Byers, CO – The third race of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of June 24-25th. For the first and only time this season, racers used the two-mile West Course configuration.
The Race of the Rockies (RoR) Qualifying on Sunday was conducted under clear blue skies, which was a nice change from the previous round which saw mostly damp conditions. Ray Thornton claimed pole position with a best time of 1:23.75 followed by Mike Applegate (1:24.37) and James Wilkerson (1:25.15).
The Start of RoR saw Wilkerson get the holeshot going into turn one, Applegate was in close pursuit followed by Thornton and Brad Hendry. On the exit of Turn Five, a rider further back in the field suffered a highside, and unfortunately their bike was on the racing surface, which brought out a red flag on lap one. The second start of the race saw Wilkerson once again get an incredible start and secure the lead going into Turn One. Applegate was close behind and lined up his move nicely on the exit of Turn Three to take the lead going down the back straight. Applegate, Wilkerson, Hendry, and Thornton started to break away from the rest of the field as they all were clicking on times in the 1:25’s. At the halfway point, Hendry made his way through the pack and executed an excellent pass to take the lead from Applegate. However, on lap 10, Applegate fired back and reclaimed the lead from Hendry. Thornton was biding his time and on lap 12 he decided it was time to strike. Thornton seized his opportunity, took the lead, and stayed out front for the final two laps, claiming his third RoR GTO victory of the season. Applegate managed to maintain his second place, while Hendry took third, rounding off a tense and exciting race.
In Race of the Rockies (RoR) GTU, Ken Yee took the lead and was followed closely by Jeremiah Downing and Salvatore Rizzo. Downing was putting up a good fight and was doing his best to take the lead and prevent a third successive victory from Yee. Rizzo was maintaining his third position by throwing down some impressive lap times ensuring a sizable gap to fourth place. Downing was unable to pass Yee and maintained his second position until the final lap of the race when he ran off in Turn Eight. This moved Rizzo up to second position and Tyrel Diekmann to third. Diekmann fought hard with Dennis Stowers and just narrowly beat him across the finish line by three hundredths of a second. Yee was able to claim his third straight RoR GTU win of the season, followed by Rizzo in second, and Diekmann in third.
Next up, the MRA returns to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for Round 4 on July 15-16. The highly anticipated 4-hour endurance race will take place this weekend running on the full course configuration. There will be no Superstreet this weekend due to the endurance race. See https://www.mra-racing.org/racers/come-race-with-us/ for details.
Progressive AFT Returns to Scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to West Virginia Motor Speedway for the first time in 17 years with this weekend’s All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, on Saturday July 1.
Renowned for its mountainside setting and high-speed 5/8-mile track, West Virginia Motor Speedway has hosted the Grand National Championship on eight previous occasions, all coming in the ‘90s outside of a return visit in 2006. During that run, a number of iconic riders claimed victory in the event, including the likes of Scott Parker (‘94), Ricky Graham (‘93), and Will Davis (‘92, ‘97, and ‘98). Following a multi-year closure, the track was resurrected, renovated, and reopened in 2021, paving the way for Progressive AFT’s triumphant return.
Despite the race’s proud history, the time between stops means it will be a new circuit on the tour for almost the entire field… but not the entire field.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) finished fourth when the series last visited in ‘06. Back then, he had three Half-Mile victories to his name. Now he returns with 34 and looking to add one more in order to equal Parker for most in GNC history.
That was true this past weekend in Lima as well, and he’ll be facing a similar challenge. Mission SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) has proven that he should be expected to contend for victory every single weekend as he comes in riding a ten-race podium streak.
Meanwhile, two-time Mission SuperTwins champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) is also back in the business of winning. One of the sport’s all-time great Half-Milers himself, Bauman enjoyed a breakthrough ride this past weekend, hustling the Rick Ware Racing KTM 790 Duke to its maiden victory with an inspiring ride at the Lima Half-Mile.
Following a layoff of nearly two decades, not to mention recent track improvements, it’s difficult to predict exactly who’s bikes or styles might mesh best with West Virginia Motor Speedway. What is known is that JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) all have what it takes to beat anyone on the planet when everything is clicking in their favor.
The same can be said of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who earned his best finish yet on the Fastrack KTM with a sixth-place finish at Lima. And don’t discount the chances of Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), all of whom have finished inside the top five already this season.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) was less than two years old the last time Progressive AFT came to Mineral Wells, while key rivals Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) were not even one year old. But now the three rank among the fastest rising dirt track stars in the world and more than capable of putting on a spectacular show.
Kopp put his title defense back in order with a clutch victory at the Lima Half-Mile, despite the best efforts of Drane, who has won two of the season’s most recent four races.
Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), meanwhile, is still seeking his maiden pro win despite several near misses that came in a run of five-consecutive podium finishes. His motivation was further amped up after that podium streak ended due to a mechanical DNF that left him much work to do in order to claw his way back up to Kopp in the points standings.
This trio of talented teens expect to be joined up front once again by the category’s contingent of more-experienced-but-still-young contenders, including Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450).
Meanwhile, the class’ most prominent riders old enough to have been alive during the race’s heydays in the ‘90s – namely Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) – all come into the weekend in need of a strong result if only to remind the field exactly what they’re capable of following some relatively quiet showings n recent weeks.
All Seasons Powersports, which is located just a mile-and-a-half from West Virginia Motor Speedway, will host a Pre-Event Open House Party at the dealership on Friday, June 30, from 4:00 p.m. ET to 7:00 p.m. ET. There fans can meet and greet Progressive AFT stars and partake in food and drinks to get the weekend started off right.
There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket), and Single Day-General Admission Camping Passes can be purchased for Friday and Saturday at $25 per day.
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
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 All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Action-packed WorldSBK summer leg commences at Donington Park
Embarking on the summer chapter of the 2023 season, the Prosecco DOC UK Round will be held at Donington Park, the historic venue that witnessed the inaugural WorldSBK event 35 years ago. It will mark the first of three rounds scheduled for July.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ducati has won in all the tracks of the current calendar. They have won at least once as late as last year (excluding the returning Imola, where Ducati last won in 2017), but at Donington Park, their last win came in 2011 (Carlos Checa).
DONINGTON PARK’S HOT SPOTS WITH ALEX LOWES
T1/ “Donington is a track of two halves, but a great track – a lovely track to ride. I will just touch the limiter in fourth, and then go down to second gear for Redgate. As you brake you just let the bike slide a little bit so that the back of the bike goes into the entry of pit lane, just to open up the corner a little bit. The hardest part of Redgate is not to go in too early, as it has a late apex on the run down to Hollywood. You have to start tipping in just before the end of the white line at the pit exit, basically.”
T9-10/ “The straight has got a little jump in the middle, so you can’t relax too much there. I lean the bike as it wheelies, to stop it wheeling too much, and use a lot of rear brake. The Esses, just like the final corners, is all about hard braking. ”
T11/ “The straight into the hairpin is not a straight at all. It sort of goes around and then you have to make quite a lot of effort to go back to the left so that you are braking upright. Get it stopped, down to first, a little bit downhill and always a good place to pass. And always lots of action! ”
WorldSBK | KEY STAT
14
In Misano, Alvaro Bautista became the first rider in WorldSBK history to secure 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. With the second half of the season still to come, he is now aiming for the all-time season record of 17 wins currently held by Doug Polen (1991) and Jonathan Rea (2018 and 2019).
What to look out for in Donington Park
All eyes will be on Alvaro Bautista, the current Championship leader with an impressive 298 points. Bautista will be eager to extend his lead and continue his dominant form at Donington Park, a track where Ducati has not won since 2011. The 2022 WorldSBK Champion made the most out of the three-week break after Misano to ride the Desmosedici GP at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during a two-day test in Italy as a reward for his 2022 WorldSBK title success.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, with just one win under his belt in the 2023 season, will be aiming to regain his form. Having won five of the last six races at Donington Park, the Turkish sensation will be eager to add more victories to his name in his final season with Yamaha.
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea has yet to secure a victory this year. Racing on familiar territory with his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Rea will be determined to put an end to his winless streak and make a statement in front of his home crowd. He participated in a private test at MotorLand Aragon prior to the UK Round.
Currently third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli will be eager to overcome his previous struggles at Donington Park and secure a top 3 finish, with his last podium achieved at the Catalunya Round.
Donington Park has undergone significant work since last year. The resurfacing of the 2.5-mile circuit, the first in over 20 years, aimed to eliminate undulations, improve drainage, and enhance corner camber, while also promoting sustainability by repurposing materials for other areas of the circuit.
The start of a World Supersport race at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
WorldSSP charges into Donington Park for Round 6 of the 2023 season
What to look out for in Donington Park
Leading the World Supersport Championship charge is Nicolo Bulega, who has been in strong form with four pole positions, six wins, and a strong podium record. Bulega established himself as the rider to beat at Donington Park, a track where he has never won so far.
Second in the Championship standings with 161 points, Stefano Manzi will race for the first time with Yamaha at Donington Park. Building on his recent triumph in the previous Misano race, he aims to secure his third WorldSSP race victory, and progressively close in on Bulega in the overall standings.
MV Agusta’s Marcel Schroetter will race for the first time at Donington Park with World Supersport. The German Rookie, who has displayed consistent performance in 2023 achieving several top positions, is still aiming for his first win in the category.
THE NEW SPEED 400 AND SCRAMBLER 400 X
TWO ALL-NEW TRIUMPH MODERN CLASSICS
The Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X: two all-new models are joining the Triumph range in 2024.
Born into a peerless bloodline, the Speed 400 joins Triumph’s most successful modern classic line-up, the Speed Twin 900 and 1200 while the Scrambler 400 X takes its rugged design cues from the Scrambler 900 and 1200, with an off-road pedigree that goes back to the first factory Scramblers of the 1950s.
Designed from the ground-up with a brand new single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine platform at their heart, these new models are designed to deliver a fun, agile, and confidence-inspiring ride for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Together, with class-leading capability, rider-focused technology and category-leading quality and detail, and with a high level of standard specification, long service intervals, and a comprehensive warranty, these accessible new models represent incredible value and bring Triumph’s iconic style, quality, and performance to a whole new generation of Triumph riders.
The Triumph Speed 400 (left) and Scrambler 400 X (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
TRIUMPH’S ICONIC SPEED AND SCRAMBLER DESIGN DNA
Conceived and designed in Hinckley, UK, these two new additions to the modern classics line-up have been developed with the same exacting attention to detail as Triumph’s most celebrated models. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their timeless Triumph silhouettes, signature sculpted fuel tanks and classic engine profiles and have been designed to deliver all of the quality, feel, and presence of their larger capacity stablemates. Traditional touches, like the distinctive finned cylinder head and traditional exhaust header clamps combine with contemporary details like the upswept silencer, bold graphics and sensitively-incorporated technology, such as concealed liquid-cooling and a flowing exhaust run with hidden primary silencer. All combining to deliver that unmistakeable Triumph modern custom style. The high-quality finish and elegant detailing continues with the trademark black powder-coated engine casings, tough gold anodised forks, high-quality paint, and logo detailing which ensure the finish on these new models is premium throughout.
The Speed 400’s two-tone paint schemes, each feature a prominent Triumph tank graphic, reflect its dynamic style, with Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and Phantom Black colors available.
Accentuating the Scrambler 400 X’s all-road attitude are lots of purposeful and practical features, including protection for the headlight, radiator, and sump, as well as handguards, a handlebar brace with pad, and a longer front mudguard.
The Scrambler 400 X is available in three stylish and contemporary color schemes, each featuring Triumph’s distinctive ‘Scrambler’ tank stripe and triangle badge, with Matte Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Black and Silver Ice options.
Timeless Triumph Design DNA with Contemporary Poise:
Timeless Triumph classic roadster and Scrambler silhouettes
Signature sculpted tank with knee indents
Classic Triumph engine profile with triangle badge
Distinctive finned cylinder head and exhaust header clamps
Contemporary upswept silencer
Premium materials and finishes
Each available in a choice of three distinctive model-specific color schemes
THE ALL-NEW TR-SERIES ENGINE
Named to celebrate the historic Triumph ‘Trophy’ bloodline, whose roots can be traced back to the racing singles of the early twentieth century, and International Six Day Trials offroad competition. This all-new fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 398cc single-cylinder engine combines Triumph’s trademark modern classic style with state-of-the-art engineering to deliver class-beating performance with a responsive, fun, and characterful power delivery along with an evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note.
Technical highlights include a four-valve, DOHC cylinder head and a crankshaft that has been perfectly weighted and balanced to optimize inertia for low-speed rideability. A finger-follower valvetrain with a low reciprocating mass and DLC coatings that reduce friction also contribute to the capacity-defying performance of this free-revving yet tractable engine.
The six-speed gearbox delivers light, precise gear selection with ratios perfectly spread to make the most of this characterful and torque-rich engine.
Key features of this all-new engine include:
Class-leading 39.5 HP peak power and 27.7 LB-FT of peak torque
Four valve, Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder
Concealed liquid-cooling and machined cooling fins
Trademark black powder-coated engine casings
Characterful, compelling, and responsive power delivery
Evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note
Six-speed gearbox
Exceeds Euro 5 emissions
TRIUMPH’S EASY, AGILE, DYNAMIC, AND CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING RIDE
With ergonomics designed for optimum comfort and control, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X benefit from a slim standover which combines with an accessible seat height of 31 inches (790mm) and 32.9 inches (835mm) respectively and a low weight of 375lb (170kg) / 395lb (179kg) to offer assured low-speed handling and the ability to get feet to the ground.
Both models benefit from their own model-specific chassis, with a new frame, bolt-on rear subframe and cast-aluminum swingarm paired with suspension set-ups tailored to each use case, both delivering Triumph’s famously easy, agile, and dynamic handling.
The Speed 400 features large 43mm big-piston upside-down front forks, mono-shock Rear Suspension Unit with external reservoir, lightweight 17-inch wheels and roadster-specific geometry and wheelbase. Giving an engaging and intuitive ride along with a comfortable, neutral riding position that inspires confidence for riders of all sizes and skill levels. Powerful four-piston radial front brakes with a 300mm front disc and braided lines give a responsive brake feel for improved rider confidence.
The Scrambler 400 X features a longer wheelbase, longer travel suspension, larger 19-inch front wheel and wide handlebars for greater stability and control when riding on loose surfaces, as well as providing a more upright and commanding Scrambler riding position. A larger cast steel brake pedal and high-grip foot pegs that are positioned lower and wider also make for a more natural standing riding position when riding off-road, while a larger 320mm front brake disc and optimized pad compound deliver reassuringly progressive braking performance in all conditions.
Fun, Confidence-inspiring and Intuitive Feel
All-new frame with bolt-on rear subframe and cast aluminum swingarm
Model-specific Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X set-up and geometry
Slender standover width creates a more accessible seat height
Comfortable and engaging riding position for the Speed 400 with a more upright and commanding riding position for the Scrambler 400 X
Big-piston 43mm diameter upside-down front forks
Monoshock rear suspension unit with external reservoir
Optimized for solo or passenger riding with adjustable rear suspension preload
Four-piston radial caliper with braided brake lines
Longer wheelbase and more upright ergonomics for Scrambler 400 X
Approachable motorcycle specifications approved for new rider training courses, including official Motorcycle Safety Foundation training
MODERN RIDER-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY
Adding rider convenience, performance, and safety, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X share some of the latest rider-focused technology, tailored to suit each model.
Ride-by-wire throttle
Bosch engine management with ride-by-wire throttle delivers a linear and intuitive throttle response with predictable power delivery for enhanced rideability, safety, and control.
Traction Control and ABS
The traction control system on both models is switchable with a simple on or off selection, so the rider can quickly and easily deactivate the intervention.
Bosch dual-channel ABS delivers assured braking in all conditions for added safety and peace of mind and on the Scrambler 400 X can also be deactivated for enhanced control when riding off-road.
Stylish new dual format instruments
The clean and contemporary dual format instruments feature a large analogue speedometer and integrated LCD screen which includes a digital tachometer, a fuel range remaining, and a prominent gear indicator, clearly visible in all lighting conditions.
All this functionality is accessed via an intuitive easy to use handlebar-mounted scroll button, and the display is even pre-enabled to show the status of accessory fitted heated grips, if fitted. A conveniently located USB-C charging port allows on-the-move charging of handlebar mounted devices, such as smartphones and navigation systems.
Torque-assist clutch
This ingenious system reduces clutch lever effort to reduce fatigue during stop/start riding, as well as improving rider confidence and peace of mind by preventing rear wheel locking during downshifts.
All-LED lighting
Designed for performance and presence, the powerful headlight features a distinctive always-on glow, while the taillight also includes a modern light signature together with molded light guides and Triumph branding.
Factory-fitted Security
Both the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X come equipped with a steering lock and an anti-theft immobilizer as standard. The transponder chip integrated into the ignition key ensures only the owner can start the engine.
Specification highlights include:
A high level of rider-focused technology to enhance performance and safety
Ride-by-wire throttle for enhance rideability, safety, and control
Switchable Traction Control on both Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X
Dual-channel ABS (switchable on Scrambler 400 X for off-road use)
Torque-assist clutch
Stylish new dual format instruments
All-LED lighting
Immobilizer
BUILT TO MAKE YOUR OWN
More than 25 genuine accessories are available for the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X. From styling and comfort to luggage and security, both bikes can be accessorized to suit a broad range of riders’ needs.
Owners can configure their new motorcycle in the easy-to-use online configurator, or they can purchase accessories from any authorized Triumph dealer — All Triumph accessories are designed and developed hand-in-hand with the motorcycles to ensure perfect fit and function and are covered by the same two year unlimited mileage warranty.
UNBEATABLE VALUE
With class-leading performance, unrivalled quality, and low running costs, these exciting new modern classics represent incredible value.
Both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X will be competitively priced versus the key competitors in each market, ensuring an incredibly attractive buyer proposition both in terms of overall value, but also initial purchase price.
Both models will launch in India starting in July of 2023 and will be on sale in all other markets in the start of 2024, when prices for these markets will be announced.
Unbeatable value:
Leading performance and quality
Class-leading 10,000 miles service interval
Two-year unlimited mileage Warranty
Two-year unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance
On sale from Q1 2024
Competitive pricing relative to category to be announced upon availability
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine and transmission
Speed 400
Scrambler 400 X
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 4 valve, DOHC, single-cylinder
Capacity
398.15 cc
Bore
89.0 mm
Stroke
64.0 mm
Compression
12:1
Maximum Power
40 PS / 39.5 bhp (29.4 kW) @ 8,000 rpm
Maximum Torque
37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Fuel System
Bosch electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Exhaust
Stainless twin-skin header system with stainless steel silencer
Beaubier wins again, Corey races to career best as PJ consistently scores at The Ridge
Cameron Beaubier, Corey Alexander, and PJ Jacobsen – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s BMW Superbike trio – were back on track in the latest round of the MotoAmerica series at The Ridge Motorsports Park this past weekend with all three once again adding significantly to their overall points tally. Another win for Cameron, a career best fourth for Corey and a top six for PJ just some of the highlights of the round!
MotoAmerica returnee Beaubier was once again at the sharp end throughout the event at the 2.47-mile circuit. Qualifying third, the #6 rider was in contention for the win on Saturday after reducing the deficit to early leader Jake Gagne. Unfortunately, with three laps to go the multiple MotoAmerica champion slid out of contention. Remounting he was classified seventh. Sunday once again saw Beaubier going wheel to wheel with Gagne, his race winning overtake coming just after half race distance. Extending his advantage until the flag, Cameron took his third win of the season by over a second to consolidate second overall in the standings.
Corey Alexander dominated in Stock 1000 at The Ridge twelve months ago and he was in fine form once again this year. Achieving his best qualifying position ever in the Superbike class, fifth, Alexander ran consistently in the leading group in both races, underlining his speed at the Washington stage venue and showing that his adaption to the SBK category continues at an impressive rate. Fourth on Saturday, he finished fifth on Sunday to record the first double top five of his Superbike career.
The team’s third rider PJ Jacobsen qualified on row three. He too gained positions despite struggling a little with set up during the weekend. He finished sixth and seventh on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
With all three riders having now shown front running pace this season, Tytlers Cycle Racing heads to California in a fortnight for the first triple head weekend of the season at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit.
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace in Race 1 and slowly chipped away the lead to Jake but unfortunately, I lost the front in turn one with three laps to go. It was a bummer, but I was happy with the pace and the progress we are making. Yesterday was a good day. The guys made two changes to the bike, to the front end and with engine brake, that gave me a good feel from warm up on. It felt really good to get a win here on a track I thought we would struggle at coming in. Onto Laguna!”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “Since the first session of the weekend I’ve felt very comfortable on the bike and the times have come a bit easier. Our best qualifying of fifth put us in the mix for the races. I was a little too reserved the first half of the race one but really started to work my way forward and after running sixth lucked a top five with Cam’s (Beaubier’s) misfortune. I’m very happy with yesterday’s result in race two even though the position is one less than what we achieved on Saturday. We finished seven seconds back from Cam which is less than half the gap to the lead from yesterday. I’m excited to keep this momentum going forward to Laguna. Thanks to the team and my guys for giving me a great bike to work with.”
PJ Jacobsen: “I was a bit lucky to get away with sixth position on Saturday after a few people crashed, but I felt as the race went on we had a bit better pace and the guys in front were coming back to me. It was annoying that there was a red flag as I really thought we could have made up a few spots but that’s racing. We made some changes for Sunday as I haven’t had much front end confidence at all since the very first session. I ran off in race two at turn twelve and lost five or six seconds. That really set me back and cost us what could have been at least another top six. I am super disappointed to only get a P6 and P7, it’s not where I want to be or where we have shown we can be, but we will go again in two weeks. Laguna is one of my favourite tracks and I am hoping the front-end confidence returns there.”
More, form a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
SCOTT AND HOBBS EARN PODIUMS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN WASHINGTON
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a second and third podium result of the weekend to conclude a bountiful MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park with Team Hammer’s 350th podium.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott equaled his best result of the season with a strong runner-up.
Teagg Hobbs earns his second Supersport podium in hard-fought Race 2.
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his career-best Superbike finish with a highly competitive fourth.
Taylor Knapp suffered a DNF after attempting to soldier on following a crash.
Tyler Scott (70) bounces back from Race 1 with a strong second-place finish in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott made his intentions known from the start of Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport rematch. The 17-year-old locked down second position after starting from the center of Row 1 aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750. Scott then put his head down and stuck closely behind the race’s pacesetter long enough to pull free from the pack. Scott definitively put on a strong ride to second place. It was Scott’s second runner-up of the season and his third podium finish.
Scott said, “We made some changes overnight for this morning’s warm-up. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team did a great job dialing the bike this weekend. Yesterday, we had an issue during the race, which was unfortunate, but today our goal was to get a strong start and manage the gap to first and third. In the end, it was a really great race, and I’m happy with the result.”
Coming off the momentum of his first podium, Teagg Hobbs (79) follows up with another podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs followed up Saturday’s breakthrough performance to a first-career MotoAmerica Supersport podium by adding a second one on Sunday. While Scott shook free early, Hobbs found himself mired in a multi-rider battle for third. Hobbs eventually broke his competition and earned some breathing space en route to another third-place podium aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Suzuki GSX-R750s once again achieved more top-ten class positions than any other manufacturer on the grid.
“It was a battle right from the start,” Hobbs said. “I had a decent start and tried to be as aggressive as possible. Tyler got away from me. I finished ahead of him on Saturday, so I knew he was going to be on it today. I’ve got to give it up for the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. I’ve got an amazing motorcycle underneath me, and I’m as happy as can be just to be here racing this bike.”
Richie Escalante (54) is gaining speed every race and is closing the gap to the front runners. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed one of the strongest performances of his Superbike career. Escalante spent the bulk of the contest pressuring the rider in fourth before finally forcing him into a small mistake. He then took control of the position himself. Escalante pushed to the maximum aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R with a maiden podium ride in his sights. While he came up just short, Escalante ultimately earned his third fourth-place result in his last five outings, finishing less than five seconds back of the win. The race is the closest Escalante has been to the winner at the checkered flag.
“What an amazing weekend,” Escalante said, “We made a change to the geometry of the bike this morning to find a little bit more grip. We got a strong start and had a good rhythm. I saw how close we were to a podium result, so I pushed hard and did my best. I’m super happy and really proud of my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew. We need to keep working, but overall, it was a particularly good weekend.”
Taylor Knapp (44) showed grit and determination even though it was a tough weekend for him. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Taylor Knapp’s one-round ride aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike ended on a tough note. Knapp crashed while fighting for 12th position, and while he remounted in an attempt to continue racing, he was ultimately forced to retire.
“We improved the lap time and dropped a second and a half, but I had an unfortunate crash in Turn 1. I am bummed about that,” said Knapp. “I was hoping to do better for the team and give them a good result. The bike was incredible to ride and the team was great all weekend. Hopefully, the team will benefit from me riding the bike and my feedback. Thanks to Suzuki and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki for giving me the chance.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will now travel to Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for the next round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season on July 7-9.
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 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 350 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 Rodio Racing:
Landers victorious, shares podium with teammate Rodio Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at The Ridge Motorsports Park
Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering riders claim half of the podium places at June 23-25 event
SHELTON, Wash. — After enduring a trying weekend at the previous MotoAmerica Twins Cup round at Barber Motorsports Park, the Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering duo of Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio found more success at the June 23-25 Twins Cup round at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Landers was in dominant form from the start of the round, as he earned pole, a third place and a win. And Rodio was back in frontrunning form as he netted a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a podium finish on Sunday.
Thanks to their positive on-track performances in both Twin Cup races at The Ridge, Landers and Rodio and now just 11 and 13 points out of the championship lead, respectively.
Landers set the pace in Friday morning practice. His best lap time was a 1:48.063, which was more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also had a good start to the weekend, as he finished Friday practice fourth fastest. Landers and Rodio rounded out Friday’s on-track activity with more positive results, as Landers claimed provisional pole — while lowering his best lap time by about 1.5 seconds — and Rodio ended that session fifth-fastest.
The second and final qualifying session of the round took place Saturday morning and saw Landers clinch his third pole position of the season. Rodio also had a very good end to qualifying. He improved his best qualifying lap time by about 1.5 seconds and qualified third — which put both of the team’s riders on the front row for both Twins Cup races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 was the site of another dominating performance by Landers. After a short battle for the lead into Turn 1, Landers paced the field and — in the later laps — began building a several second gap to the battle for second place. Rodio finished Lap 1 running in fourth place and briefly fell to fifth in the running order on Lap 2. After a rider in front of him crashed on Lap 3 — and after nearly crashing himself — Rodio gradually reeled in the two riders battling for second place. Rodio wasn’t able to get close enough to the other riders to overtake them and finished the race in fourth place. As Landers began the final lap, he came up to the back of a lapped rider that was experiencing a mechanical problem and going slowly at the start of a yellow flag zone. Landers was unable to slow down enough to avoid overtaking the rider within the yellow flag zone and was assessed a penalty that dropped him from first to third in the race results.
Sunday’s Race 2 also started with Landers briefly being challenged for the lead before taking the holeshot. After clearing the first chicane, Landers steadily built a gap to the rest of the field while Rodio slipped to fifth in the running order for the first several laps. As Landers stretched out his advantage over the rest of his competition, Rodio upped his pace and had worked his way up to third place by the end of Lap 4 and second place by the end of Lap 9. Landers ended up taking the win by a margin of more than 11 seconds, while Rodio had to settle for third place after being passed on the last lap by another frontrunning rider.
The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering team is back in action in two weeks time when the MotoAmerica Twins Cup takes to the Laguna Seca circuit July 7-9.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Wild Weekend at Road America for the Altus Motorsports Team
(Shelton, WA) Stock 1000 and the Junior Cup were not on the schedule for the MotoAmerica round at The Ridge in Shelton, Washington, which meant that only half the team would be running. Jaret Nassaney in the Supersport class and Joseph LiMandri Jr. in the Twins Cup. Both riders arrived in the Pacific Northwest looking to revitalize their seasons.
Supersport:
As great as the 2022 MotoAmerica season was for Jaret Nassaney, the beginning of this year has not measured up to it. Crashes, setup issues, and mechanicals have been the theme. The trend continued in Washington with a crash at the very beginning of Friday’s practice. With no laps on Friday, Jaret and the team had a lot of work to do in Q2 on Saturday. Lack of seat time led to a less-than-ideal grid position; P13. Unfortunately, a front brake issue put him on the ground a second time at the beginning of Race 1. Then, in Race 2, Jaret had a rear brake issue that limited him to an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. and the team had to do battle with a few electrical gremlins at The Ridge. During Q2 on Saturday, the bike began shutting off intermittently. After the session, the team determined the battery was defective. Joseph started both races from 8th on the grid. He finished the first race in 7th. A crash early in Sunday’s warm-up may have led to a mechanical issue that caused the bike to shut off on Lap 1 of Race 2. After restarting the bike, LiMandri crossed start/finish dead last on Lap 2. Undeterred, he put his head down and ran his fastest laps of the weekend to finish in 8th place.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Joseph LiMandri Jr.: “This wasn’t the turnaround weekend we were hoping for, but we aren’t done yet and we will continue to keep fighting. Huge thanks to Fuzzy my crew chief and the rest of the team for working their butts off all weekend long to help get this bike dialed. I’m excited to get to Laguna and continue to push”
George Nassaney: “It has been an exceptionally difficult season but we are not quitters. The Ridge is in the books and we are looking for a fresh start on the fresh surface at Laguna Seca. As a team, we have decided we need a ‘Hard Reset!’ For the next round, we are bringing in extra staff, and doing everything we can to give our riders the support they need to deliver the results we know they are capable of.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, 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
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Ridge Motorsports Park and returned to the podium with a runner-up finish in today’s Race 2. The defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s 1-2 score at the fourth round of the championship has him leaving Shelton, Washington, with a 23-point lead. His teammate Cameron Petersen overcame adversity to finish sixth.
On the heels of his fifth-consecutive victory at The Ridge, Gagne got another great start to take the lead and threw down some fast times up front. He tried to break away, but his championship rival closed the gap. Gagne kept a strong pace but was passed after the halfway point and rode a smart race to finish second and score some valuable points in the title fight.
After a tough start to the weekend with some food poisoning and a crash in yesterday’s race, Petersen looked to rebound. He got a good start from the second row of the grid to battle in the top five and was holding down fourth with the competition on his heels, but ultimately was shuffled to sixth in the final laps.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to Monterey, California, in two weeks for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the iconic Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 7-9.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We missed the setup for Race 2, but Jake still managed to finish second and collect some good championship points. Cameron was set back a little from the two crashes earlier this weekend and struggled to maintain the pace at the front. The team will learn from this race and further improve for Laguna Seca. We look forward to seeing our California fans.”
Jake Gagne got second in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to another great start for Race 2 and had some clean opening laps. About halfway, I got passed, and I couldn’t hold the pace to make a run for the win and had to bring it home in second. Overall it was a good weekend, and we got some good points. We’re looking forward to Laguna.”
Cameron Petersen (45). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend for me. I felt great on the motorcycle, but unfortunately a few too many mistakes cost me. Having said that, we can take a few positives away from this weekend. My pace was strong, and we can build off of that for Laguna.”
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).
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati Duo on the Podium at The Ridge
Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés spray the champagne with two exceptional races each in the Pacific Northwest
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Round four of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship saw America’s fastest road racers head to the beautiful Ridge venue in Washington state with both Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés scoring some champagne for their efforts.
Herrin’s weekend in the premier Superbike division saw him suffer a nasty spill immediately after securing pole position, the Georgian native injuring his ankle and being pretty bashed and bruised all over, but still fit enough to start race one.
Herrin battled on to a pair of third places, gritting his teeth through the pain in a heroic effort given the circumstances. He will visit his doctor tomorrow for further checks ahead of two weeks’ rest leading up to Laguna Seca’s fifth round of the championship.
The MotoAmerica Supersport Championship is fast becoming the Xavi Forés show as the sensational Spaniard took his seventh race win in a row at The Ridge, making his undefeated as the series nears its halfway point.
Forés was flying in the PNW, his margin of victory of 11.9 seconds in race one and five seconds in race two a sign of his domination.
Forés now leads the Supersport points standings by a massive 76 points, some three race wins clear of second-placed, Stefano Mesa.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Four
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 156
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 133
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 122
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 101
P5 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 91
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Two
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 200
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 124
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 112
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 103
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 83
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“It’s been an amazing weekend. I did my first pole position of the championship and the bike worked perfectly. I love this track and today in race two it was a little tougher than yesterday’s race one. We made some fork changes that didn’t really work but it was ok to keep the gap to second place. Seven race wins in a row in so far in front of what I expected at the start of the year so now we move the focus to Laguna Seca to keep the momentum.”
Josh Herrin finished third in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“For how bad Saturday was with the injures I got, I’m super excited to get two third place finishes,” Herrin said. “The V4 R was amazing this weekend. It’s the best it has felt all year, I just wasn’t able to ride it to its full potential. I’m bummed about that but happy with two podium finishes. Now I’m ready to heal up and come back to Laguna strong.”
Round Five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at Laguna Seca on the beautiful Californian coastline over the June 5-7 weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Ridge Weekend Ends Early
Mathew Scholtz (11) leading a group of riders early in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Shelton, WA – Hopes and expectations were high on Sunday morning for Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team after Mathew finished as runner-up in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Ridge Motorsports Park. Unfortunately, however, Mathew suffered a tipover in Sunday’s race two, along with some technical issues with his Yamaha YZF-R1, and he was unable to finish.
“We made another step in the positive direction overnight and the morning warm up was also positive,” Mathew said. “We were pretty confident heading into the second race, but unfortunately, I realized early on that we had an electronic issue going into the chicane, and I ran off the track, which moved me further back. I kind of got stuck there further back, and it was difficult to overtake anyone. But, I put my head down and tried to make a charge towards the front. I got a little too eager with the bike, though, and I had a tipover, which bent the right handlebar, so I couldn’t continue. It was very disappointing because I thought we deserved to be at the front. It wasn’t the Sunday we were looking for, but I’m happy with the steps forward that we made in the setup, and it should help us a lot at (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca. We showed that, when the bike is right, we have phenomenal pace, and with the way things are now, I’m optimistic about Laguna.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on July 7 through 9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for round five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
Cresting The Ridge: Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing rise to the challenge
Stefano Mesa (137) takes the checkered flag on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
Team Tytlers Cycle Racing and Stefano Mesa have just completed rounds three and four of the 2023 Super Hooligan National Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. The experienced Colombian rider crossed the line in sixth place at the end of the seven-lap, second race of the weekend, aboard the Energica Eva Ribelle RS sporting the new, striking Petronas colours and equipped with the Kit Corsa Clienti. However, both the first and second placed Indian motorcycles and their riders were disqualified due to a technical breach, leaving Mesa in fourth position.
Mesa was able to maintain his position at the start as the Super Hooligan field entered the first chicane and maintained a solid pace throughout the encounter, while keeping seventh-place rider AJ Peaslee (riding an ICE-powered KTM machine) at bay right up to the chequered flag. He did so by using the rear brake to back into the corner – all without having the use of the clutch.
Race one saw Mesa crossing the line in seventh place after starting from the back of the grid – dramatically cutting “like a knife through butter” (as one of the race announcers exclaimed) as he rapidly made his way up to eighth position and then gained one more place just before the chequered flag. He was able to make his final move on Peaslee in part because the latter – by his own words – had a hard time hearing him coming through!
All in all, this was an exceptional performance for rider #137, considering the dramatic crash he had in the Supersport race only a couple of hours prior. Unfortunately, the hard-won result was voided due to a technical rule infringement (sensor).
The level of performance shown at the spectacular, Washington-state venue, provides a welcome boost of fresh confidence for the team, now looking forward to the upcoming event taking place in a fortnight’s time at Monterey’s own WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.
The team will use the time available to digest the experience gained at The Ridge, in order to continue optimising the technical package for what is, in many respects, a very different challenge for Energica. For this is a series where ICE and EV share not only the same track but also identical spec-tyres – all while diverging significantly when it comes to technology and specs.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
In Stefano Mesa’s own words “The electric gives me a smoother acceleration and much easier control and focus because I don’t have to shift in order to have the right horsepower or torque at the rear wheel; on the other hand, the bike makes so much torque that we have to find a way to tame it for a course like this, with so many turns and so many twists.”
Energica’s presence as the first and only electric motorcycle manufacturer in the full series keeps attracting an intense level of attention and curiosity from fans, motorcycle enthusiasts, fellow racers and other insiders. As one spectator said to his friends while walking past Tytlers Cycle Racing’s tent “this is the future”. The team is looking forward to meeting the fans at Laguna Seca, with a surprise in store.
Click on the following links to watch the full encounters (YouTube) Race one – Race two
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS EARN VICTORY, PAIR OF PODIUM FINISHES IN MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACES AT THE RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
RODIO RACING – POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING RIDERS LANDERS, RODIO, NOW SECOND, THIRD, IN POINTS STANDINGS
SHELTON, WA – It turned out to be a near-perfect weekend for Aprilia rider Rocco Landers at The Ridge Motorsports Park. The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering rider and three-time MotoAmerica class champion was the fastest rider in practice, qualifying and both races at the northwest Washington State circuit. Though a post-race penalty reduced a victory to a podium finish on Saturday, Landers and his teammate — and fellow podium finisher at The Ridge — Gus Rodio are now just 11 and 13 points out of the lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup standings.
The Ridge’s undulating and technical 2.5-mile road course also proved to be a good match for the Aprilia RS 660. Aprilia riders claimed four of the top 10 grid spots in qualifying, half of the podium finishes and nearly half of the top 10 places in the weekend’s two Twins Cup races.
Landers and Rodio showed immediate pace in the first on-track session of the weekend. Landers led the field in Friday morning practice with a 1:48.063 lap time — which was 0.525 seconds faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth place, and Luke Luciano of Zone 9 Racing/EDR Performance and Tyler Duffy of Duffy Racing gave Aprilia four riders in the session’s top 10. Later Friday, Landers ended the first of two qualifying sessions on provisional pole and improved his best lap time to 1:45.546. Rodio finished the session fifth-fastest, and Jacob Crossman of 3D Motorsports was the third Aprilia rider to end the session in the top 10.
Landers didn’t improve his blistering lap time from Qualifying 1 in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but still clinched pole position. Rodio found some additional pace in Qualifying 2 and joined his teammate on the front row by qualifying third. Also qualifying in the top 10 was Agustin Sierra of Top Pro Motorsports, who secured 10th on the starting grid for the round’s two Twins Cup races.
Saturday’s Race 1 saw Landers put in a dominant performance that was partially undone by a late-race infraction. Landers briefly lost and then re-took the lead during the short run to the first corner and didn’t relinquish the lead after that. He crossed the finish line in first place by a margin of 4.8 seconds. However, Landers passed a lapped rider in a yellow flag zone at the start of the final lap, and as a result was reclassified in third place. Rodio got a good start and finished the first lap running in fourth. After falling as low as fifth in the running order at the end of Lap 2 and nearly crashing on Lap 3, he gradually got closer to the battle for the last two steps on the podium but had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Landers and Rodio were joined in the top 10 by three other Aprilia riders – Top Pro Motorsports’ Alex Arango in eighth, Duffy in ninth and Righteous Racing’s Ray Hoffman in 10th.
The start of Race 2 was a near-mirror image of Race 1, with Landers getting an OK jump off the line but still leading the field through the holeshot. Rodio also dropped one position in the running order like he did on Saturday and was running in a lonely fifth place for the first couple laps. As Landers gradually built a big lead at the front of the field, Rodio gained pace as the race went on. By the end of Lap 4, Rodio had moved up to third place and finished Laps 9-11 of the 12-lap contest in second place. Landers took the victory in commanding fashion — crossing the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up — while Rodio lost one position in the closing stages of the last lap and finished third. Two other Aprilia riders – Crossman and Arango – finished in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
More than half of the riders registered for the Ridge round – 16 of 29 – were set to compete aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
The MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a one-weekend break before it’s back in action July 7-9 at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California. More information on that round and the series can be found on https://motoamerica.com/
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Cameron Beaubier came from behind to win MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne got the holeshot and led the first nine laps on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha, but Beaubier passed his former teammate on lap 10 of 16 and held on to take his third win of the season on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 R.
Gagne pushed Beaubier to the end but came up 2.045 seconds short and finished second, but he still left Washington with the Championship point lead.
Josh Herrin, battered and bruised from a high-speed crash in qualifying on Saturday, dug deep to pull off a close third-place finish — just 1.2 seconds behind and closing on Gagne — on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Richie Escalante crossed the finish line fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, just 4.750 seconds behind Beaubier.
Beaubier’s teammate Corey Alexander rounded out the top five finishers only 2.9 seconds behind Escalante.
Beaubier And BMW Stop Yamaha’s Win Streak At Ridge Motorsports Park
Cameron Beaubier Tops Jake Gagne To Win At The Washington Racetrack
Jake Gagne (1) leads the field through the Turn One chicane at the start of Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – The talk coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class was that the track is tailor made for Yamaha, as evidenced by six straight wins for the YZF-R1. In Saturday’s race one, Jake Gagne ran that streak to seven straight wins for Yamaha, but it ended on Sunday with a BMW M 1000 RR crossing the finish line first.
Ironically, that BMW was ridden to victory by the man who started Yamaha’s win streak at Ridge in 2020 – Cameron Beaubier.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Beaubier hinted at the possibility of a BMW win in Washington when he ran down Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 on Saturday, only to crash out of the race on the 14th of 16 laps while on the R1’s rear wheel. On Sunday, Beaubier replicated the feat only this time he didn’t falter. He caught the fast-starting Gagne, took over at the front on the 10th lap and beat the championship points leader to the flag by a tick over two seconds.
For Beaubier it was his third win of the year and the 57th AMA Superbike win of his career.
Cameron Beaubier (6) topped Jake Gagne (1) in Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
When he was passed by Beaubier, Gagne knew he didn’t have the pace to match his former teammate and he opted to make certain of second place in the closing laps. At the finish Gagne was 2.045 behind Beaubier and 1.2 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Josh Herrin on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Herrin was fighting the injuries suffered in a qualifying crash on Saturday morning, didn’t get much sleep on Saturday night, and limped his way through his Sunday and onto the podium for a second straight day.
With Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante getting the better of the rest to finish fourth, it translated to the top four featuring four different manufacturers – BMW, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had his second straight day of Superbike success with a fifth-place finish on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was some three seconds behind Escalante and 3.4 seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen.
PJ Jacobsen was seventh on the third of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMWs with Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim eighth. Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders and CW Moto Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10.
Among the non-finishers were Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Taylor Knapp with both riders crashing out in separate incidents.
After four rounds and eight races, Gagne leads Beaubier in the Medallia Superbike Championship by 23 points, 156-133. Herrin is third with 122 points, 21 more than Scholtz. Jacobsen rounds out the top five with 91 points.
The series heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, July 7-9, for round five.
Superbike Race Two
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Quotes…
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“Yesterday the race was a really good confidence boost for us because, let’s be honest, Jake (Gagne) was setting the pace all weekend and also (Josh) Herrin was really fast on Saturday morning. So, I felt like going into the race we could do a couple of those laps, but I didn’t think we could sustain them. The guys have not stopped working on the thing and we came up with a good race bike yesterday and they made it even better overnight for today. I was feeling really good. Herrin and I were going back and forth there at the beginning. I feel like we were honestly both kind of making a couple mistakes. I was running wide here and there and so was he. Once the race kind of settled down, I put my head down and I was really surprised how good my bike felt. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I was able to run Jake down, but he was really strong getting off the last corner onto the front straight. I was struggling. I was spinning out of there pretty good. But I knew I had some spots that I was better than him in. Same for him, he had some spots that he was better than me in. I was able to get the lead and just kind of kept my head down but kept a little in reserve just so I didn’t throw it away like I did yesterday. I was honestly really surprised to see a little gap on my board. Feels great for the team. It’s a bummer yesterday, falling down like that, but it feels really good to cap a weekend off like we did. Plain and simple, the Superbike class is just pretty gnarly this year. To have three different manufacturers on the box and all the incredible riders up in the top 10, it’s tough but it’s pretty fun.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I wasn’t surprised, for sure. I watched the race last night. I got off to a clean start and kind of made that gap from him, but once Cam (Beaubier) made his way through yesterday, he just reeled me in. Same thing today. At one point, I had a second gap on my pit board, and then by the top of the chicane I could hear him right behind me. That’s probably the lap he did a 39.6. At that point, I was struggling a little bit. I thought we kind of made the bike a little bit better today, but I was struggling a little more to even run the 40s that we ran yesterday. I knew Cam was going to make his way by at some point, and then once he made his way by, I tried to latch on a little bit but there was nothing I could do. At that point, I knew Josh (Herrin) was back there and I knew he was going to be strong until the end, so I just tried to do what I could to bring it home in second. Either way, I think we learned a lot. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to race with these guys really for this full race distance and kind of see what the bikes are doing differently. All three of these bikes really have different strengths and different weaknesses. So, we got some good data. Know what we need to improve. I think we’re still in the points lead, so that’s always a good day.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Both third places I wasn’t expecting, so I guess it’s the hard weekends that count. I tried my hardest to take advantage of it and, luckily, we were able to come out with two thirds. I’m bummed because I wanted to be there. I feel like this weekend nobody thought that me or Cam (Beaubier) were going to be here at this track, I don’t think. I think they thought it was going to be a Yamaha show all weekend. He’s (Beaubier) riding super strong, and I felt super strong up until race one. I think we’re going to be there all year. No matter what track we go to, I think we’ll be competitive. I just got to keep trying to find more out of this thing. I’m still riding a little bit… Up until Saturday, I was riding timid on this thing, like nervous to really throw it in there. I’m finally getting the confidence. Obviously, found the limit now on the front. I’m really happy with this. I’ve been lucky enough to win three championships and know that consistency is key. The only problem is that I’m dealing with two guys that have more championships than I do. So, they know the name of the game also. It’s going to be a hard year, but I’m glad that we’re still all pretty tight in the championship and it seems like it’s going to be a really good battle the whole year, which is the way that everybody wants to win a title. Nobody wants to win a title by running away. It’s always fun to just look back at years like this. I just hope that we can have a really good weekend at Laguna and rest up and heal as much as I can. I’m stoked. Hats off to these guys and thanks to my team.”
Xavi Fores took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, Fores pulled away from the start and won the 15-lap race by 5.008 seconds. It was the Spaniard’s seventh win in a row, tying him with Garrett Gerloff for the longest MotoAmerica Supersport winning streak.
Tyler Scott bounced back from an electronically troubled Race One to score a solid second-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs followed up his career-first Supersport podium finish in Race One by taking third place in Race Two.
Landers Rebounds, Forés Still Undefeated At Ridge Motorsports Park
Rocco Landers Bounces Back From Penalty, Xavi Forés Takes Seventh Straight Supersport Victory
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – On Saturday, Rocco Landers won the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park but was docked two places for passing under a waving yellow flag. Nothing could stop Landers on Sunday, however, as the Robem Engineering-backed 18-year-old dominated race two with an 11-second win – his fourth victory of the season.
In other support class action from Ridge Motorsports Park, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés kept his undefeated season alive. Ditto for Mikayla Moore in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race where she took her fourth consecutive victory.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – The Revenge Of Landers
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers was still fuming about his penalty from Saturday when Sunday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup left the start line for its 12-lap race two and he promptly took out his aggression on the rest of the field.
(From left) Blake Davis, Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio celebrate their top-three finishes in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Landers led from the start on his Aprilia RS 660 and was never headed in topping defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto-backed Yamaha YZF-R7 by a tick over 11 seconds. Davis, in turn, had his hands full with Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio leading the Virginian on the final lap only to have the 16-year-old pass him on the final lap.
Rodio held onto third, ending a three-race podium drought after finishing fourth on Saturday. Sunday’s result was his fifth podium of the season.
Davis still leads the title chase though Landers has closed to within 11 points, 127-116. Rodio is still very much in the mix and just two points behind Landers.
“The bike was working amazing,” Landers said. “Robem Engineering/Rodio Racing worked really hard to make the thing work as good as possible. I don’t even think we made a change since qualifying one. The thing has just been on rails all weekend. I felt good. The thing felt like it was just doing whatever I wanted. The wind was a bit gnarly. Felt like it was kind of screwing with the front end, especially long corners. But on the track, we’ve been undefeated this season on paper though some would say different. But I see no reason why we can’t continue this momentum into Laguna.”
Supersport – Xavi Times Seven
Seven MotoAmerica Supersport races have been held thus far in 2023 and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés has won all of them. That’s seven for seven. That’s a perfect 200 points. Spanish for perfect is perfecto. An easy one to remember. And about as easy as Forés had it on Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Xavi Forés (12) led the Supersport race at Ridge Motorsports Park from start to finish for his seventh consecutive victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Although changes to the fork of his Ducati Panigale V2 didn’t pan out the way he wanted them to, it didn’t do much to hamper his performance as he sped away to a five-second victory over Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, who in turn was some three seconds ahead of his teammate Teagg Hobbs.
With seven races in the books, Forés’s 200 points puts him 76 points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa with the Floridian finishing fifth on Sunday in Washington. Scott is third in the standings – 12 points behind Mesa and nine clear of Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who crashed out of today’s race.
“I felt worse the front (fork) today,” Forés said. “I felt a little bit already this morning on the warmup, but I thought it was the track temperature. We keep the bike with stiffer springs on the front, but definitely was worse. I had a couple of moments on the front, especially in turn 13. I lost the front a couple of times. I wanted to try to stay all the race in 43s, but it was impossible to have the same feeling on the front, so I had to roll off a little bit and stay in the 44 mid, 44 low. I was expecting Tyler (Scott) coming strong today, because already this morning on the warmup I felt good. I saw good lines from him when he was in front of me. I was trying to put the gap as yesterday and I felt worse, so I couldn’t stay quite focused. I did a lot of mistakes on the laps, the speed, the pace. But anyway, another victory is good for me and good for the team and also for the championship points. We move now to Laguna. The track I know from the past. A track that I love. I always did good on the World Championship, so I hope to keep this momentum.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Even More Of Moore
Race two of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program kicked off the final day of MotoAmerica Superbikes at Ridge Motorsports Park, and it’s quite obvious that we’re starting to see a pattern here. Among the 12 ladies selected to compete in the spec series, Mikayla Moore has firmly established herself as the alpha-rider. She was recommended to the program by last year’s champion Kayleigh Buyck because Buyck felt Moore would be great competition for her. Is she ever. In Saturday’s race one, Moore beat Buyck by more than 16 seconds, and then, on Sunday, Moore won by more than 18 seconds over Buyck. That’s four consecutive wins for Moore, and she already seems unbeatable even though we’re only at the halfway point of the season.
Mikayla Moore (78) kept her perfect 2023 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. record intact with a fourth straight victory on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Sunday race-two podium was a carbon copy of Saturday’s race-one podium with Moore first, Buyck second, and Sonya Lloyd rounding out the podium.
“When I’m out there, I have a lap timer on my bike so it’s really easy for me to keep myself going,” Moore said. “As long as I hit my marks, and I always try to find time wherever I can. Every lap, I was finding time and finding better pace. In yesterday’s race, I caught a false neutral, so I wasn’t trying to have that happen again today. I just made sure I was really smooth with the bike and wasn’t aggressive at all with it.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – All Change
Following Sunday’s race two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, the Indian FTR1200 motorcycles ridden by race winner Jeremy McWilliams and second-place finisher Tyler O’Hara were protested by another team. Upon inspection, the ends of the handlebars were found to be below the top plane of the triple clamp, which is a violation of the class’s technical rules.
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Andy DiBrino (62) and Jeremy McWilliams (99) in the Mission Super Hooligan race on Sunday. McWilliams won on track, but both he and O’Hara were DQ’d for a technical infraction which resulted in DiBrino taking the victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified, and third-place finisher Andy DiBrino, who was aboard a DiBrino Racing KTM, was declared the race winner. Second place went to Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Cory West, and Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong completed the revised podium.
Rocco Landers rebounded from disappointment on Saturday to take a victory in MotoAmerica REV’IT Twins Cup Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
In Race One, Landers crossed the finish line first but was demoted two finishing positions to third for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
In Race Two, however, Landers had clean running and won the 12-lap race by 11.024 seconds on his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis used a last-lap pass to take the runner-up spot from Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Gus Rodio, who placed third.
Ray Thornton (717), Mike Applegate (1), Brad Hendry (616), James Wilkerson (2) at High Plains Raceway. Photo by Kelly Vernell, courtesy MRA.
Byers, CO – The third race of the 2023 MRA Championship Series took place at High Plains Raceway over the weekend of June 24-25th. For the first and only time this season, racers used the two-mile West Course configuration.
The Race of the Rockies (RoR) Qualifying on Sunday was conducted under clear blue skies, which was a nice change from the previous round which saw mostly damp conditions. Ray Thornton claimed pole position with a best time of 1:23.75 followed by Mike Applegate (1:24.37) and James Wilkerson (1:25.15).
The Start of RoR saw Wilkerson get the holeshot going into turn one, Applegate was in close pursuit followed by Thornton and Brad Hendry. On the exit of Turn Five, a rider further back in the field suffered a highside, and unfortunately their bike was on the racing surface, which brought out a red flag on lap one. The second start of the race saw Wilkerson once again get an incredible start and secure the lead going into Turn One. Applegate was close behind and lined up his move nicely on the exit of Turn Three to take the lead going down the back straight. Applegate, Wilkerson, Hendry, and Thornton started to break away from the rest of the field as they all were clicking on times in the 1:25’s. At the halfway point, Hendry made his way through the pack and executed an excellent pass to take the lead from Applegate. However, on lap 10, Applegate fired back and reclaimed the lead from Hendry. Thornton was biding his time and on lap 12 he decided it was time to strike. Thornton seized his opportunity, took the lead, and stayed out front for the final two laps, claiming his third RoR GTO victory of the season. Applegate managed to maintain his second place, while Hendry took third, rounding off a tense and exciting race.
In Race of the Rockies (RoR) GTU, Ken Yee took the lead and was followed closely by Jeremiah Downing and Salvatore Rizzo. Downing was putting up a good fight and was doing his best to take the lead and prevent a third successive victory from Yee. Rizzo was maintaining his third position by throwing down some impressive lap times ensuring a sizable gap to fourth place. Downing was unable to pass Yee and maintained his second position until the final lap of the race when he ran off in Turn Eight. This moved Rizzo up to second position and Tyrel Diekmann to third. Diekmann fought hard with Dennis Stowers and just narrowly beat him across the finish line by three hundredths of a second. Yee was able to claim his third straight RoR GTU win of the season, followed by Rizzo in second, and Diekmann in third.
Next up, the MRA returns to High Plains Raceway in Byers, CO for Round 4 on July 15-16. The highly anticipated 4-hour endurance race will take place this weekend running on the full course configuration. There will be no Superstreet this weekend due to the endurance race. See https://www.mra-racing.org/racers/come-race-with-us/ for details.
Dallas Daniels (32) on his Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07. Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Progressive AFT Returns to Scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to West Virginia Motor Speedway for the first time in 17 years with this weekend’s All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, on Saturday July 1.
Renowned for its mountainside setting and high-speed 5/8-mile track, West Virginia Motor Speedway has hosted the Grand National Championship on eight previous occasions, all coming in the ‘90s outside of a return visit in 2006. During that run, a number of iconic riders claimed victory in the event, including the likes of Scott Parker (‘94), Ricky Graham (‘93), and Will Davis (‘92, ‘97, and ‘98). Following a multi-year closure, the track was resurrected, renovated, and reopened in 2021, paving the way for Progressive AFT’s triumphant return.
Despite the race’s proud history, the time between stops means it will be a new circuit on the tour for almost the entire field… but not the entire field.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) finished fourth when the series last visited in ‘06. Back then, he had three Half-Mile victories to his name. Now he returns with 34 and looking to add one more in order to equal Parker for most in GNC history.
That was true this past weekend in Lima as well, and he’ll be facing a similar challenge. Mission SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) has proven that he should be expected to contend for victory every single weekend as he comes in riding a ten-race podium streak.
Meanwhile, two-time Mission SuperTwins champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) is also back in the business of winning. One of the sport’s all-time great Half-Milers himself, Bauman enjoyed a breakthrough ride this past weekend, hustling the Rick Ware Racing KTM 790 Duke to its maiden victory with an inspiring ride at the Lima Half-Mile.
Following a layoff of nearly two decades, not to mention recent track improvements, it’s difficult to predict exactly who’s bikes or styles might mesh best with West Virginia Motor Speedway. What is known is that JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) all have what it takes to beat anyone on the planet when everything is clicking in their favor.
The same can be said of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who earned his best finish yet on the Fastrack KTM with a sixth-place finish at Lima. And don’t discount the chances of Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), all of whom have finished inside the top five already this season.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) was less than two years old the last time Progressive AFT came to Mineral Wells, while key rivals Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) were not even one year old. But now the three rank among the fastest rising dirt track stars in the world and more than capable of putting on a spectacular show.
Kopp put his title defense back in order with a clutch victory at the Lima Half-Mile, despite the best efforts of Drane, who has won two of the season’s most recent four races.
Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), meanwhile, is still seeking his maiden pro win despite several near misses that came in a run of five-consecutive podium finishes. His motivation was further amped up after that podium streak ended due to a mechanical DNF that left him much work to do in order to claw his way back up to Kopp in the points standings.
This trio of talented teens expect to be joined up front once again by the category’s contingent of more-experienced-but-still-young contenders, including Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450).
Meanwhile, the class’ most prominent riders old enough to have been alive during the race’s heydays in the ‘90s – namely Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) – all come into the weekend in need of a strong result if only to remind the field exactly what they’re capable of following some relatively quiet showings n recent weeks.
All Seasons Powersports, which is located just a mile-and-a-half from West Virginia Motor Speedway, will host a Pre-Event Open House Party at the dealership on Friday, June 30, from 4:00 p.m. ET to 7:00 p.m. ET. There fans can meet and greet Progressive AFT stars and partake in food and drinks to get the weekend started off right.
There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket), and Single Day-General Admission Camping Passes can be purchased for Friday and Saturday at $25 per day.
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
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 All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Action-packed WorldSBK summer leg commences at Donington Park
Embarking on the summer chapter of the 2023 season, the Prosecco DOC UK Round will be held at Donington Park, the historic venue that witnessed the inaugural WorldSBK event 35 years ago. It will mark the first of three rounds scheduled for July.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ducati has won in all the tracks of the current calendar. They have won at least once as late as last year (excluding the returning Imola, where Ducati last won in 2017), but at Donington Park, their last win came in 2011 (Carlos Checa).
DONINGTON PARK’S HOT SPOTS WITH ALEX LOWES
T1/ “Donington is a track of two halves, but a great track – a lovely track to ride. I will just touch the limiter in fourth, and then go down to second gear for Redgate. As you brake you just let the bike slide a little bit so that the back of the bike goes into the entry of pit lane, just to open up the corner a little bit. The hardest part of Redgate is not to go in too early, as it has a late apex on the run down to Hollywood. You have to start tipping in just before the end of the white line at the pit exit, basically.”
T9-10/ “The straight has got a little jump in the middle, so you can’t relax too much there. I lean the bike as it wheelies, to stop it wheeling too much, and use a lot of rear brake. The Esses, just like the final corners, is all about hard braking. ”
T11/ “The straight into the hairpin is not a straight at all. It sort of goes around and then you have to make quite a lot of effort to go back to the left so that you are braking upright. Get it stopped, down to first, a little bit downhill and always a good place to pass. And always lots of action! ”
WorldSBK | KEY STAT
14
In Misano, Alvaro Bautista became the first rider in WorldSBK history to secure 14 wins out of the first 15 races of the Championship. With the second half of the season still to come, he is now aiming for the all-time season record of 17 wins currently held by Doug Polen (1991) and Jonathan Rea (2018 and 2019).
What to look out for in Donington Park
All eyes will be on Alvaro Bautista, the current Championship leader with an impressive 298 points. Bautista will be eager to extend his lead and continue his dominant form at Donington Park, a track where Ducati has not won since 2011. The 2022 WorldSBK Champion made the most out of the three-week break after Misano to ride the Desmosedici GP at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during a two-day test in Italy as a reward for his 2022 WorldSBK title success.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, with just one win under his belt in the 2023 season, will be aiming to regain his form. Having won five of the last six races at Donington Park, the Turkish sensation will be eager to add more victories to his name in his final season with Yamaha.
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea has yet to secure a victory this year. Racing on familiar territory with his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Rea will be determined to put an end to his winless streak and make a statement in front of his home crowd. He participated in a private test at MotorLand Aragon prior to the UK Round.
Currently third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli will be eager to overcome his previous struggles at Donington Park and secure a top 3 finish, with his last podium achieved at the Catalunya Round.
Donington Park has undergone significant work since last year. The resurfacing of the 2.5-mile circuit, the first in over 20 years, aimed to eliminate undulations, improve drainage, and enhance corner camber, while also promoting sustainability by repurposing materials for other areas of the circuit.
The start of a World Supersport race at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
WorldSSP charges into Donington Park for Round 6 of the 2023 season
What to look out for in Donington Park
Leading the World Supersport Championship charge is Nicolo Bulega, who has been in strong form with four pole positions, six wins, and a strong podium record. Bulega established himself as the rider to beat at Donington Park, a track where he has never won so far.
Second in the Championship standings with 161 points, Stefano Manzi will race for the first time with Yamaha at Donington Park. Building on his recent triumph in the previous Misano race, he aims to secure his third WorldSSP race victory, and progressively close in on Bulega in the overall standings.
MV Agusta’s Marcel Schroetter will race for the first time at Donington Park with World Supersport. The German Rookie, who has displayed consistent performance in 2023 achieving several top positions, is still aiming for his first win in the category.
The all-new Triumph Scrambler 400 X (left) and Speed 400 (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
THE NEW SPEED 400 AND SCRAMBLER 400 X
TWO ALL-NEW TRIUMPH MODERN CLASSICS
The Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X: two all-new models are joining the Triumph range in 2024.
Born into a peerless bloodline, the Speed 400 joins Triumph’s most successful modern classic line-up, the Speed Twin 900 and 1200 while the Scrambler 400 X takes its rugged design cues from the Scrambler 900 and 1200, with an off-road pedigree that goes back to the first factory Scramblers of the 1950s.
Designed from the ground-up with a brand new single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine platform at their heart, these new models are designed to deliver a fun, agile, and confidence-inspiring ride for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Together, with class-leading capability, rider-focused technology and category-leading quality and detail, and with a high level of standard specification, long service intervals, and a comprehensive warranty, these accessible new models represent incredible value and bring Triumph’s iconic style, quality, and performance to a whole new generation of Triumph riders.
The Triumph Speed 400 (left) and Scrambler 400 X (right). Photo courtesy Triumph Motorcycles.
TRIUMPH’S ICONIC SPEED AND SCRAMBLER DESIGN DNA
Conceived and designed in Hinckley, UK, these two new additions to the modern classics line-up have been developed with the same exacting attention to detail as Triumph’s most celebrated models. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their timeless Triumph silhouettes, signature sculpted fuel tanks and classic engine profiles and have been designed to deliver all of the quality, feel, and presence of their larger capacity stablemates. Traditional touches, like the distinctive finned cylinder head and traditional exhaust header clamps combine with contemporary details like the upswept silencer, bold graphics and sensitively-incorporated technology, such as concealed liquid-cooling and a flowing exhaust run with hidden primary silencer. All combining to deliver that unmistakeable Triumph modern custom style. The high-quality finish and elegant detailing continues with the trademark black powder-coated engine casings, tough gold anodised forks, high-quality paint, and logo detailing which ensure the finish on these new models is premium throughout.
The Speed 400’s two-tone paint schemes, each feature a prominent Triumph tank graphic, reflect its dynamic style, with Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and Phantom Black colors available.
Accentuating the Scrambler 400 X’s all-road attitude are lots of purposeful and practical features, including protection for the headlight, radiator, and sump, as well as handguards, a handlebar brace with pad, and a longer front mudguard.
The Scrambler 400 X is available in three stylish and contemporary color schemes, each featuring Triumph’s distinctive ‘Scrambler’ tank stripe and triangle badge, with Matte Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black, plus Phantom Black and Silver Ice options.
Timeless Triumph Design DNA with Contemporary Poise:
Timeless Triumph classic roadster and Scrambler silhouettes
Signature sculpted tank with knee indents
Classic Triumph engine profile with triangle badge
Distinctive finned cylinder head and exhaust header clamps
Contemporary upswept silencer
Premium materials and finishes
Each available in a choice of three distinctive model-specific color schemes
THE ALL-NEW TR-SERIES ENGINE
Named to celebrate the historic Triumph ‘Trophy’ bloodline, whose roots can be traced back to the racing singles of the early twentieth century, and International Six Day Trials offroad competition. This all-new fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 398cc single-cylinder engine combines Triumph’s trademark modern classic style with state-of-the-art engineering to deliver class-beating performance with a responsive, fun, and characterful power delivery along with an evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note.
Technical highlights include a four-valve, DOHC cylinder head and a crankshaft that has been perfectly weighted and balanced to optimize inertia for low-speed rideability. A finger-follower valvetrain with a low reciprocating mass and DLC coatings that reduce friction also contribute to the capacity-defying performance of this free-revving yet tractable engine.
The six-speed gearbox delivers light, precise gear selection with ratios perfectly spread to make the most of this characterful and torque-rich engine.
Key features of this all-new engine include:
Class-leading 39.5 HP peak power and 27.7 LB-FT of peak torque
Four valve, Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder
Concealed liquid-cooling and machined cooling fins
Trademark black powder-coated engine casings
Characterful, compelling, and responsive power delivery
Evocative, rich, and distinctive exhaust note
Six-speed gearbox
Exceeds Euro 5 emissions
TRIUMPH’S EASY, AGILE, DYNAMIC, AND CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING RIDE
With ergonomics designed for optimum comfort and control, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X benefit from a slim standover which combines with an accessible seat height of 31 inches (790mm) and 32.9 inches (835mm) respectively and a low weight of 375lb (170kg) / 395lb (179kg) to offer assured low-speed handling and the ability to get feet to the ground.
Both models benefit from their own model-specific chassis, with a new frame, bolt-on rear subframe and cast-aluminum swingarm paired with suspension set-ups tailored to each use case, both delivering Triumph’s famously easy, agile, and dynamic handling.
The Speed 400 features large 43mm big-piston upside-down front forks, mono-shock Rear Suspension Unit with external reservoir, lightweight 17-inch wheels and roadster-specific geometry and wheelbase. Giving an engaging and intuitive ride along with a comfortable, neutral riding position that inspires confidence for riders of all sizes and skill levels. Powerful four-piston radial front brakes with a 300mm front disc and braided lines give a responsive brake feel for improved rider confidence.
The Scrambler 400 X features a longer wheelbase, longer travel suspension, larger 19-inch front wheel and wide handlebars for greater stability and control when riding on loose surfaces, as well as providing a more upright and commanding Scrambler riding position. A larger cast steel brake pedal and high-grip foot pegs that are positioned lower and wider also make for a more natural standing riding position when riding off-road, while a larger 320mm front brake disc and optimized pad compound deliver reassuringly progressive braking performance in all conditions.
Fun, Confidence-inspiring and Intuitive Feel
All-new frame with bolt-on rear subframe and cast aluminum swingarm
Model-specific Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X set-up and geometry
Slender standover width creates a more accessible seat height
Comfortable and engaging riding position for the Speed 400 with a more upright and commanding riding position for the Scrambler 400 X
Big-piston 43mm diameter upside-down front forks
Monoshock rear suspension unit with external reservoir
Optimized for solo or passenger riding with adjustable rear suspension preload
Four-piston radial caliper with braided brake lines
Longer wheelbase and more upright ergonomics for Scrambler 400 X
Approachable motorcycle specifications approved for new rider training courses, including official Motorcycle Safety Foundation training
MODERN RIDER-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY
Adding rider convenience, performance, and safety, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X share some of the latest rider-focused technology, tailored to suit each model.
Ride-by-wire throttle
Bosch engine management with ride-by-wire throttle delivers a linear and intuitive throttle response with predictable power delivery for enhanced rideability, safety, and control.
Traction Control and ABS
The traction control system on both models is switchable with a simple on or off selection, so the rider can quickly and easily deactivate the intervention.
Bosch dual-channel ABS delivers assured braking in all conditions for added safety and peace of mind and on the Scrambler 400 X can also be deactivated for enhanced control when riding off-road.
Stylish new dual format instruments
The clean and contemporary dual format instruments feature a large analogue speedometer and integrated LCD screen which includes a digital tachometer, a fuel range remaining, and a prominent gear indicator, clearly visible in all lighting conditions.
All this functionality is accessed via an intuitive easy to use handlebar-mounted scroll button, and the display is even pre-enabled to show the status of accessory fitted heated grips, if fitted. A conveniently located USB-C charging port allows on-the-move charging of handlebar mounted devices, such as smartphones and navigation systems.
Torque-assist clutch
This ingenious system reduces clutch lever effort to reduce fatigue during stop/start riding, as well as improving rider confidence and peace of mind by preventing rear wheel locking during downshifts.
All-LED lighting
Designed for performance and presence, the powerful headlight features a distinctive always-on glow, while the taillight also includes a modern light signature together with molded light guides and Triumph branding.
Factory-fitted Security
Both the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X come equipped with a steering lock and an anti-theft immobilizer as standard. The transponder chip integrated into the ignition key ensures only the owner can start the engine.
Specification highlights include:
A high level of rider-focused technology to enhance performance and safety
Ride-by-wire throttle for enhance rideability, safety, and control
Switchable Traction Control on both Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X
Dual-channel ABS (switchable on Scrambler 400 X for off-road use)
Torque-assist clutch
Stylish new dual format instruments
All-LED lighting
Immobilizer
BUILT TO MAKE YOUR OWN
More than 25 genuine accessories are available for the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X. From styling and comfort to luggage and security, both bikes can be accessorized to suit a broad range of riders’ needs.
Owners can configure their new motorcycle in the easy-to-use online configurator, or they can purchase accessories from any authorized Triumph dealer — All Triumph accessories are designed and developed hand-in-hand with the motorcycles to ensure perfect fit and function and are covered by the same two year unlimited mileage warranty.
UNBEATABLE VALUE
With class-leading performance, unrivalled quality, and low running costs, these exciting new modern classics represent incredible value.
Both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X will be competitively priced versus the key competitors in each market, ensuring an incredibly attractive buyer proposition both in terms of overall value, but also initial purchase price.
Both models will launch in India starting in July of 2023 and will be on sale in all other markets in the start of 2024, when prices for these markets will be announced.
Unbeatable value:
Leading performance and quality
Class-leading 10,000 miles service interval
Two-year unlimited mileage Warranty
Two-year unlimited mileage Roadside Assistance
On sale from Q1 2024
Competitive pricing relative to category to be announced upon availability
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine and transmission
Speed 400
Scrambler 400 X
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 4 valve, DOHC, single-cylinder
Capacity
398.15 cc
Bore
89.0 mm
Stroke
64.0 mm
Compression
12:1
Maximum Power
40 PS / 39.5 bhp (29.4 kW) @ 8,000 rpm
Maximum Torque
37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Fuel System
Bosch electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Exhaust
Stainless twin-skin header system with stainless steel silencer
Beaubier wins again, Corey races to career best as PJ consistently scores at The Ridge
Cameron Beaubier, Corey Alexander, and PJ Jacobsen – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s BMW Superbike trio – were back on track in the latest round of the MotoAmerica series at The Ridge Motorsports Park this past weekend with all three once again adding significantly to their overall points tally. Another win for Cameron, a career best fourth for Corey and a top six for PJ just some of the highlights of the round!
MotoAmerica returnee Beaubier was once again at the sharp end throughout the event at the 2.47-mile circuit. Qualifying third, the #6 rider was in contention for the win on Saturday after reducing the deficit to early leader Jake Gagne. Unfortunately, with three laps to go the multiple MotoAmerica champion slid out of contention. Remounting he was classified seventh. Sunday once again saw Beaubier going wheel to wheel with Gagne, his race winning overtake coming just after half race distance. Extending his advantage until the flag, Cameron took his third win of the season by over a second to consolidate second overall in the standings.
Corey Alexander dominated in Stock 1000 at The Ridge twelve months ago and he was in fine form once again this year. Achieving his best qualifying position ever in the Superbike class, fifth, Alexander ran consistently in the leading group in both races, underlining his speed at the Washington stage venue and showing that his adaption to the SBK category continues at an impressive rate. Fourth on Saturday, he finished fifth on Sunday to record the first double top five of his Superbike career.
The team’s third rider PJ Jacobsen qualified on row three. He too gained positions despite struggling a little with set up during the weekend. He finished sixth and seventh on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
With all three riders having now shown front running pace this season, Tytlers Cycle Racing heads to California in a fortnight for the first triple head weekend of the season at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit.
Cameron Beaubier: “We had good pace in Race 1 and slowly chipped away the lead to Jake but unfortunately, I lost the front in turn one with three laps to go. It was a bummer, but I was happy with the pace and the progress we are making. Yesterday was a good day. The guys made two changes to the bike, to the front end and with engine brake, that gave me a good feel from warm up on. It felt really good to get a win here on a track I thought we would struggle at coming in. Onto Laguna!”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “Since the first session of the weekend I’ve felt very comfortable on the bike and the times have come a bit easier. Our best qualifying of fifth put us in the mix for the races. I was a little too reserved the first half of the race one but really started to work my way forward and after running sixth lucked a top five with Cam’s (Beaubier’s) misfortune. I’m very happy with yesterday’s result in race two even though the position is one less than what we achieved on Saturday. We finished seven seconds back from Cam which is less than half the gap to the lead from yesterday. I’m excited to keep this momentum going forward to Laguna. Thanks to the team and my guys for giving me a great bike to work with.”
PJ Jacobsen: “I was a bit lucky to get away with sixth position on Saturday after a few people crashed, but I felt as the race went on we had a bit better pace and the guys in front were coming back to me. It was annoying that there was a red flag as I really thought we could have made up a few spots but that’s racing. We made some changes for Sunday as I haven’t had much front end confidence at all since the very first session. I ran off in race two at turn twelve and lost five or six seconds. That really set me back and cost us what could have been at least another top six. I am super disappointed to only get a P6 and P7, it’s not where I want to be or where we have shown we can be, but we will go again in two weeks. Laguna is one of my favourite tracks and I am hoping the front-end confidence returns there.”
More, form a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
SCOTT AND HOBBS EARN PODIUMS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN WASHINGTON
BREA, CA – Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a second and third podium result of the weekend to conclude a bountiful MotoAmerica round at Ridge Motorsports Park with Team Hammer’s 350th podium.
Race Highlights:
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
Supersport
Tyler Scott equaled his best result of the season with a strong runner-up.
Teagg Hobbs earns his second Supersport podium in hard-fought Race 2.
Superbike
Richie Escalante matched his career-best Superbike finish with a highly competitive fourth.
Taylor Knapp suffered a DNF after attempting to soldier on following a crash.
Tyler Scott (70) bounces back from Race 1 with a strong second-place finish in Race 2. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott made his intentions known from the start of Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport rematch. The 17-year-old locked down second position after starting from the center of Row 1 aboard his next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750. Scott then put his head down and stuck closely behind the race’s pacesetter long enough to pull free from the pack. Scott definitively put on a strong ride to second place. It was Scott’s second runner-up of the season and his third podium finish.
Scott said, “We made some changes overnight for this morning’s warm-up. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team did a great job dialing the bike this weekend. Yesterday, we had an issue during the race, which was unfortunate, but today our goal was to get a strong start and manage the gap to first and third. In the end, it was a really great race, and I’m happy with the result.”
Coming off the momentum of his first podium, Teagg Hobbs (79) follows up with another podium finish. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Teagg Hobbs followed up Saturday’s breakthrough performance to a first-career MotoAmerica Supersport podium by adding a second one on Sunday. While Scott shook free early, Hobbs found himself mired in a multi-rider battle for third. Hobbs eventually broke his competition and earned some breathing space en route to another third-place podium aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Suzuki GSX-R750s once again achieved more top-ten class positions than any other manufacturer on the grid.
“It was a battle right from the start,” Hobbs said. “I had a decent start and tried to be as aggressive as possible. Tyler got away from me. I finished ahead of him on Saturday, so I knew he was going to be on it today. I’ve got to give it up for the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. I’ve got an amazing motorcycle underneath me, and I’m as happy as can be just to be here racing this bike.”
Richie Escalante (54) is gaining speed every race and is closing the gap to the front runners. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante enjoyed one of the strongest performances of his Superbike career. Escalante spent the bulk of the contest pressuring the rider in fourth before finally forcing him into a small mistake. He then took control of the position himself. Escalante pushed to the maximum aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R with a maiden podium ride in his sights. While he came up just short, Escalante ultimately earned his third fourth-place result in his last five outings, finishing less than five seconds back of the win. The race is the closest Escalante has been to the winner at the checkered flag.
“What an amazing weekend,” Escalante said, “We made a change to the geometry of the bike this morning to find a little bit more grip. We got a strong start and had a good rhythm. I saw how close we were to a podium result, so I pushed hard and did my best. I’m super happy and really proud of my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew. We need to keep working, but overall, it was a particularly good weekend.”
Taylor Knapp (44) showed grit and determination even though it was a tough weekend for him. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, Taylor Knapp’s one-round ride aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike ended on a tough note. Knapp crashed while fighting for 12th position, and while he remounted in an attempt to continue racing, he was ultimately forced to retire.
“We improved the lap time and dropped a second and a half, but I had an unfortunate crash in Turn 1. I am bummed about that,” said Knapp. “I was hoping to do better for the team and give them a good result. The bike was incredible to ride and the team was great all weekend. Hopefully, the team will benefit from me riding the bike and my feedback. Thanks to Suzuki and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki for giving me the chance.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will now travel to Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for the next round of the 2023 MotoAmerica season on July 7-9.
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 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 350 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 Rodio Racing:
Landers victorious, shares podium with teammate Rodio Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at The Ridge Motorsports Park
Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering riders claim half of the podium places at June 23-25 event
SHELTON, Wash. — After enduring a trying weekend at the previous MotoAmerica Twins Cup round at Barber Motorsports Park, the Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering duo of Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio found more success at the June 23-25 Twins Cup round at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Landers was in dominant form from the start of the round, as he earned pole, a third place and a win. And Rodio was back in frontrunning form as he netted a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a podium finish on Sunday.
Thanks to their positive on-track performances in both Twin Cup races at The Ridge, Landers and Rodio and now just 11 and 13 points out of the championship lead, respectively.
Landers set the pace in Friday morning practice. His best lap time was a 1:48.063, which was more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also had a good start to the weekend, as he finished Friday practice fourth fastest. Landers and Rodio rounded out Friday’s on-track activity with more positive results, as Landers claimed provisional pole — while lowering his best lap time by about 1.5 seconds — and Rodio ended that session fifth-fastest.
The second and final qualifying session of the round took place Saturday morning and saw Landers clinch his third pole position of the season. Rodio also had a very good end to qualifying. He improved his best qualifying lap time by about 1.5 seconds and qualified third — which put both of the team’s riders on the front row for both Twins Cup races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 was the site of another dominating performance by Landers. After a short battle for the lead into Turn 1, Landers paced the field and — in the later laps — began building a several second gap to the battle for second place. Rodio finished Lap 1 running in fourth place and briefly fell to fifth in the running order on Lap 2. After a rider in front of him crashed on Lap 3 — and after nearly crashing himself — Rodio gradually reeled in the two riders battling for second place. Rodio wasn’t able to get close enough to the other riders to overtake them and finished the race in fourth place. As Landers began the final lap, he came up to the back of a lapped rider that was experiencing a mechanical problem and going slowly at the start of a yellow flag zone. Landers was unable to slow down enough to avoid overtaking the rider within the yellow flag zone and was assessed a penalty that dropped him from first to third in the race results.
Sunday’s Race 2 also started with Landers briefly being challenged for the lead before taking the holeshot. After clearing the first chicane, Landers steadily built a gap to the rest of the field while Rodio slipped to fifth in the running order for the first several laps. As Landers stretched out his advantage over the rest of his competition, Rodio upped his pace and had worked his way up to third place by the end of Lap 4 and second place by the end of Lap 9. Landers ended up taking the win by a margin of more than 11 seconds, while Rodio had to settle for third place after being passed on the last lap by another frontrunning rider.
The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering team is back in action in two weeks time when the MotoAmerica Twins Cup takes to the Laguna Seca circuit July 7-9.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Wild Weekend at Road America for the Altus Motorsports Team
(Shelton, WA) Stock 1000 and the Junior Cup were not on the schedule for the MotoAmerica round at The Ridge in Shelton, Washington, which meant that only half the team would be running. Jaret Nassaney in the Supersport class and Joseph LiMandri Jr. in the Twins Cup. Both riders arrived in the Pacific Northwest looking to revitalize their seasons.
Supersport:
As great as the 2022 MotoAmerica season was for Jaret Nassaney, the beginning of this year has not measured up to it. Crashes, setup issues, and mechanicals have been the theme. The trend continued in Washington with a crash at the very beginning of Friday’s practice. With no laps on Friday, Jaret and the team had a lot of work to do in Q2 on Saturday. Lack of seat time led to a less-than-ideal grid position; P13. Unfortunately, a front brake issue put him on the ground a second time at the beginning of Race 1. Then, in Race 2, Jaret had a rear brake issue that limited him to an 11th-place finish.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. and the team had to do battle with a few electrical gremlins at The Ridge. During Q2 on Saturday, the bike began shutting off intermittently. After the session, the team determined the battery was defective. Joseph started both races from 8th on the grid. He finished the first race in 7th. A crash early in Sunday’s warm-up may have led to a mechanical issue that caused the bike to shut off on Lap 1 of Race 2. After restarting the bike, LiMandri crossed start/finish dead last on Lap 2. Undeterred, he put his head down and ran his fastest laps of the weekend to finish in 8th place.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Joseph LiMandri Jr.: “This wasn’t the turnaround weekend we were hoping for, but we aren’t done yet and we will continue to keep fighting. Huge thanks to Fuzzy my crew chief and the rest of the team for working their butts off all weekend long to help get this bike dialed. I’m excited to get to Laguna and continue to push”
George Nassaney: “It has been an exceptionally difficult season but we are not quitters. The Ridge is in the books and we are looking for a fresh start on the fresh surface at Laguna Seca. As a team, we have decided we need a ‘Hard Reset!’ For the next round, we are bringing in extra staff, and doing everything we can to give our riders the support they need to deliver the results we know they are capable of.”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, 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
Jake Gagne (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Gagne Returns to the Podium at The Ridge
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne takes a runner-up finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Ridge Motorsports Park
MARIETTA, Ga. – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a successful weekend at the Ridge Motorsports Park and returned to the podium with a runner-up finish in today’s Race 2. The defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s 1-2 score at the fourth round of the championship has him leaving Shelton, Washington, with a 23-point lead. His teammate Cameron Petersen overcame adversity to finish sixth.
On the heels of his fifth-consecutive victory at The Ridge, Gagne got another great start to take the lead and threw down some fast times up front. He tried to break away, but his championship rival closed the gap. Gagne kept a strong pace but was passed after the halfway point and rode a smart race to finish second and score some valuable points in the title fight.
After a tough start to the weekend with some food poisoning and a crash in yesterday’s race, Petersen looked to rebound. He got a good start from the second row of the grid to battle in the top five and was holding down fourth with the competition on his heels, but ultimately was shuffled to sixth in the final laps.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team heads to Monterey, California, in two weeks for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the iconic Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 7-9.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We missed the setup for Race 2, but Jake still managed to finish second and collect some good championship points. Cameron was set back a little from the two crashes earlier this weekend and struggled to maintain the pace at the front. The team will learn from this race and further improve for Laguna Seca. We look forward to seeing our California fans.”
Jake Gagne got second in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“I got off to another great start for Race 2 and had some clean opening laps. About halfway, I got passed, and I couldn’t hold the pace to make a run for the win and had to bring it home in second. Overall it was a good weekend, and we got some good points. We’re looking forward to Laguna.”
Cameron Petersen (45). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend for me. I felt great on the motorcycle, but unfortunately a few too many mistakes cost me. Having said that, we can take a few positives away from this weekend. My pace was strong, and we can build off of that for Laguna.”
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).
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati Duo on the Podium at The Ridge
Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés spray the champagne with two exceptional races each in the Pacific Northwest
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Round four of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship saw America’s fastest road racers head to the beautiful Ridge venue in Washington state with both Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés scoring some champagne for their efforts.
Herrin’s weekend in the premier Superbike division saw him suffer a nasty spill immediately after securing pole position, the Georgian native injuring his ankle and being pretty bashed and bruised all over, but still fit enough to start race one.
Herrin battled on to a pair of third places, gritting his teeth through the pain in a heroic effort given the circumstances. He will visit his doctor tomorrow for further checks ahead of two weeks’ rest leading up to Laguna Seca’s fifth round of the championship.
The MotoAmerica Supersport Championship is fast becoming the Xavi Forés show as the sensational Spaniard took his seventh race win in a row at The Ridge, making his undefeated as the series nears its halfway point.
Forés was flying in the PNW, his margin of victory of 11.9 seconds in race one and five seconds in race two a sign of his domination.
Forés now leads the Supersport points standings by a massive 76 points, some three race wins clear of second-placed, Stefano Mesa.
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round Four
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 156
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 133
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 122
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 101
P5 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 91
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round Two
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 200
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 124
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 112
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 103
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 83
Xavi Fores (12). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #12)
“It’s been an amazing weekend. I did my first pole position of the championship and the bike worked perfectly. I love this track and today in race two it was a little tougher than yesterday’s race one. We made some fork changes that didn’t really work but it was ok to keep the gap to second place. Seven race wins in a row in so far in front of what I expected at the start of the year so now we move the focus to Laguna Seca to keep the momentum.”
Josh Herrin finished third in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2)
“For how bad Saturday was with the injures I got, I’m super excited to get two third place finishes,” Herrin said. “The V4 R was amazing this weekend. It’s the best it has felt all year, I just wasn’t able to ride it to its full potential. I’m bummed about that but happy with two podium finishes. Now I’m ready to heal up and come back to Laguna strong.”
Round Five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at Laguna Seca on the beautiful Californian coastline over the June 5-7 weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Ridge Weekend Ends Early
Mathew Scholtz (11) leading a group of riders early in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Shelton, WA – Hopes and expectations were high on Sunday morning for Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team after Mathew finished as runner-up in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race one at Ridge Motorsports Park. Unfortunately, however, Mathew suffered a tipover in Sunday’s race two, along with some technical issues with his Yamaha YZF-R1, and he was unable to finish.
“We made another step in the positive direction overnight and the morning warm up was also positive,” Mathew said. “We were pretty confident heading into the second race, but unfortunately, I realized early on that we had an electronic issue going into the chicane, and I ran off the track, which moved me further back. I kind of got stuck there further back, and it was difficult to overtake anyone. But, I put my head down and tried to make a charge towards the front. I got a little too eager with the bike, though, and I had a tipover, which bent the right handlebar, so I couldn’t continue. It was very disappointing because I thought we deserved to be at the front. It wasn’t the Sunday we were looking for, but I’m happy with the steps forward that we made in the setup, and it should help us a lot at (WeatherTech Raceway) Laguna Seca. We showed that, when the bike is right, we have phenomenal pace, and with the way things are now, I’m optimistic about Laguna.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action on July 7 through 9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, for round five of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
Cresting The Ridge: Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing rise to the challenge
Stefano Mesa (137) takes the checkered flag on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
Team Tytlers Cycle Racing and Stefano Mesa have just completed rounds three and four of the 2023 Super Hooligan National Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park. The experienced Colombian rider crossed the line in sixth place at the end of the seven-lap, second race of the weekend, aboard the Energica Eva Ribelle RS sporting the new, striking Petronas colours and equipped with the Kit Corsa Clienti. However, both the first and second placed Indian motorcycles and their riders were disqualified due to a technical breach, leaving Mesa in fourth position.
Mesa was able to maintain his position at the start as the Super Hooligan field entered the first chicane and maintained a solid pace throughout the encounter, while keeping seventh-place rider AJ Peaslee (riding an ICE-powered KTM machine) at bay right up to the chequered flag. He did so by using the rear brake to back into the corner – all without having the use of the clutch.
Race one saw Mesa crossing the line in seventh place after starting from the back of the grid – dramatically cutting “like a knife through butter” (as one of the race announcers exclaimed) as he rapidly made his way up to eighth position and then gained one more place just before the chequered flag. He was able to make his final move on Peaslee in part because the latter – by his own words – had a hard time hearing him coming through!
All in all, this was an exceptional performance for rider #137, considering the dramatic crash he had in the Supersport race only a couple of hours prior. Unfortunately, the hard-won result was voided due to a technical rule infringement (sensor).
The level of performance shown at the spectacular, Washington-state venue, provides a welcome boost of fresh confidence for the team, now looking forward to the upcoming event taking place in a fortnight’s time at Monterey’s own WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.
The team will use the time available to digest the experience gained at The Ridge, in order to continue optimising the technical package for what is, in many respects, a very different challenge for Energica. For this is a series where ICE and EV share not only the same track but also identical spec-tyres – all while diverging significantly when it comes to technology and specs.
Stefano Mesa (137) on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric racebike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Energica.
In Stefano Mesa’s own words “The electric gives me a smoother acceleration and much easier control and focus because I don’t have to shift in order to have the right horsepower or torque at the rear wheel; on the other hand, the bike makes so much torque that we have to find a way to tame it for a course like this, with so many turns and so many twists.”
Energica’s presence as the first and only electric motorcycle manufacturer in the full series keeps attracting an intense level of attention and curiosity from fans, motorcycle enthusiasts, fellow racers and other insiders. As one spectator said to his friends while walking past Tytlers Cycle Racing’s tent “this is the future”. The team is looking forward to meeting the fans at Laguna Seca, with a surprise in store.
Click on the following links to watch the full encounters (YouTube) Race one – Race two
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 RIDERS EARN VICTORY, PAIR OF PODIUM FINISHES IN MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACES AT THE RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
RODIO RACING – POWERED BY ROBEM ENGINEERING RIDERS LANDERS, RODIO, NOW SECOND, THIRD, IN POINTS STANDINGS
SHELTON, WA – It turned out to be a near-perfect weekend for Aprilia rider Rocco Landers at The Ridge Motorsports Park. The Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering rider and three-time MotoAmerica class champion was the fastest rider in practice, qualifying and both races at the northwest Washington State circuit. Though a post-race penalty reduced a victory to a podium finish on Saturday, Landers and his teammate — and fellow podium finisher at The Ridge — Gus Rodio are now just 11 and 13 points out of the lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup standings.
The Ridge’s undulating and technical 2.5-mile road course also proved to be a good match for the Aprilia RS 660. Aprilia riders claimed four of the top 10 grid spots in qualifying, half of the podium finishes and nearly half of the top 10 places in the weekend’s two Twins Cup races.
Landers and Rodio showed immediate pace in the first on-track session of the weekend. Landers led the field in Friday morning practice with a 1:48.063 lap time — which was 0.525 seconds faster than the next-fastest rider. Rodio finished the session in fourth place, and Luke Luciano of Zone 9 Racing/EDR Performance and Tyler Duffy of Duffy Racing gave Aprilia four riders in the session’s top 10. Later Friday, Landers ended the first of two qualifying sessions on provisional pole and improved his best lap time to 1:45.546. Rodio finished the session fifth-fastest, and Jacob Crossman of 3D Motorsports was the third Aprilia rider to end the session in the top 10.
Landers didn’t improve his blistering lap time from Qualifying 1 in Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, but still clinched pole position. Rodio found some additional pace in Qualifying 2 and joined his teammate on the front row by qualifying third. Also qualifying in the top 10 was Agustin Sierra of Top Pro Motorsports, who secured 10th on the starting grid for the round’s two Twins Cup races.
Saturday’s Race 1 saw Landers put in a dominant performance that was partially undone by a late-race infraction. Landers briefly lost and then re-took the lead during the short run to the first corner and didn’t relinquish the lead after that. He crossed the finish line in first place by a margin of 4.8 seconds. However, Landers passed a lapped rider in a yellow flag zone at the start of the final lap, and as a result was reclassified in third place. Rodio got a good start and finished the first lap running in fourth. After falling as low as fifth in the running order at the end of Lap 2 and nearly crashing on Lap 3, he gradually got closer to the battle for the last two steps on the podium but had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Landers and Rodio were joined in the top 10 by three other Aprilia riders – Top Pro Motorsports’ Alex Arango in eighth, Duffy in ninth and Righteous Racing’s Ray Hoffman in 10th.
The start of Race 2 was a near-mirror image of Race 1, with Landers getting an OK jump off the line but still leading the field through the holeshot. Rodio also dropped one position in the running order like he did on Saturday and was running in a lonely fifth place for the first couple laps. As Landers gradually built a big lead at the front of the field, Rodio gained pace as the race went on. By the end of Lap 4, Rodio had moved up to third place and finished Laps 9-11 of the 12-lap contest in second place. Landers took the victory in commanding fashion — crossing the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up — while Rodio lost one position in the closing stages of the last lap and finished third. Two other Aprilia riders – Crossman and Arango – finished in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
More than half of the riders registered for the Ridge round – 16 of 29 – were set to compete aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
The MotoAmerica Twins Cup has a one-weekend break before it’s back in action July 7-9 at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California. More information on that round and the series can be found on https://motoamerica.com/
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Rocco Landers / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“The end to Race 1 was disappointing, but my Aprilia RS 660 is working amazing. My favorite thing about the bike is how easy it has been to set up. We found a solid base setup at the Road Atlanta round, and we haven’t had to make any big changes since then. We actually didn’t change anything from Friday’s Qualifying 1 to today’s Race 2. I don’t see why we can’t get a couple 1-2 finishes at the next round at Laguna Seca and keep this momentum rolling.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Gus Rodio / Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering
“It was a good weekend on my Rodio Racing — Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. It was a little bit of a learning curve for me, as I hadn’t raced here on a Twins Cup bike before. I think we did a pretty good job at figuring the bike setup out, and I’m happy to leave here with a podium finish after not scoring any points at the last round. I’m looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca and making more improvements there.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Cameron Beaubier came from behind to win MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne got the holeshot and led the first nine laps on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha, but Beaubier passed his former teammate on lap 10 of 16 and held on to take his third win of the season on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 R.
Gagne pushed Beaubier to the end but came up 2.045 seconds short and finished second, but he still left Washington with the Championship point lead.
Josh Herrin, battered and bruised from a high-speed crash in qualifying on Saturday, dug deep to pull off a close third-place finish — just 1.2 seconds behind and closing on Gagne — on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Richie Escalante crossed the finish line fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, just 4.750 seconds behind Beaubier.
Beaubier’s teammate Corey Alexander rounded out the top five finishers only 2.9 seconds behind Escalante.
Beaubier And BMW Stop Yamaha’s Win Streak At Ridge Motorsports Park
Cameron Beaubier Tops Jake Gagne To Win At The Washington Racetrack
Jake Gagne (1) leads the field through the Turn One chicane at the start of Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – The talk coming into the Ridge Motorsports Park round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class was that the track is tailor made for Yamaha, as evidenced by six straight wins for the YZF-R1. In Saturday’s race one, Jake Gagne ran that streak to seven straight wins for Yamaha, but it ended on Sunday with a BMW M 1000 RR crossing the finish line first.
Ironically, that BMW was ridden to victory by the man who started Yamaha’s win streak at Ridge in 2020 – Cameron Beaubier.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Beaubier hinted at the possibility of a BMW win in Washington when he ran down Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 on Saturday, only to crash out of the race on the 14th of 16 laps while on the R1’s rear wheel. On Sunday, Beaubier replicated the feat only this time he didn’t falter. He caught the fast-starting Gagne, took over at the front on the 10th lap and beat the championship points leader to the flag by a tick over two seconds.
For Beaubier it was his third win of the year and the 57th AMA Superbike win of his career.
Cameron Beaubier (6) topped Jake Gagne (1) in Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
When he was passed by Beaubier, Gagne knew he didn’t have the pace to match his former teammate and he opted to make certain of second place in the closing laps. At the finish Gagne was 2.045 behind Beaubier and 1.2 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Josh Herrin on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Herrin was fighting the injuries suffered in a qualifying crash on Saturday morning, didn’t get much sleep on Saturday night, and limped his way through his Sunday and onto the podium for a second straight day.
With Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante getting the better of the rest to finish fourth, it translated to the top four featuring four different manufacturers – BMW, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander had his second straight day of Superbike success with a fifth-place finish on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was some three seconds behind Escalante and 3.4 seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen.
PJ Jacobsen was seventh on the third of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMWs with Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim eighth. Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders and CW Moto Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10.
Among the non-finishers were Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Taylor Knapp with both riders crashing out in separate incidents.
After four rounds and eight races, Gagne leads Beaubier in the Medallia Superbike Championship by 23 points, 156-133. Herrin is third with 122 points, 21 more than Scholtz. Jacobsen rounds out the top five with 91 points.
The series heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, July 7-9, for round five.
Superbike Race Two
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Quotes…
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“Yesterday the race was a really good confidence boost for us because, let’s be honest, Jake (Gagne) was setting the pace all weekend and also (Josh) Herrin was really fast on Saturday morning. So, I felt like going into the race we could do a couple of those laps, but I didn’t think we could sustain them. The guys have not stopped working on the thing and we came up with a good race bike yesterday and they made it even better overnight for today. I was feeling really good. Herrin and I were going back and forth there at the beginning. I feel like we were honestly both kind of making a couple mistakes. I was running wide here and there and so was he. Once the race kind of settled down, I put my head down and I was really surprised how good my bike felt. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I was able to run Jake down, but he was really strong getting off the last corner onto the front straight. I was struggling. I was spinning out of there pretty good. But I knew I had some spots that I was better than him in. Same for him, he had some spots that he was better than me in. I was able to get the lead and just kind of kept my head down but kept a little in reserve just so I didn’t throw it away like I did yesterday. I was honestly really surprised to see a little gap on my board. Feels great for the team. It’s a bummer yesterday, falling down like that, but it feels really good to cap a weekend off like we did. Plain and simple, the Superbike class is just pretty gnarly this year. To have three different manufacturers on the box and all the incredible riders up in the top 10, it’s tough but it’s pretty fun.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“I wasn’t surprised, for sure. I watched the race last night. I got off to a clean start and kind of made that gap from him, but once Cam (Beaubier) made his way through yesterday, he just reeled me in. Same thing today. At one point, I had a second gap on my pit board, and then by the top of the chicane I could hear him right behind me. That’s probably the lap he did a 39.6. At that point, I was struggling a little bit. I thought we kind of made the bike a little bit better today, but I was struggling a little more to even run the 40s that we ran yesterday. I knew Cam was going to make his way by at some point, and then once he made his way by, I tried to latch on a little bit but there was nothing I could do. At that point, I knew Josh (Herrin) was back there and I knew he was going to be strong until the end, so I just tried to do what I could to bring it home in second. Either way, I think we learned a lot. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to race with these guys really for this full race distance and kind of see what the bikes are doing differently. All three of these bikes really have different strengths and different weaknesses. So, we got some good data. Know what we need to improve. I think we’re still in the points lead, so that’s always a good day.”
Josh Herrin – Third Place
“Both third places I wasn’t expecting, so I guess it’s the hard weekends that count. I tried my hardest to take advantage of it and, luckily, we were able to come out with two thirds. I’m bummed because I wanted to be there. I feel like this weekend nobody thought that me or Cam (Beaubier) were going to be here at this track, I don’t think. I think they thought it was going to be a Yamaha show all weekend. He’s (Beaubier) riding super strong, and I felt super strong up until race one. I think we’re going to be there all year. No matter what track we go to, I think we’ll be competitive. I just got to keep trying to find more out of this thing. I’m still riding a little bit… Up until Saturday, I was riding timid on this thing, like nervous to really throw it in there. I’m finally getting the confidence. Obviously, found the limit now on the front. I’m really happy with this. I’ve been lucky enough to win three championships and know that consistency is key. The only problem is that I’m dealing with two guys that have more championships than I do. So, they know the name of the game also. It’s going to be a hard year, but I’m glad that we’re still all pretty tight in the championship and it seems like it’s going to be a really good battle the whole year, which is the way that everybody wants to win a title. Nobody wants to win a title by running away. It’s always fun to just look back at years like this. I just hope that we can have a really good weekend at Laguna and rest up and heal as much as I can. I’m stoked. Hats off to these guys and thanks to my team.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Xavi Fores took a convincing victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, Fores pulled away from the start and won the 15-lap race by 5.008 seconds. It was the Spaniard’s seventh win in a row, tying him with Garrett Gerloff for the longest MotoAmerica Supersport winning streak.
Tyler Scott bounced back from an electronically troubled Race One to score a solid second-place finish on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs followed up his career-first Supersport podium finish in Race One by taking third place in Race Two.
Landers Rebounds, Forés Still Undefeated At Ridge Motorsports Park
Rocco Landers Bounces Back From Penalty, Xavi Forés Takes Seventh Straight Supersport Victory
SHELTON, WA (June 25, 2023) – On Saturday, Rocco Landers won the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park but was docked two places for passing under a waving yellow flag. Nothing could stop Landers on Sunday, however, as the Robem Engineering-backed 18-year-old dominated race two with an 11-second win – his fourth victory of the season.
In other support class action from Ridge Motorsports Park, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés kept his undefeated season alive. Ditto for Mikayla Moore in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race where she took her fourth consecutive victory.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – The Revenge Of Landers
Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers was still fuming about his penalty from Saturday when Sunday’s REV’IT! Twins Cup left the start line for its 12-lap race two and he promptly took out his aggression on the rest of the field.
(From left) Blake Davis, Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio celebrate their top-three finishes in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Landers led from the start on his Aprilia RS 660 and was never headed in topping defending class champion Blake Davis and his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto-backed Yamaha YZF-R7 by a tick over 11 seconds. Davis, in turn, had his hands full with Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Gus Rodio leading the Virginian on the final lap only to have the 16-year-old pass him on the final lap.
Rodio held onto third, ending a three-race podium drought after finishing fourth on Saturday. Sunday’s result was his fifth podium of the season.
Davis still leads the title chase though Landers has closed to within 11 points, 127-116. Rodio is still very much in the mix and just two points behind Landers.
“The bike was working amazing,” Landers said. “Robem Engineering/Rodio Racing worked really hard to make the thing work as good as possible. I don’t even think we made a change since qualifying one. The thing has just been on rails all weekend. I felt good. The thing felt like it was just doing whatever I wanted. The wind was a bit gnarly. Felt like it was kind of screwing with the front end, especially long corners. But on the track, we’ve been undefeated this season on paper though some would say different. But I see no reason why we can’t continue this momentum into Laguna.”
Supersport – Xavi Times Seven
Seven MotoAmerica Supersport races have been held thus far in 2023 and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Forés has won all of them. That’s seven for seven. That’s a perfect 200 points. Spanish for perfect is perfecto. An easy one to remember. And about as easy as Forés had it on Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Xavi Forés (12) led the Supersport race at Ridge Motorsports Park from start to finish for his seventh consecutive victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Although changes to the fork of his Ducati Panigale V2 didn’t pan out the way he wanted them to, it didn’t do much to hamper his performance as he sped away to a five-second victory over Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, who in turn was some three seconds ahead of his teammate Teagg Hobbs.
With seven races in the books, Forés’s 200 points puts him 76 points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa with the Floridian finishing fifth on Sunday in Washington. Scott is third in the standings – 12 points behind Mesa and nine clear of Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, who crashed out of today’s race.
“I felt worse the front (fork) today,” Forés said. “I felt a little bit already this morning on the warmup, but I thought it was the track temperature. We keep the bike with stiffer springs on the front, but definitely was worse. I had a couple of moments on the front, especially in turn 13. I lost the front a couple of times. I wanted to try to stay all the race in 43s, but it was impossible to have the same feeling on the front, so I had to roll off a little bit and stay in the 44 mid, 44 low. I was expecting Tyler (Scott) coming strong today, because already this morning on the warmup I felt good. I saw good lines from him when he was in front of me. I was trying to put the gap as yesterday and I felt worse, so I couldn’t stay quite focused. I did a lot of mistakes on the laps, the speed, the pace. But anyway, another victory is good for me and good for the team and also for the championship points. We move now to Laguna. The track I know from the past. A track that I love. I always did good on the World Championship, so I hope to keep this momentum.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Even More Of Moore
Race two of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program kicked off the final day of MotoAmerica Superbikes at Ridge Motorsports Park, and it’s quite obvious that we’re starting to see a pattern here. Among the 12 ladies selected to compete in the spec series, Mikayla Moore has firmly established herself as the alpha-rider. She was recommended to the program by last year’s champion Kayleigh Buyck because Buyck felt Moore would be great competition for her. Is she ever. In Saturday’s race one, Moore beat Buyck by more than 16 seconds, and then, on Sunday, Moore won by more than 18 seconds over Buyck. That’s four consecutive wins for Moore, and she already seems unbeatable even though we’re only at the halfway point of the season.
Mikayla Moore (78) kept her perfect 2023 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. record intact with a fourth straight victory on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Sunday race-two podium was a carbon copy of Saturday’s race-one podium with Moore first, Buyck second, and Sonya Lloyd rounding out the podium.
“When I’m out there, I have a lap timer on my bike so it’s really easy for me to keep myself going,” Moore said. “As long as I hit my marks, and I always try to find time wherever I can. Every lap, I was finding time and finding better pace. In yesterday’s race, I caught a false neutral, so I wasn’t trying to have that happen again today. I just made sure I was really smooth with the bike and wasn’t aggressive at all with it.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – All Change
Following Sunday’s race two of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, the Indian FTR1200 motorcycles ridden by race winner Jeremy McWilliams and second-place finisher Tyler O’Hara were protested by another team. Upon inspection, the ends of the handlebars were found to be below the top plane of the triple clamp, which is a violation of the class’s technical rules.
Tyler O’Hara (1) leads Andy DiBrino (62) and Jeremy McWilliams (99) in the Mission Super Hooligan race on Sunday. McWilliams won on track, but both he and O’Hara were DQ’d for a technical infraction which resulted in DiBrino taking the victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
As a result, McWilliams and O’Hara were disqualified, and third-place finisher Andy DiBrino, who was aboard a DiBrino Racing KTM, was declared the race winner. Second place went to Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson rider Cory West, and Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong completed the revised podium.
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
Rocco Landers rebounded from disappointment on Saturday to take a victory in MotoAmerica REV’IT Twins Cup Race Two Sunday at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington.
In Race One, Landers crossed the finish line first but was demoted two finishing positions to third for passing a backmarker under a waving yellow flag.
In Race Two, however, Landers had clean running and won the 12-lap race by 11.024 seconds on his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha’s Blake Davis used a last-lap pass to take the runner-up spot from Rodio Racing Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Gus Rodio, who placed third.
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Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 14, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
