MotoAmerica reconvenes in the Northeast for round seven of the 2023 championship this weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, which doubles as a home round for the factory-backed Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team.
The stunning 2.8-mile, 19-turn road course has been a happy hunting ground for the Ducati Panigale V4 R and V2, with the 2022 meeting seeing a double podium for then-Supersport rider Herrin and Superbike star, Danilo Petrucci.
Fast forward to 2023 and it’s all switched up as Herrin rides the crest of a wave, having been fastest at the Dunlop tire test held recently at Circuit of The Americas in Texas despite not feeling his best. The Californian resident now switches his attention to PittRace, where he hopes to claim his first race win since race two of round four at Road Atlanta.
For Forés, this weekend marks the first match point of his record breaking debut in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. Holding a commanding 84 point advantage over Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, if Forés leaves PittRace with 100 points or more in hand, he will wrap up the championship with two full rounds remaining in the series.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V4 R – #2):
“I’m super pumped about this weekend,” Herrin said. “I was feeling the most comfortable I have the entire year on the V4 R in Race 2 at Brainerd when we suffered our mechanical, so that was at least something to feel positive about. We also went to Circuit of The Americas for a test last week and ended up fastest, even while I was under the weather. I think this is going to be a great weekend for us. My team have been working so hard and this one is for them.”
Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati Panigale V2 – #12)
“It’s another new track for me, which is interesting because it’s so close to the team base,” said Forés. “We’ve not had a chance to ride there, so it’s completely new again. I’ve been studying the races from last year and it looks like a nice track, pretty similar to The Ridge where I was quite fast this year. We’ve made some good steps at CoTA in Texas at the test last week, and now the bike seems to be working a bit better. We have a possibility to win the championship this weekend but I am not focusing on that. If it happens, it happens, then we will wait for the next round. The target is to get back to winning ways and to enjoy racing once more.”
The seventh round of MotoAmerica 2023 will see bikes on track at 9:00 am EDT on Friday, August 18, with Forés the first of the Ducatis to hit the track at 10:20 am EDT for Supersport FP1. Herrin will take to the track for Superbike FP1 at 11:05 am EDT.
- From Ducati Media House
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