Joerg Teuchert
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The results of this weekend are presented to you by 6D Helmets.
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More, from a press release released by MotoAmerica:
MotoAmerica: Gagne takes third row in a row with dominant victory for VIR
Yamaha’s Jake Gagné ends a perfect weekend in Virginia
DANVILLE, VA (May 23, 2021) – A championship doesn’t make three races, but the performance of Yamaha’s Fresh N ‘Lean Attack Performance Jake Gagné certainly makes sleeping a little difficult for those who race against him.
Gagne won his third straight MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike race on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway, and he did it impressively. Again. On Saturday, Gagné won by 11.8 seconds. Today that gap has dropped to 13.9 seconds. As he did yesterday, Gagné led in the first corner and continued to lead in each lap thereafter, crossing the finish line well away from Loris Baz of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York as the Frenchman clinched his first career MotoAmerica podium.
“Today was a little more comfortable for us,†said Gagné. “I think it was a little warmer today. I think the track temperature was maybe a little warmer. So I knew I had to be a bit easier on the tires because yesterday we had a really bad job here. After yesterday’s race, we really learned a lot, when we have 20 laps under us in race conditions. So we just made some minor adjustments, and the bike just got a lot easier for me to ride today. I was just having fun sliding down there. It’s good when you have a little gap. I kept an eye on my pit board. But you can’t let go. These guys I know they’re going to keep riding and if you pull back a few percent that’s where something can happen. So, I continued to ride and have fun. Hats off to the Fresh N ‘Lean Attack Performance team. Even after a great day yesterday, they came back and worked hard last night to get some small improvements today. This Yamaha got off the truck on Friday. We changed gears for Atlanta, and it was driving well. I am really looking forward to Road America. I think it’s going to be a completely different track than those first two that we dealt with, so it’ll be cool to change it up a bit. It’s good to win. “
Baz’s run was hectic at the start as he battled a field of four for second place, but once he got there he was able to break free and watch his gap in third place. He knew there was no capture of Gagné. In fact, he knew it before the start of the race based on Gagné’s race pace on Saturday.
“I have enjoyed it a lot for the past three months,†Baz said of his working visit to the United States. “We worked really hard with the team to do a good job. We knew in the test in Austin we were fast, but we knew we were coming to tracks where we were struggling a bit more. I was surprised that we struggled so much. In the first race (at Road Atlanta where it crashed) we were able to win and the second race the bike broke. It was difficult to swallow for three weeks. We came here with the same goal as Atlanta, but we just struggled more all weekend. We were so far away on Friday. We didn’t expect to put the bike in the top 5. We were that far away. It was so difficult to ride. The crew did an incredible job this Friday to improve the electronics and we did a decent qualifying. Unfortunately, we had problems with the tire. I knew the track was killing the tread. It was a tough race yesterday and today. I knew the best we could do with our pace was P2. The objective was to try to get behind Jake (Gagné) and follow him. I gave everything I had and still couldn’t do it. So it was a lonely race, trying to increase the gap with the guys behind and just manage my tires because I didn’t know what to expect in the end. I was just managing the gap and I had a few tenths. I was just trying to bring it to the end because I was having trouble with my rear tire. I am very happy. I think one of the hardest parts of the Ducati we made it a lot better. The goal is still exactly the same as when I came. I know these guys are fast and I’m just ready to fight with them.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was manhandled at the first corner of the start and finished the first lap in 14th place, but the South African didn’t give up and made his way through the field, eventually making his way through the field. path in the heels of those who were fighting for the third. . In the end, Scholtz had worked up to third place to maintain his perfect podium season.
“I just saw one of the Suzuki M4 motorcycles come up inside, so I gave it some space,†said Scholtz. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) has left the track. I don’t know if he was hit. This is just one of those unfortunate things. I’m trying to be aggressive in the first corner trying to grab onto Jake (Gagné) because I knew if I could get behind Jake he would pull me and I kind of had the pace all the way through. world after about eight or ten turns. . “
Scholtz’s fourth podium, including his victory in the first race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, keeps him leading the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with 81 points, six more than the quick-close winner. Gagne Fresh N ‘Easy Attack Performance teammate Josh Herrin is third with 61 points, with the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion finishing the podium for the first time this season on Sunday at VIR.
Herrin, meanwhile, managed to delay M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong advance to fourth place, the latter bouncing off mechanical issues that hampered his progress on Saturday.
Kyle Wyman had his strongest race of the 2021 season, with the Panera Bread Ducati rider in the fight for second / third place early before falling back to finish sixth.
Cameron Petersen, Fong M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s teammate, was about two seconds behind Wyman and seventh after struggling from a distance after getting involved in the scrum at the first corner.
Scheibe Racing’s Hector Barbera finished eighth, but he really deserved more. An off-road excursion cost him a chance to stand on the podium as he battled for third place when he couldn’t stop the BMW for the first corner in the heat of battle and was forced to stand put on the grass.
The ninth went to Corey Alexander of HONOS HVMC Racing, the stock 1000-spec Kawasaki ZX-10R New Yorker finishing the race as the top Superbike Cup participant. Franklin Armory / Disrupt / RG Racing / Kawasaki Andrew Lee had his best result of the season so far in 10th place, four seconds behind Alexander’s drift and just 0.001 seconds ahead of Travis Wyman of Travis Wyman Racing.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz and Westby Racing leave VIR with Superbike points in mind
Alton, Virginia – May 23, 2021 – With two rounds and four races completed in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz holds a six-point lead in the standings due to the strength of his races so far. Mathew notched a win and a runner-up at Road Atlanta in the second round, then added another runner-up on Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway. On Sunday, “The Scholtz Kid†added a third place finish to his four-race podium streak in a hard-fought result where he had to overcome adversity.
On the first lap of the last race of Sunday weekend, Mathew got caught in traffic before the first turn. Fortunately, he did not suffer a tip-over during the incident, but it returned him to 14th place. Unperturbed, he went about his business and began to do laps as fast or faster than the leaders. On lap 13 he moved up to third place where he battled with Josh Herrin for a few laps before clinching last place on the podium on lap 17th.
All in all, it was a heroic effort from Mathew, who knows that podiums throughout the season are key to winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike title.
“I just saw one of the Suzuki M4 bikes go inside, so I gave it some space,†commented Mathew. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) has left the track. I don’t know if he was hit. This is just one of those unfortunate things. I was trying to be aggressive in the first corner, trying to hold onto Jake (Gagné) because I knew if I could get behind him he would pull me, and I kind of had the pace on. everyone after about round 8 or ten. “
Westby Racing Junior Cup driver Jack Roach’s weekend at VIR went from bad Saturday to worse Sunday. Unable to complete the first race due to a technical problem, he crashed out of the second race on the fourth lap while in heavy traffic.
Jack said: “This round has been full of ups and downs, and at the end of the day the best part was qualifying P3 and maintaining consistent speed throughout the weekend. I wanted to get two very good results in the race but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. Two DNFs obviously don’t show my potential. I can’t thank Chuck (Giacchetto) of Westby Racing and Shiloh (Salopek) of N2 Racing enough for all their support. Road America is my favorite track so I can’t wait for the next round to begin. “
The next stop for Westby Racing is Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Championship, which takes place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, June 11-13.
MotoAmerica Superbike classification
1. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 81
2. Jake Gagn̩ РYamaha Р75
3. Josh Herrin – Yamaha – 61 years old
MotoAmerica Junior Cup standings
1. Benjamin Gloddy – Kawasaki – 90 years old
2. Tyler Scott – KTM – 74
3. Cody Wyman – Kawasaki – 65 years old
15. Jack Roach – Yamaha – 11
For more updates on Westby Racing, including news, photos and videos, visit http://www.WestbyRacing.com
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