HAYDEN COMES WITHIN INCHES OF VICTORY AT LAGUNA SECA
Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike Nipped by 84-1000th of a Second
MONTEREY, CA (July 20, 2015) – Roger Hayden came within a blink of an eye of winning in a thrilling finish at MotoAmerica AMA Superbike Race two on his Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing GSX-R1000 at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Hayden actually passed for the lead on the final turn, only to run just a tad wide and getting passed back. At the checkered flag Hayden was nipped by 0.084 seconds by Cameron Beaubier. It was an exciting race for the fans and agonizingly close for Hayden, who has been edging ever closer to victory this season.
The Laguna Seca weekend, a combined World Superbike/MotoAmerica event, was struck by tragedy when racers Bernat Martinez and Daniel Rivas Fernandez died from injuries sustained in a multi-rider crash at the start of MotoAmerica Superbike Race two.
Hayden finished on the podium in both MotoAmerica Superbike legs at Laguna Seca, moving him up to third in the series standings. Jake Lewis finished fourth in both Superbike rounds at Laguna Seca. In Race two he fought back after running off the track.
Hayden qualified on the front row at Laguna with a time of 1:24.776 in Superpole. Rookie teammate Lewis clocked a 1:25.514 on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to qualify fourth and head up the second row.
Hayden and Lewis finished third and fourth in Race one, which was run in half-wet, half-dry conditions. In Race two Hayden actually led portions of the race, passing early leader Josh Hayes to take the point. Hayden was then passed by Cameron Beaubier, but fought back hard and on the final lap made a pass attempt going through the final corner. He temporarily got into the lead, but ran just wide and was repassed. Hayden tried one last time to get around Beaubier, but came up short by mere inches.
Lewis talked about his first outing in Monterey on a Superbike. “It wasn’t the Laguna Seca I was hoping for,” Lewis said. “I was a little off all weekend, but the team and I did our best. Race one was in difficult conditions and I had a nice battle with Roger for the podium spot. Race two I struggled quite a lot throughout the race then ran off the track late which cost me a few positions. My condolences go out to the families of the two fallen riders in our race yesterday.”
For Hayden battling for victory was a boost to his confidence.
“The second race it was so much fun battling for the win,” said Hayden, who now has 11 podium finishes in 14 races. “I got a great start and had an awesome race. The bike was working so good – I’ve got to thank my team for that. We led a lot of laps. I tried to make a pass on the last corner on the last lap, but I just couldn’t make it stick. It’s a little disappointing to get second after being that close, but it was good to be battling for the win all the way to the end.
“I want to send my condolences to the family, friends and teams of Bernat Martinez and Daniel Rivas (Fernandez). May they find peace during this difficult time.”
Next up for Yoshimura Suzuki is the combined MotoGP/MotoAmerica event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 7-9.
Laguna Seca MotoAmerica Superbike Race one Results:
1. Josh Hayes (Yam)
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yam)
3. Roger Hayden (Suzuki)
4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
5. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
6. Bernat Martinez (Yam)
7. Kevin Pinkstaff (Kaw)
8. Elena Myers (Suzuki)
9. Chris Fillmore (KTM)
10. Daniel Rivas (BMW)
Laguna Seca MotoAmerica Superbike Race two Results:
1. Cameron Beaubier (Yam)
2. Roger Hayden (Suzuki)
3. Josh Hayes (Yam)
4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
5. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
6. Elena Myers (Suzuki)
7. Chris Fillmore (KTM)
8. Mathew Orange (BMW)
2015 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship Points:
1. Josh Hayes (Yam), 286
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yam), 286
3. Roger Hayden (Suzuki), 205
4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki), 197
5. Bernat Martinez (Yam), 127
6. Elena Myers (Suzuki), 112
7. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki), 103
8. Danny Eslick (Honda), 92
9. Chris Fillmore (KTM), 82
10. Mathew Orange (Honda), 40
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki Motor of America, Motorex, Parts Unlimited, Dunlop, Shorai, Sunstar, K&N Performance Filters, NGK Spark Plugs, RK Racing Chain, Genmark Automation, Pilot, Chicken Hawk Racing and Zeta.
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 Millennium Technologies/KWR:
Top-tens across the board for Millennium Technologies/KWR at Laguna Seca
SALINAS, Calif. (July 20) — All three Wyman brothers earned top-ten finishes in their respective races this past weekend during the MotoAmerica Superbike Challenge at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Eldest brother Kyle achieved 7th place in Supersport while Travis and Cody finished 5th and 10th respectively in Superstock 600.
The shortened race weekend while sharing the track with the FIM World Superbike Championship allowed little time for the KWR team to get up to speed. Kyle qualified 7th on his Millennium Technologies Yamaha after struggling in the waning moments of the session.
“We had really great pace early on in the weekend,” Kyle said. “We got our suspension working great and finished the first qualifying session fifth fastest, right up there with the front guys. In qualifying two we had an issue with a cold tire and didn’t have an opportunity to improve on our lap time.”
Wyman launched from his grid spot to settle into a race-long battle with fellow competitors Corey Alexander and Hayden Gillim before breaking away to a three second lead over the chasing duo. He came across the line in 7th, a familiar finishing position for the New Yorker.
“I made some mistakes early on which caused me to lose the lead pack, and I got tangled up with some guys,” Wyman added. “My focus from there was just to put down fast laps and try to break them, and I’m glad I was able to do that. We are definitely making headway even though the finishing position hasn’t changed much. Once everything clicks I know we’ll be fighting in the top-five and for podium spots. I think the next round at Indianapolis will be a great race track for KWR as I’ve won there before.”
In Saturday’s Superstock 600 race, younger brothers Travis and Cody battled from their grid positions for the 16-lap final to finish in the top-five and top-ten respectively. Travis fought for the final step on the podium all the way to the checkered flag.
“I really thought I had third place in the bag,” Travis said. “I had the pace on those guys, but unfortunately I got caught out by lapped traffic in the last three laps. Sometimes you get lucky with traffic like that and other times it can hurt you. In this case, I didn’t come out as lucky.”
Travis still maintains 3rd in the Superstock 600 series championship. Cody fought from his 14th spot on the grid to add another top-ten finish to his résumé.
“It was a tough weekend, having to learn a brand new race track with so little track time,” Cody said. “I missed a couple rounds but I’m glad I had the opportunity to race at Laguna Seca for the first time and fly the flag for Millennium Technologies. I’m really looking forward to the final race of the season at New Jersey Motorsports Park.”
The Supersport series resumes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix August 7-9, 2015 – Superstock 600 will not compete at that event.
The entire Millennium Technologies/KWR team will finish the season at the finale race at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 11-13, 2015 with all three brothers in their respective classes.
Stay up to date with KWR by visiting www.kylewymanracing.com
About Millennium Technologies:
Millennium Technologies is a premier supplier of high performance engine services and parts for many types of vehicles, notably in the powersports market. Starting in 1997 as a Nickel-Silicon-Carbide cylinder relating and servicing company, Millennium Technologies has branched out into complete service for cylinders, heads, crankshafts and top-ends and also supplies relevant parts such as pistons, gaskets, camshafts and more by working with OEMs, dealers, race teams and weekend mechanics. Millennium Technologies is also the parent company of its extended branches Revolution Performance, Xport CNC Services, Ballistic Performance Components and Forward Motion. For more information visit www.mt-llc.com
About Kyle Wyman Racing:
Kyle Wyman Racing (KWR) was formed in 2011 as a motorcycle road racing team focusing on healthy sponsorship opportunities for companies within and outside the motorcycle industry. KWR is the 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson series championship winning team and current partner with Millennium Technologies family of companies. For more information visit www.kylewymanracing.com
More, from a press release issued by Yamalube/Westby Racing:
Morning Rain Did Not Dampen The Spirit Of Yamalube/Westby Racing As Josh Day Finishes Strong At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA – Changeable track conditions on Sunday morning at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca forced the MotoAmerica Superbike and Superstock 1000 teams and riders to make some tough decisions on tires. Due to a wet, but drying track, and skies that were still threatening to rain in Race 1, the choice of whether to race on slicks, full rain tires, intermediate tires, or some combination of those options was an important one.
The Yamalube/Westby Racing team chose full rain tires, since it appeared that the wet track was going to stay that way for the entire race due to the expectation of continued precipitation. When that didn’t happen, and the track quickly began to dry, the softer-compound rain tires became an insurmountable issue for Josh Day, the rider of the #00 Yamalube/Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1. Forced to return to the pits, Josh’s crew replaced the heavily worn rear rain tire on his bike with a racing slick. He quickly went back out on track with improved traction, and proceeded to systematically make it all the back up to eighth place in the Superstock 1000 field by the time the checkered flag flew.
For Race 2, held late in the afternoon, the weather conditions were greatly improved and yielded a dry race from start to finish, enabling Josh to get a good start and run fast laptimes. He looked all set to get third in the race, but a lapped rider thwarted his potential podium. The friendly Floridian ultimately had to settle for fourth place to end the weekend.
Commenting on his first-ever weekend of racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Josh said, “All things considered, I’m happy with the way Laguna went for me this weekend. It was my first time here, and I feel like we did well. It would have been nice to get on the podium in the second race, but I got balked behind a lapped rider. It cost me time and allowed the rider behind me to get past me right at the end of the race. There wasn’t enough track left to try to make a move back into second, and put the #00 Yamalube/Westby Racing R1 on the podium. So, now, we turn our focus to Indianapolis where I am determined to be on the podium for both races there.”
As Josh alluded to, Yamalube/Westby Racing will return to action on the weekend of August 7-9, when the MotoAmerica series shares the world stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Watch Round 7 Of The MotoAmerica Championship on CBS Sports
MotoAmerica Round 7 from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will air on Sunday, July 26, at 2:00 PM EST, with a re-air later that day at 5:00 PM EST and a second re-air on Wednesday, July 29, at 8:00 PM.
For the complete MotoAmerica TV broadcast schedule on CBS Sports Network, visit http://www.motoamerica.com/motoamerica-tv-schedul…
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. Get connected with “YamalubeUSA” on your favorite social media platform.
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer PR:
ANTHONY RETURNS TO THE PODIUM AT LAGUNA SECA
M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s David Anthony pulled off a spectacular charge to return to the podium during Sunday’s MotoAmerica Supersport race at Laguna Seca. The Australian completed perhaps the most impressive ride of his 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Championship ’15 season, pushing hard to finish third with the world watching on during this combined Superbike World Championship/MotoAmerica race weekend.
The Australian demonstrated his ability to run up front right from the start of the weekend, putting his M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki GSX-R600 second on the charts in the opening free practice. He ultimately secured a slot on the second row, qualifying fifth fastest with a lap of 1:27.363.
Anthony was shuffled back to sixth on the race’s opening circulation, but made a quick maneuver to reclaim fifth. The push to overhaul a rival to take hold of fourth came with considerably more effort, and the laps it required allowed the three leaders to escape at the front. It seemed as if Anthony’s chances at a podium had evaporated.
Anthony didn’t give up and ultimately chased down the riders scrapping for the runner-up spot from more than two seconds back. He finally arrived on the battle for second with less than two laps to go and made his move for a podium slot entering the final turn of the penultimate lap. Under intense pressure for the Australian, the rider directly in front of Anthony crashed out of third, surrendering the position in the process.
He completed the final lap without incident to come home third. The result was Anthony’s second podium result of the year and also marked his ninth top-five finish in twelve races this season.
Reflecting on his charge to chase down a podium position, Anthony said, “There was definitely a bit of a gap at the start of the race. I got off to a bit of a poor start and by the time I was the next guy in line behind the battle for second, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to catch them. It took a long, long time and I could see it sort of chipping away, chipping away. I just stuck in there and watched my lap timer, and that’s pretty much what I did — just made sure I put the laps in.
“I could see them coming, but it wasn’t until right at the end that I finally got there. And I actually come in a bit of a hurry and caught them real quick and put a move on for third real early. Everyone saw what happened. There was no contact, but I definitely spooked him a bit and unfortunately he went down. It messed me up a bit so that was it for trying to finish second. I just rode around that last lap and brought it home.”
Anthony added, “It’s great to be back up here — it’s been a long time. We’ve been close to the podium all year, but ever since the season opener at COTA we hadn’t quite made it until today. I’m leaving this race with some confidence after being able to reel those boys in and run some quicker lap times than them. It gives me confidence leading into the next one, so I’m looking forward to it for sure.”
The outstanding result strengthened Anthony’s grip on fourth place in the Supersport title fight. He’ll have another opportunity to score his first MotoAmerica victory in three weeks’ time the series heads to the fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway to share the spotlight with the superstars of the MotoGP World Championship on August 7-9.
This year marks Team Hammer’s 35th consecutive season of operating as a professional road racing team. During that time, racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 59 AMA Pro National races, have finished on AMA Pro National podiums 138 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, (the most recent in 2012), as well as two FIM South American championships. The team has also won 133 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and won 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won the F-USA Championship four times.