MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Road Racing Series
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, California
July 18, 2015
Provisional Bazzaz Superstock 600 Race Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Joe Roberts (Yamaha), 16 laps, 23:54.772, 89.846 mph
2. Bryce Prince (Yamaha), -0.219 second
3. Michael Gilbert (Yamaha), -6.713 seconds
4. Jason Aguilar (Yamaha), -8.970
5. Travis Wyman (Yamaha), -10.308
6. Wyatt Farris (Yamaha), -24.403
7. Gage McAllister (Yamaha), -30.433
8. Andy DiBrino (Yamaha), -30.938
9. Ryan Matter (Yamaha), -42.342
10. Cody Wyman (Yamaha), -44.156
11. Brayan Sola (Yamaha), -55.226
12. Jay Newton (Yamaha), -58.790
13. Sahar Zvik (Kawasaki), -59.477
14. Ryan Cabrera (Honda), -71.261
15. Brad Saenz (Kawasaki), -76.378
16. Danielle Diaz (Kawasaki), -81.842
17. Anne Roberts (Yamaha), -1 lap
18. Ryan Harper (Yamaha), -1 lap
19. Robert Pierce (Honda), -1 lap
20. Patricia Fernandez (Yamaha), -1 lap
21. JC Gibbs (Yamaha), -1 lap
22. Luke Luciano (Yamaha), -1 lap
23. Alex Villarreal (Yamaha), -1 lap
24. JC Camacho (Yamaha), -1 lap
25. Josh Fogle (Suzuki), -1 lap
26. Jayson Uribe (Yamaha), -4 laps, DNF, crash
27. Richie Escalante (Yamaha), -12 laps, DNF, crash
28. Joe Brown (Kawasaki), DNF
29. Andrew Lee (Yamaha), -13 laps, DNF, crash
30. Jeremy Simmons (Yamaha), -16 laps, DNF, crash
Provisional Championship Point Standings (After 11 of 13 races):
1. Joe Roberts, 245 points (clinches 2015 Championship)
2. Escalante, 183 points
3. Travis Wyman, 162
4. Farris, 127
5. Prince, 114
6. Gilbert, 97
7. Nick McFadden, 86
8. DiBrino, 81
9. Aguilar, 70
10. Camacho, 47
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Yamaha YZF-R6 bLU cRU Rider Joe Roberts Wins 2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship With Ninth Race Victory Of The Season
Monterey, CA – July 18, 2015 – With one round and two races left to go in the 2015 Superstock 600 season, on Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Wheels In Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha rider Joe Roberts clinched the Championship with his ninth race victory of the year and sixth win in a row aboard his yellow-and-black #27 YZF-R6.
Starting from the pole, Joe rode another one of his patented, smooth and flawless races to take the checkers in an exciting battle to the line with fellow R6 rider Bryce Prince. Michael Gilbert, also R6-mounted, made it a Yamaha podium sweep with his third-place finish. All told, each of the top 12 finishers in the race was aboard a Yamaha R6.
After the race, Joe said, “It feels great to come out and have the success that we’ve had this year. We’ve had to work hard this season, for sure, and I’ve had to push myself to go for it, but it’s been so worth it. It’s really been a good season, and I can’t wait for next year. The R6 is the best 600 out there, by far. It’s brought me back to a point where I know I can ride. It’s given me back the confidence that I needed to be a Champion, and I’ve really enjoyed riding the bike. Also, I want to give a big thanks to Keith Code for being there to help me with my riding over the past few years, and he’s made lot of great connections for me, too.”
Wheels In Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha Team Owner Ameen Sajjadi commented, “I’m really proud of the team and of Joe for putting in a perfect season. I can’t thank our sponsors enough for all their help. To be racing the Yamaha R6 for my fourth year in a row and to finally win a 600cc Championship is amazing. And to win the very first MotoAmerica Championship for Yamaha is even sweeter.”
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 at 5:00 PM EST. For the complete MotoAmerica TV broadcast schedule on CBS Sports Network, visit http://www.motoamerica.com/motoamerica-tv-schedul…
For live, online streaming during the race weekend, go to www.MotoAmerica.com and click on “Streaming” under the “LIVE” header in the top-left corner of the page.
For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, visit http://www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing Also, check out “YamahaMotorUSA” on all your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Roberts Crowned At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Josh Hayes Snags Pole For Sunday’s Superbike Doubleheader
MONTEREY, CA, JULY 18 – Joe Roberts became the first MotoAmerica Champion in series history today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the 18-year-old Californian streaking to his ninth Bazzaz Superstock 600 win of MotoAmerica’s debut season to wrap up the title with one round (two races) remaining.
Roberts rode his Wheels In Motion/Motosport.com/Meen Motorsports Yamaha R6 to a narrow victory over Tune Racing’s Bryce Prince, but the title fell to Roberts much earlier than that when his title rival Richie Escalante crashed out of the lead on the fifth lap. From there all Roberts had to do was keep going and that he did, besting Prince by just .219 of a second to wrap up his sixth straight victory and his first professional racing championship.
“It’s been a really interesting year,” Roberts said. “It’s been filled with a bunch of wins, but I haven’t had it handed to me. I’ve had Bryce (Prince) here with me and Michael (Gilbert, who finished third on Saturday) and Richie (Escalante) up there a lot. It’s a bummer that he crashed out of this round, but it wasn’t just handed to me. I had to dig deep sometimes and really push it in some of these sessions to get to be the top rider. It’s been really cool.”
Behind the lead duo of Roberts and Prince came Michael Gilbert on the HB Racing entry, the Southern Californian earning his second podium of the season. Prince’s teammate Jason Aguilar ended up fourth with Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman rounding out the top five.
With one round and two races remaining, Roberts holds an insurmountable 62-point lead over Escalante in the series standings, 245-183. Wyman is third with Wyatt Farris, sixth today, and Prince fourth and fifth, respectively.
NCR Road Race Team’s Gage McAllister came into the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round with a whopping 47-point lead in the KTM RC 390 Championship and he looked to be a shoo-in for the title. But that wasn’t the case as Saturday’s racing program came to a close with Braeden Ortt taking his second win of the season and second in a row. Combine that with McAllister’s non-finish – thanks to a thrown chain – and suddenly there’s a championship battle again.
Ortt battled to the finish with Anthony Mazziotto III, with the 15-year-old Canadian besting the 15 year old from New Jersey by just .747 of a second after 12 laps of the 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway. Third place went to pole-sitter Xavier Zayat, the 16-year-old getting held up badly on the opening lap when Hayden Schultz crashed and nearly took Zayat with him. The MFactory West-backed rider from New Jersey battled from way back to finish on the podium in his MotoAmerica debut.
Mexico’s Alejandro Gutierrez Mejia and Californian Josh Serne rounded out the top five finishers in the spec class for riders aged 14-22.
With McAllister failing to score any points, his lead in the championship is now 22 points over Ortt with the two races at New Jersey Motorsports Park in September remaining on the schedule. Mazziotto III is another 13 points behind in third as the title chase goes to the final round.
“The lead fluctuated and at one point Anthony (Mazziotto) was ahead of me so it was a very, very close race and it could have gone either way,” Ortt said. “On the last lap mistakes were made and I knew that I really had to ride a clean lap to stay ahead and I think I got a pretty good lap in and I set myself up nice in the last corner and got a drive to make sure I didn’t get drafted. Luckily, that finish line was where it was. It was a great race.”
Monster Energy/Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Josh Hayes earned his fourth Superbike pole position of the year and the 37th of his career during Superpole, held on a chamber of commerce type day on the Monterey Peninsula.
Initially it was Hayes’ teammate and Superbike Championship rival Cameron Beaubier who had his Yamaha R1 at the top of the time sheets, but then Beaubier had a big crash in turn six, the Californian lucky to walk away without injury. His R1 was less fortunate.
While Beaubier scrambled to get back to the pits and his second bike, Hayes made hay while the sun shone, lapping at 1:24.538 to lead Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden and his 1:24.776. Beaubier, however, made it back in time to have another go on his backup bike and he managed to move past Hayden and into second with a best lap of 1:24.688. Those three will make up the first row for tomorrow’s two MotoAmerica Superbike races. They were also the only riders to circulate Laguna Seca under 1:25.
The second row of the grid will be filled by Yoshimura Suzuki’s Jake Lewis, Roadrace Factory’s Jake Gagne (who led the Superstock 1000 field) and HSBK Aprilia’s Sheridan Morais, who was second quickest of the Superstock 1000 riders. KTM’s Chris Fillmore, BMW-mounted Dani Rivas and Turbo Turtle Racing’s Danny Eslick will start from row three.
“I had three race weekends in a row where I had a crash over 120 miles an hour,” Hayes said after earning pole position. “If that’s not proof that you’re trying hard then I don’t really know what is. I’m such a lucky guy that I’m still doing this. I’ve been in this paddock… Roger (Hayden) and I came into AMA Pro Racing at the same time. We’ve been here a long time and we’re still here. I think we’re both still having a great time and love racing motorcycles. More proof of that is, I couldn’t believe it, I was talking to my crew chief, I’m like, ‘man, I’m really nervous about a 15-minute qualifying session.’ It’s been a lot of years. I can’t think of a time that I haven’t been competitive at the front and I still get nervous because I want to make sure that I do my part and that I’m able to repeat and continue what I’ve doing. When you’ve got good competition it’s easy to get nervous like that. It’s a good feeling. It keeps it fun.”
Sunday’s action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca gets started with the first of two MotoAmerica Superbike races at 9:45 a.m. The World Superbikes take to the track for their first race at 11:30 a.m. followed three hours later by race two at 2:30 p.m. At 3:40, Bobby Fong will lead the MotoAmerica Supersport final from pole position, and the final race of the day gets rolling at 4:45 p.m. with the second MotoAmerica Superbike race.
BAZZAZ SUPERSTOCK 600: 1. Joe Roberts (Yamaha); 2. Bryce Prince (Yamaha); 3. Michael Gilbert (Yamaha); 4. Jason Aquilar (Yamaha); 5. Travis Wyman (Yamaha); 6. Wyatt Farris (Yamaha); 7. Gage McAllister (Yamaha); 8. Andy DiBrino (Yamaha); 9. Ryan Matter (Yamaha); 10. Cody Wyman (Yamaha).
KTM RC 390 CUP: 1. Braeden Ortt; 2. Anthony Mazziotto III; 3. Xavier Zayat; 4. Alejandro Gutierrez Mejia; 5. Josh Serne; 6. Jody Barry; 7. Brandon Altmeyer; 8. Gabe Miller; 9. Christopher; 10. Aston Wright.
SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING: 1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha) 1:24.538; 2. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:24.688; 3. Roger Hayden (Suzuki) 1:24.776; 4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki) 1:25.514; 5. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:25.774; 6. Sheridan Morais (Aprilia) 1:25.865; 7. Chris Fillmore (KTM) 1:26.028; 8. Dani Rivas (BMW) 1:26.339; 9. Danny Eslick (Honda) 1:26.445; 10. Josh Day (Yamaha) 1:26.665.