After eight rounds of white-knuckle racing, it all boils down to this as MotoAmerica descends on New Jersey Motorsports Park for the season-ending round over the September 27-29 weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin sits in the box seat and heads into the round with a 46-point lead with two final races and 50 points to play for.
Herrin needs to finish race one with a 25-point advantage to second-placed Cameron Beaubier to be assured of the crown. Otherwise, he will still have race two to seal the title. Should Herrin wrap up the title, he will join American racing legends Eddie Lawson, Wes Cooley, and MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey as a two-time AMA Superbike Champion.
Herrin’s 2024 season has been one that’s gotten better and better as it wore on. A solitary top-three finish from the first three rounds was replaced with a flurry of podiums and five race wins in 18 races, setting himself up perfectly for his championship charge.
If Herrin wraps up the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, he will become the first Ducati rider since Troy Corser piloted a Fast by Ferracci Ducati 888 to the title in 1994.
As usual, Herrin will be backed up by his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati teammate, Loris Baz. Baz is in the hunt for a top-five finish in the championship and could end up as high as third if the cards fall his way in New Jersey.
New Jersey Motorsports Park is the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team’s home track, and it’s a venue Baz has ridden at many times, so don’t discount the flying Frenchman from possibly notching his first MotoAmerica career race victory.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’m really excited about this weekend but also a little nervous because there’s a lot on the line,” Herrin said. “We have a big points lead we’ve worked hard to get but even though we have that gap, the pressure is on.
“We’ve tested at New Jersey, so I’m not nervous about riding the track, and the bike’s been really good to me lately. It’s been working well the whole year, except at the beginning of the season with all the rain, which is still an area we need to improve.
“It should be dry this weekend, and we’re hoping to get the championship wrapped up on Saturday so we can go for a race win on Sunday, which I’d really like to end the year on. All the hard work has as paid off, so this weekend, we need to try to have fun on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati V4 R.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“I can’t believe it’s already the last race of the season!” Baz said. “I’m really looking forward to New Jersey. It’s the home round for the team and a place we’ve tested at, so we have a good setup for the V4 R.
“It’s a big weekend for the team—I want to end the season on a high note, a season that wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for personally but one where we’ve had some great results.
“I’m going to try my best as always and enjoy the atmosphere with Josh and the team.”
On track action for the ninth and final round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will commence at 8:55 a.m. EDT on Friday, September 27 with Herrin and Baz taking to the track for Free Practice 1 at 10:10 a.m. EDT.
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