Army Of Darkness Wins Overall And Heavyweight Class at the WERA/N2 National Endurance Race by Dunlop at Summit Point, West Virginia
Taylor Knapp raced with Army Of Darkness (AOD) in 2014. Nine years later he rejoined the team to co-pilot the AOD bike alongside Hunter Dunham and Ben Walters on a wild and eventful journey to the top step of the podium.
AOD led for most of the race but multiple red flags kept taking the hard-earned leads away from the team. Both Dunham and Knapp had to take the bike into the dirt at least once to avoid collisions with slower riders. And the closing stages of the race saw a hard charging Blake Davis on an R1 threatening to run down AOD, however, lightning strikes ended the race with AOD a scant 1.7 seconds in the lead.
Ironically, AOD lost the overall race in the season opener when a red flag ended the race on the lap AOD’s Cody Wyman had passed for the lead. At Summit, AOD received a benefit from the arbitrary and unpredictable nature of red flags.
“The AOD bike is super easy to ride and I felt comfortable immediately,” said Knapp. “It was really fun to be back with the team after all these years and, of course, the Dunlop tires are really great. We kept stretching out a lead in the race but then red flags kept resetting the scoring to even again. The competition was really strong this race so I was relieved when the fourth red flag ended the race with the scoring showing us in P1. I’m not sure that I would have been able to hold off Blake Davis in the last three laps, so the lightning was a bit of a relief for us!”
Hunter Dunham (99) piloting the AOD R1 to the podium at Summit Point. Photo by Vae Vang/Noiseless Productions, courtesy Army of Darkness.
Dunham, who put in the fastest lap for the team, said, “I’ve never been to Summit Point before, so Sam sketched out a track map on cardboard to show me the secrets and gears to use. It really helped so I was up to speed right away and able to put in a few heaters. It was really frustrating to put in all the hard work and then lose the edge to red flags, but I always like taking race starts and at least the red flags gave me plenty of opportunity to launch into clear track.”
The win is the fifth consecutive heavyweight class win for the year and extends the team’s lead in the overall championship to over 35 points going into the final round at Barber in October.
AOD is sponsored by: Army of Darkness, Dunlop, Yamaha Champions Riding School, Industry 13, Woodcraft, Hindle, Supersprox, Thermosman, N2, WERA, Roadracing World.
More, from a press release issued by N2 Racing:
Army of Darkness wins N2/WERA National Endurance by Dunlop at Summit Point.
Hunter Dunham (99) on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo by Noiseless Productions courtesy N2 Racing.
Media, PA (September 2023) – The Army of Darkness (AOD) won the 4-hour N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop on a Yamaha YZF-R1 at Summit Point Raceway. Army of Darkness has been dominant this season, winning every race but one. Army of Darkness didn’t have it easy at Summit with stiff competition from a stacked N2 Endurance Team. In all, 55 teams competed in all classes for the lucrative purse and championship bonuses.
The race started on a hot West Virginia Saturday with N2 Endurance Team’s Emerson Amaya on pole. Emerson led for the first seven laps before being passed by AOD’s Taylor Knapp. Army of Darkness and N2 Endurance battled the entire race on two very fast Dunlop-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1’s. Each team had fast pit stops and extremely fast riders. In the end, N2 Endurance’s Blake Davis passed AOD’s Hunter Dunham for the lead with 5 minutes to go, but the race was almost immediately red flagged for lightning. The results reverted a lap giving AOD the win with riders Ben Walters, Taylor Knapp, and Hunter Dunham. N2 Endurance finished second with Blake Davis, Emerson Amaya, CJ Crosslin and Brandon Cretu. Team Kustom Cockpits finished third with riders Anthony Sabbatino, Tom Delegram, and Allen Kersey.
Eziah Davis (38) on the Alpha Omega Yamaha. Photo by Noiseless Productions, courtesy N2 Racing.
Summit Point saw the return of Kevin Olmedo to racing. Kevin is one of the nicest and most well-liked riders in the world. Kevin has been suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome for over a year and at one point was completely paralyzed. Kevin’s recovery has been remarkable and his return to racing started with a victory in the middleweight class with the Alpha Omega Endurance Team. Alpha Omega won the Middleweight class race on a Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 with Kevin and his teammate Eziah Davis. Top Box Racing was the picture of consistency to finish second with riders Caleb Odom, Dylan Yelton, and Tony McKnight. Wiseco-sponsored Motor Drone Racing finished third with riders Shane Maggs, and Gary Yancoskie.
MotoAmerica Lightweight Twins Champions Robem Engineering won the Lightweight Class with young gun Alessandro DiMario and endurance veteran Keith Buris on an Aprilia RS 660. The family team of Brown Town Racing finished second on a Suzuki SV650 with riders Reese Brown, Chase Brown, and dad David Brown. RBoM Racing led by the legendary Russell Masecar finished third with riders Giacomo Manera and Ryan Wolfe piloting their Suzuki SV650.
Ready To Race’s Ryne Snooks (13). Photo by Noiseless Productions, courtesy N2 Racing.
The Ultra Lightweight 2-Hour Endurance featured 23 teams on a variety of motorcycles. Ready to Ride’s Ryne Snooks won by a little over 43 seconds over Luigi Racing. Vossberg Racing finished third with Hank Vossberg.
The Relay Class is a unique exhibition class intended to get teams into endurance racing without jumping into the expense of building a dedicated endurance bike. Each rider on the team can use their own bikes and switch transponders with their teammates instead of performing complete pit stops. Nature Power Superbike dominated the relay class with riders Jason Waters and Dan Kruger. C Speed Moto finished second and We R1 Endurance Race Team finished third.
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: Dunlop Motorcycle Tire, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
NEMRR Round 6 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway, September 9-10
The penultimate round of the 2023 NEMRR series marked the return of several top riders who has been away preparing and competing at MotoAmerica events. The two-day event was run under a variety of weather conditions that produced some exciting racing that saw some new faces on top of the podium in several classes. NEMRR also had the opportunity to honor the memory of long time competitor and NEMRRR/LRRS official Larry Hanlon. Larry was a tenacious racer who raced at the club level for many years, as well as competing in some national level events. He was a pioneer bike builder and changed the landscape of lightweight racing in New England as he built the first “motard” machines using the venerable CR500 engine, which he both ran in the dirt bike chassis and grafted into the frames of Grand Prix machines. Larry was paralyzed in a racing incident but continued serving the racing community as the assistant starter for many years. In keeping with his competitive sprit, Larry continued to win championships as his “Larry Lap” fundraisers led him to be the top donor to the NH Brain Injury association – a major supporter of people with spinal cord injuries. The ashes of Larry were carried by close friend Kevin Buck on a final lap around New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon.
Larry Hanlon, R.I.P. Photo courtesy Martin Hanlon/NEMRR.
The weekend started off with bright sun, temperatures in the 80’s and a flurry of first time winners in the Expert ranks. The four GT endurance races are always among the first to run each NEMRR weekend, and the only 2023 repeat winner was Renee Franco, returning from her maiden MotoAmerica event at PittRace to win the GT500 class. In GTL, Adam Guyer carded his first win of the season after his previously undefeated father Brett had some late race difficulties. In GTO, Chris Arrighi took his Aprilia RSV4 to win the first Expert GTO race of his career after a race long battle with Yamaha R6 mounted Bill Coolahan. Similarly, Geoffrey ‘Frenchie” Bonnard scored the first Expert GTU victory of his career over young upstart Micheal Lee.
In the Amateur ranks the standout for the weekend was David Lacroix, who collected wins in both the wet and the dry over the course of the event. Lacroix powered to victory in Unlimited Superbike, Unlimited GP, Formula 40 Middleweight and the Middleweight Grand Prix Class, where he picked up the purse money for as the top Amateur performer. In the process he ran times that qualify him for Expert status, which he may choose to advance for the final weekend or to postpone to the start of the 2024 season. Congratulations on a job well done.
NEMRR also features a Super Street class, which is a half step between track days and racing. Riders who have participated in a track day in 2024 can join the regular NEMRR racers in their own class, which allows riders on track day prepped machinery to experience a NEMRR weekend. This weekend’s Super Street classes were won by Randy Morissette, who showed remarkable adaptability as he powered to victory on a borrowed Suzuki GSXR machine in both the dry race on Saturday and on the wet race on Sunday.
The premier Michelin/MotoRace Dash for cash was another great contest this weekend as Eli Block returned from his MotoAmerica effort at PittRace to rejoin the championship battle at NEMRR. With 4 different victors in the first 5 events, the anticipation was palpable as the racers took to the starting line. At the green flag, it was again the mighty Triumph of Ian Beam that led the field into turn one, followed closely by Harlan Hildebrand. As the first lap unfolded Eli Block rocketed past 3rd place Paul Duval and past Hildebrand to cross the line in 2nd place. NEMRR #1 plate holder Rick Doucette continued his streak of abysmal launches and found himself again buried deep in the pack. Block settled behind Beam for the first half of the race, sizing up the best place to make his move, as the Kawasaki of Hildebrand hung in closely in third place. Meanwhile, Doucette was making his characteristic charge through the pack in hopes to catch the lead trio in time to make a move. After the halfway point Block made his way past Beam on the brakes and then set the fastest laps of the race as he stretched out the lead. Meanwhile, Doucette had caught the leaders and made his way to the back wheel of Beam, but in a repeat performance of week 5 could not find a way through on the last lap and settled for the final podium spot.
The final round of the 2024 NEMRR season will take place on September 30th – October 1st at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will feature double points for all classes. Race licenses are discounted for all participants joining the series for the first time, and all classes, including the Super Street class will be run. Following the races on Sunday there is also a NEMM (New England Mini Moto) planned that allows kids of all ages (3 years old and up) to experience riding a motorcycle on the track. For more information visit www.NEMRR.com.
2024 MOTO2™ REFRESH FOR RED BULL KTM AJO AS DENIZ ÖNCÜ TAKES HIS NEXT STEPS WITH THE KTM GP ACADEMY AND CELESTINO VIETTI JOINS THE PROGRAM
The prolific Moto2 Red Bull KTM Ajo team will welcome two new riders into the race structure for the 2024 world championship with Deniz Öncü transitioning from the Moto3™ set-up, and promising Italian Grand Prix winner Celestino Vietti comes into the KTM GP Academy for his third term in the intermediate category.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Moto2 project boasts a comprehensive list of talent and success since 2015, and from 2017 Aki Ajo’s squad have formed a crucial development role for the KTM GP Academy. Names like Miguel Oliveira, Brad Binder, Jorge Martin, Tetsuta Nagashima, Remy Gardner, Raul Fernandez, Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta have won races and championships (in 2021 and 2022, and Acosta currently leads the 2023 competition) with ‘orange’ machinery in that six-and-a-half-year period. Six of those riders listed have gone on to race in MotoGP™ and the premier class.
Deniz Öncü, 20 years old and a former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race winner, celebrated his first Grand Prix victories with the team and the KTM RC4 in Moto3 this year. The fast, aggressive Turk has already notched 11 podium finishes in the division and 2023 has been his third campaign of world championship education. He is currently 4th in the Moto3 series and part of the close chase for the title. Deniz’ ability, physicality, attitude and burgeoning experience means he is eager to take his career to the next level.
Celestino Vietti, 21 years old, already has six GP wins from both the Moto3 and Moto2 categories and has been learning the intricacies of Moto2 in 2022 and 2023. Last year his three triumphs marked a clear capacity to set the pace in the championship and he has again risen to the top of the podium during 2023 to-date. Vietti has been part of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy effort and now joins the KTM scheme to achieve the next goals of his career.
Deniz Öncü: “I’m very happy to be moving up to Moto2 with Red Bull KTM Ajo. The main goal this season is to improve in Moto3 and get good results to fight for the title. We are doing really well together and have victories in Germany and Austria so far. I just want to thank Aki, KTM and Red Bull for their confidence in me and for this opportunity. Thanks also to my manager, Kenan Sofuoğlu, for always supporting me.”
Celestino Vietti signing his new contract with KTM. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Celestino Vietti: “I’m super-excited. It’s a great opportunity for me so I am very happy about the news. I have to say thanks to KTM and Aki Ajo for believing in me. Also, thanks to VR46 Riders Academy Management, as without them none of this would be possible. We still have a way to go before the end of this season, so I have to finish this one the best way with my current team. They helped me to achieve many great results this year. It will also enable me to have the confidence to start the new season well. Thank you so much and see you in 2024.”
Aki Ajo, Team Principal: “The last few years in Moto2 have been very successful for us and of course we have enjoyed working with all these different riders. This year with Pedro and Albert [Arenas] has been very intense and enjoyable; both have improved a lot, we have achieved many podiums and we are even top of the standings. Next year we have a new line-up: Deniz Öncü and Celestino Vietti. I have to say that we are excited to have a great mix of experience in this class and young talent with Deniz, who we already know. I think this kind of combination is a really good chance for us to be very successful in Moto2 next year. Celestino has shown in the last seasons that he is one of the top riders in the class. Of course, we are very happy to have him on our team alongside Deniz, who is one of the fastest riders in Moto3. The combination will be great, and we are excited about it.”
7th Podium of the year for PJ, Corey and Stefano bag a top six finish apiece at COTA
PJ Jacobsen took his seventh podium finish of the season at COTA last weekend, to consolidate third position in the overall MotoAmerica Superbike standings with just one round and two races remaining.
Extreme weather conditions meant difficult conditions for both rider and team, but as ever the Tytlers Cycle Racing team took it in their stride to ensure another front running weekend for them and the BMW M 1000 RR.
Jacobsen, who took a hard fought fourth on Saturday was once again joined on track by Corey Alexander who continued to show pace and Superbike newbie Stefano Mesa, who was making his debut in Superbike with the team that he had been competing with in Supersport all season up to this point.
Saturday’s opening race, which was restarted and run over a reduced distance of twelve laps after an on-track incident, saw the trio finish inside the top ten after PJ, Corey and Stefano had qualified fourth, eighth and tenth respectively. PJ was fourth across the line with Corey sixth and Stefano ninth.
Sunday saw another disrupted race due to on track incidents but when the race eventually got under way over a reduced distance of ten laps the Tytlers Cycle Racing trio were once again right in the mix. A solid third for PJ was reward for his continued hard work both on and off track whilst a little further back Stefano and Corey crossed the line almost together, the pair separated by just over half a second, with Stefano just edging Corey in the closing stages.
The team now move to the New Jersey Motorsports Park where they hope to end the season as they began it – on top of the podium.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa: “It was a good weekend riding the superbike for the first time at COTA. The whole weekend went well, and the experience was really positive. We made a lot of steps every time we rode which resulted in us going faster every session. I am so stoked about that. Race 1 was very challenging – the hot weather made it a very long twelve laps, but we made it work. It was the first time I had put so many laps together on a superbike and I definitely learned a bunch and was able to go and work with the team a little bit and say what I was feeling with the bike. In the warm up I improved by over a second which gave me a good feeling ahead of Sunday’s race. The first start (of race two) I kind of messed up and I stalled the bike, so I was lucky a red flag came out. After the red flag it was a good race for us. I got up front a little bit and made some passes and was able to battle with Ashton (Yates). I’ve had such an overall positive weekend and am super happy with the progress we made. Hats off to the whole team for welcoming me and giving me positive vibes all weekend. See you all in New Jersey.”
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one started off decent but then I started struggling with grip issues half way through the race and just went backwards. It was physically really hard as well so the best we could end up with was P4, which all things considered wasn’t the end of the world. It was a crazy second race. The track was very hot and greasy and some of other guys were making mistakes and crashing out. I tried to stay with Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) to close the gap in front of me, but I just couldn’t do it. Again, the grip was going away for me, so it got really difficult, but I was able to finish on the podium. For the championship we are in a good position, and I am looking forward to New Jersey and to finishing the season in style!”
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “We had another trying weekend with technical difficulties and limited track time. We took some positive results with a sixth and eighth, but I know we didn’t show our true potential this weekend. I’m excited to wrap up the year on a high note at my home track in two weeks’ time. I want to thank all my crew for their hard work in very hot conditions, it was a tough weekend for them especially. See you at NJMP.”
More, from another press release issued by Tytler Cycle Racing:
Texas top ten for Kayla Yaakov who shines on her MotoAmerica Supersport debut
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Kayla Yaakov (19). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cool, calm, and collected at COTA is how we can describe Kayla Yaakov’s debut Supersport weekend with us. Successful and impressive are just two words we could use as the Junior Cup race winner and Twins Cup podium finisher raced to a double points scoring finish in the weekend’s two races, the penultimate round of the MotoAmerica season.
Steady progress on Friday led to a more then respectable final qualifying session that saw the #19 Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki rider line up sixteenth after she improved her lap time overnight by 1.4s.
Fourteenth in the red flagged opening race on Saturday, Kayla shone on Sunday crossing the line tenth, narrowly missing out on eighth in a shortened six lap sprint.
Looking ahead to the season finale, Tytlers Cycle Racing is exciting to see how Kayla will fair at a circuit she knows – New Jersey Motorsports Park in a little over a week!
Michael Godin – Crew Chief for the Tytlers Cycle Racing Supersport Program: “We had a great first weekend working with Kayla. We knew that a new bike and track was going to be a challenge. I was very impressed with her race knowledge and feedback. We made continuous changes all weekend getting her more comfortable and it paid off with a top ten finish and personal best lap time on the last lap chasing for ninth place in race two on Sunday. The team and I are really looking forward to racing at New Jersey, a track she knows well.”
Kayla Yaakov: “I knew riding this brand-new bike for me this weekend would be a challenge, but the team did a great job of trying to get me comfortable. We improved each session and, in the races, so we can only go further forward from here. We made some big changes for the first race on Saturday, which ultimately helped us in some spots, and hurt us in others. All things considered; I was super happy to be in the battle for the top ten in my first supersport race. After making some great improvements for Race 2, I was able to get into the top 10, which was my original goal for the weekend). We had the pace for a better placing, but unfortunately, I lost some ground early on due to fighting with another rider. Either way, I am super pleased with the progress myself and the team made all weekend. It’s now full focus on New Jersey. I’m ready to keep learning and having fun on the ZX6.”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
Altus Motorsports Results from Circuit of the Americas
(Austin, TX) The heat in Austin, Texas for the MotoAmerica race at Circuit of the Americas was almost unbearable. But, in spite of the weather, the team had a good weekend.
Stock 1000:
Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, Andrew Lee took control of the Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000R at the Circuit of the Americas round. Having never ridden COTA or the Altus Motorsports Stock 1000 bike, Lee was on a bit of a learning curve. Undaunted, he went to work immediately and was 18th of 40 entries by the end of Practice 1. By the end of the second qualifying session, Andrew was fast enough to lock down 12th on the starting grid. The lap times continued to come down during Race 1. He dropped another second and crossed the finish line in 8th place. In the Sunday Stock 1000 race, Andrew went over a second faster and was in a battle for 7th place. Ultimately, he matched his previous finish with an 8th.
Andrew Lee (14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Andrew Lee: “It was a great race weekend. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work with George, Janette, and the whole Altus Motorsports Team. Our crew put in a lot of work to get me comfortable on the Suzuki GSX-R1000R We started a little on our back foot with no testing, and, admittedly, a little rusty.
On Sunday, we made some big changes that made me a lot more comfortable. But, unfortunately, it was so late in the weekend! We concluded the weekend with 8th-place finishes in both races. I believe the results are great for our first weekend with the team and at the new track.”
Supersport:
Jaret Nassaney came into Austin on a high. After a difficult season, he and the team finally found a comfortable setup at the last round at PittRace. He was hopeful to build on that momentum at Circuit of the Americas. And they did! Nassaney dropped time in every session, ultimately qualified 14th. In Race 1, he finished the race in 10th place. In the second Supersport race of the weekend, he went faster and crossed the finish line in 8th.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “It was a good weekend! Friday we struggled with gearing, but we got it sorted Saturday. We were still working on setup right until Race 1. I got a good start and made my way up to 10th or 11th but got shuffled back to 15th or 16th when a rider in front of me overslowed for a corner. I managed to fight my way back to 10th before the red flag. In Race 2, I got a bad start but it got red-flagged. On the restart, I had a much better launch and made it up to 8th and stayed there. I’m super happy with the improvement and hope to end the season on a high note.”
George Nassaney: “It was a really good weekend. With COTA only 6hrs from home, lot’s of our family and friends came out to watch. I can see that Jaret is comfortable and making progress in the right direction. He is getting more and more comfortable working with our new Crew Chief Boyd Bruner and Andrew did an amazing job. He’d never been to COTA and jumped on the bike and did very well. Big thanks to everyone on the team for putting up with the heat and making Texas a successful round.”
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
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDER KYLE WYMAN WINS ON SATURDAY AS HARLEY RACERS FILL THE KING OF THE BAGGERS PODIUM AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
Vance & Hines/Harley-Davidson racer James Rispoli wins on Sunday
Kyle Wyman (center) won King Of The Baggers Race One over runner-up Hayden Gillim (left) and third-place finisher James Rispoli (right). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman won his sixth race of the season and Harley-Davidson riders claimed five of six podium positions in two MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers races last weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Travis County, Texas. Wyman led Saturday’s race from start to finish aboard the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle. On Sunday, Vance & Hines/Mission Foods rider James Rispoli won his second race of the season on the team’s Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle.
Wyman was the top qualifier for the weekend with a quickest lap of 2:15.621 on the challenging 3.4-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas road course.
On Saturday, racers endured the challenge of temperatures topping 100 degrees at the start of the first 6-lap Mission King of the Baggers race. Wyman got a great start from the pole on his Factory Harley Road Glide bike and opened a 1.02-second lead after two laps, a gap that stretched to more than 2 seconds at the finish. Hayden Gillim was second on a Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson, followed by his teammate Rispoli in third place as Harley racers filled the podium. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman was fourth on the team’s second Road Glide motorcycle. The win moved Kyle Wyman two points ahead of Gillim for the series championship.
Kyle Wyman (33) leading King Of The Baggers Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
On Sunday, Kyle Wyman got caught in traffic at the start of King of the Baggers race two and was running in eighth place when he crashed in turn 13 following contact with another rider. Wyman was able to pick up his motorcycle and re-joined the race in last place, then battled back to finish in ninth place and earn valuable championship points. Rispoli took the race lead on lap 4 and crossed the finish line 8.66 seconds ahead of his teammate Gillim. Travis Wyman was running in second place before crashing out on the last lap, promoting Gillim and Kyle Ohnsorg, who finished third on the Roland Sands Design Indian.
James Rispoli (43) leading King Of The Baggers Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
“In race two, I got what I thought was a good start, but got swallowed up by a couple of riders,” said Wyman, “And I could not get the drive I wanted out of turn one. I was trying to be patient but got caught in a bad spot and went down. I was able to work back up to ninth and score seven points, which keeps me in the hunt for the championship, just 11 points back going into the final round. The goal is clear for me to try to win both races in New Jersey and see where everything falls. It should be an exciting finish to the season. A Harley is going to win the championship. I just hope the orange and black bike is the one on top.”
After 12 of 14 rounds in the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Vance & Hines’ Gillim leads the championship with 215 points, followed by his teammate Rispoli with 213 points, and Kyle Wyman in third place with 204 points. Travis Wyman is in eighth place with 86 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team returns to action Sept. 22-24 in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas 1
DNF. Bobby Fong (Ind) Sacramento Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands
DNF. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
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 Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING & TYLER O’HARA CAPTURE SECOND-CONSECUTIVE MOTOAMERICA SUPER HOOLIGAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Enduring Bar-to-Bar Action, O’Hara Outlasts Teammate Jeremy McWilliams at Circuit of the Americas, Pilots S&S-Built Indian FTR to Second-Consecutive Championship
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) during a MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan race at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Minneapolis, MN – It was a battle between brothers – each armed with their S&S-built Indian FTR Hooligan race bike. Entering the final round of MotoAmerica’s Mission Super Hooligan National Championship (SHNC) at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), dead-locked at 106 total points, Indian Motorcycle Racing’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams endured bar-to-bar action, each pushing to the bitter end to earn the opportunity to hoist the No. 1 plate and win the 2023 SHNC title.
For the second consecutive season, it was O’Hara, as he outlasted McWilliams in dramatic fashion, taking both rounds at COTA, and winning five of the season’s eight races aboard his Mission® Foods S&S® Indian FTR.
“Hats off to my entire S&S-Indian Motorcycle team, as the guys worked hard all season to keep this Indian FTR dialed in for me,” said O’Hara. “This FTR is an incredible machine. Power, handling, maneuverability – it’s been the highest-performing bike in the class all season, and we’re extremely proud to walk away with another title this season.”
The SHNC final round at COTA was nothing short of exhilarating, as both O’Hara and McWilliams pushed their Indian FTRs in and out of corners, each making incredible passes on the other. Knowing their teammate’s moves and tendencies created an epic battle between two of the sport’s most capable riders. Race 1 at COTA ended with McWilliams high-siding in the final turn of the final lap. McWilliams was unharmed and was able to compete in Race 2 on Sunday. But again, it was O’Hara who captured the final win of the season.
“The relationship between Tyler and Jeremy is truly special – they both thrive off each other’s expertise and experience, and both have an ‘anything it takes’ drive to win once aboard their FTR,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service and Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “When you have a team as committed as our S&S crew, paired with the riders we have, you push every second of every day to win a championship. We’re excited to have reached our goal and look forward to running the No. 1 plate again on Tyler’s FTR next season.”
Indian Motorcycle Racing is presented by Progressive Insurance®, Mission® Foods and Medallia®, with additional support from Indian Motorcycle Motor Oil, S&S®, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties®, Performance Finance, and J&P Cycles®.
For information about Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, X and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman scores pair of runner-up finishes at MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season finale at Circuit of the Americas
BMW rider ends 2023 season in top three for fourth consecutive year
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Travis Wyman Racing.
AUSTIN, Texas — As the curtain fell on the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season this past weekend at Circuit of the Americas, Travis Wyman closed out his sixth season racing in the class with a pair of runner-up finishes aboard his BMW M 1000 RR. After enduring a difficult weekend at the previous Stock 1000 round at Brainerd International Raceway in July, Wyman’s strong showing at his Austin, Texas-based team’s home round allowed him to finish the season third in the Stock 1000 points standings.
It’s the fourth time in four years that Wyman has finished third or better in the Stock 1000 standings, as well as the fifth time in the past six years — all aboard BMWs. In total, Wyman racked up one victory, five additional podium finishes and a pole position in the abbreviated five-round, 10-race 2023 Stock 1000 schedule while also competing full-time in the King of the Baggers.
Wyman had a stellar start to the weekend. With the Stock 1000 field stacked with 44 entries for the season finale, Wyman was the fastest of all of them in Friday practice by more than a second. Like he did at Brainerd, Wyman had a very strong showing in Qualifying 1. He ended that session with a best lap time almost one second faster than his best practice time and remained more than a second faster than the next rider on the time sheets.
Though Wyman improved his best lap time again by 0.396 seconds in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, another rider set a slightly faster lap time in the session. Though he missed out on his second Stock 1000 pole position of the 2023 season by about a quarter of a second, Wyman did secure second on the starting grid for the round’s two Stock 1000 contests.
Saturday’s Race 1 ended positively for Wyman despite experiencing grip issues in the race’s later stages. After getting a good start, Wyman made a lunge for the lead as the field entered the Circuit of the Americas’ iconic Turn 1, but was narrowly beaten out for the holeshot and slotted into second place. Though he hounded the race leader for the first few laps of the eight-lap race, Wyman’s front tire began losing grip and feel as the race went on. With a large gap to the scrap for third place, Wyman was able to moderate his pace to bring his M 1000 RR home in second place for his fifth podium finish of the season.
Unlike Brainerd where Wyman’s motorcycle endured a technical problem in Race 2, Wyman had an excellent start to the Sunday Stock 1000 race at Circuit of the Americas and finished Lap 1 in the lead. Wyman maintained the race lead on Lap 2 and most of Lap 3 before being overtaken at Turn 19. Wyman retook the lead later on Lap 4, but was again passed on Lap 5. Like in Race 1, Wyman had a big gap to third place and finished the race in second place for his sixth podium appearance of the season.
Wyman’s strong results at Circuit of the Americas helped him move up from fourth to third in the final Stock 1000 points standings.
Wyman and his team thank the many sponsors, technical partners and fans whose support helped Travis Wyman Racing weather several technical failures to achieve another strong finish in the Stock 1000 points standings. Travis Wyman Racing’s plans for the 2024 MotoAmerica season will be announced at a later date.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“This was a very positive way to end a racing season. For the struggles we encountered earlier this year, I’m happy to have finished third in a hard-fought championship battle. I can’t thank Alex Torres of Fast Line Motorcycle Performance and the rest of my team enough for their relentless effort this year, and I’m grateful to the many sponsors and technical partners whose support helped make this program possible for 2023.”
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TY SCOTT WINS IN TEXAS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750s Double Podium on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas
Supersport Electronics Engineer Chloé Lerin (left) with Tyler Scott (center) and Torin Collins (right) on the podium at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
BREA, CA — Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer put a bow on the penultimate round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, by claiming a victory among a pair of Sunday podiums.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott picked up his third win of the season with an epic last lap.
Torin Collins put an exclamation point on his stunning debut with a podium in his second-ever MotoAmerica race.
Teagg Hobbs crashed trying to catch the leaders while running in third position.
Superbike
Brandon Paasch rebounded to notch up a third top-five of the season.
Richie Escalante crashed from third while engaged in a three-rider fight for the lead.
Tyler Scott (70) backs up his podium from Saturday with a victory in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott registered another impressive victory in his young MotoAmerica career on Sunday, following an intense final-lap showdown. After a red flag concluded Saturday’s Supersport race early, Scott made the most of his white-flag lap in Sunday’s rematch to earn a hard-fought win
Following an early-race stoppage that set the stage for a shortened six-lap sprint race, Scott and a rival proceeded to trade first position back and forth. That led to a spectacular last-lap shootout that saw the two engage in a series of braking duels, side-by-side cornering, and escalating tests of courage. Scott held firm with an inspired effort to snare his third win and tenth podium of his ‘23 campaign aboard the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750.
“It was an amazing race,” Scott said. “I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. The bike was awesome this weekend, and the race was super exciting. That is definitely one of the most fun races I’ve ever had, and it’s even better when you end up on top of the box.”
In only his second race, Torin Collins (14) charges his way onto the main stage of the Supersport class with a podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Even after stunning the paddock with a top-five MotoAmerica debut aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 on Saturday, FIM JuniorGP regular Torin Collins found a way to top himself on Sunday. The up-and-coming Collins battled it out to the stripe with some of the most proven riders the MotoAmerica Supersport category offers and ended up on top of the three-rider fight for the final spot on the podium.
Collins said, “The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team put in so much hard work for me this weekend; I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them. The race was difficult. I knew it would be hard with riders of that caliber on my tail the whole race and it was.”
An unfortunate get-off for Teagg Hobbs (79) in Race 2 ended his race Sunday but is looking to bounce back at a familiar track in New Jersey. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Teagg Hobbs’ ambitions to push teammate Scott for victory ended early on Sunday. After coming home with a top-three finish the day before, Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash while running third and chasing the leaders in the opening stages of the race. Despite a red flag, Hobbs’ machine was too heavily damaged to return to the fray for the restart.
“I started well and at the beginning of Lap 2, I was making a push to get back up to the two guys in front of me,” Hobbs said. “I felt like I gained a couple of tenths, then got thrown off in the righthander. It’s disappointing, and I’m a little sore but also a little lucky. I’m really looking forward to getting another shot in New Jersey at a track I know well.” Despite Hobbs’ setback, the Suzuki GSX-Rs continued to be the bike of choice for most of the top ten finishers in Supersport in Texas.
A top-five finish for Brandon Paasch (96) ends his weekend on a high note. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike pilot Brandon Paasch strongly rebounded from his Saturday DNF. Paasch put in a consistent and measured ride aboard his GSX-R1000R Superbike to secure his third top-five of the year, despite running just a partial season with the team. Paasch’s fifth place also marked his eighth top ten in ten attempts with the team.
Paasch said, “It went much better for us today. I think we turned it around and got back up in the top five where we need to be. The bike setup felt better, and I was more comfortable. This was going to be a tough track for me because I don’t have many laps here, but now we go to New Jersey, which is pretty much my home track. I feel we are making good progress and strong improvements.”
Richie Escalante (54) looks to continue the podium momentum from the past weekend going into New Jersey. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
After scoring his first Superbike podium on Saturday, Richie Escalante set his sights on a career-first premier-class victory on Sunday. Escalante was very much in contention to attain the lofty goal too, piloting his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R in a close third before suffering a lowside crash at full lean on lap 4. Escalante picked his bike back up and soldiered forward to the checkered flag, ultimately coming home in 16th position.
“It was a great weekend for us,” Escalante said. “I came in with big expectations because the team had done a great job in giving me a new swingarm and more power. The feeling from the bike was really great. I had more grip, and the bike seemed even calmer when pushing hard. I was trying to be fast and consistent and we finally got on the podium on Saturday. On Sunday, we improved the bike even more in the warm-up. I was in the top three during the race and felt I had the speed to win, but I made a mistake and lost the front. That is part of racing. We are closer to the front than ever and I thank the team, our sponsors, and my family for helping me get there.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season will conclude on September 22-24 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 132 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 360 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
Misano Test: novelties & narratives from pitlane on Monday
Marini tops the timesheets ahead of Viñales as Honda and Yamaha steal the limelight
Monday, 11 September 2023
After what could prove a pivotal Grand Prix at Misano in terms of the title fight, MotoGP™ got back on track on Monday for what could prove a pivotal test too. Topping the timesheets was Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on his 47th lap of 49 in the afternoon session, deposing Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) as the two duelled it out for top honours. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was third quickest with a late leap up the order.
The key stories were less focused on the timesheets, however, as plenty of novelties broke cover on a crucial day of track action for Honda and Yamaha. Read on to get a rundown of what was spotted in pitlane, and where!
Mooney VR46, Prima Pramac & Gresini
Not every rider was out on Monday, and pitlane was noticeably missing reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he sat it out, his teammate Enea Bastianini who is sidelined due to injury, and test rider Michele Pirro after his crash as a wildcard yesterday. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) didn’t take to the track either.
Jorge Martin. Photo courtesy Dorna.
In terms of novelties, there wasn’t too much on show across the Ducati stables. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had both bikes with the bigger side fairings instead of the downwash duct setup he’s used the last few races, but there was nothing new in terms of the classic Ducati, innovation-driven novelties with the Ducati Lenovo Squad not on track either.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – 1:30.602
P4 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – 1:31.168
P9 Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – 1:31.337
P14 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – 1:31.492
Aprilia & CryptoData RNF
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Dorna.
At Aprilia, there was a new chassis. Aleix Espargaro said it wasn’t better or worse, just different: it felt softer and handled the bumps better, which is something that affects the Noale factory at some venues. Viñales even said on Thursday in the pre-Misano press conference that he’d never realised the track had bumps until he arrived at Aprilia.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
There was arguably another headline-stealer, however: Miguel Oliveira had a 2023 Aprilia in his CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team box, alongside his usual 2022 machine. His review? A step forward in every way.
Miguel Oliveira (88). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) – 1:30.836
P7 Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team) – 1:31.232
At Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Jack Miller had one of the chassis that wildcard and test rider Dani Pedrosa used over the weekend, rumoured to be fully carbon fibre. Pedrosa didn’t join the test. Binder had a black chassis, but it looked similar to his standard 2023 chassis. Miller also had a run out on that.
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
At GASGAS Tech3 Factory Racing, there seemingly wasn’t much to report, but the duo put in the laps to gain some more data. Pol Espargaro also crashed, rider ok. He didn’t go out in the afternoon but rookie teammate Augusto Fernandez continued putting in the laps.
P5 Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 1:31.175
P15 Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – 1:31.686
P17 Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – 1:31.844
Monster Energy Yamaha
In the morning, one of Fabio Quartararo’s machines had the bigger aero for a couple of runs, before it was then switched back. But then another aero package broke cover: a combination of the first iteration of the 2023 aero plus additions previously tried by Franco Morbidelli at the Portimao Test.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Morbidelli was also trying his current aero and the original 2023 aero throughout the day, as well as a new larger air box/fuel tank covering. The Italian also tried the double exhaust, already seen previously, again at Misano, and a new chassis that didn’t gain a good review from the number 21.
However, there was also a fifth bike in the Yamaha box, likely the bike that contained a new engine. The reports? Team manager Massimo Meregalli was positive, but when Quartararo debriefed, he said he’d expected more.
P6 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – 1:31.177
P8 Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – 1:31.301
Repsol Honda & LCR Honda Castrol
There was a lot of talk about Honda ahead of the test, and much of it may now likely continue. Repsol Honda teammates Marc Marquez and Joan Mir both had one of the bikes that HRC test rider and wildcard Stefan Bradl used during the Grand Prix weekend with the new chassis, new tail unit and new exhausts.
Marc Marquez (93) on one of the Hondas he tested Monday. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mir did a short run on the “new” bike before work continued in the garage, only heading back out on it much later in the day. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, did a few runs on the machine, and made more than the odd headline in his debrief.
Marc Marquez (93) on another Honda he tested Monday. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Bradl had a machine with the new chassis, new tail unit and new exhausts, and LCR Honda Castrol’s Takaaki Nakagami also tried it. The general consensus for those trying it for the first time? Different, but not necessarily better at this stage. Now it’s on to India as the clock keeps ticking down to see what will happen next in the rumour mill!
Gagne Takes Runner-Up Finish in Superbike Race 2 at COTA
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne returned to the podium with a strong runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Circuit of The Americas
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne took home a runner-up finish in today’s restarted MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Circuit of The Americas. Unfortunately, JD Beach’s second race of the weekend as a fill-in rider ended early with a crash.
On the heels of his 10th win of the season in yesterday’s Race 1 at the Grand Prix track in Austin, Texas, Gagne got another great start in the runner-up spot. The race was red-flagged, calling for a complete restart and a shortened 10-lap race. Once again, the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion slotted into second and was battling up front. He kept the leader in sight but ultimately rode his own race in the greasy track conditions, crossing the line in second and securing his 17th-podium finish this season in 18 tries.
Beach was looking for another top result after returning to the podium for the first time yesterday since his departure from full-time Superbike racing in 2019. He got a good start into third behind Gagne but crashed early on the opening lap in the challenging conditions. The race was red-flagged with oil on the track from another rider, and there was a complete restart. Although the team quickly repaired the damage to the bike from his crash, Beach was just shy of making the sighting lap and had to restart from the back of the grid. Undeterred, the dirt track/road racer got a great start and made his way to sixth, but unfortunately he came together with another rider at the end of the opening lap and did not finish the race
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in two weeks’ time for the MotoAmerica season finale in Millville, New Jersey, on September 22-24.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Today did not go quite as planned. Jake rode a good race but was struggling a bit in Race 2, which kept him from fighting for the win. JD had a great start but unfortunately fell on the opening lap and again after the restart. On the bright side, he was very competitive for the limited time he has been on our R1. We will regroup and be ready to put on a good show for our fans at NJMP.
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tougher race for me today. I struggled to keep pace with the leader and brought it home on the podium. Overall, it was a great weekend in some intense heat. We’ve got a little break here and then will be back at it in New Jersey looking for some more wins.”
JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
JD Beach – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Race 2 just wasn’t a great race for me. There’s not much to say. I made too many mistakes, and they didn’t only cost me but also Matty (Scholtz). I feel bad for letting the Attack team down and also messing up the Westby team’s race. I want to put today behind me and look forward to NJMP.”
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 Westby Racing:
Westby Racing Takes The Fifth On A Challenging Weekend In Texas
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Austin, TX – Coming into round eight of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing had high hopes for another stellar weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). With two runner-up results last year at COTA, Mathew Scholtz and the team were brimming with anticipation of another podium-producing weekend.
Saturday’s fifth-place result was a disappointment for Mathew and the team, but they went to work on Saturday night with a solid plan to improve in Sunday’s race two. Well, sometimes, the best-laid plans can be thwarted by unexpected circumstances. Such was the case when another rider’s crashed and his sliding bike took Mathew out of Sunday’s Superbike race two.
“Getting fifth in Saturday’s race wasn’t what this team was looking for nor what we expected,” Mathew said. “But we made some changes overnight and went into Sunday’s race two looking to put the Westby Yamaha on the podium. It didn’t quite go to plan, however, because I got hit by another rider’s bike, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. I took a pretty rough tumble from the impact, but I was able to get back on my feet after taking a moment to recover.
“We’ve got one more round left in the season, and we’re as determined as ever to get the results this team and (team owner) Tryg (Westby) deserve. See you in New Jersey.”
The Westby Racing team will finish out the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike season on September 22 through 24 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC enjoy a fantastic weekend in the Texan sun Podiums, race and championship wins on the menu for Ducati at CoTA
Austin, TX. September 11, 2023 — Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés made it an excellent weekend for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC at Circuit of The Americas in Texas with Forés taking a win, second place and the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship title and Herrin taking his second Superbike win of the season in race two to make up for a mechanical DNF in race one.
Herrin’s race two performance was fearsome, leading from the green light and holding 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Jake Gagne, at bay across the 10 lap encounter. Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R were in perfect sync on Sunday and his result limits the damage in the championship to give him a 28 point gap over third placed PJ Jacobsen heading into the final round at New Jersey Motorsports Park on the weekend of September 22-24.
For Forés, the Spanish Bull made good on his promise to win the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship as a rookie with victory in race one over Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. The young Scott reversed the tables in race two, with Forés coming home second but more than happy with his performance in front of his young family who were in attendance from Spain.
Forés can lay claim to not just the 2023 title but also the most number of wins in a single season in the history of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship with nine victories and counting with one round to go.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Eight
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 382
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 261
P3 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 233
P3 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 203
P5 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 195
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Seven
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 357
P2 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 271
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 220
P4 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 213
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 158
Josh Herrin (2) leading Jake Gagne (1) during Superbike Race Two at COTA. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #2)
“I can’t thank the Ducati USA guys and my team enough for believing in me, for taking a chance on me last year to win the Supersport title and then to come back to Superbike. I said before we came to CoTA that if we have a track we’ve had time on this bike before we arrive, we’ll be right there and that was the case this weekend. Thanks to everyone—my family, my team, everyone involved—for giving me this opportunity.”
Xavi Fores (12) leading Tyler Scott (70) during Supersport Race Two at COTA. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #12)
“Overall, it was a positive weekend,” Forés said. “We got the title in race one, which was the plan, and the rest of the weekend was quite positive. We led most of the sessions and most of the race laps, but today I was struggling on the straight with the horsepower of the other bikes. I really didn’t like that, but it’s something we have to deal with. I accept it, because this makes my riding better.
“Once again, thank you so much to all the people within Ducati, everyone within the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team. We have back-to-back titles, which we are so happy about, and now we will try to finish strong in New Jersey.”
The final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at New Jersey Motorsports Park, NJ, on September 22-24, 2023.
Dion throws wrench into Mackay/Simpson title decider
Toronto, ON – Entering the season finale of what has been a wide-open Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike campaign, it’s hard to imagine any more curveballs being thrown at David MacKay or Matt Simpson as they prepare for their title showdown at Shannonville Motorsport Park, September 15-17.
However, the biggest twist of all is just now entering the equation.
Reigning champion Trevor Dion will return to the middleweight championship for the last weekend of the year, having initially decided not to defend his #1 plate and focus instead on his first full Superbike campaign.
The only rookie champion in the category’s history, Dion won twice last season and stood on the podium in six of eight races to clinch the title by eight points over MacKay, breaking plenty of Sport Bike records in the process.
The 21-year-old will now return to the grid aboard his LDS Consultants Kawasaki for the first time in over a calendar year, and while he will be making his national debut at SMP after missing round one due to injury, it’s hard not to pencil Dion in as at least a podium threat in both races if not the rider to beat.
If Dion isn’t the betting favourite, though, that honour will likely go to yet another name trying to play spoiler in the finale, as Sebastien Tremblay is set to debut his Turcotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R750 machine.
While mathematically still in the championship hunt, Tremblay would need to overcome a 52-point deficit as he sits fifth in the overall standings. Instead, the 2021 champion will focus on piloting the bigger-displacement Suzuki to a victory in its Sport Bike debut, after beginning the year on a GSX-R600.
This is exactly the position that Matt Simpson (91) hopes to be in next weekend during the Bridgestone CSBK season finale at Shannonville. The Yamaha rider currently sits second in the Pro Sport Bike championship behind David MacKay (82). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
That may seem like a disaster for title leader MacKay and the chasing Simpson, but the reality is that the plan hardly changes for the two title rivals. With 16 points between them and then a 29-point cushion to third, it seems the main thing either side needs to worry about is just finishing ahead of the other.
The math becomes easier for MacKay, though, who has guided his ODH Snow City Cycle Kawasaki to the top spot thanks to five podiums and two wins this season. Both are the most in the Sport Bike class for 2023, a year which has seen a record six different winners in seven races and nine different podium finishers.
A quick look at the point structure will show that the biggest difference in points comes at the top – with 25 for a win, 20 for second, and 16 for third – while the difference tails off to just a single point between each place from fifth down to 15th.
That means MacKay might actually welcome the threat of Dion and Tremblay at the front, as his 16-point lead over Simpson will be tougher to overcome if the two rivals find themselves battling for places outside the podium.
Simpson has thus far found himself off the list of race winners despite his title challenge, benefitting from his consistent run of four podiums to stay in the championship mix. The Blackstock Motorsports Yamaha rider won’t necessarily need to win in order to beat MacKay for the title, but a pair of podiums seem like the necessary minimum if MacKay is able to stay near the front.
He did just that in his last appearance at SMP, finishing third and second as he looked to avoid the chaos at the front, a smart move at the time but a luxury he now won’t have at the final round with the title on the line.
Podium spots are hardly a guarantee for either rider, though, as Dion and Tremblay are far from the only ones capable of beating the two championship favourites.
Brad Macrae has already done so at Shannonville, winning race two of the opener after crashing out of the lead on the last lap of race one, and the Colron Excavating Yamaha rider will feel more than capable of adding a second career victory to close out the year.
Another rider keen to add another victory to his resumé will be Francis Martin, who recently confirmed his entry at the season finale. The two-time Superbike champion had his sensational comeback ruined by a bizarre mechanical failure at CTMP, but will look to make up for it with his first Sport Bike win since 2007 aboard his Purple Skull Brewing/Liqui Moly Suzuki.
Elliot Vieira will also have something to say for the frontrunners, after finally shaking the rust off his GP Bikes Ducati at the most recent round in CTMP. While Vieira endured a disastrous season opener at the venue in May, he has since come to grips with his V2 Panigale, evidenced by a win and second-place finish last time out.
The other breakout star of the CTMP weekend, John Laing, will also be eyeing some Shannonville redemption after his debut showing five months ago. The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider grabbed the holeshot twice in his CSBK introduction, crashing out in race one but finishing fourth in race two, and his confidence will be at an all-time high after his debut win in the AMP make-up race.
One former Shannonville winner won’t be taking the grid, though, as Connor Campbell’s graduation to the Superbike field will come at the expense of his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki program, which opened the season with an SMP victory.
Another storyline to watch will be in the inaugural Bickle Racing Pro Twins class, where Andrew Van Winkle looks poised to make history as the youngest pro champion in CSBK history.
The 16-year-old FD Racing Suzuki star appeared set for a runner-up finish in his debut season, but an unfortunate crash and slew of injuries for championship leader Jeff Williams have opened the door for Van Winkle to snatch the inaugural trophy.
Van Winkle finished second in both of the opening races at Shannonville, earning a haul of 40 points on the weekend, and he will only need 26 this time around to move past the sidelined Williams and bring home a historic title.
As it stands, Tomas Casas became the youngest ever pro champion when he clinched the Sport Bike crown at 18 years old in 2017, but Van Winkle could break that record by nearly two years if he can erase his championship deficit at the season finale.
The full schedule for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season finale doubleheader can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.
James Rispoli won the wild MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Rispoli took the lead on lap four of six and rode his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide to the victory.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim said his bike lost power during the race, but he was able to hold on and get second, which moved him into the Championship point lead heading into the final round.
Kyle Ohnsorg earned his first MotoAmerica podium finish with third place on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger.
Ohnsorg’s teammate Bobby Fong was leading the race on lap four when he pulled off with a mechanical problem.
Before that, Tyler O’Hara was leading the race until he started experiencing problems with his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger and eventually retired.
Kyle Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, came together with Ohnsorg on the first lap and crashed. Wyman was able to pick up his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide and continue to salvage a ninth-place finish.
Wyman’s teammate and brother Travis Wyman was having one of his best weekends of the year and was running second on the final lap when he crashed. Travis Wyman was able to remount and finish 10th.
Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas. Herrin got the holeshot on the restart of the race, led all 10 laps, and won his second race of the season by 4.078 seconds on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Newly crowned three-time Champion Jake Gagne shadowed Herrin throughout the race but could not make any moves and finished in second place on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
PJ Jacobsen said he battled a lack of traction on his way to placing third on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong got fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1, while Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch took fifth.
Riders who crashed during the race included: Paasch’s teammate Richie Escalante, who fell in Turn 13 while battling for the lead; and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who was taken out in the second crash of Gagne’s teammate JD Beach.
Beach also crashed in the original portion of the race, which lasted less than a lap because Hayden Gillim’s Disrupt Racing Suzuki suffered a broken oil line, causing a red flag.
Herrin Takes Race Two Over Gagne At Circuit Of The Americas
Ducati-Mounted Josh Herrin Wins His Second Medallia Superbike Race Of The Season In Austin, Texas
Josh Herrin (2) leads Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (54), PJ Jacobsen (99) and the rest of the Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap of the race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin made up for a dismal Saturday at Circuit of The Americas with a straight-fight win over three-time Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in Sunday’s finale in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Texas.
A day after his Ducati Panigale V4 R failed him in race one, the bike was perfect on Sunday and so was Herrin. After all, you don’t beat Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 unless you’re at the top of your game.
Herrin led off the start and stayed out front for all 10 laps of the red-flag-interrupted race with Gagne on his tail the entire time. At the finish it was Herrin four seconds ahead with Gagne giving up the chase on the final lap. The pair were the only riders to lap in the 2:09s with Gagne getting the fastest lap of the race with his 2:09.746 to Herrin’s 2:09.776.
Third place went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker some five seconds behind Gagne.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong was a come-from-behind fourth and closing on Jacobsen, ending up some six seconds adrift of the BMW.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended up fifth, five seconds ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who had Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa nipping at his heels and just .341 of a second behind at the finish line.
Mesa’s teammate Corey Alexander was in the fight for seventh when he made a great save of what looked like a certain crash on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was well clear of Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Among the non-point scoring riders were two of the three podium finishers from yesterday – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s JD Beach and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with both riders crashing. For Beach it was his second crash of the day as he also crashed in the first portion of the race, prior to the red flag. Escalante, meanwhile, crashed out of third place while right behind Gagne.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was collected by the sliding Beach. None of the riders suffered injury.
There were three different manufacturers on the podium and four different makes in the top five: Ducati, Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki.
With just the two races from New Jersey Motorsports Park remaining on the schedule, Gagne and his insurmountable 382 points have wrapped up the championship with Herrin solidifying his hold on second place. Herrin is 28 points ahead of Jacobsen, 261-233.
Superbike Race 2
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Stefano Mesa (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin celebrates his victory, the 10th Superbike win of his career. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Quotes… Josh Herrin – Winner
“I feel like a broken record saying this, but getting track time at this track prior to coming here and having some time on this bike before we came here to race is what we needed. I knew that. I knew all year that we were struggling with just trying to get up to speed. It took all the way until the second half of the Saturday race for us to be comfortable and then Sunday would be good for us. I don’t want to celebrate too much. I feel like a linebacker getting a sack or something in a football game when you’re down by 30 points because we lost the championship. But it feels good to get this win. I’m so happy to be a part of this team. Bobby Shek, the DeNaples, Ducati USA. Everybody that puts this program together, Warhorse and HSBK Racing. It’s an amazing program. I don’t think anybody realizes how special of a relationship we have with everybody on the team. It’s just truly something special and I’m happy to be a part of it. Just so pumped that we could get another win. Glad that we have two more chances. It’s special too because we got the Ducati DRE event tomorrow, so it’s going to be a really awesome way to celebrate with all the awesome Ducati family and spin some laps around COTA and just have some fun. So, congrats to these guys. Congrats to Jake (Gagne) on the championship. Congrats to my teammate, Xavi (Forés), on wrapping up the championship this weekend in Supersport. That was cool to see us get two back-to-back championships in the Supersport class. I’m stoked. Thank you to everybody.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“Josh (Herrin) seriously rode his butt off. I think he stepped it up a lot. I know he got screwed yesterday, but he rode an awesome pace. I wasn’t even looking at the lap times, honestly. I was just struggling after a few laps. After the halfway point I was just kind of hanging on. But the bike was working really good. It was hot and greasy. At that point, I wanted to bring it home. That was all the fight I had today, for sure. So again, hats off to Josh and the team. It’s good to see him up here and get some redemption from yesterday. Still a good weekend. We’re up here on the box. Of course, I would have liked to make it a little bit more of a race, but I just couldn’t pass him anywhere. I was struggling with my own stuff. Good race, again. I’m happy to leave here with another podium. We brought this Yamaha home. Again, congrats to Josh because I think he rode really awesome from my perspective.”
PJ Jacobsen – Third Place
“Yeah, I think I was a bit lucky there to get third with some guys crashing out. Richie (Escalante) was pretty strong. I could see Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) in the distance, but I could just never close the gap. As the track got greasier for me, I was losing the front in a lot of spots. Then the rear was going past the TC and would just come around. It was really difficult. It was hard to get the grip for me because I was struggling with both front and rear, so I really couldn’t push. It was hard. Just trying to get back to the podium with my gap I had on I think it was Bobby (Fong). That was coming down a little bit too because I kind of just eased up as I was having some issues and problems. It’s good to take home another podium here. Josh rode great. He did a great job getting the win, and Jake. They’re super-fast and super strong all the time, so they did a good job. They beat me today.”
Tyler Scott and Xavi Fores fought bar-to-bar throughout the last lap of restarted and shortened MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two, but 17-year-old Scott would not be denied and came out on top with his third win of the season on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Fores, who clinched the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship in Saturday’s Race One, finished Race Two in second place on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Scott’s teammate, 18-year-old Canadian Torin Collins came out top of his battle with veterans David Anthony and Josh Hayes to score third place and his career-first MotoAmerica podium finish.
Anthony was a very close fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, while Hayes rounded out the top five on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
The race was interrupted on lap two of the original start when Teagg Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash on the third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Hobbs walked away from the crash, and after a lengthy delay, the race was restarted for a six-lap final stint.
Gillim Takes Steel Commander Stock 1000 Crown With Victory At COTA
Hayden Gillim Does The Double And Wins The Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship
Travis Wyman (10) leads Hayden Gillim (69) early in the Steel Commander Stock 1000 race at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Gillim would get past Wyman and take not only the victory but also the series championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – The 2023 Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship was decided on the final day of the class’s season, and even though Disrupt Racing Suzuki rider Hayden Gillim didn’t need to win the race to the win the title, the Kentuckian got the victory anyway, which was his sixth race win of the year.
Gillim started from the pole, but he had to withstand an early challenge from Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman. At about the halfway point of the race, Gillim overtook Wyman for the lead, and he kept it all the way to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Wyman crossed the finish line in second.
Third place went to PDR Motorsports Kawasaki rider Diego Perez, who was competing in his first Steel Commander Stock 1000 race weekend of the year.
Hayden Gillim celebrates winning the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“Everybody before the race was telling me where I needed to be and everything,” Gillim said. “Like I said yesterday, I’m not good at math, so I wanted to win the last one. I didn’t want to sit there. I knew Travis (Wyman) from the first couple of laps was going to be hard to pass. It took me a while. The first pass I made on him, immediately he came back by. So, the second pass, I made sure to kind of block a little bit going into that next-to-last corner. Knew I had a little bit on the brakes going up into one, just from the first time he came back by me. But it was good. It was so much fun to race with him. We’ve raced so hard over the years. For us to be dicing it out the last race of the year is a lot of fun. He definitely made me work for it today, though. But the whole team, Disrupt Racing 4SR team, has been working their butts off this year. We had a really bad start to the season and to be able to finish it off with the couple wins we did here is pretty special, and to have the whole Nichol family here running 4SR in the U.S. is amazing. They’re like family to me. Having them here with us is really awesome. To be able to bring it home for Jesse and Danny Hwilka this year is really special. They’ve been wanting it really bad. I got their first win for them and the first podium. And now, the first championship. So, it’s really special. It’s a bummer because my wife isn’t here and my son isn’t here, but they’re at home watching. She made me tear up a little bit on the podium because she was crying on the phone. So, I wasn’t able to get out some of the stuff I wanted to say on the podium. This is really awesome.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Rispoli Wins A Weird One
The city of Austin goes by the credo of “Keep Austin Weird.” Well, Sunday’s Mission King Of The Baggers race two definitely filled the bill.
The race was ultimately won by Vance & Hines/Mission/Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli. It was Rispoli’s second victory of the season and his first since the very first race of the year back in March at Daytona International Speedway.
Weird? Well here goes: Tyler O’Hara led the first lap before his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Challenger expired. By this point, championship points leader Kyle Wyman had crashed, but would remount and ultimately finish ninth. Then Bobby Fong led for a lap before his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian blew up. Rispoli was then back in front, a spot he held on to until the finish of the six-lap race. Behind him, however, things still changed with H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman crashing out of second place on the last lap, which handed the spot to Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim. Wyman’s crash also elevated Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Kyle Ohnsorg to his first career podium.
Phew.
James Rispoli (43) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Travis Wyman (10) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race at COTA on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fourth place went to Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Jeremy McWilliams, despite a five-second penalty for jumping the start, with Team Saddlemen’s Jake Lewis rounding out the top five.
The bottom line: With two races left to run in the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Gillim leads the title chase by just two points over Rispoli with Wyman third, 11 points behind Gillim and nine adrift of Rispoli.
“It was mental,” Rispoli said. “Did Jeremy (McWilliams) jump the start? That’s the best start I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I got to be honest. Did Tyler (O’Hara) or did he just go? McWilliams has got that guy’s back. He had five seconds on the first lap. Me and Hayden (Gillim), I’m shaking my head like, ‘We’re going to get smoked because we can’t pass McWilliams right now.’ Not saying he’s not fast, he was just rolling everywhere. You could just see it. Just using that engine horsepower. But it’s carnage. I don’t know what happened. I thought everybody was stacked up behind me. When Bob (Fong) came through, he had some stuff kind of coming out. I got a little nervous because I had some stuff on my shield and I kind of let him go. I saw him looking back. Then he started cutting the chicane and I was like, ‘Man, if I was a betting man, he’s probably not going to get away with that twice.’ Then I kind of put my head down and I saw on the tower number 10. I was like, Travis (Wyman) is in second. Then I saw Hayden there. I just took a peek back and I saw I had some daylight. I was like, ‘dude, we’re just riding slow.’ I was doing 18s. I did a 17.9 when I kind of felt comfortable, when Bob was far enough away. Then I looked on the last lap. I looked back and there was no one there. Super thankful. Sometimes you don’t race against the fastest guys at the time of the race. To win like this probably has an asterisk, but we finished and we got points back and we got a win. I’m stoked. I’m really just pumped for the whole team. We struggled this weekend and it just goes to show you that as a team we can still persevere, we can still put things one and two and be on the box. Single digits going into the last round. Anything can happen. That’s what we want for the sport.”
Supersport – Scott In A Thriller
Old age and treachery was defeated by youth and enthusiasm in Sunday’s Supersport race with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott besting Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Fores in a race that featured a thrilling last lap.
After a heated last lap that saw both riders on COTA’s expansive run-off areas at certain times, Scott withstood the constant pressure of Forés with the cool head of a rider well beyond what you’d expect of a 17-year-old.
The Supersport race came down to a thrilling battle between Xavi Forés (12) and Tyler Scott (70) with Scott prevailing for his third win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The win was Scott’s third of the year and what he called the best of his young career. For Fores, it was his 11th podium of his championship-winning year.
Scott’s new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Torin Collins finished third in just his second ride ever on a Supersport bike – a day after he finished fourth in what was his debut with the team and in MotoAmerica.
“This morning we made a few changes from yesterday,” Scott said. “They were all very minor, one or two very minor changes. But the big question was we were running out of gearing on the back straightaway. So, we were hitting the limiter. Before the restart, I tried to draft him and then see if I could pass in the braking zone. But the gearing, I started hitting the limiter at the first braking marker and was actually losing ground. So, I knew for the rest of the race and what eventually would become the restart that I would have to be really aggressive, really deep into the brakes, or lead down the big straightaway and hopefully he gets beside me. I had the confidence in the front end to be able to out-brake Xavi (Forés) for one of the first times this season. I was able to match him in the braking zones and came out on top in those battles. I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for preparing a beautiful bike this weekend, dialing in the electronics, Barry from Öhlins dialing in the suspension. It couldn’t be more perfect. The one thing also, I went with the zero front tire which was super soft. About halfway, I started tucking the front a little bit and I just had to be careful in the closing laps not to put a lot of bar input at the apex.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Again
Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara wrapped up the 2023 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship on Saturday and continued his party with a second victory on Sunday at COTA. The win was O’Hara’s fifth of the season and it came after a rough and tumble win on Saturday that saw his teammate Jeremy McWilliams crash out on the final lap in the last corner with the two basically locked in combat.
A banged up and bruised McWilliams finished second for his sixth podium finish of the season and it earned him second in the championship point standings.
Tyler O’Hara (1) beat his teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) to win the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship round at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DiBrino Racing KTM’s Andy DiBrino earned his sixth podium of the season and that placed him third in the final championship standings. DiBrino and McWilliams went into Sunday’s series finale tied in points with Ulsterman McWilliams coming away with the runner-up spot in both the race and the title chase.
“Today definitely wasn’t as hot, which was nice,” O’Hara said “A little cooler today. Yesterday was just an all-out, epic, one of those days like fighting with your brother in the backyard or something with the gloves off. It was epic. It was just clean all year. He didn’t hit me. He didn’t bump me. He rubbed me, and rubbing’s racing, and I’m okay with that. We push each other, and he’s great at putting in fast laps when he needs to. I’ve worked a lot on that this year and really had to dig deep to bring my level up and my speed. A lot of speed work in the training. He brings a lot to the development of this team. He brings a world championship level of preparation to our whole program. He makes everybody on our team better. He’s a warrior. We were both at the medical center this morning. We both had pretty good ones this morning. Hats off to them. S&S Cycles. They’ve been working so hard all year. Today we had a great first start. I could hear him. I was like, okay. I had a little battle with (Stefano) Mesa there. Then we got the red flag and just tried to kind of go around the first lap, keep my bike cool and kind of get some heat in the tires the last couple corners so I don’t have to sit there with my clutch. Got not the best jump. Jeremy (McWilliams) got a better jump and he stayed inside. I think that kind of pinched off a couple of the other guys. I kind of swung wide in, too. Three lap dash, it’s like the dash for cash. You’ve just got to go for it and bite your lip and get a little western. It was really fun. To cap it off with a win feels really good. Again, this one is for the team, everyone that works so hard. It feels really good. Andy (DiBrino) rode awesome all year. Looking forward to Daytona in March.”
Taylor Knapp (99) took a weekend off from work testing Dunlop motorcycle tires to come to Summit Point to ride a motorcycle equipped with Dunlop tires..but recreationally. Photo by Vae Vang/Noiseless Productions, courtesy Army of Darkness.
Army Of Darkness Wins Overall And Heavyweight Class at the WERA/N2 National Endurance Race by Dunlop at Summit Point, West Virginia
Taylor Knapp raced with Army Of Darkness (AOD) in 2014. Nine years later he rejoined the team to co-pilot the AOD bike alongside Hunter Dunham and Ben Walters on a wild and eventful journey to the top step of the podium.
AOD led for most of the race but multiple red flags kept taking the hard-earned leads away from the team. Both Dunham and Knapp had to take the bike into the dirt at least once to avoid collisions with slower riders. And the closing stages of the race saw a hard charging Blake Davis on an R1 threatening to run down AOD, however, lightning strikes ended the race with AOD a scant 1.7 seconds in the lead.
Ironically, AOD lost the overall race in the season opener when a red flag ended the race on the lap AOD’s Cody Wyman had passed for the lead. At Summit, AOD received a benefit from the arbitrary and unpredictable nature of red flags.
“The AOD bike is super easy to ride and I felt comfortable immediately,” said Knapp. “It was really fun to be back with the team after all these years and, of course, the Dunlop tires are really great. We kept stretching out a lead in the race but then red flags kept resetting the scoring to even again. The competition was really strong this race so I was relieved when the fourth red flag ended the race with the scoring showing us in P1. I’m not sure that I would have been able to hold off Blake Davis in the last three laps, so the lightning was a bit of a relief for us!”
Hunter Dunham (99) piloting the AOD R1 to the podium at Summit Point. Photo by Vae Vang/Noiseless Productions, courtesy Army of Darkness.
Dunham, who put in the fastest lap for the team, said, “I’ve never been to Summit Point before, so Sam sketched out a track map on cardboard to show me the secrets and gears to use. It really helped so I was up to speed right away and able to put in a few heaters. It was really frustrating to put in all the hard work and then lose the edge to red flags, but I always like taking race starts and at least the red flags gave me plenty of opportunity to launch into clear track.”
The win is the fifth consecutive heavyweight class win for the year and extends the team’s lead in the overall championship to over 35 points going into the final round at Barber in October.
AOD is sponsored by: Army of Darkness, Dunlop, Yamaha Champions Riding School, Industry 13, Woodcraft, Hindle, Supersprox, Thermosman, N2, WERA, Roadracing World.
More, from a press release issued by N2 Racing:
Army of Darkness wins N2/WERA National Endurance by Dunlop at Summit Point.
Hunter Dunham (99) on the Army of Darkness Yamaha. Photo by Noiseless Productions courtesy N2 Racing.
Media, PA (September 2023) – The Army of Darkness (AOD) won the 4-hour N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop on a Yamaha YZF-R1 at Summit Point Raceway. Army of Darkness has been dominant this season, winning every race but one. Army of Darkness didn’t have it easy at Summit with stiff competition from a stacked N2 Endurance Team. In all, 55 teams competed in all classes for the lucrative purse and championship bonuses.
The race started on a hot West Virginia Saturday with N2 Endurance Team’s Emerson Amaya on pole. Emerson led for the first seven laps before being passed by AOD’s Taylor Knapp. Army of Darkness and N2 Endurance battled the entire race on two very fast Dunlop-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1’s. Each team had fast pit stops and extremely fast riders. In the end, N2 Endurance’s Blake Davis passed AOD’s Hunter Dunham for the lead with 5 minutes to go, but the race was almost immediately red flagged for lightning. The results reverted a lap giving AOD the win with riders Ben Walters, Taylor Knapp, and Hunter Dunham. N2 Endurance finished second with Blake Davis, Emerson Amaya, CJ Crosslin and Brandon Cretu. Team Kustom Cockpits finished third with riders Anthony Sabbatino, Tom Delegram, and Allen Kersey.
Eziah Davis (38) on the Alpha Omega Yamaha. Photo by Noiseless Productions, courtesy N2 Racing.
Summit Point saw the return of Kevin Olmedo to racing. Kevin is one of the nicest and most well-liked riders in the world. Kevin has been suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome for over a year and at one point was completely paralyzed. Kevin’s recovery has been remarkable and his return to racing started with a victory in the middleweight class with the Alpha Omega Endurance Team. Alpha Omega won the Middleweight class race on a Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 with Kevin and his teammate Eziah Davis. Top Box Racing was the picture of consistency to finish second with riders Caleb Odom, Dylan Yelton, and Tony McKnight. Wiseco-sponsored Motor Drone Racing finished third with riders Shane Maggs, and Gary Yancoskie.
MotoAmerica Lightweight Twins Champions Robem Engineering won the Lightweight Class with young gun Alessandro DiMario and endurance veteran Keith Buris on an Aprilia RS 660. The family team of Brown Town Racing finished second on a Suzuki SV650 with riders Reese Brown, Chase Brown, and dad David Brown. RBoM Racing led by the legendary Russell Masecar finished third with riders Giacomo Manera and Ryan Wolfe piloting their Suzuki SV650.
Ready To Race’s Ryne Snooks (13). Photo by Noiseless Productions, courtesy N2 Racing.
The Ultra Lightweight 2-Hour Endurance featured 23 teams on a variety of motorcycles. Ready to Ride’s Ryne Snooks won by a little over 43 seconds over Luigi Racing. Vossberg Racing finished third with Hank Vossberg.
The Relay Class is a unique exhibition class intended to get teams into endurance racing without jumping into the expense of building a dedicated endurance bike. Each rider on the team can use their own bikes and switch transponders with their teammates instead of performing complete pit stops. Nature Power Superbike dominated the relay class with riders Jason Waters and Dan Kruger. C Speed Moto finished second and We R1 Endurance Race Team finished third.
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: Dunlop Motorcycle Tire, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
Eli Block (9). Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
NEMRR Round 6 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway, September 9-10
The penultimate round of the 2023 NEMRR series marked the return of several top riders who has been away preparing and competing at MotoAmerica events. The two-day event was run under a variety of weather conditions that produced some exciting racing that saw some new faces on top of the podium in several classes. NEMRR also had the opportunity to honor the memory of long time competitor and NEMRRR/LRRS official Larry Hanlon. Larry was a tenacious racer who raced at the club level for many years, as well as competing in some national level events. He was a pioneer bike builder and changed the landscape of lightweight racing in New England as he built the first “motard” machines using the venerable CR500 engine, which he both ran in the dirt bike chassis and grafted into the frames of Grand Prix machines. Larry was paralyzed in a racing incident but continued serving the racing community as the assistant starter for many years. In keeping with his competitive sprit, Larry continued to win championships as his “Larry Lap” fundraisers led him to be the top donor to the NH Brain Injury association – a major supporter of people with spinal cord injuries. The ashes of Larry were carried by close friend Kevin Buck on a final lap around New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon.
Larry Hanlon, R.I.P. Photo courtesy Martin Hanlon/NEMRR.
The weekend started off with bright sun, temperatures in the 80’s and a flurry of first time winners in the Expert ranks. The four GT endurance races are always among the first to run each NEMRR weekend, and the only 2023 repeat winner was Renee Franco, returning from her maiden MotoAmerica event at PittRace to win the GT500 class. In GTL, Adam Guyer carded his first win of the season after his previously undefeated father Brett had some late race difficulties. In GTO, Chris Arrighi took his Aprilia RSV4 to win the first Expert GTO race of his career after a race long battle with Yamaha R6 mounted Bill Coolahan. Similarly, Geoffrey ‘Frenchie” Bonnard scored the first Expert GTU victory of his career over young upstart Micheal Lee.
In the Amateur ranks the standout for the weekend was David Lacroix, who collected wins in both the wet and the dry over the course of the event. Lacroix powered to victory in Unlimited Superbike, Unlimited GP, Formula 40 Middleweight and the Middleweight Grand Prix Class, where he picked up the purse money for as the top Amateur performer. In the process he ran times that qualify him for Expert status, which he may choose to advance for the final weekend or to postpone to the start of the 2024 season. Congratulations on a job well done.
NEMRR also features a Super Street class, which is a half step between track days and racing. Riders who have participated in a track day in 2024 can join the regular NEMRR racers in their own class, which allows riders on track day prepped machinery to experience a NEMRR weekend. This weekend’s Super Street classes were won by Randy Morissette, who showed remarkable adaptability as he powered to victory on a borrowed Suzuki GSXR machine in both the dry race on Saturday and on the wet race on Sunday.
The premier Michelin/MotoRace Dash for cash was another great contest this weekend as Eli Block returned from his MotoAmerica effort at PittRace to rejoin the championship battle at NEMRR. With 4 different victors in the first 5 events, the anticipation was palpable as the racers took to the starting line. At the green flag, it was again the mighty Triumph of Ian Beam that led the field into turn one, followed closely by Harlan Hildebrand. As the first lap unfolded Eli Block rocketed past 3rd place Paul Duval and past Hildebrand to cross the line in 2nd place. NEMRR #1 plate holder Rick Doucette continued his streak of abysmal launches and found himself again buried deep in the pack. Block settled behind Beam for the first half of the race, sizing up the best place to make his move, as the Kawasaki of Hildebrand hung in closely in third place. Meanwhile, Doucette was making his characteristic charge through the pack in hopes to catch the lead trio in time to make a move. After the halfway point Block made his way past Beam on the brakes and then set the fastest laps of the race as he stretched out the lead. Meanwhile, Doucette had caught the leaders and made his way to the back wheel of Beam, but in a repeat performance of week 5 could not find a way through on the last lap and settled for the final podium spot.
The final round of the 2024 NEMRR season will take place on September 30th – October 1st at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will feature double points for all classes. Race licenses are discounted for all participants joining the series for the first time, and all classes, including the Super Street class will be run. Following the races on Sunday there is also a NEMM (New England Mini Moto) planned that allows kids of all ages (3 years old and up) to experience riding a motorcycle on the track. For more information visit www.NEMRR.com.
2024 MOTO2™ REFRESH FOR RED BULL KTM AJO AS DENIZ ÖNCÜ TAKES HIS NEXT STEPS WITH THE KTM GP ACADEMY AND CELESTINO VIETTI JOINS THE PROGRAM
The prolific Moto2 Red Bull KTM Ajo team will welcome two new riders into the race structure for the 2024 world championship with Deniz Öncü transitioning from the Moto3™ set-up, and promising Italian Grand Prix winner Celestino Vietti comes into the KTM GP Academy for his third term in the intermediate category.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Moto2 project boasts a comprehensive list of talent and success since 2015, and from 2017 Aki Ajo’s squad have formed a crucial development role for the KTM GP Academy. Names like Miguel Oliveira, Brad Binder, Jorge Martin, Tetsuta Nagashima, Remy Gardner, Raul Fernandez, Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta have won races and championships (in 2021 and 2022, and Acosta currently leads the 2023 competition) with ‘orange’ machinery in that six-and-a-half-year period. Six of those riders listed have gone on to race in MotoGP™ and the premier class.
Deniz Öncü, 20 years old and a former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race winner, celebrated his first Grand Prix victories with the team and the KTM RC4 in Moto3 this year. The fast, aggressive Turk has already notched 11 podium finishes in the division and 2023 has been his third campaign of world championship education. He is currently 4th in the Moto3 series and part of the close chase for the title. Deniz’ ability, physicality, attitude and burgeoning experience means he is eager to take his career to the next level.
Celestino Vietti, 21 years old, already has six GP wins from both the Moto3 and Moto2 categories and has been learning the intricacies of Moto2 in 2022 and 2023. Last year his three triumphs marked a clear capacity to set the pace in the championship and he has again risen to the top of the podium during 2023 to-date. Vietti has been part of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy effort and now joins the KTM scheme to achieve the next goals of his career.
Deniz Öncü: “I’m very happy to be moving up to Moto2 with Red Bull KTM Ajo. The main goal this season is to improve in Moto3 and get good results to fight for the title. We are doing really well together and have victories in Germany and Austria so far. I just want to thank Aki, KTM and Red Bull for their confidence in me and for this opportunity. Thanks also to my manager, Kenan Sofuoğlu, for always supporting me.”
Celestino Vietti signing his new contract with KTM. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Celestino Vietti: “I’m super-excited. It’s a great opportunity for me so I am very happy about the news. I have to say thanks to KTM and Aki Ajo for believing in me. Also, thanks to VR46 Riders Academy Management, as without them none of this would be possible. We still have a way to go before the end of this season, so I have to finish this one the best way with my current team. They helped me to achieve many great results this year. It will also enable me to have the confidence to start the new season well. Thank you so much and see you in 2024.”
Aki Ajo, Team Principal: “The last few years in Moto2 have been very successful for us and of course we have enjoyed working with all these different riders. This year with Pedro and Albert [Arenas] has been very intense and enjoyable; both have improved a lot, we have achieved many podiums and we are even top of the standings. Next year we have a new line-up: Deniz Öncü and Celestino Vietti. I have to say that we are excited to have a great mix of experience in this class and young talent with Deniz, who we already know. I think this kind of combination is a really good chance for us to be very successful in Moto2 next year. Celestino has shown in the last seasons that he is one of the top riders in the class. Of course, we are very happy to have him on our team alongside Deniz, who is one of the fastest riders in Moto3. The combination will be great, and we are excited about it.”
Tytlers Cycle Racing's PJ Jacobsen (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
7th Podium of the year for PJ, Corey and Stefano bag a top six finish apiece at COTA
PJ Jacobsen took his seventh podium finish of the season at COTA last weekend, to consolidate third position in the overall MotoAmerica Superbike standings with just one round and two races remaining.
Extreme weather conditions meant difficult conditions for both rider and team, but as ever the Tytlers Cycle Racing team took it in their stride to ensure another front running weekend for them and the BMW M 1000 RR.
Jacobsen, who took a hard fought fourth on Saturday was once again joined on track by Corey Alexander who continued to show pace and Superbike newbie Stefano Mesa, who was making his debut in Superbike with the team that he had been competing with in Supersport all season up to this point.
Saturday’s opening race, which was restarted and run over a reduced distance of twelve laps after an on-track incident, saw the trio finish inside the top ten after PJ, Corey and Stefano had qualified fourth, eighth and tenth respectively. PJ was fourth across the line with Corey sixth and Stefano ninth.
Sunday saw another disrupted race due to on track incidents but when the race eventually got under way over a reduced distance of ten laps the Tytlers Cycle Racing trio were once again right in the mix. A solid third for PJ was reward for his continued hard work both on and off track whilst a little further back Stefano and Corey crossed the line almost together, the pair separated by just over half a second, with Stefano just edging Corey in the closing stages.
The team now move to the New Jersey Motorsports Park where they hope to end the season as they began it – on top of the podium.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa: “It was a good weekend riding the superbike for the first time at COTA. The whole weekend went well, and the experience was really positive. We made a lot of steps every time we rode which resulted in us going faster every session. I am so stoked about that. Race 1 was very challenging – the hot weather made it a very long twelve laps, but we made it work. It was the first time I had put so many laps together on a superbike and I definitely learned a bunch and was able to go and work with the team a little bit and say what I was feeling with the bike. In the warm up I improved by over a second which gave me a good feeling ahead of Sunday’s race. The first start (of race two) I kind of messed up and I stalled the bike, so I was lucky a red flag came out. After the red flag it was a good race for us. I got up front a little bit and made some passes and was able to battle with Ashton (Yates). I’ve had such an overall positive weekend and am super happy with the progress we made. Hats off to the whole team for welcoming me and giving me positive vibes all weekend. See you all in New Jersey.”
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one started off decent but then I started struggling with grip issues half way through the race and just went backwards. It was physically really hard as well so the best we could end up with was P4, which all things considered wasn’t the end of the world. It was a crazy second race. The track was very hot and greasy and some of other guys were making mistakes and crashing out. I tried to stay with Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) to close the gap in front of me, but I just couldn’t do it. Again, the grip was going away for me, so it got really difficult, but I was able to finish on the podium. For the championship we are in a good position, and I am looking forward to New Jersey and to finishing the season in style!”
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “We had another trying weekend with technical difficulties and limited track time. We took some positive results with a sixth and eighth, but I know we didn’t show our true potential this weekend. I’m excited to wrap up the year on a high note at my home track in two weeks’ time. I want to thank all my crew for their hard work in very hot conditions, it was a tough weekend for them especially. See you at NJMP.”
More, from another press release issued by Tytler Cycle Racing:
Texas top ten for Kayla Yaakov who shines on her MotoAmerica Supersport debut
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Kayla Yaakov (19). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cool, calm, and collected at COTA is how we can describe Kayla Yaakov’s debut Supersport weekend with us. Successful and impressive are just two words we could use as the Junior Cup race winner and Twins Cup podium finisher raced to a double points scoring finish in the weekend’s two races, the penultimate round of the MotoAmerica season.
Steady progress on Friday led to a more then respectable final qualifying session that saw the #19 Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki rider line up sixteenth after she improved her lap time overnight by 1.4s.
Fourteenth in the red flagged opening race on Saturday, Kayla shone on Sunday crossing the line tenth, narrowly missing out on eighth in a shortened six lap sprint.
Looking ahead to the season finale, Tytlers Cycle Racing is exciting to see how Kayla will fair at a circuit she knows – New Jersey Motorsports Park in a little over a week!
Michael Godin – Crew Chief for the Tytlers Cycle Racing Supersport Program: “We had a great first weekend working with Kayla. We knew that a new bike and track was going to be a challenge. I was very impressed with her race knowledge and feedback. We made continuous changes all weekend getting her more comfortable and it paid off with a top ten finish and personal best lap time on the last lap chasing for ninth place in race two on Sunday. The team and I are really looking forward to racing at New Jersey, a track she knows well.”
Kayla Yaakov: “I knew riding this brand-new bike for me this weekend would be a challenge, but the team did a great job of trying to get me comfortable. We improved each session and, in the races, so we can only go further forward from here. We made some big changes for the first race on Saturday, which ultimately helped us in some spots, and hurt us in others. All things considered; I was super happy to be in the battle for the top ten in my first supersport race. After making some great improvements for Race 2, I was able to get into the top 10, which was my original goal for the weekend). We had the pace for a better placing, but unfortunately, I lost some ground early on due to fighting with another rider. Either way, I am super pleased with the progress myself and the team made all weekend. It’s now full focus on New Jersey. I’m ready to keep learning and having fun on the ZX6.”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
Altus Motorsports Results from Circuit of the Americas
(Austin, TX) The heat in Austin, Texas for the MotoAmerica race at Circuit of the Americas was almost unbearable. But, in spite of the weather, the team had a good weekend.
Stock 1000:
Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, Andrew Lee took control of the Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000R at the Circuit of the Americas round. Having never ridden COTA or the Altus Motorsports Stock 1000 bike, Lee was on a bit of a learning curve. Undaunted, he went to work immediately and was 18th of 40 entries by the end of Practice 1. By the end of the second qualifying session, Andrew was fast enough to lock down 12th on the starting grid. The lap times continued to come down during Race 1. He dropped another second and crossed the finish line in 8th place. In the Sunday Stock 1000 race, Andrew went over a second faster and was in a battle for 7th place. Ultimately, he matched his previous finish with an 8th.
Andrew Lee (14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Andrew Lee: “It was a great race weekend. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work with George, Janette, and the whole Altus Motorsports Team. Our crew put in a lot of work to get me comfortable on the Suzuki GSX-R1000R We started a little on our back foot with no testing, and, admittedly, a little rusty.
On Sunday, we made some big changes that made me a lot more comfortable. But, unfortunately, it was so late in the weekend! We concluded the weekend with 8th-place finishes in both races. I believe the results are great for our first weekend with the team and at the new track.”
Supersport:
Jaret Nassaney came into Austin on a high. After a difficult season, he and the team finally found a comfortable setup at the last round at PittRace. He was hopeful to build on that momentum at Circuit of the Americas. And they did! Nassaney dropped time in every session, ultimately qualified 14th. In Race 1, he finished the race in 10th place. In the second Supersport race of the weekend, he went faster and crossed the finish line in 8th.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “It was a good weekend! Friday we struggled with gearing, but we got it sorted Saturday. We were still working on setup right until Race 1. I got a good start and made my way up to 10th or 11th but got shuffled back to 15th or 16th when a rider in front of me overslowed for a corner. I managed to fight my way back to 10th before the red flag. In Race 2, I got a bad start but it got red-flagged. On the restart, I had a much better launch and made it up to 8th and stayed there. I’m super happy with the improvement and hope to end the season on a high note.”
George Nassaney: “It was a really good weekend. With COTA only 6hrs from home, lot’s of our family and friends came out to watch. I can see that Jaret is comfortable and making progress in the right direction. He is getting more and more comfortable working with our new Crew Chief Boyd Bruner and Andrew did an amazing job. He’d never been to COTA and jumped on the bike and did very well. Big thanks to everyone on the team for putting up with the heat and making Texas a successful round.”
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
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON RIDER KYLE WYMAN WINS ON SATURDAY AS HARLEY RACERS FILL THE KING OF THE BAGGERS PODIUM AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
Vance & Hines/Harley-Davidson racer James Rispoli wins on Sunday
Kyle Wyman (center) won King Of The Baggers Race One over runner-up Hayden Gillim (left) and third-place finisher James Rispoli (right). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kyle Wyman won his sixth race of the season and Harley-Davidson riders claimed five of six podium positions in two MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers races last weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Travis County, Texas. Wyman led Saturday’s race from start to finish aboard the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® motorcycle. On Sunday, Vance & Hines/Mission Foods rider James Rispoli won his second race of the season on the team’s Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle.
Wyman was the top qualifier for the weekend with a quickest lap of 2:15.621 on the challenging 3.4-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas road course.
On Saturday, racers endured the challenge of temperatures topping 100 degrees at the start of the first 6-lap Mission King of the Baggers race. Wyman got a great start from the pole on his Factory Harley Road Glide bike and opened a 1.02-second lead after two laps, a gap that stretched to more than 2 seconds at the finish. Hayden Gillim was second on a Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson, followed by his teammate Rispoli in third place as Harley racers filled the podium. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Travis Wyman was fourth on the team’s second Road Glide motorcycle. The win moved Kyle Wyman two points ahead of Gillim for the series championship.
Kyle Wyman (33) leading King Of The Baggers Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
On Sunday, Kyle Wyman got caught in traffic at the start of King of the Baggers race two and was running in eighth place when he crashed in turn 13 following contact with another rider. Wyman was able to pick up his motorcycle and re-joined the race in last place, then battled back to finish in ninth place and earn valuable championship points. Rispoli took the race lead on lap 4 and crossed the finish line 8.66 seconds ahead of his teammate Gillim. Travis Wyman was running in second place before crashing out on the last lap, promoting Gillim and Kyle Ohnsorg, who finished third on the Roland Sands Design Indian.
James Rispoli (43) leading King Of The Baggers Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
“In race two, I got what I thought was a good start, but got swallowed up by a couple of riders,” said Wyman, “And I could not get the drive I wanted out of turn one. I was trying to be patient but got caught in a bad spot and went down. I was able to work back up to ninth and score seven points, which keeps me in the hunt for the championship, just 11 points back going into the final round. The goal is clear for me to try to win both races in New Jersey and see where everything falls. It should be an exciting finish to the season. A Harley is going to win the championship. I just hope the orange and black bike is the one on top.”
After 12 of 14 rounds in the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Vance & Hines’ Gillim leads the championship with 215 points, followed by his teammate Rispoli with 213 points, and Kyle Wyman in third place with 204 points. Travis Wyman is in eighth place with 86 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson® Factory Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory team returns to action Sept. 22-24 in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas 1
DNF. Bobby Fong (Ind) Sacramento Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands
DNF. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) Progressive/Mission Foods
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 Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING & TYLER O’HARA CAPTURE SECOND-CONSECUTIVE MOTOAMERICA SUPER HOOLIGAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Enduring Bar-to-Bar Action, O’Hara Outlasts Teammate Jeremy McWilliams at Circuit of the Americas, Pilots S&S-Built Indian FTR to Second-Consecutive Championship
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) during a MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan race at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Minneapolis, MN – It was a battle between brothers – each armed with their S&S-built Indian FTR Hooligan race bike. Entering the final round of MotoAmerica’s Mission Super Hooligan National Championship (SHNC) at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), dead-locked at 106 total points, Indian Motorcycle Racing’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams endured bar-to-bar action, each pushing to the bitter end to earn the opportunity to hoist the No. 1 plate and win the 2023 SHNC title.
For the second consecutive season, it was O’Hara, as he outlasted McWilliams in dramatic fashion, taking both rounds at COTA, and winning five of the season’s eight races aboard his Mission® Foods S&S® Indian FTR.
“Hats off to my entire S&S-Indian Motorcycle team, as the guys worked hard all season to keep this Indian FTR dialed in for me,” said O’Hara. “This FTR is an incredible machine. Power, handling, maneuverability – it’s been the highest-performing bike in the class all season, and we’re extremely proud to walk away with another title this season.”
The SHNC final round at COTA was nothing short of exhilarating, as both O’Hara and McWilliams pushed their Indian FTRs in and out of corners, each making incredible passes on the other. Knowing their teammate’s moves and tendencies created an epic battle between two of the sport’s most capable riders. Race 1 at COTA ended with McWilliams high-siding in the final turn of the final lap. McWilliams was unharmed and was able to compete in Race 2 on Sunday. But again, it was O’Hara who captured the final win of the season.
“The relationship between Tyler and Jeremy is truly special – they both thrive off each other’s expertise and experience, and both have an ‘anything it takes’ drive to win once aboard their FTR,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service and Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “When you have a team as committed as our S&S crew, paired with the riders we have, you push every second of every day to win a championship. We’re excited to have reached our goal and look forward to running the No. 1 plate again on Tyler’s FTR next season.”
Indian Motorcycle Racing is presented by Progressive Insurance®, Mission® Foods and Medallia®, with additional support from Indian Motorcycle Motor Oil, S&S®, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties®, Performance Finance, and J&P Cycles®.
For information about Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, X and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman scores pair of runner-up finishes at MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season finale at Circuit of the Americas
BMW rider ends 2023 season in top three for fourth consecutive year
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Travis Wyman Racing.
AUSTIN, Texas — As the curtain fell on the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season this past weekend at Circuit of the Americas, Travis Wyman closed out his sixth season racing in the class with a pair of runner-up finishes aboard his BMW M 1000 RR. After enduring a difficult weekend at the previous Stock 1000 round at Brainerd International Raceway in July, Wyman’s strong showing at his Austin, Texas-based team’s home round allowed him to finish the season third in the Stock 1000 points standings.
It’s the fourth time in four years that Wyman has finished third or better in the Stock 1000 standings, as well as the fifth time in the past six years — all aboard BMWs. In total, Wyman racked up one victory, five additional podium finishes and a pole position in the abbreviated five-round, 10-race 2023 Stock 1000 schedule while also competing full-time in the King of the Baggers.
Wyman had a stellar start to the weekend. With the Stock 1000 field stacked with 44 entries for the season finale, Wyman was the fastest of all of them in Friday practice by more than a second. Like he did at Brainerd, Wyman had a very strong showing in Qualifying 1. He ended that session with a best lap time almost one second faster than his best practice time and remained more than a second faster than the next rider on the time sheets.
Though Wyman improved his best lap time again by 0.396 seconds in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, another rider set a slightly faster lap time in the session. Though he missed out on his second Stock 1000 pole position of the 2023 season by about a quarter of a second, Wyman did secure second on the starting grid for the round’s two Stock 1000 contests.
Saturday’s Race 1 ended positively for Wyman despite experiencing grip issues in the race’s later stages. After getting a good start, Wyman made a lunge for the lead as the field entered the Circuit of the Americas’ iconic Turn 1, but was narrowly beaten out for the holeshot and slotted into second place. Though he hounded the race leader for the first few laps of the eight-lap race, Wyman’s front tire began losing grip and feel as the race went on. With a large gap to the scrap for third place, Wyman was able to moderate his pace to bring his M 1000 RR home in second place for his fifth podium finish of the season.
Unlike Brainerd where Wyman’s motorcycle endured a technical problem in Race 2, Wyman had an excellent start to the Sunday Stock 1000 race at Circuit of the Americas and finished Lap 1 in the lead. Wyman maintained the race lead on Lap 2 and most of Lap 3 before being overtaken at Turn 19. Wyman retook the lead later on Lap 4, but was again passed on Lap 5. Like in Race 1, Wyman had a big gap to third place and finished the race in second place for his sixth podium appearance of the season.
Wyman’s strong results at Circuit of the Americas helped him move up from fourth to third in the final Stock 1000 points standings.
Wyman and his team thank the many sponsors, technical partners and fans whose support helped Travis Wyman Racing weather several technical failures to achieve another strong finish in the Stock 1000 points standings. Travis Wyman Racing’s plans for the 2024 MotoAmerica season will be announced at a later date.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“This was a very positive way to end a racing season. For the struggles we encountered earlier this year, I’m happy to have finished third in a hard-fought championship battle. I can’t thank Alex Torres of Fast Line Motorcycle Performance and the rest of my team enough for their relentless effort this year, and I’m grateful to the many sponsors and technical partners whose support helped make this program possible for 2023.”
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TY SCOTT WINS IN TEXAS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Suzuki GSX-R750s Double Podium on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas
Supersport Electronics Engineer Chloé Lerin (left) with Tyler Scott (center) and Torin Collins (right) on the podium at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
BREA, CA — Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer put a bow on the penultimate round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, by claiming a victory among a pair of Sunday podiums.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott picked up his third win of the season with an epic last lap.
Torin Collins put an exclamation point on his stunning debut with a podium in his second-ever MotoAmerica race.
Teagg Hobbs crashed trying to catch the leaders while running in third position.
Superbike
Brandon Paasch rebounded to notch up a third top-five of the season.
Richie Escalante crashed from third while engaged in a three-rider fight for the lead.
Tyler Scott (70) backs up his podium from Saturday with a victory in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott registered another impressive victory in his young MotoAmerica career on Sunday, following an intense final-lap showdown. After a red flag concluded Saturday’s Supersport race early, Scott made the most of his white-flag lap in Sunday’s rematch to earn a hard-fought win
Following an early-race stoppage that set the stage for a shortened six-lap sprint race, Scott and a rival proceeded to trade first position back and forth. That led to a spectacular last-lap shootout that saw the two engage in a series of braking duels, side-by-side cornering, and escalating tests of courage. Scott held firm with an inspired effort to snare his third win and tenth podium of his ‘23 campaign aboard the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750.
“It was an amazing race,” Scott said. “I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. The bike was awesome this weekend, and the race was super exciting. That is definitely one of the most fun races I’ve ever had, and it’s even better when you end up on top of the box.”
In only his second race, Torin Collins (14) charges his way onto the main stage of the Supersport class with a podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Even after stunning the paddock with a top-five MotoAmerica debut aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 on Saturday, FIM JuniorGP regular Torin Collins found a way to top himself on Sunday. The up-and-coming Collins battled it out to the stripe with some of the most proven riders the MotoAmerica Supersport category offers and ended up on top of the three-rider fight for the final spot on the podium.
Collins said, “The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team put in so much hard work for me this weekend; I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them. The race was difficult. I knew it would be hard with riders of that caliber on my tail the whole race and it was.”
An unfortunate get-off for Teagg Hobbs (79) in Race 2 ended his race Sunday but is looking to bounce back at a familiar track in New Jersey. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Teagg Hobbs’ ambitions to push teammate Scott for victory ended early on Sunday. After coming home with a top-three finish the day before, Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash while running third and chasing the leaders in the opening stages of the race. Despite a red flag, Hobbs’ machine was too heavily damaged to return to the fray for the restart.
“I started well and at the beginning of Lap 2, I was making a push to get back up to the two guys in front of me,” Hobbs said. “I felt like I gained a couple of tenths, then got thrown off in the righthander. It’s disappointing, and I’m a little sore but also a little lucky. I’m really looking forward to getting another shot in New Jersey at a track I know well.” Despite Hobbs’ setback, the Suzuki GSX-Rs continued to be the bike of choice for most of the top ten finishers in Supersport in Texas.
A top-five finish for Brandon Paasch (96) ends his weekend on a high note. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike pilot Brandon Paasch strongly rebounded from his Saturday DNF. Paasch put in a consistent and measured ride aboard his GSX-R1000R Superbike to secure his third top-five of the year, despite running just a partial season with the team. Paasch’s fifth place also marked his eighth top ten in ten attempts with the team.
Paasch said, “It went much better for us today. I think we turned it around and got back up in the top five where we need to be. The bike setup felt better, and I was more comfortable. This was going to be a tough track for me because I don’t have many laps here, but now we go to New Jersey, which is pretty much my home track. I feel we are making good progress and strong improvements.”
Richie Escalante (54) looks to continue the podium momentum from the past weekend going into New Jersey. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
After scoring his first Superbike podium on Saturday, Richie Escalante set his sights on a career-first premier-class victory on Sunday. Escalante was very much in contention to attain the lofty goal too, piloting his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R in a close third before suffering a lowside crash at full lean on lap 4. Escalante picked his bike back up and soldiered forward to the checkered flag, ultimately coming home in 16th position.
“It was a great weekend for us,” Escalante said. “I came in with big expectations because the team had done a great job in giving me a new swingarm and more power. The feeling from the bike was really great. I had more grip, and the bike seemed even calmer when pushing hard. I was trying to be fast and consistent and we finally got on the podium on Saturday. On Sunday, we improved the bike even more in the warm-up. I was in the top three during the race and felt I had the speed to win, but I made a mistake and lost the front. That is part of racing. We are closer to the front than ever and I thank the team, our sponsors, and my family for helping me get there.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season will conclude on September 22-24 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 132 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 360 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
Misano Test: novelties & narratives from pitlane on Monday
Marini tops the timesheets ahead of Viñales as Honda and Yamaha steal the limelight
Monday, 11 September 2023
After what could prove a pivotal Grand Prix at Misano in terms of the title fight, MotoGP™ got back on track on Monday for what could prove a pivotal test too. Topping the timesheets was Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on his 47th lap of 49 in the afternoon session, deposing Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) as the two duelled it out for top honours. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was third quickest with a late leap up the order.
The key stories were less focused on the timesheets, however, as plenty of novelties broke cover on a crucial day of track action for Honda and Yamaha. Read on to get a rundown of what was spotted in pitlane, and where!
Mooney VR46, Prima Pramac & Gresini
Not every rider was out on Monday, and pitlane was noticeably missing reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he sat it out, his teammate Enea Bastianini who is sidelined due to injury, and test rider Michele Pirro after his crash as a wildcard yesterday. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) didn’t take to the track either.
Jorge Martin. Photo courtesy Dorna.
In terms of novelties, there wasn’t too much on show across the Ducati stables. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had both bikes with the bigger side fairings instead of the downwash duct setup he’s used the last few races, but there was nothing new in terms of the classic Ducati, innovation-driven novelties with the Ducati Lenovo Squad not on track either.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – 1:30.602
P4 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – 1:31.168
P9 Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – 1:31.337
P14 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – 1:31.492
Aprilia & CryptoData RNF
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Dorna.
At Aprilia, there was a new chassis. Aleix Espargaro said it wasn’t better or worse, just different: it felt softer and handled the bumps better, which is something that affects the Noale factory at some venues. Viñales even said on Thursday in the pre-Misano press conference that he’d never realised the track had bumps until he arrived at Aprilia.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
There was arguably another headline-stealer, however: Miguel Oliveira had a 2023 Aprilia in his CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team box, alongside his usual 2022 machine. His review? A step forward in every way.
Miguel Oliveira (88). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) – 1:30.836
P7 Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team) – 1:31.232
At Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Jack Miller had one of the chassis that wildcard and test rider Dani Pedrosa used over the weekend, rumoured to be fully carbon fibre. Pedrosa didn’t join the test. Binder had a black chassis, but it looked similar to his standard 2023 chassis. Miller also had a run out on that.
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
At GASGAS Tech3 Factory Racing, there seemingly wasn’t much to report, but the duo put in the laps to gain some more data. Pol Espargaro also crashed, rider ok. He didn’t go out in the afternoon but rookie teammate Augusto Fernandez continued putting in the laps.
P5 Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 1:31.175
P15 Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – 1:31.686
P17 Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – 1:31.844
Monster Energy Yamaha
In the morning, one of Fabio Quartararo’s machines had the bigger aero for a couple of runs, before it was then switched back. But then another aero package broke cover: a combination of the first iteration of the 2023 aero plus additions previously tried by Franco Morbidelli at the Portimao Test.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Morbidelli was also trying his current aero and the original 2023 aero throughout the day, as well as a new larger air box/fuel tank covering. The Italian also tried the double exhaust, already seen previously, again at Misano, and a new chassis that didn’t gain a good review from the number 21.
However, there was also a fifth bike in the Yamaha box, likely the bike that contained a new engine. The reports? Team manager Massimo Meregalli was positive, but when Quartararo debriefed, he said he’d expected more.
P6 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – 1:31.177
P8 Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – 1:31.301
Repsol Honda & LCR Honda Castrol
There was a lot of talk about Honda ahead of the test, and much of it may now likely continue. Repsol Honda teammates Marc Marquez and Joan Mir both had one of the bikes that HRC test rider and wildcard Stefan Bradl used during the Grand Prix weekend with the new chassis, new tail unit and new exhausts.
Marc Marquez (93) on one of the Hondas he tested Monday. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mir did a short run on the “new” bike before work continued in the garage, only heading back out on it much later in the day. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, did a few runs on the machine, and made more than the odd headline in his debrief.
Marc Marquez (93) on another Honda he tested Monday. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Bradl had a machine with the new chassis, new tail unit and new exhausts, and LCR Honda Castrol’s Takaaki Nakagami also tried it. The general consensus for those trying it for the first time? Different, but not necessarily better at this stage. Now it’s on to India as the clock keeps ticking down to see what will happen next in the rumour mill!
Gagne Takes Runner-Up Finish in Superbike Race 2 at COTA
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne returned to the podium with a strong runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Circuit of The Americas
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne took home a runner-up finish in today’s restarted MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Circuit of The Americas. Unfortunately, JD Beach’s second race of the weekend as a fill-in rider ended early with a crash.
On the heels of his 10th win of the season in yesterday’s Race 1 at the Grand Prix track in Austin, Texas, Gagne got another great start in the runner-up spot. The race was red-flagged, calling for a complete restart and a shortened 10-lap race. Once again, the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion slotted into second and was battling up front. He kept the leader in sight but ultimately rode his own race in the greasy track conditions, crossing the line in second and securing his 17th-podium finish this season in 18 tries.
Beach was looking for another top result after returning to the podium for the first time yesterday since his departure from full-time Superbike racing in 2019. He got a good start into third behind Gagne but crashed early on the opening lap in the challenging conditions. The race was red-flagged with oil on the track from another rider, and there was a complete restart. Although the team quickly repaired the damage to the bike from his crash, Beach was just shy of making the sighting lap and had to restart from the back of the grid. Undeterred, the dirt track/road racer got a great start and made his way to sixth, but unfortunately he came together with another rider at the end of the opening lap and did not finish the race
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in two weeks’ time for the MotoAmerica season finale in Millville, New Jersey, on September 22-24.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Today did not go quite as planned. Jake rode a good race but was struggling a bit in Race 2, which kept him from fighting for the win. JD had a great start but unfortunately fell on the opening lap and again after the restart. On the bright side, he was very competitive for the limited time he has been on our R1. We will regroup and be ready to put on a good show for our fans at NJMP.
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tougher race for me today. I struggled to keep pace with the leader and brought it home on the podium. Overall, it was a great weekend in some intense heat. We’ve got a little break here and then will be back at it in New Jersey looking for some more wins.”
JD Beach (95). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
JD Beach – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Race 2 just wasn’t a great race for me. There’s not much to say. I made too many mistakes, and they didn’t only cost me but also Matty (Scholtz). I feel bad for letting the Attack team down and also messing up the Westby team’s race. I want to put today behind me and look forward to NJMP.”
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 Westby Racing:
Westby Racing Takes The Fifth On A Challenging Weekend In Texas
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Austin, TX – Coming into round eight of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing had high hopes for another stellar weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). With two runner-up results last year at COTA, Mathew Scholtz and the team were brimming with anticipation of another podium-producing weekend.
Saturday’s fifth-place result was a disappointment for Mathew and the team, but they went to work on Saturday night with a solid plan to improve in Sunday’s race two. Well, sometimes, the best-laid plans can be thwarted by unexpected circumstances. Such was the case when another rider’s crashed and his sliding bike took Mathew out of Sunday’s Superbike race two.
“Getting fifth in Saturday’s race wasn’t what this team was looking for nor what we expected,” Mathew said. “But we made some changes overnight and went into Sunday’s race two looking to put the Westby Yamaha on the podium. It didn’t quite go to plan, however, because I got hit by another rider’s bike, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. I took a pretty rough tumble from the impact, but I was able to get back on my feet after taking a moment to recover.
“We’ve got one more round left in the season, and we’re as determined as ever to get the results this team and (team owner) Tryg (Westby) deserve. See you in New Jersey.”
The Westby Racing team will finish out the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike season on September 22 through 24 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC enjoy a fantastic weekend in the Texan sun Podiums, race and championship wins on the menu for Ducati at CoTA
Austin, TX. September 11, 2023 — Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés made it an excellent weekend for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC at Circuit of The Americas in Texas with Forés taking a win, second place and the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship title and Herrin taking his second Superbike win of the season in race two to make up for a mechanical DNF in race one.
Herrin’s race two performance was fearsome, leading from the green light and holding 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Jake Gagne, at bay across the 10 lap encounter. Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R were in perfect sync on Sunday and his result limits the damage in the championship to give him a 28 point gap over third placed PJ Jacobsen heading into the final round at New Jersey Motorsports Park on the weekend of September 22-24.
For Forés, the Spanish Bull made good on his promise to win the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship as a rookie with victory in race one over Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. The young Scott reversed the tables in race two, with Forés coming home second but more than happy with his performance in front of his young family who were in attendance from Spain.
Forés can lay claim to not just the 2023 title but also the most number of wins in a single season in the history of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship with nine victories and counting with one round to go.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Eight
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 382
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 261
P3 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 233
P3 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 203
P5 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 195
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Seven
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 357
P2 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 271
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 220
P4 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 213
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 158
Josh Herrin (2) leading Jake Gagne (1) during Superbike Race Two at COTA. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #2)
“I can’t thank the Ducati USA guys and my team enough for believing in me, for taking a chance on me last year to win the Supersport title and then to come back to Superbike. I said before we came to CoTA that if we have a track we’ve had time on this bike before we arrive, we’ll be right there and that was the case this weekend. Thanks to everyone—my family, my team, everyone involved—for giving me this opportunity.”
Xavi Fores (12) leading Tyler Scott (70) during Supersport Race Two at COTA. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #12)
“Overall, it was a positive weekend,” Forés said. “We got the title in race one, which was the plan, and the rest of the weekend was quite positive. We led most of the sessions and most of the race laps, but today I was struggling on the straight with the horsepower of the other bikes. I really didn’t like that, but it’s something we have to deal with. I accept it, because this makes my riding better.
“Once again, thank you so much to all the people within Ducati, everyone within the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team. We have back-to-back titles, which we are so happy about, and now we will try to finish strong in New Jersey.”
The final round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at New Jersey Motorsports Park, NJ, on September 22-24, 2023.
2022 Pro Sport Bike champ Trevor Dion (20) is making an appearance in the class for the first time this season. The Kawasaki rider will be pulling double-duty at the Shannonville finale, also competing in the Superbike class. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Dion throws wrench into Mackay/Simpson title decider
Toronto, ON – Entering the season finale of what has been a wide-open Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike campaign, it’s hard to imagine any more curveballs being thrown at David MacKay or Matt Simpson as they prepare for their title showdown at Shannonville Motorsport Park, September 15-17.
However, the biggest twist of all is just now entering the equation.
Reigning champion Trevor Dion will return to the middleweight championship for the last weekend of the year, having initially decided not to defend his #1 plate and focus instead on his first full Superbike campaign.
The only rookie champion in the category’s history, Dion won twice last season and stood on the podium in six of eight races to clinch the title by eight points over MacKay, breaking plenty of Sport Bike records in the process.
The 21-year-old will now return to the grid aboard his LDS Consultants Kawasaki for the first time in over a calendar year, and while he will be making his national debut at SMP after missing round one due to injury, it’s hard not to pencil Dion in as at least a podium threat in both races if not the rider to beat.
If Dion isn’t the betting favourite, though, that honour will likely go to yet another name trying to play spoiler in the finale, as Sebastien Tremblay is set to debut his Turcotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R750 machine.
While mathematically still in the championship hunt, Tremblay would need to overcome a 52-point deficit as he sits fifth in the overall standings. Instead, the 2021 champion will focus on piloting the bigger-displacement Suzuki to a victory in its Sport Bike debut, after beginning the year on a GSX-R600.
This is exactly the position that Matt Simpson (91) hopes to be in next weekend during the Bridgestone CSBK season finale at Shannonville. The Yamaha rider currently sits second in the Pro Sport Bike championship behind David MacKay (82). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
That may seem like a disaster for title leader MacKay and the chasing Simpson, but the reality is that the plan hardly changes for the two title rivals. With 16 points between them and then a 29-point cushion to third, it seems the main thing either side needs to worry about is just finishing ahead of the other.
The math becomes easier for MacKay, though, who has guided his ODH Snow City Cycle Kawasaki to the top spot thanks to five podiums and two wins this season. Both are the most in the Sport Bike class for 2023, a year which has seen a record six different winners in seven races and nine different podium finishers.
A quick look at the point structure will show that the biggest difference in points comes at the top – with 25 for a win, 20 for second, and 16 for third – while the difference tails off to just a single point between each place from fifth down to 15th.
That means MacKay might actually welcome the threat of Dion and Tremblay at the front, as his 16-point lead over Simpson will be tougher to overcome if the two rivals find themselves battling for places outside the podium.
Simpson has thus far found himself off the list of race winners despite his title challenge, benefitting from his consistent run of four podiums to stay in the championship mix. The Blackstock Motorsports Yamaha rider won’t necessarily need to win in order to beat MacKay for the title, but a pair of podiums seem like the necessary minimum if MacKay is able to stay near the front.
He did just that in his last appearance at SMP, finishing third and second as he looked to avoid the chaos at the front, a smart move at the time but a luxury he now won’t have at the final round with the title on the line.
Podium spots are hardly a guarantee for either rider, though, as Dion and Tremblay are far from the only ones capable of beating the two championship favourites.
Brad Macrae has already done so at Shannonville, winning race two of the opener after crashing out of the lead on the last lap of race one, and the Colron Excavating Yamaha rider will feel more than capable of adding a second career victory to close out the year.
Another rider keen to add another victory to his resumé will be Francis Martin, who recently confirmed his entry at the season finale. The two-time Superbike champion had his sensational comeback ruined by a bizarre mechanical failure at CTMP, but will look to make up for it with his first Sport Bike win since 2007 aboard his Purple Skull Brewing/Liqui Moly Suzuki.
Elliot Vieira will also have something to say for the frontrunners, after finally shaking the rust off his GP Bikes Ducati at the most recent round in CTMP. While Vieira endured a disastrous season opener at the venue in May, he has since come to grips with his V2 Panigale, evidenced by a win and second-place finish last time out.
The other breakout star of the CTMP weekend, John Laing, will also be eyeing some Shannonville redemption after his debut showing five months ago. The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider grabbed the holeshot twice in his CSBK introduction, crashing out in race one but finishing fourth in race two, and his confidence will be at an all-time high after his debut win in the AMP make-up race.
One former Shannonville winner won’t be taking the grid, though, as Connor Campbell’s graduation to the Superbike field will come at the expense of his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki program, which opened the season with an SMP victory.
Another storyline to watch will be in the inaugural Bickle Racing Pro Twins class, where Andrew Van Winkle looks poised to make history as the youngest pro champion in CSBK history.
The 16-year-old FD Racing Suzuki star appeared set for a runner-up finish in his debut season, but an unfortunate crash and slew of injuries for championship leader Jeff Williams have opened the door for Van Winkle to snatch the inaugural trophy.
Van Winkle finished second in both of the opening races at Shannonville, earning a haul of 40 points on the weekend, and he will only need 26 this time around to move past the sidelined Williams and bring home a historic title.
As it stands, Tomas Casas became the youngest ever pro champion when he clinched the Sport Bike crown at 18 years old in 2017, but Van Winkle could break that record by nearly two years if he can erase his championship deficit at the season finale.
The full schedule for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season finale doubleheader can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.
James Rispoli won the wild MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Rispoli took the lead on lap four of six and rode his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide to the victory.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim said his bike lost power during the race, but he was able to hold on and get second, which moved him into the Championship point lead heading into the final round.
Kyle Ohnsorg earned his first MotoAmerica podium finish with third place on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger.
Ohnsorg’s teammate Bobby Fong was leading the race on lap four when he pulled off with a mechanical problem.
Before that, Tyler O’Hara was leading the race until he started experiencing problems with his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger and eventually retired.
Kyle Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, came together with Ohnsorg on the first lap and crashed. Wyman was able to pick up his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide and continue to salvage a ninth-place finish.
Wyman’s teammate and brother Travis Wyman was having one of his best weekends of the year and was running second on the final lap when he crashed. Travis Wyman was able to remount and finish 10th.
Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas. Herrin got the holeshot on the restart of the race, led all 10 laps, and won his second race of the season by 4.078 seconds on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Newly crowned three-time Champion Jake Gagne shadowed Herrin throughout the race but could not make any moves and finished in second place on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
PJ Jacobsen said he battled a lack of traction on his way to placing third on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong got fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1, while Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch took fifth.
Riders who crashed during the race included: Paasch’s teammate Richie Escalante, who fell in Turn 13 while battling for the lead; and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who was taken out in the second crash of Gagne’s teammate JD Beach.
Beach also crashed in the original portion of the race, which lasted less than a lap because Hayden Gillim’s Disrupt Racing Suzuki suffered a broken oil line, causing a red flag.
Herrin Takes Race Two Over Gagne At Circuit Of The Americas
Ducati-Mounted Josh Herrin Wins His Second Medallia Superbike Race Of The Season In Austin, Texas
Josh Herrin (2) leads Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (54), PJ Jacobsen (99) and the rest of the Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap of the race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin made up for a dismal Saturday at Circuit of The Americas with a straight-fight win over three-time Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in Sunday’s finale in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Texas.
A day after his Ducati Panigale V4 R failed him in race one, the bike was perfect on Sunday and so was Herrin. After all, you don’t beat Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 unless you’re at the top of your game.
Herrin led off the start and stayed out front for all 10 laps of the red-flag-interrupted race with Gagne on his tail the entire time. At the finish it was Herrin four seconds ahead with Gagne giving up the chase on the final lap. The pair were the only riders to lap in the 2:09s with Gagne getting the fastest lap of the race with his 2:09.746 to Herrin’s 2:09.776.
Third place went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker some five seconds behind Gagne.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong was a come-from-behind fourth and closing on Jacobsen, ending up some six seconds adrift of the BMW.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended up fifth, five seconds ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who had Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa nipping at his heels and just .341 of a second behind at the finish line.
Mesa’s teammate Corey Alexander was in the fight for seventh when he made a great save of what looked like a certain crash on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was well clear of Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Among the non-point scoring riders were two of the three podium finishers from yesterday – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s JD Beach and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with both riders crashing. For Beach it was his second crash of the day as he also crashed in the first portion of the race, prior to the red flag. Escalante, meanwhile, crashed out of third place while right behind Gagne.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was collected by the sliding Beach. None of the riders suffered injury.
There were three different manufacturers on the podium and four different makes in the top five: Ducati, Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki.
With just the two races from New Jersey Motorsports Park remaining on the schedule, Gagne and his insurmountable 382 points have wrapped up the championship with Herrin solidifying his hold on second place. Herrin is 28 points ahead of Jacobsen, 261-233.
Superbike Race 2
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Stefano Mesa (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin celebrates his victory, the 10th Superbike win of his career. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Quotes… Josh Herrin – Winner
“I feel like a broken record saying this, but getting track time at this track prior to coming here and having some time on this bike before we came here to race is what we needed. I knew that. I knew all year that we were struggling with just trying to get up to speed. It took all the way until the second half of the Saturday race for us to be comfortable and then Sunday would be good for us. I don’t want to celebrate too much. I feel like a linebacker getting a sack or something in a football game when you’re down by 30 points because we lost the championship. But it feels good to get this win. I’m so happy to be a part of this team. Bobby Shek, the DeNaples, Ducati USA. Everybody that puts this program together, Warhorse and HSBK Racing. It’s an amazing program. I don’t think anybody realizes how special of a relationship we have with everybody on the team. It’s just truly something special and I’m happy to be a part of it. Just so pumped that we could get another win. Glad that we have two more chances. It’s special too because we got the Ducati DRE event tomorrow, so it’s going to be a really awesome way to celebrate with all the awesome Ducati family and spin some laps around COTA and just have some fun. So, congrats to these guys. Congrats to Jake (Gagne) on the championship. Congrats to my teammate, Xavi (Forés), on wrapping up the championship this weekend in Supersport. That was cool to see us get two back-to-back championships in the Supersport class. I’m stoked. Thank you to everybody.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“Josh (Herrin) seriously rode his butt off. I think he stepped it up a lot. I know he got screwed yesterday, but he rode an awesome pace. I wasn’t even looking at the lap times, honestly. I was just struggling after a few laps. After the halfway point I was just kind of hanging on. But the bike was working really good. It was hot and greasy. At that point, I wanted to bring it home. That was all the fight I had today, for sure. So again, hats off to Josh and the team. It’s good to see him up here and get some redemption from yesterday. Still a good weekend. We’re up here on the box. Of course, I would have liked to make it a little bit more of a race, but I just couldn’t pass him anywhere. I was struggling with my own stuff. Good race, again. I’m happy to leave here with another podium. We brought this Yamaha home. Again, congrats to Josh because I think he rode really awesome from my perspective.”
PJ Jacobsen – Third Place
“Yeah, I think I was a bit lucky there to get third with some guys crashing out. Richie (Escalante) was pretty strong. I could see Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) in the distance, but I could just never close the gap. As the track got greasier for me, I was losing the front in a lot of spots. Then the rear was going past the TC and would just come around. It was really difficult. It was hard to get the grip for me because I was struggling with both front and rear, so I really couldn’t push. It was hard. Just trying to get back to the podium with my gap I had on I think it was Bobby (Fong). That was coming down a little bit too because I kind of just eased up as I was having some issues and problems. It’s good to take home another podium here. Josh rode great. He did a great job getting the win, and Jake. They’re super-fast and super strong all the time, so they did a good job. They beat me today.”
Tyler Scott and Xavi Fores fought bar-to-bar throughout the last lap of restarted and shortened MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two, but 17-year-old Scott would not be denied and came out on top with his third win of the season on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Fores, who clinched the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship in Saturday’s Race One, finished Race Two in second place on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Scott’s teammate, 18-year-old Canadian Torin Collins came out top of his battle with veterans David Anthony and Josh Hayes to score third place and his career-first MotoAmerica podium finish.
Anthony was a very close fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, while Hayes rounded out the top five on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
The race was interrupted on lap two of the original start when Teagg Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash on the third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Hobbs walked away from the crash, and after a lengthy delay, the race was restarted for a six-lap final stint.
Gillim Takes Steel Commander Stock 1000 Crown With Victory At COTA
Hayden Gillim Does The Double And Wins The Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship
Travis Wyman (10) leads Hayden Gillim (69) early in the Steel Commander Stock 1000 race at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Gillim would get past Wyman and take not only the victory but also the series championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – The 2023 Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship was decided on the final day of the class’s season, and even though Disrupt Racing Suzuki rider Hayden Gillim didn’t need to win the race to the win the title, the Kentuckian got the victory anyway, which was his sixth race win of the year.
Gillim started from the pole, but he had to withstand an early challenge from Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman. At about the halfway point of the race, Gillim overtook Wyman for the lead, and he kept it all the way to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Wyman crossed the finish line in second.
Third place went to PDR Motorsports Kawasaki rider Diego Perez, who was competing in his first Steel Commander Stock 1000 race weekend of the year.
Hayden Gillim celebrates winning the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“Everybody before the race was telling me where I needed to be and everything,” Gillim said. “Like I said yesterday, I’m not good at math, so I wanted to win the last one. I didn’t want to sit there. I knew Travis (Wyman) from the first couple of laps was going to be hard to pass. It took me a while. The first pass I made on him, immediately he came back by. So, the second pass, I made sure to kind of block a little bit going into that next-to-last corner. Knew I had a little bit on the brakes going up into one, just from the first time he came back by me. But it was good. It was so much fun to race with him. We’ve raced so hard over the years. For us to be dicing it out the last race of the year is a lot of fun. He definitely made me work for it today, though. But the whole team, Disrupt Racing 4SR team, has been working their butts off this year. We had a really bad start to the season and to be able to finish it off with the couple wins we did here is pretty special, and to have the whole Nichol family here running 4SR in the U.S. is amazing. They’re like family to me. Having them here with us is really awesome. To be able to bring it home for Jesse and Danny Hwilka this year is really special. They’ve been wanting it really bad. I got their first win for them and the first podium. And now, the first championship. So, it’s really special. It’s a bummer because my wife isn’t here and my son isn’t here, but they’re at home watching. She made me tear up a little bit on the podium because she was crying on the phone. So, I wasn’t able to get out some of the stuff I wanted to say on the podium. This is really awesome.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Rispoli Wins A Weird One
The city of Austin goes by the credo of “Keep Austin Weird.” Well, Sunday’s Mission King Of The Baggers race two definitely filled the bill.
The race was ultimately won by Vance & Hines/Mission/Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli. It was Rispoli’s second victory of the season and his first since the very first race of the year back in March at Daytona International Speedway.
Weird? Well here goes: Tyler O’Hara led the first lap before his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Challenger expired. By this point, championship points leader Kyle Wyman had crashed, but would remount and ultimately finish ninth. Then Bobby Fong led for a lap before his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian blew up. Rispoli was then back in front, a spot he held on to until the finish of the six-lap race. Behind him, however, things still changed with H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman crashing out of second place on the last lap, which handed the spot to Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim. Wyman’s crash also elevated Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Kyle Ohnsorg to his first career podium.
Phew.
James Rispoli (43) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Travis Wyman (10) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race at COTA on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fourth place went to Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Jeremy McWilliams, despite a five-second penalty for jumping the start, with Team Saddlemen’s Jake Lewis rounding out the top five.
The bottom line: With two races left to run in the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Gillim leads the title chase by just two points over Rispoli with Wyman third, 11 points behind Gillim and nine adrift of Rispoli.
“It was mental,” Rispoli said. “Did Jeremy (McWilliams) jump the start? That’s the best start I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I got to be honest. Did Tyler (O’Hara) or did he just go? McWilliams has got that guy’s back. He had five seconds on the first lap. Me and Hayden (Gillim), I’m shaking my head like, ‘We’re going to get smoked because we can’t pass McWilliams right now.’ Not saying he’s not fast, he was just rolling everywhere. You could just see it. Just using that engine horsepower. But it’s carnage. I don’t know what happened. I thought everybody was stacked up behind me. When Bob (Fong) came through, he had some stuff kind of coming out. I got a little nervous because I had some stuff on my shield and I kind of let him go. I saw him looking back. Then he started cutting the chicane and I was like, ‘Man, if I was a betting man, he’s probably not going to get away with that twice.’ Then I kind of put my head down and I saw on the tower number 10. I was like, Travis (Wyman) is in second. Then I saw Hayden there. I just took a peek back and I saw I had some daylight. I was like, ‘dude, we’re just riding slow.’ I was doing 18s. I did a 17.9 when I kind of felt comfortable, when Bob was far enough away. Then I looked on the last lap. I looked back and there was no one there. Super thankful. Sometimes you don’t race against the fastest guys at the time of the race. To win like this probably has an asterisk, but we finished and we got points back and we got a win. I’m stoked. I’m really just pumped for the whole team. We struggled this weekend and it just goes to show you that as a team we can still persevere, we can still put things one and two and be on the box. Single digits going into the last round. Anything can happen. That’s what we want for the sport.”
Supersport – Scott In A Thriller
Old age and treachery was defeated by youth and enthusiasm in Sunday’s Supersport race with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott besting Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Fores in a race that featured a thrilling last lap.
After a heated last lap that saw both riders on COTA’s expansive run-off areas at certain times, Scott withstood the constant pressure of Forés with the cool head of a rider well beyond what you’d expect of a 17-year-old.
The Supersport race came down to a thrilling battle between Xavi Forés (12) and Tyler Scott (70) with Scott prevailing for his third win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The win was Scott’s third of the year and what he called the best of his young career. For Fores, it was his 11th podium of his championship-winning year.
Scott’s new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Torin Collins finished third in just his second ride ever on a Supersport bike – a day after he finished fourth in what was his debut with the team and in MotoAmerica.
“This morning we made a few changes from yesterday,” Scott said. “They were all very minor, one or two very minor changes. But the big question was we were running out of gearing on the back straightaway. So, we were hitting the limiter. Before the restart, I tried to draft him and then see if I could pass in the braking zone. But the gearing, I started hitting the limiter at the first braking marker and was actually losing ground. So, I knew for the rest of the race and what eventually would become the restart that I would have to be really aggressive, really deep into the brakes, or lead down the big straightaway and hopefully he gets beside me. I had the confidence in the front end to be able to out-brake Xavi (Forés) for one of the first times this season. I was able to match him in the braking zones and came out on top in those battles. I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for preparing a beautiful bike this weekend, dialing in the electronics, Barry from Öhlins dialing in the suspension. It couldn’t be more perfect. The one thing also, I went with the zero front tire which was super soft. About halfway, I started tucking the front a little bit and I just had to be careful in the closing laps not to put a lot of bar input at the apex.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Again
Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara wrapped up the 2023 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship on Saturday and continued his party with a second victory on Sunday at COTA. The win was O’Hara’s fifth of the season and it came after a rough and tumble win on Saturday that saw his teammate Jeremy McWilliams crash out on the final lap in the last corner with the two basically locked in combat.
A banged up and bruised McWilliams finished second for his sixth podium finish of the season and it earned him second in the championship point standings.
Tyler O’Hara (1) beat his teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) to win the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship round at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DiBrino Racing KTM’s Andy DiBrino earned his sixth podium of the season and that placed him third in the final championship standings. DiBrino and McWilliams went into Sunday’s series finale tied in points with Ulsterman McWilliams coming away with the runner-up spot in both the race and the title chase.
“Today definitely wasn’t as hot, which was nice,” O’Hara said “A little cooler today. Yesterday was just an all-out, epic, one of those days like fighting with your brother in the backyard or something with the gloves off. It was epic. It was just clean all year. He didn’t hit me. He didn’t bump me. He rubbed me, and rubbing’s racing, and I’m okay with that. We push each other, and he’s great at putting in fast laps when he needs to. I’ve worked a lot on that this year and really had to dig deep to bring my level up and my speed. A lot of speed work in the training. He brings a lot to the development of this team. He brings a world championship level of preparation to our whole program. He makes everybody on our team better. He’s a warrior. We were both at the medical center this morning. We both had pretty good ones this morning. Hats off to them. S&S Cycles. They’ve been working so hard all year. Today we had a great first start. I could hear him. I was like, okay. I had a little battle with (Stefano) Mesa there. Then we got the red flag and just tried to kind of go around the first lap, keep my bike cool and kind of get some heat in the tires the last couple corners so I don’t have to sit there with my clutch. Got not the best jump. Jeremy (McWilliams) got a better jump and he stayed inside. I think that kind of pinched off a couple of the other guys. I kind of swung wide in, too. Three lap dash, it’s like the dash for cash. You’ve just got to go for it and bite your lip and get a little western. It was really fun. To cap it off with a win feels really good. Again, this one is for the team, everyone that works so hard. It feels really good. Andy (DiBrino) rode awesome all year. Looking forward to Daytona in March.”
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