Stroud Fifth, Barnes Qualifies Second, Hobbs, Gloddy and Astudillo In the Points
Quarterley Racing On Track Development had another successful weekend of racing in MotoAmerica at the New Jersey Motosports Park with New Zealand rider Jacob Stroud scoring a fifth place finish in the LIQUI MOLY Junior Cup race on Saturday and Michael Barnes qualifying second for the Twins Cup race and securing a third place overall in the championship, just a few points out of second. Teagg Hobbs, Ben Gloddy and Jamie Astudillo all scored in the points in both Junior Cup races.
Jacob Stroud:
“I got to ride the track the previous weekend, and the track knowledge definitely came in handy. It was more of a challenge than I thought it would be. The first thing is that the track at New Jersey has low grip. There are also so many things that I hadn’t encountered before in my career. New Jersey is completely different than the three tracks I race on in New Zealand. In New Zealand we don’t have high speed corners like here. There are two right-hand turns at New Jersey that are flat out on a 400.
“Also, I think the skill level here is a little higher. The riders here are so smooth. You have to lift your game just to be in the top 10.
“I’m learning so much from Dale and Eric Wood. We worked a lot on how the way you pull on the bars compared to how you place your body weight influences the bike and how every little thing you do has an effect on the bike. Dale said I was a really good club racer, but I’ve only been using about 85% of my talent, and that I have to work harder to be able to get to the next level. I’m learning to learn. It’s almost like I’m rewiring everything I’ve learned over the last seven years of racing in New Zealand and I’m riding a whole different bike.
“One example is how I set up for the two high-speed right-handers. Dale’s method is different than what other people might tell you. He told me to brake, get on the gas and then turn, that being on the gas helps you turn. It’s being on the gas before you get to the apex, not after. That’s just backwards to anything I’ve ever learned, but it works. I feel I’m getting there. Like Dale said, “We’re not going to change the bike, we’re going to change you.”
“We got pretty lucky with the pileup in race one and missed the podium by a tenth of a second, and I’m really glad none of those guys got hurt.
“In race two, the lead group of five was in a league of their own. In the second group there were about ten of us, and things were pretty hectic. Every single corner one or two passes were made. You’d have to unhook your leathers from the bars on the bike next to you. I was at or near the front for most of the race. Then I got punted in turn one, got pushed wide and lost five places in one corner.
“I’d like to give a special thanks to Spidi leathers. I fell right in front of Dale in the Sunday morning warmup, and that was the third time this year I’ve fallen. The leathers are a little worse for wear but they still work fine.”O
Michael Barnes:
“It was a really hectic weekend. I was under the weather and suffered both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we had a little clutch issue and I ended up missing the whole practice session. The first time I was on track was in the first qualifying session on Sunday. We had a decent pace and, in second qualifying, I went right to the top of the board. I could see that I was going to get on the front row, so I sat out the rest of qualifying to save myself and my bike a little bit.
“Right after I got passed for third in the race, the bike started slowing down. Oil was coming out of the airbox, but when I looked down, it didn’t seem like it was super dangerous to keep going. By that time I was in fifth and I made a last lap charge for fourth place but ended up about a half a second short. I don’t know what went wrong yet, but we’ll find out shortly.
“The championship is over for us, unfortunately, but I’m still in it for second overall, just 12 points behind. We’re going to build another motor for Barber. There’s nothing to lose now, so I’m just going to go for the win and end the season the way we started it.
“A special thanks to Dale and Bob Robbins, and also Larry Zullo for helping this weekend.”
Teagg Hobbs:
“It was a great weekend on the riding side of things. Every weekend I learn something, but this one was special. I definitely took a step in right direction and made progress every time out. My results were decent. I qualified twelfth which put me on the fourth row. In race one I initially got a good start but I couldn’t get the bike into second gear when I was on the throttle coming down front straight for some reason. All I can think of is that we replaced the clutch right before the race and it wasn’t bedded in enough. It just happened once. I missed getting seventh place by just a quarter of a second.
“The only change we made before race two was a small gearing change.
“That whole race I kept working my way to the front. I finally got through group in front of me but I knew I didn’t want to lead coming out of the last turn. I got held up in the pack, another rider went by me and I tried to get a run on him in the draft but he got me by two tenths of a second at the line.
“The bike that I got from Quarterley Racing On Track Development was flawless, so I could really focus on my riding. Dale Quarterley gave me a lot of great info, and it was a big help having Eric Wood in the pits. Eric and I have been working together for the last few years and I felt I improved so much from the first session to race two.
“What I worked on was my roll speed, letting the bike roll through the corner faster and picking up the throttle sooner. That’s how I dropped the time every session. The first and third sectors are where it definitely helped the most.
“I’m really looking forward to the races at Barber. Last year I was on my own bike and had two DNFs. With the reliability of the Quarterley Kawasakis and what I learned so far this year, especially this weekend, I’m looking forward to some really good results.”
Ben Gloddy:
“I have ridden at NJMP a couple of times prior to this past weekend at MotoAmerica, so I had some knowledge of the track. For race one, I qualified fifteenth and got a horrible start. I knew I had to make up time in the first lap or I wouldn’t be able to catch anyone. I put in a good first lap and was able to catch some of the other riders. I got lucky with a 10th place finish when a couple of other riders crashed out. Fortunately, they were OK. In race two, I was again 15th on the grid. I got a decent start and was able to move up pretty quickly. I ended up in a huge battle from sixth to eleventh place and my teammates Teagg and Jacob were in it also. It was one of those races where I went into turn one in front of the group and then, all of a sudden, I was the last one in the group. Everyone was passing each other left and right in almost every turn. In the end, I finished in 11th place, but the battles were a lot of fun.
“Although I did not finish where I was hoping to, I am happy with the fact that I was able to improve my lap times at NJMP pretty significantly. I talked about the track a lot with Dale Quarterley and Eric Wood. I was braking too hard and too late so I was working on keeping my momentum up. We made a few suspension changes to the bike over the course of the weekend and that definitely helped. I am really looking forward to the races at Barber Motorsports Park in a couple of weeks.”
Jamie Astudillo:
“Saturday was a struggle. I was doing (one minute) 34s and the group in front of me was doing 33s. I qualified sixteenth, I couldn’t stay with my group and I didn’t get any faster. I guess I was still pretty tensed up; I just hadn’t loosened up yet. I raced the MotoAmerica Junior Cup at New Jersey for the past two years and I’ve also done two track days and some CCS races there, so I’m familiar with the track.
“I had to shift a lot in the first race. The gearing was either too short or too tall and I couldn’t keep my roll speed up in the corners. The bike feels great and the setup works pretty well everywhere for me so we made a small gearing change and the second race on Sunday was really good. I dropped a second off my lap time in morning warmup and dropped another second in the race. I was able to stay with this humungous group that was following the leaders, and it was the first time this year I’ve been able to do that.
“Over the weekend Dale wanted to give me space and not overwhelm me with a lot of information, which was a good idea. We discussed a few areas but he wasn’t pounding information into my brain. Dropping two seconds overnight has really given me confidence going into the races at Barber. I had two major crashes there last year and they kind of stopped my progression as far as becoming a better rider. It will be great to go back and break this whole thing. I’ve never been on a newly-paved track before, so I’m looking forward to seeing what that’s like.”
Quarterley Racing On Track Development sponsors for 2019 include Inter-Tech Supplies, Fast By Ferracci, Inc, Yoshimura Research & Development of America, Inc., Wiseco Powersports, Motul USA., Regina Chain, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ferodo Racing, Matt & Jesse, Scott Powersports, Inc., Defiance Lifestyle, Woodcraft Technologies, Dynojet Research Inc., Beta Tools of Italy – USA, RoadracingWorld.com, Drippinwet.com, MOTO-D Racing, Fast Bike Industries, Nitron Racing Systems Ltd., VAN DYK Recycling Solutions, Earl’s Racing Team and Kiwi Classic Moto. In addition, Michael Barnes is sponsored by Moto Corse Performance and Ducati North America and Jacob Stroud receives additional sponsorship from Eurobike New Zealand, Spidi, Stylmartin, Motorcycling New Zealand Inc., Hamilton Motorcycle Club Inc. and Kiwi Classic Moto.
More, from a press release issued by RideHVMC Freeman Racing Kawasaki:
Alexander Narrowly Misses Top Spot In Third Consecutive Podium Finish At NJMP
Ossining, NY – Corey Alexander misses a win by .145 securing his third consecutive podium with a second place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
The RideHVMC Freeman Racing Kawasaki team with support from RARacing and JJD Corp earned their third podium finish in a row in just four race starts this past Sunday at the New Jersey round of the MotoAmerica Superstock 1000cc championship. After positioning himself within the top three all weekend with an overall qualifying time of 1:22:994, Corey worked his way up through the field after struggling off the starting line from his third place starting spot.
After being shuffled back to the seventh position, Alexander committed to some aggressive passing maneuvers to work his way up to second with just a handful of laps remaining in the shortened twelve lap sprint race. Tracking down the leader, he was able to clock in the fastest lap time of the race with a 1:23:085. Corey ultimately was unable to manage a pass around the leader on the final lap marginally missing the top step of the podium by .145 with his 2019 Kawaski ZX-10R.
“It’s been a long while since I’ve charged for a win like that in MotoAmerica competition.” Alexander comments “I couldn’t be more excited to have been able to do it in front of all of my friends and family here in NJ. It’s unfortunate that I caught a false neutral off the starting line because I know we had a bike capable to win the race had we been there from the start. Thank you to everyone still supporting me after all this time and those that stepped up this season to help me get back on track. I’m hoping that these three podium finishes will help to make something happen for next season and allow us to come back to compete for the championship. I have to give a special thank you to Jon Freeman and Rich Meilman for making this past weekend happen, it wouldn’t have been possible without them. Thanks to all of our sponsors as well.”
This round marks the end of the Corey’s 2019 campaign with a highlighted off-season focus on returning for the 2020 season to compete full time in the Superstock 1000cc championship. The RideHVMC Freeman Racing team is actively seeking support, to learn more about partnership opportunities please contact us via [email protected]. You can stay up to date with Corey on social media via: @corey23alexander.
RideHVMC Freeman Racing thanks its current partners:
Hudson Valley Motorcycles, RAR Racing, JJD Corp, Kawasaki USA, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, Maxima Racing Oils, Defy All Odds Apparel, Motion Pro, Superlite Sprockets, Woodcraft Technologies, Armour Bodies, JP43 Training, MotoAnatomy, Arai Helmets, Rev IT!, KC74 Tracking, FTA Embroidery, Prestige Services Group, Team Four3 Performance Lab, Limited Decal, Flex Racing, Gemini Technologies, Beta Tools, Flash Tune, Ohlins USA, Saddlemen Seats, and Galfer Brakes.
About Hudson Valley Motorcycles:
Hudson Valley Motorcycles is a family owned and operated motorcycle dealership that has been serving New York’s Hudson Valley and Westchester County as well as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New England with Kawasaki, Ducati, Scrambler Ducati, Suzuki, Energica and ATV, motorcycle or UTV Sales, Parts, and Service for over 50 years. For more info visit hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com, call (914)-762-2722 or follow @hvmotorcycles on social media.
About RideHVMC:
RideHVMC is a northeast based premier track experience provider offering high quality motorcycle track-days with limited spots and a safe, confidence inspiring riding environment. New for 2019, RideHVMC now offers personal riding instruction in association with JP43 Training. Visit ridehvmc.com to signup or to inquire about personal instruction at a track near you or follow @ridehvmc on social media.
More, from a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
Tuned Racing had a great weekend at New jersey Motorsports Park. Both Bryce and Braeden worked hard with their crew and found the pace to run with the lead pack. Bryce has been sharpening his edge all year and has proven he has what it takes to get to the front. With brake issues in race one and a 4th place finish in race 2 Bryce will be hungry for a podium at Barber Motorsports Park. Braeden also showed the pace he is capable of this past weekend. With the new bike he quickly settled in and found himself setting new personal best lap times that allowed him to fight to the top 7 both races.
“Im very happy with our result at New Jersey. I was running up front in race 1 and unfortunately had a brake issue forcing me to pull in. Thankfully my crew worked hard and got the bike ready for me on Sunday. We got P4 in race 2! Ran up front most the race, and after some back strain just couldn’t keep the pace with the leaders. I’m happy to come away from the weekend 2nd fastest, and just missing out off the podium. Only one more race left this season and I’m excited for Barber!” Bryce Prince.
Braeden Ortt said “My weekend at New Jersey was an absolute success. I couldn’t be happier to return to Tuned Racing for this round and Barber. I had a great time working with everyone on this team and enjoyed riding my Yamaha YZF-R6 for the first time in close to a year. I was unsure about how quickly I would get up to speed on the bike, but it didn’t take long for me to become one with the bike again. Race 1 was difficult as we struggled with setup. However, I had great battles with [another rider] in race 2 and finished with P7, just 14 seconds from the lead (closest gap to date). Thanks so much to everyone on the Tuned Racing crew and can’t wait to run up front at Barber!”
“I am so proud of my riders and crew. They have all pulled together to put our best foot forward and its starting to show. With a short time frame we shipped a bike across the country to arrive the morning we load in to the paddock. We disassembled and built a new bike on Friday for Braeden and with minor adjustments he rode the wheels off. I am really looking forward to the last round of Motoamerica at Barber as we will be there to send it!” Mike Pond
Thank Yamaha Champions Riding School and Apex Assassins Trackdays for your support and believing in our team! Also like to thank all of our other sponsors that provide us with the best products and support in the motorcycle industry: Apex Assassins, Yamaha Champions Riding School, Evol Technologies, 39N Case covers, Zero Gravity, 6D Helmets, Kyle Racing, SB Suspensions, Ohlins USA, EF Signs, Motomanes.com, Dunlop Tires, Tuned Industries, FT ECU, SbS Brakes, SC Proect Exhaust, Motovation USA, Superlite Sprockets, Motion Pro, Speed Demon Motorcycles, PSR, TaylorMade.