Editorial Note: The provisional result of Race One is enough for Josh Herrin to clinch the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Herrin Crowned Supersport Champion At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Josh Herrin Wraps Up Supersport Title In Race One In New Jersey
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 10, 2022) – There was never much of a doubt that Josh Herrin was going to wrap up the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at some point during the eighth round of the series at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Herrin, though, wanted to put a bow on the title in race one on Saturday and that’s what he did, riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 to second place to wrap up the title.
The championship was Herrin’s third and comes after his 2013 AMA Superbike Championship and his 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 crown.
The race was won by four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, the veteran’s second win of the Supersport season and his fifth podium of the year.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race – Martinez!
The ladies of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program held their penultimate round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and they kicked off Saturday with their feature race. Crystal Martinez was the fastest rider in Saturday morning’s Practice 2, and it portended things to come for the Californian, who also earned the pole position for the race. Martinez had her hands full in the race, and it looked like Illinois rider Chloe Peterson was going to get the victory. However, on the final lap, Martinez took advantage of a missed shift by Peterson and overtook her right before the finish line. Washington-based rider Jennifer Chancellor completed the podium in third.
“I was going to try and catch the draft,” Martinez said. “But I was a little too far at that moment. So, when I heard her miss a shift, I took that opportunity. I’m like, ‘Just go, just go, just go.’ So, I just full-pinned and full send, and off I went.”
Supersport – Hayes’ Day, Herrin’s Year
In Supersport race one, two Joshes had memorable days. First of all, four-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes won the battle when he took the victory aboard his Squid Hunter Yamaha. But it was, appropriately, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider Josh Herrin who won the war. Aboard his Ducati Panigale V2, Herrin clinched the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the third AMA-sanctioned professional road racing title of his career.
Herrin did what he needed to do, which was to finish ahead of Landers Racing Yamaha’s Rocco Landers. While Hayes pulled a gap at the front to win by a little over four-and-a-half seconds, Herrin and Landers diced back and forth until Herrin got in front of Landers for good and cemented his title with a second-place finish, while Landers came home in third.
“I wanted to come out here and fight the best that I could and give it the beans,” Hayes said. “First off, congrats to Josh (Herrin). We’ve been around this racetrack together for a long time. I’ve been on track with him this year, like at Virginia. His riding has really come around. He’s always been fast, but he’s kind of filled in a few gaps. I think that he’s doing a fantastic job. Really happy. I’ve been watching from the side of the track when I haven’t been on track, and he’s been steady. Every week, he finds a way to be there. That’s what you’ve got to do. Today, it doesn’t matter how things are going. It’s always hard when you’ve got something on the line.”
“I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend. We needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight, and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now, we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Local Knowledge
Home-track advantage definitely came into play in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race one as the podium was made up of riders who are all from the Northeast and consider New Jersey Motorsports Park their local track. Hammonton, New Jersey’s Gus Rodio prevailed with the victory aboard his Rodio Racing Kawasaki, while Bauce Racing/JL62 Team Kawasaki’s Joseph LiMandri Jr., who hails from Garden City, New York, was second. Third place went to new BARTCON Racing Kawasaki team member Spencer Humphreys, who is from Easton, Pennsylvania.
There was a lot of dicing for the lead, as is usually the case with MotoAmerica’s class of entry-level road racers, but on the final run to the checkers, Rodio had a clear path to the front, and he took advantage of it to win the race by just .016 of a second.
“I knew based on club racing here, racing here last year, and the year before, I knew that I would possibly be able to draft my way to the lead,” Rodio said. “Of course, when there are three guys at the front rubbing elbows, they’re slowing way down. So, I knew. It was a good spot for me to be in. I would be a lot madder had the result been different. But I kind of knew that something to the finish was going to happen. I was carrying a lot more speed, just in the draft. Nobody around me, nobody touching me. I knew it would kind of work out.”
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Davis Domination
The day concluded with the REV’IT! Twins Cup class’s one race of the weekend, and it was a good one. Blake Davis notched his third win of the season aboard his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha, and he did so in surprisingly dominant fashion. The 16-year-old stretched out a gap of more than three seconds by the time he took the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Robem Engineering Aprilia teammates Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs finished second and third, respectively.
“I was kind of a little nervous,” Davis said. “I didn’t know how far they were behind me. We changed up the pit board a little bit this time. So, I think maybe we can change it back. I was a little confused. But it was really good. Definitely amazing that I could do this today, and that the other championship contenders finished a little bit back. So, that helped a lot. Super excited going into Barber. Definitely think I can do this. So, it’s on.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Josh Herrin Seals 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship
A second place for Herrin at New Jersey Motorsports Park seals the deal in the title
Sunnyvale, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) wrote his name into the MotoAmerica history books today with a second place in race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park, clinching his and Ducati’s first MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Californian came into the weekend with a 76-point advantage over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers and only needed to finish ahead of Landers in race one to take the title. With Landers taking third in race one, Herrin has become a three-time AMA-sanctioned national road racing champion and will now be known as the first rider anywhere in the world to win a national championship for Ducati Motor Holdings on the Ducati Panigale V2.
Herrin’s season was one marked by unerring consistency. A double win first time out at Road Atlanta set the tone for the 2022 season, with four straight wins at The Ridge and Laguna Seca firmly shifting the title tide in his and Ducati’s favor.
In all, Herrin had finished on the podium in every race bar one, when he finished fourth in race one at VIRginia International Raceway—an incredible record given the competitiveness of the MotoAmerica Supersport field.
Herrin will now turn his attention to the season’s final three races starting tomorrow at New Jersey Motorsports Park as he attempts to put an exclamation point on what has been a dominant first season in red with Ducati.
2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship (as of race one at New Jersey Motorsports Park)
P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 329
P2 – Rocco Landers (Yamaha) 249
P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 192
P4 – Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 134
P5 – Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 123
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati – #2) : “I’m super-stoked to wrap the title up today,” Herrin said. “That was our goal this weekend—we needed to finish in front of Rocco Landers to get the championship and luckily, we were able to do that. It was a hard fight and this wasn’t something that came easy. Now we can go into the last three races with that weight off our shoulders and have some fun. It will be interesting to see how the weather is tomorrow with the rain forecast, but either way, I’m looking forward to a few stress-free races and then to get home and have some family time and let this all soak in.”
Race two for MotoAmerica Supersport from New Jersey Motorsports Park will go green on Sunday, September 11 at 1:20 pm EDT.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:
LOCHOFF SEVENTH IN HIS RETURN FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI IN NEW JERSEY
Suzuki GSX-Rs Continue Occupying Multiple Top Ten Finishing Positions
BREA, Calif., September 10, 2022 — Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki faced a tough day as the team returned to MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road action on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
Early promise turned to disappointment in the Supersport class, although Sam Lochoff turned in a gritty performance to finish the race seventh.
His teammate Tyler Scott made a valiant attempt at another class victory on Saturday. Scott qualified third at his home track and rocketed to the holeshot and took the lead of the race. He had pulled a slight gap and showed the power of his Suzuki GSX-R750 in holding off a front straight draft pass attempt on the second lap. Suzuki GSX-R race bikes once again accounted for a significant 40% of the top ten finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park, continuing Suzuki’s legacy of competitiveness in production road racing.
Unfortunately, the fast teen crashed out of the race while leading on the third lap as he attempted to distance himself from his rivals.
“I felt really good on the bike,” said Scott. “I was maintaining the lead and trying to pull away. Between Turns 8 and 9, the tire spun up really hard and pitched me off the high side. It chewed my finger up pretty good so we’re not sure about racing tomorrow. I really want to race, though.”
Sam Lochoff returned to action after missing three rounds due to a broken leg. After qualifying seventh, Lochoff made a great start, leaping to third as the race began. He lost several positions on the second lap, but settled in and fought hard to earn seventh at the 2.25-mile track.
“I passed four riders entering into Turn 1 and the race was looking pretty good, but on the second lap I lost the front in Turn 3 and the guys passed me back,” said Lochoff. “In the race, I struggled with traction as well as my fitness.
“I was in a hard cast for six weeks and limited on what I could do to train and I needed to be in top shape today,” added Lochoff. “It felt like the rear tire went off earlier than normal and that made it hard to push the pace later in the race. I was hoping to fight for the podium, of course, so we will regroup tonight and see if we can improve for tomorrow.”
Young racer Liam Grant qualified 13th and improved two positions to earn 11th as he continues to learn in the competitive Supersport class.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike pilots faced adversity in the 17-lap contest a race red-flagged in the early stages.
Jake Lewis qualified eighth and ran as high as sixth before the red flag. On the restart, which saw the riders revert to their original grid positions, Lewis did not get a good launch and settled into 12th position. The Kentuckian advanced to ninth by the checkered flag on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R, despite his rear wheel speed sensor bracket breaking. That caused his traction control to function erratically during the race.
Richie Escalante had a difficult qualifying and began the race on the 4th row. He had improved three spots to ninth before the race stopped. Escalante got a good start and climbed to seventh on the restart.
Eager to regain the momentum he had in the middle of the season, Escalante, still recovering from injury, looked for a trouble-free race. However, the quick Superbike-class rookie had difficulties and dropped out of the race while running in eighth with nine laps to go.
“I am trying hard to recover the feeling from the bike I had before the Brainerd crash and that has been our goal this weekend,” said Escalante. “We’re working on the feeling from the front on corner entry and we made some big changes for the race today. We got a good start and were in a battle for the top six, but then we had a mechanical issue. That’s disappointing but I am happy with continuing to learn every time I get to ride the motorcycle. I feel like we are making progress and I want to finish the weekend strong on Sunday. I am ready for the dry or rain.”
Team Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will return to action on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
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 129 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 Aprilia:
BEN GLODDY AND TEAGG HOBBS FINISH SECOND, THIRD, IN SATURDAY’S MOTOAMERICA TWINS CUP RACE ABOARD ROBEM ENGINEERING APRILIA RS 660s
SIX APRILIA RIDERS FINISH IN THE TOP 10 AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK; BARRY, MAZZIOTTO STILL IN THE HUNT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
MILLVILLE, NJ – Saturday’s MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at New Jersey Motorsports Park saw Robem Engineering riders Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs score podium finishes aboard Aprilia RS 660s, while two other Aprilia riders – Rodio Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto and Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry – did enough to keep themselves in the chase for the 2022 Twins Cup title with one race remaining.
Overall, the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season went well for Aprilia riders, as five of the top six finishers in the lone Twins Cup contest of the Sept. 9-11 event were riding Aprilia RS 660s. Though both riders lost a little ground in the points standings at NJMP, Barry and Mazziotto are two of the three riders still mathematically eligible to clinch the 2022 Twins Cup title in two weeks’ time.
The weekend started well for Aprilia riders, as Barry outpaced the field in both Friday morning practice and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session. Hobbs was just a nick off Barry’s pace, as his best lap time was 0.657 seconds off Barry’s in practice and 0.355 seconds off in Qualifying 1. Mazziotto, who hails from Hammonton, N.J., was seventh-fastest in Friday practice and fourth-fastest in Qualifying 1. Overall, half the riders who finished in the top 10 in both sessions were riding Aprilia RS 660s.
Qualifying concluded Saturday morning with Barry taking pole position by a margin of 0.042 seconds. The second-fastest Aprilia rider in Qualifying 2 was Hobbs, who secured fifth on the Twin Cup starting grid. Mazziotto wrapped up qualifying in sixth place, Gloddy in seventh and reigning Twins Cup champion Kaleb De Keyrel of Veloce Racing in 10th. Half of the top 10 riders in Qualifying 2 were on Aprilias.
The Twins Cup race got underway late Saturday afternoon. The polesitter Barry got a sluggish start but kept his composure and finished the first lap in third place. A wave of Aprilia riders followed Barry over the start/finish line on Lap 1, as Mazziotto finished the lap in fourth place, Gloddy fifth and De Keyrel in sixth. Teagg Hobbs had some work to do following a less than ideal start, slipping four places down the running order to finish Lap 1 in ninth.
Championship contenders Barry and Mazziotto were battling for third place on Laps 2-4 with Gloddy immediately following. On Lap 5, a couple other riders crashed out of the race and another of the front-runners tumbled down the running order giving the race leader an opportunity to build a gap from the rest of the field. Aprilia riders made the most of the field reshuffle and finished Lap 5 running in second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth place.
Mazziotto was initially at the front of the Aprilia column vying for the last two steps on the podium, but Gloddy and Hobbs overtook him on Laps 7 and 8. Mazziotto continued to battle with Hobbs for third place, but gradually lost a little pace and was overtaken for fourth place by Barry on the last lap of the 14-lap race. Gloddy and Hobbs secured second and third place, putting both Robem Engineering riders on the podium. De Keyrel brought up the rear of the Aprilia column when he finished sixth, and Jacob Crossman’s 10th-place finish aboard his J. Crossman Racing Aprilia RS 660 gave Aprilia sixth riders in the top 10.
Of the 29 competitors registered to compete in the Twins Cup race at NJMP, 11 were set to race aboard Aprilia RS 660 models.
The last round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season is scheduled to take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 23-25.
Ben Gloddy / Robem Engineering
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs / Robem Engineering
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try and win a race there.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
P11 and P14 for Liam and Trevor at NJMP
The Pure Attitude Racing team leave the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship content with their double points finish.
Regrouping after a difficult Pittsburgh, the squad was determined to return to the top fifteen in the final two events of the season and riders Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish did not disappoint.
Solid performances in practice and qualifying were backed up by gusty, hard-fought rides from both the #37 and the #14, who powered their Yamaha USA supported machines to eleventh and fourteenth respectively at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.
For Liam, the result was impressive given his crash in the previous round, the flying Kiwi riding through shoulder discomfort to secure his ninth points scoring result of 2022, whilst Trevor was relieved to add two points to his tally after a spate of bad luck has prevented him from finishing inside the top fifteen since Road America!
The team now buoyed, move to the season finale in a couple of weeks eager to end the year on a high.
Liam MacDonald: “It was a tough race as I was still riding in a bit of pain and discomfort. I felt like I was in a gladiator ring at the end if I am honest. I ran a decent pace in the beginning but as the race went on, I started to feel my shoulder and there was nothing I could. In the end I used my head and brough it home for some decent points. I thought I was further back as I only saw the board once, so it was a pleasant surprise to almost finish in the top ten. I will be ready to give it everything in the final race of the season at Barber in two weeks.”
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start, and my plan was to work on some things in the race, mainly with my own riding as I had been riding a bit tense all weekend, after being off the bike for so long. I was able to hang with Liam for a few laps but I knew that I had to stay calm and just enjoy the race which I did. My pace dropped as the race progressed which was to be expected after the crash at Brainerd. Adrenalin played a part, but I am satisfied to salvage some points. I know it will be a long road to get back to full fitness, but I am ready for the challenge and ready to being back at the sharp end in 2023. Now it’s time to focus on Barber and ending the season with my best result of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering Aprilia riders finish second, third in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park
Gloddy, Hobbs score second, third podium finishes of 2022 season
MILLVILLE, N.J. – The Robem Engineering Aprilia team was back to its front-running form Saturday at the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoAmerica season. The team’s riders, Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs, finished the lone Twins Cup race of the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park in second and third – scoring the team’s second double-podium performance this year.
After being off the pace for a couple rounds – as well as missing a round due to a logistics challenge – the team’s riders were right back at the front of the field at the tight-and-twisty 2.25-mile Thunderbolt circuit at NJMP. Hobbs’ third place finish helped him hold onto seventh in the Twins Cup points standing, though Gloddy’s runner-up finish moved him up to eighth place – just four points adrift of his teammate.
Hobbs was right up to speed at the start of the weekend. He was the second-fastest Twins Cup rider in Friday practice and Qualifying 1. Gloddy was a little off Hobbs’ pace but still finished Friday practice in sixth place and the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session in seventh.
In Saturday morning’s Qualifying 2, Hobbs finished the session in fifth and Gloddy in seventh, which matched the positions each rider secured on the Twins Cup starting grid.
The start of the race went well for Gloddy but not so good for Hobbs. Gloddy got a good jump off the line and finished the first lap in fifth place. Hobbs lost several places on the first lap and was running in ninth at the end of Lap 1. Gloddy was the third rider in a three-way battle for third place on Laps 2-4 and moved up to third place on Lap 5 after a couple riders crashed out on that lap. Hobbs made the most of the field getting reshuffled on Lap 5 as he advanced five places up the running order on that lap alone. With the pair of Robem Engineering riders starting Lap 6 in third and fourth place, the duo each moved up another place on Laps 7 and 8, respectively, and were in second and third place by the end of Lap 8. Gloddy led a pack of five Aprilia riders vying for the last two steps on the podium for the final eight laps of the race, while Hobbs fended off the advances of riders behind him to finished third.
It was Gloddy’s second podium of the year and his first runner-up finish in Twins Cup. For Hobbs, the third place finish marked his third trip to the podium in 2022 – as well as his first since suffering a broken collarbone at the Road America round in June.
The 2022 MotoAmerica season concludes in two weeks time, with the final round scheduled for Sept. 23-25 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Ben Gloddy / No. 72
“I got a good start and tried to settle myself in there with the top five riders. I felt I was getting held up a little bit by another rider, but I was able to make a move to pass him. I tried to catch up the race leader when I got into second place, but I had used up too much of my rear tire early in the race. I’m hoping we can carry this momentum into Barber and hope we’ll be back on the podium there.”
Teagg Hobbs / No. 79
“The weekend went well, and the team and I worked every session to make the bike a little bit better each time out. It was a huge reward to get both Robem Engineering Aprilias on the box. All we can do is move on to Barber, and we’ll take what we learned here and try to win a race there.”
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.
