The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin is proving the class of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike field after taking the first double win in his illustrious Superbike career at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scorching his way to a commanding title lead.
The lead rider for Warhorse HSBK Ducati qualified fourth but used that as fuel for the fire, charging into an early lead and putting down a pace no one—other than his own teammate, Loris Baz—could follow. Herrin would eventually cross the line some 18 seconds clear over second-placed Cameron Beaubier after Baz suffered an unfortunate late-race crash.
Race two was a nailbiter as Herrin, Sean Dylan Kelly, and Beaubier cleared off at the front, Herrin making an early pass for the lead before Kelly hit straight back. From there, Herrin played the waiting game, conserving his tires and energy at the physically demanding Mid-Ohio layout. With two laps to go, the number 2 Ducati pulled the pin, hitting the lead at turn one and putting down two qualifying-speed laps to edge out a 0.3-second win and move into a 52-point championship lead.
Baz rebounded from his Saturday results by taking fourth on the number 76 Ducati Panigale V4 R to make it two Ducatis in the top four.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“What a great weekend,” Herrin beamed. “It wasn’t the best practice and qualifying, but the racing is what matters, and both races were great. The first win was by 18 seconds, and in the second, I felt like I had half a second on Sean—I tried one pass on him, and he passed me straight back, so I didn’t want to risk anything. I just sat there and relaxed and went for it in the last two laps.
“It’s funny, all weekend, people have been telling me to relax and go for points, but I have more experience than anyone here, so I wanted to show them what I can do. I wanted to apply the pressure and get some points so we’re in a good position at COTA. We’re in a good spot in the championship. The second half of the season has been awesome. I just want to thank my Warhorse HSBK Ducati team for everything—a great bike, great team environment, everything. I’m really looking forward to COTA, which is an excellent track for our bike.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“We did a big step with the bike so I must say thank you to all the Warhorse HSBK Ducati guys, as well as Ducati in Italy,” Baz said. “I have the bike turning how I want, which makes a big difference here, a track I love.
“After the qualifying, I had a top-four pace, but I could see the top guys had a little more. In race one, I was really surprised to see +10 on my board. But I made the biggest mistake of my life in race one by crashing. I can’t apologize to everyone enough, but today, I tried to understand the crash and not make any mistakes again.
“Josh helped me understand where and how to push here because this track is quite particular on the front tire. So, I tried to manage my pace and the force of the front tire, but the top three were a touch quicker today, so I did everything I could to bring it home.
“Josh is riding so well and we’re heading to two of my favorite tracks in COTA and New Jersey. I want to see the title come to this team with Josh, and I will do everything possible to help him.”
Warhorse HSBK Ducati now heads to one of their favorite hunting grounds of Circuit of The Americas in Texas for the decisive triple-header on September 13-15.
The following is from Suzuki…
Suzuki Motor USA (Suzuki) and Team Hammer tackled the undulating corners of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time in a decade with the MotoAmerica tour bringing the nation’s top motorcycle racers back to the iconic track last raced at in 2014.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki racer Tyler Scott (70) closed out what had been a dramatic weekend of inclement weather and delays in a straight fight for victory in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport contest. Sunday’s dry conditions came as a relief after a protracted Saturday of changeable conditions resulted in a hard-earned sixth. Finally able to again show his true potential on the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750, Scott led several laps and battled for victory to the flag, ultimately finishing in second just 0.160 seconds off the win.
“We had a result we liked today and ended an up-and-down weekend the way we wanted,” Scott said. “My Suzuki was really strong, and over the last ten days – with testing and this weekend’s racing – we saw some fantastic improvements. The GSX-R750 felt amazing. We have made great progress. But this weekend, I crashed on Thursday, and it basically cost the team two sessions. We were playing catch-up, then got into a mixed conditions race on Saturday where the setup choices were not that clear. We did okay, then made big changes for today and the front end setup was what I wanted. I felt we were very competitive, and getting second at a new track for us is a great reward. I am excited about the next races because we are heading forward.”
While most riders were mired in Saturday’s chaos, Teagg Hobbs (79) used it as a ladder. With riders opting for contrasting tire strategies as the track’s surface changed from dry to wet to dry, Hobbs charged his way up from 15th to end the day inside the top five, finishing one position ahead of teammate Scott in fifth. However, Sunday was not quite as kind as Hobbs came home 14th in the rematch.
Hobbs said, “We went with the right tire choice and had a strong bike for those conditions. We needed the top-five result, and it was great to get it. Sunday did not go as well. We had a crash on the first lap of the warm-up, and it seems we have had bad luck all year. We’re working hard on getting a solid direction to put us back up front.”
The team’s third Supersport pilot, Joel Ohman (92), used the weekend as another opportunity to gain valuable race experience and confirmed his ability to convert that opportunity into results, improving several positions from Saturday to Sunday.
“It was an eventful weekend for us,” Ohman said. “In the end, I learned a lot. It was also good to have Richie Escalante back. Saturday was pretty challenging. A bike blew up in front of me, and I was covered in his oil, including my visor so I couldn’t see very well at the beginning of the race. Then I had rain tires on, but as the track dried, it made for a race where I felt I could lose either end of the bike as the track became completely dry. Sunday was also challenging, with a change to the bike that helped one area but hurt us in another. Still, we were able to pick up some positions, and improved on our starting position. We changed up our debrief, and now we have all three SuperSport riders debriefing together instead of individually. I felt I learned a lot from Teagg and Ty.”
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike rider Richie Escalante (54) made his long-awaited return to action after suffering a left wrist fracture, left ankle fracture, and compression fracture of the L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae in the MotoAmerica Superbike opener at Road Atlanta in April. Still fighting his way back to full health and fitness, Escalante was unfortunate to suffer an early race fall in his race return on Saturday. Undaunted, Escalante was back in the fight on Sunday, executing a last-lap pass aboard his GSX-R1000R to secure seventh position at the checkered flag.
“I am super happy to be racing again,” said Escalante. “The doctor cleared me last week. I am recovered from the injuries but not quite up to my normal fitness because I haven’t been able to run my normal training. I felt that a little this weekend. I was unable to be as aggressive as I need to be to fight for the podium. Still, I am happy to be back out there competing, I really missed the speed, my GSX-R, and working with the team. Thanks to the team, Suzuki, and our sponsors for being patient while I recuperated. It was awesome to be back. On Saturday, I made a mistake and crashed, which is easy to do when you haven’t been on the bike for a while. Today, I wanted to finish with a good result we would build on going forward. I felt we earned that. I’ll be ready to push harder for the next one. We improved our lap times all weekend at a new track for me, so we are going in the right direction.”
Brandon Paasch (96) endured a repeat of his previous round’s efforts at Laguna Seca. At Mid-Ohio, Paasch earned a second-row grid position but was unable to capitalize on his speed and grid slot due to an opening-lap crash suffered while jockeying for position near the front on Saturday; and then encountering an issue on Sunday. Paasch was ultimately credited with 18th after coming into the pits and returning to the race a couple laps down.
Paasch said, “It was a mixed weekend for me, with some good sessions followed up with tough races. We matched our best qualifying, but I crashed on the first lap trying to make a pass. I hit some mud on the track and high-sided to the moon. I banged up my ankle, which was numb Sunday and I had to wear an oversize boot because of the swelling. I couldn’t feel what my brake lever was doing and locked it up a couple of times. I pulled into the pits to make sure it wasn’t oil or a mechanical issue. Everything was clear, so I went back out and got some laps in.”
The 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship will head to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for its penultimate round on September 13-15.
The following is from Yamaha…
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen finished eighth as he returned to action for Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. It was a tough weekend for the team, with both riders feeling less than 100% with injuries. His teammate Jake Gagne also salvaged points, finishing 10th on the technical track.
Petersen had a big crash during Thursday’s Official Dunlop Test, adding an ankle injury to an already torn meniscus from training during the break. After being sidelined for Saturday’s opening race with another crash in the second qualifying session, he got the all-clear Sunday morning to race. Despite feeling less than 100%, the South African got a great start from the second row of the grid into fourth and was in fifth after the opening lap. Petersen was shuffled to seventh on Lap 5 and then continued to battle for position, ultimately finishing eighth to salvage some points on a tough weekend.
Gagne didn’t get the start he was hoping for in Race 2 and was seventh after the start. He was shuffled to eighth on the opening lap but continued to work on making his way forward on the technical track despite his lingering arm pump issues. Gagne passed his teammate on Lap 8 and maintained seventh for five laps, but ultimately would cross the line 10th to salvage some more points, leaving Ohio third in the point standings and tied with fellow Yamaha rider Bobby Fong.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns to action next month for the penultimate round of the MotoAmerica season and a Superbike tripleheader at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on September 13-15.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It was not the results we were looking for. We’re moving on and will come back at COTA.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“It was a super rough weekend for the team and myself. Unfortunately, I had a big crash on Thursday that changed the outcome of the whole weekend, but a massive thank you to the team for the incredible work they did this weekend. We will get them at the next one.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It was another tough race today, continuing to deal with hand issues. The team and bike deserve stronger results, so we’ll get it sorted.”
The following is from Strack Racing…
The Strack Racing team delivered a weekend of pure resilience and thrilling racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with Mathew Scholtz extending his MotoAmerica Supersport Championship lead by a hard-fought 25 points.
The weekend began on a high note with Scholtz arriving with an 18-point lead. The first race quickly turned dramatic when both Scholtz and his main title rival, PJ Jacobsen, crashed after hitting oil left on the track, forcing a red flag. Against all odds, Scholtz impressively rode his severely damaged bike back to the pits with both handlebars barely intact and no functioning brakes. In an incredible display of teamwork, the Strack Racing crew rebuilt the bike in pouring rain within 30 minutes. Despite the mixed conditions, Scholtz battled his way back to claim a remarkable second place.
The dedication didn’t stop there. The team worked tirelessly overnight to restore the bike for Race Two. Scholtz initially struggled with a poor start but quickly gained momentum before another red flag interrupted the race. After the restart, Scholtz found himself in fourth position but expertly played the long game, knowing his tire management would be key. In a stunning move on the penultimate lap, Scholtz passed both Jacobsen and Tyler Scott in a single corner, seizing the victory and further solidifying his championship lead.
Team Owner Peter Strack commented, “This was by far the most intense and stressful weekend we’ve had this season. We felt very comfortable with our race pace, but the mixed conditions really threw a wrench into our plans. For Race One, we were going back and forth right until the last minute on whether to go out on wets or slicks. The sun was shining, and we saw a dry line forming, so we took a gamble on slicks. That decision, along with the team’s ability to stay focused and composed, made all the difference. Heading into COTA with a 25-point lead is great, but we know the fight is far from over. We’ll stay sharp and continue pushing for every point.”
Mathew Scholtz added, “My approach for Race One was all about consistency, which has been key for me since the beginning of the season. I know that managing every race well is how you win championships. On the second restart, it was all about mental toughness. I knew I had to ride smart and bring the bike home for those extremely important championship points. Race Two was all about trusting the plan; I knew if I could stay patient and manage my tires, I’d have a shot at making those crucial passes in the final laps.”
Strack Racing now looks ahead to the Circuit of The Americas in September, determined to maintain their momentum and clinch the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The following is from Rahal Ducati Moto…
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course skies threatened rainfall throughout the day, however, held off with crystal clear skies for the duration of Race 2.
Similarly to Race 1, a competitor’s engine expired on Lap 2, leaking oil onto the track surface. A red flag was waved, and the riders had to return to their original starting positions for a condensed 12-lap race. Unfortunately, Alexander, who had fought his way through the pack to 6th, was forced to restart at 15th. His Ducati’s mechanical issues persisted after the restart, ending his time on track early. The crew will have to continue to diagnose the bike’s issues before the next rounds of competition at Circuit of The Americas.
PJ Jacobsen’s momentum shifted after suffering tire degradation, pushing him back to fourth position in the last few laps after leading a majority of the race. Four rounds remain for Jacobsen and the XPEL team to close the gap to the championship leader, Mathew Scholtz, who is currently 25 points ahead.
With an unfavorable ending to the team’s visit to their home track, the crew packs the truck to head back to home base in Zionsville, Indiana, before Rounds 15 and 16 of Supersport competition in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of The Americas on September 13- 15.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 1st
FINISHED: 4th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (279 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I honestly feel like I could’ve won that race. I guess we made the wrong tire choice, but it’s strange since we tested with that tire on Thursday, and put in a lot of good laps with it. We had no problems before. The heat was similar on the Thursday test, and it was only a 12-lap race, so I’m not sure what happened. With two laps to go, the tire dropped terribly on the right-hand side. It was completely shredded and I could barely ride. Risking crashing to hold on to my position would not have been smart.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 7th
FINISHED: 10th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (120 pts)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today wasn’t the best day. Going into the race I felt very confident and excited to have another go at it. I felt like my pace was there to be in the top six. I was getting great starts, but unfortunately some things happened during the race that caused me to drop back a little bit. I tried to claw my way back up to eighth position, fighting for sixth, but with about four laps remaining, the front tire was completely done and the focus was trying to get the bike back safe and not crash out of the race. It’s really unfortunate, but i’m confident we can bounce back with the last two rounds of the season, and we can put these bikes back where we know they can be. Overall, I had a good time here at Mid-Ohio. Hopefully next year we have more luck. It was great to announce that all three of us will be back for 2025.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 15th
FINISHED: DNF
CHAMPIONSHIP: 9th (111 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Super bummed for my guys on the Rahal Ducati Moto team with Roller Die + Forming. It was just one of those weekends, but that’s how it goes in racing sometimes. We had the bike, and everyone on the team worked so hard, but we just couldn’t get it done. We’re going to have to figure out what the issue was somehow. Nothing the guys did seemed to make a difference. Thank you to the entire team for working so hard the whole weekend – I know it was a lot of hard work on their part. Nobody gave up, but it just didn’t work out.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a bit of a frustrating day, but that’s how it is in racing sometimes. PJ rode really well, but the front tire blistered and came apart, and there was nothing he could do. Kayla had a great start. We’re not sure what happened when she lost a few positions but she still rode a really strong race. The bike issue with Corey was frustrating, but it happens, unfortunately. We’ve had plenty of good races this season, and we will be back at COTA.”
The following is from Tytlers Cycle Racing…
MotoAmerica made its first appearance at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend and the Tytlers Cycle Racing team were in the mix once again.
On track in Superbike, Supersport and Super Hooligans the team’s riders Cameron Beaubier, JD Beach and Stefano Mesa were at the sharp end of their respective racing categories and from the opening practice sessions on Thursday they remained competitive throughout.
Happy to be back at Mid-Ohio, Cameron Beaubier was the man to beat from the off, the #6 topping several practice sessions before claiming Pole Position by 0.122s aboard his BMW M1000 RR.
Race one was cut short by three laps following a rain shower and a wet weather familiarisation session that was held prior to lights out. When the race did get going Cameron was once again at the front, running strongly but unable to match the pace of the leader. He took second at the flag. Sunday’s race ran the full distance of nineteen laps with Cameron once again in contention for the podium but once again unable to produce the pace he had in qualifying due to grip issues outside of his control. He sits fourth overall in the championship standings, sixty points adrift of the current leader, ahead of the penultimate round of the series at COTA and the season finale in New Jersey.
On the other side of the Superbike garage JD Beach had his best event of the season so far. He made the most of the opening laps in Saturday’s shortened sixteen lap encounter after qualifying seventh. Holding third in the early stages he was pushed back to fourth, before moving back into P3 with just a couple of laps to go following a Loris Baz crash. JD was understandably elated as he crossed the line to secure his second podium finish of the season. He finished an equally impressive sixth in Sunday’s race. He sits eighth overall in the points.
A sixth and seventh place finish in Supersport were the rewards for Stefano Mesa’s efforts across the weekend, the Kawasaki mounted rider running consistently. Ninth on the grid, Mesa, along with the entire field were unable to improve their times on Saturday morning and then, as in Superbike, the #37 took to the track in an extra wet weather familiarisation session.
Mesa was also on track aboard the Energica electric bike in the Super Hooligans category. Both races took place on Sunday after Saturday’s rainfall. Stefano achieved eighth and ninth place finishes in the weekend’s two encounters.
Cameron Beaubier: “It was nice to race at Mid-Ohio again. It’s a fun track and it was pretty cool to see how packed with fans the place was for the first year back. We had great pace all week, but the races were a different story with some struggles. All in all, two podiums are nice, and I want to say a big thanks to the team for all their hard work. It’s not over until it’s over and I am looking forward to lining up at COTA again.”
JD Beach: “It was nice to get back on the road race bike after the season break, we had. Going back to Mid-Ohio after ten years was really cool. Luckily, we had a tyre test on Thursday before the race weekend got started which gave us a day to work through some parts and pieces that we have been wanting to try but haven’t had a chance to during a race weekend. I feel like we made some improvements with the bike Thursday and Friday. Then I gave the team a bit of extra work when I threw the bike down Saturday morning in qualifying before Race 1. They worked their magic as always and had the bike fixed back up and ready to go for the race. The track conditions were a bit tricky with off and on rain during the day, but with the improvements the crew made to the bike I felt good from the start. We were able to have a little battle with my teammate Cam and got to follow him for a quite a few laps and learn some stuff. Taking another podium was a big reward I could give them team. Race two was a bit of a struggle from the start with rear grip. It was weird, from the start I couldn’t get the BMW horsepower to the ground, but we were able to snag a sixth. I still feel like that’s an improvement from our mid-season form. We have another couple of weeks off and then it’s time for COTA.”
Stefano Mesa: “It was good to be back at Mid-Ohio after so many years and to see all the fans that came out to this place. We had double duty again on the Supersport and Hooligan. Supersport race one got delayed after a red flag for weather. The race got pushed to the end of the day and by this point we had a drying track, and we had to make a tyre decision. The team ended up going with slicks. The first few laps were still a bit too wet but by the end of the race we found some good pace and had a good race. In race two we had a red flag come out which helped us since we didn’t get a good start. After the restart we got to work and made up a few spots to end P6. The Hooligan weekend was positive with a lot of data gained to keep improving the bike. The weather didn’t let us race on Saturday, so they moved both races to Sunday. Race one was good. We had a good start and had some good battles. The boys had to change the battery in less than two hours so we could make race two and they got it done in time! Race two was a bit better. We made a good start, and I was able to go with the front group for a few laps found my best lap of the weekend in the race. Thanks to the Tytlers and Energica boys for a good weekend on both bikes.”
