Come One, Come All: The Dunlop Preseason Test At Circuit Of The Americas
Fans Can Watch As The Stars Of MotoAmerica Ready For The Season
COSTA MESA, CA – Want to get as up close to the action as possible? For free? Well that’s exactly what the two-day Dunlop Preseason Test at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, offers up to fans of the MotoAmerica Series. That’s right, free access to MotoAmerica’s top teams and riders, March 28-29, as they take part in their final shakedown test prior to the season opener at COTA three weeks later, April 21-23.
And that’s not all. MotoAmerica is also hosting the Livery Reveal presented by Treaty Oak Distillery on Monday, March 27 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Container Bar in Austin, where fans will get the chance to watch as MotoAmerica teams and riders unveil their new-look motorcycles.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Circuit of The Americas will open its gates to the public with fans able to take in all the action that two days of preseason testing can offer up. In total, 43 riders will take part, including 23 from the Motul Superbike/Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class – headed by two-time defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, his teammate Josh Hayes, and the two Yoshimura Suzuki riders, Toni Elias and Roger Hayden, as they ride the new 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbikes in public for the first time.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to COTA for the Dunlop test,” said Beaubier. “It’s good to see everybody again like the first day of school. Then it’s all business with two solid days of testing at a great racetrack and the place where it will all start a few weeks later. It’s also cool to see the fans come out and see what we’re up to.”
Others set to start their season with new teams/motorcycles are 2015 Superstock 1000 Champion Jake Gagne, with the Californian making his debut on the Broaster Chicken Honda CBR1000RR SP2, two-time FIM Superstock 1000 Champion Sylvain Barrier on the Scheibe Racing BMW S1000RR, Cameron Petersen on the Fly Racing/Motul/ADR Motorsports Kawasaki, Josh Herrin on the Wheels in Motion/Meen Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike to name a few. Jake Lewis will also debut the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Superstock 1000 trim for the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team.
Twenty Supersport/Superstock 600 riders will also take part, led by defending Supersport Champion Garrett Gerloff and his Monster Energy/Yamalube/YES/Graves Yamaha teammate JD Beach, the top two from last year’s title chase. They will be joined by the likes of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Valentin Debise and KTM RC Cup Champion Brandon Paasch, who will make his Supersport debut on another M4 Suzuki. Paasch will also be on the 3.426-mile track with one of his former KTM RC Cuppers, Jody Barry on the Rhoades Racing/Farrell Performance Kawasaki ZX-6R.
The test will feature four 50-minute sessions per class (Motul Superbike/Superstock 1000 and Supersport/Superstock 600) each day in alternating fashion, beginning with the first Superbike session at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and culminating with the final Supersport/Superstock 600 session on 4:30 on Wednesday.
Spectators will also have an option for hot-pit viewing of the action in the Dunlop Fan Lounge, the site of Dunlop Rider Q&A sessions that will take place on both days from 12:50 to 1:10 p.m.
As for the MotoAmerica Livery Reveal presented by Treaty Oak Distillery on Monday, that takes place off-site at the Container Bar on Rainey Street in Austin from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., an event where fans can stop by for a beverage and watch as the teams unveil their latest and greatest prior to the start of the test.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the new North American road racing series created in 2014. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.