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.
After an incredible substitute showing in the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike class with Yamaha. JD Beach has found a home for the 2024 Superbike Season. This morning JD Beach announced via the MotoAmerica youtube channel that he has signed a deal with Tytlers Cycle Racing to race a superbike program for 2024. You can view the video here:
As far as we know JD Beach will be riding along side Cameron Beaubier for a dual Superbike effort. However, no official statement has been made regarding Beaubier’s return. The following statement was released at the time of that Beaubier’s decision to sit out the remainder of the season. Team principal, Michael Kiley stated, “I respect Cam’s decision to sit out the rest of this season. The effect he has had on our program with BMW has been great. We look forward to many more podiums next year.”
With JD Beach and presumably Cameron Beaubier, Tytlers may have secured the riders they need to make a run at the Steel Commander Superbike Championship.
This article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
The following is from Vance & Hines Motorsports…
Vance & Hines Motorsports, a leading force in the world of motorcycle racing, will defend its MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Championship with the man who won the title in 2023, Hayden Gillim. Gillim will lead a two-rider RevZilla/Mission/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team and will be joined by rising star Rocco Landers.
Hayden is coming off his best season of racing to date, highlighted by his Mission King Of The Baggers Championship on the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide. In a battle that went to the final round in New Jersey, Hayden came out on top with three victories and 10 podiums in 14 races, including eight podiums in a row when it mattered most to close out the season.
“We had a great season last year and winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship was a highlight for me,” Gillim said. “We had to come from behind to catch up, but we got the results when we needed them at the end. I’m a family man and the Vance & Hines team is really like a big family. Everyone on the team worked hard for our success and I’m looking forward to trying to defend our championship. I can’t wait to get started and Daytona can’t get here soon enough.”
Landers will be making his Mission King Of The Baggers debut at Daytona International Speedway in March. Landers, a two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion and the 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, is the win leader in both of those classes with 15 Twins Cup victories and 29 Junior Cup wins. Additionally, Landers has four victories in the highly competitive Supersport class, which gives him victories in three different MotoAmerica classes and 48 wins overall.
“I’m so excited for the season to get here,” Landers said. “I’ve never had an opportunity like this, and I plan on making the most of it. I got the chance to test the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson this off-season and I felt comfortable on it straight away. It will be a lot of fun racing in that class, and I can learn a lot from Hayden (Gillim) and the team. Let’s go racing.”
“I’m really happy with the team we’ve put together for the 2024 season,” said Vance & Hines Motorsport owner Terry Vance. “We’ve got a good mix with Hayden (Gillim) and Rocco (Landers) and I know we’re going to get good results from both of them. Hayden had a tremendous year and brought us our first King Of The Baggers title and we know he will be at the front again this year fighting to defend that title. Rocco brings a lot of youth to the team, and I think he will be a quick study and will surprise people with his speed on the Bagger.”
With rider announcements pouring in from all directions during this holiday season. The latest to be released was that from return MotoAmerica. After a successful pilot campaign their first year in the MotoAmerica series, FLO4Law Racing have announced their plans to participate as a full season team for the 2024 season.
Ben Smith had the following words, “After a somewhat sporadic 2023 season, I was pleased to find my feet in the second half of the year after an immense amount of work to get there. I feel as if I really started to gel with the big bike during that time, and I notched a podium in our first outing. FLO4LAW Racing helped get me back on track last season, and that partnership has carried over into what looks to be a very promising 2024 campaign.
We have our eyes set on the Stock 1000 Championship, however, keeping myself sharp by racing against the Superbike field will be a key aspect to our plan. I can’t thank FLO4LAW Racing enough for the incredible opportunity they have provided me, along with my additional sponsors who have stood behind my career. I am looking forward to rewarding them with great results in 2024.”
“I am truly blessed and grateful to be a part of FLO4LAW Racing. 2023 was a great year for us. We were able to grow as a team and learn the ins and outs of MotoAmerica. Together, towards the end of the year, we had gotten faster and were closer to where we wanted to be. I would like to thank Flo, Matt, and Shon at FLO4LAW Racing for believing in me and taking a chance on me. Benjamin is super fast and a very talented racer. Having him on the team is a huge addition to FLO4LAW Racing, and I am excited for the 2024 race season.”
Ben Smith and Bobby Davies will compete in both Stock 1000 and the Steel Commander Superbike Championship.
The following article was not authored by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
The following is from Rahal Ducati Moto…
Team owners Bobby and Graham Rahal, who announced the formation of Rahal Ducati Moto just two months ago, confirmed today they are adding a third bike to their Rahal Ducati Moto (RDM) team.
2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander will join the RDM stable aboard a Ducati Panigale V2 in the MotoAmerica Supersport class, alongside teammates PJ Jacobsen and Kayla Yaakov. However, his bike will carry a different primary sponsor, Kentucky-based Roller Die and Forming, a Custom Roll Form Manufacturing company.
The three-rider team, which has five-time AMA Champion, 2009 World Superbike Champion and MotoGP race winner Ben Spies as team principal, is set to make its mark in the upcoming MotoAmerica season, which commences with the 82nd running of the historic Daytona 200, a non-points-paying Supersport race that will take place at Daytona International Speedway, March 7-9.
Graham Rahal, Rahal Ducati Moto Co-Owner:
“After discussions with the team and our partners, we recognized that introducing a third bike to the RDM team would bring an advantage in our inaugural year in MotoAmerica. With three riders providing valuable feedback to the technicians, it accelerates our learning curve and boosts our overall competitiveness. Corey’s track record as a proven winner and champion reinforces our belief that incorporating this third bike will contribute to our success in the Supersport class.”
Ray Hammons, President of Roller Die and Forming:
“We have closely followed Corey’s journey over the past several years, always believing in his impressive talent. Our confidence in his abilities has only strengthened over time. Consequently, the decision to support Rahal Ducati Moto in fielding a third bike with Corey at the helm is not just a strategic move but underscores our commitment to fostering home-grown talent. We can’t wait to see Corey aboard his Ducati in Daytona in March!”
Ben Spies, Rahal Ducati Moto Team Principal:
“We’re really happy to announce Corey on the team and having a third bike will add another set of data points which can only be a positive. I’ve been friends with Corey for a while, he’s shown his talent in winning the Superstock Championship back in 2022, and everyone has a lot of respect for him and the Alexander name. We’re excited to put this all together.”
Corey Alexander:
“I’m super excited for the opportunity to join the Rahal family on this new endeavor in the MotoAmerica Supersport class. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a middleweight bike but I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to being a part of the progression of this entire effort. I have to extend a special thanks to Ray and everyone at Roller Die & Forming for the tremendous support. It’s going to be a fun year alongside PJ and Kayla!”
This morning Westby Racing released a statement that they will no longer be operating the team effective immediately. The team has cited health concerns regarding team owner Tyrg Westby who has been a staple of the MotoAmerica series since its inception.
The follow is from a statement released by MotoAmerica on behalf of Westby Racing
“This is one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make in my entire life,” Westby said. “I’ve been dealing with a lot of health issues over the past few years, and it’s been getting more and more difficult for me to get to the races. So, after a lot of careful thought, I’ve decided to conclude our long run as an AMA and MotoAmerica race team.
“I started this team with my son Dane, and after he passed, we continued to run the team as an answer to ‘WWDD?,’ which is ‘What Would Dane Do?’ Well, the answer to that was to keep racing because we had unfinished business that we started with Dane. But, now, due to my health, it’s time to close this chapter of the Westby legacy.
“I want to personally thank all the riders, crew members, staff members, sponsors, and team partners—especially Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.—who have worked with us over the years. We had a lot of success and good times together. I wish everyone well in their next endeavors, and I also want to thank MotoAmerica for allowing us to be part of their excellent road racing series.”
Where will Mathew Scholtz Land?
Given the shock surrounding this move it is hard to say where Mathew Scholtz will end up in 2024. With many teams having already announced their 2024 rider lineups. It’s hard to imagine a scenario with Scholtz not having a seat. He is still competing at the top level in MotoAmerica Superbike and it would be an unfortunate exit for what was a year of disappointment for Scholtz spearheaded by a number of unlucky race incidents. However, with racing these things are part of the sport so we will report back when more information is released regarding his plans for 2024.