Ten Years Later And MotoAmerica’s Metal Commander Superbike Sequence Headlines A Return to Mid-Ohio.
The final time the AMA Superbike Championship raced at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course, a baby-faced, 24-year-old named Josh Herrin was struggling his method by means of a depressing Moto2 World Championship marketing campaign and wishing he was at Mid-Ohio. That was 2014. That is now. And Herrin arrives at Mid-Ohio because the chief of the 2024 MotoAmerica Metal Commander Superbike Championship within the collection’ return to the Buckeye State after a 10-year hiatus.
Everyone seems to be champing on the bit to get again to racing within the Permco MotoAmerica Superbikes at Mid-Ohio occasion after an almost one-month summer season break since spherical six at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The time is now for championship wannabes to step up because the collection reaches its boiling level with rounds at Circuit of The Americas and New Jersey Motorsports Park scorching on the heels of the much-anticipated seventh spherical at Mid-Ohio.
Herrin, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion, is atop the standings however this championship is much from over as he has a number of rivals nipping at his heels. There are 46 factors separating the highest 5 within the level standings with three rounds and 7 races left to run within the battle for the title.
With three wins and 4 extra podium finishes, Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R lead the Metal Commander Superbike Championship by 15 factors over Assault Efficiency Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne with the three-time and defending champion one way or the other managing to contend for the title regardless of near-season-long arm-pump points.
Gagne has only a single race win however he has scored factors in each spherical, together with 4 extra podium finishes to go along with his lone victory.
Simply eight factors behind Gagne and 23 behind Herrin is Wrench Bikes’ Bobby Fong. The 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion’s double win at Brainerd Worldwide Raceway put him atop the standings heading into the Ridge Motorsports Park spherical. It was there, nevertheless, that Fong faltered in race one when he selected to make use of slicks when he wanted rain tires, and that miscue was adopted by a crash in race one at Laguna Seca. Nonetheless, the Californian is having his finest Superbike season but and continues to be very a lot within the hunt for the 2024 title.
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen can also be within the midst of his best Superbike season as he sits fourth and simply 4 factors behind Fong with three victories. The South African’s scorecard, nevertheless, has been marred by a crash in race three at Barber Motorsports Park, and mechanical failures at each Highway America and Laguna Seca.
Fifth within the championship is Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, the winningest Superbike rider to date in 2023. 5-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Beaubier is 46 factors behind Herrin after not scoring factors in 5 races. The Californian gained three of the primary 5 races earlier than struggling an harm that saved him on the sidelines for 3 races. Beaubier bought again to his successful methods at Laguna Seca with a victory and a detailed second to Herrin in race two.
Herrin’s Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati teammate Loris Baz and EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly are separated by six factors with Baz sixth and Kelly seventh. Kelly is coming off a stable weekend at Laguna Seca the place he completed fourth in race one and battled for victory earlier than getting a detailed third (behind Herrin and Beaubier) in race two. Baz, nevertheless, was disenchanted along with his two sixth-place finishes at Laguna, a monitor he calls one in all his favorites.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Seaside sits eighth within the championship and arrives in Ohio scorching off his two victories within the American Flat Observe (AFT) races in South Dakota – the Black Hills Half-Mile and the Sturgis TT.
Imaginative and prescient Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch and his fill-in teammate Xavi Forés are ninth and tenth within the title chase, respectively, however Forés will probably be handing the crew’s Suzuki GSX-R1000R again to crew common Richie Escalante, who was injured within the opening spherical at Highway Atlanta and can make his return to racing at Mid-Ohio.
Crew Brazil’s Danilo Lewis sits twelfth total and leads the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship over Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates.
The 2 Superbike races will get the inexperienced gentle at 3:10 p.m. (Jap) on each Saturday and Sunday.
Pre-Race Mid-Ohio Notes…
Australian Mat Mladin has extra AMA Superbike wins at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course than another racer. Mladin gained 10 Superbike Nationals on the two.4-mile street course along with his first victory coming in 2001 and his final coming in 2008. Mladin leads Josh Hayes in Superbike wins on the iconic monitor, 10-7.
The very first AMA Superbike race was held at Mid-Ohio in 1983 with motocrosser-turned-road racer Steve Smart taking the win within the circuit’s debut.
Twenty-three riders who competed at Mid-Ohio in 2014 are slated to return and race on the legendary street course once more in 2024: Corey Alexander, David Anthony, JD Seaside, Cameron Beaubier, Chris Fillmore, Max Flinders, Bobby Fong, Jake Gagne, Josh Gallusser, Hayden Gillim, CJ LaRoche, Jake Lewis, Stefano Mesa, Brian Mullins, Tyler O’Hara, Larry Pegram, James Rispoli, Hayden Schultz, Carl Soltisz, Cory West, Cody Wyman, Kyle Wyman, and Travis Wyman.
Cameron Beaubier and Josh Hayes break up wins within the final two AMA Superbike races at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course in 2014. Amongst lively racers, Beaubier (2014) and Josh Herrin (2013) are the one two who’ve gained a Superbike race at Mid-Ohio.
Suzuki holds the report for many victories at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course with 20, adopted by Yamaha (11), Honda (10) and Kawasaki (5). Yamaha, nevertheless, has dominated since 2012, successful all six Superbike races by means of 2014, when the collection final got here to Mid-Ohio.
The Superbike lap report for Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course dates method again to 2008 when Ben Spies lapped the long-lasting 2.4 street course in 1:23.639 at a mean velocity of 103.301 mph. Spies will probably be readily available this weekend at Mid-Ohio as he’s the crew principal for the Rahal Ducati Moto squad.
Cameron Beaubier’s race-one victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca a month in the past was the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s 63rd AMA Superbike win, a mark that places him second to Australian Mat Mladin on the all-time AMA Superbike win record.
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