Petersen Closes Gap to the Top with Podium Finish in Superbike Race 2 at The Ridge

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen made gains in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with a win and third-place finish at The Ridge

MARIETTA, Ga. – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen continued to make forward strides in the title chase with a third-place finish in yesterday’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. The South African’s seventh podium finish of the season moved him to within seven points of the leader – fellow Yamaha rider Bobby Fong. Despite feeling less than 100%, Gagne finished ninth, salvaging points to leave The Ridge in the runner-up spot and within a point of the lead in the hotly contested premier class championship.

Fresh off of his third victory of the season, Petersen got another great start from the front row of the grid to take the holeshot. He led the first lap and kept the leader in his sights after being passed. Petersen ran a strong pace and was able to run with the frontrunner, but unfortunately around the halfway point, he started having arm pump issues and ultimately was shuffled to third, where he would finish. His win and third-place finish at the fifth round of the championship resulted in a healthy 21-point gain and has him leaving The Ridge seven points from the leader and completing an all-Yamaha top-three in the championship.

Gagne continued to soldier on despite feeling less than 100% with lingering arm pump issues and salvaged points on the technical 2.47-mile track in the Pacific Northwest. The defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion got a solid start in the top five from the second row of the grid. He maintained the position until a couple of laps before the halfway point but ultimately was shuffled to ninth. Gagne’s efforts helped keep him within a point of the championship lead as the series heads into the second half of the season.

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing heads to the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in two week’s time for Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship in Monterey, California, on July 12-14.

Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“It was a good weekend overall. Once again, the team did a good job and the bikes were competitive. Unfortunately, both of our riders were unable to ride to their full potential, but Jake was able to salvage some points and Cam made up a lot of ground. We’ll come back at Laguna and get both riders back on the box.”

 

 

Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45

“It was a frustrating race. The team gave me a bike that could win the race and I got a great start and was running a good pace up front. Unfortunately, about halfway through, I got the worst arm pump I’ve ever had in my left arm and I was just really struggling to hold on. It’s a bummer because the bike was there and we could have gone and won that thing. Looking at the big picture, getting a first and a third here at The Ridge, I’ll take that. We’re in the hunt and we’re going to keep fighting and keep climbing our way up in this championship. We’re looking forward to Laguna.”

 

 

Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1

“It was a rough race today. I struggled with my hand, which was unfortunate because the bike was working great, but we’ll come out swinging at Laguna!”

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, Inc.:

MULTIPLE PODIUMS FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN WASHINGTON

Brea, CA — Suzuki Motor USA (Suzuki) and Team Hammer’s premier Superbike and Supersport entries took the spotlight with the Twins Cup contenders taking the weekend off as the 2024 MotoAmerica season resumed at Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. And there they shined with Xavi Forés and Tyler Scott combining to earn a podium for the team in each class.

Race Highlights

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki

Superbike

Xavi Forés was fast in all conditions, taking the GSX-R1000R to third in the wet and seventh in the dry.

Brandon Paasch charged from outside the top 20 to finish inside the top ten.

Supersport

Tyler Scott fought back to claim a podium after missing out Saturday due to electrical issues.

Teagg Hobbs finished sixth on Saturday, less than four tenths removed from fourth.

Joel Ohman continued to learn as he measured himself against the nation’s top pro racers in the wet and dry.

Reigning Supersport champion Xavi Forés (34) demonstrated his world-class skills as he continued to adapt to the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R. On Saturday, Forés utilized his wet weather experience to secure a podium finish in third. He came back Sunday to charge as high as fifth in the dry before fading to seventh late.

 

 

Forés’ Saturday podium saw him become the first rider to earn podium finishes in MotoAmerica Superbike, World Superbike, British Superbike, and the IDM German Superbike championship.

“Overall, we made good steps forward with the bike this weekend,” said Forés. “I felt strong on my Suzuki in the wet and the dry. We are now much closer to the top guys, and hope to use the data we’ve gained to continue to close that gap. I used my experience in the weather to choose the tires Saturday and that paid off. I initially attempted to fight for the win, but I had to take too many risks and I wanted to bring the bike home with a podium. This is a nice achievement, and I’m happy.”

Brandon Paasch (96) ran off track on the opening lap of Saturday’s wet Superbike contest, but still managed to slash his way up from 24th to finish ninth aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R in the short, eight-lap race. Paasch came back Sunday to earn a top-ten result in the dry as well, making a pass on the final lap to claim tenth.

 

 

Paasch said, “We had two top ten results and didn’t crash, so the weekend went pretty well. On Saturday, I was bumped off my line and ended up last by 30 seconds, but came back to ninth. The conditions and my lack of patience caught me out from getting an even better result. In the dry race on Sunday, we tried an all-new setup on the bike and l learned a lot about what I want from a bike. We had a good battle for tenth with a quality rider, and I feel good about the result. We’re still improving, and I want to earn a podium. It’s going to be challenging, but we can do it.”

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott (70) joined Forés in claiming a top-three finish on the weekend, racing the next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 to the box on Sunday afternoon. The result came as vindication after leading Saturday’s Race 1 and racing in the podium mix before an issue forced him down to eighth in a contest waged in the rain. Scott fought back on Sunday to take a scrapping third under ideal, sunny conditions.

 

 

Scott said, “The whole team did a great job this weekend. Honestly, I felt great on the front-end and on the brakes. I just want to give a big thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and my amazing crew, fixing some issues we had yesterday in Race 1, and getting the bike dialed in. I’m happy to be back up here on the podium, and I’m looking forward to Laguna.”

Teammate Teagg Hobbs (79), meanwhile, enjoyed a better day on Saturday. The Supersport pilot earned a hard-fought sixth aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 on Saturday after fighting in a three-rider battle for fourth. He came back Sunday to narrowly miss out on the top ten, losing a position on the final lap to come home in 11th.

 

 

Hobbs said, “It was not good for us. Race 1 was okay, and I missed the ball on the setup today. It made for the roughest race of the year. We’ll go to Laguna and use the setup we had when I did well there last year and have a better idea.”

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s third Supersport runner, Joel Ohman (92), showed continued improvement, learning with every session both in the wet and the dry conditions.

 

 

“I think we had a positive weekend,” Ohman said. “I felt this was the best setup for me yet this season, and I did a personal best in qualifying by 0.7 at my home track. We were able to identify the areas I need to improve in to gain more speed, and we have a good direction. The team had made some crew changes before the race with some additional help, and it went well. Race 1 was what we wanted. Race 2, I didn’t have as good of a start, but I learned a lot as I got laps in. I feel we’re making forward progress.”

The Suzuki road race teams now head to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, on July 12-14, for the next round of the 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship.

For Suzuki road racing news, results, and team updates, visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing. For more information and updates on Team Hammer, visit teamhammer.com.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won over 130 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums over 360 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 over 130 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.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Tytlers Cycle Racing:

 
Double duty for Mesa, Heroic effort from Cam and JD digs deep at The Ridge Motorsports Park

It was a challenging MotoAmerica for the Tytlers Cycle Racing team this past weekend as riders Stefano Mesa, Cameron Beaubier and JD Beach took the undulating Ridge Motorsports Park circuit close to Seattle in three racing categories – Supersport, Super Hooligans and Superbike.

For Mesa, who was on double duty, it was a busy weekend combining a traditional petrol-powered Kawasaki in Supersport with the all-electric Energica machine in Super Hooligans. Qualifying well, after a much better showing on the green meanie (Kawasaki) than twelve months ago, Mesa was in the mix in both Supersport races, fighting for the podium before having to settle in fifth and seventh in the two races. He took the flag in eighth and ninth places respectively in the two Super Hooligan encounters, impressing again against a grid full of conventional motorcycles.

In the Superbike category all eyes were on the returning Cameron Beaubier, who surprised the paddock after announcing he would attempt to ride despite not being fully fit following his Road America spill. Walking around the paddock with the aid of a stick, it was a truly heroic effort from the former champion, who defied the odds to qualify on the third row of the grid, a mere 0.8s from Pole Position. He withdrew from the rain affected opening race after a tire gamble didn’t pay off before salvaging a hard fought eighth on Sunday. On the other side of the Superbike garage JD Beach got his first taste of The Ridge and made progress throughout the weekend, despite losing valuable track time on Saturday morning following a crash. He finished tenth after wet tire gamble in race one, before finishing eleventh on Sunday after a race long battle that saw him narrowly miss a second consecutive top ten finish of the weekend.

 

 

Stefano Mesa: “I am glad we had better luck being back to the ridge after a rough experience last year. The Supersport class was good. We were able to find a good set up and went much faster than last year. Race one was solid. We had some weird weather where it was sprinkling quite a bit. I had a good start and was able to go with the front pack for about eight laps. As the water started to come down a bit more, I had a few moments where I almost lost the rear so had so settle for fifth at the flag. Race two was a bit different. I had a bad start and had to work myself up through the pack on the first lap. I was able to hang on to the third-place fight for a few laps and made a few passes but ended up losing the tyre quite fast and fell back a bit, finishing seventh. We also rode the Energica in the Super Hooligans class. We made a lot of progress and where able to go two seconds faster than last year. Race one was wet. It was my first experience on an electric bike in the rain. We had some fun figuring it out and we ended up P8. For race two we had a good plan but unfortunately, we had a little issue that held us back. It was a good race with a group of four bikes and I ended up ninth. I am looking forward to Laguna Seca.”

Cameron Beaubier: “Coming into The Ridge the goal was just to score some points, but the weekend definitely tested me. I’m happy I got some seat time and some points in the bag and I’m happy the weekend is done. I want to say a big thanks to my guys for working so hard and having my back in this tough period! I am gonna keep healing up to get ready for Laguna.”

JD Beach: “My first race weekend at The Ridge was not an easy one but I am glad I got the experience. The track is a tough, especially on the 1000cc bike. There’s a lot of blind turns that are on the gas and you must really commit to it. The conditions for the first race were tricky and we made a last-minute choice for rain tyres. I was able to start from pit road after the race had already started. I fought through from last to 10th at the flag. Race two was a tough one for me after a crash Saturday morning. I lost a lot of track time. We did what we could and finished the race. We have some time to reset and come out swinging at Laguna.”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:

THE RIDGE RACE 2

WARM UP & RACE 2

Kayla Yaakov backed up her first-race success at The Ridge Motorsports Park by taking a step higher onto the podium following Race 2. Her back-to-back podium performance at the Shelton, Washington track catapulted her to sixth position in the championship with 89 points.

Corey Alexander also provided a stellar performance, taking two positions on the start. Battling for a podium spot the entirety of the race, the Code 3 Associates Ducati flipped positions back-and-forth with Yaakov and Tyler Scott, before ultimately crossing the finish in fourth.

Despite a dominating six-second lead by Lap 5 of the race, PJ Jacobsen’s day ended early with an incident on Lap 14 . Jacobsen led all 13 laps of the race and was leading on Lap 14 with gap between the the XPEL rider and championship rival Mathew Scholtz shrinking with each passing lap. Scholtz ultimately went on to win the race.

With a bittersweet ending to the team’s first run at The Ridge Motorsports Park, the crew packs the truck to head just south to Monterey, California. Rounds 11 and 12 of Supersport competition at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be held in two weeks, July 12 – 14.

 

 

KAYLA YAAKOV

No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 5th

FINISHED: 2nd

CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (89 pts)

NOTES: Rocketed four positions in the championship with only 15 points separating her from the third spot // Collected her first career Supersport double-podium collecting a valuable 26 points on the weekend

WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “The final day at the Ridge was absolutely amazing! We were able to get up onto the podium and finish the weekend off with a second place finish. Unfortunately, my teammate, PJ Jacobsen was taken out in the race, so were were kind of gifted a position in the end. But it was a really hard fought podium and I was really excited to feel like the monkey was off of my back and get the confidence that I’ve had this weekend. The bike was handling amazing and I can’t thank my team enough for all their hard work. Looking forward to do it again in a couple weeks and continue to improve in this class.”

 

 

COREY ALEXANDER

No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 4th

FINISHED: 4th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (88 pts)

NOTES: Fought for a podium finish for the entirety of the race // Made a few ergonomic changes that didn’t work as hoped

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Overall, we had a better result than yesterday. It was unfortunate for PJ to go down because we did our best to keep [Mathew] Scholtz behind us to give PJ a bit of a gap there in the beginning. The whole team is pumped for Kayla for getting up on the podium again today – we just didn’t have enough to get up there with her. We’ll take two Rahal Ducati Moto bikes in the top five, which is great, and focus onward to Laguna.”

 

 

PJ JACOBSEN

No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 1st

FINISHED: DNF

CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (191 pts)

NOTES: Was on track to continue his podium streak before the incident with Scholtz // Is now 28 points behind the leader

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I felt really good the entire race. I had a good start and a two-second gap in the beginning and I felt my pace was pretty good. My tire started coming off mid-race and I knew [Mathew] Scholtz was there the whole time. I was looking for a good fight at the end. I started closing my line tighter because I knew he would be coming up the inside. On the left-hander, I went even tighter than my normal line and there was no way there was any way to pass me there. Scholtz went up the inside of me and took my shoulder and my bar right out from me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything at that point. I’d consider myself a pretty clean rider, and to take someone out like that in the battle for a championship is not a good way to race. I’m pretty disappointed that someone would make that move. I want to thank all of our sponsors, we appreciate XPEL for coming out to support today. It’s disappointing to not be on the podium for them. I want to thank my entire team. They always have my back and they’ve done a great job. I’m looking forward to Laguna.”

BEN SPIES

TEAM PRINCIPAL

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a bittersweet race for us. PJ got off to a great start and was riding really good. With two to go, Mathew [Scholtz] rolled up on him and caught him. He made a pretty aggressive move and took him out. There wasn’t really anything PJ could do about it. It sucks for the championship points, but for Kayla to back up her third place with a second place today, beating up on the boys – that was awesome to see. She rode incredibly. Corey rode really good today as well. There was a couple little things that just had him stuck there, but he did ride a good race and showed some really good speed. We’ll take the positives from this weekend, move on to Laguna, and start clawing back up in the championship..”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON PAN AMERICA 1250 RIDERS NOTCH TWO WINS IN SUPER HOOLIGAN RACING AT RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK

Cody Wyman and Jake Lewis Win as Pan America Riders Claim Four of Six Podium Positions

 

 

MILWAUKEE – KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Cody Wyman and Team Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis each rode race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Pan America® 1250 Special motorcycles to race victories in a Mission Super Hooligan double-header weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash. With his win Wyman moves up to second place in series points after four of 10 scheduled races. The Mission Super Hooligan road racing championship, held in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike series, features 750cc-and-up high-bar race-prepared street bikes from the world’s premier motorcycle manufacturers.

On Saturday, pouring rain created challenging racing conditions and caused the race distance to be shortened from 8 to 6 laps of the 2.47-mile, 16-turn Ridge course. On the first lap, Wyman jumped from eighth position on the starting grid to second place and took the lead on lap 2 with a pass of Team Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West. Wyman was leading by 1.3 seconds when the race was red flagged for a crashed bike on the track surface. West led Wyman briefly when the race was re-started, but West slid off the track in turn 3 and Wyman, in smooth control on the wet surface, sped away from the field. KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz moved into second place. Wyman crossed the finish line 7.99 seconds clear of Schultz for a 1-2 finish for the KWR/Harley-Davidson team. S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara finished in third place, more than 13 seconds behind Wyman.

“This was a crazy win,” said Wyman. “The team had to fix the bike after I went off the track in practice on Friday. We were down but this team never quits, and they worked all night to get us ready to race. My teammate Hayden helped me out a lot on set-up. I was feeling really good about our chances in the wet today and we finished 1-2 for the team and Harley-Davidson.”

 

 

On a dry track on Sunday, West, Lewis, and O’Hara broke away from the field on lap 2, and Lewis got past West for the lead on lap 3. Lewis then pulled away, opening a gap of more than 4 seconds by lap 6 of the 8-lap race. A short off-track bobble on the final lap cost Lewis some time but he still beat O’Hara to the finish by 2.00 seconds. West finished third, 4.895 seconds back.

“I was really bummed after sliding off in the rain on the first lap yesterday,” said Lewis. “I was out to pay back the team today. The bike felt great on the warm-up lap, and once I got the lead it was just charge, charge, charge to the win.”

After 4 of 10 rounds in the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan series O’Hara leads with 69 points. Cody Wyman jumps from fourth to second place with 64 points, followed by West with 57 points, S&S/Indian rider Troy Herfoss with 49 points, Lewis with 45 points, and Schultz with 39 points.

The Mission Super Hooligan series returns to action July 12-14 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif. during the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey.

Mission Super Hooligan National Championships – Ridge Motorsports Park Race 1

1. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
2. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
3. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
4. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing
5. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
6. Jeff Lane (KTM) Lane Racing Gray Area KTM
7. Jordan Eubanks (KTM) Ready To Ride
8. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
9. Andrew Berkley (KTM) Underground Racing Team
10. Adan Mendoz (KTM) Organon Group
11. Kole King (TRI) King Performance
12. Paul Canale (BMW) Team Orthopedics
13. Mike Boyce (KTM) 3D Motorsports
14. Mitchel Stein (YAM) Team MIM

Mission Super Hooligan National Championships – Ridge Motorsports Park Race 2

1. Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
2. Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
3. ory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
4. Troy Herfoss (IND) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
5. Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
6. Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
7. Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
8. Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Design
9. Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
10. Mallory Dobbs (DUC) Diva Racing
11. AJ Peaslee (KTM) AJ Peaslee Racing
12. Jordan Eubanks (KTM) Ready to Ride
13. Adan Mendoz (KTM) Organon Group
14. Kole King (TRI) King Performance
15. Jeff Lane (KTM) Lane Racing Gray Area KTM
16. Andrew Berkley (KTM) Underground Race Team
17. Mitchel Stein (YAM) Team MIM
18. Paul Canale (BMW) Team Orthopedics
19. Mike Boyce (KTM) 3D Motorsports

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Energica:

THE RIDGE: A REMINDER OF GOOD THINGS TO COME

 

 

We may have said it already, but we will say it again: the MotoAmerica Mission Foods Super Hooligan National Championship is one of the fastest growing and competitive domestic classes in motorcycle racing. Born a mere decade ago as the brainchild of noted designer and customizer Roland Sands, in those days it was a very casual flat-track-inspired event where amateurs vied elbow-to-elbow with incognito pros in converted parking lots and indoor garages in conjunction with custom motorcycle shows like Mama Tried, Hand-Built and the One Show.

Over the years and especially with the recent involvement of MotoAmerica, Super Hooligan has shifted solely to tarmac at national racecourses like Laguna Seca, Daytona and even the Circuit of the Americas. The raw but friendly rivalry is still there, but the series has also become more polished and competitive, attracting manufacturers and pro teams that are intensifying their presence and who every year, field constantly evolving machinery.

Last year, Super Hooligan hit another milestone with the inclusion of electric into the full race series, a first for Super Hooligan (and indeed, for any other race series.) The result: a historic podium at COTA and 4th place finish overall for the year from the Energica EVA Ribelle RS piloted by Stefano Mesa and fielded by Tytlers Cycle Racing.

In this ever more intense landscape, the TCR team has made significant improvements from the previous year, while battling opponents who have undeniably made their own progress too.

2024 began with a challenging season debut in March at Daytona (a course notoriously hard on electric thanks to very long straightaways and the 31° banking) followed by this weekend at The Ridge Motorsports Park. For opposite reasons, this track is another challenging venue for electric machinery. The relatively short start/finish straight combined with a tight first chicane prevents the EV rider from exploiting the immense torque out of the gates, and the lack of long corners impedes maximizing corner speed on the EVA Ribelle.

With that said, MotoAmerica’s stopwatch was quite telling. Stefano Mesa’s fastest qualifying lap at The Ridge in 2023 was a 1:49.232, while this year he clocked in 1:47.947. We’ll do the math for you: 1.285 secs quicker. He was P6 on the grid one year ago, P7 this time around. Hence the gap to first place narrows down, however, the number of strong riders on competitive machinery grows.

And as a first-ever in Energica’s still embryonic Super Hooligan journey, the Pacific Northwest weather brought a surprise downpour not long before the start of Race One, which carried a bag full of unknowns as Mesa had never ridden the EVA Ribelle in wet conditions prior to Saturday. The encounter itself was more of a race for survival, the with 31-year-old Colombian making it to the finish line in eighth place, dodging the numerous crashes that occurred on the inundated course.

The irony of it all was a red flag situation, which led to a new, four-lap race, triggered by a crash suffered by Jeff Lane, who back in 2019 won the contest to ride the MotoE replica machine at the Circuit of The Americas – the same EGO taken for a spin by former WorldSBK champion and MotoGP star Colin Edwards that same weekend. Jeff, who right after that COTA experience bought an EGO+ RS and who regularly does track days with it, takes part in the Super Hooligan National Championship with different machinery as the powerful, all-electric sportbike by Energica clearly does not comply with Super Hooligan regulations.

Digression aside, Mesa finished a fully dry Race Two in ninth place, after battling up to the finish line with Hawk Mazzotta. As the second round of the season draws to a close, there is much more to look forward to. Next on the calendar is the WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway (July 12-14), which brings fond memories of the first-ever hole-shot for an EV motorcycle in closed-circuit competition as Stefano stormed to P1 at the start of Race One.

Energica, a still relatively small manufacturer of electric motorcycles, has become widely known for punching above their weight. Taking the fight to bigger, ICE manufacturers demonstrates the can-do mentality that drives the company forward into the future.

After all, every success story starts with an underdog!

We invite you to join us at Laguna Seca, as for a second year in a row, Energica makes history combatting endothermic machines head-to-head in a full-on national race series.

2024 Mission Foods Super Hooligan – Round 3

WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway – Thursday July 12 – Sunday July 14

To watch live on your TV, go to MotoAmerica Live+ at https://www.motoamericaliveplus.com.

To view the races live and on demand after the races, go to MotoAmerica’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@MotoAmerica.

Follow our Instagram account Scuderia Energica by clicking on this LINK (or on the image to the left). Plenty of content awaits – pictures, reels, live sessions – all about our most purest and competitive racing side. Keep up to date with all things racing by Energica!

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by OrangeCat Racing:

OrangeCat Racing’s Uribe wins his second MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race Sunday at The Ridge Motorsports Park

Wyman scores two top-10 finishes at June 28-30 event, Uribe now a close second in points standings

SHELTON, Wash. — When the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season started in May, Jayson Uribe was the newcomer to the class. Six weeks and three rounds later, he’s proven himself to be a championship contender. The OrangeCat Racing rider was back to winning ways Sunday at The Ridge Motorsports Park and has tightened up the gap from himself to the championship leader from 16 points to six.

The Californian qualified on the front row and took a runner-up finish Saturday before capping off the June 28-30 round with a victory Sunday afternoon.

Uribe’s teammate, Travis Wyman, collected two top-10 finishes and persevered through a challenging Race 1 on Saturday to finish eighth on Sunday.

Uribe and Wyman both had positive starts to the Ridge round. Though Friday morning practice was briefly red flagged, Uribe and Wyman finished that session as the fastest and third-fastest riders, respectively. The first of two qualifying sessions took place later Friday and featured Uribe provisionally qualifying second and Wyman sixth.

The second and final qualifying session on Saturday morning saw Uribe secure second place on the starting grid – as well as improve on his best lap time from Friday qualifying by 0.739 seconds. Wyman clinched seventh on the starting grid for the weekend’s two Stock 1000 contests after improving on his best Friday qualifying time by 0.572 seconds.

The start of the Saturday afternoon Race 1 didn’t go exactly as Uribe planned, as he experienced a bit of a wheelie as he let the clutch out on his BMW M 1000 RR. But all was well for the rest of the opening lap, as Uribe was unfazed and was still running in the same position he qualified as the field negotiated the first several corners of the 16-turn, 2.47-mile Ridge circuit. Uribe went on to finish the first lap – and all of the 12 remaining laps – in second place and netted his second podium appearance of the 2024 season. Unfortunately for Wyman, the change in weather conditions from sunny to overcast and slightly damp did not jive with his bike’s setup. He ran as high as ninth on Lap 2 before having to settle for a 10th-place result.

Sunday’s Race 2 started much the same way as Race 1 with Uribe holding onto second place through the holeshot and to the end of Lap 1. Uribe was matching the race leader’s pace for the first two laps. Then the race leader crashed near the end of Lap 3, and Uribe took over the lead. Though two other frontrunning riders were able to stay with Uribe for most of the race, the Californian’s late race pace allowed him to stretch out his lead in the closing laps to capture the victory. Wyman had a better showing in Race 2. Though he’d dropped to 10th in the running order by the end of Lap 1, Wyman ran as high as seventh place on Laps 6-9 before finishing in eighth place.

Uribe’s strong results at the two most recent rounds have helped move him into a close second place in the championship standings. He’s a mere six points behind the championship leader with four races to go this year.

The penultimate round of the 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship takes place July 12-14 at the Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, Calif.

 

 

Jayson Uribe / No. 360

“Overall, it was a great weekend for the OrangeCat Racing crew here at The Ridge. Race 1 was a good learning lesson for me. My goal was just to stick with the leader for as long as possible. I started running into some tire wear issues, decided to play it safe and come home in second. For Race 2 I tried to be more aggressive right off the bat. After the race leader went down, I immediately tried to slow the pace a little and just focus on being consistent and saving the tires and my body. We were able to click off fast, consistent lap times pretty much the whole race, which I’m happy about. The whole team worked hard to give me a bike that I can comfortably push on. Everyone stepped up this weekend and it showed.”

 

 

Travis Wyman / No. 10

“In today’s race, I got a pretty good start but was pushed wide by another rider at the first corner. I lost a bunch of ground to the lead pack but managed to battle my way past a couple riders to an eighth-place finish. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re slowly making progress in getting me more comfortable with the bike.”

OrangeCat Racing’s promotional and technical partners for the 2024 MotoAmerica season include Motoworks Chicago, Ohlins USA, and alpha Racing.

Travis Wyman’s promotional partners for the 2024 MotoAmerica season include SP Connect, Klingler Thrillers, Fast Line Motorcycle Performance, Stomp Grip, On Any Moto, Bilmola USA and Alpinestars.

Jayson Uribe’s promotional partners for the 2024 MotoAmerica season include CT Racing, 4SR, San Jose Motorsport and Red Engine Brewing.

To learn more about OrangeCat Racing, visit the team’s website at http://orangecatracing.com and follow the team on Instagram at @orangecatracing.  

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

(Shelton, WA) The MotoAmerica round at The Ridge Motorsports Park was another eventful weekend for the Altus Motorsports team.

Jake Lewis qualified 6th. In Race 1, he finished a strong 4th place.  For Sundays race on lap 6 Jake’s bike started losing power.  After 2 more laps Jake was able to switch to a different map setting to get the bike to work again.  He was able to fight his way back to salvage a 10th place result.  After the race it was determined the front wheel speed sensor wire touched the rotor and was cut. 

 

 

The Ridge is a track that Jaret Nassaney knows and likes. He showed up expecting decent results but, unfortunately, he was plagued with electronic issues all weekend. He started both races from 15th position. In Race 1, he was part of a three-rider battle for 13th, ultimately finishing 15th. He finished Race 2 in 12th place.

 

Jaret Nassaney: “We are still fitting some electrical gremlins. So didn’t get the finishes I wanted. I know we can run farther up in the group. I just gotta build confidence in myself and in the bike! Looking forward to Laguna.”

Torin Collins started both races from 11th on the grid. He got a good start in Race 1 and was in the top 10 when he crashed and was forced to retire from the race. In Race 2, Torin was again running in the top 10 when a front tire issue forced him to pull in.  Upon inspection one side of the tire was shredded after just a few laps.  

 

 

Torin Collins: “Yeah, it was another difficult and frustrating weekend. It’s a shame because we obviously had the pace to be in the front group. In race 1, I misjudged the grip in the rainy-ish conditions and crashed. And in race 2, we had an issue with the front tire.  After 3 laps it felt unsafe.  It’s really unfortunate we didn’t get to show the race pace we had due to bad luck. On paper, there aren’t many improvements, but I think for me and the team, we were able to see that we have the potential. We’re keeping our heads high and focused on getting better together. We win together and we lose together.”

George Nassaney: “We have a great crew and talented riders. They don’t deserve the bad luck we have been having. For Jake to have a front wheel speed sensor wire damaged, Jaret having electrical issues, and Torin to have a front tire shred on one side is very unfortunate.  As a team, we continue to face, and overcome, challenges. We are working with the supplier to get to the bottom of the recurring electronics issues. When those are resolved and with a bit of good luck, I know our results will improve dramatically.”

Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, WPS, Firepower, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Buy A Jet From Steve Main, Barnett, Evol Technology, Maxima Oils, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Pit Bull Products, GB Racing, Ohlins, Puig Racing, RS Taichi, Arai, Core Moto, Pro Bolt, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, Speed Cell, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing.