Daniel Holgado led FIM Moto3 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring, in Spielberg, Austria. Riding his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine, the Spaniard covered the 2.7-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:41.899 to head the field of 30 entries.
Moto3 P1
Matteo Ferrari was fastest during FIM MotoE World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Felo Gresini MotoE electrified Ducati, the Italian lapped the 2.7-mile (4.348 km) road course in 1:39.712 to lead the field of 18 riders.
MotoE P1
STATEMENT: HARUKI NOGUCHI
Dated 17th August 2023, in honour of Haruki Noguchi’s family and team who have requested for a moment of privacy to mourn their loss.
It is with great sadness that we report the demise of Haruki Noguchi after three days of intensive treatment at the Public Hospital of Nusa Tenggara Barat.
During Round 4 of the FIM Asia Road Championship, 2023 that was held at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Haruki was critically injured following an incident at Turn 10, Lap 4 of the Asia Superbike 1000cc race category.
The 22-year-old rider immediately received medical attention at the circuit’s Medical Centre before being transferred to the local hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, Haruki sadly succumbed to his injuries on 16 August 2023 at 1740H.
The FIM Asia President and its Board of Directors, Two Wheels Motor Racing and the FIM Asia Road Racing family extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Haruki Noguchi.
Forés Isn’t Perfect But He’s Still On The Path To The MotoAmerica Supersport Title
Spaniard Xavi Forés Has A Big Points Lead Heading Into Round Seven At
Pittsburgh international Race Complex
IRVINE. CA (August 17, 2023) – Although Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Forés had his first non-perfect weekend of the season at Brainerd International Raceway a few weeks ago, it likely did very little to make him lose sleep over his MotoAmerica Supersport Championship points lead heading into this weekend’s seventh round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, August 19-21.
With 150 points up for grabs in the final three rounds (six races), the Spanish veteran rider has an 84-point lead – despite an off-weekend in Minnesota where Forés was seventh and fourth in the two races after struggling to find a setup he was comfortable with at BIR.
Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes was the man who made the most hay while the sun shined at Brainerd with the four-time AMA Superbike Champion finishing first and second in the two races for a points haul of 45 out of a possible 50 points. He also came out of the weekend as the all-time wins leader in AMA road racing with his 87th victory coming in race one and he was happy to put that (and all the talk that went with it) behind him.
Hayes heads to Pittsburgh just three points ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with the youngster also having a good weekend with a third in race one and his second career Supersport victory in race two.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa slipped from second to fourth in the championship chase at Brainerd with two fifth-place finishes. Mesa is 13 points behind Scott and 54 points ahead of Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs.
PittRace will feature the largest number of Supersport entries thus far in 2023 with 41 racers entered on five different brands of motorcycles.
REV’IT Twins Cup – Long Time No See
The 2023 MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup series picks up again after not taking part in the Brainerd round of the MotoAmerica Championship with early-season points leader Gus Rodio and his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 back at the top of the point standings.
Rodio is coming off a solid weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where he scored 45 points via his second- and first-place finishes in the two races and he has a points lead, albeit slender, of three points over defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7.
The man the majority of the class fears the most is Rodio’s teammate Rocco Landers, the winner of five REV’IT! Twins Cup races thus far in 2023. Landers, however, didn’t do his championship any favors when he crashed out of the lead in race two at Laguna Seca. He trails Rodio by 18 points and Davis by 15 points.
Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Jackson Blackmon is fourth in the title chase and only four points clear of Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz and six ahead of Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle.
Five different riders have won REV’IT! Twins Cup races thus far in 2023: Landers (5), Rodio (2), Davis (1), Doyle (1) and Stefano Mesa (1).
Junior Cup – Dreher Leads, Moor On The Move
Early in the year, Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher looked like he was on an unstoppable run toward the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship as he won four of the first five races. But things have changed a bit as Dreher doesn’t have a win in the past three races while Fairium NGRT- Gray Area Racing’s Rossi Moor and his KTM have started to heat up with two wins and two runner-up finishes in the past four races.
However, Dreher still holds down a 26-point lead over SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van with Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese, Moor and Badie Racing’s Levi Badie in a group of racers giving chase in the championship.
Van leads Bicknese by five points with Moor another three behind and Badie four more behind as just 12 points separate second from fifth in the title chase. Bicknese and Van are the only two in the top five still chasing their first 2023 class victory.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – All Over But The Party
Basically, if Mikayla Moore shows up at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and throws her leg over her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, she will be crowned champion of the class.
With just two races and 50 points up for grabs, Moore leads the title chase by 47 points, 125-78, over Sonya Lloyd. For someone who has won each of the five previous races for a perfect season thus far, scoring three points probably won’t be a problem.
While the battle for the championship is basically non-existent, there is a fight for second with Crystal Martinez only 11 points behind Lloyd and Kayleigh Buyck, last year’s champion, just another seven behind Martinez and only three ahead of Ashley Truxal and five ahead of Aubrey Credaroli.
Mission Mini Cup By Motul – Gouker, Davis On Top
With the scheduled round at New Jersey Motorsports Park getting washed out back in July, PittRace will mark the fourth round of the championship and the names at the top of the point standings are familiar.
Nathan Gouker has a 17-point lead over Reese Frankenfield in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul Ohvale 160 class, and Ryder Davis has a whopping 45-point lead over Mahdi Salem in the Ohvale 190 class.
The same two riders, Gouker and Davis, also lead the way in the 160 and 190 classes in the FIM Mini Cup Ohvale Championships with 16- and 35-point leads, respectively.
In the Stock classes, Weston Fager leads Cruise Texter by 18 points in the Stock 50 class, Ryan Clark has a 44-point lead over Joel Laub in Stock 110 and Nathan Bettencourt is comfortably ahead in the Stock 125 class championship.
Pre-Pitt Race Support Class Notes
Rocco Landers and Josh Herrin split Supersport class wins at PittRace last year with Landers beating Herrin and Tyler Scott in race one and Herrin besting Landers and Scott in race two.
Blake Davis and Cory Ventura won the pair of REV’IT! Twins Cup races a year ago in Wampum. Davis won race one ahead of Kaleb De Keyrel and Hayden Schultz with Ventura taking race two over Davis and Dominic Doyle.
Eventual Junior Cup Champion Cody Wyman took a big step towards that title last year with a sweep of the two races at PittRace. Wyman beat Gus Rodio in both races with Max Van and Kayla Yaakov filling the podium on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Kayleigh Buyck, who would go on to capture the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship won the lone race at Pittsburgh International Race Complex over Crystal Martinez and Chloe Petersen.
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.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Home Round at PittRace for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Team Has Herrin and Forés
Sunnyvale, Calif., August 17, 2023 — MotoAmerica reconvenes in the Northeast for round seven of the 2023 championship this weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, which doubles as a home round for the factory-backed Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team.
The stunning 2.8-mile, 19-turn road course has been a happy hunting ground for the Ducati Panigale V4 R and V2, with the 2022 meeting seeing a double podium for then-Supersport rider Herrin and Superbike star, Danilo Petrucci.
Fast forward to 2023 and it’s all switched up as Herrin rides the crest of a wave, having been fastest at the Dunlop tire test held recently at Circuit of The Americas in Texas despite not feeling his best. The Californian resident now switches his attention to PittRace, where he hopes to claim his first race win since race two of round four at Road Atlanta.
For Forés, this weekend marks the first match point of his record breaking debut in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. Holding a commanding 84 point advantage over Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, if Forés leaves PittRace with 100 points or more in hand, he will wrap up the championship with two full rounds remaining in the series.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – #2):
“I’m super pumped about this weekend,” Herrin said. “I was feeling the most comfortable I have the entire year on the V4 R in Race 2 at Brainerd when we suffered our mechanical, so that was at least something to feel positive about. We also went to Circuit of The Americas for a test last week and ended up fastest, even while I was under the weather. I think this is going to be a great weekend for us. My team have been working so hard and this one is for them.”
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V2 – #12)
“It’s another new track for me, which is interesting because it’s so close to the team base,” said Forés. “We’ve not had a chance to ride there, so it’s completely new again. I’ve been studying the races from last year and it looks like a nice track, pretty similar to The Ridge where I was quite fast this year. We’ve made some good steps at CoTA in Texas at the test last week, and now the bike seems to be working a bit better. We have a possibility to win the championship this weekend but I am not focusing on that. If it happens, it happens, then we will wait for the next round. The target is to get back to winning ways and to enjoy racing once more.”
The seventh round of MotoAmerica 2023 will see bikes on track at 9:00 am EDT on Friday, August 18, with Forés the first of the Ducatis to hit the track at 10:20 am EDT for Supersport FP1. Herrin will take to the track for Superbike FP1 at 11:05 am EDT.
MotoGP fans saw the extraordinary spectacle of Yamaha factory rider and World Champion Fabio Quartararo riding with his Alpinestars leathers open at the 2021 Catalunya Grand Prix. Even more astounding, Quartararo reached into his suit, grabbed and discarded his chest protector during the final few laps of the race. Riding without the body armor and with his leathers unfastened earned him a three-second penalty which dropped him from third to fourth in the final results.
While speculation abounded about what had gone wrong, a post-race investigation by Alpinestars found Quartararo’s suit intact with the zippers fully functional. Apparently, Quartararo did not zip his suit fully at the beginning of the race, with the zipper’s pull tab exposed to the wind and not hidden beneath the Velcro flap designed to cover it. Quartararo does not want that to happen again.
One of the racer’s leather suits from later in 2021 was on display at the Alpinestars introduction of its new Racing Absolute V2 leathers at Sonoma Raceway. A careful examination of Quartararo’s suit revealed that the racer now uses a double-flap system to ensure that the zipper pull stays put.
The first flap has a V-shaped notch in it. The zipper tab is pulled all the way up, the first flap is closed, and the tab sits in the notch. A second flap then is closed over the first, capturing the tab between a protective leather covering and the middle flap.
It may be extreme over-engineering. But think about how much money in terms of bonuses from Yamaha and his personal sponsors that it cost Quarataro when he was demoted from the podium, and all of a sudden it doesn’t seem so extreme…
It is what it is… There are silver linings though! We have pace, just low on luck. We’ll keep grinding.
Thanks for watching, let me know what your favorite part of the video was and let me know when I’ll see you at one of the races! Much love 🫶🏽
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Shot & edited by Brad Schwartzrock (@bradschwartzrock)
MotoAmerica: How To Watch MotoAmerica Superbikes at Pittsburgh
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes in Pittsburgh.
It’s Podium Time At PitRace For Mathew Scholtz This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round seven of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship is this weekend, and Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team will be competing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PittRace), a circuit where they’ve had a lot of success over the past six years.
Out of the 12 races Mathew has competed in at PittRace, he’s finished on the podium in six races, and been runner-up in four of those six podiums. What’s more, after finishing sixth in his very first visit to PittRace back in 2017, he’s recorded top-five results in the 11 other Superbike races he’s competed in at PittRace, and he has an average finishing position of 3.6 at PittRace for his career.
The only Superbike podium position Mathew hasn’t captured at PittRace yet is race winner, and that’s, of course, his and his team’s goal this weekend, as always. They’ve got three opportunities to get that win, too, since there will be three Superbike races this weekend.
“We’ve put Brainerd in the rearview mirror, and we’re excited to be at PittRace this weekend,” Mathew said. “It’s always been a really good track for us, and we’ve had a lot of success there. Also, having three races there this weekend is a bonus. Race wins are our goal because that’s what Tryg, this team, and our fans deserve. We’re ready to dig deep and make this a weekend to remember.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 9:50 ET, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3 ET, Superbike race two is on Sunday morning at Noon ET, and the weekend-concluding Superbike race three will start at 3 ET. All three races will be shown live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel.
For all the action from Pitt Race, 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 to 11:40 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Pitt Race. 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
Eazi-Grip Racing Products Ltd. and MWR Racing Air Filters 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.
“Racing Motorcycles Is Rock n’ Roll…”
By Michael Gougis
Leslie Stretch is the now-retired former CEO of Medallia (which sponsors the MotoAmerica Superbike series), who describes himself as “a huge motorcycle nut.” He’s putting his money where his mouth is, so to speak, to make the sport of racing motorcycles safer. He’s investing heavily in supporting the non-profit Roadracing World Action Fund (RWAF) and its mission of putting soft barriers made by Airfence and Alpina between racers and hard objects at tracks across North America.
“Motorcycles have been bigger for me than cars,” Stretch says. “These are hugely courageous warriors, and the skill involved in what they do is off the chart. It’s different than racing a four-wheel vehicle.
“I think the key to the sport’s success is keeping these guys safe as they entertain us. I think the Airfence initiative was very important. I think they need every sponsor and every fan to be invested in the sport. That’s how I got involved.”
Stretch started helping increase the safety of the riders a couple of years back, and has participated in all three “Rainey’s Ride To The Races” fundraisers headed by three-time 500cc World Champion (and MotoAmerica President) Wayne Rainey, held preceding the 2021, 2022, and 2023 MotoAmerica rounds at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Stretch tops the individual donor contribution list from the three rides with a total of $175,000 in donations to the Roadracing World Action Fund. That’s almost enough to cover half of RWAF’s latest two orders totaling an additional 36 Alpina soft barriers for use at MotoAmerica events. The new sections are linked to air pumps powered by Honda generators, forming a system which automatically maintains the ideal internal pressure for maximum energy absorption.
Safety, Stretch says, is critical to expanding the attraction of racing beyond the existing dedicated fans. “It’s key to broadening the appeal and increasing the audience, both at the track and digitally. It’s critical for people to know every possible effort has been made to keep the riders safe. It changes the engagement of the fans, especially the casual fans–people don’t want to see the consequences of crashes,” he says.
“Motorcycling and racing motorcycles is rock n’ roll. That is what is exciting about it. It’s good for the brand, it’s good for racing, and we’re on the verge of a renaissance beyond the hard-core fan base.”
Nowadays, Stretch can be most often found on his Ducati Multistrada or his Triumph Rocket 3, which he loves. “I’ve ridden it around Laguna Seca; (it’s) way, way better than you’d expect,” he adds.
Stretch’s two-wheel journey started when he was 15, the son of a single mom, in a family where affording a car was out of the question. “I got a Vespa, a moped. It cost me 15 pounds. And then my first Honda, a 125 four-speed, was my first proper motorcycle.”
Stretch was hooked, and his next bike was exactly what he wanted–the oh-so-desirable Honda CB400F, a high-revving four-cylinder with a chromed 4-1 exhaust that to this day is an icon of mechanical art. “That was my dream ride of the day,” he says. “I remember riding it and I just felt–free.”
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Roadracing World Action Fund, go here.
Wyatt Farris eased to a clear win over Bryce Prince in the headlining CTML Consultants Gold Cup race at the two-day California Racing Association (CRA) event August 12-13 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
On a typically hot August day in Central California, with the temperature soaring into triple digits, Farris took his BMW M 1000 RR to a 5.635-second win over Prince on his Yamaha YZF-R1 after 12 laps on the demanding 3.0-mile circuit.
Prince had the consolation of setting the race’s fastest lap, a 1:44.756 to Farris’ 1:44.896, and was nearly 17 seconds ahead of Deion Campbell on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Ben Hodges, Jason Rodriguez and Nayden Balladares completed the top six.
Prince also won the 1000 Supersport Expert Presented By Better Call Sy race on Sunday.
Sahar Zvik was the class of the middleweight field, taking four wins on his Kawasaki ZX-6R.
For more information on CRA visit their website at www.race-cra.com. Get licensed and let’s go racing. #areyoucra #racecra #iamcra
CRA would like to thank their sponsors for their support: CTML Consultants, Better Call Sy, Empowered Transportation, Feel Like a Pro, Track Daz, Let’s Ride Track Days, Rocket Cams, Inc., 61DTC, Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka, Racer’s Edge Performance, Pirelli, VnM Sport, Dunlop, Carter’s @ The Track, Fun Track Dayz, Eyes Up Motorsports, Motorsport Exotica, Kern County Powersports, Lieto Factory, Eyes Up Motorsports, RS Speedshop, Catalyst Reaction Tuning, KYT Helmets, Capit Americas, The Heights Bar & Grill (Upland, CA), Maria Cid – Farmer’s Insurance, Cinepixel Productions, New Century Motorcycles, Moto4Life, Pacific Utility, Twilio, Boxo USA, Mithos USA, Suspension Matters, Road Race City, Bridgestone, Ryder Gear
RESULTS
SATURDAY:
600GT:
1000GT:
TWINS GT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO 400 GT:
ROCKET CAMS OUTLAW V-TWINS GT:
RUFFIANS GT:
LADIES OF CRA – PRESENTED BY LET’S RIDE TRACK DAYS:
BST FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT:
BST FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT:
BST FORMULA 40 MIDDLEWEIGHT:
1000 SUPERSPORT AMATEUR:
1000 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
AMERICAN IRON:
MODERN VINTAGE:
RUFFIANS LIGHTWEIGHT:
600 SUPERSPORT AMATEUR:
600 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
RS SPEED SHOP TWINS GRAND PRIX:
SUNDAY
CTML CONSULTANTS GOLD CUP:
1000 SUPERBIKE AMATEUR BY BETTER CALL SY:
600 SUPERBIKE AMATEUR PRESENTED BY MOTORSPORT EXOTICA:
FEEL LIKE A PRO AMATEUR 400 SUPERBIKE:
FEEL LIKE A PRO EXPERT 400 SUPERBIKE:
EYES UP MOTORSPORTS BATTLE OF THE TWINS:
1000 SUPERSPORT EXPERT PRESENTED BY BETTER CALL SY:
FUN TRACK DAYZ 600 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
AMERICAN IRON BY EMPOWERED TRANSPORTATION:
MODERN VINTAGE:
BETTER CALL SY RUFFIANS HEAVYWEIGHT:
RUFFIANS LIGHTWEIGHT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO AMATEUR 400 SUPERSPORT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO EXPERT 400 SUPERSPORT:
TRACK DAZ EXPERT 1000 SUPERBIKE:
CARTERS@THETRACK EXPERT 600 SUPERBIKE:
LIETO FACTORY 1000 AMATEUR SUPERSPORT:
AMATEUR 600 SUPERSPORT:
FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT PRESENTED BY BLOOD SWEAT TEARS VODKA:
F40 LIGHTWEIGHT PRESENTED BY BLOOD SWEAT TEARS VODKA:
Daniel Holgado led FIM Moto3 World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring, in Spielberg, Austria. Riding his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine, the Spaniard covered the 2.7-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:41.899 to head the field of 30 entries.
Moto3 P1
Matteo Ferrari was fastest during FIM MotoE World Championship Practice One (P1) Friday morning at Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Felo Gresini MotoE electrified Ducati, the Italian lapped the 2.7-mile (4.348 km) road course in 1:39.712 to lead the field of 18 riders.
MotoE P1
STATEMENT: HARUKI NOGUCHI
Dated 17th August 2023, in honour of Haruki Noguchi’s family and team who have requested for a moment of privacy to mourn their loss.
It is with great sadness that we report the demise of Haruki Noguchi after three days of intensive treatment at the Public Hospital of Nusa Tenggara Barat.
During Round 4 of the FIM Asia Road Championship, 2023 that was held at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Haruki was critically injured following an incident at Turn 10, Lap 4 of the Asia Superbike 1000cc race category.
The 22-year-old rider immediately received medical attention at the circuit’s Medical Centre before being transferred to the local hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, Haruki sadly succumbed to his injuries on 16 August 2023 at 1740H.
The FIM Asia President and its Board of Directors, Two Wheels Motor Racing and the FIM Asia Road Racing family extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Haruki Noguchi.
Forés Isn’t Perfect But He’s Still On The Path To The MotoAmerica Supersport Title
Spaniard Xavi Forés Has A Big Points Lead Heading Into Round Seven At
Pittsburgh international Race Complex
IRVINE. CA (August 17, 2023) – Although Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Forés had his first non-perfect weekend of the season at Brainerd International Raceway a few weeks ago, it likely did very little to make him lose sleep over his MotoAmerica Supersport Championship points lead heading into this weekend’s seventh round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, August 19-21.
With 150 points up for grabs in the final three rounds (six races), the Spanish veteran rider has an 84-point lead – despite an off-weekend in Minnesota where Forés was seventh and fourth in the two races after struggling to find a setup he was comfortable with at BIR.
Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes was the man who made the most hay while the sun shined at Brainerd with the four-time AMA Superbike Champion finishing first and second in the two races for a points haul of 45 out of a possible 50 points. He also came out of the weekend as the all-time wins leader in AMA road racing with his 87th victory coming in race one and he was happy to put that (and all the talk that went with it) behind him.
Hayes heads to Pittsburgh just three points ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with the youngster also having a good weekend with a third in race one and his second career Supersport victory in race two.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa slipped from second to fourth in the championship chase at Brainerd with two fifth-place finishes. Mesa is 13 points behind Scott and 54 points ahead of Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs.
PittRace will feature the largest number of Supersport entries thus far in 2023 with 41 racers entered on five different brands of motorcycles.
REV’IT Twins Cup – Long Time No See
The 2023 MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup series picks up again after not taking part in the Brainerd round of the MotoAmerica Championship with early-season points leader Gus Rodio and his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 back at the top of the point standings.
Rodio is coming off a solid weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where he scored 45 points via his second- and first-place finishes in the two races and he has a points lead, albeit slender, of three points over defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7.
The man the majority of the class fears the most is Rodio’s teammate Rocco Landers, the winner of five REV’IT! Twins Cup races thus far in 2023. Landers, however, didn’t do his championship any favors when he crashed out of the lead in race two at Laguna Seca. He trails Rodio by 18 points and Davis by 15 points.
Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Jackson Blackmon is fourth in the title chase and only four points clear of Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz and six ahead of Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle.
Five different riders have won REV’IT! Twins Cup races thus far in 2023: Landers (5), Rodio (2), Davis (1), Doyle (1) and Stefano Mesa (1).
Junior Cup – Dreher Leads, Moor On The Move
Early in the year, Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher looked like he was on an unstoppable run toward the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship as he won four of the first five races. But things have changed a bit as Dreher doesn’t have a win in the past three races while Fairium NGRT- Gray Area Racing’s Rossi Moor and his KTM have started to heat up with two wins and two runner-up finishes in the past four races.
However, Dreher still holds down a 26-point lead over SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van with Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese, Moor and Badie Racing’s Levi Badie in a group of racers giving chase in the championship.
Van leads Bicknese by five points with Moor another three behind and Badie four more behind as just 12 points separate second from fifth in the title chase. Bicknese and Van are the only two in the top five still chasing their first 2023 class victory.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – All Over But The Party
Basically, if Mikayla Moore shows up at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and throws her leg over her Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, she will be crowned champion of the class.
With just two races and 50 points up for grabs, Moore leads the title chase by 47 points, 125-78, over Sonya Lloyd. For someone who has won each of the five previous races for a perfect season thus far, scoring three points probably won’t be a problem.
While the battle for the championship is basically non-existent, there is a fight for second with Crystal Martinez only 11 points behind Lloyd and Kayleigh Buyck, last year’s champion, just another seven behind Martinez and only three ahead of Ashley Truxal and five ahead of Aubrey Credaroli.
Mission Mini Cup By Motul – Gouker, Davis On Top
With the scheduled round at New Jersey Motorsports Park getting washed out back in July, PittRace will mark the fourth round of the championship and the names at the top of the point standings are familiar.
Nathan Gouker has a 17-point lead over Reese Frankenfield in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul Ohvale 160 class, and Ryder Davis has a whopping 45-point lead over Mahdi Salem in the Ohvale 190 class.
The same two riders, Gouker and Davis, also lead the way in the 160 and 190 classes in the FIM Mini Cup Ohvale Championships with 16- and 35-point leads, respectively.
In the Stock classes, Weston Fager leads Cruise Texter by 18 points in the Stock 50 class, Ryan Clark has a 44-point lead over Joel Laub in Stock 110 and Nathan Bettencourt is comfortably ahead in the Stock 125 class championship.
Pre-Pitt Race Support Class Notes
Rocco Landers and Josh Herrin split Supersport class wins at PittRace last year with Landers beating Herrin and Tyler Scott in race one and Herrin besting Landers and Scott in race two.
Blake Davis and Cory Ventura won the pair of REV’IT! Twins Cup races a year ago in Wampum. Davis won race one ahead of Kaleb De Keyrel and Hayden Schultz with Ventura taking race two over Davis and Dominic Doyle.
Eventual Junior Cup Champion Cody Wyman took a big step towards that title last year with a sweep of the two races at PittRace. Wyman beat Gus Rodio in both races with Max Van and Kayla Yaakov filling the podium on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Kayleigh Buyck, who would go on to capture the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship won the lone race at Pittsburgh International Race Complex over Crystal Martinez and Chloe Petersen.
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.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Home Round at PittRace for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Team Has Herrin and Forés
Sunnyvale, Calif., August 17, 2023 — MotoAmerica reconvenes in the Northeast for round seven of the 2023 championship this weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, which doubles as a home round for the factory-backed Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team.
The stunning 2.8-mile, 19-turn road course has been a happy hunting ground for the Ducati Panigale V4 R and V2, with the 2022 meeting seeing a double podium for then-Supersport rider Herrin and Superbike star, Danilo Petrucci.
Fast forward to 2023 and it’s all switched up as Herrin rides the crest of a wave, having been fastest at the Dunlop tire test held recently at Circuit of The Americas in Texas despite not feeling his best. The Californian resident now switches his attention to PittRace, where he hopes to claim his first race win since race two of round four at Road Atlanta.
For Forés, this weekend marks the first match point of his record breaking debut in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. Holding a commanding 84 point advantage over Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, if Forés leaves PittRace with 100 points or more in hand, he will wrap up the championship with two full rounds remaining in the series.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – #2):
“I’m super pumped about this weekend,” Herrin said. “I was feeling the most comfortable I have the entire year on the V4 R in Race 2 at Brainerd when we suffered our mechanical, so that was at least something to feel positive about. We also went to Circuit of The Americas for a test last week and ended up fastest, even while I was under the weather. I think this is going to be a great weekend for us. My team have been working so hard and this one is for them.”
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V2 – #12)
“It’s another new track for me, which is interesting because it’s so close to the team base,” said Forés. “We’ve not had a chance to ride there, so it’s completely new again. I’ve been studying the races from last year and it looks like a nice track, pretty similar to The Ridge where I was quite fast this year. We’ve made some good steps at CoTA in Texas at the test last week, and now the bike seems to be working a bit better. We have a possibility to win the championship this weekend but I am not focusing on that. If it happens, it happens, then we will wait for the next round. The target is to get back to winning ways and to enjoy racing once more.”
The seventh round of MotoAmerica 2023 will see bikes on track at 9:00 am EDT on Friday, August 18, with Forés the first of the Ducatis to hit the track at 10:20 am EDT for Supersport FP1. Herrin will take to the track for Superbike FP1 at 11:05 am EDT.
MotoGP fans saw the extraordinary spectacle of Yamaha factory rider and World Champion Fabio Quartararo riding with his Alpinestars leathers open at the 2021 Catalunya Grand Prix. Even more astounding, Quartararo reached into his suit, grabbed and discarded his chest protector during the final few laps of the race. Riding without the body armor and with his leathers unfastened earned him a three-second penalty which dropped him from third to fourth in the final results.
While speculation abounded about what had gone wrong, a post-race investigation by Alpinestars found Quartararo’s suit intact with the zippers fully functional. Apparently, Quartararo did not zip his suit fully at the beginning of the race, with the zipper’s pull tab exposed to the wind and not hidden beneath the Velcro flap designed to cover it. Quartararo does not want that to happen again.
One of the racer’s leather suits from later in 2021 was on display at the Alpinestars introduction of its new Racing Absolute V2 leathers at Sonoma Raceway. A careful examination of Quartararo’s suit revealed that the racer now uses a double-flap system to ensure that the zipper pull stays put.
The first flap has a V-shaped notch in it. The zipper tab is pulled all the way up, the first flap is closed, and the tab sits in the notch. A second flap then is closed over the first, capturing the tab between a protective leather covering and the middle flap.
It may be extreme over-engineering. But think about how much money in terms of bonuses from Yamaha and his personal sponsors that it cost Quarataro when he was demoted from the podium, and all of a sudden it doesn’t seem so extreme…
It is what it is… There are silver linings though! We have pace, just low on luck. We’ll keep grinding.
Thanks for watching, let me know what your favorite part of the video was and let me know when I’ll see you at one of the races! Much love 🫶🏽
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Shot & edited by Brad Schwartzrock (@bradschwartzrock)
MotoAmerica: How To Watch MotoAmerica Superbikes at Pittsburgh
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes in Pittsburgh.
It’s Podium Time At PitRace For Mathew Scholtz This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round seven of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship is this weekend, and Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team will be competing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PittRace), a circuit where they’ve had a lot of success over the past six years.
Out of the 12 races Mathew has competed in at PittRace, he’s finished on the podium in six races, and been runner-up in four of those six podiums. What’s more, after finishing sixth in his very first visit to PittRace back in 2017, he’s recorded top-five results in the 11 other Superbike races he’s competed in at PittRace, and he has an average finishing position of 3.6 at PittRace for his career.
The only Superbike podium position Mathew hasn’t captured at PittRace yet is race winner, and that’s, of course, his and his team’s goal this weekend, as always. They’ve got three opportunities to get that win, too, since there will be three Superbike races this weekend.
“We’ve put Brainerd in the rearview mirror, and we’re excited to be at PittRace this weekend,” Mathew said. “It’s always been a really good track for us, and we’ve had a lot of success there. Also, having three races there this weekend is a bonus. Race wins are our goal because that’s what Tryg, this team, and our fans deserve. We’re ready to dig deep and make this a weekend to remember.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 9:50 ET, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3 ET, Superbike race two is on Sunday morning at Noon ET, and the weekend-concluding Superbike race three will start at 3 ET. All three races will be shown live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel.
For all the action from Pitt Race, 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 to 11:40 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Pitt Race. 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
Eazi-Grip Racing Products Ltd. and MWR Racing Air Filters 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.
“Racing Motorcycles Is Rock n’ Roll…”
By Michael Gougis
Leslie Stretch is the now-retired former CEO of Medallia (which sponsors the MotoAmerica Superbike series), who describes himself as “a huge motorcycle nut.” He’s putting his money where his mouth is, so to speak, to make the sport of racing motorcycles safer. He’s investing heavily in supporting the non-profit Roadracing World Action Fund (RWAF) and its mission of putting soft barriers made by Airfence and Alpina between racers and hard objects at tracks across North America.
“Motorcycles have been bigger for me than cars,” Stretch says. “These are hugely courageous warriors, and the skill involved in what they do is off the chart. It’s different than racing a four-wheel vehicle.
“I think the key to the sport’s success is keeping these guys safe as they entertain us. I think the Airfence initiative was very important. I think they need every sponsor and every fan to be invested in the sport. That’s how I got involved.”
Stretch started helping increase the safety of the riders a couple of years back, and has participated in all three “Rainey’s Ride To The Races” fundraisers headed by three-time 500cc World Champion (and MotoAmerica President) Wayne Rainey, held preceding the 2021, 2022, and 2023 MotoAmerica rounds at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Stretch tops the individual donor contribution list from the three rides with a total of $175,000 in donations to the Roadracing World Action Fund. That’s almost enough to cover half of RWAF’s latest two orders totaling an additional 36 Alpina soft barriers for use at MotoAmerica events. The new sections are linked to air pumps powered by Honda generators, forming a system which automatically maintains the ideal internal pressure for maximum energy absorption.
Safety, Stretch says, is critical to expanding the attraction of racing beyond the existing dedicated fans. “It’s key to broadening the appeal and increasing the audience, both at the track and digitally. It’s critical for people to know every possible effort has been made to keep the riders safe. It changes the engagement of the fans, especially the casual fans–people don’t want to see the consequences of crashes,” he says.
“Motorcycling and racing motorcycles is rock n’ roll. That is what is exciting about it. It’s good for the brand, it’s good for racing, and we’re on the verge of a renaissance beyond the hard-core fan base.”
Nowadays, Stretch can be most often found on his Ducati Multistrada or his Triumph Rocket 3, which he loves. “I’ve ridden it around Laguna Seca; (it’s) way, way better than you’d expect,” he adds.
Stretch’s two-wheel journey started when he was 15, the son of a single mom, in a family where affording a car was out of the question. “I got a Vespa, a moped. It cost me 15 pounds. And then my first Honda, a 125 four-speed, was my first proper motorcycle.”
Stretch was hooked, and his next bike was exactly what he wanted–the oh-so-desirable Honda CB400F, a high-revving four-cylinder with a chromed 4-1 exhaust that to this day is an icon of mechanical art. “That was my dream ride of the day,” he says. “I remember riding it and I just felt–free.”
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Roadracing World Action Fund, go here.
Wyatt Farris eased to a clear win over Bryce Prince in the headlining CTML Consultants Gold Cup race at the two-day California Racing Association (CRA) event August 12-13 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
On a typically hot August day in Central California, with the temperature soaring into triple digits, Farris took his BMW M 1000 RR to a 5.635-second win over Prince on his Yamaha YZF-R1 after 12 laps on the demanding 3.0-mile circuit.
Prince had the consolation of setting the race’s fastest lap, a 1:44.756 to Farris’ 1:44.896, and was nearly 17 seconds ahead of Deion Campbell on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Ben Hodges, Jason Rodriguez and Nayden Balladares completed the top six.
Prince also won the 1000 Supersport Expert Presented By Better Call Sy race on Sunday.
Sahar Zvik was the class of the middleweight field, taking four wins on his Kawasaki ZX-6R.
For more information on CRA visit their website at www.race-cra.com. Get licensed and let’s go racing. #areyoucra #racecra #iamcra
CRA would like to thank their sponsors for their support: CTML Consultants, Better Call Sy, Empowered Transportation, Feel Like a Pro, Track Daz, Let’s Ride Track Days, Rocket Cams, Inc., 61DTC, Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka, Racer’s Edge Performance, Pirelli, VnM Sport, Dunlop, Carter’s @ The Track, Fun Track Dayz, Eyes Up Motorsports, Motorsport Exotica, Kern County Powersports, Lieto Factory, Eyes Up Motorsports, RS Speedshop, Catalyst Reaction Tuning, KYT Helmets, Capit Americas, The Heights Bar & Grill (Upland, CA), Maria Cid – Farmer’s Insurance, Cinepixel Productions, New Century Motorcycles, Moto4Life, Pacific Utility, Twilio, Boxo USA, Mithos USA, Suspension Matters, Road Race City, Bridgestone, Ryder Gear
RESULTS
SATURDAY:
600GT:
1000GT:
TWINS GT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO 400 GT:
ROCKET CAMS OUTLAW V-TWINS GT:
RUFFIANS GT:
LADIES OF CRA – PRESENTED BY LET’S RIDE TRACK DAYS:
BST FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT:
BST FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT:
BST FORMULA 40 MIDDLEWEIGHT:
1000 SUPERSPORT AMATEUR:
1000 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
AMERICAN IRON:
MODERN VINTAGE:
RUFFIANS LIGHTWEIGHT:
600 SUPERSPORT AMATEUR:
600 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
RS SPEED SHOP TWINS GRAND PRIX:
SUNDAY
CTML CONSULTANTS GOLD CUP:
1000 SUPERBIKE AMATEUR BY BETTER CALL SY:
600 SUPERBIKE AMATEUR PRESENTED BY MOTORSPORT EXOTICA:
FEEL LIKE A PRO AMATEUR 400 SUPERBIKE:
FEEL LIKE A PRO EXPERT 400 SUPERBIKE:
EYES UP MOTORSPORTS BATTLE OF THE TWINS:
1000 SUPERSPORT EXPERT PRESENTED BY BETTER CALL SY:
FUN TRACK DAYZ 600 SUPERSPORT EXPERT:
AMERICAN IRON BY EMPOWERED TRANSPORTATION:
MODERN VINTAGE:
BETTER CALL SY RUFFIANS HEAVYWEIGHT:
RUFFIANS LIGHTWEIGHT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO AMATEUR 400 SUPERSPORT:
FEEL LIKE A PRO EXPERT 400 SUPERSPORT:
TRACK DAZ EXPERT 1000 SUPERBIKE:
CARTERS@THETRACK EXPERT 600 SUPERBIKE:
LIETO FACTORY 1000 AMATEUR SUPERSPORT:
AMATEUR 600 SUPERSPORT:
FORMULA 40 HEAVYWEIGHT PRESENTED BY BLOOD SWEAT TEARS VODKA:
F40 LIGHTWEIGHT PRESENTED BY BLOOD SWEAT TEARS VODKA:
