Buyers who have ordered a 2023 Corvette Z06 are experiencing delays in receiving their cars. These delays are a result of ongoing production challenges caused by parts shortages. Despite the completion of the first year of production, customers who placed orders for a 2023 Z06 are finding that their vehicles are stuck in limbo, indicating that the cars have been built but do not have a scheduled delivery date yet.
CorvetteBlogger.com reports that there are hundreds of 2023 Corvette Z06 cars waiting for parts in a lot outside the Bowling Green assembly plant. This means that many buyers have their vehicles stuck at production code 3800, which signifies that the cars are built but are awaiting shipment. With the recent UAW strike further complicating matters, concerns have grown about the extended wait for this high-performance version of the sportscar.
Racers at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch faced another day of weather delays on Friday morning, resulting in a condensed schedule for the fourth day of action at the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Racing eventually started in the late morning, leading to a busy afternoon schedule and pushing back the championship-deciding motos to Saturday.
Moto 2: 250 Pro Sport In Moto 2 of the 250 Pro Sport, Mark Fineis of the GASGAS Amateur Team seized the lead after capturing the STACYC Holeshot. Fineis briefly lost the lead to Evan Ferry of GASGAS but regained it when Ferry crashed. Fineis held onto the lead, followed by Cody Williams on a KTM and Brad West on a Yamaha. Julien Beaumer, the Moto 1 winner, had a deep start on his KTM Orange Brigade ride.
Fineis increased his lead on the clear track in slick conditions. West moved up to third after Williams dropped out of podium contention. Gavin Towers of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team pressured West for the third spot. Towers eventually took over second place from West, but Fineis maintained a comfortable lead of over 10 seconds. Daxton Bennick of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing made an impressive charge from a 15th-place start to take the third spot. Beaumer had a crash and got stuck under his KTM but managed to return to the track, far out of contention.
Fineis finished the race in first place, solidifying his position in the overall classification going into the final moto. Bennick finished second, while Towers held onto third.
250 Pro Sport Moto 2 Results
Mark Finies, Westfield, Ind., GASGAS
Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Yamaha
Trevin Nelson, Stokesdale, N.C., Yamaha
Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda
Moto 2: Schoolboy 2 (12/17) B/C Krystian Janik of Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green, who won a moto in the 250 B class, took the early lead in the second moto of Schoolboy 2 with the STACYC Holeshot. The Moto 1 winner, Casey Cochran of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, and Logan Best of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team experienced misfortune at the start.
Janik established an early lead while his Team Green teammates Drew Adams and Enzo Temmerman chased after him. Adams made a mistake and lost a few spots, allowing Temmerman to move into second. Meanwhile, Jordan Renfrow on a KTM and Landin Pepperd on a GASGAS battled for third place.
Temmerman put pressure on Janik but made some mistakes towards the end of the moto, allowing Janik to secure another win. Temmerman finished second, while Pepperd overtook Casey Benard Jr. on a GASGAS for third place.
Janik now leads the overall classification with one moto left, followed by Temmerman and Cochran.
Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Moto 2 Results
Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki
Enzo Temmerman, Visalia, Calif. Kawasaki
Landin Pepperd, Wasilla, Ala., GASGAS
Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki
Casey Cochran, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
Moto 2: 450 B Limited Leum Oehlhof of NSA Yamaha Amateur Factory Team and Jeremy Fappani of KTM Orange Brigade continued their battles in the second moto of 450 B Limited. However, a difference in starts gave Oehlhof a significant advantage as Fappani found himself outside the top 10 at the start.
Oehlhof positioned himself near the front of the field and progressively worked his way up, passing Alvin Hillan on a Honda for third place, Reece Clason on a KTM for second place, and eventually early leader Tommy Callow on a KTM for the lead.
Oehlhof took the lead with his fastest lap and quickly built a substantial lead of over 10 seconds. While Oehlhof dominated the race, multiple riders battled for the third-place position. Evan Stewart on a Husqvarna secured third place and pressured Callow for second.
Oehlhof won the moto comfortably, while Fappani struggled and never challenged in the race. Back in the front, Oehlhof took the win, followed by Stewart in second and Callow in third. Fappani finished eighth.
Oehlhof now has control over his destiny for the final moto, while Fappani is tied with Jadon Cooper on a Yamaha for second place, several points behind.
450 B Limited Moto 2 Results
Leum Oehlhof, Oak Hills, Calif., Yamaha
Evan Stewart, Canada, Husqvarna
Tommy Callow, Dade City, Fla., KTM
Jadon Cooper, Baytown, Texas, Yamaha
Reece Wheaton, Irvine, Pa., Kawasaki
Moto 2: Supermini 2 (13-16) Deacon Denno, riding a KTM, carried his momentum from the previous day’s victory into Moto 2 of Supermini 2. The race started with Canyon Richards on a KTM taking the lead and Logan Mortberg on a KTM close behind. Denno and Landen Gordon, the Moto 1 winner on a Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green machine, followed closely.
Denno made a move to overtake Mortberg for second place and put pressure on Richards for the lead. He eventually took control of the race on the second lap. Gordon also made his move to take third place and battled with Mortberg for the position.
Denno and Richards pulled away from the field, with Denno comfortably in the lead. Richards had misfortune towards the end of the race and couldn’t finish, allowing Gordon to secure second place on the final lap.
Denno won the moto with a lead of over 20 seconds, followed by Gordon in second and Seth Dennis of KTM Orange Brigade in third after starting in eighth place.
Supermini 2 (13-16) Moto 2 Results
Deacon Denno, Malakoff, Texas, Husqvarna
Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
Seth Dennis, Groveland, Fla., KTM
Cole Timboe, Calimesa, Calif., KTM
Logan Mortberg, Pierson, Fla., KTM
Moto 2: 85cc (10-12) Limited Nolan Ford on a KTM took the early lead in the second moto of 85cc Limited after grabbing the STACYC Holeshot, with Darren Pine on a GASGAS close behind. Pine quickly passed Ford to take the lead.
Pine extended his lead to over 20 seconds as Ford held onto second place. Braxtyn Mes on a Husqvarna moved up to third and attempted to catch up to Ford.
Pine was never challenged and secured the Moto 2 win after being disqualified in Moto 1. Ford managed to maintain his second-place position, while Mes finished third.
Pine’s consistent 2-2 finishes put him in a good position to win the championship going into the final moto.
85cc (10-12) Limited Moto 2 Results
Darren Pine, Montgomery, Texas, GASGAS
Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM
Braxtyn Mes, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna
Wyatt Duff, Lexington, Ky., KTM
Chase Dashiell, Fairfax Station, Va., KTM
Moto 2: 65cc (10-11) Easton Graves of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC – Rides Unlimited KTM maintained his dominance in the 65cc division in Moto 2. Graves took the lead with the STACYC Holeshot and quickly established a lead of nearly eight seconds by the end of the first lap.
Graves continued to increase his lead, running away from the rest of the field. Jackson Vick of JK Powersports KTM held onto second place comfortably, with no challengers in sight.
Graves won the moto decisively, establishing a 1-1 record and maintaining control of the championship going into the final moto. Vick finished strong in second place, while Eidan Steinbrecher of GASGAS secured the third and final spot on the podium.
65cc (10-11) Moto 2 Results
Easton Graves, Walker, La., KTM
Jackson Vick, Highland Village, Texas, KTM
Eidan Steinbrecher, Fair Oaks, Calif., GASGAS
Chase Brennan, Winchester, Calif., KTM
Dylan Graham, Canyon Lake, Calif., Husqvarna
2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Friday Winners
The auto industry is facing a new obstacle as a scarcity of railroad cars is resulting in delays in delivering new vehicles. Due to this shortage, approximately 70,000 new vehicles are stranded across the country, unable to reach dealerships. Concerned about this issue, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the auto industry’s lobbying group, has requested the intervention of the US Surface Transportation Board.
This scarcity of rail cars is particularly troubling because freight rail typically transports nearly 75 percent of new vehicles and handles 1.8 million carloads of auto parts annually. The backlog of finished vehicles is disrupting the automotive supply chain, which is still recovering from the shortage of semiconductor chips. The delays in delivering vehicles are significantly impacting suppliers, employees, and the overall US economy.
The problem revolves around the shortage of autoracks, specialized rail cars that carry vehicles. Rail transport is preferred over carrier trucks due to lower costs and faster delivery times. An autorack rail car can transport 12 to 18 vehicles, compared to a truck hauler that can only carry a maximum of seven to eight vehicles.
The scarcity of rail cars is a complex issue due to the extensive rail network in North America and the complexities of rail shipping. Rail shipping involves multiple destinations and routes, making it a challenging puzzle to coordinate. Autoracks are part of a shared pool administered by a company called TTX. Manufacturing new autoracks takes two to three years, making it a non-quick fix.
The problem originates from a combination of factors. One notable factor is that the rebound in new-vehicle production after the semiconductor chip shortage has exceeded most railroads’ forecasts. Additional issues have arisen due to changes in supply chain patterns, such as redirecting vehicles through west coast ports instead of the east coast, resulting in longer rail car journeys than anticipated.
Meanwhile, several automakers are still dealing with the aftermath of the microchip shortage. Volkswagen stated earlier this year that the chip scarcity will continue to affect car sales in 2023. Automakers like Cadillac, Ford, and Genesis have also mentioned that the shortage has forced them to limit or exclude popular features on certain vehicles.
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