Rodio Wraps Up 4 National Titles at Daytona
Gus Rodio added four National Championships to his already impressive racer resume at Daytona International Speedway.
The feat is more impressive given it was the premiere weekend on his 2021 Aprilia RS 660. After picking the bike up two weeks ago, it hadn’t even been dyno-tuned or broken-in before hitting the high banks. In fact, the KTech fork cartridges were actually delivered and installed at the track and the HSBK Race ECU was dropped in and away we went!
“Our Rodio Racing Aprilia was awesome, and I’m absolutely loving learning this new bike,” Gus said during the weekend’s interviews.
With wins in Lightweight Supersport, Lightweight Superbike, Lightweight Grand Prix and Thunderbike, a fresh set of slicks were fitted thanks to Cori Maynard and the crew at Dunlop, and Gus pulled off another win in the ASRA Thunderbike race by just over 29 seconds.
“For some reason all weekend I was really focused on the ASRA race. I wanted that one badly and ran my fastest lap of the weekend during that race,” Gus added. “Having raced Dunlops exclusively in MotoAmerica and CCS for the past few seasons made me instantly comfortable on the new bike.”
Adding the new platform, obtaining parts, assembly, paint, tuning and tweaking the setup kept team owner Kevin Rodio busy all weekend.
“We haven’t really run two bikes (referring to the new Aprilia and the trusty Ninja 400 Gus piloted all season long) since the MiniGP days, so it’s been a bit busier than usual, but the rider kept everything upright which makes it all a bit easier. Not to mention, Muscle Mike came along for the ride and the extra set of hands (and mind) was a welcome safety net,” Kevin said, reflecting on the weekend.
“Gus took to the Aprilia quite quickly, but surprised isn’t the word I would use for the results. We know how strong of a rider he is, and we have a great group of partners making sure he’s on the best equipment possible.”
Rodio Racing will spend the winter training as usual in preparation for the 2022 season. As always, thanks go out to: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, HJC Helmets, Orient Express/K-Tech Suspension USA, Spears Racing, HSBK Racing.com, Evolve GT Track Days, Liqui Moly, N2 Track Days, Red Mist Racing, Moto-Liberty, REB Graphics, MAR Contractors, VNM Sport.
