Gagne Takes Race One At NJMP And Extends Championship Points Lead
Gagne Wins, Petrucci Fourth As Lead Grows To 13 Points. Race Two Tomorrow at NJMP
Jake Gagne (1) leads Cameron Petersen (45), Danilo Petrucci (9), Mathew Scholtz (11), and the rest of the field at the start of MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 2022) – Fresh N’ Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne took a big step towards a second MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with the defending champion stretching his advantage in the title chase from one point to 13 points.
Gagne won his 11th Medallia Superbike race of the year and the 28th of his career on a sunny afternoon in New Jersey. With his latest victory, Gagne moved into a tie on the all-time AMA Superbike win list with former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies. Not bad company, especially considering that Gagne didn’t win his first race until last year.
Gagne bested his teammate Cameron Petersen by 4.88 seconds with Mathew Scholtz coming out second best in his battle with countryman Petersen, the Westby Racing rider finishing less than half a second behind Petersen in third place.
The podium finish was Petersen’s 10th on the year with Scholtz landing on the podium for a ninth time in 2022.
Gagne’s championship rival Danilo Petrucci was fourth on the Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R, with the Italian finishing off the podium for just the second time all season. Petrucci came into NJMP trailing Gagne by just a point, but his title chase took a hit with Saturday’s result, and he now trails by 13 with three races remaining.
Pole sitter PJ Jacobsen was fifth after losing out on his race-long battle with Petrucci, finishing just .051 of a second behind the Ducati at the finish line.
Jacobsen’s teammate Hector Barbera was sixth, some 10 seconds behind his teammate and just 1.2 seconds ahead of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim.
Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates was eighth with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis and Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman rounding out the top 10.
There were seven non-finishers, including Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with his GSXR-1000 suffering a mechanical failure.
Superbike Race 1
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hector Barbera (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
Travis Wyman (BMW)
Jake Gagne – Winner
“It was a great day. It’s been a good weekend. We learned a lot. Like Cam (Petersen) said, me and Cam were both doing some things with the bike yesterday we hadn’t tried all year. We learned some. We both went out this morning in Q2 really happy with the bike and happy with the progress that we made. I got a better start the second time around. I could see Cam looking over into turn one to see if I was coming and threw it up in there. If he didn’t give me extra room in the carousel in that first start and got it up in there, when you’re hanging off the right side, I almost don’t know where he is. Like he said, we’ve got a job to do. Hats off to both of these guys. It’s been a while, I feel like, since we’ve had a Yamaha one-two-three podium. That’s just great for the team. That’s obviously great for points. It’s great for Yamaha. It was a good day. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Looks like we got some weird weather coming. We know how this place is in the wet, so it could get interesting tomorrow. Obviously, I know all those other guys are really strong in the wet, too. Danilo (Petrucci), PJ (Jacobsen), and Mat (Scholtz) and Cam (Petersen). So, it will be an interesting day tomorrow.”
Cameron Petersen – Second
“Yeah, it was a good race. Kind of like Matty (Scholtz) said. Leaving the track yesterday, I wasn’t in the best head space. We were a long way off. I just kind of was a little bit lost yesterday on the track, to be honest. Came in today and the team did an unbelievable job. It was a completely different motorcycle. Straightaway, from the first lap, I knew we had a bike that was going to be able to win races this weekend. But there’s only a few races left in the series and the championship is tight at the top. I’m here to help the team out. Obviously, I want to be winning races and all that, but there’s a bigger picture to all of this. Unfortunately, I’m just not in the best position to go chase for a championship. So, the best thing I can do is just help the team out and help my boy out and go get the championship for the team. So, I knew in the first start I think I was holding him up a little bit, and when he came past me around the carousel, I knew he had some pace. So then, in the second part (of the red-flagged race), I got a great start. I kind of looked back before we got on the brakes to see if he was close enough. So, I looked back and I saw he was right next to me, so I got on the brakes a little bit early and just let him go ride his race. Honestly, I’m really, really, really stoked with that ride. I’ve had some good rides this year, but with the way yesterday was going, I’m really damn stoked with that ride. I think that’s the closest I’ve stayed to Jake (Gagne) all year, pace-wise. Unfortunately, I ran out of steam a little bit towards the end there. Just trying everything. Like I said, I’m probably more stoked with that ride more than any other ride this year. That one meant a lot to me getting second. I think tomorrow is going to be sketchy conditions, so we’ll see how that goes. Congrats to all the boys up here. They deserve it.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“I was following Cam (Petersen). I was more riding how you shouldn’t ride. I wanted to put the hammer down for three or four laps and see if I could pull a bit of a gap. Ended up losing the front in a couple corners. I think it was corner nine, I lost the front big-time. I thought I was going down. Ran out wide and Cam passed me. There was nothing I could do from there. Overall, I’m pretty happy with today’s race. We struggled and were pretty far back on Friday and we’ve just been slowly adding power and taking out traction control. I think we know that the softer tire starts to go with three or four laps to go. So, something to keep in mind for the second race tomorrow – if it’s dry.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
At New Jersey Motorsports Park, Scholtz Notches His Ninth Superbike Podium Of The Season
Mathew Scholtz (11) leads Danilo Petrucci (9), PJ Jacobsen (66), and Hector Barbera early in Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Millville, NJ – September 10, 2022 – Fresh off Mathew Scholtz’s signing of a new contract to continue as the sole rider for Westby Racing in 2023 (his seventh-consecutive season with the team), the South African who now lives in Georgia got right back to his podium-finishing ways in Superbike race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Starting from fifth in the middle of the second row on the grid, he moved up to third on the opening lap and closely pursued Cam Petersen until lap 12 when he overtook Petersen and started pulling a gap as he moved closer to Jake Gagne at the front. Petersen was able to get past Mathew on lap 13, and the race ended up with an all-Yamaha podium at the finish line with Gagne the victor, followed by his teammate Petersen in second, and Mathew rounded out the podium in third.
“I was following Cam,” Mathew said. “I was more riding how you shouldn’t ride. I wanted to put the hammer down for three or four laps and see if I could pull a bit of a gap. Ended up losing the front in a couple corners. I think it was corner nine, I lost the front big-time. I thought I was going down. Ran out wide, and Cam passed me. There was nothing I could do from there. Overall, I’m pretty happy with today’s race. We struggled and were pretty far back on Friday, and we’ve just been slowly adding power and taking out traction control. I think we know that the softer tire starts to go with three or four laps to go. So, something to keep in mind for the second race tomorrow…if it’s dry.”
Sunday’s Superbike race two starts at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 (FS2).
For all the action from New Jersey Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
Editorial Note: American Julian Correa, riding his Microlise Cresswell Racing Honda, qualified 18th and finished 17th in British Talent Cup Race One Saturday at Snetterton.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Bennetts British Superbike Championship pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Snetterton today with a two-minute silence on the grid preceding the first Superbike race of the weekend.
REPORT
Bradley Ray went on to secure a resounding victory in the opening race of the weekend, mastering the eBay Sprint Race to take the chequered flag with a 2.437s advantage.
As the race got underway Ray took the lead, but on the opening lap, Danny Buchan had his Showdown chances made all the more difficult when he was involved in a crash with Ryan Vickers and Josh Owens at Agostini. The incident meant that the BMW Safety Car was deployed.
When the race resumed, Ray was leading the pack and the championship leader continued to try to break the pack, edging out an advantage that took him to his fifth victory of the season.
The jostle for the Showdown Title Fighter positions continued and defending champion Tarran Mackenzie fought his way through the pack after dropping places at the start, working his way through to second place by lap eight.
Mackenzie was able to fend off the challenges from Yamaha rival Kyle Ryde as the rider holding the most precarious position in the standings returned to the podium for the first time since Donington Park. Ryde moves into tomorrow’s decisive two races with a 30-point margin over Buchan in ninth place.
Christian Iddon had his best result of the season in fourth place for the Buildbase Suzuki team, he had been involved in the podium battle after starting from pole position.
Leon Haslam delivered an impressive performance to move up the order from 21st on the grid to finish the race in fifth place for the local VisionTrack Kawasaki team to keep his outside chances of a place in the Showdown alive.
Lee Jackson was sixth in the race, scoring valuable points that would confirm his place in the Showdown for the first time to ensure both Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki riders feature in the final title fight.
Tom Sykes was seventh on the leading MCE Ducati, holding off the challenges from Peter Hickman, who has dropped a position in the standings and Glenn Irwin.
Irwin had been battling for a top five position when he ran off track on lap seven, but also became the fifth rider to guarantee their place in the Showdown. Danny Kent completed the top ten for Buildbase Suzuki.
There was disappointment for Tommy Bridewell; the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider appeared to suffer a technical problem. He briefly stopped on lap seven before continuing, but he was unable to score a point in his quest to be one of the Title Fighters in the Showdown.
Five riders are confirmed in the Showdown and three Title Fighter positions remain available with six riders in mathematical contention ahead of the two races tomorrow.
British Superbike Series Director Stuart Higgs (right) congratulates Race One winner Bradley Ray (left). Photo courtesy MSVR.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Snetterton, eBay Sprint race:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +2.437s
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +4.474s
Christian Iddon (Buildbase Suzuki) +4.894s
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +8.353s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) +9.264s
Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +10.146s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +11.412s
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +12.713s
Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +13.273s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
1. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 397 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
2. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 363 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
4. Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) 235 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
5. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 221– SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
6. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 206
7. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 201
8. Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 194
9. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 164
10. Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) 154
11. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 152
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Bradley Ray
Rich OMG Racing Yamaha
Race winner
“I knew I had to try and get to the front and sort of set my own pace and lead my own race, if I got with people and started battling it would hinder my lap times.
“I was really aggressive at the start and managed to get from fifth to first on the first lap, and then unfortunately the safety car came out. I knew back from Oulton Park that after the safety car I just needed to do a few quick flying laps, sort of stun the group a little bit, get a bit of a gap and manage it throughout the race.
“I felt really good, to be honest I probably had more left in the tank, I set them few fast laps at the start and settled in. I’m feeling really good for tomorrow’s two long races. “
Herrin Crowned Supersport Champion At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Josh Herrin Wraps Up Supersport Title In Race One In New Jersey
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 10, 2022) – There was never much of a doubt that Josh Herrin was going to wrap up the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at some point during the eighth round of the series at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Herrin, though, wanted to put a bow on the title in race one on Saturday and that’s what he did, riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 to second place to wrap up the title.
The championship was Herrin’s third and comes after his 2013 AMA Superbike Championship and his 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 crown.
The race was won by four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, the veteran’s second win of the Supersport season and his fifth podium of the year.
Crystal Martinez (25) won her first-career Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race – Martinez!
The ladies of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program held their penultimate round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and they kicked off Saturday with their feature race. Crystal Martinez was the fastest rider in Saturday morning’s Practice 2, and it portended things to come for the Californian, who also earned the pole position for the race. Martinez had her hands full in the race, and it looked like Illinois rider Chloe Peterson was going to get the victory. However, on the final lap, Martinez took advantage of a missed shift by Peterson and overtook her right before the finish line. Washington-based rider Jennifer Chancellor completed the podium in third.
“I was going to try and catch the draft,” Martinez said. “But I was a little too far at that moment. So, when I heard her miss a shift, I took that opportunity. I’m like, ‘Just go, just go, just go.’ So, I just full-pinned and full send, and off I went.”
Josh Hayes (4) won the Supersport race on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, but it was Josh Herrin (2) who wrapped up the class championship Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Hayes’ Day, Herrin’s Year
In Supersport race one, two Joshes had memorable days. First of all, four-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes won the battle when he took the victory aboard his Squid Hunter Yamaha. But it was, appropriately, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin who won the war. Aboard his Ducati Panigale V2, Herrin clinched the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the third AMA-sanctioned professional road racing title of his career.
Herrin did what he needed to do, which was to finish ahead of Landers Racing Yamaha’s Rocco Landers. While Hayes pulled a gap at the front to win by a little over four-and-a-half seconds, Herrin and Landers diced back and forth until Herrin got in front of Landers for good and cemented his title with a second-place finish, while Landers came home in third.
“I wanted to come out here and fight the best that I could and give it the beans,” Hayes said. “First off, congrats to Josh (Herrin). We’ve been around this racetrack together for a long time. I’ve been on track with him this year, like at Virginia. His riding has really come around. He’s always been fast, but he’s kind of filled in a few gaps. I think that he’s doing a fantastic job. Really happy. I’ve been watching from the side of the track when I haven’t been on track, and he’s been steady. Every week, he finds a way to be there. That’s what you’ve got to do. Today, it doesn’t matter how things are going. It’s always hard when you’ve got something on the line.”
“I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend. We needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight, and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now, we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
Gus Rodio (96) beat Joe LiMandri Jr (62) and Spencer Humphreys (65) to the line in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Local Knowledge
Home-track advantage definitely came into play in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race one as the podium was made up of riders who are all from the Northeast and consider New Jersey Motorsports Park their local track. Hammonton, New Jersey’s Gus Rodio prevailed with the victory aboard his Rodio Racing Kawasaki, while Bauce Racing/JL62 Team Kawasaki’s Joseph LiMandri Jr., who hails from Garden City, New York, was second. Third place went to new BARTCON Racing Kawasaki team member Spencer Humphreys, who is from Easton, Pennsylvania.
There was a lot of dicing for the lead, as is usually the case with MotoAmerica’s class of entry-level road racers, but on the final run to the checkers, Rodio had a clear path to the front, and he took advantage of it to win the race by just .016 of a second.
“I knew based on club racing here, racing here last year, and the year before, I knew that I would possibly be able to draft my way to the lead,” Rodio said. “Of course, when there are three guys at the front rubbing elbows, they’re slowing way down. So, I knew. It was a good spot for me to be in. I would be a lot madder had the result been different. But I kind of knew that something to the finish was going to happen. I was carrying a lot more speed, just in the draft. Nobody around me, nobody touching me. I knew it would kind of work out.”
Blake Davis (22) leads Cory Ventura (28) and Anthony Mazziotto (516) in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at NJMP. Davis won and Ventura crashed out of the battle. Brian J. Nelson.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Davis Domination
The day concluded with the REV’IT! Twins Cup class’s one race of the weekend, and it was a good one. Blake Davis notched his third win of the season aboard his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha, and he did so in surprisingly dominant fashion. The 16-year-old stretched out a gap of more than three seconds by the time he took the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Robem Engineering Aprilia teammates Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs finished second and third, respectively.
“I was kind of a little nervous,” Davis said. “I didn’t know how far they were behind me. We changed up the pit board a little bit this time. So, I think maybe we can change it back. I was a little confused. But it was really good. Definitely amazing that I could do this today, and that the other championship contenders finished a little bit back. So, that helped a lot. Super excited going into Barber. Definitely think I can do this. So, it’s on.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
A second place for Herrin at New Jersey Motorsports Park seals the deal in the title
Josh Herrin, the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Sunnyvale, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) wrote his name into the MotoAmerica history books today with a second place in race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park, clinching his and Ducati’s first MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Californian came into the weekend with a 76-point advantage over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers and only needed to finish ahead of Landers in race one to take the title. With Landers taking third in race one, Herrin has become a three-time AMA-sanctioned national road racing champion and will now be known as the first rider anywhere in the world to win a national championship for Ducati Motor Holdings on the Ducati Panigale V2.
Herrin’s season was one marked by unerring consistency. A double win first time out at Road Atlanta set the tone for the 2022 season, with four straight wins at The Ridge and Laguna Seca firmly shifting the title tide in his and Ducati’s favor.
In all, Herrin had finished on the podium in every race bar one, when he finished fourth in race one at VIRginia International Raceway—an incredible record given the competitiveness of the MotoAmerica Supersport field.
Herrin will now turn his attention to the season’s final three races starting tomorrow at New Jersey Motorsports Park as he attempts to put an exclamation point on what has been a dominant first season in red with Ducati.
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship (as of race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park)
P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 329
P2 – Rocco Landers (Yamaha) 249
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 192
P4 – Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 134
P5 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 123
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati – #2) : “I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend—we needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
Race two for MotoAmerica Supersport from New Jersey Motorsports Park will go green on Sunday, September 11 at 1:20 pm EDT.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
LOCHOFF SEVENTH IN HIS RETURN FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN NEW JERSEY
Suzuki GSX-Rs Continue Occupying Multiple Top Ten Finishing Positions
BREA, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki faced a tough day as the team returned to MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road action on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
Early promise turned to disappointment in the Supersport class, although Sam Lochoff turned in a gritty performance to finish the race seventh.
His teammate Tyler Scott made a valiant attempt at another class victory on Saturday. Scott qualified third at his home track and rocketed to the holeshot and took the lead of the race. He had pulled a slight gap and showed the power of his Suzuki GSX-R750 in holding off a front straight draft pass attempt on the second lap. Suzuki GSX-R race bikes once again accounted for a significant 40% of the top ten finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park, continuing Suzuki’s legacy of competitiveness in production road racing.
Tyler Scott (70) had a strong qualifying at his home track in New Jersey. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, the fast teen crashed out of the race while leading on the third lap as he attempted to distance himself from his rivals.
“I felt really good on the bike,” said Scott. “I was maintaining the lead and trying to pull away. Between Turns 8 and 9, the tire spun up really hard and pitched me off the high side. It chewed my finger up pretty good so we’re not sure about racing tomorrow. I really want to race, though.”
Sam Lochoff returned to action after missing three rounds due to a broken leg. After qualifying seventh, Lochoff made a great start, leaping to third as the race began. He lost several positions on the second lap, but settled in and fought hard to earn seventh at the 2.25-mile track.
A solid seventh-place finish for Sam Lochoff (44) after missing three rounds due to a broken leg. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
“I passed four riders entering into Turn 1 and the race was looking pretty good, but on the second lap I lost the front in Turn 3 and the guys passed me back,” said Lochoff. “In the race, I struggled with traction as well as my fitness.
“I was in a hard cast for six weeks and limited on what I could do to train and I needed to be in top shape today,” added Lochoff. “It felt like the rear tire went off earlier than normal and that made it hard to push the pace later in the race. I was hoping to fight for the podium, of course, so we will regroup tonight and see if we can improve for tomorrow.”
Liam Grant (90) tallies another top-15 aboard his Suzuki GSX-R750. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Young racer Liam Grant qualified 13th and improved two positions to earn 11th as he continues to learn in the competitive Supersport class.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike pilots faced adversity in the 17-lap contest a race red-flagged in the early stages.
A great top-ten finish for Jake Lewis (85), despite a sub-par restart from a red flag. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Jake Lewis qualified eighth and ran as high as sixth before the red flag. On the restart, which saw the riders revert to their original grid positions, Lewis did not get a good launch and settled into 12th position. The Kentuckian advanced to ninth by the checkered flag on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R, despite his rear wheel speed sensor bracket breaking. That caused his traction control to function erratically during the race.
Richie Escalante had a difficult qualifying and began the race on the 4th row. He had improved three spots to ninth before the race stopped. Escalante got a good start and climbed to seventh on the restart.
Richie Escalante (54) looking to bounce back from a difficult Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Eager to regain the momentum he had in the middle of the season, Escalante, still recovering from injury, looked for a trouble-free race. However, the quick Superbike-class rookie had difficulties and dropped out of the race while running in eighth with nine laps to go.
“I am trying hard to recover the feeling from the bike I had before the Brainerd crash and that has been our goal this weekend,” said Escalante. “We’re working on the feeling from the front on corner entry and we made some big changes for the race today. We got a good start and were in a battle for the top six, but then we had a mechanical issue. That’s disappointing but I am happy with continuing to learn every time I get to ride the motorcycle. I feel like we are making progress and I want to finish the weekend strong on Sunday. I am ready for the dry or rain.”
Team Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 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.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
BEN GLODDY AND TEAGG HOBBS FINISH SECOND, THIRD, IN SATURDAY’S MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACE ABOARD ROBEM ENGINEERING APRILIA RS 660s
SIX APRILIA RIDERS FINISH IN THE TOP 10 AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK; BARRY, MAZZIOTTO STILL IN THE HUNT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
MILLVILLE, NJ – Saturday’s MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at New Jersey Motorsports Park saw Robem Engineering riders Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs score podium finishes aboard Aprilia RS 660s, while two other Aprilia riders – Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto and Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry – did enough to keep themselves in the chase for the 2022 Twins Cup title with one race remaining.
Jody Barry (11). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Overall, the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season went well for Aprilia riders, as five of the top six finishers in the lone Twins Cup contest of the Sept. 9-11 event were riding Aprilia RS 660s. Though both riders lost a little ground in the points standings at NJMP, Barry and Mazziotto are two of the three riders still mathematically eligible to clinch the 2022 Twins Cup title in two weeks’ time.
The weekend started well for Aprilia riders, as Barry outpaced the field in both Friday morning practice and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session. Hobbs was just a nick off Barry’s pace, as his best lap time was 0.657 seconds off Barry’s in practice and 0.355 seconds off in Qualifying 1. Mazziotto, who hails from Hammonton, N.J., was seventh-fastest in Friday practice and fourth-fastest in Qualifying 1. Overall, half the riders who finished in the top 10 in both sessions were riding Aprilia RS 660s.
Qualifying concluded Saturday morning with Barry taking pole position by a margin of 0.042 seconds. The second-fastest Aprilia rider in Qualifying 2 was Hobbs, who secured fifth on the Twin Cup starting grid. Mazziotto wrapped up qualifying in sixth place, Gloddy in seventh and reigning Twins Cup champion Kaleb De Keyrel of Veloce Racing in 10th. Half of the top 10 riders in Qualifying 2 were on Aprilias.
The Twins Cup race got underway late Saturday afternoon. The polesitter Barry got a sluggish start but kept his composure and finished the first lap in third place. A wave of Aprilia riders followed Barry over the start/finish line on Lap 1, as Mazziotto finished the lap in fourth place, Gloddy fifth and De Keyrel in sixth. Teagg Hobbs had some work to do following a less than ideal start, slipping four places down the running order to finish Lap 1 in ninth.
Championship contenders Barry and Mazziotto were battling for third place on Laps 2-4 with Gloddy immediately following. On Lap 5, a couple other riders crashed out of the race and another of the front-runners tumbled down the running order giving the race leader an opportunity to build a gap from the rest of the field. Aprilia riders made the most of the field reshuffle and finished Lap 5 running in second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth place.
Mazziotto was initially at the front of the Aprilia column vying for the last two steps on the podium, but Gloddy and Hobbs overtook him on Laps 7 and 8. Mazziotto continued to battle with Hobbs for third place, but gradually lost a little pace and was overtaken for fourth place by Barry on the last lap of the 14-lap race. Gloddy and Hobbs secured second and third place, putting both Robem Engineering riders on the podium. De Keyrel brought up the rear of the Aprilia column when he finished sixth, and Jacob Crossman’s 10th-place finish aboard his J. Crossman Racing Aprilia RS 660 gave Aprilia sixth riders in the top 10.
Of the 29 competitors registered to compete in the Twins Cup race at NJMP, 11 were set to race aboard Aprilia RS 660 models.
The last round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season is scheduled to take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 23-25.
Ben Gloddy. Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Ben Gloddy / Robem Engineering
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs. Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Teagg Hobbs / Robem Engineering
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try and win a race there.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
P11 and P14 for Liam and Trevor at NJMP
The Pure Attitude Racing team leave the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship content with their double points finish.
Regrouping after a difficult Pittsburgh, the squad was determined to return to the top fifteen in the final two events of the season and riders Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish did not disappoint.
Solid performances in practice and qualifying were backed up by gusty, hard-fought rides from both the #37 and the #14, who powered their Yamaha USA supported machines to eleventh and fourteenth respectively at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.
For Liam, the result was impressive given his crash in the previous round, the flying Kiwi riding through shoulder discomfort to secure his ninth points scoring result of 2022, whilst Trevor was relieved to add two points to his tally after a spate of bad luck has prevented him from finishing inside the top fifteen since Road America!
The team now buoyed, move to the season finale in a couple of weeks eager to end the year on a high.
Liam McDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “It was a tough race as I was still riding in a bit of pain and discomfort. I felt like I was in a gladiator ring at the end if I am honest. I ran a decent pace in the beginning but as the race went on, I started to feel my shoulder and there was nothing I could. In the end I used my head and brough it home for some decent points. I thought I was further back as I only saw the board once, so it was a pleasant surprise to almost finish in the top ten. I will be ready to give it everything in the final race of the season at Barber in two weeks.”
Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start, and my plan was to work on some things in the race, mainly with my own riding as I had been riding a bit tense all weekend, after being off the bike for so long. I was able to hang with Liam for a few laps but I knew that I had to stay calm and just enjoy the race which I did. My pace dropped as the race progressed which was to be expected after the crash at Brainerd. Adrenalin played a part, but I am satisfied to salvage some points. I know it will be a long road to get back to full fitness, but I am ready for the challenge and ready to being back at the sharp end in 2023. Now it’s time to focus on Barber and ending the season with my best result of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering Aprilia riders finish second, third in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park
Gloddy, Hobbs score second, third podium finishes of 2022 season
MILLVILLE, N.J. – The Robem Engineering Aprilia team was back to its front-running form Saturday at the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season. The team’s riders, Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs, finished the lone Twins Cup race of the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park in second and third – scoring the team’s second double-podium performance this year.
After being off the pace for a couple rounds – as well as missing a round due to a logistics challenge – the team’s riders were right back at the front of the field at the tight-and-twisty 2.25-mile Thunderbolt circuit at NJMP. Hobbs’ third place finish helped him hold onto seventh in the Twins Cup points standing, though Gloddy’s runner-up finish moved him up to eighth place – just four points adrift of his teammate.
Hobbs was right up to speed at the start of the weekend. He was the second-fastest Twins Cup rider in Friday practice and Qualifying 1. Gloddy was a little off Hobbs’ pace but still finished Friday practice in sixth place and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session in seventh.
In Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, Hobbs finished the session in fifth and Gloddy in seventh, which matched the positions each rider secured on the Twins Cup starting grid.
The start of the race went well for Gloddy but not so good for Hobbs. Gloddy got a good jump off the line and finished the first lap in fifth place. Hobbs lost several places on the first lap and was running in ninth at the end of Lap 1. Gloddy was the third rider in a three-way battle for third place on Laps 2-4 and moved up to third place on Lap 5 after a couple riders crashed out on that lap. Hobbs made the most of the field getting reshuffled on Lap 5 as he advanced five places up the running order on that lap alone. With the pair of Robem Engineering riders starting Lap 6 in third and fourth place, the duo each moved up another place on Laps 7 and 8, respectively, and were in second and third place by the end of Lap 8. Gloddy led a pack of five Aprilia riders vying for the last two steps on the podium for the final eight laps of the race, while Hobbs fended off the advances of riders behind him to finished third.
It was Gloddy’s second podium of the year and his first runner-up finish in Twins Cup. For Hobbs, the third place finish marked his third trip to the podium in 2022 – as well as his first since suffering a broken collarbone at the Road America round in June.
The 2022 MotoAmerica season concludes in two weeks time, with the final round scheduled for Sept. 23-25 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs (79). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Teagg Hobbs / No. 79
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try to win a race there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2022 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Synchrony, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Baldassarri wins red-flagged Race 1 to close the Championship gap to Aegerter to five points
Shortened to 12 laps but no shortage of drama as Baldassarri closed the gap in the Championship
Lorenzo Baldassarri (7) leads Glenn van Straalen (28) and Dominique Aegerter (77) during World Supersport Race One at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSSP
P1 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
Baldassarri won Race 1 to take his fourth WorldSSP win, his third one in a row.
He reduced the gap to just five points to Aegerter in the Championship standings.
“After the two wins in Most, it was important to win here today. It was a new track for us. We made a good improvement since this morning! I’m happy. The team did a great job. Now we need to stay focus and make some small improvements for tomorrow.”
P2 – Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team)
Van Straalen took second place to claim his second podium of 2022.
The Dutchman challenged Baldassarri at Turn 5 on several occasions but was unable to make a move stick
“It’s really good to come back after the summer break with a podium finish. I think we had a good pace in the race so that gives us confidence for the rest of the weekend. After Assen, it’s good to take another podium. We were quite fast during the whole season, but the podium didn’t work out … but now it did!”
P3 – Dominique Aegerter (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Aegerter finished in third place after battling from the second row
He remains the Championship leader but with a shortened advantage to Aegerter.
“Happy to be back on the podium, happy to be back racing here in the WorldSSP paddock. Today’s race was tricky. We had a big fight in the first few laps. I couldn’t overtake as fast as I wanted. Then after 12 laps, the race was red-flagged. I was expecting that we could restart the race so that we could fight until the end. But luckily, we always have a second chance on Sunday so I hope that tomorrow we can fight for a solid result.”
To note:
Fighting at the front of the race in the early stages, Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) dropped down the order to finish in fourth place. He finished less than a second clear of teammate Yari Montella. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completed Race 1’s top six.
The race was red-flagged after 12 of the scheduled 19 laps following a Turn 5 incident between Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Kyle Smith (VFT Racing), with Sofuoglu taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Sofuoglu will be transported to Nevers Hospital for further assessment, after being diagnosed with a pelvis, right thigh, right elbow and chest injuries.
A technical issue for polesitter Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) meant he retired from the lead of the race.
Wildcard Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) fought back to claim seventh place whilst Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) rounded out the top ten.
WorldSSP resumes on Sunday from 9:25 (Local Time) followed by Race 2 at 12:45.
Gagne Takes Race One At NJMP And Extends Championship Points Lead
Gagne Wins, Petrucci Fourth As Lead Grows To 13 Points. Race Two Tomorrow at NJMP
Jake Gagne (1) leads Cameron Petersen (45), Danilo Petrucci (9), Mathew Scholtz (11), and the rest of the field at the start of MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 2022) – Fresh N’ Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne took a big step towards a second MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with the defending champion stretching his advantage in the title chase from one point to 13 points.
Gagne won his 11th Medallia Superbike race of the year and the 28th of his career on a sunny afternoon in New Jersey. With his latest victory, Gagne moved into a tie on the all-time AMA Superbike win list with former AMA and World Superbike Champion Ben Spies. Not bad company, especially considering that Gagne didn’t win his first race until last year.
Gagne bested his teammate Cameron Petersen by 4.88 seconds with Mathew Scholtz coming out second best in his battle with countryman Petersen, the Westby Racing rider finishing less than half a second behind Petersen in third place.
The podium finish was Petersen’s 10th on the year with Scholtz landing on the podium for a ninth time in 2022.
Gagne’s championship rival Danilo Petrucci was fourth on the Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R, with the Italian finishing off the podium for just the second time all season. Petrucci came into NJMP trailing Gagne by just a point, but his title chase took a hit with Saturday’s result, and he now trails by 13 with three races remaining.
Pole sitter PJ Jacobsen was fifth after losing out on his race-long battle with Petrucci, finishing just .051 of a second behind the Ducati at the finish line.
Jacobsen’s teammate Hector Barbera was sixth, some 10 seconds behind his teammate and just 1.2 seconds ahead of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim.
Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates was eighth with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis and Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman rounding out the top 10.
There were seven non-finishers, including Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with his GSXR-1000 suffering a mechanical failure.
Superbike Race 1
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Hector Barbera (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
Travis Wyman (BMW)
Jake Gagne – Winner
“It was a great day. It’s been a good weekend. We learned a lot. Like Cam (Petersen) said, me and Cam were both doing some things with the bike yesterday we hadn’t tried all year. We learned some. We both went out this morning in Q2 really happy with the bike and happy with the progress that we made. I got a better start the second time around. I could see Cam looking over into turn one to see if I was coming and threw it up in there. If he didn’t give me extra room in the carousel in that first start and got it up in there, when you’re hanging off the right side, I almost don’t know where he is. Like he said, we’ve got a job to do. Hats off to both of these guys. It’s been a while, I feel like, since we’ve had a Yamaha one-two-three podium. That’s just great for the team. That’s obviously great for points. It’s great for Yamaha. It was a good day. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Looks like we got some weird weather coming. We know how this place is in the wet, so it could get interesting tomorrow. Obviously, I know all those other guys are really strong in the wet, too. Danilo (Petrucci), PJ (Jacobsen), and Mat (Scholtz) and Cam (Petersen). So, it will be an interesting day tomorrow.”
Cameron Petersen – Second
“Yeah, it was a good race. Kind of like Matty (Scholtz) said. Leaving the track yesterday, I wasn’t in the best head space. We were a long way off. I just kind of was a little bit lost yesterday on the track, to be honest. Came in today and the team did an unbelievable job. It was a completely different motorcycle. Straightaway, from the first lap, I knew we had a bike that was going to be able to win races this weekend. But there’s only a few races left in the series and the championship is tight at the top. I’m here to help the team out. Obviously, I want to be winning races and all that, but there’s a bigger picture to all of this. Unfortunately, I’m just not in the best position to go chase for a championship. So, the best thing I can do is just help the team out and help my boy out and go get the championship for the team. So, I knew in the first start I think I was holding him up a little bit, and when he came past me around the carousel, I knew he had some pace. So then, in the second part (of the red-flagged race), I got a great start. I kind of looked back before we got on the brakes to see if he was close enough. So, I looked back and I saw he was right next to me, so I got on the brakes a little bit early and just let him go ride his race. Honestly, I’m really, really, really stoked with that ride. I’ve had some good rides this year, but with the way yesterday was going, I’m really damn stoked with that ride. I think that’s the closest I’ve stayed to Jake (Gagne) all year, pace-wise. Unfortunately, I ran out of steam a little bit towards the end there. Just trying everything. Like I said, I’m probably more stoked with that ride more than any other ride this year. That one meant a lot to me getting second. I think tomorrow is going to be sketchy conditions, so we’ll see how that goes. Congrats to all the boys up here. They deserve it.”
Mathew Scholtz – Third
“I was following Cam (Petersen). I was more riding how you shouldn’t ride. I wanted to put the hammer down for three or four laps and see if I could pull a bit of a gap. Ended up losing the front in a couple corners. I think it was corner nine, I lost the front big-time. I thought I was going down. Ran out wide and Cam passed me. There was nothing I could do from there. Overall, I’m pretty happy with today’s race. We struggled and were pretty far back on Friday and we’ve just been slowly adding power and taking out traction control. I think we know that the softer tire starts to go with three or four laps to go. So, something to keep in mind for the second race tomorrow – if it’s dry.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
At New Jersey Motorsports Park, Scholtz Notches His Ninth Superbike Podium Of The Season
Mathew Scholtz (11) leads Danilo Petrucci (9), PJ Jacobsen (66), and Hector Barbera early in Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Millville, NJ – September 10, 2022 – Fresh off Mathew Scholtz’s signing of a new contract to continue as the sole rider for Westby Racing in 2023 (his seventh-consecutive season with the team), the South African who now lives in Georgia got right back to his podium-finishing ways in Superbike race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Starting from fifth in the middle of the second row on the grid, he moved up to third on the opening lap and closely pursued Cam Petersen until lap 12 when he overtook Petersen and started pulling a gap as he moved closer to Jake Gagne at the front. Petersen was able to get past Mathew on lap 13, and the race ended up with an all-Yamaha podium at the finish line with Gagne the victor, followed by his teammate Petersen in second, and Mathew rounded out the podium in third.
“I was following Cam,” Mathew said. “I was more riding how you shouldn’t ride. I wanted to put the hammer down for three or four laps and see if I could pull a bit of a gap. Ended up losing the front in a couple corners. I think it was corner nine, I lost the front big-time. I thought I was going down. Ran out wide, and Cam passed me. There was nothing I could do from there. Overall, I’m pretty happy with today’s race. We struggled and were pretty far back on Friday, and we’ve just been slowly adding power and taking out traction control. I think we know that the softer tire starts to go with three or four laps to go. So, something to keep in mind for the second race tomorrow…if it’s dry.”
Sunday’s Superbike race two starts at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 (FS2).
For all the action from New Jersey Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at NJMP. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS Friction A/S and Worldwide Bearings are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.
The starter displays the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom, ahead of a British Superbike race at Snetterton. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Editorial Note: American Julian Correa, riding his Microlise Cresswell Racing Honda, qualified 18th and finished 17th in British Talent Cup Race One Saturday at Snetterton.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Bennetts British Superbike Championship pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Snetterton today with a two-minute silence on the grid preceding the first Superbike race of the weekend.
REPORT
Bradley Ray went on to secure a resounding victory in the opening race of the weekend, mastering the eBay Sprint Race to take the chequered flag with a 2.437s advantage.
As the race got underway Ray took the lead, but on the opening lap, Danny Buchan had his Showdown chances made all the more difficult when he was involved in a crash with Ryan Vickers and Josh Owens at Agostini. The incident meant that the BMW Safety Car was deployed.
When the race resumed, Ray was leading the pack and the championship leader continued to try to break the pack, edging out an advantage that took him to his fifth victory of the season.
The jostle for the Showdown Title Fighter positions continued and defending champion Tarran Mackenzie fought his way through the pack after dropping places at the start, working his way through to second place by lap eight.
Mackenzie was able to fend off the challenges from Yamaha rival Kyle Ryde as the rider holding the most precarious position in the standings returned to the podium for the first time since Donington Park. Ryde moves into tomorrow’s decisive two races with a 30-point margin over Buchan in ninth place.
Christian Iddon had his best result of the season in fourth place for the Buildbase Suzuki team, he had been involved in the podium battle after starting from pole position.
Leon Haslam delivered an impressive performance to move up the order from 21st on the grid to finish the race in fifth place for the local VisionTrack Kawasaki team to keep his outside chances of a place in the Showdown alive.
Lee Jackson was sixth in the race, scoring valuable points that would confirm his place in the Showdown for the first time to ensure both Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki riders feature in the final title fight.
Tom Sykes was seventh on the leading MCE Ducati, holding off the challenges from Peter Hickman, who has dropped a position in the standings and Glenn Irwin.
Irwin had been battling for a top five position when he ran off track on lap seven, but also became the fifth rider to guarantee their place in the Showdown. Danny Kent completed the top ten for Buildbase Suzuki.
There was disappointment for Tommy Bridewell; the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider appeared to suffer a technical problem. He briefly stopped on lap seven before continuing, but he was unable to score a point in his quest to be one of the Title Fighters in the Showdown.
Five riders are confirmed in the Showdown and three Title Fighter positions remain available with six riders in mathematical contention ahead of the two races tomorrow.
British Superbike Series Director Stuart Higgs (right) congratulates Race One winner Bradley Ray (left). Photo courtesy MSVR.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Snetterton, eBay Sprint race:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +2.437s
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +4.474s
Christian Iddon (Buildbase Suzuki) +4.894s
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +8.353s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) +9.264s
Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +10.146s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +11.412s
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +12.713s
Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +13.273s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
1. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 397 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
2. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 363 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
4. Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) 235 – SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
5. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 221– SHOWDOWN CONFIRMED
6. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 206
7. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 201
8. Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 194
9. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 164
10. Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) 154
11. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 152
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Bradley Ray
Rich OMG Racing Yamaha
Race winner
“I knew I had to try and get to the front and sort of set my own pace and lead my own race, if I got with people and started battling it would hinder my lap times.
“I was really aggressive at the start and managed to get from fifth to first on the first lap, and then unfortunately the safety car came out. I knew back from Oulton Park that after the safety car I just needed to do a few quick flying laps, sort of stun the group a little bit, get a bit of a gap and manage it throughout the race.
“I felt really good, to be honest I probably had more left in the tank, I set them few fast laps at the start and settled in. I’m feeling really good for tomorrow’s two long races. “
Herrin Crowned Supersport Champion At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Josh Herrin Wraps Up Supersport Title In Race One In New Jersey
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 10, 2022) – There was never much of a doubt that Josh Herrin was going to wrap up the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at some point during the eighth round of the series at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Herrin, though, wanted to put a bow on the title in race one on Saturday and that’s what he did, riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 to second place to wrap up the title.
The championship was Herrin’s third and comes after his 2013 AMA Superbike Championship and his 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 crown.
The race was won by four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, the veteran’s second win of the Supersport season and his fifth podium of the year.
Crystal Martinez (25) won her first-career Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race – Martinez!
The ladies of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program held their penultimate round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and they kicked off Saturday with their feature race. Crystal Martinez was the fastest rider in Saturday morning’s Practice 2, and it portended things to come for the Californian, who also earned the pole position for the race. Martinez had her hands full in the race, and it looked like Illinois rider Chloe Peterson was going to get the victory. However, on the final lap, Martinez took advantage of a missed shift by Peterson and overtook her right before the finish line. Washington-based rider Jennifer Chancellor completed the podium in third.
“I was going to try and catch the draft,” Martinez said. “But I was a little too far at that moment. So, when I heard her miss a shift, I took that opportunity. I’m like, ‘Just go, just go, just go.’ So, I just full-pinned and full send, and off I went.”
Josh Hayes (4) won the Supersport race on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, but it was Josh Herrin (2) who wrapped up the class championship Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Hayes’ Day, Herrin’s Year
In Supersport race one, two Joshes had memorable days. First of all, four-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes won the battle when he took the victory aboard his Squid Hunter Yamaha. But it was, appropriately, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin who won the war. Aboard his Ducati Panigale V2, Herrin clinched the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the third AMA-sanctioned professional road racing title of his career.
Herrin did what he needed to do, which was to finish ahead of Landers Racing Yamaha’s Rocco Landers. While Hayes pulled a gap at the front to win by a little over four-and-a-half seconds, Herrin and Landers diced back and forth until Herrin got in front of Landers for good and cemented his title with a second-place finish, while Landers came home in third.
“I wanted to come out here and fight the best that I could and give it the beans,” Hayes said. “First off, congrats to Josh (Herrin). We’ve been around this racetrack together for a long time. I’ve been on track with him this year, like at Virginia. His riding has really come around. He’s always been fast, but he’s kind of filled in a few gaps. I think that he’s doing a fantastic job. Really happy. I’ve been watching from the side of the track when I haven’t been on track, and he’s been steady. Every week, he finds a way to be there. That’s what you’ve got to do. Today, it doesn’t matter how things are going. It’s always hard when you’ve got something on the line.”
“I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend. We needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight, and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now, we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
Gus Rodio (96) beat Joe LiMandri Jr (62) and Spencer Humphreys (65) to the line in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Local Knowledge
Home-track advantage definitely came into play in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race one as the podium was made up of riders who are all from the Northeast and consider New Jersey Motorsports Park their local track. Hammonton, New Jersey’s Gus Rodio prevailed with the victory aboard his Rodio Racing Kawasaki, while Bauce Racing/JL62 Team Kawasaki’s Joseph LiMandri Jr., who hails from Garden City, New York, was second. Third place went to new BARTCON Racing Kawasaki team member Spencer Humphreys, who is from Easton, Pennsylvania.
There was a lot of dicing for the lead, as is usually the case with MotoAmerica’s class of entry-level road racers, but on the final run to the checkers, Rodio had a clear path to the front, and he took advantage of it to win the race by just .016 of a second.
“I knew based on club racing here, racing here last year, and the year before, I knew that I would possibly be able to draft my way to the lead,” Rodio said. “Of course, when there are three guys at the front rubbing elbows, they’re slowing way down. So, I knew. It was a good spot for me to be in. I would be a lot madder had the result been different. But I kind of knew that something to the finish was going to happen. I was carrying a lot more speed, just in the draft. Nobody around me, nobody touching me. I knew it would kind of work out.”
Blake Davis (22) leads Cory Ventura (28) and Anthony Mazziotto (516) in the REV’IT! Twins Cup race at NJMP. Davis won and Ventura crashed out of the battle. Brian J. Nelson.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Davis Domination
The day concluded with the REV’IT! Twins Cup class’s one race of the weekend, and it was a good one. Blake Davis notched his third win of the season aboard his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha, and he did so in surprisingly dominant fashion. The 16-year-old stretched out a gap of more than three seconds by the time he took the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Robem Engineering Aprilia teammates Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs finished second and third, respectively.
“I was kind of a little nervous,” Davis said. “I didn’t know how far they were behind me. We changed up the pit board a little bit this time. So, I think maybe we can change it back. I was a little confused. But it was really good. Definitely amazing that I could do this today, and that the other championship contenders finished a little bit back. So, that helped a lot. Super excited going into Barber. Definitely think I can do this. So, it’s on.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
A second place for Herrin at New Jersey Motorsports Park seals the deal in the title
Josh Herrin, the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Sunnyvale, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) wrote his name into the MotoAmerica history books today with a second place in race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park, clinching his and Ducati’s first MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Californian came into the weekend with a 76-point advantage over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers and only needed to finish ahead of Landers in race one to take the title. With Landers taking third in race one, Herrin has become a three-time AMA-sanctioned national road racing champion and will now be known as the first rider anywhere in the world to win a national championship for Ducati Motor Holdings on the Ducati Panigale V2.
Herrin’s season was one marked by unerring consistency. A double win first time out at Road Atlanta set the tone for the 2022 season, with four straight wins at The Ridge and Laguna Seca firmly shifting the title tide in his and Ducati’s favor.
In all, Herrin had finished on the podium in every race bar one, when he finished fourth in race one at VIRginia International Raceway—an incredible record given the competitiveness of the MotoAmerica Supersport field.
Herrin will now turn his attention to the season’s final three races starting tomorrow at New Jersey Motorsports Park as he attempts to put an exclamation point on what has been a dominant first season in red with Ducati.
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship (as of race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park)
P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 329
P2 – Rocco Landers (Yamaha) 249
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 192
P4 – Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 134
P5 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 123
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati – #2) : “I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend—we needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
Race two for MotoAmerica Supersport from New Jersey Motorsports Park will go green on Sunday, September 11 at 1:20 pm EDT.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
LOCHOFF SEVENTH IN HIS RETURN FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN NEW JERSEY
Suzuki GSX-Rs Continue Occupying Multiple Top Ten Finishing Positions
BREA, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki faced a tough day as the team returned to MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road action on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
Early promise turned to disappointment in the Supersport class, although Sam Lochoff turned in a gritty performance to finish the race seventh.
His teammate Tyler Scott made a valiant attempt at another class victory on Saturday. Scott qualified third at his home track and rocketed to the holeshot and took the lead of the race. He had pulled a slight gap and showed the power of his Suzuki GSX-R750 in holding off a front straight draft pass attempt on the second lap. Suzuki GSX-R race bikes once again accounted for a significant 40% of the top ten finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park, continuing Suzuki’s legacy of competitiveness in production road racing.
Tyler Scott (70) had a strong qualifying at his home track in New Jersey. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Unfortunately, the fast teen crashed out of the race while leading on the third lap as he attempted to distance himself from his rivals.
“I felt really good on the bike,” said Scott. “I was maintaining the lead and trying to pull away. Between Turns 8 and 9, the tire spun up really hard and pitched me off the high side. It chewed my finger up pretty good so we’re not sure about racing tomorrow. I really want to race, though.”
Sam Lochoff returned to action after missing three rounds due to a broken leg. After qualifying seventh, Lochoff made a great start, leaping to third as the race began. He lost several positions on the second lap, but settled in and fought hard to earn seventh at the 2.25-mile track.
A solid seventh-place finish for Sam Lochoff (44) after missing three rounds due to a broken leg. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
“I passed four riders entering into Turn 1 and the race was looking pretty good, but on the second lap I lost the front in Turn 3 and the guys passed me back,” said Lochoff. “In the race, I struggled with traction as well as my fitness.
“I was in a hard cast for six weeks and limited on what I could do to train and I needed to be in top shape today,” added Lochoff. “It felt like the rear tire went off earlier than normal and that made it hard to push the pace later in the race. I was hoping to fight for the podium, of course, so we will regroup tonight and see if we can improve for tomorrow.”
Liam Grant (90) tallies another top-15 aboard his Suzuki GSX-R750. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Young racer Liam Grant qualified 13th and improved two positions to earn 11th as he continues to learn in the competitive Supersport class.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike pilots faced adversity in the 17-lap contest a race red-flagged in the early stages.
A great top-ten finish for Jake Lewis (85), despite a sub-par restart from a red flag. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Jake Lewis qualified eighth and ran as high as sixth before the red flag. On the restart, which saw the riders revert to their original grid positions, Lewis did not get a good launch and settled into 12th position. The Kentuckian advanced to ninth by the checkered flag on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R, despite his rear wheel speed sensor bracket breaking. That caused his traction control to function erratically during the race.
Richie Escalante had a difficult qualifying and began the race on the 4th row. He had improved three spots to ninth before the race stopped. Escalante got a good start and climbed to seventh on the restart.
Richie Escalante (54) looking to bounce back from a difficult Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Eager to regain the momentum he had in the middle of the season, Escalante, still recovering from injury, looked for a trouble-free race. However, the quick Superbike-class rookie had difficulties and dropped out of the race while running in eighth with nine laps to go.
“I am trying hard to recover the feeling from the bike I had before the Brainerd crash and that has been our goal this weekend,” said Escalante. “We’re working on the feeling from the front on corner entry and we made some big changes for the race today. We got a good start and were in a battle for the top six, but then we had a mechanical issue. That’s disappointing but I am happy with continuing to learn every time I get to ride the motorcycle. I feel like we are making progress and I want to finish the weekend strong on Sunday. I am ready for the dry or rain.”
Team Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 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.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
BEN GLODDY AND TEAGG HOBBS FINISH SECOND, THIRD, IN SATURDAY’S MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACE ABOARD ROBEM ENGINEERING APRILIA RS 660s
SIX APRILIA RIDERS FINISH IN THE TOP 10 AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK; BARRY, MAZZIOTTO STILL IN THE HUNT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
MILLVILLE, NJ – Saturday’s MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at New Jersey Motorsports Park saw Robem Engineering riders Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs score podium finishes aboard Aprilia RS 660s, while two other Aprilia riders – Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto and Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry – did enough to keep themselves in the chase for the 2022 Twins Cup title with one race remaining.
Jody Barry (11). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Overall, the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season went well for Aprilia riders, as five of the top six finishers in the lone Twins Cup contest of the Sept. 9-11 event were riding Aprilia RS 660s. Though both riders lost a little ground in the points standings at NJMP, Barry and Mazziotto are two of the three riders still mathematically eligible to clinch the 2022 Twins Cup title in two weeks’ time.
The weekend started well for Aprilia riders, as Barry outpaced the field in both Friday morning practice and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session. Hobbs was just a nick off Barry’s pace, as his best lap time was 0.657 seconds off Barry’s in practice and 0.355 seconds off in Qualifying 1. Mazziotto, who hails from Hammonton, N.J., was seventh-fastest in Friday practice and fourth-fastest in Qualifying 1. Overall, half the riders who finished in the top 10 in both sessions were riding Aprilia RS 660s.
Qualifying concluded Saturday morning with Barry taking pole position by a margin of 0.042 seconds. The second-fastest Aprilia rider in Qualifying 2 was Hobbs, who secured fifth on the Twin Cup starting grid. Mazziotto wrapped up qualifying in sixth place, Gloddy in seventh and reigning Twins Cup champion Kaleb De Keyrel of Veloce Racing in 10th. Half of the top 10 riders in Qualifying 2 were on Aprilias.
The Twins Cup race got underway late Saturday afternoon. The polesitter Barry got a sluggish start but kept his composure and finished the first lap in third place. A wave of Aprilia riders followed Barry over the start/finish line on Lap 1, as Mazziotto finished the lap in fourth place, Gloddy fifth and De Keyrel in sixth. Teagg Hobbs had some work to do following a less than ideal start, slipping four places down the running order to finish Lap 1 in ninth.
Championship contenders Barry and Mazziotto were battling for third place on Laps 2-4 with Gloddy immediately following. On Lap 5, a couple other riders crashed out of the race and another of the front-runners tumbled down the running order giving the race leader an opportunity to build a gap from the rest of the field. Aprilia riders made the most of the field reshuffle and finished Lap 5 running in second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth place.
Mazziotto was initially at the front of the Aprilia column vying for the last two steps on the podium, but Gloddy and Hobbs overtook him on Laps 7 and 8. Mazziotto continued to battle with Hobbs for third place, but gradually lost a little pace and was overtaken for fourth place by Barry on the last lap of the 14-lap race. Gloddy and Hobbs secured second and third place, putting both Robem Engineering riders on the podium. De Keyrel brought up the rear of the Aprilia column when he finished sixth, and Jacob Crossman’s 10th-place finish aboard his J. Crossman Racing Aprilia RS 660 gave Aprilia sixth riders in the top 10.
Of the 29 competitors registered to compete in the Twins Cup race at NJMP, 11 were set to race aboard Aprilia RS 660 models.
The last round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season is scheduled to take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 23-25.
Ben Gloddy. Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Ben Gloddy / Robem Engineering
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs. Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Aprilia.
Teagg Hobbs / Robem Engineering
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try and win a race there.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
P11 and P14 for Liam and Trevor at NJMP
The Pure Attitude Racing team leave the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship content with their double points finish.
Regrouping after a difficult Pittsburgh, the squad was determined to return to the top fifteen in the final two events of the season and riders Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish did not disappoint.
Solid performances in practice and qualifying were backed up by gusty, hard-fought rides from both the #37 and the #14, who powered their Yamaha USA supported machines to eleventh and fourteenth respectively at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.
For Liam, the result was impressive given his crash in the previous round, the flying Kiwi riding through shoulder discomfort to secure his ninth points scoring result of 2022, whilst Trevor was relieved to add two points to his tally after a spate of bad luck has prevented him from finishing inside the top fifteen since Road America!
The team now buoyed, move to the season finale in a couple of weeks eager to end the year on a high.
Liam McDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “It was a tough race as I was still riding in a bit of pain and discomfort. I felt like I was in a gladiator ring at the end if I am honest. I ran a decent pace in the beginning but as the race went on, I started to feel my shoulder and there was nothing I could. In the end I used my head and brough it home for some decent points. I thought I was further back as I only saw the board once, so it was a pleasant surprise to almost finish in the top ten. I will be ready to give it everything in the final race of the season at Barber in two weeks.”
Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start, and my plan was to work on some things in the race, mainly with my own riding as I had been riding a bit tense all weekend, after being off the bike for so long. I was able to hang with Liam for a few laps but I knew that I had to stay calm and just enjoy the race which I did. My pace dropped as the race progressed which was to be expected after the crash at Brainerd. Adrenalin played a part, but I am satisfied to salvage some points. I know it will be a long road to get back to full fitness, but I am ready for the challenge and ready to being back at the sharp end in 2023. Now it’s time to focus on Barber and ending the season with my best result of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering Aprilia riders finish second, third in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park
Gloddy, Hobbs score second, third podium finishes of 2022 season
MILLVILLE, N.J. – The Robem Engineering Aprilia team was back to its front-running form Saturday at the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season. The team’s riders, Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs, finished the lone Twins Cup race of the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park in second and third – scoring the team’s second double-podium performance this year.
After being off the pace for a couple rounds – as well as missing a round due to a logistics challenge – the team’s riders were right back at the front of the field at the tight-and-twisty 2.25-mile Thunderbolt circuit at NJMP. Hobbs’ third place finish helped him hold onto seventh in the Twins Cup points standing, though Gloddy’s runner-up finish moved him up to eighth place – just four points adrift of his teammate.
Hobbs was right up to speed at the start of the weekend. He was the second-fastest Twins Cup rider in Friday practice and Qualifying 1. Gloddy was a little off Hobbs’ pace but still finished Friday practice in sixth place and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session in seventh.
In Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, Hobbs finished the session in fifth and Gloddy in seventh, which matched the positions each rider secured on the Twins Cup starting grid.
The start of the race went well for Gloddy but not so good for Hobbs. Gloddy got a good jump off the line and finished the first lap in fifth place. Hobbs lost several places on the first lap and was running in ninth at the end of Lap 1. Gloddy was the third rider in a three-way battle for third place on Laps 2-4 and moved up to third place on Lap 5 after a couple riders crashed out on that lap. Hobbs made the most of the field getting reshuffled on Lap 5 as he advanced five places up the running order on that lap alone. With the pair of Robem Engineering riders starting Lap 6 in third and fourth place, the duo each moved up another place on Laps 7 and 8, respectively, and were in second and third place by the end of Lap 8. Gloddy led a pack of five Aprilia riders vying for the last two steps on the podium for the final eight laps of the race, while Hobbs fended off the advances of riders behind him to finished third.
It was Gloddy’s second podium of the year and his first runner-up finish in Twins Cup. For Hobbs, the third place finish marked his third trip to the podium in 2022 – as well as his first since suffering a broken collarbone at the Road America round in June.
The 2022 MotoAmerica season concludes in two weeks time, with the final round scheduled for Sept. 23-25 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs (79). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Teagg Hobbs / No. 79
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try to win a race there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2022 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Synchrony, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Baldassarri wins red-flagged Race 1 to close the Championship gap to Aegerter to five points
Shortened to 12 laps but no shortage of drama as Baldassarri closed the gap in the Championship
Lorenzo Baldassarri (7) leads Glenn van Straalen (28) and Dominique Aegerter (77) during World Supersport Race One at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSSP
P1 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
Baldassarri won Race 1 to take his fourth WorldSSP win, his third one in a row.
He reduced the gap to just five points to Aegerter in the Championship standings.
“After the two wins in Most, it was important to win here today. It was a new track for us. We made a good improvement since this morning! I’m happy. The team did a great job. Now we need to stay focus and make some small improvements for tomorrow.”
P2 – Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team)
Van Straalen took second place to claim his second podium of 2022.
The Dutchman challenged Baldassarri at Turn 5 on several occasions but was unable to make a move stick
“It’s really good to come back after the summer break with a podium finish. I think we had a good pace in the race so that gives us confidence for the rest of the weekend. After Assen, it’s good to take another podium. We were quite fast during the whole season, but the podium didn’t work out … but now it did!”
P3 – Dominique Aegerter (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Aegerter finished in third place after battling from the second row
He remains the Championship leader but with a shortened advantage to Aegerter.
“Happy to be back on the podium, happy to be back racing here in the WorldSSP paddock. Today’s race was tricky. We had a big fight in the first few laps. I couldn’t overtake as fast as I wanted. Then after 12 laps, the race was red-flagged. I was expecting that we could restart the race so that we could fight until the end. But luckily, we always have a second chance on Sunday so I hope that tomorrow we can fight for a solid result.”
To note:
Fighting at the front of the race in the early stages, Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) dropped down the order to finish in fourth place. He finished less than a second clear of teammate Yari Montella. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completed Race 1’s top six.
The race was red-flagged after 12 of the scheduled 19 laps following a Turn 5 incident between Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Kyle Smith (VFT Racing), with Sofuoglu taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Sofuoglu will be transported to Nevers Hospital for further assessment, after being diagnosed with a pelvis, right thigh, right elbow and chest injuries.
A technical issue for polesitter Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) meant he retired from the lead of the race.
Wildcard Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) fought back to claim seventh place whilst Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) rounded out the top ten.
WorldSSP resumes on Sunday from 9:25 (Local Time) followed by Race 2 at 12:45.
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Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to