Dumas Leads Canadian Racers for MotoAmerica Final at Barber

The final event of the 2017 MotoAmerica National road racing Championship takes place this weekend at Barber Motorsport Park, and Quebec’s Alex Dumas heads south with the chance to win the KTM RC Cup Championship.  The 15-year-old is coming off a remarkable, record setting four-race win streak at the most recent rounds last weekend at New Jersey and previously at Pittsburgh.

Dumas is second in the Championship standings after eight rounds with only the pair of Barber races left to run, one point behind co-Championship leaders Cory Ventura and Benjamin Smith, the KTM spec series points totals reading 224-224-223.

Showing impressive form in his first season on the American tour, Dumas is just one of several Canuks who could feature at the Alabama event.

Officially called the Honda Championship of Alabama presented by Genuine Broaster Chicken, the event is the tenth and final round of the MotoAmerica Championship and will include two races each for three MOPAR CSBK Canadian National stars. 

Belfountain, ON. based Kenny Riedmann will compete aboard the same Sturgess Cycle/Liqui Moly Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja he took the second overall in the 2017 Canadian Superbike Championship behind BMW’s Jordan Szoke.

After spending most of the season on a Yamaha YZF-R6 battling Tomas Casas for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike Championship, Ripley, ON’s Mitch Card will focus on the big bike classes at Barber.  Card will switch to the Yamaha YZF-R1 he used during the final Superbike events of the season last month at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. 

Card earned 10^th/11^th place results on his 1000cc racer backed by Shoei, Dunlop, Vortex, Goderich Toyota, DP, Maclyn Dust Control, Bluestreak, Bickle, Dynojet and Liqui Moly.

Newly crowned Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike National Champion Casas, aged 18 from Peterborough, ON, will make his American racing debut at Barber, aboard his title-winning Yamaha R6.     

“This will be a big step, my first race in the States,” admits Casas.  “I’m really excited to get out there, to see what it’s all about.  Sandy Noce from Dunlop said that the track is a little like Calabogie, a track with technical corners and not too much in terms of straight-aways.  I’ve been watching videos to learn the track; mentally I think I have it fairly sorted out, but that’s not the same as racing on the bikes!” 

Casas will be joining the “second” middleweight category in the MotoAmerica Series, the Superstock class run in conjunction with the premier Supersport division, also for 600cc class machinery.  Currently, Braeden Ortt of Calgary, AB., is the only Canadian who contests the Superstock series as a regular, aboard the Tuned Racing Yamaha. Earlier this season, 17-year-old Ortt won a round at Sears Point, CA.

Assisting Casas at the venue will be his father, as well as former Casas team-mate and front-running National Superbike privateer Franklyn Dominguez.  This duo will work in the pit lane for Casas during his on-track sessions around Barber’s popular 17 turn, 2.3-mile-long layout. 

The Riedmann Management Kawasaki team is also expected to be help Casas, since racer and three-time Canadian middle weight Champ Kenny does not compete in the same class as Casas and therefore the two racers will not be on the track at the same time.  Former racer and famed chassis consultant Jon Cornwell will also assist newly crowned Canadian number one Casas with set-up on his Yamaha Canada entry.

“I’m missing some High School but I’ll catch up,” continued Casas.  “I’m trying to work ahead; I don’t want to do too much homework on the trip!

“I want to say a big thank you to the Riedmanns, they’re really making all this possible.  The I have to thank Pro 6 and Dunlop, they’re looking after our tires.  Also my new sponsors DP Brakes and ASM Motorsports.  As well I have to include my solid regulars, Yamaha Canada, Parts Canada, Brooklin Cycle Racing, Blue Streak Racing, Vortex, Bickle Racing, Flexiglass, Human 2.0, Hindle Exhaust, Peterborough Cycle Salvage and HB Cycle.

“This is probably our last race of the season, for what we have planned,” says Casas.  “There is some possibility we might go to the last round of the Dominican Republic Championship.  But right now my focus is on Friday morning at Barber, and getting the best set-up right away to get ready for Qualifying.”