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.
Josh Herrin during the 82nd running to the Daytona 200. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmericaHeartbreak 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!
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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.”
The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship will be joining the MotoGP paddock this year during the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on 12-14 April 2024. The Baggers will race twice over the weekend in addition to the Mission Challenge where the top 6 qualifiers will compete in a 3 lap shootout for a $5000 prize.
Wayne Rainey, MotoAmerica President: “This is a great opportunity for MotoAmerica and our King Of The Baggers series. Having our teams and riders compete at a MotoGP event is ground-breaking and I know the MotoGP fans are going to be surprised and excited about what they see at COTA.
“I want to thank those at MotoGP who assisted in putting this together and our sponsors, Mission Foods and Parts Unlimited, and the manufacturers. I can’t wait to see the reaction of the MotoGP paddock and fans when they see the Baggers in action.”
This morning Attack Performance Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen announced on his social media channels that he won’t be racing in the upcoming Daytona 200. Petersen is still nursing a broken wrist that cut his 2023 MotoAmerica season short. Petersen stated,
“Unfortunately, I will be sitting out this year’s Daytona 200,” Petersen wrote. “Still trying to get back to full fitness with the wrist. Absolutely gutted that I won’t be lining up with the boys (and girls), but I will be back in 2025. For now, we focus on the big bike.”
MotoAmerica has released the weekend schedule for the Daytona 200 set to take place March 7=9 at Daytona International Speedway. The weekend also marks the opening round for the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, the BellisiMoto Twins Cup Championship and the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
The following article was not authored by Speed Trap magazine Staff
From Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati…
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati is proud to announce that Josh Herrin and former WorldSBK and MotoGP star Loris Baz will front a two-rider Ducati team on the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
In what will undoubtedly be one of the most competitive lineups in MotoAmerica Superbike history, Herrin and Baz will utilize the strengths of the WorldSBK-winning Ducati Panigale V4 R in an attempt to claim a first MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike title for Ducati in the modern era.
Herrin will compete with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati for a third season after claiming the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the 2023 Daytona 200 on the Ducati Panigale V2, and two race wins on the Panigale V4 R in MotoAmerica Superbike, eventually finishing a second overall behind 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne. He is determined to go one better in 2024.
For Baz, the popular Frenchman will be back on American soil after two seasons racing in the WorldSBK Championship. Baz last competed in MotoAmerica for Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati in 2021, finishing fourth in the series standings.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“Last year was a tough one with a big injury, and I wanted to come back to America with the same team I had in 2021. I have always said the people I met in the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati squad were the biggest family I made in racing. We kept in contact during my two WorldSBK years with the hope we would see each other again in the future, so the fact this has happened makes me happy.
“I am back training 100 percent now without any pain in my ankle, and I am really looking forward to seeing all the American fans again. I have kept in touch with many of them since I last competed in MotoAmerica. It’s going to be a great season!”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’m really excited about 2024 and being teammates with Loris Baz,” Herrin said. “The chance to be teammates with Loris was actually one of the reasons that I signed with the team in the first place back at the end of 2021, and although I’ve had two awesome teammates over the past two years, being teammates with Baz was something I really wanted, and I’m happy we’re finally making that happen.
“Having a teammate in MotoAmerica Superbike is going to be huge for the team. With an extra rider, the results should be even better than last year because we will get twice the data, and Loris and I can work together and set up the best bike for our season.”
Bobby Shek (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Team Manager)
“Finally, after three years, we have arrived at a two-rider factory-supported program,” Shek said. “Both Josh and Loris are highly competitive, world-class riders on well-sorted Ducati Superbikes, so we are very optimistic that we will be fighting for wins early in the season.
“We did a good job last year when Josh and the bike were new to each other, and now with another season of data in the bank, we expect even better results.”
Round one of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on April 19-21.