RVP 25
ÖHLINS RVP 25 RACING FORK
IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Used in the world of Moto 2&3 and
WSBK, this fork comes equipped with
Öhlins brand new FKR damping system.
The fork features machined fork
bottoms for reduced weight, increased
high speed stability and cornering. The
internals use Öhlins spring pressurized
system that offers quick, easy
maintenance and setting changes. The
new damping system design delivers a
more consistent performance curve to
increase grip, stability and bump
absorption to improve lap times.With the TTX Technology and a new
designed 8mm piston shaft, we reduced
pressure build-up and created a faster
damping response. This gives a “linear”
style to the damping characteristics
which creates more tuning options so
the rider can find the ideal setting for
the type of track.drawn many spectators on Fri-
days. Another cost-saving move
utilized at UMC was using the 2.2-
mile East Course, which required
fewer cornerworkers and TV cam-
eras and crews than the traditional
3.0-mile Outer/Perimeter Course.
Using the East Course also
changes the race starts. Instead of
a half-mile run from the grid to the
long, wide Turn One of the Outer/
Perimeter Course, the East Course
only offers a 100-meter run from
the grid to a tighter Turn One.
In an attempt to give fi elds more
room to space out before entering
Turn One, classes were moved
back on the grid. Most classes
had the front row start from what
is normally row four but the front
row of the smaller Superbike class
started from row seven.
The East Course also added
seven new corners that few riders
in Moto America had ridden on.
“It’s fun because it’s pretty fl ow-
ing,” said M4 ECSTAR Suzuki's
Jake Lewis, who rode a streetbike
on the East Course during a Rick-
diculous Racing school a year ear-
lier, “but Turn One is a lot tighter.”
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni
Elias and Josh Herrin tested on
the track a month earlier and said
the tighter layout required shorter
gearing, with three more teeth on
the rear sprocket. Crew members
also said they saw higher engine
and tire temperatures because
the cooling effect of the long front
straightaway was gone.
The unfamiliar course did
catch out the most experienced
rider in the fi eld, Josh Hayes. “I
got distracted by my knee slider. It
got caught on the curb in the fi nal
corner and I didn’t know if it was
coming off or not. I looked down
at it, and when I looked back up,
I was in [Turn One] way too hot,
ran off, and fell over trying to get
the thing stopped. I’ve been prone
to doing some stupid things from
time to time, but I’ve kind of been
out of practice...”
Quarterley Racing On TrackDevelopment's fourth rider, Ben
Gloddy, turned 14, the minimum
age in Junior Cup, just before the
event. Gloddy qualifi ed 17th and
fi nished 12th in Race One, but
because Race Two was re-gridded
based upon lap times from Race
One, Gloddy started Race Two from
ninth on the grid and raced to a
fi fth-place fi nish.
Another rider making their
MotoAmerica debut was Karen
Ogura, the 20-year-old sister of
Moto3 World Championship rac-
er Ai Ogura (age 18). Karen Ogu-
ra was invited to race at UMC by
F-USA/ASRA/USGPRU racer Nobi
Iso and Veloce Racing. In 2018,
Ogura rode a Honda CBR250R to
win Round Four of the All-JapanSP250 National Championship
and fi nished fi fth in the fi nal point
standings. Ogura raced a 2019
Yamaha YZF-R3 with GYR-T en-
gine kit at UMC and was 10th in
Race One, and 12th in Race Two.
Defending Champion Chris
Parrish highsided during the
Twins Cup race and lacerated his
right elbow. Parrish was stitched
up immediately after the race by
fellow Twins Cup racer Carl Price.
That’s Dr. Carl Price, plastic sur-
geon, of PlasticSurgeryRacing.
com, who fi nished 18th.(Above, Left) Michael Barnes, Alex
Dumas, and Cooper McDonald
on the Twins Cup podium. (Above)
Sam McDonald, the 1982 AMA
Lightweight (250cc GP) Champion,
poses with son Cooper at UMC.RWRoadracing World, August 2019—31