Brandon Paasch has found success road racing on each side of the Atlantic Ocean, and the 18-year-old from Freehold, N.J., is proving that American riders have what it takes to succeed in the highly competitive ranks of motorcycle road racing abroad.

Paasch is the 2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC 390 Cup champion and the 2019 British Motostar Moto3 GP champ.

Paasch said he threw a leg over his first motorcycle, a Honda Z50, at age 2 and competed in motocross before making the switch to road racing. He made his pro road racing debut in 2015, scoring a second-place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

During the 2015-2016 off-season, Paasch tried to find a ride in the British Moto3 Class, but couldn’t find the sponsorship he needed.

Instead, he put in a dominating performance in the 2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC 390 Cup, scoring six wins and 14 podium finishes to win the class title.

Paasch made the move across the Atlantic to the Motostar British Championship, which uses Moto3-spec machines, for the 2018 season.

He returned to the British Moto3 GP Class for 2019 and won the championship, scoring seven victories and 14 podium finishes in 18 races. Paasch claimed the class title.

Paasch also is the first American to compete in the FIM Moto3 Class, finishing 29th at the 2019 British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit on Aug. 25.

While he’s found success on the track in the United Kingdom, Paasch said, the transition to living and competing overseas hasn’t been easy.

He also said he’s had to change his riding style to accommodate the grand prix-style motorcycles he races now.

“Overall, you can just push the [Moto3] bike much harder than you could on a 390 or a 600,” he said. “The thing just doesn’t move around as much and really likes to be ridden wheels inline, whereas a street bike you can get away with being a bit more loose on the entry or exit of a corner.”

Paasch’s advice to other American riders aiming to road race overseas is to make sure they have a strong racing resume before making the move, research the team and series and make sure there’s enough funding in place before heading overseas.

“If you’re just barely making it happen and are sacrificing equipment and testing time, then it’s not really worth it to spend the money,” he said.