SUPERSPORT ROOKIE TYLER SCOTT EARNS EIGHTH PODIUM OF THE YEAR IN PITTSBURGH
Suzuki GSX-Rs Continue Strong MotoAmerica Showing
BREA, Calif., August 22, 2022 — Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer added to their trophy collection in a strong conclusion to the MotoAmerica weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
The podium once again came courtesy of the prodigious Tyler Scott, who registered the eighth podium of his rookie campaign aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Suzuki GSX-R race bikes accounted for half of the top ten finishing positions in Supersport on Sunday.
It didn’t come easily, however, as the 16-year-old was shuffled back to seventh early and was forced to systematically work his way back into podium contention. While it took over half the race to arrive at the fight for third, Scott made quick work of two rivals to secure the position once there.
He pulled off a pair of timely passes on lap 10 of 16 to move from fifth to third in a matter of corners and then held strong to the checkered flag.
“I had a bad start. I was down in seventh or so I think,” Scott said. “But my Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew gave me a fantastic bike today, and that provided me with the confidence I needed to fight back. I am happy with the pace we showed, and we’ll take what we learned today and move on to the next one.”
One of the riders Scott worked past during his charge was teammate Cory Ventura. The Californian, who has continued to impress while substituting for the injured Sam Lochoff, made his way up to fifth after starting ninth on the grid. Ventura would fade late and ultimately finished one position better than his qualifying position in eighth.
Third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport pilot Liam Grant finished 13th as he, once again, showed consistency in his first year with the team.
Meanwhile, in premier-class action, Superbike rookie Richie Escalante rebounded from a costly Saturday mistake to register a strong result on Sunday. Like Ventura, the former Supersport champion Escalante started in ninth position, but hustled the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike forward throughout the 17-lap race.
Escalante made a concerted push for a top-five finish late, falling just 0.166 seconds short at the flag in sixth position.
He said, “It was a difficult weekend, but we had a good race today. Friday, I was a little less confident after crashing at Brainerd, but my confidence grew. On Saturday, I made a rookie mistake on the first lap. It was much better today. We battled for the top five and the gap to the winner was the same.
“I’m happy to have another few weeks to recover. The injury wasn’t affecting me much on the track, but I wasn’t able to train, and I didn’t have the energy I usually have in the last five or six laps. Now I can start my training on Tuesday and be ready for the next round.”
He was joined in the top ten by teammate Jake Lewis, who came home in ninth position despite a periodical bike issue.
Team Hammer will be back in action on September 9-11 for the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 344 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:
PJ Jacobsen secures the team’s first front row, he and Hector Barbera take solid points at Pittsburgh International Race Complex
Tytlers Cycle Racing took their first Superbike front row grid spot of the season at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex thanks to PJ Jacobsen’s efforts in qualifying at round eight of the 2022 MotoAmerica championship.
Jacobsen, who like his team mate Hector Barbera has been on the podium this season, shone on Saturday morning, ensuring the BMW M1000 RR was in a prominent position for both races. Barbera would line up on row two after an equally impressive session saw him fourth on the time sheet.
The first race of the weekend was a shortened five lap affair following an initial red flag. After running in the leading pack PJ unfortunately crashed out on lap two whilst Hector just missed the top six – he finished seventh.
A wet start to Sunday left the team looking to the skies as the day progressed following a damp morning warm up session. Thankfully by race time the track was dry, and the race ran to its full duration of seventeen laps. Hard fought performances from both riders throughout resulted in fifth and eighth respectively for PJ and Hector who both consolidated their top six positions in the overall standings with just four races remaining.
Stock 1000 regulars Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman both secured top ten finishes across the two Superbike races.
PJ Jacobsen: “It was an interesting Saturday. It started well in qualifying and then in the red flag we made some changes, and I was running close to the top three, but I made a mistake and went down. Race 2 was pretty good. I felt quite good on the bike but was still struggling over race distance for grip which is stopping us from being closer to the podium. It was a solid top five, and we move onto my home race at New Jersey where I will be pushing hard to get a better result. We got our first front row, and the team as always did a great job.”
Hector Barbera: “Saturday was so difficult, with the red flags. I made a good start initially, but I made some mistakes in the restart. I lost concentration and I must be honest about it. The team did a fantastic job but when the tyre has five laps on it, we lose group, but the poor result was on me today and I am sorry to the team for this. It was a tough race on Sunday with two penalties for cutting the chicane and moving at the start. We worked a lot on electronics and tried a lot of new things, but my race was ruined from the beginning. The main thing is we learned some positive things and understood some things that don’t work. Frustrating but we keep pushing and I remain optimistic.”
More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing:
Another 1-2 finish for Alexander and Wyman keep them both in title contention
Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman secured another 1-2 finish for the Tytlers Cycle powered by #RideHVMC BMW squad at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex yesterday in the latest round of the 2022 Stock 1000 championship.
The pair, who finished tenth and fourth respectively in Saturday’s opening race were at the sharp end of an electrifying three way fight for top honours a day later, Alexander seizing his moment to hit the front in the closing stages with a perfectly timed overtake on title rival Hayden Gillim to take his seventh win of the year, extending his lead in the overall standings to thirty nine points with only races at New Jersey and Barber Motorsports Park remaining. Wyman shadowed his team mate across the line.
Sunday’s double podium came after a hard-fought race twenty-four hours earlier – Corey Alexander encountering an intermittent electrical issue that saw him drop from the podium fight into the lower points scoring positions. He recovered to P10. Travis Wyman, who wasn’t feeling 100% faded in Race 1. He dug deep to secure a solid fourth at the flag.
Zac Schumacher just missed points on Saturday and Sunday. He finished eighteenth and seventeenth in the two races.
Corey Alexander: “I am happy with how the weekend ended after what happened on Saturday in Race 1. We were able to come away with another win and have extended the points lead. We suffered a technical issue on Saturday, but I could only manage tenth. I made a good start on Sunday and after leading was happy to run second. I set up my move for the lead and unfortunately Hayden (Gillim) went down which is never nice to see but we move on to New Jersey in a good position overall.”
Travis Wyman: “I woke up on Saturday and honestly felt terrible. I sat out second qualifying but was able to hold third on the grid. I made a good start and was able to run in the top three, but I dropped to fourth as my energy levels dropped. I wanted a podium but must be content under the circumstances, Sunday was a little better. I felt better in myself and was able to run with the lead group and was able to salvage a podium just behind Corey which keeps me in the hunt for the title.”
Zac Schumacher: “I made a good start in Race 2. The track was still a little damp which made it a bit more challenging to overtake but I put up a good fight and was able to finish seventeenth. I want to thank the team for all their work.”
More, from a press release issued by Luke Power Racing:
Luke has his eyes on fourth overall in MotoAmerica Supersport after Pittsburgh
Luke Power consolidated his top six position in the overall standings of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship after two hard fought races at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex this past weekend.
Despite having never ridden the 2.78 mile before, Power once again learned quickly and despite chasing set up on the opening day, he was able to secure a third row of the grid start in qualifying.
Saturday’s opening race saw the Australian youngster locked in a race long battle for eighth. He was classified tenth after incurring a time penalty for short cutting the chicane in the early stages.
Sunday brought a wet start with Luke looking comfortable in the morning warm up, confident of a better result, rain, or shine. From lights out the #68 gave it everything. Moving into the top six, he spent most of the race duelling with multiple champion Josh Hayes, the former Superbike ace narrowly getting the better of him at the flag.
The solid points haul means that with just two rounds and four races remaining Luke sits P6 overall in his debut MotoAmerica season, only ten behind P4 – an incredible achievement.
Luke Power: “It wasn’t the race we wanted on Saturday. We struggled from the get-go with the grip and again at the start of the race it was the same. Our mid race pace was good, but lack of grip has been something we’ve struggled with all year and to add insult to injury on Saturday I got a five second penalty when I cut the chicane after being pushed wide. I was a little disappointed, but I have to remind myself of the bigger picture that every track is new to me. Race 2 was much more positive. The position we finished doesn’t reflect the step we made and the consistency we showed in terms of overall pace. It was one of my best races of the season, and I am happy with how I rode. The team worked hard so a big thanks to 3D Motorsports for all their efforts. I am leaving Pittsburgh happy, and I am looking forward to New Jersey and the two races there.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
Points finishes, crashes and technical woes is the Pitt Race takeaway for Pure Attitude
Pure Attitude Racing arrived at Pittsburgh International Race Complex looking to build on their recent successes in both the MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Twins Cup series.
The team’s Junior Cup rider Chase Black had an impressive weekend, qualifying strongly on Saturday morning before narrowly missing a maiden podium later in the day. He crossed the line sixth after a string of days laps ensured he ran at the front in the closing stages. He finished a solid seventh on Sunday.
Liam MacDonald was able to salvage points finishes – P15 and P14 in the Twins Cup double header. A spill on Friday morning limited track time and resulted in a trip to the local hospital before the #37 returned to the track for the two eleven lap races.
Passed fit after his Brainerd crash, the weekend was over before it began for Trevor Standish who was unable to compete due to ongoing technical issues that couldn’t be fixed trackside.
Brycen Stein, the team’s Academy rider made a welcome return to the paddock. He too suffered a technical issue in Free Practice before a heavy spill in qualifying cut short his weekend. He escaped serious injury which is the main thing.
In other news, 81-year-old Leon Standish – who still actively competes in flat track – was present at the event meaning all three generations of the Standish racing family were able to enjoy the eighth round of the MotoAmerica series.
Chase Black: “Race 1 was honestly really good. I lost a bit of time in the beginning but once I got some clear track, I had some real pace and was able to catch the front group. I set the fastest lap at one point and just missed the podium. Race 2 was a little disappointing to be honest. My pace at the beginning is where I struggle and is what I need to work on because I just left myself with too much to do again. Nevertheless, we scored another solid bunch of points which is good for the overall position, and we can move on to the final four races happy enough with the weekend.”
Liam MacDonald: “After the crash on Friday I am honestly glad to have been able to race. I made a great start on Saturday and was well inside the top ten, but I just didn’t have the raw pace or the energy. I dropped back a few places, and, in the end, I was able to cling on to fifteenth. I lost grip and was honestly happy to bring it home in one piece. Sunday’s race was a joke to be honest. There was an immediate red flag and then at the restart they held us for ever. There was so much confusion, and my clutch was fried. In the end they called the race after another red flag, and I scored a couple of points but honestly, I am frustrated as I don’t see how they can call the race after five laps of ten, but it is what it is. The team did a fantastic job, and I am looking forward to New Jersey.”
Trevor Standish: “I was still a bit sore following my crash at Brainerd but thankfully I was declared fit for the weekend. Sadly, the lingering technical issues that have plagued us this season were unable to be fixed and so that was my weekend over. We will go back to the drawing board and be ready for New Jersey. It would have been a challenge anyway but the extra time to be 100% fit physically will be a good thing. “
Brycen Stein: “I am obviously disappointed with the outcome of the weekend. We suffered a technical issue in FP1 and then I went down early in qualifying. I don’t remember much about the crash, but I want to thank Arai helmets and Bison Track for keeping me safe. Even though I couldn’t race it was fun to be back with the team and to take part in the various media activities. I look forward to being back on track soon.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
VELOCE RACING’S KALEB DE KEYREL NOTCHES SECOND PLACE FINISH IN SATURDAY MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACE AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL RACE COMPLEX
APRILIA RIDERS NOW SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH IN TWINS CUP POINTS STANDINGS
WAMPUM, PA – AUGUST 22, 2022 – It was a positive but frustrating weekend for Veloce Racing Aprilia rider Kaleb De Keyrel. The reigning MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion was in front-running form at the Aug. 19-21 MotoAmerica round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex but had to settle for second- and fifth-place finishes in the event’s two Twins Cup races.
The top two riders in the Twins Cup points standings at the start of the weekend — Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing rider Anthony Mazziotto and De Keyrel’s teammate Jody Barry – didn’t score their typical results but leave the Pitt Race round within one point and five points, respectively, of the championship lead. De Keyrel moved up from fifth to fourth in the championship standings and narrow his gap to the points lead from 47 to 33.
Two other top-performing Aprilia riders were the Robem Engineering duo of Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs. Gloddy finished fourth in Saturday’s Twins Cup contest and sixth in Sunday’s race. Hobbs finished ninth on Saturday and seventh on Sunday to give Aprilia 10 total top-10 finishes on the weekend.
It was Gloddy’s and Hobbs’ first MotoAmerica action since the Laguna Seca round in mid-July, as the Robem Engineering team was forced to miss the previous round at Brainerd International Raceway due to technical problems with its transporter.
De Keyrel was the fastest Aprilia rider in Friday practice. He finished that session 0.145 seconds off the session leader and was one of four Aprilia riders in the top 10. Later Friday, three Aprilia riders provisionally qualified second, third and fourth. De Keyrel was the fastest Aprilia pilot again and missed out on pacing the field by 0.083 seconds. Gloddy ended the session in third, and Barry was fourth. There was a total of five Aprilias in the top 10, as Hobbs ended up ninth in the session and Mazziotto 10th.
Qualifying concluded Saturday morning with De Keyrel missing out on pole position by 0.218 seconds. Gloddy ended up qualifying fifth, Hobbs seventh, Barry eighth and Mazziotto 10th.
Saturday’s Twins Cup race saw De Keyrel get a good start and vie with another rider for the race lead. Though De Keyrel briefly took the lead on the last lap, his chief rival in the race was able to draft by him at the finish line. De Keyrel had to settle for a runner-up finish by a mere 0.053 seconds.
Gloddy was battling hard to claim the final step on the podium and was edged out for third place at the finish line by just 0.009 seconds. It was Gloddy’s third fourth-place or better finish of the 2022 season. Mazziotto advanced four positions during the 11-lap race to finish sixth, and Hobbs and Barry crossed the line in ninth and 10th.
Rain moved in overnight and continued into the morning hours. But dry conditions were on tap for Sunday’s late afternoon race – which was a wild affair.
De Keyrel got another good start and was battling for the lead with another rider for the first lap. However, the race was stopped on Lap 2 and the field was reset to its original starting grid for the restart. When racing got back underway, De Keyrel got another good launch off the line and was running in second at the end of Lap 1. De Keyrel led the field at the start of Lap 3 but got shuffled back to fifth during the following two laps. He was preparing to make a charge back to the lead when the race was stopped again and later called complete.
Gloddy had fallen back to seventh in the running order after the restart but rallied to finish just behind De Keyrel in sixth place. Hobbs had made up three places in the five laps after the restart to end up right behind his teammate in seventh, and championship contenders Barry and Mazziotto finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Eleven of the 46 riders registered to compete in Twins Cup at Pitt Race were aboard Aprilia RS 660s.
The next MotoAmerica round takes place Sept. 9-11 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
Kaleb De Keyrel / Veloce Racing
“I had a really good Race 1. We had the pace to win and it came right down to the line. I lost by a small margin, which was unfortunate. I really wanted to get some redemption in Sunday’s race, but MotoAmerica concluded the race after the second red flag. I really got the short end of the stick with that, as I had really good pace but had gotten shuffled back by some very aggressive passes made by other riders. I was figuring out how I was going to get back to the front but didn’t end up having a chance to.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering riders Gloddy, Hobbs net one top-five, three top-10 finishes in MotoAmerica Twins Cup races at Pitt Race
Aprilia riders back in action at Aug. 19-21 event after missing previous MotoAmerica round
WAMPUM, Pa. — It’d been six weeks since Robem Engineering Aprilia riders Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs last raced in MotoAmerica, but the pair of New Hampshirites posted positive results on Saturday and Sunday in the Twins Cup races at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Gloddy narrowly missed out on his second podium of the 2022 season on Saturday, and Hobbs showed improved pace in the cooler conditions Sunday in an unusual Twins Cup contest.
Despite missing out on a bunch of championship points at the previous MotoAmerica round at Brainerd International Raceway due to technical problems with the team transporter, Hobbs’ and Gloddy’s performances at Pitt Race helped them hold onto seventh and ninth place, respectively, in the Twins Cup points standings.
Both riders had slower-than-usual starts to the Pitt Race round. Gloddy and Hobbs finished Friday practice seventh-fastest and eighth-fastest, respectively. Later Friday, Gloddy shot up the time sheets to provisionally qualify third – while shaving more than a second off his best lap time from practice. Hobbs finished the session in ninth place.
The final Twins Cup qualifying session of the weekend took place late Saturday morning, which saw Gloddy slip a couple positions to secure fifth on the starting grid. Hobbs ended up qualifying seventh.
The Saturday Twins Cup race was a tough pill to swallow for Gloddy. He got a good start and was running in fourth place at the end of Lap 1. Gloddy moved up to third place on Lap 9 of the 11-lap race but missed out on claiming his second podium finish of the 2022 season by 0.009 seconds. Hobbs ran as high as sixth in Race 1 but had to settle for a ninth-place result.
Sunday’s Twins Cup race didn’t give either rider a realistic opportunity to get to the front of the field, but the pair salvaged as many points as they could in an unusual race. Gloddy got off the line well on the initial start, but racing was paused on Lap 2 due to a rider having crashed near the exit of the chicane between Turns 15 and 16. When racing got back underway, Gloddy got shuffled back a couple positions in the first two laps while Hobbs made up two positions in that same timeframe. The race was stopped again due to another crash near Turn 16 after five laps, and MotoAmerica called the race complete a short time later. Gloddy was classified in sixth place and Hobbs in seventh.
The next MotoAmerica round is slated for Sept. 9-11 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
Teagg Hobbs / No. 79
“The weekend started off OK. From the past rounds, we’ve known where we’ve been struggling, and the team and I are working to shore up those weak points while keeping our strong points going. It’s been a year of struggles, but the team is dealing with everything we’ve had thrown at us. All we can do is move on and continue trying to progress at New Jersey.”
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“We had a good start to the weekend. We struggled with setup a little bit early but figured it out and got a decent starting spot – fifth – for both races. I had a decent start in Race 1 and ended up just off the podium. I was battling for it the whole time though and got a good start today in Race 2. Three of us broke away out front before the red flag came out. For the restart, I didn’t get off the line well and was trying to save some tire for the end of the race. Then the race got cut short, but we’ll be back swinging at New Jersey.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2022 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Synchrony, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
