LeoVince and James Rispoli have a strong history as LeoVince helped power James to his first Supersport championship in 2011. Now, Rispoli is celebrating a solid Moto2 debut at the 2013 Red Bull MotoGP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 21-year-old rode a GP Tech-sponsored Tech 3 machine in Moto2, marking a huge step up in the ranks of motorcycle roadracing for Rispoli. LeoVince supplied a handcrafted Moto2 titanium exhaust to help him in his inaugural ride.
The first practice session was a struggle for Rispoli, who had to deal with both gearing issues and a malfunctioning slipper clutch. Things rapidly began to improve after that, and by the time qualifying rolled around, Rispoli had dropped 3.885 seconds from his fastest lap in the first practice.
After qualifying 29th, Rispoli ran a smooth, steady race on his LeoVince-equipped Tech 3 motorcycle and crossed the finish line in 25th. He had a battle with Louis Rossi but was able to pull ahead by 1.9 seconds at the checkered flag. During the race, Rispoli dropped even more time from his laps, eventually setting a best lap time of 1:45.243—more than four seconds faster than he ran in the first practice.
Now that his Moto2 debut is behind him, Rispoli is preparing to continue his charge in Daytona SportBike. In ten races this season, Rispoli has yet to finish outside the top ten. Keep an eye on him when the AMA Pro Road Racing series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 13-15.
LeoVince USA congratulates Rispoli on a great Moto2 debut!