New Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Partnership Announced for 2023
Yamaha’s WorldSBK Official Team is pleased to announce an all-new partnership with Prometeon Tyre Group, one of the world’s biggest producers of specialised heavy transport tyres, to create “Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK” for the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship season.
The 2023 Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK race machine features Yamaha’s “Racing Blue” base alongside the identity of Pata Snack, who continue with the team as title sponsor for the eighth consecutive year, while Prometeon brings a fresh new white and navy blue element to the livery as it joins Yamaha’s Official WorldSBK Team as co-title partner. Yamaha and the team would like to thank Brixx for its highly valued partnership over the last two successful years, as the company focuses on the next stage of development of its business forecasting software.
Prometeon Tyre Group is the only tyre manufacturer specialised in goods and people transport, which is also active in agricultural equipment and off-the-road tyres field. Officially established in 2017, Prometeon focuses on innovation with the aim of offering the right solutions to its customers by engineering #PrometeonTechnology, ensuring maximised efficiency and reduced costs.
In the quest to fight again for the “Triple Crown”, Yamaha’s R1 WorldSBK development programme has resulted in further updates and refinements which, with the continued support of Pata and 2023’s new partnership with Prometeon, creates a solid base for Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli to start the new season in Phillip Island, Australia, on 24-26 February.
Paul Denning: Team Principal, Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team
“The Crescent Yamaha team are proud to continue with Remo Gobbi’s Pata Snack brand as our title sponsor for the eighth consecutive year, and to welcome Prometeon as the project’s new co-title partner – creating “Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK” for the 2023 season. We would like to thank Prometeon for its trust in Yamaha and the WorldSBK platform to help build its brand awareness and to communicate its commitment to its product quality and service to its customers. We look forward to working together to achieve our mutual goals! With continued support from BMP Tappi, Akrapovic, Yamalube and Yamaha Indonesia’s “Semakin di Depan”, an increased commitment from our exclusive global FX provider Corpay and hugely valued partnerships with Hel Performance, Pro-Bolt and all our technical and operational sponsors, we are in a solid position to fully attack the new season.”
Roberto Righi: General Manager, Prometeon Tyre Group
“The agreement with which we become co-title partner of the Yamaha WorldSBK Team reflects the natural evolution of Prometeon’s commitment to the World Championship for production-based motorbikes, which began in 2022 with the official sponsorship of the championship. With WorldSBK we share the values of innovation, technology and the pursuit of maximum performance. We also believe that this partnership, in addition to further boosting the visibility of our corporate brand, will allow us to offer even more exclusive and engaging experiences to our business partners and collaborators.”
Karns Performance Racing Announces Riders for 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Season
Mechanicsburg, PA – January 30, 2023
Karns Performance is proud to announce it will field Chris Clark #27 and Elisa Gendron-Belén #78 in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Returning to the Team is Chris Clark (@chris.clark.racing) who in his fourth year of racing and secured 17 top-five finishes across multiple series, including North America Talent Cup. Chris also competed in select rounds of MotoAmerica Junior Cup in 2022 with four top-10 finishes. Chris also competed in various club races where he finished with nine podiums in 10 races including three wins. Chris was also one of five Americans invited to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Modena, Italy.
Chris Clark: “I am excited to be returning with Karns Performance Racing for the 2023 season alongside Elisa. I am really looking Forward to a competitive season against some talented riders. I am ready to work hard and hope to get the results we are looking for.”
Joining the team is Elisa Gendron-Belén (@elisa_gendron.belen) who has proven to be competitive with multiple regional titles in ASRA/CCS racing over the past two seasons clinching 40 podiums in 40 races in 2022. She also participated in the past two seasons as a fully sponsored rider in the International Latin American Women’s Cup in Mexico, with an overall top-10 finish among eligible women from as many as 20 countries. She feels fortunate to have the opportunity to race motorcycles. She is always ready with a quick smile and a word of encouragement to her competitors.
Elisa Gendron-Belén: “I am proud to be joining Karns Performance Racing for the 2023 Junior Cup season. I can’t wait to get out on the track. I am definitely excited and motivated. I am very much looking forward to a great season with a great team.”
Jason Karns — Team Owner: “To say our team is proud to be working with these two talented young riders is an understatement. These riders set an incredible example of what it means to be hard-working and humble both on and off the track. Both have a bright future in the world of road racing, We are truly looking forward to being part of their journey and to a great season.”
Team sponsors: Karns Performance, Mecks Autobody, Woodcraft CFM, Vortex Racing, Motorex Oils, NG Brakes, TST Racing, Vesrah, Moto-D with Bison Gear and Bilmola Helmets.
Toronto, ON – Canada’s first National Superbike Champion, George Morin, died on Friday, January 26, in Mississauga, ON. He was 74 years old. The former postal worker was the first Superbike racer in Canada to earn the overall number one plate, the Kawasaki-backed veteran scoring a win at the Edmonton opener and a podium at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the two-race 1980 National tour.
Morin died of complication from Haemochromatosis, a blood issue related to an excess of iron. He had received medical care for this issue for the past two years. He is survived by his second wife, Petra, daughter Savannah and son Alex.
Morin grew up in rural Quebec where his father was a local politician, before settling in the growing Toronto lakeside suburb of Mississauga. He started racing on a Triumph in the early 1970s, and soon became a winner in various production classes. Morin was also a regular front runner at the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges, Ohio, a major race destination for Canadian top guns in the 1970s.
When the Superbike category started to take off, Morin modified his production class Kawasaki Z-1R for the first-ever Canadian SBK race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (then known as Mosport Park) in late 1978. Although a favourite, a frustrated Morin retired early, and then went to the U.S. to purchase a built and developed Kawasaki for the 1979 season.
Along with Lang Hindle, Rueben McMurter and Bob Price, Morin was a front runner in 1979 as Superbike developed regionally. When the CMA announced that a Superbike class competitor was eligible for the overall National Championship in 1980, Morin committed to the series. At the time, a two-stroke Yamaha racer would have the best chance to win the coveted number one plate, since they would have two classes to enter against the single opportunity for the big Superbikes.
Instead, Morin won the Edmonton opener and then fought his way to second in the deciding round at Shannonville, narrowly beating rising rookie Pro Rueben McMurter for the title. Morin then opted to leave Kawasaki during an off-season rider shuffle, taking his CAM2 oil support to Suzuki.
Morin ran up front for Suzuki, winning in Nova Scotia and battling new Kawasaki number one Hindle in a July Mosport 1981 showdown. He eventually campaigned a fearsome Katana before retiring and switching to team management. His first program centered on former Flat Track start Michel Mercier, and fortunately coincided with the development of Suzuki’s ground-breaking GSX-R750.
Famed Canadian tuner Mike Crompton was a Morin favourite, and the trio of Mercier-Crompton-Morin dominated in the early GSX-R era. They had success in the U.S., and that got an invitation to the Match Races in the U.K., where Mercier earned a strong following. Morin developed key relationships with organizers and sponsors, including World Superbike founder Steve McLaughlin.
When Mercier retired, Morin worked with the Weld Rite Kawasaki program of Steve Crevier, and eventually Frank Trombino’s team at Rob Egan’s Brooklin Cycle Racing. He did some vintage racing, went on bike trips in Europe with old racing buddies including Shop owner and endurance partner Peter Hurst, and even helped winter relocation of boats and small aircraft!
Morin was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2015, joining fellow early era Superbike heroes including Hindle, McMurter, Mercier and Crompton. A memorial ceremony is planned for the spring, close to Morin’s birthday.
Yamaha WorldSBK Teams Break Cover in Portimao Ahead of 2023 Season
The covers have come off Yamaha’s six R1 WorldSBK machines that will contest the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship at the last European preseason test before the season gets underway in Philip Island, Australia from 24-26 February.
The Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK and GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK teams will be joined at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve test in Portimão, Portugal by Motoxracing Yamaha, who will contest the European rounds of the 2023 WorldSBK calendar with reigning British Superbike Champion Bradley Ray.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK’s Andrea Locatelli (left) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Leading the title chase for Yamaha once again in 2023, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu returns with the #54 plate after finishing runner-up during one of the most exciting seasons on record. Last year, the 26-year-old secured 14 victories and a further 15 podiums, and following a positive winter test in Jerez remains confident that he can take the fight to his rivals and thrill fans around the world with his spectacular riding style once again this season.
Razgatlıoğlu will be back looking for revenge as he teams up once more at Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK with 2020 FIM Supersport World Champion, Andrea Locatelli. After finishing fourth and fifth overall during his last two campaigns, the 26-year-old Italian wants to add to his total of six WorldSBK podiums and secure his first victory in 2023.
While consistency is the watchword at Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, it is all change next door at GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK. There are two new riders for the team: the first in the shape of 2021 Moto2 World Champion, Australian Remy Gardener, who is looking to establish himself as a front-runner in WorldSBK immediately off the back of an impressive rookie MotoGP season.
He will be joined on the grid by reigning MotoE and two-time FIM Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter. In his move up to WorldSBK, the Swiss rider hopes to bring the form that saw him claim a record-breaking 17 wins on the Yamaha R6 during his successful title defence last season.
GMT94 Yamaha’s Lorenzo Baldassarri. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Aegerter’s main rival from a scintillating 2022 WorldSSP season, Lorenzo Baldassari, has also made the step up to WorldSBK with the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK team. Baldassari, who won four races and secured 12 more podiums on his way to second place in his rookie WorldSSP season, is looking to make a successful transition to the WorldSBK class along with his GMT94 team, who will also continue to compete with Yamaha machinery in the WorldSSP category.
2022 British Superbike Champion Bradley Ray will also get the opportunity to showcase his talents by participating in the European rounds of WorldSBK with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. The 25-year-old Briton dominated BSB last season on a similar R1 to that run in WorldSBK, securing nine victories and 14 podiums on his way to the title. Ray’s aim is to adapt quickly to the WorldSBK specification R1 before his race debut at Assen in April.
All six riders will campaign Yamaha’s proven, race-winning R1 WorldSBK machine, which has undergone considerable development over the very short winter break. Engineers at Yamaha Motor Research and Development Europe have focused their efforts on improving specific areas without compromising the strengths of the R1, with improved corner exit acceleration a major goal. This direction was confirmed during a two-day test in Jerez last week, with both the two Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK riders and the two GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK newcomers finishing promisingly within the top 10. Both days were topped by Razgatlıoğlu, who was tantalisingly close to breaking the WorldSBK lap record on day two.
All the teams will now complete two days of testing at Portimão, before the Pata Yamaha Prometeon, GYTR GRT Yamaha and GMT94 Yamaha teams head “Down Under” for the final preseason test and the first round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island in Australia. Ray and the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team will remain in Europe before ahead of their Assen debut.
Andrea Dosoli
Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager
“For the first time, we will have six riders contracted directly by Yamaha representing our brand in the FIM Superbike World Championship, four of them World Champions and one national champion. It’s a strong rider lineup, the strongest we’ve fielded since returning to the championship in 2016, and our expectations are high going into the new season. In Toprak and Andrea, we have two experienced championship campaigners, while Remy brings with him a wealth of experience from MotoGP. Dominique, Lorenzo, and Bradley are all proof that our unique step-up program, where Yamaha riders who excel at both an international and national level, are given the opportunity to step up to WorldSBK. The investment in our riders has also been matched by the investment in development, with the R1 improving in key areas, which was illustrated by the performance of all our riders at the recent Jerez test. We are in a good position to fight once again for the World Championship title, but we know that we need to eliminate the mistakes that robbed us of important points last year and put together a perfect season. Thanks to our riders, and I wish them the best of luck for the coming campaign.”
On Thursday, January 26th, 2023, V.R. (Jim) DiSalvo, loving husband and father of five, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at age 85. Jim was born June 19, 1937, in Batavia, NY to the late Salvatore and Mary Kathleen (Miller) DiSalvo. Jim was an avid motorcyclist, businessman, and lover of all things Christmas.
After a tour of duty in the Navy during the mid-’50s, Jim returned home to Western New York, where he excelled professionally in various industries, including the chemicals industry, horse racing, motorcycle racing, and the printing industry. During that time, he also promoted the first-ever WERA Grand National Finals in West Palm Beach, FL, in 1977.
In 1980, Jim made his mark on the printing industry when he founded Applied Business Systems, Inc. with his wife, Connie DiSalvo. ABS would become a leader in Variable Data Digital Printing, as it remains to this day.
In the motorcycle racing world, Jim will be remembered as an accomplished flat tracker and road racer in his own right, as well as an owner of Team America Gran Prix Racing, a team that won races across the United States and internationally in Europe, and as the manager of his son Jason DiSalvo’s professional career in racing.
Jim’s love of Christmas was manifested every year at his home on Fargo Road in Stafford, NY. His display included over 150 animated and static lighted figurines and over 1 million lights that would draw thousands of visitors to the property every Christmas season.
Jim is survived by and missed by his wife of 42 years, Connie (Tuttobene) DiSalvo; children Pam DiSalvo of Batavia, Tim DiSalvo of Azusa, CA, Steven (Karen) Samis of LeRoy, Lisa (Dan) Ormsbee of Stafford, and Jason (Bethany) DiSalvo of Stafford. He is forever cherished and remembered by his six grandchildren Ashlee DiSalvo, Katelyn Samis, Stephany Samis, Zach Samis, Romeo DiSalvo, and Romilly DiSalvo; his brothers, the late Ronald (Rose) DiSalvo of Batavia and Samuel (late Vida) DiSalvo of Batavia; and sisters, Florence (Joe) Condidorio of LeRoy and Kitty (late Louie) Severino of Highland Heights, Ohio.
Calling hours are Tuesday (January 31) from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street, Batavia. Jim’s Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday (February 1) at 10:00 a.m. at Ascension Parish, 15 Sumner Street in Batavia. He will be laid to rest with military honors at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Batavia.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department, or the United Memorial Medical Center for their new ICU unit.
4SR USA Again Offering Contingency For 2023 MotoAmerica Championship
Motorcycle Clothing Company To Post Almost $131,000 In Contingency Payouts For Four MotoAmerica Classes And The Daytona 200
IRVINE, CA (January 30, 2023) – MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is pleased to announce motorcycle clothing company 4SR USA Inc. as not only an official partner of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship, but also as a contingency sponsor with 4SR set to post almost $131,000 for the coming season.
Founded in 2007 in the Czech Republic, 4SR is well-established in European markets, including supporting riders in British Superbike, World Superbike and MotoGP. In 2018, 4SR USA began exclusively importing to the United States and has worked to establish itself as a worldwide clothing brand of all things motorcycle. From full racing suits to biker jeans, gloves, leather pants, back protectors, and accessories, 4SR has just about everything for the casual motorcyclist, track-day rider and serious racer.
4SR is offering $53,000 in contingency in the premier MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class with $2,650 earmarked for each event with first place paying $1,000 per race with payments going down to fifth place in four classes – Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport and Twins Cup. 4SR is also offering contingency for the Daytona 200 with the payout the same as Superbike ($1,000, $750, $500, $250, and $150 for the top five finishers). The other classes will pay $750 (Supersport) and $500 (Stock 1000 and Twins Cup) to the winner if he/she is wearing 4SR leathers. The contingency program pays back to fifth place in each class and totals $130,750 for the season.
“It’s awesome that 4SR is back with us for a third season as an official sponsorship partner of our championship,” MotoAmerica Director of Sponsorship Lance Bryson said. “It’s also great to see them continuing their contingency program for 2023 with an opportunity for our racers who wear 4SR leathers to earn additional money.”
4SR offers a full line of racing leathers, from racing suits to replica suits, to custom leathers, 39 different jackets for both men and women, 13 different styles of riding pants, and much more. 4SR’s leathers are also compatible with most airbag systems.
“Our 4SR team is excited to continue our involvement with MotoAmerica in 2023,” said Jerry Nickell Sr., President of 4SR USA. “Our mission is to provide support to the many great teams and riders with premium protection products and financial support as they pursue their quest for a championship. We are honored to be a supporting sponsor of America’s premier road racing series.”
For more information on 4SR USA, visit www.4srusa.com. Riders interested in participating in the 4SR contingency program should contact [email protected].
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Roadracing World Publishing is now requesting schedule and photo submissions from trackday organizers and riding school operators for the 2023 season to put in Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine and the 2023 Roadracing World Trackday Directory annual edition.
All schedule submissions should include: the name of your school or trackday organization, your schedule (including exact dates, correct track names and locations, and the track layout being used that day, if applicable), and full contact information for consumers.
Schedules submitted will be published in the Calendar section of Roadracing World magazine and the Events calendar section of Roadracingworld.com as soon as possible after they are received.
For trackday and school organizations and schedules to be listed in Roadracing World’s 2023 Trackday Directory annual edition, however, we need your schedule and the following information by February 3, 2023:
School or Trackday Organization Name:
Physical or Mailing Address, (Street address, city, state abbreviation, zip code):
Phone Number:
FAX Number (optional):
Website Address:
Email Address:
(Select one answer for each question)
1. Events Run Rain or Shine: Yes or No
2. Coolant: Antifreeze OK or No Antifreeze Allowed
3. Headlight & Taillight: Tape or Disconnect or Tape and Disconnect
4. Mirrors & Signals: Tape or Remove
5. License Plate: OK or Remove
6. Safety Wire: Some Required or None Required
7. Sidestand: OK or Remove
8. The minimum age to participate is: ?
Please e-mail schedule/calendar and Trackday Directory listing information and/or updates to [email protected].
Even if your 2023 schedule is not finalized, please respond to us and send whatever information you can so that you will not be left out of the Trackday Directory annual. Provisional schedules or dates listed as provisional are allowed.
There is no cost to be listed in Roadracing World’s Trackday Directory annual edition, but we can’t post your information if we don’t receive it in time. As a result, late submissions or incomplete submissions may not be published.
Again, the deadline to submit is February 3, 2023.
If you’ve already submitted your schedule for inclusion in the Calendar section of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology, great! But this is not enough information for an entry in the Trackday Directory. Please submit the information requested above to be included in the once-per-year Roadracing World Trackday Directory or call us to do minor updates to the information we published in our last Trackday Directory.
If you have any doubt about what you have or have not sent in or if it was received, please contact us.
As always, we are also requesting trackday organizers and school operators to submit digital photos of their events and groups in action – on and off the track — for possible publication in the 2022 Trackday Directory. This is a great way to publicize your events and spotlight some of your members at no cost to you, but we need you to help us help you.
Digital photos must be in-focus, free from any watermarks or graphics, and high-resolution, which means a minimum of 300 dpi/ppi or 3000 pixels wide at 3 inches. The best way to submit these photos is with a file transfer program like Google Drive, Hightail, or Dropbox, which are free to download and use on a limited basis. Emailing the photos in small batches also works.
Photos must be accompanied by information to be used to write a caption. This includes the name of the track and information in order to credit the photographer, etc. By submitting a photo or photos, you certify that you own the submitted material and that you give us (Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.) permission to publish it in Roadracing World magazine and/or post it on Roadracingworld.com, without paying you (or anybody else) any money.
And racing organizations, if your contact information has changed since last year or you just want to be sure we have your correct information please e-mail it in.
For additional information, e-mail [email protected] or call (909) 654-4779.
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, located near the town of Portimão, hosts the final European test for the Kawasaki Racing Team across 31 January and 1 February before KRT, and the rest of the paddock, make ready to fly to the opening round of the 2023 WorldSBK season in Australia.
With both Jonathan Rea and, teammate, Alex Lowes, making strong progress in testing so far, the Jerez test in late January has set both the riders and their respective pit crews up well for the demands of the 4.592km (2.8533) track which includes one of the fastest straights on the European schedule of the world’s most prestigious production based motorcycle race series.
Hosting its first WorldSBK event in its inaugural year of 2008, the Portuguese circuit has been a fan and rider favourite since then and will produce yet more crucial data for KRT to assimilate in their quest to be super prepared for Phillip Island and round one.
Hoping for warmer weather than they experienced at Jerez, Rea and Lowes will be looking to refine and answer the last few questions before the Championship for real starts with two crucial points scoring events in quick succession at Phillip Island and Mandalika, Indonesia. Plus, with Portimao being on the season calendar for 2023, the team will be able to complete the process of matching previous data to the outcome of this test and be ready to race on Portuguese soil come September.
Jonathan Rea rates Portimao as one of the fastest yet technical tracks on the calendar and showed well in 2022 taking a podium spot in all three races across the weekend while Alex Lowes was just off the podium in Superpole and in the top five in both races. For both riders then the search for those extra tenths of a second in lap time makes this Portimao test highly significant.
Kevin Elliott Sr., the longtime President and owner of Championship Cup Series (CCS) and American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA), died from liver failure Sunday night, January 29th in a hospice in Florida. He was 64.
Elliott was a former racer who worked as an official for Roger Edmondson-owned CCS from 1987 to 1991.
Elliott got out of the sport for a while and owned his own bar at one point.
“Then in 1998,” Elliott told Roadracingworld.com in an interview November 24, 2022, “when he [Roger Edmondson] was going to sell it to Pace Motorsports (which became Clear Channel), they talked me into coming back because they needed someone who could run the thing after the sale. Then, we bought it from Clear Channel on January 1, 2006.”
Kevin Elliott on the cover of the February 2016 issue of American Motorcyclist magazine, the official magazine of AMA. Photo used with permission of AMA.
Elliott had a very tough time keeping CCS and ASRA going since 2020, when the COVID pandemic shut down or otherwise limited many public events, including motorcycle road races at huge outdoor venues. But even after COVID restrictions were lifted, racers did not come back in the same numbers as they had in the past, according to Elliott, and CCS/ASRA slipped into debt.
Elliott took on the task of keeping the Daytona 200 going when MotoAmerica bought the rights to promote the AMA National Series and could not reach a deal with Daytona International Speedway to run the race. Under his guidance, the event quickly grew from an historic low 29 entries in 2014 (the last year it was run by Daytona Motorsports Group, or DMG), to more than double the entries, at 67. MotoAmerica took the event over in 2022 and in doing so also took over what had been the traditional spring ASRA/CCS event weekend, which was a key event for Elliott’s organization; the loss of revenue from that event contributed to the demise of ASRA/CCS.
At the end of 2022, ASRA/CCS was acquired from Elliott by Mark Lienhard and Alex Spellman, but dealing with business struggles, the pending acquisition, and the death of his son Kevin Elliott, Jr. in September 2022 all took a heavy toll on Kevin Elliott, Sr.
Elliott was generally a jolly man who could be efficiently dealing with a frustrating and stressful situation one second and then turn around, make a joke, and let out a hearty laugh the next second. These qualities and others allowed him to attract and keep a loyal group of officials who kept ASRA and CCS events running smoothly and earned him the respect of many professionals working in the motorsports industry.
ASRA/CCS owner & President Kevin Elliott with long-time race ASRA/CCS official Diane Shepard Tribou.
Next of kin include father Carl Elliott and stepmother Andrea Elliott; brother Michael Elliott and sister in law Robin Elliott; brother Terry Elliott; step sister Terra Bassi; son Nick Campbell and daughter in law Dana Campbell; daughter Jennifer Sims and son in law Joshua Sims; son Bill Elliott; and multiple grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his mother Roxie Elliott and his son Kevin Elliott, Jr.
Chase Sexton Wins Triple Crown Thriller at Anaheim 2 Supercross
Levi Kitchen Grabs First Supercross Victory in 250SX Class
Anaheim, Calif., – Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took the win at round four of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The first of three Triple Crown events in 2023 delivered night-long racing thrills with three Main Events in each class. Main Event finishing positions combine to earn event points toward the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season as well as the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship series.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, the 2018 Supercross Champion, earned the runner-up spot at the second race held at the Anaheim venue this year. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen nabbed the final spot on the podium and was the most consistent of the top racers. The Western Regional 250SX Class delivered a first-time winner when Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen earned the 250SX Class win in only his fifth Supercross race.
Chase Sexton (23) earned his second Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory in a thrilling Triple Crown event that will be re-watched for years. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Chase Sexton grabbed the lead of 450SX Class Main Event 1 ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, Ken Roczen, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis. Roczen was quickly into second place. Sexton and Roczen put a comfortable gap on the rest of the field early in the 12-minute plus one lap race. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac was in sixth at the start and moving forward. It took him five and a half minutes to reach then pass Cianciarulo; Tomac held the third place spot to the finish. There was an exciting battle around Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb through most of the first race. As he and Ferrandis caught and passed Cianciarulo, Jason Anderson reached the pack. On the final lap Anderson contacted Webb in the corner after the whoops. Webb went down and Anderson rode off to capture fifth place. Cianciarulo took sixth ahead of Webb in seventh.
In 450SX Class Main Event 2 Tomac and Webb bumped just out of the gate. Anderson took the holeshot ahead of Roczen, Cianciarulo, and Sexton. Sexton was the rider on the move but an early mistake dropped him from fourth to eighth. Three and a half minutes into the race the top three, Anderson, Roczen, and Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger were packed together and had pulled a gap on the rest of the field. Plessinger moved into second but Roczen immediately counter attacked and took back the spot. A half lap later Plessinger crashed and Tomac took over the third place spot and soon applied pressure on Roczen for second. Roczen held strong until he slid out exiting a turn, giving an easy pass for Tomac. The top three looked set until Cooper Webb reached Roczen’s rear fender. The Suzuki rider had his third intense battle of the race, successfully holding off Webb to the end. The finishing order was Anderson, Tomac, Roczen, and Webb. With one 450SX Class race to go, Tomac and Roczen were tied for the overall lead with five points. Anderson and Sexton each held six points. The event win was there for the taking to any of the four racers.
Jason Anderson grabbed the Main Event 3 holeshot ahead of Webb, Sexton, and Tomac. Roczen was in ninth at the holeshot stripe. Sexton was quickly into second place and the win for the night’s overall looked to be between Anderson and Sexton. Two and a half minutes into the race Tomac made a surge to get around Webb but a Tomac mistake in one of the track’s main rhythm sections allowed Webb to hold the position. Two laps later Tomac jumped off line and crashed hard in the same rhythm section. He remounted in fourteenth but was clearly not charging. Further up the track, Sexton and Anderson traded the lead back and forth with Sexton finally making a pass stick. Anderson would face Webb in the closing laps, surrendering the second place spot to the KTM rider after nearly crashing on the slick dirt. Sexton won the Main Event and took the overall victory for the night. It was Sexton’s first Triple Crown win and his second 450SX Class win.
Levi Kitchen (43) earned his career-first Supercross victory in only his fifth attempt. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Main Event 1 of the Western Regional 250SX Class kicked off the stadium event when Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire emerged from the first corner with the holeshot. Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Stilez Robertson, and Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg were right behind. Halfway through the opening lap of the 10-minute plus one lap race Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence was into third and pushing to catch Hampshire and Kitchen. Less than two minutes in Lawrence got around Kitchen. A battle for the lead was developing when Lawrence suddenly high-sided exiting a turn and was flicked off his bike. He remounted in eighth place and was able to pass his way back to third behind Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Pierce Brown. Title-contender Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo finished the first race in eighth, riding slightly off the pace after a tough crash in qualifying.
Main Event 2 in the 250SX Class was packed with drama. Right at the drop of the gate Lawrence moved over on Hampshire, putting the Main Event 1 winner into nearly dead last entering the first corner. Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti grabbed the holeshot and put down a fast pace. Lawrence went down on the opening lap and Hampshire got caught up in the crash, losing back a few places he’d made early. Nicoletti lead Kitchen, Robertson and Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland while Hampshire fought back from 16th and Lawrence from 22nd. Three minutes into the race Nicoletti held a 5.6 second lead. Then Hampshire went down hard when his hand came off the handlebars while blasting through the sand section. Hampshire was back up but riding slowly and he eventually pulled out of the race. Shortly after, Pierce Brown crashed in the whoops. He was slow to remount but re-joined the racing to finish thirteenth. With three minutes left on the race clock Lawrence had reached tenth place. With two laps to go Lawrence contacted McAdoo in a tight bowl turn. Lawrence bobbled and lost a position. At the checkers Robertson took the win followed by his teammate Levi Kitchen with Nicoletti in third. Lawrence crossed the line in sixth place. After two races the overall positions had Kitchen in the lead ahead of Robertson, with Oldenburg and Lawrence tied for third with one final race to determine the final order.
Jett Lawrence grabbed a big holeshot in Main Event 3 with Kitchen tucking into second place. Kitchen needed only to stay in second place to take his first Supercross victory. By the midpoint Lawrence still led and Kitchen remained in second with a comfortable gap on third place. Kitchen kept a steady pace and brought home second place in the race to earn the win at the Anaheim event. Lawrence earned second place points and Stilez Robertson took home third overall.
The racers line up again next Saturday night at round five at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Western Regional 250SX Class now takes a two-weekend break as Houston marks round one of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class. The Houston race pays points for that regional series as well as for the SuperMotocross World Championship 250 class.
Every race of the Monster Energy Supercross season and the SuperMotocross World Championship series streams live on Peacock with select races broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. For results, video highlights, features stories, and ticket sales to any of the upcoming rounds please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (riders left to right) Jason Anderson, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
450SX Class Results
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
4. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
5. Dylan Ferrandis, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
6. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM
8. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
9. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
10. Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., Kawasaki
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (69)
2. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (65)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (65)
4. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (58)
5. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (55)
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.
About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
About the SuperMotocross World Championship:
The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.
About the American Motorcyclist Association:
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Prometeon Tyre Group is the new co-title sponsor of the factory Yamaha WorldSBK team. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
New Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Partnership Announced for 2023
Yamaha’s WorldSBK Official Team is pleased to announce an all-new partnership with Prometeon Tyre Group, one of the world’s biggest producers of specialised heavy transport tyres, to create “Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK” for the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship season.
The 2023 Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK race machine features Yamaha’s “Racing Blue” base alongside the identity of Pata Snack, who continue with the team as title sponsor for the eighth consecutive year, while Prometeon brings a fresh new white and navy blue element to the livery as it joins Yamaha’s Official WorldSBK Team as co-title partner. Yamaha and the team would like to thank Brixx for its highly valued partnership over the last two successful years, as the company focuses on the next stage of development of its business forecasting software.
Prometeon Tyre Group is the only tyre manufacturer specialised in goods and people transport, which is also active in agricultural equipment and off-the-road tyres field. Officially established in 2017, Prometeon focuses on innovation with the aim of offering the right solutions to its customers by engineering #PrometeonTechnology, ensuring maximised efficiency and reduced costs.
In the quest to fight again for the “Triple Crown”, Yamaha’s R1 WorldSBK development programme has resulted in further updates and refinements which, with the continued support of Pata and 2023’s new partnership with Prometeon, creates a solid base for Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli to start the new season in Phillip Island, Australia, on 24-26 February.
Paul Denning: Team Principal, Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team
“The Crescent Yamaha team are proud to continue with Remo Gobbi’s Pata Snack brand as our title sponsor for the eighth consecutive year, and to welcome Prometeon as the project’s new co-title partner – creating “Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK” for the 2023 season. We would like to thank Prometeon for its trust in Yamaha and the WorldSBK platform to help build its brand awareness and to communicate its commitment to its product quality and service to its customers. We look forward to working together to achieve our mutual goals! With continued support from BMP Tappi, Akrapovic, Yamalube and Yamaha Indonesia’s “Semakin di Depan”, an increased commitment from our exclusive global FX provider Corpay and hugely valued partnerships with Hel Performance, Pro-Bolt and all our technical and operational sponsors, we are in a solid position to fully attack the new season.”
Roberto Righi: General Manager, Prometeon Tyre Group
“The agreement with which we become co-title partner of the Yamaha WorldSBK Team reflects the natural evolution of Prometeon’s commitment to the World Championship for production-based motorbikes, which began in 2022 with the official sponsorship of the championship. With WorldSBK we share the values of innovation, technology and the pursuit of maximum performance. We also believe that this partnership, in addition to further boosting the visibility of our corporate brand, will allow us to offer even more exclusive and engaging experiences to our business partners and collaborators.”
(From left) Karns Performance Team Owner Jason Karns, Chris Clark's father Fred Clark, rider Chris Clark, crew member Tori Karns, crew
member Jose Archeval, Elisa Gendron-Belén's father Bruce Gendron, rider Elisa Gendron-Belén, and crew member Rich Musselman. Photo by Fast Glass Media, courtesy Karns Performance.
Karns Performance Racing Announces Riders for 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Season
Mechanicsburg, PA – January 30, 2023
Karns Performance is proud to announce it will field Chris Clark #27 and Elisa Gendron-Belén #78 in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
Returning to the Team is Chris Clark (@chris.clark.racing) who in his fourth year of racing and secured 17 top-five finishes across multiple series, including North America Talent Cup. Chris also competed in select rounds of MotoAmerica Junior Cup in 2022 with four top-10 finishes. Chris also competed in various club races where he finished with nine podiums in 10 races including three wins. Chris was also one of five Americans invited to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Modena, Italy.
Chris Clark: “I am excited to be returning with Karns Performance Racing for the 2023 season alongside Elisa. I am really looking Forward to a competitive season against some talented riders. I am ready to work hard and hope to get the results we are looking for.”
Joining the team is Elisa Gendron-Belén (@elisa_gendron.belen) who has proven to be competitive with multiple regional titles in ASRA/CCS racing over the past two seasons clinching 40 podiums in 40 races in 2022. She also participated in the past two seasons as a fully sponsored rider in the International Latin American Women’s Cup in Mexico, with an overall top-10 finish among eligible women from as many as 20 countries. She feels fortunate to have the opportunity to race motorcycles. She is always ready with a quick smile and a word of encouragement to her competitors.
Elisa Gendron-Belén: “I am proud to be joining Karns Performance Racing for the 2023 Junior Cup season. I can’t wait to get out on the track. I am definitely excited and motivated. I am very much looking forward to a great season with a great team.”
Jason Karns — Team Owner: “To say our team is proud to be working with these two talented young riders is an understatement. These riders set an incredible example of what it means to be hard-working and humble both on and off the track. Both have a bright future in the world of road racing, We are truly looking forward to being part of their journey and to a great season.”
Team sponsors: Karns Performance, Mecks Autobody, Woodcraft CFM, Vortex Racing, Motorex Oils, NG Brakes, TST Racing, Vesrah, Moto-D with Bison Gear and Bilmola Helmets.
George Morin (581) in action at Shannonville Motorsport Park in 1980. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy CSBK.
RIP: George Morin
Toronto, ON – Canada’s first National Superbike Champion, George Morin, died on Friday, January 26, in Mississauga, ON. He was 74 years old. The former postal worker was the first Superbike racer in Canada to earn the overall number one plate, the Kawasaki-backed veteran scoring a win at the Edmonton opener and a podium at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the two-race 1980 National tour.
Morin died of complication from Haemochromatosis, a blood issue related to an excess of iron. He had received medical care for this issue for the past two years. He is survived by his second wife, Petra, daughter Savannah and son Alex.
Morin grew up in rural Quebec where his father was a local politician, before settling in the growing Toronto lakeside suburb of Mississauga. He started racing on a Triumph in the early 1970s, and soon became a winner in various production classes. Morin was also a regular front runner at the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges, Ohio, a major race destination for Canadian top guns in the 1970s.
When the Superbike category started to take off, Morin modified his production class Kawasaki Z-1R for the first-ever Canadian SBK race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (then known as Mosport Park) in late 1978. Although a favourite, a frustrated Morin retired early, and then went to the U.S. to purchase a built and developed Kawasaki for the 1979 season.
Along with Lang Hindle, Rueben McMurter and Bob Price, Morin was a front runner in 1979 as Superbike developed regionally. When the CMA announced that a Superbike class competitor was eligible for the overall National Championship in 1980, Morin committed to the series. At the time, a two-stroke Yamaha racer would have the best chance to win the coveted number one plate, since they would have two classes to enter against the single opportunity for the big Superbikes.
Instead, Morin won the Edmonton opener and then fought his way to second in the deciding round at Shannonville, narrowly beating rising rookie Pro Rueben McMurter for the title. Morin then opted to leave Kawasaki during an off-season rider shuffle, taking his CAM2 oil support to Suzuki.
Morin ran up front for Suzuki, winning in Nova Scotia and battling new Kawasaki number one Hindle in a July Mosport 1981 showdown. He eventually campaigned a fearsome Katana before retiring and switching to team management. His first program centered on former Flat Track start Michel Mercier, and fortunately coincided with the development of Suzuki’s ground-breaking GSX-R750.
Famed Canadian tuner Mike Crompton was a Morin favourite, and the trio of Mercier-Crompton-Morin dominated in the early GSX-R era. They had success in the U.S., and that got an invitation to the Match Races in the U.K., where Mercier earned a strong following. Morin developed key relationships with organizers and sponsors, including World Superbike founder Steve McLaughlin.
When Mercier retired, Morin worked with the Weld Rite Kawasaki program of Steve Crevier, and eventually Frank Trombino’s team at Rob Egan’s Brooklin Cycle Racing. He did some vintage racing, went on bike trips in Europe with old racing buddies including Shop owner and endurance partner Peter Hurst, and even helped winter relocation of boats and small aircraft!
Morin was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2015, joining fellow early era Superbike heroes including Hindle, McMurter, Mercier and Crompton. A memorial ceremony is planned for the spring, close to Morin’s birthday.
Yamaha World Superbike racers (from left) Lorenzo Baldassarri, Andrea Locatelli, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Dominique Aegerter, Remy Gardner, and Bradley Ray. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Editorial Note: Scroll down for video.
Yamaha WorldSBK Teams Break Cover in Portimao Ahead of 2023 Season
The covers have come off Yamaha’s six R1 WorldSBK machines that will contest the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship at the last European preseason test before the season gets underway in Philip Island, Australia from 24-26 February.
The Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK and GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK teams will be joined at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve test in Portimão, Portugal by Motoxracing Yamaha, who will contest the European rounds of the 2023 WorldSBK calendar with reigning British Superbike Champion Bradley Ray.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK’s Andrea Locatelli (left) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Leading the title chase for Yamaha once again in 2023, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu returns with the #54 plate after finishing runner-up during one of the most exciting seasons on record. Last year, the 26-year-old secured 14 victories and a further 15 podiums, and following a positive winter test in Jerez remains confident that he can take the fight to his rivals and thrill fans around the world with his spectacular riding style once again this season.
Razgatlıoğlu will be back looking for revenge as he teams up once more at Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK with 2020 FIM Supersport World Champion, Andrea Locatelli. After finishing fourth and fifth overall during his last two campaigns, the 26-year-old Italian wants to add to his total of six WorldSBK podiums and secure his first victory in 2023.
While consistency is the watchword at Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, it is all change next door at GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK. There are two new riders for the team: the first in the shape of 2021 Moto2 World Champion, Australian Remy Gardener, who is looking to establish himself as a front-runner in WorldSBK immediately off the back of an impressive rookie MotoGP season.
He will be joined on the grid by reigning MotoE and two-time FIM Supersport World Champion Dominique Aegerter. In his move up to WorldSBK, the Swiss rider hopes to bring the form that saw him claim a record-breaking 17 wins on the Yamaha R6 during his successful title defence last season.
GMT94 Yamaha’s Lorenzo Baldassarri. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Aegerter’s main rival from a scintillating 2022 WorldSSP season, Lorenzo Baldassari, has also made the step up to WorldSBK with the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSBK team. Baldassari, who won four races and secured 12 more podiums on his way to second place in his rookie WorldSSP season, is looking to make a successful transition to the WorldSBK class along with his GMT94 team, who will also continue to compete with Yamaha machinery in the WorldSSP category.
2022 British Superbike Champion Bradley Ray will also get the opportunity to showcase his talents by participating in the European rounds of WorldSBK with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. The 25-year-old Briton dominated BSB last season on a similar R1 to that run in WorldSBK, securing nine victories and 14 podiums on his way to the title. Ray’s aim is to adapt quickly to the WorldSBK specification R1 before his race debut at Assen in April.
All six riders will campaign Yamaha’s proven, race-winning R1 WorldSBK machine, which has undergone considerable development over the very short winter break. Engineers at Yamaha Motor Research and Development Europe have focused their efforts on improving specific areas without compromising the strengths of the R1, with improved corner exit acceleration a major goal. This direction was confirmed during a two-day test in Jerez last week, with both the two Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK riders and the two GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK newcomers finishing promisingly within the top 10. Both days were topped by Razgatlıoğlu, who was tantalisingly close to breaking the WorldSBK lap record on day two.
All the teams will now complete two days of testing at Portimão, before the Pata Yamaha Prometeon, GYTR GRT Yamaha and GMT94 Yamaha teams head “Down Under” for the final preseason test and the first round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island in Australia. Ray and the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team will remain in Europe before ahead of their Assen debut.
Andrea Dosoli
Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager
“For the first time, we will have six riders contracted directly by Yamaha representing our brand in the FIM Superbike World Championship, four of them World Champions and one national champion. It’s a strong rider lineup, the strongest we’ve fielded since returning to the championship in 2016, and our expectations are high going into the new season. In Toprak and Andrea, we have two experienced championship campaigners, while Remy brings with him a wealth of experience from MotoGP. Dominique, Lorenzo, and Bradley are all proof that our unique step-up program, where Yamaha riders who excel at both an international and national level, are given the opportunity to step up to WorldSBK. The investment in our riders has also been matched by the investment in development, with the R1 improving in key areas, which was illustrated by the performance of all our riders at the recent Jerez test. We are in a good position to fight once again for the World Championship title, but we know that we need to eliminate the mistakes that robbed us of important points last year and put together a perfect season. Thanks to our riders, and I wish them the best of luck for the coming campaign.”
Jim DiSalvo (left) with son Jason DiSalvo, circa 2012. Photo courtesy Jason DiSalvo.
On Thursday, January 26th, 2023, V.R. (Jim) DiSalvo, loving husband and father of five, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at age 85. Jim was born June 19, 1937, in Batavia, NY to the late Salvatore and Mary Kathleen (Miller) DiSalvo. Jim was an avid motorcyclist, businessman, and lover of all things Christmas.
After a tour of duty in the Navy during the mid-’50s, Jim returned home to Western New York, where he excelled professionally in various industries, including the chemicals industry, horse racing, motorcycle racing, and the printing industry. During that time, he also promoted the first-ever WERA Grand National Finals in West Palm Beach, FL, in 1977.
In 1980, Jim made his mark on the printing industry when he founded Applied Business Systems, Inc. with his wife, Connie DiSalvo. ABS would become a leader in Variable Data Digital Printing, as it remains to this day.
In the motorcycle racing world, Jim will be remembered as an accomplished flat tracker and road racer in his own right, as well as an owner of Team America Gran Prix Racing, a team that won races across the United States and internationally in Europe, and as the manager of his son Jason DiSalvo’s professional career in racing.
Jim’s love of Christmas was manifested every year at his home on Fargo Road in Stafford, NY. His display included over 150 animated and static lighted figurines and over 1 million lights that would draw thousands of visitors to the property every Christmas season.
Jim is survived by and missed by his wife of 42 years, Connie (Tuttobene) DiSalvo; children Pam DiSalvo of Batavia, Tim DiSalvo of Azusa, CA, Steven (Karen) Samis of LeRoy, Lisa (Dan) Ormsbee of Stafford, and Jason (Bethany) DiSalvo of Stafford. He is forever cherished and remembered by his six grandchildren Ashlee DiSalvo, Katelyn Samis, Stephany Samis, Zach Samis, Romeo DiSalvo, and Romilly DiSalvo; his brothers, the late Ronald (Rose) DiSalvo of Batavia and Samuel (late Vida) DiSalvo of Batavia; and sisters, Florence (Joe) Condidorio of LeRoy and Kitty (late Louie) Severino of Highland Heights, Ohio.
Calling hours are Tuesday (January 31) from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street, Batavia. Jim’s Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday (February 1) at 10:00 a.m. at Ascension Parish, 15 Sumner Street in Batavia. He will be laid to rest with military honors at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Batavia.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department, or the United Memorial Medical Center for their new ICU unit.
4SR athlete Hayden Gillim (69) in action on his Disrupt Racing Suzuki. 4SR leathers in again offering almost $131,000 in contingency for the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
4SR USA Again Offering Contingency For 2023 MotoAmerica Championship
Motorcycle Clothing Company To Post Almost $131,000 In Contingency Payouts For Four MotoAmerica Classes And The Daytona 200
IRVINE, CA (January 30, 2023) – MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is pleased to announce motorcycle clothing company 4SR USA Inc. as not only an official partner of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship, but also as a contingency sponsor with 4SR set to post almost $131,000 for the coming season.
Founded in 2007 in the Czech Republic, 4SR is well-established in European markets, including supporting riders in British Superbike, World Superbike and MotoGP. In 2018, 4SR USA began exclusively importing to the United States and has worked to establish itself as a worldwide clothing brand of all things motorcycle. From full racing suits to biker jeans, gloves, leather pants, back protectors, and accessories, 4SR has just about everything for the casual motorcyclist, track-day rider and serious racer.
4SR is offering $53,000 in contingency in the premier MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class with $2,650 earmarked for each event with first place paying $1,000 per race with payments going down to fifth place in four classes – Superbike, Stock 1000, Supersport and Twins Cup. 4SR is also offering contingency for the Daytona 200 with the payout the same as Superbike ($1,000, $750, $500, $250, and $150 for the top five finishers). The other classes will pay $750 (Supersport) and $500 (Stock 1000 and Twins Cup) to the winner if he/she is wearing 4SR leathers. The contingency program pays back to fifth place in each class and totals $130,750 for the season.
“It’s awesome that 4SR is back with us for a third season as an official sponsorship partner of our championship,” MotoAmerica Director of Sponsorship Lance Bryson said. “It’s also great to see them continuing their contingency program for 2023 with an opportunity for our racers who wear 4SR leathers to earn additional money.”
4SR offers a full line of racing leathers, from racing suits to replica suits, to custom leathers, 39 different jackets for both men and women, 13 different styles of riding pants, and much more. 4SR’s leathers are also compatible with most airbag systems.
“Our 4SR team is excited to continue our involvement with MotoAmerica in 2023,” said Jerry Nickell Sr., President of 4SR USA. “Our mission is to provide support to the many great teams and riders with premium protection products and financial support as they pursue their quest for a championship. We are honored to be a supporting sponsor of America’s premier road racing series.”
For more information on 4SR USA, visit www.4srusa.com. Riders interested in participating in the 4SR contingency program should contact [email protected].
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Yamaha Champions Riding School/ChampU Chief Instructor and CEO Nick Ienatsch leads fellow instructors Chris Peris, Eziah Davis, Cody Wyman, and Michael Henao through Turn Five at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Willcox, Arizona. Photo by Joe Salas/4theriders.com.
Roadracing World Publishing is now requesting schedule and photo submissions from trackday organizers and riding school operators for the 2023 season to put in Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine and the 2023 Roadracing World Trackday Directory annual edition.
All schedule submissions should include: the name of your school or trackday organization, your schedule (including exact dates, correct track names and locations, and the track layout being used that day, if applicable), and full contact information for consumers.
Schedules submitted will be published in the Calendar section of Roadracing World magazine and the Events calendar section of Roadracingworld.com as soon as possible after they are received.
For trackday and school organizations and schedules to be listed in Roadracing World’s 2023 Trackday Directory annual edition, however, we need your schedule and the following information by February 3, 2023:
School or Trackday Organization Name:
Physical or Mailing Address, (Street address, city, state abbreviation, zip code):
Phone Number:
FAX Number (optional):
Website Address:
Email Address:
(Select one answer for each question)
1. Events Run Rain or Shine: Yes or No
2. Coolant: Antifreeze OK or No Antifreeze Allowed
3. Headlight & Taillight: Tape or Disconnect or Tape and Disconnect
4. Mirrors & Signals: Tape or Remove
5. License Plate: OK or Remove
6. Safety Wire: Some Required or None Required
7. Sidestand: OK or Remove
8. The minimum age to participate is: ?
Please e-mail schedule/calendar and Trackday Directory listing information and/or updates to [email protected].
Even if your 2023 schedule is not finalized, please respond to us and send whatever information you can so that you will not be left out of the Trackday Directory annual. Provisional schedules or dates listed as provisional are allowed.
There is no cost to be listed in Roadracing World’s Trackday Directory annual edition, but we can’t post your information if we don’t receive it in time. As a result, late submissions or incomplete submissions may not be published.
Again, the deadline to submit is February 3, 2023.
If you’ve already submitted your schedule for inclusion in the Calendar section of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology, great! But this is not enough information for an entry in the Trackday Directory. Please submit the information requested above to be included in the once-per-year Roadracing World Trackday Directory or call us to do minor updates to the information we published in our last Trackday Directory.
If you have any doubt about what you have or have not sent in or if it was received, please contact us.
As always, we are also requesting trackday organizers and school operators to submit digital photos of their events and groups in action – on and off the track — for possible publication in the 2022 Trackday Directory. This is a great way to publicize your events and spotlight some of your members at no cost to you, but we need you to help us help you.
Digital photos must be in-focus, free from any watermarks or graphics, and high-resolution, which means a minimum of 300 dpi/ppi or 3000 pixels wide at 3 inches. The best way to submit these photos is with a file transfer program like Google Drive, Hightail, or Dropbox, which are free to download and use on a limited basis. Emailing the photos in small batches also works.
Photos must be accompanied by information to be used to write a caption. This includes the name of the track and information in order to credit the photographer, etc. By submitting a photo or photos, you certify that you own the submitted material and that you give us (Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.) permission to publish it in Roadracing World magazine and/or post it on Roadracingworld.com, without paying you (or anybody else) any money.
And racing organizations, if your contact information has changed since last year or you just want to be sure we have your correct information please e-mail it in.
For additional information, e-mail [email protected] or call (909) 654-4779.
Jonathan Rea, as seen during testing at Jerez in January. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
KRT make ready for final European WorldSBK test
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, located near the town of Portimão, hosts the final European test for the Kawasaki Racing Team across 31 January and 1 February before KRT, and the rest of the paddock, make ready to fly to the opening round of the 2023 WorldSBK season in Australia.
With both Jonathan Rea and, teammate, Alex Lowes, making strong progress in testing so far, the Jerez test in late January has set both the riders and their respective pit crews up well for the demands of the 4.592km (2.8533) track which includes one of the fastest straights on the European schedule of the world’s most prestigious production based motorcycle race series.
Hosting its first WorldSBK event in its inaugural year of 2008, the Portuguese circuit has been a fan and rider favourite since then and will produce yet more crucial data for KRT to assimilate in their quest to be super prepared for Phillip Island and round one.
Hoping for warmer weather than they experienced at Jerez, Rea and Lowes will be looking to refine and answer the last few questions before the Championship for real starts with two crucial points scoring events in quick succession at Phillip Island and Mandalika, Indonesia. Plus, with Portimao being on the season calendar for 2023, the team will be able to complete the process of matching previous data to the outcome of this test and be ready to race on Portuguese soil come September.
Jonathan Rea rates Portimao as one of the fastest yet technical tracks on the calendar and showed well in 2022 taking a podium spot in all three races across the weekend while Alex Lowes was just off the podium in Superpole and in the top five in both races. For both riders then the search for those extra tenths of a second in lap time makes this Portimao test highly significant.
Kevin Elliott Sr., the longtime President and owner of Championship Cup Series (CCS) and American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA), died from liver failure Sunday night, January 29th in a hospice in Florida. He was 64.
Elliott was a former racer who worked as an official for Roger Edmondson-owned CCS from 1987 to 1991.
Elliott got out of the sport for a while and owned his own bar at one point.
“Then in 1998,” Elliott told Roadracingworld.com in an interview November 24, 2022, “when he [Roger Edmondson] was going to sell it to Pace Motorsports (which became Clear Channel), they talked me into coming back because they needed someone who could run the thing after the sale. Then, we bought it from Clear Channel on January 1, 2006.”
Kevin Elliott on the cover of the February 2016 issue of American Motorcyclist magazine, the official magazine of AMA. Photo used with permission of AMA.
Elliott had a very tough time keeping CCS and ASRA going since 2020, when the COVID pandemic shut down or otherwise limited many public events, including motorcycle road races at huge outdoor venues. But even after COVID restrictions were lifted, racers did not come back in the same numbers as they had in the past, according to Elliott, and CCS/ASRA slipped into debt.
Elliott took on the task of keeping the Daytona 200 going when MotoAmerica bought the rights to promote the AMA National Series and could not reach a deal with Daytona International Speedway to run the race. Under his guidance, the event quickly grew from an historic low 29 entries in 2014 (the last year it was run by Daytona Motorsports Group, or DMG), to more than double the entries, at 67. MotoAmerica took the event over in 2022 and in doing so also took over what had been the traditional spring ASRA/CCS event weekend, which was a key event for Elliott’s organization; the loss of revenue from that event contributed to the demise of ASRA/CCS.
At the end of 2022, ASRA/CCS was acquired from Elliott by Mark Lienhard and Alex Spellman, but dealing with business struggles, the pending acquisition, and the death of his son Kevin Elliott, Jr. in September 2022 all took a heavy toll on Kevin Elliott, Sr.
Elliott was generally a jolly man who could be efficiently dealing with a frustrating and stressful situation one second and then turn around, make a joke, and let out a hearty laugh the next second. These qualities and others allowed him to attract and keep a loyal group of officials who kept ASRA and CCS events running smoothly and earned him the respect of many professionals working in the motorsports industry.
ASRA/CCS owner & President Kevin Elliott with long-time race ASRA/CCS official Diane Shepard Tribou.
Next of kin include father Carl Elliott and stepmother Andrea Elliott; brother Michael Elliott and sister in law Robin Elliott; brother Terry Elliott; step sister Terra Bassi; son Nick Campbell and daughter in law Dana Campbell; daughter Jennifer Sims and son in law Joshua Sims; son Bill Elliott; and multiple grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his mother Roxie Elliott and his son Kevin Elliott, Jr.
Opening ceremonies of Round 4 of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season and the first Triple Crown event of the year. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Chase Sexton Wins Triple Crown Thriller at Anaheim 2 Supercross
Levi Kitchen Grabs First Supercross Victory in 250SX Class
Anaheim, Calif., – Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took the win at round four of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The first of three Triple Crown events in 2023 delivered night-long racing thrills with three Main Events in each class. Main Event finishing positions combine to earn event points toward the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season as well as the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship series.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, the 2018 Supercross Champion, earned the runner-up spot at the second race held at the Anaheim venue this year. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen nabbed the final spot on the podium and was the most consistent of the top racers. The Western Regional 250SX Class delivered a first-time winner when Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen earned the 250SX Class win in only his fifth Supercross race.
Chase Sexton (23) earned his second Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory in a thrilling Triple Crown event that will be re-watched for years. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Chase Sexton grabbed the lead of 450SX Class Main Event 1 ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, Ken Roczen, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis. Roczen was quickly into second place. Sexton and Roczen put a comfortable gap on the rest of the field early in the 12-minute plus one lap race. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac was in sixth at the start and moving forward. It took him five and a half minutes to reach then pass Cianciarulo; Tomac held the third place spot to the finish. There was an exciting battle around Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb through most of the first race. As he and Ferrandis caught and passed Cianciarulo, Jason Anderson reached the pack. On the final lap Anderson contacted Webb in the corner after the whoops. Webb went down and Anderson rode off to capture fifth place. Cianciarulo took sixth ahead of Webb in seventh.
In 450SX Class Main Event 2 Tomac and Webb bumped just out of the gate. Anderson took the holeshot ahead of Roczen, Cianciarulo, and Sexton. Sexton was the rider on the move but an early mistake dropped him from fourth to eighth. Three and a half minutes into the race the top three, Anderson, Roczen, and Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger were packed together and had pulled a gap on the rest of the field. Plessinger moved into second but Roczen immediately counter attacked and took back the spot. A half lap later Plessinger crashed and Tomac took over the third place spot and soon applied pressure on Roczen for second. Roczen held strong until he slid out exiting a turn, giving an easy pass for Tomac. The top three looked set until Cooper Webb reached Roczen’s rear fender. The Suzuki rider had his third intense battle of the race, successfully holding off Webb to the end. The finishing order was Anderson, Tomac, Roczen, and Webb. With one 450SX Class race to go, Tomac and Roczen were tied for the overall lead with five points. Anderson and Sexton each held six points. The event win was there for the taking to any of the four racers.
Jason Anderson grabbed the Main Event 3 holeshot ahead of Webb, Sexton, and Tomac. Roczen was in ninth at the holeshot stripe. Sexton was quickly into second place and the win for the night’s overall looked to be between Anderson and Sexton. Two and a half minutes into the race Tomac made a surge to get around Webb but a Tomac mistake in one of the track’s main rhythm sections allowed Webb to hold the position. Two laps later Tomac jumped off line and crashed hard in the same rhythm section. He remounted in fourteenth but was clearly not charging. Further up the track, Sexton and Anderson traded the lead back and forth with Sexton finally making a pass stick. Anderson would face Webb in the closing laps, surrendering the second place spot to the KTM rider after nearly crashing on the slick dirt. Sexton won the Main Event and took the overall victory for the night. It was Sexton’s first Triple Crown win and his second 450SX Class win.
Levi Kitchen (43) earned his career-first Supercross victory in only his fifth attempt. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Main Event 1 of the Western Regional 250SX Class kicked off the stadium event when Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire emerged from the first corner with the holeshot. Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Stilez Robertson, and Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg were right behind. Halfway through the opening lap of the 10-minute plus one lap race Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence was into third and pushing to catch Hampshire and Kitchen. Less than two minutes in Lawrence got around Kitchen. A battle for the lead was developing when Lawrence suddenly high-sided exiting a turn and was flicked off his bike. He remounted in eighth place and was able to pass his way back to third behind Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Pierce Brown. Title-contender Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo finished the first race in eighth, riding slightly off the pace after a tough crash in qualifying.
Main Event 2 in the 250SX Class was packed with drama. Right at the drop of the gate Lawrence moved over on Hampshire, putting the Main Event 1 winner into nearly dead last entering the first corner. Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti grabbed the holeshot and put down a fast pace. Lawrence went down on the opening lap and Hampshire got caught up in the crash, losing back a few places he’d made early. Nicoletti lead Kitchen, Robertson and Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland while Hampshire fought back from 16th and Lawrence from 22nd. Three minutes into the race Nicoletti held a 5.6 second lead. Then Hampshire went down hard when his hand came off the handlebars while blasting through the sand section. Hampshire was back up but riding slowly and he eventually pulled out of the race. Shortly after, Pierce Brown crashed in the whoops. He was slow to remount but re-joined the racing to finish thirteenth. With three minutes left on the race clock Lawrence had reached tenth place. With two laps to go Lawrence contacted McAdoo in a tight bowl turn. Lawrence bobbled and lost a position. At the checkers Robertson took the win followed by his teammate Levi Kitchen with Nicoletti in third. Lawrence crossed the line in sixth place. After two races the overall positions had Kitchen in the lead ahead of Robertson, with Oldenburg and Lawrence tied for third with one final race to determine the final order.
Jett Lawrence grabbed a big holeshot in Main Event 3 with Kitchen tucking into second place. Kitchen needed only to stay in second place to take his first Supercross victory. By the midpoint Lawrence still led and Kitchen remained in second with a comfortable gap on third place. Kitchen kept a steady pace and brought home second place in the race to earn the win at the Anaheim event. Lawrence earned second place points and Stilez Robertson took home third overall.
The racers line up again next Saturday night at round five at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Western Regional 250SX Class now takes a two-weekend break as Houston marks round one of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class. The Houston race pays points for that regional series as well as for the SuperMotocross World Championship 250 class.
Every race of the Monster Energy Supercross season and the SuperMotocross World Championship series streams live on Peacock with select races broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. For results, video highlights, features stories, and ticket sales to any of the upcoming rounds please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (riders left to right) Jason Anderson, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
450SX Class Results
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
4. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
5. Dylan Ferrandis, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
6. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM
8. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
9. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
10. Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., Kawasaki
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (69)
2. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (65)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (65)
4. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (58)
5. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (55)
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.
About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
About the SuperMotocross World Championship:
The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.
About the American Motorcyclist Association:
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
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