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Australian Superbike: Maxwell, Staring Split Wins At Phillip Island

David Swarts
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Australian Superbike: Maxwell, Staring Split Wins At Phillip Island

A fast and consistent Bryan Staring has taken Round One [overall] victory of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK). 

In Alpinestars Superbikes Race One at Phillip Island, Wayne Maxwell (Ducati V4R) was the only rider in the 1:31’s and was looking untouchable until a stumble on lap 5 saw last year’s ASBK champion crash out at turn eight. Maxwell walked away unscathed, but the error left Bryan Staring (Ducati V4R) a clean road ahead with a four-second margin over the rest of the field.

An emotional Staring was almost lost for words on the podium, saying that he’d been “pretty patient for a pretty long time” waiting for this victory.

“We were chasing (Wayne) all weekend,” said Staring. “I knew that we had good race pace, but I didn’t know how good it needed to be though. Once we set out I could see the areas where we were strong and in the end, I kept the pressure on.”

Despite nursing a sore ankle from his excursion at Hayshed in Race One, Maxwell kept it neat and clean in race Two and was able to slowly edge a two-second gap to the fellow Ducati rider to take victory ahead of Staring and Cru Halliday (Yamaha YZF-R1).

Maxwell commended his team on preparing the number two bike to give him the win.

“It was good to get a bit back,” said Maxwell. “I’ve got a few bruises so I’ll go and get the body healed up.”

Senna Agius (Honda CBR RR) took Race One victory in Michelin Supersport ahead of Tom Bramich (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Jack Hyde (Yamaha YZF-R6). It was Senna’s weekend, however with the international-bound youngster taking the double in Race Two ahead of Tom Edwards, with Bramich this time occupying the final step of the podium.

In Dunlop Supersport, Harry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) took off where he left on Saturday by executing a perfect ride to take Race Two victory, one-tenth ahead of James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) and Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) rounding out the top three.

In Race Three, it was Varis Fleming’s turn to steal the win, two-tenths ahead Jacobs and a superb ride from Joseph Marinello (Kawasaki Ninja) to grab the final podium position after finishing just outside the top ten in race Two,

In the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, Varis Fleming (Yamaha YZF-R3) was able to better Harry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) by a mere one-hundredth of a second in Race Two, with Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) recording a strong weekend to score another podium.  Race Three saw round winner Fleming take another victory ahead of Jai Russo (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Aksu once again.

Marcos Hamod took Saturday’s fancied runners by surprise by seizing victory in Race Two of the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup ahead of Sam Drane and Teerin Fleming. Hamod took advantage of a race in two parts after a restart, while in Race Three, Harrison Watts took final honours ahead of Hamod and Fleming.

In Superbike Masters, Scott Campbell (Honda RC30 750) got the better of Murray Clark (Suzuki GSXR 1183) to take the win in Race 3, with Scott Webster (Harris Suzuki 1200) rounding out the top three.

Round one of the 2022 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul is proudly brought to you by Spokes.com.au

MotoAmerica: More On Vision Wheel’s 2-Year Deal With Team Hammer

David Swarts
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MotoAmerica: More On Vision Wheel’s 2-Year Deal With Team Hammer

VISION WHEEL’S BOLD NEW TITLE SPONSORSHIP WITH MOTOAMERICA’S ICONIC TEAM HAMMER 

BREA, Calif., February 28, 2022 — For the 42nd consecutive year, the iconic Team Hammer is racing motorcycles in the U.S., fresh from dominating the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, and looks ready to continue to be competitive in 2022. The team, now racing as Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, is fielding a talented lineup of racers across multiple classes, all racing legendary Suzuki GSX-R machinery.

One new aspect to the effort is the team’s title sponsor, Vision Wheel. A leading aftermarket custom wheel supplier for many vehicle types; the goal for Vision Wheel is to reach their present and future customers through racing.  “The people that go to the races and are all about racing, they are the Vision Wheel customer,” said Roger Minor, Vision Wheel’s CEO, “the demographics are a perfect fit for us.

“This is our 46th year and we continue to grow quite rapidly. We’ve got great wheel options for trucks, SUVs, automotive, ATV/UTV applications and Jeeps… we’re just about in every automotive and truck segment. We have strong distribution throughout the country and our products are found in thousands of stores and shops around the United States.”

 

Vision Wheel’s new Vision It Augmented Reality app, gives users the ability to see what Vision Wheel looks best on their vehicle. Available free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel’s new Vision It Augmented Reality app, gives users the ability to see what Vision Wheel looks best on their vehicle. Available free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

Further setting apart Vision Wheel’s marketing is the Vision It AR augmented-reality smartphone app; allowing users to take a photo of their vehicle and see what it would look like with different Vision Wheels. “We’re the only aftermarket wheel company currently offering this app that we’re aware of, and it works great,” said Minor. “Users may see what their ride’s going to look like and share the upgrade with their friends.”

Vision Wheel joined the MotoAmerica race series as a sponsor last year; and now has upped its support for 2022. “For us as a company, it is all about reaching more people,” Minor continued, “getting our name out there more effectively, and becoming more of a household name for enthusiasts. We sponsored a MotoAmerica rider last year; and had a strong response. Joining forces with Team Hammer expands on that support and will help us reach our business goals. We’re on the bikes in all the classes Team Hammer competes in. We’re looking to extend our sponsorship with social media content, TV coverage and exposure with race fans at each MotoAmerica event.”

Minor credited the MotoAmerica organizers with positive growth. “I’m really happy with MotoAmerica.   Their leadership is doing a great job, and the sport is growing again in the United States. I was really excited last year with how many people were at the races. MotoAmerica is seeing attendance levels they hadn’t seen in many years.”

As a lifelong motorcyclist, Minor himself raced for fun over the years. “I was a hobby racer,” said Minor, recalling his racing days. “I raced a few years from the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s; but I was running a company and working every day. Racing was a hobby, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s a passion for me. I love motorcycles and I love motorcycle racing.”

Minor felt the competitive urge a few years ago and once again took to the track. “I raced again in 2012; just as a kind of ‘bucket list’ item, coming up on 60 years old. Team Hammer helped me with a competitive bike and a couple of technicians to support me at the races. I had huge fun that year playing around as a hobby. Team Hammer has always been very well run, and it is a great relationship for us. I’ve known the guys since the 1980’s, John Ulrich and Keith Perry and other key team members.  They are very well respected.  Team Hammer is very professional and the type of organization Vision Wheel strives to be associated with.”

Another highlight for the 2022 Team Hammer sponsorship is Vision Wheel supporting a three-bike Daytona 200 race effort that includes Team Hammer racers, Richie Escalante, Sam Lochoff plus Vision’s Geoff May, all competing on defending Supersport-championship winning Suzuki GSX-R600 race bikes.

“We can’t wait to get on the grid at Daytona,” concluded Minor.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER 

The 2022 season will mark Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 332 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol and won four F-USA Championships.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

ABOUT SUZUKI

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.

MotoAmerica: Matt Truelove Joins TSE Racing For Daytona 200

David Swarts
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MotoAmerica: Matt Truelove Joins TSE Racing For Daytona 200

TSE racing is excited to welcome Matt Truelove to join is brother Harry on the team for Daytona. TSE started prepping for Daytona with intentions of only having one rider. With a last minute change in Matt’s schedule, it made him available for Daytona as well.

Mark Stiles team owner – “We are very excited to have both Matt and Harry join us for the Daytona 200. Being a family owned and operated team, we couldn’t think of anything better than to have two brothers ride for us. TSE racing originally started as a father-daughter team with myself and my daughter Meghan. It then became a husband-wife team when Meghan married Scotty Ryan. I could have never imagined this is where we would be, when we I started this journey with Meghan, 22 years ago.”

Matt Truelove – “I can’t thank the TSE team enough for making this happen at the last minute. I new it might be a long shot but I made the call a week before the entry deadline, and we where able to put everything together. I have to give a big thanks to my sponsors and Ian Newton as well. I’m really excited to be entering such an iconic race, and hope I can have a good result. This is going to be a great experience!”

Follow TSE Racing on Instagram @TSE_Racing or on Facebook for all event updates.

MotoAmerica: SportbikeTrackGear.com Returns As Sponsor For Junior Cup

David Swarts
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MotoAmerica: SportbikeTrackGear.com Returns As Sponsor For Junior Cup

SportbikeTrackGear.Com Returning As Title Sponsor Of The MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship

Online Apparel And Parts Specialists Set For 2022 MotoAmerica Sponsorship Again
 

IRVINE, CA (February 28, 2022) – MotoAmerica, the premier road racing series in North America, is happy to announce that, after an extremely successful first season of title sponsorship of the Junior Cup class in 2021, Sportbike Track Gear will again be the title sponsor of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship in 2022.

Owned and operated by the VanDenBroucks (commonly known as the Vans), Sportbike Track Gear started life as a trackside vendor and has since turned into a highly successful motorcycle apparel and parts website, SportbikeTrackGear.com. The Vans are heavily involved in the MotoAmerica series not only from a sponsorship perspective but also as a family. Their son, Max, competes in the series with his father Brian serving as his crew chief and mentor.

“It was a great experience for us to be involved in the MotoAmerica Series last year with our sponsorship of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship,” said Brian Van. “And racing in the series with our son Max makes it even better. Last year was special as it was our first season as the class sponsor and our first full season of MotoAmerica racing with Max. This year will be even more exciting with a season under our belt.”

Max Van finished his first full season of SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racing ranked seventh in the championship with a best finish of fourth at Road America.

“It’s great that SportbikeTrackGear.com had a successful season with us in 2021 and are returning as a class sponsor again in 2022,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s really cool that they are not only a class sponsor, but they also sponsor the class that their son races in. We enjoy seeing families at our events successfully working together and the Vans are the perfect example of that.”

The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship opens its season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 22-24.
 

2022 MotoAmerica SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Series Schedule

April 22-24                 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta                 Braselton, GA

May 20-22                  VIRginia International Raceway                  Danville, VA

June 3-5                     Road America                                             Elkhart Lake, WI

June 24-26                 Ridge Motorsports Park                              Shelton, WA

July 8-10                     WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca         Monterey, CA

July 29-31                   Brainerd International Raceway                 Brainerd, MN

August 19-21              Pittsburgh International Race Complex     Wampum, PA

September 9-11         New Jersey Motorsports Park                    Millville, NJ

September 23-25       Barber Motorsports Park                            Birmingham, AL

 

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.

Dee Moses Wins A Set Of Dunlop Q3+ Tires In Reader Survey Part 3

David Swarts
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Dee Moses Wins A Set Of Dunlop Q3+ Tires In Reader Survey Part 3

The Roadracing World 2022 Reader Survey, Part 3, was brought to you by Dunlop.

Dee Moses, of Tampa, Florida, is the winner a set of Dunlop Q3+ motorcycle tires.

The Q3+ was designed at Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY headquarters, was tested extensively at Dunlop’s Huntsville Proving Grounds as well as several racetracks in the U.S., and is manufactured in the Buffalo plant on the same high-tech production equipment as Dunlop’s racing tires. Dunlop’s Carbon Fiber Technology (CFT) employed in the Q3+ uses carbon fiber reinforcement in the tire sidewalls for exceptional cornering performance and feel. The aggressive Q3+ tread pattern uses minimal tread grooves that are long in length to enhance wet-weather performance. Intuitive Response Profile™ (IRP) technology in the Q3+ rear tire allows greater latitude in line choice while cornering, plus amazingly linear steering. MT Multi-Tread™ technology in the Q3+ rear tire uses a silica-infused, long-wearing compound in the center of the tread for longer tread life, and special lateral grip compounds on the left and right shoulders for outstanding grip. The Q3+ offers superb grip, stability, steering feel and longevity on the street and on the track.

Dunlop’s Q3+ tires are available in a wide range of sizes from authorized dealers and retailers with prices starting at $197.25 for front tires and $243.96 for rear tires.

The prize winner for Roadracing World’s 2022 Reader Survey, Part 3, was selected at random at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, February 27th.

 

 

 

Survey results are used to improve content for readers and marketing for our advertisers.  Name and address required for prize drawing. Entrants will automatically receive a free three-issue trial subscription to Roadracing World magazine with no obligation.  No mailing list or confidential individual information is shared with third parties. Roadracing World’s privacy policy can be viewed here. To sign up to receive upcoming, short installments of future Roadracing World reader surveys and other promotional e-mails from Roadracing World, CLICK HERE.

For more information on how your product can be the presenting sponsor of an upcoming portion of the Roadracing World 2022 Reader Survey, email Anne Roberts, [email protected].

About Roadracing World

Established in 1990, Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is THE definitive source for motorcycle racing, riding, and tech information.

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats. SUBSCRIBE NOW. Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

MotoGP: 2022 World Championship Begins March 4 In Qatar

David Swarts
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MotoGP: 2022 World Championship Begins March 4 In Qatar

Ready, set… race! As the sun goes down, the lights go out at Lusail

MotoGP™ is back in business as the Qatar GP kicks off the 2022 season – with spectacle guaranteed

Monday, 28 February 2022

2021 saw every manufacturer take home a podium and heralded some of the closest top-15 finishes of all time. More records were broken, new winners emerged, and a few precedents were set. France got its first premier class World Champion. We bid a racing farewell to legends and winners. But that’s already a chapter in the history books, and now we’re about to open the cover on 2022 and welcome the new. As we do, the title page bears a simple message: welcome back to the greatest show on Earth. Please keep your hands and feet inside the rollercoaster at all times.

It’s Lusail International Circuit that hosts the now iconic floodlit opening round, and in 2022 there are 24 riders waiting for the lights to go out – 14 of whom are World Champions, which is a new record. Five are premier class rookies, 12 are premier class race winners. One has eight World Championships. One wears the crown. Another signed off 2021 with the momentum. And yet more have reset, recharged and come back to the fight with a little more in the tank for 2022…

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) must lead the headlines as both the reigning Champion and a winner at the track in 2021. Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer at Lusail and they took both victories at the track last year, so that’s also a good omen for Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), two-time Qatar winner Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) and his new teammate, rookie Darryn Binder. But pre-season testing saw a few glances of discontent for the Iwata marque in their ongoing battle to increase top speed, among other things, and it seemed reviews were mixed. Now the proof of the testing will be in the racing, so what have Yamaha got in the locker… and will there remain harmony between man and machine?

For many races in the latter half of 2021, and ominously at times, that harmony was personified elsewhere: Ducati. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a few stumbles on his way to the top step in the premier class, but when he did get there, he couldn’t keep away. After an all-Ducati podium to round out the season as well, the momentum was steamrolling and hopes will remain high going into 2022. Testing wasn’t the all-out assault on the timesheets some expected, but then cards may well remain close to chests. Bagnaia, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) are quite an experienced armada for the Bologna factory, and Lusail is tied as their second most successful track. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) both look pretty pacy too, adding some extra intrigue to the fight for Rookie of the Year.

So what of Suzuki? By comparison to Yamaha most especially, it was a fairly glowing preseason for the Hamamatsu factory. Smiles, gains, and quietly confident progress seemed to sum it up for 2020 MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir and teammate Alex Rins, with one thing on their shopping list – more power – seemingly delivered. In Qatar, Suzuki haven’t finished better than fourth so a podium would be a good way to underline said progress and start building some foundations. Both Mir and Rins will also be exceptionally keen to avoid a repeat of what happened on the line to the number 36 last year as two Ducatis pipped Mir to the post.

Someone who knows that feeling at Lusail is eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The number 93 has more MotoGP™ wins than the rest of the grid combined, but a couple have got away in Qatar courtesy of Dovizioso and time will tell whether the 2022 edition will prove different. It’s been a long road to recovery but recovered the Honda rider is, and facing that down could be enough of a challenge for the rest of the grid on its own. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) looks to have made a key step with the all-new RC213V too, and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will be looking to prove the same.

For KTM, Lusail isn’t the best place to start the season, having never been the kindest match for the RC16. The Austrian factory’s best result at the track is a P8. However, new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti already stated in testing that the plan is to find a new foundation from which to continue development, so Qatar being another different track is useful in itself. The talent pool is too: Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira remain at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and both look to make 2022 the third year in a row they’ve both taken premier class wins. There are two new kids on the block at Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing as well: 2021 Moto2™ Champion Remy Gardner and the rookie who nearly beat him to the crown, Raul Fernandez. They’ll be looking to hit the ground running.

Finally, Aprilia. Now MotoGP™ podium finishers and heading into 2022 with a new, leaner, and reportedly further improved RS-GP, pre-season saw the Noale factory steal plenty of headlines. Aleix Espargaro is now an established frontrunner with the marque and took the factory’s best result at Lusail of a sixth place, but Maverick Viñales is a little more settled in now too. The number 12 was also the rider on the top step in the 2021 season opener, and has won at Lusail before that too, albeit with a different manufacturer. Can Aprilia come out swinging? Will the top five or the podium beckon? Who will come out on top in the battle of the teammates? We’re about to find out!

As ever, the engines roar for race day once the sun’s gone down in Doha, and it’s 18:00 (GMT +3) local time when the field will thunder towards Turn 1 for the first time this season. So join us for another spectacular on Sunday, and keep up with Free Practice and qualifying once the premier class action begins at 13:40 on Friday.

Moto2™ take on the new kid on the block

After ominous pace in testing, it’s time for Acosta saddle up in the intermediate class – and for his rivals to see how they measure up

If Moto3™ were singing “How do you solve a problem like Acosta?” last year, pre-season testing tells us it’s the turn of Moto2™ in 2022. The reigning lightweight class Champion has gone from incredible rookie in one class to seemingly exactly the same in another, topping testing in Portugal and ominous from the start. Given Doha is where the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider began his World Championship career last year with a second place and then that awe-inspiring win from pitlane, the now number 51 is likely walking the tallest into Lusail International Circuit.

The intermediate class, however, is a different challenge in many ways. Tyres, tactics… there’s usually no freight train and laptimes are crafted. But Raul Fernandez is the example that will most interest Acosta, and there’s no reason to believe this year’s Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie can’t turn his established speed into race-long pace. So who’ll be looking to stop him?

Teammate Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will be one. He’s now the Ajo machine sporting the number 37, and with some wins and podiums under his belt already, Fernandez has proven speed. It seems the Spaniard had to compromise and ride within the limit at times in 2021 though, and while that’s a compromise every rider makes, Fernandez will be looking to unlock the margin that’s made him look on rails at times in the past. Now in the team that dominated last year, will change breed more glory?

For Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), meanwhile, the hope will be in continuity – and recovering from tendonitis in his wrist in pre-season. The Brit won both Grands Prix at Lusail last season for some good omens though, so if Lowes is limited the venue is a kinder one. Tony Arbolino will be interesting to watch too as he takes over as Lowes’ teammate, with the Italian having shown flashes of pace but now looking to make a step up.

Flashes of pace isn’t quite enough to describe the now multitude of podiums for Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40), but the Spaniard is intent on the top step and a title charge in 2022. He’s been quick in preseason and seems to have settled in at the team, with Jorge Navarro alongside. Jake Dixon, who heads for Inde GASGAS Aspar Team, also looked quick in testing, and it seems his new teammate, Albert Arenas, has taken a step forward too. The likes of Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) will be looking to head that off and aim squarely for the podium, however, and the names of those who could bring some noise in 2022 just keep on coming.

Americans Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) are two who will be interesting to watch. The latter now seems in the groove in Moto2™, and the former appears to have a little mojo back. That could prove quite a serious issue for his rivals in Qatar, as Roberts’ form at Lusail catapulted him to his first pole position in 2020, which was also the first for an American in 10 years. He went on to take his best result at the time of a fourth place too. Since, he’s been on the podium but only once, so could the stage be set?

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up), meanwhile, finds himself between a rock and hard place in some ways, as the reigning Moto2™ European Champion has done too many events to be classed as a rookie. And yet, he hasn’t taken on Lusail. With good experience in the class already though, he’ll want to have the jump on those who will be fighting to be top debutant this season, and there are ten of them.

Alongside Acosta, fellow Moto3™ graduates Niccolo Antonelli (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2), Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) make the move, and Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2) goes from MotoE™ to Moto2™ after a successful switch of WorldSSP for MotoE™. Manuel Gonzalez cuts out the middle man there and comes straight from WorldSSP to Moto2™ with the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team, and he’ll be alongside Keminth Kubo as the Thai rider moves from the Moto2™ European Championship.

At American Racing, Sean Dylan Kelly arrives from Supersport in his home US of A, and then finally, Zonta van den Goorbergh makes a mammoth move as the Dutchman goes from Moto3™ Junior to Moto2™ World Championship. The range of CVs and riders will definitely make for some interesting viewing in 2022, but can anyone get close to following Acosta’s lead?

Moto2™ take centre stage at Lusail at 16:20 (GMT +3) on Sunday. Make sure to tune in as the unique mixture of pace and pressure hits boiling point in the desert, with Acosta staring down another chance at a little history and the rest of the field looking to get in his way.

Veterans vs rookies: who will vie for victory in Qatar?

The experienced runners look to start their campaigns for the crown as an influx of new talent joins Moto3™

2021 was a milestone year for Moto3™, with a year-long battle ultimately won by a rookie sensation on the way to breaking some incredible records. But that was then and this is now, with said sensation now firmly Moto2™’s problem and the throne looking for a new name. The long road to deciding who will reign in 2022 begins now and it begins at Lusail International Circuit.

Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), the 2021 runner up and rider with the most Moto3™ wins – six – will be keen to start off on a high. The Italian was fastest in testing too, and arrives with some serious momentum built in the latter half of last year. Sergio Garcia (Gavita GASGAS Aspar Team), who likewise challenged for the crown in 2021, has his eyes on a title campaign too, and he has four Moto3™ wins in his pocket. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, is one of the most seasoned frontrunners and he’ll be looking to hit back after a tougher season in 2021, with the year marred by some injury struggles on top of welcoming the fastest rookie teammate in history.

There are plenty more veterans and podium finishers too. John McPhee heads to Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max and Tatsuki Suzuki saddles up alongside Foggia at Leopard. Both have more than one victory and plenty of experience. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) had a 2021 worthy of a springboard into an even better year, and Izan Guevara (Gavita GASGAS Aspar Team) took an impressive rookie year maiden win and, like Migno, remains in the same team. That could be important for continuity, but Xavier Artigas will be looking to prove that wrong as he moves to CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP, also with a rookie win under his belt from 2021. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) will want more podiums and to attack the top step, and so will Ayumu Sasaki as the Japanese rider moves to Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max.

In terms of Lusail, there are two previous winners on the grid who’ll be glad of that extra shot of confidence that comes from good memories. One is Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), and the other is Masia after his season opening victory last year. Foggia, meanwhile, had a tougher time of it across the two Grands Prix at Lusail last season: he crashed in Qatar and then started from pitlane in the Doha GP, unable to move through for points. Will that matter given the storming latter half of the season, and speed in testing, from which the Italian arrives?

Then there are the rookies, and this year there are a good few. 2021 FIM Moto3™ Junior World Champion Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), runner up David Muñoz (BOE SKX), 2021 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup winner Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), experienced junior runner Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Australian Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power), Brazilian Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Italian Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team), Indonesian Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) and the British duo at the all-new VisionTrack Racing Team: Scott Ogden and Joshua Whatley. However, Muñoz won’t be on track as yet due to his age and Gerard Riu will take over, and Furusato is suffering a broken ankle after a crash in testing. For the rest, that’s a small headtstart in the fight to take that coveted Rookie of the Year title… and it really will be so this season, with a packed list of debuting talent.

There’s also the return of Ana Carrasco (BOE SKX) to watch out for, who is far from a rookie but nevertheless facing a mountain to climb to get back in the Moto3™ groove. Not since 2015 has the first female solo motorcycle racing World Champion ridden in the lightweight class of Grand Prix racing, and she arrives with that 2018 WorldSSP300 title to her name but the challenge remains real. How will she get on a mammoth nine years since her rookie Moto3™ season?

Moto3™ head out first in Qatar, with lights out set for 15:00 (GMT +3) local time. Will it be Foggia, Masia, Garcia? A new name on the top step? We’ll start to see more of the picture in Free Practice, so tune in from 11:50 on Friday morning as the first session of the season gets us in gear.

Video: Celebration Of Life For Jason Aguilar (Updated With Full Video)

David Swarts
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Video: Celebration Of Life For Jason Aguilar (Updated With Full Video)

A celebration of life for MotoAmerica racer Jason Aguilar was held online on February 24. Here is a video recording of that celebration.

Aguilar died February 8 from a head injury he sustained while riding his mountain bike February 5 in Southern California. He was 25.

 

Harley-Davidson Reshaping Museum Campus

David Swarts
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Harley-Davidson Reshaping Museum Campus

The Harley-Davidson Museum announces plans to reshape its campus

With two all-new retail stores, a greatly enhanced Experience Gallery and a soon-to-be-completed year-round event building, the H-D Museum aims to solidify Milwaukee’s rep as the motorcycle mecca.

MILWAUKEE, USA – We told you we were going to rev it up in 2022. With travel and tourism set to come roaring back, the Harley-Davidson Museum is announcing plans to enrich the campus-wide experiences that can only be found at the crossroads of 6th & Canal – both for riders and non-riders alike.

Since 2008, the H-D Museum’s 20-acre campus has been a must-do destination for guests from around the globe who have soaked up memories that will last a lifetime. Anniversary celebrations, rallies, Bike Nights and special events have made the H-D Museum™ campus one of Milwaukee’s top attractions for millions of people. And beginning later this year, the H-D Museum aims to give guests even more reasons to put Milwaukee on their “must visit” list.

The campus makeover began last summer with the groundbreaking of a new, year-round event space. Slated to welcome its first guests in spring of 2022, the all-new Garage will boast more than 8,000-square-feet of event space, 14’ floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open up to the H-D Museum’s park-like campus, amazing views of Downtown Milwaukee, waterfront views of the Menomonee River and is booking now for your private special event.

The H-D Museum has also begun work on the transformation of its retail footprint. In the coming months, the current Shop will pack up its Harley-Davidson Museum-branded merchandise, authentic reproductions, accessories, and gifts and move across the street to the former Garage. The move will allow The Shop to expand to more than triple its current size and give tourists and H-D enthusiasts even more options when it comes to bringing home a piece of Harley-Davidson history.

The new Harley-Davidson Shop will offer more than 150 new products and many new unique experiences – including demos on Serial 1 e-bikes for grown-ups and complimentary spins on IRONe™ electric balance bikes for the kiddos. After that ride of a lifetime, you’ll be able to purchase a Serial 1 or IRONe on the spot. And since customization has been a hallmark of Harley-Davidson for decades, you will also have the opportunity to create your own one-of-a-kind items that stand out from the crowd.

Once the new Harley-Davidson Shop is in place, the former Shop space will become Harley-Davidson’s first-and-only Factory Shop to offer discontinued Motorclothes products – including helmets, gloves, jackets and more – in limited quantities and sizes.  The two locations will encompass more than 13,000 square feet of Harley-Davidson premium retail experience.

Finally, work has already begun to bring a revitalized Experience Gallery to the impressive collection on exhibit at the H-D Museum. With inspiring stories from riders who have turned their dream of learning to ride into reality, a look at the epic journeys you can only experience behind the bars of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, plus the chance to throw a leg over a new Harley-Davidson #FreedomMachine, the reinstalled Experience Gallery will show the world how United We Ride!

“For nearly 15 years, we have been thrilled to welcome guests from around the globe,” said Bill Davidson, great-grandson of one of Harley-Davidson’s four founders and Vice President of the H-D Museum. “This investment signifies our commitment to Milwaukee and the Menomonee Valley. With Milwaukee making its mark on the global stage, we’re excited to unveil these new additions to campus later this spring and welcome everyone to check them out in person.”

For more information or to nab tickets, visit H-DMuseum.com. To view a collection of renderings, please click this link. And stay tuned to the H-D Museum social channels and website for word on events, promotions and celebrations later this year.

About the Harley-Davidson Museum

Discover culture and history through stories and interactive exhibits that celebrate expression, camaraderie, and love for the sport at the Harley-Davidson Museum. A visit to the H-D Museum is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. With an unrivaled collection of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles and memorabilia, a 20-acre, park-like campus, and a calendar full of activities, the H-D Museum is one of Milwaukee’s top tourist destinations for visitors from around the globe. Make your plans to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum at H-DMuseum.com.

LiveWire Opens Experience Center In Malibu, California

David Swarts
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LiveWire Opens Experience Center In Malibu, California

FIRST IMMERSIVE LIVEWIRE EXPERIENCE CENTER OPENS IN MALIBU, CALIFORNIA

LiveWire Announces Future-Forward Financing Purchase Option for LiveWire ONE Motorcycles

MILWAUKEE, WI – The first LiveWire™ Experience Center, designed to offer a fully immersive experience centered on the all-electric LiveWire ONE™ motorcycle, has opened in Malibu, California. Inspired by the soulful connection of riding LiveWire ONE, the Experience Center looks to introduce the electric riding experience to visitors while also creating a community space for LiveWire riders.

“California is one of the most established electric vehicle markets in the world and is an ideal location for the first LiveWire Experience Center,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “The LiveWire ONE motorcycle is designed for the pursuit of urban adventure and the Malibu area offers superb riding in a variety of environments, both urban and beyond. The Experience Center will give both riders and non- riders a chance to engage with the LiveWire brand and ultimately experience the thrill of riding the most desirable electric motorcycle available today.”

The LiveWire Experience Center was created by LiveWire in collaboration with London-based designer Steve Lidbury. The interior expresses cool urban adventure, with polished concrete, engineered wood, perforated steel and detailed textures. The 1,766-square-foot space incorporates a virtual showroom to support live video chats with LiveWire representatives, displays of LiveWire technology and design, a collaborative showcase featuring displays by LiveWire partners, socializing and event space and LiveWire One motorcycles available for demo rides. Customers can place an order for a new LiveWire ONE motorcycle online and take delivery at home or locally, courtesy of an authorized LiveWire dealer*.

Visit the LiveWire Experience Center at 3848 Cross Creek Road, Malibu, Calif, 90265.

Announcing LiveWire Future-Forward Financing

The LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program provides a 48-month LiveWire ONE ownership experience, with a shorter, simplified, lease-like term with multiple ways to end the program

based on customer needs. Unlike a traditional loan where the buyer may be responsible for higher monthly payments and longer terms, the LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program is available at a payment as low as $286 a month for 47 months with only 10% down, plus a final 48th payment of $9,948.97. At the end of the 48-month term, you have the option to:

Return (2) the LiveWire ONE motorcycle to the dealership, simply ending the program.
Trade in the LiveWire ONE for any new LiveWire model, beginning a new 48-month program.

Refinance (1) or pay off the remaining balance, owning the LiveWire outright.

With the LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program it’s easier than ever to start riding down the road on an exciting new LiveWire ONE all-electric motorcycle.

Redefining Electric

LiveWire ONE was created to redefine electric, delivering the best experience for the urban rider, with personality and soul:

BIKE WITH A PULSE: Haptic heartbeat adds a touch of humanity to electricity

DIGITALLY CONNECTED: Stream directions, monitor alerts, and track recharge status

INSTANT ACCELERATION: Smooth power from the electric motor that can produce 100% of its rated torque instantly

FAST CHARGING: Recharge DC Fast Charge 0 to 100% in 60 minutes/0 to 80% in 45 minutes**

FAR RANGING: 146 miles of city range, capable of traveling beyond the urban grid***

CUSTOM MODES: Define how LiveWire ONE performs and personalize your experience

CONTROL:  Advanced rider systems and a 6-axis IMU tracks and anticipates change

 

1 Subject to credit approval.

2 Excess wear, mileage and other contractual charges may apply. Please visit a LiveWire store or visit LiveWire for complete details.

*For the current list of LiveWire dealers, please visit LiveWire.

**Charging rate varies based on output of the charge unit and ambient/vehicle temperature.

***Range estimates are based on expected performance on a fully-charged battery and are derived from SAE J2982 Riding Range Test Procedure data on a sample motorcycle under ideal laboratory conditions. Your actual range will vary depending on your personal riding habits, road and driving conditions, ambient weather, vehicle condition and maintenance, tire pressure, vehicle configuration (parts and accessories), and vehicle loading (cargo, rider and passenger weight).

Daytona 200: Final Entry List With 50 Riders Released (Updated)

David Swarts
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Daytona 200: Final Entry List With 50 Riders Released (Updated)

The entry list for the 2022 Daytona 200, featuring the MotoAmerica Supersport class, has been released by MotoAmerica and includes 50 riders. The 80th running of the classic race is scheduled March 12 at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Entry lists for recent Daytona 200 races have been larger: 68 in 2021, 78 in 2020, 68 in 2019, 65 in 2018, and 69 in 2017 for an average of 69.6 riders per event.

Entry lists for the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, and RSD Super Hooligan classes have also been released.

Entries are closed for the event.

While the new Daytona 200 entry list is smaller than it has been in the recent past, there are once again some talented riders in the field.

Starting at the top of MotoAmerica’s entry list, which is in order by competition numbers, there’s #2 Josh Herrin. Herrin, the 2010 Daytona 200 race winner, is riding a Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, which he tested at Daytona in January.

Herrin’s bike is one of four 955cc V-Twin Ducati Panigale V2s in the field. The big Ducatis, Triumph’s Street Triple RS 765cc triple, MV Agusta’s F3 800 798cc triple, and Suzuki’s GSX-R750 inline four-cylinder are eligible to race against the traditional 599cc inline four-cylinder sportbikes this year as part of new FIM/MotoAmerica Supersport Next Generation rules.

Then there’s Josh Hayes, who is listed as riding a Squid Hunter Yamaha. Squid Hunter Racing has significant experience racing at Daytona, and four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes has been training almost as hard as ever, he says, and feels that he has unfinished business after being stripped of his Daytona 200 victory in 2008 due to a technical violation.

Rising star Kevin Olmedo, of El Salvador, returns on the updated BobbleHeadMoto/N2 Racing Yamaha he raced in the 2021 Daytona 200. Olmedo’s teammate for the event will be Chris Peris, a former AMA Pro and World Supersport racer who currently races and wins in the N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with Army of Darkness.

Some of the biggest names on the entry list are Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen. Gagne won 17 of 20 races and the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship and finished second in the 2014 Daytona 200. South African Petersen also won a MotoAmerica Superbike race in 2021, but he has never raced at Daytona before, let alone in the Daytona 200. Gagne and Petersen will be riding Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R6s, as the Daytona 200 Supersport race is outside of the team’s MotoAmerica Superbike deal Fresh N Lean, Progressive, and Yamaha.

Mexican rider Richie Escalante joins South African Sam Lochoff, and veteran Geoff May in a three-rider effort for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. All three riders are entered to ride GSX-R600s. May has extensive experience racing at Daytona, and Lochoff won the ASRA Team Challenge endurance race at Daytona in October 2021. Escalante has never raced in the Daytona 200, but he did do the AMA Supersport race at Daytona in 2014.

Four-time Daytona 200 race winner Danny Eslick returns to the high banks in search of win number five, which would tie him with Miguel Duhamel and Scott Russell for the most Daytona 200 victories. Eslick will be riding for TOBC Racing on a Triumph Street Triple RS 765. Eslick will be teamed with 2021 Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch, who won the race on a Yamaha before spending the bulk of 2021 racing a Triumph Street Triple RS 765. Paasch will run his normal #96 and not a #1, he told Roadracingworld.com.

Sheridan Morais, a South African now living in Portugal, returns to the Daytona 200 with SYNTAINICS Racing Team and a Yamaha. Morais is a MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race winner and a former Supersport World Championship race winner who currently rides in the FIM Endurance World Championship.

After winning the Daytona 200 with Paasch in 2021, TSE Racing returns to Daytona with Harry Truelove, a British racer who won a British Supersport race in 2021.

Of the 50 riders entered for the race, 14 different nationalities are represented.

 

Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to see entry lists for all four classes racing at Daytona.

Daytona Entry List

 

Australian Superbike: Maxwell, Staring Split Wins At Phillip Island

Bryan Staring went 1-2 in the two Australian Superbike races February 26-27 at Phillip Island. Photo by Karl Phillipson/Optikal, courtesy ASBK.
Bryan Staring went 1-2 in the two Australian Superbike races February 26-27 at Phillip Island. Photo by Karl Phillipson/Optikal, courtesy ASBK.

A fast and consistent Bryan Staring has taken Round One [overall] victory of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK). 

In Alpinestars Superbikes Race One at Phillip Island, Wayne Maxwell (Ducati V4R) was the only rider in the 1:31’s and was looking untouchable until a stumble on lap 5 saw last year’s ASBK champion crash out at turn eight. Maxwell walked away unscathed, but the error left Bryan Staring (Ducati V4R) a clean road ahead with a four-second margin over the rest of the field.

An emotional Staring was almost lost for words on the podium, saying that he’d been “pretty patient for a pretty long time” waiting for this victory.

“We were chasing (Wayne) all weekend,” said Staring. “I knew that we had good race pace, but I didn’t know how good it needed to be though. Once we set out I could see the areas where we were strong and in the end, I kept the pressure on.”

Despite nursing a sore ankle from his excursion at Hayshed in Race One, Maxwell kept it neat and clean in race Two and was able to slowly edge a two-second gap to the fellow Ducati rider to take victory ahead of Staring and Cru Halliday (Yamaha YZF-R1).

Maxwell commended his team on preparing the number two bike to give him the win.

“It was good to get a bit back,” said Maxwell. “I’ve got a few bruises so I’ll go and get the body healed up.”

Senna Agius (Honda CBR RR) took Race One victory in Michelin Supersport ahead of Tom Bramich (Yamaha YZF-R6) and Jack Hyde (Yamaha YZF-R6). It was Senna’s weekend, however with the international-bound youngster taking the double in Race Two ahead of Tom Edwards, with Bramich this time occupying the final step of the podium.

In Dunlop Supersport, Harry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) took off where he left on Saturday by executing a perfect ride to take Race Two victory, one-tenth ahead of James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) and Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) rounding out the top three.

In Race Three, it was Varis Fleming’s turn to steal the win, two-tenths ahead Jacobs and a superb ride from Joseph Marinello (Kawasaki Ninja) to grab the final podium position after finishing just outside the top ten in race Two,

In the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, Varis Fleming (Yamaha YZF-R3) was able to better Harry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) by a mere one-hundredth of a second in Race Two, with Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) recording a strong weekend to score another podium.  Race Three saw round winner Fleming take another victory ahead of Jai Russo (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Aksu once again.

Marcos Hamod took Saturday’s fancied runners by surprise by seizing victory in Race Two of the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup ahead of Sam Drane and Teerin Fleming. Hamod took advantage of a race in two parts after a restart, while in Race Three, Harrison Watts took final honours ahead of Hamod and Fleming.

In Superbike Masters, Scott Campbell (Honda RC30 750) got the better of Murray Clark (Suzuki GSXR 1183) to take the win in Race 3, with Scott Webster (Harris Suzuki 1200) rounding out the top three.

Round one of the 2022 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul is proudly brought to you by Spokes.com.au

MotoAmerica: More On Vision Wheel’s 2-Year Deal With Team Hammer

(From left) Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Team Manager Chris Ulrich, Vision Wheel CEO Roger Minor, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike Athlete Jake Lewis. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
(From left) Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Team Manager Chris Ulrich, Vision Wheel CEO Roger Minor, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike Athlete Jake Lewis. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

VISION WHEEL’S BOLD NEW TITLE SPONSORSHIP WITH MOTOAMERICA’S ICONIC TEAM HAMMER 

BREA, Calif., February 28, 2022 — For the 42nd consecutive year, the iconic Team Hammer is racing motorcycles in the U.S., fresh from dominating the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, and looks ready to continue to be competitive in 2022. The team, now racing as Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, is fielding a talented lineup of racers across multiple classes, all racing legendary Suzuki GSX-R machinery.

One new aspect to the effort is the team’s title sponsor, Vision Wheel. A leading aftermarket custom wheel supplier for many vehicle types; the goal for Vision Wheel is to reach their present and future customers through racing.  “The people that go to the races and are all about racing, they are the Vision Wheel customer,” said Roger Minor, Vision Wheel’s CEO, “the demographics are a perfect fit for us.

“This is our 46th year and we continue to grow quite rapidly. We’ve got great wheel options for trucks, SUVs, automotive, ATV/UTV applications and Jeeps… we’re just about in every automotive and truck segment. We have strong distribution throughout the country and our products are found in thousands of stores and shops around the United States.”

 

Vision Wheel’s new Vision It Augmented Reality app, gives users the ability to see what Vision Wheel looks best on their vehicle. Available free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel’s new Vision It Augmented Reality app, gives users the ability to see what Vision Wheel looks best on their vehicle. Available free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

Further setting apart Vision Wheel’s marketing is the Vision It AR augmented-reality smartphone app; allowing users to take a photo of their vehicle and see what it would look like with different Vision Wheels. “We’re the only aftermarket wheel company currently offering this app that we’re aware of, and it works great,” said Minor. “Users may see what their ride’s going to look like and share the upgrade with their friends.”

Vision Wheel joined the MotoAmerica race series as a sponsor last year; and now has upped its support for 2022. “For us as a company, it is all about reaching more people,” Minor continued, “getting our name out there more effectively, and becoming more of a household name for enthusiasts. We sponsored a MotoAmerica rider last year; and had a strong response. Joining forces with Team Hammer expands on that support and will help us reach our business goals. We’re on the bikes in all the classes Team Hammer competes in. We’re looking to extend our sponsorship with social media content, TV coverage and exposure with race fans at each MotoAmerica event.”

Minor credited the MotoAmerica organizers with positive growth. “I’m really happy with MotoAmerica.   Their leadership is doing a great job, and the sport is growing again in the United States. I was really excited last year with how many people were at the races. MotoAmerica is seeing attendance levels they hadn’t seen in many years.”

As a lifelong motorcyclist, Minor himself raced for fun over the years. “I was a hobby racer,” said Minor, recalling his racing days. “I raced a few years from the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s; but I was running a company and working every day. Racing was a hobby, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s a passion for me. I love motorcycles and I love motorcycle racing.”

Minor felt the competitive urge a few years ago and once again took to the track. “I raced again in 2012; just as a kind of ‘bucket list’ item, coming up on 60 years old. Team Hammer helped me with a competitive bike and a couple of technicians to support me at the races. I had huge fun that year playing around as a hobby. Team Hammer has always been very well run, and it is a great relationship for us. I’ve known the guys since the 1980’s, John Ulrich and Keith Perry and other key team members.  They are very well respected.  Team Hammer is very professional and the type of organization Vision Wheel strives to be associated with.”

Another highlight for the 2022 Team Hammer sponsorship is Vision Wheel supporting a three-bike Daytona 200 race effort that includes Team Hammer racers, Richie Escalante, Sam Lochoff plus Vision’s Geoff May, all competing on defending Supersport-championship winning Suzuki GSX-R600 race bikes.

“We can’t wait to get on the grid at Daytona,” concluded Minor.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER 

The 2022 season will mark Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 332 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol and won four F-USA Championships.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

ABOUT SUZUKI

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.

MotoAmerica: Matt Truelove Joins TSE Racing For Daytona 200

Matt Truelove (59). Photo courtesy TSE Racing.
Matt Truelove (59), as seen racing in England in 2021. Photo courtesy TSE Racing.

TSE racing is excited to welcome Matt Truelove to join is brother Harry on the team for Daytona. TSE started prepping for Daytona with intentions of only having one rider. With a last minute change in Matt’s schedule, it made him available for Daytona as well.

Mark Stiles team owner – “We are very excited to have both Matt and Harry join us for the Daytona 200. Being a family owned and operated team, we couldn’t think of anything better than to have two brothers ride for us. TSE racing originally started as a father-daughter team with myself and my daughter Meghan. It then became a husband-wife team when Meghan married Scotty Ryan. I could have never imagined this is where we would be, when we I started this journey with Meghan, 22 years ago.”

Matt Truelove – “I can’t thank the TSE team enough for making this happen at the last minute. I new it might be a long shot but I made the call a week before the entry deadline, and we where able to put everything together. I have to give a big thanks to my sponsors and Ian Newton as well. I’m really excited to be entering such an iconic race, and hope I can have a good result. This is going to be a great experience!”

Follow TSE Racing on Instagram @TSE_Racing or on Facebook for all event updates.

MotoAmerica: SportbikeTrackGear.com Returns As Sponsor For Junior Cup

Ben Gloddy (72) leads Max Toth (58), Jack Roach (12), Max Vanderbrouck (48), Cody Wyman (34), and the rest of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup field early in Race One at VIR. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Ben Gloddy (72) leads Max Toth (58), Jack Roach (12), Max Vanderbrouck (48), Cody Wyman (34), and the rest of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup field early in Race One at VIR. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.

SportbikeTrackGear.Com Returning As Title Sponsor Of The MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship

Online Apparel And Parts Specialists Set For 2022 MotoAmerica Sponsorship Again
 

IRVINE, CA (February 28, 2022) – MotoAmerica, the premier road racing series in North America, is happy to announce that, after an extremely successful first season of title sponsorship of the Junior Cup class in 2021, Sportbike Track Gear will again be the title sponsor of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship in 2022.

Owned and operated by the VanDenBroucks (commonly known as the Vans), Sportbike Track Gear started life as a trackside vendor and has since turned into a highly successful motorcycle apparel and parts website, SportbikeTrackGear.com. The Vans are heavily involved in the MotoAmerica series not only from a sponsorship perspective but also as a family. Their son, Max, competes in the series with his father Brian serving as his crew chief and mentor.

“It was a great experience for us to be involved in the MotoAmerica Series last year with our sponsorship of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship,” said Brian Van. “And racing in the series with our son Max makes it even better. Last year was special as it was our first season as the class sponsor and our first full season of MotoAmerica racing with Max. This year will be even more exciting with a season under our belt.”

Max Van finished his first full season of SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racing ranked seventh in the championship with a best finish of fourth at Road America.

“It’s great that SportbikeTrackGear.com had a successful season with us in 2021 and are returning as a class sponsor again in 2022,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s really cool that they are not only a class sponsor, but they also sponsor the class that their son races in. We enjoy seeing families at our events successfully working together and the Vans are the perfect example of that.”

The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship opens its season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 22-24.
 

2022 MotoAmerica SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Series Schedule

April 22-24                 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta                 Braselton, GA

May 20-22                  VIRginia International Raceway                  Danville, VA

June 3-5                     Road America                                             Elkhart Lake, WI

June 24-26                 Ridge Motorsports Park                              Shelton, WA

July 8-10                     WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca         Monterey, CA

July 29-31                   Brainerd International Raceway                 Brainerd, MN

August 19-21              Pittsburgh International Race Complex     Wampum, PA

September 9-11         New Jersey Motorsports Park                    Millville, NJ

September 23-25       Barber Motorsports Park                            Birmingham, AL

 

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.

Dee Moses Wins A Set Of Dunlop Q3+ Tires In Reader Survey Part 3

The Roadracing World 2022 Reader Survey, Part 3, was brought to you by Dunlop.

Dee Moses, of Tampa, Florida, is the winner a set of Dunlop Q3+ motorcycle tires.

The Q3+ was designed at Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY headquarters, was tested extensively at Dunlop’s Huntsville Proving Grounds as well as several racetracks in the U.S., and is manufactured in the Buffalo plant on the same high-tech production equipment as Dunlop’s racing tires. Dunlop’s Carbon Fiber Technology (CFT) employed in the Q3+ uses carbon fiber reinforcement in the tire sidewalls for exceptional cornering performance and feel. The aggressive Q3+ tread pattern uses minimal tread grooves that are long in length to enhance wet-weather performance. Intuitive Response Profile™ (IRP) technology in the Q3+ rear tire allows greater latitude in line choice while cornering, plus amazingly linear steering. MT Multi-Tread™ technology in the Q3+ rear tire uses a silica-infused, long-wearing compound in the center of the tread for longer tread life, and special lateral grip compounds on the left and right shoulders for outstanding grip. The Q3+ offers superb grip, stability, steering feel and longevity on the street and on the track.

Dunlop’s Q3+ tires are available in a wide range of sizes from authorized dealers and retailers with prices starting at $197.25 for front tires and $243.96 for rear tires.

The prize winner for Roadracing World’s 2022 Reader Survey, Part 3, was selected at random at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, February 27th.

 

 

 

Survey results are used to improve content for readers and marketing for our advertisers.  Name and address required for prize drawing. Entrants will automatically receive a free three-issue trial subscription to Roadracing World magazine with no obligation.  No mailing list or confidential individual information is shared with third parties. Roadracing World’s privacy policy can be viewed here. To sign up to receive upcoming, short installments of future Roadracing World reader surveys and other promotional e-mails from Roadracing World, CLICK HERE.

For more information on how your product can be the presenting sponsor of an upcoming portion of the Roadracing World 2022 Reader Survey, email Anne Roberts, [email protected].

About Roadracing World

Established in 1990, Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is THE definitive source for motorcycle racing, riding, and tech information.

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats. SUBSCRIBE NOW. Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

MotoGP: 2022 World Championship Begins March 4 In Qatar

2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo (second from right), 2021 MotoGP World Championship runner-up Francesco Bagnaia (right), 2020 MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir (second from left), and six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (left). Photo courtesy Dorna.
2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo (second from right), 2021 MotoGP World Championship runner-up Francesco Bagnaia (right), 2020 MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir (second from left), and six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (left). Photo courtesy Dorna.

Ready, set… race! As the sun goes down, the lights go out at Lusail

MotoGP™ is back in business as the Qatar GP kicks off the 2022 season – with spectacle guaranteed

Monday, 28 February 2022

2021 saw every manufacturer take home a podium and heralded some of the closest top-15 finishes of all time. More records were broken, new winners emerged, and a few precedents were set. France got its first premier class World Champion. We bid a racing farewell to legends and winners. But that’s already a chapter in the history books, and now we’re about to open the cover on 2022 and welcome the new. As we do, the title page bears a simple message: welcome back to the greatest show on Earth. Please keep your hands and feet inside the rollercoaster at all times.

It’s Lusail International Circuit that hosts the now iconic floodlit opening round, and in 2022 there are 24 riders waiting for the lights to go out – 14 of whom are World Champions, which is a new record. Five are premier class rookies, 12 are premier class race winners. One has eight World Championships. One wears the crown. Another signed off 2021 with the momentum. And yet more have reset, recharged and come back to the fight with a little more in the tank for 2022…

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) must lead the headlines as both the reigning Champion and a winner at the track in 2021. Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer at Lusail and they took both victories at the track last year, so that’s also a good omen for Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), two-time Qatar winner Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) and his new teammate, rookie Darryn Binder. But pre-season testing saw a few glances of discontent for the Iwata marque in their ongoing battle to increase top speed, among other things, and it seemed reviews were mixed. Now the proof of the testing will be in the racing, so what have Yamaha got in the locker… and will there remain harmony between man and machine?

For many races in the latter half of 2021, and ominously at times, that harmony was personified elsewhere: Ducati. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a few stumbles on his way to the top step in the premier class, but when he did get there, he couldn’t keep away. After an all-Ducati podium to round out the season as well, the momentum was steamrolling and hopes will remain high going into 2022. Testing wasn’t the all-out assault on the timesheets some expected, but then cards may well remain close to chests. Bagnaia, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) are quite an experienced armada for the Bologna factory, and Lusail is tied as their second most successful track. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) both look pretty pacy too, adding some extra intrigue to the fight for Rookie of the Year.

So what of Suzuki? By comparison to Yamaha most especially, it was a fairly glowing preseason for the Hamamatsu factory. Smiles, gains, and quietly confident progress seemed to sum it up for 2020 MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir and teammate Alex Rins, with one thing on their shopping list – more power – seemingly delivered. In Qatar, Suzuki haven’t finished better than fourth so a podium would be a good way to underline said progress and start building some foundations. Both Mir and Rins will also be exceptionally keen to avoid a repeat of what happened on the line to the number 36 last year as two Ducatis pipped Mir to the post.

Someone who knows that feeling at Lusail is eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The number 93 has more MotoGP™ wins than the rest of the grid combined, but a couple have got away in Qatar courtesy of Dovizioso and time will tell whether the 2022 edition will prove different. It’s been a long road to recovery but recovered the Honda rider is, and facing that down could be enough of a challenge for the rest of the grid on its own. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) looks to have made a key step with the all-new RC213V too, and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will be looking to prove the same.

For KTM, Lusail isn’t the best place to start the season, having never been the kindest match for the RC16. The Austrian factory’s best result at the track is a P8. However, new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti already stated in testing that the plan is to find a new foundation from which to continue development, so Qatar being another different track is useful in itself. The talent pool is too: Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira remain at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and both look to make 2022 the third year in a row they’ve both taken premier class wins. There are two new kids on the block at Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing as well: 2021 Moto2™ Champion Remy Gardner and the rookie who nearly beat him to the crown, Raul Fernandez. They’ll be looking to hit the ground running.

Finally, Aprilia. Now MotoGP™ podium finishers and heading into 2022 with a new, leaner, and reportedly further improved RS-GP, pre-season saw the Noale factory steal plenty of headlines. Aleix Espargaro is now an established frontrunner with the marque and took the factory’s best result at Lusail of a sixth place, but Maverick Viñales is a little more settled in now too. The number 12 was also the rider on the top step in the 2021 season opener, and has won at Lusail before that too, albeit with a different manufacturer. Can Aprilia come out swinging? Will the top five or the podium beckon? Who will come out on top in the battle of the teammates? We’re about to find out!

As ever, the engines roar for race day once the sun’s gone down in Doha, and it’s 18:00 (GMT +3) local time when the field will thunder towards Turn 1 for the first time this season. So join us for another spectacular on Sunday, and keep up with Free Practice and qualifying once the premier class action begins at 13:40 on Friday.

Moto2™ take on the new kid on the block

After ominous pace in testing, it’s time for Acosta saddle up in the intermediate class – and for his rivals to see how they measure up

If Moto3™ were singing “How do you solve a problem like Acosta?” last year, pre-season testing tells us it’s the turn of Moto2™ in 2022. The reigning lightweight class Champion has gone from incredible rookie in one class to seemingly exactly the same in another, topping testing in Portugal and ominous from the start. Given Doha is where the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider began his World Championship career last year with a second place and then that awe-inspiring win from pitlane, the now number 51 is likely walking the tallest into Lusail International Circuit.

The intermediate class, however, is a different challenge in many ways. Tyres, tactics… there’s usually no freight train and laptimes are crafted. But Raul Fernandez is the example that will most interest Acosta, and there’s no reason to believe this year’s Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie can’t turn his established speed into race-long pace. So who’ll be looking to stop him?

Teammate Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will be one. He’s now the Ajo machine sporting the number 37, and with some wins and podiums under his belt already, Fernandez has proven speed. It seems the Spaniard had to compromise and ride within the limit at times in 2021 though, and while that’s a compromise every rider makes, Fernandez will be looking to unlock the margin that’s made him look on rails at times in the past. Now in the team that dominated last year, will change breed more glory?

For Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), meanwhile, the hope will be in continuity – and recovering from tendonitis in his wrist in pre-season. The Brit won both Grands Prix at Lusail last season for some good omens though, so if Lowes is limited the venue is a kinder one. Tony Arbolino will be interesting to watch too as he takes over as Lowes’ teammate, with the Italian having shown flashes of pace but now looking to make a step up.

Flashes of pace isn’t quite enough to describe the now multitude of podiums for Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40), but the Spaniard is intent on the top step and a title charge in 2022. He’s been quick in preseason and seems to have settled in at the team, with Jorge Navarro alongside. Jake Dixon, who heads for Inde GASGAS Aspar Team, also looked quick in testing, and it seems his new teammate, Albert Arenas, has taken a step forward too. The likes of Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) will be looking to head that off and aim squarely for the podium, however, and the names of those who could bring some noise in 2022 just keep on coming.

Americans Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) are two who will be interesting to watch. The latter now seems in the groove in Moto2™, and the former appears to have a little mojo back. That could prove quite a serious issue for his rivals in Qatar, as Roberts’ form at Lusail catapulted him to his first pole position in 2020, which was also the first for an American in 10 years. He went on to take his best result at the time of a fourth place too. Since, he’s been on the podium but only once, so could the stage be set?

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up), meanwhile, finds himself between a rock and hard place in some ways, as the reigning Moto2™ European Champion has done too many events to be classed as a rookie. And yet, he hasn’t taken on Lusail. With good experience in the class already though, he’ll want to have the jump on those who will be fighting to be top debutant this season, and there are ten of them.

Alongside Acosta, fellow Moto3™ graduates Niccolo Antonelli (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2), Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) make the move, and Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2) goes from MotoE™ to Moto2™ after a successful switch of WorldSSP for MotoE™. Manuel Gonzalez cuts out the middle man there and comes straight from WorldSSP to Moto2™ with the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team, and he’ll be alongside Keminth Kubo as the Thai rider moves from the Moto2™ European Championship.

At American Racing, Sean Dylan Kelly arrives from Supersport in his home US of A, and then finally, Zonta van den Goorbergh makes a mammoth move as the Dutchman goes from Moto3™ Junior to Moto2™ World Championship. The range of CVs and riders will definitely make for some interesting viewing in 2022, but can anyone get close to following Acosta’s lead?

Moto2™ take centre stage at Lusail at 16:20 (GMT +3) on Sunday. Make sure to tune in as the unique mixture of pace and pressure hits boiling point in the desert, with Acosta staring down another chance at a little history and the rest of the field looking to get in his way.

Veterans vs rookies: who will vie for victory in Qatar?

The experienced runners look to start their campaigns for the crown as an influx of new talent joins Moto3™

2021 was a milestone year for Moto3™, with a year-long battle ultimately won by a rookie sensation on the way to breaking some incredible records. But that was then and this is now, with said sensation now firmly Moto2™’s problem and the throne looking for a new name. The long road to deciding who will reign in 2022 begins now and it begins at Lusail International Circuit.

Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), the 2021 runner up and rider with the most Moto3™ wins – six – will be keen to start off on a high. The Italian was fastest in testing too, and arrives with some serious momentum built in the latter half of last year. Sergio Garcia (Gavita GASGAS Aspar Team), who likewise challenged for the crown in 2021, has his eyes on a title campaign too, and he has four Moto3™ wins in his pocket. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, is one of the most seasoned frontrunners and he’ll be looking to hit back after a tougher season in 2021, with the year marred by some injury struggles on top of welcoming the fastest rookie teammate in history.

There are plenty more veterans and podium finishers too. John McPhee heads to Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max and Tatsuki Suzuki saddles up alongside Foggia at Leopard. Both have more than one victory and plenty of experience. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) had a 2021 worthy of a springboard into an even better year, and Izan Guevara (Gavita GASGAS Aspar Team) took an impressive rookie year maiden win and, like Migno, remains in the same team. That could be important for continuity, but Xavier Artigas will be looking to prove that wrong as he moves to CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP, also with a rookie win under his belt from 2021. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) will want more podiums and to attack the top step, and so will Ayumu Sasaki as the Japanese rider moves to Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max.

In terms of Lusail, there are two previous winners on the grid who’ll be glad of that extra shot of confidence that comes from good memories. One is Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), and the other is Masia after his season opening victory last year. Foggia, meanwhile, had a tougher time of it across the two Grands Prix at Lusail last season: he crashed in Qatar and then started from pitlane in the Doha GP, unable to move through for points. Will that matter given the storming latter half of the season, and speed in testing, from which the Italian arrives?

Then there are the rookies, and this year there are a good few. 2021 FIM Moto3™ Junior World Champion Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), runner up David Muñoz (BOE SKX), 2021 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup winner Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), experienced junior runner Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Australian Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power), Brazilian Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Italian Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team), Indonesian Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) and the British duo at the all-new VisionTrack Racing Team: Scott Ogden and Joshua Whatley. However, Muñoz won’t be on track as yet due to his age and Gerard Riu will take over, and Furusato is suffering a broken ankle after a crash in testing. For the rest, that’s a small headtstart in the fight to take that coveted Rookie of the Year title… and it really will be so this season, with a packed list of debuting talent.

There’s also the return of Ana Carrasco (BOE SKX) to watch out for, who is far from a rookie but nevertheless facing a mountain to climb to get back in the Moto3™ groove. Not since 2015 has the first female solo motorcycle racing World Champion ridden in the lightweight class of Grand Prix racing, and she arrives with that 2018 WorldSSP300 title to her name but the challenge remains real. How will she get on a mammoth nine years since her rookie Moto3™ season?

Moto3™ head out first in Qatar, with lights out set for 15:00 (GMT +3) local time. Will it be Foggia, Masia, Garcia? A new name on the top step? We’ll start to see more of the picture in Free Practice, so tune in from 11:50 on Friday morning as the first session of the season gets us in gear.

Video: Celebration Of Life For Jason Aguilar (Updated With Full Video)

Jason Aguilar, R.I.P. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Jason Aguilar, R.I.P. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

A celebration of life for MotoAmerica racer Jason Aguilar was held online on February 24. Here is a video recording of that celebration.

Aguilar died February 8 from a head injury he sustained while riding his mountain bike February 5 in Southern California. He was 25.

 

Harley-Davidson Reshaping Museum Campus

The Harley-Davidson Museum campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by David Swarts.
The Harley-Davidson Museum campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by David Swarts.

The Harley-Davidson Museum announces plans to reshape its campus

With two all-new retail stores, a greatly enhanced Experience Gallery and a soon-to-be-completed year-round event building, the H-D Museum aims to solidify Milwaukee’s rep as the motorcycle mecca.

MILWAUKEE, USA – We told you we were going to rev it up in 2022. With travel and tourism set to come roaring back, the Harley-Davidson Museum is announcing plans to enrich the campus-wide experiences that can only be found at the crossroads of 6th & Canal – both for riders and non-riders alike.

Since 2008, the H-D Museum’s 20-acre campus has been a must-do destination for guests from around the globe who have soaked up memories that will last a lifetime. Anniversary celebrations, rallies, Bike Nights and special events have made the H-D Museum™ campus one of Milwaukee’s top attractions for millions of people. And beginning later this year, the H-D Museum aims to give guests even more reasons to put Milwaukee on their “must visit” list.

The campus makeover began last summer with the groundbreaking of a new, year-round event space. Slated to welcome its first guests in spring of 2022, the all-new Garage will boast more than 8,000-square-feet of event space, 14’ floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open up to the H-D Museum’s park-like campus, amazing views of Downtown Milwaukee, waterfront views of the Menomonee River and is booking now for your private special event.

The H-D Museum has also begun work on the transformation of its retail footprint. In the coming months, the current Shop will pack up its Harley-Davidson Museum-branded merchandise, authentic reproductions, accessories, and gifts and move across the street to the former Garage. The move will allow The Shop to expand to more than triple its current size and give tourists and H-D enthusiasts even more options when it comes to bringing home a piece of Harley-Davidson history.

The new Harley-Davidson Shop will offer more than 150 new products and many new unique experiences – including demos on Serial 1 e-bikes for grown-ups and complimentary spins on IRONe™ electric balance bikes for the kiddos. After that ride of a lifetime, you’ll be able to purchase a Serial 1 or IRONe on the spot. And since customization has been a hallmark of Harley-Davidson for decades, you will also have the opportunity to create your own one-of-a-kind items that stand out from the crowd.

Once the new Harley-Davidson Shop is in place, the former Shop space will become Harley-Davidson’s first-and-only Factory Shop to offer discontinued Motorclothes products – including helmets, gloves, jackets and more – in limited quantities and sizes.  The two locations will encompass more than 13,000 square feet of Harley-Davidson premium retail experience.

Finally, work has already begun to bring a revitalized Experience Gallery to the impressive collection on exhibit at the H-D Museum. With inspiring stories from riders who have turned their dream of learning to ride into reality, a look at the epic journeys you can only experience behind the bars of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, plus the chance to throw a leg over a new Harley-Davidson #FreedomMachine, the reinstalled Experience Gallery will show the world how United We Ride!

“For nearly 15 years, we have been thrilled to welcome guests from around the globe,” said Bill Davidson, great-grandson of one of Harley-Davidson’s four founders and Vice President of the H-D Museum. “This investment signifies our commitment to Milwaukee and the Menomonee Valley. With Milwaukee making its mark on the global stage, we’re excited to unveil these new additions to campus later this spring and welcome everyone to check them out in person.”

For more information or to nab tickets, visit H-DMuseum.com. To view a collection of renderings, please click this link. And stay tuned to the H-D Museum social channels and website for word on events, promotions and celebrations later this year.

About the Harley-Davidson Museum

Discover culture and history through stories and interactive exhibits that celebrate expression, camaraderie, and love for the sport at the Harley-Davidson Museum. A visit to the H-D Museum is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. With an unrivaled collection of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles and memorabilia, a 20-acre, park-like campus, and a calendar full of activities, the H-D Museum is one of Milwaukee’s top tourist destinations for visitors from around the globe. Make your plans to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum at H-DMuseum.com.

LiveWire Opens Experience Center In Malibu, California

LiveWire electric motorcycles on display at the LiveWire Experience Center in Malibu, California. Photo courtesy LiveWire.
LiveWire electric motorcycles on display at the LiveWire Experience Center in Malibu, California. Photo courtesy LiveWire.

FIRST IMMERSIVE LIVEWIRE EXPERIENCE CENTER OPENS IN MALIBU, CALIFORNIA

LiveWire Announces Future-Forward Financing Purchase Option for LiveWire ONE Motorcycles

MILWAUKEE, WI – The first LiveWire™ Experience Center, designed to offer a fully immersive experience centered on the all-electric LiveWire ONE™ motorcycle, has opened in Malibu, California. Inspired by the soulful connection of riding LiveWire ONE, the Experience Center looks to introduce the electric riding experience to visitors while also creating a community space for LiveWire riders.

“California is one of the most established electric vehicle markets in the world and is an ideal location for the first LiveWire Experience Center,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “The LiveWire ONE motorcycle is designed for the pursuit of urban adventure and the Malibu area offers superb riding in a variety of environments, both urban and beyond. The Experience Center will give both riders and non- riders a chance to engage with the LiveWire brand and ultimately experience the thrill of riding the most desirable electric motorcycle available today.”

The LiveWire Experience Center was created by LiveWire in collaboration with London-based designer Steve Lidbury. The interior expresses cool urban adventure, with polished concrete, engineered wood, perforated steel and detailed textures. The 1,766-square-foot space incorporates a virtual showroom to support live video chats with LiveWire representatives, displays of LiveWire technology and design, a collaborative showcase featuring displays by LiveWire partners, socializing and event space and LiveWire One motorcycles available for demo rides. Customers can place an order for a new LiveWire ONE motorcycle online and take delivery at home or locally, courtesy of an authorized LiveWire dealer*.

Visit the LiveWire Experience Center at 3848 Cross Creek Road, Malibu, Calif, 90265.

Announcing LiveWire Future-Forward Financing

The LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program provides a 48-month LiveWire ONE ownership experience, with a shorter, simplified, lease-like term with multiple ways to end the program

based on customer needs. Unlike a traditional loan where the buyer may be responsible for higher monthly payments and longer terms, the LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program is available at a payment as low as $286 a month for 47 months with only 10% down, plus a final 48th payment of $9,948.97. At the end of the 48-month term, you have the option to:

Return (2) the LiveWire ONE motorcycle to the dealership, simply ending the program.
Trade in the LiveWire ONE for any new LiveWire model, beginning a new 48-month program.

Refinance (1) or pay off the remaining balance, owning the LiveWire outright.

With the LiveWire Future-Forward Financing Program it’s easier than ever to start riding down the road on an exciting new LiveWire ONE all-electric motorcycle.

Redefining Electric

LiveWire ONE was created to redefine electric, delivering the best experience for the urban rider, with personality and soul:

BIKE WITH A PULSE: Haptic heartbeat adds a touch of humanity to electricity

DIGITALLY CONNECTED: Stream directions, monitor alerts, and track recharge status

INSTANT ACCELERATION: Smooth power from the electric motor that can produce 100% of its rated torque instantly

FAST CHARGING: Recharge DC Fast Charge 0 to 100% in 60 minutes/0 to 80% in 45 minutes**

FAR RANGING: 146 miles of city range, capable of traveling beyond the urban grid***

CUSTOM MODES: Define how LiveWire ONE performs and personalize your experience

CONTROL:  Advanced rider systems and a 6-axis IMU tracks and anticipates change

 

1 Subject to credit approval.

2 Excess wear, mileage and other contractual charges may apply. Please visit a LiveWire store or visit LiveWire for complete details.

*For the current list of LiveWire dealers, please visit LiveWire.

**Charging rate varies based on output of the charge unit and ambient/vehicle temperature.

***Range estimates are based on expected performance on a fully-charged battery and are derived from SAE J2982 Riding Range Test Procedure data on a sample motorcycle under ideal laboratory conditions. Your actual range will vary depending on your personal riding habits, road and driving conditions, ambient weather, vehicle condition and maintenance, tire pressure, vehicle configuration (parts and accessories), and vehicle loading (cargo, rider and passenger weight).

Daytona 200: Final Entry List With 50 Riders Released (Updated)

The start of the 79th Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by David Swarts.
The start of the 79th Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway, in 2021. Photo by David Swarts.

The entry list for the 2022 Daytona 200, featuring the MotoAmerica Supersport class, has been released by MotoAmerica and includes 50 riders. The 80th running of the classic race is scheduled March 12 at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Entry lists for recent Daytona 200 races have been larger: 68 in 2021, 78 in 2020, 68 in 2019, 65 in 2018, and 69 in 2017 for an average of 69.6 riders per event.

Entry lists for the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, and RSD Super Hooligan classes have also been released.

Entries are closed for the event.

While the new Daytona 200 entry list is smaller than it has been in the recent past, there are once again some talented riders in the field.

Starting at the top of MotoAmerica’s entry list, which is in order by competition numbers, there’s #2 Josh Herrin. Herrin, the 2010 Daytona 200 race winner, is riding a Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2, which he tested at Daytona in January.

Herrin’s bike is one of four 955cc V-Twin Ducati Panigale V2s in the field. The big Ducatis, Triumph’s Street Triple RS 765cc triple, MV Agusta’s F3 800 798cc triple, and Suzuki’s GSX-R750 inline four-cylinder are eligible to race against the traditional 599cc inline four-cylinder sportbikes this year as part of new FIM/MotoAmerica Supersport Next Generation rules.

Then there’s Josh Hayes, who is listed as riding a Squid Hunter Yamaha. Squid Hunter Racing has significant experience racing at Daytona, and four-time AMA Superbike Champion Hayes has been training almost as hard as ever, he says, and feels that he has unfinished business after being stripped of his Daytona 200 victory in 2008 due to a technical violation.

Rising star Kevin Olmedo, of El Salvador, returns on the updated BobbleHeadMoto/N2 Racing Yamaha he raced in the 2021 Daytona 200. Olmedo’s teammate for the event will be Chris Peris, a former AMA Pro and World Supersport racer who currently races and wins in the N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with Army of Darkness.

Some of the biggest names on the entry list are Jake Gagne and Cameron Petersen. Gagne won 17 of 20 races and the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship and finished second in the 2014 Daytona 200. South African Petersen also won a MotoAmerica Superbike race in 2021, but he has never raced at Daytona before, let alone in the Daytona 200. Gagne and Petersen will be riding Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R6s, as the Daytona 200 Supersport race is outside of the team’s MotoAmerica Superbike deal Fresh N Lean, Progressive, and Yamaha.

Mexican rider Richie Escalante joins South African Sam Lochoff, and veteran Geoff May in a three-rider effort for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. All three riders are entered to ride GSX-R600s. May has extensive experience racing at Daytona, and Lochoff won the ASRA Team Challenge endurance race at Daytona in October 2021. Escalante has never raced in the Daytona 200, but he did do the AMA Supersport race at Daytona in 2014.

Four-time Daytona 200 race winner Danny Eslick returns to the high banks in search of win number five, which would tie him with Miguel Duhamel and Scott Russell for the most Daytona 200 victories. Eslick will be riding for TOBC Racing on a Triumph Street Triple RS 765. Eslick will be teamed with 2021 Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch, who won the race on a Yamaha before spending the bulk of 2021 racing a Triumph Street Triple RS 765. Paasch will run his normal #96 and not a #1, he told Roadracingworld.com.

Sheridan Morais, a South African now living in Portugal, returns to the Daytona 200 with SYNTAINICS Racing Team and a Yamaha. Morais is a MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race winner and a former Supersport World Championship race winner who currently rides in the FIM Endurance World Championship.

After winning the Daytona 200 with Paasch in 2021, TSE Racing returns to Daytona with Harry Truelove, a British racer who won a British Supersport race in 2021.

Of the 50 riders entered for the race, 14 different nationalities are represented.

 

Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to see entry lists for all four classes racing at Daytona.

Daytona Entry List

 

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