The following is from the HONOS HVMC Racing team…
As the 2021 MotoAmerica season comes to a close HONOS HVMC Racing looks back at a tumultuous year filled with all of the highs and lows racing has to offer.
After a late off-season decision to join forces, the team’s combined Supersport and Stock 1000cc / Superbike effort yielded great results both on and off the race track. The team itself expanded its paddock presence and the MotoAmerica series as a whole continued its growth in attendance and viewership.
Richie Escalante concluded the year 2nd in the Supersport championship with 3 wins and 11 podiums. Midway through the 18 race championship Richie battled through a broken collarbone and foot at separate times showing true grit. He wrapped things up with a second place again by narrow margins during Saturday’s race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Richie Escalante commented “After a few weeks of recovery, I want to take a few minutes to thank every single person who made this 2021 possible. This was a difficult year for me with many physical injuries but with lessons learned and always fighting until the end.”
Escalante also went on to say, “thanks to Jorge E. and my HONOS family for all the support and trust. Thank you Richie, Corey and the entire Hudson Valley Motorcycle team for an incredible year working together. Thanks to Graves Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to ride an excellent bike. Thanks to my team Chris L, Humberto B, Jorge A, Patrick for the hard work in each race. Thanks to all the team sponsors and my personal sponsors for their trust and support, HJC, Vircos and Alpinestars for keeping me safe this season. Thank you Fresh N Lean for taking care of my diet. Thanks to my Dad, brother, girlfriend, family, and friends & fans for all their support and for always being there. See you next year.”
Unfortunately, during Sunday’s warmup at the final round Richie again injured his collarbone bending the recently installed plate and fracturing the bone. He has since had surgery to make the necessary repairs and is home in Mexico recovering. The team thanks Richie for his tremendous efforts, kind demeanor, and relentless pursuit of victory and wishes him the best of luck in the future.
Corey Alexander’s 2021 MotoAmerica championship chase shared a similar trajectory to that of his teammates finishing 3rd place in the Stock 1000cc and Superbike Cup championships. With 3 wins, 3 podiums, and several top ten finishes in Superbike, Corey wrapped up the season with a 5th place finish in the lone Stock 1000cc race at Barber.
Nearly riding his Graves-Spec ZX-10RR to a podium in Superbike race 1, Corey sadly crashed out in the monsoon-like conditions late in the race. Race 2 saw him bring home an 11th and race 3 he was able to secure a respectable 7th place finish after battling amongst top Superbike riders.
“This year didn’t pan out exactly as I hoped on the track but did exceed my expectations off of it” Corey commented. “From only running three rounds in 2019 to operating a two rider large scale team now in 2021, I’m proud of the work we’ve put in to get here. We had a lot of fun and it was a pleasure to work with our crew. I would’ve liked to have closed things off on a better note results wise but we will continue to improve for 2022.”
Corey plans to continue in the Stock 1000cc and Superbike classes in the future while working to expand the teams efforts throughout the off-season. Corey’s personal sponsors during the 2021 season include: Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Sals Pizza & Pasta, Ikoniqa, Four3 Performance Lab, Redshift, Gemini, Tucker, and Prestige Services Group.
The HONOS HVMC Racing team would like to thank Graves Motorsports for its technical support and staffing throughout the season. Additionally, a special thanks is owed to all of the teams partners and sponsors: Hudson Valley Motorcycles, WE ARE HONOS, Boost Management & Consulting, New Rage Cycles, 5ta Raiz, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Electrolit, Strats & Legal, Maxima Racing Oils, Drippin’ Wet Designs, Zero Gravity Racing, Vortex EK, Impact Canopies, and Spider Grips.
