One of the most spectacular races in AMA Superbike history took place in torrential rain at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday, and it's a race that won't be forgotten anytime soon, especially if your name is Cameron Petersen. Or Mathew Scholtz. Or Loris Baz.
Cameron Petersen secured his maiden MotoAmerica Superbike victory on his Suzuki M4 ECSTAR after crashing once in the pouring rain. Mathew Scholtz of Westby Racing finished second, also after a rain crash. Finally, Loris Baz of Warhorse Racing finished second.SBK Racing Ducati New York finished third after also crashing in the pouring rain.
This resulted in the incredible fact that all three riders on the podium crashed during the same race, yet still managed to finish on the podium. This is the first time in AMA Superbike history that this has happened.
Cameron Petersen's maiden HONOS Superbike victory makes him the 62nd rider in history to win an AMA Superbike race and the second from South Africa. This win also significantly strengthened Petersen's hold on third place in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship standings, with two races remaining this Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park.
Cameron Petersen had Mother Nature's help to stop Jake Gagne's winning streak, the new 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion crashed while leading on lap two, got back on his machine, stopped in the pits for repairs, and then ultimately finished 12th.
Loris Baz was fortunate to be able to race after a violent highside crash on Friday left him with a damaged right wrist. Having missed qualifying, he was also forced to start from the back of the grid. He worked his way through the field and caught up with the battle between Mathew Scholtz and Cameron Petersen before crashing and rejoining the race in ninth place. From there, he gave it his all again and fought his way back to third for his seventh podium finish of the season. The wet conditions made things easier for his injured wrist, but the crash in the race left him with a badly damaged right footpeg and a right handlebar bent almost to the fuel tank.
“The (wet weather) made things easier, then I crashed again during the race,” said Loris Baz. “The side of the bike, especially the handlebars, was completely twisted, so I don’t even know how I managed to get going again. They were bent the other way. It was so hard to reach the brake. I just tried to survive after that. Also, the conditions at that point, the rain was heavy. I think we were all having a good time, and then it started to rain more. I should have fought to the end, but of course, when you’re hydroplaning on a 1000cc in turn 15, it’s really scary. It was such a strange race.”
A heroic race from all the drivers, especially Loris! There are two rounds left this Sunday, the last of the season. The video summary speaks for itself:
Results of Superbike Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park:
Ranking credit: MotoAmerica
