WorldSBK: More On Rea’s Switch To Yamaha And Kawasaki’s Replacement Search

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

WorldSBK: More On Rea’s Switch To Yamaha And Kawasaki’s Replacement Search

Outspoken ahead of Magny-Cours

In one of the most extraordinary weeks in WorldSBK history, there’s no drought in hot topics coming into Round 9 in France.

It’s been a bombshell week in 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship; in what has turned into one of the most sensational silly seasons ever seen, this week’s hottest quotes ahead of our return to racing for the final third of 2023 need to introduction. With a seismic switch for next year, continuous speculation and talking about who the favourite to do the business this weekend at Magny-Cours will be, we’re certainly not a sandwich short of a picnic.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “One of the hardest decisions of my career… I need something new”

In what was arguably one of the most emotional Thursdays, Jonathan Rea spoke for the first time about his decision to leave KRT: “As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that. The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision. I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike. I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream. I’ll try not to be sad. This chapter might come to a close but I’ll be so happy with what we’ve achieved. I love this team. We’re going to try to create some amazing stories until the end of the season and try to enjoy my bike. When I can find that magic, I can make it happen on the track.”

Guim Roda (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK team principal): “It’s a reality we need to accept; we need to understand the market and which riders can fit”

Team boss for KRT’s effort Guim Roda admitted it is a heavy loss and looked ahead to potential replacements: “We feel a little bit sad. It’s been a long journey that we’ve been on together. It’s a reality we need to accept, keep working and we will continue our way and try our best. It’s difficult to find one moment because we have so many, but I’d like to mark those moments especially people cannot see because it happened between races. Those chats, meetings and all this time where he’s been working and talking about how to improve the team, the package, and the bike. All these things happen between races that people don’t see is maybe one of the key points we’ll keep apart from the success, winning and Championships. We need to understand the market and which riders can fit in Kawasaki’s wishes to have a rider represent them. We are on this now.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “We have many new parts”

With updates on his #54 Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu is relishing a return to ‘Toprak territory’ this weekend: “We have many new parts and we’ll try them on Friday to check which are better and which aren’t. I think we should improve a little bit, enough to win. For the top speed, it will be similar, we just need better stopping and turning. The first and second sector have the long straights but after that, there are many corners. I will fight there! In general, I feel very positive.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young… Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion”

“It’s not an easy track, it’s very challenging because you have all sorts of corners: slow corners, fast corners, long straights and a lot of changes of direction. It’s not easy. I have a good memory from last year. We did a test at Aragon and found small things that can maybe help us, and we will re-try them maybe during the weekend. Nicolo’s a nice guy, he’s so fast and young and he’s doing really well in WorldSSP. It will be a big challenge, he’s very strong and welcome to him to the other side of the box. I don’t know, Kawasaki and Yamaha are very different bikes, so it depends how Rea adapts to the bike and how he gets a good setup. Everything will be new, so I don’t except anything because Jonathan is a very fast rider and a big Champion. I’m sure that sooner or later he’ll be competitive with that bike.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “We split in a friendly way… 99.9% I’ll be in WorldSBK”

With his future not lying with the factory Ducati team, Michael Ruben Rinaldi confirmed he’ll be back on the grid next year, but not where: “It’s been a good time and there’s been a lot of beautiful moments with the team and I can be happy about the great people I’ve met during these years. Even if our ways will split, I’ll continue having friends that I didn’t have before. It’s life; things start and things end. We’re in motorsport and I’m not that old, so never say never. It could be a goodbye but not farewell. For three years, they gave me the opportunity to ride the factory bike and I always gave my best and tried every year to improve. From my point of view, after many efforts, it’s time for new challenges. At the moment, I’m still talking and I have a few options which will not take too much time to understand where I’ll be. For sure, I can say that 99.9% I will be in WorldSBK, but we have to understand the details better, to know which will be my best choice.”

Serafino Foti (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team principal): “Our relationship with Michael doesn’t change; Bulega deserves this opportunity”

Welcoming new talent into WorldSBK, Serafino Foti readies for Nicolo Bulega’s arrival: “I think Bulega deserves this opportunity because he did a really good job in the last two years in WorldSSP. He’s still young but he has a lot of experience from Moto2™ and Moto3™ so I think this is the best choice regarding our line-up. On one side of the garage, we have a Champion, and we can give the opportunity to a young rider, and I think he can do a good job. It’s never easy to take a decision but racing is racing. The journey is over but our relationship with Michael doesn’t change. I wish him all the best and I hope he can find a really good opportunity, he’s so fast and an unbelievable talent. He deserves another opportunity. The wildcard is exciting for Aruba, and we decided after the second test. Our engineers analysed the data and they said ‘Alvaro could do a good job, it could be a good choice’ because he was impressive and quite fast.”

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks”

After a two-day test at Aragon where communication was limited to the media, Scott Redding revealed some he’s excited after it and looked to 2024 too: “The Aragon test was quite good; it was good to get back there and get back riding without the pressure of a race weekend. We tested a few items with the setup and bigger things I can’t test in a race weekend. I’m quite excited; I’m making a few steps with the bike, and I hope we can show that again here. It’s a track that I like. My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks. There’s nothing I can say on what’s happening. That’s where we’re at really; you can ask me the question all the time but I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment.”

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “The cards aren’t in my hands… we’ll see where I’ll end up”

Once more stating that his future isn’t clear, home-hero Loris Baz said: “I’m looking forward to it and it’s always nice to race at home; it’s once a year and I enjoy it a lot. WorldSBK is really popular in France so it’s good to see all the fans that come around. We had a good end to the first part and now I’m looking forward to ending the season as well as possible. The test was about getting ready for Aragon but also here, a base setup that works well at both. We were trying to get some confidence in our pocket for the rest of the season. For 2024, the cards aren’t in my hands and it will get sorted sooner or later. We’ll see where I’ll end up.”

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “The idea is to continue with Honda; we have a big goal”

With his future still unknown at round nine, Xavi Vierge provided an update on his 2024 situation: “I hope we will know something soon, but we can’t say anything right now. The idea is to continue with Honda. We have a big goal together and we haven’t achieved it yet. We had a good test at MotorLand. It’s always good to have a test in the summer break. You arrive more ready for the last part of the season. The test was good. We focused on the bike setup and made some big changes to make a step forward. We understood some things and we’ll try to take this to make a step. After the break, I’m looking forward to resuming the season. We started the season really strong but the last three rounds have been a bit lower than we expected. I think the final four rounds are tracks that are good for us.”

WorldSBK: Gardner Staying With GRT Yamaha In 2024

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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WorldSBK: Gardner Staying With GRT Yamaha In 2024

Yamaha and Gardner Extend Agreement for 2024 WorldSBK Season

Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm that Remy Gardner will continue with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship season, after agreeing a contract extension with the 25-year-old Australian ahead of this weekend’s Magny-Cours round.

Joining Yamaha for 2023, Gardner brought with him a wealth of experience gained in Grand Prix racing where, in 2021, the Australian was crowned as the FIM Moto2 World Champion and promoted to the premier MotoGP class the following season.

Adapting to the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, and the demands of production racing, after a career spent mostly racing prototypes meant a steep learning curve for Gardner in his debut WorldSBK season. Working closely with both his GYTR GRT Yamaha crew and Yamaha’s Engineers, the Australian has made steady progress, and returns to the fray this weekend targeting top five finishes in the 12 races remaining and top ten in the championship standings by season’s end.

Gardner will once again race alongside two-time Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter for the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2024, with the Swiss rider’s contract extension having already been announced during the summer break.

Andrea Dosoli: Road Racing Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe

“We are happy to be able to announce the extension of our partnership with Remy, and to finalise an unchanged rider line up at the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 season. We can see both the talent and the potential that Remy possesses and, although it’s been something of an inconsistent debut season for him in WorldSBK so far, we remain confident that we can achieve our goals together during the remainder of this season and the next. With Remy now onboard, we are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2024 season, which Yamaha will be contesting with an incredibly strong line up, with the four riders racing for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK and GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK teams counting 11 World Championship titles between them. This exceptional rider line up comes with significant responsibility for Yamaha, but we are committed to providing a competitive package that matches the talent of our riders and we have secured the resources and support required.”

Remy Gardner: GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

“I am really thrilled to announce my renewal with Yamaha for the 2024 season and I believe we have a promising future together. Next year will be my second year with the R1, and I couldn’t be happier with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. With an additional year of experience under our belts, I have high hopes for our performance. I already feel right at home, so it’s a great feeling to continue this journey, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Yamaha for this fantastic opportunity.”

MotoAmerica: Tight Title Chases Head To Circuit Of The Americas

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Tight Title Chases Head To Circuit Of The Americas

Only Three Points Separate Top Three In Battle For Mission King Of The Baggers Title

Mission King Of The Baggers And Three Other Support Classes Roll Into Texas, September 8-10, for the .

IRVINE, CA (September 7, 2023) – Three points. Three riders. Three measly points is all that separates the top three racers in the heated battle for the 2023 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship as the series heads to the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, for the penultimate round, September 8-10.

The man with the three-point lead as the series prepares for its eighth round is Vance & Hines/Mission/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim. The two men giving chase are H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman and Gillim’s teammate James Rispoli. All three have had crazily consistent seasons, and Wyman is the only one in the top three with a DNF on his scorecard.

Gillim earned his 175-point total with two wins, two seconds, three thirds, two fourths and a fifth with his two wins coming in the second half of the championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Brainerd International Raceway.

Wyman, the 2021 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion, has the most wins of the three, but he also has a DNF. Wyman arrived at his 172 points via five wins and only one other podium finish, a third in race one at Road America. Wyman is coming off an off-for-Wyman weekend at Brainerd where he finished fourth and fifth in the two races. He also has a ninth-place finish on his points tally. Wyman knows how to win as he is the all-time wins leader in the class with 10 victories.

Wyman is tied for second with the personable James Rispoli with the Florida resident only winning one race, but with six other podium finishes. Like Wyman, Rispoli has 172 points.

With the top three all riding Harley-Davidson Road Glides, the first of the Indian Challengers is the one ridden by Bobby Fong and not defending series champion Tyler O’Hara. Fong is 45 points behind Gillim but has proven capable of winning on any given day as evidenced by his two wins thus far in 2023. (Road America and Brainerd). Fong has three other podium finishes on the year.

O’Hara is next and a disappointed fifth in the championship and is surprisingly winless on the season so far. O’Hara does have three second-place finishes and two third places, but he is seven points behind Fong and 52 behind his rival Kyle Wyman.

Mission King Of The Baggers rookie Jake Lewis sits sixth in the championship and has scored in every round but has yet to reach the podium.

The second of the two factory Indians and Harley-Davidsons have also had disappointing seasons with Jeremy McWilliams ninth and Travis Wyman 10th, respectively.

Steel Commander Stock 1000 – Beaubier vs. Gillim vs. De Keyrel

Orange Cat Racing’s Ezra Beaubier leads the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship over Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim with just the two races at COTA remaining in the five-round, 10-race series. The margin? Eight points.

But that’s not all. Beaubier’s teammate Kaleb De Keyrel is just four more points behind, and Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman is on the outside looking in, 15 points behind De Keyrel and 27 behind Beaubier.

With his two wins at Brainerd International Raceway at the end of July, Gillim took over as the Stock 1000 racer with the most victories on the year – four. Beaubier, however, has won three, including the first two races of the season at Road Atlanta that put him atop the point standings where he has been ever since.

Beaubier’s 145 points come via three wins, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth. Gillim, meanwhile, has been fighting back from a miserable DNF/sixth-placed weekend to open his season in Atlanta. His four victories since then are what has him back in the championship chase.

De Keyrel is winless thus far but has four second-place finishes and five total podiums. Wyman is the third rider in the title chase to have tasted victory, but he has a non-finish that blemishes his scorecard.

Supersport – Forés On The Verge

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Forés is on the verge of capturing the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship with the Spaniard holding down a whopping 86-point lead heading into the two races at COTA and the final two at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Forés won the first eight races of the season to build a lead that has his competition scratching their collective heads, but the series rookie has also gone the last four races without a victory.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott sits second in the title chase with two wins and seven additional podium finishes and that has him 13 points clear of third-placed Stefano Mesa. Mesa, however, won’t be racing in the class for the two remaining rounds as he’s been drafted up by his Tytlers Cycle Racing team to fill in for the injured Cameron Beaubier in the Medallia Superbike Championship. Mesa will make his debut in the class this weekend at COTA.

That means that Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes will slot himself into the top three as he trails Mesa by just four points and is 67 points clear of Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs.

With Mesa heading to the Medallia Superbike for the final two rounds, the Tytlers Cycle Racing team is bringing in Kayla Yaakov to ride Mesa’s Kawasaki ZX-6R at COTA and NJMP. Yaakov has been released from her contract with The WagBar MP13 Racing where she has been competing in the REV’IT! Twins Cup series.

Disrupt Racing’s Jake Lewis rounds out the top five in the championship despite not being drafted into the team until the third round of the series.

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Tied At The Top

A three-point gap between first and third in the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, an eight-point margin between first and second in the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship and (… wait for it) a tie at the top in the battle for supremacy in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.

Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods teammates Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams arrive in the Lone Star State tied in the title chase with 106 points apiece.

O’Hara has three victories to McWilliams’ two wins and both riders have a non-points-paying race from their disqualification at Ridge Motorsports Park. O’Hara has one other podium to go with his three wins while McWilliams has three additional podiums.

This one truly does come down to a winner-take-all battle and calculators won’t be needed.

DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino has also had a solid season on his KTM with his lone victory at Ridge Motorsports Park going with three additional podium finishes.

DiBrino is 15 points ahead of Team Saddlemen’s Cory West and his Harley-Davidson Pan America and another 14 ahead of Grey Area Racing’s Mark Price.

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

Aprilia Unveils New RS 457 Twin-Cylinder Sportbike

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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Aprilia Unveils New RS 457 Twin-Cylinder Sportbike

INTRODUCING APRILIA RS 457: A NEW ERA BEGINS IN THE WORLD OF APRILIA

The new RS 457 aims to establish itself as the new benchmark in technology and style for new and experienced motorcyclists worldwide

NEW YORK, N.Y. – September 7, 2023 – THE RS 457 REPRESENTS A HISTORIC LEAP FORWARD FOR APRILIA, NOT ONLY IN TECHNOLOGY BUT ALSO IN ITS APPEAL TO NEW DEMOGRAPHICS AND MARKETS TO MEET THE GROWING WORLDWIDE DEMAND FOR ACCESSIBLE YET THRILLING MOTORCYCLES. WITH THE ADDITION OF THE RS 457, APRILIA NOW TRULY OFFERS A MOTORCYCLE FOR EVERY CUSTOMER.

THE NEW ENGINE IS SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATED WITH A RIGID ALUMINUM FRAME, SETTING THE RS 457 APART IN ITS SEGMENT. DRAWING ON APRILIA’S DECADES OF EXPERTISE ACCUMULATED THROUGH VICTORIES ON RACETRACKS WORLDWIDE, THE CRANKCASE IS POSITIONED AS A LOAD-BEARING ELEMENT, MIRRORING THE APPROACH USED IN THE RS 660. THIS ENSURES LOW WEIGHT, EXCEPTIONAL DYNAMICS, AND THE RIDING PLEASURE FOR WHICH APRILIA IS RENOWNED.

THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ON THE APRILIA RS 457 IS UNRIVALED, CATERING TO A DIVERSE RANGE OF RIDERS WHILE REMAINING FAITHFUL TO APRILIA’S HERITAGE. THE RIDE BY WIRE SYSTEM, PIONEERED BY APRILIA ENGINEERS, MANAGES THE ENGINE MAPPING WITH THREE DISTINCT RIDING MODES THAT MODULATE POWER, TORQUE DELIVERY, AND TRACTION CONTROL. THESE FEATURES ARE ADJUSTABLE ACROSS THREE LEVELS.

THE APRILIA RS 457 AIMS TO ESTABLISH ITSELF AS THE NEW BENCHMARK IN TECHNOLOGY AND STYLE FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED MOTORCYCLISTS WORLDWIDE. IT EMBODIES APRILIA’S DEVOTION TO PERFORMANCE.

Michele Colaninno – Piaggio Group CEO

“In recent years, the Aprilia brand has seen an intense burst of renewal, also supported by continued progress in the racing world. The recent introduction of the 660 family, with RS and Tuono first and Tuareg later, has expanded its target, creating a full and competitive range. We are now ready to take another step towards the future with an astonishing bike developed entirely in Noale, capable of stimulating and thrilling young people and opening up huge potential in new markets, near and far. It is a step closer to the globalization of a brand that has always had the perfect combination of technology, fun, and looking to the future in its DNA.”

The RS range has been a leading player in the racing world, dominating the 2-stroke categories. After reaffirming its technological prowess by winning SBK competitions, it has also risen to prominence in MotoGP. Now, Aprilia returns to its founding mission with a project for a new generation of motorcyclists, pooling the knowledge accumulated on tracks worldwide.

Starting in 2020, the massive success of the Aprilia RS 660 (Europe’s best-selling sport bike) has revolutionized the world of mid-range sport bikes, creating a new segment. The same winning formula is repeated with the Aprilia RS 457, which began as a completely new project, conceived, and developed in Noale, Italy, where all Aprilia’s are created, including MotoGP bikes. The new Aprilia is the ideal link between the first 125 engines and the RS 660. It completes the RS family that includes the powerful V4 superbikes and, at its most technologically advanced, the MotoGP-winning RS-GP.

Maverick Vinales at speed on an Aprilia RS 457. Photo courtesy Aprilia.

The Aprilia RS 457 speaks to a new generation of riders, exploiting all the company’s expertise to design and build a true sport bike. The strengths of this motorcycle are its lightness, ease of handling, and technological equipment. The RS 457 is designed to accompany motorcyclists as they progress on road and track. The ergonomics feature clip-on handlebars mounted above the upper triple clamp, a practical solution that provides the best compromise between sportiness and riding comfort.

The new RS 457’s styling follows the legendary RS range; the supersport bikes that made motorcycling history. Starting from the aggressive aerodynamic front fairing to the underbelly silencer with a 2-in-1 exhaust, the RS 457 shares the same DNA from its larger siblings. The full LED front headlamp houses the iconic light signature shared across the Aprilia RS range. The dashboard boasts an elegant and practical 5-inch TFT color instrument display, along with all-new backlit handlebar controls.

The Aprilia RS 457 is powered by a state-of-the-art, liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine, with double overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder, delivering 47 horsepower. Beyond just power, the motorcycle’s weight is equally impressive, with a dry weight of 350 lbs.

The new engine is paired with a stiff frame. The aluminum frame makes the RS 457 unique for bikes in its segment. All of Aprilia’s design expertise, honed over decades of victories on all the world’s racetracks, has gone into its development. The crankcase functions as a load-bearing element, a solution borrowed from the RS 660, which ensures the low weight, dynamic qualities, and riding pleasure that have made Aprilia famous.

The 41 mm front fork provides 120 mm of travel and the rear monoshock, working in tandem with the steel swingarm, provides 130 mm of wheel travel, both offering preload adjustability. The braking system incorporates a 320 mm front disc with a ByBre radial-mount 4-piston caliper. At the rear, a 220 mm steel disc is paired with a ByBre caliper. Both wheels benefit from a two-channel ABS system with dual map settings, available for both wheels or exclusively for the front. The 17-inch sport rims accommodate 110/70 tires at the front and 150/60 at the rear, providing exceptional grip while preserving agility, a defining characteristic in the Aprilia RS family.

The electronic equipment on the Aprilia RS 457 is unrivaled, catering to a diverse range of riders while remaining faithful to Aprilia’s heritage. The Ride by Wire system, pioneered by Aprilia engineers, manages the engine mapping with three distinct riding modes that modulate power, torque delivery, and traction control. These features are adjustable across three levels. Additionally, a quickshifter (up and down) is available as an accessory for enhanced performance.

CVMA: Next-Gen Supersport Bikes Incorporated Into 2023-2024 Winter Series

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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CVMA: Next-Gen Supersport Bikes Incorporated Into 2023-2024 Winter Series

CVMA Gearing Up for the 2023-2024 Winter Series

Chuckwalla Valley Raceway

With Labor Day in the past and summer coming to a close, most motorcycle racing organizations are finishing up their racing seasons. However, in the Chuckwalla Valley of the California desert things are just starting to heat up and CVMA is getting ready for seven awesome rounds of motorcycle road racing. The first round of the CVMA 2023-2024 winter series is just around the corner kicking things off on October 6-8. We expect racers from all over to join us for another season of some of the most competitive club racing in the country. If your local race season is coming to a close. We invite you to come out to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway and join us all winter long under the California sunshine!

If you would like to start racing, there is no better place than CVMA for amateurs to learn their craft and advance to compete against some of the best in the country. The first CVMA New Racer School of the new season will happen Friday, October 6th and registration is now open on the CVMA website:

https://cvma.motorsportreg.com/events/cvma-new-racer-school-chuckwalla-valley-raceway-413651

CVMA would like to congratulate our Amateur racers who are taking the big step up to racing as experts with us this season and we look forward to seeing your progress throughout the coming season.

We would also like to congratulate those riders who earned a top 10 number plate for the coming season!

#1 Corey Alexander

#2 David Kohlstaedt

#3 Justin Bordonaro

#4 Owen Williams

#5 Sahar Zvik

#6 Jon Glaefke

#7 Igor Sokolov

#8 Angela Brunson

#9 Jasmine Nichols

#10 Dennis Bowers

CVMA would also like to welcome all the riders racing the MotoAmerica Next Generation Supersport class to come out and race with us over the winter. We have modified our Middleweight Shootout class rules to align closely with the MotoAmerica Next Generation Supersport rules so your bikes are legal for our premier Middleweight race!

Registration for round one will be open soon! Keep an eye on our website www.cvmaracing.com for an announcement. Also, when you register, be sure to opt in for email notifications so you don’t miss other important announcements.

CVMA offers two full days of racing every race weekend and includes Saturday qualifying for grid position in all classes, amateur, and expert, as well as a wide variety of classes to choose from. Also provided are two racer-only practice groups during the Friday track day hosted by Apex Assassins Motorcycle Track Days. CVMA offers free reciprocity as a means of encouraging racers from other clubs to come out and compete. CVMA also offers a New Racers School for those starting out in racing on the Friday before each race weekend. Log on to www.cvmaracing.com to sign up or for more information.

CVMA. Built for racers by racers and offering the best racing experience around!

CVMA would also like to thank the 2023/2024 Winter Series Sponsors: SoCal Track Days, Apex Assassins Track Days, Ryder Gear, and CaliPhotography

NRS Sponsors: Alpinestars, 6D Helmets, Racer Gloves, and Racer’s Edge

MotoGP: Aprilia’s RS-GP – The Aero Revolution Is Complete

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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MotoGP: Aprilia’s RS-GP – The Aero Revolution Is Complete

By Michael Gougis

For six glorious laps, Aprilia not only led the Grand Prix of Catalunya, it locked out the podium. Riders on the RS-GP led every lap of the race, and for a chunk of it, Maverick Vinales, Aleix Espargaro, and Miguel Oliveira filled all the trophy spots. Espargaro won over Vinales, and while Oliveira faded to fifth at the end, behind him there were three riders who, between them, had 11 World Championships.

Remember, before the start of the 2021 season, Aprilia had tried to sign multiple riders to its MotoGP team, only to be told, in short, thanks but no thanks. Two years later, it’s one of the most desirable bikes on the grid.

I had a chance to talk to Romano Albesiano, Aprilia’s MotoGP Technical Director, in Portugal. We stood next to that iteration of the RS-GP, and he generously explained the bike’s aerodynamics to me. More than that, he said bluntly that aero was going to make the difference between winning and losing.

“Of course top speed is good for passing and to avoid getting passed,” Albesiano said. “But for improving the overall performance over the lap, this (aero) is the way to go.”

It’s not just about streamlining or wings anymore. Aprilia, to a greater extent than any other manufacturer, recognized that aero could be used to generate mid-corner downforce that loaded the tire directly, and chose to pursue that development path. By creating venturi tunnels in the fairing lowers that sucked the bike downward when it was leaned over, the engineers created more grip.

The faster the bike goes, the more downforce it creates. The longer and faster the curves, the more time such a bike gains; as every race coach I have ever had has told me, time is found in the fast turns, not the slow ones. The slicker the track, the bigger the gap between venturi-effect machines and bikes with more traditional aerodynamics. All of these factors were in evidence at the fast, curvy, low-grip Catalunya circuit last weekend, and there the RS-GP was untouchable.

Espargaro told me at Portugal that in the fast, fast right-handers that end the lap there, his bike was on rails. All that was needed, he said, was some additional fine-tuning, balancing the downforce against steering; downforce makes the machine harder to turn, so the chassis must be adapted deal with the new forces.

Aprilia’s engineers did some fine-tuning over the summer break and got it right. At the fast, flowing Silverstone circuit, Espargaro won the Grand Prix, Vinales was on the podium in the Sprint, and Aprilia took three of the top five places in the Grand Prix. Only an inspired ride by defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia in the Sprint prevented Aprilia from going 1-2 in both races at Catalunya. And the way Bagnaia had to defend against Vinales in the short race, it was difficult to see him holding off Vinales for much longer. Bagnaia made it clear that he believed that Aprilia had the better machine.

Here’s the point: Barring massive rule changes, this is the future of road racing machines. Similar to the situation in F1 car racing, motorcycle road racing engineers can no longer ignore the simple fact that a well-designed fairing and ancillary aerodynamic components can create grip out of thin air. And grip = speed. That’s a formula every racer understands. Right now, Ducati can hold its own due to the sheer power of its desmodromic engine, stability under braking and the (probably under-appreciated) talent of Bagnaia. But Ducati already has started copying some of the Aprilia aero developments.

Aero isn’t a bolt-on solution. It’s a comprehensive way of looking at a modern MotoGP bike, a fundamental baseline from which to begin designing one, something that changes every aspect of riding one. (For example, Luca Marini pointed out after the Catalunya race that riders no longer try to “draft” another rider out of a corner if they can help it, because the “dirty” air from the leading bike reduces the effectiveness of the following bike’s front wings, which means more wheelie and less forward drive.)

No one seriously thinks Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo or Joan Mir–the above-mentioned MotoGP World Champions–have forgotten how to ride a racebike. But they are on machines designed with aero as an afterthought, a bolt-on. Honda and Yamaha are still messing around with front wings and exhaust systems. It’s like watching them race Moto2 bikes in a MotoGP race. Combined, so far this year Marquez, Quartararo, and Mir have 109 points. Espargaro has 154.

This revolution is over. Venturi-generated downforce is the future, and don’t be surprised when it increasingly shows up in the design of sportbikes for sale in a dealership near you.

MotoGP: Mooney VR46 Racing Team Confirms Marini For 2024

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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MotoGP: Mooney VR46 Racing Team Confirms Marini For 2024

YELLOW COLORED 2024 FOR LUCA MARINI

Luca will be a rider of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team also in 2024 on the Ducati Desmosedici GP

Misano Adriatico (Italy), September 7th 2023 – Luca Marini and the Mooney VR46 Racing Team will be together again in 2024. A choice of continuity for Luca, in the orbit of the Tavullia Team since 2018 and the first rider to wear the VR46 colors in MotoGP (Season 2021).

Joining the Moto2 Team in 2018, Luca links the key moments of his sporting career to this crew. First podium (GermanGP 2018) and the second place in the Championship in 2020 in the middle category (result also enhanced by the Team title).

Currently seventh in the general standings (125 points), Luca is among the most solid riders in MotoGP. Constantly in the Top10, once on the podium (P2 AmericasGP, plus P3 in the Sprint at ArgentinaGP) he will be lined up at the start of the new season on the Ducati Desmosedici GP.

LUCA MARINI – 10

Remaining in the Mooney VR46 Racing Team also in 2024 is for me a question of trust in a very close-knit working group, which has believed in me for many years. As a Team, we will do everything to achieve our goals the next season. Not only Vale, Uccio and Pablo whom I thank, but the whole technical Team that supports me and Ducati. Being among the protagonists of the 2024 season, fighting for the Championship as a rider and as a Team is certainly a real ambition.

ALESSIO SALUCCI, TEAM DIRECTOR

I am very pleased to be able to confirm that Luca will also stay with us in 2024. It will be the seventh season with the Team and this is a truly significant recognition of trust for all of us and all our partners who support the project. Confirming a growing Team with the support of Ducati has a symbolic meaning. Luca is a hard worker, always precise, focused on details and this is a real plus in today’s MotoGP. Fast, constant and very solid, I think he has collected less than he deserved so far and I hope he can do his best in these remaining races and in the future.

PABLO NIETO, TEAM MANAGER

Our 2024 line up is complete and I am very happy to have confirmed both riders. The extension of Luca’s contract for another year means a big boost of confidence for everyone in the Team. A solid working group, with the support of Ducati, built two years ago and which, thanks to the commitment of everyone, including our partners, is achieving ambitious results. Luca is now a certainty in the MotoGP Championship, always constantly among the first guys and I’m sure he will be able to obtain many satisfactions in the future.

MotoAmerica: Scholtz Is “Ready To Bring The Heat” At COTA

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Scholtz Is “Ready To Bring The Heat” At COTA

Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Is Ready To Bring The Heat This Weekend At Circuit Of The Americas

Tulsa, OK – Round eight, the penultimate round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship, takes place this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, and besides the triple-digit air temperatures forecast for the weekend, Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team will also be bringing the heat in MotoAmerica’s Superbike class.

COTA has been the site of a lot of success for Mathew and his #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike. Last year, he had two runner-up results at the 20-turn, 3.426-mile circuit, and it’s also the track where he won his second career MotoAmerica Superbike race in 2018.

Also weighing in Mathew’s and the team’s favor is the fact that The Scholtz Kid is arguably the most physically fit Superbike rider in the MotoAmerica paddock. His training and nutrition regimen are well-suited for the conditions expected this weekend, which should give him a competitive edge on track.

“These are the kind of conditions I train for,” Mathew said. “It makes all those reps in the gym and all those motos in the heat down in Georgia worthwhile. I thrive in the heat because I prepare for it. And, I know the Westby team prepares the bike with the same attention to detail. I’m looking forward to COTA and to this second-to-last round of the season. We’ll be pushing hard to have our best weekend.”

Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:10 CT, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3 CT and Superbike race two is on Sunday afternoon also at 3 CT. Both races will be shown live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel.

For all the action from COTA, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.

Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More

Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 a.m. to Noon Sunday on pit lane at COTA. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.

Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase

Miami Thread, Motorex USA, Renthal Ltd., and Suter Racing Products are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.

For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit www.WestbyRacing.com

Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.

NJMP Hosting Advanced Open Track Day Oct. 18 On Lightning Course

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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NJMP Hosting Advanced Open Track Day Oct. 18 On Lightning Course

Coming Soon to New Jersey Motorsports Park NJMP Advanced Motorcycle Open Track Day October 18, 2023

Register NOW for the FIRST Motorcycle Open Track Day on Wednesday, October 18 on Lightning!

Get The Track Time You’ve Been Waiting For

New Jersey Motorsports Park is excited to introduce a brand-new concept for motorcycle track days. Our first NJMP Motorcycle Advanced Open Track Day will allow an open track format for 8 hours.

Our Advanced Riders will have the ability to enter and exit the track at any time. No RUN GROUPS or 15-to-20-minute sessions. Go on or off the track whenever you want. This will provide the ultimate opportunity for extended track time.

We will take an hour lunch and will provide a complimentary lunch buffet at the Finish Line Pub located at the Clubhouse.

This new format will be limited to 50 Advanced Riders Only! We will provide tech inspection in the morning, followed by a mandatory Riders Meeting in the classroom, and then the track goes hot for the rest of the day. Join us for the Ultimate Track Day with 8 hours of track time for Advanced Riders Only!

Register NOW!

For More Information and Additional Documents Click the Button Below

Learn More

Strider Has Sold Four Million Balance Bikes

David Swarts

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September 7, 2023

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Strider Has Sold Four Million Balance Bikes

Strider Bikes Hits 4 Million Bikes Sold Milestone

The balance bike leader celebrates helping over 10 million kids learn how to ride a bike

RAPID CITY, SD., September 7, 2023 — Strider Bikes, the leader in kids balance bikes, announced today that the company has sold over 4 million bikes – solidifying its position as the leader in the kids balance bike industry.

Strider Bikes was born out of founder Ryan McFarland’s desire to share his passion for biking with his son. One of the first pioneers in the balance bike space, Strider Bikes has been leading industry innovation since 2007– building lightweight, efficient, all-terrain bikes that develop two-wheeled balance, coordination, and confidence in children. Thanks to Strider’s groundbreaking 2-in-1 Rocking Bike, kids as young as 6 months old across the globe are learning how to ride a bike before they’re even out of diapers. Research has found that learning with a balance bike helps kids transition to pedal bikes an average of 2 years earlier than those who use training wheels.

“Our dedication to innovation and excellence has allowed us to lower the age at which kids learn to ride a bicycle and has transformed the way kids approach their two-wheeled journey,” said Ryan McFarland, Founder and CEO, Strider Bikes. “With this milestone, we‘re not only marking a significant sales milestone, but celebrating the millions of kids we’ve helped learn to ride.”

What makes this milestone even more special is the impact it has had beyond just the number of bikes sold. It is estimated that at least 10 million kids have learned to ride on Strider bikes through hand-me-down bikes, second-hand bikes, and Strider’s social impact programs. Additionally, Strider Bikes proudly contributes 1 percent of every bike sold to the Strider Rider Fund, which has helped create opportunities for young riders globally. Over $2 million has been donated to date.

The annual Strider Cup will be taking place in Bentonville, AR on September 23, 2023 and Strider Bikes will be present at Toy Fair in New York, NY from September 30 to October 3, 2023. For more information about Strider Bikes, visit www.StriderBikes.com.

About Strider Sports International, Inc:

Founded by Ryan McFarland in 2007, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Strider has sold more than 4 million bikes and is distributed in more than 75 countries. Strider’s bikes have been recognized as the best balance bikes on the market by publications such as The New York Times, Parents, and Today’s Parent. Beyond the bikes, the company has inspired and nurtured a thriving community and significantly contributes to social impact programs.

WorldSBK: More On Rea’s Switch To Yamaha And Kawasaki’s Replacement Search

September 7, 2023

Jonathan Rea spoke about his future with the media Thursday at Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic. Photo courtesy Dorna. — Jonathan Rea. Photo courtesy Dorna.