Cambr/Stonecastle/KWR team scores hard-fought finishes in wet New Jersey
MILLVILLE, N.J. — The KWR team brought home a quartet of top-10 finishes this past weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, N.J.. Kyle Wyman scored 6th and 7th place finishes aboard his Cambr/Stonecastle/KWR Yamaha in Superbike while Bryce Prince finished up 8th and 10th on his RiderzLaw/KWR YZF-R6.
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mother nature offered up a variety of conditions throughout the weekend, with Friday practice hot and humid, but dry. Wyman finished the day 8th fastest on the Superbike while working on race setup, but with the forecast for rain for the balance of the weekend the hard work would prove to not make much of a difference, as Superpole and both races were ran in cold, wet conditions.
“Friday was a good day for us and we made a lot of progress with our dry setup,” Wyman said. “I’m still glad we had that time on the bike, to continue working on our new setup and we’ve become really happy. For Saturday morning it looked like we would have to start from scratch in the wet and we had to get up to speed quickly.”
The balance of the weekend was soaked with rain, remnants of a lingering tropical storm that swept the northeast. In the first practice session, Wyman posted the 9th fastest time on the slippery track before crashing, in what would be his third crash of the entire season. The KWR team repaired the bike in time for Superpole, where Wyman qualified 8th on the grid.
With high hopes for race one, the KWR team changed some settings on the bike to get Wyman more comfortable on the rain tires, but a costly miscalculation in the rear suspension setup put Wyman on track with a rear shock that was entirely too stiff for wet conditions. The lack in rear grip cost him dearly in lap times, but with the attrition in the race he was able to bring home is Cambr-sponsored Yamaha in 6th place.
“Race one was really tough for me,” Wyman said. “I felt like the rear tire was losing grip throughout the race, and I wondered at times whether I had a leak in the rear tire or the pressure was off. It turns out I wasn’t crazy and after looking at the data from the race we noticed that the rear suspension was barely moving. We realized quickly the mistake we made and felt fortunate in that moment that I was able to finish the race in those conditions.”
The KWR team went back to work, correcting the suspension miscue and making further adjustments to the forks. Wyman posted the 9th fastest time in Sunday morning warm up, but even with much wetter conditions he felt more comfortable on the bike.
In race two Wyman got off to a fast start, picking up two positions in the opening lap to sit in 6th spot. In turn 10 on the first lap a rare mistake from Wyman sent him sliding down the track for the first time all year during a race.
“I felt really comfortable on the bike during the warm up lap and felt like I could make a push to the front early,” Wyman said. “In turn 10 I was carrying some good entry speed, and Roger (Hayden) who was in front of me slowed up a ton, I had to chop the throttle a little quicker than I would have liked, and the bike pitched forward really quick and I was on the ground before I knew it. Luckily the bike was in good shape and I could continue on.”
Wyman continued on from last place, and found the pace to be the third fastest rider on track, fighting his way up to 8th. With the battle for 5th in sight, and gaining time on them with each lap, Wyman made the same costly mistake in the same corner only to find himself picking up the bike from the same spot in the grass. Again, the bike was in rideable condition, and Wyman got back in the race without losing position. He would fight his way to 7th place to finish on the lead lap.
“When I was sliding down the track for the second time, I couldn’t believe it,” Wyman added. “I felt like I didn’t do anything wrong, I just suddenly lost the front the same way I had the first time. My only thought was to get back on the bike if I could, and I got back in the race just ahead of Cam Beaubier, who was leading and coming around to lap me. I was able to pull away from him to stay on the lead lap. It was frustrating to know I had the pace to run up front but threw it away, twice. Either way, I’m happy with the way I rode when I kept it up and have even more confidence in the rain now.”
The shortened Superbike race, which ran only 18 laps compared to Saturday’s 23-lap main, would close out the weekend as Wyman fought to the very end. His last lap of the race was 4 seconds faster than anyone else on track.
“I can’t thank the Cambr/Stonecastle guys and Josh Siegel specifically for stepping up to support the team this weekend,” added Wyman, who dropped to 8th place in series points standings after Sunday. “If I had more positive camber in turn 10, it would have helped me stay on the bike and ride to a podium, the way that Cambr offers financial solutions to support local communities and help businesses grow.”
“We had high hopes for the NJMP race, after our podium in 2017. I would have loved nothing more than to have a dry race again in Jersey this year, but it wasn’t to be. I can’t wait for our final round at Barber Motorsports Park in two weeks.”
To learn more about Cambr, backed by Stonecastle Financial, visit their website at www.cambr.com
The season finale at Barber Motorsports Park takes place, September 21-23, 2018 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Bryce Prince posts top-10 finishes, moves to 3rd in Championship Standings
Coming off a hot streak of two podium finishes, the RiderzLaw/KWR rider Bryce Prince battled through the rain to score two top-10 finishes in New Jersey. The Californian climbed up to tie for 3rd in the Supersport championship as the series heads in to the final round.
“New Jersey was a very high and low weekend for us,” Prince said. “After putting the bike on the front row Friday I knew I had a good pace in the dry. However, it poured rain the next two days and I struggled to get a good feeling with the track surface. I was able to bring home two top-10 finishes for my team. These aren’t the results I know I was capable of, but we sit tied for 3rd in the championship now and I’m looking forward to fighting strong at Barber!”
The MotoAmerica series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J., September 7-9, 2018. Stay tuned for news and updates in the coming week.
More, from a press release issued by RiCKdiculous Racing:
Hayden Gillim Secures Second Place in the Championship While Dominating in the Rain at New Jersey Motorsports Park
Hayden Gillim on top of the podium after Supersport Race One. – Photo by Nik Wogen, courtesy of RiCKdiculous Racing.
The RiCKdiculous Racing team came into New Jersey knowing that weekend would be wet but knew that the results of these races would be important in solidifying season-long championship standings. With the varying weather conditions, the team knew it would be important to take advantage of Friday’s practice and qualifying as it would be the only dry day of the weekend.
Hayden Gillim came into the weekend hungry for the top spot on the podium as he has not seen that spot since the first race of the year at Road Atlanta. Knowing that rain was due to come, Hayden took advantage of the dry conditions on Friday, and put his RiCKdiculous Racing R6 on pole position for the second consecutive weekend! The weather forecast didn’t disappoint, as rain started to fall Saturday morning for morning warmup. Hayden continued to set the pace and was fastest after the short morning practice. With a damp and cold track, Hayden took to the race full of confidence as his rain skills are some of the best in the paddock. True to form, Hayden crossed the finish line in first, almost fourteen seconds in front of second place! The #69 rider took his winning momentum into Sunday morning warmup and took the top spot in colder and wetter conditions. The added weather called for slightly different conditions than the day before, and after taking the lead Hayden crashed in lap four. Despite this, Hayden rallied together and managed to claw his way back from eighth place to second, only 8 seconds back of the leader. Even though Hayden and the crew would have like to have secured wins in both races, Hayden’s efforts cemented his second place overall for the 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport 600 Championship! We could not be prouder of Hayden and his entire team for their consistent effort and results the entire year! Gillim said, “New Jersey was a fantastic weekend that still could’ve been better! Came in off a pole position and two second place finishes at Pittsburgh and I was feeling very confident! Another pole position with my dry time and then went to work in the wet! First in race one but pitched it away in race two. Fought back to second, but that’s not what we wanted or should’ve had. Going into Barber with some steam and we know we have the speed to win!”
RiCK racer Jason Aguilar came into New Jersey looking to improve on his stellar performances the last couple races. Despite struggling the past few years at NJMP, the 2017 Superstock Champion hoped to fight off the weather and track demons that have haunted him in the past. The #96 racer looked to improve on his qualifying position but struggled to find a rhythm and finished in thirteenth. Coming into a rainy Saturday morning, Aguilar looked to gain some important rain experience as the weekend’s forecast showed 100% chance of showers all weekend. After a solid morning warmup and some advice from some fellow racers, Aguilar was confident in his ability to shine in the wet. Despite starting on the fourth row, Jason clawed his way through the pack and brought his RiCK R6 home in seventh position! With this fantastic result, the California native brought extra confidence going into Sunday’s race that found everyone having to deal with much worse conditions than the day before. Despite this, Jason fought hard all race, and managed to improve on his Saturday results, and crossed the line in sixth position! Aguilar states, “Going into one of my worst tracks on the calendar I wasn’t expecting too much. It turns out I managed to come to grips with the rain this weekend. I didn’t crash and walked away with a 7th and 6th, ending a great weekend for me in New Jersey. I’m looking forward to the last round at Barber! I want to give a big thanks to the whole team and all my sponsors for making everything possible!”
RiCKdiculous Racing Junior Cup Racer Gauge Rees looked forward to coming to New Jersey and racing in the rain, as the Utah native has had plenty of rain experience in his club racing days. Gauge finished the first qualifier in thirteenth position yet looked to improve on that result as the weather was set to deteriorate over the weekend. After getting a great start, Gauge was fighting for a top ten position, when the notorious turn five caught Gauge in a small low side. Despite this, the #46 picked the bike back up and finished the rest of the race in a strong show of grit and determination. As the rain continued to pour on into Sunday, Rees looked to improve on his race one results despite the intense conditions. Unfortunately, Rees had to manage mechanical issues all race, but kept his head in the game and rode his RiCK R3 upright all the way home in sixteenth position. We are extremely proud of Gauge’s concentration and determination to finish strong despite dealing with bike issues. Rees heads into Barber with a ton of confidence as he was one of the top riders leaving the test earlier in the year! Rees said, “New Jersey was a learning experience for me and the crew. The wet weather all weekend made for an interesting turn of events in the races on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, it was basically a crash fest and unfortunately, I was part of it and found myself sliding through the mud after fighting for a spot in the top ten. I picked the bike up and finished the race. On Sunday, I was feeling pretty good about the race and excited to get another shot after crashing, but we had a mechanical issue with the bike that wasn’t allowing the shock to work correctly. I’m going to take this weekend and use it as motivation for the last round at Barber. I’m hungry as ever and want to end my season strong for my team.”
“When we race at NJMP, you never know what’s going to happen, states Rick Racing Rider Coach Ken Hill. Crazy weather, where the spread of lap times is typically tight and the racing always a battle and this year didn’t disappoint! With the rain coming for Saturday and Sunday, we knew Friday afternoon Qualifying was going to be super important and all the riders and crew nailed it, with all the Rick racers near the top of the timesheets. Saturday was fantastic! Hayden took the win in 600ss, Jayson P7 and Gauge running strong until the notorious turn 5 bit him. Also, a special note was Rick racer JD Beach clinched the 2018 600 Supersport championship! Sunday brought much colder and wetter conditions, making the track even more of a challenge than the previous day. All the crews worked hard to find even better rain setups for their riders and Hayden looked unstoppable in Race 2 until a low side in turn 5 took him out of the lead. Hayden remounted and even being nearly 25 seconds back, rebounded to a 2nd place finish, only 8 seconds behind JD Beach. Jason again had a strong finish with a P6. Gauge battled hard with setup issues but took away some great wet weather experience.”
RiCKdiculous Racing co-owner Josh Bronfman states, “The treacherous conditions this weekend called for an even tighter handle on operations for both the crew and the racers. Without hesitation, the entire RiCK team stepped their game up and put forth amazing efforts in the rain. I am extremely proud of Hayden for clinching second in the championship after his first year back on a 600 and on a completely new team. Jason Aguilar stepped his game up tremendously with some great finishes in the wet. And, as always, Gauge Rees worked his but off to stay tight in the ultra-competitive Junior Cup class. I also want to give a huge congratulations to RiCK rider JD Beach for clinching the Supersport 600 title this weekend. I could not be prouder of our entire RiCK family and look forward to a strong team finish in Barber!”
RiCKdiculous Racing would like to think all of their sponsors for their continued support and dedication to our program. We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks to Renthal, Galfer, Quicksilver, Motion Pro, Superbike Unlimited, bLUcRU and Graves Motorsports!
RiCKdiculous Racing is a Father and Son owned operation that includes not only a professional race team but the most elite coaching school in the United States. To get the same coaching and training that our professional athletes get, go to www.rickdiculousracing.com for information on our coaching programs. Please also find us on Facebook and Instagram at @rickdiculousracing and like us for updates on the team, the school and general RiCK stuff throughout the season!