Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden Returns to Podium at Road America
Tough weekend for Toni Elias, who loses series lead
Elkhart Lake, WI — Roger Hayden returned to form Sunday in MotoAmerica Superbike action at the scenic Road America. Hayden battled up front most of the race and scored third aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing GSX-R1000. It was the first podium result of the season for Hayden. Hundreds of fans broke out in an impromptu singing of Happy Birthday to him at the podium celebration. Roger’s birthday was on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Toni Elias suffered his first bad weekend of the year. He was involved in a controversial last-lap crash on Saturday when rival Cameron Beaubier made contact with him at Canada Corner causing Elias to fall. Elias then dropped off the lead pace mid-way through Sunday’s race and finished fourth. The combination of the DNF and fourth cost Elias his championship lead. He now trails Beaubier by two points in the standings heading into the combined World Superbike and MotoAmerica weekend at Laguna Seca Raceway later this month.
For Hayden Sunday’s race provided a major uplift to his 2018 racing campaign.
“It felt great to get back on the podium,” Hayden said after Sunday’s race. “I felt like I had a chance to win today, but I made a couple of mistakes late in the race that caused me to fall back a bit. Still, it’s a good boost to my season to get back to running up front. I feel like I’ve finally got the season started and I hope to be up there regularly the rest of the year.”
After the race Elias focused on what’s ahead instead of dwelling on an off weekend.
“Sometimes in racing you have weekends like this,” Elias said. “But my team is experienced and we will get back to work to be ready for Laguna Seca and see if we can again fight for this championship.”
Elias leaves Elkhart Lake a close second in the title chase, while Hayden is just a single point outside of the top 10.
Suzuki still sits at 199 MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike wins. It would be most appropriate if Elias or Hayden gave Suzuki the milestone 200th win at in Monterey. It was at Laguna Seca in 1977 when Suzuki won its first AMA Superbike Championship race with rider Steve McLaughlin.
Yoshimura R&D and Suzuki are in the middle of celebrating the 40th anniversary of their formal racing relationship resulting in the most successful racing team in the history of MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike.
Next up for Yoshimura Suzuki is the combined MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship/MotoAmerica weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on June 22-24.
For additional information visit: www.motoamerica.com
You can keep up with the team’s progress by visiting yoshimura-racing.com and www.suzukicycles.com/Racing and via YouTube at www.suzukicycles.com/Racing
More, from a press release issued by RiCKdiculous Racing:
RiCKs Keep Rolling at Road America
Despite the ongoing threat of weather, the RiCKdiculous Racing Team came into Road America with a bunch of confidence after Round 2 at VIR, and looked to capitalize on great results for each rider! After two hard-fought third place podium finishes Saturday and Sunday, RiCK rider Hayden Gillim retained his second place in the points standings in Supersport 600, while RiCK riders Jason Aguilar and Gauge Rees each improved their championship standings with two great results over the weekend.
Hayden Gillim came into Road America with a ton of confidence despite crashing in Virginia. After some RiCK training in between races, Hayden was intent on strong finishes despite knowing that Road America would be challenging for the Kentucky native. Hayden was able to secure third position on the grid and used it to his advantage in both races. In Race 1, Hayden was able to battle with the leaders for a few laps but wasn’t able to keep the pace with the long straightaways. Hayden came across the line in a comfortable third place, adding to his second-place standing in the points. Race 2 started off a bit better for the Kentuckian as he got his best start of the season and kept with the leaders for the first few laps. Unfortunately, this race wasn’t quite as comfortable, as Hayden had to battle all the way to the last corner to remain in third place. “I am really glad to get this track out of the way and come home with back to back third place finishes. It’s definitely my hardest track and I can’t thank the RiCK team enough for giving me a great bike. I can’t wait to head to Laguna and get back on my RiCK R6!”
After strong finishes in Virginia and some tremendous strides at the RiCK Training Camp in between races, Jason Aguilar was in great shape to continue his quest for the front of the pack. Jason rode great in qualifying, and secured a third-row spot, his best of the year so far! In Race 1, Jason capitalized on his grid position and moved all the way up to fifth, leading a knife-fight pack of hungry racers! Unfortunately, his front tire hit the rear of another riders bike, miraculously saved a would-be high side, and was able to bring his RiCK R6 home in eleventh position! In Race 2, Jason continued to race extremely well, but a few bike issues and some tough weather kept Jason away from the front pack, but was still able to cross the finish line in 11th place and rack up some extremely important points heading into Laguna! After his efforts in Wisconsin, Jason sits 11th in the points! “Road America was a tough weekend for us. We had some struggles and setbacks throughout the weekend despite fighting for fifth place in Race 1. Thanks to my RiCK crew for all their hard work, and I can’t wait to improve my season at Laguna!”
RiCKdiculous Racing Junior Cup racer Gauge Rees followed suit behind his older teammates, pumped up and ready to race following great improvements at both Virginia and the RiCK Training Camp in May. Gauge had his best qualifying this year, ending up in eleventh position. Using that to his advantage, Gauge was able to fight up with the lead pack, running the fifth fastest lap time of the race, and eventually finishing in tenth position. Sunday’s race proved to be a bit tougher, as the field had to deal with 20 mph winds. After dodging an incident on lap one, Gauge found himself in his own group and wasn’t able to take advantage of any drafting possibilities. Despite a lonely race, Gauge was still able to bring home an eighth place, his best finish of the season! Gauge said, “Road America was a good weekend for me and I feel that we made a lot of forward progress. I was able to run the same times as the lead group in the first race and was running with the leaders in the second race before an incident with a couple riders had caught me out and I lost touch. I am feeling really confident heading into the next round and know the RiCKs are going to kill it at Laguna!”
Team Manager Kelly Rees said, “I continue to be amazed by the incredible synergy between our crew and riders. Everyone is working extremely well together and it’s allowing our team to grow faster than we all expected. We are very excited to head to the West Coast and continue our push forward!”
RiCKdiculous Racing Technical Riding Director Ken Hill states, “Road America always brings exciting racing and this year it provided exactly that for the RiCK team. Gauge had two fantastic finishes in the Junior cup with a tenth and eighth position that showcased all of the hard training he has put in over the last month. Look for Gauge to come on strong the next set of races. Our 600 riders also had big success. Jason Aguilar took the nest steps from his training and put them right into play this race weekend. His results don’t show the new speed he has developed, but trust me, it’s coming. Hayden Gillim also had a solid weekend with amazing riding at a track that doesn’t quite suit his build on the 600. Watching Hayden in the braking zone was incredible! Also, great to see RiCK rider JD Beach with a very successful weekend. We always know Valentin Debise will be a major threat and this weekend he came out swinging. JD did a fantastic job of working on his riding and mental focus to up the pace in Sunday’s race, he nailed it! I am very excited for the entire RiCK team to head to Laguna and improve on these results!”
Team owner, Adam Bronfman, states, “I am very excited about our progress. Our crew did an outstanding job. Our results were impressive due to the hard work and professionalism of our entire team. I am so proud!”
RiCKdiculous Racing is a Father and Son owned operation that includes not only a professional race team but the most elite coaching school in the United States. To get the same coaching and training that our professional athletes get, go to www.rickdiculousracing.com for information on our coaching programs. Please also find us on Facebook and Instagram at @rickdiculousracing and like us for updates on the team, the school and general RiCK stuff throughout the season!
More, from a press release issued by KTM North America:
KTM ORANGE BRIGADE RIDERS SHOWCASE READY TO RACE CAPABILITIES OF THE RC 390 R WITH ALL-AROUND PODIUM FINISHES AT ROAD AMERICA
Round 3 – MotoAmerica Junior Cup – June 1-3, 2018
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. – KTM Orange Brigade rider Alex Dumas experienced the highs and lows of racing over the weekend for Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup, held at the historic Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Dumas rode his KTM RC 390 R to a commanding victory in Saturday’s Race 1 but a crash in Race 2 kept him from scoring championship points during Sunday’s race action. His teammate, Sean Ungvarsky, was a model of consistency as he emerged from Wisconsin with a pair of third-place finishes in the Junior Cup class.
Dumas demonstrated his READY TO RACE mentality on Friday as he led the class’ only practice session and put himself on provisional pole by a margin of more than two seconds. Wet conditions on Saturday morning allowed Dumas to maintain his pole position heading into Race 1. Dumas made a great start on Saturday and led every lap while taking the win by over eight seconds. On Sunday, Dumas made another great start but made a mistake on the opening lap and crashed as he exited Road America’s Turn 13. Although he didn’t earn any points toward the championship, Dumas still holds a two-point lead in the overall standings.
Ungvarsky emerged successful from two tough on-track battles. Starting from ninth on the grid, Ungvarsky showed great poise and racecraft as he skillfully used the draft, rode defensively and utilized the KTM RC 390 R’s power to finish on the podium in both races.
The MotoAmerica Junior Cup’s next round is scheduled for June 22-24 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.
Alex Dumas, #23KTM Orange Brigade Rider: “The weekend started off very good for us. I was able to get provisional pole on Friday and ended up starting from pole in Saturday’s race, where I was able to come away with the win. I was feeling really good going into Race 2 and I had built up a lead of over a second before the end of the first lap. I was trying to ride cautiously but as I opened the throttle coming out of Turn 13 I lost traction on the front tire and crashed. I think the KTM is going to perform well at Laguna Seca and I am looking forward to getting back on the bike there.”
Sean Ungvarsky, #48KTM Orange Brigade Rider: “I had a pretty rough start to the weekend. I didn’t have great pace in qualifying and was a little disheartened with having to start on the third row of the grid. I knew if I got a good start, though, I could be right up there battling for the lead. I got a really good start in Race 1 and got involved in a great battle for the podium. Fortunately, I was able to come out on top of that battle and helped put two KTMs on the podium. In Race 2, I got an even better start and quickly found myself in an even more intense battle for the podium. I was able to figure out which parts of the track I was faster in than my competitors and used some defensive riding to secure my second podium finish of the weekend. I think the KTM will do really well at Laguna Seca and I think Alex and I are proving the KTM RC 390 R is the bike to have in this class.”
Chris Fillmore, KTM Orange Brigade Team Manager: “I am extremely pleased with both of our riders’ performance this weekend. Alex proved his dominance in Race 1 by having a flawless race at the front. He was in a battle at the beginning but was able to drop his competition. His pace was both fast and very consistent. He had an unfortunate Race 2 from pushing too hard too quickly. The Junior Cup is meant to develop road racing talent and I think Alex learned a valuable lesson this weekend. Sean showed good consistency this weekend. He was locked in two close battles and was able to get himself on the podium in both races. I am expecting more of the same positive results from both riders at Laguna Seca. Both riders are making big strides on bike set-up from track to track and I think we will continue to perform well there.”
More, from a press release issued by Quicksilver / Lexin Moto / Hudson Motorcycles Racing:
Quicksilver / Lexin Moto / Hudson Motorcycles rider Bobby Fong secures top-five finish in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike race at Road America
Teammate Richie Escalante finishes inside the top 10 in Supersport race
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — For every motorcycle road racer, their primary goal in every race they contest is to win. For riders on privateer teams, there is a secondary goal- finishing ahead of the factory-supported riders. In Sunday’s Superbike race at MotoAmerica’s Dunlop Championship at Road America, Quicksilver / Lexin Moto / Hudson Motorcycles rider, Bobby Fong, did not take the win, but finished ahead of a factory rider and places himself inside the top five.
After putting in a brilliant performance in Saturday’s Superbike race, Fong started Sunday’s race from ninth on the grid. Fong had raced his Yamaha YZF-R1 up to seventh place when the red flag came out. When the race restarted, Fong recovered from a bad start and moved up another two positions on the shortened race’s Lap 4 to finish fifth. Fong finished ahead of a factory rider who was also campaigning a R1 and moved up to 10th place in the Superbike point standings.
Quicksilver / Lexin Moto / Hudson Motorcycles’ Supersport rider Richie Escalante ended his up-and-down weekend at Road America on a good note. Escalante started Sunday’s Supersport Class race in fourth place on his Yamaha YZF-R6 and was able to recover from a poor start to finish just outside the top five.
MotoAmerica’s next round is set to take place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Both Hudson riders will be aiming to continue their respective progress with their motorcycles and continue to gel with their Quicksilver / Lexin Moto / Hudson Motorcycles team.
Bobby Fong / #50
“Today’s result feels like a win for how much effort we’ve been putting in this year and some of the bad luck we have had. It was a top five, but we definitely worked for it today. I made it tough on myself by not getting off the line well on the restart. I ended up having to work my way past a few riders but was able to put in several fast laps and was feeling really good on our Yamaha YZF-R1. We made really big strides with bike set-up this weekend, and I really feel like we are heading in the right direction. I am really looking forward to heading to Laguna Seca in a few weeks. We did really well this weekend on the tighter infield sections of Road America and on the brakes. I think that will help us get up with the frontrunners at Laguna.”
Richie Escalante / #54
“It was a difficult race today. I was aiming to finish on the podium but ended up finishing sixth and was able to take home good points for the championship. I had some trouble getting into a rhythm today out on track, but I feel like the team and I are making good progress with our Yamaha YZF-R6. I feel like all the advancements we are making will really help us head into the next round at Laguna Seca. It’s a very different track from Road America and it’s a track that I like a lot.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Beaubier Dominates with Double Victories at Road America
Beach Returns to the Top Step of the Podium in Supersport Race 2
Elkhart Lake, Wis. – It was a near-perfect weekend at Road America for Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, who came away from Round 4 of the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship with a double-victory in the Superbike class and a two-point lead in the championship standings.
Meanwhile, Monster Energy/Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach notched his fourth win of the series in Sunday’s Supersport Race 2, extending his lead in the championship to 43 points.
Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing Superbike Team
Sunday’s Superbike Race 2 virtually mirrored the excitement from Saturday’s action as Cameron Beaubier and Yamaha bLU cRU rider Josh Herrin carried the already-exciting battle for the lead to the checkered flag once again, providing race fans with a dually-impressive performance. Beaubier went to work early in the race, making his way to the lead by the end of the first lap and swapping the position several times before a red flag halted the action on the fifth lap and sent everyone back to the starting grid.
As the green flag waved for the second Superbike start, Beaubier got shuffled into a top-five position and rode smart to regain the battle for the lead. The two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion found an opening with four laps to go and passed Herrin to lead the race. The tworiders pushed hard on the final lap, dicing back-and-forth for the lead. After a few changes in position, it was Beaubier who made it stick as he carried his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing R1 to its second-straight victory of the series at Road America.
Beaubier’s teammate, Garrett Gerloff, got a great start from his front row qualifying position and was in contention to battle for the lead before the red flag came out. When the race restarted, he launched himself into fourth-place and battled for a top-five position, but a mistake dropped him back to seventh place. Gerloff regained his focus, and fought back late in the race to finish in sixth place. Overall, Gerloff had a very successful weekend, reaching the podium with a third-place finish in Race 1 and quickly adapting to Road America in his first ride there on a Superbike.
Cameron Beaubier – #6 YZF-R1
“This weekend couldn’t have gone better. We were able to lead every session, put it on pole and get the double-victory in two very tough races. I’m looking forward to heading back west for the next few rounds.”
Garrett Gerloff – #6 YZF-R1
“All in all, it was a good weekend for me. My team and I worked well all weekend trying different setups and dialing in my Yamaha R1. In qualifying, I got in a decent lap and finally got a front row starting position! Then, in race one, I made some mistakes but ended up with some luck and got third place. In Race 2, after the red flag, I had a little bit of trouble getting a rhythm going and made some mistakes, leaving me with a sixth place. A lot of positives to take away. I learned a lot and I’m excited to move on to a favorite track of mine, Laguna Seca.”
Tom Halverson – Team Manager
“This weekend was huge for us, with Cameron leading every session and taking the pole and a double-win. I don’t think any of us were thinking we’d leave here with the points lead but congrats to Cam and the entire team for a great effort! Garrett made a mistake during the race that cost him positions but he is learning quick and plans to be a threat at Laguna. Congrats as well to Josh Herrin, who put in two fantastic rides this weekend taking two very close second-place finishes.”
2018 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings – 8 of 20 Series Races Completed
Pos.RiderPoints
1Cameron Beaubier – Yamaha 153
2 Toni Elias – Suzuki 151
3 Josh Herrin – Yamaha 115
4 Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha 105
5 Jake Lewis – Suzuki 77
6 Garrett Gerloff – Yamaha 74
7 Kyle Wyman – Yamaha 66
Monster Energy/Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha Supersport Team
Following a runner-up finish in Saturday’s Supersport Race 1, points leader JD Beach fought back to put his Monster Energy/Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha R6 back on the top step of the podium for Race 2. He had another close battle with Valentin Debise, but this time Beach emerged with the upper-hand as he claimed victory by 0.037 of a second.
JD Beach – #95 YZF-R6
“Road America as a whole was great. Of course, it would have been nice to pick up both wins but getting [a pole-position start], a second and a first-place is great. It was a blast having Valentin back and battling with him. My team did a great job with the bike and getting it sorted when we were struggling. I can’t wait for the next round!”
2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Standings – 6 of 18 Series Races Completed
Pos. Rider Points
1 JD Beach – Yamaha 140
2 Hayden Gillim – Yamaha 97
3 Cory West – Suzuki 79
4 Braeden Ortt – Yamaha 60
Additional Yamaha bLU cRU Rider Notes
Attack Performance/Herrin Compound/Yamaha’s Josh Herrin put in a pair of impressive performances at Road America to claim two close runner-up finishes. Herrin and his R1 led 11 official laps over the course of both Superbike races, and he proved that he is a force to be reckoned with during the most intense battles all weekend long.
Rickdiculous Racing’s Hayden Gillim made it two-for-two podium finishes on his R6, matching his third-place finish in Race 1 with a hard-fought third-place finish in Race 2.
In the Junior Cup class, MP13 Racing’s Cory Ventura made big strides from his fifth-place finish in Saturday’s Race 1, placing his R3 on the podium in Sunday’s Race 2 with a second-place finish.
Overall, the Graves/Yamaha R3 Support Program is still facing some challenges when it comes to parity in rules for the new Junior Cup class. “Sunday had some better results with Cory Ventura finishing in the second position, but it’s still frustrating that the organizers haven’t done enough to balance out the brands,” noted Chuck Graves.
Nonetheless, Graves is very proud of everyone involved in the program and their ability to quickly adapt to the challenges, and said, “The Graves Yamaha R3 racers did a great job this weekend, and still fought hard for every position.”
The Yamaha bLU cRU riders will head to Monterey, California June 22-24 for Round 5 of the 2018 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship series at Laguna Seca. For complete schedule details, visit: http://motoamerica.com/.
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.