It’s A Fight For Titles As MotoAmerica Brings The Show To Ridge Motorsports Park
The Four Support Classes Feature Tight Battles For Championship Supremacy As The Series Heads To The Pacific Northwest
IRVINE, CA (June 24, 2021) – All four of the MotoAmerica support classes feature close battles in the chase for class championships as the series brings the fight to the Pacific Northwest and Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, with first and second in those four separated by a total of just 43 points.
The closest championship fight in the 2021 MotoAmerica Series as we get ready to battle in the fourth round of the series, is in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Series where the top two are separated by just four points. Leading the way is MotoAmerica rookie Tyler Scott with the Pennsylvanian and his Scott Powersports/KTM RC390R leading New Hampshire’s Benjamin Gloddy and his Landers Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 by just four points after three rounds and six races.
Both youngsters have won two races apiece, but Scott has been slightly more consistent with podiums in five of the six races. That gives him that four-point lead over Gloddy, whose 2021 record is marred a tad by a seventh-place finish in the last race at Road America. “Marred” is a bit strong considering that although he was seventh in the race, Gloddy was just .550 of a second behind the victor.
Kermoto/Madden Painting’s Cody Wyman is third in the title chase and 24 points behind Scott. Right now, it’s a two-rider race for the title but that can change in a hurry in races with the top seven separated by half a second.
The second closest championship battle heading into the Pacific Northwest is in the Twins Cup class where Robem Engineering’s Kaleb De Keyrel is just 10 points ahead of veteran racer Chris Parrish and his GCP Suzuki SV650. And Parrish, who has raced in more races than most of his competitors have had hot meals, is just four points ahead of third-placed Teagg Hobbs and seven clear of Jackson Blackmon who is fourth.
Like De Keyrel, Hobbs has won two races, but his tally has been blotted by two DNFs, including a race crash in the last round at Road America. Blackmon, meanwhile, missed the first round with a wrist injury and has since gone on a streak of three runner-up finishes in a row.
The Twins Cup class is also showing parity amongst the three brands competing: De Keyrel is racing the new Aprilia RS 660, Hobbs and Parrish are racing the long-in-the-tooth Suzuki SV650; and Blackmon is aboard the Yamaha FZ-07/MT-07.
Three things you can count on: Death, taxes and Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly battling to the bitter end for the Supersport Championship. Those two are at it again in 2021 with 11 points separating the two with Kelly leading Escalante, 125-114.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Kelly made hay while the sun shone with three wins in the first three races. Then Escalante rebounded, despite an early season broken collarbone from a cycling accident, with his first win of the year in round four at VIR on his HONOS-backed Kawasaki.
At Road America, those two were embroiled in a race that may have been the best in series history. It ended in tears, however, on the last lap when both riders lost the front in turn five without touching. The synchronized crash left them both running to their bikes with Escalante winning that battle and finishing fifth with Kelly sixth. The win went to privateer Stefano Mesa, his first-ever in the Supersport class. MESA37’s Mesa is third in the series standings, 35 points behind Kelly.
In race two at Road America, Escalante took off from the start and was never headed in winning his second race of the season. Coming into the Pacific Northwest, it’s anyone’s title.
Fourth place in the points is held by impressive class rookie Sam Lochoff, the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider earning his first podium of the year in race one at Road America.
The largest championship points lead in the four support classes is in Stock 1000 and it’s still only 18 points. The title chase is led by Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis, the Kentuckian riding the former Cam Petersen Suzuki GSX-R1000 that won last year’s title.
Lewis is 18 points clear of Geoff May, though the Georgian will slip down the standings after opting to miss the west coast rounds at both the Ridge and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. May is just four points ahead of HONOS HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander and Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman with those two tied on points and just one ahead of Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert. So that’s five riders within 23 points of the championship lead.
Four riders have won Stock 1000 races thus far this year: Lewis (2), Alexander (1), Wyman (1) and Gilbert (1).
The Ridge round will also mark the second round of the Mini Cup by Motul Series with youngsters set to compete on the karting track adjacent to the MotoAmerica paddock.
The Mini Cup by Motul Series consists of three classes: 110cc, 160cc and 190cc.
After just one round and two races, the 110cc championship is being led by American Racing Team’s Kensei Matsudaira by 10 points over Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati new York’s Nathan Gouker. Matsudaira won both races at Road America two weeks ago.
Matsudaira is also leading the 160cc championship by 10 points after two victories over Atlas Speed Factory’s Jesse James Shedden in Wisconsin.
Shedden, however, is atop the standings in the 190cc class after two wins at Road America. American Racing Team’s Joshua Raymond is second – 17 points behind Shedden.
The Ridge Support Class Notes…
Richie Escalante won the first of two Supersport races last year at Ridge Motorsports Park, but he was taken out of race two on the opening lap in the first corner. Race two was won by Sean Dylan Kelly with Kelly finishing second to Escalante in the first race.
The lone Stock 1000 race last year at Ridge was won by Cameron Petersen by 10 seconds over Michael Gilbert.
Rocco Landers, who went on to win the Twins Cup title, won the Twins Cup race in Washington in 2020 by some seven seconds over Kaleb De Keyrel. Landers also won both Junior Cup races last year en route to taking that title as well.
Richie Escalante is third on the MotoAmerica Supersport win list with 15 class victories. That puts him behind JD Beach (32 wins) and Garrett Gerloff (19 wins). Sean Dylan Kelly has won 10 MotoAmerica Supersport races.
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Evol Technology LLC set to be title sponsor of Travis Wyman Racing BMW for this weekend’s MotoAmerica Superbikes at the Ridge
Team welcomes additional support from its first-ever title sponsor
When the Travis Wyman Racing BMW rig arrives at The Ridge Motorsports Park today, the team will be tasked with affixing a familiar logo to its BMW S 1000 RR. Evol Technology LLC – one of rider/team owner Travis Wyman’s sponsors for many years and the team’s first-ever title sponsor – is set to be back in the lead sponsorship role June 25-27 for MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at the Ridge round.
The Travis Wyman Racing BMW squad has helped Evol Technology LLC develop new products and improve its existing products for BMW S 1000 RR models. The Pacific Northwest-based company has had a smaller logo on Travis Wyman Racing’s motorcycle since the team’s first race at Road Atlanta in 2018. It also became the team’s first title sponsor that same year for the MotoAmerica round at Sonoma Raceway.
“Evol Technology’s founder, Steve Korol, has been a good friend and partner for most of my pro racing career, and I’m happy to showcase the technical partnership between Evol Technology and Travis Wyman Racing at the closest round to Steve’s shop in Boise, Idaho,” Travis Wyman said. “The team and I have worked closely with Steve to develop various parts for the BMW S 1000 RR, which has in turn contributed to our on-track success in MotoAmerica. Steve does a lot to support many racers in the MotoAmerica paddock, and I’m stoked to be helping him get the word out about his company.”
Evol Technology LLC designs, develops and manufactures precision mechanical products and prototypes, specializing in motor sports applications and prototyping services for the broader mechanical and industrial design community. All of Evol Technology’s products and services are 100-percent American made.
“Evol Technology is honored and proud to support Travis and his team’s top-shelf, grassroots racing effort,” Evol Technology LLC Company Principal Steve Korol said. “Travis and his team embody perfectly so much of what we recognize as the critical ingredients of success: extraordinary athletic talent and unrivaled technical savvy backed with fierce grit and determination. Combined with the formidable BMW S 1000 RR, we couldn’t ask for better partners to aid in our continual pursuit to bring world-class road racing products to our customers.”
Wyman is leading the chase for the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup title by 21 points and is tied for third in the Stock 1000 points standings. The Las Vegas rider will race four times this weekend on The Ridge’s 2.47-mile road course, with two Superbike races and two Stock 1000 races scheduled for the event. Saturday’s Stock 1000 race is slated to get underway at 1:10 p.m. Pacific, and the Superbike race starts at 4:10 p.m. Pacific. The Stock 1000 Class kicks off the MotoAmerica racing action on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Pacific and the day’s Superbike race is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. Pacific.
To learn how to tune in and watch Wyman continue his quest for two MotoAmerica class titles, visit www.motoamerica.com.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Loris Baz and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Ready to Keep the Ducati Flag Flying at The Ridge
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 23, 2021 – Round four of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will see Loris Baz flying solo for the Ducati factory against America’s best this weekend at The Ridge as Panera Bread Ducati’s Kyle Wyman continues his recovery from a broken left elbow suffered in race two at the previous round at Road America.
Baz has been in solid form of late, taking a season-best second place at round three of the championship at Road America to move up into seventh in the series standings.
The undulating Washington track poses a new set of challenges for the French maestro as he continues his adaptation to MotoAmerica competition. Regardless, in his own words, Baz is in America to win, with the goal to always put the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R SBK on the podium against the hordes of Suzuki and Yamaha riders.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“It’s a new race week, and my first on the West Coast,” Baz said. “We are expecting really warm weather, so it’s going to be burning out on the track. I’m looking forward to this race. I think we found a good direction with the way the bike works at Road America, and since we’ve been testing and changing the electronics a bit, I feel more and more comfortable on the bike each time. It’ll be good for me to get out and experience a completely new track, one that’s much different to Road America. I’m feeling strong for this one and can’t wait to get on the bike.”
Round four of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington on June 23-25, 2021.
More, from a press release issued by Scott Powersports KTM:
Tyler Scott and KTM Take Points Lead to the Ridge
With strong first and second place finishes in Wisconsin, Tyler Scott takes his KTM and the Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup points lead into the next round at The Ridge this weekend.
“We got the KTM RC 390 R working really well in Wisconsin. I was able to pull a bit of a gap on the pack and take the first race” Tyler said. “Race 2 I didn’t want to lead the last lap, but I saw a gap and had to go for it. Missing the double-win by .024 stings a little, but I’m happy to take the points lead.” That lead currently sits at 4 points.
Step by step, the team is learning more and more about the strengths of their package. “We don’t have the fastest trap speeds, but the little KTM is narrow and nimble, so it works well in the draft and in the tighter sections” Mike Scott, team owner from Scott Powersports offered. “The setup for the Ridge should be quite different, so we’re eager to get started.”
Round 4 of the MotoAmerica series starts June 25th at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. As always, Tyler and the team thank KTM North America, Arai Helmets, Scott Powersports, Bob Robbins, Davey Loikits, Dunlop , Motorex, N2 , Champschool, EvolveGT, Alpinestars, Dale Quarterley, and all the fans for their continued support.
