MotoAmerica Riders To Watch at Road America

By Dennis Krause

MotoAmerica makes its annual stop at Elkhart Lake’s Road America this weekend.

Five classes of road racing will compete, including Superbike, Supersport, Mission King Of The Baggers, Twins Cup and Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race.

Strack Racing Yamaha’s Matthew Scholz is off to a fast start in the Quad Lock Superbike class, having won three of the series’ four races thus far. The first two rounds on the schedule, at Road Atlanta and Barber Motorsports Park, have been friendly tracks for Scholz and his Yamaha YXF-R1, requiring superior handling.

That likely won’t be the case this weekend at Road America, where raw horsepower is required. Scholz acknowledged as much after sweeping both rounds at Barber.

“Yeah, I mean, I'm still shocked as to how well we've done so far, you know. But these first two tracks are really good for me, good for the Yamaha bike, you know. Next race out is going to be a struggle for us. It's a track that I've never done too well at, besides one race, but you know it's a whole different package to what I'd have had previously. But you know, just to keep the championship lead three out of four wins. I mean, I'm just dreaming right now, man.

“The next one (Road America) is going to be a struggle for us there with the with the slower top end speed.”

Hoping to capitalize on the raw power of his new bike and team is six-time champion Cameron Beaubier. Now riding the Warhorse HSBK Ducato Flo4Law Ducati Panigale V4 R, Beaubier, the winningest rider in the class at Road America with 11 victories, is still coming to grips with his new team and bike.

“I'd say it's going pretty well,” said the 33-year-old California rider of his transition. “Obviously, we need more time on the bike, more seat time, and I'm trying to learn the bike and learn how I can be better, how I can ride it better. Also, the biggest thing is, the thing is so fast, it turns really well, and the electronics work really good, the chassis is really stiff, and it's been, man, it's like a buckin’ bronco sometimes. That's the biggest thing right now is just trying to get the thing mellowed out and make it a little bit more rideable. So we're just trying to get it calmed down.

“Like I said, this Ducati, it really is incredible. We just need some more time with it and keep working. The thing we're struggling with a little bit right now is the I feel like the race distance, and that's just going to come. I just got to learn that Ducati clutch, and I feel like we're doing a good job, though. The team is working really hard, and giving me everything I asked for, and we were working well together.”

Another bike with big top end speed is the BMW M 1100 R of OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly. The Floridian is second in the series standings behind Scholz and has been on the podium at least once at each round thus far.

“Matthew said it, right? Two good tracks for the Yamahas, and now I think we're heading to something that might suit us a little bit better, but the reality is, is he just won three out of four races, so we can't ever take anyone, take anyone out, kind of count anyone out, especially him.

“I think more than anything, we just got to keep on focusing on ourselves. I'm looking forward to Road America. It's pretty much a home track for the team, because they're based out of Chicago, which is right there.

“So, yeah, I love that place. Looking forward to going there, and hopefully having a slightly more consistent and smooth weekend than this one (at Barber), but we're looking forward to it.”

With a second and a third at Barber, JD Beach is off to a good start this season. Beach is currently third in the standings with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team.

“I'm so grateful to still be doing this, and to have earned a spot on this team, and to be on this R 1 on the factory team, it's something that's just amazing. My whole career I've just never stopped working. I mean, the grind, the hard days, like, those just wake me up in the morning. I love that. And to be feeling this good on the bike, it just, it feels, it feels amazing.

“But this is racing, the next round could just be like you just never know what it's going to throw at you, and for me, I've just been trying to take it all in, take it day by day. You have your bad days and you have your good days, but just just grinding and having faith in the team, my crew, my team guys, they've worked so hard just in this short amount of time, just to give me a bike.

“It's awesome, like it's just we're all working together, and I'm so grateful for every lap I get a race, and when I get a race at the front, it feels, feels really good.”

In the Supersport class, Celtic Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati Panigale V2 rider Darryn Binder is coming off a win at Barber and holds a four-point lead in the class. The South African is preparing for his first appearance at “America’s National Park of Speed.”

“I'm really looking forward to it,” Binder said. “I've been playing it on the PlayStation. I've got more or less of an idea where I'm going, and yeah, I enjoy long straights and hard breaking, so should be fun.

“I'm really enjoying racing the racing here so far. It's been good, hard fun, and that's what I like,” Binder continued. “I like to actually have to fight a bit, so yeah, I'm still like learning certain things and seeing where people's strong and weaker points are, and I'm sure they're figuring out the same about me.”

Another rider to watch in the class is 18-year-old Kayla Yaakov on the Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight Ducati Panigale V2. Yakov has shown more speed this season as evidenced by winning the pole for both races at Barber Motorsports Park and setting a track record in the process.

“Yeah, we worked pretty hard this off season for that pace,” Yaakov said. “You know, like I've always been a pretty bad qualifier, that was something I really went to work on this offseason, is just to improve my qualifying times and be able to do some flat out laps. So yeah, it's been good, and I'm just really happy with the progress so far this year.”

Practice and qualifying get underway Friday, with a full slate of racing in each class on both Saturday and Sunday.

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

MotoAmerica Riders To Watch at Road America

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