Aprilia enjoyed a stellar season opener in MotoAmerica. Hank Vossberg emerged as a standout protagonist in the inaugural round of the Twins Cup—the American championship’s intermediate class—claiming victory in Race 1 and a crucial podium in Race 2 at the historic Daytona International Speedway.
From Friday’s opening practice session, the 15-year-old talent racing for Robem Engineering displayed an immediate feel for the Aprilia RS 660. That potential was fully realized on Saturday: starting from seventh on the grid, Vossberg stormed to a solo victory in Race 1, crossing the finish line with a 4.446-second lead over his nearest rival and setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:56.846. The American rider maintained his momentum in Race 2, finishing third—just 0.058 seconds behind the winner—in a sprint shortened to six laps due to a red flag. Vossberg now sits second in the overall standings, trailing the leader by only four points.
It was a consistent weekend for Aprilia overall, with twenty RS 660s lining up for the Twins Cup, representing more than half the grid. Among them, Chris Parrish delivered a standout performance; the Ghetto Customs rider secured the first pole position of the season with a time of 1:57.625, further proving the Italian bike’s competitiveness at Daytona. Parrish went on to secure a top-five finish in Race 1.
HANK VOSSBERG
“Race 1 went really well; we got a great start and stayed with the lead group. I made a move to get to the front and tried to break away, managing to maintain a strong pace. Everything clicked, and I tried to repeat that on Saturday, but the red flag situation resulted in higher rear tire pressure. The bike was sliding a lot, and they managed to catch me in the final stages of the race. Overall, though, the balance is positive—we took home solid points, and that’s what matters.”
