Tulsa, OK - September 13, 2016 – Yamalube/Westby Racing’s encore visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Roadracing Championship’s final round generated a range of emotions somewhat befitting of the kind of season that the team has had.

 

And, while it would be far too dramatic to describe the weekend in purely Dickensian terms, stating that “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” is a fairly apt assessment of the race meeting.

 

After a two-month hiatus since the previous MotoAmerica round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, South African rider Mathew Scholtz was excited to get back to business aboard his #720 Yamalube/Westby Racing YZF-R1 Superstock 1000 machine.

 

And, even though it was Mathew’s first visit to the southern New Jersey racing venue, he and the team applied their tried-and-true, methodical approach in getting Mathew acclimated to the facility’s fan-favorite, 12-turn, 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway.

 

Friday’s two “orientation” practice sessions yielded solid results, and the adjustments that the team made to both machine and man overnight yielded a laptime in Saturday morning’s Free Practice 3 that advanced Mathew directly to the afternoon’s Superpole 2 session where he would qualify for Sunday’s two races against the factory Superbikes and MotoAmerica’s fastest and best riders.

 

Mathew acquitted himself well at the pointy end of MotoAmerica’s pencil and qualified as the fastest Superstock 1000 rider in the field, which meant that he would line up fifth on the combined Superbike/Superstock 1000 starting grid. It was a very satisfying result for Mathew and the Yamalube/Westby Racing team.

 

In Sunday’s Superstock Race 1, Mathew took advantage of his excellent grid position, got off to a great start, and kept himself up front and ahead of the speed-sapping battles that usually ensue further back among the Superstock 1000 riders. He raced his Superstock 1000 R1 against the Superbikes, which netted him a second-place finish in class and a trip to the podium to collect a trophy, sip (and spray) some champagne, and receive raucous praise from New Jersey’s always-enthusiastic fans.

 

Mathew’s Superstock 1000 pole on Saturday and second-place finish in Race 1 on Sunday turned out to be “the best of times” for the weekend. In Race 2, the final race of the 2016 MotoAmerica season, hopes were high among Mathew and the team that they would put an exclamation on the season, improve on the podium result in Race 1, and win Superstock 1000 Race 2.

 

The rider, the team, and the bike were poised for greatness, but soon after the race went green and Mathew was headed for glory, a technical issue arose with one of his tires, which forced the South African to retire from the race and call it a day…and a season. It was an inauspicious ending to an adventure-filled year for Yamalube/Westby Racing, but they took solace and felt satisfaction in knowing that they have everything in place to make the 2017 MotoAmerica season their best ever in professional road racing.

 

While the team loaded the bike, equipment, and their 2016 dreams into the trailer, Mathew reflected on his weekend, saying, “Friday started out a little bit slower than we are used to, but we kept getting faster and faster every single time we went out on the track. On Saturday, we qualified fairly well. We were fifth overall, which was brilliant, and we were first in Superstock. In the first race on Sunday, I had a pretty decent start, and I was following (Superbike riders) Jake (Gagne) and Toni (Elias), and they helped pull me forward. And then, I managed to open up about a three-second gap over the other Superstock bikes. But, in the final seven or eight laps, Bobby Fong was just on rails. He was really, really quick, and he reeled me in. Unfortunately, we had to settle for second place because I was sliding around and getting kicked out the seat everywhere. But, you know, second place, we couldn’t be happier.

 

“In the second race, we were quietly confident that we could get the win, but, unfortunately, things just never worked out for us, and we had a problem with the rear tire. I had to pull in, which is a huge disappointment for us. We didn’t end the season the way we would have liked to, but the other five races that I’ve competed in with the Yamalube/Westby team have been brilliant. These guys are absolutely awesome, and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come for the 2017 MotoAmerica season. One more big thanks to the entire Yamalube/Westby Racing crew and organization. Thank you so much!”

 

For more Yamalube/Westby Racing news, photos, and videos, visit “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media site. 

 

About Yamalube

Located in Kennesaw, GA, under Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.’s (YMUS) Customer Support Group (CSG), Yamalube formulates the only oil “built around” the unique demands, operating characteristics, and applications of the various motorsports engines produced. In 1967, after more than a decade of racing and countless wins, Yamaha set off to conquer a new arena--racing oil. Collaborating with Yamaha engine designers, Yamalube's global oil engineers formulate each oil from scratch, to be engine- and application-specific. Yamalube also makes lubricants, quality care products, maintenance products, fork oils, fuel additives, and adhesives.To find out more, visit http://www.shopyamaha.com

 

Get connected with "YamalubeUSA" on your favorite social media platforms.