Travis Wyman claims MotoAmerica Stock 1000 win, pole and runner-up finish Saturday, Sunday at Road America

BMW rider scores ninth career victory, moves up from fifth to third in Stock 1000 points standings

 
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Though Road America is one of Travis Wyman’s favorite tracks on the MotoAmerica calendar, the BMW rider was coming off a downer weekend at the previous MotoAmerica Stock 1000 round at Barber Motorsports Park. Wyman had to work tirelessly with his team just to get his BMW M 1000 RR ready to race at the June 2-4 event. And the long days in the shop paid big dividends at the iconic Wisconsin track, as Wyman claimed pole position and a runner-up finish on Saturday before capping off the weekend with his ninth career pro road racing victory on Sunday.

Wyman’s stellar results helped him move up two places in the Stock 1000 points. After starting the weekend in fifth, Wyman left Road America in third — just 33 points behind the championship leader with four Stock 1000 races remaining in 2023.

Wyman’s high comfort level with racing at Wisconsin circuit was evident from the first practice session. He was the third-fastest rider in Friday morning practice and ended Friday afternoon’s Qualifying 1 in second place – less than 0.4 seconds of the session leader’s time. Things got even better for Wyman Saturday morning, as he clinched pole position in Qualifying 2 by a little more than 0.4 seconds.

Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 saw Wyman back on the MotoAmerica podium – though a Lap 1 incident nearly turned his race sour. After getting an OK start, Wyman battled with two other riders for the lead and was running in first as the field entered Canada Corner. As Wyman began the climb uphill toward Turns 13 and 14, his motorcycle lost rear grip and he nearly crashed. Though Wyman lost two places in the running order, he worked his way back to second place. Unfortunately, his front tire had become too worn to give him the grip needed to chase down the race leader. Wyman finished runner-up, which helped him move up from fifth to fourth in the points standings.

The newly repaved surface on Road America’s 4.048-mile road course proved to be a learning experience for teams and riders up and down the paddock, and Wyman and his team took what they learned from Saturday’s race and decided to change their BMW’s front tire compound. It ended up being a wise call. Wyman got an excellent start, led the field into the first corner and never relinquished the lead in the eight-lap race. His margin of victory was more than two seconds.

The MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class won’t be back in action for almost two months, as the class’ next round is scheduled for July 28-30 at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway.

Travis Wyman / No. 10

“I’m stoked with how the weekend went at Road America, especially because of how the last round at Barber ended. The results this past weekend have ensured that my team and I have the resources we need to finish out the Stock 1000 season, and I can’t thank my team and BMW enough for giving me a great package this weekend that allowed me to perform at my best.”

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

MotoAmerica: Wild Weekend at Road America for the Altus Motorsports Team
 
(ELKHART LAKE, WI) With the Twins class not running at Road America, the Altus team rolled into Wisconsin expecting a lighter-than-usual weekend. That was not to be. The excitement began right from the start on Friday morning.

Stock1000:

Everyone was hopeful that Brandon Paasch could remount the Altus GSX-R1000 and compete in Stock 1000 at Road America. Unfortunately, his return had to be delayed. Miles Thornton, his stand-in, was unable to make it to Wisconsin due to travel issues. Lucky for Altus, Cody Wyman was at the event with his gear but without a ride. After a quick conversation, the former Junior Cup Champion agreed to step up to the Stock1000 class.

During the off-season, Wyman had been training on an R7 and planned on joining the Twins Cup for 2023. It’s a big leap from a 700cc twin to a 1000cc inline-four but you would not know it looking at the results from the weekend. Cody was top-5 in the very first practice – his very first time on the bike. He managed to qualify in the middle of the second row in fifth. He continued to impress in Race 1 with a podium finish crossing the line in third place. As his comfort on the bike went up, so did his pace and confidence. During the Sunday race, Wyman got a great start moving quickly up to third. He was fast and looked like he had the pace to take second and maybe take a shot at first. Unfortunately, he tucked the front and crashed out.

Cody Wyman: “I found out Friday morning that I would be riding and was so excited for the opportunity. Stock 1000 or Superbike is really where I’ve wanted to race for a long time. To finish third on Saturday my first time on the bike and in the class was an incredible feeling, and even better to share the podium with my brother, Travis. On Sunday, I was looking to make a pass on lap one but decided not to push for it. Then I caught a false neutral and I had to try and avoid the rider ahead and ended up overloading the front and crashing. Not how I wanted to end the weekend as I feel I had more room to push in Race 2, but overall a solid debut in the Stock 1000 category. I appreciate everything from George and Janette Nassaney, Mike, Nelly, and the M4 crew for all the support!”

Supersport:

Things never really clicked for Jaret Nassaney at the Road America round. He was P7 in the first practice but struggled to find a setup that let him significantly improve his lap time in the two qualifying sessions. Ultimately, he was gridded tenth for both Supersport races. In Race 1, he had a crash on the first lap that put him out of the race. On Sunday, he did score a top-10 finish, crossing the line in 8th place.

Junior Cup:

Alessandro Di Mario continues to get comfortable on the Altus Motorsports Ninja 400. He qualified fifth fastest. As a result, he started both Junior Cup races from the middle of the second row. In the Saturday race, he went with the lead group of 11 bikes and battled from the start to the checkered flag. Ultimately, he crossed the finish line in 7th place. In Race 2, he again went with the front group. Di Mario ran as high as 2nd place and looked more confident and aggressive. In the end, he finished the race in eighth.

Alessandro Di Mario: “The team worked really hard this weekend to give me a good bike. Since the last round, they got the data working and it allowed them to see some issues with the front and make some changes. By the Sunday race, I was able to brake much harder and felt much more comfortable on the bike. We are definitely headed in the right direction. Thanks to Mike, William, George, and everyone that helped. And, big thanks to my parents for all the support.”

George Nassaney: “This year has definitely been stressful. One of our Crew Chiefs, Mike Castro, had to have an emergency medical procedure a few days before the race, so he was unable to attend. Miles Thornton’s flight was canceled late Thursday night, so waking up Friday morning we still needed a rider for Stock 1000. My son, Jaret is still off pace and with multiple crashes this season he does not have the results he wanted. Then he had a mechanical 3 hours before the second Supersport race which meant a motor swap. One thing I can say is God is definitely helping me through this. Our team keeps fighting and results are showing. To get Cody on the box after never riding the bike before, Jaret finished 8th in Race 2 with limited track time, and Alessandro finishing in the top ten and starting to understand how the draft works makes everything worth it. My family is built on a very strong foundation. My Father In Law was a Vietnam Veteran with 7 Purple Hearts. His work ethic and family values have made me the person I am today. Our Team will not quit and we will continue to push through the hard times. We understand how to Make Champions!”

Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, and Altus Factory Racing.

More, from a press release issued by Chris Clark Racing:

Chris Clark leaves Road America tenth overall in the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup standings

Fresh from his win in the Thai Yamaha bLUcRU R3 Cup at the Buriram Circuit, Chris Clark was back on MotoAmerica Junior Cup duty this past weekend. The event took place at the series’ longest circuit, Road America in Elkhart Lake.

Re-adapting to his Kawasaki on Friday, Chris qualified a solid eighth by the time Q2 was over on Saturday and was in confident mood for the weekend’s two races which are typically decided in a slip stream battle, due to the nature of the Road America circuit.

Part of the leading group of twelve throughout Saturday’s seven lap opener, Chris finished eleventh, a mere two seconds from the win. He went one better on Sunday to finish tenth, again involved in a race long multi-rider battle that saw him leave the third round of the series tenth overall in the championship standings.

Chris Clark: “I made a big wheelie from the start in race one which thankfully didn’t cost me too much as I was able to climb back into contention pretty quickly. We were close to the podium, and I learned so much, especially about racing in big groups. I was tenth on Sunday after a long race. I found myself in the front group once again and was able to run some pretty fast times. Due to a couple of issues, both with me and the bike, I lost the draft and ended up having a lonely end to the race. Overall, I am happy with the way I rode, and will take what I learned this weekend to Brainerd. Thanks to all of my sponsors and supporters.”

More, from a press release issued by Kreece Elliott Racing:

Kreece leaves Road America frustrated after crash and tech issues mean zero points in latest MotoAmerica Junior Cup races

Kreece Elliott leaves the latest round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup at Road America empty handed, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.

A strong showing that saw him close to the front on Friday provided optimism for the week ahead but a crash on the opening lap of race one and a retirement in race two due to tech issues, left the #47 Kawasaki rider disappointed at not being able to secure two top ten finishes at the longest circuit on the calendar.

Kreece’s pace and step forward compared to last year is clear for all to see. He will use the time between now and the next round at Brainerd, which takes place in a couple of months, to train both on and off track, allowing him to end the season in style.

Kreece Elliott: “After the good result in Barber I was excited to get back on track at Road America. The weekend started well, and we used Free Practice to get up to speed before qualifying. I ended up P14 on the grid and was hoping to make a good start and work my way forward. Unfortunately, on the first lap of Saturday’s race I crashed on the first lap. I was ok but just bummed about the situation. Race two started well and I was running comfortably inside the top fifteen but then the issue we had at Barber returned. The bike kept hitting false neutrals and it became too dangerous to continue so I retired out of safety for myself and for my fellow competitors. I am not happy about how the weekend went at all. We left with no points at all, and we need to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the remaining rounds!”

More, from a press release issued by Hayden Bicknese Racing:

Season’s best at Barber, Hayden shows he is a title contender after Road America 

Following his front running weekend at Barber Motorsports Park a couple of weekends ago, where he missed out on his first win by only 0.003s, Hayden Bicknese once again found himself in contention for victory in both races that took place in the latest round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup championship at Road America.

Qualifying on the front row of the grid, Hayden was in the mix for the win throughout the opening seven lap race on Saturday, running a fast pace and adapting a smart strategy throughout. With slip stream playing a major part in races at the Elkhart Lake venue, the #69 Kawasaki rider played it defensive on the last lap which compromised his exit onto the final straight. He crossed the line as part of a five-rider photo finish, narrowly missing out on the win by 0.060s. He was classified fifth in what was the closest top five finish in MotoAmerica Junior Cup History.

Sunday’s race saw him faster in warm up by over a second thanks to some great overnight set up changes made by the team and as the lights went out on Sunday, Hayden was once again in the podium fight. Fourth at the flag, he was a mere second from the victory.

In the overall championship standings Bicknese now lies third, having scored points in every race. He has never finished lower than fifth and has stood on the podium three times in six races with a best finish of second!

The next round of the championship takes place at Brainerd at the end of July.

Hayden Bicknese: “After free practice and qualifying one on Friday we looked at where we needed to improve. I knew that I could go faster in sector two and on Saturday morning I was able to improve and take third on the grid. I was cautious in race one and only made moves when I had to. I thought I was in a perfect position at the end of the final lap and so I went defensive, but I lost out in a photo finish and was classified fifth which was still decent. I felt really good in warm up and was over a second faster after the changes we made overnight. Race two was similar to Saturday’s race and so I was determined to not make the same mistake on the final lap. I wanted to lead into turn five, but I never got the chance. I lost a bit of the draft on the run to the line but was still able to finish fourth. Overall, it was a good weekend even if I think I could have gone faster than I did on Sunday. I am looking forward to the next round at Brainerd.”

More, from a press release issued by Dunlop:

Josh Herrin and the New Dunlop Sportmax Slick Wins at Road Americawith Record Setting Lap Time

Rancho Cucamonga, CA: The all-new Dunlop Sportmax Slick has been breaking track records left and right and its appearance at Road America was no exception. The new Buffalo, NY built tire continues to impress MotoAmerica racers and Josh Herrin showed what he and these new tires can accomplish in Elkhart Lake! In qualifying the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider put his Panigale V4 R on pole position with a 2:09.11, surpassing the 2:11.65 he did in Q1 and breaking the all-time lap record of 2:09.62 Cameron Beaubier set on Friday.

The new Sportmax Slicks are Dunlop’s latest in high-performance race tires. Available in 17″, 12″, and 10″ sizes, the Sportmax Slicks have been updated with new profiles, compounds, and construction to make the most advanced road race tires Dunlop has ever produced. Dunlop’s Sportmax Slicks are the Official tires of the MotoAmerica series and will remain the official tire supplier of MotoAmerica through 2025, continuing the partnership since 2015.

“We are extremely satisfied with how these new Sportmax Slicks have been performing.” said Anthony Romo- Dunlop’s Senior Road Race Tire Technician. “We put a lot of time and effort into developing this new tire to allow all racers to perform at their highest level. We are blown away with how fast and comfortable these riders are on with these new Sportmax Slicks”

After finishing on the podium in race one, Herrin turned up the heat on Sunday for race two, leading from the start after some tight battles and then taking the win by over two seconds. This being his first win of the season and ninth Superbike win of his career, but that wasn’t enough for the longtime Dunlop rider. The icing on the cake was Herrin breaking his own track record set in Q2 with an impressive 2.09.02 on the very last lap!

“The whole MotoAmerica racing program is extremely important to all of us at Dunlop Motorcycle Tires,” said Mike Buckley, Dunlop Sr. Vice President of Sales/Marketing. “With having our production plant here in Buffalo, we have the ability to produce race and production tires right here in the U.S. for U.S. racing and the U.S market. The new Sportmax Slick is a true testament to the hard work our Road Race team puts in, day in and day out! Then to see Josh throw down a heater on the last lap, setting a new all-time lap record, it really shows that we knocked this new product right out of the park!”.

The MotoAmerica series will head to The Ridge Motorsports Park on June 23-25 and expect more record setting lap times with the new Dunlop Sportmax Slick.

Learn more about the Sportmax Slicks at www.dunlopracing.com

About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:

Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook YouTube and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.