MotoAmerica: Garrett Gerloff Earns Supersport Pole Position At COTA (Updated)

MotoAmerica: Garrett Gerloff Earns Supersport Pole Position At COTA (Updated)

© 2017, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series

Circuit of The Americas

Austin, Texas

April 21, 2017

Supersport Qualifying Results (All on Dunlop tires):

1. Garrett Gerloff (Yam YZF-R6), 2:12.676

2. Valentin Debise (Suz GSX-R600), 2:12.816

3. JD Beach (Yam YZF-R6), 2:12.977

4. Daytona Anderson (Yam YZF-R6), 2:15.060

5. Benny Solis, Jr. (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:15.399

6. Nick McFadden (Suz GSX-R600), 2:16.156

7. Brandon Paasch (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:16.840

8. Lucas Silva (Yam YZF-R6), 2:17.312

9. JC Camacho (Suz GSX-R600), 2:17.802

10. Brandon Cleland (Suz GSX-R600), 2:17.858

11. Caroline Olsen (Yam YZF-R6), 2:18.639

12. Jody Barry (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:20.297

13. Gauge Rees (Yam YZF-R6), 2:20.307

14. Joseph Giannotto (Yam YZF-R6), 2:20.627

15. Jaret Nassaney (Suz GSX-R600), 2:23.392

16. Phil Horwitz (Yam YZF-R6), 2:23.405

17. Kris Lillegard (MV Agusta F3 675), 2:25.584

18. Mark Rhoades (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:28.032

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

At COTA, Gerloff Puts Brand-New YZF-R6 On MotoAmerica Supersport Pole In Dramatic Fashion, While Beaubier Qualifies Just Off Pole In Superbike

Austin, TX – April 21, 2017 –Defending MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff sure knows how to make a dramatic debut for the brand-new 2017 Yamaha R6 in MotoAmerica Supersport competition. The Texan put his #1-adorned machine on the pole at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, TX, and will start from the point in tomorrow’s race scheduled to go green at 4:15 PM CST. The race will be broadcast live on beIN Sports.

With the clock winding down in Friday’s afternoon’s final qualifying, Garrett, who was second-fastest up to that point, was trying to find a clear section of track and, unfortunately he got together with a slower rider who had suddenly moved into his racing line at just the wrong moment. Both bikes and riders went down, thankfully unhurt, and Garrett was able to quickly get back under way and just in time to cross the start-finish for one more lap before the checkers flew.

And that one lap was all it took, as Garrett ran the fastest lap of anyone on the track to snatch the pole position at the last possible moment, and with his bike and leathers freshly scuffed from his off-track excursion. It was a dramatic zero-to-hero moment for the talented 21-year-old and his absolutely jubilant team.

“I went into the turn down low and on the inside in order to get past a few slower riders and try to get a clear section of track,” Garrett said. “Unfortunately, one of the slower riders, who was on the outside of the turn, decided to also come down low, and into my path. Our bikes collided, which put us both in the gravel. I knew there wasn’t much time left in qualifying, so I quickly got the bike back on two wheels, fired it up, and took off with just enough time to get in one more lap. All I kept thinking about was how hard my team works, so I was going to work as hard as I could to get pole. I was so happy to see my #1 in P1 (on the leaderboard pylon) after I crossed start-finish with the checkered flag waving. And, to come back into the pits and see all my guys cheering was just the best feeling.”

Garrett’s teammate JD Beach also qualified well, and he will start on the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s race by virtue of being third-fastest on Friday.

In MotoAmerica Superbike qualifying, two-time and defending Champ Cameron Beaubier narrowly missed out on pole position by a little over 1/10 of a second. Cameron’s Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing teammate Josh Hayes qualified fifth.

Superbike Race 1 will go green at COTA on Saturday at 5 PM CST, and Race 2 is scheduled for Sunday, at 3:45 PM CST. Both races will be broadcast live on beIN Sports.

For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, visit http://www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing

Also, check out “YamahaMotorUSA” on your favorite social media site.

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