KWR Ducati Team wraps up 2021 with wet and wild weekend in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 20) -- The One Cure Ducati finished 2021 the season at Barber Motorsports Park this past weekend, in their final weekend with the Ducati platform. Rider Kyle Wyman finished DNF-7th-6th in the three Superbike races, all three of them in full wet conditions.

Wyman was 7th overall on Friday's dry practice and qualifying sessions, but with wet weather in the forecast the true work for making the weekend a success did not start until Saturday morning's wet QP2 session.

"Friday was a positive day, and now what was our final dry laps on the Panigale V4 R. I just tried to enjoy myself as much as possible and we continuously improved throughout the day."

Saturday morning proved wet as riders prepared for rain conditions. Wyman was 5th fastest in the morning rain session and with a 7th place grid spot, was primed for a successful run up to the front in the afternoon's race one.

Wyman got off to a strong start in 6th place and worked his way through the pack to pass riders, and also inherit places throughout the race as other riders crashed. With 6 laps to go, Wyman was in 3rd place with a 4 second gap to the rider behind. Conditions worsened with each lap and eventually caught out Wyman in the final corner, crashing out of 3rd place and a potential podium spot.

"For me, Saturday's end result was a disaster," Wyman said. "Those type of opportunities don't come around that often, and for me to be in the podium spot with only a handful of laps remaining and throw the bike down the road is a terrible feeling. As the rain came down harder there was a ton of standing water on the track, and my visibility was dwindling. I ran over the paint line on the inside of the last corner and just lost all grip."

The One Cure Ducati team went to work to fix the bike and prepare for Sunday's races, both of which would also take place in wet conditions. Wyman would be starting from 17th on the grid due to his finishing position in race one.

The 10am race two started on a wet-but-drying track, with Wyman working his way from the fifth row of the starting grid all the way up to 7th place. The race was then red-flagged due to deer being present near the race track, and the results were final.

"Race two was a tricky one, because there were some areas of the track that were completely dry, but standing water was still present on a lot of the straightaways," Wyman said. "In the dryer areas I was struggling for grip more than the wet, it seemed the wetter the corner was the more feedback I would get from the Dunlop rain tires. I knew if I could get a decent result it would give me a much better grid spot for race three, so that was one of my goals for sure."

Wyman started race three from 7th on the grid and got off to a steady start, running 8th place at first and then working his way up to 4th. He would drop to 6th place in the waning laps as he lost a spot and ultimately missed out on the elusive top-5 position for his final race on the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

"After everything we've been through this year, it's been a pleasure to work with the team and sponsors I've had this season," Wyman said. "Our 2021 campaign is over and also our three year adventure with the Ducati brand has come to an end. It has been a meaningful journey to KWR and we have seen tremendous growth in this program since I first took on the project in 2019. I plan to tell our story in great detail, but in this moment I want to thank some specific people who stepped in to help build this team.

Dave Hopkinson, our master bike builder and technician, you brought us through the 2021 season without a single mechanical DNF and you've build the most beautiful motorcycle in the MotoAmerica paddock. That is something that KWR is very proud of.

Scott Rybarik, or team manager, who is the glue to our team and the guy who keeps it real 100% of the time. Thank you for all you do for us.

Paul St Clair, thanks for moving into our program this year and making swift work of our electronics system, you are a world-class engineer and we are lucky to have you.

Joel Martens, our mechanic who joined our team mid-way through the season, thank you for jumping in the deep end and being quick on your feet, we couldn't have done it without you.

Scotty Ryan from Ohlins USA, you've acted as much more than a suspension technician and have become such an integral part of this program along with our work with Harley-Davidson, thank you.

Ducati Richmond, our dealership partner from Canada - we love you guys so much and are so sorry we couldn't be together more during this pandemic. You've been such a great support system and help over these last three seasons.

Paolo Ciabatti and Ducati Corse, thanks for working with a true privateer and allowing me to pursue this crazy idea, and piece together superbikes one piece at a time. What we arrived at was pretty great and I appreciate the flexibility and athleticism in working with a team such as mine.

Ducati North America, it has been a pleasure being a part of the events and promotions we have done together both at and away from the track, and KWR appreciates the support you were able to bring to us at times when we needed it. Thank you.

David & Maxine Pierce, your generosity is unmatched and your love for the sport is incredible. What you are doing to help move One Cure CSU forward and create a better world within and beyond motorcycle racing is admirable. I'm proud to call you my friends.

Panera Bread (Bluegrass Restaurant Holdings) thank you for believing in KWR and creating what I believe is an iconic Superbike branding combination that has been a lot of fun to be a part of and to create.

Excelsus Solutions, our print supplier who has created the visual representation of this team from top to bottom, whether it was truck wraps, banners, posters or custom backdrops - you have been the backbone of our branding capabilities and I speak on behalf of all KWR sponsors when I thank you for your contribution to the team.

SC-Project USA/Motovation USA, you guys have been with KWR long before Ducati and you've carried us through the new project by providing custom exhaust systems for whatever we are going to race, and it's always appreciated. We hope to be back to COTA in the future to race in your hometown in 2021.

Lucas Oil, the best lubricants and cleaning products, greases, you name it. I am proud to carry the Lucas Oil flag in the sport bike segment.

KATO Fastening, you have been a tremendous technical partner and sponsor of this Ducati program since its early stages. Your products are top level and have not only helped us stay on track but have been there as a lifeline when other teams encountered dead ends with their threads.

Alpinestars and 6D Helmets, you guys are always there with top quality safety equipment to keep me on track in the best condition possible, I appreciate what you do."

While the KWR story is long from over, we close this chapter and will start fresh in 2022. Stay tuned.