AMCN has been following Jacob Stroud, 20yo son of nine-times NZ Superbike champion Andrew, for the past month as he’s raced in the AMA Junior Cup on a Kawasaki Ninja 400 for Quarteley Racing On Track Development. In his final diary report, he also has the news that he will be racing as a replacement for a rider in this 28-29 September round of the World Supersport 300 championship at Magny-Cours, France.
Well, that’s that. And now another adventure awaits this weekend.
Such an awesome experience in America racing for Quarterley Racing On Track Development and I’ve been lucky enough to continue over to Europe this weekend.
On the back of my results in the AMA Junior Cup series on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. I’m now racing at this weekend’s World Supersport 300 round at Magny-Cours, France in the Super Sport 300 class as a replacement for Dorren Loureiro in the Nutec-RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki.
Team manager Rob Vennegoor has already said in a team official press release: ‘I’m very happy that Jacob Stroud will ride this weekend. It is, of course, a big challenge for him, because we are already at the end of the season, but he knows how to ride fast on the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja 400. It’s also a special moment to have him in our team as I have often seen his father racing and competing in WorldSBK, 500cc GP and the many successes from him on the famous Britten bike.”
So I can only do what my father, Andrew, has told me over the years that I have been racing in New Zealand: “If you want to be successful just ride whatever you can, whenever you can and as fast as you can go.”
Thanks, Dad, for your advice. I feel I have done this over the last month or so.
Each weekend I’ve ridden on tracks I’d had never seen and that are so different and unfamiliar to what I have become accustomed too in the last seven years in New Zealand. To start each weekend six or so seconds down on the leaders to a little more than one-second finish in the last race was super encouraging for me.
It was an awesome result for me at the last round of the AMA championship at Barber Motorsport Park.
A ninth-place finish in race one and at the front of the second group behind the leading bunch was for sure an improvement after a slow qualifying but not what I was looking for, being 20 seconds off the podium. Great battles though and had to work super hard to get there.
Race two was going a lot better. Lost the front podium group from the start fighting my way through the field, and was 4 seconds back by lap 3. I spent the next 10 or so laps chipping away at the lead group and with two laps to go, I had closed the gap to just under a second and was pushing very, very hard to get into the group a fight for the podium. Turns out I was pushing a little too hard and folded the front dropping into turn 9.
My own fault, my own crash, perfectly alright just a little bummed because the podium was so close, only a second away with two laps to go.
Even though it ended in a crash, it was probably one of if not the best we have ridden while over here. Happy with myself on my consistency while pushing very hard and crashes happen so we just take it on the chin and move on.
I’ve had some good coaching from Eric Wood and team owner Dale Quarterley which I’ve already found can really impact results on the track.
As a whole, my riding has improved dramatically and I have acquired all these new skills I didn’t even know were there or know I was doing wrong so really can’t complain.
So now it’s off to Europe and I will see how I go in a one-off ride on the world stage for this class of racing.
As I head off I’d like to say thanks again to the people that have made all this possible and put a Kiwi on the other side of the world, living the dream. Kevin Grant from Kiwi Classic Moto has put in so much effort and I seriously cannot thank the man enough. Melissa Monroe Robbins thank you two so much for the opportunity of a lifetime and sorry for the years I stripped off you in the month I was there with stress and worry about having a young racer in your life.
Paul Arciszewski and Co, again thank you for putting up with me and if I am ever back in these parts I for sure will make a stop in your beautiful countryside.
Thank you to the team for putting up with me and fixing all the bikes I bend, offering advice and making changes to help me get closer to the front. And of course our two outstanding team coaches Dale Quarterley and Eric Woodwho took a man from his first qualifying in 22nd to fighting for the podium in 3 races. Absolute legends.
Spidi, Stylmartin and Nolangroup from Eurobike New Zealand kept me safe as I biffed it at the scenery 3 or 4 times and still have gear that are good to go when I need it next. The Macho Ache, Motorcycling New Zealand Inc, Hamilton Motorcycle Club Inc NZ and Lizard Racing NZ are all part of the crew that got me over here, thank you for your belief in me.
