Matthew Miles

Following a promising debut in the MotoAmerica Supersport class, former KTM RC Cup Champion Brandon Paasch is not racing this weekend at Utah Motorsports Campus, which is hosting the fifth round of the 2017 series.

After splitting with M4 Suzuki following Round 3 at VIRginia International Raceway, the 16-year-old New Jersey native negotiated a ride on a TSE Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 at Road America, where he finished 10th in Supersport Race 1 and fifth in Race 2.

“Road America was a crazy kind of deal,” Paasch said. “That is TSE Racing’s home track, so they were going to be there anyway. I already had a MotoAmerica license, so we really just needed to buy fuel and tires, that kind of stuff.”

Paasch says the transition from a Suzuki GSX-R600 to a Yamaha YZF-R6 wasn’t a big deal for him. “Going the other way, from a Yamaha to a Suzuki, would have been a little more difficult,” he admitted. “The Suzuki was a little more work to ride than the Yamaha.

“The Suzuki is really good on the brakes and comes off the corner really well. With the Yamaha, you can carry a little more mid-corner speed. If you keep the rpm up, you can get the drive off the corner.”

This weekend, Paasch is at home, training for a planned return to the series at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, August 25-27, meaning he will also miss the nationals at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 7-9, and Sonoma Raceway, August 11-13.