The Northern Talent Cup heads to Assen for Round 4 of the season, with Farkas hunting Moor in the overall standings
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
After a scorching – both on and off track – weekend at the Sachsenring, the Northern Talent Cup paddock have made the short trip north as Round 4 takes us to an all-time classic; commonly referred to as the Cathedral of Speed, otherwise known as the TT Circuit Assen.
As has oft been the case since the NTC began, the two races we witnessed in Germany were nothing short of sensational. Cup leader Rossi Moor (FARIUM Next Generation Riders) continued his fine form to win Race 1 at the Sachsenring and crossed the line first in Race 2, however the Hungarian was penalised for exceeding track limits on the last lap.
This promoted Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team) to the top step on Sunday afternoon, as Farkas and compatriot Moor picked up 45 points apiece in Germany. This was Farkas’ first victory since he beat Moor on the last lap in Race 2 at Le Mans, with the Hungarian duo now split by 33 points at the top of the standings. That’s in Moor’s favour, with the number 92 yet to finish off the podium in 2022, but both riders have podium pedigree in Assen. Which way will the title pendulum swing this weekend?
Elsewhere, home hero Dustin Schneider (Goblin Racing) and Oschersleben Race 1 winner Lenoxx Phommara (Team Phommara) were able to secure podiums in Germany, and both head to Assen full of confidence knowing that podiums are the target every weekend.
Loris Veneman (TeamNL Open Line) slipped to fourth in the standings after finishing 6th and 10th – the latter after a penalty – last time out, but there’s no better place to bounce back on home soil. The Dutchman and Sachsenring polesitter Jurrien van Crugden (BB64 Academy) have scored points in every race so far in 2022, so can they keep that run up and stand on the podium at Assen? That would be the dream for both.
Race 1 at the Dutch TT gets underway at 17:15 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday, with Race 2 kicking off at 16:20 on Sunday afternoon!
MotoAmerica Boasts Four Different Superbike Winners Heading To Ridge Motorsports Park Round
The Pacific Northwest Welcomes MotoAmerica Medallia Superbikes For The Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge Event
IRVINE, CA (June 22, 2022) – With eight of 20 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races in the books in 2022 and the series headed to the Pacific Northwest to begin its brief West Coast swing, only seven points separate first from second in the championship. And with a quartet of winners emerging from the first eight races, just 37 points separate first from fourth in the title chase. A look back at last year shows that after four rounds (and eight races), only two riders had tasted victory with champion-to-be Jake Gagne winning seven of the eight to lead Mathew Scholtz (who won the only race Gagne hadn’t won) by a whopping 44 points. Meanwhile, 67 points separated the top four and it was a forgone conclusion that this was just a two-horse race before the series had even reached the halfway mark. And the lead horse showed absolutely no signs of letting up.
The fact that Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci is leading the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship isn’t a surprise. Most figured he’d win races and contend for the title. Not many, however, would have predicted that Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne would be third in the series standings and 25 points adrift with three wins, two DNFs and a podium-free visit to Wisconsin and Road America. Say what?
Petrucci will pay visit to Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend for the first time in the Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event, and he will do so as the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike points leader with 140 points from the first eight races. Petrucci started off with a bang with three-straight wins, had his first and only DNF thus far in race two at Road Atlanta, and has been on the podium in three of the last four races.
The man who is chasing the hardest at this point in the season is Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, the South African taking his first race win of 2022 in race one at Road America a few weeks ago. Despite following that win the next day with a lackluster eighth-place outing in race two, Scholtz sits just seven points behind Petrucci after finishing on the podium in six of eight races.
Then comes Gagne. Nobody in their right mind would have bet that the defending MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion would win three straight races going into Road America but emerge from there without a podium finish. But that’s exactly what happened. Gagne, fresh off a doubleheader sweep at VIRginia International Raceway going into Wisconsin, had brought Petrucci’s lead back to a manageable 13 points. But with his non-podium finishes of fifth (he crashed and remounted in last to charge through the pack) and fourth (in a mostly wet race) at Road America, Gagne sees Petrucci’s lead jump back out to 25 points heading to Ridge. Still, there don’t seem to be many worried faces in the Gagne camp.
The fourth man to win a Superbike race in 2022 is Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, the South African taking his first win of the season and his first with his new Yamaha team in race two at Road America. Petersen is now 37 points behind Petrucci with his efforts slowed a bit with a race-one mechanical DNF in Wisconsin.
Prior to Road America, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hector Barbera had a clean 2022 record with points scored in every round. In race one at Road America, Barbera landed on the podium for the first time in a MotoAmerica Superbike race to keep that perfect points-in-every-round tally going. But on Sunday, that was gone with the Spaniard following up his best career effort with his first non-finish of the year. Still, Barbera sits fifth, though he’s now in a heated battle or the spot.
Just four points behind Barbera is Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis with the Kentuckian just five points ahead of PJ Jacobsen on the second of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RRs.
Jacobsen is coming to Washington hot off his first career MotoAmerica Superbike podium with the New Yorker pressuring Petersen to the very end of race two at Road America while also holding off the advances of third-placed Petrucci.
Lewis’s teammate Richie Escalante had a rough go of it at Road America with the 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion only scoring 10 points in total from the two races. Escalante now drops four points behind Jacobsen and is just six ahead of Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman rounds out the top 10 in the series standings heading to the Pacific Northwest and Ridge Motorsports Park.
Ridge Motorsports Park Pre-Race Superbike Notes…
Last year, Ridge Motorsports Park hosted round four of the 2021 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship. This year the stop in Washington will be the fifth round of the series in 2022 after rounds in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Ridge is the first of two races on the West Coast with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, scheduled for round six, July 8-10.
Jake Gagne won his sixth and seventh Superbike races in a row last year at Ridge en route to winning 17 straight and the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne beat his then-teammate Josh Herrin in both races in 2021.
In addition to winning both races, Gagne also sat on pole position after lapping at a best of 1:39.568 (a new lap record on the 2.47-mile track) on his Yamaha YZF-R1. Frenchman Loris Baz qualified second on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R with Cameron Petersen completing the front row on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Jake Gagne hasn’t won every race this year, but he has been on pole position for all four rounds thus far – COTA, Road Atlanta, VIR and Road America.
This year’s race at Ridge will mark the third time that MotoAmerica has visited the track in Shelton. In the debut season of the series holding a round at Ridge in 2020, Cameron Beaubier won both Superbike races. With Jake Gagne winning both last year, Yamaha has won all four MotoAmerica Superbike races at Ridge.
Thirty-eight Superbikes will attempt to qualify for the two MotoAmerica Medallia races at Ridge. The most popular bike in the field is Yamaha’s YZF-R1 with 12 entries. BMW is next up with 10, followed by Suzuki with seven, Kawasaki with five, Honda with three and Ducati with Danilo Petrucci’s lone Panigale V4 R.
Two riders are currently tied for the lead in the Superbike Cup, the class within a class for those riders competing in Superbike on Stock 1000 machines. Ezra Beaubier and Danilo Lewis are tied for the lead with 110 points with Hunter Dunham and Jeremy Coffey only two and five points further adrift, respectively, heading into the round at Ridge.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Just Seven Points Back, Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Look To Ridge For An Edge In Superbike Championship
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Tulsa, OK – June 22, 2022 – Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Everyone on the Westby Racing team, especially Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, is motivated to make up the narrow, seven-point deficit in the season point standings.
Among the things that weigh in Mathew’s favor is his familiarity with Ridge’s twisty, 16-turn, 2.47-mile road course. This will be his third visit to the Pacific Northwest track, while current championship leader Danilo Petrucci will be visiting Ridge for the very first time in his career this weekend.
“I’m seeking a little bit of redemption at Ridge since we struggled there quite a bit last year,” Mathew said. “We’ve got a completely different package this year, so I am really looking forward to much better results this weekend. Coming off a win at Road America, we have a lot of confidence going into Ridge, and I feel great on the bike and with what we’re doing. The team is working well.
“Sunday’s race at Road America was a bit of a disappointment, but I know we will bounce back from that. The weather (in Washington) looks a lot cooler than it was last year, which is going to make things a little bit easier. Usually, the tighter, twistier tracks are the ones that suit me, so this weekend should be really good for us. I can’t wait to get back on the bike, keep this momentum going, and keep on challenging for the championship. We’re not too far behind Petrucci, so we need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. PT, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. PT, and Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday afternoon also at 3:10 p.m. PT. Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 (FS2).
For all the action from Ridge Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Ridge. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. and Pro-Bolt USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
MotoAmerica Round 5 – Petrucci Leads The Charge Heading to The Ridge
Washington State beckons for Danilo Petrucci as MotoAmerica Superbike heads to The Ridge
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 22, 2022 – Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) heads to the half-way point of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at The Ridge this weekend with competition focused on the series points leader.
The Italian sits on 140 points, seven clear of Mathew Scholtz and 25 ahead of defending champion Jake Gagne. However, the Italian is under no illusions of the task at hand in his first visit to the scenic, undulating venue located among the pine trees of Shelton, Washington.
Two races with a possible 50 points up for grabs this weekend in Washington gives Petrucci a chance to solidify his title lead heading into round six at the world-famous Laguna Seca July 8-10.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“I’m happy to be back racing on my Ducati,” Petrucci said. “For me, The Ridge is a completely new track and I recently had a look at some videos from the race last year but I can’t wait to ride this track. It’s really flowing, and there’s a lot of fast and blind corners so this will be good for the Panigale. I’m not looking at the championship. We’re not even at the middle of the year so I just want to win again and stand on that top step of the podium.”
Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship kicks off with practice on Friday, June 24 with race one scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Saturday, June 25. Race two is scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Sunday, June 26.
History meets modernity at a true jewel on the calendar. This is the TT Circuit Assen
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
It’s called the Cathedral for a reason. Only missing in 2020 due to the changes obliged to the calendar, the TT Circuit Assen has otherwise been a mainstay of motorcycle Grand Prix racing since the world’s first motorsport World Championship began in 1949. The venue has gone from a long street circuit to a shorter but no less incredible track over the seven decades since, creating some of the greatest racing in the world every time we return. In 2022, that time is now!
After deposing the “no Yamaha win since 2009” stat at the Sachsenring, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) arrives on the front foot and with his eye on another: no one’s won back to back at Assen since Valentino Rossi did it in 2004 and 2005. Since the Quartararo reigned last year in the Netherlands, it’s within reach… and his form only backs that statement up yet further. Three in a row would be quite a way to head into summer break.
Elsewhere at Yamaha, Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) and Andrea Dovizioso will want more, the latter a former podium finisher at Assen and the former looking for a bounce back before summer break. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, continues looking for a big step forward, the Italian well outside his already conquered postcode of the podium fight so far in 2022.
At Aprilia, meanwhile, it can raise a smile that one of their worst races of the season so far, all told, is still in fact what the Noale factory would have been aiming for at the start of just last season. “Worst” describing fourth place for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) still maintains the number 41 in second overall and was another consistent, big-points finish he’ll be looking to build on again.
On the other side of the garage there’s another two-sided coin for Maverick Viñales from Germany too: he suffered a technical issue and had to retire, but he had to retire after having been pinned to the back of his teammate for some time, looking like a podium charge was on the cards. Will there be one at Assen? It’s those final laps of the race, the ones we didn’t get to see at the Sachsenring, where ‘Top Gun’ often shines, and everything seems to be coming together.
That statement is also true of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). The Frenchman is on a steady upward curve of results with the next natural number in the progression being 1 aka the win. As satisfying a stat as that would be, his recent run already stands alone as impressive. Now third overall – and top Ducati in the Championship – can he pull another podium out the bag?
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) did just that in Germany to put some tougher races behind him, and ‘Thriller’ did it despite a Long Lap penalty too. Of all those on the grid, Miller’s memories of Assen are probably the sweetest as he took that incredible win in 2016, so what can he do in 2022? And can Jorge Martin (Prima Racing) find something more? What will Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) have in the locker after impressive speed in Germany? Can Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) bounce back from a stint of going AWOL?
Then, of course, there’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). From bad luck in Barcelona to a slide out of second at the Sachsenring, it’s been a tougher few weeks for the number 63. Assen hasn’t traditionally been the best for Ducati, but Pecco even has the track as a tattoo, having taken his very first win there in Moto3™ in 2016. He’s also reigned in Moto2™, and knows his way around the Cathedral. The gap to the top is now a big one, but the season is only half way done…
Lurking a single point above both Bagnaia and Miller in the standings, meanwhile, is the truest Sunday rider of late – in the best sense. No matter the grid position, when the lights go out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wrings some magic out of his KTM, and he’s now into the top five overall. It’s never two or three positions either, it’s a charge as far as the charge can possibly go, and it’s paying dividends. Can he and teammate Miguel Oliveira – who is gaining back some solid form too – take that extra step forward at Assen?
Another factory looking for more, in their case a real bounce back, is Suzuki. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out in Germany after that stunning charge in Barcelona, and the number 36 will be gunning for glory at Assen. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, tried to take part put then hit a serious pain barrier before withdrawing due to his wrist. Can he try again at Assen?
Finally, Honda. The stat sounds a little brutal: no points for the first time since the French GP in 1982. But all told, that happening at the track where the marque won the previous 11 races probably takes the sting out, as is likely also true of the well-stocked trophy cabinet added to in the intervening decades. It’s a tough run, however, with Stefan Bradl the sole finisher for Repsol Honda Team, teammate Pol Espargaro riding through the pain barrier, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) suffering a technical issue and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) sliding out. All four riders have shown much more this season already, so the TT Circuit Assen will certainly bring the factory back into the points as a minimum, and offer some more track time as they fettle the all-new RC213V.
Classic, historic, and nestled in the north of one of northern Europe’s most vibrant countries, there have already been 72 great reasons to visit Assen – or tune in. This weekend provides the 73rd as MotoGP™ returns to the Cathedral, so join us at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday for the final showdown before summer break!
Three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion and current President of MotoAmerica Wayne Rainey rode his 1992 World Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in England.
The annual event celebrating all motorsports, past and present, takes place on a 1.1-mile (1.8 km) hillclimb course on the grounds of the Goodwood House. This year’s event will run from Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26.
Rainey rode today to get re-acquainted with his Grand Prix racebike, which has been converted to be operated with only hand controls.
Rainey was paralyzed from the chest down when he suffered a spinal injury in a crash in 1993.
Wayne Rainey preparing to head out on track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Photo courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Not only will this be Rainey’s first time appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed it will also be his first time riding a racebike since his career-ending injury.
“I’m incredibly excited to not only be attending my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but to be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb,” Rainey was quoted as saying in a press release issued by Yamaha. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I just couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for preparing my 1992 YZR500 and adapting it for me to ride, MotoAmerica for helping make the entire project fly, and The Duke of Richmond for really making this a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans who come from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.”
To learn more about the Goodwood Festival of Speed go to www.goodwood.com.
Three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey (1) riding his 1992 World Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 Wednesday in preparation for this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Photo courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise continued his winning ways during Round Four of the French National Championships (FSBK) at Circuit Européen Pau-Arnos, near Pau, France.
Debise did not start Superbike Race One due to a mechanical problems with his Team33accessoires.fr by VRT81 Yamaha YZF-R1, but he bounced back to win Race Two, extending his Championship lead from nine to 16 points.
In Supersport 600, Debise won both races on his Yamaha YZF-R6, stretching his advantage from 38 to 50 points in the standings.
Official results and Championship point standings are below.
Pedro Acosta, an 18-year-old Spaniard who races in the Moto2 World Championship, broke his left femur in an accident while training Tuesday.
According to his team Red Bull KTM Ajo, Acosta, the reigning Moto3 World Champion, is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday in Barcelona.
Following a win at Mugello and a runner-up finish Sunday at Sachsenring, Acosta had moved up to eighth in the Moto2 World Championship point standings.
We will report more details as they become available.
Maddrill Triumphs in AHRMA Vintage Cup Action at New Jersey Motorsports Park
(June 21, 2022, Elora, Tennessee) – Jeremy Maddrill put his KZ650 on top of the podium twice and extended his lead in the 2022 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup.
His latest victories occurred during rounds 13 and 14 of the 2022 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey, June 18 and 19.
The 2022 Vintage Cup, sponsored by RoadracingWorld.com, features the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class. Maddrill, from Stiger, Illinois, won both rounds on his 1979 Kawasaki KZ 650.
On Saturday, Maddrill had a clean start, immediately took, and held the lead until the checkered flag. Matt Esterline from Portage, Michigan, on a 1977 Honda CB750F took second, with James Brown of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire riding his 1977 Kawasaki KZ650 rounding out the podium. Alexander Cook, riding a 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, out of Dublin, Ohio finished fourth with Edward Barna on a 1982 Honda CB750F from Randoph Center, Vermont in fifth.
“Kudos to Jeremy for two more victories and a shout-out to Alex Cook for giving this round of the Vintage Cup some European flair with his Guzzi,” said Brian Larrabure, 2022 Chair of the AHRMA Board of Trustees.
On Sunday, Maddrill, in a replay of Saturday, led the field for the duration of the race, easily taking the checkered flag for the win while Esterline repeated his second-place finish. Cook finished third as Brown experienced a clutch issue which moved him off the podium into fourth.
The 2022 Vintage Cup Trophy will be awarded to the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class winner at select events including WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Barber Motorsports Park.
The Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class is sponsored by International CBX Owners Association (ICOA).
AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series Vintage Superbike Heavy Weight – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
James Brown, 1977 Kawasaki KZ650, Wolfeboro, NH
Alexander Cook, 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Dublin, OH
Edward Barna, 1982 Honda CB750F, Randolph Center, VT
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
Alexander Cook, 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Dublin, OH
James Brown, 1977 Kawasaki KZ650, Wolfeboro, NH
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With about 3,300 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
Leon edges Babic in Pro 6 GP thriller at Calabogie
Calabogie, ON – Reigning Pro 6 GP Regional Champion Michael Leon of Beaconsfield, QC, took his Royal Distributing BMW S 1000 RR to a narrow, .146 of a second win over the DC Construction/Fast Company BMW of Maple, ON.’s Ivan Babic in the second round of the 2022 Championship at Calabogie Motorsport Park, ON. Fittingly, BMW Motorrad sponsored the race.
The Pro pair battled throughout the final at the 5.05-kilometer, 20-turn venue. Leon jumped into the lead from the start of the eight-lap main event, with Pole sitter Babic applying pressure throughout. Babic seemed to have the edge entering the final, Quary/Carousel section of the venue, and made his move on the final tour.
“I kind of knew that he would try me there,” confirmed Leon, who shut the door when Babic made his bold move. “If it was going to work, he was going to take us both down! It was close, there was good pressure, and I was happy with the pace, given the cool conditions. I think the last time I won a Superbike race was maybe 2018 at Shannonville, and this is my first victory in Superbike at Calabogie.”
“Last weekend didn’t go too well,” continued Leon, referring to his two crashes in the opening round of the National series at Grand Bend, ON. “So, I was a little bit careful in the slow corners, but the bike was working really well. We’ll download the data and see what we can learn in time for the National here next month.”
Babic’s runner up effort was a robust performance for a second year Pro climbing the Pro ladder, and he confirmed that “I gave it a good shot with Michael, but it didn’t work out. The conditions were not ideal, it was very windy, and maybe I could have tried something else- but I am happy overall.”
Third belonged to Ernest Bernhard of Ste-Brigide-d’Iberville, QC, on a Yamaha YZF-R1. Early in the race, Bernhard was battling with a pack of riders, but by mid-distance he had pulled clear to earn the final podium spot, 11 seconds behind the winning BMW duo.
The BMW of Anthony Bergeron of Racine, QC, hung in to net fourth, after a lengthy battle with Bernhard and the Turcotte Performance Ducati Panigale of Christian Allard, from Chambly, QC. In his first outing with the Ducati, Allard earned an impressive third in Q to start on the front row of the grid, and might have been fourth in the race, but for an off-track trip on his final lap.
There was a good, race-long dispute for sixth, and at the finish Pierre Simard of Stoneham, QC, pulled clear to grab the spot on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Yamaha YZF-R1 pilot Vivian Mathews of Clarence Creek, ON, got the better of the race long fight against the Yamaha YZF-R6 of Oshawa, ON.’s Jake LeClair.
Earlier in the program, Philippe Masse of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC., dominated the Kawasaki-backed Pro Sport Bike round for middleweight machines, earning his second straight victory and establishing himself as a favorite for the upcoming Dunlop-backed Calabogie National, July 9-10.
Starting from pole on the grid, Masse pulled away steadily to win by just over 20 seconds.
Veteran Louie Raffa of Saint-Marthe-sur-le-Lac was on form with his Fast Company Honda CBR600RR, getting clear of a trio of riders to net second. Just behind, LeClair fought with rookie Pro Yamaha pilot Pascal Bastien of St-Eustache, LeClair getting the final podium spot with a late race charge.
The Motul Amateur Superbike race was a barn burner, with five riders disputing the lead. BMW racer Marc Labossiere of Longueil, QC, charged from third to first on the final tour, earning the victory by just 0.16 of a second over Suzuki racer Yan Julien of Calixa-Lavalee, QC. Also, in the thick of the dispute was Nova Scotia racer John Fraser’s Yamaha, making his first Calabogie start a good one with third place at the finish, in preparation for the upcoming National round.
Another thrilling Amateur contest involved Guillaume Lavallee of Sainte-Ann-de-Sorel, QC. fighting with Nolan Eadie of Gloucester, ON., and Bobby Desjardins of Ferme-Neuve, QC. At the finish of a tense battle, Lavallee’s Kawasaki won by .2 of a second from Yamaha mounted Eadie, while Suzuki’s Desjardins was a further second back for third.
In the Liqui Moly Pro-AM Lightweight final race, Istvan Hidvegi of Mississauga, ON, took the Pro victory on his Yamha, while the Amateur division belonged to another R3, this one piloted by Evan Moriarity of Milton, ON.
In other support race action, Marc Labossiere of Longueil, QC earned first in Heavyweight Sportsman on a BMW; Heavyweight Sportsman went to Erik Gosselin of Beaupre, QC aboard an Aprilia; the Middleweight Sportsman round was won by Serge Boyer from St Jerome, QC, riding a Kawasaki; and the Middleweight Sportsman counter fell to veteran fast guy Alan Burns of South Mountain, ON., piloting a Kawasaki.
Last push for the Repsol Honda Team before Summer Break
One last race before the mid-season Summer Break and both Pol Espargaro and Stefan Bradl know what they have to do this weekend.
Assen offers a radical change from the demands of the Sachsenring, the tight anti-clockwise German track making way for the fast and flowing Dutch circuit. Having held races since 1949, the TT Assen is steeped in history and has undergone several modifications throughout its life. The current circuit is characterised by a tight first sector which opens into a fast and flowing section before arriving at the infamous Geert Timmer Bocht chicane just before the finish line.
Pol Espargaro arrives at the Dutch race looking to put an end to his run of misfortune, having failed to score in the last three races. A combination of bad luck and injuries have plagued the #44 as of late as he and the Repsol Honda Team have continued to try and chase their early season form. Intense recovery work while at home has seen some improvements to his injured left ribs, but it looks set to be another physically demanding weekend racing just a week later. In the past, Espargaro has been a consistent point scorer in the Netherlands and finished tenth last year on the RC213V.
For Stefan Bradl, the last race before the Summer Break is a chance to put the pace he showed during German GP practice into action. Complications in the race made for a disappointing home GP for the German rider, but his adaptation to racing the RC213V is well and truly underway. This will be Bradl’s first time racing at the Dutch track in MotoGP since 2016, the first edition of the race held on Sunday, when he finished eighth. In WorldSBK, when racing there in 2017, he achieved his best overall result of the year – a sixth place finish.
The weather for the weekend is looking significantly cooler and potentially wetter than Germany last week.
Pol Espargaro
“I’ve had a few days at home doing everything I can to be prepared for the race this weekend, getting a lot of treatment on the ribs. There’s not much more that we could have done, so I am as ready as I can be. Assen is a really different track to Germany obviously, there’s a lot of fast changes of directions and you really need to have a bike that handles well. The objective is to get a good result before the Summer Break, we need to stop the run of bad races we have had.”
Stefan Bradl
“Assen gives us an opportunity to solve the problems we had in Germany. Before the race we were making some really good progress – especially with my riding. The objective for the weekend is to make another step in this direction, gain that last little bit of confidence and feeling when pushing for a super-fast lap. It has been a few years since I raced at Assen but I think we can get up to speed quickly there. I’m eager to have a strong weekend to go into the break with an extra bit of motivation.”
Rossi Moor (92), who was born in America and holds both American and Hungarian citizenships, leads title rival Kevin Farkas (28) during a race in Germany. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Moor vs Farkas descends on the Cathedral
The Northern Talent Cup heads to Assen for Round 4 of the season, with Farkas hunting Moor in the overall standings
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
After a scorching – both on and off track – weekend at the Sachsenring, the Northern Talent Cup paddock have made the short trip north as Round 4 takes us to an all-time classic; commonly referred to as the Cathedral of Speed, otherwise known as the TT Circuit Assen.
As has oft been the case since the NTC began, the two races we witnessed in Germany were nothing short of sensational. Cup leader Rossi Moor (FARIUM Next Generation Riders) continued his fine form to win Race 1 at the Sachsenring and crossed the line first in Race 2, however the Hungarian was penalised for exceeding track limits on the last lap.
This promoted Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team) to the top step on Sunday afternoon, as Farkas and compatriot Moor picked up 45 points apiece in Germany. This was Farkas’ first victory since he beat Moor on the last lap in Race 2 at Le Mans, with the Hungarian duo now split by 33 points at the top of the standings. That’s in Moor’s favour, with the number 92 yet to finish off the podium in 2022, but both riders have podium pedigree in Assen. Which way will the title pendulum swing this weekend?
Elsewhere, home hero Dustin Schneider (Goblin Racing) and Oschersleben Race 1 winner Lenoxx Phommara (Team Phommara) were able to secure podiums in Germany, and both head to Assen full of confidence knowing that podiums are the target every weekend.
Loris Veneman (TeamNL Open Line) slipped to fourth in the standings after finishing 6th and 10th – the latter after a penalty – last time out, but there’s no better place to bounce back on home soil. The Dutchman and Sachsenring polesitter Jurrien van Crugden (BB64 Academy) have scored points in every race so far in 2022, so can they keep that run up and stand on the podium at Assen? That would be the dream for both.
Race 1 at the Dutch TT gets underway at 17:15 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday, with Race 2 kicking off at 16:20 on Sunday afternoon!
Danilo Petrucci arrives in the Pacific Northwest with a seven-point lead in the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship. The Italian will also be getting his first taste of Ridge Motorsports Park, the site of round five of the championship, this coming weekend. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
MotoAmerica Boasts Four Different Superbike Winners Heading To Ridge Motorsports Park Round
The Pacific Northwest Welcomes MotoAmerica Medallia Superbikes For The Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge Event
IRVINE, CA (June 22, 2022) – With eight of 20 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races in the books in 2022 and the series headed to the Pacific Northwest to begin its brief West Coast swing, only seven points separate first from second in the championship. And with a quartet of winners emerging from the first eight races, just 37 points separate first from fourth in the title chase. A look back at last year shows that after four rounds (and eight races), only two riders had tasted victory with champion-to-be Jake Gagne winning seven of the eight to lead Mathew Scholtz (who won the only race Gagne hadn’t won) by a whopping 44 points. Meanwhile, 67 points separated the top four and it was a forgone conclusion that this was just a two-horse race before the series had even reached the halfway mark. And the lead horse showed absolutely no signs of letting up.
The fact that Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci is leading the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship isn’t a surprise. Most figured he’d win races and contend for the title. Not many, however, would have predicted that Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne would be third in the series standings and 25 points adrift with three wins, two DNFs and a podium-free visit to Wisconsin and Road America. Say what?
Petrucci will pay visit to Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend for the first time in the Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event, and he will do so as the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike points leader with 140 points from the first eight races. Petrucci started off with a bang with three-straight wins, had his first and only DNF thus far in race two at Road Atlanta, and has been on the podium in three of the last four races.
The man who is chasing the hardest at this point in the season is Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, the South African taking his first race win of 2022 in race one at Road America a few weeks ago. Despite following that win the next day with a lackluster eighth-place outing in race two, Scholtz sits just seven points behind Petrucci after finishing on the podium in six of eight races.
Then comes Gagne. Nobody in their right mind would have bet that the defending MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion would win three straight races going into Road America but emerge from there without a podium finish. But that’s exactly what happened. Gagne, fresh off a doubleheader sweep at VIRginia International Raceway going into Wisconsin, had brought Petrucci’s lead back to a manageable 13 points. But with his non-podium finishes of fifth (he crashed and remounted in last to charge through the pack) and fourth (in a mostly wet race) at Road America, Gagne sees Petrucci’s lead jump back out to 25 points heading to Ridge. Still, there don’t seem to be many worried faces in the Gagne camp.
The fourth man to win a Superbike race in 2022 is Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, the South African taking his first win of the season and his first with his new Yamaha team in race two at Road America. Petersen is now 37 points behind Petrucci with his efforts slowed a bit with a race-one mechanical DNF in Wisconsin.
Prior to Road America, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hector Barbera had a clean 2022 record with points scored in every round. In race one at Road America, Barbera landed on the podium for the first time in a MotoAmerica Superbike race to keep that perfect points-in-every-round tally going. But on Sunday, that was gone with the Spaniard following up his best career effort with his first non-finish of the year. Still, Barbera sits fifth, though he’s now in a heated battle or the spot.
Just four points behind Barbera is Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis with the Kentuckian just five points ahead of PJ Jacobsen on the second of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RRs.
Jacobsen is coming to Washington hot off his first career MotoAmerica Superbike podium with the New Yorker pressuring Petersen to the very end of race two at Road America while also holding off the advances of third-placed Petrucci.
Lewis’s teammate Richie Escalante had a rough go of it at Road America with the 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion only scoring 10 points in total from the two races. Escalante now drops four points behind Jacobsen and is just six ahead of Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman rounds out the top 10 in the series standings heading to the Pacific Northwest and Ridge Motorsports Park.
Ridge Motorsports Park Pre-Race Superbike Notes…
Last year, Ridge Motorsports Park hosted round four of the 2021 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship. This year the stop in Washington will be the fifth round of the series in 2022 after rounds in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Ridge is the first of two races on the West Coast with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, scheduled for round six, July 8-10.
Jake Gagne won his sixth and seventh Superbike races in a row last year at Ridge en route to winning 17 straight and the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne beat his then-teammate Josh Herrin in both races in 2021.
In addition to winning both races, Gagne also sat on pole position after lapping at a best of 1:39.568 (a new lap record on the 2.47-mile track) on his Yamaha YZF-R1. Frenchman Loris Baz qualified second on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R with Cameron Petersen completing the front row on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Jake Gagne hasn’t won every race this year, but he has been on pole position for all four rounds thus far – COTA, Road Atlanta, VIR and Road America.
This year’s race at Ridge will mark the third time that MotoAmerica has visited the track in Shelton. In the debut season of the series holding a round at Ridge in 2020, Cameron Beaubier won both Superbike races. With Jake Gagne winning both last year, Yamaha has won all four MotoAmerica Superbike races at Ridge.
Thirty-eight Superbikes will attempt to qualify for the two MotoAmerica Medallia races at Ridge. The most popular bike in the field is Yamaha’s YZF-R1 with 12 entries. BMW is next up with 10, followed by Suzuki with seven, Kawasaki with five, Honda with three and Ducati with Danilo Petrucci’s lone Panigale V4 R.
Two riders are currently tied for the lead in the Superbike Cup, the class within a class for those riders competing in Superbike on Stock 1000 machines. Ezra Beaubier and Danilo Lewis are tied for the lead with 110 points with Hunter Dunham and Jeremy Coffey only two and five points further adrift, respectively, heading into the round at Ridge.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Just Seven Points Back, Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Look To Ridge For An Edge In Superbike Championship
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Tulsa, OK – June 22, 2022 – Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Everyone on the Westby Racing team, especially Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, is motivated to make up the narrow, seven-point deficit in the season point standings.
Among the things that weigh in Mathew’s favor is his familiarity with Ridge’s twisty, 16-turn, 2.47-mile road course. This will be his third visit to the Pacific Northwest track, while current championship leader Danilo Petrucci will be visiting Ridge for the very first time in his career this weekend.
“I’m seeking a little bit of redemption at Ridge since we struggled there quite a bit last year,” Mathew said. “We’ve got a completely different package this year, so I am really looking forward to much better results this weekend. Coming off a win at Road America, we have a lot of confidence going into Ridge, and I feel great on the bike and with what we’re doing. The team is working well.
“Sunday’s race at Road America was a bit of a disappointment, but I know we will bounce back from that. The weather (in Washington) looks a lot cooler than it was last year, which is going to make things a little bit easier. Usually, the tighter, twistier tracks are the ones that suit me, so this weekend should be really good for us. I can’t wait to get back on the bike, keep this momentum going, and keep on challenging for the championship. We’re not too far behind Petrucci, so we need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. PT, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. PT, and Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday afternoon also at 3:10 p.m. PT. Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 (FS2).
For all the action from Ridge Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at Ridge. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. and Pro-Bolt USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
MotoAmerica Round 5 – Petrucci Leads The Charge Heading to The Ridge
Washington State beckons for Danilo Petrucci as MotoAmerica Superbike heads to The Ridge
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 22, 2022 – Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) heads to the half-way point of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at The Ridge this weekend with competition focused on the series points leader.
The Italian sits on 140 points, seven clear of Mathew Scholtz and 25 ahead of defending champion Jake Gagne. However, the Italian is under no illusions of the task at hand in his first visit to the scenic, undulating venue located among the pine trees of Shelton, Washington.
Two races with a possible 50 points up for grabs this weekend in Washington gives Petrucci a chance to solidify his title lead heading into round six at the world-famous Laguna Seca July 8-10.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“I’m happy to be back racing on my Ducati,” Petrucci said. “For me, The Ridge is a completely new track and I recently had a look at some videos from the race last year but I can’t wait to ride this track. It’s really flowing, and there’s a lot of fast and blind corners so this will be good for the Panigale. I’m not looking at the championship. We’re not even at the middle of the year so I just want to win again and stand on that top step of the podium.”
Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship kicks off with practice on Friday, June 24 with race one scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Saturday, June 25. Race two is scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Sunday, June 26.
Francesco Bagnaia (63) leads Fabio Quartararo (20), Takaaki Nakagami (30), and Maverick Vinales early in the MotoGP race at Assen in 2021. Photo courtesy Dorna.
All hail the Cathedral: MotoGP™ arrives in Assen
History meets modernity at a true jewel on the calendar. This is the TT Circuit Assen
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
It’s called the Cathedral for a reason. Only missing in 2020 due to the changes obliged to the calendar, the TT Circuit Assen has otherwise been a mainstay of motorcycle Grand Prix racing since the world’s first motorsport World Championship began in 1949. The venue has gone from a long street circuit to a shorter but no less incredible track over the seven decades since, creating some of the greatest racing in the world every time we return. In 2022, that time is now!
After deposing the “no Yamaha win since 2009” stat at the Sachsenring, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) arrives on the front foot and with his eye on another: no one’s won back to back at Assen since Valentino Rossi did it in 2004 and 2005. Since the Quartararo reigned last year in the Netherlands, it’s within reach… and his form only backs that statement up yet further. Three in a row would be quite a way to head into summer break.
Elsewhere at Yamaha, Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) and Andrea Dovizioso will want more, the latter a former podium finisher at Assen and the former looking for a bounce back before summer break. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, continues looking for a big step forward, the Italian well outside his already conquered postcode of the podium fight so far in 2022.
At Aprilia, meanwhile, it can raise a smile that one of their worst races of the season so far, all told, is still in fact what the Noale factory would have been aiming for at the start of just last season. “Worst” describing fourth place for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) still maintains the number 41 in second overall and was another consistent, big-points finish he’ll be looking to build on again.
On the other side of the garage there’s another two-sided coin for Maverick Viñales from Germany too: he suffered a technical issue and had to retire, but he had to retire after having been pinned to the back of his teammate for some time, looking like a podium charge was on the cards. Will there be one at Assen? It’s those final laps of the race, the ones we didn’t get to see at the Sachsenring, where ‘Top Gun’ often shines, and everything seems to be coming together.
That statement is also true of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). The Frenchman is on a steady upward curve of results with the next natural number in the progression being 1 aka the win. As satisfying a stat as that would be, his recent run already stands alone as impressive. Now third overall – and top Ducati in the Championship – can he pull another podium out the bag?
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) did just that in Germany to put some tougher races behind him, and ‘Thriller’ did it despite a Long Lap penalty too. Of all those on the grid, Miller’s memories of Assen are probably the sweetest as he took that incredible win in 2016, so what can he do in 2022? And can Jorge Martin (Prima Racing) find something more? What will Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) have in the locker after impressive speed in Germany? Can Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) bounce back from a stint of going AWOL?
Then, of course, there’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). From bad luck in Barcelona to a slide out of second at the Sachsenring, it’s been a tougher few weeks for the number 63. Assen hasn’t traditionally been the best for Ducati, but Pecco even has the track as a tattoo, having taken his very first win there in Moto3™ in 2016. He’s also reigned in Moto2™, and knows his way around the Cathedral. The gap to the top is now a big one, but the season is only half way done…
Lurking a single point above both Bagnaia and Miller in the standings, meanwhile, is the truest Sunday rider of late – in the best sense. No matter the grid position, when the lights go out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wrings some magic out of his KTM, and he’s now into the top five overall. It’s never two or three positions either, it’s a charge as far as the charge can possibly go, and it’s paying dividends. Can he and teammate Miguel Oliveira – who is gaining back some solid form too – take that extra step forward at Assen?
Another factory looking for more, in their case a real bounce back, is Suzuki. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out in Germany after that stunning charge in Barcelona, and the number 36 will be gunning for glory at Assen. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, tried to take part put then hit a serious pain barrier before withdrawing due to his wrist. Can he try again at Assen?
Finally, Honda. The stat sounds a little brutal: no points for the first time since the French GP in 1982. But all told, that happening at the track where the marque won the previous 11 races probably takes the sting out, as is likely also true of the well-stocked trophy cabinet added to in the intervening decades. It’s a tough run, however, with Stefan Bradl the sole finisher for Repsol Honda Team, teammate Pol Espargaro riding through the pain barrier, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) suffering a technical issue and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) sliding out. All four riders have shown much more this season already, so the TT Circuit Assen will certainly bring the factory back into the points as a minimum, and offer some more track time as they fettle the all-new RC213V.
Classic, historic, and nestled in the north of one of northern Europe’s most vibrant countries, there have already been 72 great reasons to visit Assen – or tune in. This weekend provides the 73rd as MotoGP™ returns to the Cathedral, so join us at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday for the final showdown before summer break!
Three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey (1) riding his 1992 World Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 Wednesday in preparation for this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Photo courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion and current President of MotoAmerica Wayne Rainey rode his 1992 World Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in England.
The annual event celebrating all motorsports, past and present, takes place on a 1.1-mile (1.8 km) hillclimb course on the grounds of the Goodwood House. This year’s event will run from Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26.
Rainey rode today to get re-acquainted with his Grand Prix racebike, which has been converted to be operated with only hand controls.
Rainey was paralyzed from the chest down when he suffered a spinal injury in a crash in 1993.
Wayne Rainey preparing to head out on track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Photo courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Not only will this be Rainey’s first time appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed it will also be his first time riding a racebike since his career-ending injury.
“I’m incredibly excited to not only be attending my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but to be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb,” Rainey was quoted as saying in a press release issued by Yamaha. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I just couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for preparing my 1992 YZR500 and adapting it for me to ride, MotoAmerica for helping make the entire project fly, and The Duke of Richmond for really making this a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans who come from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.”
To learn more about the Goodwood Festival of Speed go to www.goodwood.com.
Three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey (1) riding his 1992 World Championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 Wednesday in preparation for this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Photo courtesy Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Valentin Debise (153) in action earlier this season at Circuit Européen Pau-Arnos. Photo courtesy Valentin Debise.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise continued his winning ways during Round Four of the French National Championships (FSBK) at Circuit Européen Pau-Arnos, near Pau, France.
Debise did not start Superbike Race One due to a mechanical problems with his Team33accessoires.fr by VRT81 Yamaha YZF-R1, but he bounced back to win Race Two, extending his Championship lead from nine to 16 points.
In Supersport 600, Debise won both races on his Yamaha YZF-R6, stretching his advantage from 38 to 50 points in the standings.
Official results and Championship point standings are below.
Jake Gagne (32) leads Josh Herrin (2), Cameron Petersen (32), Mathew Scholtz (11), Loris Baz (76), Bobby Fong (50), and the rest of the field early in Superbike Race Two at Ridge Motorsports Park in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MotoAmerica: How To Watch Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes at The Ridge
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch the Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes at The Ridge!
Pedro Acosta (51). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Pedro Acosta, an 18-year-old Spaniard who races in the Moto2 World Championship, broke his left femur in an accident while training Tuesday.
According to his team Red Bull KTM Ajo, Acosta, the reigning Moto3 World Champion, is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday in Barcelona.
Following a win at Mugello and a runner-up finish Sunday at Sachsenring, Acosta had moved up to eighth in the Moto2 World Championship point standings.
We will report more details as they become available.
Jeremy Maddrill (1P) at speed at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.
Maddrill Triumphs in AHRMA Vintage Cup Action at New Jersey Motorsports Park
(June 21, 2022, Elora, Tennessee) – Jeremy Maddrill put his KZ650 on top of the podium twice and extended his lead in the 2022 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup.
His latest victories occurred during rounds 13 and 14 of the 2022 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey, June 18 and 19.
The 2022 Vintage Cup, sponsored by RoadracingWorld.com, features the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class. Maddrill, from Stiger, Illinois, won both rounds on his 1979 Kawasaki KZ 650.
On Saturday, Maddrill had a clean start, immediately took, and held the lead until the checkered flag. Matt Esterline from Portage, Michigan, on a 1977 Honda CB750F took second, with James Brown of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire riding his 1977 Kawasaki KZ650 rounding out the podium. Alexander Cook, riding a 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, out of Dublin, Ohio finished fourth with Edward Barna on a 1982 Honda CB750F from Randoph Center, Vermont in fifth.
“Kudos to Jeremy for two more victories and a shout-out to Alex Cook for giving this round of the Vintage Cup some European flair with his Guzzi,” said Brian Larrabure, 2022 Chair of the AHRMA Board of Trustees.
On Sunday, Maddrill, in a replay of Saturday, led the field for the duration of the race, easily taking the checkered flag for the win while Esterline repeated his second-place finish. Cook finished third as Brown experienced a clutch issue which moved him off the podium into fourth.
The 2022 Vintage Cup Trophy will be awarded to the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class winner at select events including WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Barber Motorsports Park.
The Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class is sponsored by International CBX Owners Association (ICOA).
AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series Vintage Superbike Heavy Weight – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
James Brown, 1977 Kawasaki KZ650, Wolfeboro, NH
Alexander Cook, 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Dublin, OH
Edward Barna, 1982 Honda CB750F, Randolph Center, VT
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
Alexander Cook, 1979 Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Dublin, OH
James Brown, 1977 Kawasaki KZ650, Wolfeboro, NH
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With about 3,300 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
Michael Leon (74) celebrating his victory at Calabogie Motorsports Park. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy PMP.
Leon edges Babic in Pro 6 GP thriller at Calabogie
Calabogie, ON – Reigning Pro 6 GP Regional Champion Michael Leon of Beaconsfield, QC, took his Royal Distributing BMW S 1000 RR to a narrow, .146 of a second win over the DC Construction/Fast Company BMW of Maple, ON.’s Ivan Babic in the second round of the 2022 Championship at Calabogie Motorsport Park, ON. Fittingly, BMW Motorrad sponsored the race.
The Pro pair battled throughout the final at the 5.05-kilometer, 20-turn venue. Leon jumped into the lead from the start of the eight-lap main event, with Pole sitter Babic applying pressure throughout. Babic seemed to have the edge entering the final, Quary/Carousel section of the venue, and made his move on the final tour.
“I kind of knew that he would try me there,” confirmed Leon, who shut the door when Babic made his bold move. “If it was going to work, he was going to take us both down! It was close, there was good pressure, and I was happy with the pace, given the cool conditions. I think the last time I won a Superbike race was maybe 2018 at Shannonville, and this is my first victory in Superbike at Calabogie.”
“Last weekend didn’t go too well,” continued Leon, referring to his two crashes in the opening round of the National series at Grand Bend, ON. “So, I was a little bit careful in the slow corners, but the bike was working really well. We’ll download the data and see what we can learn in time for the National here next month.”
Babic’s runner up effort was a robust performance for a second year Pro climbing the Pro ladder, and he confirmed that “I gave it a good shot with Michael, but it didn’t work out. The conditions were not ideal, it was very windy, and maybe I could have tried something else- but I am happy overall.”
Third belonged to Ernest Bernhard of Ste-Brigide-d’Iberville, QC, on a Yamaha YZF-R1. Early in the race, Bernhard was battling with a pack of riders, but by mid-distance he had pulled clear to earn the final podium spot, 11 seconds behind the winning BMW duo.
The BMW of Anthony Bergeron of Racine, QC, hung in to net fourth, after a lengthy battle with Bernhard and the Turcotte Performance Ducati Panigale of Christian Allard, from Chambly, QC. In his first outing with the Ducati, Allard earned an impressive third in Q to start on the front row of the grid, and might have been fourth in the race, but for an off-track trip on his final lap.
There was a good, race-long dispute for sixth, and at the finish Pierre Simard of Stoneham, QC, pulled clear to grab the spot on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Yamaha YZF-R1 pilot Vivian Mathews of Clarence Creek, ON, got the better of the race long fight against the Yamaha YZF-R6 of Oshawa, ON.’s Jake LeClair.
Earlier in the program, Philippe Masse of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC., dominated the Kawasaki-backed Pro Sport Bike round for middleweight machines, earning his second straight victory and establishing himself as a favorite for the upcoming Dunlop-backed Calabogie National, July 9-10.
Starting from pole on the grid, Masse pulled away steadily to win by just over 20 seconds.
Veteran Louie Raffa of Saint-Marthe-sur-le-Lac was on form with his Fast Company Honda CBR600RR, getting clear of a trio of riders to net second. Just behind, LeClair fought with rookie Pro Yamaha pilot Pascal Bastien of St-Eustache, LeClair getting the final podium spot with a late race charge.
The Motul Amateur Superbike race was a barn burner, with five riders disputing the lead. BMW racer Marc Labossiere of Longueil, QC, charged from third to first on the final tour, earning the victory by just 0.16 of a second over Suzuki racer Yan Julien of Calixa-Lavalee, QC. Also, in the thick of the dispute was Nova Scotia racer John Fraser’s Yamaha, making his first Calabogie start a good one with third place at the finish, in preparation for the upcoming National round.
Another thrilling Amateur contest involved Guillaume Lavallee of Sainte-Ann-de-Sorel, QC. fighting with Nolan Eadie of Gloucester, ON., and Bobby Desjardins of Ferme-Neuve, QC. At the finish of a tense battle, Lavallee’s Kawasaki won by .2 of a second from Yamaha mounted Eadie, while Suzuki’s Desjardins was a further second back for third.
In the Liqui Moly Pro-AM Lightweight final race, Istvan Hidvegi of Mississauga, ON, took the Pro victory on his Yamha, while the Amateur division belonged to another R3, this one piloted by Evan Moriarity of Milton, ON.
In other support race action, Marc Labossiere of Longueil, QC earned first in Heavyweight Sportsman on a BMW; Heavyweight Sportsman went to Erik Gosselin of Beaupre, QC aboard an Aprilia; the Middleweight Sportsman round was won by Serge Boyer from St Jerome, QC, riding a Kawasaki; and the Middleweight Sportsman counter fell to veteran fast guy Alan Burns of South Mountain, ON., piloting a Kawasaki.
Pol Espargaro (44) in action at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Last push for the Repsol Honda Team before Summer Break
One last race before the mid-season Summer Break and both Pol Espargaro and Stefan Bradl know what they have to do this weekend.
Assen offers a radical change from the demands of the Sachsenring, the tight anti-clockwise German track making way for the fast and flowing Dutch circuit. Having held races since 1949, the TT Assen is steeped in history and has undergone several modifications throughout its life. The current circuit is characterised by a tight first sector which opens into a fast and flowing section before arriving at the infamous Geert Timmer Bocht chicane just before the finish line.
Pol Espargaro arrives at the Dutch race looking to put an end to his run of misfortune, having failed to score in the last three races. A combination of bad luck and injuries have plagued the #44 as of late as he and the Repsol Honda Team have continued to try and chase their early season form. Intense recovery work while at home has seen some improvements to his injured left ribs, but it looks set to be another physically demanding weekend racing just a week later. In the past, Espargaro has been a consistent point scorer in the Netherlands and finished tenth last year on the RC213V.
For Stefan Bradl, the last race before the Summer Break is a chance to put the pace he showed during German GP practice into action. Complications in the race made for a disappointing home GP for the German rider, but his adaptation to racing the RC213V is well and truly underway. This will be Bradl’s first time racing at the Dutch track in MotoGP since 2016, the first edition of the race held on Sunday, when he finished eighth. In WorldSBK, when racing there in 2017, he achieved his best overall result of the year – a sixth place finish.
The weather for the weekend is looking significantly cooler and potentially wetter than Germany last week.
Pol Espargaro
“I’ve had a few days at home doing everything I can to be prepared for the race this weekend, getting a lot of treatment on the ribs. There’s not much more that we could have done, so I am as ready as I can be. Assen is a really different track to Germany obviously, there’s a lot of fast changes of directions and you really need to have a bike that handles well. The objective is to get a good result before the Summer Break, we need to stop the run of bad races we have had.”
Stefan Bradl
“Assen gives us an opportunity to solve the problems we had in Germany. Before the race we were making some really good progress – especially with my riding. The objective for the weekend is to make another step in this direction, gain that last little bit of confidence and feeling when pushing for a super-fast lap. It has been a few years since I raced at Assen but I think we can get up to speed quickly there. I’m eager to have a strong weekend to go into the break with an extra bit of motivation.”
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