Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz made an evasive maneuver in Saturday’s Superbike race one at Brainerd International Raceway, but he still got the worst of a “chain reaction” that unfortunately took him out of the race.

Starting from the middle of the second row on the grid, Mathew got off to a good start, but on the opening lap, Cameron Beaubier’s motorcycle clipped the back end of Jake Gagne’s motorcycle, which caused PJ Jacobsen to stop quickly in order to avoid a collision. Mathew had to swerve to avoid hitting Jacobsen, but unfortunately, the radiator on Mathew’s Westby Racing YZF-R1 Superbike contacted the drive chain and rear sprocket on Jacobsen’s motorcycle, which tore a hole in the radiator. Mathew also went off-track momentarily, but he kept the bike upright, and attempted to re-join the race. His R1’s engine was also leaking oil, however, and it unfortunately expired. The race was red-flagged, but Mathew was unable to make the restart due to the damage to his bike.

“It was a shame what happened,” commented Mathew. “I felt like I had good pace, but I never got to show it. I tried to avoid getting caught up in the incident, but there was nothing I could do. I know the Westby boys will have the bike ready to go for morning warm up, and I’m looking forward to the second race. We were just unlucky today, so tomorrow, I’m expecting to be racing with the front group.”

Superbike race two will go green tomorrow afternoon at 3:10 CT, and the race will be broadcast live on MotoAmerica’s YouTube Channel. For all the action from Brainerd International Raceway, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.

Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More

Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at BIR. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.

Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase

RK Excel America, NGK Spark Plugs, and Motorex USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.

For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit www.WestbyRacing.com