Fong Looks Strong As MotoAmerica Hits VIR

ALTON, Va. — Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong rolled into Virginia International Raceway on a high after winning two of the three races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca a few weeks ago.

Fong kept the hot hand on opening day in Virginia, earning provisional pole position after leading both morning practice and Friday afternoon’s storm-interrupted Q1 session.

Bobby Fong stayed hot on opening day at Virginia International Raceway, earning provisional pole position in Superbike action on Friday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

With severe weather entering the area with some 11 minutes left in the session, Q1 was stopped and ultimately scrapped. To make up for the missed time, Saturday’s Q2 will get an extra 10 minutes.

Fong ripped off a 1:24.568 on his fourth lap in Q1, and that time wasn’t bettered. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly came the closest with his best of 1:24.846 just .278 of a second off Fong’s best.

Championship points leader Josh Herrin completed the provisional front row on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, just .327 of a second slower than Fong’s pace.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier’s return to VIR hadn’t gone smoothly to start as he spent most of the morning session on pit lane. Things turned around, however, for the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion in Q1 as he moved to fourth-fastest, just a tick over half a second off Fong’s pacesetter.

Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne also fared well on Friday, putting his YZF-R1 into fifth – .045 of a second behind Beaubier.

Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and his Yamaha YZF-R9 led the Q1 session for the Motovation Supersport class at VIR on Friday afternoon with two Ducatis nipping at his heels in the form of Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen and Rahal Ducati Moto w/ XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen.

Scholtz’s fast lap was a 1:26.380, which was .298 of a second better than Petersen’s best lap and .606 faster than Jacobsen’s best on the 2.250-mile North Course at VIR.

Strack Racing’s Blake Davis was fourth-fastest, .941 of a second behind his teammate Scholtz, and .221 of a second ahead of fifth-fastest Tyler Scott and his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.

BPR’s Josh Hayes was sixth-fastest, despite suffering through a day of mechanical woes on his Yamaha. Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis ended up seventh and back to health after his scary crash at Laguna Seca on Friday morning that forced him out of the race weekend in California.

Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die’s Corey Alexander and Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov were eighth and ninth, respectively.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg struck first in the Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul with the Wisconsinite earning provisional pole position with his lap of 1:36.462 putting him just .061 of a second ahead of championship points leader Alessandro Di Mario and his Warhorse Ducati/American Racing Krämer APX-350 MA.

Royalty Racing’s Carson King was third-fastest, .665 of a second behind Vossberg and just .157 of a second ahead of Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp. Bodie Paige Racing/Mission Foods/D&D Certified’s Bodie Paige rounded out the top five, just a tick over a second slower than Vossberg.

Shea MacGregor waited until the very end to turn in her quickest lap in Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. action at VIR on Friday, and her fast lap was her last lap of the session, and it earned her provisional pole position heading into tomorrow’s Q2.

MacGregor’s 1:50.133 knocked Camille Conrad from the top spot, with Conrad ending up half a second behind with her 1:50.640.

The top two were the only ones to crack into the 1:50s as third-placed Bryanna Everitt was 1.4 seconds adrift to round out the provisional front row.

Eleven riders braved soaking wet racetrack and heavy rain on Friday afternoon at VIR with Emanuel Nicolas Aguilar and his Corrientes Racing Team/MPR Motorsport Kawasaki leading the way with his best lap of 1:49.468, which was over four seconds faster than Edge Racing’s Jason Waters.