Rain Master Petrucci Tames The Conditions To Win In New Jersey

Petrucci Now Just Four Points Behind Gagne As The Series Heads To
Barber Motorsports Park For Finale, September 23-25

MILLVILLE, NJ – September 12, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci has been doing a rain dance all year, but it took until the ninth round of the 10-round 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship for his wish to come true. But when it did, he took full advantage.

Petrucci raced away in the rain at New Jersey Motorsports Park to score his fifth race win of the season and perhaps his most important. The win, combined with championship leader Jake Gagne’s third-place finish, moved the Italian to within four points of Gagne in the championship with just one round and two races left to run at Barber Motorsports Park, September 23-25

Heavy rain fell prior to the start of the 14-lap race at NJMP, leaving no doubt that the field would be using rain tires. There was also little doubt that Petrucci would be fast in the conditions as he came to the MotoAmerica with a reputation for being a rain master. And that he was. After slip sliding around for the duration and doing so more capably than the others, Petrucci crossed the line with 6.6 seconds in hand.

Second place went to Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, the South African also impressive after charging through the field from behind after being relegated to the back of the grid after missing the sighting lap.

Gagne was a timid third, the defending MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion in the unenviable position of having little to gain and plenty to lose in the tricky conditions. Gagne stayed out of trouble and gained a spot late in the race when his teammate Cameron Petersen crashed out of his battle for second with Scholtz. Gagne could also breathe a bit easier when Ashton Yates crashed the Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing BMW with two laps to go while hounding the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing rider.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hector Barbera was fourth, some 25 seconds behind Gagne and four seconds ahead of Petersen with the South African remounting and riding his Yamaha to fifth without a left handlebar.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis was sixth with fellow Kentuckian Hayden Gillim seventh on the Disrupt Racing Suzuki. ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony, Triple M’s Jeremy Coffey and Altus Motorsports Brandon Paasch rounded out the top 10.

With two races remaining in the championship, Gagne leads Petrucci,…