Editorial note: Results for this race were produced by MotoAmerica at 8:20 p.m. local time.
MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship
Circuit of The Americas
Austin, Texas
April 11, 2015
Provisional Superbike Race Results (wet conditions, all on Dunlop tires):
1. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 12 laps
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R1), -5.279 seconds
3. Roger Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000)
4. Bernat Martinez (Yam YZF-R1)
5. Jake Lewis (Suz GSX-R1000)
6. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000)
7. Elena Myers (Suz GSX-R1000)
8. Mathew Orange (BMW S1000RR)
9. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-10R)
10. Aaron Hersh (Suz GSX-R1000)
11. Chris Fillmore (KTM RC8R), -5 laps, DNF, mechanical
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Josh Hayes Wins MotoAmerica Superbike Opener
Hayes earns 49th career Superbike win in rain-soaked Texas
AUSTIN, TX, APR. 11 – Josh Hayes turned 40 last week, but apparently age hasn’t slowed him down. Riding in a Texas rainstorm, the Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha rider showed he’s still the master of the class as he sloshed his way to a calculated victory over teammate Cameron Beaubier at the Circuit of The Americas. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden ended up third.
Rain moved into Austin area just prior to the start of the Supersport final and it hung around until after the two MotoAmerica debut races were completed. More of it is expected for Sunday’s second race of the Superbike doubleheader, which will run at the end of a busy day of Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP racing as MotoAmerica is sharing the weekend with the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
Hayes took off from the start for the 12-lap final and opened up a gap almost four seconds early in the race. Pole sitter Beaubier chipped away at the lead and got it down to 2.5 seconds, but Hayes was able to maintain the gap and eventually stretched it back out to win by 5.279 seconds.
It was the 49th AMA Superbike win of Hayes’ career and the four-time AMA Superbike Champion dedicated his victory to his friend Dane Westby, a MotoAmerica racer who lost his life a few weeks ago in a street accident.
“There are just so many things going on this weekend,” Hayes said. “Just so much: new series, new machine. There is a lot of Yamaha brass here for a big weekend with MotoGP. A lot of things happening with so much of my family here, a lot like Rog [Hayden]. I have a lot of friends here in Texas and I’m a bit overwhelmed. We’ve had some dodgy weather, we’ve had some good weather, we’ve had a little bit of everything. I feel like we’ve had a good sprinkle of everything. To have a successful race weekend and come out of here with a win, regardless of what happens tomorrow, it’s fantastic. I’m very happy to be up here and get one in for Yamaha and the new R1. My team has done an amazing job. I was prepared, rain or shine. Mentally, I was in a really good state. I was ready to go either way very early in the weekend.”
Fourth place in the Superbike race went to Bernat Martinez on a Yamaha YZF-R1 with Yoshimura Suzuki’s Jake Lewis rounding out the top five in his Superbike debut.
The Superstock class ran together with the Superbikes and it was RoadRace Factory’s Jake Gagne riding his Yamaha YZF-R1 to victory over the RSV4 of Aprilia HSBK Racing’s Dustin Dominguez. Tyler O’Hara rode the Tyler O’Hara Racing Yamaha R1 to third place.
“My plan was to get out there and do my own thing, let the race come to me and be there in the end,” Gagne said. “I put my head down and rode hard in the beginning to try and keep those guys [the top three Superbikes] in sight. Josh [Hayes], Cameron [Beaubier] and Rog [Hayden] were all hauling butt. About halfway through I had some moments and I couldn’t hold on to Rog any longer. I wanted to bring this thing home and get the Yamaha R1 on the top of the Superstock podium. I’m stoked. It’s my first time on the 1000 in the wet and it was a big eye-opener, but I had fun out there and I’m glad we brought her back home.”
The Supersport final was a wild race with several of the top racers crashing out in the difficult conditions. The man who stood on the top step of the podium when all was said and done was Yamalube/ Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha’s JD Beach, the Kentuckian taking his first-ever win in the premier 600cc class and his first win of any kind in five years. Beach topped teammate Garrett Gerloff and M4 Suzuki/SportbikeTrackGear.com’s David Anthony.
Among the top men who crashed out of the race were race leaders Josh Herrin, on the Wheels in Motion/Motosport.com/Meen Yamaha, and Latus Motors Racing Triumph’s Bobby Fong. Both Herrin and Fong were able to remount, finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.
“It’s great to get this first win, but I definitely want to dedicate this win to the Westby family,” Beach said. “Coming into this weekend I wanted to win for myself, but I also wanted to win for the Westby family too. I know what it’s like to lose somebody real close like that. This race is for them. When I came out of turn 20 and looked back and there was nobody there, it was amazing. I’ve been working hard for five years and it’s been a long time since I’ve won a race. I’m living in Kentucky with a great family. The Gillims have helped me out a lot and doing winters there… I’m riding my bicycle and it’s 20 degrees outside. I’m putting in the miles, putting in the work… to finally get that first win again is amazing.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
New R1 Superbike Debuts With A Win As Hayes Gets Along Swimmingly In Inaugural MotoAmerica Superbike Race; Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Teammate Beaubier Finishes Second At Circuit of The Americas
Cypress, CA – April 11, 2015 –It is said that rain is the great equalizer in motorcycle road racing, but the precipitation did nothing to deter four-time and defending Superbike Champion Josh Hayes from starting off the MotoAmerica era with a Race 1 victory aboard his brand-new Yamaha YZF-R1 at the Circuit of The Americas. Meanwhile, Josh’s teammate Cameron Beaubier, who earned the pole position in Friday’s qualifying, finished a strong second to make it a one-two result for the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha squad.
Josh got a great start off the line, and he ultimately led every lap in the race, with Cameron in the top three for the first couple of laps. The Superbike sophomore moved into second position early in the contest and remained there to the checkers.
RoadRace Factory/Yamaha rider Jake Gagne, riding a brand-new R1 in MotoAmerica’s Superstock 1000 class that races conjointly with Superbike, battled for third with Superbike rider Roger Hayden. Jake ultimately won the race in his class and was fourth overall, leaving a bevy of Superbikes behind him in the final results.
After his victory, Josh said, “New bike, new series, new track for us, and there are a lot of people here for MotoGP, so there was a lot to think about. It’s great to get the win, especially when you throw in the rain. The crossplane crankshaft is more refined in this new R1, and I think it helped us in the rain today. The (tire) grip was really good, and a lot of that has to do with how smooth the bike puts the power to the ground.
“I’m missing my friend Dane (Westby) today,” Josh added. “He was riding well here during the test a few weeks ago, and I have no doubt that he’d have been up here with us.”
Cameron said, “I’m really happy to get out of here with a second place. I had some issues in the rain last year, and these Superbikes are a handful in the wet, but this new R1 really suits me well. Getting second in those conditions gives me a lot of confidence for tomorrow and the season.”
Speaking of tomorrow, the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Superbike team will be back on track for Race 2 on Sunday at 3:30 PM CST. Polesitter Cameron will try to get the best of his teammate Josh, along with the rest of the field. Don’t miss it!
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 Geiger Media Global:
GEICO Suzuki rider Chris Ulrich battles the weather at MotoAmerica premiere
AUSTIN, Texas (April 11) — Kicking off the first MotoAmerica race of this weekend’s doubleheader at the Circuit of the Americas, GEICO Suzuki rider Chris Ulrich battled the elements on his way to a sixth-place Superbike finish.
Running the Superbike and Supersport class in tandem, Ulrich started the day from the 10th qualifying spot, and by erring on the side of caution due to slick conditions, he found himself rallying back throughout the shortened 12-lap race.
“I’m 100 percent sure I was too cautious on the start,” Ulrich said. “It took me a couple of laps to really understand what I could do. I picked up the pace but just gave away a little bit too much there in the first lap. I should know better though, I’m a professional.
“That’s our mistake, and we’ll try to make sure we don’t do that tomorrow so we can move up. That’s all we can do. I know the guys are working really hard, and I’ll be working hard looking at data overnight seeing what we can improve to get a better result tomorrow.”
After ensuing rain wet the track down just before the start of the Superbike race, Ulrich and the other riders had to adapt quickly to their surroundings. Despite not getting the result he had hoped for right out of the gate, Ulrich is confident that the GEICO team has a solution in place for a much better showing in Sunday’s race.
“Today was a tough race,” Ulrich said. “It was difficult conditions, and we didn’t have too much time in the wet track this weekend. I struggled a lot on corner entry and throughout the fast areas. Going forward we’ll need to be better there. It’s not like I was miles off though. I could see all those guys up ahead, but I just couldn’t get to them. I really tried hard through the midsection the last few laps to catch them, and I started getting more comfortable picking up the pace, but in the end it was too much.
“I also had a few big moments today but thought, ‘Where we’re going to finish is where we’re going to finish today.’ It’s always that racer mindset of if you’re not winning it’s not where you want to be. However, we already figured some things out on the chassis after the race and have made the necessary changes so we can come back swinging tomorrow.”
The weekend’s racing action will wrap up with the final Superbike race on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.