Wyman notches season-best ride for Lion Fuel/BlackBerry Cylance/KWR Ducati team

MILLVILLE, N.J. — The KWR Ducati team scored two top-10 finishes this past weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park for the ninth round of the MotoAmerica Championship. Kyle Wyman finished 9th and 6th in Superbike races one and two respectively on his Lion Fuel/BlackBerry Cylance sponsored Ducati Panigale V4 R.

Wyman started the two-day event strong by finishing 3rd fastest in the first qualifying session with a time of 1:21.796, then followed up with a slight improvement to 1:21.674 for QP2 which was good enough for 7th place on the starting grid.

“I felt strong out of the gate on the bike,” Wyman said. “I was able to put down a fast time on new tires, but it was difficult for me to maintain the pace once we had more laps on them and the grip started to go away. With so little time in the two day events, we didn’t have an opportunity to experiment too much with the chassis setup, so we went into race one with a similar bike to what we started the day on.”

Wyman got an excellent start from the third row and rolled into turn one 4th on track, but lost positions battling a lack of grip on the bike and finished a lonely 9th place result. Wyman could not hold the pace and fought the bike all the way to the checkered flag.

“Race one was very difficult for me, and disappointing after such a good start to the day.” Wyman said. “From the start of the race it seemed we went the wrong direction with the setup and I was suffering from a lack of grip front and rear. It was frustrating, but it gave us valuable data to make a decision for Sunday.”

In comparison to Wyman’s 2017 total race time, where he finished 2nd in the Superbike race to Toni Elias, Wyman finished race one Saturday 49 seconds slower than his previous best race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Changes for Sunday would net the team a big step in the right direction.

Wyman was promoted to 6th on the grid for Sunday after pole-sitter Garrett Gerloff scratched due to injury, and got off the line with another great start. He battled with Mathew Scholtz, Jake Lewis and Toni Elias over 3rd for the beginning laps, eventually losing out to the trio of challengers but settling into a 6th place spot and a 13 second gap back to Josh Herrin, in 7th. Wyman finished Sunday’s race two 17 seconds faster than Saturday, and recorded the 4th fastest lap of the race with a 1:21.174.

“Sunday’s race was probably our best result of the season on the Ducati, even though we’ve finished 6th earlier in the year,” Wyman said. “The two-day events are tough, but fortunately we made a great decision on Sunday and found some pace by softening up the front and rear of the bike. The Jersey track doesn’t have a ton of grip, so we were too stiff with the bike on Saturday. We’ve learned so much over the past few weeks that we can apply to Barber and I’m looking forward to getting down there.”

The final round of the 2019 MotoAmerica championship wraps up September 20-22 at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama.

Visit www.kylewymanracing.com for more news and updates. 

More, from a press release issued by Weir Everywhere Racing:

Weir Everywhere Racing BMW competes in Superbike Class for fourth, fifth time of 2019 at MotoAmerica Championship of New Jersey

Team uses experience to improve lap times, bike setup on its BMW S 1000 RR

MILLVILLE, N.J. — The Weir Everywhere Racing BMW team made the step up to the Superbike Class for the MotoAmerica Championship of New Jersey and successfully used the experience to improve its BMW S 1000 RR package.

Despite being down on horsepower compared to its Superbike Class competition, the team raced its lightly modified Stock 1000 BMW package Sept. 7-8 on New Jersey Motorsports Park’s 2.25-mile Thunderbolt course. Rider Travis Wyman scored a 12th-place finish in Saturday’s race and an 11th-place finish on Sunday, improving his best lap time by about half a second in Sunday’s contest.

The team used the opportunity to experiment with new parts that aren’t legal in the Stock 1000 Class to better understand how to best set up its BMW package for Wyman. Among the changes the team made to the bike for the New Jersey event was a new set of custom-machined triple clamps, courtesy of team sponsor Evol Technology. The team’s hard work is expected to pay big dividends when it returns to Stock 1000 competition for the 2020 MotoAmerica season.

The Weir Everywhere Racing BMW team isn’t done competing in MotoAmerica Superbike this season. Wyman will be back on the Superbike grid for the final round of the 2019 season Sept. 20-22 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

Travis Wyman / #24

“I think we had as good a weekend as we could. We learned a lot more about how to best set our BMW S 1000 RR up for my riding style, and I ran the fastest laps of my career at this track. We tried some new parts this weekend that we hadn’t at the previous rounds we competed in Superbike at, including a great new set of triple clamps that Steve at Evol Technology designed and machined for us in less than 24 hours. We also tried new geometry and suspension settings that helped us lower our lap times over the course of the weekend. Obviously, we’d have liked to have been in the top 10 in both races, but overall, we accomplished almost everything we set out to at New Jersey. Barber is a track we struggled at last year, and we’re hoping to use the next round to find a set up that will work there for next season and beyond.”

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports Tucker TerpTastick.com VP Lubricants Race Report “a difficult and unlucky weekend“ at New Jersey Motorsports Park

(Millville, NJ) The Altus team rolled into the compressed format two-day event at New Jersey Motorsports Park on a real high. The previous round had been the best of the season and everything pointed to that trend continuing: The weather looked like it was going to be good; the bikes were all running well; and all of the Altus riders had experience with and genuinely like the NJMP course. However, very little of Round 9 of the MotoAmerica Championship went to plan.

Liqui Moly Junior Cup: In the last round, Kevin Olmedo snagged his first win and he showed up at New Jersey aiming to get to the top step again. At the end of the first practice, he topped the timing chart and a win looked quite possible. He qualified second, meaning he would start Race 1 from the middle of the front row. Unfortunately, the long run to turn 1 from the starting line is often a hindrance to riders up front. Kevin got a great launch but was quickly swallowed up by the group behind him. In the foray into the first corner, Olmedo was hit from the inside. The impact was hard enough to bend his brake lever guard. He held his line and managed to only get pushed back to fourth. For the entire race, Kevin was part of a five bike breakaway fighting for the win. On the final lap, he used his superior corner speed to make an outside pass for second in an attempt to take first before the line. Unfortunately, it put him on a dirty part of the track and led to a very quick and massive highside. Bruised but not broken, Kevin gridded up on Sunday hoping for redemption. Having set the fastest time in the first race, he started from Pole. He spent most of the race battling with three other bikes for the second step of the podium. After leading the penultimate lap, the draft on the front straight put him in 5th into the first corner with a lot of ground to make up. He worked his way through the group and barely missed out on second place at the line. Olmedo heads into the final round in second place in the Championship.

Stock 1000: At the Pittsburgh round, Miles Thornton’s GSX-R 1000 ran perfectly for the first time this season. He approached Round 9 ready to continue building on the newfound confidence. And he did as much as he could. The MotoAmerica two-day format for the NJMP weekend meant the Stock 1000 class had only one race and sporadic time for practice and qualifying. Miles made the most of it. He spent his track time working on chassis setup and continuing to adapt to the bike. He dropped time every session. After the first few laps of the race, Thornton settled into 6th place and held it all the way to the finish. Now he heads to Barber Motorsports Park with complete confidence in his bike and ready to continue improving and closing the gap to the riders at the front.

Supersport 600: Lucas Silva could not catch a break this weekend in New Jersey. During practice and qualifying the bike felt great and his pace was good. He managed to qualify 8th fastest, putting him in the middle of the third row. Just past the halfway point in the race, Silva felt the front tire begin to squirm a little. But he was in 6th and gaining on 5th place, so he kept pushing. On lap 15 of 20, the tire gave way without warning, putting Lucas on the asphalt. He picked the bike up and remounted but the damage was too great to continue the race. He started the second race from 9th but only made it 3 laps before a bizarre crash. Coming through turn 3, Silva felt like his bike power was cutting out. He stood the bike up and was headed off the track. As he exited onto the grass, in spite of his braking, the bike did not slow. It was then that he realized his motorcycle had become entangled with another and he was being pushed off the track. His bike then snapped sideways and threw him violently to the ground. Lucas likes NJMP and leaving with two DNFs is disheartening. “This is tough but we will move on. The team has been great. I’m sore but I have a few weeks to heal up and then we go to Barber for the last round,” said Lucas Silva.

Before his crash at Sonoma, Jaret Nassaney was feeling better than ever on his GSX-R 600. After missing the last round to heal, he hoped to pick up where he left off. Unfortunately, his arm was still not back to full strength. As a result, he had to make compromises and modify his riding style. Starting from 18th, he spent much of Race 1 by himself and crossed the line in 14th, collecting some valuable championship points. Sunday his arm felt a bit better and he was able to drop his lap time by a few seconds. He finished in a solid 12th. “Obviously, I was hoping for more but it just wasn’t possible this weekend. Alabama will be interesting. I like that track but the new surface will mean everyone will be learning. I’m going to work on getting my hand strength back and finish the season strong at Barber,” said Jaret Nassaney.

“It was a tough weekend but there are a few bright points. It was great for Kevin to bounce back after the heartbreak of Saturday to ride smart on Sunday and, hopefully, lock-up second in the championship. Confirming that Mile’s bike is solid and seeing him continue to make progress was good. And for Jaret to come back from injury, ride hurt and be faster than he was in the past at New Jersey was impressive,” said George Nassaney.

More, from a press release issued by Franklin Armory Graves Kawasaki:

2019 OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED – ANDREW LEE IS A DOUBLE MOTOAMERICA CHAMPION

Andrew Lee achieved the goal he set himself at the start of the 2019 MotoAmerica Superstock Championship – becoming double National Champion, a feat he managed in style, leading the race at New Jersey to wrap up the title with another stunning victory.

Starting from the Pole, Lee was never headed, taking the chequered flag to win not only the race but the title in convincing fashion.

With back to back crowns now secured Andrew is hopeful of moving full time into the Superbike category in 2020, and with the pace he has shown both this year and last, you’d be hard pressed to bet against him making an impact!

Andrew Lee: “I had a difficult opening practice session but the team as ever did a great job to fix things and I was confident for qualifying. I took Pole after being fastest across the two qualifying sessions and I was looking forward to the race. We had good pace all weekend and I was keen to make a break when the race got underway. It was the almost perfect race. I led from the start and took my second National title in the way I wanted to since last year! I got off to a good start and am super happy with how the race and the season has gone. The Franklin Amory Graves Kawasaki crew are the best, my mom and dad, and everyone who has supported me this season thank you. I am so so happy and looking forward to the season’s final race and to seeing what next year brings!”

More, from a press release issued by Aguilar Racing:

RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing Continues to Learn at New Jersey Motorsports Park

With a repeat of the 10th place and 9th place finishes from the previous round, Jason Aguilar was not happy with the results of the latest round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. However, the RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing team did not leave discouraged.

Jason Aguilar: “New Jersey is a track that I have usually struggled at. But, aside from the mediocre results, there were several positives to take away. We have had so little time for testing this season, and we were able to use this weekend to test some new things. We tested a new clutch, which greatly improved my starts. We made some forward progress on suspension setup and testing of the different Dunlop front tire compounds available. The RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing team worked so hard this weekend. I have to thank the whole crew for their efforts. We look forward to continuing these improvements and finishing strong at Barber Motorsports Park for the final MotoAmerica round.”

“I also need to send out a special thank you to RiderzLaw for their support this season. They are a special sponsor and have shown tremendous love and support for our team, and for MotoAmerica racing.”

Big Thanks to All of our Sponsors: RiderzLaw, Lexin, Honos, Torco, CL Auto Group, Moto Station, Graves Motorsports, Metric Method, TaylorMade Racing, Dunlop Tires, Yamaha Motor USA, FTECU, Superlite Sprockets, Motion Pro, Arai Helmets, Mithos USA, Alien Motion Batteries, SBS Brakes, EF Signs, SBK Paint, RFA Designs

Mathew Scholtz Returns To The Podium In Sunday’s Superbike Race Two At New Jersey Motorsports Park

Millville, NJ – September 9, 2019 – Aboard the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, Mathew Scholtz made a welcome return to the MotoAmerica Superbike podium with a solid third-place finish in Sunday’s race two at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Mathew qualified on the front row on Saturday and finished fifth in the afternoon’s race one, but after conferring with his team and making some changes in the bike’s setup overnight, he got off to a better start in Sunday’s race two, fought hard to stay in sight of the race leaders, and tenaciously held onto his third-place position all the way to the checkers to complete an all-Yamaha podium.

“I think the season has been a little bit up and down for us,” commented Mathew. “Pittsburgh was the first race weekend where we kind of thought we had something. Our practice times weren’t bad, but I was dropping one to two seconds off every single lap, and I finished thirty-some seconds behind (Yamaha Factory riders) Cam (Beaubier) and (Garrett) Gerloff. So we really thought that we needed something because things were looking bad. The team worked hard to give me a good bike for Sunday in Pittsburgh and that put us in a really good place with our setup, so that was looking good. Obviously, yesterday’s fifth-place result wasn’t what we wanted. We were kind of hoping to at least hang onto the guys in the first five, but that wasn’t the greatest, either, other than the fact that the Westby guys worked really hard and gave me a bike that was really good. This morning’s warmup wasn’t the greatest, but we could tell that our lap times were really consistent. I think, at this track, you have to worry about consistency.

“In Sunday’s race, I banged bars a couple times with (Jake) Lewis and (Kyle) Wyman in the beginning. I got up to a third, and I could see that I was catching JD (Beach) and Cam (Beaubier), but then, they would gap me and I’d catch back up to them and mess up. It was back and forth. Then, with eight laps to go, I was almost tucking the front in every corner, so I just had to settle for third. It’s great to be back on the podium. It’s really, really great for the team. I think it’s going to really boost them and get us going for 2020, pushing everybody.

“Barber is one of my favorite tracks. I’ve been told that they resurfaced it. I’m thinking that the lap times are going to be really, really quick there. So I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully end the season off strong and come back fighting for podiums in every race in 2020.”

After a week off, Mathew and the Westby Racing team will be back in action when they travel to Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, for the final round of the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, which takes place on September 20 through 22.

MotoAmerica Superbike Standings

1. Toni Elias – Suzuki – 333

2. Cameron Beaubier – Yamaha – 317

3. Garrett Gerloff – Yamaha – 276

6. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 188

For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com

Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Beaubier Makes Gains in MotoAmerica Superbike Title Chase with 1-2 Score in New Jersey

Reigning MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier closed the points gap with a stellar win in race two and a runner-up finish in race one at the penultimate round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. It was a reversal of fortune for his Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing teammate Garrett Gerloff, who scored a big win on Saturday, but was sidelined for race two after a crash in Sunday morning warmup.

Saturday belonged to Gerloff. The Texan was fast in both sessions and was able to secure pole position with a new lap record during a fast-paced two-day schedule. When it came time to race, it was Beaubier who took the holeshot with Gerloff right on his heels. The pair was locked in battle with the 24-year-old ultimately taking the lead on lap eight. He was able to hold off the pressure from the three-time Superbike Champion to take his fourth win in six races by 1.709 seconds. It was another great performance by the young rider and the team as a whole with another 1-2 finish for the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing Team, as well as a great day for the bLU cRU with privateer JD Beach making it a Yamaha YZF-R1 podium sweep.

Gerloff has been on a hot streak the latter half of the season. After setting a new lap record during Sunday’s morning warmup, a crash ended his day early, but expects to return to the season finale in two week’s time.

In race two, Beaubier once again got the holeshot with another Yamaha rider on his heels. A small mistake had the Californian back in second. He then laid in wait and struck back to retake the lead six laps later. The battle didn’t end there. There were a few more lead changes between the YZF-R1 riders, with Beaubier ultimately coming out on top with strength into turn one. With the championship on the line, he finished out the final eight laps in the lead and was able to build a gap to take his fourth win of the season. It was also another Yamaha podium sweep, with privateers Beach and Mathew Scholtz joining Beaubier on the podium.

Beaubier’s efforts helped his bid for the crown, cutting the gap to 16 points with 50 points still on the table going into the final round at Barber Motorsports Park on September 20-22.

Tom Halverson

Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“This weekend started out fantastic for us. It was full of highs and some lows, as well, but it started off incredibly well with Garrett setting a new track record, getting the pole position and winning race one. It was a Yamaha sweep on the podium, which was great. Then, unfortunately in warmup this morning, Garrett crashed after setting another lap record. Luckily, he is okay, but he was unable to race today and will be ready for Barber.

“Cameron stepped up today and took race two. It was also another Yamaha sweep, so it’s an incredible job from all the Yamaha guys today. With Cameron’s win, he is definitely in the series points fight with two races to go. We’re really looking forward to it. Again, an incredible job by Cameron, Garrett, JD Beach and Mathew Scholtz. We can’t wait for Barber.”

Cameron Beaubier

Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing

“At the beginning, I tried to make a pretty big push like I did yesterday, and I just didn’t have it. I think the track was a little hotter. For whatever reason, I wasn’t going anywhere. I was spinning up. I was like, ‘oh man. This is going to be a tough fight with JD (Beach),’ because I know how good of a racer he is. It felt so good to win this one. It’s more of a relief than anything because we’ve been kind of on the back foot all year and it feels so good every time we win. It just puts everything back into perspective. We had three Yamahas on the box both days. I think that’s a testament to how good this R1 is.

“I’m only 16 points out now, so just got to keep grinding. I’m bummed that Garrett wasn’t out there today, because he’s been on rails all weekend. It would have been another Yamaha in the mix. Bummed for him, but he’ll be back in Barber and we’ll be ready to go.”

More, from a press release issued by Attack Performance/Estenson Racing Yamaha:

Beach Leaves New Jersey with a Pair of Podiums

JD Beach built on Saturday’s podium performance to move up to the runner-up spot in Sunday’s race two at New Jersey Motorsports Park aboard the Attack Performance Estenson Racing Yamaha YZF-R1.

Beach and the team made further improvements in their setup on Sunday. The two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion once again got off to a good start right behind factory Yamaha rider Cameron Beaubier. He moved into the lead on lap six and held onto it for six laps, but the reigning Superbike champ retook it. Beach still fought on. There were a few more lead changes, but in the end, it was a second-place finish for the Attack Performance Estenson Racing rider. Although he was aiming for the win, it was a good result on the weekend with a pair of podiums and progress made after a few rough rounds.

Next up is the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, September 20-22.

JD Beach — MotoAmerica Superbike #95:

“Today’s race was great. Of course, we would have loved to get the win, but to get second after some tough race weekends was awesome. We made some small improvements to the bike for race two. The race pace was a bit slower, but my race pace was faster today. It felt great to lead a Superbike race again and to fight for the win. Cameron rode great today and just out smarted me a little bit at the end. I was bummed that Garrett (Gerloff) didn’t get to race after his get off this morning, he’s been fast all weekend and I wanted to see where we stacked up with him. The whole Attack Estenson Racing team did an outstanding job. I can’t thank them enough. I look forward to getting to Barber.”

More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki:

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias Closes in on Title in Spite of Tough New Jersey Weekend

Elias Ahead by 16 Points Going into Season Finale in Two Weeks

Brea, CA (September 9, 2019) — Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing had a challenging weekend at the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Toni Elias scored a pair of fourth-place finishes on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. Teammate Josh Herrin scored seventh in both Saturday and Sunday’s races.

In spite of missing the podium in New Jersey, Elias’ placings were solid enough that he still enjoys a 16-point lead going into the season finale in two weeks at Barber Motorsports Park. So he has one hand on the trophy, but after New Jersey things have gotten close and Elias will have his work cut out for him in the season finale.

The entire Yoshimura Suzuki crew worked hard to find a good bike setup for the New Jersey circuit, but that perfect combo proved elusive.

“It was a tough weekend, maybe the toughest I’ve had in a long time,” Elias said. “We tried to improve and change things, but it seemed it was impossible to improve. I went six seconds faster in the race today than yesterday, but still it was not enough to improve my position.

“I see things in a positive way and we are still leading the championship by 16-points going into the final round. I’d rather be ahead than be behind. We will analyze and if we have to change our setup completely, OK, we will do it. We will go and play as hard as we can at Barber and see what happens.”

Herrin too found himself running farther back in the field than he’s accustomed to.

“It wasn’t a weekend to remember,” Herrin said. “We tried tons of different things and just weren’t able to find the sweet spot. Sometimes you go through weekends like this. I’m definitely ready to put this behind us and move on to Barber. I know our bikes work well at Barber, so hopefully we can go there and finish strong.”

The final round of the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship comes to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 20-22. Elias won both Superbike races last year in Alabama.

Fans can watch the Barber event on Fox Sports 2.

More, from a press release issued by Celtic HSBK Racing:

Shawnee, OK (September 9, 2019) – Celtic HSBK Racing and rider PJ Jacobsen dominated at the MotoAmerica Championship of New Jersey. The team claimed two wins in the Supersport class and closed in on the championship finishing the weekend just 10 points out of first place with two races left in the season.

The two day weekend kicked off Saturday with PJ claiming pole position during qualifying. When race one kicked off Saturday afternoon, PJ decided to let the race settle in before pushing to the front. While the riders ahead rode a rough first half of the race, PJ stayed close behind avoiding contact, keeping a steady pace, and waiting for his chance to climb back to the front of the pack. PJ finished the last 8 laps at the front with points leader, Bobby Fong, close behind. At the end of day 1, PJ had moved into second in the championship and was ready to come back and chip away more points Sunday.

The team made several adjustments to the bike overnight and came back swinging Sunday morning during warm up. Despite his win the day before, he didn’t run the fastest lap time in race 1 and had to give up pole position for the start of race 2. PJ got a much better jump off the line for Sunday’s race and started to build a gap when the race was red flagged. Upon restart, PJ knew he had to once again get to the front and push during the abbreviated race. He was able to do just that leading 14 of the 15 laps. The race pace for the two leaders was impressive running times just 2 seconds slower than the top superbikes. PJ ultimately won race two by .028 seconds bringing the championship within 10 points going into the last round at Barber Motosports Park.

The team has really hit their stride in the last few rounds and the showdown in Alabama is sure to be one to remember.

To see updates throughout the season and on race weekends, follow HSBKRacing on Facebook and Instagram

Special thanks to our sponsors Bickle Tire Warmers, BrakeTech, Competition Werkes, Cox Racing, Drippinwet.com, Eazi-Grip, Evol Technology, Fast Frank Racing, Ferodo, Full Spectrum, GB Racing, HVAC Construction, Jap4performance, MotionPro, MWR Filters, Nitro Lubricants, RaceSeats, REV’IT, Samco Sport, Spiegler Performance Parts, STM Clutches, SunStar Chain & Sprockets, Yamaha USA, and Zero Gravity

More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:

DUMAS WINS, FONG ON THE PODIUM FOR TEAM HAMMER IN NEW JERSEY

Team Hammer took two big steps forward in its attempt to win a pair of MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing National Championships on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong and Roadracing World Young Guns Suzuki’s Alex Dumas will go to the 2019 season finale at Barber Motorsports Park in two weeks leading their respective title fights after delivering clutch performances on Sunday at NJMP.

In the MotoAmerica Supersport class, Fong earned his 12th top-two finish of the season with a calculated ride on his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Following an early red flag, the Californian took the holeshot on the restart, but was passed at the end of the opening lap and then ran a close second for the remainder of the race, Fong weighed up his options from that position, applying heavy pressure on the leader as he stalked and considered the risk/reward ratio of a desperate last-lap bid for the win.

Fong charged up on the inside on the final lap, but didn’t have quite enough room to sneak through. He regrouped and made one last try, with a superior exit out of the race’s final corner.

He just about pulled it off, coming up only 0.028-second short of stealing away the win at the flag.

As a result, Fong will enter the season finale with a 10-point advantage and two races left to decide the championship.

Fong said, “It’s not easy to be in the championship hunt and ride on the limit for race wins at the same time. I knew I didn’t have the pace to lead the thing and win from the front… I knew I’d get passed in the last corner. So I did my best to stay right there in second and see what I could do. I really wanted to take a lot more chances, but I knew we were on the edge and the championship is on the line.

“I’m really looking forward to Barber. I’ve always done well there in years past on quite a few different bikes so I’m looking forward to going to the final two races at a track I excel at. I’m not happy with second today, but I’m happy to get these points and go into the finale with the lead.”

Unfortunately, Fong’s Team M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Sean Dylan Kelly saw his rookie-season podium streak end at three. The 17-year-old rising star was again battling for a top-three finish but was knocked down and out of the race after being rammed for the third time of the weekend by a rival rider who was pressing to take third away from Kelly.

Meanwhile, young Canadian Dumas has proven nothing short of unstoppable over the second half of his Twins Cup campaign. On Sunday, he continued his winning streak, registering a fourth consecutive victory after leading all but a few meters of Sunday’s 14-lap race.

Dumas blasted out to the holeshot on his Suzuki SV650 and stretched an early gap. He was reeled in and momentarily passed while negotiating heavy traffic entering a section of esses, but positioned himself to retake the advantage as soon as the corner turned back from left to right.

He held the point from that point forward, storming past the checkered flag in first to claim his fifth victory in the last six races–and winning Team Hammer’s 81st AMA Pro/MotoAmerica race. He also extended his championship lead to 21 points with just one race remaining.

Dumas said, “I was able to pull an early gap, but someone caught up. I didn’t know who it was, but then we ran into lappers. He passed me on the inside when I went to the outside of the slower riders, but I passed him right back. I’m really happy–it was a great race and we’re getting really close to the championship. I just can’t thank my crew enough.”

Superbike ace Jake Lewis made it an all-around successful day for Team Hammer by scooping up his seventh top-five premier class result of the season aboard his Team M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000. The Kentuckian ran as high as third early before ultimately settling into a lonely ride to fifth.

Team Hammer will head to the 2019 MotoAmerica season finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 20-22.

About Team Hammer

The 2019 season marks Team Hammer’s 39th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 81 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 231 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 135 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships