Lucas Oil/KWR team posts solid results at Sonoma Raceway

TUCSON, Ariz. — The KWR team of Kyle Wyman and Bryce Prince fought hard for solid finishes this past weekend at the Cycle Gear Championship of Sonoma Raceway. Wyman posted 8th/9th place finishes in Superbike, while Prince posted up 4th/5th place spots in the Supersport class on his Let’s Ride Track Days/KWR Yamaha YZF-R6.

Wyman’s weekend was off to a rough start as the team battled mechanical troubles, one of which put him on the ground early on in morning practice. An engine failure sidelined Wyman for a large portion of the afternoon session, but the Lucas Oil/KWR crew pushed on for Saturday with the end goal in mind.

“Going into Friday I was feeling really good about our plan for the weekend,” Wyman said. “Sometimes in racing things don’t go your way, and Friday was a harsh reminder of what can go wrong. For the laps that I made, I really felt like we were on the path to progress with my R1, but to miss so much track time we really found ourselves on our heels for the rest of the weekend.”

The team’s Friday plan rolled over into Saturday and the KWR crew went to work for the 25min free practice session, where Wyman ended up 10th fastest. While battling grip issues, the team made changes for the Superpole session. A miscommunication on lap count caused Wyman to miss his second qualifying tire lap, and the first was only good enough for 11th on the grid.

Wyman got a good start in Race one from the fourth row, and fought his way from 11th up to 8th, for a finish that gave the KWR crew plenty of data that they had been desperately seeking from the missed Friday sessions. After a large change to the bike for Sunday morning warm up, Wyman found the grip he had been missing for many rounds.

“In Sunday morning warm up we really found something with a big change in swingarm pivot of the bike,” Wyman said. “We finally found some grip, even on the used tire we had on the bike, and I was really excited for the race. I think we got a little greedy and tried to improve the bike even more, and ended up going in the wrong direction for the race. All in all, we really did make some progress despite our limited laps over the weekend. It was enough to give us a good direction for the remaining three rounds on the schedule.”

Wyman finished 9th in race two after a race-long battle with Danny Eslick, the two who have been seemingly linked together in battles all year long. Wyman retains 7th place in the championship standings after 7 rounds of the series, a few places better than his career-best 10th place overall in the 2017 championship.

“I’m confident that we will have something for the boys come Pittsburgh,” Wyman added. “The last three rounds on the schedule are back on home turf for me, and tracks that I really enjoy and understand how to go fast at. I’m looking forward to sorting out our remaining issues and making the most of what’s ahead of us.”

Season-best points paying weekend for Prince at Sonoma Raceway

After finding support from Let’s Ride Track Days , a California-based motorcycle track time organization, Bryce Prince scored his best finishes of the season at Sonoma Raceway for the KWR team.

Prince had a seamless weekend where he built on results from the Utah weekend, and finished 4th and 5th in Supersport races one and two respectively. Prince was closer to the leaders than he’s been all season in both races.

“After finding a really good base setup at the last round, I knew our chances were good to fight for the podium at Sonoma,” Prince said. “We had such a good bike that I could really focus on my riding all weekend and the results showed. I felt really comfortable on my Let’s Ride Track Days R6 and I can’t wait to finish the season with our team’s confidence at an all time high. While we have found our best results of the season as of late, our goal is to be on the podium and I’m looking forward to the opportunity at Pittsburgh.”

Prince sits 7th in the Supersport championship, only 6 points out of 4th. He’ll be looking to fight forward at Pittsburgh in two week’s time.

The next round of the MotoAmerica championship is at Pittsburgh International Race Complex August 24-26, 2018. Stay tuned on the @kylewyman and @kwr_sbk Instagram pages to check in on the team’s progress.

Visit www.kylewymanracing.com for more team information.

More, from a press release issued by Omega Moto:

Superbike rider Geoff May scores top 10 finish, advances to Superpole session for the first time in 2018 at MotoAmerica Championship of Sonoma

Omega Moto Yamaha rider aiming to continue progress at next round

Geoff May (99). Photo by BrockImaging.

SONOMA, Calif. — The collaboration between Omega Moto Yamaha and veteran superbike rider Geoff May took another step forward at the MotoAmerica Championship of Sonoma.

May scored another MotoAmerica Superbike Class top-10 finish and continued the development of the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1 package.

In Saturday’s Race 1 May got a good start from 12th place on the grid and steadily worked his way up to a ninth-place finish. In Sunday’s Race 2, May was not able to make the same progress through the field but scored another points-paying finish and furnished the team with the data it needs to continue improving the bike.

Both May and the team are aiming to continue improving their results and take even bigger strides with their program at the upcoming MotoAmerica Championship of Pittsburgh Aug. 24-26. The fast, flowing nature of the 2.78-mile, 19-turn circuit should suit the strengths of the R1.

The team would like to thank all of its current marketing partners for their support this season. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available with the team for the remaining three rounds of the 2018 MotoAmerica Superbike season. Those interested in learning about the benefits of working with Omega Moto as a marketing partner can contact Team Principal Ken Chewey at [email protected]

Geoff May / #99

“I feel that Sonoma was another step in the right direction for us. It was great to be back out on the bike, and we found more speed in our Yamaha R1 as the weekend progressed. We are continuing to grow as a team, and I expect our progress will continue at the next round at Pittsburgh.”

Ken Chewey / Team Principal

“It was another weekend of progress for us at the Championship of Sonoma. We made some improvements to the bike from Utah and are continuing to develop our Yamaha R1 around Geoff’s riding style. While the on-track results are not improving as fast as we’d like, the data show that we are making big strides with our bike’s setup and performance. We are expecting to be battling further up the grid before the end of the 2018 season. Pittsburgh is a track that should suit our bike better than Sonoma and we are aiming to continue our current progress there.”

More, from a press release issued by Evol Technology:

EVOL TECHNOLOGY EQUIPPED RACERS SWEEP STOCK 1000 PODIUM IN SONOMA

Evol Technology equipped teams finished a dominant 1-2-3 in MotoAmerica’s Stock 1000 race this past Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

This accomplishment came courtesy of RiderzLaw Racing’s Andrew Lee, Team Lewin Estates’ Chad Lewin, and Weir Everywhere Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman, in first, second, and third, respectively.

Especially impressive is that each of these racers was aboard a motorcycle from a different manufacturer, with Lee on a Kawasaki ZX-10R, Lewin on a Yamaha YZF-R1, and Wyman on a BMW S 1000 RR. Each machine was equipped with Evol Technology parts unique to the others on the podium.

Stock 1000 class rules limit modifications to the motorcycles essentially to suspension and machine controls upgrades, primarily to assure the bikes are capable of being safely controlled by their riders over the course of these demanding races. “Among our products, Evol Technology is a provider of sportbike controls – rearsets and clip-on handlebars – that are permissible upgrades for this class. With allowable upgrades so limited, it’s that much more important the best choices are made to fully maximize the machine’s potential. So, seeing young pros who’ve chosen our products sweep the podium – and from three different bike manufacturers – is especially validating,” said Steve Korol, Company Principal at Evol Technology.

Andrew Lee (14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy of Evol Technology.

Andrew Lee, showcasing his talent on this, his home track, pulled the hole shot from pole position and led flag-to-flag, extending his lead to 11 seconds by the end of the race. He credited his recent experience at the Suzuka 8-hour endurance race as a boost to his confidence, although he said “I was a little nervous going into this round, knowing the track well but never having raced a 1000 here.” Lee was quick to credit his crew chief, Derek Keyes, for providing him such a strong motorcycle, and complimented Evol Technology’s footpeg comfort, grip, and “ergonomics that fit me perfectly”.

Chad Lewin (448). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy of Evol Technology.

Chad Lewin, starting from fourth position, inside the second row, battled his way into second place behind Andrew, eventually settling into a comfortable “cruise control” for the duration of the race. With such limited track time in Stock 1000, it’s critical the bike perform flawlessly. “Gary Dean of Speed Demon Motorcycles provided a phenomenal bike and Mike Castro of GP Suspension assured a great chassis setup for my race – I can’t thank those guys enough,” commented Chad. Regarding his Evol Technology rearsets and clip-ons, Lewin said “I’ve tried all the brands. The grip of the Evol footpegs is second to none, the design of their products is very clean, and the durability is fantastic.”

Travis Wyman (24). Photo by BrockImaging, courtesy of Evol Technology.

Travis Wyman got off to a choppy start with a harsh launch and an attention-grabbing save from a dramatic front-end slide early in the first lap, costing him several positions. By the second half of the race though, he gelled with the bike’s setup, and worked his way up to finish a strong third, right on the heels of Lewin. “Steve Weir of Weir Everywhere Racing and Alex Torres of Fastline Cycles chased the setup all weekend and ultimately found a great compromise,” complimented Travis. Wyman worked with Evol Technology on the development of their BMW S 1000 RR rearsets to maximize ground clearance without sacrificing rider comfort and says he’s quite happy with the result.

Needless to say, Evol Technology and its MotoAmerica racers are eager to continue their dominance as the 2018 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season resumes at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, in Wampum, PA, on August 24-26.

About Evol Technology

Evol Technology LLC designs, develops, and manufactures precision mechanical products and prototypes, specializing in motorsports applications and prototyping services for the broader mechanical and industrial design community. Founded in 2008 by a passionate motorcycle road racer, Evol Technology has consistently focused on motorcycle road racing applications, leveraging the AMA Pro/MotoAmerica series for product development. Evol Technology products have become a mainstay for many top MotoAmerica teams, and their reach has recently extended into World SuperSport. It has become the norm to see Evol Technology products on the MotoAmerica podium across all classes, and Evol Technology products have helped enable multiple national championships, such as those of Team Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and RoadRace Factory’s Jake Gagne. Evol Technology LLC is based in Idaho, with additional manufacturing capability in Oregon, USA. All of Evol Technology’s manufacturing capability is domestic and all of its products are American made.

More, from a press release issued by Quarterley Racing/ On Track Development:

Quarterley Racing/On Track Development Team Sonoma report

Jamie Astudillo:

Quarterley Racing’s Jamie Astudillo had a less than memorable weekend at Sonoma. The track is a unique one that is very challenging with its layout and requires a lot of trust in letting the bike do it’s thing. Jamie has recently progressed immensely as she showed in the last few rounds but had some difficulty mastering the Sonoma circuit.

From Jamie:

Sonoma is a definitely a track that you’ll like or hate. It was a rough weekend for me, but the team and I managed to drop time every session which always is a positive!

Renzo Ferreira- Fill in rider for injured Dallas Daniels:

In his second Wild Card appearance, Renzo in his first time there also had some difficulty adapting to the unique Sonoma circuit.

Renzo’s comments on the weekend:

Again, I would like to thank the team for the opportunity to ride one of their bikes. Sonoma was a tough weekend for me since I didn’t know the track. It took us a long time to get the right set up for the bike, which led us to a not very good position in qualifying. Sunday morning we got down to 1:49’s and seemed to have found a good set up for the bike. I had a good race but also tough starting from 16 and going to 6th with 5th just ahead of me, then bumped back to 8th from the red flag and race ended 2 laps early. Jamie has been a great team mate for me and we have worked well together. I am sure it will be the same for Dallas and I hope we can all fight for the team to get on the podium at Pitt Race!

From the team:

Although we came out of Sonoma with much lower results than we hoped for, we did learn a lot on set up and gearing which was new territory for us on the Ninja 400’s. Both riders progressed steadily on the challenging circuit that Sonoma can be, but in the pace needed to get up front, our progress was not quick enough. With Dallas having so much Dirt Track experience, he likely would have made quick work of adapting to the track, so it’s a shame he had to miss it.

The team will come on strong once again at Pitt Race and adding Renzo to the mix creates a good opportunity for him to get some racing in for 2018 and looking ahead.

Team Sponsors:

Fast By Ferracci, Yoshimura, Regina, Moto-D, Motul, Earl’s Racing Team, Inter-Tech, Scott Powersports, Beta Tools, Defiance Lifestyle Clothing, Fast Bike Industries, Drippin’ Wet Graphics, Dynojet, Woodcraft

Dallas Daniels personal sponsors:

Arai Helmets, medAge, Apex Manufacturing, TCX, Drill Tech, N2 Track Days

Jamie Astudillo personal sponsors:

Bell Helmets, medAge, One-X Suits, TCX, S.O.B. MX, Ohlins, N2 Track Days

Renzo Ferreira personal sponsors:

Team Pro-Motion, AGV Sport, Street & Competition

More, from a press release issued by Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda:

MotoAmericaRound 7 – Sonoma Raceway

Up, Down and All Around in NorCal

Sonoma, CA – Have you ever had one of those weekends? A weekend where the news was flying out at record pace and you felt like you couldn’t possibly keep up with it all? That was Round 7…

Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship took place in the beautiful rolling hills of California Wine Country this past weekend. Rolling into the track by the bay, the team was looking forward to continuing their progress that began to take shape while in Utah. While Utah Motorsports Campus isn’t exactly a team favorite, and yes, it’s true that things weren’t amazing, during the last race, there were some significantly positive aspects that came from the high desert facility. So armed with two clean and fully prepped Honda CBR1000RR SP2’s and two young and eager riders, the team had high hopes for some strong results at Sonoma.

This is a complicated tale to tell. Only a person proficient in Common Core methods of achieving “3” when solving for 1+1 could accurately explain everything that occurred during this off nominal race weekend. In a simplified explanation the weekend can be described as “-1+1-1=1” The more elaborate description is as follows.

When “-1” is Jayson Uribe: This was slated to be Jayson Uribe’s final round as the team’s second rider. As his agreement was for the West Coast rounds in order to help the team develop a second bike and assist in validating whether or not a second bike would be feasible. Along that path of development, Jayson quickly got up to speed on the Genuine Broaster Chicken / Honda and was an immediate asset to the team. So his motivation for the weekend was to go all out and ride his machine for all it was worth. And that, he would do.

When “+1” is Bobby Fong: Before the transporter was even leveled and opened, there was already a buzz that there was a potentially new rider for the second Genuine Broaster Chicken / Honda for the remainder of the season. It didn’t take long before the team was able to confirm the addition of Bobby Fong aboard the new #50 Big Red Bike. Bobby comes to the team with a wealth of experience and talent. Having never ridden a Honda before, there’s a lot of questions as to how he’ll get along with his new ride. Fortunately, he’s going to be testing this week and folks won’t have to wait too long to get some answers.

When “-1” is Cameron Petersen: Following a steady progression of speed and results, Cam was poised to do well at one of only two tracks he’s ridden with the 1000cc Honda. Over the last few rounds, Cam has shown glimpses of power and aggression that is needed to run with the big dogs at the front. In qualifying sessions over this past weekend, he was inside the top five and running consistently strong. A lightning start in race one put everyone on notice, until it all came to an abrupt and painful end.

So how does this all make “1”? Let’s find out.

Beginning on Friday morning, there was a sense of pride in progress. Despite what transpired in Utah, both Cam and Jayson had strong showings and demonstrated their capabilities aboard the Honda. Cam in particular was coming around to how the Honda performs and he was excited to ride around one of the only two tracks that he is familiar with on the 1000cc machine. QP1 had a bit of a split personality. Cam was immediately fast and never dipped outside the top five. He was showing true speed and determination and everyone on the #Camp45 side of the garage was excited by the performance. Jayson, on the other hand was struggling with an as of yet undetermined issue. This is unfortunate as Jayson considers this track his home track. Despite the issue, Jayson was still able to ride around it and finish QP1 in P12. Both riders were sitting in Superpole positions with Jayson on the bubble.

Without having much time to diagnose the issue before QP2, Jayson’s crew did all they could to ensure he’d have the best bike possible by the afternoon session. However, the issue persisted and Jayson wasn’t able to improve upon his time in the session and ended in P12 again. This time though, he would fall off the bubble as his combined times had him in P13, just outside the Superpole requirements. While Jayson fought a gremlin, Cam was flying! While not inside the top five, Cam was showing potential for a front running performance as he finished QP2 in eighth with a combined position of fifth. His strongest pre-superpole performance of the season and something that provided a much needed confidence boost ahead of Saturday morning’s Superpole.

Saturday morning’s Free Practice was more of a shakedown run for Jayson and his crew and they fixed the issue that caused Jayson to feel unstable on Friday. It was determined to be an issue with one of his forks. During those valuable 25 minutes in the early morning, it was clear that the problem had been solved and he’d be ready for Race One later that afternoon.

Cam and his crew were ready for Superpole. They were confident that Cam would be able to put that Genuine Broaster Chicken / Honda up with the big dogs for the races. They’d only have 15 minutes to make their case and it would be all up to Cam. As the usefulness of his second qualifying Dunlop had expired, Cam was in P6, his highest position of the season. There were only a few riders left on flying laps and as they crossed the line, only one of them would best his time. Cam equalled his best qualifying position of the season and would start from P7 on the grid.

Race one was set to go down under ideal conditions. The weather off the bay was just about perfect and the crowd had turned out to enjoy a beautiful day of racing in the California sun. As the lights went out, Cam made a start that is the stuff of legends. He literally leapt out of his box and was in P4 by the second turn. That first lap from Cam was amazing! Jayson had also made a solid start and was soon in a fight within the top ten. Cam would eventually fall back into sixth but still firmly within the lead group. Then, things just went south. Cam would save his bike from a low side, but not before it bucked him around. His feet were knocked off the rear-sets and when he attempted to reestablish his footing, his left foot was sucked into the rear tire. With his boot between the tire and the swingarm. The chain was a literal buzz saw that cut into the top of Cam’s foot. Unable to finish, Cam pulled into the pits and was rushed away for medical attention. As the race was not red flagged, Jayson would solider on, unaware of his teammate’s situation and bring his machine home in P10.

Over the course of the next few hours, it was determined that Cam would not be able to ride in Race Two. This left Jayson as the solo standard bearer for the remaining race. His last race with the team, would be the one where he has to fly the colors and carry the weight of the team on his shoulders. Now, the crews weren’t just going to send him out with his normal equipment, not when the “A” Bike was just sitting around. Over the night, the crews swapped out Jayson’s forks for a completely new set-up as well as some other trick kit parts that would help him around the circuit. He would only have 15 minutes on Sunday morning to test the new equipment, but that quickly ended after a lap when an electrical issue forced him to the pits. He would have to go into Race Two without seat time.

Race Two was held under almost the exact same conditions as Race One with the exception of a strong wind off the bay. Starting from twelfth on the grid as everyone moved up as a result of Cam’s absence, Jayson would make another good start. In the opening laps, Jayson was once again fighting within the top ten. However, as the race wore on and his unfamiliarity with the new parts took their toll, Jayson would find himself in lonely tenth. In his final race for the team, Jayson showed a tremendous amount of talent and poise as he nailed his 3rd top ten.

The team will now have some sorting to do. Cameron is slated for further evaluation this week and a determination on his condition will be made following those evaluations. Most likely, Cameron will be unable to ride at Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, his new teammate, Bobby Fong will be in Colorado testing at their High Plains Raceway home track. This will be Bobby’s first ride aboard the Honda as well as the team’s first time working with this talented rider. So, let’s review and solve our twisted math word problem.

-1+1-1 = 1 Solution: – Jayson Uribe + Bobby Fong – Cameron Petersen = Bobby Fong. We just nailed Common Core!!

Cameron Petersen (45). Photo by Corey Coulter/GeoCrash Photography, courtesy of Broaster Honda.

Cameron Petersen – #45

“What can I say other than, ‘I’m gutted!’ I know that I had the pace this weekend to break into the next level. I was feeling really confident because this is one of the tracks I’m familiar with on the big bike. So I was excited to get out there and put on some good laps and battle for the top five.

I was there on Friday and I was feeling really confident. I’m feeling like I’ve really started to click with the bike lately and understand how to ride the Honda.

I made a heck of a start in race one and was in fourth at one point during the opening laps. I was trying to settle in when I had a small issue with the front tire and tried to save it. My foot got caught in the tire and the swingarm and it was all I could do to bring the bike back in. I didn’t think I could.

It looks like I have some damage to some tendons but I’ll know more after I see the doctor when I get home. I’m just absolutely bummed you know. I was capable of running up near the front and breaking that top five. The guys have all worked so hard and we’re right there!

I’ll be back soon, I’m confident that I can make a quick recovery and show the paddock what we can do!”

Jayson Uribe (36). Photo by Corey Coulter/GeoCrash Photography, courtesy of Broaster Honda.

Jayson Uribe – #36

“I had a great closing weekend with the Genuine Broaster Chicken / Honda / RoadRace Factory crew. We had some ups and downs, but overall, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

We had a rough day on Friday. The team worked hard to find a fix, but I felt like I was riding a bucking bronco. I felt like I had forgotten how to ride a motorcycle. Little did we know that one of our front forks was malfunctioning!

Saturday brought a solid battle in my race, but a bitter end to my team mate Cameron Peterson, as he got injured in a fluke “accident”.

Sunday was a new day, and with new parts on my bike, I felt great.

We had a mechanical problem in warm up, so we went straight into the race with practically no idea how the bike would behave.

I tried my best, and we scored a 10th place in both races. Race two was my first “real” top 10, seeing as I had to really fight, and no riders crashed in front of me.

I’m sad to be leaving the RRF crew, but I’m walking away on my own terms and with no hard feelings towards anyone. I look forward to working with them again in the future!”

Danny Walker – Team Principal

“This season it seems like we take a couple steps forward and then a few steps back.

Honestly, I’m feeling pretty gutted for Cam. He was on fire all weekend and really starting to show his potential and demonstrate the capabilities of the Honda CBR1000RRSP2. We’ve known all along that the bike is strong and we are getting to the point where Cam and the machine are really gelling. So to have this happen now, I just feel terrible for him. It’s one of the freakiest things I’ve seen in all my years in this sport.

I’m confident though that when he’s ready to come back, he’ll pick up where he left off. He’s feeling good and his performances are improving every weekend.

Funny thing is, I offered to pay him an extra $100 for every person he passed on the first lap in that race. I’m sure glad he didn’t accept it because his first race start was awesome. We are just glad it was not any worse than it is. I am feeling pretty confident he will be back soon.

Jayson, what can I say other than ‘I’m impressed’! I’ve known Jayson and his family for a long time and I was happy to help provide him this opportunity. We benefited a ton by having him out there and we truly enjoyed having him and his family under our canopy. He put on a great performance this past weekend with a pair of solid P10’s and that’s more than I could’ve asked for! He did an outstanding job for us and I wish him all the best in his remaining AFM rounds.”

Scott Jensen – Crew Chief

“Sonoma is one of the tracks on the circuit that I look forward to. It’s a flowing riders type of track that suits the stable confidence inspiring CBR1000RR SP2 very well, so we come into this event optimistically every year!

The weekend started off very well for both riders this event. By the end of FP1 Cam was confidently in P5. For Cam the bike seemed to work very well as it came off the truck. After a very tight superpole we were sitting P7 on the grid, but less than .4 of a second of Josh Herrin in third.

Race one started off very well with our best start and opening lap of the season, Cam confidently settled into the battle for 5th place. Around half way in the race Cam had a front end push which ended up knocking his foot off the foot peg and his foot managed to hit the top of the rotating rear tire that sucked it down between the rear tire and the chain on the top of the swingarm. The chain ended up cutting the top of his foot open and unfortunately cut two tendons in his foot. This unfortunately was the end of the event for Cam. We expect him to make a strong return very soon!!

Jayson finished up his MotoAmerican Superbike three event swing this weekend with two very strong 10th place finishes. I would like to thank the entire Uribe family for a great experience this year and for their commitment to Jaysons racing career. You have raised a great son!

Now we prepare for PittRace, and the newest addition to the Broasters Honda team, Bobby Fong!”