Gage McAllister Wins KTM RC Cup
Gage McAllister Claims First-Ever KTM RC Cup Championship At MotoAmerica Season Finale
New Jersey Native Anthony Mazziotto Captures His Second Career-Victory in Home State
[caption id="attachment_56598" align="alignright"
width="300"] 2015 KTM RC Cup Top Five Finalists - Photo: Brian J.
Nelson[/caption]
The
2015 KTM RC Cup Championship came to a conclusion on Sunday
with the fifth and final round of the MotoAmerica Series in
Millville, New Jersey. Twenty-year-old Gage McAllister emerged as
the first-ever RC Cup Champion after capturing a race one victory
over his Canadian competitor, Braeden Ortt. Race two saw a
second-time winner with Anthony Mazziotto III shining bright in
front of his home state crowd and a season high number of 37 RC Cup
participants.
Mazziotto kicked off the weekend in a big way as he qualified
fastest in the timed sessions, claiming pole position for both
races. Behind the New Jersey native was a head-to-head battle
between McAllister and Ortt, who entered the final round with a
22-point gap in the championship standings.
McAllister began in the fifth place position, where he quickly made
his way into a multi-way battle for the lead position. Ortt, who
injured his right hand during an earlier qualifying session, came
into race one with a thirteenth place start position. The Canadian
pushed his way into the sixth place position, where he ultimately
finished in race one. Meanwhile, McAllister battled it out with
Mazziotto and Justin McWilliams for the top spot. In true form,
McAllister held strong to capture not only a race one victory, but
the first-ever RC Cup Championship.
[caption id="attachment_56599" align="alignright"
width="300"] 2015 KTM RC Cup New Jersey Podium - Photo: Brian J.
Nelson[/caption]
"It's a speechless moment," McAllister commented after the race. "I
enjoy racing a spec-series like the KTM RC Cup because it allows
the rider's talent to shine through and I look forward to seeing
the talent continue to grow each year."
Texas' Justin McWilliams held on to capture third place behind
Mazziotto in race one, proving his bid for a top-five position in
the championship standings. Pennsylvania's Benjamin Smith put in an
impressive showing in his RC Cup debut, claiming fourth place in
race one, while New Jersey's very own Brandon Paasch rounded out
the top five in only his second RC Cup appearance.
With the championship wrapped up, race two focused on the remaining
top-five positions, as four tickets to the World Final at
Silverstone were still up for grabs. Mazziotto got off to favorable
start and opened an even bigger gap when another rider made a
mistake to hold back the rest of the pack. It didn't take long for
Illinois native Jody Barry and newly-crowned champion McAllister to
jump into the lead battle, where the three riders swapped several
times for the top spot.
Unfortunately, Barry experienced a crash while battling for the
lead spot, which ultimately ended the race with a red flag.
Mazziotto and McAllister swapped positions but it was the New
Jersey native who came away with his second win of the season,
bumping himself into second place in the overall standings.
[caption id="attachment_56600" align="alignright"
width="300"] Gage McAllister 2015 KTM RC Cup New Jersey -
Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]
With McAllister at the helm, the top five riders in the U.S.-based
MotoAmerica Championship will head to the Silverstone Race Circuit
in Northamptonshire, UK to compete against the best five riders
from RC Cup youth series around the world at the penultimate round
of the British Superbike Championship at Silverstone on Oct. 2-4,
2015. Mazziotto will join McAllister, along with Braeden Ortt,
Hayden Schultz and Justin McWilliams to represent North America in
the World Final.
Additionally, the winner of the five-round U.S. RC Cup Series will
earn $3,500 in KTM Cash, while the second place finisher in the
championship standings will take home $2,500 in KTM Cash and third
place will earn $1,000 in KTM Cash.
The RC Cup Series features riders between the ages of 14 and
22-years-old who hold an AMA Superstock Limited license to
participate. All participants race aboard a 2015 KTM RC 390
Cup Racebike, designed as racing competition bikes (not
street-legal) and have been prepared by KTM with over 40 PowerParts
and other enhancements to increase racing
performance.
The 2015 KTM RC Cup Championship concluded this weekend, Sept.
11-13 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. For
more information, please visit www.ktmrccup.com.
KTM RC Cup Standings - Round 5 of 5
- Gage McAllister, 5 wins (172)
- Anthony Mazziotto III, 2 wins (137)
- Braeden Ortt, 2 wins (124)
- Hayden Schultz (88)
- Justin McWilliams (86)
- Brandon Altmeyer (71)
- Jody Barry (67)
- Josh Serne (67)
- Alejandro Gutierrez Mejia (63)
- Brandon Paasch (55)