Mathew Scholtz breaks through with MotoAmerica Superbike victory at Road America
Mathew Scholtz wasn't going to accept second place any longer.
The 29-year-old Westby Racing rider from South Africa broke through by edging Danilo Petrucci on the last lap of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One on Saturday night at Road America.
Scholtz had finished second in five of the previous six MotoAmerica races this season.
Petrucci, who won the first three races this season, led on the last lap at the 4-mile, 14-turn course just outside of Elkhart Lake in Sheboygan County.
But Scholtz grabbed the lead on his Yamaha with a block pass on Turn Five. Petrucci couldn't pass on the final corner and Scholtz won by just .015 of a second.
"I kind of heard him turning in and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his front tire," Scholtz said. "I actually had to give it a little bit of gas to make sure that he didn’t touch me and push me wide. We crossed the finish line and I looked right, and he was right there next to me. I wasn’t even sure that I had won at that point.
"I think over the last two races that we’ve had, if you combine both of those finishing times, they’re both less than eight tenths. So, it’s been extremely close. I’m just really happy to be up here battling with this guy."
PODIUM - @Medallia Superbike Race 1 at @roadamerica. By 0.015 second!
1) Mathew Scholtz
2) Danilo Petrucci
3) Hector Barbera pic.twitter.com/nxsyo7lg1A— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica) June 4, 2022
The victory gave Scholtz the series points lead at 125, just ahead of Petrucci's 124. Race Two at Road America is Sunday.
Defending Superbike champion Jake Gagne, who swept the round at Road America last season, sits third with 102 points.
Gagne, who also has three victories this season, tipped over on Turn Five during the first lap. He recovered to finish fifth.
Defending @Medallia Superbike Champion @jakegagne and former MotoGP rider @Petrux9 had a close encounter during race one at @roadamerica, and it sent them off the track. Petrucci came back to finish as runner-up and Gagne made it all the way back up to fifth. pic.twitter.com/MYyGo10aDF
— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica) June 5, 2022
More: Mathew Scholtz comes to Road America MotoAmerica race weekend looking for final piece of the puzzle
More: Here's why a Navy vet turned pro racer is walking from Michigan to Elkhart Lake to compete
Supersport
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki's 16-year-old rookie Tyler Scott earned his first career win in theMotoAmerica's Supersport class by holding off veteran Josh Herrin.
King of the Baggers
Tyler O'Hara won the two-lap challenge to claim the $5,000 prize in the popular class in which riders are on race-prepared full-sized touring motorcycles from Indian and Harley-Davidson, rather than sport bikes.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mathew Scholtz beats Danilo Petrucci in MotoAmerica Superbike
