Currie and Reid share the spoils in Dickies British Supersport races at Oulton Park
Benjamin Currie and Andy Reid shared the victories in the next dramatic races in the Dickies British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park.
James Westmoreland claimed the pole position for the Came BPT Yamaha but in the Sprint race Luke Jones initially hit the front of the pack in the wet conditions, but Pacedayz Trackdays rider Currie was on the move.
Jake Dixon made an early exit out of the race when he crashed his Tsingtao MV Agusta at Shell unhurt, but at the front Andrew Irwin then claimed the lead for the Appleyard Macadam Racing Yamaha team before Jones claimed the position back in the battle at the front.
Currie was moving through the order though and took the lead after a fight with Irwin and Jones before a crash for Mark Conlin caused a red flag, leaving Currie to win by just 0.226s ahead of Jones and Westmoreland who pushed Irwin back to fourth.
Currie said: “It was an up and down weekend for me, literally. The Sprint race was perfect though. I made a good start, kept chipping away and eventually caught the leader, passed him to grab my first ever win in British Supersport. The feature race was a different story but the CF Motorsport team is working great, I am so happy to be part of it and I am sure there are more podiums to come.”
Jones again got away to a flying start in the Feature race, but it was disappointment for Currie when he crashed out at Shell after colliding with Reid at the start of the race. The incident was investigated by Race Direction, with no further action taken.
Reid had the advantage as he continued his winning momentum to claim his second win of the season, but behind him there was an incredible battle for the final podium places with Tarran Mackenzie crashing out of a potential second place finish. Hedger held off Westmoreland for second place as Irwin narrowly missed out.
Reid said: “Sunday’s race was quite tough and it would have been easy to crash so I pushed as hard as I felt safe. Those nine points could be crucial at season’s end but Monday’s race was dry so I made the most of my second row start. I knew we had good pace in the dry so pushed hard from the start. The main thing is that we picked up another 25 points and extended our Championship lead so a massive thanks to the entire Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki team and everyone that’s behind me.”
Reid now leads the standings by 16 points ahead of Westmoreland with Jones and Hedger equal on points in third position as the riders look ahead to Brands Hatch on May 20/21/22.
Dickies British Supersport Championship, Oulton Park, Sprint race result:
Benjamin Currie (Pacedayz Yamaha)
Luke Jones (Acumen Industrial Services Triumph) +0.226s
James Westmoreland (Came BPT Yamaha) +3.872s
Andrew Irwin (Team Appleyard Macadam Racing Yamaha) +7.342s
Luke Hedger (Gearlink Kawasaki) +9.111s
Dickies British Supersport Championship, Oulton Park, Feature race result:
Andy Reid (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki)
Luke Hedger (Gearlink Kawasaki) +4.062s
James Westmoreland (Came BPT Yamaha) +4.153s
Luke Jones (Acumen Industrial Services Triumph) +6.838s
Dickies British Supersport Championship standings after Oulton Park:
Andy Reid (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki) 59
James Westmoreland (Came BPT Yamaha) 43
Luke Jones (Acumen Industrial Services Triumph) 31
Luke Hedger (Gearlink Kawasaki) 31
Benjamin Currie (Pacedayz Yamaha) 25
For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Trackstar Racing:
The opening round of the Utah Sportbike Associations Masters of the Mountains Race Series kicked off April 30th at the newly reopened Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele Utah. Trackstar Racing / Rickdiculous Racing’s Gauge Rees started out Saturday practice with a plan to get up to pace as quickly as possible in the quickly changing weather conditions. With the help of fellow racer and coach Shane Turpin he was able to get two within ½ of a second of race pace in second practice. “I spent the winter working with Rickdiculous Racing at their Rider Development Camps and Ken Hill made a plan for me. Shane is helping me to put that into action. I’m not as worried about winning every Club Race this season, I would obviously love to and defend my Championships but this season is more about getting me prepared to race MotoAmerica next year. I won’t have a trackday and 4 practice sessions each day to find the pace. I have to go out there and hit it right out of the gate every day. That’s my whole focus right now.” said Gauge.
Moto 2 was the first race of the weekend and Gauge pulled the holeshot and led for the first 2 laps, a small bobble put him back top where he finished the race. The second race of the day was Middleweight Superstock and again Gauge took the holeshot and led the first half. In a hard fought battle for the lead he finished in 2nd again.
Gauge’s Mechanic and Team Owner Kelly Rees “The weather conditions were pretty tough to work with. We had sun, clouds, wind and track temps that were varying almost 50 degrees at times. We worked hard and got a great setup for the morning and then had to play catch up again in the afternoon. We only had 1 tire compound that would work and keeping the pressures right with the varying conditions kept us busy. I was happy with the work we did and the results. We have more work to do to get the bike on top of the box but I’m confident we will get there”
Sundays races started with the 10 lap King of the Mountain race. Gauge again got the holeshot and battled in the Top 3 the entire race bring his Yamaha R6 home in 3rd place. The last race of the day was Middleweight Superbike and another holeshot and battle in the Top 3. A false neutral put him back to 4th place and a great battle with Team mate Ryan Richardson. “I worked really hard to catch back up to Ryan, it was a really fun race. I finally got around him at the end to put the bike back on the podium in 3rd” said Gauge, “ I couldn’t have had such a successful weekend without the coaching and off season training I had with Rickdiculous Racing. My pace has improved and I’m racing a lot smarter. I don’t have to win every race, consistency pays off when you are chasing Championships.”
Gauge would like to thank his Sponsors: Rickdiculous Racing, Trackstar Racing, Champion Spark Plugs, Heatshrink.com, Western Powersports, Ohlins, Pop Shadow Decals, Apex Trackdays, Motorex and his family.
More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount:
SONOMA, California — Joey Pascarella took yet another podium in round two of the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) premier class on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Pascarella led after the start but then dropped off pace, allowing Wyatt Farris to pass in the last lap for a first place finish. Farris and Pascarella tie for the lead in the Dunlop Race Tire Service Formula Pacific Championship.
“I had a great time racing this weekend at Sonoma Raceway,” said Pascarella. “Being one of my first times to the track on a 1000 was a little challenging. Thankfully the boys did what they could to get me as comfortable as possible and come home with second place. I can’t thank everyone enough for helping me this year and I look forward to Thunderhill.”
2016 Dunlop Race Tire Service Formula Pacific Championship Point Standings as of 5/1/16:
1. Wyatt Farris, 97 Points
2. Joey Pascarella, 97 Points
3. Lenny Hale, 76 Points
4. Devon McDonough, 76 Points
5. Sebastiao Ferreira, 75 Points
About Riders Discount:
Riders Discount (www.ridersdiscount.com) is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company founded by racers, Riders Discount offers equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide, backed by a knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service.
About Quicksilver:
Since 1950, discriminating customers have depended on the Quicksilver brand for premium quality marine parts, accessories, and engine care products. Quicksilver is one of the most trusted brands in the markets we serve. It has earned a loyal following by providing the highest quality products for more than 60 years. Quicksilver is a brand of Mercury Marine and Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC).
More, from a press release issued by AXcess Racing:
AXcess Racing’s Brandon Paasch assumes the points lead with his second MotoAmerica victory of the season at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
With the debut of this new roadracing team in MotoAmerica, AXcess Racing is racking up the points with KTM RC390 Cup riders Brandon Paasch and Jackson Blackmon.
This, the second race weekend of 2016 for MotoAmerica’s extremely popular developmental series for young racers 14 to 22, took place at Paasch’s home track in New Jersey. After qualifying on pole, Brandon Paasch took the win in Saturday’s KTM RC 390 Cup race and placed a close second in the rain soaked race on Sunday. In race 2 Paasch lost his drive for the win “in second place and in the draft through the last corner I got too ambitious with the throttle and the rear end stepped out. Overall I am happy with the weekend and am 100% ready for VIR.”
It was 14-year-old Blackmon’s third time on this track and his 6th place in Saturday’s race demonstrated improvement in consistency and performance considering his brief career. Blackmon said “I was having some issues with the back sliding on exit,” but he then felt “very comfortable” on the bike after some adjustments by Team Suspension Engineer David Behrend of Fast Bike Industries. “I improved a lot in the race from qualifying as I dropped 3 seconds from Q2. I ended up way closer to the leader than ever before.” Blackmon’s usual dynamic start was not an option in Sunday’s race due to heavy rain but nonetheless he was able to take a 10th place finish.
According to Crew Chief Frank Shockley, “When we stepped off the plane it was wet and cold and the weather never got any better, but when you are chasing a championship you have to carry on with the hand you are dealt! I am very proud of the entire AXcess Racing team, no one complained about the miserable weather conditions and we all did our jobs as normal with the goal of giving our riders the best bike possible and they raced like the champions they are!”
Team Owner, Dr. Laura Ellis, has a vision to groom young riders for careers in professional road racing which led her to form the new team, AXcess Racing, LLC. In its inaugural year, the team is gridding up with two riders in MotoAmerica and at select CCS, WERA, USGPRU races for 2016.
Dr. Ellis has years of experience on and off the track and has assembled a team of professionals to help oversee the project. Crew Chief, Frank Shockley of Fast Frank Racing brings his experience to the pit and manages the mechanical work on the bikes. Team Chief Technical Engineer, David Behrend of Fast Bike Industries manages the suspension and chassis. Coaches Paul Allison and Seth Starnes provide consistent guidance for the riders on and off the track. Andy Reiss will continue to mentor Paasch as Chuck Blackmon mentors Jackson throughout the 2016 season. Principal member Cam Morehead is the Talent Scout for future riders and coordinates the Mini Moto Demos at each MotoAmerica event. AXcess Racing, LLC uses medAge PLLC for biometric testing of its rider athletes, 520 Athletics’ Adam Combs as its fitness coach and Trina Pistor as extreme athlete nutritionist for the riders.
The team’s mission is to provide a rewarding and enjoyable experience for young rider athletes so that they may develop their racing careers incorporating athletic fitness, hydration and nutrition as in other professional sports. And to work closely with MotoAmerica in it’s efforts to encourage development of a greater fan base for the sport of motorcycle road racing.
“With our Mini Moto Demonstrations in the paddock at each MotoAmerica event we hope to attract families with youngsters who may then get involved with their local clubs,” says Ellis. “We want to involve families in this sport, not just motorcycle enthusiasts. This is a great way to build the fan base, help MotoAmerica in their mission to put American road racing back on the map and bring in sponsors beyond the usual motorsports brands.”
Look for this new team at all MotoAmerica rounds and on the web. http://axcessracing.com/
Contact [email protected] or 828-230-9601
More, from a press release issued by Proforma:
ANOTHER PODIUM FINISH FOR JC CAMACHO IN MOTO AMERICA SUPERSTOCK 600 AT NEW JERSEY
Despite the cold and rainy conditions, JC Camacho pushed hard on his Altus Motorsports Tuned By RaceworX Yamaha R6 on Sunday afternoon to earn a second successive event third place finish and a trip to the Superstock 600 podium during the Moto America Superbike Championship of New Jersey. On Saturday, JC had fought set-up issues to finish in sixth, but the combination of finishes helped put Camacho in a tie for third place in the championship heading into the next round in two weeks.
Race One – Saturday
Both of the free practice sessions on Friday had been run in mixed wet/dry conditions, and caused JC and his team to struggle on the bike set-up. Saturday dawned dry but cold, and in the morning qualifying session JC could only manage to qualify 17th overall, skewed by the fact that the Superstock 600 times are combined with the faster Supersport class. But Camacho rode around the machine issues in Race One and ran a close race with Andy DiBrino. “I got an okay start and got around a few guys,” said JC. “I ran with Andy early on, then Gage (McAllister) in the middle of the race until he got around Andy. I got in behind Andy again, then (Michael) Gilbert passed me towards the end, but I got around him on the last lap.”
Race Two – Sunday
Just as forecasted, the weather on Sunday was miserable, with rain and temperatures in the 40s. The morning warm-up session went well, with JC sixth-fastest in the Superstock 600 group on full rain tires. Camacho got a good start and was settling into a good pace when a rider crashed in the Turn Two area. Unbeknownst to the cornerworkers, the machine was leaking oil onto the track, and several riders fell in the mixed water and oil slick. “I saw a couple of riders go down, then I lost the rear and front about the same time, but I didn’t go down,” Camacho said. It took over an hour to get the track cleaned, and MotoAmerica officials elected to run the Superbike/Superstock 1000 race next. It was after 6:30pm when the Supersport/Superstock 600 class had their restarted race, and it was shortened to a six-lap sprint. JC got away well and made it to third place in the short race. “It was like a short club race, so I got away with Benny (Solis) and then ran with Dakota (Mamola),” JC said. “I felt like I could have passed Andy, but I just ran out of time.” JC recorded the fastest lap of the race in the Superstock 600 class.
JC Camacho’s next event of the 2016 Moto America Superstock 600 championship series is at VIRginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia on May 13-15, 2016.
For the 2016 season, JC Camacho is proud to be sponsored by Altus Motorsports, RaceworX USA, GP Suspension, Dunlop Tires, House of Paint Designs, Scorpion EXO, PSR USA, Vesrah, Core Moto, HT Moto, Vortex, Motion Pro, K&N Filters, BD Racing, RS Taichi, Moto Liberty, Moto-D, M4 Exhaust, Speedfreak Decals, Spy Optics and MotoMummy.
For more information, visit JC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jc.camacho.91
More, from a press release issued by Proforma:
CONNER BLEVINS FINISHES SECOND IN MOTOAMERICA SUPERSTOCK 600 EVENT AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
Two weeks after missing the podium by one spot at Road Atlanta, Conner Blevins raced to a strong second place in the Superstock 600 Race One at the Moto America Superbike Championship of New Jersey on his Excel Machine Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R. Unfortunately, a crash in another rider’s spilled oil caused Conner to injure his shoulder and miss the restart of Sunday’s red-flagged Race Two. With the DNF, Conner slips to sixth in season points after two rounds.
Race One – Saturday
Conner was fast from the start of the two free practice sessions on Friday, both held in damp/drying/wet conditions. He was third fastest in the first session and first in the second session. In the cold but dry Saturday morning qualifying session, Conner qualified third for the two races on the weekend. With a good start, Conner was able to run the same pace as winner Bryce Prince, but could not close the gap during the 23-lap race. “I got away with Bryce early, but I couldn’t close on him. It ended up being a lonely race,” said Conner. “I knew Dakota was behind me, but I managed the gap.”
Race Two – Sunday
The Sunday weather was wet and cold as predicted. Conner was sixth fastest in the wet morning warm-up session, and was ready to race in the rain. Conner made a good start and was settling in when on lap seven another rider crashed behind him and spilled oil in the Turn Two area. Conner came through on the next lap and crashed without the benefit of warning flags. He fell directly on his shoulder. After several other riders crashed, the race was red-flagged and stopped. Conner was unable to restart due to his injury.
Pending the results of a doctor’s evaluation, Conner’s next event of the 2016 Moto America Superstock 600 championship series is at VIRginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia on May 13-15, 2016.
For the 2016 season, Conner is proud to be sponsored by Excel Machine Racing, House of Kawasaki, JP43 Training, Dainese, Kawasaki USA, Dunlop Tires, STAR Motorcycle School, Ohlins Suspension, Arai Helmets and Defy All Odds.
For more information, contact Conner Blevins at [email protected] or visit Conner on Facebook at www.facebook.com/conner.blevins.
More, from a press release issued by Broaster Chicken/RoadRace Factory:
Two steps forward and one slide back
There are those weekends in racing that you look forward to and then there are those you just try to survive. This past weekend was certainly one of the weekends where survival was the focus. Not only would the rain play a role at NJMP, but this time of year the temperature would also become a factor. Rain was a 100% guarantee, but temps that barely nudged above 60 degrees would make life difficult for the 32 Crew. They have been struggling with set-up in ideal conditions, but rain can be a bigger challenge. It’s also called the great equalizer and Jake Gagne has certainly had his share of great performances in the rain and at NJMP. This is the sight of his two previous championship coronations, each occurring in very rainy conditions. So it was with mild trepidation that the team approached their tasks on a wet and chilly Friday morning practice session.
Looking to advance their set-up breakthroughs from the previous round at Road Atlanta, Jake’s crew had worked throughout the previous night to prepare his R1 for what they knew would be conditions similar to Sunday’s projected race weather. That work was immediately evident in Jake’s riding. He was working through the practice session setting fast sector times but more importantly, his input was extremely positive. The bike seemed to have settled down and was feeling fairly planted. He ended that first session in P6 overall. The track was in better shape for the afternoon session. In fact, if anything the temperature dropped and what was just a wet track, was now slicker due to the colder temps. This time out, Jake was riding with the confidence that hadn’t been seen in a while. Despite the treacherous conditions, Jake was lapping at the top of the time sheets and when the session was completed, he was up to P2 overall and looking forward to better conditions for Saturday.
Overnight, the bulk of the storm had moved out of the area and there was a small promise of possible blue skies by Superpole time. Before anyone could get excited about Superpole, Jake and the 32 Crew would have to get through a drying track with spots of standing water during their first outing of the day. The real issues at play when racing in conditions like this past weekend, set-up becomes complete guess work. Setting up a bike for warm and dry conditions may give you a great qualifying position, but they are useless when the rain comes with a blast of cold. So where is that balance point? Well, in Jake’s case the balance was struck and while his times were faster in free practice session three, so where other riders’. As the track dried out Jake would complete 13 laps and finish in P7 overall. This was a warning that other teams were gunning for optimal starting positions in order to increase their odds of not getting involved in some wet race antics on Sunday. The stage was set for Superpole and with the sun beginning to show, the 32 Crew had to nail qualifying and make the most of their one set of special Dunlop Qualifying tires.
Jake had 15 minutes to give it all he had and to take the gambles if needed. The forecast for Sunday was 100% rain and cold temps. If there was any chance at avoiding being caught in a pack for the race he had to make his moves. After a few out laps to test the track conditions, Jake entered the pits and his crew put on the special tires and waited. They waited long enough to see what other riders were doing and to give Jake his best chance at a fast lap by seeing that others were already entering the pits with their tires used up. Leaving for his warm-up lap it was all eyes on the timing and scoring monitor. Exiting the final corner Jake got on the gas and began his flying lap. Pushing through each sector he would get held up on his flyer. Taking a risk and going for a second hot lap Jake set even faster times in two sectors before his tire gave out. They aren’t designed to last two flying lap. As a result, Jake would qualify in 5th position for the races on Sunday.
As predicted, the weather on Sunday was less than ideal. In fact it was outright criminally cold and wet without any chance of improvement. As the riders left the paddock for their sighting laps, the crews jumped the pit walls into the swamp that used to be the grass along side the starting grid. The rain was not about the let up and as the start drew closer, the riders were doing all they could to keep warm and their visors clear. As the lights went off, the motorcycles were lost in a cloud of mist and exhaust noise. It was almost impossible to see who was where until they crested the hill at the top of turn two. Unfortunately for Jake, the worst case scenario occurred and he got caught up in the scrum and was now having to battle through the mist to get closer to the front. It was not the fastest race at NJMP but it was certainly one to watch as the riders exhibited skill to stay afloat turn after turn. When the weather is this bad, being consistent and a purposeful is what gets you through. Compounding Jake’s problems was a leak in his helmet that caused water to run down the inside of his visor. Unable to see Jake knew that a run to the front was out of the question, settled in to race his own race as he was pretty much alone on the track in P5 overall but P3 in his class. As the race came to an end, that’s exactly how he would finish. A good result but not something he was happy with.
Race two was delayed a few hours due to an oil spill during the Supersport race. By the time it was started, the light was fading and concerns were growing that maybe the race would be called or even rescheduled to Monday. Fortunately, the track was deemed safe and the Superbike / Superstock grid was once again lined up. This time the situation would prove to be more difficult. Jake made a decent start and was circulating towards the lead group when he would succumb to the conditions and lose the rear in same the corner that caught out most riders over the weekend. Sliding into the grass, Jake was okay but the bike wasn’t able to be remounted. Race two for Jake was a DNF.
In a season that has been a struggle, Jake and his crew were given a glimmer of hope only to have it dashed. It’s been a long time since Jake has had a season like this, in fact it’s almost mirroring his rookie season in the US. Looking ahead to Virginia International Raceway, Jake and his crew remain optimistic. The electronics have been sorted and they are confident that a solid baseline set-up has been found. So, stay tuned and let’s get ready for more action from VIR!
Jake Gagne
6th – Superbike Championship Points
“After a really really rough weekend at Road Atlanta, I was excited to get here. We started off ok, we felt good in the wet and even better on Saturday when it was dry and a little sunny. In Superpole we finally figured out our setup which we’ve really been searching for. I’m super happy with that.
First race we got off to a decent start and were feeling good the first few laps. It was hard to get heat into the tires. The rear was pretty sketchy but we slowly progressed into it. Unfortunately, I had a little problem with my helmet and I couldn’t see out of it. So I was just looking forward to race two.
In race two I was feeling good at the start but on the first lap, I just got a little too excited I guess. I came into that left and just the rear just came around and spit me off. It’s just one of those weekends you know. I’m just really excited that we found our dry setup and we can carry that to VIR.”
Scott Jenson
Crew Chief
“NJMP was another extremely challenging event. The cold temperatures combined with the constant rain made for a very slippery race surface. These three things combined to make it very difficult to get any significant heat in the rear tire. But that’s usually is the case. We learned from it and will roll into VIR at full steam and are looking to be running at the front!!”
Danny Walker
Team Principal
“Believe it or not, we can actually take away some big positives from this weekend. It’s difficult when the conditions are like this to really understand what’s really going on with the bike. The rain mixed with the low temps made it impossible to get any heat in the tires. Jake had a great shot at the podium this weekend and had it not been for an issue with his helmet in race one, who knows.. maybe the P5 overall would’ve been much higher. I’m pretty confident that the earlier set-up issues we had are gone. Jake was showing a great pace in the dry and he just looked much more comfortable on the bike in the dry. So that’s what we’re taking with us to VIR, confidence that we’ve moved in the right direction with this bike. There is still a ton of racing to do this season and I know that we’ll be right back in the fight at VIR.”