Marc Marquez has completed surgery on his right humerus at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The medical team have deemed the operation a success as Marquez’s recovery begins.
Lasting three hours, Dr. Joaquin Sanchez Sotelo and his team performed a humeral osteotomy. The surgery was deemed a success without complications by Dr Sanchez Sotelo as Marc Marquez entered the post-operative stage of his treatment at the Mayo Clinic.
Marquez will remain in the US for the coming days to guarantee his immediate post-operative recovery before returning to Spain to continue his treatment plan.
Dr. Sanchez Sotelo
MD PhD, Chair of the Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Mayo Clinic.
“Today we had the opportunity to operate on the right humerus of Mr. Marc Marquez. The procedure was completed in approximately three hours. Despite the complexity of the procedure, the final outcome was satisfactory. Surgery consisted in removing the proximal two screws of the posterior plate previously placed by Dr. Samuel Antuña on December of 2020, followed by a rotational humeral osteotomy. Such procedure involves creating a transverse cut of the humeral bone to rotate the humerus along its long axis. The amount of rotation performed today was approximately 30 degrees of external rotation. The humerus was stabilized in the new position using an anterior plate with multiple screws. Surgery was completed uneventfully. We would like to wish Mr. Marquez a swift recovery and a successful return to his professional career.”
“Fast and technical”: riders gear up for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, Bastianini and Bagnaia talk business in Barcelona
Thursday, 02 June 2022
Ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the pre-event Press Conference saw reigning Champion and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) joined by closest challenger and home hero Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), three-time MotoGP™ race winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Mugello victor Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to talk about the weekend ahead.
Here are some key quotes!
QUOTES
On a new deal with Yamaha:
Fabio Quartararo: “It was not an easy decision and we took a little bit more time to evaluate all of the project and, in the end, Yamaha made a lot of effort to bring a lot of new people and they know where they need to improve. The last two or three years they were working on some areas or another and now they know where they need to improve. They know clearly it’s the power, so I’m super happy because they really understand. They are doing their best to find what we are missing and I believe in the project, so that’s why we took the decision a few weeks ago. Of course, it was a good decision.”
Why stay with Yamaha?
FQ20: “My first goal is to have the best bike and the best project like I said before. They convinced me because they’re bringing new people, they are working super hard and they know exactly where they need to improve. In the past maybe they were working on a few different areas but they don’t really accept the bike was slower than the others. Now they know and they are clearly working on this weak point, so that’s what made me take the decision to stay at Yamaha.”
Thoughts on this weekend?
FQ20: “Last year was a strange weekend. I always feel good in this track. I had my first podium here in MotoGP, first win in Moto2, last year we were really fast, so there is no reason we cannot fight for a great result this year. Of course, we know that we have the long straight here but in with Mugello, it was a problem, but we finished second. Hopefully here we can feel much better from tomorrow morning and work a lot better than in Mugello and see if we can have a great pace since FP1.”
How special is it to come to your home race with a genuine chance of winning?
Aleix Espargaro: “It’s crazy, sincerely. Every year, the home GP is special, it’s very beautiful, very nice. During my career, when you’re young, it’s more difficult to deal with this pressure, to deal with a lot of people coming, but year-by-year, I have tried to improve this and I make it more normal. But this year again, it’s completely different because I arrive in the best shape of my career, fighting on top, so it’s fantastic. I feel very good and I will try to enjoy it as much as I can, working hard from FP1 to prepare the bike and put a good show on Sunday.”
Do you feel any extra pressure here as a Championship contender, and if so, how do you deal with it?
AE41: “Not really. I had extra pressure here when I arrived in 10th, 12th place in the championship and I was dreaming of fighting for the podium. I crashed every year because I went 200 percent and I wasn’t myself and the bike was not ready to go at the results that I was dreaming about. So, actually this year, I don’t have more pressure, it’s the opposite. I know I will enjoy it, I have no doubt that the bike will be competitive here, and I have no doubt that I will be competitive here as well, so I am trying to keep the feet on the ground but enjoy it as much as I can.”
What do you think will be the strengths of your RS-GP around this circuit?
AE41: “More or less, the bike is working everywhere. But, for example, in Mugello behind Fabio, I struggled a lot on the change of direction, he was able to carry a lot more speed than me. Here in Barcelona, there is less change of direction, but also the engine performance is very, very important, so Pecco and ‘Bestia’ will be very strong as well because they’ve been also on the last races. Of course, every circuit has its points that are good and bad for my bike, but I think Barcelona suits the RS-GP quite well.”
Tell us about your helmet this weekend:
AE41: “Four years ago, here during the Barcelona GP, my twins were born, and my girl had a problem with her heart. She’s been operated on twice, and I suffered a lot then. It is to thank CorAll Family and the group of doctors that did everything possible. I have a feeling that I arrive now and I have a huge impact on people, on society, so it’s my way of saying thanks to them, and paying tribute to them. Mia is still too young to realise this, but for the doctors, for everyone at CorAll Family, it’s my way of saying thanks to them.”
Thoughts on the weekend?
Enea Bastianini: “It’s a nice track for me. It’s fast but also a very technical circuit. I come from a not-so-beautiful race in Mugello because I crashed. I’m motivated to start in the best mood here. Last year it was a little bit complicated for me, the first time with the MotoGP bike and the grip of the asphalt is not too high. I have to adapt my riding style a little bit this year. We will see what we can do and we have to do our 100% percent.
“I have to be more consistent because I’ve made some really good races but then some are not really nice like in Mugello and in Portimao. I have to do more to stay more concentrated in the future and also to enjoy it.
“In Le Mans but also in Mugello I missed a little bit of feeling on the front, especially in the entry of the corner. I think we understand why it’s been difficult for me to stop the bike in straight-line braking. We know what we have to modify on the setup to resolve this problem.”
Catalunya has not always been a great track for you; what are your thoughts going into this weekend?
Francesco Bagnaia: “In 10 years in the World Championship, I have never had a good result here. My last podium was in 2012, in the Spanish championship, so I have to change this situation a bit. In any case, it’s one of my favourite Grands Prix of the year, I always like to travel here, I like the track, I like the people, and it’s great. But, for sure it will be important to do the same work we did last weekend, from FP1. We already know that racing here is like doing flat track, so it will be very important to understand that and improve our grip with the setting.”
Will the key focus in practice be on how to manage the tyres for the last 10 laps of the race?
FB63: “Yeah, the drop-off of the tyres on this track, especially on the right side, is heavy, so it will not be easy. Last year, the three guys on the podium, and Fabio, had the hard rear, so the consumption is high, and it will be very important to be smart in the race. It will not be easy because normally when the grip is low, we have to change the setting a bit, because my setting is a bit different, so let’s see. We will have a lot of work to do in these days but I am quite sure that we will be competitive.”
Do you think you and the other three riders seated here are the clear Championship contenders now?
FB63: “It’s the same as what I said in Mugello. I think that we can be the contenders for the title. There is still a lot of races to go but at the moment, it’s like this…”
HICKMAN PICKS UP THE PACE IN THE FIFTH QUALIFYING SESSION
Once again, the pace continues to pick up during qualifying for the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, with Peter Hickman lapping at 133.22mph on his Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW.
Hickman also topped the leaderboard for the Superstock and Supertwin classes, at 129.910mph and 120.994mph respectively on his Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW and VAS Engine Racing Paton, but it was close in the latter with Michael Dunlop just 0.2s slower on his Paton. The Ulsterman had the consolation of being quickest in the Supersport category after lapping at 126.662mph on his MD Racing Yamaha.
Conditions all around the course were described as good and with cloud cover rather than bright sunshine, the visibility was excellent as the solo session kicked off at 7.25pm. James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing) was first away with Hickman, Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales) and Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) quickly following.
As per previous nights, Hickman, Harrison and Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles) were the riders setting the pace but it was again Hickman who was impressing the most and he crossed the line first after lapping at a superb 133.22mph. That was 6.83s quicker than Harrison’s 132.333mph with Todd just 1.1s further back after posting his best lap of the Mountain Course to date, 132.187mph.
Michael Dunlop slotted into fourth on the Hawk Racing Suzuki at 131.44mph, his best lap of the week so far, with Conor Cummins on the second Padgett’s machine, the fifth and final rider to lap in excess of 130mph at 130.489mph. Hillier placed sixth at 128.431mph but Dunlop had an early stop at Ballacraine on his second lap before rejoining.
Back at the head of the field and Hickman was really pressing on but just when it looked like he’d post a quicker lap, he ran out of fuel and pushed in from Governor’s Bridge. None of the top four riders went any quicker but both Cummins (130.867mph) and John McGuinness MBE (129.278mph) did improve, with the latter knocking Hillier out of the top six.
Meanwhile, impressive laps came in lower down the order from Mike Browne (125.076mph), Matt Stevenson (124.073mph), Brandon Cretu (123.159mph), David Datzer (122.335mph) and newcomer Milo Ward who posted his first lap over 120mph with a speed of 121.18mph.
Hickman got back out on track on his Superstock BMW and topped the class with a lap of 129.91mph which put him ahead of Todd (128.933mph), Cummins (128.733mph) and Dunlop (127.642mph) whilst Glenn Irwin, after experiencing trouble with his Superbike, was eighth quickest on his Honda at 126.689mph, yet another personal best for the newcomer.
In the Supersport class, Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing) set the initial pace with a lap of 125.202mph and he was able to hold on right up until the closing moment when Dunlop set the fastest 600cc lap of the week at 126.662mph. Johnston slipped back to fourth after Harrison (125.563mph) and Jamie Coward (125.213mph) both overhauled him in the final minutes, whilst Todd (124.014mph) and Hillier (123.784mph) completed the top six.
Newcomers Joe Loughlin (120.419mph) and Rennie Scaysbrook (117.079mph) and Frenchman Pierre Yves-Bian (119.968mph) were also going well in the 600cc division.
The Supertwins were the last class to get out on the course and it was Lee Johnston who again set the early pace after a lap of 117.178mph on his Aprilia before Hickman took over the top spot with a lap of 119.719mph. Johnston improved second time around to 118.454mph as did fourth placed James Hind (118.38mph) but Hickman and Dunlop were more than 20 seconds quicker than anyone else with their respective laps of 120.994mph and 120.965mph, the first laps over 120mph of the week in this class.
Paul Jordan (117.873mph) and Gary Johnson (117.843mph) rounded the top six ahead of Rob Hodson (117.594mph) and Pierre-Yves Bian who put in a strong lap of 117.314mph. Loughlin had another strong session too with a lap of 116.317mph on his Paton.
Due to a change in schedule, the Sidecars had got the evening underway at 6.30pm and it was the Birchalls who were again first away followed by John Holden/Dan Sayle, Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson and the Manx Crowe brothers.
Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde made an early stop just after Union Mills before proceeding but all the sector times had the Birchalls as comfortably the quickest and that proved to be the case as they completed the opening lap at 117.516mph. The quickest lap of the week so far, that was some 19.5s quicker than the Crowes whose lap of 115.564mph was another personal best.
Newcomer driver Harry Payne, with Mark Wilkes, went third quickest (112.398mph) with Lee Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (112.354mph) and Reeves/Rousseau (112.34mph). 17-time winner Molyneux was sixth (110.827mph) just ahead of Paul Leglise/Melanie Farnier (110.236mph) but both Holden/Sayle and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie had stopped out on track.
The Birchalls pulled in to make some set up changes but the Crowes went straight through for a second lap only to retire at Sulby Crossroads. That meant it was Reeves/Rousseau who were first to complete their second lap, at 113.708mph which was six seconds up on Blackstock/Rosney who improved to 113.137mph.
Payne/Wilkes upped their pace to 112.798mph whilst Steve and Matty Ramsden moved into sixth on the leaderboard with a best ever lap of the TT Course of 111.903mph, and although the Birchalls posted another 117mph+ lap, their first lap remained the quicker of the two.
Bring The Heat: Almost 240 Entries Set For Road America
A Record-Breaking Number Of Racers To Do Battle In Wisconsin, June 3-5
IRVINE, CA (June 2, 2022) – A record-breaking 231 entries will do battle at Road America this weekend, June 3-5, with seven classes of MotoAmerica racing, headlined by the Medallia Superbike class, taking to the picturesque racetrack in Wisconsin.
In addition to Medallia Superbike, Supersport, Yuasa Stock 1000, SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, Twins Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race will slug it out on the four-mile Road America road course. And if that’s not enough, MotoAmerica’s youngest racers will battle on the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex, a karting track located just a stone’s throw from Road America’s famous Carousel corner.
Mission King Of The Baggers
The Mission King Of The Baggers series ascends on Road America for the fourth round of its championship with Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara leading the title chase by 10 points over his teammate Jeremy McWilliams and by 20 over defending champion Kyle Wyman and his H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide, who is tied with his brother and teammate Travis Wyman for third.
Parity has been the name of the game so far with three different winners in the three races. O’Hara and Northern Ireland’s McWilliams split wins at Daytona and Kyle Wyman won the most recent round at Road Atlanta. With the Harley-Davidson factory just down the road in Milwaukee, the Wyman brothers will be out to pull back the points deficit to the two Indians.
A rider who might just upset the apple cart is James Rispoli, the New Yorker finishing second at Road Atlanta on his Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
Supersport
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin was perfect going into the most recent round at VIRginia International Raceway, but he lost his first raced of the year to Josh Hayes in a thrilling Supersport battle. The next day, however, Herrin returned to the top step of the podium on his Ducati Panigale V2 and as a result he now holds a 31-point lead over Vision Wheels M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sam Lochoff.
Just a single point behind Lochoff is Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers with Lochoff’s rookie teammate Tyler Scott, fresh off two podium finishes at VIR, fourth in the standings and just nine points behind Landers. Hayes is fifth in the title chase but won’t be racing at Road America this weekend.
Yuasa Stock 1000
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim arrives in America’s Dairyland with the hot hand in the Yuasa Stock 1000 class with two impressive wins coming at VIR two weeks ago. Add that with his fourth-place finish in the season opener at Road Atlanta and Gillim arrives in Wisconsin carrying a 23-point lead and a whole bunch of momentum – thanks in large part to the miscues of his rivals at VIR.
VisionWheel/DiscountTire/KWS’ Geoff May is the closest to Gillim with two runner-up finishes at VIR to go with his DNF from Road Atlanta. Things are close from May on back with PDR Motorsports rider Maximilliano Gerardo two points behind May and one point ahead of Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman. Those two are followed in short order by JLC Concrete/KTM/DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander (the winner of round one), Mesa37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa and Motorsport Exotica Orange Cat BST Racing’s Ezra Beaubier. Michael Gilbert, Danilo Lewis, Hunter Dunham and Jeremy Coffey are all just a single point behind as 20 points separate second from 13th.
Forty-two entries have been accepted for Yuasa Stock 1000 this weekend.
Twins Cup
With three wins in five races, Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry is making short work of the Twins Cup Championship after five races. Barry and his Aprilia RS 660 have won three of the five races and have jumped out to a 43-point lead, 106-63 over Robem Engineering’s Teagg Hobbs.
While Barry has some breathing room, no one else does. Hobbs is just two points ahead of Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz; Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto is one point behind Schultz; North East Cycle Outlet Racing/Trackday Winner’s Jackson Blackmon trails Mazziotto by four points; Robem Engineering’s Ben Gloddy is separated by five to Blackmon; and James Rispoli, who is also competing in the King Of The Baggers At Road America, is four points behind Blackmon.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup
Despite being disqualified from his race-two victory at VIR, SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van still leads the title chase in Junior Cup with two wins and a second-place finish.
Wrench Motorsports’ Cody Wyman won race one at Road Atlanta and inherited the victory with Van’s DQ from race two at VIR to sit second in the championship – nine points behind Van. A further eight points adrift is Aden Thao, the Calshine Racing rider coming in with two podium finishes on the year.
Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio is fourth, just two points behind Thao and nine points ahead of Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race
The women of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program will hold their second race of the season at the racetrack on which the class made its debut a year ago.
With 15 entries set to go at Road America, the series point standings is led by VIR winner Kayleigh Buyck by five points over VIR runner-up Crystal Martinez and by nine over Chloe Peterson with those three racers new to the class this year.
Mini Cup By Motul
The Briggs & Stratton Motorplex will be the site of the opening round of the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul with the series’ youngest riders doing battle in three classes – 190cc, 160cc and 110cc – on Saturday evening at the karting facility on site at Road America.
The racers to watch are class champions Californians Kensei Matsudaira and Jesse James Shedden, and Floridian Mac MacClugage.
Road America Support Class Notes…
Jake Lewis won the lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race at Road America last year en route to earning the class championship. Lewis topped Geoff May and Corey Alexander.
In Supersport a year ago, it was Stefano Mesa beating Sam Lochoff and Benjamin Smith in race one before normalcy returned in race two with Richie Escalante topping rival Sean Dylan Kelly. Those two had crashed together in race one while battling for the lead. Mesa’s win was his first career MotoAmerica Supersport victory.
Tyler Scott and Gus Rodio split wins in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class in 2021. Scott beat Cody Wyman and Max Toth in race one with Rodio beating Scott and Toth in race two.
The rider who would go on to win the Twins Cup Championship was the rider who left Road America with the victory and the points lead – Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel beat Jackson Blackmon and Chris Parrish to take the victory, his second of the season to that point.
Kyle Wyman beat his brother Travis Wyman to win the King Of The Baggers race at Road America last year. Hayden Gillim finished third on a Vance & Hines Harley.
All four SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races this year have featured a margin of victory of less than a second. Max Van and Cody Wyman have won two races apiece with Van’s wins featuring a margin of victory of .347 of a second and .106 of a second, respectively. Wyman’s winning margins have been .646 of a second and .077 of a second.
Ditto for Twins Cup: four of the five Twins Cup races held thus far in 2022 feature margins of victory of less than a 10th of a second. All five races featured a margin of victory of less than half a second – or .0958 of a second per race.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Herrin Riding the Crest of a Wave Heading to Road America
Herrin heads into round three of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport series with 88 out of a possible 100 points
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC Panigale V2 head to Road America for round three of the MotoAmerica Supersport series carrying a 31-point lead in the championship following a strong outing two weeks ago at VIRginia International Raceway.
After a hard-earned fourth place finish in race one, Herrin rebounded to take the top step of the podium in race two, finishing just .032 seconds ahead of Josh Hayes. Herrin and the veteran Yamaha rider swapped places throughout the race, with Herrin executing clinical passes on the brakes into turn one and turn three, repeatedly demonstrating his faith in the front-end of his Panigale V2.
The Georgia-born racer is brimming with confidence as he heads to Elkhart Lake, where America’s premier road racing series has visited since 1980.
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #2)
“We’ve won three out of the four races this year and have earned three poles, so we’re riding a wave of confidence right now. And with the success I’ve had at Road America in the past, we should have a good weekend. We were able to do some testing at Pittsburgh right after VIR, so the bike is feeling good. We’re hoping we can walk away with two more good finishes!”
Danilo Petrucci Heads to Road America to Defend His Championship Points Lead
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC superbike rider makes his debut at the classic Midwestern road course
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Danilo Petrucci arrives in Elkhart Lake for round four of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, eager to ride his Panigale V4 R superbike at the iconic Road America circuit for the first time.
The MotoGP race winner from Terni, Italy endeavors to follow in the footsteps of Alessandro Gramigni, his fellow countryman, who in 1996, after six years in the Grand Prix paddock, rode to a stellar victory at Road America aboard the famous 955cc Fast By Ferracci Ducati 916.
While it would be a fairytale victory for Ducatisti, Petrucci is dubious about his odds this weekend. Though enjoying a four-point lead over Mathew Scholtz in the championship, Petrucci’s season has already had challenges not of his own making. He comes to Road America nursing injuries sustained in a crash at the conclusion of race two at VIR.
Despite his injuries, Petrucci will swing a leg over his Panigale V4 R on Friday, testing his fitness around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit through the Wisconsin hills. As always, Ducatisti worldwide will be spurring him on.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“I’m happy to visit another new track. Unfortunately, I’m not fit because I had a bad crash after race two in VIR. I must check my condition to see if I can ride the bike properly. But I can’t wait to try the bike at Road America, and I hope I’ll feel better for Friday and Saturday so we can compete for the podium as always.”
Road America Offers Up Close Racing as the MotoAmerica Series Returns June 3-5
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Fast racetracks breed close races. And there are none faster on the MotoAmerica schedule than Road America. Thus, there is nowhere like the iconic racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where the difference between happiness and heartbreak is minute.
The average margin of victory in the MotoAmerica Superbike races held at Road America since 2015 is 2.49 seconds. And that includes Josh Hayes’ “runaway” win over Cameron Beaubier in race two in 2015 by 4.586 seconds.
The closest Superbike race was .002 of a second when Cameron Beaubier beat Josh Herrin in race one in 2018. The next day he beat him again by .195 of a second.
Here’s betting all of those classes feature close finishes again as the MotoAmerica Superbike & Vintage MotoFest Weekend returns June 3-5.
For 2022, fans can enjoy qualifying on Friday and all-day racing Saturday and Sunday with eight road racing classes. Motorcycle classes include Medallia Superbikes, Supersport, Yuasa Stock 1000, Twins Cup, SuperbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, Mission King of the Baggers, and Royal Enfield Women’s Build.Train.Race. Plus the Mini Cup by Motul. Meet the riders in the open race paddock!
Another highlight of the weekend is Vintage MotoFest on Saturday, June 4. Widely regarded as the premier Wisconsin ride-in motorcycle show and party featuring an eclectic mix of Euro, Japanese and American vintage café racers, choppers, sport bikes, racers, supermotos, scooters, and sidecars. All makes and models are welcome; it’s a mash of bikes competing for space alongside dealers and vendors of all things motorcycling from throughout the country and live music by The Incorruptibles and the Fayte & Friends Rock n Roll Quintet.
Ride in and register your motorcycle upon arrival Saturday morning between 9-11 a.m., or pre-register today online at roadamerica.com. Classes include Café Racer, Rat Bike, Scooter, Chopper, Race/Sport Bike, Military Bike, Fan’s Choice, and Judge’s Choice.
Off the track, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex will be open for public karting, and The Twin Stunts Stunt Show will also be performing in the North paddock. There will also be a FREE gear check on the corporate pad.
On Friday night, fans can also check out the Dairyland Classic Flat Track Races at the Plymouth Fairgrounds. A FREE shuttle will be available from 5:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gate 4 to transport campers and fans to and from the Plymouth Fairgrounds.
In addition to the racing action, fans with motorcycles are encouraged to pre-register for a unique ‘Salute to Cycles’ on-track riding experience. The Salute to Cycles provides participants with the rare chance to ride the Road America circuit and develop a genuine appreciation for the undulating road course where pro racers battle it out for glory and fame.
Tickets are available, and fans are welcome. Additional event details, ticket pricing, and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Anyone 16-years-old and under is FREE with a paying adult at the gate. Racing runs rain or shine.
About Road America: Established in 1955, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world’s best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 65 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer unique viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions, and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.
YAMAHA AND QUARTARARO RENEW CONTRACT FOR 2023 – 2024
Montmeló (Spain), 2nd June 2022
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Fabio Quartararo will stay with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for a further two years.
It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm Fabio Quartararo as a Factory Yamaha rider for the 2023 and 2024 MotoGP season.
Quartararo has shown great skills, comradery, and consistency so far in his two years with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in the MotoGP World Championship. The successful partnership led to his first MotoGP World Championship Title last year, in his very first season with the Factory team. He is currently also leading the 2022 standings by 8 points.
Further Yamaha highlights on the Frenchman‘s résumé are 6 race wins and 14 podiums with the Factory Team in the 2021 and 2022 season so far, as well as 3 race wins and 10 podiums with the satellite team the two years prior. A contributing factor to his success were his 16 pole positions and 38 front row starts out of a total of 59 Grand Prix weekends aboard the YZR-M1.
These achievements on top of his undeniable talent, unequalled motivation, and infectious cheerful personality have Yamaha fully confident in their partnership with the 23-year-old.
LIN JARVIS
MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Fabio to continue with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team for 2023 and beyond.
We brought Fabio into the Factory team last year knowing he is a special talent, but he even exceeded our expectations. One doesn‘t often come across a rider of his calibre. He was already showing his talent and speed in his two years with the SRT satellite team in 2019 and 2020, but when he made the step up to the Factory team, we could really see him growing stronger and maturing as a rider.
In Fabio‘s first season and a half we‘ve booked many successes: 6 race wins, 14 podiums, 6 pole positions, and the 2021 MotoGP World Title. These results have come from a strong team effort from the rider, his crew, our engineers, and all team staff working together with a positive ‘can-do’ spirit.
With Fabio we know he will always put in 100% of his best effort, and we have assured him that Yamaha will do the same and we will invest in future developments so that together we can challenge for the MotoGP World Championship Titles for years to come.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I am really happy to announce to all of you that I will stay with Yamaha for two more years.
In the past, moving up to MotoGP with Yamaha and later to the Factory team were no-brainers. Yamaha believed in me from the very beginning, and that is something I do not take lightly. But that being said, this new agreement was a big decision. I’m at a great point in my career, so I took a bit more time taking this decision to be sure.
I believe in the Yamaha MotoGP project, and I feel Yamaha are truly motivated. And now that we have officially confirmed our decision to continue on this path together, we can fully focus on the current season.
I want to say ’Thanks!‘ to the people around me, who always help me and support me, as well as to the fans who are cheering me on. I really do appreciate all the support.
The “making of” video of the new DesertX is online
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy) – The “making of” video of the DesertX (direct link here) is online on Ducati’s YouTube channel and social media profiles. It tells the story of the genesis of the project and the development path leading to the production of the new Ducati with 21” front wheel, created to tackle the most demanding off-road.
The video lasting about 15 minutes was shot entirely inside the Ducati factory at Borgo Panigale and features some of the people who worked most closely on the creation of the new DesertX. Product Sponsor Claudio De Angeli retraces through a series of interviews all the aspects that characterize and make this bike unique.
The design aspects are broached by the Director of the Centro Stile Ducati Andrea Ferraresi, who describes the work done to transform the concept presented in 2019 into a technologically advanced and perfectly functional project, in full Ducati style. In the interview with R&D Vehicle Director Pierluigi Zampieri, we go into the details of the technical part of a motorcycle capable of indulging the most adventurous dreams of motorcyclists by combining two souls: Ducati sportiness even on long journeys and an aptitude for the most demanding off-road.
Finally, the last part of the video addresses the subject of the development and tests of the motorcycle together with Luigi Mauro (Vehicle Testing Department Manager) and Matteo Graziani (Ducati Official Tester & winner of 58 Italian off-road titles), who talk about the long phases of on-road and off-road testing that led to the definitive version of the DesertX.
The DesertX is the most highly anticipated model of this year and will be the protagonist at the World Ducati Week 2022, scheduled from 22 to 24 July at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli (at this link you can buy tickets to participate in the event). The bike is available in all European dealerships of the Ducati network, also in a depowered 35 kW version for A2 license holders.
On the fourth qualifying session of the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, Peter Hickman reasserted himself back at the top of the qualifying leaderboard, with a lap of 131.957mph. That was just 1.9s quicker than Dean Harrison’s lap of 131.713mph on the DAO Racing Kawasaki with Davey Todd third on the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles at 130.768mph.
Michael Dunlop (MD Racing) and Paul Jordan (PreZ Racing by Prosper2) topped the Superstock and Supersport standings respectively with Ben and Tom Birchall the quickest Sidecar pairing, the Nottinghamshire brothers lapping at 116.825mph.
With excellent conditions all around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, it was the Sidecars that got proceedings underway with a single lap session at 6.31pm with the Birchalls setting off first on their Haith Honda. John Holden, with Dan Sayle replacing Jason Pitt in the chair, Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson, Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley and Ryan and Callum Crowe followed them away in quick succession.
Holden/Sayle were soon reported as having stopped at Ballacraine whilst Reeves/Rousseau did the same but a bit further round the course at Parliament Square. Both got going again after making adjustments but the Birchalls were having no such issues and they duly completed the lap quickest at 116.825mph, the fastest lap of the week so far.
Founds/Walmsley were next to cross the line at 115.432mph, 14s slower than the Birchalls, and it was the Crowe brothers who slotted into third on the leaderboard with a lap of 114.598mph, their fastest lap ever around the circuit. Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde (110.812mph) were fourth and they were followed by Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes (110.554mph) and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie (110.545mph), the two newcomer drivers again impressing.
At 7.10pm, the Superbike/Superstock/Supersport session commenced and, in a change of tact, it was Peter Hickman (Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing) who was first away with James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales) and Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) next to go.
There was little to choose between Hickman and Harrison from the start to the finish, never more than a few tenths of a second separating them, but at the completion of the lap, it was Hickman who was the quickest at 131.293mph. It was close though with Harrison just 0.8s adrift with a speed of 131.181mph. Davey Todd was third and the last rider above 130mph with 130.768mph with Michael Dunlop (128.797mph) and Coward (128.19mph) completing the top six.
Hickman pitted to make changes to the BMW but Harrison pressed on and went back to the top of the leaderboard with a second lap of 131.713mph. Conor Cummins increased his pace to 130.174mph with fellow Honda man John McGuinness MBE also improving to 129.117mph. Dunlop was sandwiched in between at 129.391mph. That pushed Coward back to seventh ahead of Hillier, Phil Crowe and Nathan Harrison.
However, Hickman’s changes clearly worked and he flashed across the line at 131.957mph to go almost two seconds quicker than Harrison’s earlier time. Further back, Shaun Anderson (125.556mph) and Rob Hodson (124.388mph) both improved their speeds second time around as did former Senior Manx GP winner Matt Stevenson, the Yorkshireman going quicker than ever before at 123.341mph. German rider, David Datzer was another on the move with a new personal best of 123.014mph.
In the Superstock class, Nathan Harrison (126.368mph) was leading the way from Ian Hutchinson (126.032mph) and Craig Neve (125.87mph) with newcomer Glenn Irwin in fifth at 125.447mph, another best for the Honda Racing UK runner.
Many of the leading contenders switched to their Supersport machines for their third laps although Paul Jordan (124.041mph), Lee Johnston (123.134mph) and James Hind (122.545mph) had already got a lap under their belts as had newcomers Joe Loughlin (119.571mph), Jamie Cringle (115.09mph) and Rennie Scaysbrook (114.563mph). Michael Sweeney (118.774mph) was also back on track after his off on Monday at the 11th Milestone.
The session ended early with a red flag due to an incident at Ballagarey at approximately 8.05pm, where Mark Purslow, 29, from Llanon, Ceredigion, riding number 70 in the Supersport Class tragically lost his life.
The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Mark’s family, friends, and loved ones.
Marc Marquez, as seen in April 2022. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Successful surgery for Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez has completed surgery on his right humerus at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The medical team have deemed the operation a success as Marquez’s recovery begins.
Lasting three hours, Dr. Joaquin Sanchez Sotelo and his team performed a humeral osteotomy. The surgery was deemed a success without complications by Dr Sanchez Sotelo as Marc Marquez entered the post-operative stage of his treatment at the Mayo Clinic.
Marquez will remain in the US for the coming days to guarantee his immediate post-operative recovery before returning to Spain to continue his treatment plan.
Dr. Sanchez Sotelo
MD PhD, Chair of the Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Mayo Clinic.
“Today we had the opportunity to operate on the right humerus of Mr. Marc Marquez. The procedure was completed in approximately three hours. Despite the complexity of the procedure, the final outcome was satisfactory. Surgery consisted in removing the proximal two screws of the posterior plate previously placed by Dr. Samuel Antuña on December of 2020, followed by a rotational humeral osteotomy. Such procedure involves creating a transverse cut of the humeral bone to rotate the humerus along its long axis. The amount of rotation performed today was approximately 30 degrees of external rotation. The humerus was stabilized in the new position using an anterior plate with multiple screws. Surgery was completed uneventfully. We would like to wish Mr. Marquez a swift recovery and a successful return to his professional career.”
“Fast and technical”: riders gear up for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, Bastianini and Bagnaia talk business in Barcelona
Thursday, 02 June 2022
Ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the pre-event Press Conference saw reigning Champion and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) joined by closest challenger and home hero Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), three-time MotoGP™ race winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Mugello victor Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to talk about the weekend ahead.
Here are some key quotes!
QUOTES
On a new deal with Yamaha:
Fabio Quartararo: “It was not an easy decision and we took a little bit more time to evaluate all of the project and, in the end, Yamaha made a lot of effort to bring a lot of new people and they know where they need to improve. The last two or three years they were working on some areas or another and now they know where they need to improve. They know clearly it’s the power, so I’m super happy because they really understand. They are doing their best to find what we are missing and I believe in the project, so that’s why we took the decision a few weeks ago. Of course, it was a good decision.”
Why stay with Yamaha?
FQ20: “My first goal is to have the best bike and the best project like I said before. They convinced me because they’re bringing new people, they are working super hard and they know exactly where they need to improve. In the past maybe they were working on a few different areas but they don’t really accept the bike was slower than the others. Now they know and they are clearly working on this weak point, so that’s what made me take the decision to stay at Yamaha.”
Thoughts on this weekend?
FQ20: “Last year was a strange weekend. I always feel good in this track. I had my first podium here in MotoGP, first win in Moto2, last year we were really fast, so there is no reason we cannot fight for a great result this year. Of course, we know that we have the long straight here but in with Mugello, it was a problem, but we finished second. Hopefully here we can feel much better from tomorrow morning and work a lot better than in Mugello and see if we can have a great pace since FP1.”
How special is it to come to your home race with a genuine chance of winning?
Aleix Espargaro: “It’s crazy, sincerely. Every year, the home GP is special, it’s very beautiful, very nice. During my career, when you’re young, it’s more difficult to deal with this pressure, to deal with a lot of people coming, but year-by-year, I have tried to improve this and I make it more normal. But this year again, it’s completely different because I arrive in the best shape of my career, fighting on top, so it’s fantastic. I feel very good and I will try to enjoy it as much as I can, working hard from FP1 to prepare the bike and put a good show on Sunday.”
Do you feel any extra pressure here as a Championship contender, and if so, how do you deal with it?
AE41: “Not really. I had extra pressure here when I arrived in 10th, 12th place in the championship and I was dreaming of fighting for the podium. I crashed every year because I went 200 percent and I wasn’t myself and the bike was not ready to go at the results that I was dreaming about. So, actually this year, I don’t have more pressure, it’s the opposite. I know I will enjoy it, I have no doubt that the bike will be competitive here, and I have no doubt that I will be competitive here as well, so I am trying to keep the feet on the ground but enjoy it as much as I can.”
What do you think will be the strengths of your RS-GP around this circuit?
AE41: “More or less, the bike is working everywhere. But, for example, in Mugello behind Fabio, I struggled a lot on the change of direction, he was able to carry a lot more speed than me. Here in Barcelona, there is less change of direction, but also the engine performance is very, very important, so Pecco and ‘Bestia’ will be very strong as well because they’ve been also on the last races. Of course, every circuit has its points that are good and bad for my bike, but I think Barcelona suits the RS-GP quite well.”
Tell us about your helmet this weekend:
AE41: “Four years ago, here during the Barcelona GP, my twins were born, and my girl had a problem with her heart. She’s been operated on twice, and I suffered a lot then. It is to thank CorAll Family and the group of doctors that did everything possible. I have a feeling that I arrive now and I have a huge impact on people, on society, so it’s my way of saying thanks to them, and paying tribute to them. Mia is still too young to realise this, but for the doctors, for everyone at CorAll Family, it’s my way of saying thanks to them.”
Thoughts on the weekend?
Enea Bastianini: “It’s a nice track for me. It’s fast but also a very technical circuit. I come from a not-so-beautiful race in Mugello because I crashed. I’m motivated to start in the best mood here. Last year it was a little bit complicated for me, the first time with the MotoGP bike and the grip of the asphalt is not too high. I have to adapt my riding style a little bit this year. We will see what we can do and we have to do our 100% percent.
“I have to be more consistent because I’ve made some really good races but then some are not really nice like in Mugello and in Portimao. I have to do more to stay more concentrated in the future and also to enjoy it.
“In Le Mans but also in Mugello I missed a little bit of feeling on the front, especially in the entry of the corner. I think we understand why it’s been difficult for me to stop the bike in straight-line braking. We know what we have to modify on the setup to resolve this problem.”
Catalunya has not always been a great track for you; what are your thoughts going into this weekend?
Francesco Bagnaia: “In 10 years in the World Championship, I have never had a good result here. My last podium was in 2012, in the Spanish championship, so I have to change this situation a bit. In any case, it’s one of my favourite Grands Prix of the year, I always like to travel here, I like the track, I like the people, and it’s great. But, for sure it will be important to do the same work we did last weekend, from FP1. We already know that racing here is like doing flat track, so it will be very important to understand that and improve our grip with the setting.”
Will the key focus in practice be on how to manage the tyres for the last 10 laps of the race?
FB63: “Yeah, the drop-off of the tyres on this track, especially on the right side, is heavy, so it will not be easy. Last year, the three guys on the podium, and Fabio, had the hard rear, so the consumption is high, and it will be very important to be smart in the race. It will not be easy because normally when the grip is low, we have to change the setting a bit, because my setting is a bit different, so let’s see. We will have a lot of work to do in these days but I am quite sure that we will be competitive.”
Do you think you and the other three riders seated here are the clear Championship contenders now?
FB63: “It’s the same as what I said in Mugello. I think that we can be the contenders for the title. There is still a lot of races to go but at the moment, it’s like this…”
Peter Hickman (10). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
HICKMAN PICKS UP THE PACE IN THE FIFTH QUALIFYING SESSION
Once again, the pace continues to pick up during qualifying for the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, with Peter Hickman lapping at 133.22mph on his Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW.
Hickman also topped the leaderboard for the Superstock and Supertwin classes, at 129.910mph and 120.994mph respectively on his Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW and VAS Engine Racing Paton, but it was close in the latter with Michael Dunlop just 0.2s slower on his Paton. The Ulsterman had the consolation of being quickest in the Supersport category after lapping at 126.662mph on his MD Racing Yamaha.
Conditions all around the course were described as good and with cloud cover rather than bright sunshine, the visibility was excellent as the solo session kicked off at 7.25pm. James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing) was first away with Hickman, Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales) and Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) quickly following.
As per previous nights, Hickman, Harrison and Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles) were the riders setting the pace but it was again Hickman who was impressing the most and he crossed the line first after lapping at a superb 133.22mph. That was 6.83s quicker than Harrison’s 132.333mph with Todd just 1.1s further back after posting his best lap of the Mountain Course to date, 132.187mph.
Michael Dunlop slotted into fourth on the Hawk Racing Suzuki at 131.44mph, his best lap of the week so far, with Conor Cummins on the second Padgett’s machine, the fifth and final rider to lap in excess of 130mph at 130.489mph. Hillier placed sixth at 128.431mph but Dunlop had an early stop at Ballacraine on his second lap before rejoining.
Back at the head of the field and Hickman was really pressing on but just when it looked like he’d post a quicker lap, he ran out of fuel and pushed in from Governor’s Bridge. None of the top four riders went any quicker but both Cummins (130.867mph) and John McGuinness MBE (129.278mph) did improve, with the latter knocking Hillier out of the top six.
Meanwhile, impressive laps came in lower down the order from Mike Browne (125.076mph), Matt Stevenson (124.073mph), Brandon Cretu (123.159mph), David Datzer (122.335mph) and newcomer Milo Ward who posted his first lap over 120mph with a speed of 121.18mph.
Hickman got back out on track on his Superstock BMW and topped the class with a lap of 129.91mph which put him ahead of Todd (128.933mph), Cummins (128.733mph) and Dunlop (127.642mph) whilst Glenn Irwin, after experiencing trouble with his Superbike, was eighth quickest on his Honda at 126.689mph, yet another personal best for the newcomer.
In the Supersport class, Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing) set the initial pace with a lap of 125.202mph and he was able to hold on right up until the closing moment when Dunlop set the fastest 600cc lap of the week at 126.662mph. Johnston slipped back to fourth after Harrison (125.563mph) and Jamie Coward (125.213mph) both overhauled him in the final minutes, whilst Todd (124.014mph) and Hillier (123.784mph) completed the top six.
Newcomers Joe Loughlin (120.419mph) and Rennie Scaysbrook (117.079mph) and Frenchman Pierre Yves-Bian (119.968mph) were also going well in the 600cc division.
The Supertwins were the last class to get out on the course and it was Lee Johnston who again set the early pace after a lap of 117.178mph on his Aprilia before Hickman took over the top spot with a lap of 119.719mph. Johnston improved second time around to 118.454mph as did fourth placed James Hind (118.38mph) but Hickman and Dunlop were more than 20 seconds quicker than anyone else with their respective laps of 120.994mph and 120.965mph, the first laps over 120mph of the week in this class.
Paul Jordan (117.873mph) and Gary Johnson (117.843mph) rounded the top six ahead of Rob Hodson (117.594mph) and Pierre-Yves Bian who put in a strong lap of 117.314mph. Loughlin had another strong session too with a lap of 116.317mph on his Paton.
Due to a change in schedule, the Sidecars had got the evening underway at 6.30pm and it was the Birchalls who were again first away followed by John Holden/Dan Sayle, Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson and the Manx Crowe brothers.
Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde made an early stop just after Union Mills before proceeding but all the sector times had the Birchalls as comfortably the quickest and that proved to be the case as they completed the opening lap at 117.516mph. The quickest lap of the week so far, that was some 19.5s quicker than the Crowes whose lap of 115.564mph was another personal best.
Newcomer driver Harry Payne, with Mark Wilkes, went third quickest (112.398mph) with Lee Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (112.354mph) and Reeves/Rousseau (112.34mph). 17-time winner Molyneux was sixth (110.827mph) just ahead of Paul Leglise/Melanie Farnier (110.236mph) but both Holden/Sayle and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie had stopped out on track.
The Birchalls pulled in to make some set up changes but the Crowes went straight through for a second lap only to retire at Sulby Crossroads. That meant it was Reeves/Rousseau who were first to complete their second lap, at 113.708mph which was six seconds up on Blackstock/Rosney who improved to 113.137mph.
Payne/Wilkes upped their pace to 112.798mph whilst Steve and Matty Ramsden moved into sixth on the leaderboard with a best ever lap of the TT Course of 111.903mph, and although the Birchalls posted another 117mph+ lap, their first lap remained the quicker of the two.
Hayden Gillim (69) comes into Road America with the point lead in Yuasa Stock 1000. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Bring The Heat: Almost 240 Entries Set For Road America
A Record-Breaking Number Of Racers To Do Battle In Wisconsin, June 3-5
IRVINE, CA (June 2, 2022) – A record-breaking 231 entries will do battle at Road America this weekend, June 3-5, with seven classes of MotoAmerica racing, headlined by the Medallia Superbike class, taking to the picturesque racetrack in Wisconsin.
In addition to Medallia Superbike, Supersport, Yuasa Stock 1000, SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, Twins Cup, Mission King Of The Baggers and Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race will slug it out on the four-mile Road America road course. And if that’s not enough, MotoAmerica’s youngest racers will battle on the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex, a karting track located just a stone’s throw from Road America’s famous Carousel corner.
Mission King Of The Baggers
The Mission King Of The Baggers series ascends on Road America for the fourth round of its championship with Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara leading the title chase by 10 points over his teammate Jeremy McWilliams and by 20 over defending champion Kyle Wyman and his H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide, who is tied with his brother and teammate Travis Wyman for third.
Parity has been the name of the game so far with three different winners in the three races. O’Hara and Northern Ireland’s McWilliams split wins at Daytona and Kyle Wyman won the most recent round at Road Atlanta. With the Harley-Davidson factory just down the road in Milwaukee, the Wyman brothers will be out to pull back the points deficit to the two Indians.
A rider who might just upset the apple cart is James Rispoli, the New Yorker finishing second at Road Atlanta on his Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
Supersport
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin was perfect going into the most recent round at VIRginia International Raceway, but he lost his first raced of the year to Josh Hayes in a thrilling Supersport battle. The next day, however, Herrin returned to the top step of the podium on his Ducati Panigale V2 and as a result he now holds a 31-point lead over Vision Wheels M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sam Lochoff.
Just a single point behind Lochoff is Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers with Lochoff’s rookie teammate Tyler Scott, fresh off two podium finishes at VIR, fourth in the standings and just nine points behind Landers. Hayes is fifth in the title chase but won’t be racing at Road America this weekend.
Yuasa Stock 1000
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim arrives in America’s Dairyland with the hot hand in the Yuasa Stock 1000 class with two impressive wins coming at VIR two weeks ago. Add that with his fourth-place finish in the season opener at Road Atlanta and Gillim arrives in Wisconsin carrying a 23-point lead and a whole bunch of momentum – thanks in large part to the miscues of his rivals at VIR.
VisionWheel/DiscountTire/KWS’ Geoff May is the closest to Gillim with two runner-up finishes at VIR to go with his DNF from Road Atlanta. Things are close from May on back with PDR Motorsports rider Maximilliano Gerardo two points behind May and one point ahead of Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman. Those two are followed in short order by JLC Concrete/KTM/DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander (the winner of round one), Mesa37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa and Motorsport Exotica Orange Cat BST Racing’s Ezra Beaubier. Michael Gilbert, Danilo Lewis, Hunter Dunham and Jeremy Coffey are all just a single point behind as 20 points separate second from 13th.
Forty-two entries have been accepted for Yuasa Stock 1000 this weekend.
Twins Cup
With three wins in five races, Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry is making short work of the Twins Cup Championship after five races. Barry and his Aprilia RS 660 have won three of the five races and have jumped out to a 43-point lead, 106-63 over Robem Engineering’s Teagg Hobbs.
While Barry has some breathing room, no one else does. Hobbs is just two points ahead of Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz; Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto is one point behind Schultz; North East Cycle Outlet Racing/Trackday Winner’s Jackson Blackmon trails Mazziotto by four points; Robem Engineering’s Ben Gloddy is separated by five to Blackmon; and James Rispoli, who is also competing in the King Of The Baggers At Road America, is four points behind Blackmon.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup
Despite being disqualified from his race-two victory at VIR, SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van still leads the title chase in Junior Cup with two wins and a second-place finish.
Wrench Motorsports’ Cody Wyman won race one at Road Atlanta and inherited the victory with Van’s DQ from race two at VIR to sit second in the championship – nine points behind Van. A further eight points adrift is Aden Thao, the Calshine Racing rider coming in with two podium finishes on the year.
Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio is fourth, just two points behind Thao and nine points ahead of Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race
The women of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race program will hold their second race of the season at the racetrack on which the class made its debut a year ago.
With 15 entries set to go at Road America, the series point standings is led by VIR winner Kayleigh Buyck by five points over VIR runner-up Crystal Martinez and by nine over Chloe Peterson with those three racers new to the class this year.
Mini Cup By Motul
The Briggs & Stratton Motorplex will be the site of the opening round of the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul with the series’ youngest riders doing battle in three classes – 190cc, 160cc and 110cc – on Saturday evening at the karting facility on site at Road America.
The racers to watch are class champions Californians Kensei Matsudaira and Jesse James Shedden, and Floridian Mac MacClugage.
Road America Support Class Notes…
Jake Lewis won the lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race at Road America last year en route to earning the class championship. Lewis topped Geoff May and Corey Alexander.
In Supersport a year ago, it was Stefano Mesa beating Sam Lochoff and Benjamin Smith in race one before normalcy returned in race two with Richie Escalante topping rival Sean Dylan Kelly. Those two had crashed together in race one while battling for the lead. Mesa’s win was his first career MotoAmerica Supersport victory.
Tyler Scott and Gus Rodio split wins in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class in 2021. Scott beat Cody Wyman and Max Toth in race one with Rodio beating Scott and Toth in race two.
The rider who would go on to win the Twins Cup Championship was the rider who left Road America with the victory and the points lead – Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel beat Jackson Blackmon and Chris Parrish to take the victory, his second of the season to that point.
Kyle Wyman beat his brother Travis Wyman to win the King Of The Baggers race at Road America last year. Hayden Gillim finished third on a Vance & Hines Harley.
All four SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races this year have featured a margin of victory of less than a second. Max Van and Cody Wyman have won two races apiece with Van’s wins featuring a margin of victory of .347 of a second and .106 of a second, respectively. Wyman’s winning margins have been .646 of a second and .077 of a second.
Ditto for Twins Cup: four of the five Twins Cup races held thus far in 2022 feature margins of victory of less than a 10th of a second. All five races featured a margin of victory of less than half a second – or .0958 of a second per race.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Herrin Riding the Crest of a Wave Heading to Road America
Herrin heads into round three of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport series with 88 out of a possible 100 points
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC Panigale V2 head to Road America for round three of the MotoAmerica Supersport series carrying a 31-point lead in the championship following a strong outing two weeks ago at VIRginia International Raceway.
After a hard-earned fourth place finish in race one, Herrin rebounded to take the top step of the podium in race two, finishing just .032 seconds ahead of Josh Hayes. Herrin and the veteran Yamaha rider swapped places throughout the race, with Herrin executing clinical passes on the brakes into turn one and turn three, repeatedly demonstrating his faith in the front-end of his Panigale V2.
The Georgia-born racer is brimming with confidence as he heads to Elkhart Lake, where America’s premier road racing series has visited since 1980.
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #2)
“We’ve won three out of the four races this year and have earned three poles, so we’re riding a wave of confidence right now. And with the success I’ve had at Road America in the past, we should have a good weekend. We were able to do some testing at Pittsburgh right after VIR, so the bike is feeling good. We’re hoping we can walk away with two more good finishes!”
Jake Gagne (32) leads Josh Herrin (2), Bobby Fong (behind Herrin), Cameron Petersen (45), and the rest of the field at the start of MotoAmerica Superbike Race One at Road America in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MotoAmerica: How To Watch MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America!
Danilo Petrucci Heads to Road America to Defend His Championship Points Lead
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC superbike rider makes his debut at the classic Midwestern road course
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Danilo Petrucci arrives in Elkhart Lake for round four of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, eager to ride his Panigale V4 R superbike at the iconic Road America circuit for the first time.
The MotoGP race winner from Terni, Italy endeavors to follow in the footsteps of Alessandro Gramigni, his fellow countryman, who in 1996, after six years in the Grand Prix paddock, rode to a stellar victory at Road America aboard the famous 955cc Fast By Ferracci Ducati 916.
While it would be a fairytale victory for Ducatisti, Petrucci is dubious about his odds this weekend. Though enjoying a four-point lead over Mathew Scholtz in the championship, Petrucci’s season has already had challenges not of his own making. He comes to Road America nursing injuries sustained in a crash at the conclusion of race two at VIR.
Despite his injuries, Petrucci will swing a leg over his Panigale V4 R on Friday, testing his fitness around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit through the Wisconsin hills. As always, Ducatisti worldwide will be spurring him on.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“I’m happy to visit another new track. Unfortunately, I’m not fit because I had a bad crash after race two in VIR. I must check my condition to see if I can ride the bike properly. But I can’t wait to try the bike at Road America, and I hope I’ll feel better for Friday and Saturday so we can compete for the podium as always.”
Road America, prior to its recent repaving. Photo by John Ewert, courtesy of Road America.
Road America Offers Up Close Racing as the MotoAmerica Series Returns June 3-5
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Fast racetracks breed close races. And there are none faster on the MotoAmerica schedule than Road America. Thus, there is nowhere like the iconic racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where the difference between happiness and heartbreak is minute.
The average margin of victory in the MotoAmerica Superbike races held at Road America since 2015 is 2.49 seconds. And that includes Josh Hayes’ “runaway” win over Cameron Beaubier in race two in 2015 by 4.586 seconds.
The closest Superbike race was .002 of a second when Cameron Beaubier beat Josh Herrin in race one in 2018. The next day he beat him again by .195 of a second.
Here’s betting all of those classes feature close finishes again as the MotoAmerica Superbike & Vintage MotoFest Weekend returns June 3-5.
For 2022, fans can enjoy qualifying on Friday and all-day racing Saturday and Sunday with eight road racing classes. Motorcycle classes include Medallia Superbikes, Supersport, Yuasa Stock 1000, Twins Cup, SuperbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, Mission King of the Baggers, and Royal Enfield Women’s Build.Train.Race. Plus the Mini Cup by Motul. Meet the riders in the open race paddock!
Another highlight of the weekend is Vintage MotoFest on Saturday, June 4. Widely regarded as the premier Wisconsin ride-in motorcycle show and party featuring an eclectic mix of Euro, Japanese and American vintage café racers, choppers, sport bikes, racers, supermotos, scooters, and sidecars. All makes and models are welcome; it’s a mash of bikes competing for space alongside dealers and vendors of all things motorcycling from throughout the country and live music by The Incorruptibles and the Fayte & Friends Rock n Roll Quintet.
Ride in and register your motorcycle upon arrival Saturday morning between 9-11 a.m., or pre-register today online at roadamerica.com. Classes include Café Racer, Rat Bike, Scooter, Chopper, Race/Sport Bike, Military Bike, Fan’s Choice, and Judge’s Choice.
Off the track, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex will be open for public karting, and The Twin Stunts Stunt Show will also be performing in the North paddock. There will also be a FREE gear check on the corporate pad.
On Friday night, fans can also check out the Dairyland Classic Flat Track Races at the Plymouth Fairgrounds. A FREE shuttle will be available from 5:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gate 4 to transport campers and fans to and from the Plymouth Fairgrounds.
In addition to the racing action, fans with motorcycles are encouraged to pre-register for a unique ‘Salute to Cycles’ on-track riding experience. The Salute to Cycles provides participants with the rare chance to ride the Road America circuit and develop a genuine appreciation for the undulating road course where pro racers battle it out for glory and fame.
Tickets are available, and fans are welcome. Additional event details, ticket pricing, and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Anyone 16-years-old and under is FREE with a paying adult at the gate. Racing runs rain or shine.
About Road America: Established in 1955, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world’s best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 65 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer unique viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions, and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.
Reigning MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo (left) and Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis (right). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
YAMAHA AND QUARTARARO RENEW CONTRACT FOR 2023 – 2024
Montmeló (Spain), 2nd June 2022
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Fabio Quartararo will stay with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for a further two years.
It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm Fabio Quartararo as a Factory Yamaha rider for the 2023 and 2024 MotoGP season.
Quartararo has shown great skills, comradery, and consistency so far in his two years with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team in the MotoGP World Championship. The successful partnership led to his first MotoGP World Championship Title last year, in his very first season with the Factory team. He is currently also leading the 2022 standings by 8 points.
Further Yamaha highlights on the Frenchman‘s résumé are 6 race wins and 14 podiums with the Factory Team in the 2021 and 2022 season so far, as well as 3 race wins and 10 podiums with the satellite team the two years prior. A contributing factor to his success were his 16 pole positions and 38 front row starts out of a total of 59 Grand Prix weekends aboard the YZR-M1.
These achievements on top of his undeniable talent, unequalled motivation, and infectious cheerful personality have Yamaha fully confident in their partnership with the 23-year-old.
LIN JARVIS
MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Fabio to continue with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team for 2023 and beyond.
We brought Fabio into the Factory team last year knowing he is a special talent, but he even exceeded our expectations. One doesn‘t often come across a rider of his calibre. He was already showing his talent and speed in his two years with the SRT satellite team in 2019 and 2020, but when he made the step up to the Factory team, we could really see him growing stronger and maturing as a rider.
In Fabio‘s first season and a half we‘ve booked many successes: 6 race wins, 14 podiums, 6 pole positions, and the 2021 MotoGP World Title. These results have come from a strong team effort from the rider, his crew, our engineers, and all team staff working together with a positive ‘can-do’ spirit.
With Fabio we know he will always put in 100% of his best effort, and we have assured him that Yamaha will do the same and we will invest in future developments so that together we can challenge for the MotoGP World Championship Titles for years to come.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I am really happy to announce to all of you that I will stay with Yamaha for two more years.
In the past, moving up to MotoGP with Yamaha and later to the Factory team were no-brainers. Yamaha believed in me from the very beginning, and that is something I do not take lightly. But that being said, this new agreement was a big decision. I’m at a great point in my career, so I took a bit more time taking this decision to be sure.
I believe in the Yamaha MotoGP project, and I feel Yamaha are truly motivated. And now that we have officially confirmed our decision to continue on this path together, we can fully focus on the current season.
I want to say ’Thanks!‘ to the people around me, who always help me and support me, as well as to the fans who are cheering me on. I really do appreciate all the support.
The DesertX was one of the new 2022 models Ducati unveiled in 2021. Photo courtesy Ducati.
The “making of” video of the new DesertX is online
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy) – The “making of” video of the DesertX (direct link here) is online on Ducati’s YouTube channel and social media profiles. It tells the story of the genesis of the project and the development path leading to the production of the new Ducati with 21” front wheel, created to tackle the most demanding off-road.
The video lasting about 15 minutes was shot entirely inside the Ducati factory at Borgo Panigale and features some of the people who worked most closely on the creation of the new DesertX. Product Sponsor Claudio De Angeli retraces through a series of interviews all the aspects that characterize and make this bike unique.
The design aspects are broached by the Director of the Centro Stile Ducati Andrea Ferraresi, who describes the work done to transform the concept presented in 2019 into a technologically advanced and perfectly functional project, in full Ducati style. In the interview with R&D Vehicle Director Pierluigi Zampieri, we go into the details of the technical part of a motorcycle capable of indulging the most adventurous dreams of motorcyclists by combining two souls: Ducati sportiness even on long journeys and an aptitude for the most demanding off-road.
Finally, the last part of the video addresses the subject of the development and tests of the motorcycle together with Luigi Mauro (Vehicle Testing Department Manager) and Matteo Graziani (Ducati Official Tester & winner of 58 Italian off-road titles), who talk about the long phases of on-road and off-road testing that led to the definitive version of the DesertX.
The DesertX is the most highly anticipated model of this year and will be the protagonist at the World Ducati Week 2022, scheduled from 22 to 24 July at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli (at this link you can buy tickets to participate in the event). The bike is available in all European dealerships of the Ducati network, also in a depowered 35 kW version for A2 license holders.
Peter Hickman (10). Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
QUALIFYING 4 – REPORT
On the fourth qualifying session of the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, Peter Hickman reasserted himself back at the top of the qualifying leaderboard, with a lap of 131.957mph. That was just 1.9s quicker than Dean Harrison’s lap of 131.713mph on the DAO Racing Kawasaki with Davey Todd third on the Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles at 130.768mph.
Michael Dunlop (MD Racing) and Paul Jordan (PreZ Racing by Prosper2) topped the Superstock and Supersport standings respectively with Ben and Tom Birchall the quickest Sidecar pairing, the Nottinghamshire brothers lapping at 116.825mph.
With excellent conditions all around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, it was the Sidecars that got proceedings underway with a single lap session at 6.31pm with the Birchalls setting off first on their Haith Honda. John Holden, with Dan Sayle replacing Jason Pitt in the chair, Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson, Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley and Ryan and Callum Crowe followed them away in quick succession.
Holden/Sayle were soon reported as having stopped at Ballacraine whilst Reeves/Rousseau did the same but a bit further round the course at Parliament Square. Both got going again after making adjustments but the Birchalls were having no such issues and they duly completed the lap quickest at 116.825mph, the fastest lap of the week so far.
Founds/Walmsley were next to cross the line at 115.432mph, 14s slower than the Birchalls, and it was the Crowe brothers who slotted into third on the leaderboard with a lap of 114.598mph, their fastest lap ever around the circuit. Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde (110.812mph) were fourth and they were followed by Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes (110.554mph) and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie (110.545mph), the two newcomer drivers again impressing.
At 7.10pm, the Superbike/Superstock/Supersport session commenced and, in a change of tact, it was Peter Hickman (Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing) who was first away with James Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales) and Jamie Coward (KTS Racing powered by Steadplan) next to go.
There was little to choose between Hickman and Harrison from the start to the finish, never more than a few tenths of a second separating them, but at the completion of the lap, it was Hickman who was the quickest at 131.293mph. It was close though with Harrison just 0.8s adrift with a speed of 131.181mph. Davey Todd was third and the last rider above 130mph with 130.768mph with Michael Dunlop (128.797mph) and Coward (128.19mph) completing the top six.
Hickman pitted to make changes to the BMW but Harrison pressed on and went back to the top of the leaderboard with a second lap of 131.713mph. Conor Cummins increased his pace to 130.174mph with fellow Honda man John McGuinness MBE also improving to 129.117mph. Dunlop was sandwiched in between at 129.391mph. That pushed Coward back to seventh ahead of Hillier, Phil Crowe and Nathan Harrison.
However, Hickman’s changes clearly worked and he flashed across the line at 131.957mph to go almost two seconds quicker than Harrison’s earlier time. Further back, Shaun Anderson (125.556mph) and Rob Hodson (124.388mph) both improved their speeds second time around as did former Senior Manx GP winner Matt Stevenson, the Yorkshireman going quicker than ever before at 123.341mph. German rider, David Datzer was another on the move with a new personal best of 123.014mph.
In the Superstock class, Nathan Harrison (126.368mph) was leading the way from Ian Hutchinson (126.032mph) and Craig Neve (125.87mph) with newcomer Glenn Irwin in fifth at 125.447mph, another best for the Honda Racing UK runner.
Many of the leading contenders switched to their Supersport machines for their third laps although Paul Jordan (124.041mph), Lee Johnston (123.134mph) and James Hind (122.545mph) had already got a lap under their belts as had newcomers Joe Loughlin (119.571mph), Jamie Cringle (115.09mph) and Rennie Scaysbrook (114.563mph). Michael Sweeney (118.774mph) was also back on track after his off on Monday at the 11th Milestone.
The session ended early with a red flag due to an incident at Ballagarey at approximately 8.05pm, where Mark Purslow, 29, from Llanon, Ceredigion, riding number 70 in the Supersport Class tragically lost his life.
The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Mark’s family, friends, and loved ones.
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