MotoAmerica Communications

Bobby Fong made his debut with the Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda on August 16, the Californian turning in 64 laps at High Plains Raceway in Colorado and breaking Jake Gagne’s track record in the process.

The test was slated to be a familiarization test for Fong, who had never ridden the Honda CBR1000RR SP2 prior to yesterday.

“What a bike,” Fong said in a team release. “Right out of the box this bike was well set-up and ready to go. I only needed about two sessions to feel good and get used to how this thing handles and the track. I’ve never ridden a Honda, I’ve never been on a bike with Magneti Marelli electronics, and I’ve never been on this track. But I’m really excited and looking forward to Pittsburgh even more now.

  Solid first day. @roadracefactory @broastercompany @honda_powersports_us @motorexusa @akrapovic @daineseofficial @agvhelmets @evoltechnology @shane223smith @robbybobby16 #agvrider #dainese A post shared by Bobby Fong (@bobbyfong50) on Aug 16, 2018 at 2:51pm PDT

“We ran the Pittsburgh set-up on the bike and I was able to click off around 64 laps. We did a lot of work, fast work. We went through some mapping, some fork set-ups and things, but the biggest part was being able to have a good working relationship with Scott (Jensen, the team’s crew chief). I was able to tell him what I was looking for and he was able to either guide me in the direction or make the adjustments I needed. In particular with the corner exits. I feel that we made some great strides in improving the drive out of the corners which is something I knew was an issue. We just went through a ton of things, especially with respect to the electronics. He was able to go over the data with me so we could fine tune anything. This makes my life so much easier. I felt so comfortable by the end of the test that I felt like I could focus on myself and really just adapt to this bike. Overall, this was an incredible first test. I’m feeling confident about getting up to speed right out of the box in Pittsburgh. Thank you to Danny Walker and the entire crew for getting this test done in such a short time so we can be prepared for the next round. I’m excited.”

  So this happened and I couldn’t be more excited. @broastercompany @honda_powersports_us @parts_unlimited @akrapovic @motorexusa #broaster #ridered A post shared by Bobby Fong (@bobbyfong50) on Aug 11, 2018 at 5:33pm PDT

Jensen was also impressed with how the test went.

“Leading up to the MotoAmerica races at PittRace we had a test at High Plains Raceway with our newest addition to the team, Bobby Fong,” Jensen said. “He came to grips with the new Honda CBR1000RR SP2 very quickly, and made steady progress throughout the entire test.  By the end of the test Bobby managed to set a new outright motorcycle track record, and is walking away confident in our motorcycle and is excited to get racing.”

Team owner Danny Walker was also pleased with the day at High Plains Raceway.

“I’d like to start by echoing the words from the General Manager of High Plains Raceway, Glenn Conser, ‘I think it says a lot about the talents of both Bobby and the crew who prepares the bike to be able to put together such blistering lap times as a new team on a circuit the rider has never seen before. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.’ I mean… yeah, right? Bobby showed up ready to get to business, which we like. We like our fun, but we didn’t have much time for that today. Within a few sessions he was up to speed and working well with Scotty. Bobby has a ton of experience and knows how to shape the bike to his needs and with Scotty’s help, he set the track record. Bobby set a 1:43:96 to grab the outright motorcycle track record. This test gave us a lot of confidence heading into Pittsburgh and I applaud the work the guys did today. I’ll repeat it. I have the best crew in the MotoAmerica paddock.”