South African Mathew Scholtz bounced back from a crash Thursday morning to post the fastest overall lap time during a two-day Dunlop MotoAmerica test at PittRace, a.k.a. Pittsburgh International Race Complex, not far from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Scholtz, riding his Superstock 1000-spec Yamalube/Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, lapped the 2.78-mile, 19-turn course in 1:38.588 during the eighth and final 50-minute Superbike/Superstock 1000 test session.
“It was a really positive test for us,” said Scholtz. “We tried a lot of things we didn’t really have time to [try] in the pre-season. So overall the team’s really happy. We tried a few TC [traction control] things, a few setups, a softer front tire because we’re always using the harder one. So that’s something different for us. It seems to be really positive. All in all, we’re very happy. It seems to be a track that suits me with the more, faster corners and really hard braking zones, so I’m really looking forward to coming back here.”
The best of the rest was two-time and defending MotoAmerica Champion Cameron Beaubier, who did a 1:38.981 on his Monster Energy/Yamalube Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike Thursday morning. Beaubier was the fastest overall rider on Day One.
Kyle Wyman crashed his Excelsus Solutions/Lucas Oil/KWR Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike on Day One but rebounded strongly on Day Two with several fast laps, including a third-quickest 1:39.229.
Beaubier’s teammate Josh Hayes said he used hard-but-consistent tires to run through a list of items to evaluate on his YZF-R1 on Wednesday, before mounting softer-compound tires and working on setting up his Yamaha specifically for the new track on Thursday. His best lap, a 1:39.316, was fourth-fastest overall.
Toni Elias ranked fifth at the end of the test with a 1:39.495 on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike, but Elias said he was having a hard time focusing at the test after learning about Nicky Hayden’s tragic accident.
Bobby Fong spent most of the test trying new triple clamps and shock linkages and many different chassis setups, but he found time on the second day to put his head down and rip off a 1:39.541 on his Quicksilver Latus Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Jake Lewis was near the top of the order throughout the test and finished up seventh overall and third among Superstock 1000 competitors with a 1:39.563 on his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Elias’ teammate Roger Hayden stopped riding on Day One when he learned his brother Nicky Hayden was in critical condition after getting hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Italy. Roger Hayden resumed riding on Day Two but said he could only stay focused for a few laps at a time and accomplished little more than learning the new racetrack. Roger Hayden’s best time was a 1:39.697.
Jake Gagne and his Broaster Genuine Chicken Honda team continued to make progress developing and improving his new CBR1000RR SP2 Superbike. Gagne said his team finally started to get his reflashed stock Engine Control Unit (ECU) to provide useable electronic rider aids.
Hayden Gillim rounded out the top 10 Superbike/Superstock 1000 riders with a 1:39.884 on his Cycle World Suzuki. Gillim utilized the test to install and sort out a new set of adjustable triple clamps on his new, 2017-model GSX-R1000.
The fastest rider in the Supersport/Superstock 600 ranks was defending Supersport Champion Garrett Gerloff, who did a 1:40.928 on his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha YZF-R6. Just 0.016 second behind Gerloff on the combined lap time listing was Valentin Debise, who recorded a 1:40.944 on his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600. Gerloff’s teammate JD Beach was third in the category at 1:41.401.
The fastest Superstock 600 rider at the track was Jason Aguilar, who turned a 1:43.832 on his Aguilar Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
All of the riders interviewed by Roadracingworld.com during the test said they enjoyed the flowing nature of PittRace and its constant changes of elevation, but several riders – including all of the top factory Superbike pilots – said the course’s Turn 16 needed to be changed as soon as possible due to safety.
The Monster Energy/Yamalube Yamaha Superbike team said that during the first session of the test, Beaubier was doing 156 mph with 51 degrees of lean angle when he started applying the brakes in Turn 16 and he did it all while point directly at a steel Armco barrier not far from the edge of the track.
Behind the Armco barrier is a steep drop off, so moving the barrier back is not an option. However, two possible solutions being discussed is either modifying Turn 15 to reduce speed before reaching Turn 16 or creating a new chicane between Turns 15 and 16.
“Yesterday, when I saw the track and I see the corners 16, 17 and 18, my mind become very negative,” Elias told Roadracingworld.com. “We talk with Josh [Hayes], Cameron [Beaubier] and Roger [Hayden], Jake Lewis, all together. We are together and we are thinking the same thing. We understand some moves are really expensive, but creating a chicane is not too expensive, we think. It could be a good, easy solution for this track. Because the track is amazing. It is nice and technical. We can do a nice show here, but we need to find the solution for that [corner]. We are professionals and we react to what we see, but there are also other guys racing with less experience and some mistake can be fatal. We have to find the solution for that.”
“I’m optimistic because the track is really fun. It has a really good flow to it,” said Beaubier. “It’s just that one, last section needs something. Something needs to happen.”
PittRace is scheduled to host a round of the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series August 25-27, 2017.
MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series
Pittsburgh International Race Complex
Wampum, Pennsylvania
May 18, 2017
Motul Superbike/Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Test Session Eight Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Mathew Scholtz (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:38.588
2. Kyle Wyman (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:39.229
3. Bobby Fong (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, 1:39.541
4. Roger Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, 1:39.697
5. Hayden Gillim (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, 1:39.884
6. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:40.077
7. Toni Elias (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, 1:40.830
8. Jake Gagne (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), Superbike, 1:42.730
9. Anthony Kosinski (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:42.901
10. Jason DiSalvo (BMW S1000RR), Superbike, 1:45.318
11. Steven Zoumaras (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
12. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, no time recorded
13. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, no time recorded
14. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
15. Jake Lewis (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
16. Stefan Dolipski (BMW S1000RR), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
17. Jeremy Toye (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
18. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, no time recorded
Provisional Combined Test Times (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Mathew Scholtz (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:38.588
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:38.981
3. Kyle Wyman (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:39.229
4. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:39.316
5. Toni Elias (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, 1:39.495
6. Bobby Fong (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, 1:39.541
7. Jake Lewis (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, 1:39.563
8. Roger Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, 1:39.697
9. Jake Gagne (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), Superbike, 1:39.754
10. Hayden Gillim (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, 1:39.884
11. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:40.077
12. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:40.246
13. Jason DiSalvo (BMW S1000RR), Superbike, 1:42.161
14. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:42.229
15. Anthony Kosinski (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:42.591
16. Steven Zoumaras (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, 1:49.372
17. Stefan Dolipski (BMW S1000RR), Superstock 1000, 1:49.624
18. Roi Holster (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, 1:49.951
19. Jeremy Toye (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, no time recorded