MILLVILLE, N.J. (Sept. 11) – Dane Westby and the GEICO Motorcycle Honda team have taken full advantage of the long break in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series schedule to be in top form heading into this weekend’s New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown.
The event at New Jersey Motorsports Park will be the last doubleheader weekend of the GoPro Daytona SportBike season, and Westby is bringing some swagger with him.
“I feel really good,” Westby said. “I’ve held the track record at New Jersey before. With the way our bike works it’s been best at a flowing racetrack, which this place is. I think we’ve got a good chance at a podium.”
Westby’s team is going to do a quick test at the facility’s other road course so they are totally prepared for the 2.2-mile, 14-turn course.
“The guys have made a lot of changes to the bike in the time since our last race,” Westby said. “We’re going to do a good shakedown of the bike on the other track. I feel like things are just lining themselves up for us this weekend.”
Despite missing the first race of the year with an injury, Westby still has a shot at finishing in the top five in the standings with three races left on the schedule (two of which will be held this weekend).
Westby sits in seventh place in the standings. He’s 13 points behind James Rispoli for sixth and 16 in back of Jake Lewis, who is in fifth.
“Everybody was really busy during this break,” Westby said. “I’ve been doing a lot of riding. I’ve been on a little road trip hitting as many mountain biking areas as I can. I’ve been doing my bit and the guys have been doing their bit at the shop.
“We’re going to bang out this test and see where to go after that.”
Practice for the New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown gets under way at 11 a.m. on Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with the first qualifying session starting at 2 p.m. The field with be set after the final qualifier, which starts at 8:50 a.m. on Saturday. Race 1 of the weekend rolls off at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Race 2 will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday. CBS Sports Network will air Race 1 at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday and Race 2 at 3 p.m.
