Just One Point Separates Gagne From Petrucci In 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship
Ultra-Close Title Chase Heads To New Jersey Motorsport Park, September 9-11.
IRVINE, CA (September 6, 2022) – After completing eight rounds, 16 races, 246 laps and 659.948 miles in the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship, just one point separates Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne from Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci as the series makes its way to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 9-11.
One measly point.
The two have arrived at this point in totally different ways. Gagne has won 10 races but has blundered in two of them with crashes that resulted in zero points. Petrucci, meanwhile, hasn’t had the pure pace that Gagne has had at most races, but he’s been there to pick up the pieces when his rival has faltered. The Italian has won four races. Two of those came with two dominating performances at Circuit of The Americas in round one, the other two after Gagne deposited his YZF-R1 in the gravel trap at Road Atlanta and then destroyed a second Yamaha at Brainerd International Raceway. In total, Petrucci has 14 podium finishes in 16 races and podiums in 11 straight races heading to NJMP.
Both have had seasons worthy of championships, but only one will get it and it’s a battle that should keep us entertained until the final lap at Barber Motorsports Park, September 23-25. A September to remember, it seems.
While this has mostly been the Gagne/Petrucci show, let’s not forget the other two riders who have won races in 2022 – Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Both of their wins came midseason at Road America with Scholtz excelling early in the season while Petersen has had his best races in the second half. Petersen has 10 podiums while Scholtz has eight.
That puts Petersen ahead of his fellow South African by 22 points with the two rounds and four races left on the schedule. Those two have also proven to be fast enough that a bad day for either Gagne or Petrucci doesn’t mean an automatic second place, it potentially means a fourth-place finish. Thus, the two Yamaha riders could play a role in the outcome of the championship.
“We are basically the second funded Yamaha team,” Scholtz said after finishing second to Gagne in race two at Pitt Race. “They definitely help us out but, at the end of the day, Westby pay my salary. Westby are the guys that hand me the contract offer every single year, so I just want to do the best I can for them. But if I can help Yamaha, I definitely will. I would love to see myself first and Jake (Gagne) second. That would be the most ideal situation.”
While the “Big Four” are solidified at the top of the standings, the battle for fifth in the championship will likely go to the bitter end.
Hector Barbera currently leads his Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate PJ Jacobsen by 20 points in the fight for fifth. While Jacobsen has more podiums (two to one), Barbera has fewer DNFs with the Spaniard missing out on points in just two races with Jacobsen has five non-scores in his column.
Behind them comes a throng of racers fighting inside the top 10. They are led by Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante in seventh with the Superbike rookie leading his teammate Jake Lewis by just five points. Eight points behind Lewis is Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who in turn leads Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by five points with the Kentuckian rounding out the top 10.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing teammates Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman are on the outside looking in and trail Gillim by 20 and 22 points, respectively.
NJMP Superbike Notes…
With his two victories last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Gagne became the eighth different rider to win an AMA Superbike race in the 13-year history of the series in the Garden State. The winningest rider in AMA Superbike history at NJMP is far and away Josh Hayes with his 11 Superbike victories at the facility, including the first two AMA Superbike races held at the track in Millville in 2009. Fittingly, Hayes is entered to race at NJMP this year on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship featured three races during its weekend at NJMP in 2021 to make up for the cancellation of its round at Circuit of The Americas.
Jake Gagne was dominant in the three races a year ago. On Saturday he beat Mathew Scholtz and Toni Elias in race one and he followed that up with two victories on Sunday – over Scholtz and Josh Herrin.
In addition to the clean sweep of the three races, Gagne also qualified on pole position on his Fresh N Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 (now the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team). Gagne lapped at 1:20.355 with Scholtz and Loris Baz joining him on the front row. Gagne’s best wasn’t a lap record, however, as that is still held by Cameron Beaubier – with his 1:19.806 coming during Superpole in 2020.
Although he’s not the lap record holder, Gagne is the race lap record holder with his 1:20.076 coming in race two last year on the 2.250-mile racetrack.
What a difference a really good year makes. Last year at NJMP, Gagne left Jersey with 16 career AMA Superbike victories, which tied him with MotoAmerica President and three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey for ninth on the all-time win list. A year later and Gagne has 27 victories and is just one behind former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies for sixth on the all-time list.
It’s a tradition that we have to bring up every year: Roger Hayden, who won twice at NJMP during his Superbike career, finished second there five times. Included in those five runner-up finishes were a .044 of a second loss to Josh Hayes in 2015, a .156 of a second loss to Toni Elias in 2016 and a .039 of a second loss to Elias in 2017. Hayden is always a winner to MotoAmerica and its fans, however, as he provides color commentary of MotoAmerica’s races on MotoAmerica Live+, the series’ live streaming and on-demand platform.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Determined To Extend Their Jersey Podium Streak This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round nine of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, New Jersey.
NJMP’s 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway has been a road course on which Mathew Scholtz and his Westby Racing team have had a lot of success, especially over the past three years. Mathew has finished on the podium in six straight Superbike races at New Jersey, going all the way back to 2019, and in the three Superbike races held at NJMP last year, The Scholtz Kid finished as runner-up in every single one of them.
“Heading into Jersey, I’m feeling confident,” Mathew said. “We’re coming off a really strong weekend at Pittsburgh. After the tough mid-season that we had, it felt like we finally found our way, and we were able to put all the pieces together to have a good race weekend. I felt that we had the pace to be battling up front.
“Jersey’s always been a very good track for me. It’s a tighter, twistier, more physical track, which suits me well. Our Yamaha Superbike has always gone well there. I want to keep building on Pittsburgh. All the changes that we’ve made are working well together. I’m looking forward to finishing the season off strong. I know that (Danilo) Petrucci and (Jake) Gagne have a big championship battle going on, and, if we do get into a battle with them in this weekend’s two races, we’ll take it as it comes. But, the main thing we need to do is just to focus on us. This is about the Westby team and continuing to improve from where we currently are.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. ET. Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast via tape delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET. Superbike race two is on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast LIVE on FS2.
For all the action from NJMP, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Two Rounds Remaining and Full Speed Ahead for Danilo Petrucci and Ducati
Four races with 100 points up for grabs and one point separating Danilo Petrucci and championship leader
Sunnyvale, Calif. – With just two rounds remaining, starting this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park and followed two weeks later with the finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has everything to play for as he’s a mere one point from the title leader and current champion, Jake Gagne.
Petrucci’s season has been a rollercoaster and the Italian has consistently bounced back to remain in the title hunt, with the chance of a rookie MotoAmerica Superbike title now firmly in his grasp. If he succeeds, it would be a first rider’s AMA Superbike/MotoAmerica Superbike title victory for Italy and the first for Ducati since Australian Troy Corser captured the 1994 title, also as a rookie.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9): “I’m thrilled to go racing again,” Petrucci said. “The last round was challenging but we know we need to improve the performance. There is no doubt—we need to win. I have ridden at New Jersey before, so the racetrack is not entirely new to me, so that is a bonus, but we have only one aim for this weekend, which is the top step of the podium.
The Medallia MotoAmerica Superbike action from New Jersey Motorsports Park will kick off with practice at 10:20 am EDT on Friday, September 9. Race one is scheduled for Saturday, September 10 at 3:10 pm and race two kicks off on Sunday, September 11 at 2:10 pm.
WorldSBK bursts back into action in France as Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu continue their three-way title fight
The second half of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season begins with the Pirelli French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The 2022 edition will see Pirelli as its Event Main Sponsor and the event will be taking place on September 9th-11th.
Pirelli has been the exclusive Official Tyre Supplier of the Championship since 2004, and since 2020 all classes has been using exclusively DIABLO™ Superbike slick tyres. Pirelli also supplies the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup as part of the SBK Roadway initiative.
WorldSBK in numbers
23-24 – Alvaro Bautista, at 23 wins, the same of Raymond Roche, is just outside the all-time top-10. His current rival Toprak Razgatlioglu occupies the 10th place together with Carlos Checa. It’s a double target for Bautista, as Carlos Checa is the most successful Spanish rider in history.
15 – Toprak Razgatlioglu led at least for one lap the last 15 races: data is available since 1998 and it’s the best streak since then, beating the 12 by Colin Edwards from Misano/1 to Imola/2 in 2002.
41 – 41 podium places for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Kawasaki follows at 30 and Yamaha at 27.
10-10 – The best grid spot for winning in Magny-Cours? It’s equally split as 10 wins came from pole and 10 from the second grid spot.
What to look out for in Magny-Cours
Championship P1 – 298 points
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati – Racing)
It will be Bautista’s fourth visit at the French circuit, the second one with Ducati.
He has never won at the French venue, his best result being fifth position in 2019.
Bautista starts the second half of the season as the Championship leader with a 31-point advantage over Rea.
“I think Magny-Cours will be a difficult race for us. Three years ago, I remember that my first practice was Race 1 so it wasn’t easy, I started from the back and then I was fighting for the win until Toprak hit me. Last year, I was quite good with Honda finishing sixth. But looking at the track itself and the weather conditions, I believe it will be hard for us. Let’s see, I go there positive with no expectations because I expect that we’ll suffer there.”
Championship P2 – 267 points
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea is the most successful rider at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with 9 wins. His last one was in the Tissot Superpole Race last year.
He holds the lap record of the French track with a fastest time of 1’36.374s set in 2021’s Race 1.
Rea is on a winless run of 9 races, his longest since he was second 10 times and third once at the beginning of 2019, when then-rookie Bautista was the winner in all those 11 races.
“Magny-Cours is a great place to start this last part of the season. It’s one of the most important part of the year because it’s six races in very quick succession. It’s important to be very strong and consistent, stay healthy through that period. Kicking off in Magny-Cours, a great start … It’s a good circuit for me and the team. Our ZX10RR works well there and I had lot of happy memories. So being September and coming into the autumn season in Europe, we have to expect anything in terms of weather. But we will be prepared either way. After a really solid test in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we have a good base to start the weekend and I look forward to continuing working with the team. Of course, the target is to be on the podium.”
Championship P3 – 260 points
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu has four wins at the French track and he took two wins at Magny-Cours in 2021, although he crossed the line first in all three races.
He took his first WorldSBK victory at the French venue back in 2019.
He stands in third place in the Championship standings and has reduced the gap to Rea to seven points.
“After the test in Barcelona, we are ready to race in Magny-Cours. It’s my favourite track. Last year was especially great with three wins… not two! This year, I’ll try again for three wins. I hope we won’t have rain in France. I will give my best again.”
Championship P4 – 148 points
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli’s best result at Magny-Cours is his third place in Race 1 2021.
He stands in fourth place in the Championship standings with 14-advantage over Rinaldi.
“I’m heading positive to Magny-Cours. After two days of testing in Barcelona we found a good base setup and I have a really good feeling with the bike. Now it will be interesting to be back on track. Magny-Cours was another great track for us last year because we had a podium there. I will give my maximum because it’s time to close the gap to the front and we need to stay with our competitors.”
Championship P5 – 134 points
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati Racing)
In 2021, Rinaldi’s best result at the French venue was a fourth place in Race 1.
He has been on the podium two times so far this season, both on home soil at Misano.
“We go to Magny-Cours after a positive test in Barcelona. I don’t know what to expect there because the weather conditions can change a lot. I will try to give my 100% and get the best result we can. It’s not a good moment overall, not because of the speed but for other reasons, but it is what it is and we’ll give our best.”
Championship P6 – 127 points
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
It will be Lecuona’s first visit to the historic French venue.
He is sixth in the Championship standings, only seven points behind Rinaldi.
“I’m happy to come back on track for the Championship after the summer break that allowed us to charge the batteries, although for me it has been a mix of rest and work. First, the wonderful experience at Suzuka 8 Hours, it was my first endurance race and so I had to learn lot of things. I enjoyed it a lot, not only racing but also sharing everything with two amazing teammates. Then we had a good test in Catalunya. I kept on the development work with my team and it allowed me also to regain the feeling with my bike, the tyres and the seat. Now we go to Magny-Cours, again a new track for me this year and I know nothing about it. I’ve only watched some videos from past races but the first day will be important in order to learn the layout and then the work will continue as always.”
To keep an eye on:
With five top five finishes in the last six races, including two podium places, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to get closer to the front. So far, his best result at the French track is a victory back in 2021. His teammate Michael van der Mark will make his return following his injury sustained in Estoril.
French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) stands in 11th place in the Championship standings. His best result so far in 2022 is a sixth place in Race 1 at Assen. His best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a second place in 2020 (Race 2).
Other local rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is 14th in the Championship standings. Most Race 2’s ninth place is his best result so far this season. In 2021, his best result at Magny-Cours was a 13th position in Race 2.
Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha), 22nd in the standings, will aim for a top ten finish at his home round. His best result of the 2022 season was a 12th place in Estoril and Assen. In 2021, he was 12th in Race 2, his best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
All five factory teams took part in a private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in August to prepare for the second part of the season. The factory teams were joined by the Bonovo Action BMW, Orelac Racing VerdNatura and TPR Team Pedercini Racing teams.
SAM LOCHOFF RETURNS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
BREA, Calif., September 7, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Sam Lochoff will return to action at this weekend’s 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Lochoff missed the last three Supersport rounds of the series at Laguna Seca, Brainerd International Raceway, and Pittsburgh International Race Complex due to injury.
Lochoff, who won titles in his native South Africa and Europe earlier in his career, broke through as a MotoAmerica Supersport race winner last year in New Jersey. Lochoff finished third in Supersport points in 2021 and earned the podium six times
The 20-year-old had high hopes for the 2022 season and finished second in both Road Atlanta contests before a training accident left him with broken bones for the Virginia round. Lochoff tried to race through the injury but more crashes during the season meant he could not make strides in his recovery from a number of broken bones. Due to his physical condition, Lochoff missed six races.
“You have to train very hard to see the results we expect, and you cannot eliminate risk in training, no matter what. That’s the nature of our sport,” said Lochoff. “There was a risk with motocross, but I was feeling myself get stronger. Then I had an accident and that was that.”
“I’m not 100 percent but the doctor says I won’t do any further damage by racing on it,” said Lochoff. “I will be able to manage the pain. I really want to get back racing. We’ve got two more events to see what we can do. I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation GSX-R750 has developed since I have been out. I was excited to see what Cory Ventura was able to do while I was recovering.”
Team Hammer would like to thank Cory Ventura for his performances as Lochoff’s replacement. The young racer finished in the top five on three occasions and was competitive in his time on the team’s Suzuki GSX-R750.
Team Hammer will be back in action on September 9-11 for the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 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.
The Utah Motorcycle Law Masters of the Mountains series held its final race of the year on September 3rd on Utah Motorsports Campus’ West track configuration.
In the premier class, Moto United/Moto Station-Pirelli KOM Combined, 50 points were on offer for a race win, and with less than 50 points separating the top four title contenders, the stage was set for a nail-biting finale. Further adding to the drama, prior race winner Anthony Norton was returning from injury and was back on the grid.
In the morning qualifying session, points leader Dave Meyer was the first to head out to set a lap time and qualified on pole with a fast lap of 1:32.64. Genaro Lopez was the second-place qualifier by the slimmest of margins, setting a time of 1:32.84. Ryan Richardson completed the front row for the race, qualifying in third with a time of 1:33.56.
As the RPM’s came up for the start, the combatants let out their clutches and roared into the first turn, led by Lopez. Richardson trailed behind in second and Meyer was third. Norton suffered a mechanical failure at the start and was forced to push his bike from the track. The top three running order remained unchanged for the first three laps as Lopez set the fastest lap of the race on lap two, turning in a 1:30.87 lap to establish a commanding gap to Richardson and Meyer behind. The running order at this point in the race would have shifted the championship points lead to Lopez from Meyer. Meyer would need to pass Richardson for second to secure the title.
Meyer hounded Richardson from behind for the first two laps in an effort to do just that. Meyer closed the gap in Turn Ten on lap two and continued to draft Richardson until making a pass stick in Turn Five of lap three. From there each of the top three went into race management mode and the podium stayed unchanged, Lopez in first, Meyer in second, and Richardson in third. Importantly, the second-place finish would secure the title for Meyer.
After the race Meyer commented on his championship, “I’d like to say a huge thanks to all of the guys in Utah for pushing each other to go faster, Genaro, Anthony, Ryan, and William. Thanks to my main sponsor, Velosio, a full-service technology partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365. Velosio is helping me keep my day job and keep my racing program mostly wife-approved. Thanks to Moto Station for all of their support and the awesome sticky Pirelli tires, the UtahSBA for putting on a great series, and last but not least Scott Rybarik, my coach and crew chief. This wouldn’t have happened without Scott.”
Of the race win Lopez remarked, “Of course I really wanted to win the championship but all I could do was win today’s race and hope for the best. After missing two rounds with injury, it just wasn’t meant to be. I want to thank Moto Station, Pirelli, Genaro’s Body Shop, Andrew’s Trucking, Utah Metal Works, and Vortex Racing.”
In other racing Donald Rothfuss led the pack into Turn One of the Karl Malone Powersports Open Twins race. Rothfuss was passed in Turn Two by Jared Baird and the two traded paint turn after turn for the remainder of lap one. Baird held the lead at the start of lap two but Rothfuss wasn’t far behind. Rothfuss attempted the pass for the lead in Turn Seven but couldn’t make anything stick. It wasn’t until lap three that Rothfuss was able to finally pass for the lead and break the race open and establish a sizable gap. From there the victory appeared to be a forgone conclusion for Rothfuss. A huge mistake in Turn Ten of the final lap saw Rothfuss run off the track. Fortunately, the gap was large enough for Rothfuss to regain control of the bike and pilot it home for the win unscathed.
Racing concluded in the afternoon with a one-time only race. Local racer Kevin Dolan is 69 this year and has been racing since 1981. In honor of Dolan’s racing career, a special “Formula 69” race was held. The club members gathered and were led by Dolan on a one lap race before the checkered flag was thrown by Dolan’s wife, Lisa. Congratulations to Kevin for a long and storied racing career.
Club racing is both the roots and lifeblood of the sport and we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our sponsors and the UtahSBA wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you. The UtahSBA and its board also wants to extend a sincere thanks to all the volunteers, track staff, the racers, and their families who show up round after round. Without you we wouldn’t be a club. Thanks again and We hope to see you all next year!
The Utah Sport Bike Association is a Utah Non-Profit dedicated to promoting education, safe riding, and competition in the Intermountain West. You can find more information about the USBA, upcoming events, and schools at www.utahsba.com or find us on Facebook.
Harley vs. Indian, Wyman vs. O’Hara: It All Comes To A Head At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Just Three Points Separate Travis Wyman And Tyler O’Hara As Mission King Of The Baggers Goes To Its NJMP Finale, September 9-11
IRVINE, CA (September 7, 2022) – Most championships are remembered for the riders who battled for them: Rainey vs. Schwantz, Rossi vs. Stoner, Spies vs. Mladin, Chandler vs. Duhamel. Not so with the 2022 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Championship that concludes this weekend with a winner-take-all battle between Travis Wyman and Tyler O’Hara at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The real war here is Harley-Davidson vs. Indian, Indian vs. Harley-Davidson, and it takes place daily – in the boardroom, on the assembly line, the dealership floor, and the racetrack. As it has been since both brands started making motorcycles in the wee years of the 1900s.
This weekend, however, it’s all about the racetrack.
With just the finale left to run at 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, the battle for the 2022 KOTB Championship has been whittled down to just two combatants: Travis Wyman and O’Hara. Although defending King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman is still mathematically alive, he’s 20 points behind with just 25 points remaining on the table. It would take a double catastrophe with both his brother Travis and O’Hara failing to score points. Possible, but unlikely.
It’s Travis Wyman who comes in leading the championship, albeit by just three points over O’Hara. They took widely different paths to get to this point with O’Hara starting the season red hot with Travis Wyman finishing it with all the momentum.
The season got started at Daytona International Speedway back in March with an historic doubleheader as the Mission King Of The Baggers hit the high banks for the first time. It was O’Hara taking victory in that first race and he followed that up with a second place to Jeremy McWilliams, his teammate on the Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team, in race two at Daytona to leave Florida with a points haul of 45 points.
Wyman, the younger, was second to O’Hara in race one at Daytona and was fifth in race two. He left the Sunshine State with 31 points.
At Road Atlanta, it was H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman taking his first victory of the season with Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli second and O’Hara third. Travis Wyman and his H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide was fifth and looking to fall out of the title chase. He trailed O’Hara by 41 points at the halfway mark.
While O’Hara was the one to beat in the first half of the season, it’s been all Travis Wyman in the second half.
It all started at Road America when T. Wyman won his first-career Baggers race and it set him on a path of scoring 65 points in the three rounds preceding this weekend’s finale. That, combined with O’Hara scoring 42 points with just one podium finish, puts Wyman three points ahead going into this weekend in Jersey. Kyle Wyman, meanwhile, leads the way with two wins on the season, but his scorecard is marred by two non-finishes.
If Travis Wyman wins with O’Hara second on Sunday, Wyman wins by eight points. If O’Hara wins with T. Wyman second, O’Hara takes the title by two points. If both of them fail to score points and Kyle Wyman wins, he takes the title over his brother by six points. Obviously, there are several other scenarios but let’s race first and calculate second.
No matter how this turns out, the pressure on both riders and their crews is going to be immense from the first time they turn a wheel in the first practice session at 11:45 a.m. on Friday to the completion of the race on Sunday afternoon.
Teammates and those riding the same brand can also factor into this. Travis has Kyle, O’Hara has McWilliams. Rispoli and his teammate Taylor Knapp are on Vance & Hines Harleys and Brainerd winner Bobby Fong has already proven to be a thorn in everyone’s side on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger. In total, 10 Harleys and seven Indians will take to the grid on Sunday afternoon and any of them could play a role in the outcome.
Bring it on.
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.
Quartararo quickest, Marquez hits 100 laps at Misano
Yamaha progress plain on Wednesday, MM93 back out to reach a full century of track time over both days
Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Crews are packing up after the completion of two days of action at the Official MotoGP™ Misano Test, and it is the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team on top of the timesheets. Fabio Quartararo finished Day 2 with a 1:31.054, the fastest time of the test overall, while at the Repsol Honda Team, Marc Marquez continued to accumulate laps in his comeback.
YAMAHA
Much of the pre-test talk centred around Yamaha’s new engine, and the top speed charts made for very encouraging reading indeed. Quartararo clocked 298.3km/h in the pre-lunchtime running on Wednesday, third on that metric at less than 2km/h slower than Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) recorded on one of the Bologna bullets otherwise known as a Ducati. ‘El Diablo’ admitted he used a slipstream to achieve that speed, but was still quite happy with what the Iwata manufacturer has rolled out. He was fastest in that morning session on a 1:31.116 before shaving off a little more time in the afternoon to consolidate his place at the top.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Yamaha also worked on a new chassis, as well as new aerodynamic pieces, with different versions seen on the bikes of Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, who finished the test 12th-fastest overall. While Misano is very much about developing a bike for the following season, it might also give Quartararo a big boost to his hopes of back-to-back World Championship titles, given Team Manager Massimo Meregalli says that the new chassis could appear as soon as the upcoming Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Intriguingly, Meregalli also reported that Yamaha may have found a way to achieve more power this year, which would require a development somewhere other than the engine. What have they got up their sleeve, and we will see the evidence of that in Aragon also?
HONDA
Marc Marquez fans rejoice! The eight-time World Champion completed another 61 laps on Day 2 of the Misano test. It was certainly not the most mileage, but he notched up a solid haul in both of the Wednesday sessions – an extremely positive sign for the Honda rider’s fitness after his arm surgery in June, and therefore an extremely positive sign for Honda in general.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Dorna.
As for the machinery, there was plenty going on at Honda as well. The Kalex swingarm which HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl tried out on Day 1 was back again on Day 2 – and this time, it was seen on one of Marc Marquez’s bikes. The #93 had three different examples of the RC213V at his disposal, those being a pair of 2022 versions and more of a 2023 model, and Honda tested three different air intakes across its fleet of motorcycles. Bradl also tried out a different exhaust, and even did some back-to-back running with the 2021 bike.
Stefan Bradl (6). Photo courtesy Dorna.
On the timesheets, Marc Marquez was Honda’s best in 13th for the test on combined times, having gone as fast as a 1:31.642 in the morning session on Day 2. More importantly, however, there is plenty for the Japanese marque’s technical gurus to pore over in coming weeks and months as preparations for next season ramp up.
DUCATI
San Marino GP winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the test second-fastest thanks to the 1:31.172 which he set before lunchtime on Day 2, while the man who was runner-up last Sunday, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) claimed fourth in the test on a 1:31.260. None of the Ducati riders ventured onto the track in the afternoon, while Mooney VR46 Racing Team had already wrapped up its testing on Day 1.
Enea Bastianini (23). Photo courtesy Dorna.
In the main, the Bologna marque worked on chassis and new aerodynamics, although only with Bagnaia and Bastianini. Meanwhile, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a spill at Turn 4 – rider okay.
APRILIA
Both of Aprilia Racing’s full-time Grand Prix riders, Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro, finished in the top five, the former third on a 1:31.189 and the latter fifth on a 1:31.333 – both set in the morning session on Day 2. Of particular note, however, was that Espargaro’s crash in that session has left him with a broken little finger on his left hand. Thankfully, he will not need surgery, and while the Argentina GP winner admitted to being in pain, he expects to be okay to ride at the Aragon GP.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Noale manufacturer tested different chassis and, like Yamaha, could roll out a new specification as soon as Aragon. There was also new aerodynamics to trial as well.
KTM
Despite chatter in the paddock, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti said that the Austrian manufacturer did not have a 2023 prototype at Misano, although it did test 2023 parts. Miguel Oliveira was quickest of its riders on a 1:31.585 although much of the development work was done by Brad Binder and test rider Dani Pedrosa – with the former putting in a big effort of 46 laps on the Wednesday afternoon.
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
SUZUKI
Team Suzuki Ecstar completed its programme on Day 1 of the test, and was not in action on Day 2.
That’s a wrap on the Misano test, but make sure you check out motogp.com for more news and insights from two fascinating days of action which will shape not only next year, but also the rest of the 2022 season. Then, tune in for MotorLand on September 16-18!
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TOP MISANO TEST
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 7th September 2022
MISANO TEST
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli spent the second day at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli confirming their initial positive feeling with all testing items. They ended the Misano MotoGP Official Test in 1st and 12th place respectively in the combined timesheets.
1st FABIO QUARTARARO 1‘31.054 (FP4) / 40+32 LAPS
12th FRANCO MORBIDELLI 1‘31.614 (FP3) / 35+33 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli were back aboard their YZR-M1s today for the second and last day of the 2022 Misano MotoGP Official Test. They secured 1st and 12th place respectively in the overall combined timesheets.
The teammates used today‘s two sessions (09:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00) to get into the nitty gritty of the data required to evaluate the new testing items: including a prototype 2023 engine, a new chassis, and winglets.
Quartararo focused on electronics work in the morning. It was clearly to his liking. El Diablo completed 40 laps in FP3 of the Misano Test and clocked a 1‘31.116s on lap 39, the top time of the session, with a 0.056s margin. His improved feeling with his YZR-M1 put the Frenchman in a great mood as he tested fairings and winglets in the afternoon. He ran another 32 laps and bettered his personal best lap of the test to a 1‘31.054s on lap 26. It made him the fastest rider of the Misano Test, with a 0.118s advantage over his closest rival in the final combined results, although his morning time would also have done the trick.
Morbidelli had enjoyed the first day of the Misano Test, especially as the new engine ticked all the boxes of what he had hoped for, making for a smooth yet powerful bike. The Italian dedicated the FP3 practice time to gathering further data. He got in 35 laps and set a 1‘31.614s for ninth place in the FP3 results, 0.498s from first. Morbido continued work in the afternoon session until the chequered flag, riding another 33 laps, setting a 1‘31.714s for third place in the FP4 timesheets on his final try. However, he didn‘t improve on his best time. It was his morning lap that put him in 12th place in the overall results, 0.560s from the top.
The team will be back in action on 16-18 Sept at Round 15 of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, held at the MotorLand Aragón circuit in Spain.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We are quite satisfied because the test went well. Overall, for what we‘ve tested – mainly a new engine for next year and also a new chassis – all the information we gathered was very good. We gained some top speed, and the lap times are becoming quicker and are coming easier for the riders. They are happy because they clearly felt the improvement with the new engine. This is very important for next year, but it‘s also important for the mindset of the riders this year. It puts their minds at ease, because they got to experience for themselves what Yamaha promised them for this test. We are really happy and are looking forward to the next step for the Valencia Test.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
It was a good test. This morning we worked pretty well on the electronics of the new bike. In the afternoon we had fairings and wings to test. I‘m feeling pretty positive about next year‘s bike. The top speed looks good, so I feel super happy! It‘s a great feeling. I got a great slip stream to set the 298km/h top speed this morning. But the average of the speed was also good, this is super important. So, I‘m looking forward to having this engine in a proper race.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
It was a busy day, tough. Also today, we’ve gone over, analysed, and tested many things. I have to say that it was a positive day. Unfortunately, the hot lap didn’t come out well. But anyway, our pace and our average level were really good. We found many different solutions. They are all interesting, so we need to make the right choices. But the team and Yamaha did a wonderful job in stepping up in terms of items for the bike. They did a great job at home, and these two days of testing were really good to appreciate the job they did.
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
GOODBYE ITALY AS TESTING CONCLUDES AT MISANO
#MisanoTest. An important, two-day test has drawn to a close for Team Gresini MotoGP on the track that last weekend hosted the fourteenth round of the World Championship. The Faenza-based squad worked at full capacity with the goal to better prepare for what is going to be a really demanding last stretch of the season.
After being very quick throughout the race weekend, Enea Bastianini kept the momentum going in this last official test of 2022. The Italian, who came extremely close to winning the race on Sunday, has worked on some fine-tuning ahead of the next races with excellent speed and pace (he was fourth quickest). The rider #23 did not have time to test an experimental front tyre brought by Michelin, which could be used next year.
Fabio Di Giannantonio worked on the bike set-up and found a great feeling with his Desmosedici GP21, especially with higher temperatures. With many laps completed and an improved confidence, the #49 was the tenth quickest rider in the test.
“It was a positive test. We completed a lot of laps, we were quick and we also tried something set-up wise that improved the feeling with the bike. My personal quickest lap was set yesterday after 27 laps with the same tyre, so I feel very positive. We haven’t made huge steps forward, but we were already very so we only had to do some fine tuning. We are leaving Misano with great expectations for the last races of the year.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’31.605)
“This test was a very positive one. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that much because we didn’t have new parts to try, but we tested some different configurations that I liked and I felt very good on the bike. We gathered plenty of data without going for longer runs and we’re happy. It’s true that this track was perfect and we’ll need to test these solutions at other tracks and in different conditions. Now we will rest a bit before the three consecutive rounds waiting for us.”
More, from a press release issued by WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team:
Binder uses valuable track time in Misano to progress
WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s rookie uses the two days test after the San Marino Grand Prix to spin laps and adapt further to the MotoGP bike.
Following a very intense and emotional weekend for the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team with Andrea Dovizioso’s retirement from his racing career in MotoGP, the squad has been back at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli on Tuesday for two days of important testing ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix and the flyaway races, mainly with Darryn Binder learning more about his Yamaha YZR-M1.
The South African concluded Sunday’s race in P16, almost reaching the points and was just missing his decent and consistent pace in the final six laps. Therefore, the MotoGP rookie together with his crew was trying to find the reasons and mainly working on improving the second half of the race, wherefore he played with the electronics and settings in order to be more conservative with the tires throughout race distance.
Binder did a total of 133 laps in the course of the two days and improved his fastest time from the race weekend, which he set in Free Practice three, by 0.420 seconds to eventually assessed the test as a success.
Despite he retired from MotoGP racing last Sunday, Andrea Dovizioso was riding on Tuesday morning in Misano to assist Alpinestars in terms of product development. His participation in the test was confirmed before his decision to retire. The Italian did a total of 16 laps in the morning session, before he packed up and finally called it a conclusion.
Darryn Binder (40). Photo courtesy WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team.
DARRYN BINDER
“It’s been a good test in my eyes. We tried lots of little things like with the electronics, a bit different setup with the rear shock and the front fork, stuff like that, but overall, I feel we made positive small gains. I was able to be a lot more consistent and quicker than I was over the race weekend, which I was quite happy about. We only rode on the medium rear and the hard front on both days. I never really did a time attack, but overall, I was faster than last weekend and I’m happy with the steps we made. We did a couple of back checks to make sure we are still heading in the right direction. Everything we’ve tried has been positive, so I’m happy with that. Spinning a lot of laps on this bike can only benefit me at the end of the day. It’s always nice to get more laps under your belt.”
Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
“Last Sunday was Andrea’s last race and he did a test on Tuesday morning for Alpinestars and we gave him the green light to do that on his MotoGP bike. With Darryn we continued our work after the races on Sunday. There have been some parts to try, also some settings to test, especially electronics, because we found out during the race it was quite fine until lap 21 and then the bike started to get loose because the grip drops and you have to control it. So, we tried to focus on that. Finally, he improved his lap times compared to the weekend, the grip level was quite good during this test, but everyone was really fast.”
More, from a press release issued by Tech3 KTM Factory Racing:
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing Completes Two-Day Test Programme in Misano
With just one day of rest following the exciting Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez returned on track on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the IRTA Misano MotoGP™ Official Test. Both were looking to try out several settings in order to boost their performances for the remaining six races of the 2022 season.
Coming from a positive result with a P13 finish on Sunday at the San Marino GP, Raul Fernandez went full in on Tuesday with different settings to test in order to help him continue his progress this season. His first day was highlighted by his great consistency in the lap times registered as he rode mainly on his own. He completed seventy-four laps with a best in 1’32.395 and finished the day in P19, 0.952 seconds from the top. On Wednesday for day 2, Raul was on track all morning until the practice start session before the lunch break. Another forty-four laps in the bag allowed him to gather valuable information for his team for the upcoming races. He slightly improved his time to 1’32.344 and finished the Misano Test in P22, with a very positive feeling.
Remy Gardner also had a busy track schedule on day 1 of the Misano test. He rode all day as he also worked mainly on bike settings in order to try getting the maximum of his MotoGP engine to help him progress. There was positive information and interesting data which came out of the sixty-one laps of the first day as he finished in P23, his fastest lap being in 1’32.739. Remy concluded his day with the practice start session. On Wednesday, he completed his Misano Test programme with positivity after another thirty-eight laps during which he rode in 1’32.433, classifying him twenty-third at the end of the two days.
“On Tuesday, we had a really good day with almost eighty laps. We improved our pace a lot and my riding style is more natural. I understand the carbon brakes better, the tyres better and the whole bike in general is suiting me better. I had a small crash at the end of the first day but I was ok. Today, we continued trying different settings and we found interesting data. The most important thing for me is that we have found a way for me to feel good on this bike, especially on the front, and I hope that we will be able to use this setting for the next races. These two test days in Misano were very positive and I have enjoyed working with Guy Goulon. He is a special man so I would like to thank him for his work.”
“Over these two days we focused a lot on trying different settings so that we can have the best feeling possible for the six races left. This morning, we did some back checking from the work done on Tuesday and tried different things. We improved by about one second from the race so we can take positive out of this and use this information for the next races. In general, I was looking for more confidence on the front tyre for turning and braking, and I think that we managed to get some interesting data and a better feeling on the bike, so I am satisfied with this. Time to head home for some rest before Aragon.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez and Espargaro push for productive end to Misano Test
Another productive day out on track for the Repsol Honda Team as Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro completed 128 laps between them today and leave Misano with a wealth of data and a positive mindset.
The second day of the Misano Test saw both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro return to the track and continue the work they started the day before. For Marquez, it provided more crucial time on the RC213V to build his own fitness as well as help to define the progression of the bike. There was an intensive schedule as Marquez completed 61 laps on the second day, one of the final riders on at track as the clock hit 17:00 Local Time. The intensive work was rewarded with positive feedback towards a number of new items brought by Honda HRC.
Marquez’s efforts were rewarded with a quickest time of 1’31.642, 0.6s faster than his best time from Tuesday and 13th in the combined test rankings. But the most important aspect of the test was the information gained about his physical condition and the feedback given to HRC’s engineers for the future.
Working mostly on setting for during the race weekends, Pol Espargaro completed an additional 67 laps today for a total of 117 across the two days of testing. The work allowed the #44 to compare a variety of components including aerodynamics and shocks in back-to-back runs. With the knowledge gained, Espargaro’s side of the Repsol Honda Team box feel they have made progress to improve on both Saturday during Qualifying and with overall pace for the race. A fastest time of 1’31.707, set in the morning of the first day, has the Repsol Honda Team rider end the test in 14th place overall.
Now the Repsol Honda Team begin preparations for the Aragon GP, the last European race before the four flyaway races in Japan, Thailand, Australia, and Malaysia. The Aragon GP will begin on Friday, September 16.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marc Marquez
13TH 1’31.642
“It was a really successful test for me, especially because after such a long time away it was not easy yesterday. But today I started to feel the bike more and run at my pace, this allowed me to try some different components for Honda for the future. This was also good. The most important aspect was how the arm recovered between the two days and, ok I struggled at the end of today, but this is what the doctors and physios were expecting. Let’s see how the recovery in the next few days goes to understand what the next steps are.”
Pol Espargaro (44). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Pol Espargaro
14TH 1’31.707
“Today we were riding well in the morning and even with my wrist I was able to find a better rhythm. In the afternoon I was very tired and I had to keep adjusting the brake a lot with my wrist. We stopped a little earlier because of this but it was still a good two days. We kept working and were able try a number of items from during the year which made some points more clear as we look ahead to Aragon. I am glad we had this test to push into the final races.”
More, from a press release issued by Lenovo Ducati Team:
Positive feedback for the Ducati Lenovo Team riders in the two days of post-race testing at Misano
The two days of post-race collective testing concluded this afternoon at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, stage last Sunday of the San Marino GP. For the Ducati Lenovo Team riders, it was a chance to work on their Desmosedici GP machines before tackling the last part of the season. It was as well an opportunity to start testing the latest innovations ahead of next year.
Francesco Bagnaia, fresh from winning his home Grand Prix at Misano, was one of the first riders to hit the track on Day 1, which saw him using all the track time available to complete his busy testing schedule. On the other hand, today, Pecco only took part in the morning session. With 131 laps completed, Bagnaia ended the test in second position with a fastest time in 1:31.172.
Jack Miller also made the most of the first day and the morning of the second before both of his final sessions were cut short by a crash just minutes from the end. During the test, Miller focused mainly on testing different setup configurations, completing a total of 86 laps and setting the eighteenth time overall in 1:31.927.
“These were two very productive days of testing: we tried several new things, and the Ducati engineers now have a clearer idea of which direction to take to continue the development work on next year’s bike. During these two days, we focused mainly on our corner speed, and every test gave positive feedback. The feeling with the bike was excellent, as demonstrated by my consistent and competitive pace on used tyres. I’m satisfied with the work completed over these two days, and I can’t wait to get back on track next week in Spain.”
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 18th (1:31.927 – 86 laps)
“This morning’s crash at Turn 4 was very similar to the one I suffered in the race, and now we’ll have some more data to analyse to understand what exactly happened, as, at that point, I had the feeling I was doing the same as the lap before. In any case, yesterday and today, we worked on different setup configurations but didn’t try any new components. Now we’ll analyse the information gathered over these two days to improve the bike further ahead of the next race at Aragon”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action from 16th-18th September for the fifteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Aragón GP, at the MotorLand Aragón in Alcañiz, Spain.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
BUSY APRILIA IN MISANO TEST
ALBESIANO: ‘WE CAN’T BE SATISFIED, WE HAVE TO KEEP WORKING’
The main news of the two days of MotoGP testing at Misano is the enormous amount of work carried out by Aprilia. Always among the first to take to the track and the last to close, with practice starts on the main straight, even today. An unmistakable sign of the constant ambition to improve, despite an absolute competitive situation.
A total of 427 laps were clocked over the two days by the RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori, all of whom were involved in both tests related to the current season and in comparisons and simulations that could help the development of the 2023 prototype.
Caught up in a crash at Turn 13, Aleix had to interrupt his test towards the end of today’s morning session, having suffered a micro-fracture to the little finger of his left hand that is not cause for concern ahead of Aragón.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
“The injury will fortunately only require a little rest. We’ll check it tomorrow with more detailed tests but I’m not worried ahead of Aragón. The test overall was positive. We tried some concepts with a view to 2023 but we will have to analyse the data well, because Misano is a track with a lot of grip, especially after a race weekend. So it will be necessary to reconfirm the sensations on other tracks”.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
“We have definitely taken a step forward with these tests. I am satisfied with the work Aprilia is doing, both with a view to 2023 and to help me in this season finale. In the second part of the race on Sunday I lost something compared to the best riders and in these two days we have also had the opportunity to analyse that situation and work to improve it.”
ROMANO ALBESIANO
“Despite what might come naturally seeing the results of this season, our path to perfect competitiveness is still a long one. We are not satisfied and we won’t be until we manage to fill all the gaps in the RS-GP. We are already working on the ideas that will go on to define the 2023 prototype but the analysis process has to be meticulous, the risk of missteps is always just around the corner. There are concepts that seem to work, others that don’t clearly improve, so after so many laps we will have to be good at analysing the data collected. We are at a good level of performance, but this does not allow us to slow down development.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKA PUTS IN HARD YARDS AT MISANO TEST SESSION
Takaaki Nakagami was pleased the progress he was able to make during the official two-day MotoGP test at Misano this week. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider clocked up over 150 laps at the Italian venue as he worked tirelessly to improve the set-up of his RC213v ahead of the final six rounds of the 2022 World Championship.
The Japanese star focused his efforts on finetuning his existing package and made notable steps forward on Wednesday. Taka closed out the session with a series of consistent lap-times, dipping under the 1’32 mark, and is now relishing the chance to compete again at the next round in Aragon.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 15th
(1’31.786)
“It’s been a busy two days of testing here in Misano and we had a lot of time to do. First of all, I really appreciate all the work from my team. I did many laps and, especially on Wednesday afternoon, the lap times were quite good and quite consistent. The feeling of the bike is much better than the weekend in Misano, so in the end we’re quite happy about the performance and lap times. I’m now really looking forward to the Aragon GP, so thanks again to all my team and let’s keep pushing.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ÁLEX MÁRQUEZ UPBEAT AFTER PRODUCTIVE TEST AT MISANO
Álex Márquez praised his team after getting the most out of the final in-season MotoGP test which was held at Misano on Tuesday and Wednesday. The LCR Honda CASTROL man worked hard across both days to finetune his package and is now looking forward to implementing the improvements in his home Grand Prix in Aragon.
While the Spaniard and his team were not given any new items to test by HRC, they took the opportunity to refine existing parts and settings and made encouraging progress. As ever, Álex got through a heavy workload to rack up nearly 140 laps over the two days, finishing 19th fastest on day one, before breaking the 1’32 lap barrier on Wednesday afternoon.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Álex Márquez – 17th
(1’31.864)
“Today was a positive second day of tests. We had zero items from Honda to try, so we focused on our package and to evaluate the items that we have (received) during the season and not to make the mistake of trying them and confusing things during a GP (weekend). So we made progress on that and have improved our package a lot with things like the feeling. I’m really happy how the team worked in this situation because having no items is not easy. We did a good job and everyone worked really hard, so I’m happy about that and ready for the home GP in Aragon.”
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
KEY MISANO MOTOGP™ TEST WRAPS A WEEK IN SAN MARINO
Two warm days of testing action brought an end to an intense week of activity for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing teams in San Marino. Miguel Oliveira was highest placed on the combined time sheets as the crews ran through both short-term and 2023 development options for the KTM RC16.
One day after engines had cooled in the wake of the San Marino Grand Prix and round fourteen of the 2022 MotoGP season, the grid was busy again for the sixth official test of the year. Both KTM squads were joined by the official test team and Dani Pedrosa at the sun kissed Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli where the workload was split between gaining hard data on current set-up suggestions for the KTM RC16 and future ideas that might have a bearing on the 2023 version of the racebike.
After work on Tuesday and Wednesday, Brad Binder, Oliveira and Pedrosa had accumulated nearly 400 laps of the track between them, while rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez clocked over 210 circulations with a view to improving their competitiveness for the six Grands Prix that remain on the calendar. Oliveira was quickest by the end of the session with Binder 16th, Pedrosa, Fernandez and Gardner 21st, 22nd and 23rd.
MotoGP now drives across the continent to eastern Spain. The Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragón will pull the series to the MotorLand Aragon circuit near Alcañiz on September 17-18.
Brad Binder: “We did a lot of testing! We wanted to search for a better feeling for braking and stopping on one wheel and we made some improvements with the clutch setting and engine braking. As usual some ideas worked, some didn’t and we had some plans for today that we couldn’t quite finalize. Anyway, small things can make a big difference and we really tried to optimize what we had.”
Miguel Oliveira (88). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Miguel Oliveira: “We worked on our settings and took advantage of the good conditions at Misano. We found some little things that should help us on other racetracks. I’m happy with what we were able to do. We kept things simple, even though it is never that simple! Our focus will be on the package we have now, some tire choices and we worked on stability for corner entry. We prioritized that area and also found a few little things for corner exit.”
Raul Fernandez: “On Tuesday, we had a really good day with almost eighty laps. We improved our pace a lot and my riding style is more natural. I understand the carbon brakes better, the tires better and the whole bike in general is suiting me better. Today we continued trying different settings and we found interesting data. The most important thing for me is that we have found a way for me to feel good on this bike, especially on the front, and I hope that we will be able to use this setting for the next races. These two test days in Misano were very positive and I have enjoyed working with Guy Goulon. He is a special man so I would like to thank him for his work.”
Remy Gardner: “Over these two days we focused a lot on trying different settings so that we can have the best feeling possible for the six races left. This morning, we did some back-checking from the work done on Tuesday and tried different things. We improved by about one second from the race so we can take positives out of this and use this information. In general, I was looking for more confidence on the front tire for turning and braking, and I think that we managed to get a better feeling on the bike, so I am satisfied with this. Time to head home for some rest before Aragon.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Having these two full days has been very helpful. It’s been busy! With a lot of laps, so there will be a lot of information to go through. With Brad and Dani we have been testing some parts for 2023 and to understand if our direction for the new bike is the right one. It was also the chance for Brad to have a first taste of some of these parts. With Miguel we wanted check our work so far this season and how we can still improve for the races ahead. Thanks to all the guys for their efforts here. We’ve been at Misano for some time now but with just one testing day left this year it was important to get through our workload.”
Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “This morning we looked at some bigger test components and items for the longer term and that took a bit more time but once we were going then it was very interesting. Brad and Dani were carrying out this work while the other guys focused more on 2022 improvements. We are quite confident that we have a baseline for next year’s bike that is quite promising. On Tuesday we worked on single items that are interchangeable with the platform that is in development and our current race bike, some of them we can race with already, some of them next year but we found some good puzzle pieces. It’s been an intense two day period but we’re all happy that we got something out of it.”
Tremblay ends Bernard title challenge at Pro6 GP finale
Calabogie, ON – Turcotte Performance Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja pilot Sebastien Tremblay of St-Eustache, QC, scored his first career Pro Superbike win in the final round of the Pro 6 GP Ontario Regional motorcycle road racing series at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Saturday, September 3.
The second-fastest qualifier had a poor start, and then had to work his way through the pack to get on the tail of race leader Yamaha-mounted YZF-R1M Ernest Bernhard, from Ste-Brigide-d’Iberville, QC.
The popular Bernhard, known by his crew as “the fastest Farmer,” had a solid shot to earn his first Championship crown in the Feature division, and started his day with Pole and the four-point bonus that goes with the fastest Qualifier designation. However, Bernhard then needed to win the race, and that would require beating Tremblay.
In the recently complete CSBK Pro National Superbike Championship, Tremblay finished fourth in the final rankings, top Kawasaki, while Bernhard was sixth, best placed Yamaha racer.
“I thought that I had it, but that’s the story of my life,” smiled 58-year-old Bernhard, who held first place for all but the last few corners of the eight lap Featured Regional final. “I was good with the pace, but on the last lap I blew corner 14 and then I lost my rhythm completely. It was close at the finish line.”
As Tremblay took the lead with just turns to go, Bernhard looked for a repass while first-race Pro riders Cedric Leclair from St Jerome, QC on a Kawasaki, and Marc Labossiere from Longueuil, QC on a BMW pulled into the leader’s slipstream. The four bikes were right together at the finish, Tremblay in first by .064 of a second from a frustrated Bernhard, with Leclair getting his first Pro Podium placing in third, another .033 seconds behind.
These last lap surprises meant that 2021 Canadian National Superbike Champion Alex Dumas of Quebec City, QC, earned the number one plate Pro 6 GP Series previously held by Beaconsfield, QC, based BMW pilot Michael Leon. Winner of race two in 2022, Leon was injured at the July Atlantic Motorsport Park National and out of action in the final event of Pro 6 GP.
Liqui Moly/FAST Riding School-backed Suzuki GSX-R1000 pilot Dumas, age 20, won three of the six series races in 2022, but was not in attendance at the last event. In 2022, Dumas placed second overall in the CSBK National tour behind the BMW of arch-rival Ben Young from Collingwood, ON.
In the Pro Sport Bike round presented by Kawasaki, points leader Philippe Masse, from Montreal, QC, got out front early aboard his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, chased hard by part time racer Vincent Levillain of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, on another Ninja, backed by the Speed Factory. Levillain stayed close throughout the eight-lap final, and on the last lap’s wide-open trip up the hill through turn seventeen pushed into the lead.
Levillain then held off the determined Masse for the final three corners, eaking out the narrowest of wins by just .03 of one second. Masse had already cliched the 2022 Pro 6 GP Championship for the middleweight division.
In another entertaining dice, Ferme-Neuve, QC, based racer Bobby Desjardins pushed his Kawasaki to third, shaking off the best chase efforts of Honda CBR600RR mounted Louie Raffa of Sainte-Marthe-sure-le-Lac, QC. Veteran Raffa was 1.6 seconds behind for fourth.
Recently un-retired former rising star Nicolas Meunier of Verdun, Qc., worked up to fifth on his Ninja 636, getting the best of a dice with Triumph 675 Daytona triple mounted Sean Latta of Lyndhurst, ON.
Motul Amateur Superbike quickly turned into a two-horse race between the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja of St-Jerome, QC, based racer Cedric Leclair and the BMW S1000RR of Marc Labossiere from Longueuil, QC. Labossiere had already clinched the Amateur Superbike crown and held the lead from a focused Leclair. Then Leclair made his move, surviving an off-track trip exiting the last turn on the final lap to edge Labossiere by .627 of a second.
Soon-to-be Pro Bobby Desjardins netted third overall in Amateur SBK against the big bikes on his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, while the unique and exotic KTM RC8C twin of Kitchener, ON.’s Nathan Playford was a solid fourth.
Playford did even better in DP Brakes Amateur Sport Bike, taking his rare Kramer-based KTM Twin to victory after a crazy first lap when two of the Championship contenders dropped out – Alexandre Michel of Montreal, QC (Kaw) and Yamaha YZF-R6 mounted Nolan Eadie of Gloucester, ON. Recovering from a Qualifying crash after he set pole position, Michel made it back to the pits, but Eadie’s bike was severely damaged.
Bobby Desjardins got up to second and set out after leader Playford and was 1.5 seconds back at the flag – Desjardins earned the series Championship by nine points over the absent Guillaume Lavallee, from Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel, QC.
The action was gripping at the front in Liqui Moly Pro-AM Lightweight, where Pro Ryan Vanderputten from Kingston, ON., got ahead early on his Yamaha YZF-R3 and then held off the Kawasaki Ninja 400 of Jacob Black of Etobicoke, ON, by 2.7 seconds for the win. Black took the Amateur win, a strong result for the hard-luck Aussie.
Pro Istvan Hidvegi from Mississauga, ON, was third with his Yamaha, having already clinched the Senior division crown, while Benjamin Roy from Laterriere, QC, was fourth on the road with another Yamaha, and second placed Amateur finisher. Roy took the Amateur title but just one series point from Evan Moriarity of Milton, ON. Moriarity did not start the final 2022 counter.
Jean-Michael Halle of Levis, QC, was first overall in the combined Heavyweight and Middleweight Challenge with his Yamaha YZF-R1, Frederic Barnabe also of Levis a very second overall (.4 of a sec!) aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.
Halle earned first in the Heavyweight Sportsman Senior category, taking that title, while Eric Gosselin of Beaupre, QC, netted third overall and second in class on a Kawasaki.
Barnabe was first in the Middleweight Sportsman Junior division, also taking his class title.
The Middleweight Sportsman Senior category already had a Champion in Alan Burns of South Mountain, ON, and the Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja racer also won the class in the final race. Series newcomer Shahin Taheri of Stittsville, ON, won Heavyweight Sportsman Junior aboard a Honda CBR1000RR, while Labossiere had already clinched that overall Championship.
GYTR GRT YAMAHA WORLDSBK TEAM READY FOR MAGNY-COURS AFTER SUMMER BREAK
After the long summer break, the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team is eager to get the seventh round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign at Magny-Cours underway.
Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane enter the second half of the season with a desire to translate their race potential into strong finishes on French soil.
Although results have not always gone his way this year, Gerloff enjoyed a promising Race 2 at Most last time out, and the American is confident of closing the gap to the front this weekend.
On the other side of the box, Nozane was happy with the progress made during the Czech round, and is now looking to bounce back after the five-week break to challenge for top 10 finishes.
Race 1 will get underway at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday after the Free Practice sessions and Superpole qualifier, with Race 2 starting at exact same time the next day, following the Superpole Race at 11:00.
Garrett Gerloff:
“First of all, it’s nice to be back! I cannot wait to be back on track, I feel recharged after the break. I hope the weather stays clear, but we’re ready for every condition. We didn’t have an easy times in the first half of the season, but it’s time to turn the tables starting at Magny-Cours.”
Kohta Nozane:
“The summer break is finally over; I can’t wait to come back on track. We’ve had some tough times in the first half of the season, but we enjoyed some good weekends with strong pace and now it’s time to translate that into results. Last year Magny-Cours was not our easiest round, but we’re ready to fight and do our best.”
Danilo Petrucci (9) and Jake Gagne (1) are separated by four points in the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship heading into the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park. Photos by Brian J. Nelson.
Just One Point Separates Gagne From Petrucci In 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship
Ultra-Close Title Chase Heads To New Jersey Motorsport Park, September 9-11.
IRVINE, CA (September 6, 2022) – After completing eight rounds, 16 races, 246 laps and 659.948 miles in the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship, just one point separates Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne from Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci as the series makes its way to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 9-11.
One measly point.
The two have arrived at this point in totally different ways. Gagne has won 10 races but has blundered in two of them with crashes that resulted in zero points. Petrucci, meanwhile, hasn’t had the pure pace that Gagne has had at most races, but he’s been there to pick up the pieces when his rival has faltered. The Italian has won four races. Two of those came with two dominating performances at Circuit of The Americas in round one, the other two after Gagne deposited his YZF-R1 in the gravel trap at Road Atlanta and then destroyed a second Yamaha at Brainerd International Raceway. In total, Petrucci has 14 podium finishes in 16 races and podiums in 11 straight races heading to NJMP.
Both have had seasons worthy of championships, but only one will get it and it’s a battle that should keep us entertained until the final lap at Barber Motorsports Park, September 23-25. A September to remember, it seems.
While this has mostly been the Gagne/Petrucci show, let’s not forget the other two riders who have won races in 2022 – Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Both of their wins came midseason at Road America with Scholtz excelling early in the season while Petersen has had his best races in the second half. Petersen has 10 podiums while Scholtz has eight.
That puts Petersen ahead of his fellow South African by 22 points with the two rounds and four races left on the schedule. Those two have also proven to be fast enough that a bad day for either Gagne or Petrucci doesn’t mean an automatic second place, it potentially means a fourth-place finish. Thus, the two Yamaha riders could play a role in the outcome of the championship.
“We are basically the second funded Yamaha team,” Scholtz said after finishing second to Gagne in race two at Pitt Race. “They definitely help us out but, at the end of the day, Westby pay my salary. Westby are the guys that hand me the contract offer every single year, so I just want to do the best I can for them. But if I can help Yamaha, I definitely will. I would love to see myself first and Jake (Gagne) second. That would be the most ideal situation.”
While the “Big Four” are solidified at the top of the standings, the battle for fifth in the championship will likely go to the bitter end.
Hector Barbera currently leads his Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate PJ Jacobsen by 20 points in the fight for fifth. While Jacobsen has more podiums (two to one), Barbera has fewer DNFs with the Spaniard missing out on points in just two races with Jacobsen has five non-scores in his column.
Behind them comes a throng of racers fighting inside the top 10. They are led by Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante in seventh with the Superbike rookie leading his teammate Jake Lewis by just five points. Eight points behind Lewis is Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who in turn leads Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim by five points with the Kentuckian rounding out the top 10.
Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing teammates Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman are on the outside looking in and trail Gillim by 20 and 22 points, respectively.
NJMP Superbike Notes…
With his two victories last year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Jake Gagne became the eighth different rider to win an AMA Superbike race in the 13-year history of the series in the Garden State. The winningest rider in AMA Superbike history at NJMP is far and away Josh Hayes with his 11 Superbike victories at the facility, including the first two AMA Superbike races held at the track in Millville in 2009. Fittingly, Hayes is entered to race at NJMP this year on a Squid Hunter Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship featured three races during its weekend at NJMP in 2021 to make up for the cancellation of its round at Circuit of The Americas.
Jake Gagne was dominant in the three races a year ago. On Saturday he beat Mathew Scholtz and Toni Elias in race one and he followed that up with two victories on Sunday – over Scholtz and Josh Herrin.
In addition to the clean sweep of the three races, Gagne also qualified on pole position on his Fresh N Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 (now the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team). Gagne lapped at 1:20.355 with Scholtz and Loris Baz joining him on the front row. Gagne’s best wasn’t a lap record, however, as that is still held by Cameron Beaubier – with his 1:19.806 coming during Superpole in 2020.
Although he’s not the lap record holder, Gagne is the race lap record holder with his 1:20.076 coming in race two last year on the 2.250-mile racetrack.
What a difference a really good year makes. Last year at NJMP, Gagne left Jersey with 16 career AMA Superbike victories, which tied him with MotoAmerica President and three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey for ninth on the all-time win list. A year later and Gagne has 27 victories and is just one behind former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies for sixth on the all-time list.
It’s a tradition that we have to bring up every year: Roger Hayden, who won twice at NJMP during his Superbike career, finished second there five times. Included in those five runner-up finishes were a .044 of a second loss to Josh Hayes in 2015, a .156 of a second loss to Toni Elias in 2016 and a .039 of a second loss to Elias in 2017. Hayden is always a winner to MotoAmerica and its fans, however, as he provides color commentary of MotoAmerica’s races on MotoAmerica Live+, the series’ live streaming and on-demand platform.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Determined To Extend Their Jersey Podium Streak This Weekend
Tulsa, OK – Round nine of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, New Jersey.
NJMP’s 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway has been a road course on which Mathew Scholtz and his Westby Racing team have had a lot of success, especially over the past three years. Mathew has finished on the podium in six straight Superbike races at New Jersey, going all the way back to 2019, and in the three Superbike races held at NJMP last year, The Scholtz Kid finished as runner-up in every single one of them.
“Heading into Jersey, I’m feeling confident,” Mathew said. “We’re coming off a really strong weekend at Pittsburgh. After the tough mid-season that we had, it felt like we finally found our way, and we were able to put all the pieces together to have a good race weekend. I felt that we had the pace to be battling up front.
“Jersey’s always been a very good track for me. It’s a tighter, twistier, more physical track, which suits me well. Our Yamaha Superbike has always gone well there. I want to keep building on Pittsburgh. All the changes that we’ve made are working well together. I’m looking forward to finishing the season off strong. I know that (Danilo) Petrucci and (Jake) Gagne have a big championship battle going on, and, if we do get into a battle with them in this weekend’s two races, we’ll take it as it comes. But, the main thing we need to do is just to focus on us. This is about the Westby team and continuing to improve from where we currently are.”
Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 a.m. ET. Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast via tape delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET. Superbike race two is on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast LIVE on FS2.
For all the action from NJMP, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Two Rounds Remaining and Full Speed Ahead for Danilo Petrucci and Ducati
Four races with 100 points up for grabs and one point separating Danilo Petrucci and championship leader
Sunnyvale, Calif. – With just two rounds remaining, starting this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park and followed two weeks later with the finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has everything to play for as he’s a mere one point from the title leader and current champion, Jake Gagne.
Petrucci’s season has been a rollercoaster and the Italian has consistently bounced back to remain in the title hunt, with the chance of a rookie MotoAmerica Superbike title now firmly in his grasp. If he succeeds, it would be a first rider’s AMA Superbike/MotoAmerica Superbike title victory for Italy and the first for Ducati since Australian Troy Corser captured the 1994 title, also as a rookie.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9): “I’m thrilled to go racing again,” Petrucci said. “The last round was challenging but we know we need to improve the performance. There is no doubt—we need to win. I have ridden at New Jersey before, so the racetrack is not entirely new to me, so that is a bonus, but we have only one aim for this weekend, which is the top step of the podium.
The Medallia MotoAmerica Superbike action from New Jersey Motorsports Park will kick off with practice at 10:20 am EDT on Friday, September 9. Race one is scheduled for Saturday, September 10 at 3:10 pm and race two kicks off on Sunday, September 11 at 2:10 pm.
Nick Ienatsch on Rusty Bigley’s Spondon-framed Yamaha TZ750 during an AHRMA event at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by TheSBimage.com, courtesy Nick Ienatsch.
Yamaha Champions Riding School’s Nick Ienatsch gives some riding tips on the Edge Grip Podcast.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1), Alvaro Bautista (19), Jonathan Rea (65), Andrea Locatelli (55), and the rest of the WorldSBK field are heading to Magny-Cours, in France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
WorldSBK bursts back into action in France as Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu continue their three-way title fight
The second half of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season begins with the Pirelli French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The 2022 edition will see Pirelli as its Event Main Sponsor and the event will be taking place on September 9th-11th.
Pirelli has been the exclusive Official Tyre Supplier of the Championship since 2004, and since 2020 all classes has been using exclusively DIABLO™ Superbike slick tyres. Pirelli also supplies the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup as part of the SBK Roadway initiative.
WorldSBK in numbers
23-24 – Alvaro Bautista, at 23 wins, the same of Raymond Roche, is just outside the all-time top-10. His current rival Toprak Razgatlioglu occupies the 10th place together with Carlos Checa. It’s a double target for Bautista, as Carlos Checa is the most successful Spanish rider in history.
15 – Toprak Razgatlioglu led at least for one lap the last 15 races: data is available since 1998 and it’s the best streak since then, beating the 12 by Colin Edwards from Misano/1 to Imola/2 in 2002.
41 – 41 podium places for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Kawasaki follows at 30 and Yamaha at 27.
10-10 – The best grid spot for winning in Magny-Cours? It’s equally split as 10 wins came from pole and 10 from the second grid spot.
What to look out for in Magny-Cours
Championship P1 – 298 points
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati – Racing)
It will be Bautista’s fourth visit at the French circuit, the second one with Ducati.
He has never won at the French venue, his best result being fifth position in 2019.
Bautista starts the second half of the season as the Championship leader with a 31-point advantage over Rea.
“I think Magny-Cours will be a difficult race for us. Three years ago, I remember that my first practice was Race 1 so it wasn’t easy, I started from the back and then I was fighting for the win until Toprak hit me. Last year, I was quite good with Honda finishing sixth. But looking at the track itself and the weather conditions, I believe it will be hard for us. Let’s see, I go there positive with no expectations because I expect that we’ll suffer there.”
Championship P2 – 267 points
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea is the most successful rider at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with 9 wins. His last one was in the Tissot Superpole Race last year.
He holds the lap record of the French track with a fastest time of 1’36.374s set in 2021’s Race 1.
Rea is on a winless run of 9 races, his longest since he was second 10 times and third once at the beginning of 2019, when then-rookie Bautista was the winner in all those 11 races.
“Magny-Cours is a great place to start this last part of the season. It’s one of the most important part of the year because it’s six races in very quick succession. It’s important to be very strong and consistent, stay healthy through that period. Kicking off in Magny-Cours, a great start … It’s a good circuit for me and the team. Our ZX10RR works well there and I had lot of happy memories. So being September and coming into the autumn season in Europe, we have to expect anything in terms of weather. But we will be prepared either way. After a really solid test in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we have a good base to start the weekend and I look forward to continuing working with the team. Of course, the target is to be on the podium.”
Championship P3 – 260 points
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu has four wins at the French track and he took two wins at Magny-Cours in 2021, although he crossed the line first in all three races.
He took his first WorldSBK victory at the French venue back in 2019.
He stands in third place in the Championship standings and has reduced the gap to Rea to seven points.
“After the test in Barcelona, we are ready to race in Magny-Cours. It’s my favourite track. Last year was especially great with three wins… not two! This year, I’ll try again for three wins. I hope we won’t have rain in France. I will give my best again.”
Championship P4 – 148 points
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli’s best result at Magny-Cours is his third place in Race 1 2021.
He stands in fourth place in the Championship standings with 14-advantage over Rinaldi.
“I’m heading positive to Magny-Cours. After two days of testing in Barcelona we found a good base setup and I have a really good feeling with the bike. Now it will be interesting to be back on track. Magny-Cours was another great track for us last year because we had a podium there. I will give my maximum because it’s time to close the gap to the front and we need to stay with our competitors.”
Championship P5 – 134 points
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati Racing)
In 2021, Rinaldi’s best result at the French venue was a fourth place in Race 1.
He has been on the podium two times so far this season, both on home soil at Misano.
“We go to Magny-Cours after a positive test in Barcelona. I don’t know what to expect there because the weather conditions can change a lot. I will try to give my 100% and get the best result we can. It’s not a good moment overall, not because of the speed but for other reasons, but it is what it is and we’ll give our best.”
Championship P6 – 127 points
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
It will be Lecuona’s first visit to the historic French venue.
He is sixth in the Championship standings, only seven points behind Rinaldi.
“I’m happy to come back on track for the Championship after the summer break that allowed us to charge the batteries, although for me it has been a mix of rest and work. First, the wonderful experience at Suzuka 8 Hours, it was my first endurance race and so I had to learn lot of things. I enjoyed it a lot, not only racing but also sharing everything with two amazing teammates. Then we had a good test in Catalunya. I kept on the development work with my team and it allowed me also to regain the feeling with my bike, the tyres and the seat. Now we go to Magny-Cours, again a new track for me this year and I know nothing about it. I’ve only watched some videos from past races but the first day will be important in order to learn the layout and then the work will continue as always.”
To keep an eye on:
With five top five finishes in the last six races, including two podium places, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to get closer to the front. So far, his best result at the French track is a victory back in 2021. His teammate Michael van der Mark will make his return following his injury sustained in Estoril.
French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) stands in 11th place in the Championship standings. His best result so far in 2022 is a sixth place in Race 1 at Assen. His best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was a second place in 2020 (Race 2).
Other local rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is 14th in the Championship standings. Most Race 2’s ninth place is his best result so far this season. In 2021, his best result at Magny-Cours was a 13th position in Race 2.
Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha), 22nd in the standings, will aim for a top ten finish at his home round. His best result of the 2022 season was a 12th place in Estoril and Assen. In 2021, he was 12th in Race 2, his best result at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
All five factory teams took part in a private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in August to prepare for the second part of the season. The factory teams were joined by the Bonovo Action BMW, Orelac Racing VerdNatura and TPR Team Pedercini Racing teams.
Sam Lochoff. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
SAM LOCHOFF RETURNS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
BREA, Calif., September 7, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Sam Lochoff will return to action at this weekend’s 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Lochoff missed the last three Supersport rounds of the series at Laguna Seca, Brainerd International Raceway, and Pittsburgh International Race Complex due to injury.
Lochoff, who won titles in his native South Africa and Europe earlier in his career, broke through as a MotoAmerica Supersport race winner last year in New Jersey. Lochoff finished third in Supersport points in 2021 and earned the podium six times
The 20-year-old had high hopes for the 2022 season and finished second in both Road Atlanta contests before a training accident left him with broken bones for the Virginia round. Lochoff tried to race through the injury but more crashes during the season meant he could not make strides in his recovery from a number of broken bones. Due to his physical condition, Lochoff missed six races.
“You have to train very hard to see the results we expect, and you cannot eliminate risk in training, no matter what. That’s the nature of our sport,” said Lochoff. “There was a risk with motocross, but I was feeling myself get stronger. Then I had an accident and that was that.”
“I’m not 100 percent but the doctor says I won’t do any further damage by racing on it,” said Lochoff. “I will be able to manage the pain. I really want to get back racing. We’ve got two more events to see what we can do. I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation GSX-R750 has developed since I have been out. I was excited to see what Cory Ventura was able to do while I was recovering.”
Team Hammer would like to thank Cory Ventura for his performances as Lochoff’s replacement. The young racer finished in the top five on three occasions and was competitive in his time on the team’s Suzuki GSX-R750.
Team Hammer will be back in action on September 9-11 for the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 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.
David Meyer (365). Photo by Steve Midgley, courtesy UtahSBA.
The Utah Motorcycle Law Masters of the Mountains series held its final race of the year on September 3rd on Utah Motorsports Campus’ West track configuration.
In the premier class, Moto United/Moto Station-Pirelli KOM Combined, 50 points were on offer for a race win, and with less than 50 points separating the top four title contenders, the stage was set for a nail-biting finale. Further adding to the drama, prior race winner Anthony Norton was returning from injury and was back on the grid.
In the morning qualifying session, points leader Dave Meyer was the first to head out to set a lap time and qualified on pole with a fast lap of 1:32.64. Genaro Lopez was the second-place qualifier by the slimmest of margins, setting a time of 1:32.84. Ryan Richardson completed the front row for the race, qualifying in third with a time of 1:33.56.
As the RPM’s came up for the start, the combatants let out their clutches and roared into the first turn, led by Lopez. Richardson trailed behind in second and Meyer was third. Norton suffered a mechanical failure at the start and was forced to push his bike from the track. The top three running order remained unchanged for the first three laps as Lopez set the fastest lap of the race on lap two, turning in a 1:30.87 lap to establish a commanding gap to Richardson and Meyer behind. The running order at this point in the race would have shifted the championship points lead to Lopez from Meyer. Meyer would need to pass Richardson for second to secure the title.
Meyer hounded Richardson from behind for the first two laps in an effort to do just that. Meyer closed the gap in Turn Ten on lap two and continued to draft Richardson until making a pass stick in Turn Five of lap three. From there each of the top three went into race management mode and the podium stayed unchanged, Lopez in first, Meyer in second, and Richardson in third. Importantly, the second-place finish would secure the title for Meyer.
After the race Meyer commented on his championship, “I’d like to say a huge thanks to all of the guys in Utah for pushing each other to go faster, Genaro, Anthony, Ryan, and William. Thanks to my main sponsor, Velosio, a full-service technology partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365. Velosio is helping me keep my day job and keep my racing program mostly wife-approved. Thanks to Moto Station for all of their support and the awesome sticky Pirelli tires, the UtahSBA for putting on a great series, and last but not least Scott Rybarik, my coach and crew chief. This wouldn’t have happened without Scott.”
Of the race win Lopez remarked, “Of course I really wanted to win the championship but all I could do was win today’s race and hope for the best. After missing two rounds with injury, it just wasn’t meant to be. I want to thank Moto Station, Pirelli, Genaro’s Body Shop, Andrew’s Trucking, Utah Metal Works, and Vortex Racing.”
In other racing Donald Rothfuss led the pack into Turn One of the Karl Malone Powersports Open Twins race. Rothfuss was passed in Turn Two by Jared Baird and the two traded paint turn after turn for the remainder of lap one. Baird held the lead at the start of lap two but Rothfuss wasn’t far behind. Rothfuss attempted the pass for the lead in Turn Seven but couldn’t make anything stick. It wasn’t until lap three that Rothfuss was able to finally pass for the lead and break the race open and establish a sizable gap. From there the victory appeared to be a forgone conclusion for Rothfuss. A huge mistake in Turn Ten of the final lap saw Rothfuss run off the track. Fortunately, the gap was large enough for Rothfuss to regain control of the bike and pilot it home for the win unscathed.
Racing concluded in the afternoon with a one-time only race. Local racer Kevin Dolan is 69 this year and has been racing since 1981. In honor of Dolan’s racing career, a special “Formula 69” race was held. The club members gathered and were led by Dolan on a one lap race before the checkered flag was thrown by Dolan’s wife, Lisa. Congratulations to Kevin for a long and storied racing career.
Club racing is both the roots and lifeblood of the sport and we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our sponsors and the UtahSBA wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you. The UtahSBA and its board also wants to extend a sincere thanks to all the volunteers, track staff, the racers, and their families who show up round after round. Without you we wouldn’t be a club. Thanks again and We hope to see you all next year!
The Utah Sport Bike Association is a Utah Non-Profit dedicated to promoting education, safe riding, and competition in the Intermountain West. You can find more information about the USBA, upcoming events, and schools at www.utahsba.com or find us on Facebook.
Three points is all that separates Travis Wyman (10) from Tyler O'Hara (leading) in the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Championship as the series holds its finale this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park. What role will Kyle Wyman (1) play in the outcome?
Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Harley vs. Indian, Wyman vs. O’Hara: It All Comes To A Head At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Just Three Points Separate Travis Wyman And Tyler O’Hara As Mission King Of The Baggers Goes To Its NJMP Finale, September 9-11
IRVINE, CA (September 7, 2022) – Most championships are remembered for the riders who battled for them: Rainey vs. Schwantz, Rossi vs. Stoner, Spies vs. Mladin, Chandler vs. Duhamel. Not so with the 2022 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Championship that concludes this weekend with a winner-take-all battle between Travis Wyman and Tyler O’Hara at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The real war here is Harley-Davidson vs. Indian, Indian vs. Harley-Davidson, and it takes place daily – in the boardroom, on the assembly line, the dealership floor, and the racetrack. As it has been since both brands started making motorcycles in the wee years of the 1900s.
This weekend, however, it’s all about the racetrack.
With just the finale left to run at 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, the battle for the 2022 KOTB Championship has been whittled down to just two combatants: Travis Wyman and O’Hara. Although defending King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman is still mathematically alive, he’s 20 points behind with just 25 points remaining on the table. It would take a double catastrophe with both his brother Travis and O’Hara failing to score points. Possible, but unlikely.
It’s Travis Wyman who comes in leading the championship, albeit by just three points over O’Hara. They took widely different paths to get to this point with O’Hara starting the season red hot with Travis Wyman finishing it with all the momentum.
The season got started at Daytona International Speedway back in March with an historic doubleheader as the Mission King Of The Baggers hit the high banks for the first time. It was O’Hara taking victory in that first race and he followed that up with a second place to Jeremy McWilliams, his teammate on the Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team, in race two at Daytona to leave Florida with a points haul of 45 points.
Wyman, the younger, was second to O’Hara in race one at Daytona and was fifth in race two. He left the Sunshine State with 31 points.
At Road Atlanta, it was H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Kyle Wyman taking his first victory of the season with Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli second and O’Hara third. Travis Wyman and his H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide was fifth and looking to fall out of the title chase. He trailed O’Hara by 41 points at the halfway mark.
While O’Hara was the one to beat in the first half of the season, it’s been all Travis Wyman in the second half.
It all started at Road America when T. Wyman won his first-career Baggers race and it set him on a path of scoring 65 points in the three rounds preceding this weekend’s finale. That, combined with O’Hara scoring 42 points with just one podium finish, puts Wyman three points ahead going into this weekend in Jersey. Kyle Wyman, meanwhile, leads the way with two wins on the season, but his scorecard is marred by two non-finishes.
If Travis Wyman wins with O’Hara second on Sunday, Wyman wins by eight points. If O’Hara wins with T. Wyman second, O’Hara takes the title by two points. If both of them fail to score points and Kyle Wyman wins, he takes the title over his brother by six points. Obviously, there are several other scenarios but let’s race first and calculate second.
No matter how this turns out, the pressure on both riders and their crews is going to be immense from the first time they turn a wheel in the first practice session at 11:45 a.m. on Friday to the completion of the race on Sunday afternoon.
Teammates and those riding the same brand can also factor into this. Travis has Kyle, O’Hara has McWilliams. Rispoli and his teammate Taylor Knapp are on Vance & Hines Harleys and Brainerd winner Bobby Fong has already proven to be a thorn in everyone’s side on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger. In total, 10 Harleys and seven Indians will take to the grid on Sunday afternoon and any of them could play a role in the outcome.
Bring it on.
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.
Quartararo quickest, Marquez hits 100 laps at Misano
Yamaha progress plain on Wednesday, MM93 back out to reach a full century of track time over both days
Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Crews are packing up after the completion of two days of action at the Official MotoGP™ Misano Test, and it is the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team on top of the timesheets. Fabio Quartararo finished Day 2 with a 1:31.054, the fastest time of the test overall, while at the Repsol Honda Team, Marc Marquez continued to accumulate laps in his comeback.
YAMAHA
Much of the pre-test talk centred around Yamaha’s new engine, and the top speed charts made for very encouraging reading indeed. Quartararo clocked 298.3km/h in the pre-lunchtime running on Wednesday, third on that metric at less than 2km/h slower than Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) recorded on one of the Bologna bullets otherwise known as a Ducati. ‘El Diablo’ admitted he used a slipstream to achieve that speed, but was still quite happy with what the Iwata manufacturer has rolled out. He was fastest in that morning session on a 1:31.116 before shaving off a little more time in the afternoon to consolidate his place at the top.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Yamaha also worked on a new chassis, as well as new aerodynamic pieces, with different versions seen on the bikes of Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, who finished the test 12th-fastest overall. While Misano is very much about developing a bike for the following season, it might also give Quartararo a big boost to his hopes of back-to-back World Championship titles, given Team Manager Massimo Meregalli says that the new chassis could appear as soon as the upcoming Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Intriguingly, Meregalli also reported that Yamaha may have found a way to achieve more power this year, which would require a development somewhere other than the engine. What have they got up their sleeve, and we will see the evidence of that in Aragon also?
HONDA
Marc Marquez fans rejoice! The eight-time World Champion completed another 61 laps on Day 2 of the Misano test. It was certainly not the most mileage, but he notched up a solid haul in both of the Wednesday sessions – an extremely positive sign for the Honda rider’s fitness after his arm surgery in June, and therefore an extremely positive sign for Honda in general.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Dorna.
As for the machinery, there was plenty going on at Honda as well. The Kalex swingarm which HRC Test Rider Stefan Bradl tried out on Day 1 was back again on Day 2 – and this time, it was seen on one of Marc Marquez’s bikes. The #93 had three different examples of the RC213V at his disposal, those being a pair of 2022 versions and more of a 2023 model, and Honda tested three different air intakes across its fleet of motorcycles. Bradl also tried out a different exhaust, and even did some back-to-back running with the 2021 bike.
Stefan Bradl (6). Photo courtesy Dorna.
On the timesheets, Marc Marquez was Honda’s best in 13th for the test on combined times, having gone as fast as a 1:31.642 in the morning session on Day 2. More importantly, however, there is plenty for the Japanese marque’s technical gurus to pore over in coming weeks and months as preparations for next season ramp up.
DUCATI
San Marino GP winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the test second-fastest thanks to the 1:31.172 which he set before lunchtime on Day 2, while the man who was runner-up last Sunday, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) claimed fourth in the test on a 1:31.260. None of the Ducati riders ventured onto the track in the afternoon, while Mooney VR46 Racing Team had already wrapped up its testing on Day 1.
Enea Bastianini (23). Photo courtesy Dorna.
In the main, the Bologna marque worked on chassis and new aerodynamics, although only with Bagnaia and Bastianini. Meanwhile, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a spill at Turn 4 – rider okay.
APRILIA
Both of Aprilia Racing’s full-time Grand Prix riders, Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro, finished in the top five, the former third on a 1:31.189 and the latter fifth on a 1:31.333 – both set in the morning session on Day 2. Of particular note, however, was that Espargaro’s crash in that session has left him with a broken little finger on his left hand. Thankfully, he will not need surgery, and while the Argentina GP winner admitted to being in pain, he expects to be okay to ride at the Aragon GP.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Noale manufacturer tested different chassis and, like Yamaha, could roll out a new specification as soon as Aragon. There was also new aerodynamics to trial as well.
KTM
Despite chatter in the paddock, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Francesco Guidotti said that the Austrian manufacturer did not have a 2023 prototype at Misano, although it did test 2023 parts. Miguel Oliveira was quickest of its riders on a 1:31.585 although much of the development work was done by Brad Binder and test rider Dani Pedrosa – with the former putting in a big effort of 46 laps on the Wednesday afternoon.
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
SUZUKI
Team Suzuki Ecstar completed its programme on Day 1 of the test, and was not in action on Day 2.
That’s a wrap on the Misano test, but make sure you check out motogp.com for more news and insights from two fascinating days of action which will shape not only next year, but also the rest of the 2022 season. Then, tune in for MotorLand on September 16-18!
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TOP MISANO TEST
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 7th September 2022
MISANO TEST
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli spent the second day at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli confirming their initial positive feeling with all testing items. They ended the Misano MotoGP Official Test in 1st and 12th place respectively in the combined timesheets.
1st FABIO QUARTARARO 1‘31.054 (FP4) / 40+32 LAPS
12th FRANCO MORBIDELLI 1‘31.614 (FP3) / 35+33 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli were back aboard their YZR-M1s today for the second and last day of the 2022 Misano MotoGP Official Test. They secured 1st and 12th place respectively in the overall combined timesheets.
The teammates used today‘s two sessions (09:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00) to get into the nitty gritty of the data required to evaluate the new testing items: including a prototype 2023 engine, a new chassis, and winglets.
Quartararo focused on electronics work in the morning. It was clearly to his liking. El Diablo completed 40 laps in FP3 of the Misano Test and clocked a 1‘31.116s on lap 39, the top time of the session, with a 0.056s margin. His improved feeling with his YZR-M1 put the Frenchman in a great mood as he tested fairings and winglets in the afternoon. He ran another 32 laps and bettered his personal best lap of the test to a 1‘31.054s on lap 26. It made him the fastest rider of the Misano Test, with a 0.118s advantage over his closest rival in the final combined results, although his morning time would also have done the trick.
Morbidelli had enjoyed the first day of the Misano Test, especially as the new engine ticked all the boxes of what he had hoped for, making for a smooth yet powerful bike. The Italian dedicated the FP3 practice time to gathering further data. He got in 35 laps and set a 1‘31.614s for ninth place in the FP3 results, 0.498s from first. Morbido continued work in the afternoon session until the chequered flag, riding another 33 laps, setting a 1‘31.714s for third place in the FP4 timesheets on his final try. However, he didn‘t improve on his best time. It was his morning lap that put him in 12th place in the overall results, 0.560s from the top.
The team will be back in action on 16-18 Sept at Round 15 of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, held at the MotorLand Aragón circuit in Spain.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
We are quite satisfied because the test went well. Overall, for what we‘ve tested – mainly a new engine for next year and also a new chassis – all the information we gathered was very good. We gained some top speed, and the lap times are becoming quicker and are coming easier for the riders. They are happy because they clearly felt the improvement with the new engine. This is very important for next year, but it‘s also important for the mindset of the riders this year. It puts their minds at ease, because they got to experience for themselves what Yamaha promised them for this test. We are really happy and are looking forward to the next step for the Valencia Test.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
It was a good test. This morning we worked pretty well on the electronics of the new bike. In the afternoon we had fairings and wings to test. I‘m feeling pretty positive about next year‘s bike. The top speed looks good, so I feel super happy! It‘s a great feeling. I got a great slip stream to set the 298km/h top speed this morning. But the average of the speed was also good, this is super important. So, I‘m looking forward to having this engine in a proper race.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
It was a busy day, tough. Also today, we’ve gone over, analysed, and tested many things. I have to say that it was a positive day. Unfortunately, the hot lap didn’t come out well. But anyway, our pace and our average level were really good. We found many different solutions. They are all interesting, so we need to make the right choices. But the team and Yamaha did a wonderful job in stepping up in terms of items for the bike. They did a great job at home, and these two days of testing were really good to appreciate the job they did.
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
GOODBYE ITALY AS TESTING CONCLUDES AT MISANO
#MisanoTest. An important, two-day test has drawn to a close for Team Gresini MotoGP on the track that last weekend hosted the fourteenth round of the World Championship. The Faenza-based squad worked at full capacity with the goal to better prepare for what is going to be a really demanding last stretch of the season.
After being very quick throughout the race weekend, Enea Bastianini kept the momentum going in this last official test of 2022. The Italian, who came extremely close to winning the race on Sunday, has worked on some fine-tuning ahead of the next races with excellent speed and pace (he was fourth quickest). The rider #23 did not have time to test an experimental front tyre brought by Michelin, which could be used next year.
Fabio Di Giannantonio worked on the bike set-up and found a great feeling with his Desmosedici GP21, especially with higher temperatures. With many laps completed and an improved confidence, the #49 was the tenth quickest rider in the test.
“It was a positive test. We completed a lot of laps, we were quick and we also tried something set-up wise that improved the feeling with the bike. My personal quickest lap was set yesterday after 27 laps with the same tyre, so I feel very positive. We haven’t made huge steps forward, but we were already very so we only had to do some fine tuning. We are leaving Misano with great expectations for the last races of the year.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’31.605)
“This test was a very positive one. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that much because we didn’t have new parts to try, but we tested some different configurations that I liked and I felt very good on the bike. We gathered plenty of data without going for longer runs and we’re happy. It’s true that this track was perfect and we’ll need to test these solutions at other tracks and in different conditions. Now we will rest a bit before the three consecutive rounds waiting for us.”
More, from a press release issued by WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team:
Binder uses valuable track time in Misano to progress
WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s rookie uses the two days test after the San Marino Grand Prix to spin laps and adapt further to the MotoGP bike.
Following a very intense and emotional weekend for the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team with Andrea Dovizioso’s retirement from his racing career in MotoGP, the squad has been back at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli on Tuesday for two days of important testing ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix and the flyaway races, mainly with Darryn Binder learning more about his Yamaha YZR-M1.
The South African concluded Sunday’s race in P16, almost reaching the points and was just missing his decent and consistent pace in the final six laps. Therefore, the MotoGP rookie together with his crew was trying to find the reasons and mainly working on improving the second half of the race, wherefore he played with the electronics and settings in order to be more conservative with the tires throughout race distance.
Binder did a total of 133 laps in the course of the two days and improved his fastest time from the race weekend, which he set in Free Practice three, by 0.420 seconds to eventually assessed the test as a success.
Despite he retired from MotoGP racing last Sunday, Andrea Dovizioso was riding on Tuesday morning in Misano to assist Alpinestars in terms of product development. His participation in the test was confirmed before his decision to retire. The Italian did a total of 16 laps in the morning session, before he packed up and finally called it a conclusion.
Darryn Binder (40). Photo courtesy WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team.
DARRYN BINDER
“It’s been a good test in my eyes. We tried lots of little things like with the electronics, a bit different setup with the rear shock and the front fork, stuff like that, but overall, I feel we made positive small gains. I was able to be a lot more consistent and quicker than I was over the race weekend, which I was quite happy about. We only rode on the medium rear and the hard front on both days. I never really did a time attack, but overall, I was faster than last weekend and I’m happy with the steps we made. We did a couple of back checks to make sure we are still heading in the right direction. Everything we’ve tried has been positive, so I’m happy with that. Spinning a lot of laps on this bike can only benefit me at the end of the day. It’s always nice to get more laps under your belt.”
Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
“Last Sunday was Andrea’s last race and he did a test on Tuesday morning for Alpinestars and we gave him the green light to do that on his MotoGP bike. With Darryn we continued our work after the races on Sunday. There have been some parts to try, also some settings to test, especially electronics, because we found out during the race it was quite fine until lap 21 and then the bike started to get loose because the grip drops and you have to control it. So, we tried to focus on that. Finally, he improved his lap times compared to the weekend, the grip level was quite good during this test, but everyone was really fast.”
More, from a press release issued by Tech3 KTM Factory Racing:
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing Completes Two-Day Test Programme in Misano
With just one day of rest following the exciting Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez returned on track on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the IRTA Misano MotoGP™ Official Test. Both were looking to try out several settings in order to boost their performances for the remaining six races of the 2022 season.
Coming from a positive result with a P13 finish on Sunday at the San Marino GP, Raul Fernandez went full in on Tuesday with different settings to test in order to help him continue his progress this season. His first day was highlighted by his great consistency in the lap times registered as he rode mainly on his own. He completed seventy-four laps with a best in 1’32.395 and finished the day in P19, 0.952 seconds from the top. On Wednesday for day 2, Raul was on track all morning until the practice start session before the lunch break. Another forty-four laps in the bag allowed him to gather valuable information for his team for the upcoming races. He slightly improved his time to 1’32.344 and finished the Misano Test in P22, with a very positive feeling.
Remy Gardner also had a busy track schedule on day 1 of the Misano test. He rode all day as he also worked mainly on bike settings in order to try getting the maximum of his MotoGP engine to help him progress. There was positive information and interesting data which came out of the sixty-one laps of the first day as he finished in P23, his fastest lap being in 1’32.739. Remy concluded his day with the practice start session. On Wednesday, he completed his Misano Test programme with positivity after another thirty-eight laps during which he rode in 1’32.433, classifying him twenty-third at the end of the two days.
“On Tuesday, we had a really good day with almost eighty laps. We improved our pace a lot and my riding style is more natural. I understand the carbon brakes better, the tyres better and the whole bike in general is suiting me better. I had a small crash at the end of the first day but I was ok. Today, we continued trying different settings and we found interesting data. The most important thing for me is that we have found a way for me to feel good on this bike, especially on the front, and I hope that we will be able to use this setting for the next races. These two test days in Misano were very positive and I have enjoyed working with Guy Goulon. He is a special man so I would like to thank him for his work.”
“Over these two days we focused a lot on trying different settings so that we can have the best feeling possible for the six races left. This morning, we did some back checking from the work done on Tuesday and tried different things. We improved by about one second from the race so we can take positive out of this and use this information for the next races. In general, I was looking for more confidence on the front tyre for turning and braking, and I think that we managed to get some interesting data and a better feeling on the bike, so I am satisfied with this. Time to head home for some rest before Aragon.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez and Espargaro push for productive end to Misano Test
Another productive day out on track for the Repsol Honda Team as Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro completed 128 laps between them today and leave Misano with a wealth of data and a positive mindset.
The second day of the Misano Test saw both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro return to the track and continue the work they started the day before. For Marquez, it provided more crucial time on the RC213V to build his own fitness as well as help to define the progression of the bike. There was an intensive schedule as Marquez completed 61 laps on the second day, one of the final riders on at track as the clock hit 17:00 Local Time. The intensive work was rewarded with positive feedback towards a number of new items brought by Honda HRC.
Marquez’s efforts were rewarded with a quickest time of 1’31.642, 0.6s faster than his best time from Tuesday and 13th in the combined test rankings. But the most important aspect of the test was the information gained about his physical condition and the feedback given to HRC’s engineers for the future.
Working mostly on setting for during the race weekends, Pol Espargaro completed an additional 67 laps today for a total of 117 across the two days of testing. The work allowed the #44 to compare a variety of components including aerodynamics and shocks in back-to-back runs. With the knowledge gained, Espargaro’s side of the Repsol Honda Team box feel they have made progress to improve on both Saturday during Qualifying and with overall pace for the race. A fastest time of 1’31.707, set in the morning of the first day, has the Repsol Honda Team rider end the test in 14th place overall.
Now the Repsol Honda Team begin preparations for the Aragon GP, the last European race before the four flyaway races in Japan, Thailand, Australia, and Malaysia. The Aragon GP will begin on Friday, September 16.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marc Marquez
13TH 1’31.642
“It was a really successful test for me, especially because after such a long time away it was not easy yesterday. But today I started to feel the bike more and run at my pace, this allowed me to try some different components for Honda for the future. This was also good. The most important aspect was how the arm recovered between the two days and, ok I struggled at the end of today, but this is what the doctors and physios were expecting. Let’s see how the recovery in the next few days goes to understand what the next steps are.”
Pol Espargaro (44). Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Pol Espargaro
14TH 1’31.707
“Today we were riding well in the morning and even with my wrist I was able to find a better rhythm. In the afternoon I was very tired and I had to keep adjusting the brake a lot with my wrist. We stopped a little earlier because of this but it was still a good two days. We kept working and were able try a number of items from during the year which made some points more clear as we look ahead to Aragon. I am glad we had this test to push into the final races.”
More, from a press release issued by Lenovo Ducati Team:
Positive feedback for the Ducati Lenovo Team riders in the two days of post-race testing at Misano
The two days of post-race collective testing concluded this afternoon at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, stage last Sunday of the San Marino GP. For the Ducati Lenovo Team riders, it was a chance to work on their Desmosedici GP machines before tackling the last part of the season. It was as well an opportunity to start testing the latest innovations ahead of next year.
Francesco Bagnaia, fresh from winning his home Grand Prix at Misano, was one of the first riders to hit the track on Day 1, which saw him using all the track time available to complete his busy testing schedule. On the other hand, today, Pecco only took part in the morning session. With 131 laps completed, Bagnaia ended the test in second position with a fastest time in 1:31.172.
Jack Miller also made the most of the first day and the morning of the second before both of his final sessions were cut short by a crash just minutes from the end. During the test, Miller focused mainly on testing different setup configurations, completing a total of 86 laps and setting the eighteenth time overall in 1:31.927.
“These were two very productive days of testing: we tried several new things, and the Ducati engineers now have a clearer idea of which direction to take to continue the development work on next year’s bike. During these two days, we focused mainly on our corner speed, and every test gave positive feedback. The feeling with the bike was excellent, as demonstrated by my consistent and competitive pace on used tyres. I’m satisfied with the work completed over these two days, and I can’t wait to get back on track next week in Spain.”
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 18th (1:31.927 – 86 laps)
“This morning’s crash at Turn 4 was very similar to the one I suffered in the race, and now we’ll have some more data to analyse to understand what exactly happened, as, at that point, I had the feeling I was doing the same as the lap before. In any case, yesterday and today, we worked on different setup configurations but didn’t try any new components. Now we’ll analyse the information gathered over these two days to improve the bike further ahead of the next race at Aragon”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action from 16th-18th September for the fifteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, the Aragón GP, at the MotorLand Aragón in Alcañiz, Spain.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
BUSY APRILIA IN MISANO TEST
ALBESIANO: ‘WE CAN’T BE SATISFIED, WE HAVE TO KEEP WORKING’
The main news of the two days of MotoGP testing at Misano is the enormous amount of work carried out by Aprilia. Always among the first to take to the track and the last to close, with practice starts on the main straight, even today. An unmistakable sign of the constant ambition to improve, despite an absolute competitive situation.
A total of 427 laps were clocked over the two days by the RS-GPs of Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales and Lorenzo Savadori, all of whom were involved in both tests related to the current season and in comparisons and simulations that could help the development of the 2023 prototype.
Caught up in a crash at Turn 13, Aleix had to interrupt his test towards the end of today’s morning session, having suffered a micro-fracture to the little finger of his left hand that is not cause for concern ahead of Aragón.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
“The injury will fortunately only require a little rest. We’ll check it tomorrow with more detailed tests but I’m not worried ahead of Aragón. The test overall was positive. We tried some concepts with a view to 2023 but we will have to analyse the data well, because Misano is a track with a lot of grip, especially after a race weekend. So it will be necessary to reconfirm the sensations on other tracks”.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
“We have definitely taken a step forward with these tests. I am satisfied with the work Aprilia is doing, both with a view to 2023 and to help me in this season finale. In the second part of the race on Sunday I lost something compared to the best riders and in these two days we have also had the opportunity to analyse that situation and work to improve it.”
ROMANO ALBESIANO
“Despite what might come naturally seeing the results of this season, our path to perfect competitiveness is still a long one. We are not satisfied and we won’t be until we manage to fill all the gaps in the RS-GP. We are already working on the ideas that will go on to define the 2023 prototype but the analysis process has to be meticulous, the risk of missteps is always just around the corner. There are concepts that seem to work, others that don’t clearly improve, so after so many laps we will have to be good at analysing the data collected. We are at a good level of performance, but this does not allow us to slow down development.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKA PUTS IN HARD YARDS AT MISANO TEST SESSION
Takaaki Nakagami was pleased the progress he was able to make during the official two-day MotoGP test at Misano this week. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider clocked up over 150 laps at the Italian venue as he worked tirelessly to improve the set-up of his RC213v ahead of the final six rounds of the 2022 World Championship.
The Japanese star focused his efforts on finetuning his existing package and made notable steps forward on Wednesday. Taka closed out the session with a series of consistent lap-times, dipping under the 1’32 mark, and is now relishing the chance to compete again at the next round in Aragon.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 15th
(1’31.786)
“It’s been a busy two days of testing here in Misano and we had a lot of time to do. First of all, I really appreciate all the work from my team. I did many laps and, especially on Wednesday afternoon, the lap times were quite good and quite consistent. The feeling of the bike is much better than the weekend in Misano, so in the end we’re quite happy about the performance and lap times. I’m now really looking forward to the Aragon GP, so thanks again to all my team and let’s keep pushing.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ÁLEX MÁRQUEZ UPBEAT AFTER PRODUCTIVE TEST AT MISANO
Álex Márquez praised his team after getting the most out of the final in-season MotoGP test which was held at Misano on Tuesday and Wednesday. The LCR Honda CASTROL man worked hard across both days to finetune his package and is now looking forward to implementing the improvements in his home Grand Prix in Aragon.
While the Spaniard and his team were not given any new items to test by HRC, they took the opportunity to refine existing parts and settings and made encouraging progress. As ever, Álex got through a heavy workload to rack up nearly 140 laps over the two days, finishing 19th fastest on day one, before breaking the 1’32 lap barrier on Wednesday afternoon.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Álex Márquez – 17th
(1’31.864)
“Today was a positive second day of tests. We had zero items from Honda to try, so we focused on our package and to evaluate the items that we have (received) during the season and not to make the mistake of trying them and confusing things during a GP (weekend). So we made progress on that and have improved our package a lot with things like the feeling. I’m really happy how the team worked in this situation because having no items is not easy. We did a good job and everyone worked really hard, so I’m happy about that and ready for the home GP in Aragon.”
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
KEY MISANO MOTOGP™ TEST WRAPS A WEEK IN SAN MARINO
Two warm days of testing action brought an end to an intense week of activity for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing teams in San Marino. Miguel Oliveira was highest placed on the combined time sheets as the crews ran through both short-term and 2023 development options for the KTM RC16.
One day after engines had cooled in the wake of the San Marino Grand Prix and round fourteen of the 2022 MotoGP season, the grid was busy again for the sixth official test of the year. Both KTM squads were joined by the official test team and Dani Pedrosa at the sun kissed Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli where the workload was split between gaining hard data on current set-up suggestions for the KTM RC16 and future ideas that might have a bearing on the 2023 version of the racebike.
After work on Tuesday and Wednesday, Brad Binder, Oliveira and Pedrosa had accumulated nearly 400 laps of the track between them, while rookies Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez clocked over 210 circulations with a view to improving their competitiveness for the six Grands Prix that remain on the calendar. Oliveira was quickest by the end of the session with Binder 16th, Pedrosa, Fernandez and Gardner 21st, 22nd and 23rd.
MotoGP now drives across the continent to eastern Spain. The Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragón will pull the series to the MotorLand Aragon circuit near Alcañiz on September 17-18.
Brad Binder: “We did a lot of testing! We wanted to search for a better feeling for braking and stopping on one wheel and we made some improvements with the clutch setting and engine braking. As usual some ideas worked, some didn’t and we had some plans for today that we couldn’t quite finalize. Anyway, small things can make a big difference and we really tried to optimize what we had.”
Miguel Oliveira (88). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Miguel Oliveira: “We worked on our settings and took advantage of the good conditions at Misano. We found some little things that should help us on other racetracks. I’m happy with what we were able to do. We kept things simple, even though it is never that simple! Our focus will be on the package we have now, some tire choices and we worked on stability for corner entry. We prioritized that area and also found a few little things for corner exit.”
Raul Fernandez: “On Tuesday, we had a really good day with almost eighty laps. We improved our pace a lot and my riding style is more natural. I understand the carbon brakes better, the tires better and the whole bike in general is suiting me better. Today we continued trying different settings and we found interesting data. The most important thing for me is that we have found a way for me to feel good on this bike, especially on the front, and I hope that we will be able to use this setting for the next races. These two test days in Misano were very positive and I have enjoyed working with Guy Goulon. He is a special man so I would like to thank him for his work.”
Remy Gardner: “Over these two days we focused a lot on trying different settings so that we can have the best feeling possible for the six races left. This morning, we did some back-checking from the work done on Tuesday and tried different things. We improved by about one second from the race so we can take positives out of this and use this information. In general, I was looking for more confidence on the front tire for turning and braking, and I think that we managed to get a better feeling on the bike, so I am satisfied with this. Time to head home for some rest before Aragon.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Having these two full days has been very helpful. It’s been busy! With a lot of laps, so there will be a lot of information to go through. With Brad and Dani we have been testing some parts for 2023 and to understand if our direction for the new bike is the right one. It was also the chance for Brad to have a first taste of some of these parts. With Miguel we wanted check our work so far this season and how we can still improve for the races ahead. Thanks to all the guys for their efforts here. We’ve been at Misano for some time now but with just one testing day left this year it was important to get through our workload.”
Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “This morning we looked at some bigger test components and items for the longer term and that took a bit more time but once we were going then it was very interesting. Brad and Dani were carrying out this work while the other guys focused more on 2022 improvements. We are quite confident that we have a baseline for next year’s bike that is quite promising. On Tuesday we worked on single items that are interchangeable with the platform that is in development and our current race bike, some of them we can race with already, some of them next year but we found some good puzzle pieces. It’s been an intense two day period but we’re all happy that we got something out of it.”
Sebastien Tremblay (24) denies a last-corner pass from Ernest Bernhard (72) with Marc Labossiere (166) and Cedric Leclair (889) close behind in the Pro 6 GP finale at Calabogie. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy CSBK/PMP.
Tremblay ends Bernard title challenge at Pro6 GP finale
Calabogie, ON – Turcotte Performance Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja pilot Sebastien Tremblay of St-Eustache, QC, scored his first career Pro Superbike win in the final round of the Pro 6 GP Ontario Regional motorcycle road racing series at Calabogie Motorsports Park on Saturday, September 3.
The second-fastest qualifier had a poor start, and then had to work his way through the pack to get on the tail of race leader Yamaha-mounted YZF-R1M Ernest Bernhard, from Ste-Brigide-d’Iberville, QC.
The popular Bernhard, known by his crew as “the fastest Farmer,” had a solid shot to earn his first Championship crown in the Feature division, and started his day with Pole and the four-point bonus that goes with the fastest Qualifier designation. However, Bernhard then needed to win the race, and that would require beating Tremblay.
In the recently complete CSBK Pro National Superbike Championship, Tremblay finished fourth in the final rankings, top Kawasaki, while Bernhard was sixth, best placed Yamaha racer.
“I thought that I had it, but that’s the story of my life,” smiled 58-year-old Bernhard, who held first place for all but the last few corners of the eight lap Featured Regional final. “I was good with the pace, but on the last lap I blew corner 14 and then I lost my rhythm completely. It was close at the finish line.”
As Tremblay took the lead with just turns to go, Bernhard looked for a repass while first-race Pro riders Cedric Leclair from St Jerome, QC on a Kawasaki, and Marc Labossiere from Longueuil, QC on a BMW pulled into the leader’s slipstream. The four bikes were right together at the finish, Tremblay in first by .064 of a second from a frustrated Bernhard, with Leclair getting his first Pro Podium placing in third, another .033 seconds behind.
These last lap surprises meant that 2021 Canadian National Superbike Champion Alex Dumas of Quebec City, QC, earned the number one plate Pro 6 GP Series previously held by Beaconsfield, QC, based BMW pilot Michael Leon. Winner of race two in 2022, Leon was injured at the July Atlantic Motorsport Park National and out of action in the final event of Pro 6 GP.
Liqui Moly/FAST Riding School-backed Suzuki GSX-R1000 pilot Dumas, age 20, won three of the six series races in 2022, but was not in attendance at the last event. In 2022, Dumas placed second overall in the CSBK National tour behind the BMW of arch-rival Ben Young from Collingwood, ON.
In the Pro Sport Bike round presented by Kawasaki, points leader Philippe Masse, from Montreal, QC, got out front early aboard his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, chased hard by part time racer Vincent Levillain of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, on another Ninja, backed by the Speed Factory. Levillain stayed close throughout the eight-lap final, and on the last lap’s wide-open trip up the hill through turn seventeen pushed into the lead.
Levillain then held off the determined Masse for the final three corners, eaking out the narrowest of wins by just .03 of one second. Masse had already cliched the 2022 Pro 6 GP Championship for the middleweight division.
In another entertaining dice, Ferme-Neuve, QC, based racer Bobby Desjardins pushed his Kawasaki to third, shaking off the best chase efforts of Honda CBR600RR mounted Louie Raffa of Sainte-Marthe-sure-le-Lac, QC. Veteran Raffa was 1.6 seconds behind for fourth.
Recently un-retired former rising star Nicolas Meunier of Verdun, Qc., worked up to fifth on his Ninja 636, getting the best of a dice with Triumph 675 Daytona triple mounted Sean Latta of Lyndhurst, ON.
Motul Amateur Superbike quickly turned into a two-horse race between the Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja of St-Jerome, QC, based racer Cedric Leclair and the BMW S1000RR of Marc Labossiere from Longueuil, QC. Labossiere had already clinched the Amateur Superbike crown and held the lead from a focused Leclair. Then Leclair made his move, surviving an off-track trip exiting the last turn on the final lap to edge Labossiere by .627 of a second.
Soon-to-be Pro Bobby Desjardins netted third overall in Amateur SBK against the big bikes on his Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, while the unique and exotic KTM RC8C twin of Kitchener, ON.’s Nathan Playford was a solid fourth.
Playford did even better in DP Brakes Amateur Sport Bike, taking his rare Kramer-based KTM Twin to victory after a crazy first lap when two of the Championship contenders dropped out – Alexandre Michel of Montreal, QC (Kaw) and Yamaha YZF-R6 mounted Nolan Eadie of Gloucester, ON. Recovering from a Qualifying crash after he set pole position, Michel made it back to the pits, but Eadie’s bike was severely damaged.
Bobby Desjardins got up to second and set out after leader Playford and was 1.5 seconds back at the flag – Desjardins earned the series Championship by nine points over the absent Guillaume Lavallee, from Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel, QC.
The action was gripping at the front in Liqui Moly Pro-AM Lightweight, where Pro Ryan Vanderputten from Kingston, ON., got ahead early on his Yamaha YZF-R3 and then held off the Kawasaki Ninja 400 of Jacob Black of Etobicoke, ON, by 2.7 seconds for the win. Black took the Amateur win, a strong result for the hard-luck Aussie.
Pro Istvan Hidvegi from Mississauga, ON, was third with his Yamaha, having already clinched the Senior division crown, while Benjamin Roy from Laterriere, QC, was fourth on the road with another Yamaha, and second placed Amateur finisher. Roy took the Amateur title but just one series point from Evan Moriarity of Milton, ON. Moriarity did not start the final 2022 counter.
Jean-Michael Halle of Levis, QC, was first overall in the combined Heavyweight and Middleweight Challenge with his Yamaha YZF-R1, Frederic Barnabe also of Levis a very second overall (.4 of a sec!) aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.
Halle earned first in the Heavyweight Sportsman Senior category, taking that title, while Eric Gosselin of Beaupre, QC, netted third overall and second in class on a Kawasaki.
Barnabe was first in the Middleweight Sportsman Junior division, also taking his class title.
The Middleweight Sportsman Senior category already had a Champion in Alan Burns of South Mountain, ON, and the Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja racer also won the class in the final race. Series newcomer Shahin Taheri of Stittsville, ON, won Heavyweight Sportsman Junior aboard a Honda CBR1000RR, while Labossiere had already clinched that overall Championship.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
GYTR GRT YAMAHA WORLDSBK TEAM READY FOR MAGNY-COURS AFTER SUMMER BREAK
After the long summer break, the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team is eager to get the seventh round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign at Magny-Cours underway.
Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane enter the second half of the season with a desire to translate their race potential into strong finishes on French soil.
Although results have not always gone his way this year, Gerloff enjoyed a promising Race 2 at Most last time out, and the American is confident of closing the gap to the front this weekend.
On the other side of the box, Nozane was happy with the progress made during the Czech round, and is now looking to bounce back after the five-week break to challenge for top 10 finishes.
Race 1 will get underway at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday after the Free Practice sessions and Superpole qualifier, with Race 2 starting at exact same time the next day, following the Superpole Race at 11:00.
Garrett Gerloff:
“First of all, it’s nice to be back! I cannot wait to be back on track, I feel recharged after the break. I hope the weather stays clear, but we’re ready for every condition. We didn’t have an easy times in the first half of the season, but it’s time to turn the tables starting at Magny-Cours.”
Kohta Nozane:
“The summer break is finally over; I can’t wait to come back on track. We’ve had some tough times in the first half of the season, but we enjoyed some good weekends with strong pace and now it’s time to translate that into results. Last year Magny-Cours was not our easiest round, but we’re ready to fight and do our best.”
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Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
