The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, set the stage for a dramatic MotoAmerica weekend that reshaped the championship narratives in both the Superbike and Supersport classes. The technical 2.47-mile counter-clockwise layout, with its 16 turns and significant elevation changes, proved to be a formidable challenge for all riders.
The unpredictable weather added another layer of complexity, with Friday’s wet conditions giving way to a mix of dry and rain-affected racing on Saturday, and a much faster, drier track surface on Sunday. This dynamic environment led to a weekend filled with changing fortunes, frantic rebuilds, and late-race passes.
The Superbike Showdown
The Quad Lock Superbike Championship battle took center stage, with Sean Dylan Kelly and Mathew Scholtz engaging in a thrilling duel. Kelly, who arrived at The Ridge with a one-point championship lead, faced a challenging weekend that ultimately saw him secure a crucial victory in Sunday’s Race Two.
PJ Jacobsen had looked to have the premier-class weekend pointed firmly in Ducati’s direction during qualifying. After Ducati riders had shown strongly in Friday’s wet conditions, Jacobsen took pole on Saturday morning aboard the Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL Panigale V4 R with a 1m40.163, heading Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz on the front row.
However, it was JD Beach who emerged victorious in Race One, starting from ninth aboard the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha. Beach kept his composure as the race turned into an attrition-heavy contest, ultimately taking the chequered flag 4.501 seconds clear of Scholtz. Scholtz’s second place was almost as important as the win, as he moved back into the championship lead after Kelly crashed on the out-lap before the race and then finished seventh.
Sunday’s Race Two produced one of the best Superbike finishes of the season. Scholtz, who had suffered a heavy crash in morning warm-up, launched into the lead and looked set for a remarkable response ride. However, Kelly had other plans. With five laps remaining, Kelly picked off Saturday winner Beach, then moved past Bobby Fong, before setting after Scholtz on the final lap. The decisive move came at Turn 13, at the top of The Waterfall, where Kelly dived to the inside, forcing Scholtz wide over the kerbing, and drove away to win by 0.499 seconds.
Scholtz held second by the smallest possible margin, with Fong classified just 0.001 seconds behind him in third. Beach was fourth, still only 1.121 seconds from victory, while Hayden Gillim completed the top five for Real Steel Honda. The split results leave Scholtz still in front of the Superbike standings on 145 points, but Kelly has trimmed the margin back to five, sitting second on 140.
The Supersport Spectacle
In the Supersport class, Josh Herrin delivered a commanding double victory at Ridge Motorsports Park. Herrin, aboard the Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila Ducati Panigale V2, led home Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse rider Darryn Binder and the rest of the field after capitalizing on a mid-race crash that shuffled the order.
Pole-sitter Kayla Yaakov launched cleanly on her Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight Ducati Panigale V2 and initially set the pace in the early laps. However, Herrin stormed off to another win at one of his favorite tracks, securing a dominant victory by more than eight seconds. Binder recovered to finish second after a strong charge through the field, while Tyler Scott and Josh Hayes fought for the final podium position in the closing laps.
Herrin’s victory tightened the championship picture as he closed the gap in the standings to 24 points, bottling a bit of momentum toward the next round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The Talent Cup Thrills
The Talent Cup class also provided its share of excitement, with Nathan Gouker and Kensei Matsudaira engaging in a thrilling battle for the lead. Gouker managed to hold off Matsudaira to the finish line, securing a hard-fought victory. The Australian presence remained prominent, with Sam Drane and Jake Paige both coming away with podium results.
The Ridge weekend ultimately reset several championship narratives, with Scholtz regaining the Superbike lead but Kelly’s Sunday win keeping the gap to just five points. Herrin cut into Binder’s Supersport buffer with a Ducati double, while in the Hooligans class, ARCH and Yamaha both made history. In the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. class, Jasmine Noelle’s consistency and Paze’s breakthrough win kept that title fight moving toward an intriguing finale.
