The following is an Instagram post from Toni Elias:
I had a dream.
And without knowing it, and running after it, I achieved much more than I ever imagined.
As I write this, I don’t even know where to start.
Giant waves of images, vivid memories, emotions and sensations that are difficult to define. Intensity, yes, a lot of intensity.
How nice to be able to live this moment in which, no matter how hard you try, words don’t come out, feelings invade you that you didn’t even know you were hiding.
It’s nice to be able to thank everyone and everyone who, together with me, is causing endless overtaking and sensations that are impossible to define right now.
Describing them is not easy. Not is it for me, writing the words that an athlete never wants to write.
But the time has come.
As a child, I wanted to be a professional rider and I became a world champion, competing with the best riders, with the best teams, and achieving victories in each category along with unforgettable victories in front of our home fans, our great fans.
Thanks to everyone who has made me a better version of myself, to everyone who has made my dream come true and to everyone who has always been there in difficult times. Without them, my dream would not have existed and I would not be the person that I am.
To all of you who are, have been, teams, sponsors, Promotors, doctors, friends, media, fans…
To all of you who have never doubted me and despite the difficulties have been by my side.
To my family, my parents, my sister who have sacrificed everything for me, enjoyed and suffered so much…we made it…how beautiful!!
To my wife for accompanying me on this last stretch and giving me the best gift of our wonderful children.
It has been a dream come true.
A dream that is reality.
Andy DiBrino Set for MotoAmerica Supersport Debut on MV Agusta F3 RR
Andy DiBrino will be racing this weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park on his Competition Werkes-backed MV Agusta F3RR built by EDR Performance. This past weekend DiBrino put the bike on the track for the first time and had a great showing at the OMRRA/ WMRRA club races at “The Ridge,” scoring a fourth-, third-, and second-place finish against other MotoAmerica talent getting ready for the upcoming round.
Here is what DiBrino had to say about his first weekend testing the bike: “I fell in love with the MV this weekend! It has been a massive undertaking to get this bike going, and all the time and energy put into it really felt worthwhile the moment I took Turn One for the first time on the bike. Thanks to EDR Performance, we made great strides setting up the required electronics. We still have a ways to go, but for the little amount of track time we got, I feel that we are in a good spot and that we will be competitive against the other Next-Gen Supersport bikes. I anticipate we will continue to develop the bike throughout the race weekend and that MotoAmerica will be pulling our data to see if any further balancing is required. Thank you MV Agusta USA and Competition Werkes for believing in me, as well as EDR Performance for the know-how to build such an incredible race bike, and to Bellissimoto for providing me with some specialty parts needed to complete it.”
Andy would like to thank all of his other sponsors who played a role in the build: ASV Inventions, Superlite Sprockets, Orient Express Racing, K-Tech Suspension, OC Motorcycles, JLC Concrete, CrossBeam Builders, Ever True Tattoo, Precision Iron Works, Woodcraft Technologies, Oregon Motorcycle Attorney, Motul USA, MotoSport Hillsboro, MotoMaster Brakes, The Ridge Motorsports Park, See See Motor Coffee Co, ODI Grips, KP12 Graphix, Samco Sport, and Drew Paints.
Marquez returns for Assen as Lecuona substitutes Mir
The Repsol Honda Team arrive in the Netherlands for the last round before the summer break, Marc Marquez back after missing the Grand Prix in Germany with Iker Lecuona alongside him as Joan Mir continues his recovery.
After a bruising weekend in Germany, Marc Marquez will return to the Repsol Honda Team RC213V to compete at round eight. The Dutch round is known for intense battles around 4.54-kilometer-long circuit, the fast and flowing nature of the track often keeping multiple riders battling together. Marquez has twice won the race in Assen in the premier class and has only once finished off the podium – in 2021. He and the team arrive with realistic expectations and know that it will be another weekend focusing on improvements and the future.
The other side of the Repsol Honda Team box will see Iker Lecuona make his second appearance of the year. Joan Mir will continue to recover at home with the aim of returning to action at the British GP fully fit after a challenging start to the year. Lecuona made his Repsol Honda Team debut at the Spanish round earlier in the year, putting together a consistent weekend and finishing both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix. In 2022, the 23-year-old claimed his debut WorldSBK podium at the Dutch circuit.
Marc Marquez
“I arrive in Assen looking to put the hard weekend in Germany behind me. We have one more race before the summer break and the objective is to gather a lot of good data for the engineers so they can work over these next weeks. This is the focus for the weekend, we need to remain calm and approach the weekend with a clear plan.”
Iker Lecuona (27). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Iker Lecuona
“First of all I want to wish Joan all the best in his recovery. I am excited to join the team again, it’s a true honour. Assen is a circuit I like, I got my first WorldSBK podium there so hopefully we can have another good weekend like in Jerez. I am still recovering a bit after the crash in Misano, so this will be a good physical test too. Let’s ride!”
TAYLOR KNAPP TO RACE FOR TEAM HAMMER AND SUZUKI AT RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
Team Hammer is pleased to announce that Taylor Knapp will compete for the team aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 23-25.
Knapp will serve as a single-round guest rider aboard the factory Superbike that was unexpectedly in need of a capable pilot following the surprise retirement of former class champion Toni Elias following the Road America round.
Knapp is well suited to the role. He is one of the most experienced and versatile riders in the paddock, boasting a racing resume that spans disciplines, classes, nations, and manufacturers.
The 35-year-old Lapeer, Michigan native began racing flat track and motocross at the age of five and established himself as one of the nation’s leading amateur riders. He transitioned to pavement at 13 and turned pro at 16.
Over the past two decades, Knapp has enjoyed a decorated and varied road racing career, running up front as both a privateer and factory Superbike pilot. In addition to his premier class duties, Knapp has raced in Daytona SportBike, Stock 1000, and the King Of The Baggers over the years, while also competing overseas in the British Superbike series.
Additionally, he’s racked up numerous other racing accomplishments and accolades, including victorious performances at the Barber Pro Cup Challenge and WERA F1 National Championship.
Since 2017, Knapp has served as a Motorcycle Test Engineer for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. He has continued to compete since accepting the position, and currently ranks sixth in the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship standings with a podium result at Road Atlanta.
“I am super excited to get on the Suzuki GSX-R1000R again. I’ve raced Suzukis in the past and always liked them and have had good success with them,” said Knapp. “It’s an honor to race for Team Hammer and Suzuki, so I am pumped. As Dunlop’s test rider, we have a couple of Suzuki 1000s that serve as our workhorses, so I ride them often. The weekend should be fun!”
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 347 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.
ABOUT SUZUKI
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.
Brandon Paasch Finishes 4th in the 100th Loudon Classic
Loudon, NH. – Competing in his first professional road race since sustaining a compression fracture of his L3 vertebrae in a training accident on March 30, 2023, Brandon Paasch placed fourth in a crash-riddled 100th Loudon Classic presented by NEMMR. The race was restarted multiple times in wet conditions then eventually called complete after the ninth restart. Paasch was awarded the position he was running in on lap 19 of the race.
Riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 on Pirelli tires prepared by Rodio Racing, Brandon placed 21st fastest in the Friday morning practice on a dry track about four seconds behind the fastest time. In the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon he was able to advance to 11th place with a time of 1:11.736, 1.062 seconds off the top qualifier. After overnight rain, in final qualifying on Saturday Paasch recorded the ninth-fastest time on a wet track, placing him 11th on the grid for the race among the final 32 qualifiers.
Saturday afternoon’s race started in wet conditions with occasional light rain with the race interrupted multiple times by red flags due to crashes. On each restart Brandon was able to advance through the field, even leading the race by a comfortable margin at one point. Although the race was scheduled to finish only on a checkered flag it was finally called before the 10th restart was made.
Brandon Paasch: “Well… I won’t be able to sit down for the next month! P4 in the end, not bad for our first outing since breaking my back three months ago. Loads of people to thank for this last minute effort. Cheers for all the support!!!”
Brandon took home $17,000 of the $250,000 purse for his efforts.
Rodio Racing thanks Pirelli for the fantastic tires, Skip Dowling and Rob Silva at K-Tech USA for suspension support, Anthony Corbo of Bauce Racing for the tune, and Phillip Bailey and Ryne Snooks for their massive help putting this effort together.
ASRA racing at Summit Point Motorsports Park was once again a great event for the 8th Round of 2023. The weather was great. In the Heavyweight Superbike race, Will Gawler, riding his Suzuki GSXR-1000, managed to stay ahead of Brian Grasso and his Yamaha YZF-R1. Chyler Weatherford was a close third.
The racing went very smoothly thanks to the talented racers that kept it up and the MARRC crew for keeping the safe and speedy decisions flowing. With 30 races over two days at Summit Point Raceway, everyone managed to get it all done by 3:30 PM on Sunday!
Two duels decide the two races in Scotland as Brinton takes a first victory in the Cup
Monday, 19 June 2023
In classic R&G British Talent Cup style, Race 1 at Knockhill was decided at the final corner and on the final lap as Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) and Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) duelled it out for supremacy in Scotland. Brinton trailed Cup leader Belford throughout the 12-lap restarted race but was able to time his move to perfection to claim a first ever win in the Cup, right back in the mix at the front as he returned to the fold. And at a venue he’s never raced before!
As the race got underway, it was Belford who took the lead with the top four quickly breaking away from the chasing pack, although four soon became three when Rhys Stephenson (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) highsided at the final corner on Lap 3. It allowed Belford, Brinton and Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing / Maddison Media) to scrap it out. On Lap 8, the red flags were shown after a crash for Daniel Goodman (VisionTrack Racing Team).
The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance, but the story was the same when the lights went out again. Belford, Brinton and Mounsey broke away in the opening laps, but the fight for victory turned into Belford against Brinton with Mounsey just behind. Brinton was pushing hard and had a huge moment into Turn 2 on Lap 10 which cost him time, before Belford had his own moments on Lap 12. Brinton used this to close the gap, and he made the race-winning overtake at the final corner on the last lap when he went up the inside of Belford. The pair were separated by just 0.029s at the line with Mounsey securing third place, almost 1.8 seconds down on Brinton.
There was another twist in the title fight too as Harrison Dessoy (Microlise Cresswell Racing / Eastern Garage Racing), who had been in the top three in the standings ahead of the visit to Knockhill, crashed on the opening lap of the restarted race.
There was a fierce fight for fourth as Ryan Frost (Talentum Motorsport By Azure Notions) fended off Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) by just a tenth after 12 laps, while Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing) was just another tenth back in seventh place in a hotly contested battle for the top positions. The trio finished around seven seconds down on eventual winner Brinton, but they had a big gap to the riders behind who completed the top ten.
Eighth place went to Scott McPhee (SMP Racing) while Ronnie Harris (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) finished three seconds down on McPhee in ninth. Two riders squabbled over tenth place with Lucas Brown (Amphibian Scaffolding / SP125 Racing) and Alfie Davidson (Banks Racing) battling it out. Brown finished just ahead of Davidson with only 0.016s separating the pair across the line.
After a duel in Race 1, Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) and Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) once again went toe-to-toe in the second R&G British Talent Cup showdown of the day, and on take two it was Belford who hit back for another 25-point haul as the race was red flagged with a few laps to go. Despite losing the chance for a late attack, Brinton takes another impressive podium in second, with Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing / Maddison Media) taking third and his own second visit to the rostrum on Sunday after pipping Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing).
As the lights went out it was Belford who grabbed the holeshot from Brinton, with Mounsey close in third and McCabe in fourth as the quartet started to break away early. They remained line astern for the first half of the race, but by half distance Belford and Brinton had got the hammer down.
As the duo pulled away, it became a tale of two duels to decide the podium finishers. At the front, Brinton stayed tucked in behind Belford as the laps ticked down, but the fight was hotting up between Mounsey and McCabe as they began trading places.
With only a handful of laps still to go, however, the battle was cut short as the red flags came out – meaning there would be no chance of a late attack for Brinton. Belford took the win after leading the way since the lights went out, with Brinton forced to settle for second.
In the duel for the podium behind it wasn’t as clear cut, but Mounsey took it and another rostrum finish, having been ahead of McCabe in their showdown when the race was stopped.
After another close battle, in Race 2 it was Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) who was two tenths ahead of Ryan Frost (Talentum Motorsport By Azure Notions) when the result was declared, with Ollie Walker (VisionTrack Racing Team) taking seventh after just fading off the back of that duel.
Filip Surowiak (FS75 Racing / FAB Racing) was eighth, with Scott McPhee (SMP Racing) and Alexander Rowan (Mortimer Racing Victoria House Academy) completing the top ten.
After another shuffle in Scotland, Belford now has some margin at the top of the standings – but it’s Brinton back on the chase in second. Mounsey is now third after a solid weekend, and McCabe fourth as the two both leapfrog Harrison Dessoy. The number 55 will want to bounce back at Snetterton after following up a crash in Race 1 with another in Race 2, leaving Scotland with nil points. Still, there’s plenty of the season still to go! Who will reign at Round 4? We’ll find out from the 7th to the 9th of July!
American Racing Team narrowly misses out on the points in Germany as Sean Dylan Kelly takes 17th whilst replacement rider Carlos Tatay finishes in 19th.
At a track he enjoyed last year, Sean’s weekend started positively as the American finished first practice 13th on the timings. With the weather taking a turn for the worst in the afternoon, no one was able to improve, and he ended the day in 13th despite a late crash after he touched a wet patch whilst entering the pits.
Focusing on race simulation for FP3, Sean braved the return of the wet weather, ending the morning in 12th. Due to the conditions, there were no further timing improvements and Sean secured his first direct Q2 spot.
With the sun shining and the track heating up for Q2, Sean set his best time of 1:25.519 to take 18th place for Sunday’s GermanGP.
Race day offered the best weather of the weekend as track temperatures reached 43°C. Sean’s race got off to a hectic start with a multi-rider crash ahead of him, luckily he was able to avoid any contact and make his way into 16th before quickly passing Marcos Ramirez for 15th.
Sean was able to hold onto the final points-scoring positions until lap seven when he was caught by Ai Ogura.
With the hot temperatures and lack of dry running time, Sean struggled to maintain the pace, dropping back into 17th where he ended the race.
Making his Moto2 World Championship debut, Carlos’ had a mixed first session. After rocketing into the top 10, the Spaniard took a tumble at Turn 11 and ended his session with 15 minutes remaining. The tricky conditions of FP2 made the team take a more conservative approach to Carlos’ session, opting to put in 15 laps to finish Friday in 27th.
Prioritising long runs for the final practice session, Carlos ended the wet running in 15th spot. Thankfully, the weather dramatically improved for Q1 and the Spaniard was able to get some dry track time for his first World Championship Qualifying session – ending the afternoon 12th to line up 26th on the grid.
It was a difficult start to his maiden World Championship race for Carlos. Despite avoiding a crash on lap one, the Spaniard lost ground and dropped back into 25th early on.
Fighting his way back through, he made his way into 19th spot, only half a second behind Zonta Van Den Goorbergh as he took the chequered flag, setting some of his best lap times right at the end of the race.
Sean Dylan Kelly (4) put a lot of riders behind him but came up just short of scoring points at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Sean Dylan Kelly #4
I think it was a strong weekend. My first time directly into Q2, I think is a huge positive for me that I need to take and it’s something I’ve been working hard for so I’m really happy about that. We were competitive in the rain, fighting for that top 10 and finishing 12th in FP3 but today they were the hottest conditions that we’ve had all year so far – I felt strong in the race and I’m honestly happy with my performance and consistency. The grip was really difficult to manage but I was happy with how I was doing.
Unfortunately, I just missed out on the points in 17th – I think it was my closest gap to first and I had the group just ahead of me – I gave it my all but it just wasn’t enough for points today. I’m definitely disappointed about that but I’m looking at the positives and looking forward to next week.
Fill-in rider Carlos Tatay (99) finished 19th. Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Carlos Tatay #99
It was a great weekend. My first FP1 was going really well but I crashed with just 10 laps in the session because of a cold tyre. I was feeling really good in the wet too but at the end, I did about 10 laps and then it was directly to Q1. It was quite difficult, but I had a good race with a good pace. In the beginning, I was finding my pace, and everything was quite new for me so I was coming little by little but in the end, I could do good lap times with good rhythm for the first time.
I’m not completely happy but I can say it was a good weekend for me as I keep learning and achieving little by little. Now, let’s go to Assen!
TOP-FIVE FINISHES FOR RED BULL KTM’S MAX WHALE AND KODY KOPP IN DUQUOIN MILE
Round 9 – American Flat Track Championship
DUQUOIN, Ill. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Max Whale and Kody Kopp raced hard at Round 9 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with Whale finishing in fourth and Kopp fifth position following a thrilling AFT Singles Main Event at the DuQuoin Mile.
After qualifying ninth, Whale made strong progress throughout the event with his KTM 450 SX-F, as he secured second position in the second heat race of the night. This earned the Australian entry into Dash-for-Cash, which resulted in P4. More advancements were made as the Main Event arrived, with Whale situated in a five-rider dual for the top spot, eventually crossing the line in P4 by a slender 0.081s margin.
Max Whale: “We improved every time we hit the track here at the DuQuoin Mile and got everything working really well. We started strong, made it into the Dash again, which was good, and then just worked hard – got into a groove in the Main Event, tried to get to the front as quick as I could. I ended up in a battle with five guys, which was awesome, a lot of fun, and I crossed the stripe in fourth. We’ve worked hard as a team and are stoked to head into Lima!”
Defending AFT Singles Champion Kopp began the round with P2 in qualifying, before racing to third place in his heat race. A hotly-contested Main Event saw Kopp battle hard as the top six were separated by less than a half a second, with the number one plate-holder ultimately crossing the line in fifth place – only 0.106s from victory – to keep himself right in title contention.
Kody Kopp (1) finished fourth in the AFT Singles race at the DuQuoin Mile. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Kody Kopp: “Ended up P5 today, which is the best result we’ve had in a while, although there are a bunch of rounds coming up that I’m looking forward to. I wanted to get through these miles, because the results have been frustrating, and the consecutive off the box finishes have hurt the points chase. We’ll keep our heads up though, go into the next round which we won last year, and hope to do the same thing this time around.”
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 24, 2023
Round 9 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Tom Drane, Yamaha
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Trent Lowe, Honda
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
5. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
8. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
13. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Declan Bender, KTM
16. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
18. Landen Smith, KTM
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING WINS BIG AT DUQUOIN MILE WITH THRILLING PERFORMANCE BY JARED MEES
Reigning SuperTwins Champion Continues Gaining Momentum as he Hunts for Ninth-Career Grand National Championship
MINNEAPOLIS – In a thrilling Father’s Day weekend at the DuQuoin Mile in DuQuoin, Illinois, Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their third-consecutive win of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season. The win marks Mees’ fifth of the season and 26th-career Mile victory.
In the night’s Main event, it was Mees and rival, Dallas Daniels, along with Briar Bauman and Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson, who gave fans a thrilling four-man showdown. While the pack endured a bar-to-bar battle throughout the race, frequently exchanging passes, it was Mees who crossed the checkered flag first, just .033 seconds ahead of Robinson.
“Jared and team have done an incredible job setting up the FTR750 for Mile races this season, as displayed through the team’s three consecutive Mile victories,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “Now halfway through the season, just nine points back from the top of the leaderboard, Mees is primed to carry this momentum and make a strong push at securing a record-tying ninth-career championship.”
Marking his 26th-career Mile victory, the win broke a three-way tie between Mees and former racing icons Bubba Shobert and Bryan Smith, giving Mees the third most Mile wins of all time.
Now with 189 points, Mees continues to chip away and close the gap behind SuperTwins points leader Daniels, who has three wins and 198 points on the year. The 2023 American Flat Track season continues June 24 for the Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde won Bennetts British Superbike Race Two Sunday at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland. Ryde won the 30-lap race by 0.903 second over BeerMonster Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell with McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran finishing third.
In Race Three Sunday it was Glenn Irwin defeating his teammate Bridewell by 0.879 second and Ryde’s teammate Ryan Vickers finishing third on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
Tommy Bridewell (46) leads teammate Glenn Irwin (2) and the rest at Knockhill Circuit. Photo courtesy MSVR.
American Julian Correa finished fifth in both British Talent Cup races Sunday, while countryman Eli Banish was 19th and 11th in the two races.
American Julian Correa (40). Photo by Cami Photography, courtesy Michael Correa.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Make mine a double! Irwin and BeerMonster Ducati bounce back to win race three
Glenn Irwin bounced back from a race two crash to celebrate victory in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Knockhill, holding off his teammate Tommy Bridewell to celebrate a double win in Scotland, sharing today’s victories with Kyle Ryde.
Irwin had won the opening race of the weekend, but he shared the Scottish success with Ryde. The intense action across the three races meant that five different riders from three different teams featured on the podium.
In race two Ryde claimed his fourth win of the season after a determined performance to maintain his momentum for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha.
O’Halloran had initially taken the lead ahead of Ryde, Ryan Vickers and Irwin. The lead group became a train of five riders as Bridewell worked his way through the order after his start from ninth on the grid and Christian Iddon was also in contention.
O’Halloran was piling the pressure on Ryde for the lead, but after attempting a move at the Hairpin, the McAMS Yamaha rider went wide and then as the pack crossed the line to start lap 23, Irwin passed both of his Yamaha rivals to move into the lead.
Irwin was then leading from Ryde, O’Halloran, Bridewell, Vickers and Iddon. However, it was a disaster for the BeerMonster Ducati rider when he crashed out of the lead at the Hairpin with three laps to go.
Ryde was then the race leader with Bridewell promoted to second after he had carved his way up the order with O’Halloran in third and that was how the podium lined up at the chequered flag.
Vickers missed out on the podium in fourth place with Iddon equalling his best result of the season in fifth place.
In race three, O’Halloran was again the race leader on the opening lap as he launched off the line ahead of Iddon and teammates Bridewell and Irwin.
Iddon wasted no time in trying to capture the lead and moved ahead of O’Halloran on the brakes into the Hairpin on the opening lap, but his McAMS Yamaha rival instantly fought back and regained the position before the start line.
It was heartbreak for O’Halloran though as he crashed his McAMS Yamaha out of the lead a lap later. Meanwhile Bridewell had moved into second and with the Australian out of contention, the BeerMonster Ducati rider was then leading the pack.
Ryde had been working his way up the order and he was second by the third lap ahead of Iddon and Irwin. Irwin though was determined to bounce back from his race two crash and he was into second by the tenth lap with a move on Ryde into turn one.
The leading group then became Bridewell, Irwin Ryde, Iddon and Vickers, but the BeerMonster Ducatis broke the pack in the closing stages. Irwin then grabbed the lead from Bridewell on lap 18 with another move on the brakes into turn one before holding him off until the chequered flag with the pair separated by 0.879s at the finish.
Iddon had been holding third place as he fought for his first podium finish of the season but he overshot the Hairpin with ten laps to go and had to re-join after an excursion through the gravel but was then in tenth. He was able to get the better of Dean Harrison in the closing stages but he had to settle for ninth place.
Vickers meanwhile had been shadowing his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha teammate and he hit third with a move at the Hairpin on lap 20, before holding off the race two winner to claim his second podium finish of the season.
Lee Jackson was fifth as he battled with Leon Haslam ahead of Tom Neave who scored his season best result for Honda Racing UK after keeping Josh Brookes at bay on the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 2 result:
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.903s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.171s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +2.148s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +5.188s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +10.926s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +12.603s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +13.807s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +15.170s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +15.458s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 3 result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.879s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +3.137s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +7.483s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +9.675s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +9.854s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +11.396s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +11.868s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +17.964s
Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) +21.255s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 163
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 155
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 152
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 136
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 136
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 98
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 97
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 85
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 78
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 61
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“It’s a shame what happened in today’s first race as I could have been coming away with a hat-trick but I’m happy with the two wins we had and, like, yesterday, I really, really enjoyed the final race.
“I could see Tommy in the lead and knew when it was time to up the pace as whilst he was strong in some areas, I felt strong all around the circuit.
“He improved his braking into the hairpin all weekend, but the BeerMonster Ducati was strong out of the hairpin, and I was able to make my move along the straight and into the first corner.
“Two wins out of three means it’s been a pretty good weekend and I need to thank the team.”
More, from a press release issued by BeerMonster Ducati:
BeerMonster Ducati Double Up At Knockhill
Round four of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship proved a successful one for BeerMonster Ducati with doubles all round following the three races held at Knockhill in Scotland this weekend.
Following Glenn Irwin’s victory in the BikeSocial Sprint race yesterday, he backed that up with another win today to claim his first double of the season whilst teammate Tommy Bridewell kept his title charge on course with a superb double podium in both of today’s races to increase his championship lead.
Saturday’s results meant Glenn and Tommy lined up in fifth and ninth respectively for the opening 30-lap race around the 1.26-mile Fife venue with Irwin quickly slotting into third as Bridewell set about moving his way through the field once more on Paul Bird’s F23 specification V4R BeerMonster Ducati.
Tommy had moved up to sixth at half race distance with Glenn continuing to hold onto third as just 1.5 seconds covered the top six riders. It was all change on lap 23, however, as Irwin moved into the lead with Bridewell up to fourth before taking third two laps later.
But with three laps to go, there was heartbreak for Irwin as he crashed out of the lead at the Hairpin and that meant it was Kyle Ryde who got the win with Bridewell coming through for an excellent second.
That put Tommy in the middle of the front row for the final race of the weekend with Glenn in fifth once more. The duo completed the opening lap in the top five and soon moved forward, with Tommy taking the lead on the third lap as Glenn moved up to third.
By the tenth lap, they were running first and second and with Glenn having slightly quicker pace, he took over the lead on lap 18. On this occasion, he controlled proceedings all the way to the end and this time there was to be no mistake as he took the win from Bridewell by 0.879 seconds.
The result, which was the team’s second 1-2 of the season, sees Bridewell increase his championship lead to eight points ahead of Ryde with Irwin in third just three points down on his Yamaha rival.
Glenn Irwin: “It’s a shame what happened in today’s first race as I could have been coming away with a hat-trick but I’m happy with the two wins we had, and I really enjoyed the final race. I could see Tommy in the lead and knew when it was time to up the pace as whilst he was strong in some areas, I felt strong all around the circuit. He’s improved his braking into the Hairpin all weekend, but the BeerMonster Ducati was strong out of the Hairpin, and I was able to make my move along the straight and into the first corner. Two wins out of three means it’s been a pretty good weekend.”
Tommy Bridewell: “I’m over the moon with two seconds today especially as we were off the pace for the first day. I struggled a bit but credit to the team, we turned it around from qualifying onwards and I felt a lot better. It was a shame to see Glenn go down in the first race as it was again showing the strength of the team and the bike, but I knew he’d come out fighting in the third race. I got to the front and set a steady pace, trying to look after my tyre, but I knew Glenn would be there. He’s been riding with a bit more confidence than me, so I’ll take the two seconds especially as they’ve increased my championship lead.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been another good day and whilst we could have come away with all three wins, we’ve still had four podiums and that’s a really good return given we thought this would be one of the more difficult circuits on the calendar. The team have worked phenomenally hard so full credit to them and both riders rode exceptionally well. Glenn’s had that bit more than the rest of the field this weekend and the crash was just one of those things where the penalty didn’t fit the crime. He bounced back superbly well but Tommy kept him honest in the last race and it’s great to have another 1-2. We’re looking good in the championship table and the way things are going, it’s going to cost us a lot in win and podium bonuses this year!”
More, from a press release issued by FHO Racing BMW:
A CHALLENGING WEEKEND IN SCOTLAND FOR THE FHO RACING BMW MOTORRAD TEAM
It’s been a tough weekend for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad team, as Faye Ho’s squad returned to its Bennetts British Superbike Championship duties, and coming to Knockhill’s 1.27-mile circuit was a stark contrast to the Isle of Man TT Races, where the team were last in action.
Even though the fourth round of the championship presented its challenges in terms of grip and set-up issues across the board for Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman, it wasn’t all bad with Brookes scoring vital points in all races.
Finishing inside the top-ten in all races aboard the BMW M 1000 RR, Brookes finished Saturday’s 20-lap Sprint Race ninth, and came home ninth and eighth in yesterday’s longer 30-lap races. With consistent point-scoring places, Brookes collected 22 points across the weekend and is still in championship contention where he’s fourth overall in the standings – 16 points shy of third place and 27 adrift of the championship leader.
For teammate Hickman, Knockhill delivered disappointment across the first two races, which saw him at the back of the field. Struggling to optimise the settings on his BMW machine, he finished the opening race of the weekend 16th and retired from Sunday’s first race.
With track temperatures high and conditions near perfect across the weekend, the final race saw temperatures drop which helped the FHO squad address the niggling grip issues they had faced. Starting from 17th on the grid, Hicky made up places across the 30 laps and came home 12th picking up four points.
The FHO Racing BMW Motorrad team now have a well-deserved break having been back-to-back with race meetings since the second round at Oulton Park with BSB, the North West 200 and the TT Races. The fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Snetterton next month across 7-8-9 July.
The weekend also saw the FHO Girls in action with two HEL Performance British Junior Supersport races, where Denise dal Zotto finished 21st and 24th, Jamie Hanks-Elliott came home 15th, just 0.275s shy of 14th in the opening race and 19th in the second race. Holly Harris finished 29th and 28th, with Scarlett Robinson coming home 30th in both races.
Josh Brookes:
“It’s been a difficult weekend to comment on really, it’s not been the results we wanted. We stayed on and finished all the races apart from a slip off this morning in warm up, so in one way we’ve got points in all three races and were in the top-ten. But it’s also been a frustrating weekend as we’ve not been able to make progress and fight for the higher places. We’ve tried to remain positive, make changes, always fighting to improve even if it’s just one sector, or one area of the bike to improve – but it just doesn’t seem to come here at Knockhill. We’ll now regroup as a team after a busy period with BSB and road racing, and we can head to Snetterton where hopefully we can look forward to some better results”
Peter Hickman:
“It’s been a super tough weekend here at Knockhill, coming from probably the biggest circuit in the world to the smallest doesn’t help. I tried 110% across the weekend, but for reasons I can’t even explain, I don’t know why, but we’ve just not had the pace right from the start. The team has worked so hard, we’ve turned the bike inside out and it’s not seemed to make any difference to the lap times. We changed things again for the last race and it actually did make an improvement where we finished 12th, the change was something we hadn’t tried before, and it did help as we went forwards for the first time rather than backwards. This weekend we’ve not finished where we want to be, or where we should be with the M 1000 RR and it’s hard to keep the morale up, but you have to keep plugging away and it’s great for the team that Josh finished inside the top-ten! Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and we’ll come back stronger at Snetterton.”
Faye Ho – Team Principal:
“It’s been a tough weekend for Josh, Pete and the team at Knockhill, but this is racing and sometimes the weekend doesn’t go as you would hope. Even though it’s not been plain sailing and we’ve not had the results we wanted, or that we know both Josh and Pete are capable of, for Josh to come away with three top-ten finishes and collect vital points is still a positive and keeps us in the championship fight. Pete and his side of the garage have tried all weekend, but he had his progress hampered until the final race.
It’s been a super busy period for everyone in the team with BSB, the North West 200 and of course the TT and I can’t thank everyone enough for all their hard work over this time. As a team we win together and we lose together, but the most important thing is that we’re all in this together and it’s how we deal with a difficult weekend that matters. Everyone has worked so hard and tried to remain upbeat and keep smiling even when times are tough. We have a few weeks now for some rest and we look forward to coming back to the fifth round refreshed and ready to get back into the mix.”
Toni Elias (center) celebrating his 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with teammate Roger Hayden (left) and Don Sakakura from Yoshimura (right). Photo courtesy Suzuki.
The following is an Instagram post from Toni Elias:
I had a dream.
And without knowing it, and running after it, I achieved much more than I ever imagined.
As I write this, I don’t even know where to start.
Giant waves of images, vivid memories, emotions and sensations that are difficult to define. Intensity, yes, a lot of intensity.
How nice to be able to live this moment in which, no matter how hard you try, words don’t come out, feelings invade you that you didn’t even know you were hiding.
It’s nice to be able to thank everyone and everyone who, together with me, is causing endless overtaking and sensations that are impossible to define right now.
Describing them is not easy. Not is it for me, writing the words that an athlete never wants to write.
But the time has come.
As a child, I wanted to be a professional rider and I became a world champion, competing with the best riders, with the best teams, and achieving victories in each category along with unforgettable victories in front of our home fans, our great fans.
Thanks to everyone who has made me a better version of myself, to everyone who has made my dream come true and to everyone who has always been there in difficult times. Without them, my dream would not have existed and I would not be the person that I am.
To all of you who are, have been, teams, sponsors, Promotors, doctors, friends, media, fans…
To all of you who have never doubted me and despite the difficulties have been by my side.
To my family, my parents, my sister who have sacrificed everything for me, enjoyed and suffered so much…we made it…how beautiful!!
To my wife for accompanying me on this last stretch and giving me the best gift of our wonderful children.
It has been a dream come true.
A dream that is reality.
Andi DiBrino (63) and his new MV Agusta F3 RR testing at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Stevenson Foto, courtesy Andy DiBrino Racing.
Andy DiBrino Set for MotoAmerica Supersport Debut on MV Agusta F3 RR
Andy DiBrino will be racing this weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park on his Competition Werkes-backed MV Agusta F3RR built by EDR Performance. This past weekend DiBrino put the bike on the track for the first time and had a great showing at the OMRRA/ WMRRA club races at “The Ridge,” scoring a fourth-, third-, and second-place finish against other MotoAmerica talent getting ready for the upcoming round.
Here is what DiBrino had to say about his first weekend testing the bike: “I fell in love with the MV this weekend! It has been a massive undertaking to get this bike going, and all the time and energy put into it really felt worthwhile the moment I took Turn One for the first time on the bike. Thanks to EDR Performance, we made great strides setting up the required electronics. We still have a ways to go, but for the little amount of track time we got, I feel that we are in a good spot and that we will be competitive against the other Next-Gen Supersport bikes. I anticipate we will continue to develop the bike throughout the race weekend and that MotoAmerica will be pulling our data to see if any further balancing is required. Thank you MV Agusta USA and Competition Werkes for believing in me, as well as EDR Performance for the know-how to build such an incredible race bike, and to Bellissimoto for providing me with some specialty parts needed to complete it.”
Andy would like to thank all of his other sponsors who played a role in the build: ASV Inventions, Superlite Sprockets, Orient Express Racing, K-Tech Suspension, OC Motorcycles, JLC Concrete, CrossBeam Builders, Ever True Tattoo, Precision Iron Works, Woodcraft Technologies, Oregon Motorcycle Attorney, Motul USA, MotoSport Hillsboro, MotoMaster Brakes, The Ridge Motorsports Park, See See Motor Coffee Co, ODI Grips, KP12 Graphix, Samco Sport, and Drew Paints.
Marc Marquez (93) wants to put the weekend at Sachsenring behind him. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marquez returns for Assen as Lecuona substitutes Mir
The Repsol Honda Team arrive in the Netherlands for the last round before the summer break, Marc Marquez back after missing the Grand Prix in Germany with Iker Lecuona alongside him as Joan Mir continues his recovery.
After a bruising weekend in Germany, Marc Marquez will return to the Repsol Honda Team RC213V to compete at round eight. The Dutch round is known for intense battles around 4.54-kilometer-long circuit, the fast and flowing nature of the track often keeping multiple riders battling together. Marquez has twice won the race in Assen in the premier class and has only once finished off the podium – in 2021. He and the team arrive with realistic expectations and know that it will be another weekend focusing on improvements and the future.
The other side of the Repsol Honda Team box will see Iker Lecuona make his second appearance of the year. Joan Mir will continue to recover at home with the aim of returning to action at the British GP fully fit after a challenging start to the year. Lecuona made his Repsol Honda Team debut at the Spanish round earlier in the year, putting together a consistent weekend and finishing both the Sprint race and the Grand Prix. In 2022, the 23-year-old claimed his debut WorldSBK podium at the Dutch circuit.
Marc Marquez
“I arrive in Assen looking to put the hard weekend in Germany behind me. We have one more race before the summer break and the objective is to gather a lot of good data for the engineers so they can work over these next weeks. This is the focus for the weekend, we need to remain calm and approach the weekend with a clear plan.”
Iker Lecuona (27). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Iker Lecuona
“First of all I want to wish Joan all the best in his recovery. I am excited to join the team again, it’s a true honour. Assen is a circuit I like, I got my first WorldSBK podium there so hopefully we can have another good weekend like in Jerez. I am still recovering a bit after the crash in Misano, so this will be a good physical test too. Let’s ride!”
TAYLOR KNAPP TO RACE FOR TEAM HAMMER AND SUZUKI AT RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK
Team Hammer is pleased to announce that Taylor Knapp will compete for the team aboard a Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 23-25.
Knapp will serve as a single-round guest rider aboard the factory Superbike that was unexpectedly in need of a capable pilot following the surprise retirement of former class champion Toni Elias following the Road America round.
Knapp is well suited to the role. He is one of the most experienced and versatile riders in the paddock, boasting a racing resume that spans disciplines, classes, nations, and manufacturers.
The 35-year-old Lapeer, Michigan native began racing flat track and motocross at the age of five and established himself as one of the nation’s leading amateur riders. He transitioned to pavement at 13 and turned pro at 16.
Over the past two decades, Knapp has enjoyed a decorated and varied road racing career, running up front as both a privateer and factory Superbike pilot. In addition to his premier class duties, Knapp has raced in Daytona SportBike, Stock 1000, and the King Of The Baggers over the years, while also competing overseas in the British Superbike series.
Additionally, he’s racked up numerous other racing accomplishments and accolades, including victorious performances at the Barber Pro Cup Challenge and WERA F1 National Championship.
Since 2017, Knapp has served as a Motorcycle Test Engineer for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. He has continued to compete since accepting the position, and currently ranks sixth in the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship standings with a podium result at Road Atlanta.
“I am super excited to get on the Suzuki GSX-R1000R again. I’ve raced Suzukis in the past and always liked them and have had good success with them,” said Knapp. “It’s an honor to race for Team Hammer and Suzuki, so I am pumped. As Dunlop’s test rider, we have a couple of Suzuki 1000s that serve as our workhorses, so I ride them often. The weekend should be fun!”
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 347 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.
ABOUT SUZUKI
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.
Brandon Paasch on pit lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway waiting for a restart of the 100th Loudon Classic. Photo by Frank Angel, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Brandon Paasch Finishes 4th in the 100th Loudon Classic
Loudon, NH. – Competing in his first professional road race since sustaining a compression fracture of his L3 vertebrae in a training accident on March 30, 2023, Brandon Paasch placed fourth in a crash-riddled 100th Loudon Classic presented by NEMMR. The race was restarted multiple times in wet conditions then eventually called complete after the ninth restart. Paasch was awarded the position he was running in on lap 19 of the race.
Riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 on Pirelli tires prepared by Rodio Racing, Brandon placed 21st fastest in the Friday morning practice on a dry track about four seconds behind the fastest time. In the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon he was able to advance to 11th place with a time of 1:11.736, 1.062 seconds off the top qualifier. After overnight rain, in final qualifying on Saturday Paasch recorded the ninth-fastest time on a wet track, placing him 11th on the grid for the race among the final 32 qualifiers.
Saturday afternoon’s race started in wet conditions with occasional light rain with the race interrupted multiple times by red flags due to crashes. On each restart Brandon was able to advance through the field, even leading the race by a comfortable margin at one point. Although the race was scheduled to finish only on a checkered flag it was finally called before the 10th restart was made.
Brandon Paasch: “Well… I won’t be able to sit down for the next month! P4 in the end, not bad for our first outing since breaking my back three months ago. Loads of people to thank for this last minute effort. Cheers for all the support!!!”
Brandon took home $17,000 of the $250,000 purse for his efforts.
Rodio Racing thanks Pirelli for the fantastic tires, Skip Dowling and Rob Silva at K-Tech USA for suspension support, Anthony Corbo of Bauce Racing for the tune, and Phillip Bailey and Ryne Snooks for their massive help putting this effort together.
Will Gawler (213) in action at Summit Point. Photo by www.formerinstants.com, courtesy ASRA.
ASRA racing at Summit Point Motorsports Park was once again a great event for the 8th Round of 2023. The weather was great. In the Heavyweight Superbike race, Will Gawler, riding his Suzuki GSXR-1000, managed to stay ahead of Brian Grasso and his Yamaha YZF-R1. Chyler Weatherford was a close third.
The racing went very smoothly thanks to the talented racers that kept it up and the MARRC crew for keeping the safe and speedy decisions flowing. With 30 races over two days at Summit Point Raceway, everyone managed to get it all done by 3:30 PM on Sunday!
Evan Belford (52) leads Amanuel Brinton (43) while American Julian Correa (40) runs fifth in a British Talent Cup race at Knockhill. Photo courtesy British Talent Cup.
Brinton vs Belford: the tale of Knockhill!
Two duels decide the two races in Scotland as Brinton takes a first victory in the Cup
Monday, 19 June 2023
In classic R&G British Talent Cup style, Race 1 at Knockhill was decided at the final corner and on the final lap as Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) and Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) duelled it out for supremacy in Scotland. Brinton trailed Cup leader Belford throughout the 12-lap restarted race but was able to time his move to perfection to claim a first ever win in the Cup, right back in the mix at the front as he returned to the fold. And at a venue he’s never raced before!
As the race got underway, it was Belford who took the lead with the top four quickly breaking away from the chasing pack, although four soon became three when Rhys Stephenson (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) highsided at the final corner on Lap 3. It allowed Belford, Brinton and Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing / Maddison Media) to scrap it out. On Lap 8, the red flags were shown after a crash for Daniel Goodman (VisionTrack Racing Team).
The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance, but the story was the same when the lights went out again. Belford, Brinton and Mounsey broke away in the opening laps, but the fight for victory turned into Belford against Brinton with Mounsey just behind. Brinton was pushing hard and had a huge moment into Turn 2 on Lap 10 which cost him time, before Belford had his own moments on Lap 12. Brinton used this to close the gap, and he made the race-winning overtake at the final corner on the last lap when he went up the inside of Belford. The pair were separated by just 0.029s at the line with Mounsey securing third place, almost 1.8 seconds down on Brinton.
There was another twist in the title fight too as Harrison Dessoy (Microlise Cresswell Racing / Eastern Garage Racing), who had been in the top three in the standings ahead of the visit to Knockhill, crashed on the opening lap of the restarted race.
There was a fierce fight for fourth as Ryan Frost (Talentum Motorsport By Azure Notions) fended off Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) by just a tenth after 12 laps, while Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing) was just another tenth back in seventh place in a hotly contested battle for the top positions. The trio finished around seven seconds down on eventual winner Brinton, but they had a big gap to the riders behind who completed the top ten.
Eighth place went to Scott McPhee (SMP Racing) while Ronnie Harris (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) finished three seconds down on McPhee in ninth. Two riders squabbled over tenth place with Lucas Brown (Amphibian Scaffolding / SP125 Racing) and Alfie Davidson (Banks Racing) battling it out. Brown finished just ahead of Davidson with only 0.016s separating the pair across the line.
After a duel in Race 1, Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) and Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) once again went toe-to-toe in the second R&G British Talent Cup showdown of the day, and on take two it was Belford who hit back for another 25-point haul as the race was red flagged with a few laps to go. Despite losing the chance for a late attack, Brinton takes another impressive podium in second, with Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing / Maddison Media) taking third and his own second visit to the rostrum on Sunday after pipping Harley McCabe (McCabe Racing).
As the lights went out it was Belford who grabbed the holeshot from Brinton, with Mounsey close in third and McCabe in fourth as the quartet started to break away early. They remained line astern for the first half of the race, but by half distance Belford and Brinton had got the hammer down.
As the duo pulled away, it became a tale of two duels to decide the podium finishers. At the front, Brinton stayed tucked in behind Belford as the laps ticked down, but the fight was hotting up between Mounsey and McCabe as they began trading places.
With only a handful of laps still to go, however, the battle was cut short as the red flags came out – meaning there would be no chance of a late attack for Brinton. Belford took the win after leading the way since the lights went out, with Brinton forced to settle for second.
In the duel for the podium behind it wasn’t as clear cut, but Mounsey took it and another rostrum finish, having been ahead of McCabe in their showdown when the race was stopped.
After another close battle, in Race 2 it was Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) who was two tenths ahead of Ryan Frost (Talentum Motorsport By Azure Notions) when the result was declared, with Ollie Walker (VisionTrack Racing Team) taking seventh after just fading off the back of that duel.
Filip Surowiak (FS75 Racing / FAB Racing) was eighth, with Scott McPhee (SMP Racing) and Alexander Rowan (Mortimer Racing Victoria House Academy) completing the top ten.
After another shuffle in Scotland, Belford now has some margin at the top of the standings – but it’s Brinton back on the chase in second. Mounsey is now third after a solid weekend, and McCabe fourth as the two both leapfrog Harrison Dessoy. The number 55 will want to bounce back at Snetterton after following up a crash in Race 1 with another in Race 2, leaving Scotland with nil points. Still, there’s plenty of the season still to go! Who will reign at Round 4? We’ll find out from the 7th to the 9th of July!
Sean Dylan Kelly (4). Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
American Racing Team narrowly misses out on the points in Germany as Sean Dylan Kelly takes 17th whilst replacement rider Carlos Tatay finishes in 19th.
At a track he enjoyed last year, Sean’s weekend started positively as the American finished first practice 13th on the timings. With the weather taking a turn for the worst in the afternoon, no one was able to improve, and he ended the day in 13th despite a late crash after he touched a wet patch whilst entering the pits.
Focusing on race simulation for FP3, Sean braved the return of the wet weather, ending the morning in 12th. Due to the conditions, there were no further timing improvements and Sean secured his first direct Q2 spot.
With the sun shining and the track heating up for Q2, Sean set his best time of 1:25.519 to take 18th place for Sunday’s GermanGP.
Race day offered the best weather of the weekend as track temperatures reached 43°C. Sean’s race got off to a hectic start with a multi-rider crash ahead of him, luckily he was able to avoid any contact and make his way into 16th before quickly passing Marcos Ramirez for 15th.
Sean was able to hold onto the final points-scoring positions until lap seven when he was caught by Ai Ogura.
With the hot temperatures and lack of dry running time, Sean struggled to maintain the pace, dropping back into 17th where he ended the race.
Making his Moto2 World Championship debut, Carlos’ had a mixed first session. After rocketing into the top 10, the Spaniard took a tumble at Turn 11 and ended his session with 15 minutes remaining. The tricky conditions of FP2 made the team take a more conservative approach to Carlos’ session, opting to put in 15 laps to finish Friday in 27th.
Prioritising long runs for the final practice session, Carlos ended the wet running in 15th spot. Thankfully, the weather dramatically improved for Q1 and the Spaniard was able to get some dry track time for his first World Championship Qualifying session – ending the afternoon 12th to line up 26th on the grid.
It was a difficult start to his maiden World Championship race for Carlos. Despite avoiding a crash on lap one, the Spaniard lost ground and dropped back into 25th early on.
Fighting his way back through, he made his way into 19th spot, only half a second behind Zonta Van Den Goorbergh as he took the chequered flag, setting some of his best lap times right at the end of the race.
Sean Dylan Kelly (4) put a lot of riders behind him but came up just short of scoring points at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Sean Dylan Kelly #4
I think it was a strong weekend. My first time directly into Q2, I think is a huge positive for me that I need to take and it’s something I’ve been working hard for so I’m really happy about that. We were competitive in the rain, fighting for that top 10 and finishing 12th in FP3 but today they were the hottest conditions that we’ve had all year so far – I felt strong in the race and I’m honestly happy with my performance and consistency. The grip was really difficult to manage but I was happy with how I was doing.
Unfortunately, I just missed out on the points in 17th – I think it was my closest gap to first and I had the group just ahead of me – I gave it my all but it just wasn’t enough for points today. I’m definitely disappointed about that but I’m looking at the positives and looking forward to next week.
Fill-in rider Carlos Tatay (99) finished 19th. Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Carlos Tatay #99
It was a great weekend. My first FP1 was going really well but I crashed with just 10 laps in the session because of a cold tyre. I was feeling really good in the wet too but at the end, I did about 10 laps and then it was directly to Q1. It was quite difficult, but I had a good race with a good pace. In the beginning, I was finding my pace, and everything was quite new for me so I was coming little by little but in the end, I could do good lap times with good rhythm for the first time.
I’m not completely happy but I can say it was a good weekend for me as I keep learning and achieving little by little. Now, let’s go to Assen!
Max Whale (18) finished fourth in the AFT Singles race at the DuQuoin Mile. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
TOP-FIVE FINISHES FOR RED BULL KTM’S MAX WHALE AND KODY KOPP IN DUQUOIN MILE
Round 9 – American Flat Track Championship
DUQUOIN, Ill. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Max Whale and Kody Kopp raced hard at Round 9 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with Whale finishing in fourth and Kopp fifth position following a thrilling AFT Singles Main Event at the DuQuoin Mile.
After qualifying ninth, Whale made strong progress throughout the event with his KTM 450 SX-F, as he secured second position in the second heat race of the night. This earned the Australian entry into Dash-for-Cash, which resulted in P4. More advancements were made as the Main Event arrived, with Whale situated in a five-rider dual for the top spot, eventually crossing the line in P4 by a slender 0.081s margin.
Max Whale: “We improved every time we hit the track here at the DuQuoin Mile and got everything working really well. We started strong, made it into the Dash again, which was good, and then just worked hard – got into a groove in the Main Event, tried to get to the front as quick as I could. I ended up in a battle with five guys, which was awesome, a lot of fun, and I crossed the stripe in fourth. We’ve worked hard as a team and are stoked to head into Lima!”
Defending AFT Singles Champion Kopp began the round with P2 in qualifying, before racing to third place in his heat race. A hotly-contested Main Event saw Kopp battle hard as the top six were separated by less than a half a second, with the number one plate-holder ultimately crossing the line in fifth place – only 0.106s from victory – to keep himself right in title contention.
Kody Kopp (1) finished fourth in the AFT Singles race at the DuQuoin Mile. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM.
Kody Kopp: “Ended up P5 today, which is the best result we’ve had in a while, although there are a bunch of rounds coming up that I’m looking forward to. I wanted to get through these miles, because the results have been frustrating, and the consecutive off the box finishes have hurt the points chase. We’ll keep our heads up though, go into the next round which we won last year, and hope to do the same thing this time around.”
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 24, 2023
Round 9 Results
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Tom Drane, Yamaha
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Trent Lowe, Honda
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
5. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER KTM
8. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
13. Travis Petton IV, KTM
15. Declan Bender, KTM
16. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
18. Landen Smith, KTM
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING WINS BIG AT DUQUOIN MILE WITH THRILLING PERFORMANCE BY JARED MEES
Reigning SuperTwins Champion Continues Gaining Momentum as he Hunts for Ninth-Career Grand National Championship
MINNEAPOLIS – In a thrilling Father’s Day weekend at the DuQuoin Mile in DuQuoin, Illinois, Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their third-consecutive win of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season. The win marks Mees’ fifth of the season and 26th-career Mile victory.
In the night’s Main event, it was Mees and rival, Dallas Daniels, along with Briar Bauman and Indian Motorcycle privateer Brandon Robinson, who gave fans a thrilling four-man showdown. While the pack endured a bar-to-bar battle throughout the race, frequently exchanging passes, it was Mees who crossed the checkered flag first, just .033 seconds ahead of Robinson.
“Jared and team have done an incredible job setting up the FTR750 for Mile races this season, as displayed through the team’s three consecutive Mile victories,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “Now halfway through the season, just nine points back from the top of the leaderboard, Mees is primed to carry this momentum and make a strong push at securing a record-tying ninth-career championship.”
Marking his 26th-career Mile victory, the win broke a three-way tie between Mees and former racing icons Bubba Shobert and Bryan Smith, giving Mees the third most Mile wins of all time.
Now with 189 points, Mees continues to chip away and close the gap behind SuperTwins points leader Daniels, who has three wins and 198 points on the year. The 2023 American Flat Track season continues June 24 for the Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
Jason O'Halloran (22) leads Kyle Ryde (77) and the rest of the British Superbike field at Knockhill Circuit. Photo courtesy MSVR.
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde won Bennetts British Superbike Race Two Sunday at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland. Ryde won the 30-lap race by 0.903 second over BeerMonster Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell with McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran finishing third.
In Race Three Sunday it was Glenn Irwin defeating his teammate Bridewell by 0.879 second and Ryde’s teammate Ryan Vickers finishing third on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
Tommy Bridewell (46) leads teammate Glenn Irwin (2) and the rest at Knockhill Circuit. Photo courtesy MSVR.
American Julian Correa finished fifth in both British Talent Cup races Sunday, while countryman Eli Banish was 19th and 11th in the two races.
American Julian Correa (40). Photo by Cami Photography, courtesy Michael Correa.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Make mine a double! Irwin and BeerMonster Ducati bounce back to win race three
Glenn Irwin bounced back from a race two crash to celebrate victory in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Knockhill, holding off his teammate Tommy Bridewell to celebrate a double win in Scotland, sharing today’s victories with Kyle Ryde.
Irwin had won the opening race of the weekend, but he shared the Scottish success with Ryde. The intense action across the three races meant that five different riders from three different teams featured on the podium.
In race two Ryde claimed his fourth win of the season after a determined performance to maintain his momentum for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha.
O’Halloran had initially taken the lead ahead of Ryde, Ryan Vickers and Irwin. The lead group became a train of five riders as Bridewell worked his way through the order after his start from ninth on the grid and Christian Iddon was also in contention.
O’Halloran was piling the pressure on Ryde for the lead, but after attempting a move at the Hairpin, the McAMS Yamaha rider went wide and then as the pack crossed the line to start lap 23, Irwin passed both of his Yamaha rivals to move into the lead.
Irwin was then leading from Ryde, O’Halloran, Bridewell, Vickers and Iddon. However, it was a disaster for the BeerMonster Ducati rider when he crashed out of the lead at the Hairpin with three laps to go.
Ryde was then the race leader with Bridewell promoted to second after he had carved his way up the order with O’Halloran in third and that was how the podium lined up at the chequered flag.
Vickers missed out on the podium in fourth place with Iddon equalling his best result of the season in fifth place.
In race three, O’Halloran was again the race leader on the opening lap as he launched off the line ahead of Iddon and teammates Bridewell and Irwin.
Iddon wasted no time in trying to capture the lead and moved ahead of O’Halloran on the brakes into the Hairpin on the opening lap, but his McAMS Yamaha rival instantly fought back and regained the position before the start line.
It was heartbreak for O’Halloran though as he crashed his McAMS Yamaha out of the lead a lap later. Meanwhile Bridewell had moved into second and with the Australian out of contention, the BeerMonster Ducati rider was then leading the pack.
Ryde had been working his way up the order and he was second by the third lap ahead of Iddon and Irwin. Irwin though was determined to bounce back from his race two crash and he was into second by the tenth lap with a move on Ryde into turn one.
The leading group then became Bridewell, Irwin Ryde, Iddon and Vickers, but the BeerMonster Ducatis broke the pack in the closing stages. Irwin then grabbed the lead from Bridewell on lap 18 with another move on the brakes into turn one before holding him off until the chequered flag with the pair separated by 0.879s at the finish.
Iddon had been holding third place as he fought for his first podium finish of the season but he overshot the Hairpin with ten laps to go and had to re-join after an excursion through the gravel but was then in tenth. He was able to get the better of Dean Harrison in the closing stages but he had to settle for ninth place.
Vickers meanwhile had been shadowing his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha teammate and he hit third with a move at the Hairpin on lap 20, before holding off the race two winner to claim his second podium finish of the season.
Lee Jackson was fifth as he battled with Leon Haslam ahead of Tom Neave who scored his season best result for Honda Racing UK after keeping Josh Brookes at bay on the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 2 result:
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.903s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.171s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +2.148s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +5.188s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +10.926s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +12.603s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +13.807s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +15.170s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +15.458s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 3 result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.879s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +3.137s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +7.483s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +9.675s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +9.854s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +11.396s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +11.868s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +17.964s
Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) +21.255s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 163
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 155
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 152
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 136
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 136
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 98
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 97
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 85
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 78
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 61
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“It’s a shame what happened in today’s first race as I could have been coming away with a hat-trick but I’m happy with the two wins we had and, like, yesterday, I really, really enjoyed the final race.
“I could see Tommy in the lead and knew when it was time to up the pace as whilst he was strong in some areas, I felt strong all around the circuit.
“He improved his braking into the hairpin all weekend, but the BeerMonster Ducati was strong out of the hairpin, and I was able to make my move along the straight and into the first corner.
“Two wins out of three means it’s been a pretty good weekend and I need to thank the team.”
More, from a press release issued by BeerMonster Ducati:
BeerMonster Ducati Double Up At Knockhill
Round four of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship proved a successful one for BeerMonster Ducati with doubles all round following the three races held at Knockhill in Scotland this weekend.
Following Glenn Irwin’s victory in the BikeSocial Sprint race yesterday, he backed that up with another win today to claim his first double of the season whilst teammate Tommy Bridewell kept his title charge on course with a superb double podium in both of today’s races to increase his championship lead.
Saturday’s results meant Glenn and Tommy lined up in fifth and ninth respectively for the opening 30-lap race around the 1.26-mile Fife venue with Irwin quickly slotting into third as Bridewell set about moving his way through the field once more on Paul Bird’s F23 specification V4R BeerMonster Ducati.
Tommy had moved up to sixth at half race distance with Glenn continuing to hold onto third as just 1.5 seconds covered the top six riders. It was all change on lap 23, however, as Irwin moved into the lead with Bridewell up to fourth before taking third two laps later.
But with three laps to go, there was heartbreak for Irwin as he crashed out of the lead at the Hairpin and that meant it was Kyle Ryde who got the win with Bridewell coming through for an excellent second.
That put Tommy in the middle of the front row for the final race of the weekend with Glenn in fifth once more. The duo completed the opening lap in the top five and soon moved forward, with Tommy taking the lead on the third lap as Glenn moved up to third.
By the tenth lap, they were running first and second and with Glenn having slightly quicker pace, he took over the lead on lap 18. On this occasion, he controlled proceedings all the way to the end and this time there was to be no mistake as he took the win from Bridewell by 0.879 seconds.
The result, which was the team’s second 1-2 of the season, sees Bridewell increase his championship lead to eight points ahead of Ryde with Irwin in third just three points down on his Yamaha rival.
Glenn Irwin: “It’s a shame what happened in today’s first race as I could have been coming away with a hat-trick but I’m happy with the two wins we had, and I really enjoyed the final race. I could see Tommy in the lead and knew when it was time to up the pace as whilst he was strong in some areas, I felt strong all around the circuit. He’s improved his braking into the Hairpin all weekend, but the BeerMonster Ducati was strong out of the Hairpin, and I was able to make my move along the straight and into the first corner. Two wins out of three means it’s been a pretty good weekend.”
Tommy Bridewell: “I’m over the moon with two seconds today especially as we were off the pace for the first day. I struggled a bit but credit to the team, we turned it around from qualifying onwards and I felt a lot better. It was a shame to see Glenn go down in the first race as it was again showing the strength of the team and the bike, but I knew he’d come out fighting in the third race. I got to the front and set a steady pace, trying to look after my tyre, but I knew Glenn would be there. He’s been riding with a bit more confidence than me, so I’ll take the two seconds especially as they’ve increased my championship lead.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been another good day and whilst we could have come away with all three wins, we’ve still had four podiums and that’s a really good return given we thought this would be one of the more difficult circuits on the calendar. The team have worked phenomenally hard so full credit to them and both riders rode exceptionally well. Glenn’s had that bit more than the rest of the field this weekend and the crash was just one of those things where the penalty didn’t fit the crime. He bounced back superbly well but Tommy kept him honest in the last race and it’s great to have another 1-2. We’re looking good in the championship table and the way things are going, it’s going to cost us a lot in win and podium bonuses this year!”
More, from a press release issued by FHO Racing BMW:
A CHALLENGING WEEKEND IN SCOTLAND FOR THE FHO RACING BMW MOTORRAD TEAM
It’s been a tough weekend for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad team, as Faye Ho’s squad returned to its Bennetts British Superbike Championship duties, and coming to Knockhill’s 1.27-mile circuit was a stark contrast to the Isle of Man TT Races, where the team were last in action.
Even though the fourth round of the championship presented its challenges in terms of grip and set-up issues across the board for Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman, it wasn’t all bad with Brookes scoring vital points in all races.
Finishing inside the top-ten in all races aboard the BMW M 1000 RR, Brookes finished Saturday’s 20-lap Sprint Race ninth, and came home ninth and eighth in yesterday’s longer 30-lap races. With consistent point-scoring places, Brookes collected 22 points across the weekend and is still in championship contention where he’s fourth overall in the standings – 16 points shy of third place and 27 adrift of the championship leader.
For teammate Hickman, Knockhill delivered disappointment across the first two races, which saw him at the back of the field. Struggling to optimise the settings on his BMW machine, he finished the opening race of the weekend 16th and retired from Sunday’s first race.
With track temperatures high and conditions near perfect across the weekend, the final race saw temperatures drop which helped the FHO squad address the niggling grip issues they had faced. Starting from 17th on the grid, Hicky made up places across the 30 laps and came home 12th picking up four points.
The FHO Racing BMW Motorrad team now have a well-deserved break having been back-to-back with race meetings since the second round at Oulton Park with BSB, the North West 200 and the TT Races. The fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Snetterton next month across 7-8-9 July.
The weekend also saw the FHO Girls in action with two HEL Performance British Junior Supersport races, where Denise dal Zotto finished 21st and 24th, Jamie Hanks-Elliott came home 15th, just 0.275s shy of 14th in the opening race and 19th in the second race. Holly Harris finished 29th and 28th, with Scarlett Robinson coming home 30th in both races.
Josh Brookes:
“It’s been a difficult weekend to comment on really, it’s not been the results we wanted. We stayed on and finished all the races apart from a slip off this morning in warm up, so in one way we’ve got points in all three races and were in the top-ten. But it’s also been a frustrating weekend as we’ve not been able to make progress and fight for the higher places. We’ve tried to remain positive, make changes, always fighting to improve even if it’s just one sector, or one area of the bike to improve – but it just doesn’t seem to come here at Knockhill. We’ll now regroup as a team after a busy period with BSB and road racing, and we can head to Snetterton where hopefully we can look forward to some better results”
Peter Hickman:
“It’s been a super tough weekend here at Knockhill, coming from probably the biggest circuit in the world to the smallest doesn’t help. I tried 110% across the weekend, but for reasons I can’t even explain, I don’t know why, but we’ve just not had the pace right from the start. The team has worked so hard, we’ve turned the bike inside out and it’s not seemed to make any difference to the lap times. We changed things again for the last race and it actually did make an improvement where we finished 12th, the change was something we hadn’t tried before, and it did help as we went forwards for the first time rather than backwards. This weekend we’ve not finished where we want to be, or where we should be with the M 1000 RR and it’s hard to keep the morale up, but you have to keep plugging away and it’s great for the team that Josh finished inside the top-ten! Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and we’ll come back stronger at Snetterton.”
Faye Ho – Team Principal:
“It’s been a tough weekend for Josh, Pete and the team at Knockhill, but this is racing and sometimes the weekend doesn’t go as you would hope. Even though it’s not been plain sailing and we’ve not had the results we wanted, or that we know both Josh and Pete are capable of, for Josh to come away with three top-ten finishes and collect vital points is still a positive and keeps us in the championship fight. Pete and his side of the garage have tried all weekend, but he had his progress hampered until the final race.
It’s been a super busy period for everyone in the team with BSB, the North West 200 and of course the TT and I can’t thank everyone enough for all their hard work over this time. As a team we win together and we lose together, but the most important thing is that we’re all in this together and it’s how we deal with a difficult weekend that matters. Everyone has worked so hard and tried to remain upbeat and keep smiling even when times are tough. We have a few weeks now for some rest and we look forward to coming back to the fifth round refreshed and ready to get back into the mix.”
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