KELLY AND TEAM HAMMER BACK ON THE PODIUM IN VIRGINIA
Team Hammer closed out the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing weekend at Virginia International Raceway by logging three-top five finishes, including a podium result on Sunday.
Sean Dylan Kelly, age 16, continued to impress in his first visit to VIR, bouncing back from his Saturday disappointment by extending his amazing Supersport rookie streak of earning a podium at each race weekend thus far in 2019. Aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600, Kelly rode a measured and mature MotoAmerica Supersport race in treacherous wet conditions, storming up from the third row and into the lead on the opening lap.
Rarely putting a wheel wrong on his GSX-R600 despite the presence of steady rainfall and accumulating puddles, Kelly built an advantage of nearly 20 seconds over fourth-place, en route to his third-place finish.The podium finish adds to his early season success, which also includes the pole position and a runner-up finish at the 78th Daytona 200, and a third-place result in the MotoAmerica Supersport season opener at Road Atlanta.
“I’m definitely happy with this P3,” Kelly said. “This is my first actual race in the wet on a 600. Of course, it was nice to get back on track after the little problem we had yesterday and not being able to race. Overall, it was a very mental race today. The conditions were very difficult out there, and I just tried to stay focused the entire time. I think that was the most difficult part.
“It was very exciting getting up to the front in the first corner. I knew a couple guys would eventually get past me, and I just tried to stick with them. They had a little on me, so I just tried to make sure I didn’t go over my limit and stayed within my own pace. I saw I had over 10 seconds to fourth place, so I stuck to my plan and got as many points as I could today.”
Unfortunately, Kelly’s M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport teammate Bobby Fong was unable to turn his poor Saturday luck around on Sunday. Starting the day, Fong passed an advanced Infrared Oculography Technology test, which showed he did not have a concussion and confirming the results of another medical exam he had passed on Saturday. He was again cleared to race, and this time the medical exam was not overruled by the race director, and Fong was allowed to start. Fong settled into seventh as the race approached mid-distance. However, as puddles built on the start-finish straightaway, Fong’s bike hydroplaned and snapped violently sideways, flinging him off at high speed. While frustrated, Fong again escaped relatively unscathed.
Meanwhile, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike ace Jake Lewis secured a third consecutive premier-class top five.Lewis battled as part of a five- and later four-rider pack for the final spot on the podium in an exciting race contested under drying track conditions. The Kentuckian executed a slick inside maneuver on the race’s final lap to reclaim fifth, which he would hold to the checkered flag. Lewis finished just 1.219 seconds off the podium.
“Today’s race was tricky,” Lewis said. “It dumped down rain an hour before our race and it was still quite wet. We were on the grid deciding which tires to run and everyone pretty much went with slicks. The first few laps were pretty sketchy, and the front two guys on rain tires got away pretty quick, but we definitely made the right choice going with slicks.It was nice to be in the battle for the podium. Overall, it was a decent weekend. Two top-fives isn’t bad, and we’re continuing to make progress and learn the bike. It’ll be nice to have a little break so I can train, and then we’ll pick back up at some tracks we go well at.”
Autovest Suzuki’s Joseph Blasius registered an impressive performance in the weekend’s solitary Twins Cup race. Blasius finished the opening lap in seventh position and continued to fight forward from there.He ultimately took the checkered flag aboard his Suzuki SV650 in fifth position, just 0.253-second off the podium.
Blasius contested the race without his teammate by his side. Roadracing World Young Guns Suzuki’s Alex Dumas qualified one position behind Blasius in ninth, but a crash in qualifying damaged a finger and the up-and-coming Canadian was unable to participate in the race as a result.
Team M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Felipe MacLean ran inside the top-10 deep into the Stock 1000 race before encountering a mechanical issue, which ultimately ended his weekend early.
Team Hammer will return to action on May 31-June 2 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
About Team Hammer
The 2019 season marks Team Hammer’s 39th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 71 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 208 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 135 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Weir Everywhere Racing:
Travis Wyman scores first pole, first podium of 2019 MotoAmerica season at Championship of Virginia
(Above) Travis Wyman (24). Photo by BrockImaging, courtesy of Weir Everywhere Racing.
Weir Everywhere Racing BMW rider maintains poise after near crash, remains fourth in Stock 1000 Class points standings
ALTON, Va. — VIRginia International Raceway has been a track where Travis Wyman has had some of the best performances of his career, and he added to that record Sunday with a pole position and a third-place finish at the 2019 MotoAmerica Championship of Virginia.
The Weir Everywhere Racing BMW rider and 2018 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up was hoping for a repeat performance of his dominating win at VIR in 2018 and started off Sunday’s on-track action for the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class by claiming pole position for the class’ only race of the weekend. Wyman’s pole time of a 1:26.700 was two-tenths faster than his pole-winning time in 2018.
In the race, Wyman got an good start and saved his tires to make a last-lap push for the win. He had made a pass for second place with two laps to go in the 12-lap race and was lining up a pass on the leader when his BMW S 1000 RR struck a curb at an odd angle. Wyman’s motorcycle began bucking uncontrollably, but he maintained his concentration, stayed in the throttle and rode his way out of the incident. He went on to finish the race in third place, adding valuable points to his championship effort.
After a three-week break, the team will be back on track at the Dunlop Championship at Road America, which takes place May 31-June 2. Wyman has two professional road racing wins at the historic Elkhart Lake, Wis., circuit, and he is aiming to add another win to that tally.
Travis Wyman / #24
“I was running in third place for most of the race and was saving my tires to make a late race charge for the lead. The pace was pretty comfortable, so I knew I’d have a chance to go for the win in the last couple laps. I made the move up to second, and thought I had more laps left to make a move on the leader. I was getting a pass lined up when I clipped a curb going through the esses and nearly lost control of my BMW. It was a wild ride, but I settled right back down and pushed as hard as I could for the rest of the last lap. I think we had a shot at the win today, but this podium finish is a positive result for the team, and we’ll be aiming for another podium or better at Road America.
“Our success this weekend would not have been possible without all the hard work of my mechanic Alex Torres of Fastline Motorcycle Performance. Our crew was short-staffed and Alex worked his tail off to help us score our first pole and podium of the season. He’s also helped driving our team’s rig this year, and we certainly wouldn’t be contending for a class title this year without all his hard work over the last two rounds.”
More, from a press release issued by Quarterley Racing:
Michael Barnes sets Pole, poised to add another win
(Above) Michael Barnes (111) in action at VIR. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Michael was feeling the remnants of being sick the week before the event but managed to run enough laps in the first nine minutes on the track in P1 to be second fastest and get some valuable feedback from those laps to move forward for qualifying and continue to rest up for Sunday. Being a single race at VIR meant getting it right quickly. Using the downtime to recuperate, Michael was ready for action on Sunday and again used his time in qualifying wisely, deciding to park it after setting the fast lap early and felt no need to go back out in the final five minutes knowing starting from the front row was pretty secure. The bike was running well and set to do the business in the race.
A good launch put Michael in the right position to get settled in and make his way to the front once the race was really underway. He was able to take charge early and looked to be making good distance toward a run in first place. Michael knew that with 36 riders there would be some lapping on the tight 2.25 mile VIR course, so a cushion would be a bonus around lap nine when traffic might have an influence. Shortly after pulling ahead, Michael began to slow down and felt a loss of power and the second and third place riders made their way around him. It was to enough of an extent that he chose to end the race to prevent catastrophe if it was any kind of engine problem. Coasting in to the pit, he said it was way down on power so no thought of rejoining the race was given.
In a cruel twist of things after looking the Ducati over to diagnose the problem, it turned out to be the rear spark plug cap coming off. Worse yet, we had made some panels to cover a space in the frame near the rear cylinder for more sponsor decal space as the bike has limited surface area, and that hides the plug cap which normally stares at you. It probably wouldn’t have been caught but who knows. We won’t be having that happen again.
Michael was very calm about it but we know he was gutted by the resulting DNF. Michael still holds on to third in the points going into Road America, and after discussions today we can confirm that he will ride for Quarterley Racing once again for that round. He has shown us great results and is a valuable asset in the refining of the newly homologated air cooled Ducati 797, which has proven to be very competitive in its contrast from the liquid cooled Yamaha FZ07’s and Suzuki SV’s. It seems the performance numbers are very close on the top machines of each brand in the class making for fair competition.
Michael Barnes Interview Post VIR 2019
Michael Barnes arrived at Virginia International Raceway hoping to repeat his domination of the MotoAmerica Twins Class at the previous round at Road Atlanta. While things didn’t work out that way, Barnes feels that progress was made with the team and the Ducati Monster he’s riding in the series.
“We had a good qualifying time and sat out last 10 minutes. We felt we had a little more if we needed it. In the race I got a crappy start, mostly cause of the seat height; I can barely touch the ground on the bike right now. I got off the line in third and made my way to the front when Curtis Murry tried to go under me and went wide. Right after that the bike started spitting and sputtering and wouldn’t rev all the way out. Then at the top of the hill before the esses it just shut off. I coasted to the entrance of pit lane and that’ all she wrote. The crew found that the spark plug cap came loose.
“It was a shame that the race ended early because I really enjoy riding the Ducati Monster. We’re getting it more and more comfortable and the changes we’re making have been big jumps. Using educated decisions, we’ve been consistently going in right direction, especially with balancing the chassis. Mike Fitzgerald of Thermosman has been incredible. The handling is a work in progress. It reminds me a lot of when I was doing Buell Lightning series in the early 2000s. The chassis is really good, it handles great and I’m getting more and more comfortable on it. What I’m looking for now is maximum confidence in the front end. That’s what I need in a package, so I can lean it over more. My style, coming from 250s, makes entry speed very important. After I’m confident with the front end, everything is kind of easy for me.
“I’m working with a bunch of veterans whose enthusiasm is above or equal to mine. Our combined experience is a century long. I worked with my current crew chief Larry Zullo when I was riding for the Prieto team in the early 2000s. Having Moto Corse Performance handling all the maintenance between rounds is very reassuring and having Eraldo Ferracci at the races is great because he’s such wealth of knowledge. .
“We really didn’t plan this as a Ducati program for the year, but it looks like we’re going to go to Elkhart Lake. We’re moving forward, establishing ourselves more and enjoying the competition. I couldn’t be more happy. We’re only 11 points out of first place and it’s early in the season.”
Quarterley Racing Twins Cup sponsors for 2019 include: Ducati North America, Moto Corse Performance, Inter-Tech Supplies, Fast By Ferracci, Inc, Wiseco Powersports, Motul USA., Regina Chain, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ferodo Racing, Matt & Jesse, , Defiance Lifestyle, Woodcraft Technologies, Dynojet Research Inc., Beta Tools of Italy – USA, RoadracingWorld.com, Drippinwet.com, MOTO-D Racing, Thermos Man Suspension, VAN DYK Recycling Solutions and Kiwi Classic Moto.
More, from a press release issued by Jones Honda Racing:
CAMERON JONES TAKING HOME THE FIRST WIN FOR HONDA IN MOTOAMERICA
(Above) Cameron Jones (11).
Cameron Jones took home the win for the Liqui Moly Junior Cup race 2 this past weekend at Virginia International Raceway.
This is the first ever win for Honda Motorcycles in MotoAmerica history aboard the Jones Honda CBR500R!
Preparing for Race 2, the Jones Honda Racing team decided to start the race on slick tires. A red flag made for a shortened race and the chance to switch tires. The team continued eyeing the weather and agreed that they would rather be on rain tires in the dry than slicks in the wet, especially on a light bike. After Jones’ warm up earlier in the day on the wet track he was very confident for the wet race. The Jones Honda Racing team made a smart move with a risk that paid off big time! Dustin Apgar dialed in the rain settings from his win at Daytona where he also ran the CBR500R, which gave Jones a lot of confidence in the setup. Jones was able to come from 17th to 4th in the first corner where he set his sights on (the leader). By turn 4 Jones was in the 2nd position. He was able to keep (the leader) within sight and set a pace that would bring the CBR500 home in one piece.
Jones finished the race in 2nd place, just behind (the winner). However, (the original winner) had received a 20-second penalty during the race which caused his time to place him behind Jones. This put Jones in the 1st place position, being the first ever win for a Honda in the MotoAmerica Series.
Jones Honda Racing thanks everyone for all the help this weekend and a big thanks to all the sponsors!
Jones Honda, MCU Innovations, Inc. CJR Performance, HRC – Honda Racing Corporation, Yoshimura Research & Development of America, Inc. MOTO-D Racing, Luca Bonamici, Alpha 1 Vinyl Works, Ghilli Man Racing, CarbonSmith, Spears Racing, Galfer USA, Vortex Racing, K-Tech Suspension USA, PLUS Racing Gear, Velocity Calibrations, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, Ryno Power, Rokform, Ogio, Motul, GoPro, SPY, Magura USA, Pit Posse Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant, SBS Brakes Arai Motion Pro, Inc. Dynojet Research Inc. G2 Ergonomics, Cometic Gasket, Inc. DBHolders.com, Vpracingfuels, Adam Rolfes Motorcycle Racing, Bellissi Moto, cameronjonesracing.com
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports Tucker TerpTastick.com VP Lubricants Race Report “Great Results and Picked Up a Lot of Momentum“ at VIR
(Alton, VA) The event at Virginia International Raceway is the first of several of MotoAmerica’s new two-day format. The compressed schedule and some curveballs from Mother Nature on Sunday made for an exciting weekend. Overall, the Altus Motorsports Tucker TerpTastick.com VP Lubricants Team had a solid showing at VIR. After a rough start in Atlanta, this round showed the grit and spirit the Altus team has and they were able to put the past behind them and handle business.
(Above) Kevin Olmedo (14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Liqui Moly Junior Cup: From the first practice, Kevin Olmedo demonstrated why the team is proud to have him onboard. He was P2 in the first practice and again in qualifying. As a result, he started the races from the middle of the front row. Kevin spent most of Race 1 in a battle for the lead. Three quarters through the race, Olmedo was in first when he began to lose rear grip. After being passed, his initial instinct was to fight back but, with limited traction, he opted to do the smart thing and settle for third. “When the tires started to go off, I figured it’s a long season and it’s better to play it safe and collect some points,” said Olmedo. Chaotic weather made tire choice for the Sunday race a gamble. With the sky cycling between rain and shine in minutes, teams had to choose whether to start on slicks or rain tires and many riders were caught out. Olmedo was no exception. Starting the race on slicks, Kevin watched as many of his fellow racers pushed too hard and succumbed to the slippery asphalt. In a battle of ‘have’ and ‘have-nots’, the riders who had chosen rain tires cleared off while the rest were left to manage the best they could. Olmedo once again showed his maturity and rode the bike to within the limits of the conditions and brought it home in 13th. “Sure, it could have gone the other way. The sun could have come out and we would have been battling for the lead again but there was no way to predict it. We did the best we could and didn’t end up crashing,” said Olmedo.
Stock 1000: The shortened schedule of MotoAmerica’s two-day event limited the Stock 1000 class to only 35 minutes on Saturday afternoon to find a setup. In spite of the minimal time, Miles Thornton and the team managed to put the Altus Motorsports GSX-R 1000 on the front row. Unfortunately, after a good race start, Thornton was knocked out of the race on the second lap. Knowing he had podium pace, being collected so early in the race was deeply disappointing but Miles isn’t one to dwell. “I am looking forward to Road America. I did my first pro race there on a 600 and it’s become one of my favorite tracks. Putting the bike in P3 in qualifying here at VIR shows that we have a good machine and that I have the ability to run at the front. In Wisconsin we have a double header and I’m looking forward to standing on the box and collecting some much needed points,” said Thornton.
Supersport 600: Lucas Silva completed the first free practice in an impressive P9. Even with a quickshifter malfunction, he managed 12th place in qualifying. After the first few laps of the Saturday race, Silva settled into a two bike battle for 7th. A battle he led every lap. With the long run to the line at VIR, Lucas knew he didn’t want to be leading out of the last corner on the last lap. On the penultimate lap, he strategically let the other rider by and used the draft to ensure he crossed the line with his best finish of the season. Sunday’s wet race got off to a rough start. After a good launch, a first lap incident pushed him off line and dropped him back into the pack. He kept his head down and managed to make up a few places bringing the his Suzuki GSX-R 600 home in 11th place.
The abbreviated weekend schedule forced teams and riders to make every minute of track time count. Jaret Nassaney and crew did just that. They improved almost 2 seconds between the first practice and qualifying. Jaret started Race 1 from 17th on the grid but quickly jumped into a battle for a top 10 spot. He held 10th for most of the race but, ultimately, finished in 11th. Nassaney describes Sunday’s race and choosing a setup for the weather as a “crapshoot.” He admits they may have missed a bit on the rain setup but he still managed to finish upright and in the points in 14th. “I am really happy with our progress this weekend. Every round the bike feels better and I am improving as a rider. I am very excited for Road America,” said Jaret.
Team owner/manager Janette Nassaney felt great about the weekend saying: “We picked up a lot of momentum this weekend and we are rolling forward at a good speed. We are also having a lot of fun. And if you are not enjoying it, the results are meaningless. We are ready for Road America.”
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The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, Tucker Powersports, TerpTastick.com, Conquest CBD, VP Lubricants, RS Taichi, Arai, Moto D, Bonamici, Hotbodies Racing, SBS Brakes, Vortex, Motion Pro, STACYC, Law Tigers, Dunlop, Team Hammer, and Altus Factory Racing
More, from a press release issued by Jason Aguilar Racing:
RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing Works Through Adversity at VIR
(Above) Jason Aguilar (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
After battling for a podium finish at Road Atlanta and coming up just short with a 4th place Finish, RiderzLaw Racing’s Jason Aguilar was looking to compete for podiums at Virginia International Raceway. Life decided to throw some additional obstacles at Jason. Traveling on a redeye back East Jason picked up a nasty virus. Being sick, coupled with the new two-day schedule, left very little margin for error. By Saturday, Aguilar’s illness was such that he was having a difficult time functioning. Still, he was able to manage 6th place in morning practice and just 6 tenths off a top 3 result.
Qualifying came up 2 hours later, and Jason continued to improve his lap times. Jason ended up qualifying 7th, 1.5 seconds off the pole position time. Despite the 1:27.9 being a personal best, he knew he could go faster and was determined to improve in the races. Starting from the 3rd row, Jason got a good launch, but got pushed out wide going into turn one, which cost him a few positions. Jason went to work regaining positions and was running in 6th when a crash brought out the red flag. Gridded from 5th for the restart, Jason again got pushed out wide in the first turn and dropped a couple of positions. By the 6th lap, Jason had regained 5th, but the guys in front of him had checked out and he could not close the gap.
Race Day for Race 2 brought a new set of challenges. It was wet, then dry, then wet again. The race was delayed due to heavy rainfall at the last second. On top of that, Jason was feeling better but still sick. Right as it looked like it was going to be a wet race the track started drying out. Jason went out for the warmup lap on dry tires, which at the time was the right call. Then out of nowhere, the skies opened up in a crazy rainstorm while on grid. With the swift actions of Jason’s crew, they were able to change back to rain tires before the race start. At the start, going into the first turn, a rider hit the back of Jason’s bike and that sent him into another rider. Jason then dropped all the way down to 23rd place at the end of the first lap. Not giving in, Jason just put his head down and went to work. He was able to start picking off riders and move up while running laps that were on pace with the top 6 riders. However, by the time he had moved up 11 positions, a red flag ended the race early, leaving Jason in a disappointing 12th place.
“It was a very tough week for us. We had some good momentum after Road Atlanta, and I knew I could battle for podiums, but viruses, bad starts, and some bad luck kept us from getting there. Still we are in 6th place in the championship and are one of only 7 teams to score points in each race. We are looking to rebound at Road America next round. My RiderzLaw Racing Yamaha R6 continues to be one of the fastest bikes on the grid, and we hope to use that speed to get up to the front at Road America.”
Big Thanks to All of our Sponsors: RiderzLaw, Lexin, Honos, Torco, CL Auto Group, Moto Station, Graves Motorsports, Evol Technology, TaylorMade Racing, Dunlop Tires, Yamaha Motor USA, FTECU, Superlite Sprockets, Motion Pro, Arai Helmets, Alien Motion Batteries, SBS Brakes, EF Signs, SBK Paint, RFA Designs.
More, from a press release issued by Hudson Motorcycles HB Racing Team:
#2 For Richie Escalante, a 2nd Place Race Finish and 2nd Place in Championship Points
The Hudson Motorcycles HB Racing Team leaves round two of the MotoAmerica Supersport series 2nd place in championship points after arriving at VIR in 4th place. Starting with a great initial practice on Saturday, Escalante was 2nd fastest overall and even with an unfortunate high side at the end of qualifying, he was able to position himself into an impressive front row start in P3 for a second consecutive time this season. Thankfully for Escalante’s new SPIDI Airbag suit, he was able to walk away with a few minor bumps and bruises while his motorcycle had lost a couple crucial parts. With only an hour until the start of Race 1, chassis mechanic, Patrick Gounjonvaldes, and crew-chief ,Curtice Thom, rebuilt the bike just in time for Escalante to head to the track for the start of the race.
After a quick start in Race 1, Escalante showed great pace, keeping up with the front of the pack, but a red flag during lap 6 caused a re-grid for an abbreviated 12-lap race. At the restart, Escalante put himself in 4th position but pushed his way to the top placing himself in P2 for most of the race. Escalante finished off Race 1 with his second podium victory of the season and first P2 finish of his MotoAmerica career.
With ominous skies the Hudson Motorcycles HB- Racing prepared themselves for a wet ride during Race 2 and made changes to the bike to prepare it for the downpour rainfall during the 30-minute race delay. At the start of the race, Escalante positioned himself into 9th position and rode effortlessly through extreme conditions finishing Race 2 in 7th place and collecting championship points.
Co Team Owner Daniel Shinder said “I couldn’t be prouder of our whole Hudson Motorcycle HB Racing Team and our talented rider Richie Escalante. We had one goal in mind and everyone came together and worked vigorously to put Richie on the box and move up to 2nd place in the Championship”
Team Manager Mark Shinder stated “On Multiple occasions the whole team had to race against the clock to give Richie the best bike they could, and they delivered. We also couldn’t have done it without our supporters and sponsors.
Thank you to: HB Racing, Akropovic exhaust, Bel Ray Lubricants, Vortex EK, Vesrah, Motion Pro, Velocity Tape, Sprint Filter, Dynojet, CoreMotoUSA, Galfer, Shoei Helmets USA, CapIt, Lightech,Pit Bull and Stomp Grip.