The following is from Yamaha…
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong capped off a flawless weekend with a dominant Race 2 victory at Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. His fourth consecutive win moved him within five points of the championship lead. Teammate Jake Gagne battled in a fierce multi-rider fight for the podium, ultimately crossing the line fifth.
Fong continued to top the timesheets in morning warm-up, and then got a great start in Race 2 to take the lead from pole position. Although he was passed on that opening lap, he stayed close and reclaimed the lead on Lap 3 after the championship leader crashed in Turn 1. From there, Fong continued to set a blistering pace and built a comfortable gap up front, securing his fourth win by a 14-second margin. It was a perfect weekend for the Northern Californian, who led every session, and won both races, advancing him to second in the championship and closing the gap to within five points of the leader.
Gagne continued his progress and was fourth in the morning warmup. In sixth after the start of Race 2, he made his way to fourth by the second lap and then to third after the frontrunner crashed on the following lap. Locked in a multi-rider fight for the podium, Gagne was third until the final laps, when he dropped back to fifth. The Colorado rider stayed in the fight but ultimately would cross the line fifth to finish the weekend with a pair of top-five finishes, maintaining fourth in the standings.
Next up for the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team is Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on August 15-17.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“I always hate to predict an outcome, but we had a really good idea this race was going to go the same way. Bobby did what we asked him to do — he kept a good, solid pace, put the pressure on the competition, and got us into a good position in the championship. Jake is still working on getting back to full strength, but has made some progress. We’re still not counting the championship points. We just want to go out and keep on winning, and show how good this R1 really is.”
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #50
“It’s good to get two wins this weekend and keep the momentum going. The crew deserves it. We’ve been working hard and making progress. I’m just happy to close in on the gap in the championship. I’m looking forward to Mid-Ohio and hopefully getting two Yamahas on the box.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #32
“The bike was working really well. It was just a tough weekend for me, dealing with my stuff and getting stronger, but Mid-Ohio will be better. Congrats to Bobby for getting another win for the team.”
The following is from Suzuki…
Suzuki Motor USA reeled in ten top ten finishes, including multiple top fives – highlighted by a spectacular twin Superbike podium – as the MotoAmerica season made its annual stop at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly earned his first podium of the 2025 Superbike season on Sunday. Kelly had been plenty fast on the GSX-R1000R throughout and had come incredibly close on multiple occasions – finishing fourth six times, including in Saturday’s Superbike Race 1. But it all finally came together in Sunday’s rematch, when Kelly successfully countered teammate Richie Escalante’s last-lap pass with one of his own to finish as the race’s runner-up.
SDK said, “That was unbelievable. We’ve been working really hard since the start of the season, which feels like two years ago. I think everyone knew this was coming; but it’s one thing knowing and another actually making it happen. I’m really happy with the work we’ve done. A huge thank you to the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team – those guys have worked so hard. This feels so good to be back. I’m so, so excited.”
Escalante completed the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki double podium by claiming the checkered flag fractions of a second behind Kelly. Escalante found his form at VIR on the GSX-R1000R during Sunday’s race after finishing ninth on Saturday as a result of a mid-race mishap. The Mexican threw haymaker after haymaker to claw his way forward and ultimately finish in third.
“I’m really happy, honestly,” Escalante said. “We started the weekend with many problems, but my team did an amazing job. Every session I felt better and better. Today’s race was insane. It’s amazing to have both of us finish on the podium. Big thanks to my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for an amazing job and believing in me. We’re going to enjoy this moment and be ready for Ohio.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott battled it out in Supersport duty all weekend long despite riding at less than full health. After qualifying fifth aboard the team’s next-generation GSX-R750, the hard-charging pilot came out on top of a three-rider scrap for sixth in Saturday’s Race 1. Scott pulled off the same feat in a four-way fight for fourth on Sunday, passing his way up to the position on the final lap and then successfully executing a late break to lock down the spot at the checkered flag.
Scott said, “Going into the weekend, I had a sore shoulder from being taken out by another rider at a practice day about ten days ago, then had some respiratory issues on top of that. Saturday, I wasn’t feeling that great, and the weekend became about doing as well as I could at less than 100%. Sunday, I felt better. The bike was great, and this time I was able to battle more, so we got fourth. This doesn’t seem like it will be a problem at Ohio, so I am looking forward to those races.”
Scott’s Supersport compatriot, Max VanDenBrouck, enjoyed an impressive weekend himself. Starting from eleventh, Max Van raced his way to his third top-ten result of the season aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750, crossing the line in 10th on Saturday. He nearly did so again on Sunday, coming home a very respectable 11th.
“I like riding at VIR, so every lap I enjoyed,” VanDenBrouck said. “We qualified 11th, finished 10 in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2. I was able to maintain my qualifying position in the races. The starts went better, and I was able to be aggressive early. The team worked flawlessly all weekend. With Mid-Ohio two weeks away, I will go home and work out hard to be ready.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin saw his weekend start off in unreal fashion – claiming pole position for the Twins Cup class by a margin of more than two seconds. Unfortunately, he suffered a crash on the opening lap of Race 1 after leaping out into the early lead. The reigning Junior Cup champ bounced back with a top five on Sunday, finishing fifth on the team’s Suzuki GSX-8R.
Chapin said, “I thought it was a pretty good weekend overall. I crashed out in the first race and had an arm pump issue early in the second one, so I didn’t get the results we have been getting at other rounds. We were still pretty competitive, though. We’re working on reducing some wheelspin, and I’m confident the team will continue improving the bike for us next time.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers continued to showcase his developing literbike chops by demonstrating consistent pace aboard the team’s Stock 1000-spec GSX-R1000. Landers qualified on the second row, from where he logged seventh- and sixth-place results, the latter matching his best result on the 1000cc machine to date.
“Our best weekend so far,” said Landers. “Race 1 was one of the best times I have felt on the bike and Race 2 was the best. We’re getting closer and learning more every time. I got to ride the 1000 in the rain and the rider aids made it very controllable. We’re looking forward to racing again and continue to make improvements.”
The 2025 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumes on August 15-17 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati had a tough weekend as MotoAmerica returned to one of North America’s premier racing venues at Virginia International Raceway for round six.
Herrin secured a hard-fought third place in the first race on the number one Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R to secure solid points on the podium.
Race two, however, did not go to plan. After taking the lead with a decisive early pass, Herrin tried to make a break for it but lost the front of the motorcycle at turn one, sliding into the wet grass on the outside of the track.
Herrin’s motorcycle suffered damage to the right handlebar and throttle assembly, necessitating an emergency pit stop that dropped Herrin to 15th and several laps down on the leaders.
Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team refused to give in, and even with victory hopes dashed, Herrin still made it back on track to finish 14th and gain two championship points ultimately.
Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team remain optimistic and still lead the series points with three rounds to go.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#1)
“It’s obviously not what we wanted, but that’s racing,” Herrin philosophically said. “It happens, but that’s why we worked as hard as we did all year to get the points advantage. I didn’t need to win today, but I also wanted to give it my best shot. A win is always preferable to a second or third-place finish.
“I felt better than in race one on Saturday. I’m not sure if I had the bike to win today, but I was pushing hard and lost the front. I tried to hold on, and it helped a little, but I ended up on the ground. Thanks to my Warhorse HSBK Ducati team for getting the bike back together in the pits so we could get two points. Every point counts in the championship.
“We are going into Mid-Ohio and CoTA in Texas next, which are two of the best tracks for me and the Ducati Panigale V4 R. Sometimes weekends like this happen. It’s not the end of the world, but on the bright side, out of the next three tracks go to (Mid-Ohio, CoTA, and New Jersey Motorsports Park) for the rest of the year, we took seven race wins last year, so we’re ready to go.”
Round seven of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held in one week at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 8-10, 2025.
The following is from Robem Engineering…
Robem Engineering’s Alessandro Di Mario had a chance to clinch his second consecutive MotoAmerica Twins Cup title this past weekend when the series visited Virginia International Raceway, and he ended up doing more than enough to get that job done.
The Twins Cup sophmore and 2024 Twins Cup champ successfully defended his No. 1 plate at the Aug. 1-3 event, winning both races and capturing Robem Engineering’s third Twins Cup title in the last five years. Di Mario has now won seven races in a row.
Di Mario’s teammate, Hank Vossberg, continued his impressive rookie campaign in Twins Cup, as he narrowly claimed another runner-up finish on Saturday and a hard-fought third place on Sunday.
Less than ideal track conditions greeted the Robem Engineering riders at the start of the weekend. Di Mario finished Friday morning practice in third place and Vossberg in eighth. Friday afternoon’s Qualifying 1 session was cancelled due to inclement weather, so the lone Twins Cup qualifying session of the weekend took place Saturday morning. Di Mario secured third place on the grid – his first time not being on pole this season. Vossberg qualified right behind his teammate in fourth place.
The start to Saturday’s Race 1 saw Di Mario battling with several other riders for the lead. By Lap 6 of the 13-lap race, Di Mario had assumed the lead and began building a gap to the rest of the field. He took the win by a margin of 3.422 seconds, and an early race crash for one of Di Mario’s championship rivals allowed him to clinch the title with three races to go this season. Vossberg battled with another rider late in the race for the last two steps on the podium, completing a 1-2 finish with his teammate by a mere 0.002 seconds.
Sunday afternoon’s Race 2 was more typical of Di Mario, as he led every lap and took his second win of the weekend by more than 4.5 seconds. Vossberg ended up securing his second podium finish of the weekend when he finished third. He missed out on another second-place finish by 0.059 seconds.
The final MotoAmerica Twins Cup round of 2025 takes place Sept. 26-28 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
Alessandro Di Mario / No. 1
“The race weekend was really good. I had two good starts, and the plan all along was to break away at the front. That’s what happened, and I’m really happy with how that went. I want to thank the team for how much they helped me out this weekend.”
Hank Vossberg / No. 131
“What a great weekend here at VIR. It went really well – better than I expected. I podiumed in both Twins Cup races, and the bike felt amazing. I didn’t get the start I wanted in Race 1 but was just able to get second place at the finish line. I got a better start today and am still happy with another podium finish.”
The following is from Real Steel Honda…
MotoAmerica Superbikes at VIRginia event held August 1 – 3, 2025, at Virginia International Raceway.
JD Beach had an unbeaten weekend at VIR with MotoAmerica topping both Stock 1000 races and finishing first in both Superbike Cup races. Hayden Gillim showed his perseverance this weekend getting back up after a crash in Superbike race 1 and pushing through to finish 15th and then in Superbike race 2 being able to keep with the battle for 2nd through 6th as a highlight. Ian Fraley had his best finish in Talent Cup with an 8th in Race 1.
Saturday JD was able to qualify on pole for Stock 1000 and that time placed him 13th on the grid for the Superbike races. Hayden qualified 7th for the Superbike races and Ian qualified 12th in the Talent cup class. In the first Stock 1000 race JD led from start to finish, taking a hard-fought win which was his first in the Stock 1000 class. In Superbike Hayden suffered a crash on lap 2 but was able to pick up the bike and bring it home in 15th place, salvaging 1 championship point while JD was able to move forward and finish in 6th place and as the Superbike cup winner. In the Talent cup race Ian was in a 3-rider battle emerging with his best finish of the year in 8th place.
On Sunday JD again won the Stock 1000 class but this time it was in a race long battle and did not take the lead until the final lap. JD gained ground in the Stock 1000 championship and now sits in 2nd place with 112 points and is 10 points back from the leader in the championship standings. In Talent cup race 2 Ian finished in 12 place and is in 13th place in the championship standings with 37 points. Hayden was able to run towards the front keeping the battle for 2nd place in sight finishing in 6th place while JD finished in 8th place in Superbike Race 2 and as first in the Superbike cup. In the Superbike championship standings. JD is in 7th place in the Superbike championship with Hayden right behind in 8th place while JD leads the Superbike cup championship with 300 points.
Real Steel Honda Racing is proudly supported by American Honda, HRC, Progressive Insurance, Pro Honda Oils. Southern Honda Powersports, Steel Commander Corp, Idemitsu, Comstock Energy LLC, Vesrah, K-Tech suspension, Orient Express, Dunlop, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, CRC Body Work, Vortex, Evol Technology and REB Graphics.
Hayden Gillim – Rider #69: “Going into the weekend at VIR I was really excited just to get back there. I have really good success in Supersport and Stock 1000 there. Friday started off well and then we got derailed a bit on Saturday. Ended up crashing in race 1 with another rider and managed to get up and finish 15th for a point. Sunday for race 2 we went back to settings we knew had worked previously and had some good speed. I was able to get myself onto the back end of the 2nd place battle but just couldn’t make anything happen to get into the fight. Coming away with a 6th place and some good data was great and Mid-Ohio is next which should be a really good track for the Honda.”
JD Beach – Rider #95: “After the improvements we made with the bike and my riding at Laguna I was really looking forward to VIR. It had been since 2019 that I had raced at VIR but it’s a track I’ve really enjoyed in the past.
The weekend got off to a rocky start on Friday and Saturday morning. The team had to do a motor swap before the first race Saturday but got it done with time to spare. In the rainy qualifying we were able to snag pole for the Stock 1000 race. That was the first time I had started from pole since 2018, so I was a bit nervous to say the least. I was able to get a great jump and lead every lap on my way to my first Stock 1000 win on the Honda CBR-1000RR-R SP Fireblade. Later in the day I was able to bring home a solid 6th in SBK and notching another win in Superbike Cup.
Sunday was an intense battle in the Stock race. We got another hole shot but only led a lap or two. We had a great battle with Jayson all race long, with Ashton and Andrew right behind us. I kept trying to make a pass stick on Jayson but had to wait until the last lap going into turn three. Once I got past him, I knew I needed to run a perfect lap to beat him to the line. My Honda didn’t let me down and we brought home another win.
Superbike was another good race, bringing home an 8th place. Not my most special race but we did improve our pace from Stock and got the Superbike Cup win. So, all in all VIR was a great weekend and a big points haul for us in Stock 1000.”
Ian Fraley – Rider #10: “I was coming back from a rough weekend at Mid-Ohio, and I came to VIR more prepared than ever. I was focused and determined to improve my results. My team had a good plan for me going into this weekend and I was able to execute it. Saturdays Race 1 proved to be my best finish to date. Sunday race 2 I put my head down and dropped my time by more than 2 seconds. My team has my bike dialed in and now I need to work on qualifying better. The Real Steel Honda team has really worked hard to get me comfortable on the bike and I feel it’s starting to click.”
David Carmody – GM Southern Honda Powersports: “Southern Honda Powersports congratulates JD on sweeping the Stock 1000 races at VIR with 2 victories and is proud to be a part of the Real Steel Honda family for 2025. Southern Honda Powersports will be in attendance at the next round at Mid-Ohio in the vendor area – come by and check out our Honda motorcycles, accessories and team apparel.”
The following is from OrangeCat Racing…
The OrangeCat Racing duo of Andrew Lee and Jayson Uribe had another round of positive results Aug. 1-3 at Virginia International Raceway. The pair each earned one podium finish in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race and an additional top-five finish in Saturday’s contest. And Lee continues to be the Stock 1000 championship points leader as the season begins to wind to a close.
Both riders finished in the top five in Saturday’s Stock 1000 race before claiming the final two steps on the podium in Sunday’s contest – with Uribe narrowly missing out on clinching his second win of the 2025 season.
Both Lee and Uribe were at or near the top of the time sheets on Friday. Lee was the fastest rider in Friday morning practice by a margin of 0.550 seconds, and Uribe finished that session third-fastest. The first of two qualifying sessions took place Friday afternoon, but inclement track conditions didn’t allow riders to show their true pace. When qualifying wrapped up on Saturday morning, Lee and Uribe had secured third and seventh on the starting grid, respectively, for the weekend’s two Stock 1000 races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 saw both OrangeCat Racing riders a little off the race-leading pace. Lee finished Lap 1 in third place, but a mistake on Lap 2 dropped him to fifth in the running order. Uribe had moved up to fourth place by the end of the first lap, and Uribe and Lee finished the race in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Sunday’s Race 2 brought better fortunes for Uribe, as he led every lap except for the last one. Uribe ended up finishing in second place as he was beaten to the finish line by another rider by a mere 0.055 seconds. Lee wasn’t far behind his teammate, as he ran most of the race in fourth place before joining his teammate on the podium with a late-race push to secure a third-place finish.
With their positive results from VIR in the books, Lee continues to lead the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 points standings by 10 points with four races remaining. Uribe isn’t far off his teammate’s position in the standings, as he’s in third place and just 18 points behind second place.
The next MotoAmerica Stock 1000 round takes place Aug. 15-17 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Jayson Uribe / No. 36
“It was a weekend full of ups and downs for the OrangeCat crew, but we ended it on a high note with a good performance on Sunday. The Friday and Saturday qualifying session were difficult due to the wet track conditions, as well as just trying to put in some clean laps with all the traffic out there. In Race 1, I lost touch with the front pack in the early laps of the race. We were able to bring home a fourth-place finish, and we learned from that experience and made improvements for Race 2. The team worked hard all night to give me a motorcycle I could fight for the win with. We got a good start in the race and led for most of the race. Overall, I was happy to be back out at the front. The OrangeCat crew worked hard all weekend and overcame adversity in a very commendable manner. I’m looking forward to being back racing at the next round at Mid-Ohio.”
Andrew Lee / No. 14
“It was definitely not an easy weekend at VIR. I felt great Friday morning, but the weather interrupted our game plan. We faltered a little bit Saturday and got caught out finishing in fifth. That was not due to a lack of effort from the team, who worked hard to come up with a new game plan for Sunday. We tried a modified setup in Sunday warm-up, but a red flag cut that session short. So, we just had to go with what we had for Sunday’s race. We were running near the front the whole race, but just wasn’t quite strong enough in spots to move further forward. The team and I are fired up to get back to racing at Mid-Ohio.”
Jeff Connors / Team Manager
“Our team went through some adversity in Race 1. We made a mistake on Jayson’s bike by mounting the incorrect tire compound on the rear. Jayson ran a great race to bring it home fourth. We made some changes to our processes avoid these mistakes in the future. We win and lose as a team, but that one is on me. The same can be said for Andrew. The tire was not what we should have raced on, and he did an incredible job bringing it home in fifth. I am proud of the team for coming back strong on Sunday to bring home a double podium. And congratulations to J.D. Beach! As a race fan, his performance at VIR was very entertaining.”
The following is from FLO4LAW SBU Racing…
MotoAmerica’s return to Virginia International Raceway for the first time since 2022 was a challenging affair but as the team leave VIR, they are optimistic of a return to better times at the next round of the series in Mid-Ohio in a fortnight.
In Superbike, Ben Smith started the weekend strongly although a limited number of laps in Free Practice but both him and the Flo4Law SBU squad on the back foot leading into qualifying. A rain affected first qualifying did not help either. Ben eventually qualified tenth, on row four of the grid, ahead of the two twenty-lap races.
Making the most of a fast start in Saturday afternoon’s opening race, Ben gained places on the opening lap before an untimely crash put him out of contention. A technical issue curtailed the #78’s chances of redemption on Sunday.
Bobby Davies had an excellent weekend. Riding at VIR for the first time, he quickly learned the circuit before producing an encouraging result in the only dry qualifying session on Saturday morning. Lining up fifteenth, he rode well to finish thirteenth, to secure his first points of the season, in the Stock1000 opener. Bobby was able to continue to build through Sunday and after a positive warm up he raced to a career best ninth in Sunday’s second race.
The next round of the 2025 MotoAmerica championship takes place at Mid-Ohio in a fortnight.
Benjamin Smith: “I was optimistic going into the weekend as I’ve had decent results at VIR in the past. I got my first podium in Supersport there so going into Friday I was feeling good. Friday was one of those days where we just working through some things and then the weather rolled in, but it was what it was. Saturday morning, we came up with a plan, but I was struggling with a few things on the bike and me just wrapping my head around riding a superbike. The session ended with a small issue which was frustrating as we know we need to qualify better, and we have a good plan to resolve that moving forward. In race one I made a few places and felt good but then there was contact with another rider. Looking back at the footage it really was just a racing incident. There’s a couple of lines through where we went down. Annoying and not how I wanted race one to go but sometimes you just have to move on. Warm up on Sunday we continued to work through some things and then it was time to race. Unfortunately, I had to retire the bike due to a mechanical issue. We could see on the data what was wrong, and it wasn’t something we could fix. In summary it was a tough weekend, but we need to keep our heads up. I will continue to give my best and I know when it all comes together, I know we will be able to run at the front. I know what me and this team are capable of. We have three rounds left to make it happen so let’s keep moving forward.”
Bobby Davies: “It was an interesting weekend. I was able to do the track walk with Ben (Smith) and was able to get his perspective on the track which was good as it was my first time at VIR. The plan in Free Practice was to do as many laps as possible to learn. It rained for first qualifying and the plan was the same – to get a banker lap, not crash and then focus and work towards final qualifying. Saturday came and it was still raining. I stayed out the whole time and we were able to qualify P15. Race one on Saturday afternoon went pretty well. I was fighting for the top ten, but we learned a lot about what we could change for Sunday. The changes we made overnight made the bike easier to ride. I made another decent start in Race 2 but then there was a red flag. The restart was only nine laps. I am excited for the result we were able to achieve. It’s our first single digit finish in Stock1000 and I am so thankful to the whole Flo4Law SBU crew and all our sponsors and supporters.”
Flo Moreno – Team Principal: “Bobby crushed it, earning his first top ten with a stellar ninth in Stock1000. That’s all him, backed by the sweat and smarts of Shon, Mike, Jonathan, and Matthew, who kept that bike humming. The Superbike side’s been a tougher fight. Ben’s got a rare kind of talent—anyone around the track can see it, and it’s why we teamed up with SBU to put him on a bike that should be a rocket. But with a crash in race one and mechanical issues killing race two, we’re not there yet. It’s on the whole team to lock in, listen to Ben’s feedback, and sort out these bike issues so he can show what he’s got. Huge thanks to our crew, partners, and fans for sticking with us. We are working on it, and I’m confident we’ll get Ben’s ride as consistent as his skill. Trust the process.”
Freddy Carswell – Team Principal: “VIR was a really challenging weekend for us. We went into the round with high expectations because we know how good our package is and what Ben’s level is, but we had a very strange electronics sensor issue that was causing an intermittent problem that made the bike feel very inconsistent. We did make some forward progress with setup and electronics overall, but this problem really put a wrench in the gears in terms of our consistency. I would like to thank Ben for putting his best effort forward and for the team for working so hard, but unfortunately, we just didn’t get to show what we are capable of this weekend. We are working diligently to resolve the issue and to make sure that our remaining rounds are at the level we should be. Congratulations to Bobby for his P9 finish in the Stock1000 class. Hats off to him and his crew for a great result.”
The following is from Karns/TST…
The Karns/TST Industries Racing Team rolled into Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup series with determination and momentum. From unpredictable weather to mechanical heartbreak, the weekend delivered a full spectrum of challenges, and glimpses of brilliance.
Levi Badie came into VIR hungry after a strong showing at Laguna Seca, and despite a disrupted qualifying session, he proved once again why he’s one of the most exciting riders on the grid. After Q1 was canceled due to weather and Q2 ran in wet conditions, Badie qualified 9th. In Race 1, Levi charged to the front, even leading the race before a heartbreaking low-side crash in the final corner took him out of podium contention while running second. Levi showed championship-level pace and composure. It’s racing, and sometimes you push the limits to the edge. In Race 2, a chaotic start dropped Badie back in the pack, but he stayed focused and rode a smart, consistent race to bring home 8th place and valuable points.
Isaac Woodworth delivered one of his most promising performances to date, qualifying a stellar 5th in the wet conditions, not bad for never seeing the track before. Running strong in Race 1, finishing 7th. Isaac looked poised for a breakout in Race 2 but, while running 5th, a mechanical issue forced him to retire mid-race. Isaac continues to show growth, confidence, and pace. We’re proud of the steps he’s taking, and there’s no doubt big results are just around the corner.
Elisa Gendron Belén Making her return from an international appearance at the Women’s World Championship round in Hungary, brought her fighting spirit to VIR for her debut at the technical Virginia circuit. Despite it being her first time at the track, she steadily improved throughout the weekend, qualifying 28th out of 33 riders. Elisa finished 24th in Race 1 and 26th in Race 2, cutting her lap times and gaining crucial experience in a competitive field. Elisa showed drive and adaptability coming off a world championship race and jumping straight into a new track. Her energy is infectious, and we’re excited for what’s ahead.
With one round remaining, the team now regroups and refocuses for the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park this September. Every rider has shown strength, speed, and the hunger to push forward, and the Karns TST Industries Racing Team is ready to close out the season with purpose.
The following is from Altus Motorsports…
Round 6 of the 2025 MotoAmerica Championship at VIRginia International Raceway was a weekend of grit and determination for the Altus Motorsports team. With two riders still nursing injuries from earlier rounds, a first-time track for others, and a competitive Twins Cup field, the team fought through pain and adversity to bring home valuable championship points.
Supersport
Still recovering from a crash at Laguna Seca, Jake Lewis lined up 9th for Race 1 and toughed out the 17-lap contest to bring his Yamaha YZF-R9 home in 9th place despite significant rib pain. Unfortunately, the discomfort proved too great to safely compete in Race 2, and Lewis withdrew to focus on recovery.
Also riding injured, Jaret Nassaney has been dealing with lingering neck and back issues from his crash at The Ridge. Starting 17th in Race 1, he finished 16th, then suffered an issue on the grid before Race 2. Forced to start from pit lane, Nassaney charged from the back to finish 15th, salvaging points.
Jaret Nassaney: “Yeah, unfortunately, my neck and back are still a bit injured from the crash at The Ridge. I’m not finishing where I want because of it. I’m trying to get it healthy before Mid-Ohio.”
On his first visit to VIR, Torin Collins picked up the track quickly on his Suzuki GSX-R750, starting both races from 12th. In Race 1, he finished where he started in 12th, but in Race 2, he fought forward to claim an impressive 8th place.
Torin Collins: “First time at Virginia wasn’t as straightforward as I’d planned, but I picked up the track quickly and managed to put myself inside the top 10 on day one. We learned so much—about myself and as a team—this round, and I was able to push hard in Race 2 to earn a well-deserved 8th place. I’m now up to 9th in the championship, and I’m determined to keep climbing the ladder in the last couple of rounds. The team has been amazing, and I’m so proud of what we’re achieving together.”
Owen Williams started both races from 18th on the grid aboard his Suzuki GSX-R750. In Race 1, he improved one spot to 17th, then made a bigger leap in Race 2 to finish 12th, showing solid pace and progress throughout the weekend.
Owen Williams: “This was only my second time at VIR, and my first on the 750. It’s a great track but definitely challenging. Friday and Saturday were spent learning, but Sunday’s race was a blast. I was in a fun three-bike battle and decided to play it smart by not leading the group. I waited until the last two laps and worked my way past them one by one to take 12th at the line.”
Twins Cup
Seth Dahmer lined up 8th for his Twins Cup races aboard the Suzuki GSX-8R — his best qualifying yet — despite having only 12 laps of track time at VIR before the weekend. In Race 1, he brought home a 9th-place finish, adding more points to his rookie season tally. In Race 2, Dahmer fought hard but crossed the line in 12th, continuing to gain valuable race craft in a competitive field.
Seth Dahmer: “VIR went well. Friday qualifying was canceled, so I only got one qualifying. It was a drying session, and on a red flag, I decided to try a slick rear — one of only two to make that call. It was the tire to be on, and I went 8th fastest, my best qualifying yet. Both races were good, solid races that definitely improved me as a rider.”
Team owner George Nassaney commented, “We went into VIR with high hopes. Unfortunately, Jake and Jaret are still dealing with previous injuries. Torin and Owen did amazing in Sunday’s race and for Jaret to start from pit lane in last place and work his way back up to 15th was great to watch his fight. Seth rode well in Twins Cup. Mid-Ohio is in two weeks, and we will be ready to battle again. Just want to say thank you to all of our sponsors who help us compete at this level.”
The team now heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Round 7 where they aim to keep building momentum and get all riders back to full strength.
