilia USA.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“Overall, it was a pretty good weekend here at Road Atlanta. I’m super happy to get a double podium and extend my points lead to 26 points. I feel really good and learned a lot this weekend from riding with Rocco and other riders. I’m excited to take what we learned here to Barber and have a good weekend there.”
MotoAmerica’s Twins Cup heads to Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama, for the third round of the Championship,May 19-21. The championship schedule, competitor information and class rules can be found at https://motoamerica.com/.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
ESCALANTE AND SCOTT EARN TOP FIVES IN ATLANTA
Suzuki Making Gains in MotoAmerica Series
BREA, CA – April 24, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer continued to flash race-winning potential, scoring two top-five finishes as the first points-paying round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport championships concluded on Sunday at Road Atlanta.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott again raced for the win before finishing a close fourth on his next-generation GSX-R750.
Teagg Hobbs mounted an incredible comeback after running off course to finish in sixth.
Superbike
Richie Escalante made strides to significantly improve his pace and break into the top five.
Toni Elias picked up valuable points in his return to active Superbike competition.
Tyler Scott (70) battled for the lead on Sunday, finishing fourth at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott looked to improve upon his Supersport runner-up finish Saturday. The early going looked promising in both regards, as Scott powered off of pole position with the lead and repeatedly dove with confidence into the corner at the end of the long back straight aboard his next-generation GSX-R750. However, after leading multiple laps, the 17-year-old ace took the checkered flag in fourth, just 0.085 seconds removed from a second podium in as many days.
“I was really happy with how the race was going,” Scott said. “We had a good pace and it felt great to be back at the front. I can tell the bike is improved from last year, and the team worked well all weekend. I felt really comfortable while I had the lead. We had a problem in the last couple of laps that cost me some drive out of the corners, so we ended up a close fourth. We’ll come back stronger, and I am really happy for Barber coming up.”
After a challenging Sunday start, Teagg Hobbs (79) brought home another sixth-place finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs was encouraged by his Saturday sixth and hoped for even more in Sunday’s rematch. However, those aspirations were sunk nearly from the start as he ran off the track at the end of the back straight on the Sunday contest’s opening lap. Undeterred, Hobbs mounted a remarkable come-from-behind ride, working his way back up the field from outside the top ten. That charge ended with one final pass on the last lap to equal his Saturday sixth.
“This weekend has been a dream,” Hobbs said. “Riding for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki has been amazing, and it’s a dream come true to be racing full-time in MotoAmerica Supersport. I had a great weekend. We started strong, and my crew did a great job all weekend tuning the bike for me. Today’s race didn’t exactly go as planned, so I had to claw my way back. But we showed some good pace this weekend, and if we put it all together, we can be at the front fighting for the podium.” Scott and Hobbs were joined by four other Suzuki GSX-Rs in the top ten of Sunday’s Supersport race, once again showing Suzuki’s hallmark consistency.
Richie Escalante (54) is showing real promise in Superbike, carding a fifth on Sunday. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed a hugely promising outing at Road Atlanta as he made major strides aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike. Escalante bettered his Saturday sixth with a Sunday fifth, but even the reward of a top-five failed to adequately illustrate his improvement. The second-year Superbike ace cut his best lap by more than a half-second while slashing the gap to the leaders by a mammoth 17 seconds, finishing just 12.345 seconds back of the race winner.
“I’m super happy with the weekend, a P6 and P5,” said Escalante. “This morning, we tried something a little different with the setup, trying to provide more rear grip. In the end, we went back to yesterday’s settings for the race because I knew we could run the whole race consistently. I had a good start, and I stayed with the lead group for a couple of laps. It was difficult to continue the pace because I had an issue with how the rear brake was working. In racing, things like this happen. I dropped into the 1:26 range for a couple of laps but told myself to focus and got back in the ‘25s. I did a 1:25 on the last lap on worn tires. I can’t wait for Barber and am still working hard to get my first Superbike podium.”
Toni Elias (24) battled to eighth place on Sunday as he returns to MotoAmerica Superbike. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
In his return to active racing, former MotoAmerica Superbike champion Toni Elias backed up his Saturday seventh with an eighth on Sunday. The battle-proven Spaniard will take the points and focus his efforts on regaining his momentum to fight for victory once again like he’s done so many times.
“Today’s race was similar to yesterday,” Elias said. “The pace was better, but the problems were the same, transfer of weight to the front. We tried to find an improvement for today’s race, but we couldn’t. It wasn’t the comeback I was expecting but we will work hard to finish stronger for the next race.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action when the 2023 MotoAmerica season continues at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19-21.
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.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Current tuners/mechanics: Brian Van (father), Dave Bavol, and Jimmy Fox.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: SportbikeTrackGear.com and its customers.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, placed 5th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 wins, 5 total podium finishes), 2 class podium finishes in N2/WERA National Endurance races; 2021 season, finished 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, best race finish was 4th); 2020 season, placed 17th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (only competed in 3 rounds, 2 top-10 finishes), won WERA North Central Regional F Superstock Expert Championship (6 race wins); 2019 season, finished 2nd in WERA North Central Regional D Superbike and D Superstock Novice Championships (12 race wins).
2023 racing goal: Win the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Spend my life working in motorsports.
Racing hero: Chris Ulrich.
Favorite track: VIR.
Favorite hobbies: Working for my family’s business, SportbikeTrackGear.com, pursuing fitness training.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Riding around and doing track days with our awesome STG customers.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
A WorldSBK weekend of mixed feelings for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Assen.
Scott Redding from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claims his best results so far in the Superpole and the races.
Big crash for team-mate Michael van der Mark in race two.
Two twelfth places for Garrett Gerloff from the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Loris Baz returns from leg injury.
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Assen. BMW Motorrad Motorsport experienced a weekend of mixed emotions at the opening round of the European leg of this season’s FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in Assen, the Netherlands. Scott Redding (GBR) from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claimed his best results of the season so far in the Superpole and the races. Meanwhile, his team-mate and local favourite Michael van der Mark (NED) suffered a big crash in race two. He suffered a leg injury and has been taken to an Assen hospital for further examinations after being checked in the Medical Centre. In the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Garrett Gerloff (USA) ended both main races in twelfth place. Loris Baz (FRA) showed his fighting spirit on his return to the saddle just a few weeks after injuring his leg.
Scott Redding produced an impressive lap on his BMW M 1000 RR in Saturday morning’s Superpole qualifying to secure fifth place on the grid. Baz qualified 13th, while van der Mark and Gerloff ended qualifying in 15th and 17th place. Redding made a good start in race one on Saturday afternoon and was running in the top five until lap 17 of 21. At one point he had climbed into fourth place. However, his front tyre then started to wear dramatically, and Redding eventually crossed the finish line in 10th place. Gerloff lost a position on lap one, but then consistently worked his way through the field to finish 12th. He was followed over the line by van der Mark in 13th. The Dutchman was lacking the confidence in the front of his bike to be able to attack. Baz overcame the pain in his injured leg to finish 17th after 21 laps of racing.
A technical issue encountered during the warm-up lap meant Baz was unable to line up in the Superpole Race. The start was delayed, and the sprint reduced to eight laps. Redding came home eighth. Van der Mark gained five positions to finish 10th, while Gerloff crossed the finish line 17th.
In race two on Sunday afternoon, Redding immediately climbed from eighth to seventh at the start. As the race progressed, he spent eight laps in sixth place before dropping a position in the closing stages. Seventh place represents Redding’s best race result of the season so far. Gerloff dropped back to 20th place at the start, but then fought back to match the 12th place he claimed on Saturday. Van der Mark attempted to make progress from 15th on the grid but suffered a big crash on lap two and injured his leg. Baz was on course for a fine points finish until lap nine, when he too crashed out. The Frenchman was unhurt.
Round four of the 2023 WorldSBK takes place in Barcelona (ESP) in two weeks, from 5th to 7th May.
Quotes after the Assen races.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “Michael’s crash was a sad end to a weekend, at which we witnessed a few rays of hope. We made a relatively good start to the weekend and, after the test in Barcelona, lined up with some improvements. The first free practice sessions went as expected and were satisfactory. Scott secured a fine fifth place in qualifying, and a good grid position is important in this extremely well-matched field. The others had difficulties. Scott produced a very strong performance in race one and was in P4 for a long time. We took a bit of a risk with the front tyre, which unfortunately did not pay off. We learned from that for the Superpole Race and race two. The performance was good again in race two. The fact is that we are not yet among the front-runners, but Scott was still able to hold on for seventh place. He also gave us some good input, as to how we need to progress. However, it was a great shame that Michael had that big crash so early in the race. We must await the diagnosis, but definitely wish him all the best. The main thing is that he recovers quickly. Respect to Loris. It was good to see him back on the bike and, despite being in pain, he performed well. Garrett struggled all weekend to find his rhythm on the opening laps of the race. That is reflected in his results. In the final race, he set very similar lap times to Scott after lap five – sometimes even faster. However, if you are not on it from the start, then you cannot make progress later. We will soon do some testing in Misano, where we will make more changes to the bike, in order to take the next step.”
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Scott Redding, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 5 / R01: 10 / SP Race: 10 / R02: 7): “I was quite happy that I could be up in the race and even more as I was able to push the bike a little bit, which was nice. But still, we are struggling in some areas and it’s difficult because you cannot get much time back on the others. But I feel like I was riding well. I enjoyed riding the bike this week which was nice for me, and I was fighting in positions where I felt we should be. Yesterday I struggled with the front tyre and today I struggled with rear grip over the entire race. But it was a better weekend, we got some good information. And now we will see if we can bring something to further improve.”
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Garrett Gerloff, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 17 / R01: 12 / SP Race: 17 / R02: 12): “I feel like we had some good pace, just starting from so far back after having such a tricky qualifying was making it difficult. It was my own fault really for being so far back and that’s the most frustrating thing. Also, it was so close, as it was so tight between everybody. It would have been nice to start a few rows forward and I could have changed some things. In the Superpole Race I just didn’t have anything to make up any ground, with only eight laps it was super difficult. In race two I had a good start, but in the first corner, I got bottlenecked and had to brake and check where the guys were around me. I just had to fight to come back. It was a long day. I’m looking forward to the next round, I like Barcelona. I’ll go back there and try to have some good results.”
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 13 / R01: 17 / SP Race: DNS / R02: DNF): “I’m ok, but my first thought was for Michael (van der Mark), because I was right behind him when he crashed, and it was really a big one. I know what he has been through and it’s really tough seeing him in this kind of situation again. I wish him a quick recovery and hope he can come back soon. I had a good start, and I was feeling better with the leg compared to yesterday. In the Superpole Race we had a technical issue, so I didn’t do a lap. We had to change the engine between the Superpole and the main race and the new engine didn’t feel the same, so I lost some time during the first laps. Then Öttl overtook me, as he was a bit faster in the parts where I was struggling. But I was catching him in some other fast places. Coming into that last fast left, it was three or four laps in a row that I gone wide there, and I was worried about crashing, so on that lap, I really rolled early to stay on the line and I crashed there. For sure, I released the brake earlier, maybe I went too inside, it’s just strange. I feel sorry for the team because the bike is destroyed. I was feeling better, but when you don’t feel at 100% all weekend, you obviously force it a bit in some places because I couldn’t move. I was trying to get some points; I was pretty fast considering the shape I’m in. It was a rough weekend, really hard, but we keep moving forward. Scott (Redding) has shown that the bike has something more than we did this weekend. For sure, I will feel better in Barcelona. I hope I’ll be able to come back to my normal pace.”
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Vierge and Lecuona crash out while fighting for top six at Assen
Team HRC and riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge have today concluded the third round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship at the Assen TT Circuit in The Netherlands. Unfortunately it was not their day, with both factory riders crashing out of the afternoon’s 21-lap race while battling inside the top ten.
Before gearing up for race 2, riders were out for the Superpole sprint race. Conditions were cool and sunny (air temp. 14°C, track temp. 20°C), but there was a slight delay to the start after an incident involving another rider left dirt on the track. The race was shortened to 8 laps and began roughly ten minutes later than scheduled. From tenth on the grid, Lecuona made up two positions off the line while Vierge, twelfth on the starting grid, also gained two positions through the first corners. Lapping with very similar times, Xavi moved ahead of team-mate Iker on lap two. While Vierge was able to hold ninth to the line, Lecuona battled with Van der Mark in the final stages, just missing out on a top ten finish to close eleventh.
The third and final race got underway as scheduled at 2pm local time. Now ninth and eleventh on the grid thanks to their results in the sprint race, Vierge and Lecuona immediately gained a position on lap one. Unfortunately Xavi’s race was over almost as soon as it began, the Spaniard crashing on lap three, at turn one, while pushing to stay in touch with the riders battling for sixth, with team-mate Iker moving into eighth as a result. Working hard to get into a rhythm, the remaining Team HRC rider moved briefly up into seventh, before battling with Gardner and Redding in the central stages of the race. It was not to be today though, with Iker suffering the same fate as his team-mate and crashing at turn four on lap eleven. Although he was briefly able to return to the track, the Spaniard was forced to pull into the pits and retire shortly afterwards.
With the first three championship rounds now complete, Vierge lies ninth in the general standings with 49 points, Lecuona lies thirteenth with 33. Team HRC will now focus its attention on round four, which is scheduled to take place at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Spain on 5-7 May.
Xavi Vierge (97) leading Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
SPR P9 RACE2 DNF
“I first want to apologise to the team for my mistake in race 2. The team worked really hard between yesterday and today, making various changes to the bike. It wasn’t easy to decide what to do following warm-up, as we didn’t have the right conditions to really check it, but we believed in our work and headed into the Superpole race feeling confident. I was pleased with the way that race went as the bike allowed me to battle. I was able to finish top nine and that meant I gained a better grid position for race 2. As that race got underway, I was feeling good and the feeling was there, allowing me to fight for the top six. Unfortunately I made a small mistake through turn 1 and lost the front, and that was the end of that. Not the end we were hoping for, but after a difficult weekend we did find something that allowed us to be up there fighting for a solid result. So we need to take the positives and will now head to Barcelona, a track that can work better for us.”
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
SPR P11 RACE 2 DNF
“It was a tough day in general for me, the team and Honda, with me and Xavi both crashing in Race 2 and generally struggling at this track. We think we understood something about why the weekend developed as it did, so now it’s time to remain cool and focused, checking all the data and really understanding which changes to make to the setup of the bike, both for the next round and for the subsequent testing session at Misano. It’s true that last year I also had to save myself from some crashes, but this year we have crashed a lot. Having said that, thanks to the team, to Kuwata san, Mori san and everyone on the team for the trust they put in me. I trust them and the team and now we need to work and make the right choices.”
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team:
WorldSBK – Syahrin in the points in WorldSBK race 2 at Assen
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team has concluded what has been a challenging third round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship at Assen by scoring points in race 2 with rider Hafizh Syahrin.
In cool but sunny conditions, the brief Superpole race started a little later than scheduled when an incident for another rider left dirt on the track. One lap into the shortened 8-lap race and riders Granado and Syahrin were lying nineteenth and twentieth. Sticking close to each other, the pair moved up a place on lap two before exchanging positions on lap three. While Hafizh was able to maintain a consistent pace and hold eighteenth for the remainder of the race, Eric slipped back a little in the final lap to cross the line twenty-first.
The riders were back out for the weekend’s final 21-lap race at 2pm local time. The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda duo made up ground through the opening laps, with Syahrin lying seventeenth and Granado nineteenth by lap four. Both gained three more positions by the mid-race point, with the Malaysian moving into the points zone, followed by the Brazilian, sixteenth. Syahrin ran an undisturbed final part of the race to cross the line fourteenth and score two championship points, while Granado closed this final race in seventeenth position.
Syahrin now holds four points and places nineteenth in the championship standings, while Granado is yet to score points this season. The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team will now prepare for the fourth WorldSBK round, scheduled to run at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit on 6-8 May.
Hafizh Syahrin (35). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.
Hafizh Syahrin P14
“I’m very happy with our race 2 result as we scored two championship points. The Superpole race was also very useful and helped us to understand what we could do better in today’s final race, which turned out well. We might not be scoring points in every race but we did it at every racing weekend and we’re definitely taking steps round by round, repaying the efforts of everyone who is working so hard. I want to thank the team and all those supporting me. We now have a little time to rest before turning our attentions to the Catalunya round in two weeks’ time.”
Eric Granado (51). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.
Eric Granado P17
“Well, the first half of the race went a lot better than yesterday and I felt that I had a good rhythm and was able to stick with the group. Then unfortunately from mid-race onwards I found myself struggling with arm pump, which meant I had to slow my pace quite significantly. I’d been suffering with this since Friday actually and I seemed to be recovering gradually but in this final race of the weekend, after completing so many laps, I guess my arm conceded defeat. Like I say, the first half of the race was positive, and I’ve taken a good step in terms of my confidence with the bike, but now we need to understand my physical condition and the bike setting in preparation for the next Barcelona round.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
AEGERTER THRILLED WITH FOURTH AND TOP INDEPENDENT RIDER STATUS, GARDNER GRABS GREAT SIXTH
Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner enjoyed a good Sunday in Assen, as the Swiss rider impressed in Race 2 and managed an excellent 4th place – making him the Top Independent Rider of the race. While the Australian recovered six places to finish 6th in the feature race.
The day started with the usual Warm Up session, and the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair made the final adjustments. Aegerter finished 7th with a 1’35.196, while Gardner was 13th (1’35.608), both felt ready ahead the two remaining races.
In a shortened 8-lap Tissot Superpole Race, the #77 and the #87 enjoyed a decent start. Aegerter was in contention for a Top 5 spot, with his teammate just behind. Unfortunately, Gardner was forced to go wide on Lap 2, dropping to 16th. The Australian rider did his best to recover as much as he could, showing good pace and eventually crossing the line in 12th. On the other side of the garage, Aegerter fought until the very end for a second-row start in Race 2, he managed 7th after fighting against Bassani’s Ducati.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha duo started from 7th and 12th on the grid in the final feature race of the weekend. Aegerter and Gardner got off the line well, gaining positions at the start. The #77 installed himself in a solid Top 5 place in the early stages, while the #87 rider made his way through the field to find himself 7th on Lap 8, going past Honda’s Vierge and Lecuona and Ducati’s Petrucci. With seven laps to go, Gardner made one final move on BMW’s Redding to take sixth position. Afterwards, he tried to close the gap with the guys in front to join the Top 5 fight and despite showing promising pace throughout the whole race, he stayed in 6th until the end.
Meanwhile, Aegerter tried to recover on Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Locatelli and Ducati’s Bassani for a podium place. The Swiss star showed great speed in the 21-lap battle, staying in 5th for the majority of the race. In the latter stages, the #77 rider impressed with blistering pace, eventually catching Bassani for a last lap showdown. Finally, Domi crossed the line in 5th, before being promoted to 4th following Bassani’s track limits penalty. This means Domi placed as the Top Independent Rider on the day.
“That was a great Race 2, finishing 4th and getting top independent is nice. We had a good start and fierce battles until the last chicane. There are still aspects of this bike that I can learn how to better exploit, we’re going step by step. We have a great long-run pace and base setup, but we should be quick in the early stages too. I’m happy with the package we have, Yamaha and the GYTR GRT Team are doing a great job, plus it’s good we can share data with fast guys. We’ll keep working for sure, that is what has got us where we are today. We hope to be in the top group again in Barcelona.”
Remy Gardner (87) leads a group of riders at Assen. Photo courtesy GYTR GRT Yamaha.
Remy Gardner #87
Superpole Race: P12 / Race 2: P6
“Not a bad Race 2, although unfortunately we had bad luck in the sprint race. For sure we need to work on our qualifying sessions, once again starting from behind didn’t help. In the last feature race, our pace was fine and I enjoyed it. The tyre choice was the correct one in my opinion, it was just a shame I lost a lot of time in the opening laps as I got forced wide, but we were still able to perform a good recovery. Let’s keep rolling and progress further, we know there’s potential.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Takes A Podium Before Misfortune Strikes
Jonathan Rea secured his third podium finish of the season with second place in the Superpole race at Assen. He would then fall in Race Two while chasing the leading duo. Alex Lowes was fourth and then ninth, after going through his own moment of high drama before Race Two.
A delayed start to the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race meant it was run over eight laps, not the customary ten. Rea led in the first part of lap one but eventual winner Alvaro Bautista would pass in the final sector and hold his lead to the flag.
Rea was a clear second while his team-mate Lowes took a lonely fourth, having been in the leading mix early on while chasing his own podium ambition.
In the second race of the day, and the third WorldSBK race of the weekend, there was an unexpected turn even before the start of the 21-lap race itself. Lowes crashed on the sighting lap and had to come back to the pits to use a second bike for the 21-lap race.
Lowes moved up strongly from his last place starting position (imposed on him due to his late bike change) to finish ninth and salvage good championship points.
Rea was still fighting for the podium places with Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu in Race Two when he fell on lap six, at the fast Turn Nine, and he was unable to re-start. Despite this misfortune Rea moved up one place in the championship standings at the end of the Assen race weekend.
In the championship standings, after three rounds and nine individual races, Bautista has 174 points Razgatlioglu 118, Locatelli 104, Bassani 77 and Rea 73. Lowes is tenth, with 44 points.
The next round takes place at KRT’s home circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya, between 5-7 May.
Jonathan Rea (65) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) and Alex Lowes (22) at Assen. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It was one of those days, unfortunately, but I have got to take some positives from this weekend. The bike was really comfortable to ride, and I did some things at Assen that I have not been able to do for a few years. The starts were great, but I missed the jump a little bit in Race Two. We checked the data to understand the crash and for some reason, all weekend, I have had some pressure on the gearshift. This one time in T9, as soon as I opened the gas, it engaged third gear and that was enough to crash. I went down in probably the most graceful crash I have ever had! I was so frustrated because I felt like we could fight for a podium again. I felt much more comfortable in that race, compared to Race One and also the Superpole Race earlier today. The Superpole Race was maximum attack for eight laps. Alvaro just broke me with two laps to go.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “This weekend has been a bit better and when we have grip in the bike we can be quite fast. The Superpole Race was quite good because I was one of the only guys who could stay with the front three. The race, at eight laps, was a bit shorter than normal. The pace was fast and I felt OK on the limit. Everybody is riding on the limit. I lost the front on the sighting lap before Race Two. Starting from the back of the grid it was going to be tough, but my pace was a bit better after we had made a few changes on the bike. I was able to keep my front tyre grip for five or six laps longer and I was faster than the day before.”
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished 19th in the Superpole Race and took a point in Race Two for 15th place.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) was 25th and then 16th on the final day at Assen. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) was a retiree in the Superpole Race and then 18th in Race Two.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Aruba.it Racing and Ducati write a page of history at “The Cathedral of Speed”. Bautista and Bulega win all the races in WorldSBK and WorldSSP. The Spanish rider also gives Borgo Panigale victory #400. Top 10 for Rinaldi
The weekend of the Pirelli Dutch Round, third event of the 2023 WorldSBK season, enters by right in the history of Aruba.it Racing and Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega in fact, won all the races held at TTCircuit of Assen (Netherland) both in WorldSBK and WorldSSP, taking their respective Pole Positions and setting all the fastest laps, as well as setting new circuit records.
An extraordinary haul on the same day of the historic 400 Ducati victories in the World Superbike Championship, a milestone cut by the Spaniard in Race 2.
At the end of the Pirelli Dutch Round, Alvaro Bautista is firmly first in the standings with 174 points, 56 more than Razgatlioglu (Yamaha). There is also a wide margin for Nicolò Bulega, the leader in WorldSSP with 127 points, 37 more than Manzi (Yamaha).
It was a difficult weekend, however, for Michael Rinaldi, who nevertheless gritted his teeth in Race 2 and brought home the Top 10.
Alvaro Bautista. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)
“It has been an exciting weekend and I am very happy to have put my signature on such an important milestone as the 400th victory for Ducati in Superbike. I’m also really happy because we even managed to improve on yesterday, especially in the Superpole Race. The advantage in the standings it is not my interest at the moment: what I’ll remember from this day is the fantastic feeling with the bike.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“Honestly it was a very difficult weekend. Right from FP1 the feeling wasn’t the same as in the previous rounds; unfortunately, we couldn’t work in FP2, then we had to run in wet conditions in FP3. Basically, we did setup in Race 1. At the same time, though, we need to be more responsive when we face difficulties like these. For sure we are not going to lose confidence from a weekend gone wrong.”
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“We can say that this was a perfect weekend, probably the best weekend of my life. We won the two races, starting from the pole position, always doing the fastest lap. I want to thank my team because from the very first lap of FP1 the feeling with the bike was simply fantastic. Now, though, we have to think about Barcelona.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Double Dutch Podium for Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli stepped on to the podium together after an exciting display of professional race craft in Race 2 at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands today, to finish a positive weekend for Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK at the third round of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship.
It was Razgatlıoğlu’s third podium of the event, finishing one better than his Race 1 and Superpole Race third places, but the key difference was how close the team’s Turkish rider was able to run to winner Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) in the first half of the final main race. Forcing a move through the northern loop of the historical circuit in the opening laps netted a brief look at the lead of the race, but it was not enough to fully upset the dominance of the Spanish rider this weekend.
Teammate Locatelli took another step forward again today, enjoying a fierce battle with Italian compatriot Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati) in both races. “Loka” was held up in the first part of the Superpole Race, unable to make a move and lost out to Bassani in the final portion of the shortened eight-lap sprint. But in Race 2, the two went head-to-head once again and the #55 rider came out on top after a spectacular high-speed battle on entry to Assen’s fastest corner. Superior late race pace from Locatelli and his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK sealed the deal for the podium, following a super consistent weekend of results.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK returns to Barcelona in less than two weeks’ time for the fourth round of the season, taking place from 5-7 May.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – Superpole Race: P3 / Race 2: P2
“I am really happy, I ride through the first corner in Race 2 and don’t crash like 2021 and 2022! This is a big improvement! Also, today, in World Supersport my Turkish friends Can and Bahattin crashed and I am a bit scared before the race to do the same! I tried my best and finish in second position, I am happy for this but normally I am always try to win – this race it was impossible but I tried everything. Also I tried to attack Alvaro for the lead and anyway, we know, everybody know in the last laps he is more strong. This track is very fast, I am not close enough to try a hard braking pass – it was not easy. Second position is not bad, better than nothing! Also I am not coming back home without podiums, so this is a good positive! We will see in the next race. I am very happy for my teammate Locatelli as well, I hope we can finish more races on the podium together.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli – Superpole Race: P5 / Race 2: P3
“I am really happy about Race 2, because to think about going home after Assen without a podium was a bit sad! So I am really proud about the job we did here because we started in difficult conditions and we never really found good grip with the rear and it compromised the first laps a little bit until I could do my rhythm. We need to understand a bit more but we have another podium and a lot of good points for the championship, a really good result and no mistakes. We need to continue to work and see what is possible for the future races. I want to say thanks to the guys for this weekend, we can enjoy this moment.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
“Another good day ‘at the office’! Friday was tough, we improved yesterday and took another step forward with both riders today. So first of all, I have to say thank you to the efforts of Yamaha and the team for reacting so well and giving the guys competitive packages today. We can’t really argue with the outright pace of Bautista and his package at this moment, so to score a double podium in Race 2, retain second and third positions in the championship – and, more importantly for Yamaha, to finish second, third, fourth and sixth in the last race, shows that the R1 still has plenty of life in it yet! We’ll move on to Barcelona – another challenging track for us – and try to maximise our performance there.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
SO CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN IN RACE 2, BUT TOO MUCH GAP IN THE FIRST LAPS!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
The team’s work yesterday evening allowed Philipp to be able to fight in today’s two races, but the staory was similar to yesterday’s; a lot of time lost in the first laps, where the main difficulty is finding space for overtaking, then from the middle of the race onwards a pace in line with the Top 8. This is the aspect to work on, which conditions the races in our start of the season!
The morning got off to a good start for the Go Eleven rider, in the Warm Up he was able to get down to a low 35, a time in line with the pace of Race 1. Ninth position and a good feeling especially at the front.
Warm Up:
P 1 J. Rea 1.34.747
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.092
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.275
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 0.594
The Superpole Race here in Assen was held over a shortened distance of 8 laps, due to oil on the track in the Warm Up Lap. Even more difficult to recover for Philipp, starting from fourteenth place. The first lap, which was decisive in these sprint races, was rather complicated, then lap after lap he improved and came back a few positions, fighting above all with Petrucci, finishing in front of him at the chequered flag. No points taken, but the awareness of being able to think about the Top Ten in Race 2.
Superpole Race:
P 1 A. Bautista 12’37.045
P 2 J. Rea + 0.916
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 1.757
…
P 14 P. Oettl + 12.037
At the start of Race 2 Philipp managed to get off to a good start, defending his position, then suffering a couple of attacks in the first and second sectors. Unfortunately, the race was “lost” in the first six laps, when he was in the fight with slower riders, the group in front, battling for the Top Ten, took a clear advantage. In the second half of the race he was faster than Rinaldi, Redding and Lowes, closing the gap by almost half a second per lap, managing to slip behind the Ducati rider. Eleventh position conquered, a step forward compared to yesterday, but there is still a lot to work on.
Race 2:
P 1 A. Bautista 33’14.560
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 3.915
P 3 A. Locatelli + 7.416
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 21.645
This Round, held on a particular track like the TT-Circuit, highlighted the major problems affecting the results of the Italian team in this part of the season; all the riders are really close, just a few thousandths away, and a start from the rear, combined with a difficulty in dealing with overtaking relegates to a comeback race. A comeback that becomes difficult when all the riders lap with two, maximum three tenths of a difference. 21 seconds taken in Race 2 is not a lot, but 12 of which in the first seven laps highlight the area you need to focus on.
Now the WorldSBK circus moves to Barcelona, where last year Philipp finished in the top ten, a track where Ducati should perform very well. However, each year is unique, so Team Go Eleven will have to work and find the right set-up!
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Today we made a step in the right direction, starting from the Warm Up. The start and the first laps are our biggest problem at the moment, we don’t miss a lot to fight in the group, but we missed just two/three tenths to have a really good race. This weekend we choice the right tyre, I was quite confident with the front. I struggled to overtake, especially the BMWs, i lost a lot of seconds there with Baz. We are fast, but we know where to improve. Physically i feel really good, I had zero problem through the weekend, even if I came from Le Mans 24 hour. I will keep working in the same way and we will have better days in the future!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“Today we took a step forward but we lost too much time in the early stages of the race. It was difficult for Philipp to overtake Baz and with him we lost contact with the group that was fighting for sixth position. Everyone is riding very close here, the difference of performance among the riders is minimal, and nothing is enough to move from fifth to fifteenth, while still remaining “fast”. We have to take care of every detail and improve in the first half of the race. We are competitive even if we haven’t achieved the result that we want and this is what leaves a bitter taste in our mouth, it’s like smelling good food but not being able to eat it… it makes us want even more! Now we can only focus on ourselves and improve to be back to the top positions!”
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman finished a near-perfect weekend by winning MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Wyman recovered from a bad start on his factory Road Glide, took the lead on the opening lap, and went on to win the eight-lap race by 1.830 seconds.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara led on the first lap, but he ran off the track in Turn 10 and dropped from first to fourth. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian rider then worked his way back up to second, where he finished.
Bobby Fong also recovered from running his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger off the track during the race to finish third.
Progressive Fresh N Lean Yamaha’s Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
It was one of the most exciting Superbike races in recent memory with four riders battling for the win until the very end.
Gagne won by 0.575 second over Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, who crossed the finish line 0.275 second ahead of third-place Mathew Scholtz on the Westby Racing Yamaha.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin was dueling with Beaubier for the lead on the last lap when they came together at 185 mph on the kinked back straightaway. Herrin was put off line, which caused him to run off the track in Turn 10. He recovered quickly enough to salvage fourth place.
Richie Escalante rounded out the top five finishers on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Gagne Wins MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Thriller At Road Atlanta
Four-Rider Fight For Victory Goes To Jake Gagne In Race Two Of The Superbike Opening Round At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Cameron Beaubier (6) leads Jake Gagne (1), Cameron Petersen (45), Josh Herrin (hidden) and the rest of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – Four riders battled to the bitter end on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in what was the most exciting Medallia Superbike race in recent memory. And when the smoke cleared after 15 intense laps it was defending two-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne crossing the finish line first on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, just half a second ahead of yesterday’s winner Cameron Beaubier on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Just prior to the finish, it was anybody’s race when the four ran together down the backstraight and through the 180-mph kink when Beaubier’s line pushed him wide and nearly forced Josh Herrin off the track. That left a giant hole between Beaubier and Herrin to go through, and Gagne went through it. Herrin recovered but couldn’t get his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati stopped for the chicane and his off-track excursion allowed Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz to pass him, putting Scholtz third and Herrin fourth at the finish line. Scholtz was .850 of a second behind Gagne with Herrin some two seconds behind after getting his Panigale V4 R back on track.
The win was Gagne’s first of the season and the 30th MotoAmerica Superbike victory of his career and it put him into a tie with Beaubier at the top of the championship standings after one round and two races. The pair both have 45 points with the series heading to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-21.
Scholtz and the Westby Racing crew worked hard over the course of the weekend and the South African said they’d made huge progress over the course of the three days. He was rewarded with a podium finish on Sunday.
Cameron Beaubier (6) leads Josh Herrin (2), Jake Gagne (1) and Mathew Scholtz (11) in the final laps of what was a thrilling four-rider battle for victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin was also happy on Sunday afternoon, despite missing out on the podium. The two races were just his second and third outings on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R and he landed on the podium in Saturday’s race.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fifth on Sunday, some three seconds ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and his teammate Corey Alexander.
The returning Toni Elias was eighth on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the top 10.
Notably missing from the results was Gagne’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen. The South African’s difficult weekend ended early when his Yamaha YZF-R1 caught fire just a few laps into the race.
With Gagne and Beaubier tied atop the standings with 45 points, Herrin is third with 29 points, two ahead of Scholtz and eight ahead of Escalante.
Superbike Race 2
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Toni Elias (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“Got off to another good start, and me and Cam (Beaubier)… those first couple laps, five or six laps, Cam knew I wanted to push the pace. Any opportunity Cam could to shove it in me and he was great going into (turn) 10A. I was struggling big time down into there, so he passed me a bunch of times there. We were side by side through one, through 10A, 10B a couple times. So, it was fun battling. I haven’t had that close of racing in a while. Those first couple laps, I kind of forgot about everybody else. I wasn’t even looking at my pit board. I thought it was just kind of me and Cam. Then all of a sudden, midway through, Herrin comes by, and I still see plus zero. So, I didn’t know if it was (Mathew) Scholtz behind us, but somebody was. So, I’m like, ‘We’ve got a whole pack here.’ The bike was awesome. My drives are awesome. I was still struggling on the brakes, but I think that was just because of me and after a couple laps, I was really pumped up. So, I kind of tried to just chill and relax and tried to just breathe and watch what those guys were doing a little differently and watch them battle each other. For the last lap, it was hard to really have a plan. Obviously, both of those bikes were really fast and really strong down into 10 through the kink. So, I was kind of just hoping for the best. I figured maybe they both would have a little braking battle in there and I could drive up under the bridge, but it was nuts. Like Cam said, with the wind, I didn’t really know what happened. I just saw them kind of hit and then they parted. The seas parted and I just shot down the center of them, and from then on out, I led into 10A. Like I said, my bike was really good driving up over the hill and just protected the inside line. It was fun. That was really fun racing, close racing. I haven’t had stuff like that in a lot of years, actually. Racing with guys like this that I’ve spent my whole career racing with all these guys, so it was fun. I’m sure we put on a good show. Again, I think luck was on my side a little bit with those guys coming together, for sure. But I’m glad everybody stayed on track because that’s scary. 180 miles an hour something scary could happen there. So, I’m just glad we all brought it home. Good start to the year. We scored points in the first two races, so I can’t complain.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second
“At the beginning, I was doing everything I possibly could to hang onto Jake (Gagne). He just had some pace. Luckily, my bike was fast and every time I would get close to him, I just went for a pass. He made me look dumb. Rode around the outside of me a couple times. That didn’t feel good, but I’m sure it looked good on TV. That was a wild race. Then I settled down, and tried to control the race because I knew my bike was fast and I was good on the brakes. I was struggling in some other spots, but I was doing the best I could with what we have right now. My bike was super-fast. I was trying to get to those last three laps and then put my head down and be good on the brakes and try to hold them off. Then (Josh) Herrin came by me and got in another pretty good battle with us. Man, that last lap was so hairy. I’m just super happy everyone’s safe after that one. He ran me a little wide on the straightaway, and then I went into the fast right-hander pretty tight. I went to lean in, and he was on the outside of me. I just didn’t turn. I pushed the front a little bit. It was terrifying. He was right on the outside of me, and I ran him wide. I was afraid I ran him off the track. You’re doing 180 miles an hour through that corner. So, I glanced over my shoulder. Saw he was good, and then Jake and him blew by me on the brakes. There was nothing I could do to fight Jake going through the last section. Glad everyone is safe. Super stoked to get out of here with a one-two. Didn’t really even know what to expect coming into this round. Just massive thank you to the Tytlers BMW guys. It was an interesting off-season riding at a different track than I’ve ever ridden at doing some testing and stuff, other than Buttonwillow. So, just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“To be honest, the first couple laps I was just hanging on. We made quite a few changes from the first race. I was just still feeling out what the bike was kind of doing. I felt like the strong parts of the track for me, I was really, really quick, but the weaker parts I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot that I could kind of pass in, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. So, I just have to give a big shout out to the Westby Racing team. Of course, after the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the second restart of this race now. So, at least now we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that. Just thank you to the Westby Racing team. Hopefully we’ll be challenging these boys next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Herrin and Forés Shine in an Excellent 2023 Season Debut in Georgia
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 23, 2023 — MotoAmerica 2023 roared into life at Road Atlanta in Georgia this weekend with Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés doing the Ducatisti proud with exceptional performances in the Superbike and Supersport categories, respectively.
Herrin’s first race on the factory-spec Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V4 R saw the current MotoAmerica Supersport Champion in the mix from the first green light of the weekend.
Using all his racing craft, Herrin scored a debut podium in race one on Saturday behind winner Cameron Beaubier (BMW) and current Superbike champion, second-placed Jake Gagne (Yamaha).
However, this was only the appetizer as Herrin engaged in what can only be described as a race for the ages in Sunday’s race two with Beaubier, Gagne and Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha), leading on the last lap but somehow pulling off an incredible save at over 190 mph down the back straight when he and Beaubier touched while fighting for the lead.
Herrin finished fourth at the finish and now lies third in the points after the first round.
In the Supersport class, it was a red-letter weekend for Xavi Forés as the vastly experienced Spaniard did what was expected of his talent by securing two dominant victories in his MotoAmerica Supersport debut.
Riding the number 12 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2, the new father Forés was the class of the field in Georgia and leaves The Peach State with a perfect 50-point tally, some 17 points up on Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round One
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 45
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 45
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 29
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 27
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 21
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round One
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 50
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 33
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 33
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 32
P5 – Michael Gilbert (Suzuki) 22
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
“It was a great weekend,” Forés enthused. “Today was slightly difficult at the beginning of the race because I didn’t gain any positions off the start, but, lap by lap, things got better. When I got the lead I put my rhythm on and knew I was very strong under brakes at the end of the back straight, so I used that to my advantage. I just tried to do consistent laps so I could relax a bit at the end of the race. We have the championship lead and now it is back home to Spain to see my new baby!”
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – Ducati #2)
“It’s a crazy feeling to be fighting for a superbike win because I’m still so new to the bike,” Herrin said. “I would not have expected to be in this position after Friday because I needed to rethink my mentality and work to close the gap between Jake (Gagne) and the rest. In race one, I saw I was getting close and today, I knew if I could hang within one second of Jake, I could win the race. Within five laps, things started to come to me and I thought, maybe I could lead the race and try to make a break, but I couldn’t quite manage that pace.” Josh Continued.
“But I couldn’t leave anything on the table and it ended up being one of the best superbike races anyone’s seen in a really long time. This is, without doubt, the best I’ve ever felt on a superbike in my career and it’s only going to get better.”
Round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on May 19-21, 2023.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz Podiums In MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two At Road Atlanta
Mathew Scholtz (11) leads a group of riders during MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Braselton, GA – April 23, 2023 – Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, wrapped up the opening round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a third-place result in Sunday’s race two, which was an improvement over his fifth-place result in Saturday’s race one. The podium result gave him and the team encouragement for round two of the Championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19 through 21.
In Sunday’s race, Mathew was part of a group of four riders at the front who battled each other all the way to the checkered flag. On the final lap, Josh Herrin, who was one of the other three riders, got pushed wide, which allowed Mathew to overtake him and finish third behind Cameron Beaubier in second and Jake Gagne, who ultimately won the race.
“We made quite a few changes after the first race,” Mathew said. “So, in race two, I was still feeling out what the bike was doing. I felt like, in certain sections of the track, I was really, really quick, but in other sections, I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot where I could pass, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But, otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. I have to give a big shout-out to the Westby Racing team. After the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the restart of today’s race. So, at least now, we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that.”
As mentioned above, the Westby Racing team will be back in action on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Spaniard Xavi Fores made it two for two with a victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, Fores won the 18-lap race by 1.468 seconds.
Stefano Mesa passed Josh Hayes on the final lap to score second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes looked destined to finish a distant fourth near the halfway point but pushed forward to score third place, just 0.2 second behind Mesa, on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium position all the way to the finish but got pushed down to fourth, 0.095 second behind Hayes, in the end.
Michael Gilbert rounded out the top five on his Michael Gilbert Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Double Wins For Fores, Dreher, Beaubier And Wyman At Road Atlanta
Saturday’s Winners Win Again On Sunday At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – There were three first-time winners in MotoAmerica racing on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. On Sunday, those three became two-time victors as Xavi Fores, Avery Dreher and Ezra Beaubier showed that their first wins definitely weren’t flukes.
Also doubling up was Kyle Wyman with the H-D Screamin’ Eagle-backed New Yorker winning a second Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday to go with his Saturday victory.
Supersport – Fores Times Two
Xavi Fores (12) won the Supersport race on Saturday at Road Atlanta and then he won it again on Sunday. Here he leads Tyler Scott (70), Stefano Mesa (37) and Josh Hayes (4). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores followed up his debut Supersport win on Saturday with another flawless performance on Sunday. The Spaniard started slower than in yesterday’s race but finished with a bit more comfort as he topped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa by 1.4 seconds after 18 laps of Road Atlanta.
Mesa, meanwhile, had worked his way past Squid Hunter’s Josh Hayes for second place on the final lap with Hayes ending up third for a second time on the weekend. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fourth after finishing second on Saturday.
Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert was fifth, matching his effort from race one.
Fores leads the title chase with 50 points, 17 ahead of Mesa and Scott, who are tied for second, and 18 ahead of Hayes.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Again
Kyle Wyman (33) celebrates his Mission King Of The Baggers victory on Sunday at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman rode his Harley-Davidson Road Glide to victory after passing Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara on the opening lap and sped to his second successive Mission King Of The Baggers victory at Road Atlanta.
O’Hara finished 1.830 seconds behind Wyman with Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian’s Bobby Fong third. Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teamsters Hayden Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
With his third straight victory, Wyman now leads the championship point standings with 75 points, eight points clear of Rispoli and 10 points ahead of Gillim. Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion O’Hara is 14 points behind in fourth place.
Stock 1000 – Beaubier Is Double Trouble
Ezra Beaubier (16) leads Geoff May (99) and Kaleb De Keyrel (51) en route to his second straight Stock 1000 victory at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Ezra Beaubier admitted surprise that he won his first career Stock 1000 race on Saturday. On Sunday, the youngest of the two Beaubier brothers came back to Road Atlanta filled with the confidence of a race winner. And he turned all of that into a second win in a row on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR, this time over Geoff May Racing’s Geoff May by six seconds with the 25-year veteran of the sport announcing his retirement from racing this weekend.
Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp put his BMW on the podium with an impressive ride to third, 6.2 seconds behind Beaubier and two seconds ahead of fifth-placed Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel was running second and right behind his Orange Cat Racing teammate Beaubier when he got into turn 12 too hot on the final lap and ran straight, losing three places to May, Knapp and fourth-placed Travis Wyman.
Beaubier’s perfect 50 points puts him 14 points ahead of May and 17 clear of Travis Wyman.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Landers Rebounds
Rocco Landers (97) dominated the Twins Cup race on Sunday at Road Atlanta, riding as a fill-in rider for the injured Ben Gloddy. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers suffered an engine failure while leading Saturday’s REV’IT Twins Cup race. On Sunday, he came out with guns blazing and completely dominated the race, beating his teammate Gus Rodio by 4.166 seconds. Third place, for the second straight day, went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, who was 8.31 seconds behind championship leader Rodio at the end of the 12-lap race.
Defending class champion and Saturday’s race winner Blake Davis crashed early in the race but was able to remount his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7 to finish 11th.
After four races, Rodio leads the title chase with 85 points – 26 more than Schultz and 29 ahead of Davis.
Junior Cup – Dreher X Two
Avery Dreher (99) was another who completed a sweep at Road Atlanta with victories in the Junior Cup class on both Saturday and Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Turns out that Avery Dreher liked winning so much he decided to do it again with the Bad Boys Racing rider earning his second straight Junior Cup win on Sunday with a .949-second victory over Max Van, who was second for the second straight day.
Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese was third for the second day in a row, just 1.080 seconds from victory.
With his two wins, Dreher leads Van by 10 points heading to Barber in a month’s time.
Quotes…
Ezra Beaubier – Stock 1000 Winner
“Well, I hope it becomes a habit. Honestly I woke up today just with a completely different feeling. I finally had the confidence. I can do this now. I can run with these guys. I just felt really good. We found some stuff with the bike last night and it was really positive. In warmup, I basically matched my fastest lap of the race yesterday in warmup. I wasn’t really pushing super hard, so I felt super good going into the race, super confident. I felt like I could rip off a bunch of the 1:26s in the race, and I was able to execute that. In the beginning, I tried to pull out and see if I could get a gap, and I really wasn’t able to, so I just kind of backed it down and sat there. Then towards the end of the race, tried to pick it back up again. I saw on my pit board that Kaleb was right there on me. On the last lap on the back straight, I felt him in my draft and started almost panicking a little bit. I tried to run a defensive line. Then he ended up running off in the last turn, which is a huge bummer not to go one and two as the Orange Cat BMW’s. But it was a great race and a great weekend for me. I hope to have many more of these.”
Avery Dreher – Junior Cup Winner
Honestly, I went into the race with the same mindset, the same strategy as yesterday. I tried to fall in line at the beginning of the race, but they caught us towards the middle, so it was the same pack as yesterday. I’m glad we were going a lot faster than yesterday. Towards the end of the race, I felt like I had some pace to break away, so I made the move into 10A. I looked back once or twice. Saw that I had a gap and just put my head down. Happy with the result. Good job to Max and Hayden. Looking forward to Barber.”
Rocco Landers – REV’IT! Twins Cup Winner
“Yesterday, I knew I was kind of screwed on lap one. I felt the thing starting to lose power off the start and then again on turn seven, but those days happen. It’s infuriating sometimes, but you got to bounce back. You have a good day after this. It kind of polishes it off and makes everything feel a whole lot better. But you lose 25 points and end up having a DNF. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a bummer, and a day like today actually makes that feel a whole lot better. I didn’t even know I was racing until I think last weekend. I was literally hanging insulation and my dad comes in and goes, ‘Hey, Matt called and he wants to know if you want to fill in for Ben Gloddy for the week.’ I was like, ‘Definitely!’ I didn’t know if I was going to be racing. It’s an incredible opportunity. I feel very grateful towards Matt for giving me that opportunity. My mechanic Chad worked super hard along with Matt all weekend to give me the best bike they could. We’ve made very positive changes every time I’ve got on the bike. Every time I’ve ridden it, it’s felt better and better and better. My dad actually flew in Friday afternoon, and I didn’t know he was going to be there, so that helped out and made it a whole lot more fun. Days like this are what you always want, so let’s hope we can have some more of these, depending on how long I’m filling in here.”
Xavi Fores – Supersport Winner
“Today was slightly worse on my start. I did a mistake releasing the clutch and I couldn’t get any positions. I was fourth at the end of the first part of the circuit. Then on the back straight, I felt strong on the brake like yesterday, so I couldn’t pass Josh (Hayes) and stay fighting for the podium at the beginning. It was not that easy to pass Stefano (Mesa) and Tyler (Scott), especially on the back straight, because Stefano is quite fast on the straight. He is quite aerodynamic. I was trying to stay there, there, there. He did a small mistake shifting on the exit of turn seven, so I got a chance to pass him on the braking. Then I was so focused to pass Tyler because he was riding fast, but he was a little bit like aggressive all the time. I said, okay, if I pass him, I can push hard and I can make him go to the limit. So, that was my target for today. I don’t know why, from one lap to the other I got some gap to the second one. I don’t know if we got a slow rider, and I got that benefit. But, after that, I start to keep my pace all the time. I didn’t do any mistakes. It was a nice victory. It wasn’t easy because I was pushing really, really hard. Today was much faster than yesterday – 29 low all the time. We did a couple of 28s, maybe. Credit to the guys fighting for the podium with me because we set a fast pace all the weekend, and especially today on the second race. It’s nice to fight with them. It’s nice to have a group of four or five riders fighting for the podium, because everyone can learn from each other. This is the important. This gives spectacle to the class, gives some show to the class. This is something that we need for the crowd. So, thank you so much to all the team. They did an amazing work. Ducati, HSBK Warhorse, and especially thanks to Paolo Ciabatti, who sent me a guy from Ducati for this weekend in order to set up my bike. Especially after Daytona I didn’t feel so much comfortable on the bike. So, we changed completely the bike from there and I felt straightaway quite fast. Now time to go back home and see my baby and my family.”
Kyle Wyman – Mission King Of The Baggers Winner
”That’s how you want to do it, aside from the challenge was a little bit of a throwaway, but we won every session and won both races. That’s kind of how you want to do it. I kind of wheelied on the start and had to roll out of it. Didn’t quite get the launch I wanted. Went to the brakes a little bit sheepishly, I would say, for turn one and Tyler got the wheel underneath me. I haven’t ridden behind Tyler in what feels like a long time. I don’t think at all this year and maybe even towards the end of last year not so much. So, just to see that thing. There were a couple places where I felt like our strength in that first sector really showed. Even on the warmup lap, I felt like if I wanted to get a run over turn five, I needed to give myself a little bit of space actually because we’ve got pretty tall gearing through there. So, I kind of gave myself a little bit of space. Gave myself an opportunity to see where the strengths and weaknesses were between the two of us. I had a pretty good run on the back straightaway. He touched the rev limiter in one of his gears and kind of got me a little bit of a run down the back straight, it seemed like. I hit my shifts pretty good, but he might have missed one and it got me alongside of him going through nine. We were kind of side-by-side going through ten. We were both fighting for the position a little bit. He ended up taking the extra bite that put him off the track but kept it on two wheels and ended up second. But from there, I had about a second gap and then built it up to two, or 2.6. Then just kind of managed the pace from there. Went a little bit quicker today than yesterday, as did everybody I think went quicker today. I had a side quess of a 29 and didn’t quite get it this weekend, but it’s no big deal if we got the W.”
Rocco Landers came back from a disappointing mechanical DNF in Race One on Saturday to win MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Riding a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 in place of injured Ben Gloddy, Landers won the 12-lap race by 4.166 seconds.
Gus Rodio, Landers’ teammate and the Race One runner-up, finished second, just ahead of Cycle Tech Yamaha rider Hayden Schultz.
Stefano Mesa was in the race for second place but faded at the end and had to settle for fourth on his The WagBar MP13 Yamaha.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. rounded out the top five finishers on his Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7.
Defending Champion and Race One winner Blake Davis was battling for a podium position when he crashed on lap five. It took Davis some time to get his N2/BobbleHeadmoto Yamaha restarted, but when he did he went from 17th to 11th in the remaining laps.
Jonas Folger (94). Photo courtesy GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3.
BACK TO EUROPE: GASGAS FACTORY RACING TECH3 HEADS TO ICONIC JEREZ CIRCUIT FOR SPANISH GRAND PRIX
It is time for MotoGP™ to start its European tour, and the first stop of GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 is nowhere else than at the iconic Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, which will host the Gran Premio de España, the fourth round of this 2023 campaign.
After scoring his first MotoGP™ Top 10 in Austin, in addition to closing the third race out of three in the points, rookie Augusto Fernandez will be looking forward to coming back to more familiar tracks, and Jerez is without a doubt one that the Spaniard will have the most experience on. However, hitting the iconic Andalousian layout with a MotoGP™ machine will be a different story, but the three past weekends have proven that Augusto has adapted surprisingly well to the tracks with his GASGAS RC16. With fifteen points in the bag, he will look to continue his progress in the category, with the objectives to reduce the gap with the other riders, and why not finishing in higher positions in both the Tissot sprint on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.
On the other side of the garage, German Jonas Folger will once again line up with GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 as captain Pol Espargaro continues his recovery at home. The number 94 made an impressive comeback at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas for his first race in MotoGP™ in six years, as he finished twelfth and scored points for his adoptive team. He will head to Jerez with more experience on the RC16, and his good memories from the past at the circuit (Moto2™ win in 2015) should help him heading to Spain with even more enthusiasm. Folger will also participate in the Official Jerez MotoGP™ Test, on Monday, May 1st.
Don’t miss the action from the Spanish Grand Prix with Practice 1 starting at 10:45 local time (GMT+2), followed by the one hour long Practice 2 at 15:00. The first highlights of the weekend will already be on Saturday morning just after the free practice, with the qualifying sessions kicking off at 10:50. Rookie Augusto Fernandez will line up for the first time in MotoGP™ on home turf for the Tissot Sprint, at 15:00 (GMT+2). Finally, all eyes will be on Sunday’s race, scheduled at 14:00 local time, and both GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 riders will look to fly the flag of Spanish brand GASGAS as high as possible.
Augusto Fernandez
Championship: 15th
Points: 14
“I can not wait to go to Jerez for the Spanish Grand Prix. To be honest, I am really looking forward to being back in Europe on tracks that I know better, at least much more than Austin for example. Continuing our progression is our main goal, but I am hoping that my level of knowledge of this track will help me to be closer to the other guys and fight for higher positions.”
Jonas Folger
Championship: 21st
Points: 4
“With Texas in the bag, we have a bit more experience with the bike and the team now, so I feel confident about going to Jerez. It is a familiar track to me and I have good memories there from the past, including a win in Moto2 and a podium in the 125cc category. It is definitely one of my favorite tracks, so I am looking forward to going racing there with my team and more confidence, and hopefully we can make a good result.”
Nicholas Goyon, Team Manager
“We are back racing in Europe for the fourth round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, and we are starting the European tour at the iconic Andalousian circuit in Jerez. After an impressive start to his rookie season and his first top 10 in Austin, Augusto Fernandez will aim to achieve a strong result at his first home race in MotoGP. According to the last tests made in Jerez back in March, the Pierer Mobilty machine seems to have made some significant steps and we are all looking forward to discovering them in Jerez this week. On the other side of the garage, Jonas Folger will once again line up with us while Pol Espargaro carries on with his recovery. Jonas scored strong points in Austin for his comeback in the category and will aim to continue in this direction. He will also help the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 team to develop the bike as he will attend the Jerez Test with us on Monday, May 1st.”
Red Bull KTM's Kody Kopp (1) and Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
KODY KOPP AND MAX WHALE TAKE TOP FIVE FINISHES FOR RED BULL KTM IN DALLAS HALF-MILE
Round 5 – American Flat Track Championship
MESQUITE, Tex. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Kody Kopp and Max Whale each claimed top five results in AFT Singles during the fifth round of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with the Dallas Half-Mile featuring at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Texas.
Following a difficult qualifying session, defending champion Kopp regrouped in the opening Heat race of the night, securing a direct transfer to the Main Event after a third-place finish. From there, it was a determined ride from Kopp onboard his KTM 450 SX-F to a fourth-place result in the fast-paced Main Event, maintaining his AFT Singles points-lead five rounds into the season.
Red Bull KTM’s Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Kody Kopp: “We ended up P4 on the night and I was super happy with my riding. We started the Main Event as far back as 10th on the lap charts, just had to dig because it was totally different riding and the line was up really high in the Main Event. I just had to go to work, fought my way through the pack to make seven passes all the way up to fourth place, and had some great battles! I really closed in on the leaders over the last few laps, was within about two-tenths of a podium position, so that was huge progress. Hats off to my whole team, we’re really looking forward to these next rounds now.”
Red Bull KTM teammate Whale began the day inside the top five at the conclusion of qualifying, continuing his early season form. A fifth-place ride in the opening Heat of the night set him up well for the Main Event, where he would also charge through the pack on his way to a fifth-place result, retaining third in the standings as the series next heads to Ventura, California.
Red Bull KTM’s Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Max Whale: “Dallas started out pretty good, qualifying fifth, and then I sort of struggled a little bit in the Heat, but was able to finish fifth again. I fought really hard in the Main Event, was outside of the top 10 on the first lap, and came through to fifth. To bring it home fifth was a really good night, for what could have happened being so far back early on. We salvaged a strong points finish, the team worked really hard all day, and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Next Race: Ventura Short Track – Ventura, California – May 6, 2023
Round 5 Results
AFT Singles Main event
1. Trent Lowe, Honda
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Morgen Mischler, Honda
4. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
5. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
7. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
9. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
13. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Clarke Morian V, KTM
16. Justin Jones, KTM
17. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 102 points
2. Dalton Gauthier, 98
3. Max Whale, 86
OTHER KTM
11. Justin Jones, 40
13. Logan Eisenhard, 25
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 22
16. Travis Petton IV, 19
18. Hayden Gillim, 14
22. Hunter Bauer, 11
24. Clarke Morian V, 10
25. Tanner Dean, 9
30. Olin Kissler, 4
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
Indian Motorcycle Racing and Reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees Win Big at Dallas Half-Mile
Mees Captures Second Win of the Season, Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson Finishes Third
Jared Mees (1). Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
MINNEAPOLIS – Under the lights of the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) action continued, where Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their second win of the season. Taking third and reaching the podium for the second time this season was Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson.
Piloting his Indian FTR750, Mees took the hole shot off the line during Saturday night’s Main event. After falling back to fourth and chasing a pack of three riders, Mees was able to stay close and make a move past the group along the outside. Once there, the eight-time champion locked in and kept his lead until the checkered flag.
“This was a classic bounce back performance by Jared, as he knows each and every race is critical to the season standings as he continues to chip away and push for his record-tying ninth championship,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “It’s great to see Robinson grind out a podium finish. He’s one of the sport’s most talented riders, and we’d expect to see plenty more top finishes from him and his team this season.”
For Robinson, consistency was key as he started near the back of the pack, but steadily improved his positioning throughout the race. One-by-one, Robinson edged his way into third place with two laps to go and would finish in this position.
Mees’s second win of the season places him squarely in second on the leaderboard with 96 total points – 17 points off the lead. The 2023 AFT season will continue on Saturday, May 6, at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Jake Gagne (1), Cameron Beaubier (6), and Josh Herrin (2) in action at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Gagne Returns to the Top in Epic Superbike Battle at Road Atlanta
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne wins MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Road Atlanta
MARIETTA, Ga. – April 24, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne came out on top in a thrilling MotoAmerica Superbike battle in Race 2 at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. It was a strong start to the season for the reigning back-to-back MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, whose second and first-place finish at the opening round has him tied for the points lead. Unfortunately, his teammate Cameron Petersen had a technical issue early in the restarted race and did not finish.
Once again, Gagne grabbed the holeshot, but he would have to make another attempt at a perfect start from pole position as the race was red-flagged on the second lap. The race was shortened to 15 laps with a complete restart, and this time he found himself second but moved into the lead at the end of the opening lap. From there on, it was a heated battle with multiple lead changes. Around the halfway point, a third rider was added to the mix, and shortly after, a fourth, making it an absolute dogfight for top honors. Sitting third, Gagne reclaimed the lead after the frontrunners made contact on the final lap and rode on to his 30th-career superbike victory and first of the season.
Petersen went into the final race of the opening round looking to fight for a win. The South African had a good start both times in third, but unfortunately, on Lap 3, he had a technical issue and had to withdraw from the race.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team returns to action next month for Round 2 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on May 19-21.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“I think it was a super exciting race for the fans. It’s something different than they’ve seen in the last three years, with us pretty much dominating every single weekend. So I think it was fun for the fans. I’m glad some of the other manufacturers are in the mix, and we get to bring a lot of excitement. Jake rode really well, despite his arm pump. The pace was quite a bit slower than we were last year, so we’re trying to figure out why. It could have been Jake’s arm pump, or maybe it’s the new Dunlops. We haven’t got our heads around it quite yet, but we’ll work on that. I think Barber should be a much better track for us, and we look to get back to dominating the competition.”
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“That was a crazy one! I got off to a good start. I really wanted to push the pace, but Cam (Beaubier) and I went back and forth in those first couple of laps. He knew I wanted to get away, so any opportunity that he could, he went past me, especially down into Turn 10. Then after that, the pace was pretty slow. I think at that point, we knew no one was getting away, so we were kind of sizing each other up for the last lap. I was in third, and I was kind of planning on that I could get a good drive up over the hill in the second-to-last turn and maybe make a pass there, but those guys came together in the kink at like 180 (mph). The seas just kind of parted, and I got straight down the center of them. I got a little lucky on that one, for sure. I was kind of counting on something crazy happening on that last lap. All things considered, I’m really happy leaving here. I had a lot of struggles with arm pump this weekend. From lap three on, I couldn’t ride as hard as I wanted to ride, so to come out of the first round with a second and first is pretty awesome.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“There’s not much to say, to be honest. It’s just one of those things; it’s just part of racing. I felt really good all weekend, other than the crash I had on Friday. I had some really good race pace, and even in the second race there, I felt really great. I really felt like I had the pace to go win one of these things this weekend. So I’m a little bit bummed out, but like I said, it’s part of racing. At least the next few tracks we go to are ones that I really enjoy. So, I’m going to bounce back and try and get some wins under my belt and claw my way back into this championship.”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
KYLE WYMAN DOES THE DOUBLE ON FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT ROAD ATLANTA
Two Wins and Three Lap Records as Wyman Takes MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Points Lead
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Bobby Fong (50) and the rest of the King Of The Baggers field at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman scored two convincing wins in MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers races on Saturday and Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. Wyman has now won three consecutive races on the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle and leads the King of the Baggers series in points.
“This is so awesome to win three in a row and grab that points lead,” said Wyman after Sunday’s victory. “We had no changes to the bike today from yesterday. That’s how good this Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson bike is. I’m having a lot of fun with our Road Glide. Let’s keep the momentum going for Road America.”
Wyman paced the field in Friday’s qualifying session on the 2.55-mile Road Atlanta course, setting a new track record for the King of the Baggers class with a lap of 1:30.427. Wyman took the lead at the start of the eight-lap race on Saturday and pulled away from the field, opening a gap of 2.67 seconds by lap 5 and breaking his own track record with a best lap of 1:30.304. Factory Indian racer Tyler O’Hara finished second, 3.09 seconds behind Wyman. Hayden Gillim finished third on the Vance & Hines Racing Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman finished in sixth place.
Travis Wyman (10) at speed on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
On Sunday, it was O’Hara leading the field from the start with Kyle Wyman on his rear tire. But before the end of the first lap, O’Hara ran off the track as Wyman challenged him on the brakes in turn 6 with O’Hara ultimately over-shooting the turn. Kyle then began to pull away from the field and led by 2.56 seconds after lap 4 and set yet another class record with a best lap time of 1:30.036. O’Hara recovered to finish second, 1.83 seconds behind Wyman, with Bobby Fong finishing third on the Roland Sands Indian. Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth respectively on their Vance & Hines Racing Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles. Travis Wyman finished seventh on the Factory Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
After four of 14 rounds in the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Kyle Wyman leads the championship with 75 points, followed by Rispoli with 67 points and Gillim with 65 points. O’Hara sits in fourth place with 61 points. Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis is fifth with 37 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team returns to action June 2-4 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Road Atlanta Race 1
Kyle Wyman (H-D) Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
Hayden Gillim (H-D) Vance & Hines Racing
Bobby Fong (Ind) Sacramento Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands
Harley-Davidson invites you to enhance the 2023 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season with some adrenaline pumping action. Check out, ‘Push the Limit,’ a film that shares the story of defending 2021 champion Kyle Wyman, teammate Travis Wyman and the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle race team’s 2022 championship pursuit. Watch it now on Harley-Davidson’s YouTube channel.
Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure and freedom for the soul. Go to H-D.com to learn more about the complete line of 2023 Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring, Sport, Adventure Touring, Cruiser and Trike motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Certified™ pre-owned motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, Harley-Davidson MotorClothes and gear, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia USA:
LANDERS WINS, RODIO EXTENDS MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP POINTS LEAD ABOARD RS 660 AT ROAD ATLANTA
RODIO RACING, POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING, RIDERS FINISH FIRST AND SECOND IN RACE 2 ON SUNDAY
BRASELTON, GA – 24 APRIL 2023 – Three years ago, the Aprilia RS 660 made its debut in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship at Road Atlanta, each year showing new competition, with no shortage of challenges at the Georgia circuit. After a competitive weekend, and Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio claimed half of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium finishes at the April 21-23 event to give the Aprilia RS 660 its second victory in four races this season, with Gus Rodio adding to his lead in the Twins Cup points standings.
The three-time MotoAmerica class champion Landers – who was filling in for injured rider Ben Gloddy – claimed a pole position and a win in his first weekend competing aboard an Aprilia and ended the weekend in eighth place in the Twins Cup standings. Gus Rodio’s pair of second place finishes allowed him to end the weekend with a 26 point advantage over the second rider in the championship as they head to Barber in May.
Optimum Performance Motorsports’ Jody Barry put in a strong performance, qualifying second on the starting grid, before an injury prevented him from competing in either of the round’s two Twins Cup contests.
The weekend began with an Aprilia RS 660 at the top of the time sheets. Landers was the fastest rider in Friday morning practice and was more than half a second faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished Friday practice third fastest, while Barry struggled in the session to finish 11th. Later Friday, Landers was again the top rider in the first of two qualifying sessions. He posted a best lap time of 1:31.907 and was nearly a second faster than Barry — who was the second-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth to give Aprilia three of the top four provisional qualifying positions.
Landers again paced the field in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but track conditions did not allow riders to improve their lap times from Qualifying 1 — which handed Landers pole position and ensured Barry and Rodio would start the weekend’s races from second place and fourth place, respectively.
In the lead up to Saturday’s Race 1, Barry had an unfortunate incident on the warm-up lap and crashed near Turn 5. The damage to his motorcycle did now allow him to participate in the race. When racing did get underway, Rodio got a good jump when the lights went out and was running in second as the field took the holeshot. Landers didn’t get off the line well but was running just behind Rodio and another rider. That group of three riders steadily broke away from the rest of the field during the first lap. Landers’ race was unfortunately cut short by a mechanical failure that his motorcycle suffered near the end of Lap 3, leaving Rodio and the other rider to vie for the win. Both riders took turns in the lead, and Rodio made a calculated attempt to get the lead back on the last lap. His effort came up short, but he still managed to finish second and add 20 points to his championship bid. Rodio was one of two Aprilia riders to finish in the top 10, as Righteous Racing’s Ray Hofman came home in 10th.
Sunday’s Race 2 featured a notable absence on the starting grid, as Barry was not cleared to take part in the race.
Landers made his presence known from the start of Race 2 and put in a commanding performance. He got a good launch off the line, grabbed the holeshot, and continued with a lead that was never in doubt. As Rodio labored through a three-way battle for second, Landers gradually built a lead that topped out at more than seven seconds. He took the win by 4.166 seconds. Rodio finished nine of the race’s 12 laps in second place and pulled away from the third-place rider during the last two laps to secure his second runner-up finish of the weekend and give the Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team its first 1-2 finish of the 2023 season. Landers’ best lap time of 1:31.950 in Race 2 lowered the Twins Cup race lap record by more than 0.8 seconds.
Two other Aprilia riders also finished in the top 10 in Race 2. Unreal Racing’s Daniel Garver finished in ninth place and Hofman secured his second 10th-place finish of the round.
Rodio’s pair of second place finishes added 40 points to his tally, giving him 85 points on the season and a 26-points lead in the Twins Cup points standings. Though he didn’t score any points in Race 1, Landers’ victory on Sunday elevated him to eighth in the class standings with 25 points to his credit.
Of the 38 riders registered to compete in MotoAmerica Twins Cup at the Road Atlanta round, 18 were slated to race aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a three-weekend break before it’s back in action May 19-21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo courtesy Aprilia USA.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“My first time on the Aprilia RS 660 was amazing. It handled very similar to a 600cc bike, in that it gave me a ton of feel on the front tire. I really like riding it. It’s really easy to adapt to, which is a blessing when you get on a new bike. Once I got on it, I knew I was going to gel with it immediately. Saturday’s race was a bit of a bummer, but a day like today always makes you feel better about a day like yesterday. I’m very, very happy to be able to ride the Aprilia to a win today, and I’m excited about the rest of the season.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo courtesy Aprilia USA.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“Overall, it was a pretty good weekend here at Road Atlanta. I’m super happy to get a double podium and extend my points lead to 26 points. I feel really good and learned a lot this weekend from riding with Rocco and other riders. I’m excited to take what we learned here to Barber and have a good weekend there.”
MotoAmerica’s Twins Cup heads to Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama, for the third round of the Championship,May 19-21. The championship schedule, competitor information and class rules can be found at https://motoamerica.com/.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
ESCALANTE AND SCOTT EARN TOP FIVES IN ATLANTA
Suzuki Making Gains in MotoAmerica Series
BREA, CA – April 24, 2023 – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer continued to flash race-winning potential, scoring two top-five finishes as the first points-paying round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport championships concluded on Sunday at Road Atlanta.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott again raced for the win before finishing a close fourth on his next-generation GSX-R750.
Teagg Hobbs mounted an incredible comeback after running off course to finish in sixth.
Superbike
Richie Escalante made strides to significantly improve his pace and break into the top five.
Toni Elias picked up valuable points in his return to active Superbike competition.
Tyler Scott (70) battled for the lead on Sunday, finishing fourth at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott looked to improve upon his Supersport runner-up finish Saturday. The early going looked promising in both regards, as Scott powered off of pole position with the lead and repeatedly dove with confidence into the corner at the end of the long back straight aboard his next-generation GSX-R750. However, after leading multiple laps, the 17-year-old ace took the checkered flag in fourth, just 0.085 seconds removed from a second podium in as many days.
“I was really happy with how the race was going,” Scott said. “We had a good pace and it felt great to be back at the front. I can tell the bike is improved from last year, and the team worked well all weekend. I felt really comfortable while I had the lead. We had a problem in the last couple of laps that cost me some drive out of the corners, so we ended up a close fourth. We’ll come back stronger, and I am really happy for Barber coming up.”
After a challenging Sunday start, Teagg Hobbs (79) brought home another sixth-place finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs was encouraged by his Saturday sixth and hoped for even more in Sunday’s rematch. However, those aspirations were sunk nearly from the start as he ran off the track at the end of the back straight on the Sunday contest’s opening lap. Undeterred, Hobbs mounted a remarkable come-from-behind ride, working his way back up the field from outside the top ten. That charge ended with one final pass on the last lap to equal his Saturday sixth.
“This weekend has been a dream,” Hobbs said. “Riding for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki has been amazing, and it’s a dream come true to be racing full-time in MotoAmerica Supersport. I had a great weekend. We started strong, and my crew did a great job all weekend tuning the bike for me. Today’s race didn’t exactly go as planned, so I had to claw my way back. But we showed some good pace this weekend, and if we put it all together, we can be at the front fighting for the podium.” Scott and Hobbs were joined by four other Suzuki GSX-Rs in the top ten of Sunday’s Supersport race, once again showing Suzuki’s hallmark consistency.
Richie Escalante (54) is showing real promise in Superbike, carding a fifth on Sunday. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed a hugely promising outing at Road Atlanta as he made major strides aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike. Escalante bettered his Saturday sixth with a Sunday fifth, but even the reward of a top-five failed to adequately illustrate his improvement. The second-year Superbike ace cut his best lap by more than a half-second while slashing the gap to the leaders by a mammoth 17 seconds, finishing just 12.345 seconds back of the race winner.
“I’m super happy with the weekend, a P6 and P5,” said Escalante. “This morning, we tried something a little different with the setup, trying to provide more rear grip. In the end, we went back to yesterday’s settings for the race because I knew we could run the whole race consistently. I had a good start, and I stayed with the lead group for a couple of laps. It was difficult to continue the pace because I had an issue with how the rear brake was working. In racing, things like this happen. I dropped into the 1:26 range for a couple of laps but told myself to focus and got back in the ‘25s. I did a 1:25 on the last lap on worn tires. I can’t wait for Barber and am still working hard to get my first Superbike podium.”
Toni Elias (24) battled to eighth place on Sunday as he returns to MotoAmerica Superbike. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
In his return to active racing, former MotoAmerica Superbike champion Toni Elias backed up his Saturday seventh with an eighth on Sunday. The battle-proven Spaniard will take the points and focus his efforts on regaining his momentum to fight for victory once again like he’s done so many times.
“Today’s race was similar to yesterday,” Elias said. “The pace was better, but the problems were the same, transfer of weight to the front. We tried to find an improvement for today’s race, but we couldn’t. It wasn’t the comeback I was expecting but we will work hard to finish stronger for the next race.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action when the 2023 MotoAmerica season continues at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19-21.
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.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Current tuners/mechanics: Brian Van (father), Dave Bavol, and Jimmy Fox.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: SportbikeTrackGear.com and its customers.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, placed 5th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 wins, 5 total podium finishes), 2 class podium finishes in N2/WERA National Endurance races; 2021 season, finished 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, best race finish was 4th); 2020 season, placed 17th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (only competed in 3 rounds, 2 top-10 finishes), won WERA North Central Regional F Superstock Expert Championship (6 race wins); 2019 season, finished 2nd in WERA North Central Regional D Superbike and D Superstock Novice Championships (12 race wins).
2023 racing goal: Win the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Spend my life working in motorsports.
Racing hero: Chris Ulrich.
Favorite track: VIR.
Favorite hobbies: Working for my family’s business, SportbikeTrackGear.com, pursuing fitness training.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Riding around and doing track days with our awesome STG customers.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
World Superbike racing action from Sunday at TT Circuit Assen. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
A WorldSBK weekend of mixed feelings for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Assen.
Scott Redding from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claims his best results so far in the Superpole and the races.
Big crash for team-mate Michael van der Mark in race two.
Two twelfth places for Garrett Gerloff from the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Loris Baz returns from leg injury.
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Assen. BMW Motorrad Motorsport experienced a weekend of mixed emotions at the opening round of the European leg of this season’s FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in Assen, the Netherlands. Scott Redding (GBR) from the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claimed his best results of the season so far in the Superpole and the races. Meanwhile, his team-mate and local favourite Michael van der Mark (NED) suffered a big crash in race two. He suffered a leg injury and has been taken to an Assen hospital for further examinations after being checked in the Medical Centre. In the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Garrett Gerloff (USA) ended both main races in twelfth place. Loris Baz (FRA) showed his fighting spirit on his return to the saddle just a few weeks after injuring his leg.
Scott Redding produced an impressive lap on his BMW M 1000 RR in Saturday morning’s Superpole qualifying to secure fifth place on the grid. Baz qualified 13th, while van der Mark and Gerloff ended qualifying in 15th and 17th place. Redding made a good start in race one on Saturday afternoon and was running in the top five until lap 17 of 21. At one point he had climbed into fourth place. However, his front tyre then started to wear dramatically, and Redding eventually crossed the finish line in 10th place. Gerloff lost a position on lap one, but then consistently worked his way through the field to finish 12th. He was followed over the line by van der Mark in 13th. The Dutchman was lacking the confidence in the front of his bike to be able to attack. Baz overcame the pain in his injured leg to finish 17th after 21 laps of racing.
A technical issue encountered during the warm-up lap meant Baz was unable to line up in the Superpole Race. The start was delayed, and the sprint reduced to eight laps. Redding came home eighth. Van der Mark gained five positions to finish 10th, while Gerloff crossed the finish line 17th.
In race two on Sunday afternoon, Redding immediately climbed from eighth to seventh at the start. As the race progressed, he spent eight laps in sixth place before dropping a position in the closing stages. Seventh place represents Redding’s best race result of the season so far. Gerloff dropped back to 20th place at the start, but then fought back to match the 12th place he claimed on Saturday. Van der Mark attempted to make progress from 15th on the grid but suffered a big crash on lap two and injured his leg. Baz was on course for a fine points finish until lap nine, when he too crashed out. The Frenchman was unhurt.
Round four of the 2023 WorldSBK takes place in Barcelona (ESP) in two weeks, from 5th to 7th May.
Quotes after the Assen races.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “Michael’s crash was a sad end to a weekend, at which we witnessed a few rays of hope. We made a relatively good start to the weekend and, after the test in Barcelona, lined up with some improvements. The first free practice sessions went as expected and were satisfactory. Scott secured a fine fifth place in qualifying, and a good grid position is important in this extremely well-matched field. The others had difficulties. Scott produced a very strong performance in race one and was in P4 for a long time. We took a bit of a risk with the front tyre, which unfortunately did not pay off. We learned from that for the Superpole Race and race two. The performance was good again in race two. The fact is that we are not yet among the front-runners, but Scott was still able to hold on for seventh place. He also gave us some good input, as to how we need to progress. However, it was a great shame that Michael had that big crash so early in the race. We must await the diagnosis, but definitely wish him all the best. The main thing is that he recovers quickly. Respect to Loris. It was good to see him back on the bike and, despite being in pain, he performed well. Garrett struggled all weekend to find his rhythm on the opening laps of the race. That is reflected in his results. In the final race, he set very similar lap times to Scott after lap five – sometimes even faster. However, if you are not on it from the start, then you cannot make progress later. We will soon do some testing in Misano, where we will make more changes to the bike, in order to take the next step.”
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Scott Redding, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 5 / R01: 10 / SP Race: 10 / R02: 7): “I was quite happy that I could be up in the race and even more as I was able to push the bike a little bit, which was nice. But still, we are struggling in some areas and it’s difficult because you cannot get much time back on the others. But I feel like I was riding well. I enjoyed riding the bike this week which was nice for me, and I was fighting in positions where I felt we should be. Yesterday I struggled with the front tyre and today I struggled with rear grip over the entire race. But it was a better weekend, we got some good information. And now we will see if we can bring something to further improve.”
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Garrett Gerloff, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 17 / R01: 12 / SP Race: 17 / R02: 12): “I feel like we had some good pace, just starting from so far back after having such a tricky qualifying was making it difficult. It was my own fault really for being so far back and that’s the most frustrating thing. Also, it was so close, as it was so tight between everybody. It would have been nice to start a few rows forward and I could have changed some things. In the Superpole Race I just didn’t have anything to make up any ground, with only eight laps it was super difficult. In race two I had a good start, but in the first corner, I got bottlenecked and had to brake and check where the guys were around me. I just had to fight to come back. It was a long day. I’m looking forward to the next round, I like Barcelona. I’ll go back there and try to have some good results.”
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 13 / R01: 17 / SP Race: DNS / R02: DNF): “I’m ok, but my first thought was for Michael (van der Mark), because I was right behind him when he crashed, and it was really a big one. I know what he has been through and it’s really tough seeing him in this kind of situation again. I wish him a quick recovery and hope he can come back soon. I had a good start, and I was feeling better with the leg compared to yesterday. In the Superpole Race we had a technical issue, so I didn’t do a lap. We had to change the engine between the Superpole and the main race and the new engine didn’t feel the same, so I lost some time during the first laps. Then Öttl overtook me, as he was a bit faster in the parts where I was struggling. But I was catching him in some other fast places. Coming into that last fast left, it was three or four laps in a row that I gone wide there, and I was worried about crashing, so on that lap, I really rolled early to stay on the line and I crashed there. For sure, I released the brake earlier, maybe I went too inside, it’s just strange. I feel sorry for the team because the bike is destroyed. I was feeling better, but when you don’t feel at 100% all weekend, you obviously force it a bit in some places because I couldn’t move. I was trying to get some points; I was pretty fast considering the shape I’m in. It was a rough weekend, really hard, but we keep moving forward. Scott (Redding) has shown that the bike has something more than we did this weekend. For sure, I will feel better in Barcelona. I hope I’ll be able to come back to my normal pace.”
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Vierge and Lecuona crash out while fighting for top six at Assen
Team HRC and riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge have today concluded the third round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship at the Assen TT Circuit in The Netherlands. Unfortunately it was not their day, with both factory riders crashing out of the afternoon’s 21-lap race while battling inside the top ten.
Before gearing up for race 2, riders were out for the Superpole sprint race. Conditions were cool and sunny (air temp. 14°C, track temp. 20°C), but there was a slight delay to the start after an incident involving another rider left dirt on the track. The race was shortened to 8 laps and began roughly ten minutes later than scheduled. From tenth on the grid, Lecuona made up two positions off the line while Vierge, twelfth on the starting grid, also gained two positions through the first corners. Lapping with very similar times, Xavi moved ahead of team-mate Iker on lap two. While Vierge was able to hold ninth to the line, Lecuona battled with Van der Mark in the final stages, just missing out on a top ten finish to close eleventh.
The third and final race got underway as scheduled at 2pm local time. Now ninth and eleventh on the grid thanks to their results in the sprint race, Vierge and Lecuona immediately gained a position on lap one. Unfortunately Xavi’s race was over almost as soon as it began, the Spaniard crashing on lap three, at turn one, while pushing to stay in touch with the riders battling for sixth, with team-mate Iker moving into eighth as a result. Working hard to get into a rhythm, the remaining Team HRC rider moved briefly up into seventh, before battling with Gardner and Redding in the central stages of the race. It was not to be today though, with Iker suffering the same fate as his team-mate and crashing at turn four on lap eleven. Although he was briefly able to return to the track, the Spaniard was forced to pull into the pits and retire shortly afterwards.
With the first three championship rounds now complete, Vierge lies ninth in the general standings with 49 points, Lecuona lies thirteenth with 33. Team HRC will now focus its attention on round four, which is scheduled to take place at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Spain on 5-7 May.
Xavi Vierge (97) leading Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
SPR P9 RACE2 DNF
“I first want to apologise to the team for my mistake in race 2. The team worked really hard between yesterday and today, making various changes to the bike. It wasn’t easy to decide what to do following warm-up, as we didn’t have the right conditions to really check it, but we believed in our work and headed into the Superpole race feeling confident. I was pleased with the way that race went as the bike allowed me to battle. I was able to finish top nine and that meant I gained a better grid position for race 2. As that race got underway, I was feeling good and the feeling was there, allowing me to fight for the top six. Unfortunately I made a small mistake through turn 1 and lost the front, and that was the end of that. Not the end we were hoping for, but after a difficult weekend we did find something that allowed us to be up there fighting for a solid result. So we need to take the positives and will now head to Barcelona, a track that can work better for us.”
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
SPR P11 RACE 2 DNF
“It was a tough day in general for me, the team and Honda, with me and Xavi both crashing in Race 2 and generally struggling at this track. We think we understood something about why the weekend developed as it did, so now it’s time to remain cool and focused, checking all the data and really understanding which changes to make to the setup of the bike, both for the next round and for the subsequent testing session at Misano. It’s true that last year I also had to save myself from some crashes, but this year we have crashed a lot. Having said that, thanks to the team, to Kuwata san, Mori san and everyone on the team for the trust they put in me. I trust them and the team and now we need to work and make the right choices.”
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team:
WorldSBK – Syahrin in the points in WorldSBK race 2 at Assen
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team has concluded what has been a challenging third round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship at Assen by scoring points in race 2 with rider Hafizh Syahrin.
In cool but sunny conditions, the brief Superpole race started a little later than scheduled when an incident for another rider left dirt on the track. One lap into the shortened 8-lap race and riders Granado and Syahrin were lying nineteenth and twentieth. Sticking close to each other, the pair moved up a place on lap two before exchanging positions on lap three. While Hafizh was able to maintain a consistent pace and hold eighteenth for the remainder of the race, Eric slipped back a little in the final lap to cross the line twenty-first.
The riders were back out for the weekend’s final 21-lap race at 2pm local time. The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda duo made up ground through the opening laps, with Syahrin lying seventeenth and Granado nineteenth by lap four. Both gained three more positions by the mid-race point, with the Malaysian moving into the points zone, followed by the Brazilian, sixteenth. Syahrin ran an undisturbed final part of the race to cross the line fourteenth and score two championship points, while Granado closed this final race in seventeenth position.
Syahrin now holds four points and places nineteenth in the championship standings, while Granado is yet to score points this season. The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team will now prepare for the fourth WorldSBK round, scheduled to run at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit on 6-8 May.
Hafizh Syahrin (35). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.
Hafizh Syahrin P14
“I’m very happy with our race 2 result as we scored two championship points. The Superpole race was also very useful and helped us to understand what we could do better in today’s final race, which turned out well. We might not be scoring points in every race but we did it at every racing weekend and we’re definitely taking steps round by round, repaying the efforts of everyone who is working so hard. I want to thank the team and all those supporting me. We now have a little time to rest before turning our attentions to the Catalunya round in two weeks’ time.”
Eric Granado (51). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.
Eric Granado P17
“Well, the first half of the race went a lot better than yesterday and I felt that I had a good rhythm and was able to stick with the group. Then unfortunately from mid-race onwards I found myself struggling with arm pump, which meant I had to slow my pace quite significantly. I’d been suffering with this since Friday actually and I seemed to be recovering gradually but in this final race of the weekend, after completing so many laps, I guess my arm conceded defeat. Like I say, the first half of the race was positive, and I’ve taken a good step in terms of my confidence with the bike, but now we need to understand my physical condition and the bike setting in preparation for the next Barcelona round.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
AEGERTER THRILLED WITH FOURTH AND TOP INDEPENDENT RIDER STATUS, GARDNER GRABS GREAT SIXTH
Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner enjoyed a good Sunday in Assen, as the Swiss rider impressed in Race 2 and managed an excellent 4th place – making him the Top Independent Rider of the race. While the Australian recovered six places to finish 6th in the feature race.
The day started with the usual Warm Up session, and the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair made the final adjustments. Aegerter finished 7th with a 1’35.196, while Gardner was 13th (1’35.608), both felt ready ahead the two remaining races.
In a shortened 8-lap Tissot Superpole Race, the #77 and the #87 enjoyed a decent start. Aegerter was in contention for a Top 5 spot, with his teammate just behind. Unfortunately, Gardner was forced to go wide on Lap 2, dropping to 16th. The Australian rider did his best to recover as much as he could, showing good pace and eventually crossing the line in 12th. On the other side of the garage, Aegerter fought until the very end for a second-row start in Race 2, he managed 7th after fighting against Bassani’s Ducati.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha duo started from 7th and 12th on the grid in the final feature race of the weekend. Aegerter and Gardner got off the line well, gaining positions at the start. The #77 installed himself in a solid Top 5 place in the early stages, while the #87 rider made his way through the field to find himself 7th on Lap 8, going past Honda’s Vierge and Lecuona and Ducati’s Petrucci. With seven laps to go, Gardner made one final move on BMW’s Redding to take sixth position. Afterwards, he tried to close the gap with the guys in front to join the Top 5 fight and despite showing promising pace throughout the whole race, he stayed in 6th until the end.
Meanwhile, Aegerter tried to recover on Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Locatelli and Ducati’s Bassani for a podium place. The Swiss star showed great speed in the 21-lap battle, staying in 5th for the majority of the race. In the latter stages, the #77 rider impressed with blistering pace, eventually catching Bassani for a last lap showdown. Finally, Domi crossed the line in 5th, before being promoted to 4th following Bassani’s track limits penalty. This means Domi placed as the Top Independent Rider on the day.
“That was a great Race 2, finishing 4th and getting top independent is nice. We had a good start and fierce battles until the last chicane. There are still aspects of this bike that I can learn how to better exploit, we’re going step by step. We have a great long-run pace and base setup, but we should be quick in the early stages too. I’m happy with the package we have, Yamaha and the GYTR GRT Team are doing a great job, plus it’s good we can share data with fast guys. We’ll keep working for sure, that is what has got us where we are today. We hope to be in the top group again in Barcelona.”
Remy Gardner (87) leads a group of riders at Assen. Photo courtesy GYTR GRT Yamaha.
Remy Gardner #87
Superpole Race: P12 / Race 2: P6
“Not a bad Race 2, although unfortunately we had bad luck in the sprint race. For sure we need to work on our qualifying sessions, once again starting from behind didn’t help. In the last feature race, our pace was fine and I enjoyed it. The tyre choice was the correct one in my opinion, it was just a shame I lost a lot of time in the opening laps as I got forced wide, but we were still able to perform a good recovery. Let’s keep rolling and progress further, we know there’s potential.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Takes A Podium Before Misfortune Strikes
Jonathan Rea secured his third podium finish of the season with second place in the Superpole race at Assen. He would then fall in Race Two while chasing the leading duo. Alex Lowes was fourth and then ninth, after going through his own moment of high drama before Race Two.
A delayed start to the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race meant it was run over eight laps, not the customary ten. Rea led in the first part of lap one but eventual winner Alvaro Bautista would pass in the final sector and hold his lead to the flag.
Rea was a clear second while his team-mate Lowes took a lonely fourth, having been in the leading mix early on while chasing his own podium ambition.
In the second race of the day, and the third WorldSBK race of the weekend, there was an unexpected turn even before the start of the 21-lap race itself. Lowes crashed on the sighting lap and had to come back to the pits to use a second bike for the 21-lap race.
Lowes moved up strongly from his last place starting position (imposed on him due to his late bike change) to finish ninth and salvage good championship points.
Rea was still fighting for the podium places with Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu in Race Two when he fell on lap six, at the fast Turn Nine, and he was unable to re-start. Despite this misfortune Rea moved up one place in the championship standings at the end of the Assen race weekend.
In the championship standings, after three rounds and nine individual races, Bautista has 174 points Razgatlioglu 118, Locatelli 104, Bassani 77 and Rea 73. Lowes is tenth, with 44 points.
The next round takes place at KRT’s home circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya, between 5-7 May.
Jonathan Rea (65) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) and Alex Lowes (22) at Assen. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It was one of those days, unfortunately, but I have got to take some positives from this weekend. The bike was really comfortable to ride, and I did some things at Assen that I have not been able to do for a few years. The starts were great, but I missed the jump a little bit in Race Two. We checked the data to understand the crash and for some reason, all weekend, I have had some pressure on the gearshift. This one time in T9, as soon as I opened the gas, it engaged third gear and that was enough to crash. I went down in probably the most graceful crash I have ever had! I was so frustrated because I felt like we could fight for a podium again. I felt much more comfortable in that race, compared to Race One and also the Superpole Race earlier today. The Superpole Race was maximum attack for eight laps. Alvaro just broke me with two laps to go.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “This weekend has been a bit better and when we have grip in the bike we can be quite fast. The Superpole Race was quite good because I was one of the only guys who could stay with the front three. The race, at eight laps, was a bit shorter than normal. The pace was fast and I felt OK on the limit. Everybody is riding on the limit. I lost the front on the sighting lap before Race Two. Starting from the back of the grid it was going to be tough, but my pace was a bit better after we had made a few changes on the bike. I was able to keep my front tyre grip for five or six laps longer and I was faster than the day before.”
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished 19th in the Superpole Race and took a point in Race Two for 15th place.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) was 25th and then 16th on the final day at Assen. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) was a retiree in the Superpole Race and then 18th in Race Two.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Aruba.it Racing and Ducati write a page of history at “The Cathedral of Speed”. Bautista and Bulega win all the races in WorldSBK and WorldSSP. The Spanish rider also gives Borgo Panigale victory #400. Top 10 for Rinaldi
The weekend of the Pirelli Dutch Round, third event of the 2023 WorldSBK season, enters by right in the history of Aruba.it Racing and Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega in fact, won all the races held at TTCircuit of Assen (Netherland) both in WorldSBK and WorldSSP, taking their respective Pole Positions and setting all the fastest laps, as well as setting new circuit records.
An extraordinary haul on the same day of the historic 400 Ducati victories in the World Superbike Championship, a milestone cut by the Spaniard in Race 2.
At the end of the Pirelli Dutch Round, Alvaro Bautista is firmly first in the standings with 174 points, 56 more than Razgatlioglu (Yamaha). There is also a wide margin for Nicolò Bulega, the leader in WorldSSP with 127 points, 37 more than Manzi (Yamaha).
It was a difficult weekend, however, for Michael Rinaldi, who nevertheless gritted his teeth in Race 2 and brought home the Top 10.
Alvaro Bautista. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)
“It has been an exciting weekend and I am very happy to have put my signature on such an important milestone as the 400th victory for Ducati in Superbike. I’m also really happy because we even managed to improve on yesterday, especially in the Superpole Race. The advantage in the standings it is not my interest at the moment: what I’ll remember from this day is the fantastic feeling with the bike.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“Honestly it was a very difficult weekend. Right from FP1 the feeling wasn’t the same as in the previous rounds; unfortunately, we couldn’t work in FP2, then we had to run in wet conditions in FP3. Basically, we did setup in Race 1. At the same time, though, we need to be more responsive when we face difficulties like these. For sure we are not going to lose confidence from a weekend gone wrong.”
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“We can say that this was a perfect weekend, probably the best weekend of my life. We won the two races, starting from the pole position, always doing the fastest lap. I want to thank my team because from the very first lap of FP1 the feeling with the bike was simply fantastic. Now, though, we have to think about Barcelona.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Double Dutch Podium for Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli stepped on to the podium together after an exciting display of professional race craft in Race 2 at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands today, to finish a positive weekend for Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK at the third round of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship.
It was Razgatlıoğlu’s third podium of the event, finishing one better than his Race 1 and Superpole Race third places, but the key difference was how close the team’s Turkish rider was able to run to winner Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) in the first half of the final main race. Forcing a move through the northern loop of the historical circuit in the opening laps netted a brief look at the lead of the race, but it was not enough to fully upset the dominance of the Spanish rider this weekend.
Teammate Locatelli took another step forward again today, enjoying a fierce battle with Italian compatriot Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati) in both races. “Loka” was held up in the first part of the Superpole Race, unable to make a move and lost out to Bassani in the final portion of the shortened eight-lap sprint. But in Race 2, the two went head-to-head once again and the #55 rider came out on top after a spectacular high-speed battle on entry to Assen’s fastest corner. Superior late race pace from Locatelli and his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK sealed the deal for the podium, following a super consistent weekend of results.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK returns to Barcelona in less than two weeks’ time for the fourth round of the season, taking place from 5-7 May.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – Superpole Race: P3 / Race 2: P2
“I am really happy, I ride through the first corner in Race 2 and don’t crash like 2021 and 2022! This is a big improvement! Also, today, in World Supersport my Turkish friends Can and Bahattin crashed and I am a bit scared before the race to do the same! I tried my best and finish in second position, I am happy for this but normally I am always try to win – this race it was impossible but I tried everything. Also I tried to attack Alvaro for the lead and anyway, we know, everybody know in the last laps he is more strong. This track is very fast, I am not close enough to try a hard braking pass – it was not easy. Second position is not bad, better than nothing! Also I am not coming back home without podiums, so this is a good positive! We will see in the next race. I am very happy for my teammate Locatelli as well, I hope we can finish more races on the podium together.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli – Superpole Race: P5 / Race 2: P3
“I am really happy about Race 2, because to think about going home after Assen without a podium was a bit sad! So I am really proud about the job we did here because we started in difficult conditions and we never really found good grip with the rear and it compromised the first laps a little bit until I could do my rhythm. We need to understand a bit more but we have another podium and a lot of good points for the championship, a really good result and no mistakes. We need to continue to work and see what is possible for the future races. I want to say thanks to the guys for this weekend, we can enjoy this moment.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
“Another good day ‘at the office’! Friday was tough, we improved yesterday and took another step forward with both riders today. So first of all, I have to say thank you to the efforts of Yamaha and the team for reacting so well and giving the guys competitive packages today. We can’t really argue with the outright pace of Bautista and his package at this moment, so to score a double podium in Race 2, retain second and third positions in the championship – and, more importantly for Yamaha, to finish second, third, fourth and sixth in the last race, shows that the R1 still has plenty of life in it yet! We’ll move on to Barcelona – another challenging track for us – and try to maximise our performance there.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
SO CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN IN RACE 2, BUT TOO MUCH GAP IN THE FIRST LAPS!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
The team’s work yesterday evening allowed Philipp to be able to fight in today’s two races, but the staory was similar to yesterday’s; a lot of time lost in the first laps, where the main difficulty is finding space for overtaking, then from the middle of the race onwards a pace in line with the Top 8. This is the aspect to work on, which conditions the races in our start of the season!
The morning got off to a good start for the Go Eleven rider, in the Warm Up he was able to get down to a low 35, a time in line with the pace of Race 1. Ninth position and a good feeling especially at the front.
Warm Up:
P 1 J. Rea 1.34.747
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.092
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.275
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 0.594
The Superpole Race here in Assen was held over a shortened distance of 8 laps, due to oil on the track in the Warm Up Lap. Even more difficult to recover for Philipp, starting from fourteenth place. The first lap, which was decisive in these sprint races, was rather complicated, then lap after lap he improved and came back a few positions, fighting above all with Petrucci, finishing in front of him at the chequered flag. No points taken, but the awareness of being able to think about the Top Ten in Race 2.
Superpole Race:
P 1 A. Bautista 12’37.045
P 2 J. Rea + 0.916
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 1.757
…
P 14 P. Oettl + 12.037
At the start of Race 2 Philipp managed to get off to a good start, defending his position, then suffering a couple of attacks in the first and second sectors. Unfortunately, the race was “lost” in the first six laps, when he was in the fight with slower riders, the group in front, battling for the Top Ten, took a clear advantage. In the second half of the race he was faster than Rinaldi, Redding and Lowes, closing the gap by almost half a second per lap, managing to slip behind the Ducati rider. Eleventh position conquered, a step forward compared to yesterday, but there is still a lot to work on.
Race 2:
P 1 A. Bautista 33’14.560
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 3.915
P 3 A. Locatelli + 7.416
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 21.645
This Round, held on a particular track like the TT-Circuit, highlighted the major problems affecting the results of the Italian team in this part of the season; all the riders are really close, just a few thousandths away, and a start from the rear, combined with a difficulty in dealing with overtaking relegates to a comeback race. A comeback that becomes difficult when all the riders lap with two, maximum three tenths of a difference. 21 seconds taken in Race 2 is not a lot, but 12 of which in the first seven laps highlight the area you need to focus on.
Now the WorldSBK circus moves to Barcelona, where last year Philipp finished in the top ten, a track where Ducati should perform very well. However, each year is unique, so Team Go Eleven will have to work and find the right set-up!
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Today we made a step in the right direction, starting from the Warm Up. The start and the first laps are our biggest problem at the moment, we don’t miss a lot to fight in the group, but we missed just two/three tenths to have a really good race. This weekend we choice the right tyre, I was quite confident with the front. I struggled to overtake, especially the BMWs, i lost a lot of seconds there with Baz. We are fast, but we know where to improve. Physically i feel really good, I had zero problem through the weekend, even if I came from Le Mans 24 hour. I will keep working in the same way and we will have better days in the future!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“Today we took a step forward but we lost too much time in the early stages of the race. It was difficult for Philipp to overtake Baz and with him we lost contact with the group that was fighting for sixth position. Everyone is riding very close here, the difference of performance among the riders is minimal, and nothing is enough to move from fifth to fifteenth, while still remaining “fast”. We have to take care of every detail and improve in the first half of the race. We are competitive even if we haven’t achieved the result that we want and this is what leaves a bitter taste in our mouth, it’s like smelling good food but not being able to eat it… it makes us want even more! Now we can only focus on ourselves and improve to be back to the top positions!”
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by David Swarts.
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman finished a near-perfect weekend by winning MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Wyman recovered from a bad start on his factory Road Glide, took the lead on the opening lap, and went on to win the eight-lap race by 1.830 seconds.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara led on the first lap, but he ran off the track in Turn 10 and dropped from first to fourth. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian rider then worked his way back up to second, where he finished.
Bobby Fong also recovered from running his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger off the track during the race to finish third.
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by David Swarts.
Progressive Fresh N Lean Yamaha’s Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
It was one of the most exciting Superbike races in recent memory with four riders battling for the win until the very end.
Gagne won by 0.575 second over Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, who crossed the finish line 0.275 second ahead of third-place Mathew Scholtz on the Westby Racing Yamaha.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin was dueling with Beaubier for the lead on the last lap when they came together at 185 mph on the kinked back straightaway. Herrin was put off line, which caused him to run off the track in Turn 10. He recovered quickly enough to salvage fourth place.
Richie Escalante rounded out the top five finishers on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Gagne Wins MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Thriller At Road Atlanta
Four-Rider Fight For Victory Goes To Jake Gagne In Race Two Of The Superbike Opening Round At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Cameron Beaubier (6) leads Jake Gagne (1), Cameron Petersen (45), Josh Herrin (hidden) and the rest of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – Four riders battled to the bitter end on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in what was the most exciting Medallia Superbike race in recent memory. And when the smoke cleared after 15 intense laps it was defending two-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne crossing the finish line first on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, just half a second ahead of yesterday’s winner Cameron Beaubier on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Just prior to the finish, it was anybody’s race when the four ran together down the backstraight and through the 180-mph kink when Beaubier’s line pushed him wide and nearly forced Josh Herrin off the track. That left a giant hole between Beaubier and Herrin to go through, and Gagne went through it. Herrin recovered but couldn’t get his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati stopped for the chicane and his off-track excursion allowed Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz to pass him, putting Scholtz third and Herrin fourth at the finish line. Scholtz was .850 of a second behind Gagne with Herrin some two seconds behind after getting his Panigale V4 R back on track.
The win was Gagne’s first of the season and the 30th MotoAmerica Superbike victory of his career and it put him into a tie with Beaubier at the top of the championship standings after one round and two races. The pair both have 45 points with the series heading to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-21.
Scholtz and the Westby Racing crew worked hard over the course of the weekend and the South African said they’d made huge progress over the course of the three days. He was rewarded with a podium finish on Sunday.
Cameron Beaubier (6) leads Josh Herrin (2), Jake Gagne (1) and Mathew Scholtz (11) in the final laps of what was a thrilling four-rider battle for victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin was also happy on Sunday afternoon, despite missing out on the podium. The two races were just his second and third outings on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R and he landed on the podium in Saturday’s race.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fifth on Sunday, some three seconds ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and his teammate Corey Alexander.
The returning Toni Elias was eighth on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the top 10.
Notably missing from the results was Gagne’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen. The South African’s difficult weekend ended early when his Yamaha YZF-R1 caught fire just a few laps into the race.
With Gagne and Beaubier tied atop the standings with 45 points, Herrin is third with 29 points, two ahead of Scholtz and eight ahead of Escalante.
Superbike Race 2
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Toni Elias (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“Got off to another good start, and me and Cam (Beaubier)… those first couple laps, five or six laps, Cam knew I wanted to push the pace. Any opportunity Cam could to shove it in me and he was great going into (turn) 10A. I was struggling big time down into there, so he passed me a bunch of times there. We were side by side through one, through 10A, 10B a couple times. So, it was fun battling. I haven’t had that close of racing in a while. Those first couple laps, I kind of forgot about everybody else. I wasn’t even looking at my pit board. I thought it was just kind of me and Cam. Then all of a sudden, midway through, Herrin comes by, and I still see plus zero. So, I didn’t know if it was (Mathew) Scholtz behind us, but somebody was. So, I’m like, ‘We’ve got a whole pack here.’ The bike was awesome. My drives are awesome. I was still struggling on the brakes, but I think that was just because of me and after a couple laps, I was really pumped up. So, I kind of tried to just chill and relax and tried to just breathe and watch what those guys were doing a little differently and watch them battle each other. For the last lap, it was hard to really have a plan. Obviously, both of those bikes were really fast and really strong down into 10 through the kink. So, I was kind of just hoping for the best. I figured maybe they both would have a little braking battle in there and I could drive up under the bridge, but it was nuts. Like Cam said, with the wind, I didn’t really know what happened. I just saw them kind of hit and then they parted. The seas parted and I just shot down the center of them, and from then on out, I led into 10A. Like I said, my bike was really good driving up over the hill and just protected the inside line. It was fun. That was really fun racing, close racing. I haven’t had stuff like that in a lot of years, actually. Racing with guys like this that I’ve spent my whole career racing with all these guys, so it was fun. I’m sure we put on a good show. Again, I think luck was on my side a little bit with those guys coming together, for sure. But I’m glad everybody stayed on track because that’s scary. 180 miles an hour something scary could happen there. So, I’m just glad we all brought it home. Good start to the year. We scored points in the first two races, so I can’t complain.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second
“At the beginning, I was doing everything I possibly could to hang onto Jake (Gagne). He just had some pace. Luckily, my bike was fast and every time I would get close to him, I just went for a pass. He made me look dumb. Rode around the outside of me a couple times. That didn’t feel good, but I’m sure it looked good on TV. That was a wild race. Then I settled down, and tried to control the race because I knew my bike was fast and I was good on the brakes. I was struggling in some other spots, but I was doing the best I could with what we have right now. My bike was super-fast. I was trying to get to those last three laps and then put my head down and be good on the brakes and try to hold them off. Then (Josh) Herrin came by me and got in another pretty good battle with us. Man, that last lap was so hairy. I’m just super happy everyone’s safe after that one. He ran me a little wide on the straightaway, and then I went into the fast right-hander pretty tight. I went to lean in, and he was on the outside of me. I just didn’t turn. I pushed the front a little bit. It was terrifying. He was right on the outside of me, and I ran him wide. I was afraid I ran him off the track. You’re doing 180 miles an hour through that corner. So, I glanced over my shoulder. Saw he was good, and then Jake and him blew by me on the brakes. There was nothing I could do to fight Jake going through the last section. Glad everyone is safe. Super stoked to get out of here with a one-two. Didn’t really even know what to expect coming into this round. Just massive thank you to the Tytlers BMW guys. It was an interesting off-season riding at a different track than I’ve ever ridden at doing some testing and stuff, other than Buttonwillow. So, just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“To be honest, the first couple laps I was just hanging on. We made quite a few changes from the first race. I was just still feeling out what the bike was kind of doing. I felt like the strong parts of the track for me, I was really, really quick, but the weaker parts I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot that I could kind of pass in, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. So, I just have to give a big shout out to the Westby Racing team. Of course, after the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the second restart of this race now. So, at least now we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that. Just thank you to the Westby Racing team. Hopefully we’ll be challenging these boys next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Herrin and Forés Shine in an Excellent 2023 Season Debut in Georgia
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 23, 2023 — MotoAmerica 2023 roared into life at Road Atlanta in Georgia this weekend with Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés doing the Ducatisti proud with exceptional performances in the Superbike and Supersport categories, respectively.
Herrin’s first race on the factory-spec Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V4 R saw the current MotoAmerica Supersport Champion in the mix from the first green light of the weekend.
Using all his racing craft, Herrin scored a debut podium in race one on Saturday behind winner Cameron Beaubier (BMW) and current Superbike champion, second-placed Jake Gagne (Yamaha).
However, this was only the appetizer as Herrin engaged in what can only be described as a race for the ages in Sunday’s race two with Beaubier, Gagne and Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha), leading on the last lap but somehow pulling off an incredible save at over 190 mph down the back straight when he and Beaubier touched while fighting for the lead.
Herrin finished fourth at the finish and now lies third in the points after the first round.
In the Supersport class, it was a red-letter weekend for Xavi Forés as the vastly experienced Spaniard did what was expected of his talent by securing two dominant victories in his MotoAmerica Supersport debut.
Riding the number 12 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2, the new father Forés was the class of the field in Georgia and leaves The Peach State with a perfect 50-point tally, some 17 points up on Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round One
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 45
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 45
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 29
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 27
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 21
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round One
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 50
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 33
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 33
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 32
P5 – Michael Gilbert (Suzuki) 22
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
“It was a great weekend,” Forés enthused. “Today was slightly difficult at the beginning of the race because I didn’t gain any positions off the start, but, lap by lap, things got better. When I got the lead I put my rhythm on and knew I was very strong under brakes at the end of the back straight, so I used that to my advantage. I just tried to do consistent laps so I could relax a bit at the end of the race. We have the championship lead and now it is back home to Spain to see my new baby!”
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – Ducati #2)
“It’s a crazy feeling to be fighting for a superbike win because I’m still so new to the bike,” Herrin said. “I would not have expected to be in this position after Friday because I needed to rethink my mentality and work to close the gap between Jake (Gagne) and the rest. In race one, I saw I was getting close and today, I knew if I could hang within one second of Jake, I could win the race. Within five laps, things started to come to me and I thought, maybe I could lead the race and try to make a break, but I couldn’t quite manage that pace.” Josh Continued.
“But I couldn’t leave anything on the table and it ended up being one of the best superbike races anyone’s seen in a really long time. This is, without doubt, the best I’ve ever felt on a superbike in my career and it’s only going to get better.”
Round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on May 19-21, 2023.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz Podiums In MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two At Road Atlanta
Mathew Scholtz (11) leads a group of riders during MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Braselton, GA – April 23, 2023 – Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, wrapped up the opening round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a third-place result in Sunday’s race two, which was an improvement over his fifth-place result in Saturday’s race one. The podium result gave him and the team encouragement for round two of the Championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19 through 21.
In Sunday’s race, Mathew was part of a group of four riders at the front who battled each other all the way to the checkered flag. On the final lap, Josh Herrin, who was one of the other three riders, got pushed wide, which allowed Mathew to overtake him and finish third behind Cameron Beaubier in second and Jake Gagne, who ultimately won the race.
“We made quite a few changes after the first race,” Mathew said. “So, in race two, I was still feeling out what the bike was doing. I felt like, in certain sections of the track, I was really, really quick, but in other sections, I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot where I could pass, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But, otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. I have to give a big shout-out to the Westby Racing team. After the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the restart of today’s race. So, at least now, we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that.”
As mentioned above, the Westby Racing team will be back in action on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by David Swarts.
Spaniard Xavi Fores made it two for two with a victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, Fores won the 18-lap race by 1.468 seconds.
Stefano Mesa passed Josh Hayes on the final lap to score second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes looked destined to finish a distant fourth near the halfway point but pushed forward to score third place, just 0.2 second behind Mesa, on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium position all the way to the finish but got pushed down to fourth, 0.095 second behind Hayes, in the end.
Michael Gilbert rounded out the top five on his Michael Gilbert Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Double Wins For Fores, Dreher, Beaubier And Wyman At Road Atlanta
Saturday’s Winners Win Again On Sunday At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – There were three first-time winners in MotoAmerica racing on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. On Sunday, those three became two-time victors as Xavi Fores, Avery Dreher and Ezra Beaubier showed that their first wins definitely weren’t flukes.
Also doubling up was Kyle Wyman with the H-D Screamin’ Eagle-backed New Yorker winning a second Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday to go with his Saturday victory.
Supersport – Fores Times Two
Xavi Fores (12) won the Supersport race on Saturday at Road Atlanta and then he won it again on Sunday. Here he leads Tyler Scott (70), Stefano Mesa (37) and Josh Hayes (4). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores followed up his debut Supersport win on Saturday with another flawless performance on Sunday. The Spaniard started slower than in yesterday’s race but finished with a bit more comfort as he topped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa by 1.4 seconds after 18 laps of Road Atlanta.
Mesa, meanwhile, had worked his way past Squid Hunter’s Josh Hayes for second place on the final lap with Hayes ending up third for a second time on the weekend. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fourth after finishing second on Saturday.
Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert was fifth, matching his effort from race one.
Fores leads the title chase with 50 points, 17 ahead of Mesa and Scott, who are tied for second, and 18 ahead of Hayes.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Again
Kyle Wyman (33) celebrates his Mission King Of The Baggers victory on Sunday at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman rode his Harley-Davidson Road Glide to victory after passing Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara on the opening lap and sped to his second successive Mission King Of The Baggers victory at Road Atlanta.
O’Hara finished 1.830 seconds behind Wyman with Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian’s Bobby Fong third. Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teamsters Hayden Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
With his third straight victory, Wyman now leads the championship point standings with 75 points, eight points clear of Rispoli and 10 points ahead of Gillim. Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion O’Hara is 14 points behind in fourth place.
Stock 1000 – Beaubier Is Double Trouble
Ezra Beaubier (16) leads Geoff May (99) and Kaleb De Keyrel (51) en route to his second straight Stock 1000 victory at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Ezra Beaubier admitted surprise that he won his first career Stock 1000 race on Saturday. On Sunday, the youngest of the two Beaubier brothers came back to Road Atlanta filled with the confidence of a race winner. And he turned all of that into a second win in a row on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR, this time over Geoff May Racing’s Geoff May by six seconds with the 25-year veteran of the sport announcing his retirement from racing this weekend.
Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp put his BMW on the podium with an impressive ride to third, 6.2 seconds behind Beaubier and two seconds ahead of fifth-placed Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel was running second and right behind his Orange Cat Racing teammate Beaubier when he got into turn 12 too hot on the final lap and ran straight, losing three places to May, Knapp and fourth-placed Travis Wyman.
Beaubier’s perfect 50 points puts him 14 points ahead of May and 17 clear of Travis Wyman.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Landers Rebounds
Rocco Landers (97) dominated the Twins Cup race on Sunday at Road Atlanta, riding as a fill-in rider for the injured Ben Gloddy. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers suffered an engine failure while leading Saturday’s REV’IT Twins Cup race. On Sunday, he came out with guns blazing and completely dominated the race, beating his teammate Gus Rodio by 4.166 seconds. Third place, for the second straight day, went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, who was 8.31 seconds behind championship leader Rodio at the end of the 12-lap race.
Defending class champion and Saturday’s race winner Blake Davis crashed early in the race but was able to remount his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7 to finish 11th.
After four races, Rodio leads the title chase with 85 points – 26 more than Schultz and 29 ahead of Davis.
Junior Cup – Dreher X Two
Avery Dreher (99) was another who completed a sweep at Road Atlanta with victories in the Junior Cup class on both Saturday and Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Turns out that Avery Dreher liked winning so much he decided to do it again with the Bad Boys Racing rider earning his second straight Junior Cup win on Sunday with a .949-second victory over Max Van, who was second for the second straight day.
Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese was third for the second day in a row, just 1.080 seconds from victory.
With his two wins, Dreher leads Van by 10 points heading to Barber in a month’s time.
Quotes…
Ezra Beaubier – Stock 1000 Winner
“Well, I hope it becomes a habit. Honestly I woke up today just with a completely different feeling. I finally had the confidence. I can do this now. I can run with these guys. I just felt really good. We found some stuff with the bike last night and it was really positive. In warmup, I basically matched my fastest lap of the race yesterday in warmup. I wasn’t really pushing super hard, so I felt super good going into the race, super confident. I felt like I could rip off a bunch of the 1:26s in the race, and I was able to execute that. In the beginning, I tried to pull out and see if I could get a gap, and I really wasn’t able to, so I just kind of backed it down and sat there. Then towards the end of the race, tried to pick it back up again. I saw on my pit board that Kaleb was right there on me. On the last lap on the back straight, I felt him in my draft and started almost panicking a little bit. I tried to run a defensive line. Then he ended up running off in the last turn, which is a huge bummer not to go one and two as the Orange Cat BMW’s. But it was a great race and a great weekend for me. I hope to have many more of these.”
Avery Dreher – Junior Cup Winner
Honestly, I went into the race with the same mindset, the same strategy as yesterday. I tried to fall in line at the beginning of the race, but they caught us towards the middle, so it was the same pack as yesterday. I’m glad we were going a lot faster than yesterday. Towards the end of the race, I felt like I had some pace to break away, so I made the move into 10A. I looked back once or twice. Saw that I had a gap and just put my head down. Happy with the result. Good job to Max and Hayden. Looking forward to Barber.”
Rocco Landers – REV’IT! Twins Cup Winner
“Yesterday, I knew I was kind of screwed on lap one. I felt the thing starting to lose power off the start and then again on turn seven, but those days happen. It’s infuriating sometimes, but you got to bounce back. You have a good day after this. It kind of polishes it off and makes everything feel a whole lot better. But you lose 25 points and end up having a DNF. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a bummer, and a day like today actually makes that feel a whole lot better. I didn’t even know I was racing until I think last weekend. I was literally hanging insulation and my dad comes in and goes, ‘Hey, Matt called and he wants to know if you want to fill in for Ben Gloddy for the week.’ I was like, ‘Definitely!’ I didn’t know if I was going to be racing. It’s an incredible opportunity. I feel very grateful towards Matt for giving me that opportunity. My mechanic Chad worked super hard along with Matt all weekend to give me the best bike they could. We’ve made very positive changes every time I’ve got on the bike. Every time I’ve ridden it, it’s felt better and better and better. My dad actually flew in Friday afternoon, and I didn’t know he was going to be there, so that helped out and made it a whole lot more fun. Days like this are what you always want, so let’s hope we can have some more of these, depending on how long I’m filling in here.”
Xavi Fores – Supersport Winner
“Today was slightly worse on my start. I did a mistake releasing the clutch and I couldn’t get any positions. I was fourth at the end of the first part of the circuit. Then on the back straight, I felt strong on the brake like yesterday, so I couldn’t pass Josh (Hayes) and stay fighting for the podium at the beginning. It was not that easy to pass Stefano (Mesa) and Tyler (Scott), especially on the back straight, because Stefano is quite fast on the straight. He is quite aerodynamic. I was trying to stay there, there, there. He did a small mistake shifting on the exit of turn seven, so I got a chance to pass him on the braking. Then I was so focused to pass Tyler because he was riding fast, but he was a little bit like aggressive all the time. I said, okay, if I pass him, I can push hard and I can make him go to the limit. So, that was my target for today. I don’t know why, from one lap to the other I got some gap to the second one. I don’t know if we got a slow rider, and I got that benefit. But, after that, I start to keep my pace all the time. I didn’t do any mistakes. It was a nice victory. It wasn’t easy because I was pushing really, really hard. Today was much faster than yesterday – 29 low all the time. We did a couple of 28s, maybe. Credit to the guys fighting for the podium with me because we set a fast pace all the weekend, and especially today on the second race. It’s nice to fight with them. It’s nice to have a group of four or five riders fighting for the podium, because everyone can learn from each other. This is the important. This gives spectacle to the class, gives some show to the class. This is something that we need for the crowd. So, thank you so much to all the team. They did an amazing work. Ducati, HSBK Warhorse, and especially thanks to Paolo Ciabatti, who sent me a guy from Ducati for this weekend in order to set up my bike. Especially after Daytona I didn’t feel so much comfortable on the bike. So, we changed completely the bike from there and I felt straightaway quite fast. Now time to go back home and see my baby and my family.”
Kyle Wyman – Mission King Of The Baggers Winner
”That’s how you want to do it, aside from the challenge was a little bit of a throwaway, but we won every session and won both races. That’s kind of how you want to do it. I kind of wheelied on the start and had to roll out of it. Didn’t quite get the launch I wanted. Went to the brakes a little bit sheepishly, I would say, for turn one and Tyler got the wheel underneath me. I haven’t ridden behind Tyler in what feels like a long time. I don’t think at all this year and maybe even towards the end of last year not so much. So, just to see that thing. There were a couple places where I felt like our strength in that first sector really showed. Even on the warmup lap, I felt like if I wanted to get a run over turn five, I needed to give myself a little bit of space actually because we’ve got pretty tall gearing through there. So, I kind of gave myself a little bit of space. Gave myself an opportunity to see where the strengths and weaknesses were between the two of us. I had a pretty good run on the back straightaway. He touched the rev limiter in one of his gears and kind of got me a little bit of a run down the back straight, it seemed like. I hit my shifts pretty good, but he might have missed one and it got me alongside of him going through nine. We were kind of side-by-side going through ten. We were both fighting for the position a little bit. He ended up taking the extra bite that put him off the track but kept it on two wheels and ended up second. But from there, I had about a second gap and then built it up to two, or 2.6. Then just kind of managed the pace from there. Went a little bit quicker today than yesterday, as did everybody I think went quicker today. I had a side quess of a 29 and didn’t quite get it this weekend, but it’s no big deal if we got the W.”
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by David Swarts.
Rocco Landers came back from a disappointing mechanical DNF in Race One on Saturday to win MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Riding a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 in place of injured Ben Gloddy, Landers won the 12-lap race by 4.166 seconds.
Gus Rodio, Landers’ teammate and the Race One runner-up, finished second, just ahead of Cycle Tech Yamaha rider Hayden Schultz.
Stefano Mesa was in the race for second place but faded at the end and had to settle for fourth on his The WagBar MP13 Yamaha.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. rounded out the top five finishers on his Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7.
Defending Champion and Race One winner Blake Davis was battling for a podium position when he crashed on lap five. It took Davis some time to get his N2/BobbleHeadmoto Yamaha restarted, but when he did he went from 17th to 11th in the remaining laps.
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