This week in US powersports racing.
Evan Ferry, Triumph Part Ways
Triumph Racing and Evan Ferry have mutually decided to part ways with immediate effect. Triumph Racing would like to wish Evan all the best in his future endeavours.
It is with regret that Evan Ferry will no-longer race for Triumph Racing in the SuperMotocross World Championship. Evan joined the team during the creation of the global motocross project, a historic step into a new segment for Triumph, which included the development of the all-new TF 250-X. The British manufacturer has supported the 19-year-old throughout his time in the lead-up to the launch of the new US Racing team, and brought in a number of seasoned professionals as part of the programme.
Evan, an AMA Supercross rookie, lined up in what was a proud moment for Triumph and its team at the opening round of the 250SX East Championship in Detroit on February 3rd. With a tough qualifying, the young Floridian dominated the Last Chance Qualifier to make it through to the Main Event with his teammate. Evan was unlucky to be taken out in the first turn, but the young racer had already shown grit and promise in what was an exciting first event. Ahead of the second round in Arlington, Evan was ruled out with an unfortunate injury, and it was the team’s hope he would return to action as quickly as possible.
Despite the efforts of Triumph Racing to support Evan and adapt the programme for the remainder of his rookie year, including the offer of focussing on the Pro Motocross series, Evan has decided that he will step away from the team.
Everyone at Triumph Motorcycles and Triumph Racing wishes Evan all the best for his future.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING EXTENDS AARON PLESSINGER CONTRACT INTO 2025 SEASON
MURRIETA, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has re-signed fan favorite Aaron Plessinger for the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season, which will continue to include the AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships ahead of the SMX Finals Series.
At 28 years of age, Plessinger is currently in the prime of his premier class career, to remain equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into next year and to continue the rapid progression that he and the team had achieved in 450SX this season, prior to him being injured in Round 13 at Foxborough.
‘The Cowboy’ has been in spectacular form during 2024, holding the red plate for multiple rounds after picking up his first-career 450SX victory in San Diego, and then going on to claim additional podium finishes at the Anaheim 2 Triple Crown and in Arlington. He will unfortunately miss the final four rounds of Supercross with a fractured elbow, but is expecting to be READY TO RACE when the gates drop on the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Pala, California, on May 25th.
Plessinger first joined Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2022, gaining momentum in 2023 by finishing third in the final 450MX standings and fifth position in the inaugural 450SMX Championship, prior to his breakout campaign this year.
Aaron Plessinger: “I’m really excited to be staying with Red Bull KTM through 2025. It is an awesome team and I think we’re going to do some big things together in the future – even bigger and better than what we’ve achieved so far. I couldn’t be more stoked to be staying within this family and building upon where we’re at, the level that we have been able to reach this season. For this year we made some major changes in the pre-season and really haven’t changed the bike at all since, which has really, really worked out in our favor. I’ve won my first Supercross Main Event, have gotten three podiums in total, and something’s clicked for us this year. This is the most enjoyment I’ve had in my entire 450 career and I’m just enjoying the ride, which is rare, and I’m very fortunate. I’m stoked to be back for 2025, so hope we keep progressing and I will be doing my best to perform to the level that we aim to once I am able to line up again outdoors. I’ll keep riding my heart out when I’m back from injury and am really blessed to be staying with the crew.”
Ian Harrison – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We are really pleased to have Aaron back on the team for 2025 – he is an asset to our team from so many different aspects, from his personality to his riding, and his results. Since joining our team in 2021 he has continued his progression each year and this 2024 season we have had our best yet with him. Once he returns, we hope to continue this momentum and experience with the team for the rest of the year and into 2025. It is a pleasure to have him on our team and I look forward to next year with him. He’s not only good for himself, but he’s good for the other riders too, as well as our team morale, mechanics, and everybody. He is a great person and a real asset to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team.”
Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, North America: “I’m really happy that we were able to extend Aaron’s contract and we are really looking forward to ending this year strong in Pro Motocross before continuing into the 2025 season with him. He is fun to work with, he is great for the team, he’s good for other riders, and he’s good for the crew. We are very happy to have him.”
SHOWDOWN VICTORY IN NASHVILLE ELEVATES RJ HAMPSHIRE INTO 250SX WEST POINTS LEAD
A third victory of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire take over the 250SX West points lead in Nashville’s 250SX East/West Showdown tonight, setting him up to contend for the western regional title into its closing stages.
Hampshire was at his very best onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition inside Nissan Stadium, qualifying quickest in class and then going on to win his Heat race. From there he managed to deliver a commanding Main Event win after leading the entire race, which sees him reclaim the red plate with a two-point advantage and just two rounds remaining in the 250SX West series.
“First off, I’m so proud of this team,” said Hampshire. “I had that feeling from the beginning – Practice went awesome with P1, then in the Heat race I came from the back to win that, followed by a holeshot in the Main Event to lead every lap for the win! That’s the first time that’s ever happened in my career and it came at a really good time to do it. Tonight I executed the start in that Main Event, and felt like that was what I really needed. I had the speed, so it was just giving myself a chance, and it was an awesome race from there. I had a couple of moments in the beginning, then settled in and it’s a big weight off my shoulders. I knew I could close the points lead tonight, but didn’t expect to get the red plate back – I’m so happy for my whole team and all of our supporters! This Nashville crowd is awesome, I love this state, and it’s pretty cool to come away with the win here tonight.”
Alongside Hampshire in the Showdown was 250SX East newcomer Casey Cochran, the teenager impressing early on today by clocking the sixth-quickest time in Qualifying and finishing fourth in his Heat race. The Main Event was tougher on his way to an eventual P15 result, but it was another positive step in these initial stages of his professional career.
“First Showdown of my career, so a new experience and I’m just learning, building each weekend, so I’m stoked to come back again next weekend,” Cochran commented. “Overall, a pretty good day in Qualifying and the Heat race again… gotta clean up a few mistakes, but I’m happy with my riding and want to continue in this direction.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX entry Malcolm Stewart also displayed promise in his first visit to Nashville, powering his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition to ninth on the time-sheets in Qualifying and then surging to P4 in Heat 2. The Main Event saw him earn his ninth top 10 finish of the year in P9, despite an early fall, and is motivated to keep climbing the order in the upcoming final races of the season.
“Nashville, I honestly felt like overall I was riding alright,” Stewart reflected. “It was definitely a pretty crazy, notchy track, and we made a few mistakes. I didn’t get off to a good start, wasn’t sure when I was, and then went down after the finish line, but was able to salvage a ninth. We’re trying, doing everything we can to get back up there where we should be, but it’s a matter of time, so we’re just going to take the momentum that we have and fight all the way to the end because we’re not giving up.”
Next Race: April 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Results 450SX Class – Nashville
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
5. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
9. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
DNF. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 14 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 286 points
2. Cooper Webb, 281
3. Eli Tomac, 253
4. Chase Sexton, 246
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 166
11. Malcolm Stewart, 155
Results 250SX East/West Showdown Class – Nashville
1. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
9. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
11. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
15. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
19. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 7 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 136 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 123
3. Cameron McAdoo, 120
4. Pierce Brown, 116
24. Casey Cochran, 14
Standings 250SX West Class 2024 after 8 of 10 rounds
1. RJ Hampshire, 166 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 164
3. Jordon Smith, 148
6. Julien Beaumer, 106
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 68
SOLID TOP-FIVE FINISH FOR JUSTIN BARCIA IN NASHVILLE SUPERCROSS
Back inside the top five and forming a platform to build upon, Nashville was kind to Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia with a P5 finish in the 450SX Main Event tonight. And he’s eager to keep trending in the right direction with just three rounds remaining in the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship!
- Bam Bam scores first top-five result since Round 3 podium
- Pierce and Ryder D go head-to-head in 250SX East/West Showdown
- PB maintains fourth in eastern regional series standings
The result marked Justin’s best since he was third in San Diego toward the beginning of the year, continuing to make progress on his GASGAS MC 450F Factory Edition, and satisfied with his night inside Nissan Stadium. Bam Bam was 13th in the afternoon sessions and then improved to sixth in his Heat, before featuring closer to the front of the pack when it counted, and he’s currently ninth in the standings.
Justin Barcia: “Practice was decent, didn’t feel like I was lighting the world on fire, and didn’t qualify where I wanted, but all-in-all it was okay. Heat race, rode average, so I knew I needed to get it together, and we made a few changes for the Main Event. We got off to a decent start, made a lot of passes in the first couple of laps, and then I felt like I rode really well under pressure in the middle of the race. I made a charge toward the end and finished fifth – a top-five feels really good. We’ve been working hard, but it’s been very challenging, and it’s good to be closer to where we want to be. We’ve got a few more races, so we’ll keep at it!”
Nashville also marked the first 250SX East/West Showdown of the year, where both 250SX East regular Pierce Brown and 250SX West recruit Ryder DiFrancesco met on track riding their GASGAS MC 250F Factory Editions.
PB was on the gas in Qualifying for P3 on the eastern region and then recorded a second-place score in his Heat, before things came unstuck for him in the Main Event. In the end, he took the checkered flag in 11th but has retained fourth in the 250SX East point standings.
Pierce Brown: “It wasn’t the best night and I’m a little frustrated. I was in a really good spot on the first lap of the Main, made a mistake in the whoops, and that cost me. I feel like I left a good result out there, but sometimes you’ve just gotta move on. We definitely need to improve the result in the next race, but I felt great on the bike all day and that’s what matters. I just need to bring my best version of me to Philly!”
After setting the eighth-best lap of qualifying in 250SX West, Ryder D led his share of the restarted Heat race on his way to a confidence-boosting third-place result, but had to settle for 19th in the Main Event after striking trouble. The high-profile rookie is now positioned 12th in the championship order with two rounds in class left to run.
Ryder DiFrancesco: “All day was good for me here in Nashville. I led the Heat race for a while until the last lap, so that was cool to finally lead some laps, and then in the Main Event my start wasn’t good, but I basically came from last to around seventh or eighth in the middle stages. At that point I went for a pass, ended up falling down, and was pretty far back in the pack from there. Everything else was really good throughout the day though, so I am excited for Denver.”
Next Race: April 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NASHVILLE SHOWDOWN PODIUM SEES TOM VIALLE TAKE CHARGE IN 250SX EAST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle reclaimed the 250SX East red plate following a third-place finish in the 250SX East/West Showdown at Nashville, putting him in control of the points lead with two rounds remaining in the eastern region.
A convincing third-place result on the podium in the opening Showdown of the year saw Frenchman Vialle take charge of the series in class at Nissan Stadium, building a 13-point advantage. The double MX2 World Champion was fastest in 250SX East qualifying this afternoon and then posted a Heat race victory, before putting in a consistent performance on his way to P3 in the Main Event riding the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION.
Tom Vialle: “To finish third overall and first on my coast, it was a really good race for me. I tried to stay focused on my own race and had a good pace. The track was pretty sketchy, so you really had to concentrate, and I actually liked it a lot today – I felt like my riding was good all day. Two races to go and we’re getting closer to the end! I really look forward to the next two races.”
For teammate Julien Beaumer, the 250SX West rookie was a promising fifth-fastest in qualifying, but had to transfer through to the Main Event via P1 in the LCQ, and then he overcame further adversity to claim ninth tonight. It was a result that saw him maintain sixth in the point standings while continuing to gain important race mileage in his first-career Showdown appearance.
Julien Beaumer: “It was a pretty good night here in Nashville. I made it hard on myself by going through the LCQ and then the Main Event was tough, obviously not having the best gate pick. I got off to a decent start, but then got pushed really far out and was a long way back. I made a good charge up to ninth, and I am happy with my riding tonight, so I’m going to go back to work and get ready for Denver.”
Unfortunately for defending 450SX Champion Chase Sexton, after qualifying fourth and finishing third in Heat 1 equipped with his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider was ruled of contention with a heavy crash on lap five of the Main Event. He has since been cleared of any major injury after being evaluated and intends to race-on at the Philadelphia round next Saturday.
Chase Sexton: “Crashed out tonight. A stone cracked my throttle body and the throttle got stuck off of that single-single, which ended my night. Bummer, but nothing’s broken, and we’ll bounce back in Philadelphia.”
Next Race: April 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jett Lawrence Wins Nashville Supercross, Re-Claims Sole Possession of Red Plate
eam Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence earned his sixth win of the season with a convincing victory inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nissan Stadium delivered great racing, dramatic setbacks, and a points lead change in all three of the championships. Opening Ceremonies featured a special drop-in from the Frog-X Parachute Team. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac grabbed the Main Event Holeshot and held onto the lead until the midpoint. He finished in second place in the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer event, benefiting the children of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, who had tied up the points leading into Nashville, earned third place; the finish puts him back five points with three rounds remaining in the 17-round Monster Energy Supercross season. In the season’s first 250SX East/West Showdown, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire had riders from both regional championships handled and grabbed the win.
First place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I hate losing, so that bit of a losing streak really sucked. But [I’m] really pumped to come out and get it done here, especially with the Slash and Gibson [designed] gear. Those people are awesome to us, so I have to say a big shout out to them; I reckon it helped a lot. [I] felt good out there [and] hit my marks. A big [bummer] for Kenny, I didn’t get to fully see [Roczen’s crash] because of all the smoke, but it looked like it was pretty bad, so I hope he’s okay or has a speedy recovery from that. But… this [win] is leading in the good direction, so hopefully we keep it going.” – Jett Lawrence, when asked about returning to the top step of the podium after four rounds without a win.
Second place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I was feeling it in the beginning, I’ll tell you what. And I was just trying different lines, and I figured we would have to do something special to get out front. Unfortunately, I didn’t maintain the lead there. I tried my heart out, that’s for sure. [I] had so much fun being up front for those few laps there. I’ll try to get better and better. You know, get better in the second half of the race. And so overall, great night for us, thank you so much, Nashville.” – Eli Tomac, when asked about launching some big jumps in the Main Event.
Third place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I got off to a third-place start, and the guys just rode away from me. So gotta give it: when you’re not on, you’re not on, and tonight I definitely struggled. So I’ll take it; to get on the podium is great. Those boys were riding awesome. And last year I ended my season here [with a crash], so you got a little bit of that in the back of your mind. So, it’s good to get out of here healthy, still in the points hunt, and yep, can’t get ‘em every weekend… I want to give it up to the Good Lord, [my sponsors]… all these fans were great today and yeah, we get back to work this week.” – Cooper Webb
In the 250SX East/West Showdown, which pits riders from the Western Regional & Eastern Regional 250SX Class against one another, the west coast riders took the top two spots. RJ Hampshire grabbed the Holeshot and pulled away from the field; he earned enough points to take over the points lead in the west. Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda took a strong second place. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle earned third, and enough points to move him into first place in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class championship.
First place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“First off, [I’m] just so dang proud of this team. They stuck behind me during those rough couple rounds. Yeah, honestly… there was that break. It was that long six weeks break. I had a couple big crashes, just stupid [mistakes early in the season]. Man, it just kind of dragged me down… But [I] just executed my start in that Main Event, and that’s what I really needed. I mean, I feel like I always have the speed, it’s just executing that start, and giving myself a chance… [That was] just an awesome race. I had a couple moments there in the beginning, settled in, [then] I clicked off my laps… Just a big weight off my shoulders. I knew I could close the points lead tonight, didn’t expect to get the red plate back, but man, I’m so dang happy for my whole team, all our supporters, just everybody that sticks behind us… This Nashville crowd [is] awesome. I love this state. Pretty cool to come away with a win here tonight.” – RJ Hampshire when told he looked like a different rider and asked what made the difference in Nashville.
Second place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“For sure, confidence-wise it’s good. Good for me; me and my team worked really hard for this. Honestly, I was stressing so much during the day today. But it’s nice to get this out. With the podium it’s a good confidence booster, for sure. But I really want to win bad, so I’m just [going to] have to keep trying.” – Jo Shimoda, when asked what a good finish at a 250SX East/West Showdown does for his confidence.
Third place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I couldn’t really see Haiden, and saw actually [that] Cameron was pulled over, or had an issue, early in the race. But [I] just tried to stay focused on my own race. I had a good pace; [the] track was pretty sketchy, so you really had to stay focused. And yeah, I’m pretty happy, it was a nice race, the track was actually – I kind of liked it today. I was riding good all day and yeah, two races to go, we’re getting closer.” – Tom Vialle, when asked if he could track where his Eastern Regional 250SX Class competitors were during the race.
The Nashville round also acted as the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer race, which kicks off a yearly auction that raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Love Moto Stop Cancer partnership between Supercross and St. Jude is in its eighth year. The Supercross fans and racing community have raised over 1.5 million dollars for the organization that fights childhood cancer and keeps families together during treatment. The teams and racers increase their support at the special round each year with bike graphics and gear designs inspired by and incorporating art from the young patients at St. Jude. The custom items, along with more great prizes, now go up for auction. Please go to SupercrossLIVE.com/St-Jude to bid. Even if you’re not looking into the auction, you can join the racing community’s efforts by donating; just text SUPER to 785-833.
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship lines the racers up again next Saturday night inside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Round fifteen of the 17-round Supercross season also pays points toward the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship. The details for the sport’s post-season racing were recently announced with three events taking place in September.
Each Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Super Motocross World Championship round is streamed live on PeacockTV, with select rounds also broadcast or streamed domestically on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. CNBC airs next-day encore presentations of all 31 rounds of 2024 racing. Live audio for each Supercross race can be found at NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85. International racing coverage is available on the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv), live and on-demand, in both English and Spanish.
Tickets are on sale now for the final three 2024 Monster Energy Supercross events. For ticket sales, video recaps, race results, and event details please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
A Day Of Close Racing And Firsts In MotoAmerica Support Class Battles At Road Atlanta
Close racing was the order of the day as the MotoAmerica Championship began its 10th season of racing with the four support classes ending the day with a combined margin of victory of just 1.5 seconds (for an average of .389 of a second) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday.
Winners on the day included a few firsts. For starters there was a first-time winner in the Junior Cup class with Matthew Chapin scoring his debut MotoAmerica win, and the Rahal Ducati Moto team nabbed its first-ever Supersport victory with PJ Jacobsen riding the team’s Ducati Panigale V2 to victory.
Additionally, Troy Herfoss won the Mission King Of The Baggers race in his first visit to Road Atlanta, and Rocco Landers rode a Suzuki GSX-8R to victory in the BellissiMoto Twins Cup race for the new bike’s first Twins Cup win.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss continues to impress with the Australian winning his second Mission King Of The Baggers race of the year at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on a sunny Saturday.
Herfoss, who earlier in the day won the three-lap Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge, sat behind Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman for four of the eight laps before making a pass on the championship points leader and taking the victory, albeit by just .615 of a second.
Third place went to RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim with the Kentuckian earning his first podium finish of the season in the fifth Baggers race of the year.
Herfoss’s win over Wyman cut a 10-point lead in half and the pair are now separated by just five points.
“It is a really enjoyable track. Like I keep saying, it’s a lot to learn, but the Indian Challenger has got a great base setting. I can roll out and I don’t have to think about the bike. I can learn the track. It’s just really important to be patient at the moment. The first session I was a little bit frustrated after the P1 session. I just feel like I sort of peaked in the middle of the session and then I was probably a little bit closer than I thought I would be in the first few laps, and then I got out and got excited. As we all know, these bikes are so big, you can’t over-ride them. So, that was a bit frustrating. I just had to reset there. It probably halted progress for us. It’s funny. I’m sitting here with a Challenge win and a race win and I’m criticizing myself. It’s such a long year. Kyle (Wyman) just seen me for three laps, and the race continues. These guys are both watching me in the races. I crossed the line first in this one and there’s 13 races to go. They know a bit more about me and I know a bit more about them. It will just be like a chess match all year the way it’s going. When I signed up for this there was a lot of DNFs, and consistency would win it. This year it’s like raw speed and consistency is what you need. It’s an elite championship, and all these guys, especially the guys next to me here are putting in a big effort, and so am I.”
Junior Cup – A First For Chapin
Saturday’s racing started off with MotoAmerica’s entry-level riders, who always put on a great show in the Junior Cup Championship. There are a lot of new faces in Junior Cup this year as several riders have moved up to other race classes. However, Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher, who is also racing in the BellissiMoto Twins Cup Championship, is defending his 2023 Junior Cup Championship. And, for a while, it looked like the rider of the number-one Kawasaki was going to win the race. Unfortunately, after extending his lead to a comfortable distance, he made a mistake and crashed out. That left a gaggle of riders to fight for the win, and fight, they did.
BARTCON Racing’s rookie rider Matthew Chapin prevailed with the first win of his young career by .072 of a second over polesitter Ryan Wolfe, who notched his first career podium aboard his Wolfe Racing Kawasaki. Third place went to New York Safety Track Racing’s Yandel Medina for the second podium of his career.
“I was stuck in the back of the pack the whole time,” Chapin said. “People were just dive-bombing me. I couldn’t really get anything done. But I knew if I was patient, I could get the draft because I’m a lot smaller than everybody else. I don’t weigh lot, so I knew I could draft into the line. I passed Ryan up the inside at the end. He came back on the outside, and I think it was in turn 11, I passed him back up the inside for the win. I’m so pumped right now. Words can’t even express it. I’m so pumped.”
BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Suzuki’s First With the GSX-8R
The Suzuki GSX-8R has joined the fray in the highly competitive BellissiMoto Twins Cup Championship, and in race one, RevZilla/Motul Vance & Hines Suzuki rider Rocco Landers brought home the bike’s first MotoAmerica win by .769 of a second over Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering Aprilia rider Gus Rodio. Rodio was followed across the finish line by his teammate and third-place finisher Alessandro Di Mario.
“I knew I was decent in the first sector because the (Suzuki) just brakes and turns like a total dream,” Landers said. “I just tried to sit there and try to get by them and see if I could lead through the first sector and see what happened. Eventually I was able to. I wasn’t really looking back, but based off the fact that I didn’t have anyone come flying by me down the back straight, I figured it somewhat worked out. The bike is fast as heck as soon as you get it into sixth gear, but I knew I had to really work for it. Up until there, we’re working towards making that power happen. It’s sick to get a win in the third race on this thing, second weekend. The team works so hard, my whole crew. We haven’t started a session with the same setup we had the session before since we got on the thing. The progress that we’ve made is amazing. The thing is so much different than it was when we rolled it out of the truck at Daytona. But it’s going to be quite a season with these guys with how good they’re riding. We’ll see where it goes.”
Supersport – Jacobsen Gives Rahal Victory #1
With 44 riders entering to race in Supersport at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and several former Superbike riders joining the class for the 2024 season, we knew the competition level would be at an all-time high. Saturday’s Supersport race one did not disappoint as it was definitely one of the most exciting races of the day.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott looked to have the race in hand, but he unfortunately suffered a big crash in the esses, which took him out of the race. At the front of the pack, N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis got his Yamaha in the lead, but Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen overtook Davis and crossed the finish line just .103 of a second ahead of Davis.
Meanwhile, Mathew Scholtz, who had electrical problems with his Strack Racing Yamaha on Thursday and only managed to qualify 11th, knifed his way through the pack and actually led the race for a short time before bringing his bike home in third place for the final spot on the podium.
“First, I really want to just say thanks to the Rahal Ducati Moto Team, XPEL, and Roller Die,” Jacobsen commented. “Basically, Richie Alexander, everybody in the whole team for just turning things around since Daytona. It’s a brand-new team. Graham has done a great job, and so has Ben (Spies). I just really want to thank them for putting this whole program together and getting things even more on track from Daytona. So, it’s been really good to progress. We had some testing and stuff. The team is super organized. It’s a really good environment over there, so I’m really happy to be a part of what whole program.
“But getting into the race now, I was kind of nervous. First race of the year, and stuff like that. Everybody is super close here in pace. But I was trying to manage being in front for a while there, and then Tyler passed me, Blake passed me. Then I was going to sit behind them and see them do some work and see what they had. But, unfortunately, Tyler (Scott) crashed, and I was really nervous because he crashed, and he was kind of tumbling through, and I didn’t want to hit him. So, I had my hands up. I thought a red flag was going to come out, but unfortunately it didn’t. It was because the bike was in the middle of the track. So, it was kind of scary for everybody behind me, because I was the first one to approach that after Blake (Davis). I was just really worried about Tyler and his body kind of being right there. It was kind of sketchy. Hopefully he’s all right and everything. Tyler is a great kid. We’ve been trying the whole race and stuff. Bike was riding great. My teammate, Corey, was riding super, super great. Then (Mathew) Scholtz came past with two laps to go. I was like, ‘Man, this guy! What is he doing?’ I was like, ‘Okay, I got to turn it up again.’ I’m just trying to hang onto Blake here and now I’ve got Scholtz. So, it was good. I kind of knew some spots where Blake was struggling a little bit, and I knew if I didn’t get the draft like someone did on the inside of me on that last lap there that I would have had a go at Blake, and I knew kind of where to get him. So, when he passed me in 10A, I kind of knew that I could have had a really good go in the last corner in 12. I was going for it at that point. I was eyeing it up for a few laps in the middle of the race. It was a really good race, and everybody has been riding super good. I think Supersport is going to be pretty interesting this year. There’s a lot of fast talent in that class.”
PJ Jacobsen (15) beat Blake Davis (22) to win the Supersport race on Saturday at Road Atlanta. Tyler Scott (70) crashed out of the lead. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Rocco Landers (97) won the BellissiMoto Twins Cup race on Saturday, giving the Suzuki GSX-8R its first victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Avery Dreher crashed out of the lead in the Junior Cup class, handing victory to Matthew Chapin. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Troy Herfoss (1) beat Kyle Wyman (33) and Hayden Gillim (1) to win the Mission King Of The Baggers on Saturday at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Saturday photos available HERE
Saturday results:
Supersport
Mission King Of The Baggers
BellissiMoto Twins Cup
Junior Cup
Complete practice, qualifying and race results are available HERE.
Beaubier Over Gagne And Fong In Road Atlanta Superbike Thriller
In a titanic battle that began with as many as seven riders fighting at the front and ended with three, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier came out on top with a pass on Attack Performance Yamaha’s Jake Gagne with two laps to go in a thrilling Steel Commander Superbike season-opening race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday.
The win was the 60th Superbike victory of Beaubier’s career and it came with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion biding his time and sitting behind Gagne and Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong for the last third of the race. Beaubier planned to make his move with three laps to go, but instead had to wait until the penultimate lap. He made the move and made it stick, beating three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Gagne to the line by .240 of a second in what was his comeback race from the injuries he suffered last year at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
For many, Fong was the surprise of the weekend with the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1-mounted Fong earning pole position in the morning Q2 session, then running at the front for the duration and ending up third and just .332 of a second from race-winner Beaubier.
TopPro Racing Team’s Sean Dylan Kelly was an impressive fourth in his MotoAmerica Superbike debut. The Floridian was quick from the get-go and didn’t put a foot wrong – even as he battled in the heated pack at the front in the first portion of the race. Kelly was just 3.5 seconds behind Beaubier and .7 of a second ahead of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin.
Herrin was at the front of the Superbike pack early in the race, battling primarily with Fong for the top spot as the others hooked in behind the lead duo. Fong made a pass on the inside of Herrin early in the race, but it was the second time that he made the same move in the final corner that ended up going horribly wrong for Herrin. With the door open enough for his Yamaha to fit through, Fong made the move in the final corner and the result was Herrin running off the track on the exit.
By the time he rejoined the racetrack, Herrin was well back and forced to do an admirable job of moving forward again with passes on Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach, and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz.
Herrin ended up fifth with Baz sixth, Beach seventh and Escalante eighth with the top eight separated by under six seconds. Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.
After crossing the finish line just .6 of a second apart, Baz and Escalante were involved in a big crash together at the end of the front straight after both crossed the finish line.
Two of the series stars had bad days with Brandon Paasch crashing his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki out of the race after just two laps and Attack Performance Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen crashing, remounting, and finishing 15th to at least salvage a championship point. Petersen was running near the front when he was penalized two spots for passing under a waving yellow flag. After doing so, Petersen crashed but was able to remount and finish the race.
Quotes
Cameron Beaubier – Winner
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pretty over motorcycles after Pittsburgh. Sitting at home hurt, but all of us share this passion. Got motorcycles in our blood. A couple months go by and then you start getting hungry. The team posted the date for the first test and then you got something to work towards. Then after that, I was just itching to go racing. We got a couple good tests under our belt. Felt really good at the test. Made some good progress with the bike, with the Tytlers guys. Big hats off to them. They worked their butts off all off-season to elevate our game. Yesterday didn’t necessarily start out great, throwing the bike down the road in the second practice. But today was awesome. We didn’t make it easy, Jake (Gagne) either, on ourselves, starting on the second row of the grid, just with how stacked the field is right now. Like Jake said, it’s pretty awesome to race with all these guys. I was only two or three tenths off, and I was back in fifth in qualifying. That hasn’t been the case so much in the past years in MotoAmerica Superbike. So, it’s pretty cool. Just happy to be back and happy to feel healthy. Jake was setting a good pace up there in front. I think we were all kind of in management mode. The track was pretty greasy. We were sliding around. I feel like it would have been pretty risky to go any faster. I was just trying to bide my time. Bobby (Fong) was making it really difficult because he was so late on the brakes. I kept catching him on the back straightaway and had to roll out a little bit. I would catch him at the worst spot, going into the kink, and then he would brake super deep down into 10. So, I was kind of stuck there. I was just biding my time until the last few laps. I was able to make a couple good passes. Jake and I went back and forth that last lap and was able to bring it home. It’s a good feeling.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“Yeah, definitely. It was cool. Going into the race, starting second row, having fast guys in front, fast guys behind, it’s a whole different story than last couple years. I keep saying it, but there’s so much speed in this Superbike class now. It’s pretty cool to be a part of. It was one of those days. All I wanted to do was get a clean start, but you never really know what kind of pace guys are going to have, especially that second half. I was actually kind of surprised. I wasn’t sure. Bob (Fong) passed (Josh) Herrin. He went off and then Bob ran a little wide and then I was in the lead. I wasn’t sure who was behind me, honestly. I knew Bobby was there. I figured Cam (Beaubier) was there. But I think it was pretty slick out there. The Dunlops held up well with the heat of the track. This place gets really greasy. I’m happy. The bike was working really, really good. Kind of like last year, I was just struggling with such bad arm pump half the race. I just felt like a sitting duck. Just shows you how good this Yamaha is working. It was a fun race. I knew somebody was going to try to pass me. Second-to-last lap, Cam came up the inside somewhere. We went back and forth a couple of times. It was a good race and a good way to start the year.”
Superbike Race One
- Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
- Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
- Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
- Sean Dylan Kelly (Yamaha)
- Josh Herrin (Ducati)
- Loris Baz (Ducati)
- JD Beach (BMW)
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
- Hayden Gillim (Honda)
- Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Jake Gagne leads Bobby Fong, Cameron Beaubier, Cameron Petersen and Sean Dylan Kelly battle early in the Steel Commander Superbike race on Saturday at Road Atlanta.
Photo by Brian J. Nelson
The battle for the Superbike win came down to Gagne (10) vs. Fong (5) and Beaubier (60)
Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Cameron Beaubier took victory on Saturday at Road Atlanta for his 60th career AMA Superbike victory. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Saturday photos available HERE
Saturday results:
Complete practice, qualifying and race results are available HERE.
For complete 2022 MotoAmerica Media Resources please visit – 2024 MotoAmerica Media
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