Road America: What The Teams Said
PJ Jacobsen finished second in Sunday’s Medallia Superbike race a day after his Tytler Cycle Racing teammate Hector Barbera raced to a third-place finish at Road America.
It was a podium fest for Tytlers Cycle Racing at Road America with Hector Barbera and PJ Jacobsen racing to the team’s first double podium weekend of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Season.
With regular riders Hector and PJ joined by Larry Pegram, there were more BMW M1000 RR machines on the grid and all three riders shone.
The opening race on Saturday saw Spain’s Hector Barbera snatch the final podium place after a drag race to the line with team mate Jacobsen, the pair separated by a nothing as the crossed the line in a photo finish. Jacobsen’s fourth place finish equalled his best result from the season opener at COTA. Larry Pegram rode a brilliant race to ninth on his racing return and his debut race with the Alpha-spec BMW.
Sunday saw a complete change in the weather as blue skies and sunshine made way for the rain which fell at the four-mile Road America all day. Despite the colder and trickier conditions, the Tytlers Cycle Racing squad were once again in the mix. PJ Jacobsen leading several times throughout the shortened eight lap race, entertaining the fans with his sideways style from start to finish. Losing front end feel on the final lap would mean second place at the flag, but the #66 reminded everyone that he hasn’t lost any of his speed. Larry Pegram also excelled, fighting through the pack to finish fifth after a spirited ride ensured there were two BMWs in the top five. Hector Barbera was running inside the points early on but slipped down the order, eventually finishing P17.
Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman finished eighth and eleventh respectively in Saturday’s race.
Hector Barbera: “Finally I made the podium in MotoAmerica! I am so happy because it’s been a long time since I stood on the podium and to do it at Road America which is the team’s home race is perfect. Honestly the team worked so well, and, in the end, we were able to take some silverware. Sunday was so difficult. I really struggled and had no feeling at all. I need more time in the wet on this bike but overall, I am so positive about everything because we were back on the podium yesterday and this gives me confidence going to The Ridge.”
PJ Jacobsen: “Saturday’s race was a bit tough as I was struggling a little with the front. I ran close to Hector pretty much the whole race and figured I could draft him to the line, but I missed it by the smallest of margins. I was disappointed to miss the podium but pumped for the team to get a P3 and P4. We continue to close the gap to the front which is pleasing to see that our hard work is paying off. I was super pumped with how Sunday’s race went; it was a great race for us. We came so close to getting our first win, but I just had no front tyre left. I tried to manage as best I could but there was nothing I could do. Both me and Hector were on the podium in both the wet and the dry which is great for the team, and I can’t thank them enough for the outstanding job that they did all weekend.”
Larry Pegram: “It was a great weekend for me. Obviously, I wanted to do well but to come away with a fifth-place finish on Sunday was much better than I had anticipated. I always seemed to excel in tricky conditions and that was the case yesterday. Thanks to the whole Tytlers Cycle Racing team, they did a fantastic job, and it was great to see Hector and PJ on the podium and of course the one-two in Stock1000. I had a fun time, and I am looking forward to doing it all again at Laguna.”
The following is from Westby Racing…
With rain in the forecast for Sunday at Road America, Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team were looking forward to a good result in Superbike race two. After all, Mathew is a bit of a rain specialist, and not counting his win on Saturday at Road America in dry and sunny conditions, Mathew’s other four wins came during inclement weather and wet track conditions.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan in Sunday’s Superbike race two. Mathew struggled with the setup of his #11 Yamaha YZF-R1 and finished eighth, which was his lowest race finish not counting DNFs (Did Not Finish) in the past three years and 53 races.
Only one day after taking over the championship lead, Mathew’s Sunday result unfortunately enabled Danilo Petrucci to again move back into the points lead. Mathew and the team, however, can take some comfort in the fact that they are now just seven points behind Petrucci, and that’s a lead of only three more points than Petrucci had coming into Road America.
“After yesterday’s win, race two was just a disappointment,” Mathew said. “We missed on the setup, and I dropped back four positions in just the first couple of laps. Things stabilized a little bit from there, and I did all I could just to finish eighth. I’m confident that we’ll bounce back at Ridge, though. We’re only seven points out of the lead, and that’s a positive that we can take from this weekend.”
The Westby Racing team will be back in action for round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, which takes place at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 24 through 26.
Danilo Petrucci earned two podium finishes at Road America and leaves with a bigger Medallia Superbike Championship points lead then what he came to Wisconsin with.
The following is from Ducati…
Danilo Petrucci put on a heroic display of grit at Road America, grabbing a second place in race one and a third in race two to extend his championship points lead over Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz.
Petrucci, nursing injuries from a crash at VIR two weeks ago, entered the weekend with tempered expectations, but the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC superstar tacked on another point to his championship lead and continued to impress with his performance on tracks he’d never visited.
Road America’s front straight, which at roughly eight-tenths of a mile is longer than the straight at Mugello, highlighted the horsepower advantage of the Panigale V4 R’s Desmosedici Stradale engine as Petrucci flew past his rivals, keeping him in position to fight for victory throughout race one. On the final lap, Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz executed a bold block pass on Petrucci at turn five. While the Italian retaliated on the final corner, Scholtz was ultimately able to hold on for the win, crossing the finish line just 0.015 seconds in front.
With a wet track on Sunday morning, Petrucci dominated warm up by two seconds. By race time, however, a partially drying track posed a challenge for riders and wet tires alike. In race two’s shortened eight-lap dash, Petrucci struggled with rear grip in the closing stages, finishing in a solid third place behind Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen and BMW’s PJ Jacobsen.
The former MotoGP race winner and Dakar stage winner leaves Elkhart Lake with 140 points, seven ahead of Yamaha’s Scholtz and 25 ahead of 2021 Superbike champion Jake Gagne.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“At the end, I had two good races. For sure I wanted to win yesterday, but Scholtz was really hard on the pass and pushed me out of the way and I finished second. Today, I was happy to see the rain. I was fast in warm up, but in the race the track was dry by the end and I was struggling a lot with the rear tire. Our setup was too soft for the condition, so I had no acceleration. It’s a good third position for the championship. Road America is a nice track and I wanted to make a double win, but I did my best.”
The MotoAmerica series breaks for three weeks before heading to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington on June 24–26.
The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) leaves Road America with a 51-point lead in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship standings after capturing second place in race one and third place in race two.
In race one, after qualifying in second behind Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, Herrin swapped places with the rookie all the way to the checkered flag. Herrin led out of the final corner, but Scott pulled out of the draft before crossing the line to claim his maiden victory just 0.039 seconds ahead of the Panigale V2 rider.
Having missed morning warm up, Herrin started race two cold, but despite a wet track he made his way to the lead on the first lap. At the end of the shortened eight-lap race, Herrin crossed the line in third behind local veteran Jason Farrell and Aussie newcomer Luke Power, neither of whom figure in the championship hunt.
With six rounds to go in the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, Herrin has momentum on his side and a score of Ducatisti cheering him on.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #2)
“The weekend went well. We knew that this track was going to be a little bit difficult for us, so to walk away with a second and then a third place in the rain, we can only be happy about it. We increased our points lead to 51 points, so we have two full races ahead of second place. We’re in a good position and we’re going to some tracks next that should suit our bike very well. We’ve got two days of testing at Brainard coming up and a track day at Pocono with Ducati New York, so I’m looking forward to the next couple weeks and I’m ready to go rip at The Ridge.”
The MotoAmerica series breaks for three weeks before heading to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington on June 24–26.
The following is from Suzuki…
After a stellar start to the weekend, Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer experienced mixed conditions and mixed results as the Road America round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season concluded on Sunday in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
The 16-year-old earned the holeshot from pole and then settled into a battle for the podium in the treacherous wet conditions aboard his GSX-R750. That fight went deep into the contest with Scott mounting a charge with three laps remaining, diving up into third position in Turn 5 with less than three laps remaining.
However, he was nearly pushed off track by another rider in an errant encounter a few corners later. Off line in the slick conditions, the youngster suffered a fall in the very next corner.
“The race started pretty well,” Scott said. “Then I got shuffled back a few spots and I was trying to concentrate on the riders I am battling with in the championship. The guys at the front had an outstanding pace going for the conditions and the race was going very well for me as I was trying to keep up with the group.”
“Another rider put an aggressive move on me, and I got off my line. The rear came around on me in the next corner and that was it. I had a great weekend, got a win, and once again I learned a lot.”
Scott’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate, Sam Lochoff, had a difficult day as well; his race ended before it ever started due to an ECU problem that appeared on the warm-up lap.
However, Suzuki still made its presence felt on the Supersport podium as 3D Motorsports LLC Suzuki’s Luke Power expertly guided his all-new next-generation GSX-R750 to second position. The young Australian’s Suzuki benefiting from an electronic throttle assembly and other components developed by Team Hammer and Suzuki for the new class structure.
The MotoAmerica Superbike race was then contested in arguably even more tricky conditions as the track proved too wet for slicks initially but steadily dried throughout the contest.
One day after securing a maiden MotoAmerica Supersport victory in remarkable fashion, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was once again a force at the front of the class despite dealing with inclement weather.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis positioned himself as high as fourth early before ultimately keeping his GSX-R1000R upright and bringing it home in seventh position. “It was a tough race because the conditions were mixed,” said Lewis. “I usually like that but the track dried so fast, three laps in I thought my tire was gone. The result isn’t what I or the team wanted but we played it safe and got some points. I’m looking forward to us working hard these next few weeks, so we improve going into the Ridge.”
Superbike class rookie teammate Richie Escalante, meanwhile, was sixth in the first corner before claiming 15th at the checkered flag.
Escalante said, “Overall the weekend was difficult for me. After our test in Pittsburgh, I came into the weekend looking to take the next step. I was happy to finish these races, but I had never ridden a Superbike in wet conditions before and that was difficult today.”
“The team is working very hard to help me, especially with the changes to the bike,” the Superbike rookie continued. “Even a small change makes a big difference. I am very happy with the team and the bike but feel I need more experience to keep improving. I will keep training and pushing to go faster. I am really looking forward to the next race.”
Team Hammer will be back in action later this month as the MotoAmerica season resumes at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 24-26.
The following is from Pure Attitude Racing…
Pure Attitude Racing leave Road America, the venue for the latest round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Championship with all three riders Chase Black, Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish claiming points in every race for the first time this season.
In Twins Cup it was Trevor Standish who produced the best result of the weekend, the #16 crossing the line in eleventh after a race long fight with several other riders, to achieve his and the team’s best result of the year. The result could have been even better had it not been for a shift linkage issue. Liam MacDonald once again proved he’s a fighter when the lights go out. The Kiwi battling hard from the sixth row of the grid to P14 at the flag, ensuring he has now scored points in all races since Daytona – an impressive achievement.
The Junior Cup championship is always a frenetic affair but as we saw in VIR, teenager Chase Black is developing his on-track skills nicely. Qualifying on row three he finished ninth on Saturday before riding a sensible race on Sunday as the rain began to fall around the four-mile Road America circuit.
The team was also more than pleased with the progress of their Academy rider Brycen Stein, who in only his second MotoAmerica appearance qualified mid-pack before bringing it home in a more than respectable twenty-seventh after a small mistake on the opening lap prevented what could have easily been a top twenty finish.
Trevor Standish: “I was pretty frustrated after the race even after getting mine and the team’s best result of the year in Twins Cup, I honestly felt we could and should have been in the top ten. I wasn’t able to change gear properly right from the start and I am sure with the pace we had we could have been ninth. It’s all part of the learning curve and we know the issue. The team is working so hard to make us more competitive and we have a game plan to make life easier for both Liam and me. On the bright side we had more pace this weekend and we are getting closer every race. The bike handles like a dream and once we get those few extra horse powers, we can show our true potential on the Yamaha.”
Liam MacDonald: “I am happy with the weekend. It’s the first time I think I have ever raced that hard in any championship. I was three wide with the people I was battling with and can leave Road America happy that I was riding well in the corners, we are just losing a bit on top speed which we knew before the weekend even began. The good news is that the team are working hard, and we were certainly more competitive here than we were at the start of the year, so I want to say a big thanks to them for continuing to push to find those extra ponies. I am quite excited for The Ridge as the bike will hopefully be even better and we won’t need as much top speed there but I’m a racer and I always want to be at the front.”
Chase Black: “Overall the first race didn’t go to plan. I was honestly hoping and expecting more. I made a mistake at Turn 1 on the opening lap and lost the group immediately. I gave it everything and so in the end had to settle for ninth. It was raining for Race 2 which was a good race and much better than I expected especially as I don’t have that much wet weather experience. I was in the fight for P4 but hit the white line and almost went down but I had so much fun and am looking forward to the next race in Washington.”
Brycen Stein: “I felt good all race long. I could have the pace to run with the group ahead, but I made a mistake on the opening lap which left me in a battle with a couple of riders whose bikes were faster. It was a bit frustrating as I was much quicker in the corners. The bike felt good, and we finally got it to turn. It was a great experience being able to work with Pure Attitude, I am super happy to be part of their Academy program. They’re a great bunch of people and they definitely helped me this weekend. On one hand I am a little disappointed, but you can only do what you can do with the tools you have, and this is only my second ever race at this level, so I have to look at the positives, of which there are many. I hope to be back on the MotoAmerica grid before the end of the year and look forward to making more progress.“
The following is from Rodio Warhorse HSBK Racing…
Rodio Warhorse HSBK Racing Twins Cup rider Anthony Mazziotto and Junior Cup rider Gus Rodio missed race wins by 0.423 and 0.006 seconds respectively in Saturday’s thrilling races, both ultimately finishing in 2nd place. In Sunday’s wet Junior Cup race, shortened to four laps due to delays, Gus managed to bring it home safely in 5th.
Never underestimating his opponents Mazziotto advanced through the field from a 7th place grid position to 2nd place on lap one, and then swapped position with the lead group throughout the race until finally taking an extremely close 2nd at the checkered flag.
Rodio Warhorse HSBK Racing Twins Cup rider Anthony Mazziotto and Junior Cup rider Gus Rodio missed race wins by 0.423 and 0.006 seconds respectively in Saturday’s thrilling races, both ultimately finishing in 2nd place. In Sunday’s wet Junior Cup race, shortened to four laps due to delays, Gus managed to bring it home safely in 5th.
Never underestimating his opponents Mazziotto advanced through the field from a 7th place grid position to 2nd place on lap one, and then swapped position with the lead group throughout the race until finally taking an extremely close 2nd at the checkered flag.
Anthony Mazziotto: “Had to dig super deep for this one, fell pretty far back from a podium position in the last few laps but we never give up. Can’t thank the team enough for believing in me. Next up is one of my favorite tracks, let’s see what we can do!”
Expecting the unexpected Rodio started Saturday’s race from 3rd on the grid, fighting with the leaders for six of the eight laps. Dropping to 6th place on lap seven as the pack shuffled for podium spots Rodio made his move on the final lap to take the lead only to be nipped at the finish line.
In Sunday’s wet and shortened race the mission was to finish the race and collect championship points. After a red flag and restart a 5th place finish was the result.
Gus Rodio: “Coming to Road America I had a lot of confidence with my results from last year. I wanted to bring home another victory two years in a row, but we just came up an inch too short. I’m really looking forward to getting to the West Coast and pushing my Rodio Warhorse HSBK Racing Ninja 400 to the front.”
Mazziotto’s performance advanced him to 2rd place in the Twins Cup championship standings and likewise Rodio’s results advanced him to 2nd place in the Junior Cup championship. Both riders look forward to more action at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington in three weeks.
The following is from Levi Badie Racing…
Levi Badie was back in action in the latest round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship at Road America this past weekend, racing to his first double points scoring round of the season, narrowly missing a podium finish for the third event of the year!
Qualifying on the third row of the grid in ninth, Levi set the fastest lap of the race on his way to P5 in Saturday’s opening race before coming home sixth in the first wet race of his MotoAmerica career on Sunday.
Leading with a little over a lap and a half to go in Race 1, the talented Belgian teenager once again proved to be one of the leading protagonists in the Junior Cup series, pulling off some incredible late braking overtakes. With rain falling and with no experience on Dunlop tyres or on a Kawasaki 400cc machine in the wet, Race 2 saw the #71 ride a sensible race to secure P6 at the flag.
Levi Badie: “I didn’t make the best start in Saturday’s race but I was able to close the gap and rejoin the group. My plan was to try to break the group as I had the pace, but the straights were so long that we stayed in a big group. I took the lead and kept pushing but I knew they would attack as slipstream is massive at Road America. I dropped back but fought back immediately on the brakes. I got boxed in on the last lap and that cost me the chance of the podium. I dropped back to eighth but I didn’t give up and was able to make it back to P5. I wanted to bring it home in one piece on Sunday as it was my first race on the Kawasaki in the rain and also my first time on Dunlop tyres in wet conditions. I didn’t want to go crazy and push it and make a mistake. I felt good after the warm up. The race itself was pretty good. I was able to follow the group ahead and my mindset was to finish because we had already had three DNFS and I needed to score points to get my championship back on track, which we did. Overall I am happy about the weekend and I can’t wait for Round 4 at The Ridge in a few weeks. I also want to thank the Bartcon Team, everyone who is helping me and the MotoAmerica fans for their support. People told me before I came to the USA how enthusiastic the American fans are and they weren’t joking!”
The following is from Luke Power Racing…
Luke Power raced to fifth place in Saturday’s opening Supersport at Road America before charging to second place in mixed conditions earlier today, securing a maiden MotoAmerica Championship podium in only his sixth race in the series.
The seventeen year old from Australia, who had already notched up an impressive eighth and seventh in the opening round of the series at Road Atlanta before claiming a sixth place finish in Race 1 at VIR, qualified on the third row of the grid after a solid session aboard his 3D Motorsport Suzuki GSXR 750cc machine – the first time he had ridden the latest ‘Next Generation’ spec machine this season.
In the mix from the off on Saturday, Luke narrowly missed the podium, eventually finishing P5 after a hard charging ride saw him once again show his natural racing talent. Wasting no time moving into podium contention on Sunday in mixed conditions, the teenager from down under eased into second position with a couple of laps remaining, a position he would hold until the end of the eight-lap encounter.
Celebrating in style on the cool down lap, Power, who also had the accolade of being top Suzuki on Sunday, moves into fifth overall in the Supersport standings ahead of Round 4 which takes place at The Ridge Motorsports Park in three weeks.
Luke Power: “I am super happy and so stoked to make it onto the podium in Race 2. It was an awesome race and honestly the track wasn’t in bad shape despite the earlier rain. The 3D Motorsports team did an excellent job all weekend, as did K-Tech Suspension. We had a great set-up weekend and even though I was disappointed not to get on the box on Saturday I am glad that I was able to get the job done today. I can’t wait to carry this momentum into The Ridge in a few weeks and to see all the fans their too. It’s been an awesome weekend. I am loving life in MotoAmerica and want to thank everyone who has helped me make it over here.”
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