Yamaha Road Racing Teams Cut A bLU cRU Streak To Road Atlanta For Round Two Of MotoAmerica Championship
Cypress, CA – April 15, 2015 – After kicking off the inaugural season of the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship in Austin by earning the pole in Superbike, Superstock 1000, and Supersport, then winning both Superbike races, both Superstock 1000 races, and the Supersport race, the Yamaha bLU cRU road racing teams are taking their perfect record to Road Atlanta for Round Two of the MotoAmerica Championship.
Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha: Hayes & Beaubier
Four-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes turned 40 years old on the day before Easter, but the giant birthday cake and conflagration of candles did nothing except fan the flames of his determination to win a fifth title. Exactly a week after his natal celebration, the “Mississippi Madman” put his talents on display in the wet track conditions at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and won Superbike Race 1.
Teammate Cameron Beaubier, who had earned the pole in Friday qualifying at COTA, finished second to Josh in the damp conditions on Saturday, but the Californian turned the tables on Josh in the dry Superbike Race 2 and secured the victory despite Josh going all out to make a last-turn pass to grab the checkers.
With Josh and Cameron swapping race victories, it was the best of all debuts for the brand-new 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1, especially when you add in the double win in Superstock 1000 for RoadRace Factory/Yamaha R1 rider Jake Gagne.
The battle between Josh and Cameron now turns to Road Atlanta, a track that Josh knows well and where he has had a lot of success. Can the experience help Josh get the best of his talented teammate? Or can Cameron, once again, earn the pole and start a winning streak?
Superbike Superpole (Qualifying) begins on Saturday, April 18, at 2:10 PM EST. Superbike Race 1 will go green at Road Atlanta on Sunday, April 19, at 11:30 AM EST, and Superbike Race 2 is later the same day at 3:20 PM EST.
Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha: Gerloff & Beach
The very first MotoAmerica Supersport race, which took place last Saturday at COTA, was an instant classic as rainy weather tested the talents of the nation’s best middleweight motorcycle road racers. JD Beach, rider of the #95 Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6, got the victory that he has longed for, and he earned it by being smooth, fast, and staying upright, while a lot of his competitors didn’t.
Teammate Garrett Gerloff, who was also the fastest Supersport rider at the official MotoAmerica test a COTA a few weeks prior, earned the pole last Friday and finished second in Saturday’s race to make it a 1-2 finish for the Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha squad.
JD, riding the #95 R6, and Garrett, aboard the #31 R6, will go head-to-head again this weekend at Road Atlanta. Supersport Qualifying 1 is on Friday, April 17, at 1:55 PM EST. Final Supersport Qualifying is Saturday, April 18, at 9:50 PM EST. Supersport Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at 1:00 PM EST and Supersport Race 2 will go green on Sunday, April 19, also at 1:00 PM.
Meet The Yamaha bLU cRU
The Dunlop Fan Walk, scheduled for 10:15 EST Sunday on pit lane at Road Atlanta, is a great opportunity to meet Josh, Cameron, JD, and Garrett up close and personal. 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 1 Of The MotoAmerica Championship on CBS Sports
The MotoAmerica Season Preview Show will air on Wednesday, April 15, at 8:00 PM EST with a second airing later that night at 11:30 PM EST. The show will re-air for a third time on Saturday, April 18, at 11:00 PM EST.
MotoAmerica Round 1 from COTA will air on Sunday, April 19, at 6:30 PM EST with replays on Wednesday, April 22, at 9:30 PM EST and Saturday, April 25, at 10:00 AM EST.
MotoAmerica Round 2 from Road Atlanta will air on Sunday, April 26, at 5:00 PM with a replay on Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 AM EST.
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