Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Ben Spies’ 16-year-old Superbike lap record at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will live for at least another day as Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier flirted with the mark but couldn’t quite get it done on a sunny and breezy day at the iconic racing facility.
After 40 minutes of Superbike Q1, the times at the top were close and oh so close to the lap record with Beaubier leading the way with his 1:23.904 – just .265 from Spies’ best in 2008.
Beaubier, who won a Superbike race here the last time one was held at Mid-Ohio in 2014, wasn’t alone in his quest to break Spies’ mark as Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz was hot on his heels and just .122 of a second slower than the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion. Beaubier, however, was the only rider to crack into the 1:23s.
Then came EasyHealthPlans.com/Top Pro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly just .153 of a second behind Baz and a scant .062 of a second clear of Baz’s teammate Josh Herrin, the 2024 Steel Commander Superbike points leader heading into tomorrow’s first of two races at Mid-Ohio.
Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne ended up fifth and the last rider on the same second as Beaubier with his 1:24.852.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended Friday in sixth with Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach seventh, followed closely by Gagne’s injured teammate Cameron Petersen with the South African riding to a brave eighth in Q1 after suffering a right ankle injury in yesterday’s Dunlop official test.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, meanwhile, finished the session in 12th in his return to racing after suffering serious injuries in the opening round at Road Atlanta.
Supersport – Jacobsen Strikes First
Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen was third in Supersport Q1 with 11 minutes remaining in the session when he shot past his title rival Mathew Scholtz and his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 and Altus Racing’s Jake Lewis and went to the top of the timesheets with his 1:27.427, a new middleweight lap record at Mid-Ohio.
The time would hold up with Jacobsen ending the session just .163 of a second ahead of Scholtz with Lewis ending up third with his 1:27.885.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis and EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo were half a second off Jacobsen’s best and were the last riders within a second of the New Yorker.
Jacobsen’s teammate Kayla Yaakov, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, Gerardo’s teammate Larry Pegram, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa and SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van rounded out the top 10, provisionally.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman, Barely
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman led the way in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1 on Friday at Mid-Ohio with the championship points leader just .121 of a second ahead of his S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle title rival Troy Herfoss. Wyman’s best lap was a 1:27.872 to Herfoss’ 1:27.993.
The top five were all within a second of Wyman with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Hayden Gillim and Rocco Landers ending the session third and fourth. Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara rounded out the top five in Q1.
Tomorrow morning the big Baggers will return to the track for Q2, which will transfer the top six finishers to the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge and its $5000 payday in the winner-take-all race, which will take place at 12:05 p.m. with the first of two championship race at 4:05 p.m.
Junior Cup – Back To Business
You could forgive racers in the Junior Cup class for being a bit rusty after not racing since the Brainerd International Raceway round back in June. But that wasn’t the case as the youngest racers in the series were quickly back up to speed by the time Q1 came around on Friday afternoon.
BARTCON Racing’s Matthew Chapin picked right up where he left off in Q1 as the championship points leader led the way with his 1:36.52, even though he said his best lap featured a mistake. Chapin ended Friday afternoon’s session with the only lap in the 1:36s as he ripped off a 1:36.652.
Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez ended up second, .755 of a second behind Chapin but ahead of New York Safety Track Racing’s Yandel Medina. Royalty Racing’s Carson King and BARTCON Racing’s Eli Block rounded out the top five.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore Again
Mikayla Moore was Mikayla Moore on Friday at Mid-Ohio with the Maryland racer earning provisional pole position for this weekend’s two Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. races. If Moore stays on top in tomorrow’s Q2 she will continue her streak of being on pole in every race for the past year and a half.
Moore lapped at a best of 1:47.186 to lead Kira Knebel by 2.253 seconds with Emma Betters rounding out the provisional front row with her 1:50.257.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Herfoss’ First
S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycles’ Troy Herfoss hasn’t had a pole position yet in his rookie season of Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, but he earned his first provisional pole on Friday at Mid-Ohio.
Herfoss and his 1:29.801 topped his teammate Tyler O’Hara by .123 of a second on Friday afternoon with the top eight riders on the same second as the Australian. Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson teammates Travis Wyman and Cory West were third and fourth, respectively, with KTM Development Team’s Chris Fillmore rounding out the top five heading into tomorrow’s Q2 session.
