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British Superbike: Final “Title Fighters” To Be Determined At Snetterton
Snetterton set to decide final Title Fighters in Bennetts British Superbike Championship battle
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to Snetterton for its annual visit to Norfolk, which will play a pivotal role in deciding who remains in 2022 title contention, this weekend (9/10/11 September).
Three riders already have their Title Fighter status confirmed ahead of the trip to Snetterton, but who joins Bradley Ray, Jason O’Halloran and Rory Skinner in the final eight line-up will be decided over three crucial races this weekend.
Leading the hunt is Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing Kawasaki’s Lee Jackson; his teammate Skinner confirmed his first Showdown appearance last time out, and the Lincolnshire contender is the only rider who can cement his place following the eBay Sprint Race on Saturday. Jackson needs to outscore Cadwell Park double winner Danny Buchan by 15-points to guarantee his Showdown status for the first time.
Glenn Irwin holds fifth in the standings and is another contender with a clear idea of what he needs to maintain his edge over the chasing pack. The Honda Racing UK rider has a 13-point advantage over Tommy Bridewell in sixth, but the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider was a podium finisher on the 300 circuit last year.
Defending champion Tarran Mackenzie is also yet to claim his place in the Title Fighter line-up and the McAMS Yamaha rider will be hoping for a repeat of his winning performance last year, when he claimed the Race of Aces title which is also up for grabs too this weekend.
The rider in the most precarious position ahead of the decisive three races is Kyle Ryde as the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha contender is currently eighth in the standings and only has a 14-point margin over Buchan.
There are a three riders outside of the current top eight who are ready to try and displace them from the 2022 line-up; led by Buchan who had an incredible performance at Cadwell Park to cut the deficit and keep his hopes of a Showdown place alive.
FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman and 2018 champion Leon Haslam on the VisionTrack Kawasaki are also mathematically in with a last chance of making the cut for the top eight as the battle to become 2022 Bennetts BSB champion is set to intensify.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 372 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 359 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) – 241 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) 225
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 214
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 201
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 186
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 178
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 164
Peter Hickman (FHO BMW) 144
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) 143
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Kyle Ryde
Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
Fighting for a Title Fighter position
“I know that I need to go to Snetterton, ride how I know I can ride, and bring a trophy home or something, then I should be there or thereabouts. I was determined to do it at Thruxton and it just didn’t happen, I didn’t think too much about Cadwell as the pace was ridiculous but that is just BSB for you though!
“Snetterton is one of my favourite tracks so I am looking forward to that, the test went well there earlier in the year and I know the Yamaha is a good bike there, so I just have to make the most of it and hopefully that secures my place in the Showdown.
“I rode the BMW there last year and it wasn’t one of its favourite tracks, so I suppose that is something in my head that I am a little bit happy about. Everyone has their bad luck, so I am just glad it is Snetterton that we are going to where we sort it out.”
Danny Buchan
SYNETIQ BMW
Fighting for a Title Fighter position
“I am obviously still on cloud nine after a great weekend at Cadwell Park! I was over the moon with a third and two wins, and bigger than that – we are in with a fighting chance of getting into the Showdown.
“That was massive for myself and the SYNETIQ BMW team as before the weekend I genuinely didn’t think I could get that 60-point gap back down. I just didn’t think it was a realistic gap to close, but 14 points now to Kyle in eighth is realistic.
“Snetterton is a great track for me and the BMW works well there from the first day I hopped on it this year at the test pre-season, so I am looking forward to going back and having a good consistent weekend.
“Ultimately the goal will be to challenge for the podium in all three races, because podium points are important. That is the goal and we will do everything we can to be in the top eight at the end of Sunday.”
MotoAmerica: How To Watch All The Action From NJMP
MotoAmerica: How To Watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch all the racing from New Jersey Motorsports Park!
American Enriquez Chosen For 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
8 future stars for Rookies Cup 2023
Three days of intense track action at the Selection Event featuring wonderful talents from around the globe resulted in 8 riders being invited to join the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.
The Autodromo di Modena in Italy proved to be a great venue and after the entry being split roughly in half for Day 1 and Day 2 a total of 54 were invited to ride again on Day 3.
The tension was heightened by rain that briefly delayed the start of Day 3 but then 7 sessions in the morning and the same number in the afternoon allowed all the riders two opportunities to show their abilities.
The 2022 Rookies Cup season still has two rounds to go with Aragon on September 17th and 18th then the finale in Valencia on the first weekend in November.
2023 will be the 17th year of the Cup and will benefit from the addition of the following riders:
Alberto Ferrandez Beneite (Spain)
Alvaro Carpe (Spain)
Hakim Danish (Malaysia)
Guido Pini (Italy)
Carter Thompson (Australia)
Leo Rammerstorfer (Austria)
Alexander Enriquez (USA)
Marco Morelli Chincolla (Argentina)
WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Says Magny-Cours Is His Favorite Track
Outspoken ahead of Magny-Cours
From 2023 rumours to Pirelli’s latest innovations and much more, the press room at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a busy one ahead of Round 7…
The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action this weekend at the historic Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the Pirelli French Round. The media room was in overdrive ahead of the round, with new tyre solutions, riders returning from injury and plenty of 2023 rider line-up gossip circulating – get all the rumours and insight with the big topics ahead of the round.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I’ll try and be competitive…”
“I approach the weekend like any other; for me, I haven’t done a lot of dry laps with the Ducati at this track three years ago, so I approach the round without any expectation. We’ll work from Friday to try and get a good feeling with the bike, the same as I have done at the rest of the rounds, and try to be as competitive as possible and then we’ll see. At Magny-Cours, the weather can be critical as sometimes you have a lot of rain or a lot of heat. In any case, I’ll try to be competitive and try and do my best.”
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “Every weekend is a new opportunity… last year, I learnt a lot from Toprak”
“Every weekend is a new opportunity to score good points. Magny-Cours in the wet is a tricky circuit, as there’s a lot of areas that can catch you out. In the dry, it’s straightforward with the chicanes, acceleration points and braking; you need a bike that’s a bit of compromise on stability and agility. Last year, I learnt a lot from Toprak, from accelerating off the first gear corners. I’m open-minded and ready to do three really strong races.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK): “The feeling is very good… this is my favourite track!”
“After a long break, the feeling is very good! This is my favourite track after Donington Park, and I hope that we see two or three wins like last year. After the big crash in Barcelona, I’m feeling much better; it was a very big crash for me but luckily, nothing was broken. Now, I’m riding a bike without a problem and not feeling any pain, which is good. I am feeling ready; I tested the new front tyre in Barcelona which wasn’t bad, but I don’t know about the rear one. I hope that there’s no rain for Friday, so that we can try the rear tyre! This is my favourite track and for me, it’s very important in the race. I’ll try my best again, like last year.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I don’t look at the position anymore; we’ll update about my future after this round”
“It’s been a strange summer for me. The goal is to just give 120% on the bike, I don’t look at the position anymore. If I give my 120% and win, I’ll be happy; if I give my 120% and I’m fifth, I’ll be happy. I don’t care about the result. We will update about my future after this round.”
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “Luck hasn’t been on our side… I’m really excited to come back!”
“I’m really excited to be back! This season has been really strange, and luck hasn’t been on our side, so I’m really excited to come back and finally start my season. I think for me, the main thing will be to stay calm. We can’t go into this weekend and expect a lot of things; it’s been a long time since riding a bike and my body feels a bit different. As a racer, it’s quite difficult to stay calm but I will have to do it step-by-step. Magny-Cours is a track I really enjoy, it’s a track that I can ride quite easily. I have to stay calm and not expect too much.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “I have a lot of energy to start the second part of the season… I’m really happy that Xavi is staying”
“I have a lot of energy to start the second part of the season. Again, it’s a new track and I’ve not watched a video! After the media duties, I’ll go with my crew chief and with a map to do a lap of the circuit before getting on the bike tomorrow. We did a test over two days in Barcelona and we improved a lot, but about the bike’s pace in general; we don’t have new parts. We tried the new front tyre from Pirelli, which was good for the fast lap time, but we’ll see here if it will be possible to use over the race or just in the Superpole. I’m really happy that Xavi is staying in the team for 2023; during the testing and first rounds, we spoke a lot and had a good strategy, trying to help each other – not too much as you need to beat him – but I’m happy to have him again next year. To develop the bike, we needed another fast rider.”
Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “I’m really excited to race in France… we’ll have fun for sure!”
“I’m really excited to race in France! I missed the round last year but two years ago, it was a great round for me. In 2020 though, it was a COVID year, so it wasn’t a full round with all the fans, and I’m looking forward to having a normal French Round with a lot of people coming! The bike is improving a lot and BMW brought a lot of parts for the Catalunya test. I’m pretty confident for the round and it’s a track that I really like; the weather usually goes one way or the other but hopefully, it doesn’t change too much and we’ll have fun for sure!”
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha): “It’s the right time… I’d like to win before I stop”
“It’s a long time of discussion and thinking but to be honest, it comes quite naturally and step-by-step. I feel like it’s the moment to completely change my life, but I’d like to decide when I stop. It’s the right time; I’d like to win before I stop, so I still have a few rounds! I want to enjoy the last part of my career and this part of my life before moving onto something new, but I just want to enjoy now. I have no pressure for this weekend and I’m fresh from injury. Maybe I’ll be on the podium this weekend… I’ll give my best!”
MotoAmerica: Titles May Be Clinched At NJMP
It’s Calculator Time As MotoAmerica Titles Go Down To The Wire At NJMP
At Least One Support-Class Championship Will Be Wrapped Up In New Jersey, September 9-11
IRVINE, CA (September 8, 2022) – With 100 championship points still up for grabs in the remaining two rounds (four races) of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship and a massive 76-point lead in his pocket, all Josh Herrin really needs to do this weekend to be crowned champion is find New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Hey, Josh, it’s in Millville.
With eight wins and 13 total podiums in 14 races, Herrin is in complete control of the Supersport Championship. If at any point in the weekend his lead exceeds 75 points, he will be crowned. In other words, if Herrin wins Saturday’s race one and Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers finishes second, Herrin’s lead will be 81 points. At that point, with only 75 points remaining, Herrin is champion. Win race one and it’s over.
Obviously, there are plenty of other scenarios, but the bottom line is that Herrin and/or his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team would have to have a massive fail. Two non-points-paying finishes in New Jersey combined with two wins by Landers and Herrin still goes to the Barber Motorsports Park finale with a 26-point lead. Based on how they’ve done this season, that’s a longshot of epic proportions.
Even with the championship likely falling to Herrin, Landers has had a sophomore season of Supersport racing he can be proud of with three wins and 10 podiums on his Landers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Ditto for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with the 16-year-old sitting third in the point standings in a rookie season that featured his career first win in the Superport class.
Scott has a near stranglehold on third with North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith sitting fourth in the standings over N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo, despite the fact that the Salvadorian has missed the past four races due to illness.
Luke Power Racing’s Luke Power trails Olmedo by just a single point with part-timer Josh Hayes seventh based on his four races as Olmedo’s fill-in and the VIRginia International Raceway round he competed in (and won a race) on his Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayes will be racing the Squid Hunter Yamaha at NJMP.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander On The Verge
By virtue of a seven-win season, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC’s Corey Alexander will likely clinch the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship this weekend in New Jersey.
Alexander is currently 39 points ahead of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim with just two races and 50 points left to play for. If he finishes Sunday’s lone Stock 1000 race at NJMP with at least a 25-point lead over Gillim, Alexander will be champion.
Gillim was on the verge of making this a championship battle that would go to the bitter end when he won race one at PittRace while Alexander soldiered on to score six points with a mechanical issue. But Gillim threw it all away the following day when the Kentuckian crashed out of race two after making contact with Alexander.
Gillim now leads Alexander’s teammate Travis Wyman by just six points in their battle for second in the championship. Altus Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch and Andy DiBrino are fourth and fifth, respectively, though DiBrino is not entered at NJMP. That should allow VisionWheel/DiscountTire/KWS’s Geoff May an easy pass into the top five if he can keep Danilo Lewis and Ezra Beaubier at bay.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Another Wyman
If Travis Wyman ends up coming away with the Mission King of The Baggers Championship on Sunday afternoon, there’s a good possibility that he won’t be the only Wyman crowned in 2022 as Cody Wyman holds down a 49-point lead in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship heading into New Jersey.
With six wins on the season (and two in a row) giving him a nine-podium season thus far, Wyman’s 49-point lead over Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio has to be 50 points after Sunday’s race two for the New Yorker to wrap up the title early. If he somehow grows his lead to 75 points after race one, that would also wrap things up.
It’s not just Rodio who is mathematically still alive, but also Bauce Racing/JL62 Team’s Joseph LiMandri Jr. and Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov with those two tied and 52 points behind Wyman – and just three behind Rodio.
With the unpredictability of the class, this one isn’t over until it’s really over.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Just One Point
The Medallia Superbike Championship isn’t the only one with a one-point margin going into NJMP as the REV’IT! Twins Cup title chase is also defined by a single-point margin at the top.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis is the rider at the top after a run of four podiums in the past four races. Davis has two wins and five total podiums to lead Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto by just a single point.
Mazziotto’s season hit its stride in the middle rounds with two wins, but he’s fallen on tough times of late with just 16 points coming out of the last two races at Pitt Race.
And his rival for the majority of the season has suffered an even tougher run of late. Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry looked to be cruising to a championship after four straight wins in May and June, but that’s gone to the wayside as he’s gone six straight races without a podium finish. Still, Barry is still alive in the title chase and is only five points behind Davis, setting up a three-rider duel to the end.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Buyck Leads
If not for disobeying a red flag at Road America, Kayleigh Buyck would have a perfect score of 100 points from the four races held thus far in 2022. With her points taken away in Wisconsin, she still leads the way by virtue of winning every race to lead Crystal Martinez by 22 points, 75-53.
And Chloe Petersen, with her three podiums is just a point behind Martinez heading into the NJMP round.
While she is not in the top three, Jennifer Chancellor appears to be the racer most likely to put an end to Buyck’s win streak. Chancellor led Buyck at PittRace until crashing out of the race on the final lap. Still, she had served notice that she has the speed to win.
The Royal Enfield BTR race will be held on Saturday at 1:10 p.m.
NJMP Support Class Notes…
Jake Lewis topped Ashton Yates by half a second to win the lone Stock 1000 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park last year. Local racer Mike Seipe was a surprised third in his only MotoAmerica appearance.
How close is close? Sean Dylan Kelly beat Richie Escalante to the line by .001 of a second to win the first of two Supersport races at NJMP in 2021. Sam Lochoff finished third in race one but came back to win race two for his first career MotoAmerica victory by beating Kelly by .040 of a second and Escalante by .088 of a second. Lochoff returns to action at NJMP after missing the past six races due to injury.
Close finishes were also the way of the weekend in the Twins Cup races with Cory Ventura taking race one over Kaleb De Keyrel by just .048 of a second. In race two it was Italian Tommaso Marcon beating Anthony Mazziotto by .049 of a second. Max Toth and Ventura were third and fourth, respectively, and less than half a second from victory.
Tyler Scott wanted no part of close battles in the two SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races as he rode to a three-second win over Gus Rodio and Joe LiMandri Jr. in race one. Race two was a complete runaway for Scott as he won by a tick over seven seconds over Rodio with Ben Gloddy third.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Title Time Beckons for Josh Herrin
Herrin on the verge of making history for Ducati as he closes in on the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has one hand and four fingers on the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship trophy as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend.
It’s been a watershed year for veteran Herrin with eight race wins in the bank and he holds a 76-point lead over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers in the Supersport series.
Herrin only needs to finish race one ahead of Landers and start race two with a 75-point buffer to be crowned champion.
A title for Herrin this weekend will make him a three-time AMA-sanctioned national champion after taking the 2013 AMA Superbike Championship and the 2016 Stock 1000 Championship.
This would also be the first MotoAmerica Supersport title for Ducati Motor Holdings and the first national championship victory globally for the Ducati Panigale V2.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2) : “I’m excited about New Jersey coming up,” Herrin said. “We have a chance at winning the championship this weekend. All we must do is finish ahead of Rocco (Landers) in race one and we will wrap it up. I’m hoping to get that done so I can enjoy the rest of the weekend and relax for race two, do some wheelies on the Ducati Panigale V2 and put on a great show for all the fans.”
Josh Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2 will be on track with the first practice session scheduled for Friday, September 9 at 9:40 am EDT. Race one will be held on Saturday, September 10 at 2:10 pm EDT and race two will go green on Sunday, September 11 at 1:20 pm EDT.
MotoAmerica: One Point Separates Gagne & Petrucci Heading To NJMP (Updated)
Just One Point Separates Gagne From Petrucci In 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship
Ultra-Close Title Chase Heads To New Jersey Motorsport Park, September 9-11.
IRVINE, CA (September 6, 2022) – After completing eight rounds, 16 races, 246 laps and 659.948 miles in the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship, just one point separates Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne from Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci as the series makes its way to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 9-11.
One measly point.
The two have arrived at this point in totally different ways. Gagne has won 10 races but has blundered in two of them with crashes that resulted in zero points. Petrucci, meanwhile, hasn’t had the pure pace that Gagne has had at most races, but he’s been there to pick up the pieces when his rival has faltered. The Italian has won four races. Two of those came with two dominating performances at Circuit of The Americas in round one, the other two after Gagne deposited his YZF-R1 in the gravel trap at Road Atlanta and then destroyed a second Yamaha at Brainerd International Raceway. In total, Petrucci has 14 podium finishes in 16 races and podiums in 11 straight races heading to NJMP.
Both have had seasons worthy of championships, but only one will get it and it’s a battle that should keep us entertained until the final lap at Barber Motorsports Park, September 23-25. A September to remember, it seems.
While this has mostly been the Gagne/Petrucci show, let’s not forget the other two riders who have won races in 2022 – Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Both of their wins came midseason at Road America with Scholtz excelling early in the season while Petersen has had his best races in the second half. Petersen has 10 podiums while Scholtz has eight.
That puts Petersen ahead of his fellow South African by 22 points with the two rounds and four races left on the schedule. Those two have also proven to be fast enough that a bad day for either Gagne or Petrucci doesn’t mean an automatic second place, it potentially means a fourth-place finish. Thus, the two Yamaha riders could play a role in the outcome of the championship.
“We are basically the second funded Yamaha team,” Scholtz said after finishing second to Gagne in race two at Pitt Race. “They definitely help us out but, at the end of the day, Westby pay my salary. Westby are the guys that hand me the contract offer every single year, so I just want to do the best I can for them. But if I can help Yamaha, I definitely will. I would love to see myself first and Jake (Gagne) second. That would be the most ideal situation.”
While the “Big Four” are solidified at the top of the standings, the battle for fifth in the championship will likely go to the bitter end.
Hector Barbera currently leads his Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate PJ Jacobsen by 20 points in the fight for fifth. While Jacobsen has more podiums (two to one), Barbera has fewer DNFs with the Spaniard missing out on points in just two races with Jacobsen has five non-scores in his column.
Behind them comes a throng of racers fighting inside the top 10. They are led by Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante in seventh with the Superbike rookie leading his teammate Jake Lewis by just five points. Eight points behind Lewis is Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who in turn leads Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by five points with the Kentuckian rounding out the top 10.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing teammates Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman are on the outside looking in and trail Gillim by 20 and 22 points, respectively.
NJMP Superbike Notes…
With his two victories last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Gagne became the eighth different rider to win an AMA Superbike race in the 13-year history of the series in the Garden State. The winningest rider in AMA Superbike history at NJMP is far and away Josh Hayes with his 11 Superbike victories at the facility, including the first two AMA Superbike races held at the track in Millville in 2009. Fittingly, Hayes is entered to race at NJMP this year on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship featured three races during its weekend at NJMP in 2021 to make up for the cancellation of its round at Circuit of The Americas.
Jake Gagne was dominant in the three races a year ago. On Saturday he beat Mathew Scholtz and Toni Elias in race one and he followed that up with two victories on Sunday – over Scholtz and Josh Herrin.
In addition to the clean sweep of the three races, Gagne also qualified on pole position on his Fresh N Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 (now the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team). Gagne lapped at 1:20.355 with Scholtz and Loris Baz joining him on the front row. Gagne’s best wasn’t a lap record, however, as that is still held by Cameron Beaubier – with his 1:19.806 coming during Superpole in 2020.
Although he’s not the lap record holder, Gagne is the race lap record holder with his 1:20.076 coming in race two last year on the 2.250-mile racetrack.
What a difference a really good year makes. Last year at NJMP, Gagne left Jersey with 16 career AMA Superbike victories, which tied him with MotoAmerica President and three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey for ninth on the all-time win list. A year later and Gagne has 27 victories and is just one behind former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies for sixth on the all-time list.
It’s a tradition that we have to bring up every year: Roger Hayden, who won twice at NJMP during his Superbike career, finished second there five times. Included in those five runner-up finishes were a .044 of a second loss to Josh Hayes in 2015, a .156 of a second loss to Toni Elias in 2016 and a .039 of a second loss to Elias in 2017. Hayden is always a winner to MotoAmerica and its fans, however, as he provides color commentary of MotoAmerica’s races on MotoAmerica Live+, the series’ live streaming and on-demand platform.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Determined To Extend Their Jersey Podium Streak This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round nine of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, New Jersey.
NJMP’s 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway has been a road course on which Mathew Scholtz and his Westby Racing team have had a lot of success, especially over the past three years. Mathew has finished on the podium in six straight Superbike races at New Jersey, going all the way back to 2019, and in the three Superbike races held at NJMP last year, The Scholtz Kid finished as runner-up in every single one of them.
“Heading into Jersey, I’m feeling confident,” Mathew said. “We’re coming off a really strong weekend at Pittsburgh. After the tough mid-season that we had, it felt like we finally found our way, and we were able to put all the pieces together to have a good race weekend. I felt that we had the pace to be battling up front.
“Jersey’s always been a very good track for me. It’s a tighter, twistier, more physical track, which suits me well. Our Yamaha Superbike has always gone well there. I want to keep building on Pittsburgh. All the changes that we’ve made are working well together. I’m looking forward to finishing the season off strong. I know that (Danilo) Petrucci and (Jake) Gagne have a big championship battle going on, and, if we do get into a battle with them in this weekend’s two races, we’ll take it as it comes. But, the main thing we need to do is just to focus on us. This is about the Westby team and continuing to improve from where we currently are.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. ET. Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast via tape delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET. Superbike race two is on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast LIVE on FS2.
For all the action from NJMP, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Two Rounds Remaining and Full Speed Ahead for Danilo Petrucci and Ducati
Four races with 100 points up for grabs and one point separating Danilo Petrucci and championship leader
Sunnyvale, Calif. – With just two rounds remaining, starting this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park and followed two weeks later with the finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has everything to play for as he’s a mere one point from the title leader and current champion, Jake Gagne.
Petrucci’s season has been a rollercoaster and the Italian has consistently bounced back to remain in the title hunt, with the chance of a rookie MotoAmerica Superbike title now firmly in his grasp. If he succeeds, it would be a first rider’s AMA Superbike/MotoAmerica Superbike title victory for Italy and the first for Ducati since Australian Troy Corser captured the 1994 title, also as a rookie.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9): “I’m thrilled to go racing again,” Petrucci said. “The last round was challenging but we know we need to improve the performance. There is no doubt—we need to win. I have ridden at New Jersey before, so the racetrack is not entirely new to me, so that is a bonus, but we have only one aim for this weekend, which is the top step of the podium.
The Medallia MotoAmerica Superbike action from New Jersey Motorsports Park will kick off with practice at 10:20 am EDT on Friday, September 9. Race one is scheduled for Saturday, September 10 at 3:10 pm and race two kicks off on Sunday, September 11 at 2:10 pm.
Podcast: Riding Tips From Yamaha Champions Riding School’s Nick Ienatsch
Yamaha Champions Riding School’s Nick Ienatsch gives some riding tips on the Edge Grip Podcast.
WorldSBK: Three-Way Title Fight Continues This Weekend At Magny-Cours
WorldSBK bursts back into action in France as Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu continue their three-way title fight
The second half of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season begins with the Pirelli French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The 2022 edition will see Pirelli as its Event Main Sponsor and the event will be taking place on September 9th-11th.
Pirelli has been the exclusive Official Tyre Supplier of the Championship since 2004, and since 2020 all classes has been using exclusively DIABLO™ Superbike slick tyres. Pirelli also supplies the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup as part of the SBK Roadway initiative.
WorldSBK in numbers
23-24 – Alvaro Bautista, at 23 wins, the same of Raymond Roche, is just outside the all-time top-10. His current rival Toprak Razgatlioglu occupies the 10th place together with Carlos Checa. It’s a double target for Bautista, as Carlos Checa is the most successful Spanish rider in history.
15 – Toprak Razgatlioglu led at least for one lap the last 15 races: data is available since 1998 and it’s the best streak since then, beating the 12 by Colin Edwards from Misano/1 to Imola/2 in 2002.
41 – 41 podium places for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Kawasaki follows at 30 and Yamaha at 27.
10-10 – The best grid spot for winning in Magny-Cours? It’s equally split as 10 wins came from pole and 10 from the second grid spot.
What to look out for in Magny-Cours
Championship P1 – 298 points
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati – Racing)
It will be Bautista’s fourth visit at the French circuit, the second one with Ducati.
He has never won at the French venue, his best result being fifth position in 2019.
Bautista starts the second half of the season as the Championship leader with a 31-point advantage over Rea.
“I think Magny-Cours will be a difficult race for us. Three years ago, I remember that my first practice was Race 1 so it wasn’t easy, I started from the back and then I was fighting for the win until Toprak hit me. Last year, I was quite good with Honda finishing sixth. But looking at the track itself and the weather conditions, I believe it will be hard for us. Let’s see, I go there positive with no expectations because I expect that we’ll suffer there.”
Championship P2 – 267 points
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea is the most successful rider at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with 9 wins. His last one was in the Tissot Superpole Race last year.
He holds the lap record of the French track with a fastest time of 1’36.374s set in 2021’s Race 1.
Rea is on a winless run of 9 races, his longest since he was second 10 times and third once at the beginning of 2019, when then-rookie Bautista was the winner in all those 11 races.
“Magny-Cours is a great place to start this last part of the season. It’s one of the most important part of the year because it’s six races in very quick succession. It’s important to be very strong and consistent, stay healthy through that period. Kicking off in Magny-Cours, a great start … It’s a good circuit for me and the team. Our ZX10RR works well there and I had lot of happy memories. So being September and coming into the autumn season in Europe, we have to expect anything in terms of weather. But we will be prepared either way. After a really solid test in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we have a good base to start the weekend and I look forward to continuing working with the team. Of course, the target is to be on the podium.”
Championship P3 – 260 points
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu has four wins at the French track and he took two wins at Magny-Cours in 2021, although he crossed the line first in all three races.
He took his first WorldSBK victory at the French venue back in 2019.
He stands in third place in the Championship standings and has reduced the gap to Rea to seven points.
“After the test in Barcelona, we are ready to race in Magny-Cours. It’s my favourite track. Last year was especially great with three wins… not two! This year, I’ll try again for three wins. I hope we won’t have rain in France. I will give my best again.”
Championship P4 – 148 points
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli’s best result at Magny-Cours is his third place in Race 1 2021.
He stands in fourth place in the Championship standings with 14-advantage over Rinaldi.
“I’m heading positive to Magny-Cours. After two days of testing in Barcelona we found a good base setup and I have a really good feeling with the bike. Now it will be interesting to be back on track. Magny-Cours was another great track for us last year because we had a podium there. I will give my maximum because it’s time to close the gap to the front and we need to stay with our competitors.”
Championship P5 – 134 points
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati Racing)
In 2021, Rinaldi’s best result at the French venue was a fourth place in Race 1.
He has been on the podium two times so far this season, both on home soil at Misano.
“We go to Magny-Cours after a positive test in Barcelona. I don’t know what to expect there because the weather conditions can change a lot. I will try to give my 100% and get the best result we can. It’s not a good moment overall, not because of the speed but for other reasons, but it is what it is and we’ll give our best.”
Championship P6 – 127 points
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
It will be Lecuona’s first visit to the historic French venue.
He is sixth in the Championship standings, only seven points behind Rinaldi.
“I’m happy to come back on track for the Championship after the summer break that allowed us to charge the batteries, although for me it has been a mix of rest and work. First, the wonderful experience at Suzuka 8 Hours, it was my first endurance race and so I had to learn lot of things. I enjoyed it a lot, not only racing but also sharing everything with two amazing teammates. Then we had a good test in Catalunya. I kept on the development work with my team and it allowed me also to regain the feeling with my bike, the tyres and the seat. Now we go to Magny-Cours, again a new track for me this year and I know nothing about it. I’ve only watched some videos from past races but the first day will be important in order to learn the layout and then the work will continue as always.”
To keep an eye on:
With five top five finishes in the last six races, including two podium places, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to get closer to the front. So far, his best result at the French track is a victory back in 2021. His teammate Michael van der Mark will make his return following his injury sustained in Estoril.
French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) stands in 11th place in the Championship standings. His best result so far in 2022 is a sixth place in Race 1 at Assen. His best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a second place in 2020 (Race 2).
Other local rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is 14th in the Championship standings. Most Race 2’s ninth place is his best result so far this season. In 2021, his best result at Magny-Cours was a 13th position in Race 2.
Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha), 22nd in the standings, will aim for a top ten finish at his home round. His best result of the 2022 season was a 12th place in Estoril and Assen. In 2021, he was 12th in Race 2, his best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
All five factory teams took part in a private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in August to prepare for the second part of the season. The factory teams were joined by the Bonovo Action BMW, Orelac Racing VerdNatura and TPR Team Pedercini Racing teams.
World Supersport: Huertas Heads FP1 At Rainy Magny-Cours
WorldSBK: Lowes Leads Rain-Affected FP1 At Magny-Cours
British Superbike: Final “Title Fighters” To Be Determined At Snetterton
Snetterton set to decide final Title Fighters in Bennetts British Superbike Championship battle
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to Snetterton for its annual visit to Norfolk, which will play a pivotal role in deciding who remains in 2022 title contention, this weekend (9/10/11 September).
Three riders already have their Title Fighter status confirmed ahead of the trip to Snetterton, but who joins Bradley Ray, Jason O’Halloran and Rory Skinner in the final eight line-up will be decided over three crucial races this weekend.
Leading the hunt is Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing Kawasaki’s Lee Jackson; his teammate Skinner confirmed his first Showdown appearance last time out, and the Lincolnshire contender is the only rider who can cement his place following the eBay Sprint Race on Saturday. Jackson needs to outscore Cadwell Park double winner Danny Buchan by 15-points to guarantee his Showdown status for the first time.
Glenn Irwin holds fifth in the standings and is another contender with a clear idea of what he needs to maintain his edge over the chasing pack. The Honda Racing UK rider has a 13-point advantage over Tommy Bridewell in sixth, but the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider was a podium finisher on the 300 circuit last year.
Defending champion Tarran Mackenzie is also yet to claim his place in the Title Fighter line-up and the McAMS Yamaha rider will be hoping for a repeat of his winning performance last year, when he claimed the Race of Aces title which is also up for grabs too this weekend.
The rider in the most precarious position ahead of the decisive three races is Kyle Ryde as the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha contender is currently eighth in the standings and only has a 14-point margin over Buchan.
There are a three riders outside of the current top eight who are ready to try and displace them from the 2022 line-up; led by Buchan who had an incredible performance at Cadwell Park to cut the deficit and keep his hopes of a Showdown place alive.
FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman and 2018 champion Leon Haslam on the VisionTrack Kawasaki are also mathematically in with a last chance of making the cut for the top eight as the battle to become 2022 Bennetts BSB champion is set to intensify.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 372 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 359 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) – 241 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) 225
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 214
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 201
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 186
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 178
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 164
Peter Hickman (FHO BMW) 144
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) 143
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Kyle Ryde
Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
Fighting for a Title Fighter position
“I know that I need to go to Snetterton, ride how I know I can ride, and bring a trophy home or something, then I should be there or thereabouts. I was determined to do it at Thruxton and it just didn’t happen, I didn’t think too much about Cadwell as the pace was ridiculous but that is just BSB for you though!
“Snetterton is one of my favourite tracks so I am looking forward to that, the test went well there earlier in the year and I know the Yamaha is a good bike there, so I just have to make the most of it and hopefully that secures my place in the Showdown.
“I rode the BMW there last year and it wasn’t one of its favourite tracks, so I suppose that is something in my head that I am a little bit happy about. Everyone has their bad luck, so I am just glad it is Snetterton that we are going to where we sort it out.”
Danny Buchan
SYNETIQ BMW
Fighting for a Title Fighter position
“I am obviously still on cloud nine after a great weekend at Cadwell Park! I was over the moon with a third and two wins, and bigger than that – we are in with a fighting chance of getting into the Showdown.
“That was massive for myself and the SYNETIQ BMW team as before the weekend I genuinely didn’t think I could get that 60-point gap back down. I just didn’t think it was a realistic gap to close, but 14 points now to Kyle in eighth is realistic.
“Snetterton is a great track for me and the BMW works well there from the first day I hopped on it this year at the test pre-season, so I am looking forward to going back and having a good consistent weekend.
“Ultimately the goal will be to challenge for the podium in all three races, because podium points are important. That is the goal and we will do everything we can to be in the top eight at the end of Sunday.”
MotoAmerica: How To Watch All The Action From NJMP
MotoAmerica: How To Watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch all the racing from New Jersey Motorsports Park!
American Enriquez Chosen For 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
8 future stars for Rookies Cup 2023
Three days of intense track action at the Selection Event featuring wonderful talents from around the globe resulted in 8 riders being invited to join the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.
The Autodromo di Modena in Italy proved to be a great venue and after the entry being split roughly in half for Day 1 and Day 2 a total of 54 were invited to ride again on Day 3.
The tension was heightened by rain that briefly delayed the start of Day 3 but then 7 sessions in the morning and the same number in the afternoon allowed all the riders two opportunities to show their abilities.
The 2022 Rookies Cup season still has two rounds to go with Aragon on September 17th and 18th then the finale in Valencia on the first weekend in November.
2023 will be the 17th year of the Cup and will benefit from the addition of the following riders:
Alberto Ferrandez Beneite (Spain)
Alvaro Carpe (Spain)
Hakim Danish (Malaysia)
Guido Pini (Italy)
Carter Thompson (Australia)
Leo Rammerstorfer (Austria)
Alexander Enriquez (USA)
Marco Morelli Chincolla (Argentina)
WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Says Magny-Cours Is His Favorite Track
Outspoken ahead of Magny-Cours
From 2023 rumours to Pirelli’s latest innovations and much more, the press room at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a busy one ahead of Round 7…
The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action this weekend at the historic Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the Pirelli French Round. The media room was in overdrive ahead of the round, with new tyre solutions, riders returning from injury and plenty of 2023 rider line-up gossip circulating – get all the rumours and insight with the big topics ahead of the round.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I’ll try and be competitive…”
“I approach the weekend like any other; for me, I haven’t done a lot of dry laps with the Ducati at this track three years ago, so I approach the round without any expectation. We’ll work from Friday to try and get a good feeling with the bike, the same as I have done at the rest of the rounds, and try to be as competitive as possible and then we’ll see. At Magny-Cours, the weather can be critical as sometimes you have a lot of rain or a lot of heat. In any case, I’ll try to be competitive and try and do my best.”
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “Every weekend is a new opportunity… last year, I learnt a lot from Toprak”
“Every weekend is a new opportunity to score good points. Magny-Cours in the wet is a tricky circuit, as there’s a lot of areas that can catch you out. In the dry, it’s straightforward with the chicanes, acceleration points and braking; you need a bike that’s a bit of compromise on stability and agility. Last year, I learnt a lot from Toprak, from accelerating off the first gear corners. I’m open-minded and ready to do three really strong races.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK): “The feeling is very good… this is my favourite track!”
“After a long break, the feeling is very good! This is my favourite track after Donington Park, and I hope that we see two or three wins like last year. After the big crash in Barcelona, I’m feeling much better; it was a very big crash for me but luckily, nothing was broken. Now, I’m riding a bike without a problem and not feeling any pain, which is good. I am feeling ready; I tested the new front tyre in Barcelona which wasn’t bad, but I don’t know about the rear one. I hope that there’s no rain for Friday, so that we can try the rear tyre! This is my favourite track and for me, it’s very important in the race. I’ll try my best again, like last year.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I don’t look at the position anymore; we’ll update about my future after this round”
“It’s been a strange summer for me. The goal is to just give 120% on the bike, I don’t look at the position anymore. If I give my 120% and win, I’ll be happy; if I give my 120% and I’m fifth, I’ll be happy. I don’t care about the result. We will update about my future after this round.”
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “Luck hasn’t been on our side… I’m really excited to come back!”
“I’m really excited to be back! This season has been really strange, and luck hasn’t been on our side, so I’m really excited to come back and finally start my season. I think for me, the main thing will be to stay calm. We can’t go into this weekend and expect a lot of things; it’s been a long time since riding a bike and my body feels a bit different. As a racer, it’s quite difficult to stay calm but I will have to do it step-by-step. Magny-Cours is a track I really enjoy, it’s a track that I can ride quite easily. I have to stay calm and not expect too much.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “I have a lot of energy to start the second part of the season… I’m really happy that Xavi is staying”
“I have a lot of energy to start the second part of the season. Again, it’s a new track and I’ve not watched a video! After the media duties, I’ll go with my crew chief and with a map to do a lap of the circuit before getting on the bike tomorrow. We did a test over two days in Barcelona and we improved a lot, but about the bike’s pace in general; we don’t have new parts. We tried the new front tyre from Pirelli, which was good for the fast lap time, but we’ll see here if it will be possible to use over the race or just in the Superpole. I’m really happy that Xavi is staying in the team for 2023; during the testing and first rounds, we spoke a lot and had a good strategy, trying to help each other – not too much as you need to beat him – but I’m happy to have him again next year. To develop the bike, we needed another fast rider.”
Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “I’m really excited to race in France… we’ll have fun for sure!”
“I’m really excited to race in France! I missed the round last year but two years ago, it was a great round for me. In 2020 though, it was a COVID year, so it wasn’t a full round with all the fans, and I’m looking forward to having a normal French Round with a lot of people coming! The bike is improving a lot and BMW brought a lot of parts for the Catalunya test. I’m pretty confident for the round and it’s a track that I really like; the weather usually goes one way or the other but hopefully, it doesn’t change too much and we’ll have fun for sure!”
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha): “It’s the right time… I’d like to win before I stop”
“It’s a long time of discussion and thinking but to be honest, it comes quite naturally and step-by-step. I feel like it’s the moment to completely change my life, but I’d like to decide when I stop. It’s the right time; I’d like to win before I stop, so I still have a few rounds! I want to enjoy the last part of my career and this part of my life before moving onto something new, but I just want to enjoy now. I have no pressure for this weekend and I’m fresh from injury. Maybe I’ll be on the podium this weekend… I’ll give my best!”
MotoAmerica: Titles May Be Clinched At NJMP
It’s Calculator Time As MotoAmerica Titles Go Down To The Wire At NJMP
At Least One Support-Class Championship Will Be Wrapped Up In New Jersey, September 9-11
IRVINE, CA (September 8, 2022) – With 100 championship points still up for grabs in the remaining two rounds (four races) of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship and a massive 76-point lead in his pocket, all Josh Herrin really needs to do this weekend to be crowned champion is find New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Hey, Josh, it’s in Millville.
With eight wins and 13 total podiums in 14 races, Herrin is in complete control of the Supersport Championship. If at any point in the weekend his lead exceeds 75 points, he will be crowned. In other words, if Herrin wins Saturday’s race one and Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers finishes second, Herrin’s lead will be 81 points. At that point, with only 75 points remaining, Herrin is champion. Win race one and it’s over.
Obviously, there are plenty of other scenarios, but the bottom line is that Herrin and/or his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team would have to have a massive fail. Two non-points-paying finishes in New Jersey combined with two wins by Landers and Herrin still goes to the Barber Motorsports Park finale with a 26-point lead. Based on how they’ve done this season, that’s a longshot of epic proportions.
Even with the championship likely falling to Herrin, Landers has had a sophomore season of Supersport racing he can be proud of with three wins and 10 podiums on his Landers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Ditto for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with the 16-year-old sitting third in the point standings in a rookie season that featured his career first win in the Superport class.
Scott has a near stranglehold on third with North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith sitting fourth in the standings over N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo, despite the fact that the Salvadorian has missed the past four races due to illness.
Luke Power Racing’s Luke Power trails Olmedo by just a single point with part-timer Josh Hayes seventh based on his four races as Olmedo’s fill-in and the VIRginia International Raceway round he competed in (and won a race) on his Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayes will be racing the Squid Hunter Yamaha at NJMP.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander On The Verge
By virtue of a seven-win season, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC’s Corey Alexander will likely clinch the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship this weekend in New Jersey.
Alexander is currently 39 points ahead of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim with just two races and 50 points left to play for. If he finishes Sunday’s lone Stock 1000 race at NJMP with at least a 25-point lead over Gillim, Alexander will be champion.
Gillim was on the verge of making this a championship battle that would go to the bitter end when he won race one at PittRace while Alexander soldiered on to score six points with a mechanical issue. But Gillim threw it all away the following day when the Kentuckian crashed out of race two after making contact with Alexander.
Gillim now leads Alexander’s teammate Travis Wyman by just six points in their battle for second in the championship. Altus Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch and Andy DiBrino are fourth and fifth, respectively, though DiBrino is not entered at NJMP. That should allow VisionWheel/DiscountTire/KWS’s Geoff May an easy pass into the top five if he can keep Danilo Lewis and Ezra Beaubier at bay.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Another Wyman
If Travis Wyman ends up coming away with the Mission King of The Baggers Championship on Sunday afternoon, there’s a good possibility that he won’t be the only Wyman crowned in 2022 as Cody Wyman holds down a 49-point lead in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship heading into New Jersey.
With six wins on the season (and two in a row) giving him a nine-podium season thus far, Wyman’s 49-point lead over Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio has to be 50 points after Sunday’s race two for the New Yorker to wrap up the title early. If he somehow grows his lead to 75 points after race one, that would also wrap things up.
It’s not just Rodio who is mathematically still alive, but also Bauce Racing/JL62 Team’s Joseph LiMandri Jr. and Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov with those two tied and 52 points behind Wyman – and just three behind Rodio.
With the unpredictability of the class, this one isn’t over until it’s really over.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Just One Point
The Medallia Superbike Championship isn’t the only one with a one-point margin going into NJMP as the REV’IT! Twins Cup title chase is also defined by a single-point margin at the top.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis is the rider at the top after a run of four podiums in the past four races. Davis has two wins and five total podiums to lead Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto by just a single point.
Mazziotto’s season hit its stride in the middle rounds with two wins, but he’s fallen on tough times of late with just 16 points coming out of the last two races at Pitt Race.
And his rival for the majority of the season has suffered an even tougher run of late. Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry looked to be cruising to a championship after four straight wins in May and June, but that’s gone to the wayside as he’s gone six straight races without a podium finish. Still, Barry is still alive in the title chase and is only five points behind Davis, setting up a three-rider duel to the end.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Buyck Leads
If not for disobeying a red flag at Road America, Kayleigh Buyck would have a perfect score of 100 points from the four races held thus far in 2022. With her points taken away in Wisconsin, she still leads the way by virtue of winning every race to lead Crystal Martinez by 22 points, 75-53.
And Chloe Petersen, with her three podiums is just a point behind Martinez heading into the NJMP round.
While she is not in the top three, Jennifer Chancellor appears to be the racer most likely to put an end to Buyck’s win streak. Chancellor led Buyck at PittRace until crashing out of the race on the final lap. Still, she had served notice that she has the speed to win.
The Royal Enfield BTR race will be held on Saturday at 1:10 p.m.
NJMP Support Class Notes…
Jake Lewis topped Ashton Yates by half a second to win the lone Stock 1000 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park last year. Local racer Mike Seipe was a surprised third in his only MotoAmerica appearance.
How close is close? Sean Dylan Kelly beat Richie Escalante to the line by .001 of a second to win the first of two Supersport races at NJMP in 2021. Sam Lochoff finished third in race one but came back to win race two for his first career MotoAmerica victory by beating Kelly by .040 of a second and Escalante by .088 of a second. Lochoff returns to action at NJMP after missing the past six races due to injury.
Close finishes were also the way of the weekend in the Twins Cup races with Cory Ventura taking race one over Kaleb De Keyrel by just .048 of a second. In race two it was Italian Tommaso Marcon beating Anthony Mazziotto by .049 of a second. Max Toth and Ventura were third and fourth, respectively, and less than half a second from victory.
Tyler Scott wanted no part of close battles in the two SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races as he rode to a three-second win over Gus Rodio and Joe LiMandri Jr. in race one. Race two was a complete runaway for Scott as he won by a tick over seven seconds over Rodio with Ben Gloddy third.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Title Time Beckons for Josh Herrin
Herrin on the verge of making history for Ducati as he closes in on the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has one hand and four fingers on the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship trophy as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend.
It’s been a watershed year for veteran Herrin with eight race wins in the bank and he holds a 76-point lead over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers in the Supersport series.
Herrin only needs to finish race one ahead of Landers and start race two with a 75-point buffer to be crowned champion.
A title for Herrin this weekend will make him a three-time AMA-sanctioned national champion after taking the 2013 AMA Superbike Championship and the 2016 Stock 1000 Championship.
This would also be the first MotoAmerica Supersport title for Ducati Motor Holdings and the first national championship victory globally for the Ducati Panigale V2.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2) : “I’m excited about New Jersey coming up,” Herrin said. “We have a chance at winning the championship this weekend. All we must do is finish ahead of Rocco (Landers) in race one and we will wrap it up. I’m hoping to get that done so I can enjoy the rest of the weekend and relax for race two, do some wheelies on the Ducati Panigale V2 and put on a great show for all the fans.”
Josh Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2 will be on track with the first practice session scheduled for Friday, September 9 at 9:40 am EDT. Race one will be held on Saturday, September 10 at 2:10 pm EDT and race two will go green on Sunday, September 11 at 1:20 pm EDT.
MotoAmerica: One Point Separates Gagne & Petrucci Heading To NJMP (Updated)
Just One Point Separates Gagne From Petrucci In 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship
Ultra-Close Title Chase Heads To New Jersey Motorsport Park, September 9-11.
IRVINE, CA (September 6, 2022) – After completing eight rounds, 16 races, 246 laps and 659.948 miles in the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship, just one point separates Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne from Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci as the series makes its way to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 9-11.
One measly point.
The two have arrived at this point in totally different ways. Gagne has won 10 races but has blundered in two of them with crashes that resulted in zero points. Petrucci, meanwhile, hasn’t had the pure pace that Gagne has had at most races, but he’s been there to pick up the pieces when his rival has faltered. The Italian has won four races. Two of those came with two dominating performances at Circuit of The Americas in round one, the other two after Gagne deposited his YZF-R1 in the gravel trap at Road Atlanta and then destroyed a second Yamaha at Brainerd International Raceway. In total, Petrucci has 14 podium finishes in 16 races and podiums in 11 straight races heading to NJMP.
Both have had seasons worthy of championships, but only one will get it and it’s a battle that should keep us entertained until the final lap at Barber Motorsports Park, September 23-25. A September to remember, it seems.
While this has mostly been the Gagne/Petrucci show, let’s not forget the other two riders who have won races in 2022 – Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Both of their wins came midseason at Road America with Scholtz excelling early in the season while Petersen has had his best races in the second half. Petersen has 10 podiums while Scholtz has eight.
That puts Petersen ahead of his fellow South African by 22 points with the two rounds and four races left on the schedule. Those two have also proven to be fast enough that a bad day for either Gagne or Petrucci doesn’t mean an automatic second place, it potentially means a fourth-place finish. Thus, the two Yamaha riders could play a role in the outcome of the championship.
“We are basically the second funded Yamaha team,” Scholtz said after finishing second to Gagne in race two at Pitt Race. “They definitely help us out but, at the end of the day, Westby pay my salary. Westby are the guys that hand me the contract offer every single year, so I just want to do the best I can for them. But if I can help Yamaha, I definitely will. I would love to see myself first and Jake (Gagne) second. That would be the most ideal situation.”
While the “Big Four” are solidified at the top of the standings, the battle for fifth in the championship will likely go to the bitter end.
Hector Barbera currently leads his Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate PJ Jacobsen by 20 points in the fight for fifth. While Jacobsen has more podiums (two to one), Barbera has fewer DNFs with the Spaniard missing out on points in just two races with Jacobsen has five non-scores in his column.
Behind them comes a throng of racers fighting inside the top 10. They are led by Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante in seventh with the Superbike rookie leading his teammate Jake Lewis by just five points. Eight points behind Lewis is Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who in turn leads Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by five points with the Kentuckian rounding out the top 10.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing teammates Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman are on the outside looking in and trail Gillim by 20 and 22 points, respectively.
NJMP Superbike Notes…
With his two victories last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Gagne became the eighth different rider to win an AMA Superbike race in the 13-year history of the series in the Garden State. The winningest rider in AMA Superbike history at NJMP is far and away Josh Hayes with his 11 Superbike victories at the facility, including the first two AMA Superbike races held at the track in Millville in 2009. Fittingly, Hayes is entered to race at NJMP this year on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship featured three races during its weekend at NJMP in 2021 to make up for the cancellation of its round at Circuit of The Americas.
Jake Gagne was dominant in the three races a year ago. On Saturday he beat Mathew Scholtz and Toni Elias in race one and he followed that up with two victories on Sunday – over Scholtz and Josh Herrin.
In addition to the clean sweep of the three races, Gagne also qualified on pole position on his Fresh N Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 (now the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team). Gagne lapped at 1:20.355 with Scholtz and Loris Baz joining him on the front row. Gagne’s best wasn’t a lap record, however, as that is still held by Cameron Beaubier – with his 1:19.806 coming during Superpole in 2020.
Although he’s not the lap record holder, Gagne is the race lap record holder with his 1:20.076 coming in race two last year on the 2.250-mile racetrack.
What a difference a really good year makes. Last year at NJMP, Gagne left Jersey with 16 career AMA Superbike victories, which tied him with MotoAmerica President and three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey for ninth on the all-time win list. A year later and Gagne has 27 victories and is just one behind former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies for sixth on the all-time list.
It’s a tradition that we have to bring up every year: Roger Hayden, who won twice at NJMP during his Superbike career, finished second there five times. Included in those five runner-up finishes were a .044 of a second loss to Josh Hayes in 2015, a .156 of a second loss to Toni Elias in 2016 and a .039 of a second loss to Elias in 2017. Hayden is always a winner to MotoAmerica and its fans, however, as he provides color commentary of MotoAmerica’s races on MotoAmerica Live+, the series’ live streaming and on-demand platform.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Determined To Extend Their Jersey Podium Streak This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round nine of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, New Jersey.
NJMP’s 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway has been a road course on which Mathew Scholtz and his Westby Racing team have had a lot of success, especially over the past three years. Mathew has finished on the podium in six straight Superbike races at New Jersey, going all the way back to 2019, and in the three Superbike races held at NJMP last year, The Scholtz Kid finished as runner-up in every single one of them.
“Heading into Jersey, I’m feeling confident,” Mathew said. “We’re coming off a really strong weekend at Pittsburgh. After the tough mid-season that we had, it felt like we finally found our way, and we were able to put all the pieces together to have a good race weekend. I felt that we had the pace to be battling up front.
“Jersey’s always been a very good track for me. It’s a tighter, twistier, more physical track, which suits me well. Our Yamaha Superbike has always gone well there. I want to keep building on Pittsburgh. All the changes that we’ve made are working well together. I’m looking forward to finishing the season off strong. I know that (Danilo) Petrucci and (Jake) Gagne have a big championship battle going on, and, if we do get into a battle with them in this weekend’s two races, we’ll take it as it comes. But, the main thing we need to do is just to focus on us. This is about the Westby team and continuing to improve from where we currently are.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. ET. Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast via tape delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET. Superbike race two is on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast LIVE on FS2.
For all the action from NJMP, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Two Rounds Remaining and Full Speed Ahead for Danilo Petrucci and Ducati
Four races with 100 points up for grabs and one point separating Danilo Petrucci and championship leader
Sunnyvale, Calif. – With just two rounds remaining, starting this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park and followed two weeks later with the finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has everything to play for as he’s a mere one point from the title leader and current champion, Jake Gagne.
Petrucci’s season has been a rollercoaster and the Italian has consistently bounced back to remain in the title hunt, with the chance of a rookie MotoAmerica Superbike title now firmly in his grasp. If he succeeds, it would be a first rider’s AMA Superbike/MotoAmerica Superbike title victory for Italy and the first for Ducati since Australian Troy Corser captured the 1994 title, also as a rookie.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9): “I’m thrilled to go racing again,” Petrucci said. “The last round was challenging but we know we need to improve the performance. There is no doubt—we need to win. I have ridden at New Jersey before, so the racetrack is not entirely new to me, so that is a bonus, but we have only one aim for this weekend, which is the top step of the podium.
The Medallia MotoAmerica Superbike action from New Jersey Motorsports Park will kick off with practice at 10:20 am EDT on Friday, September 9. Race one is scheduled for Saturday, September 10 at 3:10 pm and race two kicks off on Sunday, September 11 at 2:10 pm.
Podcast: Riding Tips From Yamaha Champions Riding School’s Nick Ienatsch
Yamaha Champions Riding School’s Nick Ienatsch gives some riding tips on the Edge Grip Podcast.
WorldSBK: Three-Way Title Fight Continues This Weekend At Magny-Cours
WorldSBK bursts back into action in France as Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu continue their three-way title fight
The second half of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season begins with the Pirelli French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The 2022 edition will see Pirelli as its Event Main Sponsor and the event will be taking place on September 9th-11th.
Pirelli has been the exclusive Official Tyre Supplier of the Championship since 2004, and since 2020 all classes has been using exclusively DIABLO™ Superbike slick tyres. Pirelli also supplies the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup as part of the SBK Roadway initiative.
WorldSBK in numbers
23-24 – Alvaro Bautista, at 23 wins, the same of Raymond Roche, is just outside the all-time top-10. His current rival Toprak Razgatlioglu occupies the 10th place together with Carlos Checa. It’s a double target for Bautista, as Carlos Checa is the most successful Spanish rider in history.
15 – Toprak Razgatlioglu led at least for one lap the last 15 races: data is available since 1998 and it’s the best streak since then, beating the 12 by Colin Edwards from Misano/1 to Imola/2 in 2002.
41 – 41 podium places for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Kawasaki follows at 30 and Yamaha at 27.
10-10 – The best grid spot for winning in Magny-Cours? It’s equally split as 10 wins came from pole and 10 from the second grid spot.
What to look out for in Magny-Cours
Championship P1 – 298 points
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati – Racing)
It will be Bautista’s fourth visit at the French circuit, the second one with Ducati.
He has never won at the French venue, his best result being fifth position in 2019.
Bautista starts the second half of the season as the Championship leader with a 31-point advantage over Rea.
“I think Magny-Cours will be a difficult race for us. Three years ago, I remember that my first practice was Race 1 so it wasn’t easy, I started from the back and then I was fighting for the win until Toprak hit me. Last year, I was quite good with Honda finishing sixth. But looking at the track itself and the weather conditions, I believe it will be hard for us. Let’s see, I go there positive with no expectations because I expect that we’ll suffer there.”
Championship P2 – 267 points
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea is the most successful rider at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with 9 wins. His last one was in the Tissot Superpole Race last year.
He holds the lap record of the French track with a fastest time of 1’36.374s set in 2021’s Race 1.
Rea is on a winless run of 9 races, his longest since he was second 10 times and third once at the beginning of 2019, when then-rookie Bautista was the winner in all those 11 races.
“Magny-Cours is a great place to start this last part of the season. It’s one of the most important part of the year because it’s six races in very quick succession. It’s important to be very strong and consistent, stay healthy through that period. Kicking off in Magny-Cours, a great start … It’s a good circuit for me and the team. Our ZX10RR works well there and I had lot of happy memories. So being September and coming into the autumn season in Europe, we have to expect anything in terms of weather. But we will be prepared either way. After a really solid test in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we have a good base to start the weekend and I look forward to continuing working with the team. Of course, the target is to be on the podium.”
Championship P3 – 260 points
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu has four wins at the French track and he took two wins at Magny-Cours in 2021, although he crossed the line first in all three races.
He took his first WorldSBK victory at the French venue back in 2019.
He stands in third place in the Championship standings and has reduced the gap to Rea to seven points.
“After the test in Barcelona, we are ready to race in Magny-Cours. It’s my favourite track. Last year was especially great with three wins… not two! This year, I’ll try again for three wins. I hope we won’t have rain in France. I will give my best again.”
Championship P4 – 148 points
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli’s best result at Magny-Cours is his third place in Race 1 2021.
He stands in fourth place in the Championship standings with 14-advantage over Rinaldi.
“I’m heading positive to Magny-Cours. After two days of testing in Barcelona we found a good base setup and I have a really good feeling with the bike. Now it will be interesting to be back on track. Magny-Cours was another great track for us last year because we had a podium there. I will give my maximum because it’s time to close the gap to the front and we need to stay with our competitors.”
Championship P5 – 134 points
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati Racing)
In 2021, Rinaldi’s best result at the French venue was a fourth place in Race 1.
He has been on the podium two times so far this season, both on home soil at Misano.
“We go to Magny-Cours after a positive test in Barcelona. I don’t know what to expect there because the weather conditions can change a lot. I will try to give my 100% and get the best result we can. It’s not a good moment overall, not because of the speed but for other reasons, but it is what it is and we’ll give our best.”
Championship P6 – 127 points
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
It will be Lecuona’s first visit to the historic French venue.
He is sixth in the Championship standings, only seven points behind Rinaldi.
“I’m happy to come back on track for the Championship after the summer break that allowed us to charge the batteries, although for me it has been a mix of rest and work. First, the wonderful experience at Suzuka 8 Hours, it was my first endurance race and so I had to learn lot of things. I enjoyed it a lot, not only racing but also sharing everything with two amazing teammates. Then we had a good test in Catalunya. I kept on the development work with my team and it allowed me also to regain the feeling with my bike, the tyres and the seat. Now we go to Magny-Cours, again a new track for me this year and I know nothing about it. I’ve only watched some videos from past races but the first day will be important in order to learn the layout and then the work will continue as always.”
To keep an eye on:
With five top five finishes in the last six races, including two podium places, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to get closer to the front. So far, his best result at the French track is a victory back in 2021. His teammate Michael van der Mark will make his return following his injury sustained in Estoril.
French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) stands in 11th place in the Championship standings. His best result so far in 2022 is a sixth place in Race 1 at Assen. His best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a second place in 2020 (Race 2).
Other local rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is 14th in the Championship standings. Most Race 2’s ninth place is his best result so far this season. In 2021, his best result at Magny-Cours was a 13th position in Race 2.
Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha), 22nd in the standings, will aim for a top ten finish at his home round. His best result of the 2022 season was a 12th place in Estoril and Assen. In 2021, he was 12th in Race 2, his best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
All five factory teams took part in a private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in August to prepare for the second part of the season. The factory teams were joined by the Bonovo Action BMW, Orelac Racing VerdNatura and TPR Team Pedercini Racing teams.