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BRASELTON, Ga. – It was another positive step for Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering rider Gus Rodio toward claiming his first MotoAmerica Twins Cup title Saturday and Sunday at Road Atlanta. The 2023 Twins Cup runner-up’s hard-earned second- and third-place finishes in the weekend’s two Twins Cup races allowed him to grow his advantage in class standings from 19 points to 22.
Rodio’s teammate – Twins Cup rookie Alessandro Di Mario – struggled a little in Sunday’s wet conditions, but his dry-weather pace was on full display as he challenged Rodio for second place in the closing stages of that race and scored his second podium finish of the year.
Neither Rodio nor Di Mario went out for the very wet Friday morning practice session but were near the top of the time sheets for Friday afternoon’s Qualifying 1. Rodio wrapped up that session third fastest – and the quickest of the Aprilia riders – while Di Mario ended up fifth-fastest. Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2 saw Rodio drop one position in the qualifying order to secure fourth place on the starting grid, and Di Mario held onto a fifth place starting spot for the round’s two Twins Cup contests.
Race 1 had an unusual start, as flickering starting lights caused the race to be quickly red-flagged and reduced from 13 laps to eight. When competition did get underway, Rodio made the most of a good launch off the line and was running right behind the race leader at the first corner. Di Mario held onto fifth place as the field navigated the tight first few corners of the Road Atlanta circuit, and both Rodio and Di Mario were part of a four-rider group that broke away from the remainder of the field at the front. Rodio led the race during Lap 2, though he slipped to third place for several laps before finishing the race in second place. Di Mario eventually worked his way up to third and even showed his teammate a wheel on the last lap. He finished in third place -- just 0.107 seconds behind Rodio – to give Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering two riders on the podium.
Wet conditions were the order of the day for Sunday’s Race 2, and Rodio came back from a so-so start to clinch a hard-fought second podium finish of the weekend. Both Rodio and Di Mario slipped down the running order several positions off the start, and Rodio and Di Mario ended their first laps running in sixth and 10th, respectively. Di Mario managed to move up one place on Lap 8 and finished the race in ninth, while Rodio had moved up two positions by the end of Lap 4 and methodically closed the gap to the third-place rider in the remaining six laps. A pass at the last corner on the last lap allowed Rodio to secure his second podium finish of the weekend by a margin of just 0.214 seconds.
With Rodio’s closest championship rival scoring a win Saturday but finishing in eighth place Sunday, Rodio was able to grow his lead in the Twins Cup standings by three points. He now holds a 22-point advantage with eight races remaining this season. Di Mario’s podium Saturday limited the damage to his championship challenge, and he now sits fourth in the points standings after his first four races in the Twins Cup.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“I had a great Race 1. I was a little off the pace coming into the race, so I knew I had to make some changes with my riding to run at the front. I was super happy to have been fighting for the win the whole race. I knew the rain was going to be a challenge on Sunday, but I kept focused on staying smooth and consistent. Overall, it was a great weekend to work on keeping our points lead given the circumstances. I’m super excited to be heading to Barber Motorsports Park next.”
Alessandro Di Mario / No. 27
“Race 1 went pretty well. I want to thank my team and all my mechanics for the changes they made to my Aprilia RS 660 – it felt amazing during the race. It was really exciting to fight for the podium and be up there with all the fast riders in this class. I knew racing in the rain wasn’t going to be easy, but I concentrated on not making any mistakes and bringing home some points. Barber is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really looking forward to going there next.”
Rodio Racing - Powered by Robem Engineering's technical partners for the 2024 season include Spellcaster Productions, Luxestar VIP, Geoscape Solar, MAR Contractors, Blud Lubricants, Spiegler Performance, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag Performance Wheels, Millennium Technologies, Sprint Filter, Dunlop, SC Project, MVR Endeavor, GRG Designs, REB Graphics, NGK Spark Plugs, EvolveGT, Bitubo Suspension and N2 Racing.
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This press release has been prepared by Marino Communications on behalf of Robem Engineering. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Michael Marino at 614.636.0199 or michael@marinocommunications.com
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