MotoAmerica: Scholtz Sets Pace On Day One At Laguna
MotoAmerica: From Baggers To Talent Cup, Feature Classes Fight For Top Provisional Spots In Q1 Sessions
Quad Lock Superbikes concluded day one of action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca which included Free Practice and Timed Practice, ultimately setting the field for tomorrow’s 15-minute Final Qualifying session. The morning began under typical Monterey Peninsula fog, which cleared to reveal perfect, sunny skies by the time riders hit the track.
The top three riders in the morning practice session were separated by just 0.066 of a second. The 40-minute session ran flag-to-flag without stoppage, giving teams ample time to evaluate the undulations of the Laguna layout and develop their setups for the afternoon’s Timed Practice session.
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In Timed Practice, Mathew Scholtz took the top spot with a 1:23.980 lap time. The South African Strack Racing rider was on rails aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1, standing as the only competitor to drop into the 1:23 range—just 0.293 seconds ahead of second place.
OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly turned in a 1:24.273 to secure second aboard his BMW M 1000 RR. Kelly found speed late in the session on his 15th lap after making adjustments in the pits during a red-flag period. The stoppage was caused by Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law rider Benjamin Smith, who crashed in the Corkscrew. Although Smith walked away under his own power, he ended the session in 11th.
Wrench Motorcycles rider Cameron Petersen secured a top-three position on his Ducati Panigale V4 R, returning to form following a difficult previous round. The South African expressed confidence, signaling strong prospects for tomorrow’s qualifying session and Race 1.
Two more riders bouncing back after difficult prior outings are Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen, who ended the session in fourth, and fill-in rider Loris Baz. Riding the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law Panigale V4 R, Baz secured fifth place, just six-tenths of a second off the leader’s pace.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Richie Escalante finished the session in seventh, seven-tenths of a second behind Scholtz. Despite a low-side crash late in the session on his GSX-R1000R, Escalante settled into a 1:24.743 and clearly demonstrated front-running pace.
In Superbike Cup, Real Steel Honda’s Andrew Lee once again put the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP at the top of the speed charts with a 1:26.003 lap time.
When riders head into Saturday’s 15-minute Final Qualifying session, these Friday times will be null and void. The slate will be wiped clean, leaving competitors with a brief 15-minute window to set their fastest times and lock in the grid for tomorrow afternoon’s Race 1, which kicks off at 3:12 p.m. PDT.
The following quote is from Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz about day one at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: “Yeah, I mean, super positive day. I obviously came into this race with a completely different bike, you know, from swing arm, to tank, everything. So we kind of thought that we had our work cut out for us, but surprisingly, the bike was really good, off the bat. And, yeah, during the second time practice, we might have gone backwards with the settings, but we figured that out, and once we put the second new tire on I was able to get a 23 9. And so a really positive day for us, and we just want to carry on, trying to make some changes, and move us back forward.”
Supersport
Middleweight action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca kicked off early Friday morning with the opening Supersport practice session, where the field began dialing in their setups. Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila’s Josh Herrin set the baseline standard for the weekend by leading the morning session with a 1:26.786 lap time. He was followed closely by Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse rider Darryn Binder (+0.507 seconds) and BPR Racing Yamaha’s Brenden Ketelsen (+0.942 seconds).
The afternoon qualifying session built upon those fast times, delivering an intense battle in the closing minutes that culminated in a dominant Ducati sweep of the provisional front row.
Herrin asserted his dominance on his 14th lap to capture provisional pole with a spectacular 1:26.778. He narrowly beat out championship rival Binder, who sat just 0.140 seconds behind, while Rahal Ducati Moto with Roller Die & Forming teammate Alessandro Di Mario made his presence known in third place (+0.732 seconds) to complete the manufacturer’s lockout at the front. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott followed in fourth aboard his GSX-R750 (+0.965 seconds), with Strack Racing’s Blake Davis (+0.989 seconds) rounding out the top five on his Yamaha YZF-R9.
The session was split by high drama for Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight rider Kayla Yaakov, who suffered a low-side in turn five that triggered a red flag with 20 minutes remaining. Before the incident, Yaakov had secured a resilient early lap time to keep herself inside the top 10. Following rapid pit repairs by her crew, she returned to the track for a final two-lap sprint in the closing three minutes, ultimately concluding the Friday qualifying session in eighth place, 1.556 seconds off the leader’s pace.
Supersport riders have another chance to improve their grid positions in tomorrow’s 30-minute Q2 session scheduled for 10:10 a.m. PDT, with Race 1 slated for 1:10 p.m. PDT.
Mission King Of The Baggers
Kyle Wyman topped the charts in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1 today aboard his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide, temporarily disrupting factory Indian’s starting-grid dominance. The former class champion slipped past his teammate Bradley Smith by just over half a second to secure the provisional pole heading into tomorrow’s Q2 session and Race 1.
Holding third place is J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss, who set a fast lap of 1:28.702. The Australian held onto the position before triggering a red flag with roughly eight minutes left in the session when he low-sided his Indian Challenger in the final corner. During the incident, his knee puck was dislodged and came to rest on the racing line prompting officials to halt the session and clear the debris.
SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara moved his Indian Challenger up to fourth, while Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Cody Wyman rounded out the provisional top five.
Talent Cup
The Talent Cup qualifying session delivered high-stakes drama today, culminating in a spectacular comeback by Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker, who snatched pole position in the final seconds.
The session began with Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira making an immediate statement, jumping straight to the top of the leaderboard on his second lap and setting the pace in the low 1:37s around the 2.238-mile Monterey circuit. Matsudaira put together a blistering lap, clocking the fastest overall sector-one time of 24.9 seconds. He refused to slow down as the session progressed, eventually breaking into the 1:36 range.
As the field chased Matsudaira’s benchmark, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane made a major statement of his own. Drane found his stride early, showcasing front-row speed throughout the session while fluctuating between third and fourth position.
The session then took a dramatic turn for points leader Gouker. Pushing the limits through turn three, the Quarterley Racing standout suffered a vicious high-side and tumbled through the gravel trap. With his bike damaged and the clock ticking, Gouker managed to return to the pits, leaving his rivals a golden opportunity to capitalize on his misfortune.
With only three minutes remaining, Gouker’s crew pulled off a heroic effort to get him back on track. The North Carolina native rapidly climbed the ranks, slotting back into the top three on his first flying lap before crossing the line with a stunning 1:36.5 to momentarily seize the top spot. The battle intensified in the dying seconds as Matsudaira launched a fierce counterattack to reclaim the lead on his final flying lap. However, Gouker was right behind him on circuit and slipped in one final heater at the checkered flag to steal the provisional pole with a 1:36.043, setting a new Talent Cup lap record in the process.
Matsudaira ultimately settled for a close second place on the grid, just ahead of the surging Drane in third. Team Hammer’s Jake Paige and Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez rounded out the provisional top five.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
The Mission Super Hooligan National Championship got off to a dramatic start in the morning when OrangeCat Racing’s Josh Herrin watched his Lightfighter V3-RH catch fire during the opening practice session. Herrin safely pulled the machine off the track to the wall near the top of the Corkscrew, where MotoAmerica safety crews quickly extinguished the flames utilizing special firefighting equipment previously supplied to the series by OrangeCat itself. Due to the damage, Herrin was unable to complete a lap during afternoon qualifying, leaving him without a recorded time on Friday’s charts. The OrangeCat Racing crew is working tirelessly to repair the machine for tomorrow’s crucial Q2 session.
In Herrin’s absence, the class delivered close competition during Friday’s qualifying session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau claimed the provisional pole at his home track. The Bakersfield, California native set the baseline pace with a 1:28.041 aboard his Yamaha MT-09 SP.
The BPR Racing team owner was heavily pressured by his teammate and employee Andy DiBrino, who locked down second place just 0.421 seconds off the top spot. ARCH Motorcycle Racing’s Corey Alexander backed up his recent speed with a third-place time, turning in a 1:29.019 on his seventh lap aboard the ARCH 2s-R machine to finish as the final rider within a second of Kornbau’s benchmark.
The Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Pan America of James Rispoli and points leader Gus Rodio on the Rodio Racing Ducati Streetfighter V2 put on strong performances to round out the provisional top five.
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