MotoAmerica Championship Series returns to Pittsburgh International Race Complex

When Ben Smith raced at Pittsburgh International Race Complex for the first time in 2017, he had a lot of momentum on his side with top finishes throughout the first half of that year’s MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup motorcycle series schedule.

The Downingtown, Pa., native and rising sophomore at Penn State Altoona earned points that August weekend which propelled him to the series title and gave him the chance to compete on the world stage in Spain a couple of months later.

Smith, 20, now in his third year as a member of MotoAmerica’s Supersport division, is hoping to keep climbing up the standings. Championship points will be on the line this weekend as Smith and dozens of the fastest motorcycle racers in the country will descend on Pittsburgh International in Wampum for the fourth round of the 2020 MotoAmerica Championship Series.

“Pittsburgh is probably one of my favorite tracks we go to throughout the country,” said Smith, who is seventh in the Supersport standings.

“They repaved the track a couple of years ago, so the pavement is really smooth and makes for a nice ride. The layout has a decent amount of elevations, some uphills and downhills. There are a lot of great views of the race for spectators. It always seems to draw a nice crowd.”

Racing in five classes begin with practice and qualifications Friday followed by two full days of racing.

Officials from MotoAmerica and Pittsburgh International stress that a full system of safety protocols for spectators, based on guidelines set forth by the state and several health agencies, will be implemented to ensure proper social distancing and sanitation precautions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“MotoAmerica always delivers a great weekend of competition, and we’re excited to have them back for the fourth year in a row,” said Kathy Stout, owner and general manager of Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

“Even though this racing season has presented some unique challenges, we are proud to work with MotoAmerica to provide our guests a fun, safe experience as they take in what is sure to be a thrilling weekend of racing.”

The 2020 MotoAmerica season was delayed nearly two months with the first three events postponed. The first event was in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., in late May. The series racers arrive in Pittsburgh after last weekend’s event in Atlanta.

“MotoAmerica did a great job in getting us back to racing,” Smith said. “The series is pretty well back on track while a bunch of other professional series are suffering right now. They were able to keep us going.

“The delay did give me more time to prepare for the season, so I guess you could see that as a positive. But it definitely was different that anything we’ve had before.”

There will be races Saturday and Sunday in the five main track classes — Superbike, Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup and Junior Cup. Gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. each day.

There also will be races in the Mini Cup of Motul featuring riders from ages 6 to 14 on mini bikes. Smith got his start in competitive racing on mini bikes nine years ago.

“I hope this weekend’s races will have the same atmosphere and hype around it from previous races,” Smith said. “Obviously, everyone is going to do their part to keep everyone as safe as possible. I hope to see a large crowd of people who want to go out and see the races.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit motoamerica.com/tickets.

“Our pool of racers considers Pitt Race to be one of the best tracks in the country, where historically we have seen some the closest and most exciting races of the series,” said Wayne Rainey, president of MotoAmerica.

“It’s the perfect setting to watch our athletes give their all, and we’re looking forward to continuing to facilitate safe ways for our riders and fans to interact.”