MODENA, Italy, July 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stefano Mesa on Tytlers Cycle Racing's #137 Energica Eva Ribelle RS equipped with the Kit Corsa Clienti set the new outright electric lap record at the iconic WeatherTech Laguna Seca circuit, during Race Two of the 2023 Super Hooligan National Championship.
The Colombian rider logged a 1:31.272secs lap-time which surpassed the previous record by 0.1secs – a time unbeaten for twelve long years, despite numerous attempts since to crack it.
Energica beats outright electric lap record at Laguna Seca by Stefano Mesa aboard an Eva Ribelle RS motorcycle
Energica beats outright electric lap record at Laguna Seca by Stefano Mesa aboard an Eva Ribelle RS motorcycle
Energica beats outright electric lap record at Laguna Seca by Stefano Mesa aboard an Eva Ribelle RS motorcycle
Energica beats outright electric lap record at Laguna Seca by Stefano Mesa aboard an Eva Ribelle RS motorcycle
This is an impressive achievement considering the recently resurfaced track at Laguna Seca, which throughout the race weekend slowed competitors down compared to the years before.
The previous lap record held strong since 2011, when Steve Rapp rode the Mission R prototype race bike of the now-defunct Mission Motors during a qualifying session before the all-electric TTXGP race.
The deliberate objective at that time for Mission was to set the quickest time possible for just a single lap to make a record that would be hard for anyone else to match. The result was an incredible 1'31.376secs utilizing a full power qualifying setting. By contrast, Rapp's fastest lap during the TTXGP race that weekend was 1'33.194, roughly two seconds slower.
"Records are meant to be broken, visions are meant to become reality."stated Liva Cevolini, CEO of Energica Motor Company, S.p.A., of the news. "We already made history in being the first electric vehicle to race directly against endothermic machines in a full race series, now, in a different way, we have done it again, thanks to Stefano Mesa and the whole Tylers Cycle Racing team."
Stefano Mesa achieved the 1'31.272 record during the sixth lap of an eight lap race against ICE (internal combustion) machines in a hotly-contested Super Hooligan race, coming in fifth place. As noted, the new record set by Mesa is 0.1 secs faster than Rapp's time on the Mission R in qualifying, but almost 2 seconds faster than Mission R in the race itself.
In 2011 the Mission R racebike completed the 8-lap race against other electrics in 12:40.597s. Stefano Mesa and the Energica Eva Ribelle RS recorded his 8-lap race in 12:22.917s, 18 seconds faster than Mission R racing machine a dozen years prior.
The Super Hooligan series is based on naked road bikes (i.e., without a sport or touring fairing) that are widely available for sale to the general public.
This is how far Energica has pushed the boundaries when it comes to electric motorcycling and its application in everyday life, with the longest range, highest torque and power and fastest charging available – all in a package that retains the excitement of riding a motorcycle.
In 2011, Energica was in its early days as Alessandro Brannetti was sharing the track with Rapp himself aboard the eCRP. Now, twelve years later, Energica has come full circle.
"We are proud and excited with this new record!" said Giampiero Testoni, Energica Motor Company CTO."This is an incredible achievement, especially if we consider how little track time Mesa had to familiarise with the Eva Ribelle RS and that the bike hasn't undergone any massive change to set such an important record. This is a testament of the work done by the company, who makes available an incredible machine to anyone who wishes to exploit the special excitement of riding electric."
Join Tytlers Cycle Racing and Energica for more Super Hooligan action with Stefano Mesa on the Petronas iona Energica Eva Ribelle RS on September 8-10 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the final event of the season.
About Energica Motor Company S.p.A. Energica Motor Company is the leading company of high-performing electric motorcycle and system integration for EVs. For over a decade, Energica has been developing electric motorcycles, initially for track-only use and then, since 2014 ,also for the road.
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