Beaubier Sweeps NJMP Superbike Doubleheader
Petersen Wins First Career Supersport Final
MILLVILLE, NJ – Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier had a perfect day in imperfect weather at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion winning both races on a rainy day to vault himself back into championship contention.
Beaubier, who started the day seventh in the championship, scored a perfect 50 points in trying conditions as rainstorms invaded south New Jersey and wreaked havoc on a hectic Sunday at NJMP. When the day concluded at dusk, Beaubier had gone from seventh to second in the series standings – just four points behind his teammate Josh Hayes. Hayes, the four-time series champion, finished second in both races but wasn’t able to match the pace thrown down by his young teammate.
For Beaubier the two victories were the 13th and 14th of his Superbike career with those two wins moving him into a tie for 10th on the all-time AMA Superbike win list with former World Champions Eddie Lawson and Scott Russell.
“To be honest at the beginning I was kind of stressed out,” Beaubier said after his race-two win. “I felt a lot better than in the first race today, feeling-wise I felt a little bit faster. I came by and I had half a second and the next lap I was like ‘Oh, man this is going to be good.’ I came back around and it said (plus) .0. I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ I put my head down and just kept pushing. I knew Josh was right there and it seemed like he made a little bobble and I came by and it said ‘Plus 2.’ It just started growing from there and I just tried to ride as smart as I could and eased my way around the track at the end. And I was able to do the double.”
Hayes moved into the championship points lead with his two second-place finishes today, the 41-year-old veteran making the most of Roger Hayden’s second-race crash to take the top spot. Hayes has 92 points to Beaubier’s 88 with Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden dropping to third with 83 points. Hayden had finished ninth in race one after struggling with the treacherous conditions.
“There’s not too many times in my career that I can say that I settled for a position,” Hayes said after race two. “Really early on I kinda made a run at Cam (Beaubier) but the risk factor was going up extremely high. I don’t know if his bike was handling a little bit better than mine that he could continue to ride like that. We had a big gap and it was hard not to just say, ‘Oh, well, I don’t have the pace and I’m not fast enough to ride with Cam and I’m going to take what I’ve got here.’ I figured the guys would beat me with a hammer if I came back in the crash truck from that race.”
Hayden’s teammate Toni Elias also struggled, the Spaniard finishing out of the points in race one and then finishing 12th in race two. Elias is now fourth in the championship with 79 points – 13 points behind Hayes.
If Beaubier had a great day, then so too did Claudio Corti, the Italian and his HSBK Aprilia finishing third overall in both Superbike races and first in the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class. The two Superstock wins vaulted him into the championship points’ lead with 111 points – nine clear of Wheels In Motion/Meen Motorsports’ Josh Herrin.
“I lose many positions (avoiding the crashing Jake Gagne on the first lap),” Corti said. “I was scared because I almost hit him. I had to brake hard and almost stop and then restart, but I had to keep concentrated because it was only the first lap. There were 15 laps to go and I kept pushing. After a few laps I saw Hayden Gillim in front of me so I tried to catch him and I did. I’m pretty happy and I have to say thanks to the marshals for cleaning the track and everyone for working so hard the last two nights because I crash. And here we are again and I can’t wait for the next race.”
Two others had noteworthy days in the Superbike class: Larry Pegram and Hayden Gillim. Pegram ended up fourth and sixth on the M4 Suzuki as the replacement rider for the recently retired Chris Ulrich; and Cycle World Suzuki’s Gillim earned his first career Superstock 1000 podium with his second-place finish (and fourth overall) in race two. Gillim was 10th in race one.
The second Supersport race was also held on Sunday at NJMP with M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s Cameron Petersen scoring his first career win. The South African was chasing Joe Roberts in the second part of the re-started Supersport final when Roberts crashed out, handing the victory to Petersen.
“It was a tough race,” Petersen said. “I knew that I stood a better chance in these conditions. The first part of the race this morning before the re-start was tricky. There was a lot of standing water. Like these guys said, thanks to MotoAmerica for keeping our safety in mind. We just had to put that behind us (the crash) because we knew it wasn’t our fault. I lined up for the second part, got a pretty good start and then once Joe passed us it seemed like he had a really good pace. I followed him around for most of the race and on the last lap he was pushing hard and pulled a gap on me. Then he kind of gifted me the win and I couldn’t be happier.”
Second place went to Petersen’s teammate Valentin Debise, the Frenchman ending up 7.6 seconds behind Petersen and some nine seconds ahead of Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha’s JD Beach, the winner of Saturday’s race one.
Beach’s third-place finish combined with Garrett Gerloff’s crash in the first portion of the race (a crash that also involved Beach and Petersen) and non-start in the second part, moved Beach to within two points of Gerloff in the championship. Gerloff now leads Beach, 95-93. Debise is third in the standings with 87 points and Petersen has 59 points in fourth. Roberts slips to fifth with 53 points after his crash in race two.
There was another first-time winner on Sunday with Double B Racing’s Jody Barry taking his first career win in the KTM RC Cup. Barry beat Saturday’s winner Brandon Paasch to the line by just .333 of a second with Josh Serne earning his first career KTM Cup podium in third. Serne was just .365 behind Barry.
“I was thankful for the rain today,” Barry said. “In the dry I just wasn’t getting it because the draft was killing me. With my size, I can maybe get a little better grip in the corners in the wet.”
SUPERBIKE RACE 1: 1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha); 2. Josh Hayes (Yamaha); 3. Claudio Corti (Aprilia); 4. Larry Pegram (Suzuki); 5. Jake Gagne (Yamaha); 6. Corey Alexander (Ducati); 7. Ryan Jones (Yamaha); 8. Danny Eslick (Yamaha); 9. Roger Hayden (Suzuki); 10. Hayden Gillim (Suzuki).
SUPERBIKE RACE 2: 1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha); 2. Josh Hayes (Yamaha); 3. Claudio Corti (Aprilia); 4. Hayden Gillim (Suzuki); 5. Corey Alexander (Ducati); 6. Larry Pegram (Suzuki); 7. Taylor Knapp (Yamaha); 8. Ryan Jones (Yamaha); 9. Danny Eslick (Yamaha); 10. Josh Herrin (Yamaha).
SUPERSPORT RACE 2: 1. Cameron Petersen (Suzuki); 2. Valentin Debise (Suzuki); 3. JD Beach (Yamaha); 4. Dakota Mamola (Yamaha); 5. Andy DiBrino (Yamaha); 6. JC Camacho (Yamaha); 7. Benny Solis Jr. (Honda); 8. Travis Wyman (Yamaha); 9. Bryce Prince (Yamaha); 10. Mark Rhoades (Kawasaki).
KTM RACE 2: 1. Jody Barry; 2. Brandon Paasch; 3. Josh Serne; 4. Anthony Mazziotto III; 5. Cory Ventura; 6. John Knowles; 7. Alejandro Gutierrez; 8. Ashton Yates; 9. Jaret Nassaney; 10. Jackson Blackmon.
More, from a press release issued by Yamalube/Westby Racing:
Dustin Meador Pilots The #300 Yamalube/Westby Racing YZF-R1 To Double Top-Ten Finishes At New Jersey
Tulsa, OK – May 2, 2016 – Climbing aboard the golden-hued Yamalube/Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 when, on Thursday, it was determined that rider Josh Day would be unable to compete at New Jersey Motorsports Park due to the fractured thumb that he suffered a Road Atlanta in Round 2 of the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North Americans Roadracing Championship, team technician Dustin Meador displayed his considerable racing talents by negotiating the tricky track conditions on a rainy weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
After qualifying 13th in MotoAmerica’s Superstock 1000 class on Saturday, Dustin successfully completed both of Sunday’s Superbike races, and he improved his finishing position in both feature events, ultimately recording two top-ten results.
In Superbike Race 1, Dustin finished eighth in class and ahead of Superbike rider and former World Champion Toni Elias. And then, in Superbike Race 2, the Tulsa native and long-time Westby employee finished ninth in class and just behind Superbike rider Roger Hayden.
Dustin raced smoothly in both Superbike races and avoided the drama that befell several of his competitors who were caught out by the heavily falling rain and slippery track conditions.
“It was so fun riding the Yamalube/Westby Racing Yamaha R1 at New Jersey,” Dustin said. “The bike does everything well, and it made my job a lot easier, that’s for sure. My initial goal was to qualify, then to finish both races. So, getting eight- and ninth-place finishes in the two races was definitely the icing on the cake for me. I was proud to represent the team as their rider this past weekend. It’s unfortunate that Josh couldn’t give it a go, but we’re all family at Yamalube/Westby Racing, and I’m always ready to help the family in any way I can, just like everyone else on the team. Personally, it was a dream come true for me to be able to race the #00 R1, even though MotoAmerica required that we add a #3 to the iconic number. #300 was fine with me!”
The Yamalube/Westby Racing team will be back in action in two weeks as the MotoAmerica Championship will be at VIRginia international Raceway for the Yamaha Superbike Challenge of Virginia on May 13 – May 15.
For more updates on Yamalube/Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit http://www.WestbyRacing.com
Also, visit “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media site.
About Yamalube
Located in Kennesaw, GA, under Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.’s (YMUS) Customer Support Group (CSG), Yamalube formulates the only oil “built around” the unique demands, operating characteristics, and applications of the various motorsports engines produced. In 1967, after more than a decade of racing and countless wins, Yamaha set off to conquer a new arena–racing oil. Collaborating with Yamaha engine designers, Yamalube’s global oil engineers formulate each oil from scratch, to be engine- and application-specific. Yamalube also makes lubricants, quality care products, maintenance products, fork oils, fuel additives, and adhesives. To find out more, visit http://www.shopyamaha.com
Get connected with “YamalubeUSA” on your favorite social media platforms.
More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki:
RAIN HALTS YOSHIMURA SUZUKI’S MOMENTUM IN NEW JERSEY
Bad Weekend for Hayden and Elias Drop Team from atop Superbike Standings
Chino, CA (May 2, 2016) – Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Roger Hayden and Toni Elias had a tough, cold and rainy weekend to say the least at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ. Hayden lost the MotoAmerica Superbike points lead finishing ninth in race one and then crashing in the second race. Hayden remounted to finish 17th, but he missed out on scoring points. Teammate Elias was able to finish both races, but also suffered through a difficult outing finishing 18th and 12th in the two legs.
Hayden qualified his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 on the front row Saturday, in third with a time of 1:21.641 in Superbike Superpole 2. Elias started from row two after qualifying sixth with a time of 1:22.285.
Sunday brought rainy and cool weather all day and proved to be difficult conditions for the Yoshimura Suzuki pair. Hayden could not find any confidence with the track, citing sealer patches as his biggest issue. Even though Elias already has three MotoAmerica Superbike wins to his credit, he feels he’s still learning the Yoshimura Suzuki and found the combination of a new track and wet conditions a major challenge.
In the first leg Sunday, Hayden raced to an uncharacteristic ninth-place finish. Elias meanwhile struggled mightily in the steady rain and lost positions as the race progressed to finish 18th.
Hayden was determined to earn a better finish in race two and nailed a good start and ran third in the early laps, but on lap three he hit one of the tricky patches on the circuit and crashed. Even though it was a high-speed fall, Hayden scrambled to his downed machine and was able to get back underway. He came back from last and earned back several positions to ultimately finish 17th, missing a points-scoring position by two spots.
“We definitely struggled in the wet this weekend,” Hayden said. “We made some changes in race two and I felt a lot better. I was running third and was really just cruising. I knew I didn’t have the pace to run with the top two guys. I was just going to settle in and out of nowhere the rear end came around and spit me off. There’s so much sealer around this track it’s like riding on ice or something. That’s the way it goes. We’ll regroup and head to Virginia and try to get back on the podium.”
Elias found better pace in the second race and improved six spots to take 12th.
“It was a tough weekend,” said Elias, who won the first three rounds of the season. “I struggled a lot in wet conditions so in the first race I wasn’t able to get into the points. We improved a lot for the second race and take home some points, but it’s not what we want of course. I need more kilometers on the Suzuki in wet conditions to find the right set ups. We have to accept and continue fighting and the next one we’ll be better for sure.”
As a result of the tough weekend in New Jersey, Hayden and Elias fell from first and second in the series standings. Hayden is now third with 83 points, nine points out of the series lead, while Elias is fourth with 79 points.
In two weeks the MotoAmerica Championship moves to Virginia Motorsports Park in Alton, Virginia, on May 13-15. The races will be televised on beIN SPORTS.
You can keep up with the team’s progress by visiting www.yoshimura-racing.com and via YouTube at www.yoshimura-racing.com
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki Motor of America, Motorex, Dunlop, Parts Unlimited, Shorai, Sunstar, K&N Performance Filters, NGK Spark Plugs, RK Racing Chain, Kushitani, Zeta and Chicken Hawk Racing.
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com
More, from a press release issued by #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati:
Alexander Scores Double Podium @ NJMP in #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati Debut!
Corey Alexander and the new #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati team impressed the entire paddock this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park for round three of the 2016 MotoAmerica race season in cold and wet conditions. Alexander was able to move through the combined Superbike and SuperStock 1000 field from his 17th place starting grid position on his #23 Ducati Panigale R to finish second in race one, and sixth overall, riding with skill and smoothness despite challenging conditions. Race two saw Alexander again move forward to finish third in SuperStock 1000, and fifth overall on the Panigale R. Corey’s pace was as fast as the race leaders, a comfortable two to three seconds a lap quicker than the rest of the field once he had distanced himself mid-race. Special thanks to Brian Sharp and his crew for building a great bike in such a short time frame before the race, and for the support provided. Additional thanks to Steve Saucier and Tim Warners for technical assistance and crew duties this weekend. Thanks also to our entire #RideHVMC family, especially those who made it down to NJMP and supported the team effort!
Scoring two podium finishes in his return to racing, on a new bike, with a new team, shows that Corey Alexander has serious potential to succeed this season. Corey stated “I think it’s safe to say we exceeded our expectations. I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. As a team, we went into this weekend as if it was just a test and we ended up leaving with two podium finishes. Most importantly we kept the Ducati Panigale R off the ground in tough conditions, and learned quite a bit about the bike. I can’t thank Richie, Jon, and Brian enough, as well as my whole HVMC family for making this all possible. It really has been a family effort. I’m excited to head to Road America in a few weeks, one of my favorite tracks. Thanks to all of the team sponsors and all of my personal sponsors for taking great care of me!” Corey’s personal sponsors include: American Kargo, Arai Helmets, Boxed Water Is Better, Defy All Odds Apparel, JP43 Training & STAR School, Lapizta Watches, Outdoor Tech, Spidi Leathers, and XPD Boots. Follow Corey on social media via instagram.com/corey23alexander, twitter.com/corey5alexander, and facebook.com/corey23alexander!
The #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati program owes a tremendous amount of gratitude to The Freeman Family, MJRS Freeman Racing, and Jon Freeman for the incredible assistance and continued confidence that they have provided for the team’s success this weekend. The team has eclipsed expectations with incredible professionalism and the two podium finishes this weekend are even more impressive considering the short time frame between the initial conception and the race results on Sunday. Jon Freeman stated that “this weekend was wet and wonderful. Corey, the #RideHVMC team, and the Ducati Panigale R exceeded my expectations. Our goal for this round was to collect data and improve our understanding of the Panigale R. Leaving with two podiums with less then 50 pre-race laps was incredible validation of the program’s potential!”
Team manager Richie Alexander stated that “I’m totally ecstatic with how the #RideHVMC team performed, as well as how the crew came together and worked so well together. Corey has clearly elevated his riding, and is ready to show everyone what the Ducati Panigale R is capable of, and we are looking forward to some dry testing and racing! Huge thanks to the Freeman Family for all their help to make this possible!” #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati team sponsors include: Hudson Valley Motorcycles, MJRS Freeman Racing, Akrapovic, Armour Bodies, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CNC Racing, Design Star, K-Tech Suspension, LJ Painting, MOB Racing, New Rage Cycles, Orient Express, Signs Ink, Sprint Filter, Superlite Sprockets, TrakTape, Vesrah, Videri, and Zero Gravity Windscreens. #RideHVMC Freeman Racing Ducati is actively seeking additional partners for the 2016 season and beyond. If you have any interest in learning more about our program and its future plans, please contact us via email – [email protected]!
#RideHVMC is the home of all things rad by Hudson Valley Motorcycles, a family owned Ducati dealership in Ossining New York, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016. As lovers of two wheeled machines, we often find ourselves engulfed in a huge variety of activities which range from our own race team, custom bike builds, and assorted events and track schools. #RideHVMC was founded so we could share our passion for the sport and ongoing projects with all of our friends and fans in one place! #RideHVMC will give you insight into what is going on at Hudson Valley Motorcycles on a day-to-day basis. #RideHVMC is not a company, nor is it a traditional brand. It is our family, and you’re invited to join us at the dealership, the racetrack, or on the streets and backroads! Please visit www.hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com and www.ridehvmc.com to learn more!