STEVE ROGERS
Raceways McAMS Yamaha is a force to be reckoned with and this year’s BSB championship favourite. We caught up with team owner Steve Rogers to see what’s going on behind the scenes.
FB: How long have you been running the team in BSB, and how did it first come about?
SR: “Well, I first opened the shop (Raceways Motorcycles) in 1991, but my first involvement with racing was in 1989, helping Jonathan, who now works in the team. We were running 125s in the British championship on and off for a few years until 1997, and then we started with Supersport.
“We ran Hondas for three years and then had a few years out until 2006 and 2007, when we ran in the Superstock 1000 class.
“We went back to Supersport in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and finished second in the championship each year! We didn’t get going again until 2016 and had another second place in Supersport, and then we started as the Official Yamaha Superbike team in 2017, which has been running ever since.”
FB: What’s its liking having both of your riders fighting tooth and nail for race wins? Is it a dream or a nightmare?
SR: (Following a nervous laugh) “I suppose it’s a dream, really. It does get tense when they are scrapping for positions, but to be honest it’s what they get paid for – we expect them to be fighting for podiums. The manufacturer and the sponsors want both riders winning, so it’s where it needs to be.”
FB: The team has made a big step with the bike. What did it take? Was it with the engine or the chassis?
SR: “The Yamaha R1 had quite a big upgrade in 2020, which was mainly in the engine. To look at it, everyone thinks it looks exactly the same, which it does, but inside there’s a massive difference. There’s more horsepower, it revs more, the internal components have been strengthened... big changes, which gave it a big step forward... 2020 was awkward because of the Covid job; we had one engine spec and that’s what we went with because we couldn’t get everyone together to test properly and we were up against it. Last winter we worked hard and improved it even more; we’ve got more top end, and moved the torque up, so now it’s even stronger off the turns. It’s nice not to have the Ducatis flying past us down the straights. We’ve also got the right people in the right jobs, and that makes a huge difference.”
FB: How much support do you get from the Yamaha factory and the teams in World Superbikes?
SR: “Chassis-wise, we get everything from the factory. Whatever the World Superbike teams get, we get; the latest swingarms, pivots, yokes, subframe, tank... we could have had the latest aero fairings, but we already had 10 of the other sets ready to go.
“Engine-wise, we do our own thing, mainly because we’re on a different style of circuit and with different electronics, plus the world lads are limited on engines so they have to be a bit more conservative. We can actually go a little further with ours because if we do break one, we can fit another.”
FB: Do you have any aspirations for your team to compete in World Superbikes?
SR: “The shop is a Premier Exclusive UK Yamaha dealer, so for us it makes sense to be here. Our sponsors are UK based, McAMS in particular, so it just works in all aspects. If we can do a good job over here, then we’ll be happy enough… so I guess the answer is no.”
FB: Do you think controlled ECU and tyres was the right call for BSB, or did you prefer it before with the open ruling?
SR: “Well, we weren’t doing Superbikes during that time, so it’s hard to say, isn’t it. Our electronic man, Tim, harps on about having the open electronics back but we all know the score. As it is at the minute, you’ve got to get the best out of the chassis and what products you can use… for me, I think it works and I know we’ve won a lot of races this year, but if you look at last year, every manufacturer had a win, and so from a sporting point of view, I think the rules are pretty fair. You’ve just got to get the best out of the rules.”
FB: Do both sides of the garage work together? What data is shared?
SR: “The two crew chiefs, Barry and Chris, work very closely together. At the end of the day, the lads have got the same chassis and the same components, so it makes sense to work together to improve the package… their set-ups are ever so slightly different, which you’d expect. They always compare data, and we speak to Ricardo (head of chassis development) and Les Pearson in the Yamaha World Superbike team virtually throughout all of the meetings, so we are in good hands.”
FB: You’re back in National Superstock 1000 this year. What prompted the decision and is it going to plan? What does the future hold for your team in that class?
SR: “You’re in it, so you tell me, hahaha! It’s going good, but as it’s a new bike to this class and we are the only team running an R1, it has taken a little time to get things dialled in, the electronics in particular, but the chassis is mega. Our plan, alongside Richard Arundel (Edwards 1902), is to get the bike something like ready for the roads (IOM TT) next year with Hutchy. For him to have a top five finish in Superstock already this year, it proves it’s not far off. Yamaha is keen to have it running at the front of the class again next year, so we’ll see.”
FB: Have you got the rider line-up sorted for next season? Do you go for experience or up-and-coming talent?
SR: “Going back to the questions earlier, having both riders at the front… sponsors and the manufacturer want two riders who can win, so you need proven names. I’d be surprised if either want to leave. I presume they won’t want to following this year’s performances… it could be down to whether we can afford them!”