The following is from Ducati…
Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, and for Danilo Petrucci and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team, it was certainly a case of the latter at Brainerd International Raceway.
The 2.5-mile Minnesota venue saw Petrucci suffer a fast crash in qualifying, regrouping to take second in race one behind Yamaha’s then-championship leader, Jake Gagne.
But it was all turned on its side in race two as Gagne, who had built up a potential race-winning lead only to drop the factory Yamaha for another DNF. Petrucci thus swept through for his fourth race win of the 2022 Medallia MotoAmerica Superbike Championship and moved back into the title lead.
It’s now all the play with 150 potential points on offer and three rounds remaining in the series, starting in Pittsburgh in two weeks’ time.
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #9): “It was a weekend of ups and downs,” said Petrucci. “Yesterday was one of the toughest days. We struggled a lot in the race because I crashed quite hard in qualifying and got a few injuries, but today, luck was on our side. Unfortunately, Jake (Gagne) crashed, and we could take the victory. We made a massive change yesterday on the front end, and the bike was working much better. Now we are leading the points, but we are not thinking about the championship. We must stay in front of Jake, or at least put as much pressure as possible on him. Thanks very much to my team.”
The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) used all his years of racing skill at Brainerd for the sixth round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, sealing a double podium finish behind debut winner, Rocco Landers (Yamaha).
Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team struggled to find the optimum set-up at the peculiar Brainerd venue on the Ducati Panigale V2 but didn’t let that speedbump get in the way of the ultimate goal of sealing the 2022 championship. Two second-place finishes mean Herrin leaves Minnesota with a 76-point lead in the standings with three rounds to go and 150 points to play for.
With a good performance and a little luck, Herrin could potentially wrap up the championship at the following round at Pittsburgh in two weeks’ time.
Josh Herrin’s (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC #2): “The weekend went well, although we struggled a little,” Herrin said. “But, in our most difficult weekend, we were able to walk away with two-second places and hold a 76-point lead in the championship. The team and I just need to go and debrief and see if the issues we faced at this racetrack will affect us in the tracks to come. I have a feeling it was just this track that gave us a few issues and I’m looking forward to getting back onto that top step at the next round at Pittsburgh.”
The following is from Westby Racing…
After Westby Racing’s Superbike rider Mathew Scholtz suffered injuries from two crashes at Brainerd International Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, the team made the difficult decision to withdraw from racing in Sunday’s Superbike race two.
Mathew crashed in Friday’s first practice session and bruised his shoulder. Undeterred, the team rebuilt the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, and Mathew qualified fourth in the afternoon’s first qualifying session. On Saturday morning, however, he crashed again in final qualifying, and injured his wrist.
Mathew toughed it out in Saturday afternoon’s race one and was able to finish fourth, a solid effort given the circumstances. On Sunday, the team decided that they would withdraw from race two rather than risk Mathew exacerbating his injuries.
“It was a rough weekend for us,” Mathew said. “Definitely the worst race weekend I’ve had in my six years with the Westby team. The crashes and injuries definitely took a toll on me, and the team felt that it was time to call it a weekend and focus on the next round in Pittsburgh. I can’t deny that I still wanted to race, but I do understand the team’s decision. They always have my back.”
The Westby Racing team will regroup and be back in action for round eight of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, which takes place at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 19 through 21.
The following is from Suzuki…
Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer added another top-five result to close out a MotoAmerica weekend at Brainerd International Raceway in a race filled with battles for the podium positions.
After scoring double top-five finishes in the previous two MotoAmerica Supersport races, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott and Cory Ventura showed the pace early to step that up to a double podium aboard their next-generation GSX-R750s.
However, that’s not how the race would play out. 16-year-old Scott charged hard early to close down on the leader and escape from the remainder of the pack behind him. Unfortunately, the rookie’s substantially improved pace went unrewarded when he crashed out of second while navigating lap five.
Scott explained, “I was going into the carousel and missed a downshift and then I just ran out of room. We learned a lot with the setup of the bike this weekend, and today’s race was turning out better than Saturday’s race. I am okay and looking forward to going to Pittsburgh for the next round.”
Scott’s misfortune elevated Ventura’s fight for a podium position into one for a runner-up result, a battle that would rage to the checkered flag. As many as five riders had a shot at second deep into the contest before three riders, including Cory Ventura, shook free.
With sharply contrasting strengths and weaknesses, there were many overtaking maneuvers among the podium contenders with Ventura spending a significant portion of the race claiming, holding, and reclaiming second. However, the thrilling up-and-down dogfight ended down for Ventura, as he was passed late on the final lap, displacing him from the final spot on the box in the process.
The fourth-place finish was a third consecutive top-five for Ventura in his short stint with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, replacing the injured Sam Lochoff. He said, “Personally, the race meant a lot to me. We had been making steady progress up until my crash on Saturday, and I was confident I could ride near the front because I had great momentum with the Suzuki GSX-R750.”
“The first laps in the race today felt really good and we made some good passes and battled for position. I knew I had a strong bike underneath me. I started to struggle a tiny bit in the end, but I was trying to ride my own race. Finishing fourth was a big step forward.”
In what has been a solid rookie season in the Supersport class, Liam Grant earned tenth on Sunday as the Colorado resident followed up his Saturday race with an identical result.
MotoAmerica Superbike rookie Richie Escalante registered another DNS due to his ankle injury in his Saturday qualifying crash. As a result, Jake Lewis was again the sole representative for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki in Sunday’s premier-class contest.
The Kentuckian raced forward from his Row 4 starting position and even made a push for the fight for fifth aboard the team’s GSX-R1000R at mid-distance. However, Lewis, who is still on the mend and working his way back into race shape, ultimately, was forced to relent and accept a seventh-place result.
“This hasn’t been the easiest of weekends for me, but it’s nice to be back,” Lewis said. “Missing Laguna and watching from the couch was no fun at all. We’re continuing to make progress, and it’s fun to race in front of all these fans.”
Team Hammer will next travel to Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 19-21, for the next round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing championship season.
The following is from Tytlers Cycle Racing/RideHVMC…
Five from five – that’s what everyone is talking about after Corey Alexander powered his Tytlers Cycle Racing Ride powered by #RideHVMC BMW M1000 RR to another victory in the latest round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Stock1000 championship.
Qualifying third, Alexander, who by his own admission was not looking forward to racing at BIR as it not one of his favourites, rode sensibly in the first part of the race, content to take a podium spot rather than risk a crash. However, a red flag meant another chance and Alexander grabbed it with both hands, capitalising on the issues of his rivals to take another victory and in the process extend his championship lead to thirty-three points. His fifth win in a row is his sixth of the season and Alexander has not finished lower than first in the races he has finished – an incredible string of results and a new record in the class!
There was heartbreak however for Travis Wyman who crashed out of a podium place on the final lap. Despite the spill, Wyman remains third overall in the title race after once again showing that he is one of the strongest riders on the grid.
Zac Schumacher, the team’s third rider was also competing. He finished sixteenth, narrowly missing a championship point at another new circuit for the #90.
The pair will now regroup ahead of the next round of the Championship at the Pittsburgh international Race Complex over the weekend of 19-21 August.
Corey Alexander: “It was a positive weekend. I honestly didn’t expect to fight for the win at Brainerd as its not one of my favourites. We were in the mix in both parts of the race, and we were able to take advantage of the problems our rivals had. That’s racing and we will take it and move on to Pittsburgh where we will look to consolidate our points lead.”
Travis Wyman: “I don’t really have a lot to say. I was running inside the top five but felt good. The race was stopped and restarted and once again I was in the mix. I made some strong passes and went for second in the final sector and unfortunately lost the front. That’s racing and I will come back stronger in Pittsburgh.”
Zac Schumacher:“The race went quite well considering I have never raced at Brainerd before. The track is quite difficult, but I was able to qualify nineteenth. I decided to use the older Dunlop tyre for the race and so didn’t really have any set up time with it, but it was the right decision. I started well and passed a few people, but the race got red flagged. On the restart I was battling with the same guys as in the first part and finished P16. I am looking forward to the next round in three weeks.”
The entire Tytlers Cycle Racing powered by #RideHVMC team wish to extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and team of Scott Briody who sadly passes away at the circuit on Friday. He will be missed.
The following is from Tytlers Cycle Racing…
The Tytlers Cycle Racing team were back in action at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend with riders PJ Jacobsen and Hector Barbera once again representing them in the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike championship aboard the all-new BMW M 1000 RR.
With no data at the circuit, it was a case of the entire team working together to achieve the best set up possible ahead of the two eighteen lap races. Steady improvements on Friday paved the way for encouraging lap times in qualifying with PJ qualifying seventh and Hector eighth.
Saturday’s opening race saw Hector Barbera start strongly but the #80 ran off track on lap one, and even though he re-joined he retired to the pits early on. PJ Jacobsen was involved in a race long battle for fifth, a battle that he came out on top of by just over a second.
Sunday morning’s rain shower meant no real chance of further tweaks but that didn’t dampen the spirits ahead of Race 2. An aggressive Jacobsen slotted into fourth at the start, running third briefly before conceding the place. A crash by the race leader elevated PJ back onto the podium in third, a position he would hold to the flag – securing the team’s third top three of the year. Hector Barbera ran closely behind his team mate in the early stages before running the remainder of the race a few seconds behind, the Spaniard involved in a titanic on track battle. He crossed the line fifth.
Stock 1000 title contenders Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman were also in action on Saturday in the Superbike class. They finished eighth and eleventh, respectively.
PJ Jacobsen: “Race 1 was pretty good, and I ended up fifth. It was a new track for me, and we did the best job that we could. Sunday’s race went really well. We made some big changes and they seemed to work. It was great to be back on the podium, not just for me but for the team too as they’ve been working so hard all season and deserve it. We will continue to keep moving forward. I am happy with the pace, especially in the early stages, where I was able to lap faster than I did in qualifying.”
Hector Barbera: “I suffered a lot in Race 1 with the tyre. It was impossible to ride, and I had to retire after running off on lap one. Race 2 was also difficult. I had difficulty to enter the corner and the electronics were also not perfect. I am sad that we couldn’t show our full potential but focused on doing better in Pittsburgh.”
The entire Tytlers Cycle Racing team wish to extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and team of Scott Briody who sadly passed away at the circuit on Friday. He will be missed.
The following is from Indian…
Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Mission Foods, captured two King of the Baggers podium positions at Brainerd International Raceway. Privateer Bobby Fong, piloting Steve Delorenzi’s Sacramento Mile S&S-built RSD Indian Challenger, secured his first-career King on the Baggers win, while Indian Motorcycle Racing factory rider Tyler O’Hara rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.
The sixth King of the Baggers event of the season was nothing short of dramatic, as a red-flag restart rescheduled the event to end of the day and shortened it to five laps. Though during competition, rain on turn 3-4 ultimately caused race officials to call the race after just three laps.
Despite starting from the back row, Fong fought hard during the first lap to reach second. Without hesitation, Fong then made an aggressive move, as he dove inside and stood up O’Hara to make the pass and capture the lead and secure his first-ever King of the Baggers win.
“Congrats to Bobby and RSD on their first win. It was a well-deserved victory as the RSD race team works extremely hard to ensure those Indian Challengers are dialed-in and ready for competition,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology. “This has been fun, neck-and-neck battle throughout the entire season. With one race remaining, it’s all on the line, and we couldn’t be any more excited to head to New Jersey and give it all we got.”
The 2022 King of the Baggers season will conclude September 9-11, in the Millville, NJ, at New Jersey Motorsports Park. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Prior to the King of the Baggers race, on Friday July 29, MotoAmerica racer Scott Briody passed following a single-motorcycle crash. “Our condolences go out to Scott Briody’s friends and family, his team, and everyone in the MotorAmerica paddock,” said Gray.
The following is from Royal Enfield…
Round three of Royal Enfield’s Build. Train. Race. Road Racing program brought the 2022 series to its halfway point. The BTR women were eager to take on the famous Brainerd International Raceway after an eight-week break in the championship. While the action in the class is drawing closer as the BTR ladies train and coach each other to quicker lap times, the end result was a familiar one, with lightning-quick Kayleigh Buyck besting the field for the third time in as many races. Chloe Peterson and Jenny Chancellor joined Buyck on the overall podium.
The Brainerd track proved to be a tough learning track for many of the BTR women—particularly turn 12 and the chicane. But the Royal Enfield ladies put in the work during limited practice time to learn the track and tune their Continental GT 650 motorcycles for race day.
A total of 12 women lined up for the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. main event. Patty Paul is still nursing a collarbone injury suffered at VIR, Bridgette LeBer hurt her hand in a recent dirt bike crash, and Kayla Theisler was out sick. But the Brainerd round did see the return of Cora Tennyson, who had a spectacular highside at VIR and consequently sat out Road America with a knee injury.
Racing action was once again spectacular, and not without some drama. Kayleigh Buyck managed to lead all eight laps, but not without some steady pressure from Chloe Peterson. The number-55 kept the gap small, and waited for a mistake from Buyck that would never come. Meanwhile, the battle for third heated up with Crystal Martinez duking it out with Jenny Chancellor, but Martinez received a penalty flag for jump-starting. Martinez thought she had to pull off, and slowed down during the race, losing any chance at a podium finish.
“What a weekend!” exclaimed Chloe Peterson. “It’s great racing with the other women on the same Continental GT 650. When I see them going faster and braking harder than I do, I know I can do that, too. Battling with Kayleigh has pushed me beyond what I thought was capable on a motorcycle. I pushed hard on the brakes to try and get past Keyleigh but she was definitely not making it easy. I had a pucker moment in turn three on the last lap trying to take an outside line to try to get around her but I saved it. In the end, I put it on the box one step higher than the last time. I’m happy with the result, but hungry for more.”
“The battle with Chole Peterson was intense and pushed me to better myself,” said Kayleigh Buyck. “She is a phenomenal rider and I love having her to battle with. The remainder of the season will be amazing. All of the girls rode great this past weekend; the vibe in our put was the best yet.Everyone coming together to help one another really showed what this program is about.”
“This weekend at Brainerd had a number of setbacks along the way,” commented Jenny Chancellor. “But the amount of confidence the BTR program has given me honestly makes me feel like I have a superpower to keep pushing forward. This weekend our whole team pushed forward through adversity and had a successful race. Every person on our team is getting better; I am excited to see the racing get closer and closer.”
Royal Enfield and the Build. Train. Race. community send sincere condolences to the friends and family of Scott Briody. “Bittersweet is the only way to describe this past weekend,” said Kayleigh Buyck. “Scott Briody was such an amazing friend to have and left such a great impact on so many riders. Being able to put it on top of the box for him was exactly what I needed. He will be forever missed. Godspeed, Scott; until we ride again.”
The following is from SportbikeTrackGear.com…
Breaking an eight-race dry spell, Max Van put his SportbikeTrackGear.com Ninja 400 on the top step of the podium in race two at Brainerd.
Race one also saw teammate Joseph Limandri Jr. back on the box with a solid P2.
Despite the success, in racing the results only tell part of the story. While both riders had to overcome struggles this weekend, nothing compared to the loss of friend and mentor Scott Briody who succumbed to injuries sustained on track Friday during qualifying.
“The way Scott lived life, the man never had a bad day. His attitude always made me never want to skip a beat. The man passed doing what he loved. Living life to the fullest was his attitude” Max said in a post race interview. Having race 1 end prematurely as another rider crashed into him, he had to dig deep for Race 2.
But even Race 2 wasn’t without drama as a red flagged incident caused the race to be shuffled to the end of the day. Using info from the first part for the restart, “I was able to regroup and figure out why I got shuffled back to 4th position. As I was riding I asked myself, ‘why waste my opportunities?’ and I answered that out on track. This was a win for Scott.”
“Scott was one of a kind. He was selfless, and made sure others were taken care of before him. He was taken too soon and he will be missed. My condolences go out to the Briody family,” Joe added. “The season isn’t over and it’s time to fight, for him.”
The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup championship has proven anything can and will happen in racing. The championship chase continues for the final six races, with Joe sitting 2nd and Max 5th in the points.
Catch the team live as the MotoAmerica series returns East with the next round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex on August 19th.
The following is from Luke Power Racing…
Luke Power leaves the Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota with another double top eight points finish in the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, a result that moves him to within one point of fifth overall in the standings with three round and six races remaining.
Like at most circuits on the calendar this season, the Suzuki mounted charger had to contend with learning another new circuit well as finding an optimum setting at one of the fastest tracks on the schedule.
Improving in every session ahead of Saturday’s opening race Luke qualified on the third row of the grid and in typical fashion, involved himself in the battle at the front from the off. Despite losing touch with those involved in the podium fight as the race wore on, Luke continued to push hard, narrowly missing out on a top six finish at the flag. Sunday began with a wet warm up session which Luke elected not to participate in and ahead of the race the team opted for a different tyre which ultimately played a part, along with other set up factors that prevented an even better result on Sunday. Nevertheless, the #68 once again rode superbly, getting the most he could out of the situation. He finished a credible eighth ensuring that he remains in contention for a top four in the overall championship standings in his debut MotoAmerica season.
Luke wishes to pass on express his sincere condolences to the family, friends and team of Scott Briody who sadly succumbed to his injuries following a crash on Friday.
Luke Power: “Overall Race 1 was positive. My final position doesn’t reflect the pace I had but just like at Laguna Seca I struggled at the beginning. The pace we had late on was good and I was really hoping to capitalise on that on Sunday. I was only able to finish eighth in Race 2 which is frustrating after our Saturday race pace was not bad but sometimes races go like that. I learned a lot this weekend and thank the team’s efforts. We made some changes for Race 2 that didn’t pay off but overall, it was a solid weekend at another track that I have no experience at. In the championship we are only one point away from fifth and not a million miles from P4, so all things considered I can move on to Pittsburgh ready to push again.”
The following is from Pure Attitude Racing…
Pure Attitude Racing head to the final three rounds of the MotoAmerica Championship after an emotional and challenging weekend at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.
Looking to build on their successes at The Ridge and Laguna Seca it was an encouraging start to the weekend for team but all thoughts about what happened on track pails into insignificance following the tragic loss of fellow MotoAmerica competitor Scott Briody on Friday afternoon. The entire Pure Attitude team sends its deepest condolences to Scott’s family and friends, his team and the entire MotoAmerica paddock.
On track the team suffered a double DNF in Twins Cup with Liam MacDonald suffering a technical issue moments before lights out and Trevor Standish crashing out of P11 on the final lap. Both riders had shown pace with Liam especially looking as though a top eight challenge was possible. Chase Black qualified on the second row of the grid in Junior Cup. He raced to sixth in Saturday’s opener before he too was forced to retire on Sunday.
The team will now regroup ahead of the next event in Pittsburgh in three weeks.
Chase Black: “The result on Saturday was ok but I could have been on the podium and so I am a little disappointed. I got passed by four people off the start and although I was able to close the gap and run with the group, I couldn’t find a way through. On Sunday I started better but almost crashed and the chain came off. The race was red flagged due to another incident but because I was already out before the red flag I couldn’t restart later in the day. Not ideal but that’s racing. Thoughts are with Scott Briody’s family right now.”
Liam MacDonald: “Well that didn’t go to plan. The bike had been running as sweet as can be all weekend, no issues at all and then with minutes to go it just stopped. Kent, Dean and Todd have worked their buts off and I am gutted for them as much as me. On the grid after the sighting lap, it just lost power and despite our best efforts we had to pull off. It’s so disappointing after we had finally shown decent pace, but I am staying positive and moving on to the next one with my head held high. After what happened on Friday, nothing else really matters. Rest in Peace Scott.”
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start, and the race was going well, and I was really enjoying riding the bike. I was running eleventh but with half a lap to go I went. I am not entirely sure what happened, but I got run over and am a bit second hand. I want to thank the medical staff at the track and at the hospital and everyone who enquired about me. I will be back stronger but right now I want to send my prayers and thoughts to the Scott’s family. It’s been a tough weekend.”
The following is from N2 Racing…
N2 Racing scored podium finishes in every race entered at Brainerd International Raceway, but the weekend was still somber after the death of fellow competitor Scott Briody. Blake Davis finished second in the only Twins Cup Race of the weekend on his Yamaha YZF-R7. Fill-in rider Josh Hayes finished third in both Supersport Race One and Race Two on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayes and Davis battled up front in all three races showing the level of the team in the second half of the season with five podiums in the last two rounds.
Four-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes was gracious enough to fill in for full-time Supersport rider Kevin Olmedo, who suddenly became ill after the team’s victory at Roebling Road Raceway in the N2/WERA National Endurance by Dunlop race. Kevin Olmedo is recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome at home in El Salvador. Kevin is hopeful to make a quick recovery but was unable to compete at Brainerd International Raceway. Josh stepped up on short notice and did a fantastic job.
Josh and the team decided not to make wholesale changes to the N2 Racing YZF-R6, but to optimize the Olmedo setup to suit Josh. Hayes was able to qualify in second position, but the team was struggling with rear grip on corner entry. In Supersport Race One, Josh got a great start and tried to latch on to eventual winner Rocco Landers, but Landers’s pace was dominate. Josh battled with Josh Herrin for second, but rear grip was still an issue at the end of the race, and Hayes finished in the third position.
Supersport Race Two was hectic from the start with six riders fighting for second place after Race One winner, Rocco Landers disappeared at the front. Hayes was in the middle of the fight throughout the race. On lap eleven, Josh made a mistake, drifting back to sixth and had to fight his way back to third with a last lap pass on protégé Cory Ventura.
This was the team’s first visit to Brainerd International Raceway with the Yamaha YZF-R7 and the loss of Friday afternoon qualifying made set up difficult. The team made progress and Blake was able to match his best qualifying result of the year with a fourth place starting position.
The Twins Cup Race on Saturday afternoon was a barnburner with Davis leading for most of the race with Cory Ventura, Anthony Mazziotto, and Hayden Schultz all fighting for the lead. Blake was very fast in the ultra-quick turn one/two section of the racetrack, but struggled with running wide in the tighter sections. The nail-biting last lap saw the leaders cross the finish line only .3 of a second apart with Blake finishing second to score his third podium of the year. Blake is currently third in the championship only 28 points back.
Blake Davis – “The weekend had highs and lows. Right off the bat, I missed Kevin not being there, then the loss of Scott Briody; it was all sad. Friday afternoon and evening were low key, Saturday the paddock got together and we prayed for Scott’s family. Then, the day’s racing got started. The highs were qualifying my best ever and then getting second place in my race.”
Josh Hayes – “I really enjoyed the weekend working with N2 Racing team. This is only the second time working with the Shiloh and the crew after the endurance win and we really worked well together. The races were exciting, and I tried to do the motorcycle justice like Kevin would do. It was fun to put on a good show with some last lap passes and It was awesome to get on the podium twice. I enjoyed the opportunity and I was very glad I could help.”
Shiloh Salopek (Crew Chief) – “We really appreciate Josh standing in for Kevin as well as putting our Yamaha YZF-R6 on the podium twice. We’re also very happy with the progress that we’re making on the YZF-R7 and to have Blake on the podium again. We all missed Kevin and we hope he’s back with us soon.”
About N2: N2 – Ride, Race, Learn.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
N2 Racing is proudly sponsored by: Dunlop Motorcycle Tire, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, BobbleHeadMoto, Karnes Performance, Trading Paint, GB Racing, Westby Racing, Attack Performance, Robem Engineering, Puig, Eazi Grip, ProBolt, SBS Brakes and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
The following is from Altus Motorsports…
The MotoAmerica event at Brainerd International Raceway had a grievous start on Friday when a racer, Scott Briody, lost his life. The track was shut down and the afternoon schedule was canceled.
“We know this sport is dangerous – the risk of serious injury and death is always possible – but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. This was a truly horrible loss that was felt in our pit, throughout the paddock, and across our sport,” said team owner George Nassaney
Superbike Cup & Stock 1000
It has been a tough year thus far for Brandon Paasch. After successful seasons on middleweight bikes, he has been struggling on the 1000. To make matters worse, the tragedy on Friday hit very close to home. The rider who lost his life was the father of Brandon’s girlfriend.
Through his grief, he managed to prove his mettle this weekend with his best results of 2022. In Stock 1000, he qualified 4th and spent the race in the battle at the front. Ultimately, he crossed the line in 2nd place. Paasch took the podium with mixed emotions. “I want to enjoy the moment – It’s my first podium. It’s been a hard season. And an even harder and very upsetting weekend,” said Brandon Paasch. “I really want to thank everyone for their support. Also, thanks to Shakey Bryne for his feedback at Laguna. He gave me some input that’s really helping me get better on the big bike. I’m really hoping we can build on this weekend for the rest of the season.”
In the Superbike Races, Brandon started Race 1 from 14th and finished 13th. He was the 2nd place Superbike Cup competitor. He started the second Superbike race in 12th and finished 9th but he was the top Superbike Cup racer. He currently sits third in the Superbike Cup, just 21 points out of first.
Supersport
Jaret Nassaney arrived in Brainerd hoping to continue his progress toward the front of the Supersport races. Unfortunately, lack of track time due to some mechanical issues made for a challenging weekend. He started both Supersport races from 12th. He finished Saturday in 8th and Sunday in 9th.
“We had a difficult weekend at Brainerd. I came into the weekend ready to fight for some more Top 5 finishes but we fell behind when we missed the first practice due to some mechanical issues. We struggled to find a good setup in qualifying but we were able to salvage an 8th and a 9th in the races! Big thanks to my team and my mechanics for all the hard work! Hoping for better results in Pittsburgh,” said Jaret Nassaney.
Junior Cup
After a brutally disappointing round at Laguna Seca, Kayla Yaakov arrived in Minnesota ready for a “reset,” getting back to leading the pack and standing on the podium. Which she did. She was the fastest in the first practice. The first qualifying was canceled but Yaakov managed to be 2nd fastest in the sole qualifying session and started the races from the middle of the first row. On Saturday, in Race 1, Kayla collected her second win of the season. Race 2 ended up being rescheduled to a 5 lap sprint at the end of the day on Sunday. Yaakov crossed the line in second. Her success at Brainerd moved her into 3rd in the overall Junior Cup standings, just 31 points out of first and 9 points from second.
“A great and very emotional weekend at Brainerd International Raceway. I was able to secure my second win of the season, as well as a second place in Race 2. It was great to come home with these points after a difficult weekend at Laguna. I now sit 3rd in the championship points standings, and I’m looking forward to the next round at Pittsburgh International Raceway (my home race). I’d also like to send my condolences to the family and friends of Scott Briody. I’d like to dedicate this weekend to them,” said Kayla Yaakov.
“This weekend was an emotional roller coaster. The team came together to support each other and everyone rode in Scott Briody’s memory. Brandon wanted to be on the box for Scott and when he succeeded, it was a very emotional moment, from the Nassaney’s and the entire Altus Motorsports Team we offer our deepest condolences to the Briody family” said George Nassaney.
The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing.
