Alessandro Di Maio's diary: "Here I am, I'm finally on the podium!

To find the turning point of this first season in Supersport, we have to go back to the Road America round. That weekend didn’t go exactly how I wanted, but I finally managed to find the right position in the saddle. And with it, an optimal setup for my riding style.

Finding the right setting on today’s Supersport bikes isn’t easy, especially for a young rider like me facing certain issues for the first time. These bikes are semi-prototypes. Beyond the standard suspension adjustments we all know, there are a myriad of adjustable parts. For example, the swingarm’s length and height which, just to make life harder, aren’t independent but use a single eccentric 😊 There are also many interchangeable parts, like the rear shock linkage.

With the experience gained over the previous race weekends, we arrived at Laguna Seca with very clear ideas. We wanted to try two different setups: one more standard and one more extreme, tailored to my riding characteristics.

Even with the first one (the more standard setup) we felt pretty good. We took sixth in the first practice and third in qualifying 1. In qualifying 2 we lacked a bit of confidence—and luck—and slipped back to sixth again, but only three tenths off third.

For Race 1 we didn’t want to take risks and went with the same setup. Unfortunately, at the start—as happens to us too often—we lost three positions and, despite a nice comeback, we couldn’t do better than sixth. That was already a big improvement, since our race pace was good enough to run right behind the top three.

In Sunday warmup we tried the second setup, the more extreme one tailored to me. And that changed everything. The feeling with the front finally became what I wanted, and my confidence grew accordingly.

Even with a decent start in Race 2 I lost two positions, also because the Yamahas launch really hard. But with an aggressive strategy made possible by the renewed feeling with the bike, I went on the attack and, after making up the two positions by halfway through the first lap, step by step (helped by a crash and a technical retirement), by mid-race I grabbed third place and held it to the finish. Earning MY FIRST PODIUM IN SUPERSPORT!!

Doing it at Laguna Seca, on one of the most iconic and technical tracks in America, makes it worth double for me.

On this track, the rider matters a lot, and the thrill of attacking the Corkscrew was fantastic. Taking my first Supersport podium on such a special circuit is something I’ll hardly forget.

My race pace was amazing. Only a couple of tenths quicker than me were Josh Herrin and Darryn Binder. The first is a MotoAmerica legend, the second is a top-level rider with plenty of experience from the World Championship.

I’m not getting carried away; I know there will still be ups and downs. I just have to keep my head down, put in the miles to make the most of this setup, close the small gap that remains, and improve my starts so I can fight for the win. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Last but not least, this time I want to thank everyone who’s helping me grow in this first MotoAmerica Supersport adventure. Ben Spies, the Ducati Rahal Team, my crew—Brian, Dustin, Justin—Steve the data engineer, Mike the Öhlins technician, and everyone who in various ways worked to put me in the best condition. But first and foremost my main sponsors, Roller Die + Forming and KYT Helmets.

They have always believed in me and gave me this opportunity, allowing me to gain experience without putting any pressure on me.

Now it’s heads down and work to make the most of what we’ve achieved. I’ll check in again at the end of the month after the Mid-Ohio round—or maybe sooner, because I’ve got a lot to tell you...

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