English
Italiano
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen brought the confidence earned from winning his first MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race a few weeks ago in Minnesota to Pittsburgh International Race Complex on a blustery Friday with the New Yorker earning provisional pole position on his BMW M 1000 RR.
In what was the closest session of the season in the Medallia Superbike class, just 1.6 seconds covered the top 12 with a tick over one second separating first from ninth.
Jacobsen led both of Friday’s Superbike sessions with his best lap, a 1:43.061, coming in the afternoon’s Q1 session. That lap on his seventh go around, was just .167 of a second better than Medallia Superbike Championship points leader Jake Gagne. Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Gagne missed most of the first session after his Yamaha suffered a mechanical problem that oiled a portion of the track, bringing out the red flag after just one lap of FP1. Gagne’s crew got him back on track and he was able to jump up to third on his eighth of eight laps.
Jacobsen’s Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate Cameron Beaubier had a big moment early in Q1, losing the front, saving it and running off track and onto the grass. Beaubier ended up third in the session and .278 of a second off his teammate’s best.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong had his best session of the season on the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1 to post the fourth quickest time and less than half a second off Jacobsen’s provisional pole.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante ended the day fifth fastest and just ahead of Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch, who in turn was .15 of a second ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates.
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach, who is filling in at Pitt Race for the injured Cameron Petersen, ended up ninth and only 1.1 seconds from pole in his first Superbike race in two years.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin completed the top 10 after losing his best lap as a penalty for cutting the chicane on the following lap.
Photo courtesy MotoAmerica by Brian J. Nelson
