In the lead-up to the debut of MotoAmerica’s Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul on March 28 through 30 at Circuit of The Americas during the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, eight riders and their teams traveled to Motorsport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, for the Dunlop Official Test.
The quickest overall rider on day one after two extended on-track sessions (a two-and-a-half-hour session in the morning and a three-and-a-half-hour session in the afternoon) was Chase Black, who began his racing career in MotoAmerica with Mini Cup, then graduated to the Junior Cup Championship, and is now in his second year racing a Ducati Panigale V2 in Motovation Supersport. Black, from Round Rock, Texas, put his experience on middleweight machinery and his familiarity with the 1.7-mile road course at Motorsport Ranch to good use aboard his lightweight, class-spec Krämer APX-350 MA as his quickest lap of 1:21.822 ruled the day.
Black was .150 of a second quicker than Team Roberts rider and three-time American Flat Track Singles Champion Kody Kopp, who is making his first foray into road racing under the tutelage of three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kenny Roberts. Third-quickest was San Marcos Iron Doors 316 Rossi Motorsports rider Rossi Garcia with a 1:22.216, just .394 of a second off Black’s time. Australian rider Bodie Paige was fourth-quickest aboard his CTR/D&D Cycles Krämer and .781 of a second off the fastest time. Fellow Aussie Sam Drane was fifth-quickest and .948 of a second from first aboard his Estenson Racing-sponsored machine.
The top-five fastest Talent Cup riders were all on the same second.
Day two of the Dunlop Official Test is on Tuesday, with the Talent Cup riders throwing down more hot laps during another pair of extended on-track sessions.
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