Pirelli and Stefano Mesa Set New Motorcycle Track Record at Daytona International Speedway
With the New Lap Record of 1:44.046 Mesa Goes a Full Second and a Half Quicker Aboard his BMW M 1000 RR, Equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike Slick Tires
ATLANTA (October 24, 2023) – Pirelli congratulates Stefano Mesa on setting the new absolute motorcycle track record at Daytona International Speedway during last weekend’s American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA) and Championship Cup Series (CCS) event. Mesa’s incredible performance saw him topple the previous track record by 1.5 seconds aboard his Tytlers Racing BMW M 1000 RR machine, equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike slick tires.
“What a weekend at Daytona,” said Mesa. “I did not expect to do what we did this weekend by lowering the lap time a full second and a half. Pirelli has done its homework when it comes to racing at the legendary speedway, and that has shown with its success over the past several years here. The level of comfort that I had this weekend was something I had not felt in quite some time. Thank you, Pirelli!”
The new lap record of 1:44.046 easily surpassed the previous best time of 1:45.538 and relied on the performance of Pirelli’s DIABLO Superbike 120/70 R17 SC2 front and 200/65 R17 development “Daytona spec” rear tires.
“Time and time again, Stefano raises the bar,” said Oscar Solis, Senior Racing Manager, Pirelli. “Track records are typically broken by small margins, especially at a historic track like Daytona, so what Stefano did this weekend was special. Everyone at Pirelli has worked incredibly hard to find the perfect setup, and that really showed today. We can’t wait to carry this momentum into the Daytona 200.”
The weekend served as an early test and preparation for the iconic 2024 Daytona 200, with Mesa and fellow Pirelli rider Shane Narbonne also setting the fastest 600cc times of the weekend with a 1:49.227 and 1:49.282, respectively.
DIABLO™ is a registered trademark of Pirelli Tyre S.p.A
More, from a press release issued by Bagger Racing League:
Bagger Racing League Continues 2023 Race Season as Arnie Wells Takes the Checkered Flag in Thrilling Finish at Daytona
October 24, 2023 | Boardman, OH | BRL Newswire: Bagger Racing League’s Fall Brawl in Daytona was an absolute barn burner! The thrilling race saw Arnie Wells of Team SLYFOX Performance and Suburban Harley-Davidson take the #1 plate with Bryan Shields and Craig Braymiller rounding out the podium. The American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) hosted the special AMA Championship class at the iconic Daytona International Speedway on October 20th and 21st.
The Harley-Davidson-dominated class fielded 11 racers who were ready to bring an intense bagger brawl to the historic high banks of Daytona and it didn’t disappoint. Wells started out fast and secured the lead on Bryan Shields out of the gate. Yet Bryan put on a show and battled back to make a pass going into turn one on the final lap. Arnie, knowing it was now or never, put his head down and battled back to make the pass by Bryan on the last lap, the last bank to take the win!
“I’m so proud of Arnie and our entire team,” said Joe Houpt, team owner of Suburban Harley-Davidson. “We are grateful to both American Motorcycle Association and Bagger Racing League to offer an opportunity to race for a historic #1 plate at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Special thanks to Alex at SLYFOX Performance as well as the rest of our sponsors NAMZ Custom Cycle, Alloy Art, Hayes, Performance Machine, Regina Chain, G2, BST, Shock’s Auto Body, Midwestern Anodizing.”
The next stop for the Bagger Racing League is the championship race at Willow Springs International Raceway, Nov 18th and 19th. Fans can purchase tickets, camping and VIP upgrades online at www.baggerracingleague.com. Fans can also be entered to win a one of a kind 2023 race series poster signed by all the racers by subscribing to BRL’s official newsletter.
“We are excited to see what our teams and racers bring to our championship race in Willow Springs,” said Rob Buydos, Bagger Racing League’s founder and president. “With the great success of the 2023 BRL Fall Brawl in Daytona, fans of the BRL are going to be treated to epic amounts of championship racing action.”