VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P75
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J NELSON
T
he 2024 Steel Commander
MotoAmerica Superbike Cham-
pionship has been blown wide
open following two races at The Ridge
Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washing-
ton, that saw Cameron Petersen (Attack
Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Rac-
ing) and Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK
Racing Ducati) taking the wins.
It now ensures at the halfway point of
the season, four riders—Herrin, Petersen,
Petersen's teammate and defending
champion Jake Gagne, and Wrench
Motorcycles Yamaha's Bobby Fong—are
all separated by just nine points, mak
-
ing this arguably the closest season in
the history of the AMA Superbike/Mo-
toAmerica championship to date.
The weekend started off with Loris
Baz sealing a first-ever MotoAmerica
ton, that saw Cameron Petersen (Attack
-
the season, four riders—Herrin, Petersen,
pole position on the number-76 War-
horse HSBK Racing Ducati, but as they
lined up for race one, the Washington
skies opened and drizzled rain, making
tire selection a complete gamble.
Baz, Herrin, Fong and more opted
to go for slicks, while Yamaha duo
Petersen and Gagne, Vision Wheel M4
Ecstar Suzuki teamsters Xavi Fores
and Brandon Paasch, and Stock 1000/
Superbike Cup privateers Hayden Gil
-
lim (Real Steel Motorsports Honda),
Ashton Yates (Jones Honda), Danilo
Lewis (Team Brazil BMW) and Rich-
ard Kerr (AMD Motorsport RK Racing
Honda) all opted for wets.
That proved the right choice, as
Gagne and Petersen quickly gapped
the field to wage their own private
Yamaha war, lapping some 20-30 sec
-
onds faster than those who had opted
for slicks.
Josh Herrin cleared off
for an easy win in race
two to move to within nine
points of the title lead.
AND NECK
