LIFT-OFF IN LE MANS! 2024 EWC SEASON TO OPEN WITH 24 HEURES MOTOS
(27 September 2023): The race to become the ultimate FIM Endurance World Championship rider and team of 2024 will begin next April when the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans opens the new EWC season.
Scheduled from 18-21 April, the 47th edition of the 24 Heures Motos will form the opening rounds of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship, for the headlining Formula EWC motorcycles, and the 2024 FIM Endurance World Cup, which caters for Dunlop-equipped Superstock machinery.
The event will also provide the first opportunity in 2024 for fans watching trackside and on TV or online around the world to witness the thrilling spectacle that is the all-action EWC.
“It’s always so important to get every new season off to the best possible start and there’s no better event to do this than the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans,” said Jean-Baptiste Ley, the EWC Series’ Director for promoter WBD Sports. “Not only is the 24 Heures Motos an established event, held at a legendary venue and with a strong reputation globally, organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest, works tirelessly to deliver a fantastic spectacle and spectator experience. We’re delighted to be continuing our long-term partnership with them and we are already counting down the days to the event getting under way.”
Rather than the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de La Sarthe, the traditional EWC curtain-raiser takes place on the 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit. The demanding layout comes complete with the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses and Ford Chicane, while a twisty infield section ensures there’s little respite. Riders also face the prospect of competing during shorter daylight hours, with the prospect of colder temperatures during the night and early in the morning adding to the challenge.
Although the first 24 Heures Motos took place in 1978, when Frenchmen Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon rode a Honda to victory, the ACO staged its first race for motorbikes in 1912, long before the Bugatti Circuit’s inauguration in September 1966.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France won this year’s 24 Heures Motos following a typically action-packed day and night race, which attracted a combined spectator attendance of 77,200, the highest amount since 2011.
Running one week later than in 2023, the ACO is planning to introduce several measures for the 2024 edition to improve the fan experience by making the event more accessible and with a greater focus on making sure all visitors feel safe and secure at all times. More information will be available at 24h-motos.com when tickets go on sale at the end of October.
The full 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship calendar with details of all the events being planned for the 2024 season will be revealed in due course.
Hendry and Rizzo Secure Final Premier Class Wins of the Season
Byers, CO – The seventh and final round of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of September 23-24th on its 2.55-mile Full Course. The weather was ideal for racing as the temperatures hovered around 70 degrees for much of the afternoon.
The Race of the Rockies Qualifying on Sunday went off without a hitch. Ray Thornton, eager to keep his lead in the championship, claimed pole position with a best time of (1:46.48) followed by Mike Applegate (1:46.54) and Brad Hendry (1:47.38).
The pressure was on for Thornton as he only had a six-point lead in the RoR championship. He needed to finish no more than one place behind Applegate in RoR GTO to secure the 2023 championship. To add to that pressure, his BMW S1000RR which he had been so successful on throughout the season was not in working order for this final race. Being an outstanding sportsman and friend, fellow racer James Wilkerson loaned out his Yamaha R1 to Thornton to give him a chance at winning the championship. Wilkerson sacrificed a position in the final standings of RoR by not racing, which goes to show the level of sportsmanship and teamwork demonstrated by the racers of the MRA.
The start of RoR saw Applegate, Hendry, and Thornton all get excellent drives off the line, and nobody wanted to give an inch going into turn one. Coming down the backstraight, Applegate was leading the pack, but after they dropped down the hill into turn five, Hendry overtook Applegate. By the end of lap one, Hendry was leading Applegate and Thornton and had already opened a one second gap. For the next four laps, Hendry dropped his lap times down into the 1:46’s and broke away from the trailing pair, at which point the gap was up to four seconds. On lap nine, Thornton was putting the pressure on Applegate and overtook him for second place. Thornton led Applegate for the next two laps until he made a big mistake in turn eight, losing the front end of the bike. Miraculously, he was able to save himself from a crash. Applegate seized this opportunity and took back second place and was not challenged by Thornton again for the remainder of the 14-lap race. Hendry cruised to victory by over 13 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Applegate in Second and Thornton in third. With his third-place finish, Thornton secured the 2023 RoR GTO Class Championship.
In Race of the Rockies GTU, Salvatore Rizzo (who previously clinched the 2023 RoR GTU Championship) got an excellent start and led the opening lap of the race. Dennis Stowers, looking for his first RoR GTU win, was right on Rizzo’s tail. On lap two, Stowers made a pass on Rizzo and quickly dropped into the 1:51’s. Stowers led the next few laps and opened a 1.8 second lead on Rizzo. Rizzo, not giving up so easily, started taking small chunks out of Stowers’ lead every lap. By lap 8 Rizzo had caught back up and passed Stowers for the lead. Not being discouraged, Stowers stayed within .3 seconds of Rizzo until the final lap where he lined up a move on the final turn. Getting an excellent drive out of turn 15, Stowers pulled right up alongside Rizzo but ran out of tarmac before crossing the start/finish line. Rizzo secured the victory by .05 seconds, followed by Stowers in second and Tyrel Diekmann in third.
That concludes our 2023 50th anniversary season. The MRA would like to thank all the safety crew members, racers, friends, and family that made this season a remarkable success. Next up, the MRA heads to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for the New Racers School with a provisional date of April 12-13, 2024.
The MRA welcomes racers from other clubs across the nation. If you’re a currently licensed racer and would like to race with us in 2024, we have several reciprocity agreements in place along with very competitive pricing on license & entries to our 28 classes. Click here for MRA membership & entry information.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
MotoAmerica 2024: More Races, More Action Headlined By 20 Superbike Races
The Daytona 200, The Addition Of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Two More Mission King Of The Bagger Races, And Eight Championships To Fight For In 2024
IRVINE, CA (September 27, 2023) – MotoAmerica, North America’s premier road racing series, is pleased to release its tentative 2024 MotoAmerica Championship schedule with eight classes set to battle for titles, including 20 Superbike races held over nine rounds, two additional Mission King Of The Baggers races, the Daytona 200, and a return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a 10-year hiatus.
MotoAmerica will again begin its season with its Supersport class competing in the non-points-paying Daytona 200, with the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, Twins Cup and Mission Super Hooligan National Championship kicking off their seasons with the start of those three championships. For 2024, the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway will be the only extended-distance, pit-stop round of the Supersport series.
Like last year, the 20-race Superbike series will compete three times over the course of the weekend at two rounds – Barber Motorsports Park and Circuit of The Americas – with a single race on Saturday followed by two races on Sunday. Additionally, as was the case in 2023, all classes will compete twice over the course of their scheduled race weekends.
“It’s hard to believe that the 2024 season represents 10 years since MotoAmerica took over the AMA Superbike series,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “Since that time, we’ve seen tremendous growth, not only with our television broadcast footprint and social media but also our on-site spectator attendance. We are confident of that continued growth especially with the addition of Mid-Ohio to next year’s schedule. Although we just finished up our 2023 season, we know 2024 is just around the corner and we look forward to seeing everyone at Daytona in March.”
The Superbike Championship will get rolling with its traditional opening round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (April 19-21) with the Georgia round also featuring Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
From Road Atlanta the series stays in the south with round two set for Barber Motorsports Park (May 17-19) and the first of two tripleheader Medallia Superbike races. In addition to the Superbikes, the Barber round will also feature Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and the opening round of Stock 1000.
Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will be the third round of the championship on its traditional date of the first weekend in June (May 31-June 2) and will feature Superbike, Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
Following the Road America round, the series heads west and stops at Brainerd International Raceway for round four (June 14-16) with Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
Then it’s off to Ridge Motorsports Park for the fifth round of the title chase in Shelton, Washington (June 28-30) with the Superbikes headlining the event that will also feature Stock 1000, Supersport and round two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Two weeks later and the MotoAmerica Championship lands in Monterey, California, for round six at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (July 12-14) for Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Following the four-week summer break, the series heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (August 16-18) for the first time since 2014 and the first time since MotoAmerica took over the AMA Superbike Championship. In addition to the two Superbike races, Mid-Ohio will also play host to Supersport, Junior Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
The MotoAmerica Championship returns to Circuit of The Americas for a second straight year as a standalone event in Texas (September 13-15) with Superbike, Supersport, Twins Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Two weeks later (September 27-29) the championship will come to a close with the season finale slated for New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, and featuring Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series will again be featured at select MotoAmerica events in 2024 with that schedule to be released shortly.
Tentative 2024 MotoAmerica Calendar
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Superbike Series
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
*May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
*Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
*Tripleheader Round
2024 Supersport Series
*March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
*Non-Points Paying Round
2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Series
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Twins Cup Series
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
2024 Junior Cup Series
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Stock 1000 Series
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Provisional 2024 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship calendar revealed
The world’s most exciting sport takes it to another level in 2024, with 22 Grands Prix in 18 countries set to thrill fans across the globe
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
The provisional calendar for the 2024 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship can now be revealed! The world’s most exciting sport will stage 22 Grands Prix across 18 countries in 2024 as we gear up for the biggest season ever.
It’s already set to be a landmark year as MotoGP™ celebrates the 75th anniversary of motorcycle Grand Prix racing in 2024. The sport also marks the milestone with another as the transition to 100% sustainable fuel begins. From 2024, fuel must be a minimum of 40% of non-fossil origin before that rises to 100% by 2027. The 2024 calendar also retains its regionalised nature, with races grouped geographically and along routes that allow increased efficiency as freight and personnel traverse the world. With 11 races before the summer break and 11 after, it’s a perfect balance.
So, where do we start? Action will begin under the floodlights as the Grand Prix of Qatar returns as the season opener, with the spectacular Lusail International Circuit followed up by the equally showstopping Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. MotoGP™ then heads for the Americas and the first back-to-back as Termas de Rio Hondo and the Circuit of the Americas host in April.
From there it’s back to Europe for the classic Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, before Le Mans aims to break its own all-time attendance record in May. The Catalan GP returns to an earlier slot thereafter, and it stacks back-to-back with the stunning Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
MotoGP™ is set to break new ground at Sokol International Racetrack in mid-June, with the circuit to become the 75th venue to host a premier class race as Kazakhstan becomes the 31st country to host motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Another back-to-back then brings the curtain down on the first half of the season in style as the TT Circuit Assen prefaces the Sachsenring ahead of summer break.
Action returns at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring before the final European back-to-back sees MotorLand Aragon return to the calendar, slotting in just ahead of Misano. From there, the paddock takes off for two action-packed triple headers.
After a celebrated debut for the Indian Grand Prix in 2023, Buddh International Circuit is our first stop in Asia in 2024 too. Then it’s on to Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia before the Mobility Resort Motegi wraps up the first triple header in Japan.
After a weekend off, the final stint starts up Down Under. MotoGP™ takes on Phillip Island before heading back north to Buriram in Thailand and then Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Finally, the curtain closer beckons at the classic Circuit Ricardo Tormo as a history-making season wraps up.
22 Grands Prix + 18 countries = even MORE MotoGP™! Get ready for a truly blockbuster season and make sure to tune in for the crescendo to 2023 as the action heats up and the Championship fight continues getting closer!
BMW of North America is dedicated to providing vehicles to our customers that meet their expectations. To ensure that our vehicles are of the highest industry standards, BMW performs ongoing testing and evaluation.
Following a recent quality analysis, BMW is pursuing measures to further evaluate the material used in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been produced to material specifications.
As a result, BMW of North America is issuing a temporary, voluntary stop sale for all new and pre-owned BMW motorcycle models in dealer inventory, except for the CE 04.
This temporary stop sale is not safety related and BMW owners may continue to ride their motorcycles as normal.
BMW cannot yet advise as to the duration of this temporary stop, but we ask that you please check with your dealer frequently, as information is shared with them as it is made available to us.
Corey Alexander races to double podium finish as Tytlers Cycle Racing end 2023 third overall in MotoAmerica Superbike
It was a successful end to the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for Tytlers Cycle Racing which was held at New Jersey Motorsports Park last weekend (September 22-24), the team securing third overall in the final standings with PJ Jacobsen.
Corey Alexander raced to a debut podium in the class in difficult conditions on Saturday before backing it up with a second podium finish on Sunday. Stefano Mesa also rode well, achieving another top-10 finish.
A solid fourth on Saturday for PJ, backed up by a second position finish, his eighth podium of the year, was enough to secure P3 overall for the #99 and the team.
Corey finished seventh overall in the final points classification at the end of his debut year in Superbike. Having made the jump from STK1000 where he won the title for the squad a year ago, the #23 showed great speed particularly towards the end of the season and his double podium in the season finale is just reward for his efforts.
Stefano was called up to replace the injured Cameron Beaubier after PittRace and once again showed his ability to adapt to any racing situation. A top 10 on Saturday in his first wet race on the BMW M 1000 RR shows he has a bright future in Superbike. He was unlucky not to finish on Sunday.
Corey Alexander: “It’s been an unbelievable weekend here at NJMP. The weather brought an unexpected variable that played in our favour. The bike worked amazing in both races and I’m super thankful to my guys for all the hard work with all the challenges that have been thrown our way these last few races. Two superbike podiums are like a dream come true. Hopefully we have the opportunity for some more next year.”
PJ Jacobsen (99). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
PJ Jacobsen: “Starting on Pole was a pretty good start to the New Jersey weekend. I was hunting down (Jake) Gagne, but when I passed (Josh) Herrin there was a yellow flag which I didn’t see, and I was penalized to fourth position. That was a huge bummer, but I knew we could make amends on Sunday. There wasn’t much grip on Sunday, and I was sliding all over the place. It was nice to end the season on the podium in P2 and to have Corey up there with me was great for the team. Race One really hurt me overall in the championship as without the penalty given by MotoAmerica I would have been second and not third.”
Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
Stefano Mesa: “Race One was pretty good given the conditions we faced. I was having a good time out there on the bike and lap by lap I kept figuring things out a little. In Race Two, we had a bit more direction for the wet conditions and I felt a lot better on Sunday than on Saturday. I was running fifth and the bike felt great, but we unfortunately had a mechanical [problem] – but that’s racing. I want to thank the team for their work. It was another great experience this weekend for me with the Tytlers Cycle Racing team.”
The team of course cannot sign off from the 2023 season without saying a big thanks to Cameron Beaubier who took the team to their first win in their debut race together before mounting what was a serious assault on the MotoAmerica title before bad luck and injury intervened.
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering:
Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rodio, Landers wrap up 2023 Twins Cup season second, third in standings
Gloddy nearly scores podium in first Twins Cup race since Daytona round
MILLVILLE, N.J. — It wasn’t the ending to the 2023 season that either Gus Rodio or Rocco Landers had hoped for, but the pair of Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders performed admirably in their first time racing their Aprilia RS 660s in full wet conditions on Saturday and ended the season on Sunday with a total of six poles, nine wins and nine additional podium finishes between them.
The Sept. 22-24 round at New Jersey Motorsports Park also marked Ben Gloddy’s return to MotoAmerica competition with a near-podium finish after being sidelined with an injury from the Daytona International Speedway round in March.
The Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering riders had a strong start to the round in Friday’s dry conditions. Landers was the fastest rider in Friday practice, as he set a best lap time of 1:27.629 that was about 1.4 seconds faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio finished that session third, and Gloddy was sixth. Later Friday, the team’s riders found even more pace and secured first, second and sixth place on the provisional starting grid. Landers was again at the top of the time sheet with a 1:24.659, Rodio provisionally qualified alongside his teammate in second. Gloddy was the sixth-fastest rider in the session.
Tropical Storm Ophelia began its trek across southern New Jersey Saturday morning, which made for very wet conditions on the 2.25-mile NJMP Thunderbolt track. The conditions allowed Landers’ qualifying time from Friday to earn him his sixth Twins Cup pole of 2023. In the wet conditions, Landers was still among the fastest riders in the Twins Cup field. He finished Qualifying 2 as the second-fastest rider, and Gloddy was 10th-fastest. Rodio was a little off the pace, as he finished the session in 11th.
At the start of Saturday afternoon’s Race 1, it was Gloddy who got the best launch of the trio. He moved up three places during the first lap and ended up running in third place for most of the race. It was a different story for Rodio and Landers who lost several places as the field funneled through the first turn. Rodio finished Lap 1 all the way down in 10th place and Landers in seventh. Those two riders didn’t waste time making up the positions they lost, as Landers had moved up to fifth place by the end of Lap 3 and Rodio was running in fourth place by the end of Lap 6. Rodio’s paced improved as the race went on, and he got by Gloddy on the last lap to secure his 10th appearance on a MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium this year while also putting the fastest lap of race on the last lap. Gloddy held onto fourth place and Landers finished in fifth.
Race 2 on Sunday took place with mixed track conditions as the near-constant precipitation began to subside. Rodio got a good launch and led the field through the first corner. As Rodio and his championship rival pulled away from the rest of the field, Landers was struggling a little for pace and had fallen to fifth place by the end of Lap 2. The race was stopped on Lap 3 due to a crash at the exit of Turn 12, and Rodio got another good start when racing resumed. Though he was able to maintain the lead for the first two laps of the restarted race, Rodio got passed at the start of the next lap. As Rodio was trying to retake the lead, his teammates Gloddy and Landers were running in sixth and 10th place, respectively. Rodio’s race came to a premature end, as he highsided in the same area as the rider whose crash had brought out the red flag, and the race was stopped and later called complete. In the final race results, Gloddy was classified in fifth place and Landers in seventh.
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“I had never ridden the Aprilia in the rain, and we got on the podium on Saturday in a rain race. On Sunday, it was more mixed conditions, and there wasn’t much more we could’ve done. I’d hoped MotoAmerica would delay the race a bit more than they did, but unfortunately that’s not what happened. I put it on the floor trying today, and it was a big one. It’s been an up-and-down kind of season. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot went right too. Overall, it was a good year.”
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“It was an eventful weekend – that’s for sure. It’s too bad we couldn’t win the championship for Aprilia. But, it goes like that sometimes. If conditions had been dry this weekend, I think Gus and I would’ve been right up at the front, This season has been hard for me, but I also didn’t think I was going to be racing at all this year. I was trying to get to 50 career wins this year, but I at least got that total up to 48. We’ll see what next year holds. Without Aprilia, I wouldn’t be in as strong a position to move up a class next year.”
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“It was a good weekend, as I was just coming back from my injury at Daytona. It was a good dry day on Friday, and I ended up qualifying in sixth. I ran most of Saturday’s race in third place, but Gus was able to run me down at the end. Today, with the tricky weather, I just didn’t have the confidence I needed to move up the field. I didn’t have any high expectations for this weekend. I just wanted to have some fun and get back into it.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Dunlop:
Congratulations to Dunlop’s 2023 MotoAmerica Champions!
Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Dunlop is proud to be the AMA MotoAmerica spec tire for all classes since 2015, and Dunlop and MotoAmerica recently renewed their contract, allowing Dunlop to remain the official tire supplier of MotoAmerica through 2025! Each year, it seems like North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series continues to become more and more thrilling. The 2023 MotoAmerica Series was no exception, with it ending at wet and technical New Jersey Motorsports Park.
This year was an even more exciting season for the Dunlop crew, with an all-new tire available for all racers. The all-new Sportmax Slick replaced the industry standard KR448 and KR451 range of slicks and are now the Official Tires of the MotoAmerica series. Countless lap and class records have been demolished with the new and improved tire during the 2023 MotoAmerica series at multiple tracks in multiple classes! Impressive example: Superbike rider Josh Herrin broke Road America’s race record by over 1.5 seconds on this new Sportmax Slick.
Last year, Jake Gagne took home an astounding 12 race wins to earn his second MotoAmerica Superbike championship. This season was more challenging for the two-time defending champion with competition from 2022 Supersport Champion Josh Herrin, who kept him on his toes. At the eighth stop of the race tour in Pittsburgh, Gagne was able to wrap up his third straight MotoAmerica Superbike title with two rounds and four races on the schedule remaining. The Fresh N’ Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing rider grabbed a few more wins before the season ended, securing the championship by 148 points over Josh Herrin on the new Dunlop Sportmax Slicks!
In addition, in round eight, Avery Dreher clinched the Junior Cup championship on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki and in the hands-on Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship, rider Mikayla Moore swept all seven races in the series to dominate her championship.
Three support class titles were decided in the penultimate round at the Circuit of Americas. In the Supersport class, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Xavi Fores was crowned after winning a record-breaking eight wins at the start of the season. In addition, in the Stock 1000 class, Hayden Gillim was awarded champion after winning six races on his Disrupt Racing Suzuki. The Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods rider Tyler O’Hara also finished the season as champion in Texas, in the always-exciting Super Hooligans series.
At the season finale in New Jersey, the Twins Cup title was wrapped up by Blake Davis on his N2 Racing BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha. The head-to-head battle with Gus Rodio was cut short due to Rodio falling susceptible to the track conditions ending up out of the race. Meanwhile, the Vance & Hines Mission Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim clinched the King of the Baggers Championship by riding conservatively to a second-place finish at the season finale after his competition struggled in the tricky conditions.
“MotoAmerica racing in 2023 has been some of the most exhilarating racing we’ve witnessed in years, as multiple lap records were broken with our new Sportmax Slick tire offerings!” said Mike Buckley, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. “The continued evolution of the series, classes, and tires are a testament to the dedication of MotoAmerica, our Dunlop support crew, and all the riders, racers, teams, and supporters. We are honored to be the official tire of MotoAmerica for years to come.”
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
More, from a press release issued by KYT Americas:
3 MotoAmerica Class Champions!
2023 MotoAmerica Champions (from left): Junior Cup Champion Avery Dreher, Supersport Champion Xavi Fores, and Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis. Image courtesy KYT Americas.
KYT Americas proudly congratulates Xavi Fores, Blake Davis, and Avery Dreher on their 2023 championships. Xavi Fores demonstrated exceptional talent, skill, and determination throughout the season, ultimately securing the championship title in his first full year racing MotoAmerica’s Supersport class. Blake Davis, last year’s Twins Cup champion, retains his number one plate due to his consistent podiums and front-running pace throughout the season. Avery Dreher was a tactician and master in the draft against the extremely tight competition of the Junior Cup class.
This achievement underscores the incredible skill, dedication, and unwavering commitment of these athletes. KYT Americas has long been a leader in safety and performance in motorsports, and we are honored to support these racers in their pursuit of championships.
The champions and their respective classes are as follows:
1. Xavi Fores – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati
MotoAmerica Supersport
2. Blake Davis – N2 Racing / BobbleHeadMoto
MotoAmerica Twins Cup
3. Avery Dreher – Bad Boys Racing
MotoAmerica Junior Cup
Brandon Cretu, CEO at KYT Americas, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Going into 2023, KYT Americas was looking forward to supporting these guys. We knew they were talented, even world class, but it’s so hard to predict how a season will turn out. Having three riders we sponsored win their respective class championships is very exciting for us. We look forward to continuing to support their journey and witnessing their future successes.”
KYT Americas remains steadfast in its mission to provide the highest quality safety equipment and support to racers around the world, ensuring they can perform at their best while staying safe on the track. We appreciate the trust our athletes put in us.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports Results from New Jersey Motorsports Park
(Millville, NJ) Historically, the New Jersey round always has the potential for interesting weather and the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season was no exception.
After a difficult season that challenged the team on many levels, Altus Motorsports finished the 2023 season strong and with a solid platform to build on for the future.
Supersport:
Jaret Nassaney continued to improve on his Suzuki GSX-R750 in the New Jersey Supersport races. He qualified 9th in the dry on Friday and only 1.7 seconds out of pole. This is the closest he has been to the top spot all year. Saturdays qualifying was in the rain, so the team worked on their rain setup for race one. Jaret faced rain for the entirety of Supersport Race 1. After starting from 9th, Nassaney crossed the finish line in 6th. The Sunday weather was only marginally better; a drying track mixed with puddles. In spite of the conditions, he pulled off another 6th place. Both races were his best finishes of the season.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “I got two 6th place finishes and I am super stoked with that, given the race conditions! I am very happy to end the season on a high note. The conditions were sketchy, but we rode hard and got it done. I have to thank my Crew Chief Boyd Bruner, lead mechanic William Gerken, and assistant LJ for everything this weekend.”
Junior Cup
In the dry practice and qualifying on Friday, Alessandro Di Mario showed fantastic pace. He qualified in 6th, less than a second off of the pole sitter. Unfortunately, both of the Junior Cup races were wet. Di Mario struggled to get comfortable on the soaked surface at NJMP. He finished Race 1 in 15th and Race 2 in 20th.
Alessandro Di Mario (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Alessandro Di Mario: “It was a tough weekend. It was my first time with the bike and the tires in the wet. It took me a while, but my pace got a lot better toward the end. We have to work on getting better in these kinds of conditions.”
George Nassaney: “After a very difficult season it was nice to finish the last few rounds strong. We made a lot of changes this year and we’re finishing the season with a good crew and a solid trajectory for the future. Preparation has already begun for 2024 and i am currently in discussions with several riders. I hope to have a couple riders signed soon, so we can begin winter testing. I can’t thank everybody enough for their support this year.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
Closer than ever: the Championship fight touches down at Motegi!
Hard braking, hard racing, home glory and much more is on the line at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
After a headline-packed Indian GP, we’re heading east for another clash of the titans as the Mobility Resort Motegi welcomes MotoGP™. The gap at the top is the closest the Championship has been for some time, with a shock crash for leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) at Buddh leaving the door open for his closest rivals to capitalize – and that they did. Pecco will be gunning for some redemption and he’s no stranger to rising to that occasion in style, but there’s everything to play for.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) arrive with the momentum. Martin from another Tissot Sprint win, equaling Bagnaia’s count this year, and then a hard-fought second place on Sunday. The Spaniard is now just 13 points off Bagnaia’s lead as he digs in and keeps pulling back that gap. But Bezzecchi? On paper he may not have done the double, but he was, without a doubt, the fastest rider in India.
His comeback on Saturday after that unfortunate Turn 1 contact from teammate Luca Marini – who will miss this weekend and won’t be replaced – was an absolute barnstormer, and in only 10 laps. Cat out the bag and his pace proven, there was some pressure on Sunday to deliver the win that speed promised, but deliver he did. With Pecco’s crash behind him opening the door to a real gain in the standings too, it’s now a 44-point deficit for the Mooney VR46 rider. Can he cut that again this weekend?
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, delivered some big points again too. The South African had a bit of a nightmare end to Practice AND Q1 as yellow flags scrubbed off his best efforts, but despite starting outside the top ten, he took off like a shot to make it P4 in both the Sprint and Grand Prix. He’s now 100 points off the top, but there’s still more than double that on the table, and he took a podium last season at Motegi. He and teammate Jack Miller, aka the 2022 winner at the track, as well as GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 duo Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez, have a last stand of their own this weekend already though: the constructors’ crown is in play for the first time.
Ducati’s impressive and growing form over the past few seasons has seen them wrap up the constructors’ title even when the riders’ crown went begging, with so many fast faces in play at once. But this season that ten-year journey to the top could pay off even earlier as they arrive at Motegi with a 200-point lead over KTM. Yes, you read that correctly. With 222 still in play and 37 available over a weekend, the top Ducati needs to outscore the top KTM by 22 or more. This time they’re riding out with six bikes as three-time Motegi winner Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) joins Marini on the sidelines, not replaced, but there’s Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) alongside the Championship top three on track.
Aprilia are now out that constructors’ fight, and they weren’t able to make much hay in the fight at the front in India either, so they’ll want a lot more at Motegi. It could be a tougher one for the agile RS-GP with such hard braking and acceleration, but a little more luck would help as well. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) had a crash in the Sprint and then a DNF in the GP, and teammate Maverick Viñales took some points on Saturday before his Grand Prix race was very much dampened by being sent well wide at Turn 1. Still, he recovered to eighth. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) had a tough weekend overall too, whereas teammate Raul Fernandez managed to keep making those steps forward with a best qualifying yet, a Sprint point and top ten on Sunday.
Speaking of steps forward, however, means speaking about Honda and Yamaha, and as both arrive on hallowed home turf at the Mobility Resort Motegi. LCR Honda Castrol’s stand-in Stefan Bradl had a tougher one in India but did take a point, and now-home hero Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) took P11. He’ll be gunning for a lot more at Motegi but there were some great signs.
In India, the Repsol Honda team were back in the postcode they made their own over an incredible few decades in the sport, with podiums more than plausible and one bagged. Can they keep it going? Joan Mir just pipped Marc Marquez to fifth in qualifying before the two delivered some top performances once the lights went out: Mir had a slow slide out in the Sprint but then hounded Binder in a duel for fourth on Sunday. Marquez dug in behind the Ducati duo to take his second Sprint podium of the season, and on Sunday, the number 93 then had an agonizingly slow tip off at Turn 1. He was back on in record time and sliced his way back up the order to a top ten finish, but he lost ten seconds in the crash. And THAT would have dropped him in right on the back of the duel for second…
Last but by no means least, that duel for second may not have seen Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) come out on top, but it did see the Frenchman give it one hell of a shot. Teammate Franco Morbidelli took some solid points in India but Quartararo was able to wring a serious charge at the front out of his Sunday, stalking Martin before getting more than stuck in. The two were locked together over the last lap and it was a flash of what we’re missing as Yamaha look to move forward. A podium ahead of their home round, where they’ll also welcome a wildcard appearance for test rider Cal Crutchlow, is a good preface. Can we see a few more flashes of glory at Motegi? Tune in to find out!
Pedro Acosta (37) extended his Moto2 World Championship point lead with a race victory in India. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Can anyone catch Acosta at Motegi?
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is on a serious roll. Another dominant performance in India extended his advantage once more, but at least for Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) it was only a five-point swing, all things considered. After a tougher run, the Italian has been right back in the front fight over the last two rounds too, so he’ll want to repeat that in Japan… and more.
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, had an eye on victory before his clash with Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up), which also gained the latter two Long Laps for his trouble. That’ll be a hurdle for Lopez, and the deficit to the top is a bigger hurdle for Dixon as both arrive looking to bounce back.
After a return to the rostrum for the first time this year, Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) will want to keep that going at Motegi too, and the rider he just got the better of in that spectacular last lap duel, Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), will be gunning for another bite of that top five cherry as his rookie momentum in the intermediate class keeps impressing.
All that said, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) will be stealing plenty of the spotlight. As the home hero, but also as the winner in 2022 after a truly impressive weekend. Can he go back to back on home turf? We’ll find out on Sunday at 13:15 (GMT +9) as the intermediate class take on the Mobility Resort Motegi!
Jaume Masia (5) leads the Moto3 field at the start of the race in India. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Moto3™ vs Motegi: three riders, one point, and a home hero
The Moto3™ Championship has been closing up for a while, but it’s rarely been closer than this. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) remains the leader by virtue of his three wins to Jaume Masia’s (Leopard Racing) two, but they’re now equal on points after Masia’s win in India. And Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) is now just one single point behind, right as the paddock touches down on his home turf at Motegi… where he was also on the podium last year. He’s the highest finisher from 2022 who returns to race the track in the class this year, too.
David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, is now fourth overall after he took another top five, coming home just behind Holgado at Buddh. The rider for whom India was an expensive weekend in the standings was instead veteran Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), whose adventurous Saturday morning gained him a back of the grid start and Long Lap, had a mountain that was just that little too high to climb on Sunday. Öncü will be going all out to gain that ground back and get his elbows out in the process at Motegi. Finally, Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) arrives from a first podium of the season just in time for home turf as well, so he’ll want to stay in that postcode.
We’re straight back in action this weekend, so will there be a change of leader for the first time this year? Or has Holgado got more in his pocket after some good damage limitation in India? Tune in for Moto3™’s return to Motegi, with lights out at 12:00 (GMT +9) on Sunday!
Katsuyuki Nakasuga won the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship Series Superbike/JSB1000 season finale September 24 at Okayama International Circuit, in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
Riding his Yamaha Factory Racing Team YZF-R1, Nakasuga won the 24-lap race by just 0.140 second over his teammate Yuki Okamoto.
Ryo Mizuno was a distant third on his Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
With the race victory, Nakasuga wrapped up his 12th MFJ All Japan Superbike/JSB1000 Championship.
Beach Scores Emotional Superbike Victory at MotoAmerica Season Finale
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach rode to a commanding victory in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach scored a dominant victory in today’s final race of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike season at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. It was a masterclass performance from the full-time American Flat Track racer who answered the call from the team to fill in for the injured Cameron Petersen at the last three rounds of the season. Jake Gagne finished fourth in the tricky mixed conditions, adding to his points lead in the championship, which he secured two rounds early.
Riders were met with mixed conditions for today’s Race 2, with some sunshine but standing water still on the track. After the lights went out, Beach got another flying start from the third row of the grid into third behind his teammate Gagne. On Lap 4, he made the pass for second and then went to chase down the leader. A couple of laps later, Beach closed the gap and was hot on the heels of the competition, taking over the lead shortly after. He then built a comfortable gap up front and remained unchallenged to add a superbike win this year to his two SuperTwins victories with the Estenson Racing team in the American Flat Track series. The win also marked a second-career superbike victory for Beach aboard an Attack Yamaha R1.
Gagne got another great start in the final race of the 2023 season and slotted into the runner-up spot. The three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode a smart race in the tricky mixed conditions and crossed the line fourth to add more points to his impressive 2023 tally, which saw him 148 points clear of the runner-up finisher. It was a stellar season for the Colorado rider who secured his third consecutive title in the premier class two rounds early at the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Gagne notched 11 superbike wins this season, bringing his career tally to 40 wins during the three-year period.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“What a great end to the season. Our Yamaha R1s once again showed how strong they are in all conditions. Jake dominated yesterday, and JD did a great job as a fill-in rider, winning in today’s mixed conditions. His progression these past three rounds has been amazing. We wish him success on his potential return to road racing.”
JD Beach. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
JD Beach – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Today was a dream come true for me. I was really nervous before the race with the mixed conditions, but once the lights went out, I went to work. The team had the bike working great on this tricky track. I’m over the moon about getting another Superbike win to go with my AFT wins this year. I want to thank Attack and Yamaha for giving me this opportunity to come in and fill in at these last few rounds, and also to the Estenson Racing team for allowing me to do it.
Jake Gagne (1) and JD Beach (95) in action at NJMP. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was tricky conditions today, but it was great to finish the year strong. Congrats to JD because he smoked us and rode incredible. It was a great way to finish the year for the team.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana)
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:
Podium in her third Supersport race… Kayla Yaakov makes history with Tytlers at NJMP
Kayla Yaakov became the first female in the history of American motorcycle road racing to stand on the podium in three racing categories in the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport championship.
Having already won in Junior Cup and stood on the podium in Twins Cup, the talented teen who only switched to Supersport a matter of weeks ago was the standout for many at the New Jersey Motorsports Park as she romped to third in Saturday’s opening race before backing it up with a spirited ride to P4 twenty-four hours later.
Qualifying thirteenth after the weather ruined any opportunity of improvement on Saturday morning Kayla remained focused ahead of the first race of the weekend on Saturday and with rain falling, she once again demonstrated her incredible racing skills to cross the line less than two seconds from the win. She set the fastest of the race too!
Sunday saw another strong showing from the #19 Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki mounted rider. She finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium for the second day in a row.
Despite only competing in four races, she amassed thirty-seven points to end the year inside the top fifteen… imagine where she could have finished had she contested every race!
Kayla Yaakov: “I am incredibly happy to have been able to put the Tyler’s Cycle Racing Kawasaki on the box on only my third ever supersport race! It was tricky out there on Saturday with rain, wind, and standing water, but we were able to make the best of it! The team has done an amazing job at getting me comfortable quickly, and I knew rain or dry that we had a great setup and pace for the race. We have made steady progress each session with this bike, and it’s so great to see that all our hard work is paying off. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end off my 2023 MotoAmerica season than with a podium and 2 top five finishes in the Supersport category! I hope for more weekends like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who made this switch to supersport possible but especially the Mesa family for allowing me to step in, Michael Kiley for believing in me, Mike and Zequi for all their knowledge, Steven for pulling us all together, my dad for his endless support, and the entire Tytler’s Cycle Racing crew. I hope that this is first the first of many in this category!”
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “I’d love to tell you that I’m surprised by the weekend’s results, but you don’t have to spend much time with Kayla to know she’s the real deal. She has a tremendous career in front of her and it is a privilege to be a part of her career growth. What I’m privileged to see and would like to share is what an absolute joy it is to watch Mike (Godin), Zequi (Ezequiel Martinez) and Steve bring all this together. They’d never met Kayla, they don’t speak each other’s language, they use their phones and translate apps to communicate. They’ve invented a language I call MotoSpanglish that allows them to be effective and earn the trust of an amazing young woman who gives it everything on the bike they provide her. If you meet Zequi you quickly learn that when Zequis is happy EVERYBODY is happy. If I’m not the luckiest guy in the paddock – I’d like to meet the guy who is. These are great people and MotoAmerica is the place to be. A huge congratulations to Kayla and all the team.”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDER KYLE WYMAN WINS SUNDAY KING OF THE BAGGERS RACE AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
Vance & Hines/Harley-Davidson racer Hayden Gillim Wins Saturday Race and Crowned King of the Baggers Series Champion
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Max Flinders (88) in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two at NJMP. Wyman won the race, and Gillim won the Championship. Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman scored his seventh win of the season and Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim secured the season championship on Sunday in the final race of the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. Vance & Hines/Mission Foods rider James Rispoli finished second in the championship standings and Wyman was third as Harley-Davidson riders claimed the top three spots in final series points.
“It’s been one of, if not the best, year of my life,” said Gillim, who won three races with eight additional podium finishes on the season. “I’m really happy to bring this home for Vance & Hines, for Mission Foods, and for Harley-Davidson. Next season will be a real scrap in this series. Honestly the field is stacked, and if everybody stays next year it’s going to be a tough championship to hold onto.”
In the Friday qualifying session, Wyman broke his own New Jersey Motorsports Park class lap record of 1:24.447 aboard his race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle. That time would never be approached for the rest of the weekend, as rain resulted in very wet to damp conditions on the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course on Saturday and Sunday.
Gillim (215 points), Rispoli (213 points) and Wyman (204 points) were each in contention for the championship before the start of the first eight-lap King of the Baggers race on Saturday. As the riders completed a warm-up lap in the rain, Wyman lost control and slid off track. He was able to remount and start the race, but his motorcycle was damaged, and he retired on lap 3. Gillim took the race lead on lap 3 and was never challenged as early leader Rispoli could not match his pace on the wet track and settled for second place, 9.10 seconds behind Gillim. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman battled to finish in third place and score his first podium finish of the season, just 0.40 seconds behind Rispoli. After the Saturday race, Gillim led Rispoli by 7 championship points, and Wyman was out of contention for the title.
Kyle Wyman bounced back to win the Sunday race, taking the lead on lap 2, after Rispoli ran off the wet track. Wyman opened a gap and stretched his lead to 3.724 seconds over second place Gillim at the finish. Max Flinders finished third on the M3/Revolution Performance Indian. Rispoli finished in seventh place.
“After Rispoli went off, I just tried to be patient, not make a mistake and open a gap,” said Wyman. “I suppose a win in the last race sends a message. It really stings to come up short in the championship after winning the most races, but I’m also proud of my race wins, proud of the team and what it has accomplished from a development standpoint, which trickles down to the other Harley teams. This has been a crazy year and obviously this weekend did not end as we hoped it might, but Harley-Davidson is one-two-three in the championship and that’s the next-best result for us. I want to send a big thanks to everyone at Harley who worked so hard for us this season, and we’ll be back to get them next year.”
At the conclusion of the 14-race 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Gillim wins the championship with 260 points. Rispoli is second with 242 points, followed by Kyle Wyman with 229 points. Wyman won seven of 14 races on the season, with one additional podium finish. Jake Lewis rode a Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle to seventh place with 126 points. Travis Wyman placed eighth with 112 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.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – New Jersey Motorsports Park Race 1
James Rispoli (H-D) Vance & Hines/Mission Foods/Harley-Davidson
yle Ohnsorg (Ind) Roland Sands Design
Jake Lewis (H-D) Team Saddlemen
Frankie Garcia (H-D) Team Saddlemen
Patricia Fernandez-West (H-D) Team Saddlemen
DNF. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
DNF. Cody Wyman (H-D) Team Saddlemen
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:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS RODIO, LANDERS FINISH SECOND, THIRD IN 2023 MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP STANDINGS
RODIO’S COME-FROM-BEHIND PODIUM FINISH IN WET CONDITIONS SATURDAY AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK UNDERMINED BY UNFORTUNATE CRASH ON SUNDAY
MILLVILLE, NJ – Heading into the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park, two Aprilia RS 660 riders were in the hunt to win Aprilia it’s second title in three years. While both Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders – Gus Rodio and Rocco Landers – came up just short of achieving that goal at the Sept. 22-24 event, both put in strong performances in their first time racing an Aprilia RS 660 in wet conditions on Saturday and Sunday.
And the Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team’s third rider for the season finale – Ben Gloddy of New Hampshire – came close to scoring a podium finish in his first race back from his injury at the Daytona International Speedway round in March.
Rodio and Landers showed stellar pace in dry conditions on Friday and ended up finishing second and third, respectively, in the final Twins Cup points standings. The duo scored a combined six pole positions, nine victories and nine additional podium finishes in 14 races this season.
An Aprilia RS 660 rider was at the top of the time sheets at the end of Friday morning practice, as Landers set a blistering lap time of 1:27.629 — which was more than one second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio finished Friday practice third fastest, and Gloddy was sixth-fastest. Later Friday – in the weekend’s only dry qualifying session – Landers and Rodio provisionally qualified first and second, respectively. Landers also improved on his best lap time from practice when he put in a 1:24.659. Gloddy again finished a session in sixth, giving Aprilia three riders in the provisional top 10.
Early Saturday morning, heavy rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia began falling on NJMP, which turned the morning Qualifying 2 session into a wet weather practice session. This meant Landers claimed his sixth pole position aboard an Aprilia with his stellar performance on Friday afternoon. During the wet Saturday qualifying session, Landers was again the fastest of the Aprilia riders. He finished the session second-fastest, while 3D Motorsports’ Jacob Crossman and Gloddy finished third and 10th, respectively. Rodio struggled a little and finished the session 11th fastest.
In Saturday’s Race 1, Gloddy got the best start of the trio. He got off the line very well in the soggy conditions and was running in third place at the end of Lap 1. Rodio and Landers got an OK jump when the lights went out but got shuffled back in the run to the first turn. At the end of the first lap, Rodio had slipped all the way down to 10th place and Landers to seventh. While Gloddy ran most of the race in a lonely third place, Rodio and Landers gradually worked their way up the running order. Rodio was up to ninth at the end of Lap 2, seventh at the end of Lap 4 and fourth by the end of Lap 6. Landers advanced from seventh to fifth on Laps 2-3. Rodio put in a phenomenal performance at the end of the race, as he ran the fastest lap of the contest on the last lap and got by Gloddy late in the last lap to finish third. Gloddy crossed the line in fourth and right behind him was Landers in fifth place.
Sunday’s Twins Cup race took place in wet-but-drying conditions, and Rodio had a good start to the contest. Rodio was the first rider through Turn 1, and he and another championship contender pulled away from the rest of the field in the opening laps. Landers didn’t get off the line as well and had slipped back to fifth place on Lap 3 when the race was stopped due to an Aprilia rider, Top Pro Motorsports’ Agustin Sierra, having crashed heavily as he exited Turn 12. When the race restarted, it was Rodio who again went into the lead with his championship rival just behind him. Rodio led the way for the first couple laps after the restart but fell to second place at the start of the third lap. The other two Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders were struggling for pace a little after the restart. With five laps to go, Landers and Gloddy were running in 10th and sixth place, respectively. Rodio then suffered a big crash as he exited Turn 12, which resulted in the race being stopped again and later called complete. Gloddy was classified in fifth place in the final race results, Landers in seventh and Unreal Racing’s Daniel Garver in eighth.
Of the 36 riders entered to race in Twins Cup at NJMP, 16 were on Aprilia RS 660s.
Aprilia thanks all the MotoAmerica Twins Cup racers who rode the RS 660 in 2023 for choosing Aprilia and looks forward to seeing even more Aprilia riders on the Twins Cup grid in 2024.
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering
“I had never ridden the Aprilia in the rain, and we got on the podium on Saturday in a rain race. On Sunday, it was more mixed conditions, and there wasn’t much more we could’ve done. I’d hoped MotoAmerica would delay the race a bit more than they did, but unfortunately that’s not what happened. I put it on the floor trying today, and it was a big one. It’s been an up-and-down kind of season. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot went right too. Overall, it was a good year.”
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Robem Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was an eventful weekend – that’s for sure. It’s too bad we couldn’t win the championship for Aprilia. But, it goes like that sometimes. If conditions had been dry this weekend, I think Gus and I would’ve been right up at the front, This season has been hard for me, but I also didn’t think I was going to be racing at all this year. I was trying to get to 50 career wins this year, but I at least got that total up to 48. We’ll see what next year holds. Without Aprilia, I wouldn’t be in as strong a position to move up a class next year.”
Ben Gloddy / Robem Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was a good weekend, as I was just coming back from my injury at Daytona. It was a good dry day on Friday, and I ended up qualifying in sixth. I ran most of Saturday’s race in third place, but Gus was able to run me down at the end. Today, with the tricky weather, I just didn’t have the confidence I needed to move up the field. I didn’t have any high expectations for this weekend. I just wanted to have some fun and get back into it.”
The 101st Loudon Classic will be held June 7-9, 2024, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway , in Loudon, New Hampshire, and is returning with an even better purse! Not only will the record-breaking $250,000 purse for the Classic be back, but in 2024 the Classic will also feature a $50,000 bagger class. This incredible pairing of feature races will give spectators the opportunity to again experience the top level of racing in the US for modern supersport machines and to now witness the thundering performance and exceptional engineering of Harley-Davidson and Indian machines in the bagger race.
Chris Ulrich, Vice President of Operations/Team Manager for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki noted, “NEMRR did a great job putting on a professional event in 2023, and we’re excited for the prospect of returning again in 2024 to defend our Loudon Classic title.”
The June 7-9 dates makes for a new tradition as America’s oldest race enters its second century, as the event moves one week earlier than past events. The Loudon Classic will now take place on the opening weekend of Laconia Bike Week instead of the traditional Father’s Day date that has closed the historic rally in the past.
NEMRR President John Grush noted, “We are excited to feature this historic event to start off Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire and look forward to having races for all types of motorcycle fans.”
In addition to the feature classes on Saturday June 8, the 101st Loudon Classic will also showcase purse-paying Pro classes in the 500 Superbike and Thunderbike divisions. These divisions will add a place for both youth riders (500 Superbike) and expert motorcycle builders (Thunderbike) to showcase their talents in front of the crowd.
The Loudon Classic is anticipated to have a full live streamed broadcast and will again feature a wide variety of vendors and activities for all who attend.
NEMRR is striving to build a family friendly event with activities for all ages on site.
The complete 2024 NEMRR schedule will be as follows:
April 26-27, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
May 18-19, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
June 7-9, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (101st Loudon Classic)
July 20-21, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
August 24-25, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
September 21-22, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
For information and event details for participants, spectators and prospective sponsors please visit www.NEMRR.com or contact admin@nemrr.com.
The start of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Photo courtesy FIM EWC.
LIFT-OFF IN LE MANS! 2024 EWC SEASON TO OPEN WITH 24 HEURES MOTOS
(27 September 2023): The race to become the ultimate FIM Endurance World Championship rider and team of 2024 will begin next April when the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans opens the new EWC season.
Scheduled from 18-21 April, the 47th edition of the 24 Heures Motos will form the opening rounds of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship, for the headlining Formula EWC motorcycles, and the 2024 FIM Endurance World Cup, which caters for Dunlop-equipped Superstock machinery.
The event will also provide the first opportunity in 2024 for fans watching trackside and on TV or online around the world to witness the thrilling spectacle that is the all-action EWC.
“It’s always so important to get every new season off to the best possible start and there’s no better event to do this than the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans,” said Jean-Baptiste Ley, the EWC Series’ Director for promoter WBD Sports. “Not only is the 24 Heures Motos an established event, held at a legendary venue and with a strong reputation globally, organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest, works tirelessly to deliver a fantastic spectacle and spectator experience. We’re delighted to be continuing our long-term partnership with them and we are already counting down the days to the event getting under way.”
Rather than the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de La Sarthe, the traditional EWC curtain-raiser takes place on the 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit. The demanding layout comes complete with the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses and Ford Chicane, while a twisty infield section ensures there’s little respite. Riders also face the prospect of competing during shorter daylight hours, with the prospect of colder temperatures during the night and early in the morning adding to the challenge.
Although the first 24 Heures Motos took place in 1978, when Frenchmen Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon rode a Honda to victory, the ACO staged its first race for motorbikes in 1912, long before the Bugatti Circuit’s inauguration in September 1966.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France won this year’s 24 Heures Motos following a typically action-packed day and night race, which attracted a combined spectator attendance of 77,200, the highest amount since 2011.
Running one week later than in 2023, the ACO is planning to introduce several measures for the 2024 edition to improve the fan experience by making the event more accessible and with a greater focus on making sure all visitors feel safe and secure at all times. More information will be available at 24h-motos.com when tickets go on sale at the end of October.
The full 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship calendar with details of all the events being planned for the 2024 season will be revealed in due course.
Brad Hendry (616) at High Plains Raceway. Photo by Kelly Vernell, courtesy MRA.
Hendry and Rizzo Secure Final Premier Class Wins of the Season
Byers, CO – The seventh and final round of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of September 23-24th on its 2.55-mile Full Course. The weather was ideal for racing as the temperatures hovered around 70 degrees for much of the afternoon.
The Race of the Rockies Qualifying on Sunday went off without a hitch. Ray Thornton, eager to keep his lead in the championship, claimed pole position with a best time of (1:46.48) followed by Mike Applegate (1:46.54) and Brad Hendry (1:47.38).
The pressure was on for Thornton as he only had a six-point lead in the RoR championship. He needed to finish no more than one place behind Applegate in RoR GTO to secure the 2023 championship. To add to that pressure, his BMW S1000RR which he had been so successful on throughout the season was not in working order for this final race. Being an outstanding sportsman and friend, fellow racer James Wilkerson loaned out his Yamaha R1 to Thornton to give him a chance at winning the championship. Wilkerson sacrificed a position in the final standings of RoR by not racing, which goes to show the level of sportsmanship and teamwork demonstrated by the racers of the MRA.
The start of RoR saw Applegate, Hendry, and Thornton all get excellent drives off the line, and nobody wanted to give an inch going into turn one. Coming down the backstraight, Applegate was leading the pack, but after they dropped down the hill into turn five, Hendry overtook Applegate. By the end of lap one, Hendry was leading Applegate and Thornton and had already opened a one second gap. For the next four laps, Hendry dropped his lap times down into the 1:46’s and broke away from the trailing pair, at which point the gap was up to four seconds. On lap nine, Thornton was putting the pressure on Applegate and overtook him for second place. Thornton led Applegate for the next two laps until he made a big mistake in turn eight, losing the front end of the bike. Miraculously, he was able to save himself from a crash. Applegate seized this opportunity and took back second place and was not challenged by Thornton again for the remainder of the 14-lap race. Hendry cruised to victory by over 13 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Applegate in Second and Thornton in third. With his third-place finish, Thornton secured the 2023 RoR GTO Class Championship.
In Race of the Rockies GTU, Salvatore Rizzo (who previously clinched the 2023 RoR GTU Championship) got an excellent start and led the opening lap of the race. Dennis Stowers, looking for his first RoR GTU win, was right on Rizzo’s tail. On lap two, Stowers made a pass on Rizzo and quickly dropped into the 1:51’s. Stowers led the next few laps and opened a 1.8 second lead on Rizzo. Rizzo, not giving up so easily, started taking small chunks out of Stowers’ lead every lap. By lap 8 Rizzo had caught back up and passed Stowers for the lead. Not being discouraged, Stowers stayed within .3 seconds of Rizzo until the final lap where he lined up a move on the final turn. Getting an excellent drive out of turn 15, Stowers pulled right up alongside Rizzo but ran out of tarmac before crossing the start/finish line. Rizzo secured the victory by .05 seconds, followed by Stowers in second and Tyrel Diekmann in third.
That concludes our 2023 50th anniversary season. The MRA would like to thank all the safety crew members, racers, friends, and family that made this season a remarkable success. Next up, the MRA heads to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for the New Racers School with a provisional date of April 12-13, 2024.
The MRA welcomes racers from other clubs across the nation. If you’re a currently licensed racer and would like to race with us in 2024, we have several reciprocity agreements in place along with very competitive pricing on license & entries to our 28 classes. Click here for MRA membership & entry information.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
Jake Gagne (1) leads Cameron Beaubier (6) and the rest of the field on the start of MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two at Road Atlanta in 2023. Photo by Brian J. Nelson,
MotoAmerica 2024: More Races, More Action Headlined By 20 Superbike Races
The Daytona 200, The Addition Of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Two More Mission King Of The Bagger Races, And Eight Championships To Fight For In 2024
IRVINE, CA (September 27, 2023) – MotoAmerica, North America’s premier road racing series, is pleased to release its tentative 2024 MotoAmerica Championship schedule with eight classes set to battle for titles, including 20 Superbike races held over nine rounds, two additional Mission King Of The Baggers races, the Daytona 200, and a return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a 10-year hiatus.
MotoAmerica will again begin its season with its Supersport class competing in the non-points-paying Daytona 200, with the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, Twins Cup and Mission Super Hooligan National Championship kicking off their seasons with the start of those three championships. For 2024, the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway will be the only extended-distance, pit-stop round of the Supersport series.
Like last year, the 20-race Superbike series will compete three times over the course of the weekend at two rounds – Barber Motorsports Park and Circuit of The Americas – with a single race on Saturday followed by two races on Sunday. Additionally, as was the case in 2023, all classes will compete twice over the course of their scheduled race weekends.
“It’s hard to believe that the 2024 season represents 10 years since MotoAmerica took over the AMA Superbike series,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “Since that time, we’ve seen tremendous growth, not only with our television broadcast footprint and social media but also our on-site spectator attendance. We are confident of that continued growth especially with the addition of Mid-Ohio to next year’s schedule. Although we just finished up our 2023 season, we know 2024 is just around the corner and we look forward to seeing everyone at Daytona in March.”
The Superbike Championship will get rolling with its traditional opening round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (April 19-21) with the Georgia round also featuring Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
From Road Atlanta the series stays in the south with round two set for Barber Motorsports Park (May 17-19) and the first of two tripleheader Medallia Superbike races. In addition to the Superbikes, the Barber round will also feature Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and the opening round of Stock 1000.
Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, will be the third round of the championship on its traditional date of the first weekend in June (May 31-June 2) and will feature Superbike, Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
Following the Road America round, the series heads west and stops at Brainerd International Raceway for round four (June 14-16) with Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Twins Cup, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
Then it’s off to Ridge Motorsports Park for the fifth round of the title chase in Shelton, Washington (June 28-30) with the Superbikes headlining the event that will also feature Stock 1000, Supersport and round two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Two weeks later and the MotoAmerica Championship lands in Monterey, California, for round six at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (July 12-14) for Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Following the four-week summer break, the series heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (August 16-18) for the first time since 2014 and the first time since MotoAmerica took over the AMA Superbike Championship. In addition to the two Superbike races, Mid-Ohio will also play host to Supersport, Junior Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
The MotoAmerica Championship returns to Circuit of The Americas for a second straight year as a standalone event in Texas (September 13-15) with Superbike, Supersport, Twins Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
Two weeks later (September 27-29) the championship will come to a close with the season finale slated for New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, and featuring Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport, Junior Cup and Mission King Of The Baggers.
The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series will again be featured at select MotoAmerica events in 2024 with that schedule to be released shortly.
Tentative 2024 MotoAmerica Calendar
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Superbike Series
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
*May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
*Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
*Tripleheader Round
2024 Supersport Series
*March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
*Non-Points Paying Round
2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Series
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Twins Cup Series
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
Sept. 13-15 Circuit of The Americas Austin, TX
2024 Junior Cup Series
April 19-21 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
May 31-June 2 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Stock 1000 Series
May 17-19 Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL
June 14-16 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Sept. 27-29 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
2024 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
March 7-9 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL
June 28-30 Ridge Motorsports Park Shelton, WA
July 12-14 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
Aug. 16-18 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH
The 2024 Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is scheduled April 12-14. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Provisional 2024 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship calendar revealed
The world’s most exciting sport takes it to another level in 2024, with 22 Grands Prix in 18 countries set to thrill fans across the globe
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
The provisional calendar for the 2024 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship can now be revealed! The world’s most exciting sport will stage 22 Grands Prix across 18 countries in 2024 as we gear up for the biggest season ever.
It’s already set to be a landmark year as MotoGP™ celebrates the 75th anniversary of motorcycle Grand Prix racing in 2024. The sport also marks the milestone with another as the transition to 100% sustainable fuel begins. From 2024, fuel must be a minimum of 40% of non-fossil origin before that rises to 100% by 2027. The 2024 calendar also retains its regionalised nature, with races grouped geographically and along routes that allow increased efficiency as freight and personnel traverse the world. With 11 races before the summer break and 11 after, it’s a perfect balance.
So, where do we start? Action will begin under the floodlights as the Grand Prix of Qatar returns as the season opener, with the spectacular Lusail International Circuit followed up by the equally showstopping Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. MotoGP™ then heads for the Americas and the first back-to-back as Termas de Rio Hondo and the Circuit of the Americas host in April.
From there it’s back to Europe for the classic Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, before Le Mans aims to break its own all-time attendance record in May. The Catalan GP returns to an earlier slot thereafter, and it stacks back-to-back with the stunning Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
MotoGP™ is set to break new ground at Sokol International Racetrack in mid-June, with the circuit to become the 75th venue to host a premier class race as Kazakhstan becomes the 31st country to host motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Another back-to-back then brings the curtain down on the first half of the season in style as the TT Circuit Assen prefaces the Sachsenring ahead of summer break.
Action returns at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring before the final European back-to-back sees MotorLand Aragon return to the calendar, slotting in just ahead of Misano. From there, the paddock takes off for two action-packed triple headers.
After a celebrated debut for the Indian Grand Prix in 2023, Buddh International Circuit is our first stop in Asia in 2024 too. Then it’s on to Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia before the Mobility Resort Motegi wraps up the first triple header in Japan.
After a weekend off, the final stint starts up Down Under. MotoGP™ takes on Phillip Island before heading back north to Buriram in Thailand and then Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Finally, the curtain closer beckons at the classic Circuit Ricardo Tormo as a history-making season wraps up.
22 Grands Prix + 18 countries = even MORE MotoGP™! Get ready for a truly blockbuster season and make sure to tune in for the crescendo to 2023 as the action heats up and the Championship fight continues getting closer!
The winglet-equipped 2023 BMW M 1000 R at speed. Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad.
BMW of North America is dedicated to providing vehicles to our customers that meet their expectations. To ensure that our vehicles are of the highest industry standards, BMW performs ongoing testing and evaluation.
Following a recent quality analysis, BMW is pursuing measures to further evaluate the material used in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been produced to material specifications.
As a result, BMW of North America is issuing a temporary, voluntary stop sale for all new and pre-owned BMW motorcycle models in dealer inventory, except for the CE 04.
This temporary stop sale is not safety related and BMW owners may continue to ride their motorcycles as normal.
BMW cannot yet advise as to the duration of this temporary stop, but we ask that you please check with your dealer frequently, as information is shared with them as it is made available to us.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
Corey Alexander races to double podium finish as Tytlers Cycle Racing end 2023 third overall in MotoAmerica Superbike
It was a successful end to the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship for Tytlers Cycle Racing which was held at New Jersey Motorsports Park last weekend (September 22-24), the team securing third overall in the final standings with PJ Jacobsen.
Corey Alexander raced to a debut podium in the class in difficult conditions on Saturday before backing it up with a second podium finish on Sunday. Stefano Mesa also rode well, achieving another top-10 finish.
A solid fourth on Saturday for PJ, backed up by a second position finish, his eighth podium of the year, was enough to secure P3 overall for the #99 and the team.
Corey finished seventh overall in the final points classification at the end of his debut year in Superbike. Having made the jump from STK1000 where he won the title for the squad a year ago, the #23 showed great speed particularly towards the end of the season and his double podium in the season finale is just reward for his efforts.
Stefano was called up to replace the injured Cameron Beaubier after PittRace and once again showed his ability to adapt to any racing situation. A top 10 on Saturday in his first wet race on the BMW M 1000 RR shows he has a bright future in Superbike. He was unlucky not to finish on Sunday.
Corey Alexander: “It’s been an unbelievable weekend here at NJMP. The weather brought an unexpected variable that played in our favour. The bike worked amazing in both races and I’m super thankful to my guys for all the hard work with all the challenges that have been thrown our way these last few races. Two superbike podiums are like a dream come true. Hopefully we have the opportunity for some more next year.”
PJ Jacobsen (99). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
PJ Jacobsen: “Starting on Pole was a pretty good start to the New Jersey weekend. I was hunting down (Jake) Gagne, but when I passed (Josh) Herrin there was a yellow flag which I didn’t see, and I was penalized to fourth position. That was a huge bummer, but I knew we could make amends on Sunday. There wasn’t much grip on Sunday, and I was sliding all over the place. It was nice to end the season on the podium in P2 and to have Corey up there with me was great for the team. Race One really hurt me overall in the championship as without the penalty given by MotoAmerica I would have been second and not third.”
Stefano Mesa (37). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
Stefano Mesa: “Race One was pretty good given the conditions we faced. I was having a good time out there on the bike and lap by lap I kept figuring things out a little. In Race Two, we had a bit more direction for the wet conditions and I felt a lot better on Sunday than on Saturday. I was running fifth and the bike felt great, but we unfortunately had a mechanical [problem] – but that’s racing. I want to thank the team for their work. It was another great experience this weekend for me with the Tytlers Cycle Racing team.”
The team of course cannot sign off from the 2023 season without saying a big thanks to Cameron Beaubier who took the team to their first win in their debut race together before mounting what was a serious assault on the MotoAmerica title before bad luck and injury intervened.
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering:
Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rodio, Landers wrap up 2023 Twins Cup season second, third in standings
Gloddy nearly scores podium in first Twins Cup race since Daytona round
MILLVILLE, N.J. — It wasn’t the ending to the 2023 season that either Gus Rodio or Rocco Landers had hoped for, but the pair of Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders performed admirably in their first time racing their Aprilia RS 660s in full wet conditions on Saturday and ended the season on Sunday with a total of six poles, nine wins and nine additional podium finishes between them.
The Sept. 22-24 round at New Jersey Motorsports Park also marked Ben Gloddy’s return to MotoAmerica competition with a near-podium finish after being sidelined with an injury from the Daytona International Speedway round in March.
The Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering riders had a strong start to the round in Friday’s dry conditions. Landers was the fastest rider in Friday practice, as he set a best lap time of 1:27.629 that was about 1.4 seconds faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio finished that session third, and Gloddy was sixth. Later Friday, the team’s riders found even more pace and secured first, second and sixth place on the provisional starting grid. Landers was again at the top of the time sheet with a 1:24.659, Rodio provisionally qualified alongside his teammate in second. Gloddy was the sixth-fastest rider in the session.
Tropical Storm Ophelia began its trek across southern New Jersey Saturday morning, which made for very wet conditions on the 2.25-mile NJMP Thunderbolt track. The conditions allowed Landers’ qualifying time from Friday to earn him his sixth Twins Cup pole of 2023. In the wet conditions, Landers was still among the fastest riders in the Twins Cup field. He finished Qualifying 2 as the second-fastest rider, and Gloddy was 10th-fastest. Rodio was a little off the pace, as he finished the session in 11th.
At the start of Saturday afternoon’s Race 1, it was Gloddy who got the best launch of the trio. He moved up three places during the first lap and ended up running in third place for most of the race. It was a different story for Rodio and Landers who lost several places as the field funneled through the first turn. Rodio finished Lap 1 all the way down in 10th place and Landers in seventh. Those two riders didn’t waste time making up the positions they lost, as Landers had moved up to fifth place by the end of Lap 3 and Rodio was running in fourth place by the end of Lap 6. Rodio’s paced improved as the race went on, and he got by Gloddy on the last lap to secure his 10th appearance on a MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium this year while also putting the fastest lap of race on the last lap. Gloddy held onto fourth place and Landers finished in fifth.
Race 2 on Sunday took place with mixed track conditions as the near-constant precipitation began to subside. Rodio got a good launch and led the field through the first corner. As Rodio and his championship rival pulled away from the rest of the field, Landers was struggling a little for pace and had fallen to fifth place by the end of Lap 2. The race was stopped on Lap 3 due to a crash at the exit of Turn 12, and Rodio got another good start when racing resumed. Though he was able to maintain the lead for the first two laps of the restarted race, Rodio got passed at the start of the next lap. As Rodio was trying to retake the lead, his teammates Gloddy and Landers were running in sixth and 10th place, respectively. Rodio’s race came to a premature end, as he highsided in the same area as the rider whose crash had brought out the red flag, and the race was stopped and later called complete. In the final race results, Gloddy was classified in fifth place and Landers in seventh.
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“I had never ridden the Aprilia in the rain, and we got on the podium on Saturday in a rain race. On Sunday, it was more mixed conditions, and there wasn’t much more we could’ve done. I’d hoped MotoAmerica would delay the race a bit more than they did, but unfortunately that’s not what happened. I put it on the floor trying today, and it was a big one. It’s been an up-and-down kind of season. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot went right too. Overall, it was a good year.”
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“It was an eventful weekend – that’s for sure. It’s too bad we couldn’t win the championship for Aprilia. But, it goes like that sometimes. If conditions had been dry this weekend, I think Gus and I would’ve been right up at the front, This season has been hard for me, but I also didn’t think I was going to be racing at all this year. I was trying to get to 50 career wins this year, but I at least got that total up to 48. We’ll see what next year holds. Without Aprilia, I wouldn’t be in as strong a position to move up a class next year.”
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“It was a good weekend, as I was just coming back from my injury at Daytona. It was a good dry day on Friday, and I ended up qualifying in sixth. I ran most of Saturday’s race in third place, but Gus was able to run me down at the end. Today, with the tricky weather, I just didn’t have the confidence I needed to move up the field. I didn’t have any high expectations for this weekend. I just wanted to have some fun and get back into it.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Dunlop:
Congratulations to Dunlop’s 2023 MotoAmerica Champions!
Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Dunlop is proud to be the AMA MotoAmerica spec tire for all classes since 2015, and Dunlop and MotoAmerica recently renewed their contract, allowing Dunlop to remain the official tire supplier of MotoAmerica through 2025! Each year, it seems like North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series continues to become more and more thrilling. The 2023 MotoAmerica Series was no exception, with it ending at wet and technical New Jersey Motorsports Park.
This year was an even more exciting season for the Dunlop crew, with an all-new tire available for all racers. The all-new Sportmax Slick replaced the industry standard KR448 and KR451 range of slicks and are now the Official Tires of the MotoAmerica series. Countless lap and class records have been demolished with the new and improved tire during the 2023 MotoAmerica series at multiple tracks in multiple classes! Impressive example: Superbike rider Josh Herrin broke Road America’s race record by over 1.5 seconds on this new Sportmax Slick.
Last year, Jake Gagne took home an astounding 12 race wins to earn his second MotoAmerica Superbike championship. This season was more challenging for the two-time defending champion with competition from 2022 Supersport Champion Josh Herrin, who kept him on his toes. At the eighth stop of the race tour in Pittsburgh, Gagne was able to wrap up his third straight MotoAmerica Superbike title with two rounds and four races on the schedule remaining. The Fresh N’ Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing rider grabbed a few more wins before the season ended, securing the championship by 148 points over Josh Herrin on the new Dunlop Sportmax Slicks!
In addition, in round eight, Avery Dreher clinched the Junior Cup championship on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki and in the hands-on Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship, rider Mikayla Moore swept all seven races in the series to dominate her championship.
Three support class titles were decided in the penultimate round at the Circuit of Americas. In the Supersport class, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Xavi Fores was crowned after winning a record-breaking eight wins at the start of the season. In addition, in the Stock 1000 class, Hayden Gillim was awarded champion after winning six races on his Disrupt Racing Suzuki. The Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods rider Tyler O’Hara also finished the season as champion in Texas, in the always-exciting Super Hooligans series.
At the season finale in New Jersey, the Twins Cup title was wrapped up by Blake Davis on his N2 Racing BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha. The head-to-head battle with Gus Rodio was cut short due to Rodio falling susceptible to the track conditions ending up out of the race. Meanwhile, the Vance & Hines Mission Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim clinched the King of the Baggers Championship by riding conservatively to a second-place finish at the season finale after his competition struggled in the tricky conditions.
“MotoAmerica racing in 2023 has been some of the most exhilarating racing we’ve witnessed in years, as multiple lap records were broken with our new Sportmax Slick tire offerings!” said Mike Buckley, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. “The continued evolution of the series, classes, and tires are a testament to the dedication of MotoAmerica, our Dunlop support crew, and all the riders, racers, teams, and supporters. We are honored to be the official tire of MotoAmerica for years to come.”
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
More, from a press release issued by KYT Americas:
3 MotoAmerica Class Champions!
2023 MotoAmerica Champions (from left): Junior Cup Champion Avery Dreher, Supersport Champion Xavi Fores, and Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis. Image courtesy KYT Americas.
KYT Americas proudly congratulates Xavi Fores, Blake Davis, and Avery Dreher on their 2023 championships. Xavi Fores demonstrated exceptional talent, skill, and determination throughout the season, ultimately securing the championship title in his first full year racing MotoAmerica’s Supersport class. Blake Davis, last year’s Twins Cup champion, retains his number one plate due to his consistent podiums and front-running pace throughout the season. Avery Dreher was a tactician and master in the draft against the extremely tight competition of the Junior Cup class.
This achievement underscores the incredible skill, dedication, and unwavering commitment of these athletes. KYT Americas has long been a leader in safety and performance in motorsports, and we are honored to support these racers in their pursuit of championships.
The champions and their respective classes are as follows:
1. Xavi Fores – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati
MotoAmerica Supersport
2. Blake Davis – N2 Racing / BobbleHeadMoto
MotoAmerica Twins Cup
3. Avery Dreher – Bad Boys Racing
MotoAmerica Junior Cup
Brandon Cretu, CEO at KYT Americas, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Going into 2023, KYT Americas was looking forward to supporting these guys. We knew they were talented, even world class, but it’s so hard to predict how a season will turn out. Having three riders we sponsored win their respective class championships is very exciting for us. We look forward to continuing to support their journey and witnessing their future successes.”
KYT Americas remains steadfast in its mission to provide the highest quality safety equipment and support to racers around the world, ensuring they can perform at their best while staying safe on the track. We appreciate the trust our athletes put in us.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports Results from New Jersey Motorsports Park
(Millville, NJ) Historically, the New Jersey round always has the potential for interesting weather and the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season was no exception.
After a difficult season that challenged the team on many levels, Altus Motorsports finished the 2023 season strong and with a solid platform to build on for the future.
Supersport:
Jaret Nassaney continued to improve on his Suzuki GSX-R750 in the New Jersey Supersport races. He qualified 9th in the dry on Friday and only 1.7 seconds out of pole. This is the closest he has been to the top spot all year. Saturdays qualifying was in the rain, so the team worked on their rain setup for race one. Jaret faced rain for the entirety of Supersport Race 1. After starting from 9th, Nassaney crossed the finish line in 6th. The Sunday weather was only marginally better; a drying track mixed with puddles. In spite of the conditions, he pulled off another 6th place. Both races were his best finishes of the season.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “I got two 6th place finishes and I am super stoked with that, given the race conditions! I am very happy to end the season on a high note. The conditions were sketchy, but we rode hard and got it done. I have to thank my Crew Chief Boyd Bruner, lead mechanic William Gerken, and assistant LJ for everything this weekend.”
Junior Cup
In the dry practice and qualifying on Friday, Alessandro Di Mario showed fantastic pace. He qualified in 6th, less than a second off of the pole sitter. Unfortunately, both of the Junior Cup races were wet. Di Mario struggled to get comfortable on the soaked surface at NJMP. He finished Race 1 in 15th and Race 2 in 20th.
Alessandro Di Mario (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Alessandro Di Mario: “It was a tough weekend. It was my first time with the bike and the tires in the wet. It took me a while, but my pace got a lot better toward the end. We have to work on getting better in these kinds of conditions.”
George Nassaney: “After a very difficult season it was nice to finish the last few rounds strong. We made a lot of changes this year and we’re finishing the season with a good crew and a solid trajectory for the future. Preparation has already begun for 2024 and i am currently in discussions with several riders. I hope to have a couple riders signed soon, so we can begin winter testing. I can’t thank everybody enough for their support this year.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
Marco Bezzecchi (72), Francesco Bagnaia (1), and Jorge Martin (89) will continue their battle for the MotoGP World Championship at Motegi, in Japan. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Closer than ever: the Championship fight touches down at Motegi!
Hard braking, hard racing, home glory and much more is on the line at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
After a headline-packed Indian GP, we’re heading east for another clash of the titans as the Mobility Resort Motegi welcomes MotoGP™. The gap at the top is the closest the Championship has been for some time, with a shock crash for leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) at Buddh leaving the door open for his closest rivals to capitalize – and that they did. Pecco will be gunning for some redemption and he’s no stranger to rising to that occasion in style, but there’s everything to play for.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) arrive with the momentum. Martin from another Tissot Sprint win, equaling Bagnaia’s count this year, and then a hard-fought second place on Sunday. The Spaniard is now just 13 points off Bagnaia’s lead as he digs in and keeps pulling back that gap. But Bezzecchi? On paper he may not have done the double, but he was, without a doubt, the fastest rider in India.
His comeback on Saturday after that unfortunate Turn 1 contact from teammate Luca Marini – who will miss this weekend and won’t be replaced – was an absolute barnstormer, and in only 10 laps. Cat out the bag and his pace proven, there was some pressure on Sunday to deliver the win that speed promised, but deliver he did. With Pecco’s crash behind him opening the door to a real gain in the standings too, it’s now a 44-point deficit for the Mooney VR46 rider. Can he cut that again this weekend?
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, delivered some big points again too. The South African had a bit of a nightmare end to Practice AND Q1 as yellow flags scrubbed off his best efforts, but despite starting outside the top ten, he took off like a shot to make it P4 in both the Sprint and Grand Prix. He’s now 100 points off the top, but there’s still more than double that on the table, and he took a podium last season at Motegi. He and teammate Jack Miller, aka the 2022 winner at the track, as well as GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 duo Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez, have a last stand of their own this weekend already though: the constructors’ crown is in play for the first time.
Ducati’s impressive and growing form over the past few seasons has seen them wrap up the constructors’ title even when the riders’ crown went begging, with so many fast faces in play at once. But this season that ten-year journey to the top could pay off even earlier as they arrive at Motegi with a 200-point lead over KTM. Yes, you read that correctly. With 222 still in play and 37 available over a weekend, the top Ducati needs to outscore the top KTM by 22 or more. This time they’re riding out with six bikes as three-time Motegi winner Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) joins Marini on the sidelines, not replaced, but there’s Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) alongside the Championship top three on track.
Aprilia are now out that constructors’ fight, and they weren’t able to make much hay in the fight at the front in India either, so they’ll want a lot more at Motegi. It could be a tougher one for the agile RS-GP with such hard braking and acceleration, but a little more luck would help as well. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) had a crash in the Sprint and then a DNF in the GP, and teammate Maverick Viñales took some points on Saturday before his Grand Prix race was very much dampened by being sent well wide at Turn 1. Still, he recovered to eighth. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) had a tough weekend overall too, whereas teammate Raul Fernandez managed to keep making those steps forward with a best qualifying yet, a Sprint point and top ten on Sunday.
Speaking of steps forward, however, means speaking about Honda and Yamaha, and as both arrive on hallowed home turf at the Mobility Resort Motegi. LCR Honda Castrol’s stand-in Stefan Bradl had a tougher one in India but did take a point, and now-home hero Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) took P11. He’ll be gunning for a lot more at Motegi but there were some great signs.
In India, the Repsol Honda team were back in the postcode they made their own over an incredible few decades in the sport, with podiums more than plausible and one bagged. Can they keep it going? Joan Mir just pipped Marc Marquez to fifth in qualifying before the two delivered some top performances once the lights went out: Mir had a slow slide out in the Sprint but then hounded Binder in a duel for fourth on Sunday. Marquez dug in behind the Ducati duo to take his second Sprint podium of the season, and on Sunday, the number 93 then had an agonizingly slow tip off at Turn 1. He was back on in record time and sliced his way back up the order to a top ten finish, but he lost ten seconds in the crash. And THAT would have dropped him in right on the back of the duel for second…
Last but by no means least, that duel for second may not have seen Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) come out on top, but it did see the Frenchman give it one hell of a shot. Teammate Franco Morbidelli took some solid points in India but Quartararo was able to wring a serious charge at the front out of his Sunday, stalking Martin before getting more than stuck in. The two were locked together over the last lap and it was a flash of what we’re missing as Yamaha look to move forward. A podium ahead of their home round, where they’ll also welcome a wildcard appearance for test rider Cal Crutchlow, is a good preface. Can we see a few more flashes of glory at Motegi? Tune in to find out!
Pedro Acosta (37) extended his Moto2 World Championship point lead with a race victory in India. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Can anyone catch Acosta at Motegi?
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is on a serious roll. Another dominant performance in India extended his advantage once more, but at least for Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) it was only a five-point swing, all things considered. After a tougher run, the Italian has been right back in the front fight over the last two rounds too, so he’ll want to repeat that in Japan… and more.
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, had an eye on victory before his clash with Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up), which also gained the latter two Long Laps for his trouble. That’ll be a hurdle for Lopez, and the deficit to the top is a bigger hurdle for Dixon as both arrive looking to bounce back.
After a return to the rostrum for the first time this year, Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) will want to keep that going at Motegi too, and the rider he just got the better of in that spectacular last lap duel, Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), will be gunning for another bite of that top five cherry as his rookie momentum in the intermediate class keeps impressing.
All that said, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) will be stealing plenty of the spotlight. As the home hero, but also as the winner in 2022 after a truly impressive weekend. Can he go back to back on home turf? We’ll find out on Sunday at 13:15 (GMT +9) as the intermediate class take on the Mobility Resort Motegi!
Jaume Masia (5) leads the Moto3 field at the start of the race in India. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Moto3™ vs Motegi: three riders, one point, and a home hero
The Moto3™ Championship has been closing up for a while, but it’s rarely been closer than this. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) remains the leader by virtue of his three wins to Jaume Masia’s (Leopard Racing) two, but they’re now equal on points after Masia’s win in India. And Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) is now just one single point behind, right as the paddock touches down on his home turf at Motegi… where he was also on the podium last year. He’s the highest finisher from 2022 who returns to race the track in the class this year, too.
David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, is now fourth overall after he took another top five, coming home just behind Holgado at Buddh. The rider for whom India was an expensive weekend in the standings was instead veteran Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), whose adventurous Saturday morning gained him a back of the grid start and Long Lap, had a mountain that was just that little too high to climb on Sunday. Öncü will be going all out to gain that ground back and get his elbows out in the process at Motegi. Finally, Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) arrives from a first podium of the season just in time for home turf as well, so he’ll want to stay in that postcode.
We’re straight back in action this weekend, so will there be a change of leader for the first time this year? Or has Holgado got more in his pocket after some good damage limitation in India? Tune in for Moto3™’s return to Motegi, with lights out at 12:00 (GMT +9) on Sunday!
Newly crowned 12-time Japanese Superbike/JSB1000 Champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga won the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship Series Superbike/JSB1000 season finale September 24 at Okayama International Circuit, in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
Riding his Yamaha Factory Racing Team YZF-R1, Nakasuga won the 24-lap race by just 0.140 second over his teammate Yuki Okamoto.
Ryo Mizuno was a distant third on his Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
With the race victory, Nakasuga wrapped up his 12th MFJ All Japan Superbike/JSB1000 Championship.
Beach Scores Emotional Superbike Victory at MotoAmerica Season Finale
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach rode to a commanding victory in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach scored a dominant victory in today’s final race of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike season at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. It was a masterclass performance from the full-time American Flat Track racer who answered the call from the team to fill in for the injured Cameron Petersen at the last three rounds of the season. Jake Gagne finished fourth in the tricky mixed conditions, adding to his points lead in the championship, which he secured two rounds early.
Riders were met with mixed conditions for today’s Race 2, with some sunshine but standing water still on the track. After the lights went out, Beach got another flying start from the third row of the grid into third behind his teammate Gagne. On Lap 4, he made the pass for second and then went to chase down the leader. A couple of laps later, Beach closed the gap and was hot on the heels of the competition, taking over the lead shortly after. He then built a comfortable gap up front and remained unchallenged to add a superbike win this year to his two SuperTwins victories with the Estenson Racing team in the American Flat Track series. The win also marked a second-career superbike victory for Beach aboard an Attack Yamaha R1.
Gagne got another great start in the final race of the 2023 season and slotted into the runner-up spot. The three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode a smart race in the tricky mixed conditions and crossed the line fourth to add more points to his impressive 2023 tally, which saw him 148 points clear of the runner-up finisher. It was a stellar season for the Colorado rider who secured his third consecutive title in the premier class two rounds early at the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Gagne notched 11 superbike wins this season, bringing his career tally to 40 wins during the three-year period.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“What a great end to the season. Our Yamaha R1s once again showed how strong they are in all conditions. Jake dominated yesterday, and JD did a great job as a fill-in rider, winning in today’s mixed conditions. His progression these past three rounds has been amazing. We wish him success on his potential return to road racing.”
JD Beach. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
JD Beach – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Today was a dream come true for me. I was really nervous before the race with the mixed conditions, but once the lights went out, I went to work. The team had the bike working great on this tricky track. I’m over the moon about getting another Superbike win to go with my AFT wins this year. I want to thank Attack and Yamaha for giving me this opportunity to come in and fill in at these last few rounds, and also to the Estenson Racing team for allowing me to do it.
Jake Gagne (1) and JD Beach (95) in action at NJMP. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was tricky conditions today, but it was great to finish the year strong. Congrats to JD because he smoked us and rode incredible. It was a great way to finish the year for the team.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana)
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:
Podium in her third Supersport race… Kayla Yaakov makes history with Tytlers at NJMP
Kayla Yaakov became the first female in the history of American motorcycle road racing to stand on the podium in three racing categories in the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport championship.
Having already won in Junior Cup and stood on the podium in Twins Cup, the talented teen who only switched to Supersport a matter of weeks ago was the standout for many at the New Jersey Motorsports Park as she romped to third in Saturday’s opening race before backing it up with a spirited ride to P4 twenty-four hours later.
Qualifying thirteenth after the weather ruined any opportunity of improvement on Saturday morning Kayla remained focused ahead of the first race of the weekend on Saturday and with rain falling, she once again demonstrated her incredible racing skills to cross the line less than two seconds from the win. She set the fastest of the race too!
Sunday saw another strong showing from the #19 Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki mounted rider. She finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium for the second day in a row.
Despite only competing in four races, she amassed thirty-seven points to end the year inside the top fifteen… imagine where she could have finished had she contested every race!
Kayla Yaakov: “I am incredibly happy to have been able to put the Tyler’s Cycle Racing Kawasaki on the box on only my third ever supersport race! It was tricky out there on Saturday with rain, wind, and standing water, but we were able to make the best of it! The team has done an amazing job at getting me comfortable quickly, and I knew rain or dry that we had a great setup and pace for the race. We have made steady progress each session with this bike, and it’s so great to see that all our hard work is paying off. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end off my 2023 MotoAmerica season than with a podium and 2 top five finishes in the Supersport category! I hope for more weekends like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who made this switch to supersport possible but especially the Mesa family for allowing me to step in, Michael Kiley for believing in me, Mike and Zequi for all their knowledge, Steven for pulling us all together, my dad for his endless support, and the entire Tytler’s Cycle Racing crew. I hope that this is first the first of many in this category!”
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “I’d love to tell you that I’m surprised by the weekend’s results, but you don’t have to spend much time with Kayla to know she’s the real deal. She has a tremendous career in front of her and it is a privilege to be a part of her career growth. What I’m privileged to see and would like to share is what an absolute joy it is to watch Mike (Godin), Zequi (Ezequiel Martinez) and Steve bring all this together. They’d never met Kayla, they don’t speak each other’s language, they use their phones and translate apps to communicate. They’ve invented a language I call MotoSpanglish that allows them to be effective and earn the trust of an amazing young woman who gives it everything on the bike they provide her. If you meet Zequi you quickly learn that when Zequis is happy EVERYBODY is happy. If I’m not the luckiest guy in the paddock – I’d like to meet the guy who is. These are great people and MotoAmerica is the place to be. A huge congratulations to Kayla and all the team.”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDER KYLE WYMAN WINS SUNDAY KING OF THE BAGGERS RACE AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
Vance & Hines/Harley-Davidson racer Hayden Gillim Wins Saturday Race and Crowned King of the Baggers Series Champion
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Max Flinders (88) in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two at NJMP. Wyman won the race, and Gillim won the Championship. Photo courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman scored his seventh win of the season and Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim secured the season championship on Sunday in the final race of the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. Vance & Hines/Mission Foods rider James Rispoli finished second in the championship standings and Wyman was third as Harley-Davidson riders claimed the top three spots in final series points.
“It’s been one of, if not the best, year of my life,” said Gillim, who won three races with eight additional podium finishes on the season. “I’m really happy to bring this home for Vance & Hines, for Mission Foods, and for Harley-Davidson. Next season will be a real scrap in this series. Honestly the field is stacked, and if everybody stays next year it’s going to be a tough championship to hold onto.”
In the Friday qualifying session, Wyman broke his own New Jersey Motorsports Park class lap record of 1:24.447 aboard his race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle. That time would never be approached for the rest of the weekend, as rain resulted in very wet to damp conditions on the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course on Saturday and Sunday.
Gillim (215 points), Rispoli (213 points) and Wyman (204 points) were each in contention for the championship before the start of the first eight-lap King of the Baggers race on Saturday. As the riders completed a warm-up lap in the rain, Wyman lost control and slid off track. He was able to remount and start the race, but his motorcycle was damaged, and he retired on lap 3. Gillim took the race lead on lap 3 and was never challenged as early leader Rispoli could not match his pace on the wet track and settled for second place, 9.10 seconds behind Gillim. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman battled to finish in third place and score his first podium finish of the season, just 0.40 seconds behind Rispoli. After the Saturday race, Gillim led Rispoli by 7 championship points, and Wyman was out of contention for the title.
Kyle Wyman bounced back to win the Sunday race, taking the lead on lap 2, after Rispoli ran off the wet track. Wyman opened a gap and stretched his lead to 3.724 seconds over second place Gillim at the finish. Max Flinders finished third on the M3/Revolution Performance Indian. Rispoli finished in seventh place.
“After Rispoli went off, I just tried to be patient, not make a mistake and open a gap,” said Wyman. “I suppose a win in the last race sends a message. It really stings to come up short in the championship after winning the most races, but I’m also proud of my race wins, proud of the team and what it has accomplished from a development standpoint, which trickles down to the other Harley teams. This has been a crazy year and obviously this weekend did not end as we hoped it might, but Harley-Davidson is one-two-three in the championship and that’s the next-best result for us. I want to send a big thanks to everyone at Harley who worked so hard for us this season, and we’ll be back to get them next year.”
At the conclusion of the 14-race 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Gillim wins the championship with 260 points. Rispoli is second with 242 points, followed by Kyle Wyman with 229 points. Wyman won seven of 14 races on the season, with one additional podium finish. Jake Lewis rode a Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle to seventh place with 126 points. Travis Wyman placed eighth with 112 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.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – New Jersey Motorsports Park Race 1
James Rispoli (H-D) Vance & Hines/Mission Foods/Harley-Davidson
yle Ohnsorg (Ind) Roland Sands Design
Jake Lewis (H-D) Team Saddlemen
Frankie Garcia (H-D) Team Saddlemen
Patricia Fernandez-West (H-D) Team Saddlemen
DNF. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
DNF. Cody Wyman (H-D) Team Saddlemen
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:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS RODIO, LANDERS FINISH SECOND, THIRD IN 2023 MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP STANDINGS
RODIO’S COME-FROM-BEHIND PODIUM FINISH IN WET CONDITIONS SATURDAY AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK UNDERMINED BY UNFORTUNATE CRASH ON SUNDAY
MILLVILLE, NJ – Heading into the final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup at New Jersey Motorsports Park, two Aprilia RS 660 riders were in the hunt to win Aprilia it’s second title in three years. While both Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders – Gus Rodio and Rocco Landers – came up just short of achieving that goal at the Sept. 22-24 event, both put in strong performances in their first time racing an Aprilia RS 660 in wet conditions on Saturday and Sunday.
And the Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team’s third rider for the season finale – Ben Gloddy of New Hampshire – came close to scoring a podium finish in his first race back from his injury at the Daytona International Speedway round in March.
Rodio and Landers showed stellar pace in dry conditions on Friday and ended up finishing second and third, respectively, in the final Twins Cup points standings. The duo scored a combined six pole positions, nine victories and nine additional podium finishes in 14 races this season.
An Aprilia RS 660 rider was at the top of the time sheets at the end of Friday morning practice, as Landers set a blistering lap time of 1:27.629 — which was more than one second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio finished Friday practice third fastest, and Gloddy was sixth-fastest. Later Friday – in the weekend’s only dry qualifying session – Landers and Rodio provisionally qualified first and second, respectively. Landers also improved on his best lap time from practice when he put in a 1:24.659. Gloddy again finished a session in sixth, giving Aprilia three riders in the provisional top 10.
Early Saturday morning, heavy rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia began falling on NJMP, which turned the morning Qualifying 2 session into a wet weather practice session. This meant Landers claimed his sixth pole position aboard an Aprilia with his stellar performance on Friday afternoon. During the wet Saturday qualifying session, Landers was again the fastest of the Aprilia riders. He finished the session second-fastest, while 3D Motorsports’ Jacob Crossman and Gloddy finished third and 10th, respectively. Rodio struggled a little and finished the session 11th fastest.
In Saturday’s Race 1, Gloddy got the best start of the trio. He got off the line very well in the soggy conditions and was running in third place at the end of Lap 1. Rodio and Landers got an OK jump when the lights went out but got shuffled back in the run to the first turn. At the end of the first lap, Rodio had slipped all the way down to 10th place and Landers to seventh. While Gloddy ran most of the race in a lonely third place, Rodio and Landers gradually worked their way up the running order. Rodio was up to ninth at the end of Lap 2, seventh at the end of Lap 4 and fourth by the end of Lap 6. Landers advanced from seventh to fifth on Laps 2-3. Rodio put in a phenomenal performance at the end of the race, as he ran the fastest lap of the contest on the last lap and got by Gloddy late in the last lap to finish third. Gloddy crossed the line in fourth and right behind him was Landers in fifth place.
Sunday’s Twins Cup race took place in wet-but-drying conditions, and Rodio had a good start to the contest. Rodio was the first rider through Turn 1, and he and another championship contender pulled away from the rest of the field in the opening laps. Landers didn’t get off the line as well and had slipped back to fifth place on Lap 3 when the race was stopped due to an Aprilia rider, Top Pro Motorsports’ Agustin Sierra, having crashed heavily as he exited Turn 12. When the race restarted, it was Rodio who again went into the lead with his championship rival just behind him. Rodio led the way for the first couple laps after the restart but fell to second place at the start of the third lap. The other two Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders were struggling for pace a little after the restart. With five laps to go, Landers and Gloddy were running in 10th and sixth place, respectively. Rodio then suffered a big crash as he exited Turn 12, which resulted in the race being stopped again and later called complete. Gloddy was classified in fifth place in the final race results, Landers in seventh and Unreal Racing’s Daniel Garver in eighth.
Of the 36 riders entered to race in Twins Cup at NJMP, 16 were on Aprilia RS 660s.
Aprilia thanks all the MotoAmerica Twins Cup racers who rode the RS 660 in 2023 for choosing Aprilia and looks forward to seeing even more Aprilia riders on the Twins Cup grid in 2024.
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering
“I had never ridden the Aprilia in the rain, and we got on the podium on Saturday in a rain race. On Sunday, it was more mixed conditions, and there wasn’t much more we could’ve done. I’d hoped MotoAmerica would delay the race a bit more than they did, but unfortunately that’s not what happened. I put it on the floor trying today, and it was a big one. It’s been an up-and-down kind of season. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot went right too. Overall, it was a good year.”
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Robem Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was an eventful weekend – that’s for sure. It’s too bad we couldn’t win the championship for Aprilia. But, it goes like that sometimes. If conditions had been dry this weekend, I think Gus and I would’ve been right up at the front, This season has been hard for me, but I also didn’t think I was going to be racing at all this year. I was trying to get to 50 career wins this year, but I at least got that total up to 48. We’ll see what next year holds. Without Aprilia, I wouldn’t be in as strong a position to move up a class next year.”
Ben Gloddy / Robem Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was a good weekend, as I was just coming back from my injury at Daytona. It was a good dry day on Friday, and I ended up qualifying in sixth. I ran most of Saturday’s race in third place, but Gus was able to run me down at the end. Today, with the tricky weather, I just didn’t have the confidence I needed to move up the field. I didn’t have any high expectations for this weekend. I just wanted to have some fun and get back into it.”
2023 Loudon Classic winner Tyler Scott (70). Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
The 101st Loudon Classic will be held June 7-9, 2024, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway , in Loudon, New Hampshire, and is returning with an even better purse! Not only will the record-breaking $250,000 purse for the Classic be back, but in 2024 the Classic will also feature a $50,000 bagger class. This incredible pairing of feature races will give spectators the opportunity to again experience the top level of racing in the US for modern supersport machines and to now witness the thundering performance and exceptional engineering of Harley-Davidson and Indian machines in the bagger race.
Chris Ulrich, Vice President of Operations/Team Manager for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki noted, “NEMRR did a great job putting on a professional event in 2023, and we’re excited for the prospect of returning again in 2024 to defend our Loudon Classic title.”
The June 7-9 dates makes for a new tradition as America’s oldest race enters its second century, as the event moves one week earlier than past events. The Loudon Classic will now take place on the opening weekend of Laconia Bike Week instead of the traditional Father’s Day date that has closed the historic rally in the past.
NEMRR President John Grush noted, “We are excited to feature this historic event to start off Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire and look forward to having races for all types of motorcycle fans.”
In addition to the feature classes on Saturday June 8, the 101st Loudon Classic will also showcase purse-paying Pro classes in the 500 Superbike and Thunderbike divisions. These divisions will add a place for both youth riders (500 Superbike) and expert motorcycle builders (Thunderbike) to showcase their talents in front of the crowd.
The Loudon Classic is anticipated to have a full live streamed broadcast and will again feature a wide variety of vendors and activities for all who attend.
NEMRR is striving to build a family friendly event with activities for all ages on site.
The complete 2024 NEMRR schedule will be as follows:
April 26-27, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
May 18-19, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
June 7-9, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (101st Loudon Classic)
July 20-21, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
August 24-25, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
September 21-22, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
For information and event details for participants, spectators and prospective sponsors please visit www.NEMRR.com or contact admin@nemrr.com.
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