Attack The World! – Friday, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimao, Portugal
Copyright 2022, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
by Michael Gougis
At least the bikes got to the track on time.
Delays in getting the bikes through customs meant that the Attack Racing equipment made it to the track far later than the team wanted. Endless debates about what kind of plane the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1s had to fly on, nomenclature on the forms, a midnight run to get the tractor-semi trailer – at the end of it all, Attack’s Richard Stanboli was convinced that the customs officials were just making things up to delay the process.
But when practice opened on Friday, two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne was on the track and mixing it up with the world’s best Superbike racers. At the end of FP1, Gagne was 18th, 2.114 seconds off of Michael Rinaldi’s quickest time, but sandwiched between former British Superbike Champion Leon Haslam – a racer who has won multiple Superbike World Championship races and the Suzuka 8-Hours three times – and Lucas Mahias, a racer who has won the Endurance World Championship and the Supersport World Championship.
Jake Gagne (right) finished Friday two seconds off the fastest time, but was battling on the time sheets with International-level race winners and World Champions. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The temperature rose for Free Practice Two, and while Gagne improved his time, he was still 2.040 seconds behind the quickest rider of the session, Yamaha factory rider and defending Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) posted the fastest time of the day in FP2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
After a debrief, Stanboli summarized the challenge facing the team as a matter of dialing in the electronics – specifically the engine braking. When the engine braking isn’t right, the rider isn’t confident on the front – and when they’re not confident on the front, it’s difficult to get the engine braking right. “It’s a chicken-and-egg thing,” Stanboli said.
Garrett Gerloff (31), fresh off his first podium of the season in the previous round at Catalunya, posted the third-fastest lap of the day Friday. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fellow American and Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff flew in the cooler conditions of the morning, his 1:41.082 quick enough to remain third after the times from both practice sessions were combined.
Gerloff was asked about how he was enjoying having Gagne in the paddock this weekend, and said that he and Gagne were having fun, lunching together, and talking about the circuit.
Gerloff summed up the attitude of the professional racer who can be friendly but still knows what his job is.
“I want him to do well,” Gerloff said of Gagne. “I just don’t want him to beat me.”
Jonathan Rea (65) finished ahead of Championship leader Alvaro Bautista in both sessions Friday, ending the second session second-fastest. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Calatayud Secures Inaugural R3 SuperFinale Pole at Portimão
18-year-old Spaniard Unai Calatayud starred on Friday to claim pole position in the first edition of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale held at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, with the front row separated by just 0.248s.
Taking place at the final European round of the WorldSBK season in Portugal, the R3 Superfinale offers the winner a Yamaha-supported ride in the 2023 R3 bLU cRU European Cup, with 25 riders from 12 different countries competing in the inaugural event. Two races are scheduled for Saturday, with 25-points up for grabs in each to decide who comes out on top, while Friday saw the riders aged between 14-20 participate in Free Practice and Qualifying at the 4.6km Portimão circuit.
Local hero David Da Costa (14) led the way during the morning’s 30-minute Free Practice session, as he set a 2:02.622 to head the field by 0.230s from Spaniard Javier Corral Arias (19), with Italian Emiliano Ercolani (17) in third.
With 30 minutes on the clock for Qualifying, Da Costa again set the early pace, but he would become involved in a battle for pole position with Spanish rider Calatayud, despite a red flag early in the session leading to delay. The duo exchanged the top spot on the timesheets several times before Calatayud set a 2:00.877 on his 11th lap to claim the first-ever Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale pole position.
Da Costa responded late on with a 2:01.098 to finish 0.221s behind in second, with Ercolani backing up his pace in the earlier Free Practice session to secure the final spot on the front row, 0.027s further back.
Spaniard Javier Corral Arias heads up the second row, ahead of his compatriot, and the leading female rider, Natalia Rivera Rasel (16), in fifth, with Mohammed Abdalaziz Binladin (14) from Saudi Arabia sixth fastest. The third row consists of Italian Emanuele Cazzaniga (19), Gonzalo Meléndez (14) from Spain, and Brazilian Kaywan Friere Da Costa (19), with Kayla Yaakov (15) from the USA making it six different nationalities in the top ten.
The battle to be crowned the first ever Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale winner kicks off with Race 1 on Saturday at 11:45 am local time (UTC+1), followed by Race 2 at 16:15.
Unai Calatayud in Parc Ferme in Portugal. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Unai Catalayud – P1 (2:00.877)
Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale Rider
“It was a tricky qualifying, especially with the red flag meaning we had to stop and start again. Despite this, I had an excellent feeling with my R3 and managed to get into a group with some fast riders in front of me so I could take advantage of the slipstream and set my fastest time. I think it will be close in the race tomorrow, as there are some very fast riders, but I am confident I can battle at the front!”
On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds over 130 mph pushing a strong storm surge of sea water onshore.
The first pieces of land to experience the powerful center of this storm were Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island.
Sanibel Island is a low-lying barrier island that is about 15 miles long, four miles wide, and home to about 6,400 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Four of those residents are 1991 AMA Superbike Champion and former MotoAmerica official Thomas Stevens, his wife Linda, and his teenage sons, Brandon (16) and Dylan (13).
And instead of heeding the government’s warning to evacuate low-lying coastal areas of Florida ahead of the hurricane’s arrival, Stevens and his family were some of only a few hundred people, according to CNN, who decided to shelter in place and ride the storm out in their home on the island.
“I’ll never make that mistake again,” Stevens told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview October 6. “It was rocking and shaking pretty good. It was as bad as it could get. You’ve seen the pictures on the news. Let’s just say we did a lot of praying, and we normally don’t pray too much.”
The storm surge and 130-mph winds beginning to move in on Stevens’ home. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens didn’t make his decision lightly, as he said he had experienced two other powerful hurricanes in the past and felt he and his home were prepared for what was to come.
“I have a two-level stilt home. That’s what most of the newer-construction homes are. There’s no ground level. My house is lifted about 12 feet on stilts,” said Stevens. “I’ve been prepping for a long time. I have a generator that I can plug into my house. I have hurricane windows and hurricane doors. I’ve put a ton of money into my house just so to be able to sustain a storm, because I don’t want to lose my structure. But it got pretty hairy.
“We knew there was flooding coming because we were still getting reports. Then my son goes, ‘Holy sh-t, Dad! Look outside.’ We had six inches of water outside.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to get the generator.’
“So, we ran downstairs, because the generator was running outside. I grabbed my generator and by the time I got it in the door of my (ground-level) basement there was two feet of water. By the time I got it around and inside we had three feet of water outside and eight inches of water in my [ground-level] basement. But we had to save the generator.
“At about that point, my garage door gave way, and the five feet of water that was outside came inside. But we got the generator upstairs (and out on a porch when running), and I had 20 gallons of fuel.
“Then, the water got really high and submerged our vehicles downstairs. It was pretty hairy at that point. We didn’t know how high it was going to go.”
Thomas Stevens’ high-roof Ford Transit van after the storm surge started to recede. The water level peaked at the bottom of the windows. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
After several tense hours, “Good things started happening,” said Stevens. “We were looking at the water [level], and my son goes, ‘Dad, I think the water’s going out a little bit.’ And sure enough it went down about two inches and it kept going down. So, at that point we knew we were going to make it.
“We went to bed, but I didn’t sleep real good that night. Early in the morning I got up and looked outside and I could see dry land. Then once it got light outside, we got up and started riding our bicycles around the island to see if anyone needed our help.
“We found this elderly couple. They were sitting on their steps in a daze. They asked if we could move the 6 x 6 (-inch) post that had busted through the windshield of their car before it busted through the back window.
“I just looked at her and said, ‘Ma’am, your vehicles are no good anymore.’
“She said, ‘How are we going to get out of here? I could just drive us out.’
“I said, ‘It’s not going to start, and you do realize that we don’t have a causeway anymore, right?’”
Stevens said the entire Sanibel Island was essentially underwater at one point. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
What Stevens was referring to was the one and only causeway, a raised road with a series of bridges, connecting Sanibel Island with mainland Florida which had been washed away by the storm in multiple spots, leaving the island physically cut off.
The next day, Friday, September 30, the Coast Guard started doing search and rescue runs to the island using helicopters.
“They landed on the golf course, so we went over and talked with them. They were looking for people to evacuate,” said Stevens. “It was pretty cool. We were riding our bicycles back to the old couple’s house, and they were following us, flying 60 feet above us in their Blackhawk helicopter. The couple was still sitting there with half their roof missing.”
Stevens said once they helped evacuate people who needed it, they returned to his home and prepared to sustain themselves for as long as they could.
“A lot of my dirt bike riding stuff came into play,” said Stevens. “I have a solar shower to clean up after I ride and before I get back in my van for a six-hour drive home. Then in my van I have a portable potty. So, we brought that inside and used that because you couldn’t use the toilets.
“Racers are pretty prepared when it comes to having stuff, and I’ve been pretty prepared for a long time.
“Finding water was a big deal. I was able to get a neighbor’s jacuzzi going so I was able to sanitize the water in that so we had water. We went over to another neighbor’s house and his refrigerator was on its side, but the sea water hadn’t got inside. So, we took all his T-bones and steaks out of his fridge because that was all going to go bad. So, we ate every day. When you have power life is good, and when you don’t have power it’s pretty tough.”
Thomas Stevens’ basement/garage with his Yamaha YZ450F supermotard bike and old racing photos on the wall in the background before Hurricane Ian. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens and his family spent most of their time over the following days cleaning up the damage to his home, which was mostly limited to his ground-floor “basement.” Unfortunately, that area of Stevens’ house stored most of his stuff, including a Yamaha YZ450F supermotard bike that he had just fixed up to sell, his 2021 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke motocrosser, most of his memorabilia from his Pro racing career, and a classic Jeep he had fixed up.
“That one hurts,” said Stevens, “but all that stuff is replaceable.”
Thomas Stevens’ garage/basement after Hurricane Ian with his supermotard lying on its side, his Yamaha YZ250 motocrosser standing upright next to it, and his old race leathers hanging in the background. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens and his family left Sanibel Island by boat on Wednesday, October 5, the same day President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the region together, and temporarily moved in with his in-laws. But he plans to return to the island on this weekend to continue cleaning up his and his neighbors’ homes.
“The Governor said the priority now is to get the causeway open again by the end of the month,” said Stevens. “’Whatever it takes, we’re going to get it open by the end of the month,’ he said. When that happens, they can get some heavy equipment in and start with the real cleanup.”
Asked how long he think it will take before things are back to normal on Sanibel Island, Stevens said, “Two years.”
Razgatlioglu flew into top spot in Portimao’s combined results
Taking flight and lifting off, the reigning World Champion really was on another level
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) taking flight at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Despite missing 10 minutes at the start of FP2 due to brake issues, Razgatlioglu topped the combined results.
He was 0.245s quicker than Michael Ruben Rinaldi with a best time of 1’40.720s.
Razgatlioglu was the fastest rider in Sector 2 and 3 but was the 14th fastest in the final sector.
“For me it’s a very good Friday because we started very strongly. I’m really happy. We tried different setups but now we are ready to race. In FP1, I jumped for 21 meters. For me it’s fun and I’m really happy for this. In FP2, we had brake problems because we used new parts and I felt some vibrations. We changed the disk and finally everything is ok. After, I saw very good lap times with the SC0 tyre and also the used tyre. After that, we tried a race simulation. We tried different tyres and finally we know which tyre is better for the race. Today is a good day. I followed Jonny and I had different tyres but once he saw me, he closed the gas … and then followed me! I saw some sectors where he was fast, and me too. Tomorrow the Superpole will be important for me. In Race 1, I will be fighting for the win again because I love this track. This year I’ll try for three wins.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished second overall after FP2 thanks to his fast lap set in the morning session.
He was the lead Ducati rider on Friday at Portimao with Bautista in fifth.
“This morning was pretty good. This afternoon we worked more to understand which tyre we will use tomorrow and Sunday. I’m pretty happy. We didn’t improve with the new tyre … which is strange. We need to understand how to improve. But apart from that, it was a pretty consistent Friday and I’m pretty happy with the feeling with the bike.”
Gerloff was third, 0.362s behind Razgatlioglu, with his best time claimed in the morning session.
“Friday was not too bad, it was a decent start. I was happy to be within the top three in the first session for sure. Track conditions were pretty prime. I’m a little bit disappointed because we’re struggling when the track temperature goes up. We made an improvement in the last part of FP2 but it’s just really difficult to get the power to the ground and get the bike to turn when the temperature goes up. This afternoon we were focused on the race pace and race distance. Lap time wasn’t the first concern, but I feel like we could go faster. We have room to improve and that’s what were going to be working on tomorrow.”
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea finished in fourth place in the combined standings. He was 0.476s behind Razgatlioglu.
He was the fastest rider in the first sector, but, like Razgatlioglu, he was struggling in the last sector and was the 16th fastest rider in this short sector.
“It was a positive day. We ran through the tyre options to try them all and also understanding the track. I always love riding here. It’s quite challenging as a rider. You have to make a lot of special inputs with the bike, you’re almost massaging it around the circuit because it’s so undulating. Enjoying that challenge and working with the team to find an optimum setup for tomorrow. Tried to do longer runs on tyres to understand where the tyre drop would be and how we can manage that. We achieved the targets for today and look forward now to the Superpole tomorrow to try and qualify on that front row. There’s two options I feel like we can use, both SC0s as the race tyre. I was quite consistent and fast with both, although I didn’t really put a strong lap time, a time attack, together but consistency wasn’t too bad. We’ll just check that to understand the data to understand both FP1 and FP2 where it can be 8-10 degrees difference on track, so it’s hard to compare. We need to see what temperatures we will have tomorrow, understand how the bike behaves on each tyre and make a good choice from there.”
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P5 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista improved his overall fastest time in FP2 and worked on race pace with a good run on track.
He was 0.503s under Razgatlioglu’s fastest time but only 0.027s behind Rea.
“Today we just tried to compare both rear tyre from Pirelli. This morning I did almost a race distance with the new compound and the feeling wasn’t to bad and in fact I did my best lap time in Lap 20. But in the afternoon, with the standard SC0 I felt quite good, good pace, good rhythm and good feeling with the bike… even better than in the morning. When I put again the new SC0 and I had a very bad feeling. I don’t know if it was due to this afternoon’s conditions or if the tyre had a problem. It has been positive because we could compare both tyre. The bike set up is quite good and work pretty well from this morning. Now we tried to be focus tomorrow just in one tyre and to fine tune.”
P6 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona was sixth at the end of Friday for his first time at Portimao with WorldSBK.
He continued to try and make gains with rear grip, something he spent time testing during a post-Catalunya Round test at MotorLand Aragon.
“It was a really good Friday. With the bike I felt strong, confident… I can’t compare with Jonny and Alvaro. In FP2, Alvaro was behind me and I could feel the difference, and with Jonny in the last lap as well. I feel good because I have very good speed, I go fast, I’m able to go alone so I don’t follow anyone … I have the pace and this is important for everyone. We focus on trying to save the tyre because in the end of races, we struggle a lot with the grip, we dropped a lot and loose everything in the last laps. We’re trying to improve this area on the bike. We found something. We worked very hard in the last test. I felt good today with the bike and we have a constant pace.”
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Top Three on First Day In Portimao for GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, with Garrett Gerloff ending the day third fastest on combined times. The Texan’s teammate, Kohta Nozane,endured a difficult day but improved his lap time this afternoon to finish in 22nd position.
Gerloff got off to a flying start in the opening free practice session this morning, with a time of 1’41.082 securing him second place on the timesheet as the fastest of the eight Yamaha R1 bikes on track. Nozane’s time of 1’43.622 was enough to net the Japanese rider 24th place.
Race pace rather than lap times was the focus for both GYTR GRT Yamaha riders in the hotter conditions of FP2 this afternoon, but Nozane managed to improve on his previous best to finish 22nd, while Gerloff ended in ninth.
Both riders will be back on track tomorrow, firstly with FP3 at 09:00 local time. The Tissot Superpole will be at 11:10, with Race 1 starting at 14:00.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: P3 – 1’41.082
“A rollercoaster day for sure. In the morning everything felt pretty good with the bike, and we were quick from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we struggled a little bit more in the afternoon with the higher track temperature, but we leave this evening with some ideas on where we can improve tomorrow.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: P22 – 1’43.329
“To be honest, that was a particularly difficult day. We tried many things to gain more confidence and I made a small improvement, but we’re looking for more. Tomorrow we’ll move forward together with the team, we’ll work hard in the afternoon and in the evening to be faster on Saturday.”
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Race pace the target for Team HRC at Portimão
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal is the stage for the last European round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship and Team HRC is keen to exploit the fact it is competing at a track that rookie riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge already know.
Aware that one of the most important setup aspects relates to race-distance consistency and that this track is pretty hard on tyre life, the team spent both sessions working to find steady race pace, rather than outright pace.
The opening practice session ran smoothly this morning in warm, sunny conditions. With previous data to refer to, and with the experience gathered during recent rounds, both sides of the garage were able to make solid progress already during this first phase, with both Xavi and Iker getting into a good rhythm and making the most of the almost ideal conditions. Lapping with similar lap times to each other, Vierge set a best of 1’41.972 to position ninth, with Lecuona finishing right behind him, tenth with a 1’42.099.
The work continued mid-afternoon during FP2. Lecuona immediately shaved a good half second off his previous time and didn’t stop there, making further gains throughout the 45-minute session and demonstrating a certain consistency around the Portuguese track. His best was a 1’41.453, a time that saw him round out day one in sixth place overall. Team-mate Vierge also made a step towards the end of this second session, a 1’41.858 moving him up into twelfth position in the day’s combined standings.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
“It was a positive Friday for us and I felt strong and confident on my bike. At the same time, when I made a few laps with Alvaro and a final one close to Johnny towards the end of FP1, I could feel that something is still missing. Generally speaking, we’ve found consistent pace, and this is good – we put the focus on the tyre life because we generally struggle at the end of races once the grip drops significantly. So we tried to work to improve this area of the bike and yes, we’ve found something, nothing huge but definitely something that allows us to be more consistent. Looking at the big picture, I feel both good and a bit frustrated because, compared to the top three guys, I’m still losing a little everywhere, which means that we need to keep up the good work and try to close this gap. Looking at what we achieved during the last test and also here today in terms of setup, I feel happy and am looking forward to tomorrow. Our target for qualifying is a place on the first two rows and then, for the race, to try and be consistent throughout and especially in the final stages, and of course to score the best possible result.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
“It’s been a good first day for us considering that we’ve worked a lot on race pace, finding quite good feeling over the two sessions. In the final part of FP1 we tried a new tyre but to be honest we expected more. In the end, the feeling wasn’t perfect with this solution, but it was good to try it today because that helped us to understand the direction to take tomorrow. The team has done a very good job and so we can say so far, so good.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
WorldSBK Gets Underway Again At Portimao
On the opening day of WorldSBK action at a sun-kissed Portimao circuit Jonathan Rea was the fourth quickest rider in FP2, with his team-mate Alex Lowes seventh.
The eagerly anticipated return of WorldSBK to the 4.592km long Portimao circuit, located close to the Algarve coastline of southern Portugal, started well for both KRT riders.
Rea and Lowes working with regular racing tyres as they each set out to find an effective machine set-up for their riding styles and the heavily undulating Portimao circuit layout.
After recent private tests since the previous round of the championship in Barcelona-Catalunya Rea used that experience with his team to find a platform to work from at Portimao, which has been one of Rea’s favourite and most rewarding circuits. Finding more corner entry traction is his priority on Saturday in FP3, before Superpole qualifying and Race One.
After two sessions on the opening day at Portimao Lowes is looking for improved stopping performance at one of the most intensely undulating and dramatic WorldSBK tracks there is.
Second fastest in the FP2 session in the afternoon Rea would end up fourth overall, while Alex was seventh on the combined timesheets.
Next up for the WorldSBK riders on Saturday 8 October will be a third free practice session, then Superpole Qualifying and a full distance 21-lap Race One.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We found some positives during some private testing we did last week and we just confirmed some items here. We have found a base set-up but I am struggling a little bit with entry traction – it’s backing in on the rear – so we need to find more entry traction for the first race. I felt my rhythm was good; I just didn’t find that one out-and-out lap time. For day one, I feel we were there or thereabouts.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “Not a bad first day at Portimao but we were struggling to stop the bike a little bit. Now we have clear ideas on what to try tomorrow to improve that and make a step forward. It’s always so much fun to ride here, because of the nature of the circuit, so I’m excited to get into some racing tomorrow.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) ended his first day in Portugal in 17th place, with Leon Haslam (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) 18th in his return to the WorldSBK paddock. Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 26th today.
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Razgatlıoğlu Flies to Fastest Lap Time in Portimão Friday Free Practice
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider and defending WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu topped Friday’s Free Practice with a commanding lap time of 1’40.720, as the ninth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship kicked off at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal today.
It was a positive result for the Turkish ace, who alongside his #1 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK crew, tested the Pirelli tire options available at this circuit in his search of a race-winning set-up for the weekend. But what really caught everyone’s attention was Razgatlıoğlu’s 21 metre-long “flight” over the crest of Turn 9 on his “in-lap” at the end of FP1!
Teammate Andrea Locatelli was eighth quickest in the combined standings, having set a 1’41.760 lap time in this morning’s Free Practice 1 session before continuing to work on race pace and set-up to manage tyre life during in the hotter temperatures during the afternoon.
With warm, clear weather set to continue throughout the weekend, today’s set-up work could prove crucial in Race 1 at 14:00 (WEST, UTC+1) tomorrow, but not before one final 30-minute Free Practice 3 at 9:00 and the all-important 15-minute Superpole qualifying to determine grid position at 11:10.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 – 1’40.720
“For me it was a very good Friday because we started really strong. I am happy today, we tried some different set-up combinations and now we are ready to race. After some changes at the start of FP2, I see very good lap time 1’40.7 with SC0 tyre – also not a new tyre, it was used one. I am really happy for this and after we try race simulation with different tyre and finally we know which tyre is better for the race. I love this track and this year, I try my best for three races, three wins. We will see, it’s not easy I know because everyone is very fast but I am coming here for the win. For the jump, I didn’t feel very long flight but we look at the data and I jumped 21 metres! Looks not long, but I think it was very fast! I learned how to jump the R1 when we went to Cadwell Park, for me this is fun after the hard work in the session.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P8 – 1’41.760
“I’m happy because the feeling was ok immediately in FP1 and also in FP2, we improved the feeling of the bike a lot. We tried to focus just on riding many laps and to do a long run to understand the bike for the race tomorrow, but the confidence is good and this is important. Tomorrow morning we will try to push hard and do a fast lap to prepare for Superpole. But we have a good base set-up for the afternoon, in the end the position is not so good but I am really happy about the work we did today. I feel good on the bike and we are ready to race.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Positive start for Rinaldi (P2) and Bautista (P5) in Pirelli Portuguese Round. Bulega ninth in WorldSSP free practice
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team got off to a convincing start in Pirelli Portuguese Round. Michael Rinaldi and Alvaro Bautista finished second and fifth, respectively, in the combined standings.
The Italian rider was the protagonist of an extremely positive Friday. After finishing FP1 with the fastest lap, in FP2 Rinaldi worked with the team to collect data that could prove useful for tyre choice, especially in view of the two long races on Saturday and Sunday.
In the afternoon session, Bautista was able to lower his FP1 time by three-tenths, although the feeling with the softer tyre was not particularly positive.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P2 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
FP1 > P1 – 1’40.965
FP2 > P4 – 1’41.296 (+0.576)
“It was a pretty positive Friday. We started this morning on the right foot and in the afternoon we worked a lot in sight of the race. All in all it was a very consistent day and the race pace is positive. The goal for tomorrow is to get a good start and stay with the front group for the whole race.”
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P5 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
FP1 > P5 – 1’41.512 (+0.547)
FP2 > P3 – 1’41.223 (+0.503)
“We worked a lot on the tyres in both FP1 and FP2. The feeling in the morning was very positive while in the afternoon, probably due to the higher temperature, I wasn’t able to make the most of the softer tyre. Anyway, I am confident ahead of tomorrow”.
WorldSSP
After a good FP1 closed with the fifth time, in FP2 Bulega had to deal with a technical problem that did not allow him to improve.
P9 Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
FP1 > P6 – 1’44.832 (+0.472)
FP2 > P9 – 1’44.947 (+0.687)
“Unfortunately I could only do a few laps in the afternoon. We can’t let this problem affect us though. Tomorrow I will still give my best first in qualifying and then in the race”.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
PHILIPP GETS THE TOP TEN AT THE END OF PORTIMAO FRIDAY!
Day 1 in Portimao turns out to be positive and strong for Philipp Oettl and Team Go Eleven! The German rider enters the Top Ten of the day at the end of a very fast second session for the WorldSBK protagonists, where the Best Lap of the day stopped half a second from the lap record.
In the first session Philipp found a good feeling with the V4-R, starting from the positive sensations found on Sunday in Barcelona. In Portimao it will be important to manage the tyre for the race distance, so the technicians chose to used just a set tyres. Philipp made all the laps on the 42, managing well the drop of the rear Pirelli. As often happens, the FP 1 standing is not so realistic, as several riders have used the new tyre at the end, improving their Best.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.40.965
P 2 G. Gerloff + 0.117
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.294
…
P 13 P. Oettl + 1.330
In FP 2 Philipp faced the session with the new 624 rear compound, in order to make a comparison to the morning. The asphalt temperature, about 10 degrees warmer than in FP 1, made the Portuguese asphalt more slippery and difficult to analyze. In the last sector, the one of the fast corners, for example, Oettl lost a few tenths compared to the morning. Towards the end of the session, then, the German rider put on a new set of tyres, with which he attacked the time, riding below 42 and entering the Top Ten, two tenths from sixth place. The third sector remains to be solved, a real weak point here at the ups and downs of the Algarve.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.40.720
P 2 J. Rea + 0.476
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.503
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 1.118
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Today it was a solid day! We have a quite consistent pace, which I think it will be really important tomorrow. We have two main areas on which we need to work for tomorrow, but I think we can go in the right direction, as our technical debrief gave us some ideas. I hope my comments will help the team to find the right solutions. I think we are competitive here in Portimao, too, so I am happy today!”
Multiple FIM North America Championships wrapped up in September
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme North America (FIM NA) congratulates the FIM NA-sanctioned class champions crowned at the final two rounds of this year’s MotoAmerica Series.
“The 2022 season has been a great success,” said FIM NA President Rob Dingman, “and the champions at its conclusion are worthy of the honors they worked hard to earn.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship for a second consecutive year, clinching the title with a second-place finish Sunday.
Earlier in the month, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin secured the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 10. The title marked Herrin’s third overall and first in the class.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander also wrapped up his title — the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship — in New Jersey earlier in September.
In the 2022 Mini Cup by Motul Championship, the 160cc class was won by Nathan Gouker. By winning the 160cc class, Gouker, along with second place finisher Ryder Davis, will represent FIM NA in the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 1.
About the FIM North America
FIM North America is one of six Continental Unions (CONUs) recognized as geographical subdivisions and accountable to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was founded in 1998. The national federations who are members of FIM North America are, by virtue of their geographical area and their membership in the FIM, the American Motorcyclist Association and the Canadian Motorcycle Association. FIM North America establishes an annual calendar of Continental Championship events and other activities and declares champions in designated disciplines and classes. Its member federations issue CONU licenses to riders participating in FIM NA events as well as those who are participating in Continental Championship events organized in other CONUs. For more information, visit fim-northamerica.com.
More, from another press release issued by FIM North America:
North America Talent Cup Completes Inaugural Season with Worthy Champion
Alessandro Di Mario becomes first title-winner
Alessandro Di Mario. Photo by Fast Glass Media, courtesy NATC.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme North America (FIM NA) congratulates Alessandro Di Mario on being crowned the 2022 North America Talent Cup Champion.
“The inaugural season of the North America Talent Cup was a huge success and a great standard was set,” said FIM NA President Rob Dingman. “The competition was exciting to the very end and Alessandro Di Mario proved to be a deserving champion.”
Di Mario edged out runner-up Jesse Shedden by a single point in the final standings to become the first North America Talent Cup (NATC) champion.
The inaugural season of the NATC concluded alongside the final round of the MotoAmerica Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
The NATC — a collaborative effort between MotoAmerica and Dorna with Rise Moto providing coordination and sanctioned by FIM North America and the AMA — is designed to be a stepping stone between the FIM North America Mini Cup Series and the FIM European Talent Cup or Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The inaugural season spanned seven rounds and included riders between the ages of 13 and 16.
About the FIM North America
FIM North America is one of six Continental Unions (CONUs) recognized as geographical subdivisions and accountable to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was founded in 1998. The national federations who are members of FIM North America are, by virtue of their geographical area and their membership in the FIM, the American Motorcyclist Association and the Canadian Motorcycle Association. FIM North America establishes an annual calendar of Continental Championship events and other activities and declares champions in designated disciplines and classes. Its member federations issue CONU licenses to riders participating in FIM NA events as well as those who are participating in Continental Championship events organized in other CONUs. For more information, visit fim-northamerica.com.
More, from a press release issued by AMA:
Champions Crowned at MotoAmerica Finale
Gagne takes AMA Superbike title, others win support classes
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the champions crowned at the MotoAmerica Series finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
The 2022 season’s final event, which ran Sept. 23-25, wrapped up the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship and five support-class titles. Two of the three Mini Cup by Motul classes were also decided on the track in the season finale.
“The 2022 season finale was action packed and full of excitement,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “After a year full of hard work and spectacular performances, it is great to see a group of winners who embody what it means to be a champion.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship for a second consecutive year as he clinched the title with a second-place finish Sept. 25.
Alpha Omega Kawasaki’s Cody Wyman and Rodio Racing Kawasaki’s Gus Rodio finished the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup season tied at 285 points, but Wyman took the championship because of the tiebreaker that is determined by total season wins.
The REV’IT! Twins Cup was claimed by N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis, who rode his late-season momentum to the title. The 16-year-old rider entered the finale ahead by 15 points and his fourth-place finish Sept. 25 was good enough to hold on for the championship.
Earlier in the month, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin secured the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 10. The title marked Herrin’s third overall and first in the class.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander also wrapped up his title — the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship — in New Jersey earlier in September.
Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara ended his season by winning both the 2022 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Championship and the Super Hooligans Championship.
In the 2022 Mini Cup by Motul Championship, the 110cc and 160cc classes were won by Nathan Gouker. The 190cc title was claimed by Kensei Matsudaira.
By winning the 160cc class, Gouker, along with second place finisher Ryder Davis, will represent FIM NA in the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 1.
The conclusion of the inaugural North America Talent Cup (NATC) happened alongside the final round of the MotoAmerica Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and Alessandro Di Mario edged out runner-up Jesse Shedden by a single point in the final standings to become the first NATC champion.
The NATC — which is a collaborative effort between MotoAmerica and Dorna with Rise Moto providing coordination and sanctioned by FIM North America and the AMA — is designed to be a stepping stone between the FIM North America Mini Cup Series and the FIM European Talent Cup or Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The inaugural season spanned seven rounds and included riders between the ages of 13 and 16.
2022 MotoAmerica Series results:
Medallia AMA Superbike
1. Jake Gagne
2. Danilo Petrucci
3. Cameron Petersen
Supersport
1. Josh Herrin
2. Rocco Landers
3. Tyler Scott
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup
1. Cody Wyman
2. Gus Rodio
3. Kayla Yaakov
Yuasa Stock 1000
1. Corey Alexander
2. Hayden Gillim
3. Travis Wyman
REV’IT! Twins Cup
1. Blake Davis
2. Jody Barry
3. Anthony Mazziotto
Mission King of the Baggers
1. Tyler O’Hara
2. Travis Wyman
3. Kyle Wyman
RSD Super Hooligan
1. Tyler O’Hara
2. Cory West
3. Andy DiBrino
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. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. 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.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Following an accident during Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three at Donington Park (on Sunday 2 October 2022), competitor Chrissy Rouse crashed heavily on the opening lap of the race and was unavoidably struck by an immediately following rider. He sustained a significant head injury.
The race was stopped and he was treated immediately trackside by the BSB Medical Team before being transferred to the circuit medical centre.
He was stabilised and put in a medically induced coma at the medical centre before being transferred to Queens Medical Centre/University Hospital, Nottingham for further assessment and treatment. He underwent an emergency neurosurgical procedure shortly after admission.
It is with great regret that we have to announce that Chrissy Rouse aged 26, from Newcastle upon Tyne, has succumbed to his injuries, and passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family in hospital earlier this afternoon.
On behalf of Chrissy’s family they wish to convey their deep appreciation for the support and well wishes that they have received in recent days. As well they wish to thank all the attending marshals and medical services who provided such skill and care attending to Chrissy. The family also ask for privacy at this difficult time as they attempt to deal with their devastating loss.
MSVR is now working with the Coroner, Police and the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board in order to investigate the full circumstances of this tragic accident.
Our deepest condolences are extended to Chrissy’s family, friends and team members.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
The BMW Motorrad Motorsport family mourns Chrissy Rouse.
Munich. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport family is mourning the death of Chrissy Rouse (GBR). The 26-year-old Briton passed away on Thursday, succumbing to the serious injuries suffered last weekend in an accident in the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park (GBR). It was with great dismay and sadness that BMW Motorrad Motorsport received the news of Rouse’s death.
Rouse was a valued member of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family for several years. In 2020, he won the title in the British National Superstock 1000 Championship with the Crowe Performance BMW Team. This season, Rouse had been riding for the Crowe Performance BMW Team in the British Superbike Championship.
The whole BMW Motorrad Motorsport community wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to Rouse’s family, friends and team. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
It is with incredible sadness that the Read family reports the passing of Phil Read MBE while peacefully asleep on the morning of October 6th, 2022, at his home in Canterbury, England.
Phil is best known for winning Yamaha’s first world championship title in 1964 with four more Yamaha-mounted titles including one fought as a privateer, plus two premier class 500cc world championships in 1973 and 1974 for the Italian MV Agusta marque.
Often a controversial and outspoken figure, his prolific racing career included 52 FIM Grand Prix wins and eight wins at the iconic Isle of Man TT Races. In 2002 he was granted the status of “MotoGP Legend” by Dorna.
Phil is survived by his sons Michael, Graham, Phil Jr, Roki and daughter Esme’. Further details on any public celebrations of life will be shared.
Editorial Note: Phil Read, a seven-time Grand Prix World Champion, was 83.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Phil Read MBE: 1939-2022 | Yamaha’s First Ever Road Racing World Champion
The Yamaha Racing family are incredibly saddened by the news that Phil Read MBE, Yamaha’s first-ever road racing World Champion, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Canterbury, England this morning.
Read, 83, was truly one of motorcycle racing’s greats, winning seven Grand Prix Road Racing titles during the 1960s and 70s. The British ace was also the first rider to claim world championship victories in all three of the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes.
His illustrious career began with the first of eight Isle of Man TT victories in 1961, and in 1964 he gave Yamaha its first world title, winning the 250cc class on the RD56. In 1968, Read dominated both the 125cc and 250cc championships, standing on the top step of the podium in 12 of the 15 races he contested. He followed that up with another 250cc title in 1971, his final for Yamaha, before claiming the 500cc world championship crown in 1973 and 1974.
With 52 Grand Prix victories to his name, Read retired from the world championship in 1976, while his final race came at the 1982 Isle of Man TT. In 1979 he was awarded the MBE for services to motorcycle racing and his career was further recognised in 2002 when he was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.
Everyone at Yamaha offers their sincere condolences to Phil’s family and friends.
Two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne (33) returned to Portimao, Portugal, where he finished 13th and 12th in 2018 aboard a factory Honda CBR1000RR, as a wild card with the Attack Racing Yamaha team. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Attack The World! – Friday, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimao, Portugal
Copyright 2022, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
by Michael Gougis
At least the bikes got to the track on time.
Delays in getting the bikes through customs meant that the Attack Racing equipment made it to the track far later than the team wanted. Endless debates about what kind of plane the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1s had to fly on, nomenclature on the forms, a midnight run to get the tractor-semi trailer – at the end of it all, Attack’s Richard Stanboli was convinced that the customs officials were just making things up to delay the process.
But when practice opened on Friday, two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne was on the track and mixing it up with the world’s best Superbike racers. At the end of FP1, Gagne was 18th, 2.114 seconds off of Michael Rinaldi’s quickest time, but sandwiched between former British Superbike Champion Leon Haslam – a racer who has won multiple Superbike World Championship races and the Suzuka 8-Hours three times – and Lucas Mahias, a racer who has won the Endurance World Championship and the Supersport World Championship.
Jake Gagne (right) finished Friday two seconds off the fastest time, but was battling on the time sheets with International-level race winners and World Champions. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The temperature rose for Free Practice Two, and while Gagne improved his time, he was still 2.040 seconds behind the quickest rider of the session, Yamaha factory rider and defending Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) posted the fastest time of the day in FP2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
After a debrief, Stanboli summarized the challenge facing the team as a matter of dialing in the electronics – specifically the engine braking. When the engine braking isn’t right, the rider isn’t confident on the front – and when they’re not confident on the front, it’s difficult to get the engine braking right. “It’s a chicken-and-egg thing,” Stanboli said.
Garrett Gerloff (31), fresh off his first podium of the season in the previous round at Catalunya, posted the third-fastest lap of the day Friday. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Fellow American and Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff flew in the cooler conditions of the morning, his 1:41.082 quick enough to remain third after the times from both practice sessions were combined.
Gerloff was asked about how he was enjoying having Gagne in the paddock this weekend, and said that he and Gagne were having fun, lunching together, and talking about the circuit.
Gerloff summed up the attitude of the professional racer who can be friendly but still knows what his job is.
“I want him to do well,” Gerloff said of Gagne. “I just don’t want him to beat me.”
Jonathan Rea (65) finished ahead of Championship leader Alvaro Bautista in both sessions Friday, ending the second session second-fastest. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Calatayud Secures Inaugural R3 SuperFinale Pole at Portimão
18-year-old Spaniard Unai Calatayud starred on Friday to claim pole position in the first edition of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale held at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, with the front row separated by just 0.248s.
Taking place at the final European round of the WorldSBK season in Portugal, the R3 Superfinale offers the winner a Yamaha-supported ride in the 2023 R3 bLU cRU European Cup, with 25 riders from 12 different countries competing in the inaugural event. Two races are scheduled for Saturday, with 25-points up for grabs in each to decide who comes out on top, while Friday saw the riders aged between 14-20 participate in Free Practice and Qualifying at the 4.6km Portimão circuit.
Local hero David Da Costa (14) led the way during the morning’s 30-minute Free Practice session, as he set a 2:02.622 to head the field by 0.230s from Spaniard Javier Corral Arias (19), with Italian Emiliano Ercolani (17) in third.
With 30 minutes on the clock for Qualifying, Da Costa again set the early pace, but he would become involved in a battle for pole position with Spanish rider Calatayud, despite a red flag early in the session leading to delay. The duo exchanged the top spot on the timesheets several times before Calatayud set a 2:00.877 on his 11th lap to claim the first-ever Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale pole position.
Da Costa responded late on with a 2:01.098 to finish 0.221s behind in second, with Ercolani backing up his pace in the earlier Free Practice session to secure the final spot on the front row, 0.027s further back.
Spaniard Javier Corral Arias heads up the second row, ahead of his compatriot, and the leading female rider, Natalia Rivera Rasel (16), in fifth, with Mohammed Abdalaziz Binladin (14) from Saudi Arabia sixth fastest. The third row consists of Italian Emanuele Cazzaniga (19), Gonzalo Meléndez (14) from Spain, and Brazilian Kaywan Friere Da Costa (19), with Kayla Yaakov (15) from the USA making it six different nationalities in the top ten.
The battle to be crowned the first ever Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale winner kicks off with Race 1 on Saturday at 11:45 am local time (UTC+1), followed by Race 2 at 16:15.
Unai Calatayud in Parc Ferme in Portugal. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Unai Catalayud – P1 (2:00.877)
Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale Rider
“It was a tricky qualifying, especially with the red flag meaning we had to stop and start again. Despite this, I had an excellent feeling with my R3 and managed to get into a group with some fast riders in front of me so I could take advantage of the slipstream and set my fastest time. I think it will be close in the race tomorrow, as there are some very fast riders, but I am confident I can battle at the front!”
Hurricane Ian as seen on a live radar map at 12:44 p.m. Eastern Time September 28, 2022. The blue dot represents the location of Thomas Stevens' home on Florida's Sanibel Island. Image courtesy Thomas Stevens.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds over 130 mph pushing a strong storm surge of sea water onshore.
The first pieces of land to experience the powerful center of this storm were Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island.
Sanibel Island is a low-lying barrier island that is about 15 miles long, four miles wide, and home to about 6,400 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Four of those residents are 1991 AMA Superbike Champion and former MotoAmerica official Thomas Stevens, his wife Linda, and his teenage sons, Brandon (16) and Dylan (13).
And instead of heeding the government’s warning to evacuate low-lying coastal areas of Florida ahead of the hurricane’s arrival, Stevens and his family were some of only a few hundred people, according to CNN, who decided to shelter in place and ride the storm out in their home on the island.
“I’ll never make that mistake again,” Stevens told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview October 6. “It was rocking and shaking pretty good. It was as bad as it could get. You’ve seen the pictures on the news. Let’s just say we did a lot of praying, and we normally don’t pray too much.”
The storm surge and 130-mph winds beginning to move in on Stevens’ home. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens didn’t make his decision lightly, as he said he had experienced two other powerful hurricanes in the past and felt he and his home were prepared for what was to come.
“I have a two-level stilt home. That’s what most of the newer-construction homes are. There’s no ground level. My house is lifted about 12 feet on stilts,” said Stevens. “I’ve been prepping for a long time. I have a generator that I can plug into my house. I have hurricane windows and hurricane doors. I’ve put a ton of money into my house just so to be able to sustain a storm, because I don’t want to lose my structure. But it got pretty hairy.
“We knew there was flooding coming because we were still getting reports. Then my son goes, ‘Holy sh-t, Dad! Look outside.’ We had six inches of water outside.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to get the generator.’
“So, we ran downstairs, because the generator was running outside. I grabbed my generator and by the time I got it in the door of my (ground-level) basement there was two feet of water. By the time I got it around and inside we had three feet of water outside and eight inches of water in my [ground-level] basement. But we had to save the generator.
“At about that point, my garage door gave way, and the five feet of water that was outside came inside. But we got the generator upstairs (and out on a porch when running), and I had 20 gallons of fuel.
“Then, the water got really high and submerged our vehicles downstairs. It was pretty hairy at that point. We didn’t know how high it was going to go.”
Thomas Stevens’ high-roof Ford Transit van after the storm surge started to recede. The water level peaked at the bottom of the windows. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
After several tense hours, “Good things started happening,” said Stevens. “We were looking at the water [level], and my son goes, ‘Dad, I think the water’s going out a little bit.’ And sure enough it went down about two inches and it kept going down. So, at that point we knew we were going to make it.
“We went to bed, but I didn’t sleep real good that night. Early in the morning I got up and looked outside and I could see dry land. Then once it got light outside, we got up and started riding our bicycles around the island to see if anyone needed our help.
“We found this elderly couple. They were sitting on their steps in a daze. They asked if we could move the 6 x 6 (-inch) post that had busted through the windshield of their car before it busted through the back window.
“I just looked at her and said, ‘Ma’am, your vehicles are no good anymore.’
“She said, ‘How are we going to get out of here? I could just drive us out.’
“I said, ‘It’s not going to start, and you do realize that we don’t have a causeway anymore, right?’”
Stevens said the entire Sanibel Island was essentially underwater at one point. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
What Stevens was referring to was the one and only causeway, a raised road with a series of bridges, connecting Sanibel Island with mainland Florida which had been washed away by the storm in multiple spots, leaving the island physically cut off.
The next day, Friday, September 30, the Coast Guard started doing search and rescue runs to the island using helicopters.
“They landed on the golf course, so we went over and talked with them. They were looking for people to evacuate,” said Stevens. “It was pretty cool. We were riding our bicycles back to the old couple’s house, and they were following us, flying 60 feet above us in their Blackhawk helicopter. The couple was still sitting there with half their roof missing.”
Stevens said once they helped evacuate people who needed it, they returned to his home and prepared to sustain themselves for as long as they could.
“A lot of my dirt bike riding stuff came into play,” said Stevens. “I have a solar shower to clean up after I ride and before I get back in my van for a six-hour drive home. Then in my van I have a portable potty. So, we brought that inside and used that because you couldn’t use the toilets.
“Racers are pretty prepared when it comes to having stuff, and I’ve been pretty prepared for a long time.
“Finding water was a big deal. I was able to get a neighbor’s jacuzzi going so I was able to sanitize the water in that so we had water. We went over to another neighbor’s house and his refrigerator was on its side, but the sea water hadn’t got inside. So, we took all his T-bones and steaks out of his fridge because that was all going to go bad. So, we ate every day. When you have power life is good, and when you don’t have power it’s pretty tough.”
Thomas Stevens’ basement/garage with his Yamaha YZ450F supermotard bike and old racing photos on the wall in the background before Hurricane Ian. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens and his family spent most of their time over the following days cleaning up the damage to his home, which was mostly limited to his ground-floor “basement.” Unfortunately, that area of Stevens’ house stored most of his stuff, including a Yamaha YZ450F supermotard bike that he had just fixed up to sell, his 2021 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke motocrosser, most of his memorabilia from his Pro racing career, and a classic Jeep he had fixed up.
“That one hurts,” said Stevens, “but all that stuff is replaceable.”
Thomas Stevens’ garage/basement after Hurricane Ian with his supermotard lying on its side, his Yamaha YZ250 motocrosser standing upright next to it, and his old race leathers hanging in the background. Photo courtesy Thomas Stevens.
Stevens and his family left Sanibel Island by boat on Wednesday, October 5, the same day President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the region together, and temporarily moved in with his in-laws. But he plans to return to the island on this weekend to continue cleaning up his and his neighbors’ homes.
“The Governor said the priority now is to get the causeway open again by the end of the month,” said Stevens. “’Whatever it takes, we’re going to get it open by the end of the month,’ he said. When that happens, they can get some heavy equipment in and start with the real cleanup.”
Asked how long he think it will take before things are back to normal on Sanibel Island, Stevens said, “Two years.”
Razgatlioglu flew into top spot in Portimao’s combined results
Taking flight and lifting off, the reigning World Champion really was on another level
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) taking flight at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Despite missing 10 minutes at the start of FP2 due to brake issues, Razgatlioglu topped the combined results.
He was 0.245s quicker than Michael Ruben Rinaldi with a best time of 1’40.720s.
Razgatlioglu was the fastest rider in Sector 2 and 3 but was the 14th fastest in the final sector.
“For me it’s a very good Friday because we started very strongly. I’m really happy. We tried different setups but now we are ready to race. In FP1, I jumped for 21 meters. For me it’s fun and I’m really happy for this. In FP2, we had brake problems because we used new parts and I felt some vibrations. We changed the disk and finally everything is ok. After, I saw very good lap times with the SC0 tyre and also the used tyre. After that, we tried a race simulation. We tried different tyres and finally we know which tyre is better for the race. Today is a good day. I followed Jonny and I had different tyres but once he saw me, he closed the gas … and then followed me! I saw some sectors where he was fast, and me too. Tomorrow the Superpole will be important for me. In Race 1, I will be fighting for the win again because I love this track. This year I’ll try for three wins.”
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P2 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished second overall after FP2 thanks to his fast lap set in the morning session.
He was the lead Ducati rider on Friday at Portimao with Bautista in fifth.
“This morning was pretty good. This afternoon we worked more to understand which tyre we will use tomorrow and Sunday. I’m pretty happy. We didn’t improve with the new tyre … which is strange. We need to understand how to improve. But apart from that, it was a pretty consistent Friday and I’m pretty happy with the feeling with the bike.”
Gerloff was third, 0.362s behind Razgatlioglu, with his best time claimed in the morning session.
“Friday was not too bad, it was a decent start. I was happy to be within the top three in the first session for sure. Track conditions were pretty prime. I’m a little bit disappointed because we’re struggling when the track temperature goes up. We made an improvement in the last part of FP2 but it’s just really difficult to get the power to the ground and get the bike to turn when the temperature goes up. This afternoon we were focused on the race pace and race distance. Lap time wasn’t the first concern, but I feel like we could go faster. We have room to improve and that’s what were going to be working on tomorrow.”
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea finished in fourth place in the combined standings. He was 0.476s behind Razgatlioglu.
He was the fastest rider in the first sector, but, like Razgatlioglu, he was struggling in the last sector and was the 16th fastest rider in this short sector.
“It was a positive day. We ran through the tyre options to try them all and also understanding the track. I always love riding here. It’s quite challenging as a rider. You have to make a lot of special inputs with the bike, you’re almost massaging it around the circuit because it’s so undulating. Enjoying that challenge and working with the team to find an optimum setup for tomorrow. Tried to do longer runs on tyres to understand where the tyre drop would be and how we can manage that. We achieved the targets for today and look forward now to the Superpole tomorrow to try and qualify on that front row. There’s two options I feel like we can use, both SC0s as the race tyre. I was quite consistent and fast with both, although I didn’t really put a strong lap time, a time attack, together but consistency wasn’t too bad. We’ll just check that to understand the data to understand both FP1 and FP2 where it can be 8-10 degrees difference on track, so it’s hard to compare. We need to see what temperatures we will have tomorrow, understand how the bike behaves on each tyre and make a good choice from there.”
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P5 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista improved his overall fastest time in FP2 and worked on race pace with a good run on track.
He was 0.503s under Razgatlioglu’s fastest time but only 0.027s behind Rea.
“Today we just tried to compare both rear tyre from Pirelli. This morning I did almost a race distance with the new compound and the feeling wasn’t to bad and in fact I did my best lap time in Lap 20. But in the afternoon, with the standard SC0 I felt quite good, good pace, good rhythm and good feeling with the bike… even better than in the morning. When I put again the new SC0 and I had a very bad feeling. I don’t know if it was due to this afternoon’s conditions or if the tyre had a problem. It has been positive because we could compare both tyre. The bike set up is quite good and work pretty well from this morning. Now we tried to be focus tomorrow just in one tyre and to fine tune.”
P6 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona was sixth at the end of Friday for his first time at Portimao with WorldSBK.
He continued to try and make gains with rear grip, something he spent time testing during a post-Catalunya Round test at MotorLand Aragon.
“It was a really good Friday. With the bike I felt strong, confident… I can’t compare with Jonny and Alvaro. In FP2, Alvaro was behind me and I could feel the difference, and with Jonny in the last lap as well. I feel good because I have very good speed, I go fast, I’m able to go alone so I don’t follow anyone … I have the pace and this is important for everyone. We focus on trying to save the tyre because in the end of races, we struggle a lot with the grip, we dropped a lot and loose everything in the last laps. We’re trying to improve this area on the bike. We found something. We worked very hard in the last test. I felt good today with the bike and we have a constant pace.”
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:10 and Race 1 at 14:00.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Top Three on First Day In Portimao for GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, with Garrett Gerloff ending the day third fastest on combined times. The Texan’s teammate, Kohta Nozane,endured a difficult day but improved his lap time this afternoon to finish in 22nd position.
Gerloff got off to a flying start in the opening free practice session this morning, with a time of 1’41.082 securing him second place on the timesheet as the fastest of the eight Yamaha R1 bikes on track. Nozane’s time of 1’43.622 was enough to net the Japanese rider 24th place.
Race pace rather than lap times was the focus for both GYTR GRT Yamaha riders in the hotter conditions of FP2 this afternoon, but Nozane managed to improve on his previous best to finish 22nd, while Gerloff ended in ninth.
Both riders will be back on track tomorrow, firstly with FP3 at 09:00 local time. The Tissot Superpole will be at 11:10, with Race 1 starting at 14:00.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: P3 – 1’41.082
“A rollercoaster day for sure. In the morning everything felt pretty good with the bike, and we were quick from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we struggled a little bit more in the afternoon with the higher track temperature, but we leave this evening with some ideas on where we can improve tomorrow.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: P22 – 1’43.329
“To be honest, that was a particularly difficult day. We tried many things to gain more confidence and I made a small improvement, but we’re looking for more. Tomorrow we’ll move forward together with the team, we’ll work hard in the afternoon and in the evening to be faster on Saturday.”
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Race pace the target for Team HRC at Portimão
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal is the stage for the last European round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship and Team HRC is keen to exploit the fact it is competing at a track that rookie riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge already know.
Aware that one of the most important setup aspects relates to race-distance consistency and that this track is pretty hard on tyre life, the team spent both sessions working to find steady race pace, rather than outright pace.
The opening practice session ran smoothly this morning in warm, sunny conditions. With previous data to refer to, and with the experience gathered during recent rounds, both sides of the garage were able to make solid progress already during this first phase, with both Xavi and Iker getting into a good rhythm and making the most of the almost ideal conditions. Lapping with similar lap times to each other, Vierge set a best of 1’41.972 to position ninth, with Lecuona finishing right behind him, tenth with a 1’42.099.
The work continued mid-afternoon during FP2. Lecuona immediately shaved a good half second off his previous time and didn’t stop there, making further gains throughout the 45-minute session and demonstrating a certain consistency around the Portuguese track. His best was a 1’41.453, a time that saw him round out day one in sixth place overall. Team-mate Vierge also made a step towards the end of this second session, a 1’41.858 moving him up into twelfth position in the day’s combined standings.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
“It was a positive Friday for us and I felt strong and confident on my bike. At the same time, when I made a few laps with Alvaro and a final one close to Johnny towards the end of FP1, I could feel that something is still missing. Generally speaking, we’ve found consistent pace, and this is good – we put the focus on the tyre life because we generally struggle at the end of races once the grip drops significantly. So we tried to work to improve this area of the bike and yes, we’ve found something, nothing huge but definitely something that allows us to be more consistent. Looking at the big picture, I feel both good and a bit frustrated because, compared to the top three guys, I’m still losing a little everywhere, which means that we need to keep up the good work and try to close this gap. Looking at what we achieved during the last test and also here today in terms of setup, I feel happy and am looking forward to tomorrow. Our target for qualifying is a place on the first two rows and then, for the race, to try and be consistent throughout and especially in the final stages, and of course to score the best possible result.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
“It’s been a good first day for us considering that we’ve worked a lot on race pace, finding quite good feeling over the two sessions. In the final part of FP1 we tried a new tyre but to be honest we expected more. In the end, the feeling wasn’t perfect with this solution, but it was good to try it today because that helped us to understand the direction to take tomorrow. The team has done a very good job and so we can say so far, so good.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
WorldSBK Gets Underway Again At Portimao
On the opening day of WorldSBK action at a sun-kissed Portimao circuit Jonathan Rea was the fourth quickest rider in FP2, with his team-mate Alex Lowes seventh.
The eagerly anticipated return of WorldSBK to the 4.592km long Portimao circuit, located close to the Algarve coastline of southern Portugal, started well for both KRT riders.
Rea and Lowes working with regular racing tyres as they each set out to find an effective machine set-up for their riding styles and the heavily undulating Portimao circuit layout.
After recent private tests since the previous round of the championship in Barcelona-Catalunya Rea used that experience with his team to find a platform to work from at Portimao, which has been one of Rea’s favourite and most rewarding circuits. Finding more corner entry traction is his priority on Saturday in FP3, before Superpole qualifying and Race One.
After two sessions on the opening day at Portimao Lowes is looking for improved stopping performance at one of the most intensely undulating and dramatic WorldSBK tracks there is.
Second fastest in the FP2 session in the afternoon Rea would end up fourth overall, while Alex was seventh on the combined timesheets.
Next up for the WorldSBK riders on Saturday 8 October will be a third free practice session, then Superpole Qualifying and a full distance 21-lap Race One.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We found some positives during some private testing we did last week and we just confirmed some items here. We have found a base set-up but I am struggling a little bit with entry traction – it’s backing in on the rear – so we need to find more entry traction for the first race. I felt my rhythm was good; I just didn’t find that one out-and-out lap time. For day one, I feel we were there or thereabouts.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “Not a bad first day at Portimao but we were struggling to stop the bike a little bit. Now we have clear ideas on what to try tomorrow to improve that and make a step forward. It’s always so much fun to ride here, because of the nature of the circuit, so I’m excited to get into some racing tomorrow.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) ended his first day in Portugal in 17th place, with Leon Haslam (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) 18th in his return to the WorldSBK paddock. Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 26th today.
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Razgatlıoğlu Flies to Fastest Lap Time in Portimão Friday Free Practice
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider and defending WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu topped Friday’s Free Practice with a commanding lap time of 1’40.720, as the ninth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship kicked off at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal today.
It was a positive result for the Turkish ace, who alongside his #1 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK crew, tested the Pirelli tire options available at this circuit in his search of a race-winning set-up for the weekend. But what really caught everyone’s attention was Razgatlıoğlu’s 21 metre-long “flight” over the crest of Turn 9 on his “in-lap” at the end of FP1!
Teammate Andrea Locatelli was eighth quickest in the combined standings, having set a 1’41.760 lap time in this morning’s Free Practice 1 session before continuing to work on race pace and set-up to manage tyre life during in the hotter temperatures during the afternoon.
With warm, clear weather set to continue throughout the weekend, today’s set-up work could prove crucial in Race 1 at 14:00 (WEST, UTC+1) tomorrow, but not before one final 30-minute Free Practice 3 at 9:00 and the all-important 15-minute Superpole qualifying to determine grid position at 11:10.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 – 1’40.720
“For me it was a very good Friday because we started really strong. I am happy today, we tried some different set-up combinations and now we are ready to race. After some changes at the start of FP2, I see very good lap time 1’40.7 with SC0 tyre – also not a new tyre, it was used one. I am really happy for this and after we try race simulation with different tyre and finally we know which tyre is better for the race. I love this track and this year, I try my best for three races, three wins. We will see, it’s not easy I know because everyone is very fast but I am coming here for the win. For the jump, I didn’t feel very long flight but we look at the data and I jumped 21 metres! Looks not long, but I think it was very fast! I learned how to jump the R1 when we went to Cadwell Park, for me this is fun after the hard work in the session.”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P8 – 1’41.760
“I’m happy because the feeling was ok immediately in FP1 and also in FP2, we improved the feeling of the bike a lot. We tried to focus just on riding many laps and to do a long run to understand the bike for the race tomorrow, but the confidence is good and this is important. Tomorrow morning we will try to push hard and do a fast lap to prepare for Superpole. But we have a good base set-up for the afternoon, in the end the position is not so good but I am really happy about the work we did today. I feel good on the bike and we are ready to race.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Positive start for Rinaldi (P2) and Bautista (P5) in Pirelli Portuguese Round. Bulega ninth in WorldSSP free practice
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team got off to a convincing start in Pirelli Portuguese Round. Michael Rinaldi and Alvaro Bautista finished second and fifth, respectively, in the combined standings.
The Italian rider was the protagonist of an extremely positive Friday. After finishing FP1 with the fastest lap, in FP2 Rinaldi worked with the team to collect data that could prove useful for tyre choice, especially in view of the two long races on Saturday and Sunday.
In the afternoon session, Bautista was able to lower his FP1 time by three-tenths, although the feeling with the softer tyre was not particularly positive.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P2 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
FP1 > P1 – 1’40.965
FP2 > P4 – 1’41.296 (+0.576)
“It was a pretty positive Friday. We started this morning on the right foot and in the afternoon we worked a lot in sight of the race. All in all it was a very consistent day and the race pace is positive. The goal for tomorrow is to get a good start and stay with the front group for the whole race.”
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P5 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
FP1 > P5 – 1’41.512 (+0.547)
FP2 > P3 – 1’41.223 (+0.503)
“We worked a lot on the tyres in both FP1 and FP2. The feeling in the morning was very positive while in the afternoon, probably due to the higher temperature, I wasn’t able to make the most of the softer tyre. Anyway, I am confident ahead of tomorrow”.
WorldSSP
After a good FP1 closed with the fifth time, in FP2 Bulega had to deal with a technical problem that did not allow him to improve.
P9 Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
FP1 > P6 – 1’44.832 (+0.472)
FP2 > P9 – 1’44.947 (+0.687)
“Unfortunately I could only do a few laps in the afternoon. We can’t let this problem affect us though. Tomorrow I will still give my best first in qualifying and then in the race”.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
PHILIPP GETS THE TOP TEN AT THE END OF PORTIMAO FRIDAY!
Day 1 in Portimao turns out to be positive and strong for Philipp Oettl and Team Go Eleven! The German rider enters the Top Ten of the day at the end of a very fast second session for the WorldSBK protagonists, where the Best Lap of the day stopped half a second from the lap record.
In the first session Philipp found a good feeling with the V4-R, starting from the positive sensations found on Sunday in Barcelona. In Portimao it will be important to manage the tyre for the race distance, so the technicians chose to used just a set tyres. Philipp made all the laps on the 42, managing well the drop of the rear Pirelli. As often happens, the FP 1 standing is not so realistic, as several riders have used the new tyre at the end, improving their Best.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.40.965
P 2 G. Gerloff + 0.117
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.294
…
P 13 P. Oettl + 1.330
In FP 2 Philipp faced the session with the new 624 rear compound, in order to make a comparison to the morning. The asphalt temperature, about 10 degrees warmer than in FP 1, made the Portuguese asphalt more slippery and difficult to analyze. In the last sector, the one of the fast corners, for example, Oettl lost a few tenths compared to the morning. Towards the end of the session, then, the German rider put on a new set of tyres, with which he attacked the time, riding below 42 and entering the Top Ten, two tenths from sixth place. The third sector remains to be solved, a real weak point here at the ups and downs of the Algarve.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.40.720
P 2 J. Rea + 0.476
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.503
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 1.118
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Today it was a solid day! We have a quite consistent pace, which I think it will be really important tomorrow. We have two main areas on which we need to work for tomorrow, but I think we can go in the right direction, as our technical debrief gave us some ideas. I hope my comments will help the team to find the right solutions. I think we are competitive here in Portimao, too, so I am happy today!”
Some of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Champions (from left): Blake Davis (Twins Cup), Josh Herrin (Supersport), Jake Gagne (Superbike), Corey Alexander (Stock 1000), and Cody Wyman (Junior Cup). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
FIM North America Congratulates 2022 Champions
Multiple FIM North America Championships wrapped up in September
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme North America (FIM NA) congratulates the FIM NA-sanctioned class champions crowned at the final two rounds of this year’s MotoAmerica Series.
“The 2022 season has been a great success,” said FIM NA President Rob Dingman, “and the champions at its conclusion are worthy of the honors they worked hard to earn.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship for a second consecutive year, clinching the title with a second-place finish Sunday.
Earlier in the month, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin secured the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 10. The title marked Herrin’s third overall and first in the class.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander also wrapped up his title — the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship — in New Jersey earlier in September.
In the 2022 Mini Cup by Motul Championship, the 160cc class was won by Nathan Gouker. By winning the 160cc class, Gouker, along with second place finisher Ryder Davis, will represent FIM NA in the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 1.
About the FIM North America
FIM North America is one of six Continental Unions (CONUs) recognized as geographical subdivisions and accountable to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was founded in 1998. The national federations who are members of FIM North America are, by virtue of their geographical area and their membership in the FIM, the American Motorcyclist Association and the Canadian Motorcycle Association. FIM North America establishes an annual calendar of Continental Championship events and other activities and declares champions in designated disciplines and classes. Its member federations issue CONU licenses to riders participating in FIM NA events as well as those who are participating in Continental Championship events organized in other CONUs. For more information, visit fim-northamerica.com.
More, from another press release issued by FIM North America:
North America Talent Cup Completes Inaugural Season with Worthy Champion
Alessandro Di Mario becomes first title-winner
Alessandro Di Mario. Photo by Fast Glass Media, courtesy NATC.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme North America (FIM NA) congratulates Alessandro Di Mario on being crowned the 2022 North America Talent Cup Champion.
“The inaugural season of the North America Talent Cup was a huge success and a great standard was set,” said FIM NA President Rob Dingman. “The competition was exciting to the very end and Alessandro Di Mario proved to be a deserving champion.”
Di Mario edged out runner-up Jesse Shedden by a single point in the final standings to become the first North America Talent Cup (NATC) champion.
The inaugural season of the NATC concluded alongside the final round of the MotoAmerica Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
The NATC — a collaborative effort between MotoAmerica and Dorna with Rise Moto providing coordination and sanctioned by FIM North America and the AMA — is designed to be a stepping stone between the FIM North America Mini Cup Series and the FIM European Talent Cup or Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The inaugural season spanned seven rounds and included riders between the ages of 13 and 16.
About the FIM North America
FIM North America is one of six Continental Unions (CONUs) recognized as geographical subdivisions and accountable to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was founded in 1998. The national federations who are members of FIM North America are, by virtue of their geographical area and their membership in the FIM, the American Motorcyclist Association and the Canadian Motorcycle Association. FIM North America establishes an annual calendar of Continental Championship events and other activities and declares champions in designated disciplines and classes. Its member federations issue CONU licenses to riders participating in FIM NA events as well as those who are participating in Continental Championship events organized in other CONUs. For more information, visit fim-northamerica.com.
More, from a press release issued by AMA:
Champions Crowned at MotoAmerica Finale
Gagne takes AMA Superbike title, others win support classes
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the champions crowned at the MotoAmerica Series finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
The 2022 season’s final event, which ran Sept. 23-25, wrapped up the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship and five support-class titles. Two of the three Mini Cup by Motul classes were also decided on the track in the season finale.
“The 2022 season finale was action packed and full of excitement,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “After a year full of hard work and spectacular performances, it is great to see a group of winners who embody what it means to be a champion.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne won the Medallia AMA Superbike Championship for a second consecutive year as he clinched the title with a second-place finish Sept. 25.
Alpha Omega Kawasaki’s Cody Wyman and Rodio Racing Kawasaki’s Gus Rodio finished the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup season tied at 285 points, but Wyman took the championship because of the tiebreaker that is determined by total season wins.
The REV’IT! Twins Cup was claimed by N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis, who rode his late-season momentum to the title. The 16-year-old rider entered the finale ahead by 15 points and his fourth-place finish Sept. 25 was good enough to hold on for the championship.
Earlier in the month, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin secured the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 10. The title marked Herrin’s third overall and first in the class.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander also wrapped up his title — the Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship — in New Jersey earlier in September.
Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara ended his season by winning both the 2022 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Championship and the Super Hooligans Championship.
In the 2022 Mini Cup by Motul Championship, the 110cc and 160cc classes were won by Nathan Gouker. The 190cc title was claimed by Kensei Matsudaira.
By winning the 160cc class, Gouker, along with second place finisher Ryder Davis, will represent FIM NA in the FIM MiniGP World Series Final in Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 1.
The conclusion of the inaugural North America Talent Cup (NATC) happened alongside the final round of the MotoAmerica Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and Alessandro Di Mario edged out runner-up Jesse Shedden by a single point in the final standings to become the first NATC champion.
The NATC — which is a collaborative effort between MotoAmerica and Dorna with Rise Moto providing coordination and sanctioned by FIM North America and the AMA — is designed to be a stepping stone between the FIM North America Mini Cup Series and the FIM European Talent Cup or Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The inaugural season spanned seven rounds and included riders between the ages of 13 and 16.
2022 MotoAmerica Series results:
Medallia AMA Superbike
1. Jake Gagne
2. Danilo Petrucci
3. Cameron Petersen
Supersport
1. Josh Herrin
2. Rocco Landers
3. Tyler Scott
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup
1. Cody Wyman
2. Gus Rodio
3. Kayla Yaakov
Yuasa Stock 1000
1. Corey Alexander
2. Hayden Gillim
3. Travis Wyman
REV’IT! Twins Cup
1. Blake Davis
2. Jody Barry
3. Anthony Mazziotto
Mission King of the Baggers
1. Tyler O’Hara
2. Travis Wyman
3. Kyle Wyman
RSD Super Hooligan
1. Tyler O’Hara
2. Cory West
3. Andy DiBrino
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. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. 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.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Following an accident during Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three at Donington Park (on Sunday 2 October 2022), competitor Chrissy Rouse crashed heavily on the opening lap of the race and was unavoidably struck by an immediately following rider. He sustained a significant head injury.
The race was stopped and he was treated immediately trackside by the BSB Medical Team before being transferred to the circuit medical centre.
He was stabilised and put in a medically induced coma at the medical centre before being transferred to Queens Medical Centre/University Hospital, Nottingham for further assessment and treatment. He underwent an emergency neurosurgical procedure shortly after admission.
It is with great regret that we have to announce that Chrissy Rouse aged 26, from Newcastle upon Tyne, has succumbed to his injuries, and passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family in hospital earlier this afternoon.
On behalf of Chrissy’s family they wish to convey their deep appreciation for the support and well wishes that they have received in recent days. As well they wish to thank all the attending marshals and medical services who provided such skill and care attending to Chrissy. The family also ask for privacy at this difficult time as they attempt to deal with their devastating loss.
MSVR is now working with the Coroner, Police and the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board in order to investigate the full circumstances of this tragic accident.
Our deepest condolences are extended to Chrissy’s family, friends and team members.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
The BMW Motorrad Motorsport family mourns Chrissy Rouse.
Munich. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport family is mourning the death of Chrissy Rouse (GBR). The 26-year-old Briton passed away on Thursday, succumbing to the serious injuries suffered last weekend in an accident in the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park (GBR). It was with great dismay and sadness that BMW Motorrad Motorsport received the news of Rouse’s death.
Rouse was a valued member of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family for several years. In 2020, he won the title in the British National Superstock 1000 Championship with the Crowe Performance BMW Team. This season, Rouse had been riding for the Crowe Performance BMW Team in the British Superbike Championship.
The whole BMW Motorrad Motorsport community wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to Rouse’s family, friends and team. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
Phil Read MBE, R.I.P. Photo courtesy the Read family.
From a statement issued by the Read family:
It is with incredible sadness that the Read family reports the passing of Phil Read MBE while peacefully asleep on the morning of October 6th, 2022, at his home in Canterbury, England.
Phil is best known for winning Yamaha’s first world championship title in 1964 with four more Yamaha-mounted titles including one fought as a privateer, plus two premier class 500cc world championships in 1973 and 1974 for the Italian MV Agusta marque.
Often a controversial and outspoken figure, his prolific racing career included 52 FIM Grand Prix wins and eight wins at the iconic Isle of Man TT Races. In 2002 he was granted the status of “MotoGP Legend” by Dorna.
Phil is survived by his sons Michael, Graham, Phil Jr, Roki and daughter Esme’. Further details on any public celebrations of life will be shared.
Editorial Note: Phil Read, a seven-time Grand Prix World Champion, was 83.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Phil Read MBE: 1939-2022 | Yamaha’s First Ever Road Racing World Champion
The Yamaha Racing family are incredibly saddened by the news that Phil Read MBE, Yamaha’s first-ever road racing World Champion, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Canterbury, England this morning.
Read, 83, was truly one of motorcycle racing’s greats, winning seven Grand Prix Road Racing titles during the 1960s and 70s. The British ace was also the first rider to claim world championship victories in all three of the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes.
His illustrious career began with the first of eight Isle of Man TT victories in 1961, and in 1964 he gave Yamaha its first world title, winning the 250cc class on the RD56. In 1968, Read dominated both the 125cc and 250cc championships, standing on the top step of the podium in 12 of the 15 races he contested. He followed that up with another 250cc title in 1971, his final for Yamaha, before claiming the 500cc world championship crown in 1973 and 1974.
With 52 Grand Prix victories to his name, Read retired from the world championship in 1976, while his final race came at the 1982 Isle of Man TT. In 1979 he was awarded the MBE for services to motorcycle racing and his career was further recognised in 2002 when he was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.
Everyone at Yamaha offers their sincere condolences to Phil’s family and friends.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 10, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
