MotoAmerica: Alessandro Di Mario Comes Up Just Short

Alessandro Di Mario, 17, came within a whisker of the podium in MotoAmerica Supersport at VIR (Virginia International Raceway). The 17-year-old from Abruzzo even led the race, slipping to fourth at the end due to an issue with his right forearm.

In his rookie year in the middle class of America’s top series, Di Mario is clearly turning up the pace after a few understandably tentative rounds. Last month he celebrated his first podium (third place) at the round held on the legendary rollercoaster of Laguna Seca. In Virginia, on one of the most “European” tracks on the calendar, he once again performed at a very high level, fighting on equal terms with vastly experienced riders. With the Ducati of the Rahal team, Alessandro took on South African Darryn Binder—well known from the MotoGP paddock and now on his eighth win of the season—Joshua Hayes (Yamaha), and teammate Josh Herrin without the slightest fear.

Alessandro Di Mario was blisteringly fast despite arriving at this round with a fractured pinky on his right hand after a crash the previous week during Rahal team testing at COTA in Austin. It was a nasty incident that also cost him the chance to continue gaining experience on the Panigale V2. No matter— the talented Abruzzese was back on track more determined than ever. It’s a pity that in the closing laps he suffered from pain in his right forearm, the classic arm pump: after the VIR round, MotoAmerica still has two stops in September—first in Austin and finally in New Jersey. After that, there will be plenty of time to undergo surgery and fix the issue.

The video commentary by Alessandro Di Mario for Corsedimoto readers

Bobby Fong on the Yamaha won Race 1 in a Superbike championship that now risks reopening dramatically. In fact, points leader Sean Dylan Kelly, BMW’s protégé, finished only third, also losing ground to his closest rival in the standings, Matthew Scholtz, who completed a Yamaha one-two. The leader’s advantage has shrunk to just 20 points, with five races still to go. Ducati is struggling in MotoAmerica: Loris Baz finished fifth, six seconds adrift, in a race shortened to just ten laps due to a double incident on the warm-up lap.

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