Jake Lewis Clinches 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship
The following is from Altus Motorsports…
The unrelenting rain at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, could not dampen the spirits of the Altus Motorsports team. For the second year in a row, the Altus team won the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 & Superbike Cup Championships.
Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:
After clinching the Stock 1000 Championship last round, Jake Lewis came into the final round of the MotoAmerica 2021 season looking to do the same with the Superbike Cup. And he did. Lewis started the first of the weekend’s three Superbike races from 10th on the grid and in a wet and crash-laden race, he finished fifth. He was the second-fastest Stock 1000 bike, but it was good enough to clinch the Superbike Cup Championship. In the second Superbike race, he again finished fifth and took ninth in the third and final race of the season.
Jake also won the last Stock 1000 race of the year. In the 2021 Stock 1000 championship season, Lewis only finished off the podium three times. All told, he claimed six wins, two second-place finishes, a third, two fourths, and one DNF.
“I cannot thank George and Janette Nassaney and the Altus Motorsports team enough for giving me the opportunity to ride this year. I’ve said it before, last year I was out of the paddock and thought my racing career might be over. George is an amazing person. He always wants to win, but there was never any pressure. Even if I was running third or fourth, he was just supportive. I also have to thank Eric Gray, my crew chief. He and my mechanics, Tony and David did an incredible job every round. I’m incredibly grateful to my personal sponsors Roclun International, Service Tools and Plastics, Pikanty Group, Arai Helmets, and Cortech Leathers,” said Jake Lewis.
Supersport:
It was a wet and wild weekend for the Supersport riders. Both the Saturday and Sunday races were plagued by rain, and each one ended up more a game of survival than a competition. In fact, almost half the field did not finish on Saturday.
Jaret Nassaney started Race 1 from 11th and managed to persevere to finish in 13th. In Race 2, he started 10th and, after battling for 8th, finished in the same position at 10th. Nassaney finished the season 10th overall in the Supersport class.
“On the last lap of Race 1, I lost the rear and crashed, but I picked the bike up and finished. We made some changes before Race 2. I felt better, but with a few laps to go, it started to dump rain, and I ended up giving up two spots to finish 10th. Overall I’m just glad to survive,” said Jaret Nassaney. “I’m pretty happy with the season. We scored points every race but one and never got a DNF. I finished the season in 10th and only a few points out of 8th. I am ready to come back next year and continue progressing.”
Kevin Olmedo was one of the victims of the Saturday weather. He crashed before the race was red-flagged and restarted. In Race 2, he started from 4th and focused on finishing. He crossed the line in 12th. In spite of missing the first two rounds (four races), Olmedo managed to finish the season 7th overall in the class.
Junior Cup:
Hayden Bicknese came into Barber Motorsports Park with high hopes. It was the only track on the schedule that he was very familiar with, and he expected to post some good results. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to throw a change-up and fill the weekend with torrential downpours.
It was a rough weekend for Hayden in the rain. He started the Saturday race from 11th. While almost a third of the entrants ended up crashing out, Hayden rode smart and took the checkered flag in 12th.
With the Sunday race start approaching, the weather turned worse. Hard, consistent rain had created large areas of standing water. With little to gain and the potential for crashing and possible injury high, the team wisely decided to park the bike for race two. Bicknese ended his inaugural season in an impressive 12th overall.
“2021 is a wrap! For our team to win back-to-back Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Championships, it feels amazing. This season had its challenges, but in the end, Jake Lewis is the Champion and we could not be more proud! None of this would have been possible without Crew Chief Eric Gray. He works many long hours to make sure the entire team is ready every weekend. His desire to push the team to be the best makes all of us champions! Thank you Tony Pogue and David Gray for coming on mid-season and making sure Jake’s bike was ready for battle. Jake Lewis, you are an amazing young man! Your competitive nature, professionalism, and being a genuinely good person brings out the best in our team.”
“Eric has always said it’s easy to make it to the third or fourth rounds, but much more difficult to complete an entire season. Thank you, Mike Castro, Sean Gager, and Mauro Deviasso for all your hard work this season. You guys came together and made our team a success.”
“Jaret, Kevin, and Hayden all had great seasons. They came in focused and ready to compete at the highest level. As a team owner, I could not ask for more,” said George Nassaney.
Altus Motorsports is already working on the team for next year. They are looking at what the mix of bikes will be between 1000s, 600s, and Junior Cup bikes. Any riders looking for a bike or even transportation for the 2022 season, reach out to George Nassaney at ghnassaney@aol.com
