Tulsa, OK – May 1, 2019 –

Round three of the 2019 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, and riders Mathew Scholtz and “Samurai Sam” Lochoff, along with the entire Westby Racing team, are ready to showcase their talents at MotoAmerica’s first-ever two-day event.

 

The shorter schedule means that, for Superbike rider Mathew, he’ll qualify, compete for the #1 starting position in Superpole, and go for the win in Superbike race one all on Saturday, then line up for Superbike race one on Sunday.

 

Currently ranked fourth in the Superbike points standings, Mathew is looking to rebound from uncharacteristic 7th- and 13th-place results at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) a couple of weeks ago. Last year at VIR, Mathew was third in Superpole and equaled that podium result with a pair of third-place finishes in Saturday’s and Sunday’s Superbike races. It’s safe to say that the “Durban Dynamo” enjoys VIR’s 14-turn, 2.25-mile natural road course.

 

“VIR has been a very good track for me,” Mathew said. “It’s also one of the tracks where we tested during the off-season, which is very fortunate for us because it’s going to be our first two-day event. Saturday is going to be crazy because it’s the first time we’re going to have two qualifying practices, Superpole, and the race all in one day. It’s a lot of riding to squeeze in, and Virginia is definitely one of the more demanding circuits that we go to, which to a certain point, is really good for me because I consider myself one of the stronger, fitter guys. On the other hand, we do need time to improve the electronics settings on the bike. Either way, I’m looking for some serious redemption after COTA, and I definitely think we’ll be battling for the podium in both of the races. I’m going flat-out this weekend, and I’m looking forward to putting that sweet, golden Westby Superbike up at the front of the field and battling with the factory boys.”

 

Superbike Superpole (Qualifying) is on Saturday at 12:30 AM Eastern, Superbike Race 1 will go green on Saturday at 3 PM Eastern, and Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday also at 3 PM Eastern. Both races will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2), and streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.

 

Samurai Sam, who competes in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship aboard the #57 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R3, is excited to race again after a month off while the rest of the team participated in the Superbike-only round a couple of weekends ago at COTA.

 

In his very first MotoAmerica Junior Cup weekend at Road Atlanta in the beginning of April, Samurai Sam qualified fourth on the starting grid, scored a podium finish in Saturday’s race one (his first-ever MotoAmerica race), and was headed for another podium result in race two until another rider on the outside of the final corner just before the finish line turned into Sam’s rear wheel. Both riders went tumbling into the gravel and out of the race.

 

“After getting taken out in my second MotoAmerica race, which was very upsetting, I have trained hard, and I am ready to fight for the lead aboard the R3 at VIR and make Yamaha proud,” commented a very determined Sam. “The disadvantage I have on the straightaways is not going to stop me from becoming a MotoAmerica champion.”