The title fight rolls on to New Jersey after Josh Herrin’s heroic COTA performance
Sunnyvale, Calif.,— Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin showed his racing maturity during a steaming hot weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, taking three podium places and putting himself in the box seat to wrap up the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship title at New Jersey Motorsports Park at the end of September.
In a weekend where sealing the title was a distinct possibility, Herrin refused to play it safe and threw caution to the wind, engaging in three nail-biting races with Cameron Beaubier and Sean Dylan Kelly.
Resplendent in a special Fast by Ferracci livery to mark 30 years since Troy Corser sealed Ducati’s last AMA Superbike title in 1994, Herrin was at his spectacular best, sliding the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R around the expansive 3.4-mile layout and making some incredible around-the-outside moves in race three on Beaubier.
Ultimately, Herrin took second place in race one, third in race two, and a very close second in race three, leaving Texas with a 46-point title lead with one round, two races, and 50 points remaining in the 2024 championship.
For Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz, the fast Frenchman carded two fourth place finishes and a fifth at COTA, elevating himself to equal sixth in the championship standings with the absent Jake Gagne.
2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship After Round Eight
P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 300
P2 – Cameron Beaubier 254
P3 – Bobby Fong 213
P4 – Sean Dylan Kelly 208
P5 – Cameron Petersen 195
P6 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 192
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I can’t ask for much better than what we did this weekend,” Herrin said. “They were incredibly difficult conditions—we knew Cam (Beaubier) was going to be strong this weekend, as Sean (Dylan Kelly) due to his Moto2 experience here, but I’m really happy with what myself and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team accomplished.
“We made lots of improvements over the weekend to the bike, and I’m happy to be going into the DRE (Ducati Ride Experience) event on Monday with all the Ducatisti after a weekend like that.
“This whole year has been great, so now we have a 46-point lead heading into New Jersey, where I’ll just ride my race and try to wrap this thing up.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It’s been a long weekend for everyone,” Baz said in the heat of Sunday afternoon. “The results weren’t quite what we wanted, but we were strong all weekend. The pace was good, and I felt more comfortable on the bike. I was losing a lot of time on the straight, but the guys changed the engine last night, which was a bit better. However, we need to find a little more grip as well.
“I need to be a little more aggressive in the early stages, but overall, it was a good weekend for the team, which is the most important thing. Josh did a great job, and I tried to help him as much as possible, especially in qualifying. I can’t say I’m really happy, but we’re all working hard and looking forward to a great final round in a few weeks’ time.”
The final round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s home race at New Jersey Motorsports Park and is scheduled for September 27-29, 2024.
