Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to see detailed analysis of the results from the three-day MotoE test at Jerez.
Torres quickest on Day 3 in Jerez, Aegerter fastest overall
The 2020 and 2021 Cup winner heads the timesheets from new teammate Casadei as FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup testing concludes at Jerez
Wednesday, 09 March 2022
The first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup has now concluded at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, and it’s Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) on top of the combined timesheets – with double Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) hot on his heels after going fastest on Day 3. The three days of action in Andalucia have seen the field test out the new Energica Ego Corsa, with an updated motor and inverter making for a lighter machine, as well as use the track time to settle in, get back in the MotoE™ groove and, for some, prepare for an assault on the crown in 2022.
That’s surely the aim of 2021 key competitor Aegerter after the Swiss rider lost out on the Cup last season following some drama in the final race, and his 1:48.634 from Day 1 remains the fastest of the test overall to send a warning shot to the field. Torres’ 1:48.878 set in Session 3 on Day 3 is the second best of the test, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) slotting into third overall thanks to a previous time. The Brazilian was sidelined from Day 3 after a crash in the second session on Tuesday.
Dominique Aegerter (77). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Behind Torres on Wednesday, his new teammate Mattia Casadei slots into second with a 1:49.060, the Italian denying Aegerter by just 0.002. A couple of tenths further back saw Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) take P4 on Day 3, the Italian settling back in and having already impressed in mixed conditions to top the timesheets on Day 2. 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) was a further two tenths in arrears as he completed the top five.
Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE) took sixth on Wednesday as the Spaniard starts a new adventure in MotoE™ and adds another competition to his already decorated CV, with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) just hundredths in arrears. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) were eighth and ninth, respectively, and likewise split by hundredths as they return to the Cup. Kevin Zannoni completed the top ten as he settles in at Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse.
Smith, Casadei and Fores all crashed on Day 3, riders ok, and Okubo also took a tumble. The Japanese rider injured his finger, had minor surgery and will now require a couple of weeks of recovery.
That’s it from the first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup! Check out interviews, highlights and more across motogp.com and get ready for more as MotoE™ get back on track for their second test from the 11th to the 13th of April.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
AEGERTER TOPS EVENTFUL OPENING MOTOE TEST AT JEREZ
The opening official test of the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup drew to a close today at Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain. This was the first chance for this season’s protagonists to try the updated Energica Ego Corsa machine sporting the new EMCE motor and inverter, as previously introduced on the road-going counterparts of the bike.
Changeable weather affected on-track proceedings especially on day two, as the morning rain forced riders and teams to alter their work programme for all sessions – as the final one of the day was held in mixed conditions. At the end of the three days, it is clear that there is still a lot of potential to be extracted from the updated technical package.
After battling for the title in the past two seasons, Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) topped the timesheets courtesy of a 1’48.634secs lap-time set on day one, ahead of two-time and reigning World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). Unfortunately, Eric’s test was cut short due to an injury (partial rupture of the thigh muscle) following a crash on the second day of action.
The top six was completed by a trio of Italian riders, with new recruit of Team Pons Racing 40 Mattia Casadei edging out 2019 title winner Matteo Ferrari (Gresini Racing) and returning MotoE rider Niccolò Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team).
Seventh place went to series sophomore Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), followed by MotoE rookie – albeit motorcycle-racing veteran – Xavi Forés (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Hikari Okubo, with the Japanese rider also injured on the last day after crashing out at turn eight on a wet patch. Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) was also ‘betrayed’ by a damp area of tarmac, albeit at the slow, last corner during the final session. The former MotoGP-riding Briton fortunately escaped uninjured from his tumble.
Things did not go as smoothly for Forés’s teammate and MotoE debutant Kevin Manfredi, who suffered several fractured ribs following a big highside on day one. The former WorldSSP rider is still under observation at hospital, but he is doing well – especially given the severity of the crash.
MotoE will return to action at Jerez on April 11-13 for the second and last official pre-season test.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycles and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
Team Ridesmart Pirelli Wins 2022 CMRA Season Opener ULW Endurance Series
Tomball, Texas – Team Ridesmart Pirelli opened the 2022 CMRA ULW Endurance series by taking first place overall in the season-opener five-hour endurance race February 26 at MSR Houston in Angleton, Texas. The team took the checkered flag in first overall with a solid one-lap lead.
Michael Klesel, Team Ridesmart Pirelli Team Captain, states: “We are very pleased to start the season with a win and hope to continue this success. The team is working great together and it’s something special to see.”
Team Ridesmart Pirelli would like to thank their sponsors: Ridesmart, Pirelli, P1 Racing, K-tech, Drippin Wet, Armour Bodies, Parts Unlimited, Evol Technology, Mike Boyce and Chris Caldwell.
CMRA will host round 2 on April 1-3 at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC) for the 8th Annual Westby Classic.
Progressive AFT and KTM North America Renew Official Partnership for 2022
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track and KTM North America are proud to announce that KTM will again be an Official OEM Partner of Progressive AFT for the 2022 season.
Since its inaugural season of factory participation in 2019, KTM, led by the Red Bull KTM Factory Race Team, has been a genuine force in the hotly contested Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. Last season, KTM 450 SX-F-mounted riders accounted for a full eight of the 16 available Main Event wins and placed second and third in the championship fight.
KTM is set up for another huge season in ‘22, as back-to-back championship runner-up Max Whale will be joined on the factory squad by 2021 Progressive AFT Rookie of the Year Kody Kopp.
Equally exciting, KTM will support an initiative by Wally Brown Racing to develop a Mission Production Twins racer based around the KTM 890 Duke and piloted by ‘20 class champion James Rispoli.
KTM will back up its ever-increasing paddock presence with a scaled-up contingency program, which will jump up by more than $200,000 to reach a potential payout of $537,200 across all three Progressive AFT classes in 2022.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Progressive AFT for 2022, and to build on our engagement with the Flat Track community,” said Meg Argubright, Motorsports Marketing Manager, KTM North America, Inc. “KTM has had strong showing on the track, and we are excited to foster the growth in the series by supporting the organization and its racers with increased contingency.”
Fans can get up close and personal with KTM’s versatile line-up of street motorcycles when the KTM RIDE ORANGE STREET DEMO TOUR joins the ‘22 series opening Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week at Volusia Speedway Park on March 10-11.
Registration will be open to the public and start at 8:30 a.m. both days, first come, first served. To participate, you must be an experienced rider at least 21 years old with proper riding attire and a government issued ID including a motorcycle endorsement. Riders between 21 and 24 can only ride motorcycles 500cc and under, while those 25 years or older are eligible to demo motorcycles 690cc and up.
For more information on KTM’s RIDE ORANGE STREET DEMO TOUR visit www.ktm.com.
You can secure your tickets to the 2022 Progressive AFT season opener now by visiting https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3666.
Catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event. The Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II will premiere back-to-back on FS1 on Sunday, March 20, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT.
FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.
It’s Go Time With The Daytona 200 Set To Kick Off The 2022 Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica Championship At Daytona International Speedway
IRVINE, CA (March 9, 2022) – MotoAmerica will begin its eighth year as the home of the AMA Superbike Championship this weekend and it will do so for the first time at one of the most iconic racing facilities in the world – Daytona International Speedway.
The 2022 Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica Championship will also begin for the first time without the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class as the Supersport class takes top billing in the 80th running of the Daytona 200. The Superbikes will begin their season in a month’s time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, with two races set to run in conjunction with the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas.
In addition to the Daytona 200, MotoAmerica will play host to three of its other classes at the “World Center of Speed” with Mission King Of The Baggers, MotoAmerica Twins Cup and Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship joining the 200 in three-days of action-packed racing taking place during the final weekend of Bike Week at the iconic Speedway, which is located just a few miles inland from the resort town of Daytona Beach.
Daytona 200
While the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship will begin in Texas in April, several of the stars of that series will make their 2022 racing debuts in the Daytona 200 – including defending champion Jake Gagne. Gagne will be joined by his new Attack Performance Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen with those two rolling on track on Thursday as definite pre-race favorites to win the 200.
Gagne returns to the Daytona 200 after an eight-year absence and hot on the heels of a 2021 season that saw him win a record 17 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races en route to the title. Gagne has finished on the podium twice in the Daytona 200 while South African Petersen will be making his debut in the race.
While those two are a stout team, there will be 48 other racers attempting to qualify who aren’t ready to concede victory.
Leading the charge will likely be Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion making his debut on the team’s Panigale V2. Herrin, the 2010 Daytona 200 winner and lap-record holder with his 1:48.331, will be trying to become just the second Ducati-mounted rider to win the 200 and the first since Jason DiSalvo in 2011.
Suzuki is also bringing the heat with the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team featuring three riders for the 200. The team will be led by with 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Richie Escalante in his only Supersport appearance of the year as he switches to the Medallia Superbike class in 2022. Escalante will be joined by South African Sam Lochoff and veteran Geoff May on the team’s GSX-R600s for Daytona. Hayden Gillim will also make his return to full-time racing in 2022 and he will start his season in the 200 on a Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 along with teammate Carl Soltisz.
Four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick and defending Daytona 200 champion Brandon Paasch will race Triumph Street Triple RSs in this year’s 200 for TOBC Racing, a team that has a lot of history and success in the race. Eslick has won four of the last seven Daytona 200s and his 2014 victory marked Triumph’s fourth and last victory in the 200. Two of Eslick’s four wins came on Yamahas with his other victory coming on a Suzuki.
Another rider who can’t be counted out in the 200 is Josh Hayes, the four-time AMA Superbike Champion doing a one-off ride on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. As hard as it is to believe, Hayes has yet to win a Daytona 200. In 2008, Hayes crossed the line in victory in the 200, but was later stripped of the win when his bike failed to pass post-race tech inspection. It’s been stuck in his craw ever since.
Mission King Of The Baggers
It goes without saying that the 2022 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship is going to be a heated battle between two bitter rivals – Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles – and it’s an age-old fight that dates back 100 years.
The 2022 fight between the two American motorcycle manufacturers begins on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway with two races (plus the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge) slated for Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, when 18 riders take to the grid.
The protagonists are clearly defined: the two factory Harley riders vs. the two factory Indian riders with plenty of back up from the rest of the field.
Harley’s factory effort has the Wyman brothers, defending MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle and his brother, Travis. Indian’s S&S-run team features 2022 series runner-up Tyler O’Hara and former MotoGP racer Jeremy McWilliams.
Vance & Hines Racing is running two of the Harley-Davidson Road Glides for road racer/flat tracker James Rispoli and his teammate former Superbike racer Taylor Knapp. Roland Sands Design, meanwhile, is fielding Frankie Garcia and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong on its Indian Challengers.
This year’s Mission King Of The Baggers series will also see top-notch woman racer Patricia Fernandez and her fiancée Cory West riding Saddlemen/Lloyd’z Garage Indian Challengers while two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee goes to battle on a Big Bear Performance Harley-Davidson.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup
Forty-six riders will take to the grid in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Daytona as the division continues to show incredible growth as it starts its fifth season as a class.
On paper, the pack of swarming twins will likely be led by 2021 class champion Kaleb De Keyrel, who defends his title on a Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 a season after taking the title on a Robem Engineering Aprilia.
The Robem team might just be the biggest thorn in De Keyrel’s side in 2022 as they bring a strong three-rider Aprilia team to the races, beginning with the doubleheader round at Daytona. Italian Tommaso Marcon leads the charge in his Daytona debut, and he’s joined by Twins Cup veteran Teagg Hobbs, who is switching from a Suzuki to an Aprilia for 2022, and fellow New Hampshirite Ben Gloddy, who moves up to Twins Cup after finishing as runner-up in last’s year’s SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship.
Race winners from last year who are hungry for more include Anthony Mazziotto on his Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing Aprilia RS 660; Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R7-mounted Jackson Blackmon; Veloce Racing Aprilia’s Jody Barry; and MP13 Racing’s Cory Ventura, who is making the switch from Aprilia to Yamaha for 2022.
The Pure Attitude Racing team will again feature Trevor Standish and Liam MacDonald while Hayden Schultz will go it alone on his Cycle Tech – Speed Weaponry Yamaha YZF-R7.
BARTCON Racing’s Dominic Doyle makes the move to the Twins Cup class after a season in Supersport and the 2020 Junior Cup Championship runner-up will likely be at or very near the front as he gets accustomed to his Yamaha YZF-R7.
Among the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racers making the jump to the Twins Cup this year are youngsters Blake Davis, on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7, and Gus Rodio, who will join fellow New Jerseyan Mazziotto on the Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing team.
RSD Super Hooligan
The Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan class will be 25 riders strong at Daytona with Roland Sands Design-sponsored, Indian FTR1200-mounted Tyler O’Hara likely to be at the front. He will be joined on the three-rider team by Frankie Garcia and Cycle News Road Test Editor Rennie Scaysbrook.
The challengers should be plentiful and will likely include Andy DiBrino on the KTM/DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R. Others expected to fare well will be Saddlemen/Lloyd’z Garage’s Cory West on another Indian FTR1200 and he will be joined on that team by his fiancée Patricia Fernandez.
Fernandez won’t be the only woman on the Super Hooligan grid as Nowaskey Performance/She’z Racing’s Shelina Moreda will compete on a Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP.
Five different manufacturers will strut their goods in the Super Hooligan races at Daytona with Harley-Davidson leading the way with 11 riders opting to ride a variety of models from the Motor Company. Seven riders will throw their legs over Indians; four will race KTMs; and two will compete on Ducatis. The lone BMW R nine T will be ridden by Soul Fuel BMW Motorrad’s Nate Kern.
Daytona Pre-Race Notes…
Yamaha is the winningest brand by far in the Daytona 200 with 27 trips to the top step in Victory Lane since the first-ever Daytona 200 was held in January of 1937 on the old beach circuit. The winner of that first Daytona 200 was Ed Kretz, who was riding an Indian. Harley-Davidson sits second on the-all time manufacturer win list in the 200 with 16 victories, the last of which was Cal Rayborn’s victory in 1969. The third highest win total goes to Honda with 11 victories in the 200 with Jake Zemke the last rider to win the race on a Honda in 2006.
The first Daytona 200 to be run at Daytona International Speedway was in 1961 with Roger Reiman taking victory on his Harley-Davidson.
The Daytona 200 switched to Superbikes in 1985 with Freddie Spencer winning his one and only Daytona 200 on a Honda. Superbikes were featured in the 200 until 2005 when 600cc Formula Xtreme bikes took over. The FX class ran in the 200 until 600cc Daytona SportBikes were used beginning in 2009 with Ben Bostrom’s victory on a Yamaha YZF-R6.
MotoAmerica will feature its Supersport class in the 80th running of the Daytona 200 using the FIM’s “Supersport New Generation” rules, which will see the class made up of everything from Yamaha’s YZF-R6 to Ducati’s Panigale V2 to Triumph’s Speed Triple RS and everything in between.
If there’s such a thing as strength in numbers in the Daytona 200 then Yamaha should fare well as 29 of the 50 entries are YZF-R6s. The manufacturer with the second most entries is Suzuki with nine, followed by Kawasaki with five, Ducati with four and Triumph with three.
Three former winners of the Daytona 200 will line up on for this year’s race with four-time victor Danny Eslick leading the win list over one-time winners Josh Herrin and Brandon Paasch, the defending Daytona 200 Champion. A victory by Eslick in this year’s race would give him five Daytona 200 wins and that would tie him with Scott “Mr. Daytona” Russell and Miguel Duhamel.
All five of Russell’s wins (1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998) in the Daytona 200 came when the class featured Superbikes; Miguel Duhamel won four 200s on Superbikes (’91, ‘96, ’99, 2003) and one on a 600cc Formula Xtreme bike (2005). Eslick’s four wins all came in the 600cc Daytona SportBike/Supersport era.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will race in the Daytona 200 on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayes has never won a 200, though he did cross the finish line first in 2008. Hayes’ Honda CBR600RR, however, didn’t pass its post-race technical inspection and the race instead went to Chaz Davies.
This year’s Daytona 200 will feature 2021 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne with Gagne being the first defending AMA Superbike Champion since Mat Mladin in 2004 to take part in the 200. Gagne last rode in the Daytona 200 in 2014 when he finished second to Danny Eslick. Prior to that, Gagne was fourth in the 200 in 2013.
Forty-six riders have entered the Twins Cup races for Daytona with three manufacturers represented. Yamaha leads the way with 22 entries; Aprilia is next with 15 entries and there are nine of Suzuki’s old but gold SV650s entered.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Josh Herrin Ready to Race as Daytona 200 Enters MotoAmerica Era This Weekend
2022 Daytona 200 Sees Debut of the Ducati Panigale V2 in America’s Great Race
Josh Herrin with a Ducati Panigale V2 streetbike. Photo courtesy Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York.
Sunnyvale, Calif., March 9, 2022 – One of the world’s iconic motorcycle racing events, the Daytona 200, will be held this weekend over March 10-12 and will see the debut of American Josh Herrin and the Ducati Panigale V2 against some of America’s finest tarmac protagonists.
Herrin has been hard at work in recent weeks, putting in the miles on the street and at a variety of track days across Southern California as he gets used to the characteristics of the Ducati L-twin. The former MotoAmerica Superbike Champion has gelled perfectly with the new-generation Supersport Panigale V2 and will be looking for nothing less than Ducati’s second 200 victory on the high Floridian banks to go with his win from 2010.
The 2022 Daytona 200 will be the first edition run under the management of the AMA and MotoAmerica, and will herald a new era for America’s Great Race with many of the sport’s leading stars in North America in attendance.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York): “Since I started racing the Daytona 200 in 2009, it’s always been one of my favorite tracks and riding for Ducati is huge for me. It’s a completely different bike and I’m gelling with it well. I love it on track and it is equally fun on the street. Working with Bobby (Shek, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York, Team Principal) the Denaples family, and everyone involved in the team has been fantastic. Everyone from Ducati Corse in Italy, and the CEO of Ducati North America Jason Chinnock, has been very hands-on, and we’re all really excited about the year ahead. “ Herrin continued. “Going into the 200, we have a beautiful, brand new bike, and I’m so pumped to be back at Daytona. We’ll be up there fighting for the win and hopefully we can come home with the win and Rolex. I can’t wait to get out there and race.”
The 2022 Daytona 200 starts with official practice on Thursday, March 10, with the 80th running of the race scheduled for Saturday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Ducati North America, Nowaskey Extreme Performance and Shelina Moreda Partner to Contest the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP Debuts in Super Hooligan Racing During Round One at Daytona International Speedway
Shelina Moreda and her Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Sunnyvale, Calif., March 9, 2022 – Ducati North America will team with Wisconsin-based Nowaskey Extreme Performance and renowned international road racer and Covergirl model, Shelina Moreda, for the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship.
Beginning with round one March 10-12 at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway, through to round two April 22-24 at Road Atlanta and concluding with round three July 8-10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Ducati, Nowaskey and Moreda will add a touch of glamor to a series that has exploded in popularity.
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP’s credentials are undoubted, the model having achieved an AMA Supermoto Championship victory in the Amateur Asphalt category at Tucson, Ariz., in 2021.
Boasting 114 horsepower and 71 lb-ft of torque, the light and agile Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP is supremely suited to Super Hooligan competition, with the team eyeing a podium position at Daytona against some extremely talented competition.
Shelina Moreda – International Road Racer: “I’m really looking forward to learning the Ducati Hypermotard’s riding secrets leading up to the event at Daytona,” said Moreda. “This class has a plethora of bikes and lots of fast riders, but I know the Hypermotard will be competitive and—as a Ducati—it’s certainly going to be the best looking bike in the field. I would like to thank Ducati North America for making this happen, and Hawk Mazzotta MotoCamps for the introduction to the Nowaskey Performance Team.”
Pete Nowaskey, Owner, Nowaskey Extreme Performance: “Shelina is a very competent rider and a great ambassador for the sport, and I am a big proponent of more women getting involved in the motorcycle industry,” said Nowaskey. “Shelina will work with female technician Dailyn Mortenson at Daytona, which is something I’m really pleased about. This is a new venture for Nowaskey Extreme Performance and me, and we had tested the Hypermotard 950 SP at the Jennings GP track this past weekend to get ready for Daytona. It’s a beautiful bike and I’m sure it will be very competitive in the Super Hooligan class. I’m extremely happy to be working with Ducati. I love the brand.”
Jason Chinnock, CEO, Ducati North America: “We really like Shelina,” said Chinnock. “We’ve worked with her on a couple of projects in 2021 including The Matrix film premiere in San Francisco and agreed that working together provides a great opportunity to bring more attention and awareness to the sport. Shelina’s approachable, authentic, and certainly has the skills on a motorcycle. These elements make her someone we want to work with. We’re an inclusive brand at Ducati. We want to reach the broadest possible audience yet remain true to our brand blues. Our relationship with Shelina offers us a chance to bring new riders into the Ducati family, and that’s a win for everyone.”
Round one of the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship is set for March 10-12 at Daytona International Speedway.
More, from a press release issued by 3D Motorsports:
3D Motorsports riders Power, Shakespeare, Boyce set to compete this weekend’s Daytona 200, MotoAmerica Twins Cup races at Daytona International Speedway
Oklahoma-based team to feature four riders competing in five MotoAmerica classes in 2022
Luke Power (268) testing his 3D Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R600. Photo by David T. Gillen, courtesy 3D Motorsports.
BLANCHARD, Okla. — 3D Motorsports LLC riders Luke Power, Steven Shakespeare and Mike Boyce are ready to kick off their team’s inaugural season competing in MotoAmerica this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Power will pilot a Suzuki GSX-R600 on Saturday in the first Daytona 200 operated by MotoAmerica, and Shakespeare and Boyce will contest the weekend’s Twins Cup races aboard Aprilia RS 660s
The 80th running of the Daytona 200 gets underway Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern, and the Twins Cup races are scheduled for Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. All competition takes place on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road racing layout.
The team’s fourth rider, Joe Mariniello, will start his 2022 MotoAmerica campaign in Junior Cup at the Road Atlanta round on April 22-24.
The Daytona races are to be Shakespeare’s only appearance in Twins Cup in 2022, as the Scottsdale, Ariz., resident will return to competing in Superbike Cup and Stock 1000 aboard a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the remainder of the season.
“I am very happy to be with 3D Motorsports for the 2022 season,” Shakespeare said. “The team has some of the best coaches and mechanics in the industry, which gives us riders a chance to perform at our best. I plan to work on improving my personal best lap times at each track and improving my qualifying performance.”
Boyce, from The Woodlands, Texas, is set contest the full 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup season aboard the Aprilia. Power, who hails from Lysterfield, Victoria, Australia, will race a GSX-R750 for the remainder of the season in Supersport. Mariniello, from Vermont, Victoria, Australia, will ride a Kawasaki Ninja 400.
The team was founded in 2021 by MotoAmerica veteran Dustin Dominguez, who is looking forward to his team’s debut at one of racing’s most historic venues.
“It’s been great to see my team grow from just concept last year to having a rider in the vast majority of MotoAmerica’s starting grids in 2022,” Dominguez said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what our riders can accomplish in our very first professional racing season.”
Coverage of this weekend’s races at Daytona International Speedway is available through MotoAmerica’s proprietary steaming service, MotoAmerica Live+. For more information, visit http://motoamericaliveplus.com.
3D Motorsports LLC’s sponsors for the 2022 MotoAmerica season include Orient Express, K-Tech, BTEC Turbines, 4SR USA, Blud Lubricants, CG Law, Evol Technologies, AF1 Racing, Southern Adrenaline, M4 Exhaust, Valor Farms, Second Hand Motorsports, LS2, Motorcycle Dealer Services and DrippinWet.
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Defending Champion Brandon Paasch Leads Stellar Field of 50 Entries for Saturday’s 80th Edition of The DAYTONA 200
140 Riders Set to Tackle Daytona International Speedway in Four Divisions Beginning Thursday; Great Tickets are Available!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2022) – Defending DAYTONA 200 Champion Brandon Paasch leads a stellar field of 50 riders – including two other former winners – who will vie for victory in Saturday’s 80th running of the DAYTONA 200, hosted by MotoAmerica, home of AMA Superbike and North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series.
Paasch, the Freehold, NJ native who used the draft with a perfect, calculated slingshot move at the entrance of the trioval coming to the checkered flag to win a year ago, will look to become the first rider since Danny Eslick to claim back-to-back DAYTONA 200 triumphs. Eslick, from Tulsa, OK, has a total of four DAYTONA victories, coming in 2014-15 and 2017-18). Lake Elsinore, CA native Josh Herrin, the 2013 Supersport Champion, went to the Daytona Ruoff Victory Lane in 2010.
The DAYTONA 200, which features the incredible machines on both the high banks of Daytona International Speedway as well as the infield road course, has tickets starting at $35 for frontstretch seating only and $45 for frontstretch seating coupled with infield access, which includes garages and UNOH Fanzone. Parking is also available for $20 in advance. All ticket options can be found at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. It’s all a part of the tradition-rich Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By Monster Energy.
In addition to the DAYTONA 200 on Saturday, the MotoAmerica weekend at Daytona International Speedway will be the opening round of the 2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship, marking the first time Baggers will race on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph. It will also see the first round of the Twins Cup Championship, plus there will be a Super Hooligans race. Race times are as follows for Saturday’s main events:
10:30 a.m.: Super Hooligans (5 laps)
11:15 a.m.: Twins Cup (9 laps)
11:50 a.m.: Daytona Supersport Alternate Main (12 laps)
1:00 p.m.: DAYTONA 200 (57 laps)
4:00 p.m.: Mission King Of The Baggers Entries From All Over The Map, And Lots Of Them
A grand total of 140 riders and bikes are entered into the races. In addition to the 50 entries for the DAYTONA 200, 46 will take to the 3.56-mile trioval road course that is also used for the Rolex 24. There are 19 riders scheduled for the Mission King of the Baggers. The Baggers will see 19 riders while 25 will go for the checkered in the Super Hooligans.
Seven of the competitors are from the state of Florida, four of which who are set to be in the DAYTONA 500. Deland’s James Rispolli will be one of the riders in the Mission King of the Baggers. A total of 20 riders hail from outside of the United States, including 12 in the DAYTONA 200.
New Rules for 2022
The DAYTONA 200 will feature new rules based off the proposed 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, which take into consideration several performance related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines. The DAYTONA 200 will not be included as part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, leaving the opportunity open for the best riders from around the world to compete for the minimum $175,000 in purse and contingency that will be offered.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Bikes will be on track first thing Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. in what will be a full day of on-track (concludes at 4:20 p.m.) activity for all four divisions. Friday will see qualifying, beginning at 9 a.m., in all four divisions plus races for the Super Hooligans, Twins Cup and Baggers. Friday’s slate concludes at 4:15 p.m. Saturday will mark an 8:00 a.m. start of bikes on track, with the DAYTONA 200 set for 1:00 p.m. followed by the Baggers race at 4:00 p.m.
Ride Along
Also, a part of the excitement of DAYTONA 200 weekend is the Dunlop M4 Suzuki Two-Seat Superbike program where fans fan take a ride around Daytona International Speedway with a professional superbike racer at speeds up to 150 mph! All proceeds from the Dunlop M4 Suzuki Two-Seat Superbike program are donated to the Roadracing World Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit focusing on improving racetrack safety through the deployment of soft barriers. Fans must be 18 years old to ride. Price is $500 person and includes weekend general admission and a weekend parking pass.
More Than Racing On The Iconic Asphalt
Monster will also be bringing the action and excitement this week with autograph sessions, demonstrations a FREE concert Friday – Steel Panther. The concert, which will be held in Lot 4 outside the Turn 4 tunnel entrance, are brought to fans by Monster Energy and will go from 4-5:15 p.m. For detailed information on all events, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
Exhibits Galore
In addition, fans and visitors can enjoy the Bike Week Motorcycle Marketplace at Daytona International Speedway, located just off International Speedway Blvd. The area’s largest motorcycle marketplace features the nation’s top motorcycle parts, apparel vendors and much more.
For all Daytona International Speedway event information, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as The World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
Winston, Georgia – Caesar Gonzales has qualified his candidacy for Representative in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. Gonzales, a motorcycle racer, technician, fabricator, business owner, and mechanical engineer.
Says Gonzales, “I have lived in the 13th District for 25+ years. The greatest long-term challenge facing the district is simply economic. This district has experienced one of the slowest economic recoveries and a drop in median incomes while leading with highest crime rates of all the Metro Atlanta congressional districts. With my representation, we will break the chains of poverty and government dependency by deploying realistic solutions in our technology-driven world.”
Platform priorities include –
• Vocational training.
• School Choice/Vouchers.
• Building up local economy and wages.
• Fiscal Accountability and oversight of federal resources.
• Securing the southern border and addressing the bureaucratic immigration process.
Westby Racing Crew Chief Ed Sullivan To Compete Aboard A Yamaha YZF-R7 In Twins Cup At Daytona
Tulsa, OK – Westby Racing is proud to announce that Ed Sullivan, the team’s crew chief, will be in the saddle of the #700 Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 for the first two races of the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship, which will take place this Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, at Daytona International Speedway. The announcement was made by Chuck Giacchetto, team manager of Westby Racing and owner of Giaccmoto Racing
“First, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Tom Halverson and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., for asking me to be a part of this brand-new YZF-R7 road racing project,” Chuck said. “Second, I want to thank Tryg Westby for giving me the support and guidance to take on a development program designed to activate this great new bike. I feel that the new Yamaha R7 will be a contender right out of the box at Daytona. We tested the bike at Daytona in January, and it was a massive success for us, and we gathered good data.
“Furthermore, the support and cooperation shared between all the teams that are racing R7 motorcycles this season has been really great for us. It just proves you can make more progress quicker when you all work together. The future of our program will be testing and developing parts and performance alike, while also activating the Yamaha R7 at MotoAmerica events. As of now, there are no plans for Giaccmoto Racing to enter our R7 at any other events besides Daytona. After all, we will soon be neck-deep in the Westby Racing Superbike program, which is, of course, our number-one priority”
Sullivan, who was born in Sussex, England and lives in Auburn, Georgia, is an accomplished road racer in his own right, and he has formerly raced in the Daytona 200, as well as several other events at Daytona International Speedway.
“There are so many people to thank for their help with this project,” Ed commented. “But, most of all, Chuck and also Don Finelli for putting the program together and building the bike. Plus, special thanks to Tryg for giving me a weekend off!
“I’m really looking forward to getting up on the Daytona banking with this new Yamaha R7 and seeing what we can do. This is our first step in the development program for the R7, and we hope that the information we gather will help achieve the goal of a Yamaha winning the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.”
Twins Cup race one will go green on Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m. ET, and race two is at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 12. Both races will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.
Greenger and Honda Powersports Release First Officially Licensed CRF-E2 Youth-Focused Electric Dirt Bike
New model features a competitive balance of performance and value
Available exclusively through American Honda Powersports Dealers
ONTARIO, Calif. (March 8, 2022) – Electric dirt bikes became a realistic option for kids and their families today with Greenger Powersports’ unveiling of the Greenger x Honda CRF-E2, resulting from a new collaboration with American Honda.
Representing a practical-but-exciting doorway to the world of powersports, the CRF-E2 brings the motorcycling experience to a new pool of customers, whose lives are already increasingly powered by electricity. On the one hand, the bike is a fun training tool for young new riders, as it eliminates the need to operate a clutch or shift lever. For kids who already have two-wheel experience, the CRF-E2 is a reasonably priced step up to real dirt bikes. For either group, it’s a quiet, environmentally responsible form of powered recreation that can be enjoyed in more places than traditional mini dirt bikes.
A 2022-model Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric mini dirt bike. Photo courtesy American Honda.
Driven by a low-voltage (48-volt) BLDC electric motor with an inner rotor, the CRF-E2 produces a maximum output of 3.4 horsepower and 18.4 foot-pounds of torque. Its lithium-ion battery has a best-in-class range of approximately two hours in ideal conditions with a full charge. The battery can be fully charged in four hours, or two-and-a-half hours with the optional quick-charge system. With an available spare battery, it can be swapped out in seconds – a Greenger exclusive feature in this class.
The CRF-E2 boasts high-quality components like a twin-spar aluminum frame, tapered aluminum handlebar, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes with petal-style rotors, adjustable aluminum brake levers and 12-inch aluminum wheels with Kenda® Millville K771 knobby tires. Suspension components comprise a 33 mm telescopic hydraulic fork and a DNM shock with adjustable preload and rebound damping; front- and rear-wheel travel are 3.9 and 8.3 inches, respectively. Thanks to red plastic bodywork and blue-and-white graphics mimicking those of Honda Performance dirt bikes like the CRF450R and CRF250R, kids can make believe they’re a Team Honda HRC Champion.
A 2022-model Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric mini dirt bike. Photo courtesy American Honda.
With adjustable hand levers and the ability to alter seat height between 24.8 and 25.5 inches, the CRF-E2 physically accommodates a range of riders weighing 99 pounds or less. In addition, maximum power output can be switched between two levels in order to adapt for varying skill and experience levels.
“The CRF-E2 will expand the enjoyment of riding off-road on two wheels to more families,” said Brad Chapman, Greenger Powersports Manager of Sales & Marketing. “The appeal to traditional enthusiasts is obvious, as it’s just a cool little dirt bike. At the same time, it breaks down barriers with people who wouldn’t otherwise consider powersports, but who are already comfortable with electricity’s increasingly ubiquitous role in our society. We can’t wait to see more kids getting the chance to discover what dirt bikes are all about.”
Through this new collaboration, the CRF-E2 is available exclusively through American Honda’s nationwide network of participating Powersports dealerships.
“We’re pleased to partner with Greenger Powersports to offer an innovative, approachable electric dirt bike to our customers and dealers,” said Bill Savino, American Honda Senior Manager of Customer Engagement. “One of Honda’s mission statements is ‘ensuring the joys for the next generation,’ and the CRF-E2 clearly aligns with that objective. We look forward to working together with Greenger to grow motorcycling well into the future.”
The second day of pre-season for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup saw rain affect play and a new trio rise to the fore
Tuesday, 08 March 2022
Day 2 of the Official FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup pre-season test at Jerez saw a trio of fresh names rise to the fore as rain affected play, with the returning Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) heading the timesheets by the end of the day. Once again, the field had three sessions, with the second and third proving the most useful running. The first was very wet, the second still affected and the final session mixed.
As well as track time in itself being a key focus for the field, there are also some bike updates from Energica to put through their paces, specifically a new motor and a new inverter*. The bike is now lighter as a result, and with that one of the key aims of the project since the inception of the Cup, it’s a positive evolution.
Behind Canepa at the top with his 1:58.895, second fastest was Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) as the Spaniard impressed to end the day 0.189 in arrears. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) was third quickest as the Japanese rider prepares for his second season in the Cup, but was also one of three crashers in the wet first session, along with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and the returning Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), riders ok.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) slotted into fourth, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the top five and from his best lap set in Session 2. The Brazilian then suffered a crash in the second session and sat out the final session of the day, as well as likely being sidelined from Day 3.
Day 1’s fastest rider, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), was half a second off Granado and ended Day 2 in P6, with Cardelus for close company. MotoGP™ podium finisher Smith, who returns to MotoE™ this year, was eighth quickest despite his crash. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) and Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE™) completed the top ten.
Sophomore Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) remains absent after the Spaniard had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis before the test.
That’s a wrap on Tuesday’s action, check out highlights and interviews on motogp.com for more info from Jerez and stay up to date with the third and final day of the first pre-season test on Wednesday!
*erratum: the motor and inverter are updated for 2022, not the battery as stated on 07/03/2022.
Today 8 March, on International Women´s Day the governing bodies of motor sport FIM and FIA together celebrate the gender equal world with a joint campaign presenting women who have been able to break the bias in motorcycling and motorsport.
Both federations FIM and FIA are committed to this cause for years and have worked hard to promote diversity and inclusion, inspiring, encouraging and helping women to take their place, both on track and off track.
FIM and FIA will carry out other actions together during the year, to further demonstrate that women have their place in motor sports and create opportunities for them in all the field of activities. It is a long-term commitment as there is still a long road ahead but that is crucial not only to our sports, but society as a whole.
FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission Director Nita Korhonen
This year´s IWD Campaign theme is very close to us as motorsport is the perfect arena where to break the bias and demonstrate that any barriers that might have existed in the old days should not prevent anyone to reach for their dreams. Both FIM and FIA are strongly against any kind of discrimination and today we want to show together that any woman who want to join motorcycling or motor sport is more than welcome to do so.
FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President Deborah Mayer
Both FIA and FIM have an important role to play in leading motorsports into a new era of further inclusivity. We must continue to work with determination to create a more visible and more accessible pathway for young females. Talent has absolutely nothing to do with gender and sport which is intended to bring people together should include, not exclude.
I welcome with great pleasure the partnership between FIM and FIA and by joining forces, we will be able to go further in the creation of motor sports centered around inclusivity and opportunities.
It is crucial for me to promote diversity, by showing young women that motor sport can offer them many opportunities in all sectors around the world.
Michael Klesel put on a show as he rode his Pirelli-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 to wins in C Superstock Expert, B Superbike Expert and C Superbike Expert races during the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s (CMRA) season opener on February 27, on the 17-turn, 2.38 mile full course at MSR Houston in Angleton, Texas.
With Sunday morning starting with cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 40’s, the day began to warmup with temperatures rising and lap times continuing to drop.
Klesel put his head down on Sunday taking each 600 win and leading every lap in each of those races.
Michael Klesel stated “It was a great start to the season. It was a bit cold, but I felt great on the motorcycle all weekend. Following the season last year, we made some changes to our program which showed to be a positive. The bike is on rails and I’m having fun on the motorcycle. I’m really excited to for the rest of the season.”
Michael Klesel would like to thank his sponsors Pirelli, RideSmart, P1 Racing, RES, KTECH, Orient Express, Evol Technology, FTECU, RS Taichi and Moto liberty.
The CMRA will be back in action April 1-3rd at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC) 8th Annual Westby Classic.
Defending MotoE World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (40). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to see detailed analysis of the results from the three-day MotoE test at Jerez.
Torres quickest on Day 3 in Jerez, Aegerter fastest overall
The 2020 and 2021 Cup winner heads the timesheets from new teammate Casadei as FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup testing concludes at Jerez
Wednesday, 09 March 2022
The first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup has now concluded at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, and it’s Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) on top of the combined timesheets – with double Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) hot on his heels after going fastest on Day 3. The three days of action in Andalucia have seen the field test out the new Energica Ego Corsa, with an updated motor and inverter making for a lighter machine, as well as use the track time to settle in, get back in the MotoE™ groove and, for some, prepare for an assault on the crown in 2022.
That’s surely the aim of 2021 key competitor Aegerter after the Swiss rider lost out on the Cup last season following some drama in the final race, and his 1:48.634 from Day 1 remains the fastest of the test overall to send a warning shot to the field. Torres’ 1:48.878 set in Session 3 on Day 3 is the second best of the test, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) slotting into third overall thanks to a previous time. The Brazilian was sidelined from Day 3 after a crash in the second session on Tuesday.
Dominique Aegerter (77). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Behind Torres on Wednesday, his new teammate Mattia Casadei slots into second with a 1:49.060, the Italian denying Aegerter by just 0.002. A couple of tenths further back saw Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) take P4 on Day 3, the Italian settling back in and having already impressed in mixed conditions to top the timesheets on Day 2. 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) was a further two tenths in arrears as he completed the top five.
Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE) took sixth on Wednesday as the Spaniard starts a new adventure in MotoE™ and adds another competition to his already decorated CV, with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) just hundredths in arrears. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) were eighth and ninth, respectively, and likewise split by hundredths as they return to the Cup. Kevin Zannoni completed the top ten as he settles in at Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse.
Smith, Casadei and Fores all crashed on Day 3, riders ok, and Okubo also took a tumble. The Japanese rider injured his finger, had minor surgery and will now require a couple of weeks of recovery.
That’s it from the first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup! Check out interviews, highlights and more across motogp.com and get ready for more as MotoE™ get back on track for their second test from the 11th to the 13th of April.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
AEGERTER TOPS EVENTFUL OPENING MOTOE TEST AT JEREZ
The opening official test of the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup drew to a close today at Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain. This was the first chance for this season’s protagonists to try the updated Energica Ego Corsa machine sporting the new EMCE motor and inverter, as previously introduced on the road-going counterparts of the bike.
Changeable weather affected on-track proceedings especially on day two, as the morning rain forced riders and teams to alter their work programme for all sessions – as the final one of the day was held in mixed conditions. At the end of the three days, it is clear that there is still a lot of potential to be extracted from the updated technical package.
After battling for the title in the past two seasons, Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) topped the timesheets courtesy of a 1’48.634secs lap-time set on day one, ahead of two-time and reigning World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). Unfortunately, Eric’s test was cut short due to an injury (partial rupture of the thigh muscle) following a crash on the second day of action.
The top six was completed by a trio of Italian riders, with new recruit of Team Pons Racing 40 Mattia Casadei edging out 2019 title winner Matteo Ferrari (Gresini Racing) and returning MotoE rider Niccolò Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team).
Seventh place went to series sophomore Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), followed by MotoE rookie – albeit motorcycle-racing veteran – Xavi Forés (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Hikari Okubo, with the Japanese rider also injured on the last day after crashing out at turn eight on a wet patch. Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team) was also ‘betrayed’ by a damp area of tarmac, albeit at the slow, last corner during the final session. The former MotoGP-riding Briton fortunately escaped uninjured from his tumble.
Things did not go as smoothly for Forés’s teammate and MotoE debutant Kevin Manfredi, who suffered several fractured ribs following a big highside on day one. The former WorldSSP rider is still under observation at hospital, but he is doing well – especially given the severity of the crash.
MotoE will return to action at Jerez on April 11-13 for the second and last official pre-season test.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycles and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
Team Ridesmart Pirelli (from left) Derek Thomas, JC Camacho, John Hutchinson (Team Owner), Michael Klesel (Team Captain), and Hayden Bicknese. Photo by Sahsa Lovan.
Team Ridesmart Pirelli Wins 2022 CMRA Season Opener ULW Endurance Series
Tomball, Texas – Team Ridesmart Pirelli opened the 2022 CMRA ULW Endurance series by taking first place overall in the season-opener five-hour endurance race February 26 at MSR Houston in Angleton, Texas. The team took the checkered flag in first overall with a solid one-lap lead.
Michael Klesel, Team Ridesmart Pirelli Team Captain, states: “We are very pleased to start the season with a win and hope to continue this success. The team is working great together and it’s something special to see.”
Team Ridesmart Pirelli would like to thank their sponsors: Ridesmart, Pirelli, P1 Racing, K-tech, Drippin Wet, Armour Bodies, Parts Unlimited, Evol Technology, Mike Boyce and Chris Caldwell.
CMRA will host round 2 on April 1-3 at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC) for the 8th Annual Westby Classic.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Progressive AFT and KTM North America Renew Official Partnership for 2022
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track and KTM North America are proud to announce that KTM will again be an Official OEM Partner of Progressive AFT for the 2022 season.
Since its inaugural season of factory participation in 2019, KTM, led by the Red Bull KTM Factory Race Team, has been a genuine force in the hotly contested Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. Last season, KTM 450 SX-F-mounted riders accounted for a full eight of the 16 available Main Event wins and placed second and third in the championship fight.
KTM is set up for another huge season in ‘22, as back-to-back championship runner-up Max Whale will be joined on the factory squad by 2021 Progressive AFT Rookie of the Year Kody Kopp.
Equally exciting, KTM will support an initiative by Wally Brown Racing to develop a Mission Production Twins racer based around the KTM 890 Duke and piloted by ‘20 class champion James Rispoli.
KTM will back up its ever-increasing paddock presence with a scaled-up contingency program, which will jump up by more than $200,000 to reach a potential payout of $537,200 across all three Progressive AFT classes in 2022.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Progressive AFT for 2022, and to build on our engagement with the Flat Track community,” said Meg Argubright, Motorsports Marketing Manager, KTM North America, Inc. “KTM has had strong showing on the track, and we are excited to foster the growth in the series by supporting the organization and its racers with increased contingency.”
Fans can get up close and personal with KTM’s versatile line-up of street motorcycles when the KTM RIDE ORANGE STREET DEMO TOUR joins the ‘22 series opening Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week at Volusia Speedway Park on March 10-11.
Registration will be open to the public and start at 8:30 a.m. both days, first come, first served. To participate, you must be an experienced rider at least 21 years old with proper riding attire and a government issued ID including a motorcycle endorsement. Riders between 21 and 24 can only ride motorcycles 500cc and under, while those 25 years or older are eligible to demo motorcycles 690cc and up.
For more information on KTM’s RIDE ORANGE STREET DEMO TOUR visit www.ktm.com.
You can secure your tickets to the 2022 Progressive AFT season opener now by visiting https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3666.
Catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event. The Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II will premiere back-to-back on FS1 on Sunday, March 20, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT.
FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.
No one will be allowed to use lithium polymer batteries on MotoAmerica racebikes effective immediately. This is a photo of the start of the 2021 Daytona 200 with Sean Dylan Kelly (40) leading Michael Barnes (34), Kyle Wyman (1), Brandon Paasch (96), and the rest of the fieldstart of the 79th Daytona 200, in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MotoAmerica Says “Daytona Here We Come”
It’s Go Time With The Daytona 200 Set To Kick Off The 2022 Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica Championship At Daytona International Speedway
IRVINE, CA (March 9, 2022) – MotoAmerica will begin its eighth year as the home of the AMA Superbike Championship this weekend and it will do so for the first time at one of the most iconic racing facilities in the world – Daytona International Speedway.
The 2022 Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica Championship will also begin for the first time without the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike class as the Supersport class takes top billing in the 80th running of the Daytona 200. The Superbikes will begin their season in a month’s time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, with two races set to run in conjunction with the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas.
In addition to the Daytona 200, MotoAmerica will play host to three of its other classes at the “World Center of Speed” with Mission King Of The Baggers, MotoAmerica Twins Cup and Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship joining the 200 in three-days of action-packed racing taking place during the final weekend of Bike Week at the iconic Speedway, which is located just a few miles inland from the resort town of Daytona Beach.
Daytona 200
While the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship will begin in Texas in April, several of the stars of that series will make their 2022 racing debuts in the Daytona 200 – including defending champion Jake Gagne. Gagne will be joined by his new Attack Performance Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen with those two rolling on track on Thursday as definite pre-race favorites to win the 200.
Gagne returns to the Daytona 200 after an eight-year absence and hot on the heels of a 2021 season that saw him win a record 17 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races en route to the title. Gagne has finished on the podium twice in the Daytona 200 while South African Petersen will be making his debut in the race.
While those two are a stout team, there will be 48 other racers attempting to qualify who aren’t ready to concede victory.
Leading the charge will likely be Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion making his debut on the team’s Panigale V2. Herrin, the 2010 Daytona 200 winner and lap-record holder with his 1:48.331, will be trying to become just the second Ducati-mounted rider to win the 200 and the first since Jason DiSalvo in 2011.
Suzuki is also bringing the heat with the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team featuring three riders for the 200. The team will be led by with 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Richie Escalante in his only Supersport appearance of the year as he switches to the Medallia Superbike class in 2022. Escalante will be joined by South African Sam Lochoff and veteran Geoff May on the team’s GSX-R600s for Daytona. Hayden Gillim will also make his return to full-time racing in 2022 and he will start his season in the 200 on a Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 along with teammate Carl Soltisz.
Four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick and defending Daytona 200 champion Brandon Paasch will race Triumph Street Triple RSs in this year’s 200 for TOBC Racing, a team that has a lot of history and success in the race. Eslick has won four of the last seven Daytona 200s and his 2014 victory marked Triumph’s fourth and last victory in the 200. Two of Eslick’s four wins came on Yamahas with his other victory coming on a Suzuki.
Another rider who can’t be counted out in the 200 is Josh Hayes, the four-time AMA Superbike Champion doing a one-off ride on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. As hard as it is to believe, Hayes has yet to win a Daytona 200. In 2008, Hayes crossed the line in victory in the 200, but was later stripped of the win when his bike failed to pass post-race tech inspection. It’s been stuck in his craw ever since.
Mission King Of The Baggers
It goes without saying that the 2022 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship is going to be a heated battle between two bitter rivals – Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles – and it’s an age-old fight that dates back 100 years.
The 2022 fight between the two American motorcycle manufacturers begins on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway with two races (plus the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge) slated for Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, when 18 riders take to the grid.
The protagonists are clearly defined: the two factory Harley riders vs. the two factory Indian riders with plenty of back up from the rest of the field.
Harley’s factory effort has the Wyman brothers, defending MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle and his brother, Travis. Indian’s S&S-run team features 2022 series runner-up Tyler O’Hara and former MotoGP racer Jeremy McWilliams.
Vance & Hines Racing is running two of the Harley-Davidson Road Glides for road racer/flat tracker James Rispoli and his teammate former Superbike racer Taylor Knapp. Roland Sands Design, meanwhile, is fielding Frankie Garcia and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong on its Indian Challengers.
This year’s Mission King Of The Baggers series will also see top-notch woman racer Patricia Fernandez and her fiancée Cory West riding Saddlemen/Lloyd’z Garage Indian Challengers while two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee goes to battle on a Big Bear Performance Harley-Davidson.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup
Forty-six riders will take to the grid in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Daytona as the division continues to show incredible growth as it starts its fifth season as a class.
On paper, the pack of swarming twins will likely be led by 2021 class champion Kaleb De Keyrel, who defends his title on a Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 a season after taking the title on a Robem Engineering Aprilia.
The Robem team might just be the biggest thorn in De Keyrel’s side in 2022 as they bring a strong three-rider Aprilia team to the races, beginning with the doubleheader round at Daytona. Italian Tommaso Marcon leads the charge in his Daytona debut, and he’s joined by Twins Cup veteran Teagg Hobbs, who is switching from a Suzuki to an Aprilia for 2022, and fellow New Hampshirite Ben Gloddy, who moves up to Twins Cup after finishing as runner-up in last’s year’s SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship.
Race winners from last year who are hungry for more include Anthony Mazziotto on his Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing Aprilia RS 660; Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R7-mounted Jackson Blackmon; Veloce Racing Aprilia’s Jody Barry; and MP13 Racing’s Cory Ventura, who is making the switch from Aprilia to Yamaha for 2022.
The Pure Attitude Racing team will again feature Trevor Standish and Liam MacDonald while Hayden Schultz will go it alone on his Cycle Tech – Speed Weaponry Yamaha YZF-R7.
BARTCON Racing’s Dominic Doyle makes the move to the Twins Cup class after a season in Supersport and the 2020 Junior Cup Championship runner-up will likely be at or very near the front as he gets accustomed to his Yamaha YZF-R7.
Among the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racers making the jump to the Twins Cup this year are youngsters Blake Davis, on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7, and Gus Rodio, who will join fellow New Jerseyan Mazziotto on the Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing team.
RSD Super Hooligan
The Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan class will be 25 riders strong at Daytona with Roland Sands Design-sponsored, Indian FTR1200-mounted Tyler O’Hara likely to be at the front. He will be joined on the three-rider team by Frankie Garcia and Cycle News Road Test Editor Rennie Scaysbrook.
The challengers should be plentiful and will likely include Andy DiBrino on the KTM/DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R. Others expected to fare well will be Saddlemen/Lloyd’z Garage’s Cory West on another Indian FTR1200 and he will be joined on that team by his fiancée Patricia Fernandez.
Fernandez won’t be the only woman on the Super Hooligan grid as Nowaskey Performance/She’z Racing’s Shelina Moreda will compete on a Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP.
Five different manufacturers will strut their goods in the Super Hooligan races at Daytona with Harley-Davidson leading the way with 11 riders opting to ride a variety of models from the Motor Company. Seven riders will throw their legs over Indians; four will race KTMs; and two will compete on Ducatis. The lone BMW R nine T will be ridden by Soul Fuel BMW Motorrad’s Nate Kern.
Daytona Pre-Race Notes…
Yamaha is the winningest brand by far in the Daytona 200 with 27 trips to the top step in Victory Lane since the first-ever Daytona 200 was held in January of 1937 on the old beach circuit. The winner of that first Daytona 200 was Ed Kretz, who was riding an Indian. Harley-Davidson sits second on the-all time manufacturer win list in the 200 with 16 victories, the last of which was Cal Rayborn’s victory in 1969. The third highest win total goes to Honda with 11 victories in the 200 with Jake Zemke the last rider to win the race on a Honda in 2006.
The first Daytona 200 to be run at Daytona International Speedway was in 1961 with Roger Reiman taking victory on his Harley-Davidson.
The Daytona 200 switched to Superbikes in 1985 with Freddie Spencer winning his one and only Daytona 200 on a Honda. Superbikes were featured in the 200 until 2005 when 600cc Formula Xtreme bikes took over. The FX class ran in the 200 until 600cc Daytona SportBikes were used beginning in 2009 with Ben Bostrom’s victory on a Yamaha YZF-R6.
MotoAmerica will feature its Supersport class in the 80th running of the Daytona 200 using the FIM’s “Supersport New Generation” rules, which will see the class made up of everything from Yamaha’s YZF-R6 to Ducati’s Panigale V2 to Triumph’s Speed Triple RS and everything in between.
If there’s such a thing as strength in numbers in the Daytona 200 then Yamaha should fare well as 29 of the 50 entries are YZF-R6s. The manufacturer with the second most entries is Suzuki with nine, followed by Kawasaki with five, Ducati with four and Triumph with three.
Three former winners of the Daytona 200 will line up on for this year’s race with four-time victor Danny Eslick leading the win list over one-time winners Josh Herrin and Brandon Paasch, the defending Daytona 200 Champion. A victory by Eslick in this year’s race would give him five Daytona 200 wins and that would tie him with Scott “Mr. Daytona” Russell and Miguel Duhamel.
All five of Russell’s wins (1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998) in the Daytona 200 came when the class featured Superbikes; Miguel Duhamel won four 200s on Superbikes (’91, ‘96, ’99, 2003) and one on a 600cc Formula Xtreme bike (2005). Eslick’s four wins all came in the 600cc Daytona SportBike/Supersport era.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will race in the Daytona 200 on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayes has never won a 200, though he did cross the finish line first in 2008. Hayes’ Honda CBR600RR, however, didn’t pass its post-race technical inspection and the race instead went to Chaz Davies.
This year’s Daytona 200 will feature 2021 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne with Gagne being the first defending AMA Superbike Champion since Mat Mladin in 2004 to take part in the 200. Gagne last rode in the Daytona 200 in 2014 when he finished second to Danny Eslick. Prior to that, Gagne was fourth in the 200 in 2013.
Forty-six riders have entered the Twins Cup races for Daytona with three manufacturers represented. Yamaha leads the way with 22 entries; Aprilia is next with 15 entries and there are nine of Suzuki’s old but gold SV650s entered.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Josh Herrin Ready to Race as Daytona 200 Enters MotoAmerica Era This Weekend
2022 Daytona 200 Sees Debut of the Ducati Panigale V2 in America’s Great Race
Josh Herrin with a Ducati Panigale V2 streetbike. Photo courtesy Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York.
Sunnyvale, Calif., March 9, 2022 – One of the world’s iconic motorcycle racing events, the Daytona 200, will be held this weekend over March 10-12 and will see the debut of American Josh Herrin and the Ducati Panigale V2 against some of America’s finest tarmac protagonists.
Herrin has been hard at work in recent weeks, putting in the miles on the street and at a variety of track days across Southern California as he gets used to the characteristics of the Ducati L-twin. The former MotoAmerica Superbike Champion has gelled perfectly with the new-generation Supersport Panigale V2 and will be looking for nothing less than Ducati’s second 200 victory on the high Floridian banks to go with his win from 2010.
The 2022 Daytona 200 will be the first edition run under the management of the AMA and MotoAmerica, and will herald a new era for America’s Great Race with many of the sport’s leading stars in North America in attendance.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York): “Since I started racing the Daytona 200 in 2009, it’s always been one of my favorite tracks and riding for Ducati is huge for me. It’s a completely different bike and I’m gelling with it well. I love it on track and it is equally fun on the street. Working with Bobby (Shek, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York, Team Principal) the Denaples family, and everyone involved in the team has been fantastic. Everyone from Ducati Corse in Italy, and the CEO of Ducati North America Jason Chinnock, has been very hands-on, and we’re all really excited about the year ahead. “ Herrin continued. “Going into the 200, we have a beautiful, brand new bike, and I’m so pumped to be back at Daytona. We’ll be up there fighting for the win and hopefully we can come home with the win and Rolex. I can’t wait to get out there and race.”
The 2022 Daytona 200 starts with official practice on Thursday, March 10, with the 80th running of the race scheduled for Saturday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Ducati North America, Nowaskey Extreme Performance and Shelina Moreda Partner to Contest the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP Debuts in Super Hooligan Racing During Round One at Daytona International Speedway
Shelina Moreda and her Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Sunnyvale, Calif., March 9, 2022 – Ducati North America will team with Wisconsin-based Nowaskey Extreme Performance and renowned international road racer and Covergirl model, Shelina Moreda, for the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship.
Beginning with round one March 10-12 at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway, through to round two April 22-24 at Road Atlanta and concluding with round three July 8-10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Ducati, Nowaskey and Moreda will add a touch of glamor to a series that has exploded in popularity.
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP’s credentials are undoubted, the model having achieved an AMA Supermoto Championship victory in the Amateur Asphalt category at Tucson, Ariz., in 2021.
Boasting 114 horsepower and 71 lb-ft of torque, the light and agile Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP is supremely suited to Super Hooligan competition, with the team eyeing a podium position at Daytona against some extremely talented competition.
Shelina Moreda – International Road Racer: “I’m really looking forward to learning the Ducati Hypermotard’s riding secrets leading up to the event at Daytona,” said Moreda. “This class has a plethora of bikes and lots of fast riders, but I know the Hypermotard will be competitive and—as a Ducati—it’s certainly going to be the best looking bike in the field. I would like to thank Ducati North America for making this happen, and Hawk Mazzotta MotoCamps for the introduction to the Nowaskey Performance Team.”
Pete Nowaskey, Owner, Nowaskey Extreme Performance: “Shelina is a very competent rider and a great ambassador for the sport, and I am a big proponent of more women getting involved in the motorcycle industry,” said Nowaskey. “Shelina will work with female technician Dailyn Mortenson at Daytona, which is something I’m really pleased about. This is a new venture for Nowaskey Extreme Performance and me, and we had tested the Hypermotard 950 SP at the Jennings GP track this past weekend to get ready for Daytona. It’s a beautiful bike and I’m sure it will be very competitive in the Super Hooligan class. I’m extremely happy to be working with Ducati. I love the brand.”
Jason Chinnock, CEO, Ducati North America: “We really like Shelina,” said Chinnock. “We’ve worked with her on a couple of projects in 2021 including The Matrix film premiere in San Francisco and agreed that working together provides a great opportunity to bring more attention and awareness to the sport. Shelina’s approachable, authentic, and certainly has the skills on a motorcycle. These elements make her someone we want to work with. We’re an inclusive brand at Ducati. We want to reach the broadest possible audience yet remain true to our brand blues. Our relationship with Shelina offers us a chance to bring new riders into the Ducati family, and that’s a win for everyone.”
Round one of the 2022 Super Hooligan National Championship is set for March 10-12 at Daytona International Speedway.
More, from a press release issued by 3D Motorsports:
3D Motorsports riders Power, Shakespeare, Boyce set to compete this weekend’s Daytona 200, MotoAmerica Twins Cup races at Daytona International Speedway
Oklahoma-based team to feature four riders competing in five MotoAmerica classes in 2022
Luke Power (268) testing his 3D Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R600. Photo by David T. Gillen, courtesy 3D Motorsports.
BLANCHARD, Okla. — 3D Motorsports LLC riders Luke Power, Steven Shakespeare and Mike Boyce are ready to kick off their team’s inaugural season competing in MotoAmerica this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Power will pilot a Suzuki GSX-R600 on Saturday in the first Daytona 200 operated by MotoAmerica, and Shakespeare and Boyce will contest the weekend’s Twins Cup races aboard Aprilia RS 660s
The 80th running of the Daytona 200 gets underway Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern, and the Twins Cup races are scheduled for Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. All competition takes place on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road racing layout.
The team’s fourth rider, Joe Mariniello, will start his 2022 MotoAmerica campaign in Junior Cup at the Road Atlanta round on April 22-24.
The Daytona races are to be Shakespeare’s only appearance in Twins Cup in 2022, as the Scottsdale, Ariz., resident will return to competing in Superbike Cup and Stock 1000 aboard a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the remainder of the season.
“I am very happy to be with 3D Motorsports for the 2022 season,” Shakespeare said. “The team has some of the best coaches and mechanics in the industry, which gives us riders a chance to perform at our best. I plan to work on improving my personal best lap times at each track and improving my qualifying performance.”
Boyce, from The Woodlands, Texas, is set contest the full 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup season aboard the Aprilia. Power, who hails from Lysterfield, Victoria, Australia, will race a GSX-R750 for the remainder of the season in Supersport. Mariniello, from Vermont, Victoria, Australia, will ride a Kawasaki Ninja 400.
The team was founded in 2021 by MotoAmerica veteran Dustin Dominguez, who is looking forward to his team’s debut at one of racing’s most historic venues.
“It’s been great to see my team grow from just concept last year to having a rider in the vast majority of MotoAmerica’s starting grids in 2022,” Dominguez said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what our riders can accomplish in our very first professional racing season.”
Coverage of this weekend’s races at Daytona International Speedway is available through MotoAmerica’s proprietary steaming service, MotoAmerica Live+. For more information, visit http://motoamericaliveplus.com.
3D Motorsports LLC’s sponsors for the 2022 MotoAmerica season include Orient Express, K-Tech, BTEC Turbines, 4SR USA, Blud Lubricants, CG Law, Evol Technologies, AF1 Racing, Southern Adrenaline, M4 Exhaust, Valor Farms, Second Hand Motorsports, LS2, Motorcycle Dealer Services and DrippinWet.
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Defending Champion Brandon Paasch Leads Stellar Field of 50 Entries for Saturday’s 80th Edition of The DAYTONA 200
140 Riders Set to Tackle Daytona International Speedway in Four Divisions Beginning Thursday; Great Tickets are Available!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2022) – Defending DAYTONA 200 Champion Brandon Paasch leads a stellar field of 50 riders – including two other former winners – who will vie for victory in Saturday’s 80th running of the DAYTONA 200, hosted by MotoAmerica, home of AMA Superbike and North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series.
Paasch, the Freehold, NJ native who used the draft with a perfect, calculated slingshot move at the entrance of the trioval coming to the checkered flag to win a year ago, will look to become the first rider since Danny Eslick to claim back-to-back DAYTONA 200 triumphs. Eslick, from Tulsa, OK, has a total of four DAYTONA victories, coming in 2014-15 and 2017-18). Lake Elsinore, CA native Josh Herrin, the 2013 Supersport Champion, went to the Daytona Ruoff Victory Lane in 2010.
The DAYTONA 200, which features the incredible machines on both the high banks of Daytona International Speedway as well as the infield road course, has tickets starting at $35 for frontstretch seating only and $45 for frontstretch seating coupled with infield access, which includes garages and UNOH Fanzone. Parking is also available for $20 in advance. All ticket options can be found at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. It’s all a part of the tradition-rich Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By Monster Energy.
In addition to the DAYTONA 200 on Saturday, the MotoAmerica weekend at Daytona International Speedway will be the opening round of the 2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship, marking the first time Baggers will race on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph. It will also see the first round of the Twins Cup Championship, plus there will be a Super Hooligans race. Race times are as follows for Saturday’s main events:
10:30 a.m.: Super Hooligans (5 laps)
11:15 a.m.: Twins Cup (9 laps)
11:50 a.m.: Daytona Supersport Alternate Main (12 laps)
1:00 p.m.: DAYTONA 200 (57 laps)
4:00 p.m.: Mission King Of The Baggers Entries From All Over The Map, And Lots Of Them
A grand total of 140 riders and bikes are entered into the races. In addition to the 50 entries for the DAYTONA 200, 46 will take to the 3.56-mile trioval road course that is also used for the Rolex 24. There are 19 riders scheduled for the Mission King of the Baggers. The Baggers will see 19 riders while 25 will go for the checkered in the Super Hooligans.
Seven of the competitors are from the state of Florida, four of which who are set to be in the DAYTONA 500. Deland’s James Rispolli will be one of the riders in the Mission King of the Baggers. A total of 20 riders hail from outside of the United States, including 12 in the DAYTONA 200.
New Rules for 2022
The DAYTONA 200 will feature new rules based off the proposed 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, which take into consideration several performance related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines. The DAYTONA 200 will not be included as part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, leaving the opportunity open for the best riders from around the world to compete for the minimum $175,000 in purse and contingency that will be offered.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Bikes will be on track first thing Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. in what will be a full day of on-track (concludes at 4:20 p.m.) activity for all four divisions. Friday will see qualifying, beginning at 9 a.m., in all four divisions plus races for the Super Hooligans, Twins Cup and Baggers. Friday’s slate concludes at 4:15 p.m. Saturday will mark an 8:00 a.m. start of bikes on track, with the DAYTONA 200 set for 1:00 p.m. followed by the Baggers race at 4:00 p.m.
Ride Along
Also, a part of the excitement of DAYTONA 200 weekend is the Dunlop M4 Suzuki Two-Seat Superbike program where fans fan take a ride around Daytona International Speedway with a professional superbike racer at speeds up to 150 mph! All proceeds from the Dunlop M4 Suzuki Two-Seat Superbike program are donated to the Roadracing World Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit focusing on improving racetrack safety through the deployment of soft barriers. Fans must be 18 years old to ride. Price is $500 person and includes weekend general admission and a weekend parking pass.
More Than Racing On The Iconic Asphalt
Monster will also be bringing the action and excitement this week with autograph sessions, demonstrations a FREE concert Friday – Steel Panther. The concert, which will be held in Lot 4 outside the Turn 4 tunnel entrance, are brought to fans by Monster Energy and will go from 4-5:15 p.m. For detailed information on all events, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
Exhibits Galore
In addition, fans and visitors can enjoy the Bike Week Motorcycle Marketplace at Daytona International Speedway, located just off International Speedway Blvd. The area’s largest motorcycle marketplace features the nation’s top motorcycle parts, apparel vendors and much more.
For all Daytona International Speedway event information, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as The World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
Racer Caesar Gonzales. Photo courtesy Caesar Gonzales For Congress.
Caesar Gonzales is Running for Congress In 2022
Winston, Georgia – Caesar Gonzales has qualified his candidacy for Representative in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. Gonzales, a motorcycle racer, technician, fabricator, business owner, and mechanical engineer.
Says Gonzales, “I have lived in the 13th District for 25+ years. The greatest long-term challenge facing the district is simply economic. This district has experienced one of the slowest economic recoveries and a drop in median incomes while leading with highest crime rates of all the Metro Atlanta congressional districts. With my representation, we will break the chains of poverty and government dependency by deploying realistic solutions in our technology-driven world.”
Platform priorities include –
• Vocational training.
• School Choice/Vouchers.
• Building up local economy and wages.
• Fiscal Accountability and oversight of federal resources.
• Securing the southern border and addressing the bureaucratic immigration process.
Ed Sullivan's Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 Twins Cup racebike. Photo courtesy Westby Racing.
Westby Racing Crew Chief Ed Sullivan To Compete Aboard A Yamaha YZF-R7 In Twins Cup At Daytona
Tulsa, OK – Westby Racing is proud to announce that Ed Sullivan, the team’s crew chief, will be in the saddle of the #700 Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 for the first two races of the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship, which will take place this Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, at Daytona International Speedway. The announcement was made by Chuck Giacchetto, team manager of Westby Racing and owner of Giaccmoto Racing
“First, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Tom Halverson and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., for asking me to be a part of this brand-new YZF-R7 road racing project,” Chuck said. “Second, I want to thank Tryg Westby for giving me the support and guidance to take on a development program designed to activate this great new bike. I feel that the new Yamaha R7 will be a contender right out of the box at Daytona. We tested the bike at Daytona in January, and it was a massive success for us, and we gathered good data.
“Furthermore, the support and cooperation shared between all the teams that are racing R7 motorcycles this season has been really great for us. It just proves you can make more progress quicker when you all work together. The future of our program will be testing and developing parts and performance alike, while also activating the Yamaha R7 at MotoAmerica events. As of now, there are no plans for Giaccmoto Racing to enter our R7 at any other events besides Daytona. After all, we will soon be neck-deep in the Westby Racing Superbike program, which is, of course, our number-one priority”
Sullivan, who was born in Sussex, England and lives in Auburn, Georgia, is an accomplished road racer in his own right, and he has formerly raced in the Daytona 200, as well as several other events at Daytona International Speedway.
“There are so many people to thank for their help with this project,” Ed commented. “But, most of all, Chuck and also Don Finelli for putting the program together and building the bike. Plus, special thanks to Tryg for giving me a weekend off!
“I’m really looking forward to getting up on the Daytona banking with this new Yamaha R7 and seeing what we can do. This is our first step in the development program for the R7, and we hope that the information we gather will help achieve the goal of a Yamaha winning the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.”
Twins Cup race one will go green on Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m. ET, and race two is at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 12. Both races will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.
Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric mini dirt bikes in action. Photo courtesy American Honda.
Greenger and Honda Powersports Release First Officially Licensed CRF-E2 Youth-Focused Electric Dirt Bike
New model features a competitive balance of performance and value
Available exclusively through American Honda Powersports Dealers
ONTARIO, Calif. (March 8, 2022) – Electric dirt bikes became a realistic option for kids and their families today with Greenger Powersports’ unveiling of the Greenger x Honda CRF-E2, resulting from a new collaboration with American Honda.
Representing a practical-but-exciting doorway to the world of powersports, the CRF-E2 brings the motorcycling experience to a new pool of customers, whose lives are already increasingly powered by electricity. On the one hand, the bike is a fun training tool for young new riders, as it eliminates the need to operate a clutch or shift lever. For kids who already have two-wheel experience, the CRF-E2 is a reasonably priced step up to real dirt bikes. For either group, it’s a quiet, environmentally responsible form of powered recreation that can be enjoyed in more places than traditional mini dirt bikes.
A 2022-model Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric mini dirt bike. Photo courtesy American Honda.
Driven by a low-voltage (48-volt) BLDC electric motor with an inner rotor, the CRF-E2 produces a maximum output of 3.4 horsepower and 18.4 foot-pounds of torque. Its lithium-ion battery has a best-in-class range of approximately two hours in ideal conditions with a full charge. The battery can be fully charged in four hours, or two-and-a-half hours with the optional quick-charge system. With an available spare battery, it can be swapped out in seconds – a Greenger exclusive feature in this class.
The CRF-E2 boasts high-quality components like a twin-spar aluminum frame, tapered aluminum handlebar, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes with petal-style rotors, adjustable aluminum brake levers and 12-inch aluminum wheels with Kenda® Millville K771 knobby tires. Suspension components comprise a 33 mm telescopic hydraulic fork and a DNM shock with adjustable preload and rebound damping; front- and rear-wheel travel are 3.9 and 8.3 inches, respectively. Thanks to red plastic bodywork and blue-and-white graphics mimicking those of Honda Performance dirt bikes like the CRF450R and CRF250R, kids can make believe they’re a Team Honda HRC Champion.
A 2022-model Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 electric mini dirt bike. Photo courtesy American Honda.
With adjustable hand levers and the ability to alter seat height between 24.8 and 25.5 inches, the CRF-E2 physically accommodates a range of riders weighing 99 pounds or less. In addition, maximum power output can be switched between two levels in order to adapt for varying skill and experience levels.
“The CRF-E2 will expand the enjoyment of riding off-road on two wheels to more families,” said Brad Chapman, Greenger Powersports Manager of Sales & Marketing. “The appeal to traditional enthusiasts is obvious, as it’s just a cool little dirt bike. At the same time, it breaks down barriers with people who wouldn’t otherwise consider powersports, but who are already comfortable with electricity’s increasingly ubiquitous role in our society. We can’t wait to see more kids getting the chance to discover what dirt bikes are all about.”
Through this new collaboration, the CRF-E2 is available exclusively through American Honda’s nationwide network of participating Powersports dealerships.
“We’re pleased to partner with Greenger Powersports to offer an innovative, approachable electric dirt bike to our customers and dealers,” said Bill Savino, American Honda Senior Manager of Customer Engagement. “One of Honda’s mission statements is ‘ensuring the joys for the next generation,’ and the CRF-E2 clearly aligns with that objective. We look forward to working together with Greenger to grow motorcycling well into the future.”
The second day of pre-season for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup saw rain affect play and a new trio rise to the fore
Tuesday, 08 March 2022
Day 2 of the Official FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup pre-season test at Jerez saw a trio of fresh names rise to the fore as rain affected play, with the returning Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) heading the timesheets by the end of the day. Once again, the field had three sessions, with the second and third proving the most useful running. The first was very wet, the second still affected and the final session mixed.
As well as track time in itself being a key focus for the field, there are also some bike updates from Energica to put through their paces, specifically a new motor and a new inverter*. The bike is now lighter as a result, and with that one of the key aims of the project since the inception of the Cup, it’s a positive evolution.
Behind Canepa at the top with his 1:58.895, second fastest was Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) as the Spaniard impressed to end the day 0.189 in arrears. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™) was third quickest as the Japanese rider prepares for his second season in the Cup, but was also one of three crashers in the wet first session, along with Xavier Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) and the returning Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team), riders ok.
2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) slotted into fourth, with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the top five and from his best lap set in Session 2. The Brazilian then suffered a crash in the second session and sat out the final session of the day, as well as likely being sidelined from Day 3.
Day 1’s fastest rider, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), was half a second off Granado and ended Day 2 in P6, with Cardelus for close company. MotoGP™ podium finisher Smith, who returns to MotoE™ this year, was eighth quickest despite his crash. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) and Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE™) completed the top ten.
Sophomore Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) remains absent after the Spaniard had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis before the test.
That’s a wrap on Tuesday’s action, check out highlights and interviews on motogp.com for more info from Jerez and stay up to date with the third and final day of the first pre-season test on Wednesday!
*erratum: the motor and inverter are updated for 2022, not the battery as stated on 07/03/2022.
Female team members, officials, and staff at the MotoGP race in Qatar. Photo courtesy FIM.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today 8 March, on International Women´s Day the governing bodies of motor sport FIM and FIA together celebrate the gender equal world with a joint campaign presenting women who have been able to break the bias in motorcycling and motorsport.
Both federations FIM and FIA are committed to this cause for years and have worked hard to promote diversity and inclusion, inspiring, encouraging and helping women to take their place, both on track and off track.
FIM and FIA will carry out other actions together during the year, to further demonstrate that women have their place in motor sports and create opportunities for them in all the field of activities. It is a long-term commitment as there is still a long road ahead but that is crucial not only to our sports, but society as a whole.
FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission Director Nita Korhonen
This year´s IWD Campaign theme is very close to us as motorsport is the perfect arena where to break the bias and demonstrate that any barriers that might have existed in the old days should not prevent anyone to reach for their dreams. Both FIM and FIA are strongly against any kind of discrimination and today we want to show together that any woman who want to join motorcycling or motor sport is more than welcome to do so.
FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President Deborah Mayer
Both FIA and FIM have an important role to play in leading motorsports into a new era of further inclusivity. We must continue to work with determination to create a more visible and more accessible pathway for young females. Talent has absolutely nothing to do with gender and sport which is intended to bring people together should include, not exclude.
I welcome with great pleasure the partnership between FIM and FIA and by joining forces, we will be able to go further in the creation of motor sports centered around inclusivity and opportunities.
It is crucial for me to promote diversity, by showing young women that motor sport can offer them many opportunities in all sectors around the world.
Michael Klesel (1) leads Kyle Coles (49) at MSR Houston. Photo by David T. Gillen, courtesy Michael Klesel.
Klesel Takes Three Wins At CMRA Season Opener
Michael Klesel put on a show as he rode his Pirelli-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 to wins in C Superstock Expert, B Superbike Expert and C Superbike Expert races during the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s (CMRA) season opener on February 27, on the 17-turn, 2.38 mile full course at MSR Houston in Angleton, Texas.
With Sunday morning starting with cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 40’s, the day began to warmup with temperatures rising and lap times continuing to drop.
Klesel put his head down on Sunday taking each 600 win and leading every lap in each of those races.
Michael Klesel stated “It was a great start to the season. It was a bit cold, but I felt great on the motorcycle all weekend. Following the season last year, we made some changes to our program which showed to be a positive. The bike is on rails and I’m having fun on the motorcycle. I’m really excited to for the rest of the season.”
Michael Klesel would like to thank his sponsors Pirelli, RideSmart, P1 Racing, RES, KTECH, Orient Express, Evol Technology, FTECU, RS Taichi and Moto liberty.
The CMRA will be back in action April 1-3rd at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC) 8th Annual Westby Classic.
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