KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
Two-time and defending Champion Jake Gagne grabbed the provisional pole position during MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama. Riding his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, Gagne lapped the undulated 2.3-mile course in 1:22.805 to lead all riders.
Mathew Scholtz was second-best with a 1:23.195 on his Westby Racing Yamaha.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier was third-fastest with a lap of 1:23.372 on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen was fourth at 1:23.588.
Beaubier’s teammate PJ Jacobson ranked fifth in the session with a lap of 1:23.593.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin completed the provisional second row with a sixth-quickest 1:23.742.
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Gagne On Top In Close Superbike Action On Day One At Barber Motorsports Park
Defending Champ Jake Gagne On Provisional Pole In Medallia Superbike In Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, AL (May 19, 2023) – The leaderboard was ever-changing at Barber Motorsports Park on Friday, but when all was said and done it was two-time MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne who earned provisional pole position for the weekend’s two Superbike races.
But it was close. Just the way Gagne likes it.
At the end of the 40-minute Q1 session, Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Gagne was on top with his 1:22.805 coming on his 16th lap to best Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz by just .390 of a second. Gagne’s best was a bit off his lap record of 1:22.035, set in Q2 in last year’s season finale in September.
Scholtz’s fast lap also came at the end of the session with his 1:23.195 also coming on his 16th lap.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier ended up third fastest to complete the provisional front row with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion just a tick over half a second slower than Gagne. Hot on Beaubier’s heels was Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, with the South African .783 of a second behind his teammate.
Beaubier’s teammate PJ Jacobsen jumped to fifth fastest, moving past Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin near the end of the session.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante got as high as third on the timesheets before dropping to seventh and 1.3 seconds off Gagne’s best.
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander and Wrench Motorcycles rider David Anthony rounded out the top 10 on Friday.
“It’s going to be close no matter where we go,” Gagne said. “We’re gonna go to a lot of different tracks and with all these bikes running really good now it will be cool to see what bikes have strengths and where. It was a good day. Sunday looks okay, but I think tomorrow we probably will have to get ready for a wet race. It’s fun. It keeps us on our toes and I’m having fun with the team and having fun knowing it’s going to be close racing with all these guys. It’s a good start to the weekend.”
Supersport – Great Scott
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was the fastest of the fast in Q1 for Saturday’s “Extended” Supersport race at Barber Motorsports Park. Scott lapped at 1:26.605 and was the only rider to dip into the 1:26s.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa was second fastest, .810 of a second behind Scott, with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores third fastest and .840 of a second behind Scott.
Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes closed the session in fourth with Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs fifth at the end of the 30-minute session.
Junior Cup – Dreher Rolls On
Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher picked up where he left off at Road Atlanta today at Barber Motorsports Park with the Floridian earning provisional pole position for the weekend’s two races to back up his two wins at Road Atlanta.
Dreher’s best lap was .469 of a second quicker than Altus Motorsports’ Alessandro Di Mario with Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese third fastest and .480 of a second behind Dreher.
Steel Commander Stock 1000 – Gillim On Top
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim didn’t have a very good start to his season at the opening round of the Steel Commander Stock 1000 class at Road Atlanta, but he righted the ship on Friday at Barber by earning provisional pole.
Gillim’s best was a 1:25.381 and that topped Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman by 1.547 seconds, establishing Gillim as the man to beat on the weekend.
Gabriel Da Silva made an impressive debut in the class in what was his first outing of the season with the Floridian returning to the site of his Supersport win in 2021 to end Q1 third fastest on his Steel Commander Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Flo4Law Racing’s JC Camacho and Burke Racing’s Ryan Burke rounded out the top five.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Landers Leads
It was a battle of teammates on Aprilia RS 660s in Friday afternoon’s final session at Barber Motorsports Park with Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers topping his teammate Gus Rodio to earn provisional pole for the two REV’IT! Twins Cup races.
Landers’ best was a 1:29.946, which was .476 of a second quicker than championship leader Rodio. Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz rode his Yamaha YZF-R7 to the third quickest time, a tick over a second behind Landers.
The WagBar MP13 Racing’s Kayla Yaakov made a successful return to racing from her leg injury, ending the session fourth fastest on her Yamaha YZF-R7.
Superbike Q1 Results
- Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:22.805
- Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 1:23.195
- Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 1:23.372
- Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 1:23.588
- PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 1:23.593
- Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:23.742
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 1:24.175
- Hayden Gillim (Suzuki) 1:24.493
- Corey Alexander (BMW) 1:25.069
- David Anthony (Yamaha) 1:25.197
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Game on as Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés Charge Into Day One at Barber Motorsports Park
Sunnyvale, Calif., May 19, 2023 — Under gray Alabama skies, Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) settled into action at Barber Motorsports Park, finishing the second qualifying session in sixth place on the factory Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Herrin knocked out a total of 20 laps of the iconic 2.3-mile venue, his best time a 1:23.742 behind early leader, Jake Gagne.
Herrin noted an improvement in his immediate day one pace compared to the opening round of the championship at Road Atlanta, which puts him and the team in a good mood heading into the all-important second qualifying session that will determine the grid for both races on Saturday morning.
For Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC), his first visit to the stunning grounds of Barber Motorsports Park was a fruitful one. Aboard the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship-winning Ducati Panigale V2, Forés finished the day third overall behind leader Tyler Scott after a total of 26 laps.
Tomorrow, Saturday, May 20, will see the first long-distance MotoAmerica Supersport race with a mandatory pitstop and refuel to be held over 31 laps, something the Spaniard with his years of experience in the Endurance World Championship is looking forward to.
Superbike Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:22.805
P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 1:23.195
P3 – Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 1:23.372
P4 – Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 1:23.588
P5 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 1:23.593
P6 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:23.742
Supersport Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 1:26.605
P2 – Stefano Mesa (Kawasaki) 1:27.415
P5 – Xavi Forés (Ducati) 1:27.445
P4 – Joshua Hayes (Yamaha) 1:27.568
P5 – Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki) 1:27.737
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #12)
“I’m very happy with the position, but we are still looking for more,” Forés said. “Overall, I didn’t do as many laps as I would have liked but to be this close to the top two positions on my first time here is something I’m happy with. It’s going to be tricky with the long race as the tire life is a question, but it is the same for everyone. I want to make some adjustments on the bike to get a bit more life out of the tires because this will be the key point for tomorrow.”
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC– #2)
“Today was good,” Herrin started. “One thing I’ve been focusing on is trying take things smoothly on Friday, make sure the times are good, and work forward from there. The field is tight and we’ve improved already in comparison to Road Atlanta where we were 1.8s off the lead on Friday. Today we’re only 0.8s, so we’re heading in the right direction. We just need to stay calm, look at the data and make the right choice. Looking at the field, they have so much data on their bikes and we’re only just beginning to understand how to go fast on the V4 R, and this gives me lots of confidence as we’re extremely close to the top with a lot of room for improvement.”
The racing action for round two of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will kick off with race one tomorrow, Saturday, May 20, at 3:00 pm CDT. The Supersport Long Race is scheduled for 4:00 pm CDT.
