Yamaha Factory Racing rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga won Japanese Superbike (a.k.a. JSB1000) Race Two Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit, in Japan.
Riding his Bridgestone-shod YZF-R1, Nakasuga won the 16-lap race by 2.571 seconds over his teammate Yuki Okamoto.
Teppei Nagoe finished a close third on a SDG Honda Racing CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
For Nakasuga, it was his 27th consecutive win and his 80th career Japanese Superbike/JSB1000.
No.15_JSB1000_RACE.2_決勝正式結果表
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman finished a near-perfect weekend by winning MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Wyman recovered from a bad start on his factory Road Glide, took the lead on the opening lap, and went on to win the eight-lap race by 1.830 seconds.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara led on the first lap, but he ran off the track in Turn 10 and dropped from first to fourth. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian rider then worked his way back up to second, where he finished.
Bobby Fong also recovered from running his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger off the track during the race to finish third.
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Progressive Fresh N Lean Yamaha’s Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
It was one of the most exciting Superbike races in recent memory with four riders battling for the win until the very end.
Gagne won by 0.575 second over Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, who crossed the finish line 0.275 second ahead of third-place Mathew Scholtz on the Westby Racing Yamaha.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin was dueling with Beaubier for the lead on the last lap when they came together at 185 mph on the kinked back straightaway. Herrin was put off line, which caused him to run off the track in Turn 10. He recovered quickly enough to salvage fourth place.
Richie Escalante rounded out the top five finishers on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Gagne Wins MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Thriller At Road Atlanta
Four-Rider Fight For Victory Goes To Jake Gagne In Race Two Of The Superbike Opening Round At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – Four riders battled to the bitter end on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in what was the most exciting Medallia Superbike race in recent memory. And when the smoke cleared after 15 intense laps it was defending two-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne crossing the finish line first on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, just half a second ahead of yesterday’s winner Cameron Beaubier on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Just prior to the finish, it was anybody’s race when the four ran together down the backstraight and through the 180-mph kink when Beaubier’s line pushed him wide and nearly forced Josh Herrin off the track. That left a giant hole between Beaubier and Herrin to go through, and Gagne went through it. Herrin recovered but couldn’t get his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati stopped for the chicane and his off-track excursion allowed Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz to pass him, putting Scholtz third and Herrin fourth at the finish line. Scholtz was .850 of a second behind Gagne with Herrin some two seconds behind after getting his Panigale V4 R back on track.
The win was Gagne’s first of the season and the 30th MotoAmerica Superbike victory of his career and it put him into a tie with Beaubier at the top of the championship standings after one round and two races. The pair both have 45 points with the series heading to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-21.
Scholtz and the Westby Racing crew worked hard over the course of the weekend and the South African said they’d made huge progress over the course of the three days. He was rewarded with a podium finish on Sunday.
Herrin was also happy on Sunday afternoon, despite missing out on the podium. The two races were just his second and third outings on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R and he landed on the podium in Saturday’s race.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fifth on Sunday, some three seconds ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and his teammate Corey Alexander.
The returning Toni Elias was eighth on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the top 10.
Notably missing from the results was Gagne’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen. The South African’s difficult weekend ended early when his Yamaha YZF-R1 caught fire just a few laps into the race.
With Gagne and Beaubier tied atop the standings with 45 points, Herrin is third with 29 points, two ahead of Scholtz and eight ahead of Escalante.
Superbike Race 2
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“Got off to another good start, and me and Cam (Beaubier)… those first couple laps, five or six laps, Cam knew I wanted to push the pace. Any opportunity Cam could to shove it in me and he was great going into (turn) 10A. I was struggling big time down into there, so he passed me a bunch of times there. We were side by side through one, through 10A, 10B a couple times. So, it was fun battling. I haven’t had that close of racing in a while. Those first couple laps, I kind of forgot about everybody else. I wasn’t even looking at my pit board. I thought it was just kind of me and Cam. Then all of a sudden, midway through, Herrin comes by, and I still see plus zero. So, I didn’t know if it was (Mathew) Scholtz behind us, but somebody was. So, I’m like, ‘We’ve got a whole pack here.’ The bike was awesome. My drives are awesome. I was still struggling on the brakes, but I think that was just because of me and after a couple laps, I was really pumped up. So, I kind of tried to just chill and relax and tried to just breathe and watch what those guys were doing a little differently and watch them battle each other. For the last lap, it was hard to really have a plan. Obviously, both of those bikes were really fast and really strong down into 10 through the kink. So, I was kind of just hoping for the best. I figured maybe they both would have a little braking battle in there and I could drive up under the bridge, but it was nuts. Like Cam said, with the wind, I didn’t really know what happened. I just saw them kind of hit and then they parted. The seas parted and I just shot down the center of them, and from then on out, I led into 10A. Like I said, my bike was really good driving up over the hill and just protected the inside line. It was fun. That was really fun racing, close racing. I haven’t had stuff like that in a lot of years, actually. Racing with guys like this that I’ve spent my whole career racing with all these guys, so it was fun. I’m sure we put on a good show. Again, I think luck was on my side a little bit with those guys coming together, for sure. But I’m glad everybody stayed on track because that’s scary. 180 miles an hour something scary could happen there. So, I’m just glad we all brought it home. Good start to the year. We scored points in the first two races, so I can’t complain.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second
“At the beginning, I was doing everything I possibly could to hang onto Jake (Gagne). He just had some pace. Luckily, my bike was fast and every time I would get close to him, I just went for a pass. He made me look dumb. Rode around the outside of me a couple times. That didn’t feel good, but I’m sure it looked good on TV. That was a wild race. Then I settled down, and tried to control the race because I knew my bike was fast and I was good on the brakes. I was struggling in some other spots, but I was doing the best I could with what we have right now. My bike was super-fast. I was trying to get to those last three laps and then put my head down and be good on the brakes and try to hold them off. Then (Josh) Herrin came by me and got in another pretty good battle with us. Man, that last lap was so hairy. I’m just super happy everyone’s safe after that one. He ran me a little wide on the straightaway, and then I went into the fast right-hander pretty tight. I went to lean in, and he was on the outside of me. I just didn’t turn. I pushed the front a little bit. It was terrifying. He was right on the outside of me, and I ran him wide. I was afraid I ran him off the track. You’re doing 180 miles an hour through that corner. So, I glanced over my shoulder. Saw he was good, and then Jake and him blew by me on the brakes. There was nothing I could do to fight Jake going through the last section. Glad everyone is safe. Super stoked to get out of here with a one-two. Didn’t really even know what to expect coming into this round. Just massive thank you to the Tytlers BMW guys. It was an interesting off-season riding at a different track than I’ve ever ridden at doing some testing and stuff, other than Buttonwillow. So, just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“To be honest, the first couple laps I was just hanging on. We made quite a few changes from the first race. I was just still feeling out what the bike was kind of doing. I felt like the strong parts of the track for me, I was really, really quick, but the weaker parts I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot that I could kind of pass in, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. So, I just have to give a big shout out to the Westby Racing team. Of course, after the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the second restart of this race now. So, at least now we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that. Just thank you to the Westby Racing team. Hopefully we’ll be challenging these boys next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Herrin and Forés Shine in an Excellent 2023 Season Debut in Georgia
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 23, 2023 — MotoAmerica 2023 roared into life at Road Atlanta in Georgia this weekend with Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés doing the Ducatisti proud with exceptional performances in the Superbike and Supersport categories, respectively.
Herrin’s first race on the factory-spec Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V4 R saw the current MotoAmerica Supersport Champion in the mix from the first green light of the weekend.
Using all his racing craft, Herrin scored a debut podium in race one on Saturday behind winner Cameron Beaubier (BMW) and current Superbike champion, second-placed Jake Gagne (Yamaha).
However, this was only the appetizer as Herrin engaged in what can only be described as a race for the ages in Sunday’s race two with Beaubier, Gagne and Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha), leading on the last lap but somehow pulling off an incredible save at over 190 mph down the back straight when he and Beaubier touched while fighting for the lead.
Herrin finished fourth at the finish and now lies third in the points after the first round.
In the Supersport class, it was a red-letter weekend for Xavi Forés as the vastly experienced Spaniard did what was expected of his talent by securing two dominant victories in his MotoAmerica Supersport debut.
Riding the number 12 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2, the new father Forés was the class of the field in Georgia and leaves The Peach State with a perfect 50-point tally, some 17 points up on Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round One
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 45
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 45
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 29
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 27
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 21
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round One
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 50
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 33
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 33
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 32
P5 – Michael Gilbert (Suzuki) 22
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V2 – Ducati #12)
“It was a great weekend,” Forés enthused. “Today was slightly difficult at the beginning of the race because I didn’t gain any positions off the start, but, lap by lap, things got better. When I got the lead I put my rhythm on and knew I was very strong under brakes at the end of the back straight, so I used that to my advantage. I just tried to do consistent laps so I could relax a bit at the end of the race. We have the championship lead and now it is back home to Spain to see my new baby!”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – Ducati #2)
“It’s a crazy feeling to be fighting for a superbike win because I’m still so new to the bike,” Herrin said. “I would not have expected to be in this position after Friday because I needed to rethink my mentality and work to close the gap between Jake (Gagne) and the rest. In race one, I saw I was getting close and today, I knew if I could hang within one second of Jake, I could win the race. Within five laps, things started to come to me and I thought, maybe I could lead the race and try to make a break, but I couldn’t quite manage that pace.” Josh Continued.
“But I couldn’t leave anything on the table and it ended up being one of the best superbike races anyone’s seen in a really long time. This is, without doubt, the best I’ve ever felt on a superbike in my career and it’s only going to get better.”
Round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on May 19-21, 2023.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz Podiums In MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two At Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA – April 23, 2023 – Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, wrapped up the opening round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a third-place result in Sunday’s race two, which was an improvement over his fifth-place result in Saturday’s race one. The podium result gave him and the team encouragement for round two of the Championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19 through 21.
In Sunday’s race, Mathew was part of a group of four riders at the front who battled each other all the way to the checkered flag. On the final lap, Josh Herrin, who was one of the other three riders, got pushed wide, which allowed Mathew to overtake him and finish third behind Cameron Beaubier in second and Jake Gagne, who ultimately won the race.
“We made quite a few changes after the first race,” Mathew said. “So, in race two, I was still feeling out what the bike was doing. I felt like, in certain sections of the track, I was really, really quick, but in other sections, I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot where I could pass, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But, otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. I have to give a big shout-out to the Westby Racing team. After the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the restart of today’s race. So, at least now, we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that.”
As mentioned above, the Westby Racing team will be back in action on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
MotoAmerica Superbike Standings
1. Jake Gagne – Yamaha – 45
1. Cameron Beaubier – BMW – 45
3. Josh Herrin – Ducati – 29
4. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 27
5. Richie Escalante – Suzuki – 19
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit http://www.WestbyRacing.com
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
Spaniard Xavi Fores made it two for two with a victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, Fores won the 18-lap race by 1.468 seconds.
Stefano Mesa passed Josh Hayes on the final lap to score second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes looked destined to finish a distant fourth near the halfway point but pushed forward to score third place, just 0.2 second behind Mesa, on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium position all the way to the finish but got pushed down to fourth, 0.095 second behind Hayes, in the end.
Michael Gilbert rounded out the top five on his Michael Gilbert Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Double Wins For Fores, Dreher, Beaubier And Wyman At Road Atlanta
Saturday’s Winners Win Again On Sunday At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – There were three first-time winners in MotoAmerica racing on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. On Sunday, those three became two-time victors as Xavi Fores, Avery Dreher and Ezra Beaubier showed that their first wins definitely weren’t flukes.
Also doubling up was Kyle Wyman with the H-D Screamin’ Eagle-backed New Yorker winning a second Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday to go with his Saturday victory.
Supersport – Fores Times Two
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores followed up his debut Supersport win on Saturday with another flawless performance on Sunday. The Spaniard started slower than in yesterday’s race but finished with a bit more comfort as he topped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa by 1.4 seconds after 18 laps of Road Atlanta.
Mesa, meanwhile, had worked his way past Squid Hunter’s Josh Hayes for second place on the final lap with Hayes ending up third for a second time on the weekend. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fourth after finishing second on Saturday.
Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert was fifth, matching his effort from race one.
Fores leads the title chase with 50 points, 17 ahead of Mesa and Scott, who are tied for second, and 18 ahead of Hayes.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Again
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman rode his Harley-Davidson Road Glide to victory after passing Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara on the opening lap and sped to his second successive Mission King Of The Baggers victory at Road Atlanta.
O’Hara finished 1.830 seconds behind Wyman with Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian’s Bobby Fong third. Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teamsters Hayden Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
With his third straight victory, Wyman now leads the championship point standings with 75 points, eight points clear of Rispoli and 10 points ahead of Gillim. Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion O’Hara is 14 points behind in fourth place.
Stock 1000 – Beaubier Is Double Trouble
Ezra Beaubier admitted surprise that he won his first career Stock 1000 race on Saturday. On Sunday, the youngest of the two Beaubier brothers came back to Road Atlanta filled with the confidence of a race winner. And he turned all of that into a second win in a row on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR, this time over Geoff May Racing’s Geoff May by six seconds with the 25-year veteran of the sport announcing his retirement from racing this weekend.
Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp put his BMW on the podium with an impressive ride to third, 6.2 seconds behind Beaubier and two seconds ahead of fifth-placed Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel was running second and right behind his Orange Cat Racing teammate Beaubier when he got into turn 12 too hot on the final lap and ran straight, losing three places to May, Knapp and fourth-placed Travis Wyman.
Beaubier’s perfect 50 points puts him 14 points ahead of May and 17 clear of Travis Wyman.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Landers Rebounds
Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers suffered an engine failure while leading Saturday’s REV’IT Twins Cup race. On Sunday, he came out with guns blazing and completely dominated the race, beating his teammate Gus Rodio by 4.166 seconds. Third place, for the second straight day, went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, who was 8.31 seconds behind championship leader Rodio at the end of the 12-lap race.
Defending class champion and Saturday’s race winner Blake Davis crashed early in the race but was able to remount his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7 to finish 11th.
After four races, Rodio leads the title chase with 85 points – 26 more than Schultz and 29 ahead of Davis.
Junior Cup – Dreher X Two
Turns out that Avery Dreher liked winning so much he decided to do it again with the Bad Boys Racing rider earning his second straight Junior Cup win on Sunday with a .949-second victory over Max Van, who was second for the second straight day.
Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese was third for the second day in a row, just 1.080 seconds from victory.
With his two wins, Dreher leads Van by 10 points heading to Barber in a month’s time.
Quotes…
Ezra Beaubier – Stock 1000 Winner
“Well, I hope it becomes a habit. Honestly I woke up today just with a completely different feeling. I finally had the confidence. I can do this now. I can run with these guys. I just felt really good. We found some stuff with the bike last night and it was really positive. In warmup, I basically matched my fastest lap of the race yesterday in warmup. I wasn’t really pushing super hard, so I felt super good going into the race, super confident. I felt like I could rip off a bunch of the 1:26s in the race, and I was able to execute that. In the beginning, I tried to pull out and see if I could get a gap, and I really wasn’t able to, so I just kind of backed it down and sat there. Then towards the end of the race, tried to pick it back up again. I saw on my pit board that Kaleb was right there on me. On the last lap on the back straight, I felt him in my draft and started almost panicking a little bit. I tried to run a defensive line. Then he ended up running off in the last turn, which is a huge bummer not to go one and two as the Orange Cat BMW’s. But it was a great race and a great weekend for me. I hope to have many more of these.”
Avery Dreher – Junior Cup Winner
Honestly, I went into the race with the same mindset, the same strategy as yesterday. I tried to fall in line at the beginning of the race, but they caught us towards the middle, so it was the same pack as yesterday. I’m glad we were going a lot faster than yesterday. Towards the end of the race, I felt like I had some pace to break away, so I made the move into 10A. I looked back once or twice. Saw that I had a gap and just put my head down. Happy with the result. Good job to Max and Hayden. Looking forward to Barber.”
Rocco Landers – REV’IT! Twins Cup Winner
“Yesterday, I knew I was kind of screwed on lap one. I felt the thing starting to lose power off the start and then again on turn seven, but those days happen. It’s infuriating sometimes, but you got to bounce back. You have a good day after this. It kind of polishes it off and makes everything feel a whole lot better. But you lose 25 points and end up having a DNF. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a bummer, and a day like today actually makes that feel a whole lot better. I didn’t even know I was racing until I think last weekend. I was literally hanging insulation and my dad comes in and goes, ‘Hey, Matt called and he wants to know if you want to fill in for Ben Gloddy for the week.’ I was like, ‘Definitely!’ I didn’t know if I was going to be racing. It’s an incredible opportunity. I feel very grateful towards Matt for giving me that opportunity. My mechanic Chad worked super hard along with Matt all weekend to give me the best bike they could. We’ve made very positive changes every time I’ve got on the bike. Every time I’ve ridden it, it’s felt better and better and better. My dad actually flew in Friday afternoon, and I didn’t know he was going to be there, so that helped out and made it a whole lot more fun. Days like this are what you always want, so let’s hope we can have some more of these, depending on how long I’m filling in here.”
Xavi Fores – Supersport Winner
“Today was slightly worse on my start. I did a mistake releasing the clutch and I couldn’t get any positions. I was fourth at the end of the first part of the circuit. Then on the back straight, I felt strong on the brake like yesterday, so I couldn’t pass Josh (Hayes) and stay fighting for the podium at the beginning. It was not that easy to pass Stefano (Mesa) and Tyler (Scott), especially on the back straight, because Stefano is quite fast on the straight. He is quite aerodynamic. I was trying to stay there, there, there. He did a small mistake shifting on the exit of turn seven, so I got a chance to pass him on the braking. Then I was so focused to pass Tyler because he was riding fast, but he was a little bit like aggressive all the time. I said, okay, if I pass him, I can push hard and I can make him go to the limit. So, that was my target for today. I don’t know why, from one lap to the other I got some gap to the second one. I don’t know if we got a slow rider, and I got that benefit. But, after that, I start to keep my pace all the time. I didn’t do any mistakes. It was a nice victory. It wasn’t easy because I was pushing really, really hard. Today was much faster than yesterday – 29 low all the time. We did a couple of 28s, maybe. Credit to the guys fighting for the podium with me because we set a fast pace all the weekend, and especially today on the second race. It’s nice to fight with them. It’s nice to have a group of four or five riders fighting for the podium, because everyone can learn from each other. This is the important. This gives spectacle to the class, gives some show to the class. This is something that we need for the crowd. So, thank you so much to all the team. They did an amazing work. Ducati, HSBK Warhorse, and especially thanks to Paolo Ciabatti, who sent me a guy from Ducati for this weekend in order to set up my bike. Especially after Daytona I didn’t feel so much comfortable on the bike. So, we changed completely the bike from there and I felt straightaway quite fast. Now time to go back home and see my baby and my family.”
Kyle Wyman – Mission King Of The Baggers Winner
”That’s how you want to do it, aside from the challenge was a little bit of a throwaway, but we won every session and won both races. That’s kind of how you want to do it. I kind of wheelied on the start and had to roll out of it. Didn’t quite get the launch I wanted. Went to the brakes a little bit sheepishly, I would say, for turn one and Tyler got the wheel underneath me. I haven’t ridden behind Tyler in what feels like a long time. I don’t think at all this year and maybe even towards the end of last year not so much. So, just to see that thing. There were a couple places where I felt like our strength in that first sector really showed. Even on the warmup lap, I felt like if I wanted to get a run over turn five, I needed to give myself a little bit of space actually because we’ve got pretty tall gearing through there. So, I kind of gave myself a little bit of space. Gave myself an opportunity to see where the strengths and weaknesses were between the two of us. I had a pretty good run on the back straightaway. He touched the rev limiter in one of his gears and kind of got me a little bit of a run down the back straight, it seemed like. I hit my shifts pretty good, but he might have missed one and it got me alongside of him going through nine. We were kind of side-by-side going through ten. We were both fighting for the position a little bit. He ended up taking the extra bite that put him off the track but kept it on two wheels and ended up second. But from there, I had about a second gap and then built it up to two, or 2.6. Then just kind of managed the pace from there. Went a little bit quicker today than yesterday, as did everybody I think went quicker today. I had a side quess of a 29 and didn’t quite get it this weekend, but it’s no big deal if we got the W.”
Rocco Landers came back from a disappointing mechanical DNF in Race One on Saturday to win MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Riding a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 in place of injured Ben Gloddy, Landers won the 12-lap race by 4.166 seconds.
Gus Rodio, Landers’ teammate and the Race One runner-up, finished second, just ahead of Cycle Tech Yamaha rider Hayden Schultz.
Stefano Mesa was in the race for second place but faded at the end and had to settle for fourth on his The WagBar MP13 Yamaha.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. rounded out the top five finishers on his Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7.
Defending Champion and Race One winner Blake Davis was battling for a podium position when he crashed on lap five. It took Davis some time to get his N2/BobbleHeadmoto Yamaha restarted, but when he did he went from 17th to 11th in the remaining laps.
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Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki rider Avery Dreher won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki’s Max Van was the runner-up, and Bicknese Racing Kawasaki’s Hayden Bicknese finished third.
It was the same top-three finishing order as in Race One.
Alessandro Di Mario crashed his Altus Motorsports Kawasaki while trying to pass Van for second place on the final lap.
Fairium NGRT/Gray Area KTM’s Rossi Moor did not start the race due to a mechanical problem.
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Ezra Beaubier backed up his career-first MotoAmerica race win on Saturday by winning Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Beaubier, the younger brother of Cameron Beaubier, officially won the race by over six seconds on his Orange Cat Racing BMW, but his teammare Kaleb De Keyrel was right behind him until De Keyrel ran off track in the final corner on the final lap.
This promoted Geoff May to the runner-up spot on his Geoff May Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. May announced that this would be his final professional road race and that he was retiring.
Apex/SWG Motorsports BMW rider Taylor Knapp picked up his pace from Race One to score third place in Race Two, right behind and May and just ahead of fourth-place Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman.
De Keyrel got back on the track in time to salvage fifth.
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Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.
Bautista, the defending World Champion, won the race, his sixth of the season, by 3.915 seconds on his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1.
Razgatlioglu’s teammate Andrea Locatelli finished third, 7.416 seconds behind Bautista.
American Garrett Gerloff got 12th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Crashers in Race Two included Loris Baz, Iker Lecuona, Bradley Ray, Jonathan Rea, Michael van der Mark, and Xavi Vierge.
WSBK R2
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Hat-trick of wins at Assen for reigning World Champion Bautista
Alvaro Bautista took his eighth victory in nine starts as the 2022 WorldSBK Champion stamps his authority with Assen hat-trick, which was also Ducati’s 400th win.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
It’s a fantastic feeling I’m having now. It’s an incredible milestone for Ducati with 400 victories. Congrats to Ducati for all the history they are making! On my side, I’m happy. More than the result, I’m happy because the feeling with the bike is amazing. Yesterday, I felt good, but we had some problems in the race that maybe because you cannot notice from the outisde, but I felt it on the bike, and I know when I am able to go faster, or when I can have a better feeling and when I cannot. So, today we made a change on the bike in the set up, and already in the morning I felt much better. In in the Superpole race, I started to push harder and harder and I see the limit of the bike was more far than yesterday.
“I was able to go really fast in the Superpole Race. Also, in Race 2, I was able to be more precise in my riding, and it was more enjoyable. I could also manage better the wind because today it was a bit stronger, and its direction was different, especially in the first part of the race. I must understand in which area the wind helped me to close corner and in which area I had to be careful too because push me out. And at the end I could get a good pace, I was able to be on the limit and I could pull the limit of the bike and I’m happy because I did that. This is, I think, the maximum. So, I’m happy because I gave my best, despite the circumstance. It has really been a perfect weekend for us.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu secured second place in Race 2 for his sixth consecutive podium finish. The 2021 WorldSBK Champion stands in second place in the Championship standings with 118 points.
Race 2 saw Jonathan swap places and trade paint once again with Bautista and Razgatlioglu. In the heat of the battle, Rea crashed out at Turn 9 from a podium position as he pushed for a first win of the year.
Andrea Locatelli was third, claiming his fourth podium of the season so far. After nine races, he has already equaled his best podium tally from 2021. Locatelli maintains his third place in the standings and sits only 14 points behind Razgatlioglu.
Rookie Dominique Aegerter crossed the finish line in fifth place but finished fourth following Axel Bassani’s penalty for a track limits infraction on the final lap; Bassani was demoted one place. Today’s fourth place is the Swiss rider’s best result in WorldSBK. Teammate Remy Gardner completed Race 2’s top six.
Dutch rider Michael van der Mark crashed at Turn 16 and was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. He was subsequently transported to hospital for further assessments on a suspect left femur fracture, and this injury was confirmed following his checks at hospital.
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had more history written at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round as Italian manufacturer Ducati claimed their 400th victory in WorldSBK history after Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick in the Netherlands. Ducati become the first manufacturer to reach this milestone.
The battle for the lead involved Bautista, Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages of the race with all three taking their chance to lead throughout the race. Razgatlioglu made his move for the lead on Lap 3 but Bautista responded quickly, before Rea made his move on Lap 5 at the same Turn 8. Bautista was able to respond almost immediately to re-claim the lead and Rea’s race would come to an end on the following lap. He lost the front of his Kawasaki machine at Turn 9 on Lap 6 which put him out of the race.
It meant the fight for victory became between Bautista and Razgatlioglu, but the reigning Champion was able to pull out a gap over Razgatlioglu as he claimed his 40th WorldSBK win and Ducati’s 400th win in WorldSBK. Razgatlioglu was unchallenged as he took second place in Race 2 to continue his run of podium finishes, now at six races. He was directly ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli in third, matching his podium tally from 2021 and doubling his count from 2022. Locatelli had to fend off a challenge from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who took fifth place.
WorldSBK will return with the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round taking place from the 5th to the 7th of May at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Justin Barcia Masterful in the Mud of the East Rutherford Supercross
Max Anstie Grabs First Supercross Win in 250SX East West Showdown
East Rutherford, N.J., (April 23, 2023) Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia captured lightning in a bottle and took the win at Round 14 of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season in front of die-hard fans who braved rain and a thunderstorm delay.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac finished second on the rain-drenched and deep-rutted track inside MetLife Stadium. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen found enough track through the standing puddles to take home third place in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The riders earned points for both the Supercross season and also the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship. In the season’s first of two East/West Showdowns, Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie took his career-first win over the top racers from both regional divisions.
In an unprecedented weather delay, thunderclouds approaching MetLife Stadium required the racers on the starting line of the 250SX Class East/West Showdown to evacuate the starting area. The riders, along with every spectator in the stadium, retreated to cover for what turned out to be a 1.5 hour delay to the racing as the clouds dumped rain on the track.
When the gate finally dropped for the 450SX Class Main Event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson officially took the holeshot but it was Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton who immediately established himself as the race leader. The deep mud and chaotic first lap shuffle saw Barcia jump into the lead for a moment before Ken Roczen took it over. Barcia dropped back to third, but before the first pass through the whoops Barcia cut under Sexton. The two bikes made light contact and Sexton went down as half the pack raced past him.
Roczen stretched out his lead; just two and a half minutes into the race he held a three second gap over Barcia in the abbreviated 17-minute plus one lap race. Points leader Eli Tomac quickly established himself in third place ahead of Yamaha Truck Central LLC’s Benny Bloss, Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson, and Next Level Racing KTM’s Kevin Moranz. Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb was fighting his way up from seventh place and Sexton had recovered from his tip over and ran eighth.
Less than four minutes in, the top three, Roczen, Barcia, and Tomac, had separated from the field while Sexton and Webb scrapped for fifth. Sexton quickly moved past Webb and set his sights on Bloss in fourth place.
Barcia’s wide-open riding style agreed with the brutal conditions, and six minutes into the race he was on Roczen. Barcia made the identical move on Roczen that he used on Sexton, but when Barcia took over the top spot Roczen stayed upright. From there Barcia pulled steadily away while Tomac inched closer to Roczen. Sexton was into fourth, but 23 seconds back from Tomac, with Webb in fifth 24 seconds back from Sexton.
The race action was with Tomac. The Yamaha rider got to Roczen’s rear fender with just over three minutes left on the race clock. After an exciting battle, Roczen tipped over in the whoops and Tomac took over the spot. Roczen was quickly back up without being in danger of losing the podium-place position.
From there the riders individually fought the track and did their best to preserve their motorcycles in the mud. Barcia took the win, his first since Houston 2021. Tomac earned second place, and stretched his points lead to 11 over Cooper Webb. Roczen carded his fourth podium finish of the season with a third.
The East/West Showdown was a thrilling race that was worth the wait of the weather delay. Max Anstie grabbed the holeshot on the rain-drenched track. Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland was in second with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire right behind. The Lawrence brothers were up front and after one muddy lap Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence ran in fourth and Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence held fifth. The race made history as the first showdown of brothers who each led their division, but those brothers sat outside the top three at the start of the race.
Almost three minutes into the race, which was shortened to 12-minutes plus one lap, Jett Lawrence took advantage of a Hampshire mistake and took over third place. Three minutes later Jett Lawrence was pressuring Vohland for second as Anstie stretched out his lead to over six seconds. Hampshire applied pressure to take over third, but Jett Lawrence broke free from him again and got around Vohland for second place. Four and a half minutes remained on the race clock.
Hampshire was quickly around Vohland and chasing after Jett Lawrence. Hunter Lawrence soon pressured Vohland for the spot as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan closed on them both. With just over two minutes left, Anstie held a nine second lead while Deegan crashed trying to cut under Hunter Lawrence.
In the closing minutes Jett Lawrence put in an amazing drive. He erased Anstie’s lead down to .9 seconds as they headed out on the final lap. Jett lost touch tossing his goggles but with a final surge pulled alongside Anstie in their last pass through the whoops. Anstie had the inside line in the next corner and accelerated back into the lead heading into the final corner.
Hampshire was still close to Jett Lawrence and charged hard to that last corner. Hampshire tried to scrub speed and duck underneath but slid out in a dramatic splash. The crash tripped Jett and his bike over onto Hampshire’s bike. Jett was quick to pull his bike free and accelerate away just as his brother entered the corner.
At the end Anstie took his first-ever Supercross win, Jett Lawrence got going in time to hold onto second place, and Hunter Lawrence crossed just behind his brother in third.
Round 15 delivers a rare day-race inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, April 29. The race will pay points to both the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season as well as the all-new 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. Every race is streamed live on Peacock, with NBC, USA Network, and CNBC broadcasting select rounds.
Tickets are on sale for the final three Supercross rounds, scheduled for the next three weekends and culminating inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 13. For ticket sales, the full schedule, race results, video highlights, and more please visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class Results
1. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
4. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
5. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
6. Shane McElrath, Oakland, Fla., Suzuki
7. Kevin Moranz, Topeka, Kans., KTM
8. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., Yamaha
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
10. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (315)
2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (304)
3. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (294)
4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (265)
5. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (259)
6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (225)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (213)
8. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (155)
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (154)
10. Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (150)
East/West Showdown Results
1. Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda (East)
2. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (West)
3. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (East)
4. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (West)
5. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (West)
6. Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (East)
7. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki (West)
8. Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (East)
9. Jo Shimoda, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki (East)
10. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (East)
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (198)
2. Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (149)
3. Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda (148)
4. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (120)
5. Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha (120)
6. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (117)
7. Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha (111)
8. Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (96)
9. Tom Vialle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (95)
10. Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (83)
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (176)
2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (137)
3. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (118)
4. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha (112)
5. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (104)
6. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (101)
7. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (99)
8. Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (98)
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ont., Yamaha (73)
10. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM (70)
Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.
It was Bulega’s fourth win of the season on his Ducati Panigale V2.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Federico Caricasulo, riding his Althea Racing Ducati V2, finished 0.086 second behind Manzi in third.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise got sixth on his GMT94 Racing Yamaha.
WSS R2
Yamaha Factory Racing rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga won Japanese Superbike (a.k.a. JSB1000) Race Two Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit, in Japan.
Riding his Bridgestone-shod YZF-R1, Nakasuga won the 16-lap race by 2.571 seconds over his teammate Yuki Okamoto.
Teppei Nagoe finished a close third on a SDG Honda Racing CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
For Nakasuga, it was his 27th consecutive win and his 80th career Japanese Superbike/JSB1000.
No.15_JSB1000_RACE.2_決勝正式結果表
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman finished a near-perfect weekend by winning MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Wyman recovered from a bad start on his factory Road Glide, took the lead on the opening lap, and went on to win the eight-lap race by 1.830 seconds.
Defending Champion Tyler O’Hara led on the first lap, but he ran off the track in Turn 10 and dropped from first to fourth. The Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian rider then worked his way back up to second, where he finished.
Bobby Fong also recovered from running his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger off the track during the race to finish third.
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Progressive Fresh N Lean Yamaha’s Jake Gagne won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
It was one of the most exciting Superbike races in recent memory with four riders battling for the win until the very end.
Gagne won by 0.575 second over Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, who crossed the finish line 0.275 second ahead of third-place Mathew Scholtz on the Westby Racing Yamaha.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin was dueling with Beaubier for the lead on the last lap when they came together at 185 mph on the kinked back straightaway. Herrin was put off line, which caused him to run off the track in Turn 10. He recovered quickly enough to salvage fourth place.
Richie Escalante rounded out the top five finishers on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
23_2_RDATL_SBK_R2_res
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Gagne Wins MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Thriller At Road Atlanta
Four-Rider Fight For Victory Goes To Jake Gagne In Race Two Of The Superbike Opening Round At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – Four riders battled to the bitter end on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in what was the most exciting Medallia Superbike race in recent memory. And when the smoke cleared after 15 intense laps it was defending two-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne crossing the finish line first on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, just half a second ahead of yesterday’s winner Cameron Beaubier on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Just prior to the finish, it was anybody’s race when the four ran together down the backstraight and through the 180-mph kink when Beaubier’s line pushed him wide and nearly forced Josh Herrin off the track. That left a giant hole between Beaubier and Herrin to go through, and Gagne went through it. Herrin recovered but couldn’t get his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati stopped for the chicane and his off-track excursion allowed Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz to pass him, putting Scholtz third and Herrin fourth at the finish line. Scholtz was .850 of a second behind Gagne with Herrin some two seconds behind after getting his Panigale V4 R back on track.
The win was Gagne’s first of the season and the 30th MotoAmerica Superbike victory of his career and it put him into a tie with Beaubier at the top of the championship standings after one round and two races. The pair both have 45 points with the series heading to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-21.
Scholtz and the Westby Racing crew worked hard over the course of the weekend and the South African said they’d made huge progress over the course of the three days. He was rewarded with a podium finish on Sunday.
Herrin was also happy on Sunday afternoon, despite missing out on the podium. The two races were just his second and third outings on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R and he landed on the podium in Saturday’s race.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fifth on Sunday, some three seconds ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and his teammate Corey Alexander.
The returning Toni Elias was eighth on the second Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the top 10.
Notably missing from the results was Gagne’s Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen. The South African’s difficult weekend ended early when his Yamaha YZF-R1 caught fire just a few laps into the race.
With Gagne and Beaubier tied atop the standings with 45 points, Herrin is third with 29 points, two ahead of Scholtz and eight ahead of Escalante.
Superbike Race 2
Quotes…
Jake Gagne – Winner
“Got off to another good start, and me and Cam (Beaubier)… those first couple laps, five or six laps, Cam knew I wanted to push the pace. Any opportunity Cam could to shove it in me and he was great going into (turn) 10A. I was struggling big time down into there, so he passed me a bunch of times there. We were side by side through one, through 10A, 10B a couple times. So, it was fun battling. I haven’t had that close of racing in a while. Those first couple laps, I kind of forgot about everybody else. I wasn’t even looking at my pit board. I thought it was just kind of me and Cam. Then all of a sudden, midway through, Herrin comes by, and I still see plus zero. So, I didn’t know if it was (Mathew) Scholtz behind us, but somebody was. So, I’m like, ‘We’ve got a whole pack here.’ The bike was awesome. My drives are awesome. I was still struggling on the brakes, but I think that was just because of me and after a couple laps, I was really pumped up. So, I kind of tried to just chill and relax and tried to just breathe and watch what those guys were doing a little differently and watch them battle each other. For the last lap, it was hard to really have a plan. Obviously, both of those bikes were really fast and really strong down into 10 through the kink. So, I was kind of just hoping for the best. I figured maybe they both would have a little braking battle in there and I could drive up under the bridge, but it was nuts. Like Cam said, with the wind, I didn’t really know what happened. I just saw them kind of hit and then they parted. The seas parted and I just shot down the center of them, and from then on out, I led into 10A. Like I said, my bike was really good driving up over the hill and just protected the inside line. It was fun. That was really fun racing, close racing. I haven’t had stuff like that in a lot of years, actually. Racing with guys like this that I’ve spent my whole career racing with all these guys, so it was fun. I’m sure we put on a good show. Again, I think luck was on my side a little bit with those guys coming together, for sure. But I’m glad everybody stayed on track because that’s scary. 180 miles an hour something scary could happen there. So, I’m just glad we all brought it home. Good start to the year. We scored points in the first two races, so I can’t complain.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second
“At the beginning, I was doing everything I possibly could to hang onto Jake (Gagne). He just had some pace. Luckily, my bike was fast and every time I would get close to him, I just went for a pass. He made me look dumb. Rode around the outside of me a couple times. That didn’t feel good, but I’m sure it looked good on TV. That was a wild race. Then I settled down, and tried to control the race because I knew my bike was fast and I was good on the brakes. I was struggling in some other spots, but I was doing the best I could with what we have right now. My bike was super-fast. I was trying to get to those last three laps and then put my head down and be good on the brakes and try to hold them off. Then (Josh) Herrin came by me and got in another pretty good battle with us. Man, that last lap was so hairy. I’m just super happy everyone’s safe after that one. He ran me a little wide on the straightaway, and then I went into the fast right-hander pretty tight. I went to lean in, and he was on the outside of me. I just didn’t turn. I pushed the front a little bit. It was terrifying. He was right on the outside of me, and I ran him wide. I was afraid I ran him off the track. You’re doing 180 miles an hour through that corner. So, I glanced over my shoulder. Saw he was good, and then Jake and him blew by me on the brakes. There was nothing I could do to fight Jake going through the last section. Glad everyone is safe. Super stoked to get out of here with a one-two. Didn’t really even know what to expect coming into this round. Just massive thank you to the Tytlers BMW guys. It was an interesting off-season riding at a different track than I’ve ever ridden at doing some testing and stuff, other than Buttonwillow. So, just looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“To be honest, the first couple laps I was just hanging on. We made quite a few changes from the first race. I was just still feeling out what the bike was kind of doing. I felt like the strong parts of the track for me, I was really, really quick, but the weaker parts I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot that I could kind of pass in, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. So, I just have to give a big shout out to the Westby Racing team. Of course, after the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the second restart of this race now. So, at least now we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that. Just thank you to the Westby Racing team. Hopefully we’ll be challenging these boys next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Herrin and Forés Shine in an Excellent 2023 Season Debut in Georgia
Sunnyvale, Calif., April 23, 2023 — MotoAmerica 2023 roared into life at Road Atlanta in Georgia this weekend with Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés doing the Ducatisti proud with exceptional performances in the Superbike and Supersport categories, respectively.
Herrin’s first race on the factory-spec Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V4 R saw the current MotoAmerica Supersport Champion in the mix from the first green light of the weekend.
Using all his racing craft, Herrin scored a debut podium in race one on Saturday behind winner Cameron Beaubier (BMW) and current Superbike champion, second-placed Jake Gagne (Yamaha).
However, this was only the appetizer as Herrin engaged in what can only be described as a race for the ages in Sunday’s race two with Beaubier, Gagne and Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha), leading on the last lap but somehow pulling off an incredible save at over 190 mph down the back straight when he and Beaubier touched while fighting for the lead.
Herrin finished fourth at the finish and now lies third in the points after the first round.
In the Supersport class, it was a red-letter weekend for Xavi Forés as the vastly experienced Spaniard did what was expected of his talent by securing two dominant victories in his MotoAmerica Supersport debut.
Riding the number 12 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2, the new father Forés was the class of the field in Georgia and leaves The Peach State with a perfect 50-point tally, some 17 points up on Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki).
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings After Round One
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 45
P2 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 45
P3 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 29
P4 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 27
P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 21
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings After Round One
P1 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 50
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 33
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 33
P4 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 32
P5 – Michael Gilbert (Suzuki) 22
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V2 – Ducati #12)
“It was a great weekend,” Forés enthused. “Today was slightly difficult at the beginning of the race because I didn’t gain any positions off the start, but, lap by lap, things got better. When I got the lead I put my rhythm on and knew I was very strong under brakes at the end of the back straight, so I used that to my advantage. I just tried to do consistent laps so I could relax a bit at the end of the race. We have the championship lead and now it is back home to Spain to see my new baby!”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – Ducati #2)
“It’s a crazy feeling to be fighting for a superbike win because I’m still so new to the bike,” Herrin said. “I would not have expected to be in this position after Friday because I needed to rethink my mentality and work to close the gap between Jake (Gagne) and the rest. In race one, I saw I was getting close and today, I knew if I could hang within one second of Jake, I could win the race. Within five laps, things started to come to me and I thought, maybe I could lead the race and try to make a break, but I couldn’t quite manage that pace.” Josh Continued.
“But I couldn’t leave anything on the table and it ended up being one of the best superbike races anyone’s seen in a really long time. This is, without doubt, the best I’ve ever felt on a superbike in my career and it’s only going to get better.”
Round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on May 19-21, 2023.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz Podiums In MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two At Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA – April 23, 2023 – Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, wrapped up the opening round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a third-place result in Sunday’s race two, which was an improvement over his fifth-place result in Saturday’s race one. The podium result gave him and the team encouragement for round two of the Championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 19 through 21.
In Sunday’s race, Mathew was part of a group of four riders at the front who battled each other all the way to the checkered flag. On the final lap, Josh Herrin, who was one of the other three riders, got pushed wide, which allowed Mathew to overtake him and finish third behind Cameron Beaubier in second and Jake Gagne, who ultimately won the race.
“We made quite a few changes after the first race,” Mathew said. “So, in race two, I was still feeling out what the bike was doing. I felt like, in certain sections of the track, I was really, really quick, but in other sections, I was losing a lot of time. So, I was just literally going backwards and forwards. I really didn’t have a spot where I could pass, unless something happened, which it did, and I managed to capitalize on that. But, otherwise, starting from where we were on Friday to where we ended up now, I think we made huge strides forward on the motorcycle. I have to give a big shout-out to the Westby Racing team. After the pre-season testing, we thought we were dialed in. Then we came here, and we were struggling. There were a few bits that we tried to change, and we didn’t manage to figure that out until the restart of today’s race. So, at least now, we’re confident heading into the rest of the season. I’m just happy to be up here on the podium now. I know it was pretty awesome watching these guys battle it out. Hopefully from the next race on, I’ll be part of that.”
As mentioned above, the Westby Racing team will be back in action on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, for round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
MotoAmerica Superbike Standings
1. Jake Gagne – Yamaha – 45
1. Cameron Beaubier – BMW – 45
3. Josh Herrin – Ducati – 29
4. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 27
5. Richie Escalante – Suzuki – 19
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit http://www.WestbyRacing.com
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Spaniard Xavi Fores made it two for two with a victory in MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia.
Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, Fores won the 18-lap race by 1.468 seconds.
Stefano Mesa passed Josh Hayes on the final lap to score second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes looked destined to finish a distant fourth near the halfway point but pushed forward to score third place, just 0.2 second behind Mesa, on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium position all the way to the finish but got pushed down to fourth, 0.095 second behind Hayes, in the end.
Michael Gilbert rounded out the top five on his Michael Gilbert Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Double Wins For Fores, Dreher, Beaubier And Wyman At Road Atlanta
Saturday’s Winners Win Again On Sunday At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (April 23, 2023) – There were three first-time winners in MotoAmerica racing on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. On Sunday, those three became two-time victors as Xavi Fores, Avery Dreher and Ezra Beaubier showed that their first wins definitely weren’t flukes.
Also doubling up was Kyle Wyman with the H-D Screamin’ Eagle-backed New Yorker winning a second Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday to go with his Saturday victory.
Supersport – Fores Times Two
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores followed up his debut Supersport win on Saturday with another flawless performance on Sunday. The Spaniard started slower than in yesterday’s race but finished with a bit more comfort as he topped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa by 1.4 seconds after 18 laps of Road Atlanta.
Mesa, meanwhile, had worked his way past Squid Hunter’s Josh Hayes for second place on the final lap with Hayes ending up third for a second time on the weekend. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fourth after finishing second on Saturday.
Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert was fifth, matching his effort from race one.
Fores leads the title chase with 50 points, 17 ahead of Mesa and Scott, who are tied for second, and 18 ahead of Hayes.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Again
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman rode his Harley-Davidson Road Glide to victory after passing Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara on the opening lap and sped to his second successive Mission King Of The Baggers victory at Road Atlanta.
O’Hara finished 1.830 seconds behind Wyman with Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian’s Bobby Fong third. Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teamsters Hayden Gillim and James Rispoli finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
With his third straight victory, Wyman now leads the championship point standings with 75 points, eight points clear of Rispoli and 10 points ahead of Gillim. Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion O’Hara is 14 points behind in fourth place.
Stock 1000 – Beaubier Is Double Trouble
Ezra Beaubier admitted surprise that he won his first career Stock 1000 race on Saturday. On Sunday, the youngest of the two Beaubier brothers came back to Road Atlanta filled with the confidence of a race winner. And he turned all of that into a second win in a row on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR, this time over Geoff May Racing’s Geoff May by six seconds with the 25-year veteran of the sport announcing his retirement from racing this weekend.
Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp put his BMW on the podium with an impressive ride to third, 6.2 seconds behind Beaubier and two seconds ahead of fifth-placed Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel was running second and right behind his Orange Cat Racing teammate Beaubier when he got into turn 12 too hot on the final lap and ran straight, losing three places to May, Knapp and fourth-placed Travis Wyman.
Beaubier’s perfect 50 points puts him 14 points ahead of May and 17 clear of Travis Wyman.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Landers Rebounds
Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers suffered an engine failure while leading Saturday’s REV’IT Twins Cup race. On Sunday, he came out with guns blazing and completely dominated the race, beating his teammate Gus Rodio by 4.166 seconds. Third place, for the second straight day, went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, who was 8.31 seconds behind championship leader Rodio at the end of the 12-lap race.
Defending class champion and Saturday’s race winner Blake Davis crashed early in the race but was able to remount his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7 to finish 11th.
After four races, Rodio leads the title chase with 85 points – 26 more than Schultz and 29 ahead of Davis.
Junior Cup – Dreher X Two
Turns out that Avery Dreher liked winning so much he decided to do it again with the Bad Boys Racing rider earning his second straight Junior Cup win on Sunday with a .949-second victory over Max Van, who was second for the second straight day.
Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese was third for the second day in a row, just 1.080 seconds from victory.
With his two wins, Dreher leads Van by 10 points heading to Barber in a month’s time.
Quotes…
Ezra Beaubier – Stock 1000 Winner
“Well, I hope it becomes a habit. Honestly I woke up today just with a completely different feeling. I finally had the confidence. I can do this now. I can run with these guys. I just felt really good. We found some stuff with the bike last night and it was really positive. In warmup, I basically matched my fastest lap of the race yesterday in warmup. I wasn’t really pushing super hard, so I felt super good going into the race, super confident. I felt like I could rip off a bunch of the 1:26s in the race, and I was able to execute that. In the beginning, I tried to pull out and see if I could get a gap, and I really wasn’t able to, so I just kind of backed it down and sat there. Then towards the end of the race, tried to pick it back up again. I saw on my pit board that Kaleb was right there on me. On the last lap on the back straight, I felt him in my draft and started almost panicking a little bit. I tried to run a defensive line. Then he ended up running off in the last turn, which is a huge bummer not to go one and two as the Orange Cat BMW’s. But it was a great race and a great weekend for me. I hope to have many more of these.”
Avery Dreher – Junior Cup Winner
Honestly, I went into the race with the same mindset, the same strategy as yesterday. I tried to fall in line at the beginning of the race, but they caught us towards the middle, so it was the same pack as yesterday. I’m glad we were going a lot faster than yesterday. Towards the end of the race, I felt like I had some pace to break away, so I made the move into 10A. I looked back once or twice. Saw that I had a gap and just put my head down. Happy with the result. Good job to Max and Hayden. Looking forward to Barber.”
Rocco Landers – REV’IT! Twins Cup Winner
“Yesterday, I knew I was kind of screwed on lap one. I felt the thing starting to lose power off the start and then again on turn seven, but those days happen. It’s infuriating sometimes, but you got to bounce back. You have a good day after this. It kind of polishes it off and makes everything feel a whole lot better. But you lose 25 points and end up having a DNF. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a bummer, and a day like today actually makes that feel a whole lot better. I didn’t even know I was racing until I think last weekend. I was literally hanging insulation and my dad comes in and goes, ‘Hey, Matt called and he wants to know if you want to fill in for Ben Gloddy for the week.’ I was like, ‘Definitely!’ I didn’t know if I was going to be racing. It’s an incredible opportunity. I feel very grateful towards Matt for giving me that opportunity. My mechanic Chad worked super hard along with Matt all weekend to give me the best bike they could. We’ve made very positive changes every time I’ve got on the bike. Every time I’ve ridden it, it’s felt better and better and better. My dad actually flew in Friday afternoon, and I didn’t know he was going to be there, so that helped out and made it a whole lot more fun. Days like this are what you always want, so let’s hope we can have some more of these, depending on how long I’m filling in here.”
Xavi Fores – Supersport Winner
“Today was slightly worse on my start. I did a mistake releasing the clutch and I couldn’t get any positions. I was fourth at the end of the first part of the circuit. Then on the back straight, I felt strong on the brake like yesterday, so I couldn’t pass Josh (Hayes) and stay fighting for the podium at the beginning. It was not that easy to pass Stefano (Mesa) and Tyler (Scott), especially on the back straight, because Stefano is quite fast on the straight. He is quite aerodynamic. I was trying to stay there, there, there. He did a small mistake shifting on the exit of turn seven, so I got a chance to pass him on the braking. Then I was so focused to pass Tyler because he was riding fast, but he was a little bit like aggressive all the time. I said, okay, if I pass him, I can push hard and I can make him go to the limit. So, that was my target for today. I don’t know why, from one lap to the other I got some gap to the second one. I don’t know if we got a slow rider, and I got that benefit. But, after that, I start to keep my pace all the time. I didn’t do any mistakes. It was a nice victory. It wasn’t easy because I was pushing really, really hard. Today was much faster than yesterday – 29 low all the time. We did a couple of 28s, maybe. Credit to the guys fighting for the podium with me because we set a fast pace all the weekend, and especially today on the second race. It’s nice to fight with them. It’s nice to have a group of four or five riders fighting for the podium, because everyone can learn from each other. This is the important. This gives spectacle to the class, gives some show to the class. This is something that we need for the crowd. So, thank you so much to all the team. They did an amazing work. Ducati, HSBK Warhorse, and especially thanks to Paolo Ciabatti, who sent me a guy from Ducati for this weekend in order to set up my bike. Especially after Daytona I didn’t feel so much comfortable on the bike. So, we changed completely the bike from there and I felt straightaway quite fast. Now time to go back home and see my baby and my family.”
Kyle Wyman – Mission King Of The Baggers Winner
”That’s how you want to do it, aside from the challenge was a little bit of a throwaway, but we won every session and won both races. That’s kind of how you want to do it. I kind of wheelied on the start and had to roll out of it. Didn’t quite get the launch I wanted. Went to the brakes a little bit sheepishly, I would say, for turn one and Tyler got the wheel underneath me. I haven’t ridden behind Tyler in what feels like a long time. I don’t think at all this year and maybe even towards the end of last year not so much. So, just to see that thing. There were a couple places where I felt like our strength in that first sector really showed. Even on the warmup lap, I felt like if I wanted to get a run over turn five, I needed to give myself a little bit of space actually because we’ve got pretty tall gearing through there. So, I kind of gave myself a little bit of space. Gave myself an opportunity to see where the strengths and weaknesses were between the two of us. I had a pretty good run on the back straightaway. He touched the rev limiter in one of his gears and kind of got me a little bit of a run down the back straight, it seemed like. I hit my shifts pretty good, but he might have missed one and it got me alongside of him going through nine. We were kind of side-by-side going through ten. We were both fighting for the position a little bit. He ended up taking the extra bite that put him off the track but kept it on two wheels and ended up second. But from there, I had about a second gap and then built it up to two, or 2.6. Then just kind of managed the pace from there. Went a little bit quicker today than yesterday, as did everybody I think went quicker today. I had a side quess of a 29 and didn’t quite get it this weekend, but it’s no big deal if we got the W.”
Rocco Landers came back from a disappointing mechanical DNF in Race One on Saturday to win MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Race Two on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Riding a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 in place of injured Ben Gloddy, Landers won the 12-lap race by 4.166 seconds.
Gus Rodio, Landers’ teammate and the Race One runner-up, finished second, just ahead of Cycle Tech Yamaha rider Hayden Schultz.
Stefano Mesa was in the race for second place but faded at the end and had to settle for fourth on his The WagBar MP13 Yamaha.
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. rounded out the top five finishers on his Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7.
Defending Champion and Race One winner Blake Davis was battling for a podium position when he crashed on lap five. It took Davis some time to get his N2/BobbleHeadmoto Yamaha restarted, but when he did he went from 17th to 11th in the remaining laps.
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Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki rider Avery Dreher won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki’s Max Van was the runner-up, and Bicknese Racing Kawasaki’s Hayden Bicknese finished third.
It was the same top-three finishing order as in Race One.
Alessandro Di Mario crashed his Altus Motorsports Kawasaki while trying to pass Van for second place on the final lap.
Fairium NGRT/Gray Area KTM’s Rossi Moor did not start the race due to a mechanical problem.
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Ezra Beaubier backed up his career-first MotoAmerica race win on Saturday by winning Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Beaubier, the younger brother of Cameron Beaubier, officially won the race by over six seconds on his Orange Cat Racing BMW, but his teammare Kaleb De Keyrel was right behind him until De Keyrel ran off track in the final corner on the final lap.
This promoted Geoff May to the runner-up spot on his Geoff May Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. May announced that this would be his final professional road race and that he was retiring.
Apex/SWG Motorsports BMW rider Taylor Knapp picked up his pace from Race One to score third place in Race Two, right behind and May and just ahead of fourth-place Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman.
De Keyrel got back on the track in time to salvage fifth.
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Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.
Bautista, the defending World Champion, won the race, his sixth of the season, by 3.915 seconds on his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1.
Razgatlioglu’s teammate Andrea Locatelli finished third, 7.416 seconds behind Bautista.
American Garrett Gerloff got 12th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
Crashers in Race Two included Loris Baz, Iker Lecuona, Bradley Ray, Jonathan Rea, Michael van der Mark, and Xavi Vierge.
WSBK R2
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Hat-trick of wins at Assen for reigning World Champion Bautista
Alvaro Bautista took his eighth victory in nine starts as the 2022 WorldSBK Champion stamps his authority with Assen hat-trick, which was also Ducati’s 400th win.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
It’s a fantastic feeling I’m having now. It’s an incredible milestone for Ducati with 400 victories. Congrats to Ducati for all the history they are making! On my side, I’m happy. More than the result, I’m happy because the feeling with the bike is amazing. Yesterday, I felt good, but we had some problems in the race that maybe because you cannot notice from the outisde, but I felt it on the bike, and I know when I am able to go faster, or when I can have a better feeling and when I cannot. So, today we made a change on the bike in the set up, and already in the morning I felt much better. In in the Superpole race, I started to push harder and harder and I see the limit of the bike was more far than yesterday.
“I was able to go really fast in the Superpole Race. Also, in Race 2, I was able to be more precise in my riding, and it was more enjoyable. I could also manage better the wind because today it was a bit stronger, and its direction was different, especially in the first part of the race. I must understand in which area the wind helped me to close corner and in which area I had to be careful too because push me out. And at the end I could get a good pace, I was able to be on the limit and I could pull the limit of the bike and I’m happy because I did that. This is, I think, the maximum. So, I’m happy because I gave my best, despite the circumstance. It has really been a perfect weekend for us.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu secured second place in Race 2 for his sixth consecutive podium finish. The 2021 WorldSBK Champion stands in second place in the Championship standings with 118 points.
Race 2 saw Jonathan swap places and trade paint once again with Bautista and Razgatlioglu. In the heat of the battle, Rea crashed out at Turn 9 from a podium position as he pushed for a first win of the year.
Andrea Locatelli was third, claiming his fourth podium of the season so far. After nine races, he has already equaled his best podium tally from 2021. Locatelli maintains his third place in the standings and sits only 14 points behind Razgatlioglu.
Rookie Dominique Aegerter crossed the finish line in fifth place but finished fourth following Axel Bassani’s penalty for a track limits infraction on the final lap; Bassani was demoted one place. Today’s fourth place is the Swiss rider’s best result in WorldSBK. Teammate Remy Gardner completed Race 2’s top six.
Dutch rider Michael van der Mark crashed at Turn 16 and was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. He was subsequently transported to hospital for further assessments on a suspect left femur fracture, and this injury was confirmed following his checks at hospital.
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had more history written at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round as Italian manufacturer Ducati claimed their 400th victory in WorldSBK history after Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick in the Netherlands. Ducati become the first manufacturer to reach this milestone.
The battle for the lead involved Bautista, Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages of the race with all three taking their chance to lead throughout the race. Razgatlioglu made his move for the lead on Lap 3 but Bautista responded quickly, before Rea made his move on Lap 5 at the same Turn 8. Bautista was able to respond almost immediately to re-claim the lead and Rea’s race would come to an end on the following lap. He lost the front of his Kawasaki machine at Turn 9 on Lap 6 which put him out of the race.
It meant the fight for victory became between Bautista and Razgatlioglu, but the reigning Champion was able to pull out a gap over Razgatlioglu as he claimed his 40th WorldSBK win and Ducati’s 400th win in WorldSBK. Razgatlioglu was unchallenged as he took second place in Race 2 to continue his run of podium finishes, now at six races. He was directly ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli in third, matching his podium tally from 2021 and doubling his count from 2022. Locatelli had to fend off a challenge from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who took fifth place.
WorldSBK will return with the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round taking place from the 5th to the 7th of May at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Justin Barcia Masterful in the Mud of the East Rutherford Supercross
Max Anstie Grabs First Supercross Win in 250SX East West Showdown
East Rutherford, N.J., (April 23, 2023) Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia captured lightning in a bottle and took the win at Round 14 of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season in front of die-hard fans who braved rain and a thunderstorm delay.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac finished second on the rain-drenched and deep-rutted track inside MetLife Stadium. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen found enough track through the standing puddles to take home third place in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The riders earned points for both the Supercross season and also the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship. In the season’s first of two East/West Showdowns, Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie took his career-first win over the top racers from both regional divisions.
In an unprecedented weather delay, thunderclouds approaching MetLife Stadium required the racers on the starting line of the 250SX Class East/West Showdown to evacuate the starting area. The riders, along with every spectator in the stadium, retreated to cover for what turned out to be a 1.5 hour delay to the racing as the clouds dumped rain on the track.
When the gate finally dropped for the 450SX Class Main Event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson officially took the holeshot but it was Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton who immediately established himself as the race leader. The deep mud and chaotic first lap shuffle saw Barcia jump into the lead for a moment before Ken Roczen took it over. Barcia dropped back to third, but before the first pass through the whoops Barcia cut under Sexton. The two bikes made light contact and Sexton went down as half the pack raced past him.
Roczen stretched out his lead; just two and a half minutes into the race he held a three second gap over Barcia in the abbreviated 17-minute plus one lap race. Points leader Eli Tomac quickly established himself in third place ahead of Yamaha Truck Central LLC’s Benny Bloss, Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson, and Next Level Racing KTM’s Kevin Moranz. Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb was fighting his way up from seventh place and Sexton had recovered from his tip over and ran eighth.
Less than four minutes in, the top three, Roczen, Barcia, and Tomac, had separated from the field while Sexton and Webb scrapped for fifth. Sexton quickly moved past Webb and set his sights on Bloss in fourth place.
Barcia’s wide-open riding style agreed with the brutal conditions, and six minutes into the race he was on Roczen. Barcia made the identical move on Roczen that he used on Sexton, but when Barcia took over the top spot Roczen stayed upright. From there Barcia pulled steadily away while Tomac inched closer to Roczen. Sexton was into fourth, but 23 seconds back from Tomac, with Webb in fifth 24 seconds back from Sexton.
The race action was with Tomac. The Yamaha rider got to Roczen’s rear fender with just over three minutes left on the race clock. After an exciting battle, Roczen tipped over in the whoops and Tomac took over the spot. Roczen was quickly back up without being in danger of losing the podium-place position.
From there the riders individually fought the track and did their best to preserve their motorcycles in the mud. Barcia took the win, his first since Houston 2021. Tomac earned second place, and stretched his points lead to 11 over Cooper Webb. Roczen carded his fourth podium finish of the season with a third.
The East/West Showdown was a thrilling race that was worth the wait of the weather delay. Max Anstie grabbed the holeshot on the rain-drenched track. Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland was in second with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire right behind. The Lawrence brothers were up front and after one muddy lap Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence ran in fourth and Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence held fifth. The race made history as the first showdown of brothers who each led their division, but those brothers sat outside the top three at the start of the race.
Almost three minutes into the race, which was shortened to 12-minutes plus one lap, Jett Lawrence took advantage of a Hampshire mistake and took over third place. Three minutes later Jett Lawrence was pressuring Vohland for second as Anstie stretched out his lead to over six seconds. Hampshire applied pressure to take over third, but Jett Lawrence broke free from him again and got around Vohland for second place. Four and a half minutes remained on the race clock.
Hampshire was quickly around Vohland and chasing after Jett Lawrence. Hunter Lawrence soon pressured Vohland for the spot as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan closed on them both. With just over two minutes left, Anstie held a nine second lead while Deegan crashed trying to cut under Hunter Lawrence.
In the closing minutes Jett Lawrence put in an amazing drive. He erased Anstie’s lead down to .9 seconds as they headed out on the final lap. Jett lost touch tossing his goggles but with a final surge pulled alongside Anstie in their last pass through the whoops. Anstie had the inside line in the next corner and accelerated back into the lead heading into the final corner.
Hampshire was still close to Jett Lawrence and charged hard to that last corner. Hampshire tried to scrub speed and duck underneath but slid out in a dramatic splash. The crash tripped Jett and his bike over onto Hampshire’s bike. Jett was quick to pull his bike free and accelerate away just as his brother entered the corner.
At the end Anstie took his first-ever Supercross win, Jett Lawrence got going in time to hold onto second place, and Hunter Lawrence crossed just behind his brother in third.
Round 15 delivers a rare day-race inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, April 29. The race will pay points to both the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season as well as the all-new 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. Every race is streamed live on Peacock, with NBC, USA Network, and CNBC broadcasting select rounds.
Tickets are on sale for the final three Supercross rounds, scheduled for the next three weekends and culminating inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 13. For ticket sales, the full schedule, race results, video highlights, and more please visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class Results
1. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
4. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
5. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
6. Shane McElrath, Oakland, Fla., Suzuki
7. Kevin Moranz, Topeka, Kans., KTM
8. Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., Yamaha
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
10. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (315)
2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (304)
3. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (294)
4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (265)
5. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (259)
6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (225)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (213)
8. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (155)
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (154)
10. Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (150)
East/West Showdown Results
1. Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda (East)
2. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (West)
3. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (East)
4. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (West)
5. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (West)
6. Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (East)
7. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki (West)
8. Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (East)
9. Jo Shimoda, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki (East)
10. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (East)
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (198)
2. Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (149)
3. Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda (148)
4. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (120)
5. Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha (120)
6. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (117)
7. Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha (111)
8. Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (96)
9. Tom Vialle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (95)
10. Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (83)
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (176)
2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (137)
3. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (118)
4. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha (112)
5. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (104)
6. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (101)
7. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (99)
8. Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (98)
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ont., Yamaha (73)
10. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM (70)
Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands.
It was Bulega’s fourth win of the season on his Ducati Panigale V2.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Ten Kate Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Federico Caricasulo, riding his Althea Racing Ducati V2, finished 0.086 second behind Manzi in third.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise got sixth on his GMT94 Racing Yamaha.
WSS R2
