ELIAS & YOSHIMURA SUZUKI GETS 3RD MOTOAMERICA WIN

It was another impressive weekend for Yoshimura Suzuki team-mates Roger Hayden and Toni Elias in the MotoAmerica Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia at Road Atlanta in Braselton.

Elias continued one of the best debuts in the history of AMA Superbike racing by winning his third-consecutive series race, scoring victory in Road Atlanta’s opening race on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. And the Spanish former Moto2 World Champion did it this weekend on a track he’d never even seen before. However, the magical start to Elias’ 2016 season finally came to earth when he crashed-out of race two while chasing down the leaders.

Team-mate Roger Hayden also had a solid outing scoring two podiums aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, with a close second in race one and third in race two, his strong and steady performances in the first two stops of the 2016 MotoAmerica Superbike season earning him the series lead by a single point over Elias: 76-to-75 points.

Remarkably, Elias qualified second in Superpole 2, earning a front-row start. It was the fact that it was his first visit to the very technical Road Atlanta that made his front-row position so noteworthy, as Hayden headed-up row two after qualifying in fourth.

It was an electrifying race with four riders battling for the lead, but ahead on the 13th lap, team-mates Cameron Beaubier and Josh Hayes collided and the pair tumbled off into the gravel on the exit of turn 10B. Hayden took over at the point, but Elias was right there with him, and with a few laps to go, Elias took over and held-on to win by .343-of-a-second.

“I pushed and where I wanted to pass Roger, every lap was yellow flags, yellow flags, yellow flags…,” Elias said. “I did my best and he was there all the time. We got lucky because the leaders crashed-out and I’m sorry for that because they had good rhythm.”

In the afternoon race Hayden shadowed Beaubier and Hayes in third most of the way and that’s where he finished. Elias ran off the track in the early going and was actually reeling the leaders back-in when a little past the half-way stage, he crashed-out of fourth place in turn six; fortunately unhurt in the fall.

Hayden was happy with taking over the championship lead, but obviously still eager to earn his first win after being in the hunt in every race so far this season.

He said: “Obviously I can’t be too disappointed with two podiums and leaving here with the points lead. It was a good comeback for me at Road Atlanta after the disastrous weekend I had here last year; so overall I leave here feeling good going into New Jersey, but I’m really focused on getting some wins. The points lead is nice, but really doesn’t mean a whole lot this early in the championship. We’ve been there knocking on the door and I’d say I’m more than ready to break through to get a victory.”

Injured team rider Jake Lewis was on hand at Road Atlanta to meet fans and sign autographs as he continues to rehab from pre-season training injuries.

The 2016 MotoAmerica Championship now moves to New Jersey Motorsports Park on April 29-May 1st in Millville, New Jersey for the first of two visits to the circuit this season.

More, from a press release issued by  Riders Discount/Tuned Racing:

BRASELTON, Georgia (Apr. 19, 2016) — Riders Discount/Tuned Racing had a great start to their 2016 MotoAmerica season this weekend at the Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia at Road Atlanta. Rider Bryce Prince placed first in race one and finished second in race two for the Superstock 600 class. Prince leads the Superstock 600 Championship with 45 points after the race weekend.

“I am very happy with how the first round of MotoAmerica went at Road Atlanta,” said Prince. “We were able to bring home a win in the first race of the season, and wrap it up with second place in race two. We are currently leading the Superstock 600 Championship after round one and look to further the gap throughout the rest of the season. I have to thank my whole Riders Discount/Tuned Racing and Quicksilver Powersports Lubricants crew for keeping our setup and my bike on top. I would like to give direct thanks to my crew chief Rocky Stargel, and my two mechanics Weslie Eastveld and Randy Wheeler. Huge thanks to Chuck Graves for providing me with the best bike on the grid! We are looking forward to the next round in New Jersey.”

Jason Aguilar saw improvement as he went from 12th in the warm up to placing eighth in race one. Unfortunately Aguilar had to withdraw from race two due to a mechanical issue, leaving him in 18th place.

“The first race of the MotoAmerica Superstock 600 season was over just as soon as it came around,” said Aguilar. “The first practice went very well as we were shaking down the bike and relearning the Road Atlanta track. After the qualifying session we still had some setup changes to make but I was confident in my team to make the right changes. During race one my bike had an issue into turn 10 and ran off track losing a ton of time and almost every position. I came back on track in 24th then pushed hard to make up time and get back in the race. After some very hard passes I found myself in the group battling for eighth place. I had more pace than them but played it smart as there was a huge gap to the group in front of us. I sat back and made my move on the last lap to finish eighth. After a frustrating race one I knew what I needed for a successful race two. I was able to perfect my start and rocketed my bike off the line. Unfortunately I had to withdraw from the race due to mechanical issues. Although I’m frustrated with the way race two turned out, I am taking away the positives from it and working towards a good setup for the next round. I really can’t thank my team and everyone involved with us enough for everything they do for me. I’d like to personally thank my crew chief Curtice and mechanic Blair for all of their hard work. Until Jersey!”

2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship Point Standings as of 4/17/16:

1. Bryce Prince, 45 points

2. Travis Wyman, 35 points

3. Dakota Mamola, 31 points

4. JC Camacho, 26 points

5. Conner Blevins, 24 points

About Riders Discount:

Riders Discount (www.ridersdiscount.com) is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company founded by racers, Riders Discount offers equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide, backed by a knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service.

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia HSBK Racing:

Aprilia HSBK Racing claims Aprilia’s first ever 1000cc win in America

Houston, TX (April 19, 2016) Aprilia HSBK Racing went into round two of MotoAmerica’s Superstock 1000 championship with fierce determination. After a DNF and a second place finish at the first round in Austin, the team knew they needed to come back strong at Road Atlanta. They did just that with Aprilia’s first ever 1000cc win in America during race 1 and another podium finish in third for race 2.

Rider Claudio Corti went into the weekend without any prior knowledge of the course at Road Atlanta. This is something the team will overcome at most of the remaining seven rounds. Corti proved his talent by overcoming this and other obstacles throughout the weekend. After two practice sessions Friday and one practice session Saturday, he qualified to go straight to Superpole 2 with the 3rd fastest time in class and 7th fastest overall time. Saturday afternoon the top 12 riders went out for Superpole 2 to determine grid position for Sunday’s races. The team struggled during qualifying, but ended up qualifying 11th overall.

During the Sunday warmup, Corti was able to put down the fastest Superstock times. Race one Corti once again put his riding skills on display as he charged forward to make up ground. After 22 laps, he brought home a first place finish. However, the day was not over. The team hit the track again a few hours later for race two. They started the race with a flat front and were forced to change tires on the starting grid. Once the race started, Corti again pulled ahead, but later in the race, an intense battle began for the Superstock riders. He pushed through the final laps and ended up on the podium in third place.

The team is pleased with the points collected. They look forward to continuing to tune the bikes and highlighting the Aprilia and Corti’s talent. Team owner, Bobby Shek, noted, “The team did an incredible job this weekend. The guys put in countless hours to make sure we put the best bike possible out there. Claudio did a great job learning the track and pushing the bike. I know he will continue that through the next rounds and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish. We are pleased to have made a bit of Aprilia history this weekend and look forward to continuing our growth.”

HSBK Racing would like to thank Piaggio North America, Aprilia Racing, Houston Superbikes, Bel-Ray, K-Tech Suspension, Pilot Motorsports, Motion Pro, Portable Shade, EVOL Technology, Galfer USA, Ferodo Brake Pads, Capit, GB Racing, Full Spectrum, Sunstar, Zero Gravity, DNA Air Filters, RaceSeats, Samco Sport, DB Holders, BikesPlast, Austin Racing, Fast Frank Racing, Cox Racing, Sidi, Nolan Helmets, Andrew Swenson Design, and Drippin Wet.

Aprilia HSBK Racing

Aprilia USA has officially partnered with HSBK Racing to lead the MotoAmerica program and to provide racing development services for privateers competing on Aprilia RSV4 machines. For more information on the team, updates after testing sessions, sponsor spotlights and race recaps, follow HSBK Racing on Facebook.

Houston Superbikes

Established in 2005, Houston Superbikes caters to motorcycle enthusiasts with its diverse line of high performance bikes, parts and apparel. Houston Superbikes is proud to offer their own line of carbon fiber and billet accessories for racing and street applications. Offering dyno tuning, engine building services and suspension setup, they are an industry leader in building race machines. For more information regarding Houston Superbikes, or to find out what they can do for you, please visit www.houstonsuperbikes.com