More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista caps off Misano weekend with Race 2 victory
Bautista made it two wins out of three with P1 in Race 2 while Razgatlioglu broke his duck by winning the Tissot Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (19) won Race Two Sunday at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista won Race 2 after an early-race battle with Razgatlioglu, before escaping to win by more than seven seconds He extended his Championship lead to 36 points over Rea, the biggest gap there has been at the top this season so far.
“I’m happy because I can be fast but also, I can think on the bike. I can be calm and attack when I have to attack and do my best to not pass over the limit. I’m quite happy. I battled with Jonathan in the beginning and with Toprak and, in that moment, saw my pace could be a bit faster. I tried to get ahead like I did yesterday. It cost me some laps because the fight with Toprak was so nice. I enjoyed it a lot. In the end, I can increase my gap to Toprak and get the victory. I don’t think about the Championship. Three years ago, I think I was more than 60 points in front and then I lost the Championship by more than 150. In this moment, it’s too soon. I try to just be focused on the work that we are doing, enjoy the bike like I am doing and just get the maximum in all conditions. Sometimes, if I can fight for the win, I will fight. If I can fight for fifth, I will fight. The important thing is just to finish the races, get more information, and have more fun riding the bike.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
After claiming his first 2022 win in the Tissot Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu finished in second position in Race 2 despite taking the lead on the opening lap. His second place means he claimed his 63rd WorldSBK podium. He remains third in the standings 79 points behind Bautista.
“In Race 2, I tried my best again in the very, very hot conditions. Last year, I don’t remember the weather like this. I tried my best again in the race. Alvaro was very fast, and in the straight the Ducati was very fast. Some sectors, I’m quicker. Some sectors, he’s fast. After 10 laps, he went alone. I said ‘okay, second position is enough for me today’.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi claimed his second third position of the weekend after starting from 10th on the grid. He now has a record of 12 WorldSBK podium, including 5 on home soil.
“This afternoon, our strategy was to push really hard from the beginning because if not I would have lost the leading group. Then, after I passed Rea, I put my pace because Bautista and Razgatlioglu were too fast for me today. But I’m really proud of our recovery since Sunday morning.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
After having been overtaken by Rinaldi, Rea was unable to follow him and crossed the finish line in fourth. It’s the first time this season Rea has finished a race outside the podium places. He maintains second place in the Championship with 184 points.
“I put up a fight at the beginning but when I’ve seen the pace of Bautista and Toprak especially, I knew it would be tough and then Rinaldi came past, it was all I could do. I was running myself into some mistakes. I had lost lots of rear entry traction so I as soon I released the brake I was having a front chatter. So it was almost the case of nursing my bike home considering the points and moving on.”
P5 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona took fifth place in Race 2, his sixth top-five finish so far this season. He stands in fifth place in the Championship standings, only 9 points behind fourth-placed Andrea Locatelli.
“Overall, I’m really happy. We didn’t expect this speed during the weekend. Starting from fifth in Race 2 helped me a lot to follow the top guys. I struggled with my rear tyre for the first laps. I didn’t feel comfortable. But in the end, I managed to be faster and I could create a gap to the guys behind me.”
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed Race 2 top six after losing out at the start of the race.
He finished all three races at Misano in sixth place, and has only recorded one finish outside the top six all season
“It was a difficult weekend for me. But it’s been better than last year so it’s a good point for us. We need to continue to work on the bike to try to close the gap to the leader. It was also our first race in hot conditions this season so for sure, we learned some things about where we need to improve the bike and where I need to improve myself.”
To note:
Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round official spectator attendance over three days: 65,825.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took seventh place despite losing out after making a superb start. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who have been given a Long Lap Penalty for track limits infringements in the race, finished in eighth.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten as the best BMW rider.
After a strong start to the race, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a crash at Turn 11 on Lap 12 which ended his race. After being taken to the medical centre, Vierge was diagnosed with fractures to the base of his third metacarpal bone on his right hand and to his capitate and hamate bones on his right wrist.
The Prosecco DOC UK Round will take place from the 15th to 17th of June at Donington Park.
Dominant Aegerter beats Baldassari to Race 2 victory
The Swiss rider doubled up at Misano as he denied Baldassarri a home win
Race 2 highlights – WorldSSP
P1 – Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
Aegerter made it a double win with Race 2 victory despite a challenge from Baldassarri. This seventh consecutive win means he became the first rider to have at least seven wins in two different seasons. The reigning WorldSSP Champion consolidates his Championship lead as he now has a 54-point advantage over Baldassari.
“I got pole position and won both races and I had a very fast lap time with a new lap record. It wasn’t easy, I needed to fight very hard. Today, Baldassarri had a very strong pace, every lap in the 1’38s so this was very difficult to manage, also with the track temperature. In the end, it was very close, and I could take the victory in the last lap and I could take 25 points. It’s amazing to make seven wins in a row. We got a lot of important points for the Championship.”
P2 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
Baldassarri was denied a home win when Aegerter made his move on Lap 17 at Turn 11. He took his fifth second place and seventh podium of the 2022 season. He remains second in the Championship standings with 141 points.
“Today I was hoping, and very close, to win again. It was easier than yesterday with my pace and my race overall. We had a great rhythm until the end. We didn’t do mistakes. And when we started making mistakes because I had some downshifting issues with five laps to go and Aegerter passed me to take the win. I can’t wait for the next races but we need to keep improving.”
P3 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Despite having taken the lead at the start of the race, Bulega dropped down to finish third. He claimed his fifth third position of the season, whist it was Ducati’s 20th podium in WorldSSP. Bulega stands in third place in the Championship standings, 37 points behind Baldassarri.
“I had a good race, we had a good pace. We struggled a bit more compared to yesterday because it was hotter today and we are struggling a bit more with higher temperatures. Unfortunately, at Turn 4 on the first lap I nearly crashed. I lost a lot of time and was seventh or eighth. Then I managed to recover. I enjoyed the race because I made some overtakes. Anyway, another podium is a good place. I’m happy. Thanks to my team because they did an amazing job all the weekend.”
Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) claimed his best WorldSSP result with fourth place after battling up the field from ninth on the grid. This also marks Triumph’s best result of the 2022 season since returning to the Championship. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) completed the top six in fifth and sixth place respectively.
More, from a press release issued by CSBK/Professional Motorsports Production:
Young survives early battle to win CSBK opener in Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – The opening race of the 2022 Canadian Superbike Championship season brought plenty of fireworks on Saturday, as Ben Young held off an early attack to win the Pro Superbike feature opener at the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Young started from the middle of the front row aboard his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW after ceding pole position to local rookie Trevor Dion on Friday, but made up for that right away as he grabbed the holeshot into turn one for the 20-lap feature event.
His early lead was anything but safe, as Young outlasted an immediate pass attempt from Dion in second and was followed closely by a four-rider pack well into the halfway point of the race. However, Young’s experience around the Grand Bend circuit began to come into play in the second half, as he sliced his way through lapped traffic to clear the chasing pack behind and cruise towards a sixth career Superbike victory.
“I got the start of my life out there, but I knew Trevor would try and get me back right away, so I just tried to bank in consistent times and ride a smooth race start to finish,” Young said. “The BMW worked great, and fortunately we were able to bring home big points, but now we all got to work on some things and try do it again tomorrow.”
Dion was the biggest challenger to Young in the early going, but ultimately couldn’t maintain the pace at the front as he struggled with lapped traffic towards the end. The rookie would eventually give way to defending champion Alex Dumas, who came home second after choosing a soft front Dunlop tire compared to the supersofts of his rivals.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, so I got stuck behind these guys a little bit at the start and I wasn’t able to get them back soon enough,” the Liqui Moly Fast School Suzuki rider said. “The tires started to come alive in the last few laps and I had a lot of pace at the end, but we’re going to have to get a better start in race two tomorrow.”
As for Dion, his eventual third-place finish would add to an already sensational weekend for the local rookie, as he overcame gearing troubles to earn a hard-fought podium for his wave of supporters aboard his LDS Consulting BMW.
“It’s really hard to run a Superbike here, but I’m happy to gain some experience and pick up a podium in the process,” Dion said. “I thought I had Ben for a moment there in the carousel, but he came right back at me and I just didn’t have the pace to stay up there. We have some work to do for tomorrow, but it’s still a really awesome feeling.”
Climbing his way to fourth was OneSpeed Suzuki rider Trevor Daley, who struggled through a difficult opening few laps but eventually carved through the grid and into the top-five, salvaging a strong result and showing podium pace in the process as he celebrated his 50th career start in the Superbike category.
Completing the top five was another local standout in Steven Nickerson, who ran with the lead pack early on and challenged Dumas for much of the race before fading to fifth as he recovers from lingering knee injuries aboard his Dewildt Powerhouse Honda.
Finishing just shy of Nickerson was the Quebecois duo of Sebastian Tremblay and Samuel Guerin, as both riders reeled in a top-five spot in the late going but were unable to capitalize as Tremblay secured sixth aboard his ST Motorsport Kawasaki and Guerin sealed seventh for the EFC Group BMW team.
While Dion was unable to climb to the top step in the feature Pro Superbike race, he did manage a victory on the day as he won an incident-filled affair in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike category.
Dion ran in second for the entirety of the early portion behind pole-sitter David MacKay, but a red-flag and subsequent restart saw both MacKay and fellow title contender Will Hornblower crash out early, leaving Dion alone out front aboard his LDS Kawasaki.
“The first start was pretty good, but I knew David had the pace, so I just tried to stick with him and manage our Dunlop tires a bit,” Dion said. “Then on the restart I just tried to put my head down and pull a gap on them, but unfortunately they both went down behind me, so we were able to bring home the win.”
Benefitting from the crashes was the typical hard-luck Elliott Vieira, who tied his best career National result with a second-place finish aboard his Snow City Yamaha, while rookie Matt Simpson completed the podium in just his second career Pro race aboard his Evans Racing Yamaha machine.
Completing the top five in the middleweight division were Connor Campbell and Louie Raffa, the former scoring his best career Pro result aboard his Campbell Roofing Kawasaki, while Raffa managed a hard-earned fifth for the Fast Company Honda team.
The opening race of the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight championship was dominated by newcomer Evan Moriarity, who was no match for any of his rivals as he cruised to a debut National victory by over 12 seconds aboard his Yamaha machine.
The gap was much thinner after that, as local youngster Bryce Deboer held on to second ahead of veterans Pat Barnes in third and Jacob Black in fourth, with the three Kawasaki riders separated by just 0.306 seconds across the line.
Jared Walker won the inaugural race in the brand new Pro/Am series, taking the outright victory on track and in the Pro category ahead of Istvan Hidvegi and reigning National Lightweight champion Harvey Renaud, while DeBoer cruised to the top spot in the Amateur division.
Marc Labossiere will start from pole for Sunday’s lone AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike race, after the BMW rider topped qualifying with a time of 1:06.360 – just 0.162 seconds clear of fellow Quebec native Julien Lafortune (Kawasaki) in second.
The gap was even smaller at the top of the Amateur Sport Bike timesheets, as a pair of Kitchener, ON natives were separated by just 0.058 seconds with Sebastian Hothaza taking pole position for Yamaha while Nathan Playford claimed second for Honda.
More, from a press release issued by CSBK/Professional Motorsports Productions:
Lalande continues unbeaten streak in Canadian MiniSBK at Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – A change of venue wasn’t enough to slow down Vincent Lalande on Saturday, as the teenaged star won his fifth consecutive race in the feature Canada Cup at the third round of the Canadian Mini Superbike Championship in Grand Bend, presented by the Super Sonic Road Race School.
The series shifted to the bigger circuit – a departure from their usual Lombardy Raceway – as part of a special one-off event alongside the Canadian Superbike Championship, but the new environment didn’t faze emerging young star Lalande as he made his name even more known around the Canadian racing paddock.
The 14-year-old out of Mirabel, QC stormed to pole position in the revised qualifying format aboard his mandated Ohvale machine, posting a best time of 40.82 seconds, and that pace trended into the fifth Canada Cup race of the campaign as he led start-to-finish to maintain his perfect season through six of eleven races.
Lalande was dealt a brief early challenge from Jared Walker, who was joining the feature class while attending the CSBK weekend, but Walker would eventually drift back and lose second place to Benjamin Hardwick, who continues his own streak of runner-up finishes.
Hardwick ultimately ended up just 1.01 seconds slower than Lalande after his late comeback, and his extended podium streak will keep the 13-year-old Sudbury, ON native in title contention as he chases his debut victory in round four.
Walker would hang on to compete the overall podium in third, while also taking home the victory in the GP-1 category amidst a successful MiniSBK debut weekend.
East-coast entry Vincent Wilson also enjoyed a strong first appearance with the series, earning a nail-biting victory in the combined Sport category ahead of nine-year old sensation Michael Galvis.
Wilson was challenged throughout by Galvis, the youngest entry in the MiniSBK field, as the youngster grabbed the holeshot and led in the early going with Wilson and pole-sitter Kyle Newman in tow.
Galvis would eventually concede the top spot to Wilson, launching a few late passes in an attempt to regain the lead, but it ultimately wasn’t enough as he was forced to settle for second place in the Sport category.
Joining the duo on the podium was Newman, who was making his MiniSBK debut as a local entry to the category.
Another notable pair in the Sport category was the husband-and-wife duo of Dwayne and Cindy Bucholtz, with Dwayne battling it out for an eventual fifth-place finish while Cindy managed a strong seventh-place result.
The Canadian Mini Superbike Championship won’t have to wait long before another thrilling weekend of action, with the fourth round returning to the Lombardy Raceway in two weeks time, June 24-26
Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Billy Ross (Har), 22 laps
2. Jesse Janisch (Har), -00.726 seconds
3. Dan Bromley (Yam), -03.660
4. Cory Texter (Yam), -06.487
5. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -08.222
6. Cole Zabala (Yam), -10.119
7. Cameron Smith (Yam), -10.853
8. Ben Lowe (Yam), -11.229
9. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -12.296
10. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -19.662
11. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap, -02.591
12. Shelby Miller (Kaw), -1 lap, -03.500
13. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -1 lap, -04.553
14. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -1 lap, -05.265
15. Garret Wilson (Kaw), -2 laps, -10.783
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 22 laps
2. Trent Lowe (Hon), -01.948 seconds
3. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -01.967
4. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -02.161
5. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -02.860
6. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -04.966
7. Brandon Kitchen (Hus), -05.262
8. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -05.415
9. Jared Lowe (Hon), -06.004
10. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -06.178
11. Logan McGrane (KTM), -06.846
12. Damon Ream (Hon), -07.526
13. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -07.883
14. James Ott (KTM), -08.277
15. Gage Smith (Hon), -8 laps
16. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -8 laps
17. Tyler Raggio (Hon), -20 laps
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 35 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -04.844 seconds
3. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -06.663
4. Bronson Bauman (Har), -08.421
5. Briar Bauman (Ind), -09.816
6. Jared Mees (Ind), -10.207
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, -00.922
8. Jesse Janisch (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -04.109
9. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -1 lap, -04.270
10. Dan Bromley (PT) (Yam), -1 lap, -05.491
11. Sammy Halbert (Ind), -1 lap, -07.661
12. Robert Pearson (Har), -1 lap, -16.524
13. Cory Texter (PT) (Yam), -19 laps
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -23 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Beach Spearheads Yamaha 1-2 at Laconia Short Track
JD Beach (95) leading the Laconia Short Track. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2022) – JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) scored a milestone victory as the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season resumed with Saturday’s Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Faced with an extraordinarily technical surface, passing was at a premium on the day, making the start all that more important. Beach earned the top pick of starting positions with his performance in the lead-up to the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event but appeared to throw that pivotal advantage away by slipping down to third in the race’s opening corner.
However, the versatile Beach somehow slashed past both Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in less than a quarter mile to reassert his dominance before it could ever be questioned. He was effectively perfect from that point forward, never providing another rider with any real hope of stealing away the victory.
While Yamaha had gone nearly a half-century between oval wins prior to the Mission Red Mile I triumph of Beach’s Estenson Yamaha teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), it took just two weeks to add another.
The triumph also happened to be the first oval win of Beach’s Progressive AFT career to go along with his four prior TT victories. And as a result of today’s points haul, Beach now holds the early advantage in the recently announced Progressive Triple Crown.
He said, “I felt great. Thanks to the whole team – this track has been rough. It’s been a long day, but we squeaked out a win. It feels amazing to finally win on an oval. We’ve still got a lot of races to go, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Speaking of Daniels, the rookie might have been able to give Beach a run if not for a poor start that saw he and Mees shuffled back into an early scrap for sixth. Despite the general difficulties with overtaking at the venue, Daniels systematically made his way forward, ultimately charging all the way up to second at the checkered flag.
It was a rewarding 1-2 for Estenson Yamaha who backed up their Mile excellence with an even more convincing outing at a Short Track.
After being overtaken by Daniels, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) followed the rising star up the order. With less than two minutes remaining, he made his way past the aforementioned Bauman and ‘19 Laconia ST winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) to claim the final spot on the box.
Bronson ultimately finished fourth with Briar fifth after the Baumans waged a brother-vs-brother duel for the runner-up spot for more than half the contest.
Reigning champion Mees never did find his typical front-running form, ultimately coming home in sixth position. Despite suffering his worst finish of the season, Mees continues to lead the title fight. However, Daniels is now just 15 points back (122-107) while Briar and Beach remain significant factors as well with 100 and 98 points, respectively.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) completed the top ten.
Also notable is Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who made his return to racing following his terrifying crash and subsequent injury at last year’s Charlotte Half-Mile. Halbert ran as high as fourth early before eventually fading back to eleventh.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Billy “the Kid” Ross (No. 109 Roof Systems/JRi Shocks Harley-Davidson XG750R) earned his first career Progressive AFT victory in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion in Saturday’s thrilling Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.
For just over six minutes, the race seemed all but certain to go to championship leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), a one-time TT ace added Half-Mile and Mile victories to his résumé in recent weeks.
However, the combination of a couple small mistakes on an unforgiving track and heavy traffic saw Janisch’s hard-earned gap eaten away, allowing the 17-year-old Ross to close back to within striking distance just as they approached the final two laps. Ross proceeded to pounce when Janisch made a minor miscue with just over a lap to go and then successfully defended the position to the checkered flag.
The victory wasn’t just the first of Ross’ young career, it was his first Mission Production Twins result better than tenth and the first top-five of his pro career full stop.
“I can’t even take it all in yet,” Ross said. “I feel like it’s been coming for a couple races now, but I’m just glad it happened here. I almost settled in behind Jesse, but then he made a little bobble and I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to take advantage.’ It was a fun race.”
A few seconds back, the “partially-retired” Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) showed he’s still got his chops with a strong ride to third. As a result, Bromley stands two-for-two in podiums per attempt this year following his runner-up at the season opener in Volusia.
Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) once again salvaged a decent result out of a less-than-perfect round. The defending class champ executed successive passes on sixth-placed Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) and fifth-placed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to minimize the day’s damage with a fourth-place finish.
Meanwhile, it was a second consecutive tough outing for former points leader Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who ended up 13th. As a result, Janisch has expanded his points lead from one to six (112-106) over Texter, while Armstrong now sits a distant third at 87.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) was in a class of his own all day long at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The prodigious Kopp was fastest in every practice and qualifying session, won his Semi and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge going away, and then stamped his authority through multiple starts and stops in a three-time red-flagged Main Event.
The field was gifted a pair of late Hail Marys, first when the charging Gage Smith (No. 113 BigR Racing/L&R Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed with a minute-and-a-half remaining on the clock, and then again when Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) had an incident shortly after the restart.
While the red flags deleted Kopp’s six-second advantage, they may have actually done him a favor by clearing out the possibility of encountering trouble in traffic in his final sprint to the flag.
The victory was Kopp’s third of ‘22. That, combined with an eighth on the part of title rival Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and the DNS of the injured Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), allowed Kopp to rip his championship advantage open to 18 points over Mischler, and 41 over teammate Whale.
Despite his strong championship position, the 17-year-old Kopp remains focused on the here and now. He said, “It’s too early to think about that. We’re just playing it race-by-race. I can’t believe the opportunity this team has given me. It’s been so great for myself and my family.”
Behind Kopp, Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) narrowly edged rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) for second at the stripe by 0.019 seconds.
It was an impressive performance for both riders with Lowe securing his second podium in the most recent three races. Saathoff, meanwhile, earned his first-career Progressive AFT podium in third despite having to start from the back of the field after forcing the race’s first red flag.
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) took fourth ahead of Mission Red Mile II winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), who rounded out the top five.
The Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 18, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m, PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
Next Up:
Progressive AFT will now head to the demanding Mission Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, on Saturday June 25. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT ahead of the evening’s Main Event program.
You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP SWEEPS ROUND 7 OF AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 7 – American Flat Track Championship
Kody Kopp. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
LOUDON, N.H. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp dominated in the AFT Singles class at Round 7 of the American Flat Track Championship in Loudon, New Hampshire, sweeping everything from qualifying, to the semi and the evening’s Main Event.
After setting the fastest time in qualifying, Kopp continued to show the power of his KTM 450 SX-F by leading all eight laps of Semi 1. Hungry for yet another win of the evening, Kopp blasted into the lead from pole position for the Main Event. He controlled the entire race, despite three restarts which left room for competitors to make their moves. Kopp clicked off lap after lap in the lead. Then, with two laps to go in the Laconia Short Track, he headed into a tank-slapper in Turn 3. Luckily, Kopp was able to recover without crashing and maintain the lead, cruising through the checkers after leading all 22 laps.
Kody Kopp: “Laconia was an amazing weekend for myself and the team. We fast-qualified, won our semi, won the dash and won the main, so we swept the weekend, which was awesome. We just had to be consistent and get out there and put our laps in. The track was very inconsistent. We had one good save with two laps to go, which I thought was going to cost me my race, but luckily, I was able to gather it up. We have some good momentum rolling right now, so we’re just going to keep our head down and keep pushing.”
Teammate Max Whale did not compete at Laconia Short Track due to a knee injury sustained during race 2 at the Red Mile. Whale underwent surgery last week and he expects to have a quick recovery in hopes of returning to racing soon.
After seven rounds, Kopp has stretched his lead in the AFT Single Championship standings and Whale still remains in third, despite missing this round.
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 25, 2022
Round 7 Results – Laconia Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 7 – Laconia Short Track)
More, from a press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
HICKMAN IS THE 2022 MILWAUKEE SENIOR TT WINNER
Peter Hickman (10). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Peter Hickman became just the fourth rider to win four races in a week at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, when he took victory in Saturday’s Milwaukee Senior TT Race. It was Hickman’s second Senior TT win and ninth in total.
The Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing rider led from start to finish with his eventual winning margin of 16.918s over Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki). Conor Cummins took third place by 2.8s after a race long battle with his Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles teammate Davey Todd.
With conditions similar to the Supersport race the day before, the strong winds over the Mountain continuing, Harrison led at the first timing point at Glen Helen, his lead over Hickman just half a second. Todd was eight tenths of a second further back with teammate Cummins just half a second in arrears. Michael Dunlop (Hawk Racing) and Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) slotted into fifth and sixth.
Over Ballaugh Bridge and Hickman had turned his deficit into a 2.4s lead, the BMW rider having a great run from Glen Helen, and rounding Ramsey Hairpin for the first time he’d stretched the gap to 4.1s. Cummins was now up to third, 3.2s down on Harrison and 1.1s up on Todd with Dunlop and Hutchinson holding station.
Hickman built on his lead up and down the Mountain and with an opening lap of 132.381mph he now led Harrison by an ominous looking 8.3s. Cummins was exactly five seconds adrift in third and was now almost three seconds ahead of Todd. Dunlop was still in fifth but it was now Dominic Herbertson (Gilbert Brown & Son) in sixth ahead of James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), Hutchinson, Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) and Craig Neve (Callmac Scaffolding).
Through Glen Helen on lap two and Hickman added another half second to his lead and after overhauling Todd on the road along the Cronk y Voddy straight, his advantage was up to 10.1s as he leapt Ballaugh Bridge. Cummins, Todd and Dunlop remained in third to fifth and Hillier was now up to sixth.
Just like the opening lap, Hickman built on his lead through each sector on lap two but whilst Harrison had a clear road in front of him, the Burton upon Trent rider was having to work his way through traffic slipping up the inside of Dunlop at Ramsey Hairpin. His teammate Brian McCormack was out of luck though as he retired at Ballaugh.
Another good run over the Mountain, and a second lap of 132.627mph, the fastest of the race, saw Hickman’s lead sit at 14.6s as he made his first pit stop. Harrison was 13.5s ahead of Cummins who only had a 1s gap to Todd, whilst Dunlop and Hillier still sat in fifth and sixth although the latter lost time when he overshot his pit box. The running order behind was now Herbertson, Hutchinson, Coward and John McGuinness MBE, the latter just ahead of the impressive Mike Browne.
McGuinness was then hit with a 30s penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit but that was of little concern to Hickman who, as a result of having a slightly slower pit stop than Harrison, was 10.4s clear rounding the left hander at Glen Helen on lap three. Harrison was suffering with a holed windscreen, the legacy of having hit a bird, whilst Todd had moved ahead of Cummins albeit by just 0.3s.
Although the lead was reduced at Ballaugh, Hickman responded on the run to Ramsey and was 11.3s ahead of Harrison with Cummins having nosed back ahead of Todd, the gap still less than half a second. Dunlop was holding onto fifth with Hillier back up to sixth after regaining the time he’d lost at the pits.
At the end of lap three, half race distance, Hickman had extended his lead considerably to 18.6s and although Harrison was comfortably in second, the battle for third was continuing to rage with Cummins 0.8s ahead of Todd. Dunlop, Hillier, Hutchinson, Herbertson, Coward and Neve were running fifth to tenth but both Gary Johnson and Michael Rutter were forced to retire at the pits.
Coming into the pits for the second stop at the end of lap four and Hickman was controlling his advantage over Harrison, the margin 19.3s with two laps remaining. The battle for third was going in the favour of Cummins with the Manxman having eked out a gap of 2.7s. Fifth to ninth remained the same, however Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) had moved into tenth at the expense of Neve, the fastest newcomer’s first Senior TT came to an end as he was forced to retire at the pits, but he had already done enough to win the TT Newcomers Trophy.
Once again, Hickman’s lead was cut after the pit stop but the 35-year old had everything under control and with no issues over the final two laps, he duly took the chequered flag by 16.918s. In the fight for third, Todd had brought the gap to Cummins down to half a second at Ramsey last time around but it was Cummins who had the better run over the Mountain to take the final podium position by 2.8s.
Dunlop and Hillier completed the top six with Hutchinson, Coward, McGuinness and Nathan Harrison completing the top ten, the latter having another brilliant ride with a final lap of 128.087mph, meanwhile having previously been a top ten contender, Dominic Herbertson unfortunately came off at Glen Helen.
The result means Hickman won the Joey Dunlop TT Championship with 111 points, 22 ahead of Harrison (89) and Dunlop (88). In the race for the TT Privateers Championship, it was Coward who prevailed with a maximum 125 points with Kawasaki claiming the TT Manufacturers Trophy and DAO Racing Kawasaki taking the Team Award.
Rider condition update:
• Dominic Herbertson, Number 16, off at Glen Helen, reported conscious and airlifted to Noble’s Hospital.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Double podium on home soil for Ducati
Bautista claimed victory ahead of Rea and team-mate Rinaldi in Race 1 at Misano while Razgatlioglu retired after an electrical issue
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) leads the start of Race One at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his fifth win of 2022 by 5.128s of Rea. Race 1 win means it was his tenth consecutive podium whilst he remains the only rider to have been on the podium in every race this season. He extended his Championship lead to 22 points over nearest rival Rea.
“Today, the track was hotter than practice, so it was important to understand how much grip the track had and where the limit was. At the beginning, I stayed calm, battled a bit with Jonathan and Toprak and I could see that Toprak was struggling a bit into the corners and Jonathan had a better pace. I tried to stay behind Jonny, as I saw his pace was good, so I followed him to not use the tyre a lot. When I saw Jonathan started to be a bit slower, I tried to get the lead and to put my pace. I started to go faster, so I’m so happy because in every moment, I was under my limit. The feeling with the bike was good and if I went faster, it was because I felt I could go faster, not because I was risking more! To win is always special but to win here at Misano, Ducati’s home, is very special! After two years of suffering a lot, I am enjoying a lot! With all the fans coming into the paddock to celebrate the victory with! It’s fantastic to have all of them here supporting us and I hope to give them another two races of show tomorrow!”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea finished in second place after having battled with Bautista and Razgatlioglu in the first two-thirds of the race. Rea’s second place gave him his 224th podium and ninth in 2022 as well as Kawasaki’s 498th in WorldSBK; just two shy of a landmark 500 podiums. It was Rea’s 16th podium at Misano as he equals Troy Corser’s track record set in 2010. Following Race 1, Rea remains second in the Championship standings with 144 points.
“It was a tough race. Alvaro had a great rhythm especially at the end of the race. I felt for half distance I was there, I felt like the strongest one because every straight I was expecting him to come fast, but we were able to exploit all the strength of our bike. When he came through, he had a much better rhythm. He made some mistakes but then he started to clean up his riding and was able to go away. I learned some things out there and we will try to put that into practice tomorrow, make the bike a little bit better and making it more competitive.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi completed the top three for his home round, finishing 3.161s behind Rea. He was on the podium for the first time this season, claiming his first podium since the 2021 Argentinean Round.
“I’m really happy about this race because, in front of this crowd, it’s unbelievable. Also, to look at myself, we improved a lot since the last rounds. I was able to make a good pace for all 21 laps so really proud of that. For sure, we are missing something, because Alvaro is making a difference, but I cannot be happier about this improvement. I didn’t make a very good start and also my pace at the beginning wasn’t good. I said to myself ‘you need to stay calm; you need to save tyres and then you have to stabilize your pace’. It paid off because, in the end, I was really fast. We were also the brain in this race!”
P4 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Starting from 10th on the grid, Bassani secured fourth place as he took his best result of the 2022 season. It was Bassani’s first top-five finish since the 2021 Indonesian Round
“I tried to arrive on the podium but today it wasn’t possible. I’ll try again tomorrow. I’m very happy of the job we made with the team, I’m happy with our performance today. I’m really focus on tomorrow cause I’m aiming for a podium finish. I will try for a top five finish in the Tissot Superpole Race to then be able to claim a podium finish in Race 2. It will be difficult but not impossible.”
P5 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes finished in fifth place after he battled his way back into a top five finish. The British rider has record four top-five finishes in 2022.
“I had a good start and then on the second lap I had to run wide to avoid a crash. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the speed in the first two or three laps and the guys were attacking me. It was a shame and I need to work on that for tomorrow because after these two or three laps, I had a good pace and I could challenge Rinaldi and Bassani. With the hot temperatures, it was hard for me to really trust the front and really be aggressive to pass the guys so that’s something we need to work on for tomorrow.
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed the top six as he finished 1.4s behind Lowes. He stands in fourth place in the standings, only 15 points behind his teammate.
“For me it was not the best race today but for sure it’s another interesting result because in the end it was very difficult to win the race. The feeling with the bike was not the best today. I don’t understand why because when we arrived here, we worked very well and the feeling with the bike was good but today the conditions were completely different. We have two more races tomorrow and we’ll work tonight to try to reduce the gap and stay more in front.”
To note:
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) suffered a technical issue on his machine on Lap 14 and retired from the race. The reigning WorldSBK Champion maintained his third place in the Championship standings but is now 77 points behind Bautista.
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was the first Honda rider in seventh, with Scott Redding in tenth place for BMW. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed his joint-best WorldSBK result with 11th place on his first race back after injury.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:15.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista caps off Misano weekend with Race 2 victory
Bautista made it two wins out of three with P1 in Race 2 while Razgatlioglu broke his duck by winning the Tissot Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (19) won Race Two Sunday at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista won Race 2 after an early-race battle with Razgatlioglu, before escaping to win by more than seven seconds He extended his Championship lead to 36 points over Rea, the biggest gap there has been at the top this season so far.
“I’m happy because I can be fast but also, I can think on the bike. I can be calm and attack when I have to attack and do my best to not pass over the limit. I’m quite happy. I battled with Jonathan in the beginning and with Toprak and, in that moment, saw my pace could be a bit faster. I tried to get ahead like I did yesterday. It cost me some laps because the fight with Toprak was so nice. I enjoyed it a lot. In the end, I can increase my gap to Toprak and get the victory. I don’t think about the Championship. Three years ago, I think I was more than 60 points in front and then I lost the Championship by more than 150. In this moment, it’s too soon. I try to just be focused on the work that we are doing, enjoy the bike like I am doing and just get the maximum in all conditions. Sometimes, if I can fight for the win, I will fight. If I can fight for fifth, I will fight. The important thing is just to finish the races, get more information, and have more fun riding the bike.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
After claiming his first 2022 win in the Tissot Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu finished in second position in Race 2 despite taking the lead on the opening lap. His second place means he claimed his 63rd WorldSBK podium. He remains third in the standings 79 points behind Bautista.
“In Race 2, I tried my best again in the very, very hot conditions. Last year, I don’t remember the weather like this. I tried my best again in the race. Alvaro was very fast, and in the straight the Ducati was very fast. Some sectors, I’m quicker. Some sectors, he’s fast. After 10 laps, he went alone. I said ‘okay, second position is enough for me today’.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi claimed his second third position of the weekend after starting from 10th on the grid. He now has a record of 12 WorldSBK podium, including 5 on home soil.
“This afternoon, our strategy was to push really hard from the beginning because if not I would have lost the leading group. Then, after I passed Rea, I put my pace because Bautista and Razgatlioglu were too fast for me today. But I’m really proud of our recovery since Sunday morning.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
After having been overtaken by Rinaldi, Rea was unable to follow him and crossed the finish line in fourth. It’s the first time this season Rea has finished a race outside the podium places. He maintains second place in the Championship with 184 points.
“I put up a fight at the beginning but when I’ve seen the pace of Bautista and Toprak especially, I knew it would be tough and then Rinaldi came past, it was all I could do. I was running myself into some mistakes. I had lost lots of rear entry traction so I as soon I released the brake I was having a front chatter. So it was almost the case of nursing my bike home considering the points and moving on.”
P5 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona took fifth place in Race 2, his sixth top-five finish so far this season. He stands in fifth place in the Championship standings, only 9 points behind fourth-placed Andrea Locatelli.
“Overall, I’m really happy. We didn’t expect this speed during the weekend. Starting from fifth in Race 2 helped me a lot to follow the top guys. I struggled with my rear tyre for the first laps. I didn’t feel comfortable. But in the end, I managed to be faster and I could create a gap to the guys behind me.”
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed Race 2 top six after losing out at the start of the race.
He finished all three races at Misano in sixth place, and has only recorded one finish outside the top six all season
“It was a difficult weekend for me. But it’s been better than last year so it’s a good point for us. We need to continue to work on the bike to try to close the gap to the leader. It was also our first race in hot conditions this season so for sure, we learned some things about where we need to improve the bike and where I need to improve myself.”
To note:
Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round official spectator attendance over three days: 65,825.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took seventh place despite losing out after making a superb start. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who have been given a Long Lap Penalty for track limits infringements in the race, finished in eighth.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten as the best BMW rider.
After a strong start to the race, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a crash at Turn 11 on Lap 12 which ended his race. After being taken to the medical centre, Vierge was diagnosed with fractures to the base of his third metacarpal bone on his right hand and to his capitate and hamate bones on his right wrist.
The Prosecco DOC UK Round will take place from the 15th to 17th of June at Donington Park.
Dominant Aegerter beats Baldassari to Race 2 victory
The Swiss rider doubled up at Misano as he denied Baldassarri a home win
Race 2 highlights – WorldSSP
P1 – Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
Aegerter made it a double win with Race 2 victory despite a challenge from Baldassarri. This seventh consecutive win means he became the first rider to have at least seven wins in two different seasons. The reigning WorldSSP Champion consolidates his Championship lead as he now has a 54-point advantage over Baldassari.
“I got pole position and won both races and I had a very fast lap time with a new lap record. It wasn’t easy, I needed to fight very hard. Today, Baldassarri had a very strong pace, every lap in the 1’38s so this was very difficult to manage, also with the track temperature. In the end, it was very close, and I could take the victory in the last lap and I could take 25 points. It’s amazing to make seven wins in a row. We got a lot of important points for the Championship.”
P2 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
Baldassarri was denied a home win when Aegerter made his move on Lap 17 at Turn 11. He took his fifth second place and seventh podium of the 2022 season. He remains second in the Championship standings with 141 points.
“Today I was hoping, and very close, to win again. It was easier than yesterday with my pace and my race overall. We had a great rhythm until the end. We didn’t do mistakes. And when we started making mistakes because I had some downshifting issues with five laps to go and Aegerter passed me to take the win. I can’t wait for the next races but we need to keep improving.”
P3 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Despite having taken the lead at the start of the race, Bulega dropped down to finish third. He claimed his fifth third position of the season, whist it was Ducati’s 20th podium in WorldSSP. Bulega stands in third place in the Championship standings, 37 points behind Baldassarri.
“I had a good race, we had a good pace. We struggled a bit more compared to yesterday because it was hotter today and we are struggling a bit more with higher temperatures. Unfortunately, at Turn 4 on the first lap I nearly crashed. I lost a lot of time and was seventh or eighth. Then I managed to recover. I enjoyed the race because I made some overtakes. Anyway, another podium is a good place. I’m happy. Thanks to my team because they did an amazing job all the weekend.”
Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) claimed his best WorldSSP result with fourth place after battling up the field from ninth on the grid. This also marks Triumph’s best result of the 2022 season since returning to the Championship. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) completed the top six in fifth and sixth place respectively.
More, from a press release issued by CSBK/Professional Motorsports Production:
Young survives early battle to win CSBK opener in Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – The opening race of the 2022 Canadian Superbike Championship season brought plenty of fireworks on Saturday, as Ben Young held off an early attack to win the Pro Superbike feature opener at the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Young started from the middle of the front row aboard his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW after ceding pole position to local rookie Trevor Dion on Friday, but made up for that right away as he grabbed the holeshot into turn one for the 20-lap feature event.
His early lead was anything but safe, as Young outlasted an immediate pass attempt from Dion in second and was followed closely by a four-rider pack well into the halfway point of the race. However, Young’s experience around the Grand Bend circuit began to come into play in the second half, as he sliced his way through lapped traffic to clear the chasing pack behind and cruise towards a sixth career Superbike victory.
“I got the start of my life out there, but I knew Trevor would try and get me back right away, so I just tried to bank in consistent times and ride a smooth race start to finish,” Young said. “The BMW worked great, and fortunately we were able to bring home big points, but now we all got to work on some things and try do it again tomorrow.”
Dion was the biggest challenger to Young in the early going, but ultimately couldn’t maintain the pace at the front as he struggled with lapped traffic towards the end. The rookie would eventually give way to defending champion Alex Dumas, who came home second after choosing a soft front Dunlop tire compared to the supersofts of his rivals.
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, so I got stuck behind these guys a little bit at the start and I wasn’t able to get them back soon enough,” the Liqui Moly Fast School Suzuki rider said. “The tires started to come alive in the last few laps and I had a lot of pace at the end, but we’re going to have to get a better start in race two tomorrow.”
As for Dion, his eventual third-place finish would add to an already sensational weekend for the local rookie, as he overcame gearing troubles to earn a hard-fought podium for his wave of supporters aboard his LDS Consulting BMW.
“It’s really hard to run a Superbike here, but I’m happy to gain some experience and pick up a podium in the process,” Dion said. “I thought I had Ben for a moment there in the carousel, but he came right back at me and I just didn’t have the pace to stay up there. We have some work to do for tomorrow, but it’s still a really awesome feeling.”
Climbing his way to fourth was OneSpeed Suzuki rider Trevor Daley, who struggled through a difficult opening few laps but eventually carved through the grid and into the top-five, salvaging a strong result and showing podium pace in the process as he celebrated his 50th career start in the Superbike category.
Completing the top five was another local standout in Steven Nickerson, who ran with the lead pack early on and challenged Dumas for much of the race before fading to fifth as he recovers from lingering knee injuries aboard his Dewildt Powerhouse Honda.
Finishing just shy of Nickerson was the Quebecois duo of Sebastian Tremblay and Samuel Guerin, as both riders reeled in a top-five spot in the late going but were unable to capitalize as Tremblay secured sixth aboard his ST Motorsport Kawasaki and Guerin sealed seventh for the EFC Group BMW team.
While Dion was unable to climb to the top step in the feature Pro Superbike race, he did manage a victory on the day as he won an incident-filled affair in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike category.
Dion ran in second for the entirety of the early portion behind pole-sitter David MacKay, but a red-flag and subsequent restart saw both MacKay and fellow title contender Will Hornblower crash out early, leaving Dion alone out front aboard his LDS Kawasaki.
“The first start was pretty good, but I knew David had the pace, so I just tried to stick with him and manage our Dunlop tires a bit,” Dion said. “Then on the restart I just tried to put my head down and pull a gap on them, but unfortunately they both went down behind me, so we were able to bring home the win.”
Benefitting from the crashes was the typical hard-luck Elliott Vieira, who tied his best career National result with a second-place finish aboard his Snow City Yamaha, while rookie Matt Simpson completed the podium in just his second career Pro race aboard his Evans Racing Yamaha machine.
Completing the top five in the middleweight division were Connor Campbell and Louie Raffa, the former scoring his best career Pro result aboard his Campbell Roofing Kawasaki, while Raffa managed a hard-earned fifth for the Fast Company Honda team.
The opening race of the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight championship was dominated by newcomer Evan Moriarity, who was no match for any of his rivals as he cruised to a debut National victory by over 12 seconds aboard his Yamaha machine.
The gap was much thinner after that, as local youngster Bryce Deboer held on to second ahead of veterans Pat Barnes in third and Jacob Black in fourth, with the three Kawasaki riders separated by just 0.306 seconds across the line.
Jared Walker won the inaugural race in the brand new Pro/Am series, taking the outright victory on track and in the Pro category ahead of Istvan Hidvegi and reigning National Lightweight champion Harvey Renaud, while DeBoer cruised to the top spot in the Amateur division.
Marc Labossiere will start from pole for Sunday’s lone AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike race, after the BMW rider topped qualifying with a time of 1:06.360 – just 0.162 seconds clear of fellow Quebec native Julien Lafortune (Kawasaki) in second.
The gap was even smaller at the top of the Amateur Sport Bike timesheets, as a pair of Kitchener, ON natives were separated by just 0.058 seconds with Sebastian Hothaza taking pole position for Yamaha while Nathan Playford claimed second for Honda.
More, from a press release issued by CSBK/Professional Motorsports Productions:
Lalande continues unbeaten streak in Canadian MiniSBK at Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – A change of venue wasn’t enough to slow down Vincent Lalande on Saturday, as the teenaged star won his fifth consecutive race in the feature Canada Cup at the third round of the Canadian Mini Superbike Championship in Grand Bend, presented by the Super Sonic Road Race School.
The series shifted to the bigger circuit – a departure from their usual Lombardy Raceway – as part of a special one-off event alongside the Canadian Superbike Championship, but the new environment didn’t faze emerging young star Lalande as he made his name even more known around the Canadian racing paddock.
The 14-year-old out of Mirabel, QC stormed to pole position in the revised qualifying format aboard his mandated Ohvale machine, posting a best time of 40.82 seconds, and that pace trended into the fifth Canada Cup race of the campaign as he led start-to-finish to maintain his perfect season through six of eleven races.
Lalande was dealt a brief early challenge from Jared Walker, who was joining the feature class while attending the CSBK weekend, but Walker would eventually drift back and lose second place to Benjamin Hardwick, who continues his own streak of runner-up finishes.
Hardwick ultimately ended up just 1.01 seconds slower than Lalande after his late comeback, and his extended podium streak will keep the 13-year-old Sudbury, ON native in title contention as he chases his debut victory in round four.
Walker would hang on to compete the overall podium in third, while also taking home the victory in the GP-1 category amidst a successful MiniSBK debut weekend.
East-coast entry Vincent Wilson also enjoyed a strong first appearance with the series, earning a nail-biting victory in the combined Sport category ahead of nine-year old sensation Michael Galvis.
Wilson was challenged throughout by Galvis, the youngest entry in the MiniSBK field, as the youngster grabbed the holeshot and led in the early going with Wilson and pole-sitter Kyle Newman in tow.
Galvis would eventually concede the top spot to Wilson, launching a few late passes in an attempt to regain the lead, but it ultimately wasn’t enough as he was forced to settle for second place in the Sport category.
Joining the duo on the podium was Newman, who was making his MiniSBK debut as a local entry to the category.
Another notable pair in the Sport category was the husband-and-wife duo of Dwayne and Cindy Bucholtz, with Dwayne battling it out for an eventual fifth-place finish while Cindy managed a strong seventh-place result.
The Canadian Mini Superbike Championship won’t have to wait long before another thrilling weekend of action, with the fourth round returning to the Lombardy Raceway in two weeks time, June 24-26
Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Billy Ross (Har), 22 laps
2. Jesse Janisch (Har), -00.726 seconds
3. Dan Bromley (Yam), -03.660
4. Cory Texter (Yam), -06.487
5. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -08.222
6. Cole Zabala (Yam), -10.119
7. Cameron Smith (Yam), -10.853
8. Ben Lowe (Yam), -11.229
9. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -12.296
10. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -19.662
11. Michael Hill (Yam), -1 lap, -02.591
12. Shelby Miller (Kaw), -1 lap, -03.500
13. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -1 lap, -04.553
14. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -1 lap, -05.265
15. Garret Wilson (Kaw), -2 laps, -10.783
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 22 laps
2. Trent Lowe (Hon), -01.948 seconds
3. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -01.967
4. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -02.161
5. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -02.860
6. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -04.966
7. Brandon Kitchen (Hus), -05.262
8. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -05.415
9. Jared Lowe (Hon), -06.004
10. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -06.178
11. Logan McGrane (KTM), -06.846
12. Damon Ream (Hon), -07.526
13. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -07.883
14. James Ott (KTM), -08.277
15. Gage Smith (Hon), -8 laps
16. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -8 laps
17. Tyler Raggio (Hon), -20 laps
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. JD Beach (Yam), 35 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -04.844 seconds
3. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -06.663
4. Bronson Bauman (Har), -08.421
5. Briar Bauman (Ind), -09.816
6. Jared Mees (Ind), -10.207
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, -00.922
8. Jesse Janisch (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -04.109
9. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -1 lap, -04.270
10. Dan Bromley (PT) (Yam), -1 lap, -05.491
11. Sammy Halbert (Ind), -1 lap, -07.661
12. Robert Pearson (Har), -1 lap, -16.524
13. Cory Texter (PT) (Yam), -19 laps
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -23 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:
Beach Spearheads Yamaha 1-2 at Laconia Short Track
JD Beach (95) leading the Laconia Short Track. Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2022) – JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) scored a milestone victory as the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season resumed with Saturday’s Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Faced with an extraordinarily technical surface, passing was at a premium on the day, making the start all that more important. Beach earned the top pick of starting positions with his performance in the lead-up to the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event but appeared to throw that pivotal advantage away by slipping down to third in the race’s opening corner.
However, the versatile Beach somehow slashed past both Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in less than a quarter mile to reassert his dominance before it could ever be questioned. He was effectively perfect from that point forward, never providing another rider with any real hope of stealing away the victory.
While Yamaha had gone nearly a half-century between oval wins prior to the Mission Red Mile I triumph of Beach’s Estenson Yamaha teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), it took just two weeks to add another.
The triumph also happened to be the first oval win of Beach’s Progressive AFT career to go along with his four prior TT victories. And as a result of today’s points haul, Beach now holds the early advantage in the recently announced Progressive Triple Crown.
He said, “I felt great. Thanks to the whole team – this track has been rough. It’s been a long day, but we squeaked out a win. It feels amazing to finally win on an oval. We’ve still got a lot of races to go, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Speaking of Daniels, the rookie might have been able to give Beach a run if not for a poor start that saw he and Mees shuffled back into an early scrap for sixth. Despite the general difficulties with overtaking at the venue, Daniels systematically made his way forward, ultimately charging all the way up to second at the checkered flag.
It was a rewarding 1-2 for Estenson Yamaha who backed up their Mile excellence with an even more convincing outing at a Short Track.
After being overtaken by Daniels, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) followed the rising star up the order. With less than two minutes remaining, he made his way past the aforementioned Bauman and ‘19 Laconia ST winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) to claim the final spot on the box.
Bronson ultimately finished fourth with Briar fifth after the Baumans waged a brother-vs-brother duel for the runner-up spot for more than half the contest.
Reigning champion Mees never did find his typical front-running form, ultimately coming home in sixth position. Despite suffering his worst finish of the season, Mees continues to lead the title fight. However, Daniels is now just 15 points back (122-107) while Briar and Beach remain significant factors as well with 100 and 98 points, respectively.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) completed the top ten.
Also notable is Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who made his return to racing following his terrifying crash and subsequent injury at last year’s Charlotte Half-Mile. Halbert ran as high as fourth early before eventually fading back to eleventh.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Billy “the Kid” Ross (No. 109 Roof Systems/JRi Shocks Harley-Davidson XG750R) earned his first career Progressive AFT victory in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion in Saturday’s thrilling Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.
For just over six minutes, the race seemed all but certain to go to championship leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), a one-time TT ace added Half-Mile and Mile victories to his résumé in recent weeks.
However, the combination of a couple small mistakes on an unforgiving track and heavy traffic saw Janisch’s hard-earned gap eaten away, allowing the 17-year-old Ross to close back to within striking distance just as they approached the final two laps. Ross proceeded to pounce when Janisch made a minor miscue with just over a lap to go and then successfully defended the position to the checkered flag.
The victory wasn’t just the first of Ross’ young career, it was his first Mission Production Twins result better than tenth and the first top-five of his pro career full stop.
“I can’t even take it all in yet,” Ross said. “I feel like it’s been coming for a couple races now, but I’m just glad it happened here. I almost settled in behind Jesse, but then he made a little bobble and I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to take advantage.’ It was a fun race.”
A few seconds back, the “partially-retired” Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) showed he’s still got his chops with a strong ride to third. As a result, Bromley stands two-for-two in podiums per attempt this year following his runner-up at the season opener in Volusia.
Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) once again salvaged a decent result out of a less-than-perfect round. The defending class champ executed successive passes on sixth-placed Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) and fifth-placed Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) to minimize the day’s damage with a fourth-place finish.
Meanwhile, it was a second consecutive tough outing for former points leader Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who ended up 13th. As a result, Janisch has expanded his points lead from one to six (112-106) over Texter, while Armstrong now sits a distant third at 87.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) was in a class of his own all day long at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The prodigious Kopp was fastest in every practice and qualifying session, won his Semi and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge going away, and then stamped his authority through multiple starts and stops in a three-time red-flagged Main Event.
The field was gifted a pair of late Hail Marys, first when the charging Gage Smith (No. 113 BigR Racing/L&R Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed with a minute-and-a-half remaining on the clock, and then again when Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) had an incident shortly after the restart.
While the red flags deleted Kopp’s six-second advantage, they may have actually done him a favor by clearing out the possibility of encountering trouble in traffic in his final sprint to the flag.
The victory was Kopp’s third of ‘22. That, combined with an eighth on the part of title rival Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and the DNS of the injured Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), allowed Kopp to rip his championship advantage open to 18 points over Mischler, and 41 over teammate Whale.
Despite his strong championship position, the 17-year-old Kopp remains focused on the here and now. He said, “It’s too early to think about that. We’re just playing it race-by-race. I can’t believe the opportunity this team has given me. It’s been so great for myself and my family.”
Behind Kopp, Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) narrowly edged rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) for second at the stripe by 0.019 seconds.
It was an impressive performance for both riders with Lowe securing his second podium in the most recent three races. Saathoff, meanwhile, earned his first-career Progressive AFT podium in third despite having to start from the back of the field after forcing the race’s first red flag.
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) took fourth ahead of Mission Red Mile II winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), who rounded out the top five.
The Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 18, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m, PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
Next Up:
Progressive AFT will now head to the demanding Mission Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, on Saturday June 25. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT ahead of the evening’s Main Event program.
You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP SWEEPS ROUND 7 OF AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 7 – American Flat Track Championship
Kody Kopp. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
LOUDON, N.H. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp dominated in the AFT Singles class at Round 7 of the American Flat Track Championship in Loudon, New Hampshire, sweeping everything from qualifying, to the semi and the evening’s Main Event.
After setting the fastest time in qualifying, Kopp continued to show the power of his KTM 450 SX-F by leading all eight laps of Semi 1. Hungry for yet another win of the evening, Kopp blasted into the lead from pole position for the Main Event. He controlled the entire race, despite three restarts which left room for competitors to make their moves. Kopp clicked off lap after lap in the lead. Then, with two laps to go in the Laconia Short Track, he headed into a tank-slapper in Turn 3. Luckily, Kopp was able to recover without crashing and maintain the lead, cruising through the checkers after leading all 22 laps.
Kody Kopp: “Laconia was an amazing weekend for myself and the team. We fast-qualified, won our semi, won the dash and won the main, so we swept the weekend, which was awesome. We just had to be consistent and get out there and put our laps in. The track was very inconsistent. We had one good save with two laps to go, which I thought was going to cost me my race, but luckily, I was able to gather it up. We have some good momentum rolling right now, so we’re just going to keep our head down and keep pushing.”
Teammate Max Whale did not compete at Laconia Short Track due to a knee injury sustained during race 2 at the Red Mile. Whale underwent surgery last week and he expects to have a quick recovery in hopes of returning to racing soon.
After seven rounds, Kopp has stretched his lead in the AFT Single Championship standings and Whale still remains in third, despite missing this round.
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 25, 2022
Round 7 Results – Laconia Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 7 – Laconia Short Track)
More, from a press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
HICKMAN IS THE 2022 MILWAUKEE SENIOR TT WINNER
Peter Hickman (10). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Peter Hickman became just the fourth rider to win four races in a week at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, when he took victory in Saturday’s Milwaukee Senior TT Race. It was Hickman’s second Senior TT win and ninth in total.
The Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing rider led from start to finish with his eventual winning margin of 16.918s over Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki). Conor Cummins took third place by 2.8s after a race long battle with his Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles teammate Davey Todd.
With conditions similar to the Supersport race the day before, the strong winds over the Mountain continuing, Harrison led at the first timing point at Glen Helen, his lead over Hickman just half a second. Todd was eight tenths of a second further back with teammate Cummins just half a second in arrears. Michael Dunlop (Hawk Racing) and Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) slotted into fifth and sixth.
Over Ballaugh Bridge and Hickman had turned his deficit into a 2.4s lead, the BMW rider having a great run from Glen Helen, and rounding Ramsey Hairpin for the first time he’d stretched the gap to 4.1s. Cummins was now up to third, 3.2s down on Harrison and 1.1s up on Todd with Dunlop and Hutchinson holding station.
Hickman built on his lead up and down the Mountain and with an opening lap of 132.381mph he now led Harrison by an ominous looking 8.3s. Cummins was exactly five seconds adrift in third and was now almost three seconds ahead of Todd. Dunlop was still in fifth but it was now Dominic Herbertson (Gilbert Brown & Son) in sixth ahead of James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), Hutchinson, Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) and Craig Neve (Callmac Scaffolding).
Through Glen Helen on lap two and Hickman added another half second to his lead and after overhauling Todd on the road along the Cronk y Voddy straight, his advantage was up to 10.1s as he leapt Ballaugh Bridge. Cummins, Todd and Dunlop remained in third to fifth and Hillier was now up to sixth.
Just like the opening lap, Hickman built on his lead through each sector on lap two but whilst Harrison had a clear road in front of him, the Burton upon Trent rider was having to work his way through traffic slipping up the inside of Dunlop at Ramsey Hairpin. His teammate Brian McCormack was out of luck though as he retired at Ballaugh.
Another good run over the Mountain, and a second lap of 132.627mph, the fastest of the race, saw Hickman’s lead sit at 14.6s as he made his first pit stop. Harrison was 13.5s ahead of Cummins who only had a 1s gap to Todd, whilst Dunlop and Hillier still sat in fifth and sixth although the latter lost time when he overshot his pit box. The running order behind was now Herbertson, Hutchinson, Coward and John McGuinness MBE, the latter just ahead of the impressive Mike Browne.
McGuinness was then hit with a 30s penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit but that was of little concern to Hickman who, as a result of having a slightly slower pit stop than Harrison, was 10.4s clear rounding the left hander at Glen Helen on lap three. Harrison was suffering with a holed windscreen, the legacy of having hit a bird, whilst Todd had moved ahead of Cummins albeit by just 0.3s.
Although the lead was reduced at Ballaugh, Hickman responded on the run to Ramsey and was 11.3s ahead of Harrison with Cummins having nosed back ahead of Todd, the gap still less than half a second. Dunlop was holding onto fifth with Hillier back up to sixth after regaining the time he’d lost at the pits.
At the end of lap three, half race distance, Hickman had extended his lead considerably to 18.6s and although Harrison was comfortably in second, the battle for third was continuing to rage with Cummins 0.8s ahead of Todd. Dunlop, Hillier, Hutchinson, Herbertson, Coward and Neve were running fifth to tenth but both Gary Johnson and Michael Rutter were forced to retire at the pits.
Coming into the pits for the second stop at the end of lap four and Hickman was controlling his advantage over Harrison, the margin 19.3s with two laps remaining. The battle for third was going in the favour of Cummins with the Manxman having eked out a gap of 2.7s. Fifth to ninth remained the same, however Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) had moved into tenth at the expense of Neve, the fastest newcomer’s first Senior TT came to an end as he was forced to retire at the pits, but he had already done enough to win the TT Newcomers Trophy.
Once again, Hickman’s lead was cut after the pit stop but the 35-year old had everything under control and with no issues over the final two laps, he duly took the chequered flag by 16.918s. In the fight for third, Todd had brought the gap to Cummins down to half a second at Ramsey last time around but it was Cummins who had the better run over the Mountain to take the final podium position by 2.8s.
Dunlop and Hillier completed the top six with Hutchinson, Coward, McGuinness and Nathan Harrison completing the top ten, the latter having another brilliant ride with a final lap of 128.087mph, meanwhile having previously been a top ten contender, Dominic Herbertson unfortunately came off at Glen Helen.
The result means Hickman won the Joey Dunlop TT Championship with 111 points, 22 ahead of Harrison (89) and Dunlop (88). In the race for the TT Privateers Championship, it was Coward who prevailed with a maximum 125 points with Kawasaki claiming the TT Manufacturers Trophy and DAO Racing Kawasaki taking the Team Award.
Rider condition update:
• Dominic Herbertson, Number 16, off at Glen Helen, reported conscious and airlifted to Noble’s Hospital.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Double podium on home soil for Ducati
Bautista claimed victory ahead of Rea and team-mate Rinaldi in Race 1 at Misano while Razgatlioglu retired after an electrical issue
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) leads the start of Race One at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his fifth win of 2022 by 5.128s of Rea. Race 1 win means it was his tenth consecutive podium whilst he remains the only rider to have been on the podium in every race this season. He extended his Championship lead to 22 points over nearest rival Rea.
“Today, the track was hotter than practice, so it was important to understand how much grip the track had and where the limit was. At the beginning, I stayed calm, battled a bit with Jonathan and Toprak and I could see that Toprak was struggling a bit into the corners and Jonathan had a better pace. I tried to stay behind Jonny, as I saw his pace was good, so I followed him to not use the tyre a lot. When I saw Jonathan started to be a bit slower, I tried to get the lead and to put my pace. I started to go faster, so I’m so happy because in every moment, I was under my limit. The feeling with the bike was good and if I went faster, it was because I felt I could go faster, not because I was risking more! To win is always special but to win here at Misano, Ducati’s home, is very special! After two years of suffering a lot, I am enjoying a lot! With all the fans coming into the paddock to celebrate the victory with! It’s fantastic to have all of them here supporting us and I hope to give them another two races of show tomorrow!”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea finished in second place after having battled with Bautista and Razgatlioglu in the first two-thirds of the race. Rea’s second place gave him his 224th podium and ninth in 2022 as well as Kawasaki’s 498th in WorldSBK; just two shy of a landmark 500 podiums. It was Rea’s 16th podium at Misano as he equals Troy Corser’s track record set in 2010. Following Race 1, Rea remains second in the Championship standings with 144 points.
“It was a tough race. Alvaro had a great rhythm especially at the end of the race. I felt for half distance I was there, I felt like the strongest one because every straight I was expecting him to come fast, but we were able to exploit all the strength of our bike. When he came through, he had a much better rhythm. He made some mistakes but then he started to clean up his riding and was able to go away. I learned some things out there and we will try to put that into practice tomorrow, make the bike a little bit better and making it more competitive.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi completed the top three for his home round, finishing 3.161s behind Rea. He was on the podium for the first time this season, claiming his first podium since the 2021 Argentinean Round.
“I’m really happy about this race because, in front of this crowd, it’s unbelievable. Also, to look at myself, we improved a lot since the last rounds. I was able to make a good pace for all 21 laps so really proud of that. For sure, we are missing something, because Alvaro is making a difference, but I cannot be happier about this improvement. I didn’t make a very good start and also my pace at the beginning wasn’t good. I said to myself ‘you need to stay calm; you need to save tyres and then you have to stabilize your pace’. It paid off because, in the end, I was really fast. We were also the brain in this race!”
P4 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Starting from 10th on the grid, Bassani secured fourth place as he took his best result of the 2022 season. It was Bassani’s first top-five finish since the 2021 Indonesian Round
“I tried to arrive on the podium but today it wasn’t possible. I’ll try again tomorrow. I’m very happy of the job we made with the team, I’m happy with our performance today. I’m really focus on tomorrow cause I’m aiming for a podium finish. I will try for a top five finish in the Tissot Superpole Race to then be able to claim a podium finish in Race 2. It will be difficult but not impossible.”
P5 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes finished in fifth place after he battled his way back into a top five finish. The British rider has record four top-five finishes in 2022.
“I had a good start and then on the second lap I had to run wide to avoid a crash. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the speed in the first two or three laps and the guys were attacking me. It was a shame and I need to work on that for tomorrow because after these two or three laps, I had a good pace and I could challenge Rinaldi and Bassani. With the hot temperatures, it was hard for me to really trust the front and really be aggressive to pass the guys so that’s something we need to work on for tomorrow.
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed the top six as he finished 1.4s behind Lowes. He stands in fourth place in the standings, only 15 points behind his teammate.
“For me it was not the best race today but for sure it’s another interesting result because in the end it was very difficult to win the race. The feeling with the bike was not the best today. I don’t understand why because when we arrived here, we worked very well and the feeling with the bike was good but today the conditions were completely different. We have two more races tomorrow and we’ll work tonight to try to reduce the gap and stay more in front.”
To note:
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) suffered a technical issue on his machine on Lap 14 and retired from the race. The reigning WorldSBK Champion maintained his third place in the Championship standings but is now 77 points behind Bautista.
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was the first Honda rider in seventh, with Scott Redding in tenth place for BMW. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed his joint-best WorldSBK result with 11th place on his first race back after injury.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:15.
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Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
