Loris Baz’s move shows MotoAmerica’s level

The former Kawasaki Baz rider moved to the United States earlier this year after a season and a half of riding for the Yamaha Ten Kate team in the WSBK and finished eighth in last year’s rider standings.

The Frenchman, who also raced in MotoGP for three seasons from 2015 to 2017, represents the Ducati HSBK Racing team in MotoAmerica, and after the first two rounds of the season he sits eighth in points with a second place as best result. .

Yamaha riders Matthew Scholtz and Jake Gagne – a former Honda WSBK rider – have won all four races so far this year together and lead the standings.

Gerloff believes Baz’s decision demonstrates the competitiveness of the series he raced in for two years before moving to the WSBK for 2020 with the GRT Yamaha team.

“It’s nice to see [Baz] have the opportunity to go, ”said Gerloff. “He can see that the level is high there, and it’s good for this championship to have new names and new competitions.

“For him the tracks might be a little different because I’ve been riding these tracks my whole life and they’re not like these, so maybe he has to adapt to that. know the Yamaha team there is really good and I know Jake [Gagne] drove very well.

“There are a lot of people who overlook the American Championship, but I think there are a lot of really strong riders, and with Loris going, it shows that the standard is high.”

Gerloff also noted that MotoAmerica’s use of custom electronics makes it a better training ground for the WSBK than other major national championships like British Superbike, which has used a production ECU for many years.

“I had to face [Magneti] Marelli electronics for two years before coming [to WSBK], which was perfect as it meant nothing was a surprise when I came here, ”he explained.

“It’s nice to see how many fans are there this year, now things are opening up [following the COVID-19 pandemic]. I think the championship will only get stronger. “

Five of the last six MotoAmerica titles have been won by Cameron Beaubier, who has now left the series to race in Moto2 for the American Racing team.

Gerloff, Beaubier’s teammate during his two seasons in MotoAmerica, expressed his surprise at his compatriot’s decision to reject the Superbike race for a return to the Grand Prix paddock.

“I didn’t know he was looking to leave America,” said Gerloff de Beaubier. “When I saw the news, I was a little surprised that he didn’t stay in the world of Superbike. But I also know that places are limited here.

“I was happy he had the opportunity on the world stage. He’s a strong runner and I’m sure he will show his speed.