MotoAmerica fans, many of them motorcyclists and campers, flocked to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for round six of the 2022 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The GEICO Motorcycle MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca welcomed 35,717 fans for the third MotoAmerica exclusive event to be held at the historic track.
The 7.2 percent increase in attendance from 2021 shows strong growth for MotoAmerica and continued interest in the motorcycle racing heritage of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Bolstered by a persistent social media presence, manufacturer support and the endorsement of legendary motorcycle racing names like Wayne Rainey, fans of all ages and interests enjoyed beautiful weather and exciting racing all weekend long.
Festivities kicked off on Thursday evening with a Bike Night event held on Lighthouse Avenue in the quaint local town of Pacific Grove. Hosted by the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the event drew dozens of unique motorcycles, while spectators enjoyed music from two live bands and local vendors. Fans could also check out Jameson’s Classic Motorcycle Museum for an up-close look at motorcycle history.
On-track action was split across three days of racing with multiple classes of motorcycles shrieking around the track. Medallia Superbike, the premier class for MotoAmerica, delivered exciting action as fans watched California-born Jake Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team overtake Danilo Petrucci and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC for the championship lead. Fan favorites, the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship and Roland Sands Design’s Super Hooligan National Championship, also provided some seriously entertaining thrills on the track.
More than 600 motorcyclists took to the track on Sunday for a parade lap around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca remains one of the most iconic and spectator-friendly venues on the entire MotoAmerica calendar. From the up-close viewing at the iconic Corkscrew to the grandstands on the main straight and full paddock access, MotoAmerica fans had plenty to see and do throughout the race weekend.
“The success of the MotoAmerica weekend is a solid and steady indication of the growing interest in motorcycle racing,” said John Narigi, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. ”It is the largest and most important motorcycle race on the west coast and really appealed to entire families who were looking for an entertaining experience. We look forward to working with the MotoAmerica team on continuing to grow the event.”
A positive and mostly dry day for Marc Marquez as he builds his speed in Buriram with Pol Espargaro not far behind.
Days of intense rain finally yielded as the MotoGP World Championship returned to the Chang International Circuit for the first time since 2019. A brief midday shower interrupted running in the smaller classes, but MotoGP riders spent the entirety of Friday on slicks, the last five minutes of each session producing an exciting rush of quick laps.
Free Practice 1 proved to be a busy session for Marc Marquez, falling early in the session at Turn 3 before immediately remounting and continuing. In true Marquez fashion, the fall did little to hinder him as the #93 ended the morning session as the fastest rider. Free Practice 2 saw another 20 laps for Marquez who set a best time of 1’30.714, 0.2s shy of his quickest morning time. Fourth on the combined times with his 1’30.523 from FP1, Marquez continues the strong form shown previously in Japan into another Grand Prix.
Like his Repsol Honda Team teammate, Pol Espargaro’s quickest time came from Free Practice 1. Ultimately ending the day in 17th and 0.726s from the top of the time sheets as the competition in the premier class continues to only tighten. Rear grip continues to be the area where Espargaro and his team are working the most.
Weather remains the main talking point on Friday even as dark clouds pattern above the Chang International Circuit. Should it remain dry, the field will again battle it out for the top ten in Free Practice 3. Otherwise, the morning session could offer a first chance to experience a fully wet Thailand in 2022.
Honda has launched the CBR150R Repsol Edition, clad in the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) MotoGP colours, in Malaysia. Malaysian Marc Marquez fans will have to hurry though, as this bike will be limited to only 800 units.
Underneath the attractive livery is a 149cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder mill producing 16.3PS and 13.7Nm paired to a six-speed gearbox equipped with assist and slipper clutch. In comparison, the Yamaha R15M is powered by a 155cc, VVA-equipped (Variable Valve Actuation) liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that makes 18.4PS and 14.2Nm also connected to a six-speed gearbox.
Underpinnings on the CBR150R consist of upside-down fork and a preload-adjustable rear monoshock. The bike is anchored by petal discs at both ends with the safety net of dual-channel ABS and it rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels, shod on 100/80 front and 130/70 section rubber.
The CBR150R features all-LED lighting and is equipped with a LCD display. Tipping the scales at only 139kg, the bike gets a 12-liter fuel tank. Comparatively the Yamaha R15M weighs 142kg and features a 11-liter fuel tank.
This special edition bike is priced at RM 13,499, which is equivalent to Rs 2.42 lakh, a premium of RM 1,000 (Rs 17,900) over the standard bike available in Matte Charcoal Gray Metallic and Candy Scintillate Red color schemes. In comparison, the Yamaha R15 is priced at RM 14,998 (Rs 2.69 lakh).
While Honda may not bring this bike to India, you have the R15M for Rs 1,87,400 (ex-showroom, Delhi) in India, which offers better performance, and boasts of features like Bluetooth connectivity, quickshifter and more.
Cameron Beaubier (6) finished 11th in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday at Motegi.
American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier was half a second away from a top 10 finish in today’s Moto2 Grand Prix of Japan with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion beating countryman Joe Roberts and his Italtrans Racing Kalex to the line by just .129 of a second after 22 laps of the Motegi Circuit.
Beaubier started eighth on the grid and battled inside the top 10 for the majority of the race. Roberts, on the other hand, started farther back and worked his way forward, eventually finishing on the rear wheel of Beaubier.
Beaubier’s teammate Sean Dylan Kelly was 19th after qualifying 25th.
“Japan is a cool place, and the track has such a good flow to it,” Beaubier said in a team release. “The limited dry track time made it pretty tough, but I felt like it’s hard to ask for much more considering. I got a really good start, but I couldn’t hold the pace of the front guys. I found a pretty good rhythm in the middle of the race, but toward the end, I was hanging on for dear life, sliding around everywhere. From where we were in what little dry track time to how I rode in the middle of the race, I’m pretty content. Next week, I don’t really know what to expect going into Buriram, but it looks like a nice track so I’m looking forward to it.”
The Grand Prix was won by IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura in his home round, the Japanese rider besting Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez by 1.1 seconds. Beta Tools Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez was third.
Fernandez now leads Ogura by just two points, 234-232. Aron Canet, who crashed out of the lead in today’s Grand Prix, is third with 177 points.
Roberts, meanwhile, sits seventh in the World Championship with Beaubier 15th.
Petrucci at Barber Motorsports Park contemplating the road racing adventure he had in America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Danilo Petrucci went on a 10-round, 20-race cross-country American adventure. He discovered American road racing and a good part of America itself at the same time. A highly skilled athlete, Petrucci is a thinking man’s rider whose observations and analyses of his Ducati Panigale V4 R, his Italian-American race team, and MotoAmerica’s tracks and procedures are compelling and insightful.
Petrucci faced the 2022 Medallia Superbike season head-on and told his sponsor REV’IT! all about it. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Petrucci is a REV’IT! rider, sponsored by the global motorcycle safety gear and apparel manufacturer, and the company’s brand relations manager Matthew Miles spent extensive time with their MotoAmerica rider, gathering his thoughts on each Medallia Superbike round and documenting his comments for “Athletes & Ambassadors,” a blog on the REV’IT! Website.
MotoGp, Jorge Martin knows what he missed – Sportal.it – Ruetir
September 25, 2022
The Pramac Team rider knows what he missed
The Spanish centaur Jorge Martin spoke to the official channels of the Pramac Team, at the end of the race on the Japanese circuit of Motegi, where the 1998 class achieved third place behind Jack Miller on Ducati and Brad Binder on Ktm.
“Very happy, I rode a great race and gave it my all. I’m sure that if I had put the hard tire on the rear I could have fought for the win. Anyway it’s okay, we made a step forward and I think we could do very well in Thailand. . Congratulations to Jack “explained the second-year rider in the premier class, underlining how a different choice on the tires could have put him in contention for the final victory, despite the frenzied pace held by the Ducati driver Miller throughout the race.
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Brad Binder remains confident his Red Bull KTM team is on the right track after yet another heroic ride at the San Marino MotoGP on Sunday.
After starting the race from 15th on the grid, BInder made up seven places to finish eighth. He remains in seventh place in the world championship standings on 115 points, seven behind his 2023 KTM teammate Jack Miller.
Miller’s current Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia took the checkered flag for the fourth consecutive time on Sunday. The Italian moved up to 181 points to close the gap on 2022 MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo (211) to 30 points.
“We did our best and eighth was all we could do today,” Binder told his team’s website.
“I gave my best from beginning to end and it was a dramatic first few laps. On the second or the third one I was stuck behind someone else who crashed and I was so lucky I didn’t go down. I was able to carry on and push as hard as I could.”
The 2016 Moto3 world champion is confident his Austrian team will gain some strides during this week’s two testing at Misano on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We tried a lot of different things and we got some great information. Hopefully, that will also lead to some positive steps this week as well,” added BInder.
ALSO READ: Brad Binder sets new benchmark around Kyalami
Red Bull KTM team boss Francesco Guidotti was chuffed with the seven-second gain his team made over race distance since last year’s San Marino race, but admitted they still have lots to do to challenge for the podium.
“We have made a little step but it is not quite enough,” Guidotti said.
“Improvement is coming and this is important. We will have two days of testing now, with the test team also with some new material, and in testing conditions instead of race conditions.”
Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder narrowly lost out on earning a point by finishing in 16th place. It was the Yamaha rider’s best result in five races. He is in 22nd place in the rider standing at 10 points.
The next MotoGP race is in Aragon on 14 September.
To see the 2022 MotoGP riders’ standings, click here.
A stunning late charge from Brad Binder saw the Red Bull KTM rider secure second place at the Japanese MotoGP behind race winner Jack Miller in Motegi on Sunday.
Binder, who started from third on the grid, overtook Jorge Martin on the last lap to secure his second podium place of the season and fourth of his career. He also finished second at the season’s opening race in Qatar.
Miller, who started the race from seventh on the grid, gave the rest of the field a masterclass as he took the lead on the third lap and looked untouchable as he quickly opened up a lead of over three seconds on Martin.
The Australian coasted to a 3.4-second victory over Binder.
The 2021 world champion and current championship leader Fabio Quartararo quite remarkably stretched his lead to 19 points by finishing in a lowly eighth. The Frenchman is on 219 points, 19 ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (200) and 25 points ahead of Aleix Esparargaro (194) with four races remaining.
Espargargaro finished one place outside the points in 16th. The Spaniard experienced technical issues on the formation lap and a bike change saw him joining the race from the pit lane.
Bagnaia, who started the race 10 points behind Quartararo, was running in the ninth and looked to have limited Quartararo’s advantage to one point when he agonizingly crashed out on the final lap.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Brad Binder sets new benchmark around Kyalami
The 20 points Binder earned saw him overtake Frenchman Johann Zarco into sixth place in the world championship. The 2016 Moto3 world champion is on 148 points, 11 points behind Miller (159) in fifth place.
“I’m really, really happy with the finish today,” and elated Binder said after the race.
“A big thanks to my team. We put in so much effort and hopefully there are many more [podium finishes] to come.”
Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder crashed out on the 14th lap.
The next MotoGP race is in Thailand on 2 October.
To see the rest of the 2022 MotoGP calendar, click here.
Last month, Yamaha introduced the MY2022 Monster Energy MotoGP Editions lineup in India, comprising the supersport YZF-R15M, the streetfighter MT-15 V2.0, the maxi-sports Aerox 155, and the RayZR 125 Fi Hybrid scooter. Now, Yamaha has announced the price of Aerox 155 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition, which has been kept under wraps until now. The Japanese bikemaker has priced it at Rs 1,41,300 (ex-showroom Delhi), making it around Rs 2,000 more expensive than the scooter’s regular variants.
2022 Yamaha MOTOGP EDITIONS
Price (ex showroom Delhi)
R15M
Rs 1,90,900
MT-15 V2.0
Rs 1,65,400
RAY ZR 125 Fi HYBRID
Rs87,330
AEROX 155
Rs 1,41,300
2022 Yamaha MOTOGP EDITIONS Price List
grade: All the MotoGP Editions will be sold in limited numbers through Yamaha’s premium Blue Square outlets.
The prices of Yamaha Aerox 155 Monster Energy MotoGP Edition have gone up by Rs 10,800 as compared to its last year’s version, which was phased out later.
So read:
For those who aren’t aware, the Aerox 155 MotoGP Edition comes wrapped in an exclusive BLACK METALLIC color scheme with Yamaha MotoGP branding on the overall body.
Apart from this racing-inspired livery, the limited edition is identical to the standard model. That said, it also features 14-inch alloy wheels, twin LED headlamps, motorcycle-type twin shock absorbers, side stand engine cut-off switch, an external fuel lid, 230mm front disc brake with single-channel Antilock Braking System (ABS) , a full LCD instrumentation cluster with Bluetooth connectivity, keyless operation, hazard lights, a mobile charging socket in the glove box (optional), 5.5-liter fuel tank, and a large 24.5-liter under-seat storage space as the other variants of the scooter. It weighs 122kg and has an easily accessible seat height of 790mm.
Powering the Yamaha Aerox is the same 155cc liquid-cooled VVA-equipped single-cylinder engine as the R15 Version 3.0, albeit in a detuned state (14.95PS/13.9Nm). The scooter also gets an idle start-stop system for optimum fuel efficiency and even a smart motor generator that ensures silent starts.
In the entry-level maxi-scooter segment, the Yamaha Aerox 155 goes up against the Aprilia SXR 160, which is currently priced at Rs 1.43 lakh (ex-showroom).
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After practice and qualifying in Bahrain over the weekend, the results indicated the F1 line-up may not be what it was in 2021.
Teams were comparing the performance of their own cars to that of the Ferrari F1-75. Undoubtedly the Maranello team had made major improvements to their 2022 power unit.
Few of us would have predicted the effect the Ferrari power units would have, but the final times in qualifying demonstrated it admirably.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz occupied first and third respectively.
In the sixth position, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas followed by Kevin Magnussen of Haas in seventh – all Ferrari powered.
Of the top 10 cars, four used Ferrari engines, three used Red Bull (Honda), two Mercedes and one Renault.
ALSO READ: FLOYD ON F1: What you need to know about the cars in 2022
On race day, there was no doubt who had got it right straight out of the box, as Leclerc held the lead from the start with team-mate Sainz challenging Max Verstappen for second position.
It soon became a two-car race, as Leclerc and the new F1 champion provided some great racing and demonstrated the new aerodynamic format was achieving the goal of allowing following cars to get closer, improving overtaking opportunities.
It was not an F1 race to remember for Williams, McLaren or Aston Martin, all suffering from a definite lack of pace. Mercedes struggled, but managed to stay in touch
Everybody else using the Mercedes power unit suffered.
The first signs of trouble with a Red Bull power unit occurred on lap 44, when Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri lost power and was retired with a fire in the engine area.
Verstappen suffered brake overheating, forcing him to drop back from Leclerc, while he also complained of a problem with his power steering locking.
A similar situation cost Yuki Tsunoda during Saturday’s FP3 – he was unable to leave his pit garage with locked steering and a distinct smell of oil.
Was this a portent of Verstappen’s problem?
Gasly’s incident had resulted in a safety car and at the restart Leclerc pulled away from Verstappen, who was still battling with the steering.
READ MORE: Verstappen v Hamilton as F1 soap opera returns
Then his radio transmissions indicated he was losing power, asking what he could do, he was informed “nothing”.
The disappointed Dutchman crawled back to the pits and retired on lap 54.
Red Bull’s hopes then rested with Perez, but chasing Sainz on the penultimate lap, the Mexican spun after his engine died. He was out of the race on lap 56, promoting Hamilton to third.
Post-race suggested the problem with both cars could be fuel system related, but had yet to be investigated.
Could the fuel consumption of these heavier cars have risen dramatically in the heat of battle to a point of an empty fuel cell? Surely not.
Of the top 10 finishers, two were Mercedes powered, two Renault, one Red Bull and five Ferrari. This promises to be a very different era in F1.
To see the 2022 F1 driver’s standings, click here.
A return to Buriram marks the end of the first stint of the flyaways, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro as motivated as ever.
Thai fans have been waiting since 2019 to see the Repsol Honda Team in action and the wait is finally over. MotoGP’s last visit to Thailand holds fantastic memories, Marc Marquez clinching an exhilarating last-lap, last-corner race win to seal his eighth World Championship in style. In fact, Marquez is currently the only rider to have won the Thai GP after taking victory in both 2018 and 2019.
For 2022, the #93 arrives with a different mentality and aim. After a highly positive and informative Japanese GP, Marquez is again looking forward to a weekend of testing himself and the Honda RC213V. Along with the physical nature of the track, Thailand’s infamous heat will be another factor to contend with. But, forecasts suggest it might be a rather damp affair this weekend.
Pol Espargaro comes to Buriram having made more steps forward and found several interesting points to confirm this weekend. The Thai track has not been the kindest of circuits to Espargaro in the previous two visits with a best finish of 13th, but the unpredictable nature of the 2022 MotoGP season means anything is possible.
The weekend’s schedule is set to be far more regular than that of Japan, Free Practice 1 for the premier class set to begin at 10:50 local time on Friday. Sunday will see the 26-lap Thai Grand Prix start at 15:00 Local Time.
The Tytlers Cycle Racing team had the afterburners going all season long. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Random notes, comments, statistics, musings, and bits of trivia from the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Alabama event at Barber Motorsports Park:
The Fire Down Below
What is it with these BMW M 1000 RR Superbikes and their penchant for displaying pyrotechnics from their exhaust systems? I posed the question to Scheibe Racing team owner and noted motorcycle engineer/mad scientist Steve Scheibe. “It’s part of the engine-braking strategy,” Scheibe said. “I assume they are turning off the ignition on some cylinders and opening the throttle more for finer control. They apparently keep the fuel flowing to minimize the abruptness when the rider starts to open the throttle, and then, they turn the ignition back on and the residual fuel in the exhaust pipe ignites.”
Petrucci’s PeTrap Speed
Who had the fastest trap speed of the entire weekend at Barber Motorsports Park? It was Medallia Superbike rider Danilo Petrucci, who went 161.0 miles per hour aboard his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on the final lap of the 15 laps he did in Friday afternoon’s Superbike Qualifying 1 session.
Westby Racing dealt Barber Motorsports Park a pair of Scholtzes. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DoppelScholtz
Anybody who saw Mathew Scholtz walking around the paddock had to think they we experiencing double vision. Scholtz’s slightly younger brother Dean traveled from Durban, South Africa, to watch Mathew race, and when both of the Scholtz boys are wearing sunglasses, it’s difficult to tell them apart, even when they’re standing right next to each other.
Lapping It Up
Tire strategy came into play in Supersport race two at a damp Barber Motorsports Park as Josh Herrin’s choice to race on rain tires prevailed over Stefano Mesa’s and other riders’ decision to go with slicks. The rain tires held up for Herrin despite the track drying out, and he was able to get the win, but it was strange to see the riders, including Mesa, get lapped in the beginning of the race and then unlap themselves towards the end of the race. When Herrin was asked if he ever recalls that happening before, he said, “I don’t remember a time that that has happened to me. It probably has, but I can’t remember. When we started the race I saw (Mesa) pull up on slicks, and I was laughing in my helmet. I waved to him like, ‘Just stay away from me.’ So, when I lapped him, I kind of laughed again in my helmet, and when he came back by and I waved to him and he gave me a thumbs-up, it was another funny moment. It was definitely weird, but it made it exciting.”
Smashing Records
Lap records were broken at Barber Motorsports Park in four different race classes over the past weekend. In Medallia Superbike, Cam Petersen broke and re-broke the track record multiple times aboard his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1. In Friday morning’s Practice 1, he set a new lap record of 1:22.510 and then, in the afternoon’s Qualifying 1, he lowered the record to 1:22.323. On Saturday morning, during Qualifying 2, he went 1:22.035, which is now the outright lap record at Barber Motorsports Park. Also, Petersen’s teammate Jake Gagne did a 1:22.917 in race one, which set a new race lap record.
In Yuasa Stock 1000, Disrupt Racing Suzuki’s Hayden Gillim set a new literbike class record of 1:25.255 in Qualifying 1, and then he lowered even more to a 1:24.183 in Qualifying 2.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin set a new Supersport record in Qualifying 1 with a 1:26.443, and then he did an even quicker 1:26.361 in Qualifying 2.
REV’IT! Twins Cup rider Kaleb De Keyrel broke the track record in the two-banger class aboard his Veloce Racing Aprilia with a 1:29.398 in Qualifying 1, which he broke again in Qualifying 2 with a 1:29.088. DeKeyrel also set a new race lap record of 1:29.467 for the Twins Cuppers.
Overcooking The Donuts
At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this past July, Westby Racing had a technical issue that caused a tire warmer to overheat part of a rear tire on Mathew Scholtz‘s Yamaha YZF-R1. One section of the tire basically overcooked, and it changed the compound of the tire to something more akin to a bowling ball. On track, the overheated section of the tire caused a slip-grip-slip effect, which made Scholtz’s bike almost unrideable.
According to Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Danilo Petrucci, he and the team had an epiphany at Barber Motorsports Park, and it involved how long they had been leaving the tire warmers on their tires. “We also discovered that all year we warmed up the tire too much — over two hours,” Petrucci said. “We warmed up the tire just for 40 minutes, and the bike was really nice to ride; I was riding in the high 1:23s and the low 1:24s, at least for the first laps. In general, we cooked the tire all season. I don’t want to think this was the problem, but the championship is gone.”
So, was Petrucci’s season-long problem acclimating to the Dunlop tires due to them being overheated, which essentially transformed the rubber to a harder compound than they should have been? You be the judge, but Petrucci seems convinced that was the issue.
Breaking Ties
For the first time in MotoAmerica history, and also the first time that anyone can remember in AMA road racing history, two different race classes ended up dead-even in points. In SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, Alpha Omega Kawasaki’s Cody Wyman and Rodio Racing Kawasaki’s Gus Rodio both ended the season with exactly 285 points. Likewise, in Yuasa Stock 1000, Corey Alexander and Hayden Gillim had accumulated the same identical 192 points. The tiebreaker in situations like this is race wins, and Wyman and Alexander won the championships in their respective classes based on the fact that they had more wins than the other rider.
Which just goes to show you that every point counts in MotoAmerica racing, and you always want to collect the most points you can each season. That’s how you become a champion.
Big cats Hayden and Alexander. Photos by Brian J. Nelson.
A return to Buriram marks the end of the first stint of the flyaways, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro as motivated as ever.
Thai fans have been waiting since 2019 to see the Repsol Honda Team in action and the wait is finally over. MotoGP’s last visit to Thailand holds fantastic memories, Marc Marquez clinching an exhilarating last-lap, last-corner race win to seal his eighth World Championship in style. In fact, Marquez is currently the only rider to have won the Thai GP after taking victory in both 2018 and 2019.
For 2022, the #93 arrives with a different mentality and aim. After a highly positive and informative Japanese GP, Marquez is again looking forward to a weekend of testing himself and the Honda RC213V. Along with the physical nature of the track, Thailand’s infamous heat will be another factor to contend with. But, forecasts suggest it might be a rather damp affair this weekend.
Pol Espargaro comes to Buriram having made more steps forward and found several interesting points to confirm this weekend. The Thai track has not been the kindest of circuits to Espargaro in the previous two visits with a best finish of 13th, but the unpredictable nature of the 2022 MotoGP season means anything is possible.
The weekend’s schedule is set to be far more regular than that of Japan, Free Practice 1 for the premier class set to begin at 10:50 Local Time on Friday. Sunday will see the 26-lap Thai Grand Prix start at 15:00 Local Time.
Marc Marquez
“The aim for the weekend is to put together another complete weekend like in Japan. Of course, I would like to be battling up the front again like in Japan, but I don’t think it’s realistic to set this expectation. It is also not our objective; we are here to build. I have very good memories there from 18 and 19, especially our last visit and I can’t wait to see the Thai fans again.”
Pol Espargaro
“Another weekend to see what we can do. In Japan we were able to find a bit of the speed we had at the start of the year and now we have to repeat this and improve it again in Thailand. On the previous visits we didn’t have the best luck in Thailand but I arrive now on a different machine so we will see what we can achieve this weekend.”
It’s worth noting that the recent emergence of NFTs comes on the heels of a larger (and slower-brewing) surge in interest in poetry in the digital age. Arch Hades has been a key figure in a new wave of writers publishing on Instagram, along with pioneers like Rupi Kaur and Lang Leav. These poets went on to publish chart-topping books.
The idea was, in a way, revolutionary: by self-publishing online, talented poets could ultimately make a living and build a career rooted in creating their art. A few years ago, back when few of us had even heard of NFTs, research revealed that 12 of the 20 best-selling poets were “Insta-poets.”
What followed was a kind of “poetry Renaissance.” In 2018, a survey from the National Endowment for the Arts revealed that the number of adults in the US reading poetry had doubled over just five years, resulting in the highest readership in 15 years. Readers in the 18 to 24 age bracket more than doubled. Young women and people of color helped lead the charge.
Meanwhile, research from Nielsen BookScan found that poetry sales grew by more than 12% in 2018. Then, amid the pandemic, traffic on Poets.org rose by 25%. For some, poetry became an outlet during turbulent and uncertain times. For others, “Insta-poetry” provided an accessible point of entry into a world that previously seemed exclusive or closed off.
Of course, collaborations between visual artists and poets aren’t new. Perhaps the most legendary is The Sweet Flypaper of Life, a breathtaking book of photographs by Roy DeCarava and text by Langston Hughes, set in 1940s and ’50s Harlem. Hughes wrote the story based on 141 photographs he selected from DeCarava’s oeuvre.
Much later, in 2015, Aaron Stern and Jordan Sullivan, both photographers, included words and pictures in their book, Dialogues: 36 Photographs & 20 Poems, pairing work by prominent photographers and poets—in conversation.
While these projects pre-date the rise of NFTs, they do provide a larger historical context for how visual artists and poets can work together to create something new. The sale of digital artworks, made possible by the blockchain, could mean we see moving images, audio recordings, and other uniquely digital elements combined in increasingly inventive ways.
Writing on the blockchain has a relatively brief but intriguing history. In February of 2021, just as NFTs were about to explode into public consciousness, the author Blake Butler released a gif of his novel, DECADE, as an NFT. The collector of the gif, which scrolled through the book itself at lightning speed, would also receive a PDF. Butler added a stipulation: the novel would never appear in print. It sold for its list price (5 ETH) in less than a day.
One interesting aspect of publishing literature on the blockchain, from poetry to short stories and beyond, is that, as with visual art, NFTs disrupt traditional gatekeeping systems. If photography NFTs gave artists a way to earn money, even without the support of institutions such as galleries and museums, perhaps they could offer a platform for writers to get their work out there, without needing the backing of a big-name publisher.
Another draw is the smart contracts that run the NFTs themselves. These are agreements that can be automatically executed if and when certain conditions are met; for example, in the art world, many creators set it up so that they earn royalties (say, 10%) every time the work is resold on the secondary market. Writers and poets could do the same.
In recent months, start-ups like Book Token, an NFT marketplace for eBooks and audiobooks, have emerged. At the start of this year, they sold $100,000 worth of eBooks on their first day. One of the ideas driving the marketplace is that it could foster a secondary market for eBooks, which have traditionally only been sold once.
Earlier this year, theVERSEverse, an NFT poetry gallery, made waves in the crypto space, outlining how poems could be collected like works of art. They’ve combined the work of well-known poets with crypto artists to create unique, collectible pieces. One of the co-founders is the poet Ana Maria Caballero, who envisions a world where poetry is valued as art—and where words aren’t limited to traditional formats alone.
Elsewhere, in May, Madonna and Beeple made headlines worldwide for their collaborative NFT project, the video series Mother of Creation. The videos, an ode to motherhood, included poetry by Madonna herself as well as Rumi, the legendary Persian poet. In the future, we can imagine poetry collections that sell as individual NFTs, with each collector owning a poem as part of a larger whole. Or maybe poems will be sold as audio files, with collectors hearing the author’s voice rather than reading their words on a page.
Then there are the photographers who are pushing the art form into new directions. Sacha Dean Bïyan, for example, created Visceral, a stunning series of his photographs, each paired with haikus by the poet Dr. Shunkichi Baba. Bïyan made the photographs during lockdowns in Japan, making them documents of a truly unique time in global history.
Finally, it’s important to remember that we’re experiencing a moment of immense transformation and innovation. Take, for example, DALL-E, the artificial intelligence tool created by OpenAI. Users can imagine a scene and write a description; enter that description, and the AI will generate a photorealistic image. Photographers and photography-based artists have been among the early experimenters in the space.
What would happen if you took a poem, or even just a line of a poem, and asked an AI to generate an image? In the future, might photographers and poets collaborate with AI? theVERSEverse, the NFT poetry gallery, has already started experimenting with Sudowrite, an AI application, as part of their GenText series, which includes the work of artists, poets, and AI. We’re still in the very early stages of Web3, and the creative possibilities are just starting to reveal themselves.
Explore VAULT now. An NFT marketplace for creators, collectors, and art lovers.
The post NFT trends: Poetry’s resurgence through NFTs appeared first on 500px.
PJ, Hector and Kyle sign off Tytlers Cycle Racing’s maiden Superbike season in style
Tytlers Cycle Racing signed off their maiden MotoAmerica Superbike season in style with another podium yesterday, PJ Jacobsen producing another spectacular race to finish third in the final race of the year at Barber Motorsports Park.
Classified third in Saturday’s opening encounter, PJ was relegated to fourth after series organisers overturned Danilo Petrucci’s jump start penalty. Understandably disappointed, PJ ensured there were smiles aplenty on Sunday as he powered his BMW M1000 RR to his third top three finish of 2022 – the team’s fifth.
Hector Barbera rounded out his first season with the team with two solid results. He finished fifth and tenth respectively whilst Kyle Wyman, the team’s third rider for the weekend in the Superbike category raced to P13 and P9.
The results mean Hector ends the year fifth overall with PJ in sixth.
The team would like to thank its sponsors, and everyone involved with the MotoAmerica Championship and look forward to lining up on the grid in 2023.
PJ Jacobsen (66). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
PJ Jacobsen: “Race 1 didn’t start too well. I made a mistake and lost a lot of time. I was classified third but then demoted after MotoAmerica overturned Petrucci’s jump start penalty, so we celebrated for no reason but overall, I was happy to close to the podium and fourth in the end isn’t so bad. It was a much better race on Sunday. I was fighting for the podium and the pace was a lot stronger. I am happy to get another podium on the final corner of the final lap. I am proud of everyone involved in the team and for the opportunity to ride for Tytlers Cycle Racing with the new BMW M1000 RR this year.”
Hector Barbera (80). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Hector Barbera: “I had a much better feeling in the first race on Saturday. Every lap felt better, and, in the end, I finished fifth. It was impossible to ride on Sunday with the same setting, so I am sure it was a problem with the tyre. I was over two seconds a lap slower and so to end the year like this is disappointing. Big thanks to the team, it’s been a pleasure for me all year to be with you all.”
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Kyle Wyman: “It was a great week and so good to be back on a Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW this past weekend. I assembled a crew of mine alongside the teams, and we continually improved throughout the weekend. Saturday’s race saw a drop that we didn’t expect, and I dropped all the way back to thirteenth after running sixth. We made a big step on Sunday and finished ninth and had a pretty good race. I had a lot of fun and a great experience and I’m proud of what the team has accomplished in their first season and am proud to have been a part of it.”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Results from Barber Motorsports Park and 2022 MotoAmerica Season Wrap-Up for the Altus Motorsports WPS FLY Racing Team
(Birmingham, AL) – Altus Motorsports may not have finished the 2022 MotoAmerica Season with any championships but that did not keep it from being one the best in the history of the team. The team had a great time, all three riders improved throughout the year and showed impressive results.
Superbike Cup & Stock 1000
Brandon Paasch rolled into Alabama on a 4 race podium streak in the Stock 1000 class and beginning to really feel comfortable on the big bike. In the solo Stock 1000 race of the weekend, he started from eighth place and crossed the finish line in fourth. Overall, Paasch finished the year strong with a second place finish, three third places, and one fourth place in the last five races. This was enough to earn him fourth in the 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship.
In the Superbike Races, Brandon started both from nineteenth. In the Saturday race, he finished in fourteenth and as the top Superbike Cup racer. On Sunday, he crossed the line in fifteenth and as the second Superbike Cup competitor. As a result, Paasch took second in the 2022 Superbike Cup Championship.
Brandon Paasch (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“Well, Barber is done and dusted… my weekend definitely wasn’t how I planned to finish my year with pretty average results. We ended the season as the first rookie in both classes, 4th in Stock 1000 class and 2nd in the Superbike Cup Championship. The progress from where we started to where we finished is a big relief for me. There were times this year when I was questioning whether I still had it or not. That first podium at Brainerd and the 4 race podium streak really boosted my confidence and expectations again. I owe a huge thank you to the whole Altus Motorsports WPS FLY Racing team for supporting me all the way! Also, Ohlins & Mike for helping us a bit more at the end of the year, Suzuki and M4 for providing us with a strong package to start. A massive thank you to Arai, Spidi, CCC Manhattan, Luxestar VIP, If you don’t know Jack and EvolveGT for the continued support. I was super glad to have my Mom, Andy, and Darian there at the weekend to show some love and support! Thanks to everyone for the support this year, it was great to see a ton of familiar faces at the track again!” said Brandon Paasch.
Supersport
Jaret Nassaney had a strong weekend in Alabama. Barber is a track he enjoys and it showed in his results. He qualified eighth for both Supersport races. He fought his way forward in the first race to take a sixth place finish. On Sunday, the wet track left teams to choose between a rain tire and a slick tire. The Altus team made the right choice and ran the wet option. At the start, Jaret jumped immediately into second place. After a few battles, he ultimately crossed the line in fourth – his best result of the year. Nassaney finished the 2022 season holding 7th in the MotoAmerica Supersport class.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“2022 is a wrap! I’d say our goals were accomplished. I wanted to be in the fight for top 5 finishes and we ended the year fighting for the box! The new bike really suited me this year. At the beginning of the year, we had some growing pains to figure out but I think it’s all squared away now. We ended the season on a high note and I’m very happy with how the weekend went. Barber is one of my favorite tracks and with the new surface is amazing but at the same time, we struggled with tire life. Qualifying was tough. I was only able to get 8th so that put us in the middle of row three. With the tire longevity issues, we decided to go with the harder option in race one and I’m very happy we made that decision. I had a good battle for 6th the whole race and was able to come out on top. Race 2 was a completely different story. In good ole Alabama style, it decided to start raining 20 minutes before the start. But not enough to make any puddles. They allowed a 10-minute warm-up before the race which I opted out of. We took the gamble and went with a wet weather setup. I got an awesome start and put myself in second for the first couple of laps but ended up getting passed by a few people. The rain tires were the right choice and allowed us to pull a gap on riders running the slicks at the onset. By the end of the race, the track was completely dry and grip became a challenge. I was hoping to have enough tire toward the end to make a pass back for third but wasn’t able to make it happen. In the end, I was able to keep it on 2 wheels and take fourth! Our best finish of the year!,” said Jaret Nassaney.
Junior Cup
Once again, Kayla Yaakov was the second fastest Junior Cup rider in the qualifying sessions putting her in the middle of the first row for both race starts. Over the course of the season, Yaakov has proven that, regardless of her start position, she will be fighting for the win. And the final round at Barber was no exception. In both races, she went with the lead group and consistently put herself at the front of the pack. In the first race, on Saturday, she lead out of the last turn and crossed the finish line just a hair ahead of the rider in second for the win. The Sunday race was another hard-fought battle and the roles were reversed. Kayla came onto the front straight in second but could not quite get the pass made before the stripe and had to settle for second place. On the season, she managed 11 podiums with four of them wins, and finished just 8 points out of first place in the Junior Cup Championship in third.
Kayla Yaakov (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“What an amazing way to end my first full season of MotoAmerica. An almost perfect weekend for me, and possibly the best weekend of my entire season with a first in Race 1, and a second in Race 2. After all of the bad luck and struggles this year, I am beyond happy to have ended up placing 3rd in the championship. I cannot thank the Altus Motorsports team enough for getting me to where I am, as well as my father for all of his hard work. Also, my incredible sponsors for helping me all throughout this year. This year was dedicated to my brother Dylan, and I hope I made him proud,” said Kayla Yaakov.
“It’s extremely tough to compete consistently at this level. It takes a lot to stay on top of the rules and the best options for performance, manage the ever-changing budgets and expenses, hang on to the talent (on and off the bikes), and have a team that works together in a cohesive way. We have had great success in the past. We’ve had amazing talent and wonderful people under our banner. We’ve collected championships in various classes. But this year, we really had an amazing team under our tent. We are looking forward to an offseason and preparing for next year. Thank you to our sponsors for making it possible and for MotoAmerica for continuing to promote road racing in the United States,” said team owner, George Nassaney.
The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
VELOCE RACING’S KALEB DE KEYREL SCORES DOMINANT WIN TO TOP AN ALL-APRILIA PODIUM SUNDAY IN MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP SEASON FINALE AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
APRILIA RIDERS FINISH SEASON SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH IN TWINS CUP POINTS STANDINGS
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 – Sunday’s MotoAmerica race at Barber Motorsports Park was a trifecta from 2021 Twins Cup Champ Kaleb De Keyrel, who closed his second season racing an Aprilia RS 660 by shattering the class’s lap record in qualifying on Friday and Saturday, taking pole position, and continuing a weekend of bests to complete a commanding victory on Sunday, to lead an all-Aprilia podium in the final Twins Cup race of the season.
De Keyrel clinched the win by a margin of 3.688 seconds and was joined on the podium by Robem Engineering Aprilia riders Teagg Hobbs and Ben Gloddy.
With the last race of the 2022 season having been run, half of the riders in the top 10 in the final points standings competed this year on Aprilia RS 660 machines. Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry and Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto finished second and third in the points standings, with 191 points each. De Keyrel wrapped up the season in fourth with 175 points, and Hobbs and Gloddy ended up in seventh and eighth with 130 and 122 points, respectively.
De Keyrel didn’t get the best start in the Barber race but was still vying for the lead with another rider until the race was stopped on Lap 2. When the race resumed, De Keyrel got a better start and took the holeshot. As he entered Turn 5 on the first lap of the restarted race, De Keyrel’s motorcycle was struck by another bike when the second-place rider low-sided, but De Keyrel maintained the lead and thereafter went to work building a gap to the rest of the field. The Robem Engineering duo of Hobbs and Gloddy had to battle with another rider for most of the race for the last two steps on the podium, but the pair was able to secure another all-Aprilia Twins Cup podium to close the 2022 season.
The two Aprilia riders who were still mathematically eligible to win the Twins Cup title at Barber – Barry and Mazziotto — finished Sunday’s race in sixth and eighth.
It was De Keyrel’s fourth podium finish of the season, as well as Hobbs’ and Gloddy’s fourth and third trips to the box. It also was the second consecutive race that both Robem Engineering riders scored podium finishes, as Gloddy finished second and Hobbs third at the previous round at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
With more than 50 riders entered for Twins Cup at Barber, the field was split into two groups for practice and qualifying. De Keyrel was the second-fastest rider in Friday practice. He missed out on the top spot by just 0.078 seconds. Gloddy was fourth-fastest, Barry seventh and Hobbs ninth. Mazziotto did not take part in the session.
Later Friday in Qualifying 1, it was an Aprilia 1-2-3-4 at the top of the time sheets. De Keyrel paced the field with a lap time of 1:29.398. Hobbs finished the session in second, Gloddy in third and Barry fourth – all within a second of De Keyrel’s best lap time. Mazziotto was the ninth-fastest rider.
Qualifying concluded on Saturday with De Keyrel having secured his second pole position of the season with a 1:29.088 — besting the best previous pole-setting lap time by nearly two seconds. Gloddy made it two Aprilia RS 660s on the front row by qualifying third. Hobbs qualified fourth, Barry seventh and Maziotto 10th – giving Aprilia five riders who qualified in the top 10.
Of the 51 riders entered for the Barber round, 17 were on Aprilia RS 660s.
Piaggio Group Americas thanks off the Aprilia riders who took part in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup this season and congratulates the six riders who scored podium finishes or victories aboard an Aprilia RS 660 this year.
Kaleb De Keyrel (1). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Kaleb De Keyrel / Veloce Racing
“I had a really good race today. I led from start to finish and had a super-clean race. I just wanted to be smart and kept my head down. My Aprilia RS 660 was handling great all weekend, and the Veloce crew did a great job getting everything together. I can’t complain too much.”
Teagg Hobbs (79). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Teagg Hobbs / Robem Engineering
“It was a great way to end the season. Ben Gloddy and I have had our struggles this year. For us to both be on the podium the last two races of the season and be consistently at the front in every session is a huge thing for the team – and us as riders. It just proves what the Robem Engineering team can do when it’s facing hardships. I have to thank the team, all my sponsors and my family for supporting me this year. It was a great season.”
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Ben Gloddy / Robem Engineering
“I had a great race. I think we ended the season really well, and I want to keep this momentum rolling into next year. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the Robem Engineering crew being behind me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what next season has for us.”
Crutchlow, who is replacing the retired Andrea Dovizioso for Yamaha for the final six races of the 2022 season, finished 15th in Motegi.
He remarkably explained: “I got to the starting grid and had some alarm out of the last corner that the front tire wasn’t in the right range. So I panicked!
“It’s so close from the last corner to the starting grid that I didn’t press the f****** devices!
“I had no devices on, no launch control, no nothing!
“I had a terrible start compared to what I should have. I actually had a good start without the devices.
“But I lost places and I was already at the back. It took me a long time to pass the other guys. But when I did? I was as almost as Jack Miller.
“My problem was that I had to come from so far back. What happens is – it takes you three laps to pass on a Yamaha. Then the next rider? Three laps to pass them.
“Everybody you pass is faster than the one you passed before.
“If I hadn’t have f****** with no devices, I would’ve been [in the top eight or nine].
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“I got away with people who were slower than me, that was my problem.
“I’m not doing those massive dive bombs.”
Crutchlow also revealed: “The other situation I had? I wasn’t allowed to use the 355 disc. And I’m one of the hardest brakers in MotoGP. It was Yamaha’s choice.
“I went to the grid with a brand new set of 340 discs which has never been done in the whole history of MotoGP.
“Normally you bed them in on Friday. I bedded them in on the warm-up lap.”
PJ Jacobsen had a great season finale, finishing fourth and third in the two Medallia Superbike races at Barber Motorsports Park.
The following is from Tytlers Cycle Racing…
Tytlers Cycle Racing signed off their maiden MotoAmerica Superbike season in style with another podium yesterday, PJ Jacobsen producing another spectacular race to finish third in the final race of the year at Barber Motorsports Park.
Classified third in Saturday’s opening encounter, PJ was relegated to fourth after series organisers overturned Danilo Petrucci’s jump start penalty. Understandably disappointed, PJ ensured there were smiles aplenty on Sunday as he powered his BMW M1000 RR to his third top three finish of 2022 – the team’s fifth.
Hector Barbera rounded out his first season with the team with two solid results. He finished fifth and tenth respectively whilst Kyle Wyman, the team’s third rider for the weekend in the Superbike category raced to P13 and P9.
The results mean Hector ends the year fifth overall with PJ in sixth.
The team would like to thank its sponsors, and everyone involved with the MotoAmerica Championship and look forward to lining up on the grid in 2023.
PJ Jacobsen:“Race 1 didn’t start too well. I made a mistake and lost a lot of time. I was classified third but then demoted after MotoAmerica overturned Petrucci’s jump start penalty, so we celebrated for no reason but overall, I was happy to close to the podium and fourth in the end isn’t so bad. It was a much better race on Sunday. I was fighting for the podium and the pace was a lot stronger. I am happy to get another podium on the final corner of the final lap. I am proud of everyone involved in the team and for the opportunity to ride for Tytlers Cycle Racing with the new BMW M1000 RR this year.”
Hector Barbera:“I had a much better feeling in the first race on Saturday. Every lap felt better, and, in the end, I finished fifth. It was impossible to ride on Sunday with the same setting, so I am sure it was a problem with the tyre. I was over two seconds a lap slower and so to end the year like this is disappointing. Big thanks to the team, it’s been a pleasure for me all year to be with you all.”
Kyle Wyman:“It was a great week and so good to be back on a Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW this past weekend. I assembled a crew of mine alongside the teams, and we continually improved throughout the weekend. Saturday’s race saw a drop that we didn’t expect, and I dropped all the way back to thirteenth after running sixth. We made a big step on Sunday and finished ninth and had a pretty good race. I had a lot of fun and a great experience and I’m proud of what the team has accomplished in their first season and am proud to have been a part of it.”
Corey Alexander’s championship-winning season didn’t end well with a crash.
The following is from Tytlers Cycle Racing…
The Tytlers Cycle Racing powered by #RideHVMC Stock 1000 squad leave the final round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Championship disappointed with a double DNF and a sixteenth-place finish but elated on the other hand to have secured a 1-3 finish in the final standings thanks to the efforts of their riders Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman.
With the title wrapped up in New Jersey a fortnight ago, the three-rider squad – which also includes season rookie Zac Schumacher- headed to Alabama confident of another front running performance and after strong qualifying results were optimistic ahead of Saturday’s sole race.
From lights out both Alexander and Wyman were in the mix but an unfortunate on track incident put them both out of podium contention. Zac Schumacher narrowly missed his fifth point scoring finish of the year in P16 but can be proud of what he accomplished in one of the most competitive Stock 1000 championships in the world.
Corey Alexander:“This weekend started off strong but after some set up miscues and getting tangled up with Travis, it left us both off the podium. Not the result we wanted but it doesn’t overshadow all the hard work and amazing results our whole team has been able to make happen this year. I’m thankful to everyone that supports us and look forward to 2023.”
Travis Wyman: “I made a decent start and was running second. I had a bit of a moment when the white flag came out and I went down and unfortunately Corey had nowhere to go and ran me over. Neither of us got to finish and I’m bummed that neither of us could make the podium. I am happy for Corey – he is a deserving champion, and I am happy that I was able to still finish third overall. A big thanks to the entire team for their efforts this year.”
Zac Schumacher: “The race went quite well considering I had never ridden at Barber before. I really enjoyed riding the circuit and was able to throw down some reasonably quick times. I was involved in another race long battle and sadly was unable to make a safe pass so had to settle for sixteenth at the flag. I want to thank the team; it’s been an incredible season and an experience I won’t forget.”
Teagg Hobbs finished second in the season finale of the REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship at Barber.
The following is from Robem Engineering…
The Robem Engineering team had both of its riders back on the box Sunday, as Teagg Hobbs and Ben Gloddy finished second and third to cap off the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup season.
The pair of New Hampshirites were coming off a double-podium performance at the previous round at New Jersey Motorsport Park, and the strong outing at Barber helped Hobbs finish seventh and Gloddy eighth in the final 2022 Twins Cup points standings.
Both riders got good starts when the lone Twins Cup race of the Barber round got underway. They were running third and fourth when the race was stopped due to an on-track incident. When racing resumed, both riders got off the line OK, and Hobbs and Gloddy were in third- and fourth-place, respectively, at the end of Lap 1. Both Robem Engineering riders were in a three-way battle for the last two steps on the podium all race along, and Hobbs and Gloddy both got past the other rider on Lap 5 of the restarted nine-lap contest. Though there was some additional jockeying for position in the closing laps, Hobbs and Gloddy worked together to fend off the other riders vying for the podium to finish second and third, respectively.
The Robem Engineering duo made up two-thirds of the second all-Aprilia podium of the 2022 season. It was Hobbs’ fourth and Gloddy’s third podium finish of 2022.
Both riders started the weekend a little off the pace in Friday practice but were back in frontrunning form in Qualifying 1. Gloddy was the faster of the two in practice, finishing the session in fourth place. Hobbs finished practice ninth-fastest. When the first of two qualifying sessions took place Friday afternoon, Hobbs finished that session in second place and Gloddy was about three-tenths slower in third place. Qualifying wrapped up on Saturday with Gloddy having secured third on the starting grid and Hobbs fourth.
Robem Engineering thanks Teagg, Ben, Aprilia and its crew members and technical partners for their contributions to the team’s on-track success in 2022. The team’s racing plans for 2023 will be announced at a later date.
Teagg Hobbs / No. 79 “It was a great way to end the season. Ben Gloddy and I have had our struggles this year. For us to both be on the podium the last two races of the season and be consistently at the front in every session is a huge thing for the team – and us as riders. It just proves what the Robem Engineering team can do when it’s facing hardships. I have to thank the team, all my sponsors and my family for supporting me this year. It was a great season.”
Ben Gloddy / No. 72 “I had a great race. I think we ended the season really well, and I want to keep this momentum rolling into next year. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the Robem Engineering crew being behind me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what next season has for us.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2022 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Synchrony, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Luke Power ended his rookie season of MotoAmerica with a podium finish on Sunday in Alabama.
The following is from Luke Power Racing…
Luke Power ended his maiden MotoAmerica Supersport season with a superb second place finish in the final race at Barber Motorsports Park yesterday. The result means the seventeen-year-old from Australia is classified fifth overall, an impressive result considering he had no prior knowledge of the circuits, tyres, or the motorcycle he would campaign.
A technical issue on the opening day saw Luke miss valuable track time following an FP1 spill. He salvaged a fourth row of the grid start in second qualifying before another technical issue threatened to put him out of Saturday’s opening race on the sighting lap. Able to start the race, albeit on the back row of the grid, Luke passed half of the field on the first lap before a second crash cut short his hopes of another front running race.
A steady warm-up, after a bike rebuild by the team meant the #68 Suzuki mounted rider was able to compete on Sunday. Starting on wet tyres, he rode a brilliant race, backing up his early season podium at Road America with another outstanding performance on a drying track to ensure P5 in the final points classification. He also had the accolade of once again being the top Suzuki mounted rider.
Luke will now head to Europe for two weeks of off-track promotion, including a visit to the final European round of the FIM Superbike World Championship in Portugal. Details of his 2023 plans will be announced in due course.
Luke Power:“What a weekend. I have no words. It has been such an up and down weekend, the toughest of my entire life. We had electronic issues, two crashes and so to finish on the podium yesterday and to be top five in my first year in the US is just unbelievable. I made a mistake in race one after we had a tech issue on the sighting lap, and I am sorry to Sam (Lochoff) as we both went down. Today in warm up I wasn’t really feeling that confident but then we had a short session before the race, and I felt comfortable. I knew in the race I would have to manage the tyres and that was my plan. The target was to end the season with the best result I could, and the podium was just the icing on the cake. By the time I moved into second I could see that Josh (Herrin) was too far and I decided to just focus on hitting my marks and not making any mistakes. I want to thank 3D Motorsports for their support this year, all my sponsors, my manager, and my mam and dad for everything they continue to do for me and for letting me race motorcycles. Finally, I want to thank everyone at MotoAmerica for making my first year in the series such a memorable one. I am off to Europe now and really excited to be going to Portimão to check out the World Superbike paddock before heading home with a smile after ending the season in such a good way.”
Richie Escalante ended his rookie season of Medallia Superbike with a sixth-place finish at Barber.
The following is from Suzuki…
Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer ended the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday in trophy-winning fashion.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott continues his rapid development with a podium performance while competing in among the most challenging conditions imaginable to close out his maiden Supersport campaign.
Faced with a wet-but-drying track, Scott charged into the race’s opening corner in second aboard his GSX-R750 shod with wet-weather tires. Tentative initially, Scott dropped outside the top five before increasing his confidence at the 2.38-mile circuit.
As the track continued to dry out, the 16-year-old rookie upped his speed and fought his way back up to third and was closing on second position by the time he ultimately took the checkered flag.
The result was Scott’s ninth podium of his breakout season, including a debut victory scored earlier in the year.
Scott, who finished the year ranked an impressive third in the Supersport points standings, said, “I didn’t feel that great in the beginning of the race, but the track started to dry out and I started to get more and more pace. I thought I might be able to even get second by the end, but I just ran out of time.
“I want to give a big thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for giving me the opportunity this year. I took full advantage of everything they had, and it’s a great feeling to put it on the podium for the last race of the year. I think I learned a lot about bike set-up this year working with the team. Everyone has been a big help and I’m really happy with the progress I made.”
Suzuki GSX-R750s ultimately secured four of the race’s top five positions, headed by 3D Motorsports LLC’s Luke Power. The rider who completed the top five was Scott’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate, Sam Lochoff.
Lochoff, who continues to fight his way back to form and fitness following a lengthy injury-forced layoff, battled for the podium for much of the race before eventually earning an encouraging fifth.
“It was a fun race, but it was crazy. I have often raced in the wet, but never on a dry track with rain tires. Call that one a learning experience, but I was glad to get fifth.” Said Lochoff. “I had dropped back to about seventh at one stage but I came back through the field. I thought I was going to make a pass for third, but I had no front tire left. The left side of the front tire was totally gone and the handlebars were moving back and forth even when I was on the straight.”
Despite missing several races, the South African ended the season ranked ninth with three podiums and five top-five finishes.
Third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport entry Liam Grant had a more difficult time with the conditions. Grant took the risk of beginning the race on dry tires, ultimately fading from his grid position inside the top ten down to 16th. The youngster ended his rookie Supersport season ranked 13th on the strength of eight top-ten finishes, highlighted by the best result of sixth.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike duo of Richie Escalante and Jake Lewis ended the year in formation, taking the final checkered flag of the season in sixth and seventh position, respectively.
Premier-class rookie Escalante made a late pass on his veteran teammate to end the year with a promising sixth. The result was Escalante’s 12th top ten in a year that saw him finish ninth in points while scoring five top fives, including a pair of fourths.
“The beginning of the race was a little difficult,” said Escalante. “With the rain in the morning, the temperature was cooler today and we chose a different tire. Sometimes you have to take a risk and it did not work out at the beginning. As the race went on, I got stronger, and I was able to go faster and be the top Suzuki finisher. I am happy with the year, learning step by step with a great team. Now is the time to take what I learned and train hard to get ready for next season.”
Lewis held sixth for much of the race over Escalante. His seventh was his 15th top ten. The Kentuckian ended the year ranked seventh, boasting three top fives on the season, including a podium.
Mathew Scholtz (11) gives chase to Danilo Petrucci at Barber Motorsports Park.
The following is from Westby Racing…
Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team had high hopes on Sunday morning at Barber Motorsports Park that they would finish the 2022 MotoAmerica season with another podium finish, which would have given them a dozen race results inside the top three for the year. Unfortunately, a technical issue with the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 thwarted the plan, and Mathew did well to finish the race with a fifth-place result.
Starting from the third position on the front row of the grid, Mathew was overtaken by Danilo Petrucci on the opening lap. Hounding Petrucci for the next several laps, Mathew managed to get back around Petrucci and retake third on lap five. Petrucci quickly passed Mathew again on the next lap, though, and The Scholtz Kid realized he had a problem with his bike. On lap 11, PJ Jacobsen overtook Mathew, relegating him to fifth, and that was the position he remained in until the checkered flag.
“I had a small issue with the bike during the race, and it affected my ability to move towards the front,” Mathew said. “I did what I could, but I was only able to finish fifth. It’s not the result that the Westby team and I had hoped for, but given the circumstances, I should be satisfied with fifth. I need to look on the bright side and realize that the result could have been much worse. I had hoped to be able to finish the season in the top three in points, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
After a much-deserved rest, Mathew and the Westby Racing team will begin working towards the start of the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship. They plan to begin their off-season testing program in the coming months, so look for more information to come.
Danilo Petrucci was an impressive second in the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship.
The following is from Ducati…
Star rookie Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) has finished an exceptional second place in the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship after carding a third and a fourth-place finish at the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Italian took the title struggle with Yamaha’s Jake Gagne right to the season’s final race, with his eventual second place in the standings the best result for Ducati in the MotoAmerica era of AMA Superbike competition.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9) : “I am happy,” Petrucci said with a smile. “Happy to finish second in this championship because I fought with a really talented rider like Jake who has a good team and bike. We had many races, with third on Saturday, second on Sunday, so we need to get a bit better with setting the bike up early in the weekend. We gave it our best shot and we can be happy with our year.”
Josh Herrin needed a little help with the hardware from Eraldo Ferracci.
The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) put the hurt on the MotoAmerica Supersport pack today at Barber Motorsports Park, the 2022 champion taking a dominant 17-second victory over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers.
Herrin had earlier finished race one in second, under one second off race winner Landers, but returned full of fire for race two, his win capping an incredible year in which his championship-winning margin was a massive 106 points.
The season marks Herrin’s first MotoAmerica Supersport Championship to go with his previous Superbike and Stock 1000 titles. The Californian will be back in red next year as a member of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati squad.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC #2): “The weekend went great,” said class champion Herrin. “Today, we were ready to go in the dry but also ready for it to be wet. We were able to get a big lead and maintain it to the end. I’m super happy with how the year went. Happy to get a championship for Ducati, and the Warhorse HSBK team is a great one to be a part of and I’m happy to be coming back with them next year.”
Trevor Standish at speed in the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park.
The following is from Pure Attitude Racing…
Pure Attitude Racing head into the winter break, proud of their achievements in the second half of the 2022 MotoAmerica season. After a difficult start, the entire team continued to work together, returning to the top ten of the Twins Cup thanks to the combined efforts of Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish, who maintained their focus throughout the year. The team also had several front running performances with their Junior Cup rider Chase Black, including a front row start.
The final round of the season took place at Barber Motorsports Park took place this past weekend with Chase racing to a best finish of seventh, while Liam bagged another strong finish in eleventh. Trevor narrowly missed a point scoring result in P17.
2022 may only just have ended but the focus for Pure Attitude Racing is now firmly on 2023. They will be announcing their plans in the coming weeks so stay tuned. Also watch out for ALL ATTITUDE, a documentary which takes you behind the scenes of life within the MotoAmerica paddock in a way never seen before. It is currently in post-production and will air soon.
Chase Black:“Race 1 on Saturday was pretty good. Thanks to team and the changes they made I was able to beat the riders around me and was happy with the way I rode. I finished P11 on Sunday which was not where I wanted to finish but sometimes racing is like that. I want to thank Pure Attitude Racing for their support this year and all of my sponsors.”
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start but lost a few places on the opening lap but then the red flag came out. A few people went down in the second start, and I was able to run a decent race. I am thankful to bring it home and end the season with a double finish for the team. I am not sure what the future holds but wherever I ride I will give it 100% as always. I want to thank the entire team for everything they have done, and to all our sponsors for sticking by us, especially with my injury. It’s time to reset for 2023.”
Liam MacDonald: “I am happy to end the year with more points and another fight for the top ten. It’s annoying to be beaten at the line by 0.078s but I have to be pleased with how me and the team performed, especially in the last few races. We never gave up and continued to believe in the project and I am proud of what we achieved. I want to thank the entire team, Dean, Cyndy, Kent, Todd, Michael and want to say thanks to my team mate Trevor. It’s been a blast sharing the tent with you again this season.”
Dean Standish – Team Owner: “What a ride. What a season. It’s been a rollercoaster that’s for sure and we have had difficulties, but I couldn’t be prouder of everyone that has been involved in this program this year. Our riders, Liam, Trevor, and Chase were professional throughout and we achieved some really good results along the way. We couldn’t have don’t it without any of our sponsors so a big thanks to them. Thanks to Michael for the fantastic job he does in promoting our team and to my wife for being my rock both on and off the track. We learned a lot and we will come back swinging in 2023. Thanks to MotoAmerica too for giving us such a great championship.”
