Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) leaves Losail International Circuit after the Qatar Test having topped two of the three days, the first and final, and on Monday it was with a 1:54.208 to end the test 0.233 clear. The top spot was again under threat from an incredible performance from rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in second, however, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top three. And, after a tougher Day 2 for Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the ‘Doctor’ was back inside the top four just behind Marquez, with Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) another resurgent runner as he completed the top five.
In preparation for the March 14 kick-off of the 2019 American Flat Track season, AFT brought its most wizened ex-competitors to Daytona to make sure the new circuit will be as safe and competitive as possible. Using the banked tri-oval as part of the track should make things even more interesting than usual.
AFT Press Release:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 21, 2019) – American Flat Track joined forces today with AMA Hall of Famers and members of the Pro Flat Track community to finalize the track design for the DAYTONA TT presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys.
Series officials recently announced that this year’s track design for the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway would include both dirt and asphalt portions, which presented a unique set of design challenges. To allow AFT to fine tune the transitions between dirt and asphalt, track building crews began laying down the specially-designed dirt for the TT course in the corners on either end of the tri-oval just 24 hours prior to Thursday’s test. To provide feedback for the finalization of the design, nine-time AFT champion Scotty Parker, three-time AFT champion Jay Springsteen and AFT Twins presented to Vance & Hines competitor Johnny Lewis suited up to dial in the all-important portions of the track in consultation with AFT officials, including fellow AMA Hall of Famer Steve Morehead.
Although it meant foregoing the opportunity to compete in this year’s DAYTONA TT, Lewis volunteered to throw a leg over both a KTM SX450-F and an Indian Motorcycle FTR750 to test the lines, limits and angles of the transition sections. Another legend, Kevin Atherton, provided his Harley-Davidson XR750 to the fleet of motorcycles for the test.
“It’s an exciting time for the sport, it reminds me of a couple of years ago when Indian and Harley were starting to battle on the track,” said Parker. “Fans and riders have to be excited about this new track design. I’ve already got my ticket!”
“It’s going to be a super fast track,” added Springsteen. “This looks like it’s not going to be a really technical course, but a high-speed one with plenty of areas for riders to pass. I think it’s great to run on the pavement and the dirt – we did it years ago at Carlsbad for the Superbikers. It’s going to be a great show. I wanted to keep riding it!”
“Being able to ride on the actual Daytona International Speedway tri-oval and cross the legendary finish line felt surreal,” said Lewis. “The racing is going to be intense. Adding the banking gives so many different racing lines on and off the dirt. Fans can look forward to watching riders use the asphalt’s consistent racing surface to get creative with the transitions.”
With over a century of combined professional experience at its disposal, American Flat Track officials, riders and community were able to confidently finalize the track design for what will certainly be the most-exciting season opener AFT fans have ever seen.
AFT’s 2019 season-opener will be held under the lights on Thursday, March 14 at Daytona International Speedway.
American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2019 season with the Bigger, Better, and Faster DAYTONA TT presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys roaring into action under the lights of the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 14, 2019. Tickets start at just $35 online ($45 at the gate) and are available for purchase now at www.americanflattrack.com.
For more information on American Flat Track and the upcoming 2019 season visit www.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN will be released in the coming weeks. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.
Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) is the leading Desmosedici rider in fifth place, 0.376 splits him from Mir, with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SIC) and Francesco Bagnaia (Alma Pramac Racing) making it three rookies in the top seven as things stand on the final day at the Losail International Circuit.
Max Biaggi, Team Owner: “For both me and the fans, Moto3 is the most exciting category after MotoGP. It is natural for me to start the world adventure from here, for us it is a big step, a dream that comes true, but immediately after the dream comes the programming and the work. From this point of view I feel I can say that we have prepared ourselves, the team is made up of technicians who have great experience in the World Championship. Aron is a rider that I immediately liked for the determination and tenacity, even if you have to learn how to handle the pressure to make the definitive leap in quality, we have chosen KTM, a European brand with great potential.”
Spaniard 19th on day two of testing at Losail International Circuit.
Image: Supplied.
Multi-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo is still continuing to adapt to his Repsol Honda RC213V after the first two days of MotoGP World Championship testing at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Lorenzo was able to improve his time by one second on day two, winding up 19th on the timesheets, targeting a refined set-up that will benefit corner entry in today’s final outing.
“Today was better than yesterday,” Lorenzo declared. “We modified the bike to improve my feeling and confidence across the whole circuit. You can see we’ve improved by over one second, the position isn’t much better but we are much closer to the front – this is the most important part.
“Tomorrow we’re aiming to make another step forward again, especially with corner entry as I think there’s still more to do there.”
Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was fastest on day two, followed by Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).
Factory Kawasaki rider third in both outings on Sunday at Phillip Island.
Image: Supplied.
British talent Leon Haslam made his mark while on return to the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Phillip Island over the weekend, challenging for podiums in all three outings.
After overcoming a crash in race one while contending up front, Haslam pulled through for two podium finishes on Sunday in the Superpole race and race two.
The Kawasaki Racing Team rider engaged in hard-fought battle with teammate and four-time defending Jonathan Rea in the final encounter, the duo trading position on an number of occasions before Haslam was forced to accept third for the second time, however the dual has not only granted him a sense of satisfaction, but also an injection of confidence.
“It was good to get on two podiums today,” Haslam stated. “In the 10-lap sprint race I was a little cautious and I got caught behind the Yamahas, so I settled. I thought I had a little bit in hand to catch Jonathan in the final race. I tried to make my own rhythm for the first four laps.
“After this I tried to save the tyre and which then created a group of five riders. It was a nice easy rhythm and I was feeling good with my pace. Johnny and I had some good passes – good battles. My plan was to go away with two laps to go, then he passed me into turn one and I ran a little wide.
“At the same time he went 0.4s of a second faster. I went with him and caught him up on the last lap but I felt like I had been caught out a little bit. To battle with Jonathan in my first race weekend of the year, with his record in this class, I am happy.”
Following the weekend’s three races, Haslam sits sixth in the championship standings while Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) controls the standings.
2019 AMA Supecross Round Eight – Ford Field, Detroit
By Darren Smart – Images by Hoppenworld
Detroit hosted the eighth round of the AMA Supercross Championship and it was Kawasaki riders Eli Tomac and Austin Forkner who won the 450SX and 250SX overalls respectively in the second of the season’s ‘Triple Header’ formats.
The last time the supercross series stopped in Detroit, it was Tomac who dominated the competition and the Kawasaki rider was in the middle of one of the hottest streaks of his career winning five races in a row. On Saturday, it was no secret early on that he was once again feeling that dominant, proving fastest in every session.
Eli Tomac
For Chad Reed it was an emotional return to the podium which was well appreciated by the Detroit fans and his fellow competitors.
Chad Reed’s performance was celebrated by himself, the crowd, and his fellow competitors.
450SX Report
Tomac struggled with his starts in all three motos but the Kawasaki rider was in a league of his own to come from outside the top 10 in the opening two races to earn the wins.
Despite poor starts there was no stopping Eli Tomac
In the final race Eli not only scored a poor start but he then dropped several spots after running off the track to be as far back as 14th before climbing to sixth by race end.
Despite poor starts there was no stopping Eli Tomac
After his poorest performance in the championship the previous weekend, Tomac’s round win has reduced his deficit to 13-points back from championship leader Cooper Webb.
Eli Tomac – 1st Overall
“Today was just one of those days where everything clicked. Starting in practice and qualifying with having the fastest times in both sessions. In the main events, I was able to go forward through the pack the whole time which was good. Gosh, we were feeling it (after the two wins) and going into the final race we got a little too comfy and then totally blew the start before another spot where I hit a hay bale while on the pit board I could see Cooper is charging to the front but overall the weekend is so much better for us. I put in a lot of good work this week and it paid off. I am really pleased with how tonight went. We gained some valuable championship points and will continue to keep charging forward.”
Eli Tomac
Despite struggling throughout the event Cooper Webb was able to put his race-face on to end the night in second overall to retain the red plate with 6-2-1 moto finishes.
Cooper Webb – 2nd Overall
“It was a struggle for me today (practice and qualifying) and we were messing with the bike which wasn’t helping much so after the first main I went back to what I knew and we got a holeshot but Eli got around me so it was good to ride with him coz he was the best guy today by far then to get better and win the final race shows me I have plenty of work to do to keep it going.”
Cooper Webb
Chad Reed showed great form and speed to finish third in the opening moto then backed that up with a fifth and a seventh for third overall on the night, which is his 132nd podium finish to now sit eighth in points, just eight points back from Dean Wilson who holds down fifth position in the standings.
Chad Reed – 3rd Overall
“It was a fun day, despite my 14th qualifying position I felt racy so with a good start I could go (with the top guys), the track was challenging, the pace was fast and the whoops were tough so it suited me tonight, very proud to be up here at this stage of my career.”
Chad Reed
As he has done throughout the season so far, Ken Roczen put together a consistent 5-6-5 moto results to end the night in fourth to sit just six-points out of the championship lead and six-points ahead of Marvin Musquin.
Ken Roczen – P4 overall
“Glad tonight is over. Just 1 point away from the podium. I struggled all week with a flu. Still am! My body didn’t feel up to par tonight but i tried to minimize the damage. Glad to be healthy. I hope i m going to have a lot better week this week.”
Ken Roczen
Marvin Musquin – P6 Overall
“It was definitely a tough day of not getting very good starts. I wish I would have started a little bit better, at least in the top three. It was hard to pass with a lot of intensity out of everyone in the first few laps of each moto and I made a big mistake and jumped off the track in the first moto and that cost me a lot. The riding was good tonight, I clocked some really good lap times during each of the three motos so I know the speed was there but unfortunately it was hard to get good results. There was a lot going on in those three Main Events and it’s frustrating but we never give up.”
Marvin Musquin
Justin Brayton, Joey Savatgy, Blake Baggett and Justin Barcia all landed on the podium in one of the three main events.
Justin Barcia – 7th Overall
“It was another crazy night of racing for me in Detroit. The track was really good. It had a lot of option sections and I felt like my bike was working good in the whoops. The first two races for me were not great with the arm pump I dealt with, but the last race was a step in the right direction. I led some laps and put in a pretty good ride with a little bit of arm pump. My starts have definitely been getting better, so things are definitely starting to come around. So all in all, it was a decent weekend. I’m really looking forward to Atlanta.”
Justin Barcia
Joey Savatgy – 8th Overall
“Tonight’s overall result doesn’t reflect how great I felt and my riding today. I qualified pretty good and in the first main, I just didn’t get out of the gate quick enough which put me in a hole. I was pleased to bounce back in the second main and get on the podium with a third, and at one point in the third main event I was challenging for an overall podium but a small mistake ended up costing me. We will regroup this week and come out swinging in Atlanta which is kind of like a home-town race for me.”
Joey Savatgy
Zach Osborne put forth consistent finishes to earn the final top-10 overall position in the 450SX class. Meanwhile, teammate Dean Wilson claimed 11th overall for the night.
Zach Osborne – 10th Overall
“Overall it was a better night for me, I ended up 10th overall, so it’s a step in the right direction and something I can build from. Right now, it’s just getting laps and getting my fitness back, finding some settings that I’m super comfortable with again and finding my race trim. I feel like tonight with the Triple Crown, it’s a lot of racing and a lot of opportunity to be out there on the track and find my feet again. I had some pretty decent battles and was able to make some passes and kind of move around a little bit, which is a nice feeling. So, I’m looking forward to Atlanta, I think we can continue to build and make progress and the results will come soon enough.”
Dean Wilson – 11th Overall
“Today was about mixed emotions, I say that because I qualified second and my riding was really good in both sessions of practice but I struggled in the races tonight. I feel like with my riding I’m a lot more capable than that, so for the third race, I was pretty fired up and came off the start really good. I stayed in fourth the whole race right there and unfortunately, I made a mistake to allow Marvin [Musquin] by me and I went to square him up right before the whoops but I didn’t realize Kenny [Roczen] was right there and I kind of got cleaned out, but that’s racing. Eleventh overall is definitely not where I want to be, I’m very well capable of being on that box but I just need to make it happen.”
Dean Wilson leads Joey Savatgy
Barcia’s rookie teammate Aaron Plessinger continued to make progress in the premier class to end the night 12th overall.
Aaron Plessinger – 12th Overall
“Detroit for me was pretty good, other than the starts. I’m happy with my riding. I’ve just got to get off the gate. My bike was working really well, didn’t change anything on it all day. The track broke down quite a bit tonight, more than I thought it was going to. We came away with 12th overall, I’m not extremely happy with that. I know I can do better, but it’s baby steps. We’re going to do some work this week and get ready for Atlanta.”
Aaron Plessinger
450 Triple Crown Results and Round Points
Eli Tomac 1-1- 6 = 26
Cooper Webb 6-2-1 = 23
Chad Reed 3-5-7 = 21
Ken Roczen 5-6-5 = 19
Blake Baggett 4-11-2 = 18
Marvin Musquin 9-4-4 = 17
Justin Barcia 10-7-3 = 16
Joey Savatgy 8-3-11 = 15
Justin Brayton 2-12-9 = 14
Zach Osborne 11-8-10 = 13
Dean Wilson 7-9-13 = 12
450 Triple Crown Results and Round Points Eli Tomac 1-1- 6 = 26 Cooper Webb 6-2-1 = 23 Chad Reed 3-5-7 = 21
450SX Points Standings after Round 8 of 17
Cooper Webb – 173
Ken Roczen – 167
Marvin Musquin – 161
Eli Tomac – 160
Dean Wilson – 122
Justin Barcia – 120
Blake Baggett – 119
Chad Reed – 114
Aaron Plessinger – 104
Justin Brayton – 97
Cole Seely – 94
Joey Savatgy – 92
250SX East Report
Austin Forkner has continued his win streak in 2019 with three moto wins giving the Kawasaki rider three round wins and a 13 point lead over KTM’s Jordon Smith.
250 SX
Smith fought through the night with a wrist injury to finish second overall with 2-2-4 finishes ahead of Chase Sexton’s 4-4-2 moto results for third.
250 SX
Austin Forkner – 1st Overall
“Everything is just clicking for me this year, I haven’t started a race worse than second this year, I think, and that is huge obviously, if I can get a holeshot, ride my laps and focus on me (and not other riders) is a huge advantage, I want to win next weekend’s East/West shootout but I have to remember that there may be times where I am battling with riders who aren’t part of my championship.”
Austin Forkner
Jordon Smith – 2nd Overall
“We adjusted the bike to get a good feeling for my wrist injury then to get through the night as good as possible and after riding at MTF (Millsaps Training Facility) I wasn’t sure that we would make it through the night but we made it through, scored good points so that is all I can ask for tonight.”
Forkner slips up the inside of Jordon Smith
Chase Sexton – 3rd Overall
“The first two races I got myself where I needed to be but made mistakes that cost me but in the third race I told myself that I need to go out and try to win because I was back a bit in the points – now looking forward to the East/West shootout.”
Chase Sexton
The racing was red hot all night and it was Justin Cooper (3-5-3), Martin Davalos (5-7-5) and Alex Martin (10-3-6) who all put themselves at the pointy end at one stage or another over the three races. Michtell Oldenburg took 7th overall with a 6-6-8.
Justin Cooper – 4th Overall
“The bike was really good all night. We didn’t really play around with the setting, we were pretty happy with it. The track was really tough tonight, though. It was breaking down really quick, so it was important to keep on your toes and stay focused out there. I think I managed the races pretty well, besides my starts. I felt really good on the bike, again, I just put myself in bad situations right off the start. So I’m definitely going to work on those this week and be better for next weekend. We’re making improvements, even if the results don’t show every week. I think it’s just a matter of time. We’re on the right track.”
Justin Cooper
Martin Davalos – P5 Overall
“A triple crown format is a lot of racing and the starts are very crucial,” said Davalos. “I’m really happy with the starts we had tonight and it put us in a good position to fight up front. The east/west showdown is going to be a fun race and hopefully our whole team can finish up front.”
Martin Davalos #73
Mitchell Oldenburg – 7th Overall
“Tonight as a whole was all right. It’s just a little frustrating that my results aren’t showing what I’m capable of and how good I’m feeling and riding. We’re going to work on the starts. Starts are definitely slacking right now. So we’ll go back to the drawing board this week, get some good starts. The track was really fun. I really enjoyed the Triple Crown format, with the three mains. It was a pretty quick night for us and we were go, go, go. Like I said before, results aren’t showing what I’m capable of and how good I’m riding. If we can get a start, we’ll be up there for some wins and some podiums. I know it.”
Mitchell Oldenburg
Jordan Bailey had a rough start to the night with a DNF, before improving throughout with a 12th, and ninth place finish for 11th overall.
Jordan Bailey – 11th Overall
“The first race I had an unfortunate two crashes, which resulted in a DNF. The second race, I charged up to 12th and the third moto I finally got inside the top-10 with ninth. Overall, it was a tough weekend and we look forward to the east/west shootout in Atlanta next weekend.”
250 SX
Interestingly, next weekend’s 250 East/West Shootout in Atlanta will see the two Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders, Adam Cianciarulo and Austin Forkner battle for the points and the bragging rights.
250 Triple Crown Results and Round Points
Austin Forkner 1-1-1 = 26
Jordon Smith 2-2-4 = 23
Chase Sexton 4-4-2 = 21
Justin Cooper 3-5-3 = 19
Martin Davalos 5-7-5 = 18
Alex Martin 10-3-6 = 17
Mitchell Oldenburg 6-6-8 = 16
Kyle Peters 11-8-7 = 15
Kyle Cunningham 8-11-10 = 14
Blake Wharton 9-10-16 = 13
250 Triple Crown Results and Round Points Austin Forkner 1-1-1 = 26 Jordon Smith 2-2-4 = 23 Chase Sexton 4-4-2 = 21 Justin Cooper 3-5-3 = 19 Martin Davalos 5-7-5 = 18 Alex Martin 10-3-6 = 17 Mitchell Oldenburg 6-6-8 = 16 Kyle Peters 11-8-7 = 15 Kyle Cunningham 8-11-10 = 14 Blake Wharton 9-10-16 = 13
Youthful talent to contest German championship alongside ASBK.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Coming off a stellar weekend at Phillip Island in both the Supersport category of the Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) and FIM Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP), it’s been revealed Tom Toparis has scored a deal with Benro Racing to contest the 2019 IDM Supersport 600 Championship in Germany.
The youthful talent dominated in the domestic series at the weekend, claiming pole position before sweeping all three races, while in his WorldSSP wildcard appearance, he raced to an impressive 11th place result.
It’s understood Toparis will continue to challenge the ASBK with Landbridge Transport Yamaha alongside the German championship, where he’ll also pilot a YZF-R6.
“I am very happy that I can announce I will ride in the 2019 IDM Supersport class on a Yamaha YZF-R6 with Benro Racing,” said Toparis. “I am very grateful for this opportunity. It will be a busy year, because I’m going to combine the Australian and IDM championship.
“My family and I focus completely on racing and my goal is also to win this year in Australia. I have no particular goals for the IDM, because I don’t know what I can expect. I will make every effort to get to know the circuits and motorcycle as soon as possible, and I also I’m going to enjoy life on the other side of the world.”
Toparis will make his first appearance with the Dutch squad at round one of the IDM series on 17-19 May at the Lausitzring circuit. Round two of the ASBK is scheduled for 22-24 March at Wakefield Park in New South Wales.
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