Braselton, GA – After a 3 year hiatus from the fast and flowing Road Atlanta, MotoAmerica made a historic comeback to the storied circuit situated in Braselton, GA. The teams and transports arrived just three days after the season opener in Austin, TX where they shared the world stage with the MotoGP series. This round was the first of a dedicated MotoAmerica only stretch that will see the best in the nation returning to other fan and rider favorite tracks that have not seen the national series in some time. For now, the action is in Road Atlanta and coming off the opening round, all members of the RoadRace Factory were seeking to improve. Not a team to be content with being competitive, the goal is victory and everyone was eager to achieve that goal. A major player for the weekend was mother nature. She would literally rain havoc upon the entire paddock and cause problems for everyone!
Superstock
Following his brilliant display at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), where he scored two victories and showed the world what he could do on a Superstock bike, Jake Gagne was confident of a repeat performance at Road Atlanta. The weather forecast called for rain almost the entire weekend, but after COTA, he and the crew were prepared to pay no mind to the weather and just let Jake do his thing. The new weekend format was something of a blessing as on Friday there were two 50 min sessions with enough of a break to allow the riders and crew to really dial in their settings. Since this was set to be a wet weekend, the focus would be a perfect wet set-up and use as much of those 50 minutes as possible to achieve it.
The rain surely came, but then it stopped. The track was wet, then it was dry, then its was kind of wet and then it was a downpour. As stated earlier, mother nature was the wildcard this weekend. To further compound the frustration, the tire allotment this weekend was only three sets of rain tires per rider. Three sets! So, due to the changing conditions, Scotty, DA and Jake had to be ultra conservative on their tires. If the track was too dry for wets, then they would surely chew them up. If they went out on slicks, they ran the chance of crashing the second the rain started to fall again. Consequently, Jake would only turn a handful of laps all day and the pursuit of the perfect set-up would be reduced to the chase for something workable.
Friday’s hurry up and wait would be nothing compared to Saturday’s calamities. Just as the day prior, the weather was making tire choice and set-up decisions nearly impossible. Again there would be longer track sessions followed by a World SuperBike style SuperPole. The early morning Qualifying session 1 would be almost a complete wash out. Most everyone on the Superbike / Superstock grid went out and turned laps, but only a few attempted any real race pace. Jake being Jake, went out for roughly three laps and managed P1 if only for a few moments. The factory Superbikes did manage to turn some fast laps and then Josh Day on the Westby Racing Yamaha charged through the pack to take P1 in Superstock. Jake would mount another charge but could only manage P2 in Superstock going into qualifying session 2.
Q2 was another waiting game. Most riders elected to sit out for the first few moments while the track dried from the downpour that occurred during the Supersport Qualifier. As the weather began to clear and the track conditions seemed to stabilize somewhere between “Fair” to “Sketchy”, the riders started trickling out of the paddock and onto the track. Still, not much was being gained, no track records were in danger of falling and as the session closed out to make way for SuperPole 1, Jake was sitting in a comfortable P5 Overall and P2 in his class. SuperPole session 2 was green flagged and Jake went out blazing quick. Again, he was circulating up near the top when he lost the front end coming into T10. This ended his Qualifying attempts and knocked him out off of the front row as the factory Superbikes and the SuperStock bikes of Josh Day and Tyler O’Hare placed in front of Jake’s quick time, relegating him to P6.
The new racing format had both Superbike and Superstock races on Sunday for a true Double Header. The conditions were less than ideal but still somewhat better than they had been at some points during the weekend. Scotty and Danny had their work cut out as they swapped set-ups to their B bike and sent Jake out for Race One. The bikes lined up, Jake took his spot outside of row two and waited for the lights to go out. Away they went and into the first corner, everyone fared well. It wasn’t until the tricky back “S” section that we saw the first of the riders go down. Jake was staying calm and running his pace. He was circulating around P8 when he decided to start making his move on the other Superstock machines and begin chasing down the factory Superbikes. Jake had just moved into P5 behind Suzuki rider Jake Lewis and just ahead of Josh Day when he had a crash. That’s how race one would end for Jake. A Motorcycle full of Georgia Red Mud and zero points.
Now Scott and Danny really had to hustle. Race Two was set to be a little over an hour away and now they had to salvage both bikes to make one good one for Jake. Mother nature, for the first time the in the weekend had come to the rescue. She opened up her flood gates and a deluge began. The track became flooded as areas were reporting standing water at least ankle deep on the track. This delay gave Jake and his crew all they needed to get their original bike back into race trim. Would it be ok? Would Jake be able to shake it off and run a smooth race? Well, as soon as the lights went out and the grid launched towards T1, all questions were answered. Jake got a flying start and just put his head down. He was P4 overall in the early stages then dropped back to P7. The leader Roger Hayden had a nasty spill and and after some jockeying around, Jake was now P5 Overall and P2 in his class, just behind Josh Day. Jake would find a path around Josh Day and soon he was making inroads towards Jake Lewis in P2 overall with Beaubier leading. As the laps counted down, Jake was catching the factory Superbikes, but in the closing stages, thought the better of it and decided the points were worth more than trying a move and possibly ending another race early. As he crossed the line, he was P3 overall and P1 in Superstock.
Jake Gagne – 1st in Series Points
“What a crazy weekend, I think all the rain we dodged at COTA caught up to us this weekend. We definitely got some good rain riding in and I was surprised how good the Road Atlanta track stayed even with all the moisture. Sunday morning was rough and I was’t happy with crashing out of the first race, but I learnd a lot from my mistakes and we made up for it with the Superstock win in race 2. I’m really looking forward to VIR in a couple weeks and hopefully getting some dry races in!”
Wrap It Up with Danny Walker
“Gagne got quite a bit of an education on the big bike this weekend! (Laughing) You know, he made a small mistake just clipping the paint and crashing in Sunday morning Warm-up and that caused him to be a little behind a few of the top riders.
I knew keeping him happy with anybody being in front of him, even if they aren’t in the same class, was going to be my biggest challenge this year. He has learned that trying to run down the Superbikes and the top guys in that class when he is on a Superstock is a bit more of a risk than maybe he anticipated. So, that’s the big challenge for me there, keeping him calm and cool when he clearly just wants to chase them all down.
He did an outstanding job in those mixed conditions during the second race and I’m proud of his victory. He’s going to be fun to watch this season for sure… I have a feeling he will beat a factory Superbike or two along the way.
More, from another press release issued by RoadRace Factory:
Braselton, GA – After a 3 year hiatus from the fast and flowing Road Atlanta, MotoAmerica made a historic comeback to the storied circuit situated in Braselton, GA. The teams and transports arrived just three days after the season opener in Austin, TX where they shared the world stage with the MotoGP series. This round was the first of a dedicated MotoAmerica only stretch that will see the best in the nation returning to other fan and rider favorite tracks that have not seen the national series in some time. For now, the action is in Road Atlanta and coming off the opening round, all members of the RoadRace Factory were seeking to improve. Not a team to be content with being competitive, the goal is victory and everyone was eager to achieve that goal. A major player for the weekend was mother nature. She would literally rain havoc upon the entire paddock and cause problems for everyone!
Supersport
What more can be said to help set the stage for this class during this weekend? It was chaos mixed with uncertainty sprinkled with bravado. The RoadRace Factory trio had the absolute worst parts of the weekend’s weather to contend with as almost every single one of their practice and qualifying sessions were run under different conditions. In fact, during their second free practice on Friday, it was all but a two rider boycott as the teams learned of their tire allocation just before setting out. No one wanted to chew a set tires before the weekend got into full swing.
Looking to improve upon performances from the season opener, Tomy was the one rider in the garage that really had the fire in his belly. A DNF at COTA wasn’t sitting too well and he knew he could do better. He’s a veteran of this track and he was seeking a huge jump in series points. Ben, who had a strong performance in the opener, wasn’t too concerned with the weather as he had his sights set on climbing the points ladder as well. Cameron, well, nothing can shake this rider apparently. He wasn’t showing any signs of being bothered by another wet weekend. In fact, he was ready to ride the track during set-up day.
To say that the practice and qualifying sessions were a loss, wouldn’t be 100% accurate but they really didn’t allow for any of the teams to do a proper set-up. Come race one, it would be anyone’s guess as to who would climb on top the box. Tomy is always strong in the rain and with his crew preparing for wet races, it would be up to him to demonstrate his talents in the tricky conditions. Ben had been strong all weekend in the few session leading up to the race, running inside the top ten along side his team mate Cameron. Cameron was set to learn this new track under the pressure of racing conditions.
For race one, the weather provided the only really dry conditions of the entire weekend. Set-up or not, the trio lined up on the grid and faced an uncertain first few flying laps. Red flag was pulled from the grid, the lights went out and the field of Supersport riders hurdled towards T1 and up the hill. Tomy made a good start from his third place on the grid. Cameron launched well and was running mid-pack as the group crested the hill into the back “S’s”. Ben, on the other hand had a terrible start and found himself at the back of the pack. As the race progressed however, he would fight his way back up to eighth and stay there until the checkered flag was waved. Cameron rode a strong race with some decent battling with some class veterans as he finished in sixth place. Tomy was back on form and riding strong all race. The top three had checked out and that left Tomy to battle David Anthony for the fourth spot. At the line it would be David Anthony to take that position but Tomy was back in the top five again and looking strong.
Race two would be a completely different ordeal. The rain had moved in on Sunday and created a major delay in the racing action. In the time it took the for the riders to complete their sighting lap, the track had flooded and the rain became relentless. It was looking as if the day was going to be called as the weather radar showed no signs of anything positive. However, there was a break in the clouds, the rain ceased and the crews went to clear the drainage issues. So, after it was announced that a shortened Supersport race was going to be held and the riders were given the 5 minute warning. It would be a grid and go situation and the the excitement was electrifying as everyone had to spring back into life from the doldrums of the delay.
The riders were held on the grid as the revs went up, the lights went out and the thundering herd charged the hill again. This time, Ben got a great start and was dicing with the lead group right away. Tomy made a brilliant start and was in the lead going into T1 and headed through the back section. Cam held his starting position and, like Ben, was sticking with the lead group. The conditions on track weren’t ideal as it was declared a “wet” race but the riders didn’t seem to notice. The painted curbing was a bit slippery but other than that, they showed no signs of slowing. Tomy was passed by JD Beach and relegated to fourth place. He would hold onto this position throughout the race and cross the line to take a huge jump in points. Meanwhile, Ben was looking content riding around in a lonely sixth until his teammate, Cameron, came up on him. For a few laps it looked as if Cam wouldn’t make any forward progress on Ben, but on the final turn of the final lap, Cam made his move. He closed in on the brakes and got a better drive out of Turn 12 and as they raced to the line, he would pass and take sixth away from Ben by half a front wheel length. What a fantastic showing for the RoadRace Factory Supersport Riders!
Ben Young – 5th in Series Points
“Overall, on the two weeks away it was good and a solid start to a long season ahead. After limited dry time at ATL, I feel we were just shooting in the dark with a set up in race 1 and it seemed to be good. After the worst start of my life, it was a hard race to try my best to get as high up as I could, one more lap and I could have gotten 7th but it is what it is. Race 2 was good and enjoyed the passes shared with Cam, many more this year I’m sure.”
Tomy Puerta – 6th in Series Points
“Road Atlanta was a great weekend for us. After having the DNF in COTA we just wanted to be competitive and finish both races and that’s what we did! Getting my first front row Qualifying this weekend was a good feeling! Did a couple mistakes in race 1 and couldn’t keep up with the first three riders but rode a strong race and good lap times finishing 5th and getting my first top five. Second race was better leading the pack in the first lap and trying my hardest to keep with the lead group was a little hard but put my head down and rode strong for a 4th position in the wet. I’m really happy with the crew I’m working with this season. We are getting stronger and more competitive every time we get on track and that’s a really positive thing. I just can’t wait until VIR and keep working with my crew.
Thanks a lot to RoadRace Factory Team all my sponsors Addict by Bosi, Indeportes Antioquia, Cards for Caring and everybody on the team that makes this possible!”
Cam Petersen – 8th in Series Points
“Road Atlanta was a tough weekend for me as I had never been to the track before and had to learn it in tricky conditions. I felt pretty good in the wet but it dried up for the first race and made it a bit harder for me as that was pretty much the only dry track time I got. So, I had to get up to speed quickly and ended up in 6th. I felt a bit more comfortable in race 2 in the wet but a bad start put me a long way back in the field so I had a lot of work to do but Sean and the RoadRace Factory crew gave me a great bike so I was able to fight back up to 6th, passing my teammate Ben on the last lap.”
Wrap It Up with Danny Walker
“I’m real pleased with the progress of our Supersport guys. Tomy is working his way towards the front, where he needs to be. Ben and Cam just had their heads down all weekend and by working with their crews are starting to show what they are capable of. Ben had a bad start in race one but came back to a strong finish. Cam, I’m really impressed with his adaptability. You know racing in South Africa, he never got too much rain experience, but the first two races of this series and he’s placed well. I’m looking froward to seeing him in the dry.”
More, from a press release issued by Camacho Racing:
Braselton, Ga. – C & C Motosport/Raceworx backed rider JC Camacho started this year’s Superstock season in Braselton, Georgia at Road Atlanta Raceway. With the weekends forecast set to have a rain filled weekend the team devised a plan to get the most out of the conditions. Fridays qualifying session had the team sitting right outside the top ten with 1:00 minute left in the session. A hard late last lap charge and Camacho would then put the team onto row 2 in the 6th spot.
Saturday’s Superstock race started with him in the lead pack. Camacho ran a solid race to maintain a 5th place result after the checkers flew. With the conclusion of Saturday, Camacho would have 10 championship points on the board.
“I had a good start and settled into 4th place and sat there for half the race,” said JC. “Jim Cambora from Raceworx had my suspension working flawlessly, but I lacked from some fuel related issues. So we had to settle for what we could and get the valuable points needed for the championship. ”
Sunday would have Camacho hoping to better his result in the wet conditions. With another good start from row 2, he would fall into the top 5. With an early off track excursion Camacho kept his bike up and returned to the wet pavement to finish 25th.
After the weekends conclusion, Camacho now sits 9th in the points chase going into round 2 at Virginia International Raceway for the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship on May 15-17, 2015.
Camacho would like to thank his 2015 sponsors: Raceworx USA, House of Paint Designs, Speedfreakdecals.com, Moto Liberty, RS Taichi, Core Moto, Scorpion Exo, PSR USA, Vesrah, Motion Pro, Dunlop Tires, Vortex, M4, Spy, Southern Adrenaline and Moto D.
For more information, contact JC Camacho at [email protected]
Visit JC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jc.camacho23
More, from a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
Tuned Racing has tough opening round at Road Atlanta
Tuned Racing had a difficult start to their MotoAmerica season at Road Atlanta. Challenging weather conditions and mechanical issues created problems for the team during the event. The Team’s first race on Saturday saw Corey Alexander starting from 8th in his Supersport debut. Corey had some mechanical problems that caused his motor to lose some power, but was still able to bring home a top 10 finish.
The Saturday Superstock 600 race saw Bryce Prince start from 3rd, while Jason Aguilar, who struggled in qualifying while learning the track in the tricky weather, started 16th. Bryce was running in 3rd place on lap 5 when his motor died. Jason started improving over his qualifying performance and sliced his way through the field, running the 3rd fastest times of the race as he moved into 5th place with 2 laps to go. As he started to make a move for 4th place, his motor lost power, ending his race.
On Sunday, severe weather delayed the racing for several hours. Finally under way, the Supersport race ended early for Corey with a highside in Turn 5. Bryce was able to salvage points for the weekend with an 8th place finish in Superstock 600, while Jason had a rough time in his first ever race on rain tires on a 600, finishing 22nd.
“Overall I am content with how the weekend went, though the results didn’t show our true potential”, explained Corey Alexander. “This weekend was my first time ever riding an R6, and I immediately enjoyed riding the bike. I can already see the potential of the Tuned Racing machine and I am anxious to put this weekend behind us and move forward to Virginia and some tracks we are more familiar with. I know Mike and the team will be working to make some changes to the bike and I think good things are to come. I have to give big thanks to everyone for welcoming me to the team and to my crew for working hard this weekend to make me comfortable.”
Tuned Racing will be looking to rebound strong at Virginia International Raceway on May15-17. “While the results don’t show it, the guys showed that they have the pace to be on the podium. You can expect the team to come back strong at VIR” stated Team Owner Mike Pond.
Tuned Racing thanks all of its sponsors:
Tuned Industries, Dunlop Motorcycle Road Racing Tires USA, EFSigns.com, PSR-USA, SBKPaint.com, Galfer Brakes, Arai, Dynojet, Big Gun Exhaust, SuperLite Sprockets, EK 3D Chains, SpeedAngle, FT ECU, Shorai Batteries, Torco Advanced Lubricants, Optimal Racing Bodywork, Fly Street, OFD Racing, Scott’s Plumbing, Lets Ride Trackdays, Motoyard.com, ACT Racing, and Solarmax Technology.
Jason Aguilar thanks his personal sponsors: RS Taichi, Moto-Liberty, Scorpion USA, Sidi, and Impact Safe-T Armor.
Corey Alexander thanks his personal sponsors: MJRS Freeman Racing, Defy All Odds Apparel, RideHVMC, Hudson Valley Racing, Arai Helmets, Spidi Leathers, XPD Boots, Boxed Water Is Better, Celtic Racing, Oakley, and Lapizta Watches.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia HSBK Racing:
Aprilia HSBK Racing Secures Valuable Points at Road Atlanta
Houston, Texas – Aprilia HSBK racing worked through inclement weather and injuries at the second MotoAmerica round this past weekend at Road Atlanta in Georgia. The weather was unpredictable all weekend and despite adverse track conditions both Aprilia HSBK riders secured valuable points to stay in the hunt for the MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 championship.
Road Atlanta was the first round that the races followed the new FIM format and the pace of the weekend worked well for the team. Riders Dustin Dominguez and Devon McDonough started the round with mostly wet practice sessions Friday on their Aprilia RSV4s. The weather meant that tire choice was difficult throughout the weekend and the riders needed to proceed with caution. After practice Friday, Dominguez went into Saturday with the 2nd fastest and McDonough had the 6th fastest in class.
Dustin’s times Friday qualified him to go straight to Superpole 2 (1st-10th) while McDonough qualified for Superpole 1 (11th-20th). During Superpole 1 on Saturday, McDonough ran the second fastest time meaning he was able to transfer to Superpole 2 and run for the top 12 spots on the grid. During Superpole 2 (1st-12th), McDonough qualified in 11th. Dominguez unfortunately highsided early in the session and sustained several injuries that would continue to bother him throughout the weekend. Without much time on the track, Dominguez qualified in the 12thposition.
Following the FIM format, both races were held on Sunday. During race one McDonough was able to make his way through the crowd after starting in 11th and move further forward in the pack. At one point, McDonough worked his way to 4th in class. The race was red flagged and eventually called for unsafe conditions on the track. Dominguez fought through his injuries and was able to end in 8th before the race was called.
Race two was postponed for several hours due to the downpour. Finally at 4:30 PM the rain slowed down and the teams gridded up for race two. Dominguez was still in a considerable amount of pain, but made an aggressive push and was able to make his way to 5th in class by race end. McDonough finished race two 8th in class.
“Adverse conditions are part of racing, everyone in the paddock goes into the weekend knowing that weather and circumstances out of their hands can affect their results. I’m proud that the guys worked through any issues thrown our way and continue to improve our bike setup,” said Crew Chief Ronnie Saner.
At weekend’s end, Dominguez was sitting 3rd and McDonough 6th in the championship points standings. With seven more rounds left in the season, the team looks forward to the battles to come. Dominguez has been checked out by doctors and will be 100% by the next round.
HSBK Racing
Founded in 2011, HSBK Racing is a division of Houston Superbikes showcasing its race craft and experienced technicians. Known for its bold and distinguishable red and black livery, HSBK Racing prides itself on showcasing up-and-coming riders. They are proud to be Aprilia HSBK Racing for the 2015 season.
Houston Superbikes
Established in 2005, Houston Superbikes caters to motorcycle enthusiasts with its diverse line of high performance bikes, parts and apparel. Houston Superbikes is proud to offer their own line of carbon fiber and billet accessories for racing and street applications. Offering dyno tuning, engine building services and suspension setup, they are an industry leader in building race machines. For more information regarding Houston Superbikes, or to find out what they can do for you, please visitwww.houstonsuperbikes.com.
More, from a press release issued by M4 MPH Suzuki:
PROGRESS FOR PARIS IN ATLANA
Melissa Paris and the M4 MPH Suzuki program continued to make strides at Round 2 of the 2015 MotoAmerica championship despite a second consecutive weekend of inclement weather.
A soaked Road Atlanta weekend in Braselton, Georgia, followed a similarly wet weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, doing few favors for Paris as she works hard to learn her new GSX-R600 Supersport racebike.
However, she managed to put the Team Hammer Contract Services supported machine into the top ten in the wet opening Supersport practice. Paris then took full advantage of a dry race on Saturday to fight her way up from 14th on the grid to finish in 12th position. She came back out on Sunday to pick up another points-paying result in Sunday’s rainy contest, coming home in 14th.
“I was kind of sad to show up at Atlanta and have more rain,” Paris admitted. “It was only my second weekend on the bike and I was really looking forward to some dry track time. In the past, I’ve always liked the rain. I’ve always felt I’m pretty good in those conditions and it’s a good opportunity to get a good result, but enough is enough.
“But in the end, we got one dry race and one wet race. And considering my time on the bike, I’m pretty happy with how things went. My mechanic and I made some positive changes to the set-up, and I’m getting more and more comfortable on it. A 12th and 14th isn’t anything to throw a party about, but we’re making solid progress and that makes me really excited for the rest of the season.”
Despite her relative lack of seat time on the ’15 GSX-R600, Paris credits her recent racing experience with allowing her to quickly adapt to the bike. “The last couple of years I’ve ridden just about everything under the sun, which has helped in this situation. The program came together so late I didn’t have a chance to test the bike, but that experience has allowed me to stay calm. With the Team Hammer Contract Services crew, we know we have a solid machine to start with and it’s just a matter of me riding it.”
She added, “I like the GSX-R600. It’s pretty mellow and does everything pretty well. It’s really nice — last year in the Spanish CEV championship I was riding a Superstock 600 bike in a Moto2 field. Being able to stay in the draft down the back straight at Road Atlanta was one of the best feelings I’ve had in a while. It’s really nice to know the machine won’t hold me back. I’m excited to see what we can do once I get my legs underneath me.”
Melissa Paris and the M4 MPH Suzuki team will be back in action on May 15-17 as the nation’s top road racers will return to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, following a several year layoff.
“I’m looking forward to going back to VIR,” she said. “I haven’t been there since 2010. The track was always really challenging for me because it’s very physical. But I feel like I’m a lot better rider now and a lot stronger, so it’ll be good to see how I like it now.”