Baz Bounces Back for a Sunday Podium at Brainerd

Loris Baz produced yet another stellar ride in MotoAmerica 2021, fighting back from a 10th place grid slot to third in race two at Brainerd.

The sole Ducati rider on the grid following Panera Bread Ducati’s Kyle Wyman withdrawing from the weekend with excessive pain from his still-healing broken elbow, Baz suffered the highs and lows on racing in Minnesota with a crash in race one that destroyed his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York machine.

Baz had just taken the lead from fellow crasher Jake Gagne (Yamaha), but with tires still not up to temperature following a very short pre-race grid, Baz lost the front of the Panigale, with the damage far too excessive for him to take part in the restart following the red flag.

The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team thus had a big job on their hands as they prepared the second machine for Baz’s race two assault, and the French ace did not disappoint, charging through the field in his usual take-no-prisoners style to finish third behind double Brainerd winner Jake Gagne (Yamaha) and Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha).

2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 275
P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 196
P3 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 161
P4 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 145
P5 – Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 141
P6 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 138
P11 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 58

Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“It’s been a challenging weekend but what a fantastic job by the team to set up the bike for this bumpy track,” Baz said. “Everything was thrown away in race one due to some silly decision where the organizers only gave us five minutes on the pre-race grid. We had cold tires, and I did lap one easy to warm the tires but then started to push on lap two and crashed. This was the same thing that happened to Jake (Gagne). So after that, the bike was dead and I couldn’t restart. And I had to take the second bike for Sunday, which was not perfect in the warm up. I must say a big thanks to the team, to the guys at Ducati, because the bike was in such a bad state yesterday—swingarm broke, frame, everything. We managed to do a good in race two on the second bike. It usually goes if you have a bad first race you have a worse second race, but I started P10 and came through to P2, fighting with Mathew and ended up P3. It’s another podium. It was an up and down weekend but racing is like this sometimes. I’m happy to leave this place unhurt and we’ll go again at Pittsburgh which is a fantastic track I really love to ride at. Thanks to everyone at Ducati, Warhorse Ducati New York, Paolo Ciabatti (Ducati Corse Sporting Director), Ducati back in Italy. I’m really happy and proud to have Paolo with us this weekend. Let’s do it again in two weeks.”