PJ Jacobsen Sponsors Nathan Bettencourt for Mini Cup
Fresh off a stellar return to the podium in the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike series at Road America, PJ Jacobsen is proud to announce his support for 11-year-old Nathan Bettencourt in the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul for the 2022 season.
“We met through a special event with NJMiniGP a couple of years ago,” PJ said. The “Day of Champions” event was designed to give these young racers a chance to train with a professional racer. “We rode together that day, and then I rode with Nathan and hung out with the whole Bettencourt Racing family up at my home track (Oakland Valley Raceway Park) the following season.”
The two started working together more formally with the launch of Jacobsen Motorcycle Training Establishment earlier this year, and spent a few weeks over the past winter training at Bushnell Motorsports Park in Florida on Ohvales, the weapon of choice for the series.
The improvements have been drastic. Nathan is showing more confidence and speed thanks to the training. “The difference is quite amazing,” Nathan’s dad, Mike Bettencourt said. “Having PJ officially on-board our program gives us great access to a riding coach and mentor like PJ, and for a young kid like Nathan that’s something really special.”
“It’s cool because usually you don’t have adults that can hang on the little bikes, but PJ is fast on anything. It’s awesome to have a world class rider to chase around!” agreed Nathan.
For coaching credentials, PJ has quite the resume. His return to the MotoAmerica Superbike class this season with Tytlers Cycle Racing is just one of many that include a championship in the USGPRU 125cc class (2006), 2nd in World Supersport (2015) and a stint in World Superbike (2018). His training, based on his World Supersport program including on and off track components, has been considered a key success factor for another young racer making a splash, Sam Lochoff in the Supersport class.
“I’m happy to help the kids, and excited to see Nathan achieve his dreams,” PJ added.
Dion snatches historic pole position for CSBK opener in Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – The 2022 Canadian Superbike Championship will kick off with a surprising name at the front, as rookie star Trevor Dion smashed his way to pole position for the Pro Superbike feature doubleheader at Grand Bend Motorplex this weekend.
Dion already gained plenty of attention on Thursday by topping the official test day at his home circuit, but the LDS Consulting BMW rider created even more buzz early in Friday’s qualifying session as he continued to lead the timesheets.
His time of 1:03.040 appeared to put him right in contention for a historic pole position, but a rear brake issue left him vulnerable as the session flipped to the top-ten Superpole. After fixing the issue just prior to the final shootout, the Strathroy, ON native quickly erased any concerns as he obliterated the lap record with a time of 1:02.371 in the final top-ten Superpole session to capture the BS Battery Pole Position Award.
His dominant performance lands him in exclusive company in CSBK history, as Dion will head into the weekend as the only rider ever to secure pole position in his Superbike debut and only the third-youngest pole-sitter ever at 20 years old.
“It’s a dream come true, even just to be up here battling against these guys and racing with them, it’s a really awesome feeling,” Dion said. “Now with the doubleheader we have two chances to pick up some big points this weekend, but also a couple more opportunities to gain some confidence here on the Superbike.”
Lining up alongside Dion in a BMW one-two will be weekend favourite Ben Young, who consistently found more pace throughout the 40-minute period but was never able to mount a proper challenge for his younger counterpart at the front.
The Van Dolder’s Home Team rider ultimately managed a time of 1:03.021, a lap that would have stood as the new outright record if not for Dion, but Young will instead be left searching for 0.650 seconds to close the gap entering the weekend.
“These local guys are keeping me honest here! They were really hustlin’ at the end, and the pace was super strong” Young said. “The BMW is working really well though, so hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow and put on a show for these fans.”
Joining the two BMW’s on the front row will be another local star in Steven Nickerson, who earned his first career front-row start aboard his Dewildt Powersports Honda with a time of 1:03.116, only 0.095 seconds off Young in second.
Nickerson has plenty of experience around Grand Bend as the reigning SOAR regional champion and should continue to have the pace all weekend, despite still recovering from a brutal knee injury suffered late in the 2021 campaign.
“We didn’t really know what the plan was up until a couple weeks ago, but everything obviously came together really well and I’m happy to be up here,” he said. “I didn’t know how many laps I could handle so we tried to pace ourselves a bit, but the Dewildt Honda felt great today and I was able to put in a few really good laps.”
The second row will feature a pair of Suzuki stars in defending champion Alex Dumas and Trevor Daley, with the pair winding up fourth and fifth on the grid despite a strong front row challenge.
Dumas got up to speed quickly in his first appearance at Grand Bend, but the Liqui Moly/Fast School Suzuki rider ultimately paid for his inexperience as he wound up 0.390 seconds adrift of the front row.
Daley, meanwhile, briefly placed his OneSpeed Suzuki machine at the front before his pace faded in the Superpole session, only marginally improving his time as he remains a comfortable 0.924 seconds off Young in second.
The local stars continued to be the theme of the day in the support classes as well, as David MacKay snatched his first career pole position in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike category with a time of 1:03.654.
The Mack Attack Racing Kawasaki rider set a new lap record of his own in the process, crushing Dion in second who was doing double-duty in the Pro ranks aboard an LDS Consulting Kawasaki, while former champion Will Hornblower settled for third aboard his Yamaha Financial Services machine.
Leading off the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight grid will be another local challenger in the form of Evan Moriarty, who stormed to pole position with a time of 1:13.316 aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3 machine.
The Milton, ON native will be joined by perennial frontrunner Jacob Black and local teenager Bryce DeBoer on the front row this weekend, both Kawasaki-mounted as they look to overcome the early pace of Moriarty.
The inaugural pole position in the new Pro-Am Lightweight division went to Moriarty as well, who bettered his time with an outright fastest lap of 1:13.043. Moriarty will lead the Amateur ranks ahead of Black and DeBoer, while legendary East Coast veteran Gary McKinnon will grab pole in the Pro division after a penalty was issued to eventual second-place qualifier Jared Walker.
The only two classes not to qualify on Friday – the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike category and the Amateur Sport Bike division – will instead prepare for qualifying on Saturday afternoon, as they are set to contest just one race each on Sunday.
The full list of results, as well as the weekend schedule, can be found on the series’ official website.
2022 Laconia Motorcycle Week Race Event Celebrates 100 years of Moto Guzzi
The United States Classic Racing Association, an AMA-affiliated club, is pleased to announce that at their FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championships event June 11-12 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, the event will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Moto Guzzi. Moto Guzzi, founded in 1921 by Giorgio Parodi continues today to produce some of the world’s finest motorcycles in the Italian tradition. Moto Guzzi in those 100 years produced some truly outstanding and very advanced racing motorcycles as well.
Moto Guzzi in the mid 1970’s through the late 1980’s enjoyed much success in AMA National road racing. Moto Guzzi won several National championships under the tuning prowess of Reno Leoni and Dr. John Whittner. Over the years their riders included top AMA National riders like Mike Baldwin, Jimmy Adamo, Larry Shorts, Doug Brauneck, Greg Smrz, and Al Philips. Reno’s and Dr John’s riders scored many victories at the AMA nationals on the old Bryar track that is now the site of the NH Motor Speedway. “The Gathering” on June 11-12 takes place the first weekend of the 99th anniversary of the famous Laconia Motorcycle Week.
The “Gathering of Moto Guzzi” at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, will celebrate not only the 100th anniversary of Moto Guzzi but will reunite the tuners and riders from the glory days of the AMA Nationals at Loudon. Along with a full program of outstanding vintage motorcycle races that will include historic Moto Guzzi race bikes ridden in anger, “The Gathering” will feature reduced admission for Guzzi riders, Moto Guzzi displays, a Moto Guzzi corral and give Moto Guzzi riders attending the event an opportunity to take several parade laps of the famous speedway road course. All Guzzi riders are also invited to participate in the annual police escorted AMA sanctioned Gypsy tour ride from Laconia to the Speedway on Sunday June 12.
For more information visit WWW.RACE-USCRA.com or visit us on facebook.
Father and son Ed Fisher and Gary Fisher will be the Grand Marshals of the 2022 FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championship. Here, Ed is photographed with his young son Gary in Victory Circle in 1953. Photo courtesy USCRA.
Progressive American Flat Track Introduces the Progressive Triple Crown
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announces the Progressive Triple Crown, a unique multi-race challenge that rewards mastery over the sport’s three oval disciplines.
In addition to the overall championship, this season, the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle competitors will vie for the Progressive Triple Crown by competing to collect the most combined points at three designated events.
The Progressive Triple Crown will consist of the Progressive Laconia Short Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on June 11, the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota on August 6, and the Mission Springfield Mile Doubleheader at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois on September 3-4.
The premier class rider who scores the highest points tally across that combination of Short Track, Half-Mile, and Miles will collect a $25,000 prize.
“As the leading motorcycle insurer in the country, we recognize the passion, dedication and commitment riders have to the sport, making this sponsorship a natural fit,” said Todd Matthews, Progressive Acquisition Specialist. “We are excited to not only see this sport continue to grow, but also to see who comes out on top to take home this award.”
The Progressive Triple Crown is the most high-profile new element of the broader partnership with series title sponsor Progressive Insurance®, but not the only one. The 2022 season also sees the introduction of the Progressive Marketplace, a new vendor area that includes a Progressive American Flat Track branded semi-trailer truck that transports various partner displays across the nation from round to round.
“We’re thrilled that Progressive has further expanded their support of the series in 2022 as they continue to play an integral role in helping us grow the sport,” said Gene Crouch, COO of AMA Pro Racing. “The Progressive Triple Crown adds a new twist to the season that will both reward our athletes and add an extra dimension of drama and excitement for our fans.”
Progressive American Flat Track returns to The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on Saturday, June 11 for the first Progressive Triple Crown event, the Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS Manchester. Secure your tickets now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3692/.
The Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS Manchester will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 18 starting at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
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 American Flat Track round at http://www.FansChoice.tv
With a deep sense of sorrow, the Isle of Man TT Races can confirm that Roger Stockton, 56, and Bradley Stockton, 21, from Crewe, Cheshire were both killed in an incident on the second and final lap of the second Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races. The incident occurred at Ago’s Leap, just under one mile into the lap.
Roger and Bradley were father and son, and driver and passenger respectively.
Roger was an experienced TT competitor, with today’s race marking his 20th TT race start. He competed at the TT regularly from 2000 to 2008, before then returning in 2010, 2017 and at this year’s event. In his career, he claimed a total of twelve top-20 finishes and four top-10 finishes, as well as 10 Bronze Replicas.
Bradley was a newcomer to the TT and finished his first TT race on Monday, securing an impressive 8th-place finish alongside his father.
2022 was their fifth season racing together, and Roger and Bradley were regular podium finishers and frontrunners in the British F2 Sidecar Cup Championship, finishing second in the championship in 2021.
The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Roger and Bradley’s families, loved ones, and friends.
More, from another press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
BIRCHALL BROTHERS SECOND WIN OF THE WEEK
Brothers Ben and Tom Birchall (1) at speed at the Isle of Man TT. Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Ben and Tom Birchall won a shortened 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT race on Friday afternoon, the race being stopped due to an incident at Ago’s Leap when the majority of competitors were on their second lap.
The result was declared at the end of lap one with the Haith Honda duo taking their 12th TT win in total, 2.3 seconds ahead of Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley (FHO Racing). Manx pairing Ryan and Callum Crowe (Haven Homes) finished third, a further 2.6 seconds behind after a thrilling opening lap between the leading three crews.
As the outfits rounded the left-hand sweep of Glen Helen on the opening lap, it was the Birchalls, as expected, who led but the gap to second was perhaps a bit of a surprise as their advantage was only 0.7 seconds over Founds/Walmsley. The Crowes were only a further second back and it already looked like the same three crews as the opening race on Monday would dispute the podium positions.
Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson (DMR) were up to fourth, 8.5 seconds behind the Crowes, and it was Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes (DAO 1886) and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (DAO/Express Tyre Service) who completed the top six on the early leaderboard. Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle (Town Garage Horsforth) were out though having retired at Ballacraine.
Over Ballaugh Bridge and the Birchalls had stretched their lead to two seconds over Founds/Walmsley with the Crowes a further 1.3s in arrears. The trio were pulling rapidly away from the rest of the field though as although Molyneux/Gibson were still in fourth, they were now more 16 seconds off the final podium position.
As the lap progressed, the Birchalls were slowly but surely increasing their lead and at Ramsey Hairpin, the gap to Founds/Walmsley in second place had moved out to 3.5 seconds. The battle for second was hotting up with the Crowes now only 0.8 seconds behind but there was more disappointment for Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau (Rich Energy Bonovo Action Racing) who retired on the first lap once more.
The crews headed towards St Ninian’s crossroads and Bray Hill for the second and final time, but a red flag came out shortly afterwards due to an incident at Ago’s Leap. The result was declared after the first lap.
Behind the leading three, Molyneux/Gibson took fourth ahead of Payne/Wilkes and Crawford Hardie with Leglise/Farnier, Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde, Gary Gibson/Tom Christie and Blackstock/Rosney completing the top ten.
The result saw the Birchalls again win the TT Sidecar Championship with a maximum 50 points, 14 clear of Founds/Walmsley and the Crowes who tied for second place on 36 points.
Payne’s fifth place meant he won the Peter Chapman Trophy, awarded to the best newcomer driver, with Tom Christie picking up the Dave Wells Trophy for the best newcomer passenger.
More, from a press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
MICHAEL DUNLOP SECURES HIS 21st TT WIN
Michael Dunlop (6). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Michael Dunlop became the most successful 600cc rider ever at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, as he claimed his ninth supersport win in the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 on Friday morning, his 21st TT win in total.
Riding the MD Racing Yamaha, Dunlop was locked in battle all race, again, with Peter Hickman (K2 Trooper Beer by PHR Performance) but edged away on the second and final lap to eventually take the win by 3.2 seconds, whilst Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) finished in third.
With a few damp patches around the course and windy conditions all round, it was Dunlop who led through Glen Helen first time around but only just with Hickman only 0.158 seconds in arrears whilst Harrison was third, a further 1.9 seconds behind. Davey Todd was another 1.2 seconds back in fourth on the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles Honda closely followed by Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing) with two seconds covering the trio.
By Ballaugh, Dunlop had stretched his advantage over Hickman to 0.465 seconds and Harrison had lost more ground, the Bradford rider 3.3 seconds behind Hickman. Coward had moved up to fourth, albeit by half a second, from Todd and Johnston.
Rounding Ramsey Hairpin, Harrison still led on the road but although he continued in third, he was slipping further back on time and was now 6.4 seconds behind race leader Dunlop. The gap to Hickman in second place was only half a second as they made the Mountain climb for the first time. Coward had doubled his advantage to Todd and it was now James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing) in sixth.
With an opening lap of 126.655mph, Dunlop led Hickman by 0.57 seconds with Harrison now 9.9 seconds further back in third. Todd had moved back up to fourth but was only a tenth of a second ahead of Coward and with Johnston retiring at the pits, Cummins slotted into sixth place. Hillier, Dominic Herbertson and Mike Browne followed in hot pursuit.
Sweeping round Glen Helen on lap two and with less than thirty miles to go, Dunlop had extended his lead to 1.8 seconds as Hickman continued to work his way through traffic. Harrison was 9.5 seconds adrift in third and, in turn, was 13.4 seconds clear of Todd who’d added another second to his advantage over Coward. Cummins continued to circulate in sixth with Hillier, Herbertson, Browne and James Hind now the running order behind.
Back at the front, as the riders leapt Ballaugh Bridge, Hickman pegged the gap back to 1.3 seconds with both riders on lap record pace, the duo repeating their battle of the Supertwin race from two days earlier. It looked to be a two-horse race with Harrison almost 11 seconds behind in third. Todd had also strengthened his hold on fourth with the gap to Coward up to two seconds.
All eyes were on the battle for the lead though and at Ramsey, Dunlop had responded to Hickman’s charge with another three tenths of a second added to his lead, the difference between the two only 1.6 seconds as they headed up Snaefell for the final time.
At the Bungalow, Dunlop had increased his lead further to 2.7 seconds and with the fastest lap of the race, 128.536mph, he took the win from Hickman by 3.2 seconds as Harrison duly completed the race in third, the position he’d held all race.
Todd maintained fourth place to the end, his eventual margin over Coward 6.4 seconds, with Cummins in sixth ahead of Hillier, Herbertson, Browne and Paul Jordan. Hind just missed out on the top ten in 11th with Rob Hodson, Ian Hutchinson, Michael Evans and Michael Sweeney completing the top 15.
Bautista leads Razgatlioglu and Rea on Friday of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round
The Championship leader topped the timesheets in FP2 after having been eighth in the morning session
Friday highlights – WorldSBK
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’34.008
After being eighth in FP1, Bautista set his fastest time in the afternoon session as he finished ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea. Bautista was able to do 15 laps in the 1’34 bracket, including eight of his final ten laps under the 1’34.5 mark (the other two laps were cancelled).
“It was a difficult start for me this morning because, with the cooler conditions, I didn’t have a really good feeling with the bike. Basically, our target was just to get the feeling I had in the winter test here because that time the feeling was fantastic. In the morning, it didn’t feel the same. It’s true that we changed the bike a little bit compared to the test so for the afternoon we just came back to the bike at the test. Suddenly, I felt much better. We compared the new SCX tyres that Pirelli brought here, and we found some positive things in each one but it’s a difficult to say a choice for the race because we didn’t do a lot of kilometres on the tyre and the standard SCX we know very well how it drops or not. We need more information about these two tyres but the first day has been positive.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’34.115
Razgatlioglu finished second only 0.107s behind Bautista. He was consistently faster than his rivals in the opening half of the lap but was losing time to Bautista in the final sector.
“We’re starting good our weekend. After Estoril, we tried some new parts and I have a good feeling. This afternoon, we tried the two new Pirelli tyres. In FP2, we tried a new one and the last 15 minutes I tried the other one. Now, we’ll check which one is better for the race. I’m very close to Bautista lap time, but my lap time was cancelled because I touched the green part. Anyway, we are fast and tomorrow we’ll try a new set up for the race and I hope we’ll have a good feeling. We’re ready to race and it looks we’ll be fighting again with Bautista and Rea.”
Jonathan Rea (65) and Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’34.134
Rea was third but finished only 0.126s behind Bautista and just 0.019s behind Razgatlioglu. Rea accumulated 20 laps in the 1’34 bracket, more than anyone else managed throughout the afternoon session.
“I felt good with my bike. Just after some laps we understood where we need to improve. We had to understand the circuit as it’s been a while since we’ve been here. It was just getting up to speed, there are some key areas where we need to improve. We focused a lot on trying to understand the tyre choice because we have some new options for rear tyres. So, when I putted an option, I tried to do a longer run to understand the drop and the behavior of the tyre. We have some good information now for tomorrow.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’34.184
Rinaldi has been inside the top five all day before finishing in fourth on the combined times.
“I’m happy about today. We started with the base of Estoril and the feeling is better. We improve a little bit what we have. We tried the new Pirelli tyre. They work great but at the moment we don’t know if we’ll use them. For sure, Toprak, Jonny and Alvaro are very strong but at the moment we are there. We are four in one tenth. Tomorrow we will work a bit more because I think we need a bit more to fight for the win.”
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P5 – Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) 1’34.498
Oettl (Team Goeleven) managed fifth on his return after his right collarbone fracture and was top Independent Rider at the end of day one.
“I feel surprisingly well, the shoulder works good. I also feel good with the bike. I’m really happy that I have a good feeling with it, way better than I expected it. After an injury, it’s always difficult to come back and find immediately the feeling with the bike and Misano is a challenging track. I’m looking forward to tomorrow even if we still have some work to do. I want to continue riding like today. I don’t think about the position too much, we just want to improve race by race and if we can do another top ten this weekend, it would be great.”
Gerloff was sixth at the end of day one as he’s still recovering from his injury at in Estoril.
“After the last two weeks of not doing anything, I feel it healed up pretty well and it’s what my doctor says too. The pace is good but I had some difficulties doing just one fast lap. I see the pace of the top three guys is really impressive so we’re a little bit after that. The test that we had here earlier this year helped. We have the same bike but the track temperature is a bit higher, so we had to change a few things so we’re just working through it. Talking about my goals, I know it’s going to be harder in the next couple of days, so we have to keep that in mind. But it’s the same as always, I want a good Superpole and then a good first couple of laps and be close to the front group and try to go after them.”
To note:
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was the first Honda rider in eighth place whilst Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the leading BMW rider in ninth.
Italian riders Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) were 10th and 12th respectively. Locatelli didn’t improve on his morning time in the afternoon when the temperatures came up, finishing in tenth overall, the only rider to not improve in the second session.
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC makes progress on day 1 at Misano
With the top twelve riders separated by just nine tenths of a second at the end of the first day of practice at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge placed eighth and eleventh respectively today and are keen to further reduce the gap to the front before race 1 gets underway tomorrow at 2pm local time.
Team HRC is in action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this weekend, competing in the fourth round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship with riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge.
The factory riders took to the Italian track for today’s first free practice session in cool, cloudy conditions. The track was dry as the practice got underway although drops of rain began to fall ten minutes in. Both Lecuona and Vierge soon set some encouraging lap times and concluded this opening session in sixth (Iker) and seventh (Xavi) position, having set almost identical times of 1’35.086 and 1’35.096.
The afternoon brought warmer temperatures and some degree of sunshine, which allowed Team HRC to work uninterruptedly throughout the 45-minute second practice. Lecuona improved on his morning reference early on in the session, ultimately setting a best of 1’34.793 to place eighth in the combined standings. Vierge also lowered his times later in the session, finishing eleventh overall with a fastest lap of 1’34.861.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Honda.
Iker Lecuona 7
P8
“It was not such a bad day although we expected a little more after the morning session. I felt better on the bike this morning, quite good right away in fact. We are still dealing with some vibration coming from the rear, something we are working hard to solve but we have not yet fixed. This afternoon I started the session on a used tyre, and felt quite comfortable, to the point that I was able to improve on my lap time. I was very happy with my feeling but then during my second run, which was a long run with a new Pirelli rear tyre that we wanted to try, I didn’t feel as good as I had earlier, and the lap times didn’t come. We need to work on this aspect of the set-up, and our first target for tomorrow is to solve this vibration so that I can feel more comfortable on the brakes.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Honda.
Xavi Vierge 97
P11
“Today was positive, because I felt good on the bike right from the first run. We had some new tyres from Pirelli to try and I quite liked the one we tested this morning, so we started with that one again in FP2 and I again felt quite good even though the tyre was used. But when we put in another one, the feeling was not there, which was strange as I was expecting to take a step forward. On the positive side though, we got some pretty clear answers today and now know the direction to follow tomorrow. Our pace is consistent, so now we need to fix a few details so that we can make another step.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
SOLID PACE FOR GYTR GRT YAMAHA WORLDSBK TEAM ON DAY 1 AT MISANO
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at the Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’, with Garrett Gerloff going sixth fastest on combined times, while Kohta Nozane was 16th.
After being declared fit to race on Thursday, Gerloff ended Free Practice 1 in 11th (1’35.756), with teammate Nozane finishing 18th (1’36.978) as he suffered a small off in the final stages of the session.
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team focused on long runs in FP2, completing many laps with Gerloff, who showed solid race pace. The American ended the afternoon’s running sixth fastest (1’34.605), while Nozane was 16th (1’35.726).
The Japanese rider was forced to miss the first 10 minutes of FP2 due to a penalty for not following marshal’s instructions after his FP1 crash.
Both riders will be back on track tomorrow, firstly with FP3 at 09:00 local time (GMT +2), before the Tissot Superpole qualifying at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
“Overall, the day went quite well. The leg is fine and P6 is not bad; the pace is good even though we can improve in some areas. The tests we made here helped a lot as well. The goals are the same as they’ve been all year, to have a good qualifying and try to stay close to the top group in the race. I tried the new tyre that Pirelli brought here and I do like it honestly, it gives me more stability.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy GYTR GRT Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane #3
“Day one was not that bad. We can surely improve and we need to do it, but the feeling is OK overall and I’m confident about being faster tomorrow. I’m sorry for the team for the crash in the FP1. I made a mistake and it was painful, not for the body, but just because we missed some time in FP2 as well. So, I want to make further steps for a good result also for the guys who are working really well as usual.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Third Fastest After Day One
Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished second and seventh respectively after the first day of practice at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Almost every rider improved their Free Practice One time in the warmer afternoon temperatures of FP2, after heavy rains on Thursday left the racing surface in less than ideal condition at the beginning of on-track action on Friday.
The 4.226km long Misano layout presented all the riders with an improving track surface in FP2, which Rea used well to record a best lap time just 0.126 seconds from top Friday qualifier, Alvaro Bautista.
Lowes ended up seventh fastest, 0.698 seconds from the leading rider. He worked on his race set-up with his team, based largely on the settings that served Alex well during the previous round at Estoril.
Misano will be the only WorldSBK round in Italy this season and the fans returned to the grandstands and paddock areas to get close to the action. The weather forecast is for hot and sunny weather for the rest of race weekend, with ambient temperatures into the high twenties Centigrade.
FP3, Superpole Qualifying and Race One will be the challenges Misano will provide all the riders and teams on the second day at Misano, on Saturday 11 June.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I felt good with the bike out there and I was able to understand two race tyre options in FP2. The temperature was a little bit better than this morning but still we expect tomorrow to be hotter, as the sun should be out all day. For day one I feel OK with the bike. In some areas we need to improve. I expect tonight we can make some good changes. The track is very bumpy, especially in T1, T2 and T3, and the last two corners. Apart from that, it is OK.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a good opening day at Misano. We worked through some electronics and I have a direction from chassis set-up. We didn’t change much from the previous round at Estoril, so we will make some small tweaks for FP3 on Saturday. Overall, I’m happy and looking for a few tenths in the laptimes. It’s always lovely to ride this track and it is very nice to see so many fans here on a Friday as well.”
Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 22nd fastest on day one as he substitutes for the team’s injured regular rider, Lucas Mahias.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 25th today but Alessandro Delbianco (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) made an instant midfield impression in his first ride of the season, in 19th place overall.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Bautista leads the way in Friday free practice for the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round at Misano. P4 for Rinaldi. Bulega impresses with P1 in WorldSSP FP2
The first day of action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli ended with Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi in first and fourth position, respectively.
After an FP1 that wasn’t particularly indicative due to the bad weather conditions, the sun returned to shine before FP2, allowing the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team riders to work consistently on their Ducati Panigale V4R machines.
Bautista notched up the first position with a time of 1’34.008, 117 thousandths of a second ahead of Razgatlioglu (Yamaha). On the other side of the garage, it was a promising Friday for Rinaldi, who closed in P4 (1’34.184) just 50 thousandths of a second behind Rea (Kawasaki).
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“We started with some difficulties because of the weather conditions that did not help us this morning. In the afternoon, with the higher temperatures, I managed to regain that good feeling that I had had during the tests. We worked on the tire selection ahead of tomorrow’s race. I think this will be a really important choice that will determine Race-1 results. However, the feelings are very positive.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“It was a positive day. We started with the setup we used in Portugal and managed to improve my feeling with the bike. The long-run made in FP2 gave me positive indications and we also had the chance to try the new tire introduced by Pirelli. We are still missing some details to be at the top but the gap from the podium positions is really small. I believe that if we continue to work in this direction, tomorrow we could have fun and entertain our fans.”
WorldSSP
After a technical issue that did not allow him to take advantage of FP1, Nicolò Bulega was the absolute star of FP2. The Italian rider worked well on his race pace with his Ducati Panigale V2 to close the session in first position with an impressive lap time in 1’37.620.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“I am very satisfied with what we have done this afternoon, also because in FP1 we were not able to lap much due to a technical issue. In FP2, I immediately found a good feeling, also thanks to the work made by my team. I hope we can get important results this weekend in Misano in front of our fans.”
MotoAmerica Superbike racer PJ Jacobsen (right) with MotoAmerica Mini Cup racer Nathan Bettencourt (left). Photo by Sarah Bettencourt.
PJ Jacobsen Sponsors Nathan Bettencourt for Mini Cup
Fresh off a stellar return to the podium in the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike series at Road America, PJ Jacobsen is proud to announce his support for 11-year-old Nathan Bettencourt in the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul for the 2022 season.
“We met through a special event with NJMiniGP a couple of years ago,” PJ said. The “Day of Champions” event was designed to give these young racers a chance to train with a professional racer. “We rode together that day, and then I rode with Nathan and hung out with the whole Bettencourt Racing family up at my home track (Oakland Valley Raceway Park) the following season.”
The two started working together more formally with the launch of Jacobsen Motorcycle Training Establishment earlier this year, and spent a few weeks over the past winter training at Bushnell Motorsports Park in Florida on Ohvales, the weapon of choice for the series.
The improvements have been drastic. Nathan is showing more confidence and speed thanks to the training. “The difference is quite amazing,” Nathan’s dad, Mike Bettencourt said. “Having PJ officially on-board our program gives us great access to a riding coach and mentor like PJ, and for a young kid like Nathan that’s something really special.”
“It’s cool because usually you don’t have adults that can hang on the little bikes, but PJ is fast on anything. It’s awesome to have a world class rider to chase around!” agreed Nathan.
For coaching credentials, PJ has quite the resume. His return to the MotoAmerica Superbike class this season with Tytlers Cycle Racing is just one of many that include a championship in the USGPRU 125cc class (2006), 2nd in World Supersport (2015) and a stint in World Superbike (2018). His training, based on his World Supersport program including on and off track components, has been considered a key success factor for another young racer making a splash, Sam Lochoff in the Supersport class.
“I’m happy to help the kids, and excited to see Nathan achieve his dreams,” PJ added.
Rookie Trevor Dion (20) took pole position during Canadian Superbike qualifying Friday at Grand Bend Motorplex. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy CSBK.
Dion snatches historic pole position for CSBK opener in Grand Bend
Grand Bend, ON – The 2022 Canadian Superbike Championship will kick off with a surprising name at the front, as rookie star Trevor Dion smashed his way to pole position for the Pro Superbike feature doubleheader at Grand Bend Motorplex this weekend.
Dion already gained plenty of attention on Thursday by topping the official test day at his home circuit, but the LDS Consulting BMW rider created even more buzz early in Friday’s qualifying session as he continued to lead the timesheets.
His time of 1:03.040 appeared to put him right in contention for a historic pole position, but a rear brake issue left him vulnerable as the session flipped to the top-ten Superpole. After fixing the issue just prior to the final shootout, the Strathroy, ON native quickly erased any concerns as he obliterated the lap record with a time of 1:02.371 in the final top-ten Superpole session to capture the BS Battery Pole Position Award.
His dominant performance lands him in exclusive company in CSBK history, as Dion will head into the weekend as the only rider ever to secure pole position in his Superbike debut and only the third-youngest pole-sitter ever at 20 years old.
“It’s a dream come true, even just to be up here battling against these guys and racing with them, it’s a really awesome feeling,” Dion said. “Now with the doubleheader we have two chances to pick up some big points this weekend, but also a couple more opportunities to gain some confidence here on the Superbike.”
Lining up alongside Dion in a BMW one-two will be weekend favourite Ben Young, who consistently found more pace throughout the 40-minute period but was never able to mount a proper challenge for his younger counterpart at the front.
The Van Dolder’s Home Team rider ultimately managed a time of 1:03.021, a lap that would have stood as the new outright record if not for Dion, but Young will instead be left searching for 0.650 seconds to close the gap entering the weekend.
“These local guys are keeping me honest here! They were really hustlin’ at the end, and the pace was super strong” Young said. “The BMW is working really well though, so hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow and put on a show for these fans.”
Joining the two BMW’s on the front row will be another local star in Steven Nickerson, who earned his first career front-row start aboard his Dewildt Powersports Honda with a time of 1:03.116, only 0.095 seconds off Young in second.
Nickerson has plenty of experience around Grand Bend as the reigning SOAR regional champion and should continue to have the pace all weekend, despite still recovering from a brutal knee injury suffered late in the 2021 campaign.
“We didn’t really know what the plan was up until a couple weeks ago, but everything obviously came together really well and I’m happy to be up here,” he said. “I didn’t know how many laps I could handle so we tried to pace ourselves a bit, but the Dewildt Honda felt great today and I was able to put in a few really good laps.”
The second row will feature a pair of Suzuki stars in defending champion Alex Dumas and Trevor Daley, with the pair winding up fourth and fifth on the grid despite a strong front row challenge.
Dumas got up to speed quickly in his first appearance at Grand Bend, but the Liqui Moly/Fast School Suzuki rider ultimately paid for his inexperience as he wound up 0.390 seconds adrift of the front row.
Daley, meanwhile, briefly placed his OneSpeed Suzuki machine at the front before his pace faded in the Superpole session, only marginally improving his time as he remains a comfortable 0.924 seconds off Young in second.
The local stars continued to be the theme of the day in the support classes as well, as David MacKay snatched his first career pole position in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike category with a time of 1:03.654.
The Mack Attack Racing Kawasaki rider set a new lap record of his own in the process, crushing Dion in second who was doing double-duty in the Pro ranks aboard an LDS Consulting Kawasaki, while former champion Will Hornblower settled for third aboard his Yamaha Financial Services machine.
Leading off the Super Sonic Race School Lightweight grid will be another local challenger in the form of Evan Moriarty, who stormed to pole position with a time of 1:13.316 aboard his Yamaha YZF-R3 machine.
The Milton, ON native will be joined by perennial frontrunner Jacob Black and local teenager Bryce DeBoer on the front row this weekend, both Kawasaki-mounted as they look to overcome the early pace of Moriarty.
The inaugural pole position in the new Pro-Am Lightweight division went to Moriarty as well, who bettered his time with an outright fastest lap of 1:13.043. Moriarty will lead the Amateur ranks ahead of Black and DeBoer, while legendary East Coast veteran Gary McKinnon will grab pole in the Pro division after a penalty was issued to eventual second-place qualifier Jared Walker.
The only two classes not to qualify on Friday – the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike category and the Amateur Sport Bike division – will instead prepare for qualifying on Saturday afternoon, as they are set to contest just one race each on Sunday.
The full list of results, as well as the weekend schedule, can be found on the series’ official website.
The eight-cylinder Moto Guzzi that went 285 kph (177 mph) in 1955. Photo courtesy Giorgio Parodi Association.
2022 Laconia Motorcycle Week Race Event Celebrates 100 years of Moto Guzzi
The United States Classic Racing Association, an AMA-affiliated club, is pleased to announce that at their FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championships event June 11-12 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, the event will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Moto Guzzi. Moto Guzzi, founded in 1921 by Giorgio Parodi continues today to produce some of the world’s finest motorcycles in the Italian tradition. Moto Guzzi in those 100 years produced some truly outstanding and very advanced racing motorcycles as well.
Moto Guzzi in the mid 1970’s through the late 1980’s enjoyed much success in AMA National road racing. Moto Guzzi won several National championships under the tuning prowess of Reno Leoni and Dr. John Whittner. Over the years their riders included top AMA National riders like Mike Baldwin, Jimmy Adamo, Larry Shorts, Doug Brauneck, Greg Smrz, and Al Philips. Reno’s and Dr John’s riders scored many victories at the AMA nationals on the old Bryar track that is now the site of the NH Motor Speedway. “The Gathering” on June 11-12 takes place the first weekend of the 99th anniversary of the famous Laconia Motorcycle Week.
The “Gathering of Moto Guzzi” at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, will celebrate not only the 100th anniversary of Moto Guzzi but will reunite the tuners and riders from the glory days of the AMA Nationals at Loudon. Along with a full program of outstanding vintage motorcycle races that will include historic Moto Guzzi race bikes ridden in anger, “The Gathering” will feature reduced admission for Guzzi riders, Moto Guzzi displays, a Moto Guzzi corral and give Moto Guzzi riders attending the event an opportunity to take several parade laps of the famous speedway road course. All Guzzi riders are also invited to participate in the annual police escorted AMA sanctioned Gypsy tour ride from Laconia to the Speedway on Sunday June 12.
For more information visit WWW.RACE-USCRA.com or visit us on facebook.
Father and son Ed Fisher and Gary Fisher will be the Grand Marshals of the 2022 FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championship. Here, Ed is photographed with his young son Gary in Victory Circle in 1953. Photo courtesy USCRA.
Jared Mees (9) leads the AFT Mission SuperTwins race at Springfield Mile II in 2021. Photo by Scott Hunter, courtesy AFT.
Progressive American Flat Track Introduces the Progressive Triple Crown
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announces the Progressive Triple Crown, a unique multi-race challenge that rewards mastery over the sport’s three oval disciplines.
In addition to the overall championship, this season, the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle competitors will vie for the Progressive Triple Crown by competing to collect the most combined points at three designated events.
The Progressive Triple Crown will consist of the Progressive Laconia Short Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on June 11, the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota on August 6, and the Mission Springfield Mile Doubleheader at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois on September 3-4.
The premier class rider who scores the highest points tally across that combination of Short Track, Half-Mile, and Miles will collect a $25,000 prize.
“As the leading motorcycle insurer in the country, we recognize the passion, dedication and commitment riders have to the sport, making this sponsorship a natural fit,” said Todd Matthews, Progressive Acquisition Specialist. “We are excited to not only see this sport continue to grow, but also to see who comes out on top to take home this award.”
The Progressive Triple Crown is the most high-profile new element of the broader partnership with series title sponsor Progressive Insurance®, but not the only one. The 2022 season also sees the introduction of the Progressive Marketplace, a new vendor area that includes a Progressive American Flat Track branded semi-trailer truck that transports various partner displays across the nation from round to round.
“We’re thrilled that Progressive has further expanded their support of the series in 2022 as they continue to play an integral role in helping us grow the sport,” said Gene Crouch, COO of AMA Pro Racing. “The Progressive Triple Crown adds a new twist to the season that will both reward our athletes and add an extra dimension of drama and excitement for our fans.”
Progressive American Flat Track returns to The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on Saturday, June 11 for the first Progressive Triple Crown event, the Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS Manchester. Secure your tickets now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3692/.
The Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS Manchester will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 18 starting at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
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 American Flat Track round at http://www.FansChoice.tv
Sidecar driver Roger Stockton and passenger Bradley Stockton (34), father and son, were killed in a crash during Sidecar Race Two Friday at the Isle of Man TT. Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
STATEMENT ISSUED FROM THE ISLE OF MAN TT RACES
With a deep sense of sorrow, the Isle of Man TT Races can confirm that Roger Stockton, 56, and Bradley Stockton, 21, from Crewe, Cheshire were both killed in an incident on the second and final lap of the second Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races. The incident occurred at Ago’s Leap, just under one mile into the lap.
Roger and Bradley were father and son, and driver and passenger respectively.
Roger was an experienced TT competitor, with today’s race marking his 20th TT race start. He competed at the TT regularly from 2000 to 2008, before then returning in 2010, 2017 and at this year’s event. In his career, he claimed a total of twelve top-20 finishes and four top-10 finishes, as well as 10 Bronze Replicas.
Bradley was a newcomer to the TT and finished his first TT race on Monday, securing an impressive 8th-place finish alongside his father.
2022 was their fifth season racing together, and Roger and Bradley were regular podium finishers and frontrunners in the British F2 Sidecar Cup Championship, finishing second in the championship in 2021.
The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Roger and Bradley’s families, loved ones, and friends.
More, from another press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
BIRCHALL BROTHERS SECOND WIN OF THE WEEK
Brothers Ben and Tom Birchall (1) at speed at the Isle of Man TT. Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Ben and Tom Birchall won a shortened 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT race on Friday afternoon, the race being stopped due to an incident at Ago’s Leap when the majority of competitors were on their second lap.
The result was declared at the end of lap one with the Haith Honda duo taking their 12th TT win in total, 2.3 seconds ahead of Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley (FHO Racing). Manx pairing Ryan and Callum Crowe (Haven Homes) finished third, a further 2.6 seconds behind after a thrilling opening lap between the leading three crews.
As the outfits rounded the left-hand sweep of Glen Helen on the opening lap, it was the Birchalls, as expected, who led but the gap to second was perhaps a bit of a surprise as their advantage was only 0.7 seconds over Founds/Walmsley. The Crowes were only a further second back and it already looked like the same three crews as the opening race on Monday would dispute the podium positions.
Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson (DMR) were up to fourth, 8.5 seconds behind the Crowes, and it was Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes (DAO 1886) and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (DAO/Express Tyre Service) who completed the top six on the early leaderboard. Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle (Town Garage Horsforth) were out though having retired at Ballacraine.
Over Ballaugh Bridge and the Birchalls had stretched their lead to two seconds over Founds/Walmsley with the Crowes a further 1.3s in arrears. The trio were pulling rapidly away from the rest of the field though as although Molyneux/Gibson were still in fourth, they were now more 16 seconds off the final podium position.
As the lap progressed, the Birchalls were slowly but surely increasing their lead and at Ramsey Hairpin, the gap to Founds/Walmsley in second place had moved out to 3.5 seconds. The battle for second was hotting up with the Crowes now only 0.8 seconds behind but there was more disappointment for Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau (Rich Energy Bonovo Action Racing) who retired on the first lap once more.
The crews headed towards St Ninian’s crossroads and Bray Hill for the second and final time, but a red flag came out shortly afterwards due to an incident at Ago’s Leap. The result was declared after the first lap.
Behind the leading three, Molyneux/Gibson took fourth ahead of Payne/Wilkes and Crawford Hardie with Leglise/Farnier, Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde, Gary Gibson/Tom Christie and Blackstock/Rosney completing the top ten.
The result saw the Birchalls again win the TT Sidecar Championship with a maximum 50 points, 14 clear of Founds/Walmsley and the Crowes who tied for second place on 36 points.
Payne’s fifth place meant he won the Peter Chapman Trophy, awarded to the best newcomer driver, with Tom Christie picking up the Dave Wells Trophy for the best newcomer passenger.
More, from a press release issued by Isle of Man TT Press Office:
MICHAEL DUNLOP SECURES HIS 21st TT WIN
Michael Dunlop (6). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
Michael Dunlop became the most successful 600cc rider ever at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, as he claimed his ninth supersport win in the Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 on Friday morning, his 21st TT win in total.
Riding the MD Racing Yamaha, Dunlop was locked in battle all race, again, with Peter Hickman (K2 Trooper Beer by PHR Performance) but edged away on the second and final lap to eventually take the win by 3.2 seconds, whilst Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) finished in third.
With a few damp patches around the course and windy conditions all round, it was Dunlop who led through Glen Helen first time around but only just with Hickman only 0.158 seconds in arrears whilst Harrison was third, a further 1.9 seconds behind. Davey Todd was another 1.2 seconds back in fourth on the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles Honda closely followed by Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing) with two seconds covering the trio.
By Ballaugh, Dunlop had stretched his advantage over Hickman to 0.465 seconds and Harrison had lost more ground, the Bradford rider 3.3 seconds behind Hickman. Coward had moved up to fourth, albeit by half a second, from Todd and Johnston.
Rounding Ramsey Hairpin, Harrison still led on the road but although he continued in third, he was slipping further back on time and was now 6.4 seconds behind race leader Dunlop. The gap to Hickman in second place was only half a second as they made the Mountain climb for the first time. Coward had doubled his advantage to Todd and it was now James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing) in sixth.
With an opening lap of 126.655mph, Dunlop led Hickman by 0.57 seconds with Harrison now 9.9 seconds further back in third. Todd had moved back up to fourth but was only a tenth of a second ahead of Coward and with Johnston retiring at the pits, Cummins slotted into sixth place. Hillier, Dominic Herbertson and Mike Browne followed in hot pursuit.
Sweeping round Glen Helen on lap two and with less than thirty miles to go, Dunlop had extended his lead to 1.8 seconds as Hickman continued to work his way through traffic. Harrison was 9.5 seconds adrift in third and, in turn, was 13.4 seconds clear of Todd who’d added another second to his advantage over Coward. Cummins continued to circulate in sixth with Hillier, Herbertson, Browne and James Hind now the running order behind.
Back at the front, as the riders leapt Ballaugh Bridge, Hickman pegged the gap back to 1.3 seconds with both riders on lap record pace, the duo repeating their battle of the Supertwin race from two days earlier. It looked to be a two-horse race with Harrison almost 11 seconds behind in third. Todd had also strengthened his hold on fourth with the gap to Coward up to two seconds.
All eyes were on the battle for the lead though and at Ramsey, Dunlop had responded to Hickman’s charge with another three tenths of a second added to his lead, the difference between the two only 1.6 seconds as they headed up Snaefell for the final time.
At the Bungalow, Dunlop had increased his lead further to 2.7 seconds and with the fastest lap of the race, 128.536mph, he took the win from Hickman by 3.2 seconds as Harrison duly completed the race in third, the position he’d held all race.
Todd maintained fourth place to the end, his eventual margin over Coward 6.4 seconds, with Cummins in sixth ahead of Hillier, Herbertson, Browne and Paul Jordan. Hind just missed out on the top ten in 11th with Rob Hodson, Ian Hutchinson, Michael Evans and Michael Sweeney completing the top 15.
Bautista leads Razgatlioglu and Rea on Friday of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round
The Championship leader topped the timesheets in FP2 after having been eighth in the morning session
Friday highlights – WorldSBK
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’34.008
After being eighth in FP1, Bautista set his fastest time in the afternoon session as he finished ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea. Bautista was able to do 15 laps in the 1’34 bracket, including eight of his final ten laps under the 1’34.5 mark (the other two laps were cancelled).
“It was a difficult start for me this morning because, with the cooler conditions, I didn’t have a really good feeling with the bike. Basically, our target was just to get the feeling I had in the winter test here because that time the feeling was fantastic. In the morning, it didn’t feel the same. It’s true that we changed the bike a little bit compared to the test so for the afternoon we just came back to the bike at the test. Suddenly, I felt much better. We compared the new SCX tyres that Pirelli brought here, and we found some positive things in each one but it’s a difficult to say a choice for the race because we didn’t do a lot of kilometres on the tyre and the standard SCX we know very well how it drops or not. We need more information about these two tyres but the first day has been positive.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’34.115
Razgatlioglu finished second only 0.107s behind Bautista. He was consistently faster than his rivals in the opening half of the lap but was losing time to Bautista in the final sector.
“We’re starting good our weekend. After Estoril, we tried some new parts and I have a good feeling. This afternoon, we tried the two new Pirelli tyres. In FP2, we tried a new one and the last 15 minutes I tried the other one. Now, we’ll check which one is better for the race. I’m very close to Bautista lap time, but my lap time was cancelled because I touched the green part. Anyway, we are fast and tomorrow we’ll try a new set up for the race and I hope we’ll have a good feeling. We’re ready to race and it looks we’ll be fighting again with Bautista and Rea.”
Jonathan Rea (65) and Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’34.134
Rea was third but finished only 0.126s behind Bautista and just 0.019s behind Razgatlioglu. Rea accumulated 20 laps in the 1’34 bracket, more than anyone else managed throughout the afternoon session.
“I felt good with my bike. Just after some laps we understood where we need to improve. We had to understand the circuit as it’s been a while since we’ve been here. It was just getting up to speed, there are some key areas where we need to improve. We focused a lot on trying to understand the tyre choice because we have some new options for rear tyres. So, when I putted an option, I tried to do a longer run to understand the drop and the behavior of the tyre. We have some good information now for tomorrow.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’34.184
Rinaldi has been inside the top five all day before finishing in fourth on the combined times.
“I’m happy about today. We started with the base of Estoril and the feeling is better. We improve a little bit what we have. We tried the new Pirelli tyre. They work great but at the moment we don’t know if we’ll use them. For sure, Toprak, Jonny and Alvaro are very strong but at the moment we are there. We are four in one tenth. Tomorrow we will work a bit more because I think we need a bit more to fight for the win.”
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P5 – Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) 1’34.498
Oettl (Team Goeleven) managed fifth on his return after his right collarbone fracture and was top Independent Rider at the end of day one.
“I feel surprisingly well, the shoulder works good. I also feel good with the bike. I’m really happy that I have a good feeling with it, way better than I expected it. After an injury, it’s always difficult to come back and find immediately the feeling with the bike and Misano is a challenging track. I’m looking forward to tomorrow even if we still have some work to do. I want to continue riding like today. I don’t think about the position too much, we just want to improve race by race and if we can do another top ten this weekend, it would be great.”
Gerloff was sixth at the end of day one as he’s still recovering from his injury at in Estoril.
“After the last two weeks of not doing anything, I feel it healed up pretty well and it’s what my doctor says too. The pace is good but I had some difficulties doing just one fast lap. I see the pace of the top three guys is really impressive so we’re a little bit after that. The test that we had here earlier this year helped. We have the same bike but the track temperature is a bit higher, so we had to change a few things so we’re just working through it. Talking about my goals, I know it’s going to be harder in the next couple of days, so we have to keep that in mind. But it’s the same as always, I want a good Superpole and then a good first couple of laps and be close to the front group and try to go after them.”
To note:
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was the first Honda rider in eighth place whilst Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the leading BMW rider in ninth.
Italian riders Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) were 10th and 12th respectively. Locatelli didn’t improve on his morning time in the afternoon when the temperatures came up, finishing in tenth overall, the only rider to not improve in the second session.
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC makes progress on day 1 at Misano
With the top twelve riders separated by just nine tenths of a second at the end of the first day of practice at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge placed eighth and eleventh respectively today and are keen to further reduce the gap to the front before race 1 gets underway tomorrow at 2pm local time.
Team HRC is in action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this weekend, competing in the fourth round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship with riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge.
The factory riders took to the Italian track for today’s first free practice session in cool, cloudy conditions. The track was dry as the practice got underway although drops of rain began to fall ten minutes in. Both Lecuona and Vierge soon set some encouraging lap times and concluded this opening session in sixth (Iker) and seventh (Xavi) position, having set almost identical times of 1’35.086 and 1’35.096.
The afternoon brought warmer temperatures and some degree of sunshine, which allowed Team HRC to work uninterruptedly throughout the 45-minute second practice. Lecuona improved on his morning reference early on in the session, ultimately setting a best of 1’34.793 to place eighth in the combined standings. Vierge also lowered his times later in the session, finishing eleventh overall with a fastest lap of 1’34.861.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Honda.
Iker Lecuona 7
P8
“It was not such a bad day although we expected a little more after the morning session. I felt better on the bike this morning, quite good right away in fact. We are still dealing with some vibration coming from the rear, something we are working hard to solve but we have not yet fixed. This afternoon I started the session on a used tyre, and felt quite comfortable, to the point that I was able to improve on my lap time. I was very happy with my feeling but then during my second run, which was a long run with a new Pirelli rear tyre that we wanted to try, I didn’t feel as good as I had earlier, and the lap times didn’t come. We need to work on this aspect of the set-up, and our first target for tomorrow is to solve this vibration so that I can feel more comfortable on the brakes.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Honda.
Xavi Vierge 97
P11
“Today was positive, because I felt good on the bike right from the first run. We had some new tyres from Pirelli to try and I quite liked the one we tested this morning, so we started with that one again in FP2 and I again felt quite good even though the tyre was used. But when we put in another one, the feeling was not there, which was strange as I was expecting to take a step forward. On the positive side though, we got some pretty clear answers today and now know the direction to follow tomorrow. Our pace is consistent, so now we need to fix a few details so that we can make another step.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
SOLID PACE FOR GYTR GRT YAMAHA WORLDSBK TEAM ON DAY 1 AT MISANO
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at the Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’, with Garrett Gerloff going sixth fastest on combined times, while Kohta Nozane was 16th.
After being declared fit to race on Thursday, Gerloff ended Free Practice 1 in 11th (1’35.756), with teammate Nozane finishing 18th (1’36.978) as he suffered a small off in the final stages of the session.
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team focused on long runs in FP2, completing many laps with Gerloff, who showed solid race pace. The American ended the afternoon’s running sixth fastest (1’34.605), while Nozane was 16th (1’35.726).
The Japanese rider was forced to miss the first 10 minutes of FP2 due to a penalty for not following marshal’s instructions after his FP1 crash.
Both riders will be back on track tomorrow, firstly with FP3 at 09:00 local time (GMT +2), before the Tissot Superpole qualifying at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
“Overall, the day went quite well. The leg is fine and P6 is not bad; the pace is good even though we can improve in some areas. The tests we made here helped a lot as well. The goals are the same as they’ve been all year, to have a good qualifying and try to stay close to the top group in the race. I tried the new tyre that Pirelli brought here and I do like it honestly, it gives me more stability.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy GYTR GRT Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane #3
“Day one was not that bad. We can surely improve and we need to do it, but the feeling is OK overall and I’m confident about being faster tomorrow. I’m sorry for the team for the crash in the FP1. I made a mistake and it was painful, not for the body, but just because we missed some time in FP2 as well. So, I want to make further steps for a good result also for the guys who are working really well as usual.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Third Fastest After Day One
Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished second and seventh respectively after the first day of practice at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Almost every rider improved their Free Practice One time in the warmer afternoon temperatures of FP2, after heavy rains on Thursday left the racing surface in less than ideal condition at the beginning of on-track action on Friday.
The 4.226km long Misano layout presented all the riders with an improving track surface in FP2, which Rea used well to record a best lap time just 0.126 seconds from top Friday qualifier, Alvaro Bautista.
Lowes ended up seventh fastest, 0.698 seconds from the leading rider. He worked on his race set-up with his team, based largely on the settings that served Alex well during the previous round at Estoril.
Misano will be the only WorldSBK round in Italy this season and the fans returned to the grandstands and paddock areas to get close to the action. The weather forecast is for hot and sunny weather for the rest of race weekend, with ambient temperatures into the high twenties Centigrade.
FP3, Superpole Qualifying and Race One will be the challenges Misano will provide all the riders and teams on the second day at Misano, on Saturday 11 June.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I felt good with the bike out there and I was able to understand two race tyre options in FP2. The temperature was a little bit better than this morning but still we expect tomorrow to be hotter, as the sun should be out all day. For day one I feel OK with the bike. In some areas we need to improve. I expect tonight we can make some good changes. The track is very bumpy, especially in T1, T2 and T3, and the last two corners. Apart from that, it is OK.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a good opening day at Misano. We worked through some electronics and I have a direction from chassis set-up. We didn’t change much from the previous round at Estoril, so we will make some small tweaks for FP3 on Saturday. Overall, I’m happy and looking for a few tenths in the laptimes. It’s always lovely to ride this track and it is very nice to see so many fans here on a Friday as well.”
Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 22nd fastest on day one as he substitutes for the team’s injured regular rider, Lucas Mahias.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 25th today but Alessandro Delbianco (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) made an instant midfield impression in his first ride of the season, in 19th place overall.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Bautista leads the way in Friday free practice for the Pirelli Emilia Romagna Round at Misano. P4 for Rinaldi. Bulega impresses with P1 in WorldSSP FP2
The first day of action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli ended with Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi in first and fourth position, respectively.
After an FP1 that wasn’t particularly indicative due to the bad weather conditions, the sun returned to shine before FP2, allowing the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team riders to work consistently on their Ducati Panigale V4R machines.
Bautista notched up the first position with a time of 1’34.008, 117 thousandths of a second ahead of Razgatlioglu (Yamaha). On the other side of the garage, it was a promising Friday for Rinaldi, who closed in P4 (1’34.184) just 50 thousandths of a second behind Rea (Kawasaki).
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“We started with some difficulties because of the weather conditions that did not help us this morning. In the afternoon, with the higher temperatures, I managed to regain that good feeling that I had had during the tests. We worked on the tire selection ahead of tomorrow’s race. I think this will be a really important choice that will determine Race-1 results. However, the feelings are very positive.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“It was a positive day. We started with the setup we used in Portugal and managed to improve my feeling with the bike. The long-run made in FP2 gave me positive indications and we also had the chance to try the new tire introduced by Pirelli. We are still missing some details to be at the top but the gap from the podium positions is really small. I believe that if we continue to work in this direction, tomorrow we could have fun and entertain our fans.”
WorldSSP
After a technical issue that did not allow him to take advantage of FP1, Nicolò Bulega was the absolute star of FP2. The Italian rider worked well on his race pace with his Ducati Panigale V2 to close the session in first position with an impressive lap time in 1’37.620.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“I am very satisfied with what we have done this afternoon, also because in FP1 we were not able to lap much due to a technical issue. In FP2, I immediately found a good feeling, also thanks to the work made by my team. I hope we can get important results this weekend in Misano in front of our fans.”
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