The Sturgess Cycle Triumph road race team noted their best finish of the year in AMA Pro racing at the final event of the season held at the new NOLA racetrack, New Orleans October 6-7.
Riding the Sturgess Cycle Triumph 675 triple, Kenny Riedmann of Belfountain, Ontario rode the 18-lap AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike GoPro final race of the year and scored his personal best on the season with a twelfth place finish less than a second behind the rider in eleventh. ” I felt really good about that.” Riedmann commented. “I was a little disappointed that I didn’t make the top ten, that was the goal but we’re getting a lot closer.”
This came after the morning practice session that saw the Sturgess bike ranked 20th, the same position they had qualified in. “We hadn’t made any changes to the bike, there was no point in pushing it was basically just warm-up.” He explained.
In the initial practice session of the weekend Riedmann circulated twenty laps recording a fast lap of 1:47.7 seconds placing him in 21st position. In the first of two qualifying opportunities the Castrol Oils backed Sturgess bike was ranked 18th as Riedmann upped his pace recording a 1:46.3 and moved up to 18th on the leaderboard. The second qualifier saw Riedmann ride fourteen laps notching a time of 1:46.4 and slipping to 20th starting position for the double-header races ahead. Riedmann commented, “We had to change the clutch spring set up, the clutch was slipping coming out of the corners it was like riding a snowmobile.”
The first race of the weekend, the penultimate race of the year, saw Riedmann better his starting position by one at race end to grab nineteenth spot and record his personal best lap of the weekend posting a 1:46.001. That came after a low-side spill on the last lap from which he remounted to finish. “I was trail braking going into the turn and I guess I got in a little hot and tucked the front end. I didn’t even slide off the pavement,” said Riedmann. “That was frustrating because I was in twelfth when I crashed.”
On the Sunday morning warm up practice Riedmann was clocked at a 1:47.118 in his 10 laps on track. In the eighteen lap National Championship final Riedmann brought the Sturgess Cycle Triumph back up to race pace and while he was slightly off his fast lap from Saturday he was still very consistent posting a best lap of 1:46.099. Most importantly Riedmann had moved the Triumph up a full eight positions from qualifying and very close to his stated personal goal of top ten with a splendid twelfth place final position, the team’s high water mark on the 2012 season.
Riedmann talked more about the race, the season and the season ahead. “I had a lot of fun this weekend. Like I said I’m disappointed not making my goal of top ten but it’s still ending the season on a very positive note. I was very comfortable out there and my bike is definitely on par with everything out there, I’m just getting outridden right now. This is a very competitive class and we’ve been knock’in at the door for top ten and we’ve been consistent. The Sturgess bike is so strong. All in all it was a good season. I would like to have ridden the whole series and I’m hoping to do that next year. I was hoping for a top ten this year next year I guarantee it.”
Riedmann continued unprompted. “I really have so many people to thank for this year, mostly my dad (Roland) but also John Chemello, Jon Cornwell, John Bickle for my tire warmers and leather repairs,” he laughs. “And Graham Borden and Shoeii Helmets, and Castrol of course and especially Sturgess Cycle for all of their support.”
<
