Two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne was quickest during testing Monday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), near Austin, Texas. Riding his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 in extremely hot conditions, Gagne lapped the 3.4-mile, 20-turn course in 2:10.358.
For comparison, Gagne qualified on pole position for the last MotoAmerica Superbike race at COTA in 2022 with a 2:08.450, and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci turned the fastest race lap of 2:08.648 on his way to a pair of victories.
Ambient temperatures Monday at COTA were well over 100 degrees F.
Josh Herrin was second-quickest Monday with a time of 2:11.623 on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, which was just ahead of Josh Hayes’ 2:11.830 on the second Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha.
After traveling from the American Flat Track (AFT) race in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, JD Beach arrived at the track late on Monday, jumped on the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Superbike he will be racing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, and did a 2:14.239.
Herrin’s teammate Xavi Fores was the sole Supersport rider at the test and did a 2:14.954.
Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams split their time Monday between their Indian Challenger King Of The Baggers (KOTB) and Indian FTR 1200 Super Hooligan racebikes. O’Hara was fastest on the KOTB machines at 2:18.637, while McWilliams led the way on the Super Hooligan bikes with a 2:20.263.
Testing is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.
Monday’s Unofficial Test Times (as provided by Speedhive/MyLaps):
Two days of sunshine and perfect New Hampshire summer temperatures were a welcome
sight for riders in Round 4 of the 2023 NEMRR series, who were coming off a long six-week break following the 100th Loudon Classic.
The exceptional forecast led to full grids all weekend long across all classes August 5-6 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. A bright spot before the event was the overwhelming support of the NEMRR riders for the series as a whole. The 100th Loudon Classic was a landmark event with a record-breaking purse, top level talent from MotoAmerica and a fantastic turnout from New England racing enthusiasts who have been part of the regional racing scene dating all the way back to the 1960s.
There were hundreds of faces who had not visited NHMS in years and helped to make the 100th Classic the special gathering it was designed to be. The motorcycle community as a whole has rallied behind the organization, as an unfortunate stroke of luck as a terrible weather forecast kept many would-be spectators (and their accompanying revenue) home on the day of the Classic. If there was any message that was to be taken from the event it was that NEMRR is alive and well.
Not only will the series be racing in 2024 and beyond, but the 101st Loudon Classic
may be an even bigger event next season. Fans and riders can expect an announcement in the coming months.
The top performer for the weekend was veteran Brett Guyer, who rode his Seacoast Sport Cycles Aprilia RS 660 to victory in all seven of his Expert races. While Guyer won the majority of his races handily, the closest contest was the Lightweight Superbike by Freedom Cycle race on Saturday afternoon. Guyer slotted in behind his son Adam Guyer on lap one, with the pair followed by and coming MotoAmerica Rider Jacob
Crossman in third. Guyer used his strength on the brakes to close pass Adam on lap two and put his head down to run the fastest lap of the race on lap three. As the elder Guyer pulled away, Crossman was anxiously probing for a way by the Ducati of Adam Guyer, finally pushing his way past by lap four. Crossman made inroads into the lead as the pair sliced through traffic, but got balked by a group of riders on the last lap and came up a couple seconds shy as the checkered flag flew.
The fastest times of the weekend were set by Penguin Racing/Woodcraft’s Eric Wood on his Kawasaki ZX-10R. Wood went four-for-four in the Unlimited classes, setting the fast time of the weekend in the Unlimited Supersport by Orient Express race on Sunday morning. The big Kawasaki flexed its muscles down the straights of New Hampshire Motor Speedway as Wood clocked in a 1:11.4 on his route to victory.
The feature Michelin/MotoRace Dash for Cash was missing two key players this weekend. Tyler Sweeney missed the event as he was recovering from a recent broken collarbone, and 2022 Champion Scott Greenwood is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained while playing hockey this past winter. The favorite coming into the event was Eli Block, who has
showed impressive speed during his first full season on his Yamaha R6.
Block came out swinging with the holeshot, follow by Triumph pilot Ian Beam and the Yamaha R6 of Micheal Lee. As Block began to pull away, Lee’s race ended on lap three and Harlan Hlidebrand moved into the third spot. As Block continued his charge, veteran Rick Doucette was moving forward fast after a terrible start that left him in sixth spot on the
opening lap.
In an unexpected turn, Block crashed on the final lap in the Turn Six “Bowl.” This allowed Beam to collect his maiden Dash for Cash victory as he was joined on the podium by Hidebrand and Doucette. Block got up, uninjured, and finished the race in eighth place.
The weekend was marred by a concerning event and NEMRR president John Grush was rushed to the hospital after a non-racing related medical emergency on Saturday afternoon. At the time of writing John is still in the hospital, and the family is deeply appreciative of the support of the racing community and respectfully asks for some privacy at this time. We can report that John is now awake and able to communicate and
we all share our heartfelt wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
Round Five of the NEMRR series resumes on August 19-20 at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway.
Ross Millson acquires Bridgestone CSBK operator Professional Motor Sports Productions
Toronto, ON – Former pro motorcycle racer and industry insider, Ross Millson, has officially confirmed the transfer of ownership for Professional Motor Sports Productions, Inc. (PMP), the operator of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship.
“Negotiations to acquire rights to PMP began in 2022 and finalized prior to the Bridgestone tire test at Jennings in March 2023. With support from my wife, Sabrina, we agreed to continue facilitating and developing racing in Canada. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to develop the national championships, taking advantage of recent growth, particularly on the broadcast television side,” explains Millson.
“I have known Colin Fraser since I started road racing at Shannonville Motorsport Park more than 20 years ago and appreciate the efforts he and his team have made to keep the series alive, especially during recent COVID events. We aim to take things to the next level, with the help of our competitors, stake holders, and dedicated staff.”
Millson’s first duties with the CSBK National series came in 2015, when he organized a program that helped Amateur racers from the east attend the national event in Edmonton, AB, through a transportation service conducted with Brooklin Cycle Racing of Pickering, ON.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced an abbreviated CSBK season in 2020, Millson joined the working event staff as an official member of the national series effort.
“I am happy that we have reached a deal to have Ross continue the development of our CSBK,” Fraser said. “It is a real challenge to run a national championship, and he understands all the elements involved. We have made some big steps recently that I believe we have put CSBK on a solid footing moving forward.”
Professional Motor Sports Productions began in 1994, with the purpose of producing television coverage of the Canadian National Superbike Series, primarily on TSN in Canada (The Sports Network), as well as additional broadcasters such as Speedvision in the United States.
The Canadian motorcycle manufacturer group requested that PMP take over all operations of the national superbike tour in 1996, meaning that PMP has produced the events at-track and for broadcast distribution for the past 27 years.
Until recently, PMP has been run by co-founder Colin Fraser, who has worked with superbikes in Canada since the first race of that class at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September 1978, then called Mosport International Raceway.
The first official Canadian National Superbike race was in Edmonton in June of 1980 at the long-gone Edmonton International Speedway, and the category has continued at a national level since.
“It is important to me that the history and legacy of the 43 years of the CSBK tour is recognized, supported and ongoing, and Ross is the right person for that challenge,” explains Fraser.
Fraser will continue with the CSBK team as an Executive Producer with the Bridgestone CSBK national championship tour.
CSBK will work to expand Canadian racing nationally, and continue to develop and promote young Canadian talent. With the addition of new series sponsors and the continued support of existing partners, racers and fans can look forward to many more successful seasons on track.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Earl Bowlby Passes Away
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame sends its condolences to the family and friends of Earl Bowlby, a 10-time AMA national hillclimb champion, who passed away Saturday, Aug. 5. He was 90 years old.
Born on Oct. 27, 1933, in Hocking County, Ohio, Bowlby’s love for motorcycles began as a teenager as he rode his paper route aboard a Whizzer motorbike during the 1940s. Bowlby’s racing career didn’t get started until the late 1950s, but instead of hillclimb, he first dabbled in drag racing.
In 1960, Bowlby established his own motorcycle dealership in Logan, Ohio, and began to ramp up his racing activities. Bowlby tried a variety of disciplines, spanning from enduros to hare scrambles, but ultimately found his true calling: hillclimb.
Earning his pro license at 32 in 1966, it took only two years for Bowlby to claim his first national victory with a win in Muskegon, Mich., in 1968. From that point forward, Bowlby dominated the national hillclimb scene, claiming 10 national titles across his 25 years of professional racing, a record that stood until 2021.
In addition to his 10 national titles on the AMA hillclimb circuit, Bowlby also added six Canadian national championships to his trophy case during his career. In 1984, Bowlby became the first competitor to complete the triple crown of hillclimb by winning the national invitational at Muskegon while claiming the AMA and Canadian national titles.
As a result of his illustrious racing career, in which he captured more than 80 AMA national hillclimb wins, Bowlby was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and remained a steadfast supporter from that point forward. In February 2023, Bowlby donated his 1967 BSA 650 to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame collection.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: americanmotorcyclist.com.
Galvis crowned as inaugural FIM MiniGP Canada champion at Lombardy
Lombardy, ON – The first season of the FIM MiniGP Canada Series came to a nail-biting conclusion on Sunday, with three different winners in each of the three feature races helping crown Michael Galvis as the inaugural champion at Lombardy Karting Club.
Galvis entered the last championship weekend of the season with just a one-point title lead over Treston Morrison, with only another 22 points separating the duo from a red-hot Ben Hardwick, the winner of both races one weekend ago at Lombardy.
While the series returned again to Lombardy for the season finale only seven days later, this time it was on the reverse counter-clockwise layout, though the change didn’t seem to faze Hardwick as he squeezed out pole position from Galvis in second and Morrison on the end of the front row in third.
Race one quickly negated that grid position advantage, as Morrison snatched the holeshot with Hardwick and eleven-year-old Galvis close behind, the lead trio running only marginally ahead of Ashton Parker in fourth.
With Galvis unable to launch an attack on Hardwick for second, Morrison seemed to be on the verge of snatching the top championship spot, but that quickly turned to disaster as the 13-year-old crashed out of the lead early on lap five.
The heartbreaking mistake promoted the battle between Hardwick and Galvis to the front, but it didn’t completely ruin Morrison’s race as he managed to quickly remount and begin a charge back up the field, ultimately salvaging much-needed points in fourth.
Galvis kept sustained pressure on Hardwick right to the finish, but was unable to find an opening as the 14-year-old out of Sudbury, ON won his third race in a row, moving himself even further into the title mix.
Ben Hardwick (43) held off Michael Galvis (83) to take race one at Lombardy on Sunday, his third consecutive win at the circuit. Photo by Jeremy Fleming, courtesy FIM MiniGP Canada.
Parker would run a quietly solid race to a career-best third ahead of CSBK Scholarship rider Rhys McNutt in fifth, with Lincoln Scott closely behind in sixth from American newcomer Cooper Glover in seventh, with fellow debutant Cole Reimche and Mason Archer completing the field.
A short turnaround then led the MiniGP class into race two, where Hardwick again lost out on the start but this time to title leader Galvis. Hardwick would have more chaos into turn one, colliding not once but twice with Morrison as both riders got their elbows out in an aggressive early battle.
That opening showdown allowed Galvis to stretch out some breathing room, but it didn’t last long as Hardwick ultimately broke free of Morrison and began to reel in Galvis at the front, setting up another late battle for the race win.
Much like race one though, the buildup wouldn’t result in any last-lap heroics as Galvis would hold off Hardwick for his third win of the campaign, and a pivotal one that handed him a comfortable 17-point advantage after Morrison could only muster third.
Parker would continue his strong weekend in fourth with Scott moving up to fifth, while McNutt fended off Glover with Reimche and Archer again concluding the field.
The series then shifted it’s focus to the tenth and final points-paying race of the season, with Galvis hoping to avoid any drama and wrap up the title while Hardwick hunted down Morrison for the vice-champion spot and an invitation to the FIM MiniGP World Final in Valencia, Spain.
This time Hardwick would finally get a good launch, grabbing the holeshot as Galvis and Morrison bumped into turn one, the latter putting plenty of pressure on his former championship rival as he needed a spot in the top-two to preserve his standings advantage over Hardwick.
With the lead beginning to stretch, Morrison forced a daring move into the final corner that would unfortunately prove to be the final nail in the coffin of his weekend, crashing into the barriers and watching his Spanish hopes evaporate.
The drama didn’t end there, however, as a hard-charging Parker quickly caught the back of Hardwick and Galvis and promptly pulled off one of the most spectacular moves many in attendance had ever seen, taking both of the lead riders at once into turn one and moving from third to first.
Hardwick would put plenty of pressure back on Parker, but the weekend’s 14-year-old breakout star wouldn’t give an inch, snatching his first ever FIM MiniGP victory to close out the season, moving himself to fifth in the final standings in the process.
Ashton Parker (45) pulled off a stunning turn one move to beat Ben Hardwick (43), Michael Galvis (83), and Lincoln Scott (41) for his first career victory in race three on Sunday. Photo by Jeremy Fleming, courtesy FIM MiniGP Canada.
The celebration would quickly start further back, though, as Galvis did enough in third to clinch the inaugural Canadian championship and Hardwick narrowly moved his way into second overall, both earning a trip to Valencia in the process.
“I really wanted to go to Spain and race for Canada, so I was trying to protect my spot in the championship,” Galvis said. “Treston went down, and then Ashton passed Ben and I at once, so I didn’t know what would happen. But it was so much fun!”
After dueling all season, he and Hardwick will now plan to become teammates for their trip to Europe and the MotoGP paddock, where both are eager to be Canada’s first ever FIM MiniGP representatives.
“I was trying to take second and get a spot in Spain, so I had to make sure Treston didn’t get there, but I feel bad that he crashed after the season he had,” Hardwick said. “It means a lot to be able to represent Canada, and hopefully I can put us on top.”
A dejected Morrison would remount to finish ninth, holding onto third in the championship.
Fourth would go the way of Scott, who was part of a thrilling four-rider battle at the end to decide the victory, though a pair of late lunges weren’t enough to displace Galvis for the final podium spot. As a result, Scott will wind up sixth in the final standings, losing out to Parker as his last-race victory would prove to be the tiebreaker.
McNutt would hang onto fifth in race three and thus earn fourth in the overall standings aboard his CSBK Scholarship bike, while newcomers Reimche and Glover took sixth and seventh, respectively, with Archer eighth and taking seventh in the title fight.
Galvis and Hardwick will now prepare to represent the series internationally, as they head to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on November 24-26 for the FIM MiniGP World Final.
Some teams and riders are testing Monday and Tuesday at Circuit of The Americas in preparation for the MotoAmerica race event scheduled there September 8-10.
Attending the test are Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne and Josh Hayes (with JD Beach expected to join the team as soon as he arrives from the AFT race in South Dakota), Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams (on both their Indian Challenger King Of The Baggers and Indian FTR 1200 Super Hooligan machines), and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores and Josh Herrin.
The weather forecast calls for excessive heat, with ambient temperatures expected to reach 107 degrees F Monday and 106 degrees F on Tuesday, and little chance of rain.
NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) Executive Director John Grush, age 63, has been hospitalized after suffering an off-track medical emergency during a NEMRR event Saturday, August 5 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
“John had just got off the bike. He was fine,” said Eric Wood, NEMRR Technical Director and a close friend of Grush. “He was literally walking around laughing, joking with people. He was still in his leathers. He went to walk to the media center in the middle of the paddock and just collapsed and smashed his head as he did it.
“I was in my garage and didn’t know it happened until I looked up and saw Noelle [Doucette, NEMRR Series Director] running towards me at a full sprint. ‘John fell! John fell!’
“She went and got the ambulance crew. I didn’t think anything of it at first. ‘John tripped and fell over and hit his head. He’ll be alright.’
“I walked over there and he was basically non-responsive, and I was like, ‘Uh-oh! That’s not good.’
“The ambulance showed up and treated him. They had to shock him [with a defibrillator] once, and they loaded him on the truck and shipped him out.
“He’s currently in the ICU [Intensive Care Unit at Concord Hospital, in Concord, New Hampshire] being cared for, and we’re waiting for the outcome of some tests. It’s going to be a few days before we know exactly what’s going on, but at this point we’re hopeful for a full recovery.”
Wood said Grush’s wife and both of his children were at his side at the hospital.
We will provide updates on Grush as new information becomes available.
Update: John Grush has regained consciousness and is talking to hospital staff and his family.
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Jared Mees (Ind), 28 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -1.377 seconds
3. JD Beach (Yam), -1.477
4. Davis Fisher (Ind), -9.773
5. Cameron Smith (Yam), -11.590
6. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -12.222
7. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -12.920
8. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -13.294
9. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -14.601
10. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -15.792
11. Ben Lowe (Ind), -16.458
12. Briar Bauman (KTM), -18.993
13. Henry Wiles (Ind), -21.125
14. Kasey Sciscoe (Har), -21.634
15. Ryan Wells (Roy), -1 lap
16. Cody Johncox (Yam), -1 lap, 8.618
17. Scooter Vernon (Kaw), -1 lap, 9.687
18. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap, 10.760
19. Jimmy McAllister (KTM), -20 laps, DNF
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 23 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -0.227 second
3. Trent Lowe (Hon), -1.439 seconds
4. Max Whale (KTM), -1.535
5. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -2.788
6. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -2.793
7. Declan Bender (KTM), -7.433
8. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -7.790
9. Travis Petton (KTM), -8.133
10. Tarren Santero (Hon), -8.371
11. James Ott (Hus), -8.937
12. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -9.414
13. Chad Cose (Hus), -9.439
14. Hunter Bauer (Hon), -9.657
15. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -9.672
16. Tyler Raggio (Yam), -13.821
17. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -14.719
18. Landen Smith (KTM), -14.799
19. Aidan Brown (Hon), -15.866
Provisional Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Zaria Martens (Roy), 8 laps
2. Morgan Monroe (Roy), -0.047 second
3. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -0.744
4. Kenzie Luker (Roy), -1.281 seconds
5. Makenna Hiatt (Roy), -6.078
6. Erin Ferris (Roy), -11.389
7. Morgan Piller (Roy), -12.307
8. Anna Serena (Roy), -13.337
9. Moriah Hummer (Roy), -28.123
10. Mia Reese (Roy), -1 lap
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Mees Extends Title Lead with Dominant Black Hills Half-Mile
AFT SuperTwins main event winner Jared Mees (center), runner-up Dallas Daniels (left), and third-place finisher JD Beach (right). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 6, 2023) – Reigning champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) fortified his Grand National Championship advantage with a trademark performance in The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, took the spotlight at the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Sunday night, and all of its superstars, Mees again shone the brightest. He looked nearly unbeatable entering the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main and then proved those fears well founded as soon as the race began. He shot out into the lead from pole and stretched out a sizable gap within a matter of laps, extinguishing any hopes of an upset as he did so.
Drama-free at the front, the Main Event was anything but from second place on down the order. Despite being in desperate need of a runner-up finish to minimize the damage to his championship chances, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) found himself in fourth behind JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and in danger of being displaced to fifth by Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750).
Fueled by that desperation, Daniels somehow thread the needle, splitting Beach and Bauman to emerge from fourth in second with eight minutes to go. He and Estenson Racing teammate Beach then separated from the fight for fourth and flew their Yamahas in formation from that point forward.
However, Beach didn’t appear to be content to merely follow Daniels to the flag, instead showing his teammate a wheel more than once as the race neared its conclusion. While Beach may have had some pace on Daniels, he was wise enough to hold off on anything but the cleanest of passes – an opportunity for which never showed itself.
As a result of Mees’ victory and Daniels’ runner-up, Mees now leads by 5 points (321-316) and has locked up the tiebreaker with just three races left to determine this year’s champion.
Mees said, “It was a good day for us. We knew we needed to come in and do exactly that. We were dominant all day long. Jimmy Wood had the Öhlins suspension so hooked up – the Indian was probably one of the most hooked up motorcycles on a Half-Mile that I’ve ever been on, honestly. And Kenny Tolbert had the thing tuned-up perfectly, obviously. We were solid right off the truck, and that was a big key to today – not having to search for the speed.”
Meanwhile, nine riders were in contention for fourth place in a wild fracas just behind the podium positions. Fourth and fifth, ultimately went to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Cameron Smith (No. 34 Martin Trucking/Fredericktown Yamaha MT-07). Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) held on for sixth, while Bauman suffered the most in the fray, dropping all the way down to 12th by the time he took the checkered flag.
Seventh was taken by Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) completed the top ten.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) pulled off perhaps the most impressive of his seven race wins this season on Sunday at Black Hills Speedway.
Kopp not only had to work up through a talented field on a slick track after running as low as seventh early, he also had to somehow find a way around the race’s heavy pre-race favorite, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), to complete that epic charge to victory.
Kopp exploited a high line no one else could quite master to slash up from seventh to second. That strategy could take him only that far, however, as Drane was too fast and too smart to simply power around. Instead, the factory Red Bull KTM ace applied as much pressure as he possibly could and then pounced as soon as Drane made a slight mistake as the two leapt out of Turn 4 with just two laps remaining.
Once into first, Kopp kept it together and held on by 0.227 seconds at the checkered flag.
“That was probably the toughest race of my career,” Kopp said. “I really dug myself out of a hole after a terrible heat, but I knew we had the speed… (But) Tom made it so hard to do. I would roll him – I had a lot of entry speed into (Turn) 1 – but he would see me and come up and block, which is what you have to do at a track like this, and it would cost me all of my momentum. But he just slipped up once coming off 4, and that’s all it took.”
“Last year around this time, when we started thinking about the championship, I feel like I was settling for like fifths and sevenths. This year, I want to get eight wins like Dallas (Daniels did in 2020). This is huge for me and my team.”
The two were joined on the box by Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who held off second factory KTM ace Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), by 0.096 seconds for the spot.
Early frontrunner and ‘22 Black Hills HM winner Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finished in fifth, just 0.005 seconds ahead of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).
Rookie Declan Bender (No. 216 Killer Bee Racing/Luczak Racing KTM 450 SX-F) earned the best finish of his Progressive AFT career in seventh. He was followed by Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/3 Bros KTM 450 SX-F) and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/Eric Hoyt Honda CRF450R) to round out the top ten.
Kopp now leads the championship by 49 points over Drane (298-249). Should he build that advantage by just a single point next weekend at his home race in Castle Rock, Washington, he’ll successfully complete his title defense a full two rounds early.
Next Up:
The battle for the 2023 Grand National Championship resumes in less than a week with the CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your tickets today.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 13, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT)
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
KODY KOPP RACES TO THE TOP STEP OF THE AFT SINGLES PODIUM AT BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Round 15 – American Flat Track Championship
RAPID CITY, S. Dak. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Kody Kopp has returned to the top step of the podium in Round 15 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship at the Black Hills Half-Mile, where teammate Max Whale charged to a fourth-place result in the AFT Singles Main Event.
After piloting his 450 SX-F to the third-fastest qualifying time, Kopp took a P4 finish in the opening Heat of the round as he initially struggled to find comfort on the Rapid City layout. The defending champion flipped a switch as the Main Event arrived, however, with the number one racing to a hard-fought victory and securing his seventh AFT Singles win of the season.
With his Black Hills Half-Mile victory, Kopp extends his advantage in the AFT Singles Championship to 49 points with three rounds remaining.
Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “This Black Hills Half-Mile was one of the toughest races of my career. Qualified on the front row for the Heat, but I really had to dig myself out of a hole – I was too nice, because I had the speed, but just rode around in fourth, and really needed to find that comfort and aggression. In the Main Event, I got myself really hyped up and that result was huge for my championship! I wanted to win today’s race so bad after the difficulties of last weekend, so I’m ready to keep it rolling into the next race and finish strong.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Whale opened his race day with a time that saw him qualify in second position. The momentum would continue for the determined Australian, as he notched another P2 result in his Heat, which earned him a spot into the Dash-For-Cash, where he claimed fourth.
In making improvements throughout the event, Whale entered the Main Event with confidence on his side, though a steady opening few laps placed him in the mid-field. Coming alive in the mid-part of the race, he began his charge to the front, running the pace of the leaders and managing to place his 450 SX-F into P4 by race’s end. That result now sees him ranked fifth in the point-standings.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “It was a decent day here at Black Hills. I qualified second, which adds to my run of good qualifiers over the last few rounds, so had a front row start, made it into the Dash, though felt I was chasing something all day long. The team and I made great changes throughout the round and by the Main Event, I felt great, just a slow opening few laps put me back, unfortunately. I charged hard from there and by the mid-point I was running the times of the leaders, but I just gave up too much time to begin with. Overall, I’m stoked with how I feel on the bike, I just need to be better early on.”
Next Race: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock, WA – August 12, 2023
Round 15 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Tom Drane, Yamaha
3. Trent Lowe, Honda
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
7. Declan Bender, KTM
8. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
9. Travis Petton IV, KTM
17. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
18. Landen Smith, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 298 points
2. Tom Drane, 249
3. Trevor Brunner, 248
OTHER KTM
5. Max Whale, 228
7. Dalton Gauthier, 214
11. Travis Petton IV, 97
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 69
19. Logan Eisenhard, 43
21. Declan Bender, 36
24. Landen Smith, 15
26. Hayden Gillim, 14
28. Clarke Morian V, 12
29. Olin Kissler, 10
30. Tanner Dean, 9
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING AND JARED MEES DOMINATE BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Mees Inches Closer to Record-Tying Ninth-Career Grand National Championship as Eighth Victory of the Season Extends Overall Points Lead to Five with Three Races Remaining
MINNEAPOLIS – Chasing his ninth-career Grand National Championship, which would tie Scottie Parker’s all-time record, reigning SuperTwins Champion and Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees is showing no signs of slowing down heading into the final stretch of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season. Piloting his Indian FTR750, Mees rode to his eighth win of the season and extended his series points lead following a dominant performance at the Black Hills Half-Mile.
Starting the Main event from the pole position, Mees jumped on the throttle from the drop of the green flag – taking the hole shot and securing a sizable lead to complete a dominant wire-to-wire victory. The eighth win of the season not only gives Mees a five-point lead with three races remaining but secures the season’s tiebreaker.
“Jared’s a fierce competitor with incredibly high expectations and an unwavering drive to win,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “He’s been scratching and clawing his way back to the top of the leaderboard all season, consistently stringing together wins and podium finishes. With only three races remaining in less than a month, the team has the FTR750 dialed in and ready to compete for another championship.”
While Mees chases a record-tying ninth-career Grand National Championship, another title for the Indian FTR750 will mark seven-consecutive AFT SuperTwins championships for Indian Motorcycle Racing.
The 2023 AFT season continues next at Castle Rock TT on August 12. The season will conclude September 2-3 for a Springfield Mile doubleheader.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
HONDA-POWERED HEROES WIN ACTION-PACKED EWC SUZUKA 8 HOURS FOR TEAM HRC
*Nagashima, Takahashi and Vierge combine to claim famous race for home outfit
*Despite delay F.C.C. TSR Honda France retakes points lead after YART Yamaha woe
*TOHO Racing and SDG Honda Racing complete podium following late rain shower
*Japan’s EWC round records a weekend spectator attendance of 42,000
*Coveted FIM EWC world title to go down to the wire in next month’s Bol d’Or
(6 August 2023): Team HRC proved unbeatable during a thrilling third round of the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, which finished at the iconic Japanese venue this evening (Sunday).
Its second Suzuka victory in as many years followed a lengthy delay for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team and an early setback for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, all of which means the EWC title chase will go down to the wire in next month’s eagerly awaited Bol d’Or.
Despite its delay during the opening hour in Suzuka, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was able to retake the championship lead by fighting back to finish fourth. But its advantage over YART heading to the Circuit Paul Ricard finale from 14-17 September is just 14 points. And with points being multiplied by a factor of 1.5 for the fourth round of the season, the title race is wide open with a number of other teams also in contention.
For Spanish World Superbike rider Vierge, however, the focus is firmly on his debut EWC win alongside Japanese riders Takumi Takahashi and Tetsuta Nagashima, who recovered from a foot injury to take part having not raced since April.
“For me it’s amazing because it’s the first time I made this amazing race and to get this win just feels incredible,” said the 26-yea-old Vierge. “I need to say thank you so much to my team and also to my team-mates, they did an amazing job. I learn a lot from them during all of the week and finally we are able to have a good pace. It has not been easy because in my second stint I had the safety car and I was one of the last in my group [when the race restarted] and it was so difficult to overtake without making mistakes. And the last two hours for them were really difficult with the rain. But they just made the correct decisions in every moment. It was a perfect strategy, it’s such a pleasure and I’m so happy.”
Behind Team HRC with Japan Post, Yoshimura SERT Motul looked set to improve on its 2022 placing of third by claiming the runner-up spot, only for Gregg Black to crash nearing the seven-hour mark. Having led early on, Black’s Suzuki-powered team responded to late-race rain by switching the UK-born French rider onto wet weather tyres.
Returning to the track for what would have been a double stint in the hot and humid conditions, Black slid off at the ‘S’ Curves and eight minutes were lost in the pits while repairs were made. Sylvain Guintoli completed the race for the team in P12.
Yoshimura SERT Motul’s misfortunate let in TOHO Racing for second with Ikuhiro Enokido, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Takuma Kunimine onboard its Honda after it had clocked the third fastest time in Saturday afternoon’s Top 10 Trial. SDG Honda Racing placed third with riders Teppei Nagoe, Haruki Noguchi and Naomichi Uramoto coming through strongly towards the end.
AutoRace Ube Racing Team relied on two riders only – Dan Linfoot and Takuya Tsuda – following an injury to Hafizh Syahrin in pre-race testing to finish fifth behind F.C.C. TSR Honda France, which dropped out of contention with a sensor issue that contributed to a fall for Mike Di Meglio in the opening hour.
HOW THE CHASE FOR EWC GLORY UNFOLDED IN JAPAN
A rapid running start from Gregg Black in front of Suzuka’s packed main grandstand gave Yoshimura SERT Motul the early lead only for Niccolò Canepa to snatch top spot for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team at the final chicane nearing the completion of lap three.
Having been muscled out of second place, Takumi Takahashi fought back from fifth to lead on lap seven aboard his Team HRC Honda. But Canepa, on the #7 Yamaha, responded only for Takahashi to retake an advantage who wouldn’t lose on lap 12.
And Team HRC’s gap to its rivals grew significantly when the #7 Yamaha, with Karel Hanika riding, stopped on track on the run out of Spoon Curve after one hour and 36 minutes.
With the help of two volunteer marshals, Hanika heroically pushed his stricken machine back towards the pits where an electrical issue was identified and fixed, albeit following a major time loss. A further pit visit to fix a loose fairing left YART in 40th position after four hours of racing. It crossed the finishing line in 23rd.
As well as several on-track battles for position, the focus of the final hours was on the expected rain, which materialised after six hours and 20 minutes of racing and led to several changes of position and myriad pit stops for tyre changes.
BMW Motorrrad World Endurance Team secured important EWC points in seventh, one place behind Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda. Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Showa finished eighth followed by S-Pulse Dream Racing -ITEC and Astemo Honda Racing Dream SI Racing, which completed the provisional top 10.
Team Kawasaki Webike Trickstar finished 13th after it was delayed by two unscheduled pitstops. Honda Viltaïs Racing came home 14th as Motobox Kremer Racing equalled its previous best finish of 25th. KM99 was delayed by more than 20 minutes, however, when its Yamaha ran out of fuel.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Bol d’Or season decider takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, southern France, from 14-17 September when the FIM Endurance World Championship and FIM Endurance World Cup titles will be up for grabs.
Jake Gagne (1), as seen at COTA in 2022. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne was quickest during testing Monday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), near Austin, Texas. Riding his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 in extremely hot conditions, Gagne lapped the 3.4-mile, 20-turn course in 2:10.358.
For comparison, Gagne qualified on pole position for the last MotoAmerica Superbike race at COTA in 2022 with a 2:08.450, and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci turned the fastest race lap of 2:08.648 on his way to a pair of victories.
Ambient temperatures Monday at COTA were well over 100 degrees F.
Josh Herrin was second-quickest Monday with a time of 2:11.623 on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, which was just ahead of Josh Hayes’ 2:11.830 on the second Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha.
After traveling from the American Flat Track (AFT) race in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, JD Beach arrived at the track late on Monday, jumped on the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Superbike he will be racing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, and did a 2:14.239.
Herrin’s teammate Xavi Fores was the sole Supersport rider at the test and did a 2:14.954.
Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams split their time Monday between their Indian Challenger King Of The Baggers (KOTB) and Indian FTR 1200 Super Hooligan racebikes. O’Hara was fastest on the KOTB machines at 2:18.637, while McWilliams led the way on the Super Hooligan bikes with a 2:20.263.
Testing is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.
Monday’s Unofficial Test Times (as provided by Speedhive/MyLaps):
Ian Beam (340). Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
Two days of sunshine and perfect New Hampshire summer temperatures were a welcome
sight for riders in Round 4 of the 2023 NEMRR series, who were coming off a long six-week break following the 100th Loudon Classic.
The exceptional forecast led to full grids all weekend long across all classes August 5-6 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. A bright spot before the event was the overwhelming support of the NEMRR riders for the series as a whole. The 100th Loudon Classic was a landmark event with a record-breaking purse, top level talent from MotoAmerica and a fantastic turnout from New England racing enthusiasts who have been part of the regional racing scene dating all the way back to the 1960s.
There were hundreds of faces who had not visited NHMS in years and helped to make the 100th Classic the special gathering it was designed to be. The motorcycle community as a whole has rallied behind the organization, as an unfortunate stroke of luck as a terrible weather forecast kept many would-be spectators (and their accompanying revenue) home on the day of the Classic. If there was any message that was to be taken from the event it was that NEMRR is alive and well.
Not only will the series be racing in 2024 and beyond, but the 101st Loudon Classic
may be an even bigger event next season. Fans and riders can expect an announcement in the coming months.
The top performer for the weekend was veteran Brett Guyer, who rode his Seacoast Sport Cycles Aprilia RS 660 to victory in all seven of his Expert races. While Guyer won the majority of his races handily, the closest contest was the Lightweight Superbike by Freedom Cycle race on Saturday afternoon. Guyer slotted in behind his son Adam Guyer on lap one, with the pair followed by and coming MotoAmerica Rider Jacob
Crossman in third. Guyer used his strength on the brakes to close pass Adam on lap two and put his head down to run the fastest lap of the race on lap three. As the elder Guyer pulled away, Crossman was anxiously probing for a way by the Ducati of Adam Guyer, finally pushing his way past by lap four. Crossman made inroads into the lead as the pair sliced through traffic, but got balked by a group of riders on the last lap and came up a couple seconds shy as the checkered flag flew.
The fastest times of the weekend were set by Penguin Racing/Woodcraft’s Eric Wood on his Kawasaki ZX-10R. Wood went four-for-four in the Unlimited classes, setting the fast time of the weekend in the Unlimited Supersport by Orient Express race on Sunday morning. The big Kawasaki flexed its muscles down the straights of New Hampshire Motor Speedway as Wood clocked in a 1:11.4 on his route to victory.
The feature Michelin/MotoRace Dash for Cash was missing two key players this weekend. Tyler Sweeney missed the event as he was recovering from a recent broken collarbone, and 2022 Champion Scott Greenwood is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained while playing hockey this past winter. The favorite coming into the event was Eli Block, who has
showed impressive speed during his first full season on his Yamaha R6.
Block came out swinging with the holeshot, follow by Triumph pilot Ian Beam and the Yamaha R6 of Micheal Lee. As Block began to pull away, Lee’s race ended on lap three and Harlan Hlidebrand moved into the third spot. As Block continued his charge, veteran Rick Doucette was moving forward fast after a terrible start that left him in sixth spot on the
opening lap.
In an unexpected turn, Block crashed on the final lap in the Turn Six “Bowl.” This allowed Beam to collect his maiden Dash for Cash victory as he was joined on the podium by Hidebrand and Doucette. Block got up, uninjured, and finished the race in eighth place.
The weekend was marred by a concerning event and NEMRR president John Grush was rushed to the hospital after a non-racing related medical emergency on Saturday afternoon. At the time of writing John is still in the hospital, and the family is deeply appreciative of the support of the racing community and respectfully asks for some privacy at this time. We can report that John is now awake and able to communicate and
we all share our heartfelt wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
Round Five of the NEMRR series resumes on August 19-20 at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway.
Ross Millson (center) speaking with 14-time CSBK Champion Jordan Szoke (left) and CSBK Tech official Fred Benjamin (right) at Grand Bend Motorplex. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Ross Millson acquires Bridgestone CSBK operator Professional Motor Sports Productions
Toronto, ON – Former pro motorcycle racer and industry insider, Ross Millson, has officially confirmed the transfer of ownership for Professional Motor Sports Productions, Inc. (PMP), the operator of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship.
“Negotiations to acquire rights to PMP began in 2022 and finalized prior to the Bridgestone tire test at Jennings in March 2023. With support from my wife, Sabrina, we agreed to continue facilitating and developing racing in Canada. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to develop the national championships, taking advantage of recent growth, particularly on the broadcast television side,” explains Millson.
“I have known Colin Fraser since I started road racing at Shannonville Motorsport Park more than 20 years ago and appreciate the efforts he and his team have made to keep the series alive, especially during recent COVID events. We aim to take things to the next level, with the help of our competitors, stake holders, and dedicated staff.”
Millson’s first duties with the CSBK National series came in 2015, when he organized a program that helped Amateur racers from the east attend the national event in Edmonton, AB, through a transportation service conducted with Brooklin Cycle Racing of Pickering, ON.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced an abbreviated CSBK season in 2020, Millson joined the working event staff as an official member of the national series effort.
“I am happy that we have reached a deal to have Ross continue the development of our CSBK,” Fraser said. “It is a real challenge to run a national championship, and he understands all the elements involved. We have made some big steps recently that I believe we have put CSBK on a solid footing moving forward.”
Professional Motor Sports Productions began in 1994, with the purpose of producing television coverage of the Canadian National Superbike Series, primarily on TSN in Canada (The Sports Network), as well as additional broadcasters such as Speedvision in the United States.
The Canadian motorcycle manufacturer group requested that PMP take over all operations of the national superbike tour in 1996, meaning that PMP has produced the events at-track and for broadcast distribution for the past 27 years.
Until recently, PMP has been run by co-founder Colin Fraser, who has worked with superbikes in Canada since the first race of that class at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September 1978, then called Mosport International Raceway.
The first official Canadian National Superbike race was in Edmonton in June of 1980 at the long-gone Edmonton International Speedway, and the category has continued at a national level since.
“It is important to me that the history and legacy of the 43 years of the CSBK tour is recognized, supported and ongoing, and Ross is the right person for that challenge,” explains Fraser.
Fraser will continue with the CSBK team as an Executive Producer with the Bridgestone CSBK national championship tour.
CSBK will work to expand Canadian racing nationally, and continue to develop and promote young Canadian talent. With the addition of new series sponsors and the continued support of existing partners, racers and fans can look forward to many more successful seasons on track.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Earl Bowlby Passes Away
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame sends its condolences to the family and friends of Earl Bowlby, a 10-time AMA national hillclimb champion, who passed away Saturday, Aug. 5. He was 90 years old.
Born on Oct. 27, 1933, in Hocking County, Ohio, Bowlby’s love for motorcycles began as a teenager as he rode his paper route aboard a Whizzer motorbike during the 1940s. Bowlby’s racing career didn’t get started until the late 1950s, but instead of hillclimb, he first dabbled in drag racing.
In 1960, Bowlby established his own motorcycle dealership in Logan, Ohio, and began to ramp up his racing activities. Bowlby tried a variety of disciplines, spanning from enduros to hare scrambles, but ultimately found his true calling: hillclimb.
Earning his pro license at 32 in 1966, it took only two years for Bowlby to claim his first national victory with a win in Muskegon, Mich., in 1968. From that point forward, Bowlby dominated the national hillclimb scene, claiming 10 national titles across his 25 years of professional racing, a record that stood until 2021.
In addition to his 10 national titles on the AMA hillclimb circuit, Bowlby also added six Canadian national championships to his trophy case during his career. In 1984, Bowlby became the first competitor to complete the triple crown of hillclimb by winning the national invitational at Muskegon while claiming the AMA and Canadian national titles.
As a result of his illustrious racing career, in which he captured more than 80 AMA national hillclimb wins, Bowlby was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and remained a steadfast supporter from that point forward. In February 2023, Bowlby donated his 1967 BSA 650 to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame collection.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: americanmotorcyclist.com.
Inaugural FIM MiniGP Canada Series Champion Michael Galvis (83) trails rivals Treston Morrison (125) and Ben Hardwick (43) ahead of the rest of the field early in race one at Lombardy on Sunday. Photo Jeremy Fleming, courtesy FIM MiniGP Canada.
Galvis crowned as inaugural FIM MiniGP Canada champion at Lombardy
Lombardy, ON – The first season of the FIM MiniGP Canada Series came to a nail-biting conclusion on Sunday, with three different winners in each of the three feature races helping crown Michael Galvis as the inaugural champion at Lombardy Karting Club.
Galvis entered the last championship weekend of the season with just a one-point title lead over Treston Morrison, with only another 22 points separating the duo from a red-hot Ben Hardwick, the winner of both races one weekend ago at Lombardy.
While the series returned again to Lombardy for the season finale only seven days later, this time it was on the reverse counter-clockwise layout, though the change didn’t seem to faze Hardwick as he squeezed out pole position from Galvis in second and Morrison on the end of the front row in third.
Race one quickly negated that grid position advantage, as Morrison snatched the holeshot with Hardwick and eleven-year-old Galvis close behind, the lead trio running only marginally ahead of Ashton Parker in fourth.
With Galvis unable to launch an attack on Hardwick for second, Morrison seemed to be on the verge of snatching the top championship spot, but that quickly turned to disaster as the 13-year-old crashed out of the lead early on lap five.
The heartbreaking mistake promoted the battle between Hardwick and Galvis to the front, but it didn’t completely ruin Morrison’s race as he managed to quickly remount and begin a charge back up the field, ultimately salvaging much-needed points in fourth.
Galvis kept sustained pressure on Hardwick right to the finish, but was unable to find an opening as the 14-year-old out of Sudbury, ON won his third race in a row, moving himself even further into the title mix.
Ben Hardwick (43) held off Michael Galvis (83) to take race one at Lombardy on Sunday, his third consecutive win at the circuit. Photo by Jeremy Fleming, courtesy FIM MiniGP Canada.
Parker would run a quietly solid race to a career-best third ahead of CSBK Scholarship rider Rhys McNutt in fifth, with Lincoln Scott closely behind in sixth from American newcomer Cooper Glover in seventh, with fellow debutant Cole Reimche and Mason Archer completing the field.
A short turnaround then led the MiniGP class into race two, where Hardwick again lost out on the start but this time to title leader Galvis. Hardwick would have more chaos into turn one, colliding not once but twice with Morrison as both riders got their elbows out in an aggressive early battle.
That opening showdown allowed Galvis to stretch out some breathing room, but it didn’t last long as Hardwick ultimately broke free of Morrison and began to reel in Galvis at the front, setting up another late battle for the race win.
Much like race one though, the buildup wouldn’t result in any last-lap heroics as Galvis would hold off Hardwick for his third win of the campaign, and a pivotal one that handed him a comfortable 17-point advantage after Morrison could only muster third.
Parker would continue his strong weekend in fourth with Scott moving up to fifth, while McNutt fended off Glover with Reimche and Archer again concluding the field.
The series then shifted it’s focus to the tenth and final points-paying race of the season, with Galvis hoping to avoid any drama and wrap up the title while Hardwick hunted down Morrison for the vice-champion spot and an invitation to the FIM MiniGP World Final in Valencia, Spain.
This time Hardwick would finally get a good launch, grabbing the holeshot as Galvis and Morrison bumped into turn one, the latter putting plenty of pressure on his former championship rival as he needed a spot in the top-two to preserve his standings advantage over Hardwick.
With the lead beginning to stretch, Morrison forced a daring move into the final corner that would unfortunately prove to be the final nail in the coffin of his weekend, crashing into the barriers and watching his Spanish hopes evaporate.
The drama didn’t end there, however, as a hard-charging Parker quickly caught the back of Hardwick and Galvis and promptly pulled off one of the most spectacular moves many in attendance had ever seen, taking both of the lead riders at once into turn one and moving from third to first.
Hardwick would put plenty of pressure back on Parker, but the weekend’s 14-year-old breakout star wouldn’t give an inch, snatching his first ever FIM MiniGP victory to close out the season, moving himself to fifth in the final standings in the process.
Ashton Parker (45) pulled off a stunning turn one move to beat Ben Hardwick (43), Michael Galvis (83), and Lincoln Scott (41) for his first career victory in race three on Sunday. Photo by Jeremy Fleming, courtesy FIM MiniGP Canada.
The celebration would quickly start further back, though, as Galvis did enough in third to clinch the inaugural Canadian championship and Hardwick narrowly moved his way into second overall, both earning a trip to Valencia in the process.
“I really wanted to go to Spain and race for Canada, so I was trying to protect my spot in the championship,” Galvis said. “Treston went down, and then Ashton passed Ben and I at once, so I didn’t know what would happen. But it was so much fun!”
After dueling all season, he and Hardwick will now plan to become teammates for their trip to Europe and the MotoGP paddock, where both are eager to be Canada’s first ever FIM MiniGP representatives.
“I was trying to take second and get a spot in Spain, so I had to make sure Treston didn’t get there, but I feel bad that he crashed after the season he had,” Hardwick said. “It means a lot to be able to represent Canada, and hopefully I can put us on top.”
A dejected Morrison would remount to finish ninth, holding onto third in the championship.
Fourth would go the way of Scott, who was part of a thrilling four-rider battle at the end to decide the victory, though a pair of late lunges weren’t enough to displace Galvis for the final podium spot. As a result, Scott will wind up sixth in the final standings, losing out to Parker as his last-race victory would prove to be the tiebreaker.
McNutt would hang onto fifth in race three and thus earn fourth in the overall standings aboard his CSBK Scholarship bike, while newcomers Reimche and Glover took sixth and seventh, respectively, with Archer eighth and taking seventh in the title fight.
Galvis and Hardwick will now prepare to represent the series internationally, as they head to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on November 24-26 for the FIM MiniGP World Final.
Circuit of The Americas. Photo courtesy Circuit of The Americas.
Some teams and riders are testing Monday and Tuesday at Circuit of The Americas in preparation for the MotoAmerica race event scheduled there September 8-10.
Attending the test are Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne and Josh Hayes (with JD Beach expected to join the team as soon as he arrives from the AFT race in South Dakota), Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian’s Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams (on both their Indian Challenger King Of The Baggers and Indian FTR 1200 Super Hooligan machines), and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores and Josh Herrin.
The weather forecast calls for excessive heat, with ambient temperatures expected to reach 107 degrees F Monday and 106 degrees F on Tuesday, and little chance of rain.
NEMRR Executive Director John Grush (left) with Series Director Noelle Doucette (right). Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) Executive Director John Grush, age 63, has been hospitalized after suffering an off-track medical emergency during a NEMRR event Saturday, August 5 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
“John had just got off the bike. He was fine,” said Eric Wood, NEMRR Technical Director and a close friend of Grush. “He was literally walking around laughing, joking with people. He was still in his leathers. He went to walk to the media center in the middle of the paddock and just collapsed and smashed his head as he did it.
“I was in my garage and didn’t know it happened until I looked up and saw Noelle [Doucette, NEMRR Series Director] running towards me at a full sprint. ‘John fell! John fell!’
“She went and got the ambulance crew. I didn’t think anything of it at first. ‘John tripped and fell over and hit his head. He’ll be alright.’
“I walked over there and he was basically non-responsive, and I was like, ‘Uh-oh! That’s not good.’
“The ambulance showed up and treated him. They had to shock him [with a defibrillator] once, and they loaded him on the truck and shipped him out.
“He’s currently in the ICU [Intensive Care Unit at Concord Hospital, in Concord, New Hampshire] being cared for, and we’re waiting for the outcome of some tests. It’s going to be a few days before we know exactly what’s going on, but at this point we’re hopeful for a full recovery.”
Wood said Grush’s wife and both of his children were at his side at the hospital.
We will provide updates on Grush as new information becomes available.
Update: John Grush has regained consciousness and is talking to hospital staff and his family.
The green flag being waved at the American Flat Track (AFT) Black Hills Half-Mile, in South Dakota, in 2023. Photo by Kristen Lassen, courtesy AFT.
American Flat Track
Black Hills Half-Mile
Black Hills Speedway
Rapid City, South Dakota
August 6, 2023
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Jared Mees (Ind), 28 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -1.377 seconds
3. JD Beach (Yam), -1.477
4. Davis Fisher (Ind), -9.773
5. Cameron Smith (Yam), -11.590
6. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -12.222
7. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -12.920
8. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -13.294
9. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -14.601
10. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -15.792
11. Ben Lowe (Ind), -16.458
12. Briar Bauman (KTM), -18.993
13. Henry Wiles (Ind), -21.125
14. Kasey Sciscoe (Har), -21.634
15. Ryan Wells (Roy), -1 lap
16. Cody Johncox (Yam), -1 lap, 8.618
17. Scooter Vernon (Kaw), -1 lap, 9.687
18. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap, 10.760
19. Jimmy McAllister (KTM), -20 laps, DNF
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 23 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -0.227 second
3. Trent Lowe (Hon), -1.439 seconds
4. Max Whale (KTM), -1.535
5. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -2.788
6. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -2.793
7. Declan Bender (KTM), -7.433
8. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -7.790
9. Travis Petton (KTM), -8.133
10. Tarren Santero (Hon), -8.371
11. James Ott (Hus), -8.937
12. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -9.414
13. Chad Cose (Hus), -9.439
14. Hunter Bauer (Hon), -9.657
15. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -9.672
16. Tyler Raggio (Yam), -13.821
17. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -14.719
18. Landen Smith (KTM), -14.799
19. Aidan Brown (Hon), -15.866
Provisional Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Zaria Martens (Roy), 8 laps
2. Morgan Monroe (Roy), -0.047 second
3. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -0.744
4. Kenzie Luker (Roy), -1.281 seconds
5. Makenna Hiatt (Roy), -6.078
6. Erin Ferris (Roy), -11.389
7. Morgan Piller (Roy), -12.307
8. Anna Serena (Roy), -13.337
9. Moriah Hummer (Roy), -28.123
10. Mia Reese (Roy), -1 lap
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Mees Extends Title Lead with Dominant Black Hills Half-Mile
AFT SuperTwins main event winner Jared Mees (center), runner-up Dallas Daniels (left), and third-place finisher JD Beach (right). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 6, 2023) – Reigning champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) fortified his Grand National Championship advantage with a trademark performance in The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, took the spotlight at the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Sunday night, and all of its superstars, Mees again shone the brightest. He looked nearly unbeatable entering the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main and then proved those fears well founded as soon as the race began. He shot out into the lead from pole and stretched out a sizable gap within a matter of laps, extinguishing any hopes of an upset as he did so.
Drama-free at the front, the Main Event was anything but from second place on down the order. Despite being in desperate need of a runner-up finish to minimize the damage to his championship chances, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) found himself in fourth behind JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and in danger of being displaced to fifth by Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750).
Fueled by that desperation, Daniels somehow thread the needle, splitting Beach and Bauman to emerge from fourth in second with eight minutes to go. He and Estenson Racing teammate Beach then separated from the fight for fourth and flew their Yamahas in formation from that point forward.
However, Beach didn’t appear to be content to merely follow Daniels to the flag, instead showing his teammate a wheel more than once as the race neared its conclusion. While Beach may have had some pace on Daniels, he was wise enough to hold off on anything but the cleanest of passes – an opportunity for which never showed itself.
As a result of Mees’ victory and Daniels’ runner-up, Mees now leads by 5 points (321-316) and has locked up the tiebreaker with just three races left to determine this year’s champion.
Mees said, “It was a good day for us. We knew we needed to come in and do exactly that. We were dominant all day long. Jimmy Wood had the Öhlins suspension so hooked up – the Indian was probably one of the most hooked up motorcycles on a Half-Mile that I’ve ever been on, honestly. And Kenny Tolbert had the thing tuned-up perfectly, obviously. We were solid right off the truck, and that was a big key to today – not having to search for the speed.”
Meanwhile, nine riders were in contention for fourth place in a wild fracas just behind the podium positions. Fourth and fifth, ultimately went to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Cameron Smith (No. 34 Martin Trucking/Fredericktown Yamaha MT-07). Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) held on for sixth, while Bauman suffered the most in the fray, dropping all the way down to 12th by the time he took the checkered flag.
Seventh was taken by Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) completed the top ten.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) pulled off perhaps the most impressive of his seven race wins this season on Sunday at Black Hills Speedway.
Kopp not only had to work up through a talented field on a slick track after running as low as seventh early, he also had to somehow find a way around the race’s heavy pre-race favorite, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), to complete that epic charge to victory.
Kopp exploited a high line no one else could quite master to slash up from seventh to second. That strategy could take him only that far, however, as Drane was too fast and too smart to simply power around. Instead, the factory Red Bull KTM ace applied as much pressure as he possibly could and then pounced as soon as Drane made a slight mistake as the two leapt out of Turn 4 with just two laps remaining.
Once into first, Kopp kept it together and held on by 0.227 seconds at the checkered flag.
“That was probably the toughest race of my career,” Kopp said. “I really dug myself out of a hole after a terrible heat, but I knew we had the speed… (But) Tom made it so hard to do. I would roll him – I had a lot of entry speed into (Turn) 1 – but he would see me and come up and block, which is what you have to do at a track like this, and it would cost me all of my momentum. But he just slipped up once coming off 4, and that’s all it took.”
“Last year around this time, when we started thinking about the championship, I feel like I was settling for like fifths and sevenths. This year, I want to get eight wins like Dallas (Daniels did in 2020). This is huge for me and my team.”
The two were joined on the box by Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who held off second factory KTM ace Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), by 0.096 seconds for the spot.
Early frontrunner and ‘22 Black Hills HM winner Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finished in fifth, just 0.005 seconds ahead of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).
Rookie Declan Bender (No. 216 Killer Bee Racing/Luczak Racing KTM 450 SX-F) earned the best finish of his Progressive AFT career in seventh. He was followed by Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/3 Bros KTM 450 SX-F) and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/Eric Hoyt Honda CRF450R) to round out the top ten.
Kopp now leads the championship by 49 points over Drane (298-249). Should he build that advantage by just a single point next weekend at his home race in Castle Rock, Washington, he’ll successfully complete his title defense a full two rounds early.
Next Up:
The battle for the 2023 Grand National Championship resumes in less than a week with the CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your tickets today.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.
FOX Sports coverage of The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 13, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT)
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
KODY KOPP RACES TO THE TOP STEP OF THE AFT SINGLES PODIUM AT BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Round 15 – American Flat Track Championship
RAPID CITY, S. Dak. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Kody Kopp has returned to the top step of the podium in Round 15 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship at the Black Hills Half-Mile, where teammate Max Whale charged to a fourth-place result in the AFT Singles Main Event.
After piloting his 450 SX-F to the third-fastest qualifying time, Kopp took a P4 finish in the opening Heat of the round as he initially struggled to find comfort on the Rapid City layout. The defending champion flipped a switch as the Main Event arrived, however, with the number one racing to a hard-fought victory and securing his seventh AFT Singles win of the season.
With his Black Hills Half-Mile victory, Kopp extends his advantage in the AFT Singles Championship to 49 points with three rounds remaining.
Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “This Black Hills Half-Mile was one of the toughest races of my career. Qualified on the front row for the Heat, but I really had to dig myself out of a hole – I was too nice, because I had the speed, but just rode around in fourth, and really needed to find that comfort and aggression. In the Main Event, I got myself really hyped up and that result was huge for my championship! I wanted to win today’s race so bad after the difficulties of last weekend, so I’m ready to keep it rolling into the next race and finish strong.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Whale opened his race day with a time that saw him qualify in second position. The momentum would continue for the determined Australian, as he notched another P2 result in his Heat, which earned him a spot into the Dash-For-Cash, where he claimed fourth.
In making improvements throughout the event, Whale entered the Main Event with confidence on his side, though a steady opening few laps placed him in the mid-field. Coming alive in the mid-part of the race, he began his charge to the front, running the pace of the leaders and managing to place his 450 SX-F into P4 by race’s end. That result now sees him ranked fifth in the point-standings.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “It was a decent day here at Black Hills. I qualified second, which adds to my run of good qualifiers over the last few rounds, so had a front row start, made it into the Dash, though felt I was chasing something all day long. The team and I made great changes throughout the round and by the Main Event, I felt great, just a slow opening few laps put me back, unfortunately. I charged hard from there and by the mid-point I was running the times of the leaders, but I just gave up too much time to begin with. Overall, I’m stoked with how I feel on the bike, I just need to be better early on.”
Next Race: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock, WA – August 12, 2023
Round 15 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Tom Drane, Yamaha
3. Trent Lowe, Honda
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
7. Declan Bender, KTM
8. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
9. Travis Petton IV, KTM
17. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
18. Landen Smith, KTM
2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 298 points
2. Tom Drane, 249
3. Trevor Brunner, 248
OTHER KTM
5. Max Whale, 228
7. Dalton Gauthier, 214
11. Travis Petton IV, 97
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 69
19. Logan Eisenhard, 43
21. Declan Bender, 36
24. Landen Smith, 15
26. Hayden Gillim, 14
28. Clarke Morian V, 12
29. Olin Kissler, 10
30. Tanner Dean, 9
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING AND JARED MEES DOMINATE BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Mees Inches Closer to Record-Tying Ninth-Career Grand National Championship as Eighth Victory of the Season Extends Overall Points Lead to Five with Three Races Remaining
MINNEAPOLIS – Chasing his ninth-career Grand National Championship, which would tie Scottie Parker’s all-time record, reigning SuperTwins Champion and Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees is showing no signs of slowing down heading into the final stretch of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season. Piloting his Indian FTR750, Mees rode to his eighth win of the season and extended his series points lead following a dominant performance at the Black Hills Half-Mile.
Starting the Main event from the pole position, Mees jumped on the throttle from the drop of the green flag – taking the hole shot and securing a sizable lead to complete a dominant wire-to-wire victory. The eighth win of the season not only gives Mees a five-point lead with three races remaining but secures the season’s tiebreaker.
“Jared’s a fierce competitor with incredibly high expectations and an unwavering drive to win,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “He’s been scratching and clawing his way back to the top of the leaderboard all season, consistently stringing together wins and podium finishes. With only three races remaining in less than a month, the team has the FTR750 dialed in and ready to compete for another championship.”
While Mees chases a record-tying ninth-career Grand National Championship, another title for the Indian FTR750 will mark seven-consecutive AFT SuperTwins championships for Indian Motorcycle Racing.
The 2023 AFT season continues next at Castle Rock TT on August 12. The season will conclude September 2-3 for a Springfield Mile doubleheader.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
HONDA-POWERED HEROES WIN ACTION-PACKED EWC SUZUKA 8 HOURS FOR TEAM HRC
*Nagashima, Takahashi and Vierge combine to claim famous race for home outfit
*Despite delay F.C.C. TSR Honda France retakes points lead after YART Yamaha woe
*TOHO Racing and SDG Honda Racing complete podium following late rain shower
*Japan’s EWC round records a weekend spectator attendance of 42,000
*Coveted FIM EWC world title to go down to the wire in next month’s Bol d’Or
(6 August 2023): Team HRC proved unbeatable during a thrilling third round of the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, which finished at the iconic Japanese venue this evening (Sunday).
Its second Suzuka victory in as many years followed a lengthy delay for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team and an early setback for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, all of which means the EWC title chase will go down to the wire in next month’s eagerly awaited Bol d’Or.
Despite its delay during the opening hour in Suzuka, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was able to retake the championship lead by fighting back to finish fourth. But its advantage over YART heading to the Circuit Paul Ricard finale from 14-17 September is just 14 points. And with points being multiplied by a factor of 1.5 for the fourth round of the season, the title race is wide open with a number of other teams also in contention.
For Spanish World Superbike rider Vierge, however, the focus is firmly on his debut EWC win alongside Japanese riders Takumi Takahashi and Tetsuta Nagashima, who recovered from a foot injury to take part having not raced since April.
“For me it’s amazing because it’s the first time I made this amazing race and to get this win just feels incredible,” said the 26-yea-old Vierge. “I need to say thank you so much to my team and also to my team-mates, they did an amazing job. I learn a lot from them during all of the week and finally we are able to have a good pace. It has not been easy because in my second stint I had the safety car and I was one of the last in my group [when the race restarted] and it was so difficult to overtake without making mistakes. And the last two hours for them were really difficult with the rain. But they just made the correct decisions in every moment. It was a perfect strategy, it’s such a pleasure and I’m so happy.”
Behind Team HRC with Japan Post, Yoshimura SERT Motul looked set to improve on its 2022 placing of third by claiming the runner-up spot, only for Gregg Black to crash nearing the seven-hour mark. Having led early on, Black’s Suzuki-powered team responded to late-race rain by switching the UK-born French rider onto wet weather tyres.
Returning to the track for what would have been a double stint in the hot and humid conditions, Black slid off at the ‘S’ Curves and eight minutes were lost in the pits while repairs were made. Sylvain Guintoli completed the race for the team in P12.
Yoshimura SERT Motul’s misfortunate let in TOHO Racing for second with Ikuhiro Enokido, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Takuma Kunimine onboard its Honda after it had clocked the third fastest time in Saturday afternoon’s Top 10 Trial. SDG Honda Racing placed third with riders Teppei Nagoe, Haruki Noguchi and Naomichi Uramoto coming through strongly towards the end.
AutoRace Ube Racing Team relied on two riders only – Dan Linfoot and Takuya Tsuda – following an injury to Hafizh Syahrin in pre-race testing to finish fifth behind F.C.C. TSR Honda France, which dropped out of contention with a sensor issue that contributed to a fall for Mike Di Meglio in the opening hour.
HOW THE CHASE FOR EWC GLORY UNFOLDED IN JAPAN
A rapid running start from Gregg Black in front of Suzuka’s packed main grandstand gave Yoshimura SERT Motul the early lead only for Niccolò Canepa to snatch top spot for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team at the final chicane nearing the completion of lap three.
Having been muscled out of second place, Takumi Takahashi fought back from fifth to lead on lap seven aboard his Team HRC Honda. But Canepa, on the #7 Yamaha, responded only for Takahashi to retake an advantage who wouldn’t lose on lap 12.
And Team HRC’s gap to its rivals grew significantly when the #7 Yamaha, with Karel Hanika riding, stopped on track on the run out of Spoon Curve after one hour and 36 minutes.
With the help of two volunteer marshals, Hanika heroically pushed his stricken machine back towards the pits where an electrical issue was identified and fixed, albeit following a major time loss. A further pit visit to fix a loose fairing left YART in 40th position after four hours of racing. It crossed the finishing line in 23rd.
As well as several on-track battles for position, the focus of the final hours was on the expected rain, which materialised after six hours and 20 minutes of racing and led to several changes of position and myriad pit stops for tyre changes.
BMW Motorrrad World Endurance Team secured important EWC points in seventh, one place behind Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda. Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Showa finished eighth followed by S-Pulse Dream Racing -ITEC and Astemo Honda Racing Dream SI Racing, which completed the provisional top 10.
Team Kawasaki Webike Trickstar finished 13th after it was delayed by two unscheduled pitstops. Honda Viltaïs Racing came home 14th as Motobox Kremer Racing equalled its previous best finish of 25th. KM99 was delayed by more than 20 minutes, however, when its Yamaha ran out of fuel.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Bol d’Or season decider takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, southern France, from 14-17 September when the FIM Endurance World Championship and FIM Endurance World Cup titles will be up for grabs.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 13, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
