NJ teen motorcycle racer goes pro on his home track
MILLVILLE, N.J. -- 19-year-old Brandon Paasch calls the winding tracks at New Jersey Motorsports Park his home.
Revving his engines on these courses brings back memories from the teen's childhood. When he was about 8 or 9 years old, his family would take him to Millville, NJ, to practice.
The raceway was freshly paved then, being installed in 2008. Shortly after, MotoAmerica started making annual visits with its American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike races.
"I always wanted to be racing here professionally and now it's actually happening," Paasch said, as he prepares to compete this weekend in MotoAmerica's supersport 600 class.
Paasch has already accomplished plenty in his less-than-two decades of life. In 2015, he won the 2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship at age 15.
Originally from Freehold Township, he recently came home from a two-year stay in the United Kingdom, where he made strides for America at British races. Paasch says he was the first American to win a British title, the 2019 British Motostar Championship.
"It's a shock living over there," he said. Whereas Paasch is considered to be young talent in the United States, he is one of the older competitors across the pond.
"Everybody's always looking at me like, wow, you're so young," he said. "But in my head I'm thinking I'm actually kind of old, because all these little kids in Europe are beating me all the time!"
He intends on pursuing a world title down the road while marking more records for American racers.
For now, he is happy to be in his home state competing at the track where he grew up learning to race. Having seen success there in the past, Paasch is hoping for a repeat when the series kicks off from September 11 to September 13.
For the last 12 years, New Jersey Motorsports Park has been a staple of Millville.
"I just love what it brings to the community," said Charity Giovanelli, Manager of Track Operations. "I've lived here my whole life. We've never had anything like it."
The park famously offers two race tracks on its 500-acre property along with a go-kart facility and on-site dining.
To learn more about the upcoming event, visit the NJMP website and the MotoAmerica website.
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