Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca started out in the best of ways for Mathew Scholtz. With the fastest lap in the morning’s final qualifying session, Mathew put his #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 in the pole position for the weekend’s two Superbike races.

The start of the race didn’t go as he hoped, however. Due to a technical problem, he found himself in fourth by the completion of the first lap. He slipped back to fifth on lap two, and then sixth on lap four. On lap 14, Mathew was able to move up to fifth, and he maintained the position all the way to the checkered flag.

Fifth place certainly wasn’t the result that Mathew and the Westby Racing team expected, particularly after earning the pole, but the rider and the team are resilient, and Mathew will start again from the number-one position on the grid in Sunday’s race.

“Getting the pole position was quite a big step for us,” Mathew said. “It’s been a while since we’ve put the bike on pole, and that just shows how well the team’s been working and how much we’ve improved. We expected a good race, to be up front, and to at least be part for the battle for the lead. But, from the first corner, it was pretty obvious that we had a technical problem that affected the rear grip on the bike. After the race, we realized what the problem was, so we can go out tomorrow and concentrate on our outright pace knowing that we won’t have the problem again. The morning warmup is going to be important, but I know we have a bike that can be at the front. Everything is going in the right direction, so tomorrow, I’ve just got to put my head down and do the best I can.”

Sunday’s Superbike race two starts at 3:10 p.m. PT, and it will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET. 

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Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More

Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 10:45 to 11 a.m. Sunday on pit lane at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. 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

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., Pro-Bolt USA, and Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc., 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.

Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.