MotoAmerica: King of the Baggers COTA Recap

The second installment of the MotoAmerica Mission Foods King of the Baggers competition concluded this weekend as a support series for the MotoGP championship. This stop at Circuit of the Americas offered 2 races for championship points. Troy Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing won race one by just under three tenths ahead of Kyle Wyman. Tyler O’Hara was .685 of a second behind the winner taking third place.

Tyler Herfoss Address Post Race 1 Comments

“Firstly, it’s an honor to be standing here today with my first win, especially with these two great competitors,” Herfoss said after his first-ever bagger victory. “There are more wins between these two guys than I dream of having. So, to get my first win here in COTA at MotoGP is a great feeling. To answer your question, yeah, it did feel like I was out of it. I’ve got a lot of days on the bike now.

There’re no excuses to not be able to be competitive, but I don’t have a lot of experience racing because Daytona was not really a race in the infield. It was a race to get to the outfield. So, I didn’t see the true speed of these riders in the infield a lot of time, whereas today there were six guys going toe-to-toe, fighting at their best pace. So, I couldn’t ride the lap they were riding. I could not ride my bike the same way the guys in front of me could ride their bikes, even between the different manufacturers.

Herfoss Continued

“I know it’s a short race, but I spent the first two laps just confused. Over-riding the corners, over-riding the braking. I didn’t concede, but I sort of sat back to take a breather. Got nabbed by Bobby Fong and went, ‘okay, it’s time. I’ve got make something of this.’ Honestly, once I started riding my own race it became a lot easier to make my passes.

I knew that if I could sneak through on Tyler (O’Hara) behind Kyle (Wyman) I could see that Kyle was calculating what he was going to do with Tyler. I knew that was my only hope because I didn’t have better speed than Kyle. I just knew that if I could get him by surprise… Just because Kyle, Tyler and I are riding a different lap, even on the same bike. You’ve got to take them when you can get them. I fought as hard as I could. It’s a real privilege to be up here on the top step.”

However Wyman wasn’t willing to settle for second. In race 2 Wyman bounced back to take the win. He finished almost 7 tenths ahead of Herfoss with a record-breaking lap of 2m14.890s. He said, “Obviously, we’re super happy. To come out of the first two rounds with this many points is a big deal. It was a good race. I got a worse start today, so I had to be more patient. Like I said on the podium, really learned my lesson in September. I really panicked when I got shuffled back and it cost me a championship, potentially. That’s just experience. You can’t rush or pay for it, and I was just patient today and luckily didn’t get caught up in the melee behind me.”

Race One Top 3

1. Troy Herfoss (Indian)
2. Kyle Wyman (Harley-Davidson)
3. Tyler O’Hara (Indian)

Race Two Top 3

1. Kyle Wyman (Harley-Davidson)
2. Troy Herfoss (Indian)
3. James Rispoli (Harley-Davidson)

Indian and Harley Davidson secured 3 podiums each this weekend.

This weekend at The Circuit of the America the US Grand Prix with take place for the 3rd installment of the 2024 MotoGP season. Thus far we have had two different Grand Prix winners in Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin. Early indications suggest that we will have a fight for the title from the beginning this year. The riders finished the 2023 season in dramatic fashion which Martin received the short end of deal. However, Martin leads the 2024 championship with 60 points after his win in Portugal. Bagnaia currently sits in fourth place.

Located in Austin, Texas, Circuit of the Americas features 20 turns and two long straights. Construction of the 1000-acre facility was completed late in 2012. MotoGP lined up at the track for the first time in 2013. One of the known features of the circuit are its multiple changes in elevation and rough surface which makes tire management an extreme factor. The driving direction is counter clockwise. The circuit has a total of 20 corners with 9 right turns and 11 left turns.

MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Joins as Support

MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as the King Of The Baggers (KotB) championship. The KotB class will be featured as a support class this weekend with MotoGP. The class features touring motorcycles from Harley Davidson and Indian that are heavily modified to meet the demands of road racing. Thirteen riders have entered the competition at COTA. Eight of those are Harley-Davidson Road Glides with five Indian Challengers.

The weekend format is as follows:

Tpday it was announced that the 2023 Stock 1000 champion Hayden GIllim will defend his number 1 plate aboard a Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP for the 2024 MotoAmerica Season. I’m very excited about this season,” Gillim said. “It’s been a long road to get where we are with this program. I feel with the backing from Comstock Energy, Steel Commander, Southern Powersports Honda, and American Honda, it’s going to be a great year. Learning the Honda and getting the most out of it, for me, will be a lot of fun, and it’s a great opportunity to back up the championship from last year.”

Gillim will be supported by Steel Commander, Comstock Energy, Southern Powersports Honda, and American Honda as sponsors for his 2024 campaign. Vesrah, Maxima Racing Oils, Orient Express, GB Racing, K-Tech, Dunlop, Moto Liberty, RS Taichi, and Arai will also support the team as sponsors for the title defense.

For more information on the team:

Mark Junge, Real Steel Motorsports, (419) 632-3704
William Wright, Steel Commander Corp, (561) 609-6091, will@steelcommandercorp.com

The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff

From Strack Racing…

Strack Racing is proud to reveal its transformation from Squid Hunter Racing. With support from Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., Strack Racing will continue as a prominent force in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. Key to this strategic evolution are the additions of Mathew Scholtz, who will take the helm of the Yamaha YZF-R6, and Ed Sullivan, who will serve as Crew Chief, marking a new chapter of growth for the team.

Mathew Scholtz joins a well-prepared and focused team, ready to leverage his extensive experience from Superbike racing in the Supersport category. His readiness to compete under the Strack Racing banner is expected to bring competitive energy and aim for high achievements.

“It is with great pleasure that I will be competing in the Motoamerica Supersport Championship with Strack Racing,” Scholtz said. “I have to say a huge thank you to Peter Strack and his wife Jessica, who were there for me when I had no ride. I am determined to repay them for their confidence in me. I would also like to thank Yamaha. I have been with them since 2015 when I moved up to the Superbike class in South Africa, and now, I will ride the YZF-R6 in MotoAmerica. Finally, to the MotoAmerica series, the staff, and everyone who reached out to me, it is truly appreciated and something I won’t forget. I am excited for this new chapter. The season is fast approaching, and I’m champing at the bit to get out on the track and show what we are made of.”

The addition of Ed Sullivan as Crew Chief means incorporating strategic expertise into a team environment that’s already performing at a high level. His role is anticipated to enhance the team’s preparation and execution.

Peter Strack, Team Owner of Strack Racing, shared his appreciation: “Transforming our team into Strack Racing with Yamaha’s support signifies a key milestone in our progress. We’re thankful for Yamaha’s trust in our direction. Incorporating Mathew Scholtz and Ed Sullivan into our skilled team boosts our confidence, leaving us well-prepared and hopeful for the achievements ahead.”

Strack Racing invites fans, sponsors, and the motorcycle racing community to join in the excitement for this MotoAmerica Supersport season. 

About Strack Racing

Under the leadership of Team Owner and CEO Peter Strack, Strack Racing has established itself as a competitive force in the MotoAmerica Supersport series. For the 2024 season, Mathew Scholtz will pilot the Yamaha YZF-R6, and Ed Sullivan will be the Crew Chief. Alongside Team Manager and Co-owner Jessica Strack, Strack Racing’s strength is further enhanced by the specialized skills of Lead Mechanic Jordan Strange, Second Mechanic Josh Canup, Tire Scientist Ryan “RB” Banks, and Data Specialist Shawn Craine. Strack Racing is fundamentally devoted to reaching peak competitive performance and nurturing relationships within the road racing community, all driven by a shared passion for motorcycle racing.

The 82nd running of the Daytona 200 has concluded at Daytona International Speedway to kick off the MotoAmerica season. Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Ducati) successfully defended his 2023 Daytona 200 championship with a decisive win today. Herrin became the sixth rider to win 3 Dayton 200’s joining all time legends Dick Klamfoth, Brad Andres, Roger Reiman, Kenny Roberts, and Mat Mladin who have all achieved the same feat. The win was not straight forward as Herrin admittedly faced issues during pit stop practice that left the team uncertain come race time.

Josh Herrin Speaks On the Win

“That was two dream pit stops. I’m not going to lie. I didn’t have much faith in my team going into the race after the pit stop challenge yesterday and some of the practice we did yesterday. I was nervous. But they impressed me. I owe them an apology for doubting them, for sure. They’ve been working super hard this week to make everything as perfect as they can. That was as close to perfect as we could have gotten. I owe the entire race to those guys for doing those two amazing pit stops…A lot of drama for me, even though it seemed like there wasn’t. But that was a dream finish.

I owe it all to my team. Ducati USA, Ducati Corse for putting me on an amazing motorcycle for the last three years. Warhorse Racing, HSBKRacing.com. I’m so bummed that we weren’t able to run OnlyFans on the bike. It is what it is. At least I got to run the helmet, so I’m happy that I got to support them, because that’s three years in a row that we’ve had OnlyFans on the helmet.”

Herrin and the team were met with push back regarding their title sponsor OnlyFans. It’s not clear what AMA regulation they violated by signing Only Fans as a sponsor. Herrin is a long standing ambassador for the brand. If an appeal is issued we will provide an update on that development.

Heartbreak for Richie Escalante

Richie Escalante (Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) had a successful race up until the final lap. Escalante was running in second place with a sure podium in hand after building a very large gap to P3 behind. However, disaster struck when he ran out of fuel and had to try to coast his Suzuki across the finish line. Unfortunately, for Escalante he dropped back 3 positions on the final lap before making it around the track.

However, it wasn’t a complete negative for the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. Escalante still finished P5 and teammate Tyler Scott was promoted to P2 as a result. Scott said, “Yeah, the race was good. Got a decent start. Made a big mistake coming across the start/finish the one lap. I went really sideways. Maybe it was because there were so many people around drafting. It kind of put me at the back of the lead group there.

A little bit later in the race, I kind of lost Richie’s (Escalante) draft and I feel like that would have helped me to stay close. Most of the race, I was just riding by myself. Rode with Bobby Fong before the one pit stop there. It was good. The pit stops, we were really clean. No issues. Just rode by myself in third the whole race. Unfortunately for Richie (Escalante), he ran out of gas, but we secured second.”

As a result of a post race inspection of Bobby Fong’s bike. It was concluded that he’d be disqualified from his P4 finish for having an oversized fuel tank which promoted Escalante to P4 after the race.

Hayden Gillim Inherits a Surprise Podium

Hayden Gillim also benefited after having fallen behind in the race. Gillim was in a race of his own fighting against Bobby Fong for a seeming P4 finish. An earlier mistake seemingly cost him a chance at the podium so he was thinking he’d have to settle for a battle for third. However, the race wasn’t over for Gillim come the final lap. Escalante’s mishap turned into a gift as he would cruise by the deflated Escalante to finish P3 and claim his first Daytona 200 podium.

Next up is the regular season opener at Road Atlanta next month April 19-21, 2024. You can find more information about the event by clicking here: MotoAmerica: Road Atlanta

Qualifying for the Daytona 200 and support classes is now complete. Here is how the classes ended up in the pecking order.

Supersport

Between the two sessions Richie Escalante’s record setting lap in Qualifying 1 was enough to claim pole position as the riders head into the Time Attack later this afternoon. Behind Escalante will be Tyler Scott who also set his fastest lap on day one of qualifying. Fores will start P3 overall followed by Bobby Fong and Josh Herrin in P5.

Xavi Fores came to Daytona with a vengeance after losing his Superbike seat with Warhorse HSBK Ducati. Fores is serving as a substitute rider for the injured Cameron Petersen with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. Aboard his R6 Fores laid down a pace setting 1m48.655s lap time ahead of his former teammate Josh Herrin who finished behind.

Bellissimoto Twins Cup

Gus Rodio (Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering) claimed pole for the Bellissimoto Twins cup leading Dominic Doyle (Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing) by almost 9 tenths. Avery Dreher finished P3 in his debut weekend after making the jump up to Twins from Junior cup last year. Rocco Landers finished behind in 4th place. Racing for the Twins class gets started this afternoon with race 1.

King of the Baggers

Troy Herfoss claimed overall pole position for the King of the Baggers class. Qualifying 2 was plagued with a number of issue that didn’t really allow the riders to get into the rhythm to set their best laps. Kyle Wyman was able to split the Indians and will start P2 on the grid for Race 1. Defending champion Hayden Gillim has his work cut out for him. Gillim will start from P5 after setting a best. 1m51.239s lap time. His Teammate Rocco Landers sufferes from shifting issues during the session which never allowed him to start developing his lap pace. Ultimately he was able to go out and run a lap good enough to starts P9 but Landers will be dissapointed because the bike issues continue to plague him and hinder his performance.

Super Hooligans

The Indians got the best of the Harley’s in qualifying after both Tyler O’Hara and Troy Herfoss finished ahead of Travis Wymans and Corey West who were aboard their Saddleman Harley Davidsons.

The 82nd Daytona 200 is set to take place March 7-9 2024 at Daytona International Speedway. The field is packed with 67 rider from 23 countries. President of MotoAmerica Wayne Rainey had the following comments, “We are really pleased with the number of entries for this year’s Daytona 200, and also with the amount of foreign riders who are coming to race. It shows how popular the Daytona 200 is as one of the biggest races in the world. We’re excited to start our 10th year of MotoAmerica, this year at Daytona, and we wish all our riders the best of luck. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.”

Full Riders List Below

The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff

The following is from Yamaha…

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing is excited to announce that Xavi Forés will head their campaign for top honors aboard the Yamaha R6 at this year’s 82nd running of the Daytona 200. The 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion will fill in for Cameron Petersen, who is focusing his efforts on returning to 100% for the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike season.

Forés brings with him a wealth of experience from both World and National Superbike Championships, as well as the Endurance World Championship. Last year, the Spaniard enjoyed a successful debut season in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, earning nine wins en route to securing the crown at the penultimate round at the Circuit of The Americas.

Since MotoAmerica took stewardship of the legendary endurance race in 2022, the team has entered their potent Yamaha R6 and enjoyed podium success as a one-off effort during the pre-season before shifting back to the main objective of defending their MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS

“Yamaha is very proud of its record as the winningest manufacturer in the iconic Daytona 200. Since Don Emde’s first win for Yamaha in 1972, we’ve won 27 times, and every one of them has been special to our brand. We are very excited to have Xavi join our team for this effort. He is a very talented and fierce competitor with a winning mindset. Attack Performance has a proven track record at the 200 where every team member makes a difference in the run to the checkered flag.”

Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“We welcome Xavi to our preseason Daytona 200 race team. The race is always fun and a nice warmup for the Superbike season. We are fortunate to have Xavi step in for Cam and race our Yamaha R6. He showed us all last year that he is very capable, easily winning the Supersport Championship. We are excited to see what he can do with the Yamaha R6. The race will be fun, but more importantly, we’re going there to win.”

Xavi Forés – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“I’m very excited to race the Daytona 200 for a second time and this time with the iconic Attack Yamaha team. I’m very happy to join them and really highly motivated to achieve a strong result together. I’ve seen the Attack team fighting for victory with the Yamaha R6 several times in Daytona, and I can’t wait to get on the bike. It is going to be challenging with a new bike and team, but I know how well the team works, and I’m going to put my World Endurance experience into it as well to bring a strong result back home. I want to thank Yamaha U.S. for the opportunity to ride for them and Richard for trusting me with the ride.”

The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff

From Sehkmet Racing…

Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 12 February 2024 

You can only have your first time once and having the opportunity to make history has proved irresistible for Australian born Maddi Patterson; one of very few female team owners in the world of motorcycle racing.

Maddi Patterson, SEKHMET RACING Team Owner: “When I first heard that this was going to happen I knew it was where I needed to be. At the official announcement by DORNA, the officiating organisation, no one was surprised when I said ‘F*ck it, I’ll do it!’

Forming a team and signing riders for this has been a real time crunch and, having achieved this in eight months, I appreciate all those who have helped along the way (you know who you are) – if it was easy everybody would do it. I am so proud to announce our riders; Mallory Dobbs #14 (USA) and Lissy Whitmore #34 (UK) who will be riding Yamaha YZF-R7 motorcycles at circuits including Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Donington Park Circuit and Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto from May to October 2024 alongside the World Superbike Championship which is televised Globally. What a trip!”

The FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship is the first dedicated motorcycle world championship for female circuit racers. This initiative by DORNA has been welcomed by the motorsport community worldwide and responds to the growth in female participation in motorcycling, motorcycle racing and an increase in female motorcycle racing fans attending events in recent years.

Maddi added: “Sekhmet, an Egyptian Deity, was born from fire – a symbol of strength and resilience. And therein lies the reason for the team naming; I endured and recovered from sixty percent burns to my body only three years ago. Sekhmet is known as the protector of friends and the leader in battle – something I embrace in my own life. I am incredibly honoured, excited and aware that my role is to lead my team and more than that, support, inspire and create the chance to do something different. To be the difference. And when the visor goes down, nothing else matters. This is racing.”

The team will attend the media launch and testing in May immediately ahead of the first race and is accepting sponsorship proposals from brands that share the team’s values and ambitions. This is a game changer and this team isn’t just ticking the equality box – these riders are world class athletes at the top of their game and our mission is to bring a fresh dynamic, challenge perceptions, change minds, win respect and acknowledge talent while creating memories, making history and having fun.

Let’s race!

________________________________________

About SEKHMET RACING: [sekhmetracing.com]

An International Motorcycle Racing Team founded in 2024 by Maddi Patterson as a part of her agency PHNX Powersport Promotions, based in Europe. SEKHMET RACING is a multi-discipline motorsport team operating and competing in the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship and working with motorcycle manufacturers in road/circuit racing globally.

About the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship:

This ground-breaking event promises to be a thrilling addition to the world of motorcycling, featuring women riders competing on a global stage.

Key details about the new series were revealed in a press conference held during the Prometeon Spanish Round at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto with FIM President Jorge Viegas, FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission Director Janika Judeika, WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla and Yamaha Motor Europe President and CEO Eric de Seynes.

The 2024 FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship will comprise six rounds and one pre-season test, all integrated within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.

1. Emilia Romagna Round, Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” – June 14th-16th
2. UK Round, Donington Park Circuit – July 12th-14th
3. Portuguese Round, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – August 9th-11th
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit – August 23rd-25th
5. Italian Round, Cremona Circuit – September 20th-22nd
6. Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto – October 18th- 20th

During each round, the action will unfold as follows: Superpoles on Friday, Race 1 on Saturday, and Race 2 on Sunday, offering fans a full weekend of adrenaline-pumping racing.

Yamaha, with their Yamaha YZF-R7 model, will serve as the single manufacturer for the Championship.

The follow article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff

The following is from the Team Hammer, Inc announcement to MotoAmerica

Team Hammer, Inc. has signed with Suzuki Motor, USA LLC to compete in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup series with the newly homologated GSX-8R for the next two seasons, in addition to the team already racing GSX-R1000Rs in MotoAmerica Superbike and GSX-R750s in MotoAmerica Supersport. Following the new agreement, Team Hammer has contracted Rossi Moor, age 16, to race a Suzuki GSX-8R in Twins Cup. The multi-year contract includes opportunities to advance into Supersport and beyond.

Moor has already had notable results and joins a long list of talented competitors who have launched their professional careers with Team Hammer over the last four decades.

“I’m super excited about the whole thing. It’s a great opportunity and an honor for me. I’m ready to do my best,” said Moor. “I have known people from Team Hammer since I was a kid, and I always wanted to race for the team one day. Also, my dad was a huge Suzuki fan when I was growing up, so he had some of those cool bikes. To get to race one myself now is something I always wanted, too.”

After racing and winning in the U.S., Hungarian-American Moor won the 2022 FIM Northern Talent Cup in Europe with five wins and 10 podiums in 14 events. “That series was seen as a gateway to GP racing, so the competition was very tough,” said Moor, who was born in Oregon and has dual American and Hungarian citizenship. Moor also raced in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship as a wild card. “There were usually seven guys within a 10th of the leader. If you were a half-second off, you might have been 18th, so not even in the points. Racing hard in Europe is an ‘everyday’ thing. It forced me to learn fast against serious competition.”

A serious wrist injury suffered late in the 2022 season put Moor’s 2023 plans in doubt, but after undergoing reconstructive surgery, the Portland, Oregon resident raced in MotoAmerica Junior Cup last season. He finished second in the championship with two wins and a total of five podium finishes. “Due to my injury, it wasn’t sure what we were going to do last year. We ended up getting our bike the day before we had to leave for Road Atlanta. We raced it out of our van, and I got to learn a lot along the way. I’m ready for this season, and it has always been my dream to race for Team Hammer, a professional team with a long line of success.”

Team Hammer Vice President of Operations Chris Ulrich says Moor is the type of young racer who can benefit from Team Hammer’s racing experience. “He’s a young, hard charger. We’ve been watching him for a long time, over here in the Mini Cup and Junior Cup and also his results in Europe,” said Ulrich. “We’re excited to return to the Twins Cup class with Suzuki and the GSX-8R. It’s been a fun category for us. We had good success with Suzuki SV650s in Twins Cup both seasons we entered, winning the championship in 2019 and 2020–and we’re looking forward to rolling the 8R out at Daytona. With our infrastructure and the new Suzuki GSX-8R, we think we can do great things working with Rossi and Suzuki.”