Repsol Honda Team back to full strength for MotoGP season restart in Silverstone
After five weeks away, the MotoGP World Championship resumes and begins an intense second half of the year at the historic Silverstone Circuit, Joan Mir back alongside Marc Marquez in the Repsol Honda Team.
At 5.9 kilometers long, Silverstone is not only one of the oldest circuits on the MotoGP calendar but also the longest. First used in 1947, the British track has undergone a number of changes before arriving at its current 18-corner layout. A mix of long straights, fast corners and tight and technical sections routinely produces close racing but 2023 sees a new challenge added as the MotoGP paddock returns to using ‘The Wing’ and changes the start – finish line to the Hamilton Straight as opposed to the National Pit Straight from the previous few visits.
The second half of the season is set to be an intense affair as the races come thick and fast, Marc Marquez taking full advantage of the break to prepare himself. Silverstone is what awaits this weekend, a circuit that has seen the #93 take three podiums – including a win in 2014. This year’s British Grand Prix will be about building and establishing growth for the second half of the year and beyond.
It will be a welcome return to action for Joan Mir as he is reunited with the Repsol Honda Team after an injury in Mugello. Now fully recovered, the #36 is fully motivated to continue working and improving with the team. Mir’s best finish at Silverstone is a ninth place in the premier class, achieved in 2021 on his way to third in the World Championship.
The entirety of the Repsol Honda Team is eager to return to the track and resume the hard work they have planned. Sunday’s race will take place at 13:00 Local Time, ahead of the Moto2 race as is usual for the British GP.
Marc Marquez
“We have enjoyed an important Summer Break, a chance to reset and recover after a demanding start to the year. From the physical and mental side, I come back to the track refreshed and ready to work. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the Repsol Honda Team again and understanding the work that has been done over the break. Silverstone is a circuit where I have had a lot of good battles in the past. The most important is to get back on the bike, get back to working and try to improve on how the first half of the year has been.”
Joan Mir
“Our break was a bit longer than everyone else’s, but I am now fully recovered from the injury I suffered in Mugello. I’ve been back training and riding different kinds of bikes like normal for a few weeks now so I am feeling good physically. The goal for the weekend is to make the most of every session and get back into the mindset of MotoGP and racing after so many weeks away. It will be great to see everyone again and get back on the Honda RC213V.”
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TYLER SCOTT AND VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI WIN AT BRAINERD
Suzuki GSX-R750 Earns Dramatic Supersport Victory
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reigned supreme on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway as Supersport phenom Tyler Scott scored his first victory of the 2023 MotoAmerica season in dramatic fashion.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott came out on top of a last-lap thriller to earn his first MotoAmerica win of the season.
Teagg Hobbs fought his way back to 16th from last after running off track late in the race.
Superbike
Brandon Paasch broke into the top five for the first time in his short stint with the team.
Richie Escalante collected seventh, ending his run of six straight top fives.
Tyler Scott (70) captures his first victory in 2023 at Brainerd. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott racked up his first victory of the season via a thrilling last-lap Supersport showdown. After settling into a blazing fast pace in second, Scott rallied after a red flag set the stage for a five-lap shootout to clinch the win. Scott leapt into the lead aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 on the restart and controlled the race’s decisive stage. The 17-year-old Scott countered his opponent’s last-lap pass attempt and took the checkered flag in first to earn a hard-fought victory.
“We made a few changes and were able to push the pace,” Scott said after winning Team Hammer’s 130th AMA Pro/MotoAmerica race. “We were P1 in this morning’s warm-up session and going into the race I had a good feeling. It was a great race. I felt amazing on the bike for the entirety of the race. I can’t thank the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team enough for all the hard work they’ve put in. Our last MotoAmerica win was Road America last year, so it’s been a while since we’ve been on the top step of the podium. I’m happy to be here, and we’re going to keep pushing to be better and better.”
Even though he had a tough weekend, Teagg Hobbs (79) had a lot of positive takeaways for the next race. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
The race wasn’t as kind to teammate Teagg Hobbs. Hobbs ran inside the top five during the race’s first stint, but his ultimate finishing position was largely determined by an off-track excursion caused by a collision with another rider following the red flag. The up-and-comer dropped to last place but managed to pick up a handful of positions before taking the checkered flag in 16th position.
Hobbs said, “I ran off the track and was in last and only had a few laps to climb back up the order. Luck wasn’t going our way. We had a strong weekend and were fourth in the warm-up this morning and fifth in the race before the red flag. After the restart, it just didn’t go my way this time.”
Brandon Paasch (96) puts his GSX-R1000R into the top five in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Brandon Paasch continued his remarkably rapid acclimatization to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki and the team’s Suzuki GSX-R1000R in the premier class. Despite his lack of seat time on the bike and riding at less than full fitness after breaking his back in March, Paasch battled up front, running as high as fourth. In the end, he collected a highly promising top-five finish in fifth.
“Today was better than Saturday,” Paasch said. “We’re getting closer with the setup, and we had more grip today. I was also riding better, for sure. I was able to see how the leaders were riding in the early laps, and I could see the little things they did better, like going through the corner a little faster but still getting the bike turned. As my back continues to heal, I’ll get stronger. Things are going well.”
Richie Escalante (54) had a tough ending to his weekend but is ready for the race in Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante’s Sunday result only served to underline his continued progress by representing a minor disappointment compared to his recent string of strong results. Escalante had established himself as a regular up front, notching nine top-five finishes on the season aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R – including the last six in succession – before today’s seventh-place result.
“It was a difficult race for us,” Escalante admitted. “The team and I tried to improve the bike even more, this morning, to improve the grip. It felt good this morning and for the first five laps of the race. After that, I did not have a good feeling from the front, so I did my best to collect as many points as I could for the championship. Overall, it was a good weekend for us, and I want to thank the team and my sponsors for everything. I will train hard, and we will concentrate on the next one since there will be three Superbike races again.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship will continue on August 18-20 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 130 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 353 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
More, from a press release issued by Chris Clark Racing:
Points on BIR racing debut for Chris Clark
Chris Clark (27). Photo courtesy Chris Clark Racing.
It was an eventful MotoAmerica Junior Cup weekend at Brainerd International Raceway for Chris Clark who was riding at the historic circuit for the first time.
Topping first qualifying in wet conditions, enabled him to further familiarise himself with the track layout and after a dry second qualifying session the #27 put his Kawasaki on the fifth row of the gird ahead of the two races.
He was running well on Saturday until a clutch issue put him out of the race. Sunday saw him perform well in morning warm-up before a spirited ride on Sunday afternoon once again saw him battling just outside of the top six until his chain jumped the sprocket. Lucky to stay on two wheels he crossed the line fourteenth at the flag.
The next round of the championship is in Pittsburgh in mid-August.
Chris Clark: “In qualifying one it was raining a ton so not many people went out – only me and five others. I figured I would go out to go and learn the track a bit more as I had never been to Brainerd. I ended up fastest but with a crash which was unfortunate. For qualifying two it went a little bit better for me. It was dry and I ended up in thirteenth place. I dropped two seconds off my dry time, and I thankfully didn’t crash. Qualifying two was important for us because we were testing out a new data logger and a whole new data system which went well. After starting in P13 I was in a battle for seventh but with about three laps left my clutch burnt up which was unfortunate but looking forward to a good race for tomorrow. I would say it was a pretty good second race up until the end. Starting again from thirteenth I got a decent start and after a few laps I was still hanging with the front group, until I lost touch and fell back a little bit. I was trying to get some good lap times down and stay in my current position but eventually the group behind me caught me. They all drafted by me and on the last lap when I was preparing to make my move one of the other riders the chain popped off and nearly took me out of the race. I lost touch with the group and ended up P14 at the flag.”
More, from a press release issued by Levi Badie Racing:
Levi Badie is unstoppable at Brainerd
Levi Badie (71). Photo courtesy Levi Badie Racing.
Levi Badie produced arguably the greatest comeback in MotoAmerica Junior Cup history at Brainerd International Raceway, the Belgian running off track through the dirt before regrouping to claw back a plus four second deficit on the leading group to take his second win of the year.
Eighth on the grid, Levi showed his ability and race craft on Saturday to quickly move into contention at the front of the pack. A yellow flag overtake resulted in a penalty of ‘drop two positions’ but not even that could stop him from securing a superb second place at the flag.
Sunday’s second race was also looking good until a mistake saw Levi off the track and lucky to stay aboard. What looked like an impossible gap back to the leaders was whittled away lap by lap until with two to go Levi was back in contention. Up to third on the penultimate lap he executed his move for the win perfectly, holding on to take flag in first and with it move into P5 in the overall championship standings.
The next round of the series takes place at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, with Badie looking to be back on the box!
Levi Badie: “We started off on Friday with a good practice. I went to qualifying confident, but it didn’t work out the way I had expected. I was eighth. The race one strategy was to stay calm and come from the back. I passed on the yellow flag which wasn’t intentional, and then I had the sign to give two positions back which I did but race control didn’t see it and when came in the pitlane they didn’t let me do the podium, I was angry and had to go to protest again after Road America! The podium was already done and then I had to pick up the trophy from Hayden Bicknese and he had to pick up the trophy from Max Van so there was a whole big mess but, in the end, everything worked out. So, race two was going well until I missed my third braking marker. I went too wide and went into the dirt in turn twelve and I had to go through of the dirt. There was about a four second gap between me and the leading group and I was like ok just put your head down. In three laps I had closed the gap and there were still two laps left. I was thinking ok like I’m here now so I’m gonna finish this. I passed the two of the guys and was up to second and I knew Rossi (Moor) didn’t know I was strong in the ‘carousel,’ and I could pass him in that corner. He went defensive but I did a little short run, and I was able to hold him off until the finish line to get the victory. I had a lot of fun and I am looking forward to Pittsburgh.”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Cody Wyman joins Altus Motorsports to compete in Stock1000 for the remainder of the season
(Brainerd, MN) Cody Wyman had an impressive inaugural outing on the Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 at Road America earlier this season. With Brandon Paasch moving up to Superbike with the M4 team, Altus was extremely excited to have Cody take the reins for the remainder of the 2023 MotoAmerica season.
In addition to adding Wyman, the Altus team brought Boyd Bruner on board as crew chief.
Stock1000:
The last time Cody Wyman rode the Alus Motorsports GSX-R1000 he was near the top of the charts straight away. But with the challenges with the conditions atBrainerd, the pace did not come easily. Cody qualified 9th. In the Stock1000 race 1, he finished in 9th. In the Sunday race, he took the checkered flag in 10th.
Cody Wyman: “It was a tough weekend at Brainerd. Between some bike issues and a crash, we didn’t have time to find a good setup. As a result, I was never really able to get comfortable on the bike. ”
Supersport:
It has been a difficult 2023 season for Jaret Nassaney. After a great 2022 season, he just had not found his groove in ‘23. The results from the MotoAmerica event at Brainerd may not show it but, by Sunday, Jaret was his most comfortable on the bike for the first time this year. He qualified 13th and finished 14th in race 1. On Sunday he felt even better on the bike and managed an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney: “We are finally moving in the right direction! Brainerd was not the results we want — or know I can get — but we are finally getting the bike figured out! Excited to continue the progress in Pittsburgh”
Junior Cup:
Alessandro Di Mario struggled to find a good setup at Brainerd. His pace was good enough to qualify 6th and was able to go with the lead group at the beginning of both Junior Cup races. He finished the weekend with a pair of 6th-place finishes and was lapping faster than the rest of the field but not quite quick enough to dice it up at the front. Di Mario heads to the next round looking for that last piece to the puzzle to allow him to battle for the podium.
Alessandro Di Mario: “We worked really hard to get the bike set up right but sadly didn’t get the results we were hoping for. I would like to thank the team for all their hard work and for making changes to make me feel more comfortable on the bike.”
George Nassaney: “The results may not show it but the Altus team had a good weekend in Minnesota. I am looking forward to Pitt Race and the rest of the season.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
A new stop for the GP Tour, a journey through Italy to discover Giorgio Parodi, the Genoese founder of the most iconic and loved motorcycle in Italy and abroad, this time the beautiful Trapani area hosted the event, thanks to the collaboration of the Giorgio Parodi Association with the 37th Stormo and the Sartarelli Vintage Car and Motorcycle Club of Trapani.
The Parodi’s eagle is back in Trapani with three days rich of events that brought the numerous lovers of the well-known motorcycle brand in the footsteps of the family, traces of the ties with the Sicilian territory date back as far as 1913, when the “Società Anonima Angelo Parodi fu Bartolomeo” was officially founded.
The event, with the patronage of the Municipality of Trapani and Misiliscemi, linked two wheels and flying lovers, the two great passions of Giorgio Parodi, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force. We started with a visit to the base of the 37th Stormo, where the story of the great entrepreneur and his family was told, they ruled the fate of the Tonnare of Favignana for a long time. Followed by a static display of historic aircraft and vehicles with some flights of vintage airplanes.
Moto Guzzi motorcycles parked with a Typhoon of the Italian Air Force’s 37th Stormo. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
The tour continued on Saturday with a visit to the island of Favignana and its tuna traps, which in 1937 passed definitively from the Florio family to the Parodi, to end on Sunday 23rd with a motorcycle meeting in Erice.
A long fly of the Eagle, so Giorgio Parodi would imagine himself, through years of great international successes both in the motorbike competitions and in air races that bond permanently the Italian pilot and entrepreneur to the fascinating history of the Italian Air Force in the year of her 100 Jubilee.
Vintage Moto Guzzi motorcycles on display at the GPA event in Italy. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
“The eagle with spread wings is the universal symbol of all civil and military pilots, as well as being that of Italian Air Force,” explains Elena Bagnasco, president of the Giorgio Parodi Association and granddaughter of Giorgio as well. “Giorgio wanted it on the tanks of his motorcycles in memory of two friends, Stefano Baglietto and Giovanni Ravelli, pilots like he was, who both died in flights accidents and with whom he began to develop a new and innovative motorcycle project.”
“We must also remember,” concludes Elena, “that the eagle was already in the family feelings with ‘Angelo Parodi fu Bartolomeo,’ which officially chose it as its brand in 1911, and with the capital of which Moto Guzzi was founded in 1921.”
Colonel Daniele Donati, Commander of the 37th Stormo, expressed full satisfaction with the organization of the visit, which is part of the events scheduled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Armed Force and provided a further opportunity to “open the doors” of the Department to the splendid community that hosts him, underlining that “Giorgio Parodi, famous and multi-medal aviator, fully represents the ethical values, passion, dedication and ingenuity that have belonged to all men and women of the Italian Air Force since its inception.”
Salvatore Ingardia, motorcycle enthusiast, founder of Sicily motorcycle Tour, Francesco Sartarelli, member of the Technical National Board of the 150th Club linked to ASI (Historical Italian Car/Moto Association), and the President Alberto Santoro was proud to support a great initiative which paired the passion in the air with the one on the road by bikers; an iconic tour of the locations which the Parodi’s family made to flourish and become Landmark for Western Sicily, to be visited every year by thousands of enthusiasts from all over the world.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Returns To The Podium On Sunday At Brainerd
Brainerd, MN – Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team overcame a stroke of bad luck in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Brainerd International Raceway and wrapped up the weekend with a solid, third-place finish in Sunday’s race two.
After not being able to finish Saturday’s race due to a mechanical issue caused by an incident that wasn’t his fault, Mathew’s experienced crew was able to repair the #11 Yamaha YZF-R1 for Sunday’s race.
Getting a great jump off the line in the 18-lap race, Mathew was in second-place for the first couple of laps. He lost a position on lap three, and then another one on lap four, but then, he stabilized his position in fourth for the next four laps and then moved back up to third place on lap eight. Mathew staunchly held onto the final podium position all the way to the finish line.
Mathew Scholtz on the podium at Brainerd International Raceway. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“It’s awesome to be back up on the podium,” Mathew said. “We went out there today with different gearing, but we weren’t really sure if it would help. For the first three or four laps, Jake (Gagne) and PJ (Jacobsen) had a little bit of pace on me, but from lap five onwards, I kind of pulled them back slightly. Then, from the halfway point till the end of the race, the bike started losing grip as I would open the throttle. So, the last couple laps were just survival. In Laguna, I had a massive crash. Hadn’t been able to really train coming up to this and I’ve been sitting on the couch. Maybe did two or three cycles just to try to keep my fitness, but I definitely noticed that it hurt me today. My arms were pumping up. Overall, these guys are riding well. Just to finish in the top five now is something special. There’re crazy-fast guys. There’s Beemers, Ducatis, Yamahas, Suzukis are now up there, too. So, just to be up there makes me feel good, considering how bad things have been. I hope we can just build on from here. Pittsburgh has been one of my favorite tracks. I’ve been strong there previously, so I’m really thinking we can challenge for the win there and carry on pushing forward.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on August 18 through 20 at Pittsburgh International Raceway in Wampum, Pennsylvania, for round seven of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:
PJ victorious as Cameron and Corey suffer double DNF at Brainerd
PJ Jacobsen kept the Tytlers Cycle Racing team on the top step of the podium in the latest round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Brainerd International Raceway, the #99 BMW M1000 RR rider converting his front row of the grid starting position to a superb second place finish on Saturday afternoon before romping to his maiden SBK win on Sunday.
On the pace from free practice PJ was the one to watch, putting together his strongest weekend of the year so far. The results move him into fourth overall in the points standings.
Cameron Beaubier, already a multiple winner this year, was also on the pace, the former champion putting his #6 machine in Pole Position for the weekend’s two races. A strong start in Saturday’s opener saw a dramatic first lap, with Cameron tagging the back of Jake Gagne. Contact between PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz brough out the red flag meaning a race restart. When the lights went out again Beaubier was once again looking good before a scary look crash saw him high side out of contention. With a medical examination revealing a concussion, Cameron withdrew from all track activity on Sunday.
The team’s third rider, Corey Alexander, also had an eventful weekend. The #23 destroyed a bike after a fast crash on Friday but thanks to the great work of the team was able to make it out for qualifying. P12 on the gird, Corey dug deep but unfortunately failed to finish either race, despite running inside the top six on Sunday.
The next round of the series takes place at fan favourite Pitt Race in the middle of August.
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one was pretty hectic with everything that happened at the start. There were a few crashes, and we had a restart. Unfortunately, Cam (Beaubier) went down but I was able to run a strong pace and run with Jake (Gagne) the rest of the race. I got P2 and the closest we have been to a win which was good for me, and the team and I was looking forward to seeing what we could do on Sunday. Race two was pretty awesome. I got my first superbike win in MotoAmerica. It was a really hard race and I just focused on not making mistakes. I made the pass, but I knew I couldn’t relax. Jake (Gagne) kept the pressure up, but we were able to hold on and get the win that has eluded me for so long. It’s a pretty cool feeling and I can’t wait for Pittsburgh. I want to thank the whole team, see you at the next one!”
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace Friday and Saturday morning that I was happy about but had a big crash at the beginning of race one that put us out for the weekend. I am bummed but I will get healthy and move on. It was good to see PJ win on Sunday so well done to him. I am looking forward to Pittsburgh so see you there.”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “I felt great right off the bat with our bike and our pace was strong. Unfortunately, I had a big crash on one of the fastest turns of the track in Q1 that destroyed the bike. The guys built a new one, but we spent most of Saturday sorting out the bugs of a new bike and it cost us a finish in the opening race. Race two was back to normal with the bike, and I felt strong in the middle of the race and was pushing hard. Unfortunately, I lost the front with a few laps ago. It has been a weekend to forget but I am happy with what we have learned yet again and my pace overall. Thanks, team, for everything”
More, from a press release issued by Fairium NGRT – Gray Area KTM:
FANTASTIC WEEKEND FOR ROSSI MOOR IN BRAINERD, EVEN GREAT DEBUT OF THE NEW SPONSOR.
Rossi Moor (34). Photo by Ramon Jones, courtesy Fairium NGRT – Gray Area KTM.
Rossi Moor (15 years old) arrived at the fourth round of the Junior Cup in MotoAmerica with the aim of recovering as many points as possible in the general classification over his rivals. Over the entire race weekend Rossi once again proved to be very fast as he took first place both in Friday’s free practice and in QP2 securing the second Pole Position in a row.
Race 1: A practically storyless race, Rossi starts very well and although his KTM is not as fast as the Kawasaki, in turn 5 he is already in the lead, with a fast and determined ride he detaches all his rivals and crosses the finish line with 7.6 seconds ahead. Amazing victory!!
Race 2: It starts very well and Rossi is in the lead at the end of the first lap but unfortunately in the 4th lap the third gear breaks and he is forced to fight with a very big handicap, but his great determination and skill despite the big problem sees him second on the finish line. Rossi is currently in 4th position in the overall 34 points behind first place with two rounds and four races to go.
Another great source of pride for Rossi is that from this Brainerd race weekend he will be displaying the logo of a new partner, Polyglass, a leading Florida-based manufacturer of modified bituminous membranes and roofing coatings for low- and steep-slope applications, on the overalls and on the bike. An agreement reached by Rossi’s manager Stefano Favaro who unites him through an old and strong friendship with the CEO of Polyglass USA Inc, Natalino Zanchetta.
About Polyglass
Polyglass® USA Inc., is an ISO 9001:2015 certified, leading manufacturer of modified bitumen membranes and roof coatings for low- and steep-slope applications. Utilizing the industry’s most technologically advanced manufacturing process, Polyglass operates six state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities — five in North America and one in Italy that serves all of Europe. Since 2008, Polyglass has been a part of the Mapei® Group, a multi-billion dollar manufacturer in the building industry with over 32 research centers and more than 86 production facilities in 57 countries.
Polyglass is committed to adding value by producing cutting-edge products that meet or exceed the needs of our customers. Our goal is to provide a professional experience, focusing on durable roofing and waterproofing products, as well as efficient service, all while meeting the objectives of our shareholders and employees.
More, from a press release issued by Kreece Elliott Racing:
Kreece Elliott was back on track at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend in the latest round of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
A strong opening practice session on Friday boosted the Colorado teenager’s confidence before an afternoon rain shower saw him sit out his first opportunity to qualify – the #47 not feeling the need to risk a crash given the weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
A top ten qualifying position saw Elliott fighting hard at the head of the second group in race one on Saturday, he crossed the line tenth. A penalty for a jump start on Sunday put paid to what would have been a top eight finish, but he was still classified eleventh after a spirited ride throughout race two.
The results, Kreece’s fourth- and fifth-point scoring finishes of the season elevate him to fifteenth overall in the championship standings ahead of the next round at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in mid-August.
Kreece Elliott: “Race one didn’t go to plan. I was in the lead group for a lap but then a couple of riders tangled and crashed, and I was pretty much a sitting duck for the rest of the race. I got passed and I had to fight hard to stay in the group, but we had gone the wrong way with the gearing, and I couldn’t pass where I needed. I was in the fight for P7 but crossed the line tenth. Race two was better but I was given a penalty for a jump start which we will go and speak to race direction about as I don’t think I moved. We could have been inside the top seven and so I am a little disappointed as the time penalty puts me out of the top ten. The gearing was still a little off, but I rode my best and that is all I can do. I am happy to have made another double point finish and I can’t wait to ride at Pittsburgh.”
Dainese Group Hires Bobby Fong as Events Coordinator and Racer Support
COSTA MESA, CA – Dainese (www.dainese.com), the world leader in protective wear for dynamic sports, is proud to announce the hiring of Bobby Fong as its new Events Coordinator and Racer Support. With over 12 years of experience in the motorcycle racing industry, Fong brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Dainese team.
As a professional motorcycle racer, Fong has an intimate understanding of the needs of riders and the importance of safety gear. He has competed at the highest level of the sport and knows firsthand the importance of high-quality protective wear. With this experience, Fong will help guide Dainese’s Events & Racer Support and ensure that the brand is well-represented at motorcycle events and races in the USA.
In his new role, Fong will be responsible for planning and executing Dainese’s event and sports marketing initiatives, working closely with the company’s marketing and sales teams to ensure the brand is servicing the unique racing needs that exist in the USA. He will also serve as a brand ambassador, representing Dainese at motorcycle events and promoting the company’s commitment to safety and performance.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Dainese team,” said Fong. “I was lucky enough to have worn Dainese for a good part of my racing career, even before this opportunity to work with Dainese arose, I knew first hand Dainese’s commitment to quality and protection was second to none. When the opportunity to not only wear the products but be part of the Dainese Family was offered to me, I jumped at it. Joining Dainese has been an eye-opening experience. Now that I am on the inside, I have a whole new understanding and respect for the level of commitment Dainese has to protecting riders. I’m stoked to be here and I look forward to helping Dainese grow its presence at events across the USA.”
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The Yamaha rider takes the Superpole Race but Race 2 goes to the Ducati rider; historic victory in WorldSSP for Mackenzie with Honda
The FIM World Superbike Championship Sunday race day that just came to an end on the Most circuit in the Czech Republic brought one win each for Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Yamaha) and Álvaro Bautista (Ducati) after the Race 1 victory yesterday for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki).
The Turkish Yamaha rider dominated the Superpole Race, whereas the Spanish Ducati rider won Race 2. Six-time world champion Rea, after winning Race 1, took home second and third place.
In both races held today, the riders used slicks. For the Superpole Race, the most used rear was the SC0, whereas in Race 2, the most popular was the new SC1 C0567 development solution.
The WorldSSP race was also a thriller, with British rider Tarran Mackenzie staying on track in the rain gambling on slicks and giving Honda a win which they hadn’t achieved in WorldSSP since 2016.
The winner of the 300 class race, delayed due to heavy rainfall which made the track unusable, was the Yamaha’s Indonesian rider Aldi Satya Mahendra.
Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director
Heated battles and races influenced by the weather
“First of all, just a brief comment to clarify an issue that generated a bit of confusion for the fans yesterday. The intermediate tyres, like the rain tyres or slicks, are available to all riders and teams in the same quantity. In Race 1, by their own choice, some teams had not asked to have them mounted on rims or they simply had them mounted in the garage and did not take them out to the grid and this is why they did not use them, not because Pirelli had not made them available. The unstable weather once again influenced the races today, particularly the WorldSSP race. The riders who finished on the podium were the ones who decided to stay out on the track with slicks when it began to rain, risking a bit. In WorldSBK Race 2, with the new C0567 rear specification, we recorded three cases of blistering: Rea, Gardner and Razgatlioğlu. For the first two, the blisters were extremely small and had no effect on the performance and race result, whereas in Razgatlioğlu’s case, the tyre had two more evident blisters and the telemetry data shows sudden deflation of the tyre. Even if the Yamaha rider’s race pace was extremely high and none of the other riders’ tyres show any signs of stress or wear, these types of episode clearly must not occur, so we will conduct an in-depth laboratory analysis of the three tyres with blistering to figure out what may have caused it.”
In the Superpole Race, most of the riders were on the grid with the standard SC1 front and the standard SC0 rear, which were the softest solutions available to them. The only riders who mounted the standard SC2 at the front were Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), whereas at the rear, the new SC1 C0567 development tyre was chosen by 7 riders: Yamaha riders Remy Gardner, Dominique Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri, Kawasaki riders Tito Rabat and Oliver Konig, as well as Iker Lecuona (Honda) and Phillip Oettl (Ducati). Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) won the race after starting from pole position. Finishing behind him were Race 1 winner, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and current championship leader Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), managing to snatch the bottom step of the podium from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), fourth. All 5 of the top finishers used SC0 rear tyres and SC1 front tyres.
In Race 2, the majority of riders opted for the combination of the standard SC1 front and the new SC1 C0567 development at the rear. Just like in the Superpole Race, at the front, only Lorenzo Baldassarri and Roberto Tamburini mounted the standard SC2, whereas for the rear, Kawasaki factory riders Rea and Lowes went with the SC1 A1126 development solution, already successfully used for the Phillip Island race in 2022 and this year. Toprak Razgatlioğlu and Álvaro Bautista engaged in a fantastic duel on the track, with the Turkish rider managing to fend off the Spaniard’s attacks until crashing out six laps from the end. At that point, Álvaro Bautista had nothing but open road ahead, going on to win the race all by himself at the front. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) performed brilliantly, overtaking Jonathan Rea on the final turn to take the second step of the podium, with the Kawasaki rider forced to settle for third.
On the starting grid for Race 2, the riders confirmed their tyre choices from Race 1. At the rear, practically all of them started with the standard SC0, whereas at the front, almost everyone opted for the standard SC1 in the conventional 120/70 size, with the exception of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who had already opted for the SC1 in the larger 125/70 size – the same one used by the WorldSBK riders.
Compared with Race 1, held entirely on a dry track, the fate of Race 2 was highly influenced by the weather. Rain began to fall just before the mid-race point and race direction activated the flag-to-flag procedure, allowing the riders to pit and switch to rain tyres. At that point, many made the switch, whereas a few decided to stay out on slicks, a decision which proved to be the winning one because the rain stopped a few laps later and the track gradually dried off. Winning the race, gambling on the slicks, was British rider Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) who finished first ahead of two other riders who elected not to make a pit stop, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), second, and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), third.
Here we go! Who will strike first as MotoGP™ returns at Silverstone?
Fast. Flowing. Fierce. Hold on to your hats as the second half of the season kicks off with the British GP
Monday, 31 July 2023
Silverstone. One of the longest venues on the calendar, one of the fastest, and one that’s created some true modern classics. This year, we also move back to the international paddock in the shadow of the glorious Silverstone Wing, adding an extra dash of adrenaline and new challenge to the mix. All in all, it’s a perfect place to get back on track after summer break, with everything to race for as the second half of the season gears up to deliver more of the world’s most exciting motorsport. And on the way in, there’s plenty to talk about!
Picking up where they left off?
The first part of the Championship has seen some ups and downs for reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but in the last few race weekends the kinks have really been ironed out: two GP wins, a Tissot Sprint win and not off the podium when he didn’t take victory, it’s some form Pecco found before the summer break… so can he keep that rolling as we get back underway? He won here last year, so the omens are good for the #1.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is another who put together a serious charge heading into summer, slightly further back in Assen but still taking some big points and hanging on to that second overall. He’s just a single point ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) though as the number 72 got right back in the fight at the front last time out.
Interestingly too, Bagnaia extended that gap thanks to that glorious win at Assen, but since Le Mans he’s not actually the high scorer after taking 107 points from the French GP to the Dutch GP. Martin has banked 111 – gains he’d need to accelerate to overtake the reigning Champion but a formidable charge as he, Bagnaia, and Bezzecchi have shared all the top steps since Jerez.
Recharged & reloaded
Since Jerez means Brad Binder’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team) stunning Sprint win at the Spanish GP, and the South African is the first in the standings looking to hit back as we get back in business. He has a score to settle after missing out on those podiums after track limits infringements in Assen too, so can he get back on the rostrum?
That painful take two on Sunday at the Dutch TT, meanwhile, saw Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) move up and take to the podium for the first time this season. And it clearly meant a lot. It’s been a harder start to the season than many expected for both Espargaro and Aprilia, but if there’s a venue with good memories to head back to after that uptick, it’s Silverstone: the venue that staged the Noale factory’s first podium in the MotoGP™ era in 2021. Yes, only in 2021!
Targets acquired
That’s also true of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), with Assen falling flat but Silverstone another venue the number 12 has previously taken by the horns. He took his first win there in 2016, and last year he almost made MotoGP™ history by winning with a third different bike as his Aprilia crossed the line just half a second off Bagnaia. That remains on the table as history to be made, and Top Gun will want to shoot from the hip after a tough start to 2023.
Assen was a downturn in momentum for a few, including the other rider in the running for that win with a third machine: Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He took no points at Assen and neither did Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who arrived at the Dutch TT on a roll of three MotoGP™ podiums in a row for the first time ever. Can they bounce back and find some more luck?
More to come?
It wasn’t a bad weekend for the likes of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) at Assen, but it wasn’t the heights they’ve already raced at earlier in the season. Marini’s consistency is paying off as he sits 11 points off Zarco, however, whereas AM73 will want to bank some more as he sits 10th despite also already taking a podium.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, had a Dutch TT of two halves. Saturday was a stunner as he took his first Sprint podium, setting up some expectation for Sunday, but the GP race saw him crash out with Zarco and head into summer break apologising to his compatriot and with a broken toe to heal. He should be back up to full power at Silverstone and will want, as ever, to qualify well to try and replicate and extend that Saturday prowess from Assen.
Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli is also looking for more, and in his case from the middle of a “silly season” maelstrom as rumours abound regarding who’s going where in 2024. That’s also the case for Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with both looking to start the second half of the season on a high.
Reset & rebuild
One of the headline quotes to come out of MotoGP™’s visit to Goodwood, meanwhile, was Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) confirming he expects to be at 100% from Silverstone. And he’ll be expecting to challenge at the front. There’s been a little more time for Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team) to recover some strength too, and teammate Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team). As ever, however, much of the spotlight will be squarely back on Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)…
The number 93 is expected back on track, and after a glorious start to 2023 with pole and a Sprint podium gave way to more injury struggles, the next story was then all about the bike. So can Honda make their way back to the truly impressive form we’ve seen over much of the past two decades? And the biggest question doing the rounds, with rumours ranging from the plausible to the fantastical: will Marquez be along for that ride? Before we likely get any real answers, Silverstone awaits, and it’s a venue MM93 has reigned.
We also expect the return of Repsol Honda teammate Joan Mir after he was sidelined through injury, and the return of their two World Champions will surely be a boost for the team and factory. We won’t see Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) back just yet though, with Iker Lecuona on duty from Most WorldSBK to Silverstone to replace his compatriot. Finally at Honda though, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) keeps quietly bagging those points and retains that one singular DNF in a GP race this year, which is no mean feat in itself. Can that continue as we head into the second part of the season?
Another rider back on track will be Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3). After a first taste up The Hill at Goodwood, the Spaniard will be fully reunited with his whole team this time round as he takes his place back in the GASGAS garage to go racing again. It’s been a long few months of recovery, but he’ll be beaming to rejoin rookie teammate Augusto Fernandez. And Fernandez has been busy in the interim, taking a best GP finish of fourth so far and taking consistent points as one of only two riders, along with Morbidelli, to score in every Grand Prix race so far. He also loves Silverstone, so could prove a dark horse.
Bagnaia just extended that gap thanks to that glorious win at Assen, but Martin and Bezzecchi remain close enough for everything to change in a weekend. Check out the times for the racing action below to see how chapter nine unfolds at the fierce and fabulous Silverstone circuit, and see if we make a little history with a ninth different winner in nine races at the track!
SHOWTIME: CHANGES AT THE BRITISH GP
The Monster Energy British Grand Prix sees the introduction of the new entry system for Q2. The first session for MotoGP™ is now FREE Practice 1 and doesn’t count towards Q2, with only the re-named Friday afternoon session, called Practice, deciding who goes through.
The British GP also sees a change to the running order on Sunday. The Tissot Sprint is set for lights out at 15:00 on Saturday as ever, but the Grand Prix gets going at 13:00 (GMT+1) – BEFORE the Moto2™ race.
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +1)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 13:00 (GMT +1)
Moto2™: expect a showstopper!
Tony Arbolino’s (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) advantage is now just eight points as the Jaws music of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continues to close in, but the Italian’s worst finish is still only that seventh place at Assen as Acosta rues that DNF in France and tough race at the Argentina GP. The pressure of Acosta’s momentum since then is quite something, however, so can Arbolino hold fast at the top and find a step back forward to the electric pace of earlier in the season?
The headlines, however, have to be shared at the British GP. And not even because Jake Dixon (Tensite GASGAS Aspar Team) is racing on home turf, but because he won his first Grand Prix last time out in some style. No pressure? Some of that has already gone now he has that first winner’s trophy and he’s already been on the podium at home though, so can he do it again or challenge for it? And can compatriot Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) find some of that Jerez form?
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), meanwhile, was back on form at Assen and only just off the podium last year at Silverstone… and Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) was very much on the rostrum. It was his first visit, as a rookie, and after he led much of the race, ultimately only losing out to eventual Champion Augusto Fernandez by less than a tenth…
Tune in for what is shaping up to be a true thriller in the intermediate class this weekend as we return from summer break, with lights out at the later time of 14:30 (GMT +1)!
Can Holgado hit back at Silverstone?
Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had just about the worst end to the first part of the season possible at Assen as he qualified last, crashed early and failed to score. Now the question is, can he reset from that and come back out swinging?
He’ll certainly have some tough competition from Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), winner last time out and now on a consistent roll within 16 points of the top, and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider hasn’t been off the podium since France. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) can be expected to shine again too, now a Grand Prix winner after that Sachsenring stunner and back on the podium at Assen to back it up.
Will it be all change again at Silverstone? Can Holgado pick up where he left off? Or are the trio of Masia, Sasaki and Öncü set to march on? We’ll find out with more Moto3™ on Sunday at the slightly different time of 11:15 (GMT+1)!
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Trevor Brunner (Yam), 20 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -0.230 second
3. Kody Kopp (KTM), -0.553
4. Max Whale (KTM), -1.402 seconds
5. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -1.531
6. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -2.347
7. Trent Lowe (Hon), -2.480
8. Chad Cose (Hus), -3.264
9. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -3.400
10. Jared Lowe (Hon), -3.593
11. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -4.042
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -4.660
13. Justin Jones (Hus), -5.570
14. Olin Kissler (KTM), -5.898
15. Cole Zabala (Hon), -5.966
16. James Ott (Hus), -6.578
17. Blake Steinwagner (Hon), -6.964
18. Declan Bender (KTM), -4 laps, DNF
19. Ferran Cardus (Hon), -11 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 27 laps
2. Briar Bauman (KTM), -0.679 second
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -1.904 seconds
4. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -2.506
5. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -3.083
6. Henry Wiles (Ind), -6.142
7. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -1 lap
8. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, 5.503 seconds
9. Ben Lowe (Ind), -1 lap, 6.409
10. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -1 lap, 7.255
11. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -1 lap, 7.296
12. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -1 lap, 7.830
13. Ryan Wells (Roy), -3 laps
14. Billy Ross (Kaw), -7 laps, DNF
15. Kasey Sciscoe (Har), -22 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Beach, Championship Chaos Reign in 76th Peoria TT
JD Beach (95) won the 76th Peoria TT. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 30, 2023) – JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) strengthened his claim as one of the greatest TT riders in the long history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing on Sunday afternoon. The Estenson Racing hero was his spectacular self in the 76th running of the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon, once again dominating at the Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois.
While obvious in hindsight, that end result wasn’t quite so easy to predict while the day unfolded. Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) was fastest in practice, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) took control during qualifying, and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) won the four-lap Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, but come the Main Event it was all Beach.
Beach then seemingly robbed the race of all drama from the start, slotting into the lead off the line and clearing off at the front.
Even the race behind Beach settled into a seemingly processional affair – emphasis on “seemingly” – as Daniels held down second, followed by Bauman and Mees. But with Beach several seconds out in front and just one lap and one corner to go, the championship chase was thrown with a wicked curveball.
Positioned to stretch out his points lead, Daniels lost the front and crashed from the race, bringing out a very late red flag. However, when presented with the threat of a title-sinking disaster, his crew rose to the occasion, repairing the #32 bike’s broken shifter with just seconds to spare before the restart.
Having lapped all the way up to sixth, Daniels was gifted a most fortunate position on the staggered restart grid. Once back underway, race-long leader Beach survived the three-lap shootout to secure his eighth TT win in his last nine attempts, with Bauman collecting second and Mees taking third.
Beach said, “I’ve just got to thank my crew. This day was hard. I felt good all day but my times were only okay. I was sitting third or fourth pretty much all day. In the Main, I was just like, ‘I’ve got to do my work.’ I got a great start and I just kept doing my laps. I messed up once over the jump and I messed up once in Turn 3. I could hear my bike so I thought it was Dallas right on me. It’s a bummer for him and the team for him to go down with two laps to go, but it was a great race.”
Bummer, yes, but ultimately, Daniels didn’t just salvage enough points to stay alive, he came home with a solid fifth-place result behind Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750). Despite losing his title lead and seeing his season-long 13-race podium streak come to an end, the championship hopeful walked away from Peoria facing just a one-point deficit to Mees (296-295) even after the near catastrophe.
Peoria TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) was the final rider remaining on the lead lap in sixth, while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) rounded out the top ten, respectively.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) scored his first victory of ‘23 in a surprising conclusion to a topsy-turvy Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event.
Prior to a mid-race red flag, teammates Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) had put themselves in first and second.
Kopp took the lead after successive overtakes of Estenson Racing teammates Brunner and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), while, Whale had a bigger job for himself after slipping back to sixth early despite starting from the front row.
By the time Whale stormed around the outside of Drane to move into second, Kopp had opened up nearly a one-second-plus lead at the front. Whale’s uphill climb was made substantially less steep due to the red flag, which resulted in a staggered restart with just over three minutes remaining on the clock.
With all of the focus on the reset Red Bull KTM brawl for the win, red-hot Drane had another idea. The up-and-coming Aussie jumped out into the lead and displayed renewed strength, actually pulling away from Kopp, Brunner, and Whale with relative ease.
But Drane’s cruise to the checkered flag was interrupted, due to the appearance of a second red flag, which resulted in one final restart with just three laps to determine the winner.
This proved to be Brunner’s golden opportunity, after previously looking to be out of victory contention. The Indiana native blasted off the line and won out in the opening-corner melee, seizing the lead ahead of Drane and Kopp.
He then held on in the brief showdown to claim the win before his rivals had a chance to mount an effective counter. Drane picked up his seventh podium in his last eight outings by finishing 0.230 seconds behind in second position while Kopp solidified his championship advantage in third.
“This is awesome,” Brunner said. “We were pulling starts really well today, but we were having trouble getting out of the ‘flat track’ corners. We were kind of struggling with traction getting out of there, so each restart really benefited me a lot because I was able to come back. The last one, I got a great start and really pulled it out.”
Two-time Peoria TT winner Whale came home fourth a little over a second off the win with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) nipping at his rear wheel in fifth.
Meanwhile, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) finished sixth with Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 Mission Foods/Helmet House Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Kopp still leads by a healthy 40 points over Brunner (273-233) as Drane continued his climb up the order, now ranked third at 228.
Next Up:
Progressive AFT will now play a starring role in the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, August 6. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/black-hills-half-mile-73564 to reserve your seats 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 World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 6, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
DEFENDING AFT SINGLES CHAMPION KODY KOPP RETURNS TO PODIUM AT PEORIA TT
Round 14 – American Flat Track Championship
PEORIA, Ill. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Kody Kopp returned to the podium in Round 14 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship at the Peoria TT, where he secured a third-place finish in the AFT Singles Main Event, and teammate Max Whale took the checkered flag in fourth position.
The morning’s qualifying sessions were marked by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing domination as both Kopp and Whale ranked 1-2 across both sessions, achieving comfort on the 450 SX-Fs from the moment their wheels were in motion.
After finishing second in the opening Heat of the weekend, Kopp earned his way into the Dash-for-Cash, where he would again notch a second-place result. For the 20-lap Main Event, Kopp raced to a hard-fought P3 finish, posting the fastest lap time of the race in the process.
Following his Peoria TT ride, Kopp sits 40 points clear on the AFT Singles Championship tally with four rounds remaining.
Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “The day started off really well with qualifying first, sat on pole for the Heat race, but just got a bad start there. I rode my way up to second for a front row start in the Main Event, and didn’t get off to a great jump there, but moved my way up into the lead, then the red flag came out. We had a couple of those today, and they just didn’t work out for me, but we salvaged a third place and are off to the next one!”
Australian charger Whale scored second in his Heat race following his strong showing in the qualifying sessions, and would race to victory in Dash-for-Cash. A consistent outing in the Main Event saw Whale cross the line in fourth place, climbing to P5 in the 2023 standings.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “This was a tough one for me! Felt really good early in the day, practice and qualifying went really well – qualified second to Kody by a tiny margin. Heat race, I finished second which was good, then won the Dash-for-Cash after I rode consistent in that and got the job done. Then in the Main Event, got off to an average start, but charged my way back into second place, then the red flag came out and that really disrupted my rhythm. My line was super dry by that point, which was tough to ride, and I think I over-rode the track a bit, but managed a fourth place. Excited for the next one and huge thanks to the team!”
Next Race: Black Hills Half-Mile – Rapid City, SD – August 6, 2023
Bobby Fong won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota. Fong took the lead on the first lap and inched away to win the eight-lap sprint by 1.509 seconds on his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger. It was his second full-length race win of the season.
Hayden Gillim finished second on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide, which was enough for him to take over the Championship point lead.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara used a late-race pass on Gillim’s teammate James Rispoli to score third place on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian.
Rispoli came home fourth, and Kyle Wyman rounded out the top five finishers on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson.
PJ Jacobsen broke through to take his career-first MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race win in Race Two Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota.
Jacobsen passed two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne on lap nine of 18 and held on to win by 0.322 second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Gagne said he pushed his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 hard all the way to the end but the best he could do was second, which was enough to add to his Championship point lead significantly.
After a string of bad luck in 2023 that continued with a DNF in Race One, Mathew Scholtz was happy to bring his Westby Racing Yamaha home in third.
Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha’s Bobby Fong was running Scholtz down at a rapid pace in the closing laps but came up 0.1 second short of passing him before the finish. After the race, Fong received a 1.3-second penalty for cutting the chicane, but it didn’t affect his finishing position – fourth.
Brandon Paasch turned a great start into an impressive fifth-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Championship contenders Josh Herrin and Cameron Beaubier did not score any points in Race Two. Herrin retired from Race Two with technical problems on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati, and Beaubier did not start the race due to a concussion he suffered in a crash during Race One.
Jacobsen Wins The First MotoAmerica Superbike Race Of His Career At Brainerd
PJ Jacobsen Nabs His First Superbike Victory In A Straight Fight Over Jake Gagne In Minnesota
PJ Jacobsen (99) defeated Jake Gagne (1) to win his career-first MotoAmerica Superbike race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
BRAINERD, MN (July 30, 2023) – With a near-perfect performance on Sunday afternoon at Brainerd International Raceway, PJ Jacobsen is no longer the fastest rider in the MotoAmerica paddock to not win a Medallia Superbike race after he added his name to the list of men who have won the premier class in the championship.
With three second-place finishes so far this season and a runner-up finish once in 2022, Jacobsen’s win turned him from bridesmaid to bride and he did it the right way, by besting two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in a straight fight. The win also allowed him to step out of the shadow of his five-time Superbike Champion teammate, Cameron Beaubier – the winner of five races thus far in his first season with the Tytlers Cycle Racing team.
After trailing Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s Jake Gagne for all of race one on Saturday, Jacobsen was again behind the championship points leader in race two. Until there were nine laps to go. At that point, Jacobsen made his move on Gagne in turn three, got the job done and even put a bit of a cushion between himself and Gagne. Although Gagne put in a late-race charge, Jacobsen was able to withstand the pressure to take that elusive first win by .322 of a second.
Behind those two, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was also feeling pressure from behind as Bobby Fong was having the ride of his year on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 and was giving the South African all he could handle in the final laps. Scholtz crossed the line in third with Fong giving up the chase in the final few turns.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch continues to impress in just his second weekend on the GSX-R1000R with another fifth-place finish. Sixth place went to Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by a tick over Paasch’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Richie Escalante, who struggled with front-tire woes.
Josh Hayes was up to fourth when an off-track excursion knocked him back to 11th. The four-time AMA Superbike Champion, riding the injured Cameron Petersen’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1, charged back through to end up eighth.
Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates was ninth with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
With Beaubier being ruled out of racing on Sunday due to the concussion he suffered in Saturday’s crash, and Josh Herrin’s Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R suffering a mechanical problem that knocked him out of third place, Gagne’s lead in the championship swelled to 68 points over Herrin, 262-194. Beaubier drops to third, 79 points behind Gagne. With his 2-1 weekend tally, Jacobsen jumps past Escalante and into fourth in the title chase, 100 points behind the championship leader.
Superbike Race 2
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Superbike Quotes
PJ Jacobsen – Winner
“It’s just been hard work. Last year being able to even be on the podium was awesome and getting there. Then building steps this year and stuff, and with Cam (Beaubier) coming on as my teammate it was obviously a huge push because he’s a five-time AMA Superbike Champion. When he’s out there winning every weekend, first or second, it’s hard to have that as a teammate. I think just building and building and then learning some stuff from him as well in the data and everything. I knew I would eventually get there. I think I’ve always just been close in the wet races. I don’t really consider that a win, for me anyway. It’s good to finally get a dry win and actually get the job done. It feels pretty good. It was a big moment for me out there. I’ve wanted to do this. When you’re a kid coming up racing, and you’re in the paddock running around there, watching all these guys and then you want to be up here eventually with a win, like Hayes, Zemke, Duhamel, all those guys. So, it’s cool to be up here and to finally get a win in MotoAmerica.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I was just on the edge. I was really pushing, trying to keep with PJ (Jacobsen). Right when he passed me that first lap, two laps, he was just putting tenths on me. I kind of calmed down and figured out a couple little things where he was quicker and tried to ride the bike a little different, be a little smoother, keep it from spinning up quite as much. Then that last lap, we came up on that lapper and I was wondering if I was going to get lucky and see what happened. But it was really fun racing with PJ. The guy has got so much talent. It’s good for him to get his first win. I enjoy being on that side, chasing him down for the win. It was kind of the opposite yesterday where he kind of just got back to my rear tire at the end there and I kind of did the same thing today. It was good. It really sucked to see (Cameron) Beaubier go out with that crash yesterday. I think something happened to (Josh) Herrin today. Good day for points, but more importantly just some good racing today with PJ. Good, clean racing. I didn’t know who was behind me, but we were just kind of inching away there. Everybody was really close this weekend. It was just those first couple laps, like always. I was able to push the pace a little bit. I knew PJ would be there the whole time. Just tried to be smart. Good day. Fun racing with PJ and watching him sideways around the whole track.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third Place
“This season has been pretty sh*t so far, to be honest. So, this is awesome to be back up on the podium here. Yesterday obviously passed PJ in the third corner early on. Ruined the bike. Didn’t get out from that. So, during practice, we didn’t put more than six or seven laps on the tire. So, we went out there today changing gearing settings without really knowing what was going to happen. The first three or four laps I think Jake (Gagne) and PJ (Jacobsen) had a little bit of pace, but maybe it was from lap five onwards I kind of pulled them back slightly. Then I think from the halfway point, the bike just started backing in like crazy. I started losing grip as I would crack the gas. So, the last couple laps was just surviving for me, really. Obviously, in Laguna I had a massive crash. Hadn’t been able to really train coming up to this and I’ve been sitting on the couch. Maybe did two or three cycles just to try to keep my fitness, but I definitely noticed that it hurt me today. My arms were pumping up. Overall, these guys are riding well. Just to kind of finish in the top five now is something special. There’re crazy fast guys. There’s Beemers, Ducatis, Yamahas, Suzukis are now up there too. So just to be up there makes me feel good, considering how bad things have been. So, I think if we can just build on from here. Pittsburgh has been one of my favorite tracks. I’ve been strong there previously, so I’m really thinking we can challenge for the win there. The bike is working better than it has been. We made a couple changes. I think today’s race we can really look at data and carry on pushing forward.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati’s Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés Remain Strong in Point Standings
Sunnyvale, Calif., July 30, 2023 — The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC duo of Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés had a few setbacks during round six of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) in Minnesota. Herrin achieved another Superbike podium during race one Saturday but suffered a DNF in Sunday’s race two due to mechanical issues. As for Forés, he settled for seventh in race one of the Supersport Championship and fourth in race two.
Herrin aboard the Panigale V4 R during Friday’s qualifying hoped to earn a front-row start for race one. He settled for a seventh-place qualifying position but was able to get up front quickly and continue his podium streak. Herrin finished Saturday’s race one in third, 3.49 seconds behind Yamaha’s Jake Gagne.
During Race 2 Sunday, Herrin started strongly, running at a pace consistent with the leaders. He was in third until he suffered a mechanic issue on lap 8 of 18, forcing a DNF. Although he didn’t finish, he remains second in the championship points race with 194 points, 68 behind Gagne.
After an eight-race winning streak in the Supersport class, the Spaniard Forés struggled at BIR—a track he had never ridden before this weekend. After qualifying fifth aboard his Panigale V2, Forés kept his focus strong among the quicker bikes, finishing seventh, 21.730 seconds behind winner Josh Hayes (Yamaha).
In race two, which was shortened to five laps due to a restart after a horrific crash between Andrew Forsythe (Yamaha) and Justen Behmer (Suzuki), Forés quickly got into third. But he ran wide on the penultimate lap when attempting to pass Kawasaki’s Stefano Mesa. Forés finished fourth, 5.381 seconds behind winner Tyler Scott (Suzuki). With three rounds remaining, Forés continues to lead the Supersport Championship with 272 points, 84 ahead of BIR race-one winner Joshua Hayes (Yamaha).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Six
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 262
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 194
P3 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 183
P4 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 162
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 147
2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Four
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 272
P2 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 188
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 185
P3 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 172
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 118
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“Obviously I’m bummed with today’s result (race 2). I felt that we had the bike to win for sure. We were able to catch up to the leaders, and I had all the confidence in the world to pass them at the end of the race and get a win. But we suffered an unfortunate mechanic issue that made it impossible to finish the race. I took a big blow in the championship points but won’t give up. I have a test coming up at COTA (Circuit of the Americas), and I’ll do some further training between these rounds and show up ready for Pittsburg next month.”
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“ It was a challenging weekend for me. We had a lot of work to do on the bike, and the results don’t exactly show how much work was put into the V2. At least on today’s race, I minimized the damages and got a good P4. It is hard to deal with when you have to ride against much faster bikes than yours. But no complaints here, and much was learned. We now look forward to Pittsburgh, hoping to return to our winning way.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica Championship now heads to Pennsylvania’s Pittsburgh International Race Complex for round seven of nine August 18-20.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Doubles Down with Runner-Up Finish at Brainerd
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in Race 2 to double his points lead in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
MARIETTA, Ga. – July 30, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Brainerd International Raceway with a runner-up finish in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2. The return to the podium after yesterday’s victory has the defending champion leaving the sixth round of the championship with an additional 34 points, doubling his lead in the premier-class title fight. Fill-in rider Josh Hayes showed podium pace but ultimately salvaged an eighth-place finish in the tricky conditions.
Once again, riders were met with greasy track conditions at the 2.5-mile track in Brainerd, Minnesota, making for a challenging 18-lap race. Gagne got another great start from the front row and grabbed the holeshot. He threw down some fast times and was holding down the lead but was passed around the halfway mark. The reigning champ continued to ride a smart race and kept the leader in sight in the tricky conditions. He closed the gap and, on the final lap, made an attempt to pass but ultimately came .322 of a second shy of the win. His eighth-consecutive podium and 12th this season helped bolster his title defense, giving him a 68-point lead with seven races remaining.
After battling for the win in the 16-lap Supersport race, Hayes went from the podium to the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing tent for his second race with the team as a fill-in rider for the injured Cameron Petersen. He had another solid start from the third row of the grid in eighth and advanced to fifth on Lap 4 but went off track and rejoined in 11th. Undeterred, the four-time superbike champ put his head down and threw down some consistently fast times to make his way back to sixth. In the final laps, he unfortunately went off track again in the challenging conditions and crossed the line eighth.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns to action in a few weeks for Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PIRC) in Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 18-20.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“The weekend went almost as planned, and we came up just shy of a double win. Overall it was a success. Jake extended his championship lead and now has a pretty comfortable cushion. It was also good to have Josh back on board. His feedback, great speed, and professionalism were a plus for the team. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success at PIRC with his Supersport effort. We look forward to our COTA test and then the next round at PIRC, which is a track that is typically good for our Yamaha R1s.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Race 2 was another good start, and I got to lead the first half of the race. PJ (Jacobsen) passed me, and I was able to stay there with him, but I couldn’t make a pass back. All in all, it was a great weekend and great for the points!”
Josh Hayes – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I really had a fun and successful weekend, I feel, even though the Superbike results didn’t showcase our potential. I did my very best to represent the team and Yamaha at my highest level, showed great speed, and hopefully passed along valuable feedback for the team’s future. Thanks to all of them for making me feel like family, and to Squid Hunter Racing for letting me take on another challenge!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana)
Marc Marquez (left) and Joan Mir (right) at the 2023 Repsol Honda MotoGP photo shoot. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Repsol Honda Team back to full strength for MotoGP season restart in Silverstone
After five weeks away, the MotoGP World Championship resumes and begins an intense second half of the year at the historic Silverstone Circuit, Joan Mir back alongside Marc Marquez in the Repsol Honda Team.
At 5.9 kilometers long, Silverstone is not only one of the oldest circuits on the MotoGP calendar but also the longest. First used in 1947, the British track has undergone a number of changes before arriving at its current 18-corner layout. A mix of long straights, fast corners and tight and technical sections routinely produces close racing but 2023 sees a new challenge added as the MotoGP paddock returns to using ‘The Wing’ and changes the start – finish line to the Hamilton Straight as opposed to the National Pit Straight from the previous few visits.
The second half of the season is set to be an intense affair as the races come thick and fast, Marc Marquez taking full advantage of the break to prepare himself. Silverstone is what awaits this weekend, a circuit that has seen the #93 take three podiums – including a win in 2014. This year’s British Grand Prix will be about building and establishing growth for the second half of the year and beyond.
It will be a welcome return to action for Joan Mir as he is reunited with the Repsol Honda Team after an injury in Mugello. Now fully recovered, the #36 is fully motivated to continue working and improving with the team. Mir’s best finish at Silverstone is a ninth place in the premier class, achieved in 2021 on his way to third in the World Championship.
The entirety of the Repsol Honda Team is eager to return to the track and resume the hard work they have planned. Sunday’s race will take place at 13:00 Local Time, ahead of the Moto2 race as is usual for the British GP.
Marc Marquez
“We have enjoyed an important Summer Break, a chance to reset and recover after a demanding start to the year. From the physical and mental side, I come back to the track refreshed and ready to work. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the Repsol Honda Team again and understanding the work that has been done over the break. Silverstone is a circuit where I have had a lot of good battles in the past. The most important is to get back on the bike, get back to working and try to improve on how the first half of the year has been.”
Joan Mir
“Our break was a bit longer than everyone else’s, but I am now fully recovered from the injury I suffered in Mugello. I’ve been back training and riding different kinds of bikes like normal for a few weeks now so I am feeling good physically. The goal for the weekend is to make the most of every session and get back into the mindset of MotoGP and racing after so many weeks away. It will be great to see everyone again and get back on the Honda RC213V.”
Tyler Scott. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
TYLER SCOTT AND VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI WIN AT BRAINERD
Suzuki GSX-R750 Earns Dramatic Supersport Victory
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reigned supreme on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway as Supersport phenom Tyler Scott scored his first victory of the 2023 MotoAmerica season in dramatic fashion.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott came out on top of a last-lap thriller to earn his first MotoAmerica win of the season.
Teagg Hobbs fought his way back to 16th from last after running off track late in the race.
Superbike
Brandon Paasch broke into the top five for the first time in his short stint with the team.
Richie Escalante collected seventh, ending his run of six straight top fives.
Tyler Scott (70) captures his first victory in 2023 at Brainerd. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott racked up his first victory of the season via a thrilling last-lap Supersport showdown. After settling into a blazing fast pace in second, Scott rallied after a red flag set the stage for a five-lap shootout to clinch the win. Scott leapt into the lead aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 on the restart and controlled the race’s decisive stage. The 17-year-old Scott countered his opponent’s last-lap pass attempt and took the checkered flag in first to earn a hard-fought victory.
“We made a few changes and were able to push the pace,” Scott said after winning Team Hammer’s 130th AMA Pro/MotoAmerica race. “We were P1 in this morning’s warm-up session and going into the race I had a good feeling. It was a great race. I felt amazing on the bike for the entirety of the race. I can’t thank the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team enough for all the hard work they’ve put in. Our last MotoAmerica win was Road America last year, so it’s been a while since we’ve been on the top step of the podium. I’m happy to be here, and we’re going to keep pushing to be better and better.”
Even though he had a tough weekend, Teagg Hobbs (79) had a lot of positive takeaways for the next race. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
The race wasn’t as kind to teammate Teagg Hobbs. Hobbs ran inside the top five during the race’s first stint, but his ultimate finishing position was largely determined by an off-track excursion caused by a collision with another rider following the red flag. The up-and-comer dropped to last place but managed to pick up a handful of positions before taking the checkered flag in 16th position.
Hobbs said, “I ran off the track and was in last and only had a few laps to climb back up the order. Luck wasn’t going our way. We had a strong weekend and were fourth in the warm-up this morning and fifth in the race before the red flag. After the restart, it just didn’t go my way this time.”
Brandon Paasch (96) puts his GSX-R1000R into the top five in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Brandon Paasch continued his remarkably rapid acclimatization to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki and the team’s Suzuki GSX-R1000R in the premier class. Despite his lack of seat time on the bike and riding at less than full fitness after breaking his back in March, Paasch battled up front, running as high as fourth. In the end, he collected a highly promising top-five finish in fifth.
“Today was better than Saturday,” Paasch said. “We’re getting closer with the setup, and we had more grip today. I was also riding better, for sure. I was able to see how the leaders were riding in the early laps, and I could see the little things they did better, like going through the corner a little faster but still getting the bike turned. As my back continues to heal, I’ll get stronger. Things are going well.”
Richie Escalante (54) had a tough ending to his weekend but is ready for the race in Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante’s Sunday result only served to underline his continued progress by representing a minor disappointment compared to his recent string of strong results. Escalante had established himself as a regular up front, notching nine top-five finishes on the season aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R – including the last six in succession – before today’s seventh-place result.
“It was a difficult race for us,” Escalante admitted. “The team and I tried to improve the bike even more, this morning, to improve the grip. It felt good this morning and for the first five laps of the race. After that, I did not have a good feeling from the front, so I did my best to collect as many points as I could for the championship. Overall, it was a good weekend for us, and I want to thank the team and my sponsors for everything. I will train hard, and we will concentrate on the next one since there will be three Superbike races again.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship will continue on August 18-20 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 130 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 353 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
More, from a press release issued by Chris Clark Racing:
Points on BIR racing debut for Chris Clark
Chris Clark (27). Photo courtesy Chris Clark Racing.
It was an eventful MotoAmerica Junior Cup weekend at Brainerd International Raceway for Chris Clark who was riding at the historic circuit for the first time.
Topping first qualifying in wet conditions, enabled him to further familiarise himself with the track layout and after a dry second qualifying session the #27 put his Kawasaki on the fifth row of the gird ahead of the two races.
He was running well on Saturday until a clutch issue put him out of the race. Sunday saw him perform well in morning warm-up before a spirited ride on Sunday afternoon once again saw him battling just outside of the top six until his chain jumped the sprocket. Lucky to stay on two wheels he crossed the line fourteenth at the flag.
The next round of the championship is in Pittsburgh in mid-August.
Chris Clark: “In qualifying one it was raining a ton so not many people went out – only me and five others. I figured I would go out to go and learn the track a bit more as I had never been to Brainerd. I ended up fastest but with a crash which was unfortunate. For qualifying two it went a little bit better for me. It was dry and I ended up in thirteenth place. I dropped two seconds off my dry time, and I thankfully didn’t crash. Qualifying two was important for us because we were testing out a new data logger and a whole new data system which went well. After starting in P13 I was in a battle for seventh but with about three laps left my clutch burnt up which was unfortunate but looking forward to a good race for tomorrow. I would say it was a pretty good second race up until the end. Starting again from thirteenth I got a decent start and after a few laps I was still hanging with the front group, until I lost touch and fell back a little bit. I was trying to get some good lap times down and stay in my current position but eventually the group behind me caught me. They all drafted by me and on the last lap when I was preparing to make my move one of the other riders the chain popped off and nearly took me out of the race. I lost touch with the group and ended up P14 at the flag.”
More, from a press release issued by Levi Badie Racing:
Levi Badie is unstoppable at Brainerd
Levi Badie (71). Photo courtesy Levi Badie Racing.
Levi Badie produced arguably the greatest comeback in MotoAmerica Junior Cup history at Brainerd International Raceway, the Belgian running off track through the dirt before regrouping to claw back a plus four second deficit on the leading group to take his second win of the year.
Eighth on the grid, Levi showed his ability and race craft on Saturday to quickly move into contention at the front of the pack. A yellow flag overtake resulted in a penalty of ‘drop two positions’ but not even that could stop him from securing a superb second place at the flag.
Sunday’s second race was also looking good until a mistake saw Levi off the track and lucky to stay aboard. What looked like an impossible gap back to the leaders was whittled away lap by lap until with two to go Levi was back in contention. Up to third on the penultimate lap he executed his move for the win perfectly, holding on to take flag in first and with it move into P5 in the overall championship standings.
The next round of the series takes place at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, with Badie looking to be back on the box!
Levi Badie: “We started off on Friday with a good practice. I went to qualifying confident, but it didn’t work out the way I had expected. I was eighth. The race one strategy was to stay calm and come from the back. I passed on the yellow flag which wasn’t intentional, and then I had the sign to give two positions back which I did but race control didn’t see it and when came in the pitlane they didn’t let me do the podium, I was angry and had to go to protest again after Road America! The podium was already done and then I had to pick up the trophy from Hayden Bicknese and he had to pick up the trophy from Max Van so there was a whole big mess but, in the end, everything worked out. So, race two was going well until I missed my third braking marker. I went too wide and went into the dirt in turn twelve and I had to go through of the dirt. There was about a four second gap between me and the leading group and I was like ok just put your head down. In three laps I had closed the gap and there were still two laps left. I was thinking ok like I’m here now so I’m gonna finish this. I passed the two of the guys and was up to second and I knew Rossi (Moor) didn’t know I was strong in the ‘carousel,’ and I could pass him in that corner. He went defensive but I did a little short run, and I was able to hold him off until the finish line to get the victory. I had a lot of fun and I am looking forward to Pittsburgh.”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Cody Wyman joins Altus Motorsports to compete in Stock1000 for the remainder of the season
(Brainerd, MN) Cody Wyman had an impressive inaugural outing on the Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 at Road America earlier this season. With Brandon Paasch moving up to Superbike with the M4 team, Altus was extremely excited to have Cody take the reins for the remainder of the 2023 MotoAmerica season.
In addition to adding Wyman, the Altus team brought Boyd Bruner on board as crew chief.
Stock1000:
The last time Cody Wyman rode the Alus Motorsports GSX-R1000 he was near the top of the charts straight away. But with the challenges with the conditions atBrainerd, the pace did not come easily. Cody qualified 9th. In the Stock1000 race 1, he finished in 9th. In the Sunday race, he took the checkered flag in 10th.
Cody Wyman: “It was a tough weekend at Brainerd. Between some bike issues and a crash, we didn’t have time to find a good setup. As a result, I was never really able to get comfortable on the bike. ”
Supersport:
It has been a difficult 2023 season for Jaret Nassaney. After a great 2022 season, he just had not found his groove in ‘23. The results from the MotoAmerica event at Brainerd may not show it but, by Sunday, Jaret was his most comfortable on the bike for the first time this year. He qualified 13th and finished 14th in race 1. On Sunday he felt even better on the bike and managed an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney: “We are finally moving in the right direction! Brainerd was not the results we want — or know I can get — but we are finally getting the bike figured out! Excited to continue the progress in Pittsburgh”
Junior Cup:
Alessandro Di Mario struggled to find a good setup at Brainerd. His pace was good enough to qualify 6th and was able to go with the lead group at the beginning of both Junior Cup races. He finished the weekend with a pair of 6th-place finishes and was lapping faster than the rest of the field but not quite quick enough to dice it up at the front. Di Mario heads to the next round looking for that last piece to the puzzle to allow him to battle for the podium.
Alessandro Di Mario: “We worked really hard to get the bike set up right but sadly didn’t get the results we were hoping for. I would like to thank the team for all their hard work and for making changes to make me feel more comfortable on the bike.”
George Nassaney: “The results may not show it but the Altus team had a good weekend in Minnesota. I am looking forward to Pitt Race and the rest of the season.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
Motorcycle and aviation enthusiasts gather with a Typhoon of the Italian Air Force's 37th Stormo and Elena Bagnasco (center), President of the Giorgio Parodi Association and granddaughter of Moto Guzzi Founder Giorgio Parodi. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
A new stop for the GP Tour, a journey through Italy to discover Giorgio Parodi, the Genoese founder of the most iconic and loved motorcycle in Italy and abroad, this time the beautiful Trapani area hosted the event, thanks to the collaboration of the Giorgio Parodi Association with the 37th Stormo and the Sartarelli Vintage Car and Motorcycle Club of Trapani.
The Parodi’s eagle is back in Trapani with three days rich of events that brought the numerous lovers of the well-known motorcycle brand in the footsteps of the family, traces of the ties with the Sicilian territory date back as far as 1913, when the “Società Anonima Angelo Parodi fu Bartolomeo” was officially founded.
The event, with the patronage of the Municipality of Trapani and Misiliscemi, linked two wheels and flying lovers, the two great passions of Giorgio Parodi, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force. We started with a visit to the base of the 37th Stormo, where the story of the great entrepreneur and his family was told, they ruled the fate of the Tonnare of Favignana for a long time. Followed by a static display of historic aircraft and vehicles with some flights of vintage airplanes.
Moto Guzzi motorcycles parked with a Typhoon of the Italian Air Force’s 37th Stormo. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
The tour continued on Saturday with a visit to the island of Favignana and its tuna traps, which in 1937 passed definitively from the Florio family to the Parodi, to end on Sunday 23rd with a motorcycle meeting in Erice.
A long fly of the Eagle, so Giorgio Parodi would imagine himself, through years of great international successes both in the motorbike competitions and in air races that bond permanently the Italian pilot and entrepreneur to the fascinating history of the Italian Air Force in the year of her 100 Jubilee.
Vintage Moto Guzzi motorcycles on display at the GPA event in Italy. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
“The eagle with spread wings is the universal symbol of all civil and military pilots, as well as being that of Italian Air Force,” explains Elena Bagnasco, president of the Giorgio Parodi Association and granddaughter of Giorgio as well. “Giorgio wanted it on the tanks of his motorcycles in memory of two friends, Stefano Baglietto and Giovanni Ravelli, pilots like he was, who both died in flights accidents and with whom he began to develop a new and innovative motorcycle project.”
“We must also remember,” concludes Elena, “that the eagle was already in the family feelings with ‘Angelo Parodi fu Bartolomeo,’ which officially chose it as its brand in 1911, and with the capital of which Moto Guzzi was founded in 1921.”
Colonel Daniele Donati, Commander of the 37th Stormo, expressed full satisfaction with the organization of the visit, which is part of the events scheduled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Armed Force and provided a further opportunity to “open the doors” of the Department to the splendid community that hosts him, underlining that “Giorgio Parodi, famous and multi-medal aviator, fully represents the ethical values, passion, dedication and ingenuity that have belonged to all men and women of the Italian Air Force since its inception.”
Salvatore Ingardia, motorcycle enthusiast, founder of Sicily motorcycle Tour, Francesco Sartarelli, member of the Technical National Board of the 150th Club linked to ASI (Historical Italian Car/Moto Association), and the President Alberto Santoro was proud to support a great initiative which paired the passion in the air with the one on the road by bikers; an iconic tour of the locations which the Parodi’s family made to flourish and become Landmark for Western Sicily, to be visited every year by thousands of enthusiasts from all over the world.
PJ Jacobsen (99) leads Jake Gagne (1) and Mathew Scholtz (11) in Superbike Race Two at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Returns To The Podium On Sunday At Brainerd
Brainerd, MN – Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team overcame a stroke of bad luck in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Brainerd International Raceway and wrapped up the weekend with a solid, third-place finish in Sunday’s race two.
After not being able to finish Saturday’s race due to a mechanical issue caused by an incident that wasn’t his fault, Mathew’s experienced crew was able to repair the #11 Yamaha YZF-R1 for Sunday’s race.
Getting a great jump off the line in the 18-lap race, Mathew was in second-place for the first couple of laps. He lost a position on lap three, and then another one on lap four, but then, he stabilized his position in fourth for the next four laps and then moved back up to third place on lap eight. Mathew staunchly held onto the final podium position all the way to the finish line.
Mathew Scholtz on the podium at Brainerd International Raceway. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“It’s awesome to be back up on the podium,” Mathew said. “We went out there today with different gearing, but we weren’t really sure if it would help. For the first three or four laps, Jake (Gagne) and PJ (Jacobsen) had a little bit of pace on me, but from lap five onwards, I kind of pulled them back slightly. Then, from the halfway point till the end of the race, the bike started losing grip as I would open the throttle. So, the last couple laps were just survival. In Laguna, I had a massive crash. Hadn’t been able to really train coming up to this and I’ve been sitting on the couch. Maybe did two or three cycles just to try to keep my fitness, but I definitely noticed that it hurt me today. My arms were pumping up. Overall, these guys are riding well. Just to finish in the top five now is something special. There’re crazy-fast guys. There’s Beemers, Ducatis, Yamahas, Suzukis are now up there, too. So, just to be up there makes me feel good, considering how bad things have been. I hope we can just build on from here. Pittsburgh has been one of my favorite tracks. I’ve been strong there previously, so I’m really thinking we can challenge for the win there and carry on pushing forward.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on August 18 through 20 at Pittsburgh International Raceway in Wampum, Pennsylvania, for round seven of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:
PJ victorious as Cameron and Corey suffer double DNF at Brainerd
PJ Jacobsen kept the Tytlers Cycle Racing team on the top step of the podium in the latest round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Brainerd International Raceway, the #99 BMW M1000 RR rider converting his front row of the grid starting position to a superb second place finish on Saturday afternoon before romping to his maiden SBK win on Sunday.
On the pace from free practice PJ was the one to watch, putting together his strongest weekend of the year so far. The results move him into fourth overall in the points standings.
Cameron Beaubier, already a multiple winner this year, was also on the pace, the former champion putting his #6 machine in Pole Position for the weekend’s two races. A strong start in Saturday’s opener saw a dramatic first lap, with Cameron tagging the back of Jake Gagne. Contact between PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz brough out the red flag meaning a race restart. When the lights went out again Beaubier was once again looking good before a scary look crash saw him high side out of contention. With a medical examination revealing a concussion, Cameron withdrew from all track activity on Sunday.
The team’s third rider, Corey Alexander, also had an eventful weekend. The #23 destroyed a bike after a fast crash on Friday but thanks to the great work of the team was able to make it out for qualifying. P12 on the gird, Corey dug deep but unfortunately failed to finish either race, despite running inside the top six on Sunday.
The next round of the series takes place at fan favourite Pitt Race in the middle of August.
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one was pretty hectic with everything that happened at the start. There were a few crashes, and we had a restart. Unfortunately, Cam (Beaubier) went down but I was able to run a strong pace and run with Jake (Gagne) the rest of the race. I got P2 and the closest we have been to a win which was good for me, and the team and I was looking forward to seeing what we could do on Sunday. Race two was pretty awesome. I got my first superbike win in MotoAmerica. It was a really hard race and I just focused on not making mistakes. I made the pass, but I knew I couldn’t relax. Jake (Gagne) kept the pressure up, but we were able to hold on and get the win that has eluded me for so long. It’s a pretty cool feeling and I can’t wait for Pittsburgh. I want to thank the whole team, see you at the next one!”
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace Friday and Saturday morning that I was happy about but had a big crash at the beginning of race one that put us out for the weekend. I am bummed but I will get healthy and move on. It was good to see PJ win on Sunday so well done to him. I am looking forward to Pittsburgh so see you there.”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “I felt great right off the bat with our bike and our pace was strong. Unfortunately, I had a big crash on one of the fastest turns of the track in Q1 that destroyed the bike. The guys built a new one, but we spent most of Saturday sorting out the bugs of a new bike and it cost us a finish in the opening race. Race two was back to normal with the bike, and I felt strong in the middle of the race and was pushing hard. Unfortunately, I lost the front with a few laps ago. It has been a weekend to forget but I am happy with what we have learned yet again and my pace overall. Thanks, team, for everything”
More, from a press release issued by Fairium NGRT – Gray Area KTM:
FANTASTIC WEEKEND FOR ROSSI MOOR IN BRAINERD, EVEN GREAT DEBUT OF THE NEW SPONSOR.
Rossi Moor (34). Photo by Ramon Jones, courtesy Fairium NGRT – Gray Area KTM.
Rossi Moor (15 years old) arrived at the fourth round of the Junior Cup in MotoAmerica with the aim of recovering as many points as possible in the general classification over his rivals. Over the entire race weekend Rossi once again proved to be very fast as he took first place both in Friday’s free practice and in QP2 securing the second Pole Position in a row.
Race 1: A practically storyless race, Rossi starts very well and although his KTM is not as fast as the Kawasaki, in turn 5 he is already in the lead, with a fast and determined ride he detaches all his rivals and crosses the finish line with 7.6 seconds ahead. Amazing victory!!
Race 2: It starts very well and Rossi is in the lead at the end of the first lap but unfortunately in the 4th lap the third gear breaks and he is forced to fight with a very big handicap, but his great determination and skill despite the big problem sees him second on the finish line. Rossi is currently in 4th position in the overall 34 points behind first place with two rounds and four races to go.
Another great source of pride for Rossi is that from this Brainerd race weekend he will be displaying the logo of a new partner, Polyglass, a leading Florida-based manufacturer of modified bituminous membranes and roofing coatings for low- and steep-slope applications, on the overalls and on the bike. An agreement reached by Rossi’s manager Stefano Favaro who unites him through an old and strong friendship with the CEO of Polyglass USA Inc, Natalino Zanchetta.
About Polyglass
Polyglass® USA Inc., is an ISO 9001:2015 certified, leading manufacturer of modified bitumen membranes and roof coatings for low- and steep-slope applications. Utilizing the industry’s most technologically advanced manufacturing process, Polyglass operates six state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities — five in North America and one in Italy that serves all of Europe. Since 2008, Polyglass has been a part of the Mapei® Group, a multi-billion dollar manufacturer in the building industry with over 32 research centers and more than 86 production facilities in 57 countries.
Polyglass is committed to adding value by producing cutting-edge products that meet or exceed the needs of our customers. Our goal is to provide a professional experience, focusing on durable roofing and waterproofing products, as well as efficient service, all while meeting the objectives of our shareholders and employees.
More, from a press release issued by Kreece Elliott Racing:
Kreece Elliott was back on track at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend in the latest round of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
A strong opening practice session on Friday boosted the Colorado teenager’s confidence before an afternoon rain shower saw him sit out his first opportunity to qualify – the #47 not feeling the need to risk a crash given the weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
A top ten qualifying position saw Elliott fighting hard at the head of the second group in race one on Saturday, he crossed the line tenth. A penalty for a jump start on Sunday put paid to what would have been a top eight finish, but he was still classified eleventh after a spirited ride throughout race two.
The results, Kreece’s fourth- and fifth-point scoring finishes of the season elevate him to fifteenth overall in the championship standings ahead of the next round at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in mid-August.
Kreece Elliott: “Race one didn’t go to plan. I was in the lead group for a lap but then a couple of riders tangled and crashed, and I was pretty much a sitting duck for the rest of the race. I got passed and I had to fight hard to stay in the group, but we had gone the wrong way with the gearing, and I couldn’t pass where I needed. I was in the fight for P7 but crossed the line tenth. Race two was better but I was given a penalty for a jump start which we will go and speak to race direction about as I don’t think I moved. We could have been inside the top seven and so I am a little disappointed as the time penalty puts me out of the top ten. The gearing was still a little off, but I rode my best and that is all I can do. I am happy to have made another double point finish and I can’t wait to ride at Pittsburgh.”
Dainese Group Hires Bobby Fong as Events Coordinator and Racer Support
COSTA MESA, CA – Dainese (www.dainese.com), the world leader in protective wear for dynamic sports, is proud to announce the hiring of Bobby Fong as its new Events Coordinator and Racer Support. With over 12 years of experience in the motorcycle racing industry, Fong brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Dainese team.
As a professional motorcycle racer, Fong has an intimate understanding of the needs of riders and the importance of safety gear. He has competed at the highest level of the sport and knows firsthand the importance of high-quality protective wear. With this experience, Fong will help guide Dainese’s Events & Racer Support and ensure that the brand is well-represented at motorcycle events and races in the USA.
In his new role, Fong will be responsible for planning and executing Dainese’s event and sports marketing initiatives, working closely with the company’s marketing and sales teams to ensure the brand is servicing the unique racing needs that exist in the USA. He will also serve as a brand ambassador, representing Dainese at motorcycle events and promoting the company’s commitment to safety and performance.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Dainese team,” said Fong. “I was lucky enough to have worn Dainese for a good part of my racing career, even before this opportunity to work with Dainese arose, I knew first hand Dainese’s commitment to quality and protection was second to none. When the opportunity to not only wear the products but be part of the Dainese Family was offered to me, I jumped at it. Joining Dainese has been an eye-opening experience. Now that I am on the inside, I have a whole new understanding and respect for the level of commitment Dainese has to protecting riders. I’m stoked to be here and I look forward to helping Dainese grow its presence at events across the USA.”
The pinnacle of safety in motorcycle protective garments is Dainese D-air®. Due to extensive and ongoing research and the analysis of hundreds of thousands of activations, D-air® systems algorithm is designed to only deploy in case of a collision or fall and only covers areas of the body that actually need protection. The D-air airbag utilizes internal microfilaments, that when activated, control air displacement and create a hard-like shield. A process that takes a fraction of the time, less than it takes to blink an eye. D-air® is the only airbag-compliant certification for chest and back protection and without the restrictions of traditional hard shells.
“We are delighted to welcome Bobby Fong to the Dainese team,” said Louis Ortega of Dainese USA. “We have always had a great relationship with Bobby, and when this position became available he was one of the first names we thought of. His experience as a racer and long-standing commitment to rider safety make him the ideal candidate for this role. We are confident that he will help us increase our exposure at in-person events and races, and promote our products as the leader in protective apparel for all riders.”
For more information about Dainese and its range of protective gear, please visit www.dainese.com.
Toprak Razgatlioglu's rear tire blistered and suffered sudden deflation prior to his crash in World Superbike Race Two at Autodrom Most. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Razgatlioğlu-Bautista: 1 all on Sunday in Most
The Yamaha rider takes the Superpole Race but Race 2 goes to the Ducati rider; historic victory in WorldSSP for Mackenzie with Honda
The FIM World Superbike Championship Sunday race day that just came to an end on the Most circuit in the Czech Republic brought one win each for Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Yamaha) and Álvaro Bautista (Ducati) after the Race 1 victory yesterday for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki).
The Turkish Yamaha rider dominated the Superpole Race, whereas the Spanish Ducati rider won Race 2. Six-time world champion Rea, after winning Race 1, took home second and third place.
In both races held today, the riders used slicks. For the Superpole Race, the most used rear was the SC0, whereas in Race 2, the most popular was the new SC1 C0567 development solution.
The WorldSSP race was also a thriller, with British rider Tarran Mackenzie staying on track in the rain gambling on slicks and giving Honda a win which they hadn’t achieved in WorldSSP since 2016.
The winner of the 300 class race, delayed due to heavy rainfall which made the track unusable, was the Yamaha’s Indonesian rider Aldi Satya Mahendra.
Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director
Heated battles and races influenced by the weather
“First of all, just a brief comment to clarify an issue that generated a bit of confusion for the fans yesterday. The intermediate tyres, like the rain tyres or slicks, are available to all riders and teams in the same quantity. In Race 1, by their own choice, some teams had not asked to have them mounted on rims or they simply had them mounted in the garage and did not take them out to the grid and this is why they did not use them, not because Pirelli had not made them available. The unstable weather once again influenced the races today, particularly the WorldSSP race. The riders who finished on the podium were the ones who decided to stay out on the track with slicks when it began to rain, risking a bit. In WorldSBK Race 2, with the new C0567 rear specification, we recorded three cases of blistering: Rea, Gardner and Razgatlioğlu. For the first two, the blisters were extremely small and had no effect on the performance and race result, whereas in Razgatlioğlu’s case, the tyre had two more evident blisters and the telemetry data shows sudden deflation of the tyre. Even if the Yamaha rider’s race pace was extremely high and none of the other riders’ tyres show any signs of stress or wear, these types of episode clearly must not occur, so we will conduct an in-depth laboratory analysis of the three tyres with blistering to figure out what may have caused it.”
In the Superpole Race, most of the riders were on the grid with the standard SC1 front and the standard SC0 rear, which were the softest solutions available to them. The only riders who mounted the standard SC2 at the front were Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), whereas at the rear, the new SC1 C0567 development tyre was chosen by 7 riders: Yamaha riders Remy Gardner, Dominique Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri, Kawasaki riders Tito Rabat and Oliver Konig, as well as Iker Lecuona (Honda) and Phillip Oettl (Ducati). Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) won the race after starting from pole position. Finishing behind him were Race 1 winner, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and current championship leader Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), managing to snatch the bottom step of the podium from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), fourth. All 5 of the top finishers used SC0 rear tyres and SC1 front tyres.
In Race 2, the majority of riders opted for the combination of the standard SC1 front and the new SC1 C0567 development at the rear. Just like in the Superpole Race, at the front, only Lorenzo Baldassarri and Roberto Tamburini mounted the standard SC2, whereas for the rear, Kawasaki factory riders Rea and Lowes went with the SC1 A1126 development solution, already successfully used for the Phillip Island race in 2022 and this year. Toprak Razgatlioğlu and Álvaro Bautista engaged in a fantastic duel on the track, with the Turkish rider managing to fend off the Spaniard’s attacks until crashing out six laps from the end. At that point, Álvaro Bautista had nothing but open road ahead, going on to win the race all by himself at the front. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) performed brilliantly, overtaking Jonathan Rea on the final turn to take the second step of the podium, with the Kawasaki rider forced to settle for third.
On the starting grid for Race 2, the riders confirmed their tyre choices from Race 1. At the rear, practically all of them started with the standard SC0, whereas at the front, almost everyone opted for the standard SC1 in the conventional 120/70 size, with the exception of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who had already opted for the SC1 in the larger 125/70 size – the same one used by the WorldSBK riders.
Compared with Race 1, held entirely on a dry track, the fate of Race 2 was highly influenced by the weather. Rain began to fall just before the mid-race point and race direction activated the flag-to-flag procedure, allowing the riders to pit and switch to rain tyres. At that point, many made the switch, whereas a few decided to stay out on slicks, a decision which proved to be the winning one because the rain stopped a few laps later and the track gradually dried off. Winning the race, gambling on the slicks, was British rider Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) who finished first ahead of two other riders who elected not to make a pit stop, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), second, and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), third.
The grid prior to the start of the MotoGP race at Silverstone in 2022. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Here we go! Who will strike first as MotoGP™ returns at Silverstone?
Fast. Flowing. Fierce. Hold on to your hats as the second half of the season kicks off with the British GP
Monday, 31 July 2023
Silverstone. One of the longest venues on the calendar, one of the fastest, and one that’s created some true modern classics. This year, we also move back to the international paddock in the shadow of the glorious Silverstone Wing, adding an extra dash of adrenaline and new challenge to the mix. All in all, it’s a perfect place to get back on track after summer break, with everything to race for as the second half of the season gears up to deliver more of the world’s most exciting motorsport. And on the way in, there’s plenty to talk about!
Picking up where they left off?
The first part of the Championship has seen some ups and downs for reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but in the last few race weekends the kinks have really been ironed out: two GP wins, a Tissot Sprint win and not off the podium when he didn’t take victory, it’s some form Pecco found before the summer break… so can he keep that rolling as we get back underway? He won here last year, so the omens are good for the #1.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is another who put together a serious charge heading into summer, slightly further back in Assen but still taking some big points and hanging on to that second overall. He’s just a single point ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) though as the number 72 got right back in the fight at the front last time out.
Interestingly too, Bagnaia extended that gap thanks to that glorious win at Assen, but since Le Mans he’s not actually the high scorer after taking 107 points from the French GP to the Dutch GP. Martin has banked 111 – gains he’d need to accelerate to overtake the reigning Champion but a formidable charge as he, Bagnaia, and Bezzecchi have shared all the top steps since Jerez.
Recharged & reloaded
Since Jerez means Brad Binder’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team) stunning Sprint win at the Spanish GP, and the South African is the first in the standings looking to hit back as we get back in business. He has a score to settle after missing out on those podiums after track limits infringements in Assen too, so can he get back on the rostrum?
That painful take two on Sunday at the Dutch TT, meanwhile, saw Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) move up and take to the podium for the first time this season. And it clearly meant a lot. It’s been a harder start to the season than many expected for both Espargaro and Aprilia, but if there’s a venue with good memories to head back to after that uptick, it’s Silverstone: the venue that staged the Noale factory’s first podium in the MotoGP™ era in 2021. Yes, only in 2021!
Targets acquired
That’s also true of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), with Assen falling flat but Silverstone another venue the number 12 has previously taken by the horns. He took his first win there in 2016, and last year he almost made MotoGP™ history by winning with a third different bike as his Aprilia crossed the line just half a second off Bagnaia. That remains on the table as history to be made, and Top Gun will want to shoot from the hip after a tough start to 2023.
Assen was a downturn in momentum for a few, including the other rider in the running for that win with a third machine: Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He took no points at Assen and neither did Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who arrived at the Dutch TT on a roll of three MotoGP™ podiums in a row for the first time ever. Can they bounce back and find some more luck?
More to come?
It wasn’t a bad weekend for the likes of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) at Assen, but it wasn’t the heights they’ve already raced at earlier in the season. Marini’s consistency is paying off as he sits 11 points off Zarco, however, whereas AM73 will want to bank some more as he sits 10th despite also already taking a podium.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, had a Dutch TT of two halves. Saturday was a stunner as he took his first Sprint podium, setting up some expectation for Sunday, but the GP race saw him crash out with Zarco and head into summer break apologising to his compatriot and with a broken toe to heal. He should be back up to full power at Silverstone and will want, as ever, to qualify well to try and replicate and extend that Saturday prowess from Assen.
Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli is also looking for more, and in his case from the middle of a “silly season” maelstrom as rumours abound regarding who’s going where in 2024. That’s also the case for Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with both looking to start the second half of the season on a high.
Reset & rebuild
One of the headline quotes to come out of MotoGP™’s visit to Goodwood, meanwhile, was Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) confirming he expects to be at 100% from Silverstone. And he’ll be expecting to challenge at the front. There’s been a little more time for Miguel Oliveira (CryptoData RNF MotoGP™ Team) to recover some strength too, and teammate Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team). As ever, however, much of the spotlight will be squarely back on Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)…
The number 93 is expected back on track, and after a glorious start to 2023 with pole and a Sprint podium gave way to more injury struggles, the next story was then all about the bike. So can Honda make their way back to the truly impressive form we’ve seen over much of the past two decades? And the biggest question doing the rounds, with rumours ranging from the plausible to the fantastical: will Marquez be along for that ride? Before we likely get any real answers, Silverstone awaits, and it’s a venue MM93 has reigned.
We also expect the return of Repsol Honda teammate Joan Mir after he was sidelined through injury, and the return of their two World Champions will surely be a boost for the team and factory. We won’t see Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) back just yet though, with Iker Lecuona on duty from Most WorldSBK to Silverstone to replace his compatriot. Finally at Honda though, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) keeps quietly bagging those points and retains that one singular DNF in a GP race this year, which is no mean feat in itself. Can that continue as we head into the second part of the season?
Another rider back on track will be Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3). After a first taste up The Hill at Goodwood, the Spaniard will be fully reunited with his whole team this time round as he takes his place back in the GASGAS garage to go racing again. It’s been a long few months of recovery, but he’ll be beaming to rejoin rookie teammate Augusto Fernandez. And Fernandez has been busy in the interim, taking a best GP finish of fourth so far and taking consistent points as one of only two riders, along with Morbidelli, to score in every Grand Prix race so far. He also loves Silverstone, so could prove a dark horse.
Bagnaia just extended that gap thanks to that glorious win at Assen, but Martin and Bezzecchi remain close enough for everything to change in a weekend. Check out the times for the racing action below to see how chapter nine unfolds at the fierce and fabulous Silverstone circuit, and see if we make a little history with a ninth different winner in nine races at the track!
SHOWTIME: CHANGES AT THE BRITISH GP
The Monster Energy British Grand Prix sees the introduction of the new entry system for Q2. The first session for MotoGP™ is now FREE Practice 1 and doesn’t count towards Q2, with only the re-named Friday afternoon session, called Practice, deciding who goes through.
The British GP also sees a change to the running order on Sunday. The Tissot Sprint is set for lights out at 15:00 on Saturday as ever, but the Grand Prix gets going at 13:00 (GMT+1) – BEFORE the Moto2™ race.
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +1)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 13:00 (GMT +1)
Moto2™: expect a showstopper!
Tony Arbolino’s (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) advantage is now just eight points as the Jaws music of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continues to close in, but the Italian’s worst finish is still only that seventh place at Assen as Acosta rues that DNF in France and tough race at the Argentina GP. The pressure of Acosta’s momentum since then is quite something, however, so can Arbolino hold fast at the top and find a step back forward to the electric pace of earlier in the season?
The headlines, however, have to be shared at the British GP. And not even because Jake Dixon (Tensite GASGAS Aspar Team) is racing on home turf, but because he won his first Grand Prix last time out in some style. No pressure? Some of that has already gone now he has that first winner’s trophy and he’s already been on the podium at home though, so can he do it again or challenge for it? And can compatriot Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) find some of that Jerez form?
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), meanwhile, was back on form at Assen and only just off the podium last year at Silverstone… and Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) was very much on the rostrum. It was his first visit, as a rookie, and after he led much of the race, ultimately only losing out to eventual Champion Augusto Fernandez by less than a tenth…
Tune in for what is shaping up to be a true thriller in the intermediate class this weekend as we return from summer break, with lights out at the later time of 14:30 (GMT +1)!
Can Holgado hit back at Silverstone?
Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had just about the worst end to the first part of the season possible at Assen as he qualified last, crashed early and failed to score. Now the question is, can he reset from that and come back out swinging?
He’ll certainly have some tough competition from Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), winner last time out and now on a consistent roll within 16 points of the top, and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider hasn’t been off the podium since France. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) can be expected to shine again too, now a Grand Prix winner after that Sachsenring stunner and back on the podium at Assen to back it up.
Will it be all change again at Silverstone? Can Holgado pick up where he left off? Or are the trio of Masia, Sasaki and Öncü set to march on? We’ll find out with more Moto3™ on Sunday at the slightly different time of 11:15 (GMT+1)!
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Trevor Brunner (Yam), 20 laps
2. Tom Drane (Yam), -0.230 second
3. Kody Kopp (KTM), -0.553
4. Max Whale (KTM), -1.402 seconds
5. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -1.531
6. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -2.347
7. Trent Lowe (Hon), -2.480
8. Chad Cose (Hus), -3.264
9. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -3.400
10. Jared Lowe (Hon), -3.593
11. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -4.042
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -4.660
13. Justin Jones (Hus), -5.570
14. Olin Kissler (KTM), -5.898
15. Cole Zabala (Hon), -5.966
16. James Ott (Hus), -6.578
17. Blake Steinwagner (Hon), -6.964
18. Declan Bender (KTM), -4 laps, DNF
19. Ferran Cardus (Hon), -11 laps, DNF
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 27 laps
2. Briar Bauman (KTM), -0.679 second
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -1.904 seconds
4. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -2.506
5. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -3.083
6. Henry Wiles (Ind), -6.142
7. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -1 lap
8. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, 5.503 seconds
9. Ben Lowe (Ind), -1 lap, 6.409
10. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -1 lap, 7.255
11. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -1 lap, 7.296
12. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -1 lap, 7.830
13. Ryan Wells (Roy), -3 laps
14. Billy Ross (Kaw), -7 laps, DNF
15. Kasey Sciscoe (Har), -22 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Beach, Championship Chaos Reign in 76th Peoria TT
JD Beach (95) won the 76th Peoria TT. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 30, 2023) – JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) strengthened his claim as one of the greatest TT riders in the long history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing on Sunday afternoon. The Estenson Racing hero was his spectacular self in the 76th running of the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon, once again dominating at the Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois.
While obvious in hindsight, that end result wasn’t quite so easy to predict while the day unfolded. Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) was fastest in practice, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) took control during qualifying, and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) won the four-lap Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, but come the Main Event it was all Beach.
Beach then seemingly robbed the race of all drama from the start, slotting into the lead off the line and clearing off at the front.
Even the race behind Beach settled into a seemingly processional affair – emphasis on “seemingly” – as Daniels held down second, followed by Bauman and Mees. But with Beach several seconds out in front and just one lap and one corner to go, the championship chase was thrown with a wicked curveball.
Positioned to stretch out his points lead, Daniels lost the front and crashed from the race, bringing out a very late red flag. However, when presented with the threat of a title-sinking disaster, his crew rose to the occasion, repairing the #32 bike’s broken shifter with just seconds to spare before the restart.
Having lapped all the way up to sixth, Daniels was gifted a most fortunate position on the staggered restart grid. Once back underway, race-long leader Beach survived the three-lap shootout to secure his eighth TT win in his last nine attempts, with Bauman collecting second and Mees taking third.
Beach said, “I’ve just got to thank my crew. This day was hard. I felt good all day but my times were only okay. I was sitting third or fourth pretty much all day. In the Main, I was just like, ‘I’ve got to do my work.’ I got a great start and I just kept doing my laps. I messed up once over the jump and I messed up once in Turn 3. I could hear my bike so I thought it was Dallas right on me. It’s a bummer for him and the team for him to go down with two laps to go, but it was a great race.”
Bummer, yes, but ultimately, Daniels didn’t just salvage enough points to stay alive, he came home with a solid fifth-place result behind Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750). Despite losing his title lead and seeing his season-long 13-race podium streak come to an end, the championship hopeful walked away from Peoria facing just a one-point deficit to Mees (296-295) even after the near catastrophe.
Peoria TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) was the final rider remaining on the lead lap in sixth, while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) rounded out the top ten, respectively.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) scored his first victory of ‘23 in a surprising conclusion to a topsy-turvy Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event.
Prior to a mid-race red flag, teammates Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) had put themselves in first and second.
Kopp took the lead after successive overtakes of Estenson Racing teammates Brunner and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), while, Whale had a bigger job for himself after slipping back to sixth early despite starting from the front row.
By the time Whale stormed around the outside of Drane to move into second, Kopp had opened up nearly a one-second-plus lead at the front. Whale’s uphill climb was made substantially less steep due to the red flag, which resulted in a staggered restart with just over three minutes remaining on the clock.
With all of the focus on the reset Red Bull KTM brawl for the win, red-hot Drane had another idea. The up-and-coming Aussie jumped out into the lead and displayed renewed strength, actually pulling away from Kopp, Brunner, and Whale with relative ease.
But Drane’s cruise to the checkered flag was interrupted, due to the appearance of a second red flag, which resulted in one final restart with just three laps to determine the winner.
This proved to be Brunner’s golden opportunity, after previously looking to be out of victory contention. The Indiana native blasted off the line and won out in the opening-corner melee, seizing the lead ahead of Drane and Kopp.
He then held on in the brief showdown to claim the win before his rivals had a chance to mount an effective counter. Drane picked up his seventh podium in his last eight outings by finishing 0.230 seconds behind in second position while Kopp solidified his championship advantage in third.
“This is awesome,” Brunner said. “We were pulling starts really well today, but we were having trouble getting out of the ‘flat track’ corners. We were kind of struggling with traction getting out of there, so each restart really benefited me a lot because I was able to come back. The last one, I got a great start and really pulled it out.”
Two-time Peoria TT winner Whale came home fourth a little over a second off the win with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) nipping at his rear wheel in fifth.
Meanwhile, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) finished sixth with Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 Mission Foods/Helmet House Honda CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Kopp still leads by a healthy 40 points over Brunner (273-233) as Drane continued his climb up the order, now ranked third at 228.
Next Up:
Progressive AFT will now play a starring role in the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, August 6. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/black-hills-half-mile-73564 to reserve your seats 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 World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 6, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
DEFENDING AFT SINGLES CHAMPION KODY KOPP RETURNS TO PODIUM AT PEORIA TT
Round 14 – American Flat Track Championship
PEORIA, Ill. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Kody Kopp returned to the podium in Round 14 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship at the Peoria TT, where he secured a third-place finish in the AFT Singles Main Event, and teammate Max Whale took the checkered flag in fourth position.
The morning’s qualifying sessions were marked by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing domination as both Kopp and Whale ranked 1-2 across both sessions, achieving comfort on the 450 SX-Fs from the moment their wheels were in motion.
After finishing second in the opening Heat of the weekend, Kopp earned his way into the Dash-for-Cash, where he would again notch a second-place result. For the 20-lap Main Event, Kopp raced to a hard-fought P3 finish, posting the fastest lap time of the race in the process.
Following his Peoria TT ride, Kopp sits 40 points clear on the AFT Singles Championship tally with four rounds remaining.
Kody Kopp (1). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “The day started off really well with qualifying first, sat on pole for the Heat race, but just got a bad start there. I rode my way up to second for a front row start in the Main Event, and didn’t get off to a great jump there, but moved my way up into the lead, then the red flag came out. We had a couple of those today, and they just didn’t work out for me, but we salvaged a third place and are off to the next one!”
Australian charger Whale scored second in his Heat race following his strong showing in the qualifying sessions, and would race to victory in Dash-for-Cash. A consistent outing in the Main Event saw Whale cross the line in fourth place, climbing to P5 in the 2023 standings.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “This was a tough one for me! Felt really good early in the day, practice and qualifying went really well – qualified second to Kody by a tiny margin. Heat race, I finished second which was good, then won the Dash-for-Cash after I rode consistent in that and got the job done. Then in the Main Event, got off to an average start, but charged my way back into second place, then the red flag came out and that really disrupted my rhythm. My line was super dry by that point, which was tough to ride, and I think I over-rode the track a bit, but managed a fourth place. Excited for the next one and huge thanks to the team!”
Next Race: Black Hills Half-Mile – Rapid City, SD – August 6, 2023
Brainerd International Raceway. Photo courtesy MotoAmerica.
Bobby Fong won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota. Fong took the lead on the first lap and inched away to win the eight-lap sprint by 1.509 seconds on his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger. It was his second full-length race win of the season.
Hayden Gillim finished second on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide, which was enough for him to take over the Championship point lead.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara used a late-race pass on Gillim’s teammate James Rispoli to score third place on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian.
Rispoli came home fourth, and Kyle Wyman rounded out the top five finishers on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson.
Brainerd International Raceway. Photo courtesy MotoAmerica.
PJ Jacobsen broke through to take his career-first MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race win in Race Two Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota.
Jacobsen passed two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne on lap nine of 18 and held on to win by 0.322 second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Gagne said he pushed his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 hard all the way to the end but the best he could do was second, which was enough to add to his Championship point lead significantly.
After a string of bad luck in 2023 that continued with a DNF in Race One, Mathew Scholtz was happy to bring his Westby Racing Yamaha home in third.
Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha’s Bobby Fong was running Scholtz down at a rapid pace in the closing laps but came up 0.1 second short of passing him before the finish. After the race, Fong received a 1.3-second penalty for cutting the chicane, but it didn’t affect his finishing position – fourth.
Brandon Paasch turned a great start into an impressive fifth-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Championship contenders Josh Herrin and Cameron Beaubier did not score any points in Race Two. Herrin retired from Race Two with technical problems on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati, and Beaubier did not start the race due to a concussion he suffered in a crash during Race One.
Jacobsen Wins The First MotoAmerica Superbike Race Of His Career At Brainerd
PJ Jacobsen Nabs His First Superbike Victory In A Straight Fight Over Jake Gagne In Minnesota
PJ Jacobsen (99) defeated Jake Gagne (1) to win his career-first MotoAmerica Superbike race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
BRAINERD, MN (July 30, 2023) – With a near-perfect performance on Sunday afternoon at Brainerd International Raceway, PJ Jacobsen is no longer the fastest rider in the MotoAmerica paddock to not win a Medallia Superbike race after he added his name to the list of men who have won the premier class in the championship.
With three second-place finishes so far this season and a runner-up finish once in 2022, Jacobsen’s win turned him from bridesmaid to bride and he did it the right way, by besting two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in a straight fight. The win also allowed him to step out of the shadow of his five-time Superbike Champion teammate, Cameron Beaubier – the winner of five races thus far in his first season with the Tytlers Cycle Racing team.
After trailing Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s Jake Gagne for all of race one on Saturday, Jacobsen was again behind the championship points leader in race two. Until there were nine laps to go. At that point, Jacobsen made his move on Gagne in turn three, got the job done and even put a bit of a cushion between himself and Gagne. Although Gagne put in a late-race charge, Jacobsen was able to withstand the pressure to take that elusive first win by .322 of a second.
Behind those two, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was also feeling pressure from behind as Bobby Fong was having the ride of his year on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 and was giving the South African all he could handle in the final laps. Scholtz crossed the line in third with Fong giving up the chase in the final few turns.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch continues to impress in just his second weekend on the GSX-R1000R with another fifth-place finish. Sixth place went to Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by a tick over Paasch’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Richie Escalante, who struggled with front-tire woes.
Josh Hayes was up to fourth when an off-track excursion knocked him back to 11th. The four-time AMA Superbike Champion, riding the injured Cameron Petersen’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1, charged back through to end up eighth.
Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates was ninth with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
With Beaubier being ruled out of racing on Sunday due to the concussion he suffered in Saturday’s crash, and Josh Herrin’s Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R suffering a mechanical problem that knocked him out of third place, Gagne’s lead in the championship swelled to 68 points over Herrin, 262-194. Beaubier drops to third, 79 points behind Gagne. With his 2-1 weekend tally, Jacobsen jumps past Escalante and into fourth in the title chase, 100 points behind the championship leader.
Superbike Race 2
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Superbike Quotes
PJ Jacobsen – Winner
“It’s just been hard work. Last year being able to even be on the podium was awesome and getting there. Then building steps this year and stuff, and with Cam (Beaubier) coming on as my teammate it was obviously a huge push because he’s a five-time AMA Superbike Champion. When he’s out there winning every weekend, first or second, it’s hard to have that as a teammate. I think just building and building and then learning some stuff from him as well in the data and everything. I knew I would eventually get there. I think I’ve always just been close in the wet races. I don’t really consider that a win, for me anyway. It’s good to finally get a dry win and actually get the job done. It feels pretty good. It was a big moment for me out there. I’ve wanted to do this. When you’re a kid coming up racing, and you’re in the paddock running around there, watching all these guys and then you want to be up here eventually with a win, like Hayes, Zemke, Duhamel, all those guys. So, it’s cool to be up here and to finally get a win in MotoAmerica.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I was just on the edge. I was really pushing, trying to keep with PJ (Jacobsen). Right when he passed me that first lap, two laps, he was just putting tenths on me. I kind of calmed down and figured out a couple little things where he was quicker and tried to ride the bike a little different, be a little smoother, keep it from spinning up quite as much. Then that last lap, we came up on that lapper and I was wondering if I was going to get lucky and see what happened. But it was really fun racing with PJ. The guy has got so much talent. It’s good for him to get his first win. I enjoy being on that side, chasing him down for the win. It was kind of the opposite yesterday where he kind of just got back to my rear tire at the end there and I kind of did the same thing today. It was good. It really sucked to see (Cameron) Beaubier go out with that crash yesterday. I think something happened to (Josh) Herrin today. Good day for points, but more importantly just some good racing today with PJ. Good, clean racing. I didn’t know who was behind me, but we were just kind of inching away there. Everybody was really close this weekend. It was just those first couple laps, like always. I was able to push the pace a little bit. I knew PJ would be there the whole time. Just tried to be smart. Good day. Fun racing with PJ and watching him sideways around the whole track.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third Place
“This season has been pretty sh*t so far, to be honest. So, this is awesome to be back up on the podium here. Yesterday obviously passed PJ in the third corner early on. Ruined the bike. Didn’t get out from that. So, during practice, we didn’t put more than six or seven laps on the tire. So, we went out there today changing gearing settings without really knowing what was going to happen. The first three or four laps I think Jake (Gagne) and PJ (Jacobsen) had a little bit of pace, but maybe it was from lap five onwards I kind of pulled them back slightly. Then I think from the halfway point, the bike just started backing in like crazy. I started losing grip as I would crack the gas. So, the last couple laps was just surviving for me, really. Obviously, in Laguna I had a massive crash. Hadn’t been able to really train coming up to this and I’ve been sitting on the couch. Maybe did two or three cycles just to try to keep my fitness, but I definitely noticed that it hurt me today. My arms were pumping up. Overall, these guys are riding well. Just to kind of finish in the top five now is something special. There’re crazy fast guys. There’s Beemers, Ducatis, Yamahas, Suzukis are now up there too. So just to be up there makes me feel good, considering how bad things have been. So, I think if we can just build on from here. Pittsburgh has been one of my favorite tracks. I’ve been strong there previously, so I’m really thinking we can challenge for the win there. The bike is working better than it has been. We made a couple changes. I think today’s race we can really look at data and carry on pushing forward.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati’s Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés Remain Strong in Point Standings
Sunnyvale, Calif., July 30, 2023 — The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC duo of Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés had a few setbacks during round six of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) in Minnesota. Herrin achieved another Superbike podium during race one Saturday but suffered a DNF in Sunday’s race two due to mechanical issues. As for Forés, he settled for seventh in race one of the Supersport Championship and fourth in race two.
Herrin aboard the Panigale V4 R during Friday’s qualifying hoped to earn a front-row start for race one. He settled for a seventh-place qualifying position but was able to get up front quickly and continue his podium streak. Herrin finished Saturday’s race one in third, 3.49 seconds behind Yamaha’s Jake Gagne.
During Race 2 Sunday, Herrin started strongly, running at a pace consistent with the leaders. He was in third until he suffered a mechanic issue on lap 8 of 18, forcing a DNF. Although he didn’t finish, he remains second in the championship points race with 194 points, 68 behind Gagne.
After an eight-race winning streak in the Supersport class, the Spaniard Forés struggled at BIR—a track he had never ridden before this weekend. After qualifying fifth aboard his Panigale V2, Forés kept his focus strong among the quicker bikes, finishing seventh, 21.730 seconds behind winner Josh Hayes (Yamaha).
In race two, which was shortened to five laps due to a restart after a horrific crash between Andrew Forsythe (Yamaha) and Justen Behmer (Suzuki), Forés quickly got into third. But he ran wide on the penultimate lap when attempting to pass Kawasaki’s Stefano Mesa. Forés finished fourth, 5.381 seconds behind winner Tyler Scott (Suzuki). With three rounds remaining, Forés continues to lead the Supersport Championship with 272 points, 84 ahead of BIR race-one winner Joshua Hayes (Yamaha).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Six
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 262
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 194
P3 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 183
P4 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 162
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 147
2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Four
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 272
P2 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 188
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 185
P3 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 172
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 118
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“Obviously I’m bummed with today’s result (race 2). I felt that we had the bike to win for sure. We were able to catch up to the leaders, and I had all the confidence in the world to pass them at the end of the race and get a win. But we suffered an unfortunate mechanic issue that made it impossible to finish the race. I took a big blow in the championship points but won’t give up. I have a test coming up at COTA (Circuit of the Americas), and I’ll do some further training between these rounds and show up ready for Pittsburg next month.”
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“ It was a challenging weekend for me. We had a lot of work to do on the bike, and the results don’t exactly show how much work was put into the V2. At least on today’s race, I minimized the damages and got a good P4. It is hard to deal with when you have to ride against much faster bikes than yours. But no complaints here, and much was learned. We now look forward to Pittsburgh, hoping to return to our winning way.”
The 2023 MotoAmerica Championship now heads to Pennsylvania’s Pittsburgh International Race Complex for round seven of nine August 18-20.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Doubles Down with Runner-Up Finish at Brainerd
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in Race 2 to double his points lead in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Jake Gagne (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
MARIETTA, Ga. – July 30, 2023 – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Brainerd International Raceway with a runner-up finish in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2. The return to the podium after yesterday’s victory has the defending champion leaving the sixth round of the championship with an additional 34 points, doubling his lead in the premier-class title fight. Fill-in rider Josh Hayes showed podium pace but ultimately salvaged an eighth-place finish in the tricky conditions.
Once again, riders were met with greasy track conditions at the 2.5-mile track in Brainerd, Minnesota, making for a challenging 18-lap race. Gagne got another great start from the front row and grabbed the holeshot. He threw down some fast times and was holding down the lead but was passed around the halfway mark. The reigning champ continued to ride a smart race and kept the leader in sight in the tricky conditions. He closed the gap and, on the final lap, made an attempt to pass but ultimately came .322 of a second shy of the win. His eighth-consecutive podium and 12th this season helped bolster his title defense, giving him a 68-point lead with seven races remaining.
After battling for the win in the 16-lap Supersport race, Hayes went from the podium to the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing tent for his second race with the team as a fill-in rider for the injured Cameron Petersen. He had another solid start from the third row of the grid in eighth and advanced to fifth on Lap 4 but went off track and rejoined in 11th. Undeterred, the four-time superbike champ put his head down and threw down some consistently fast times to make his way back to sixth. In the final laps, he unfortunately went off track again in the challenging conditions and crossed the line eighth.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns to action in a few weeks for Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PIRC) in Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 18-20.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“The weekend went almost as planned, and we came up just shy of a double win. Overall it was a success. Jake extended his championship lead and now has a pretty comfortable cushion. It was also good to have Josh back on board. His feedback, great speed, and professionalism were a plus for the team. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success at PIRC with his Supersport effort. We look forward to our COTA test and then the next round at PIRC, which is a track that is typically good for our Yamaha R1s.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Race 2 was another good start, and I got to lead the first half of the race. PJ (Jacobsen) passed me, and I was able to stay there with him, but I couldn’t make a pass back. All in all, it was a great weekend and great for the points!”
Josh Hayes – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I really had a fun and successful weekend, I feel, even though the Superbike results didn’t showcase our potential. I did my very best to represent the team and Yamaha at my highest level, showed great speed, and hopefully passed along valuable feedback for the team’s future. Thanks to all of them for making me feel like family, and to Squid Hunter Racing for letting me take on another challenge!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Kracor Systems (Wisconsin) and Siren Marine, Inc. (Rhode Island), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana)
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