WESTBY RACING
NEWS AND UPDATES
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Is “Pumped” For Success At Sonoma Raceway
Tulsa, OK – August 8, 2019 –
Round seven of the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship is this Saturday at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, as Mathew Scholtz and the Westby Racing team will compete in the two-day Cycle Gear Championship of Sonoma.
For Mathew, the trip to California’s wine country has yielded up-and down-results. Sonoma Raceway’s 2.52-mile, 12-turn, undulating road course is known for its hard braking zones, which have led to arm-pump problems for the South African rider. The condition occurs in Mathew’s right forearm after repeated, aggressive application of the front brakes on his #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike.
Last year, Mathew qualified second in Superpole to earn a front-row start, but in Saturday’s Superbike race one, he suffered a tipover. Mathew returned to form on Sunday, was third fastest in morning warmup, and finished fifth in Superbike race two.
For 2019, Mathew’s Yamaha is now equipped with a full suite of world-class Magneti-Marelli Superbike electronics, and crew chief Ed Sullivan and data engineer Herschel Auxier have been working diligently to dial in the right amount of engine-braking to help mitigate Mathew’s arm-pump. In addition, team technicians Dustin Meador and Frank Shockley have installed a left-thumb-operated rear brake mechanism on the bike to further alleviate the issue.
So far this season, the combination of electronics, mechanical ingenuity, and Mathew’s training regimen have eliminated the arm-pump issue, and the team has circled the Sonoma round as the track where the setup will help Mathew the most.
“It’s always great to go to Sonoma Raceway, but this year, I’m especially looking forward to it,” Mathew said. “Just knowing that we’ve overcome my arm-pump problems gives me a huge boost in confidence heading into the weekend. It’s another two-day event for us, so we know we’ll have to work quickly to dial the bike in. But, I’ve got the best team in the paddock, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Superbike Race 1 will go green on Saturday at 3 PM Pacific Time, and Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday also at 3 PM Pacific Time. Both races will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) and streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.
Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More
The Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, on Sunday from 12 to 12:45 PM on pit lane at Sonoma Raceway, is a great opportunity to meet Mathew. He’ll be handing out free, autographed posters and other team items, and you can also get your picture taken with him, as well as with Lacy Contreras, the Westby Racing brand ambassador.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
Evol Technology, Renthal, RK Excel America, and Yoshimura R&D of America will be the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area, so be sure to stop by, say hello, and find out more about some of the companies that support the team.
For more updates on Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media site.
