Elias Leads Them Into Suzuki Superbike Shootout Of Georgia
Will The Americans Rebound At Road Atlanta?
BRASELTON, GA – When the announcement came that Toni Elias was headed to the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship as a fill-in rider for the injured Jake Lewis on the Yoshimura Suzuki team, chances are not many of the top Superbike men lost much sleep. But that was then and this is now. And it’s a given that more than a few of them have tossed and turned a bit this week after witnessing the diminutive Spaniard win both races in the opening round of the MotoAmerica series at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, this past weekend.
With COTA in the rear-view mirror, the stars of the MotoAmerica Series descend on Road Atlanta, April 15-17, for the Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia, round two of the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship. Will it be a weekend of redemption for the American racers or more of the same for Elias? Only time will tell.
Elias knows that Road Atlanta will prove to be more difficult for him than COTA. After all, he’s never seen the place – except for in videos. He also knows that several of the top MotoAmerica riders cut their teeth at the racetrack known for its famous set of esses and the red Georgia clay that borders the track.
“(Road Atlanta) Looks nice, but looks really difficult,” Elias said at COTA. “I think I will see the reality of this championship and all these guys. It will not be like here, but it’s a challenge for me and I have a lot of motivation to learn the track, the track conditions, learn about these guys and I’m happy to have this opportunity and then we will see if I continue or not.”
Elias is riding like a man determined to keep his ride. He knows when Jake Lewis returns, a decision will have to be made. Do they add a third bike to the Yoshimura Suzuki team, or does Elias have to return home? It’s difficult to imagine that the leader of the championship gets sent packing, but it shows just how important the upcoming race at Road Atlanta is to so many people.
If it’s important to Elias, it’s also important to Roger Hayden. Hayden was unlucky to not win race one at COTA. He had gapped the field when a red flag was thrown due to oil being dropped on the backstraight. When the race re-started, Hayden wasn’t the same as he suffered from a lack of grip that meant he couldn’t challenge Elias. In race two, Hayden fought to the end with the Spaniard, and only gave up the chase in the final laps when he realized he could match Elias but not beat him.
And if Road Atlanta is important to the two Suzuki riders, it’s downright critical to the Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha duo of Josh Hayes and Cameron Beaubier. Simply put, the Yamaha team hasn’t been in this position in a very long time. Although Hayes was third in both races at COTA, it wasn’t a close third. In Sunday’s finale, he was over 12 seconds adrift of the Suzukis.
And it was even worse for defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, the Californian having crashed out of Saturday’s race before finishing a struggling fourth in race two on Sunday in what was his worst weekend since moving to the Superbike class. Beaubier goes into Road Atlanta trailing Elias by 37 points.
Bobby Fong wasn’t close to Toni Elias either, but at this point he doesn’t need to be. The Latus Motors Racing rider finished an impressive fifth on both days of Superbike racing at COTA and that gave him victory in the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class in both. It was a big weekend for Fong and it was big for Kawasaki as the combo won the class for the first time in their MotoAmerica debut. Remember, Yamaha won every single round of Superstock 1000 a year ago.
This weekend’s Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia will also include round two of the Supersport class. Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff, who won his only race of the season last year at Road Atlanta, beat his teammate JD Beach and M4 Suzuki’s Valentin Debise in the series opener at COTA, with the Supersport class competing only once as MotoAmerica shared the event with the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas.
So with only three classes of MotoAmerica racing at COTA, Road Atlanta thus becomes the season opener for the Superstock 600 and KTM RC Cup Series, two classes that should be hotly contested in 2016 as both of the defending class champions (Joe Roberts and Gage McAllister) have moved up to Supersport and Superstock 600, respectively.
The schedule for the race is action packed with practice sessions getting rolling at 9 a.m. on Friday and concluding with the completion of the Cycle Corral Track Walk for those purchasing the Cycle Corral ticket package.
On Saturday, things get started with a 40-minute practice session at 8:30 a.m. for the Supersport/Superstock 600 riders in group two with the first race of the day scheduled for 1 p.m. with the Supersport/Superstock 600 Last Chance Qualifier. Then comes Superpole 1 and 2 from 2 to 2:40 p.m. followed by the first of the KTM RC Cup races at 3:10 p.m., which is followed immediately by the first of the Supersport/Superstock 600 races. The day will conclude with the Cycle Corral Ticket Holders’ Parade Lap at 4:45 p.m.
On Sunday, warm-up practice sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m., leading into the first of two Superbike races at 12:30 p.m. Then comes the second KTM RC Cup race at 1:50 p.m. followed by Supersport/Superstock 600 at 2:45 and the climactic Superbike race two at 4 p.m. to close out the weekend at Road Atlanta.
Road Atlanta Notes
With his first of two victories at Circuit of The Americas, Toni Elias became the 54th rider in AMA Superbike history to win a Superbike National. With those two wins, Elias is now tied for 34th on the all-time win list in the class.
Elias’ two victories were the 174 and 175th AMA Superbike wins for Suzuki, the all-time leader for a manufacturer in victories. Yamaha, which won all 18 races in last year’s MotoAmerica Superbike Series, has 90 class victories. That places them behind Suzuki and Honda. Honda has 116 Superbike class wins.
A victory for Cameron Beaubier at Road Atlanta would move him to 12 career Superbike wins and that would place him in a tie with MotoAmerica Rider Representative Doug Chandler for 14th on the all-time list. Two wins at Road Atlanta would move Beaubier to 13th and in a tie with Doug Polen and Blake Young.
Josh Hayes, meanwhile, is second on the all-time Superbike win list with 58 victories – 24 wins behind all-time leader Mat Mladin. Hayes won 10 races in 2015, eclipsing the seven he won in 2014.
Roger Hayden sat on pole position for the two races at Circuit of The Americas. It was the Yoshimura Suzuki rider’s fourth career Superbike pole.
Beaubier won both races at Road Atlanta last year, which accounted for two of his eight wins on the season. Both races were held in wet conditions.
For ticket information to the Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia, visit www.motoamerica.com/road-atlanta
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 .
More, from a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
Riders Discount / Tuned Racing ready to start their MotoAmerica season at Road Atlanta
Riders Discount / Tuned Racing is in route to Road Atlanta for the start of their Superstock 600 MotoAmerica campaign. Be on the lookout for the Riders Discount / Tuned Racing big rig as it crosses the country this week. Sporting a three rider team of Bryce Prince, Jason Aguilar, and Dan McCormack, Riders Discount / Tuned Racing is prepared to leave their mark on the Championship chase in the season opener. Closing last season with a win in the final race, Bryce Prince seeks to carry that momentum into the first races of this year. Coming off 4 wins at last month’s Chuckwalla Valley Motorcycle Association round, Jason Aguilar is determined to battle for wins. Dan McCormack is eager to work his way to the front in his first full season in the professional ranks.
With the backing of many new sponsors, combined with some long time supporting sponsors, Riders Discount / Tuned Racing is in a position to make a full-blown assault on the championship this season.
Michael Pond – Team Owner: “We are excited to kick our season off at Road Atlanta with MotoAmerica’s Superstock 600 class. We have teamed up with some of the best people and companies in the business, and I am sure it will show. Keep your eye out for the Riders Discount/Tuned Racing team, and come by and say hello to us at a race near you.”
Bryce Prince – Rider: “I cannot wait to be back this weekend on the new bike! I cannot thank all of the team and our sponsors enough, I’m very excited to have the support of new sponsors Riders Discount and Quicksilver Lubricants, and Graves Motorsports for providing me with the best bike possible for the MotoAmerica season!”
Jason Aguilar – Rider: “After all the hard work getting ready this year, I can’t wait to rip in Atlanta this weekend! The team has really upped their game this season, and I know we have the best equipment, and best support available.”
Dan McCormack – Rider: “The bike is superb and should be a real weapon heading into the MotoAmerica season opener in Atlanta. So thrilled to be embarking on this adventure with the support of Scott Tillery’s expert guidance and impeccable skill, as well as all our Riders Discount /Tuned Racing team family.”
The list of supporting sponsors this season represents the best companies with the best products and services: Riders Discount, Graves Motorsports, Quicksilver Lubricants, Tuned Industries, PSR-USA, Speed & Strength, EFSigns.com, Superlite Sprockets, EK ThreeD Chains, Alien Motion, Motion Pro, SBKPaint.com, Dunlop, Optimal Racing Bodywork, Galfer Brakes, Dynojet, Arai Helmets, SpeedAngle, Scott’s Plumbing, Let’s Ride Trackdays, Zero Gravity Racing Corp.
More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount:
Holland, Mich. (Apr. 14, 2016) — Riders Discount/Tuned Racing kicks off the 2016 MotoAmerica season this weekend at the Suzuki Superbike Shootout of Georgia at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Riders Jason Aguilar and Bryce Prince will be competing in the Superstock 600 class. Both riders have had a successful preseason, completing podium finishes in the 600cc classes at the WERA opener in Fontana, California. Aguilar took four CVMA race victories at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway last month, and is excited to start the 2016 MotoAmerica season.
“It’s been a long offseason, but finally racing is just around the corner with the opening round in Atlanta this weekend,” said Aguilar. “I couldn’t be more excited about the new setup we have. The Tuned Racing team has been revamped with new sponsors: Riders Discount, Quicksilver Powersports Lubricants, Speed and Strength, Motion Pro, as well as my personal sponsor SolarMax. Being partnered with such great companies is going to help our presence in the paddock, and I hope to reward the sponsors with a great performance this weekend. I have been training really hard on the mountain bike since the end of last season and I’ve never felt better prepared going into a race weekend. I’m coming off a great race weekend scoring 4 wins in the CVMA racing series and plan on continuing the momentum into Atlanta. The bikes look good, the team is working great, and I feel great, so I believe we will be a very dangerous package this year in the Superstock 600 class. Big thanks to all of our teams sponsors for letting me live out my dream one race at a time.”
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 Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
The Yamaha bLU cRU Road Racers Have Georgia On Their Minds As They Look Forward To Road Atlanta This Weekend
Cypress, CA – April 14, 2016 – The 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship got under way down in Austin, TX, last weekend, and the bLU cRU is excited to get right back to racing for the second weekend in a row, as the series will be at Road Atlanta.
Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Factory Racing: Beaubier & Hayes
No one is looking forward to this weekend at Road Atlanta more than defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, who had a tough go of it at the Circuit of The Americas last weekend. Cameron had a crash in Superbike Race 1, and the damage to his #1 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Superbike prevented him from finishing the race. In Sunday’s Race 2, Cameron very uncharacteristically ran off the track early in the event, but he fought back hard and finished with a very respectable fourth-place result.
“I felt a little bit snake-bitten at Austin,” Cameron said. “I’m definitely looking forward to Road Atlanta where I did well last year.”
Cameron won both Superbike races at Road Atlanta last year, and he’s hoping that he and his #1 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Factory Racing YZF-R1 return to their winning ways in Georgia.
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes had better results last weekend in Texas than did his teammate Cameron, as Josh recorded two third-place finishes and made two trips to the COTA podium. But, like Cameron, he wasn’t very happy with how things went in Austin.
“I don’t have a good excuse. I just got beat,” commented Josh. “But, I’m happy that I get another shot at those boys this weekend at Road Atlanta.”
Superbike Superpole (Qualifying) begins on Saturday at 2:00 PM EST. Superbike Race 1 will go green on Sunday at 12:30 PM EST, and Superbike Race 2 is later on Sunday at 4:00 PM EST.
Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha: Beach & Gerloff
In contrast to how Cameron and Josh fared at COTA, things went a lot better for defending MotoAmerica Supersport Champion JD Beach and his teammate Garrett Gerloff.
Garrett was fast all weekend long, breaking the MotoAmerica Supersport lap record at COTA during qualifying and then going on to win the race, with JD finishing second.
Both riders feel like they have momentum on their sides as they head into the weekend at Road Atlanta. Garrett and JD finished second and third, respectively, in Supersport Race 2, and then Garrett won Supersport Race 2, while JD finished third again.
“It was really special for me to win at COTA, which is my home track,” Garrett said. “But I also love Road Atlanta, and I have a lot of friends in the Atlanta area, so it also feels a little bit like a home track for me. I was glad to get on the podium twice last year at Road Atlanta, including getting the win on Sunday.”
JD said, “I was happy to get second at COTA because it’s a long season. I’m looking forward to being able to race again this weekend, and we’ll be working hard to improve on the runner-up result that we had at COTA.”
Supersport Qualifying is Saturday at 9:20 AM EST. Supersport Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM EST, and Supersport Race 2 will go green on Sunday at 2:45 PM EST.
Meet The Yamaha bLU cRU Road Racers
The Fan Walk, scheduled for 10:50 AM EST Sunday on pit lane at Road Atlanta, is a great opportunity to meet Cameron, Josh, JD, and Garrett. They’ll be handing out free, autographed posters and other team items, and you can also get your picture taken with them, as well as the Monster Energy and Yamalube Umbrella Girls.
Watch Round 2 Of The MotoAmerica Championship on BeIN SPORTS and BeIN SPORTS CONNECT
For more information and airtimes for MotoAmerica races on BeIN SPORTS and BeIN SPORTS CONNECT, check out http://www.motoamerica.com/bein-sports-watch-moto…
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.
More, from a press release issued by Meen Motorsports:
Meen Motorsports arrives at Road Atlanta with solid points standing
(Braselton, GA) – The Wheels in Motion/ Meen Yamaha team enters its second MotoAmerica weekend after a strong start in both the Supersport 600 and Superstock 1000 class at COTA.
Making his debut in the MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 class, Wheels In Motion/ Meen Yamaha’s Josh Herrin captured two podium finishes in Texas. Herrin battled to the checkered flag in both races. His competition edging him out by .054 of a second in race one and .197 of a second in race two, giving him second and third place finishes on the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 podium. In the current contention for the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 championship, Herrin is only 14 points shy from Latus Motors Kawasaki’s Bobby Fong. Herrin now looks forward to making some moves at his home track in Road Atlanta.
“COTA is one of my weakest tracks so I am very happy with our results and I look forward to building off from that this weekend going into Road Atlanta. Moreover, Road Atlanta’s unique layout and its electrifying crowd, make it truly enjoyable to race. I also know I have a good track record here, so I hope to bring some more trophies for my family, friends and fans, especially those making the trip to Road Atlanta from the Herrin Compound!” states Herrin.
2015 MotoAmerica 600 Superstock champion Joe Roberts took home a fourth place finish at COTA, as well as stands fourth in 600 Supersport championship points standings. Fighting through minimal track time conditions for both bike set-up and qualifying, Wheels in Motion/ Meen Yamaha’s Roberts now heads to Road Atlanta seeking to battle with the top riders in the 600 Supersport class.
“I am really excited for this weekend in Atlanta. This is one of my favorite tracks we come to. I love all its fun elevation changes. I look forward to running up in the front and I hope to fight for a win, ” comments Roberts.
Catch all the Meen Team live racing action on beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS CONNECT, the network’s streaming service, beginning on Saturday morning and throughout the weekend for coverage of qualifying and racing in all scheduled classes. For more information and the schedules on BeIN SPORTS, visit www.beinsports.com/us/motorsports.