MotoAmerica Championship of Pittsburgh
MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series
Pittsburgh International Race Complex
Wampum, Pennsylvania
August 26, 2017
Motul Superbike/Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Race One Overall Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 18 laps, Total Race Time 30:41.468, Best Lap Time 1:41.265
2. Toni Elias (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, -1.406 seconds, 1:41.239
3. Roger Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Superbike, -3.277, 1:41.235
4. Jake Gagne (Hon CBR1000RR SP), Superbike, -4.810, 1:41.706
5. Bobby Fong (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, -7.805, 1:41.738
6. Mathew Scholtz (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, -8.024, 1:41.405
7. Jake Lewis (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, -8.119, 1:41.321
8. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, -8.281, 1:41.697
9. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, -31.681, 1:41.645
10. Anthony West (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, -34.534, 1:42.771
11. Sylvain Barrier (BMW S1000RR), Superbike, -34.606, 1:43.163
12. Kyle Wyman (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, -34.912, 1:43.391
13. Hayden Gillim (Suz GSX-R1000), Superstock 1000, -43.284, 1:42.958
14. Jason DiSalvo (BMW S1000RR), Superbike, -43.685, 1:42.935
15. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, -61.420, 1:43.944
16. David Anthony (Kaw ZX-10R), Superstock 1000, -92.885, 1:43.876
17. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R1), Superstock 1000, DNF, 1:45.636
Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Race One Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Bobby Fong (Kaw ZX-10R), 18 laps, Total Race Time 30:49.273, Best Lap Time 1:41.738
2. Mathew Scholtz (Yam YZF-R1), -0.219 second, 1:41.405
3. Jake Lewis (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.314, 1:41.321
4. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R1), -23.876, 1:41.645
5. Anthony West (Kaw ZX-10R), -26.729, 1:42.771
6. Hayden Gillim (Suz GSX-R1000), -35.479, 1:42.958
7. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R1), -53.615, 1:43.944
8. David Anthony (Kaw ZX-10R), -85.080, 1:43.876
9. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R1), DNF, 1:45.636
Motul Superbike Championship Point Standings (after 15 of 20 races):
1. Elias, 320 points
2. Beaubier, 255
3. Hayden, 236
4. Hayes, 164
5. Scholtz, 146
6. Fong, 127
7. Lewis, 126
8. Josh Herrin, 114
9. Eslick, 104
10. Wyman, 92
11. Gagne, 71
12. Gillim, 68
13. Prince, 62
14. Barrier, 38
15. DiSalvo, 36
16. Anthony, 32
17. West, 25
18. Flinders, 19
19. Tyler O’Hara, 15
20. Larry Pegram, 14
Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Championship Point Standings (after 15 of 20 races):
1. Scholtz, 306 points
2. Lewis, 251
3. Fong, 239
4. Eslick, 207
5. Gillim, 161
6. Prince, 156
7. Flinders, 108
8. Anthony, 66
9. Tyler O’Hara, 54
10. West, 47
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Beaubier Takes Race One At Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex
Gerloff Again Unstoppable in Supersport
WAMPUM, Pa. (August 26, 2017) – Although it may prove to be too little too late, Cameron Beaubier is doing everything he can to try and retain his MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as he won his third successive Motul Superbike race, this one coming in the first of two races in the Championship of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Beaubier gained five points on championship points leader Toni Elias, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider finishing 1.4 seconds behind the defending two-time champion after leading the majority of the laps.
“It was a really good race for me today,” said Beaubier. “I felt that I was a little slow to get going compared to these guys, just struggling with grip, but as the race wore on I was able to pick it up. The team and I went backwards with some changes in practice this morning and we ended up putting yesterday’s settings back in for the race today. It was an awesome race, a good battle, and the pack was so big coming down the front stretch that I couldn’t even see my pit board. This track requires you to be precise and I’m really happy to be racing here in Pittsburgh.”
With his 14th podium finish of the season, Elias leads the title chase by 65 points with five races and 125 points left on the table.
“I had a good fight going today, but in the end he (Cameron Beaubier) had more pace,” said Elias. “I tried to follow him on the final lap to make something happen, but the gap was too big to do anything. I’ve had a problem destroying my tires each time out on this track and the team and I need to try and find a solution. Cameron has been really strong since Laguna Seca and running a fast pace. The finish today was still good for consistency and the championship.”
The race was a thriller in front of a large crowd in what was the first day of two days of MotoAmerica racing at the facility on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. For most of the race there were seven riders in the lead pack, led by the trio of Elias, Beaubier and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden, followed by a horde of Bazzaz Superstock 1000 riders and the Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda of Jake Gagne.
Elias grabbed the holeshot and led the first seven laps. Beaubier took over on the eighth lap, but that lead was short-lived. On the ninth lap, Beaubier found himself in third as Hayden moved past the Californian. On the 14th lap, Beaubier found his way around Hayden again and on the 16th of 18 laps, Beaubier moved past Elias to take the lead. And it was a lead he wouldn’t relinquish as he put his head down and gapped the two chasing Suzukis, crossing the line 1.4 seconds ahead of Elias.
“I got a good start and followed Toni (Elias) for the first few laps,” said Hayden. “Cameron (Beaubier) came by me and those two up front had a pretty good race going that set me up to get back around Cameron. With a couple of laps to go Cameron got around us both and had another gear. I’ve got minimal time on this track, but I really enjoy it and can’t wait to get back on it tomorrow.”
Gagne was impressive in what was by far his best Superbike effort of the season in his first year on the Honda. By the end of the race he’d fought through to fourth place and was nipping on the heels of Hayden. At the finish he was just 4.8 seconds off Beaubier and just a tick over a second off Hayden and the podium.
Fifth place went to Quicksilver/Latus Motors Kawasaki’s Bobby Fong and with it came his sixth victory of the season in the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class as he passed both of his rivals Mathew Scholtz and Jake Lewis on the final lap. Scholtz ended up sixth on the Yamalube/Westby Racing YZF-R1 with Lewis seventh on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
“We made a lot of changes to the motorcycle heading into the race today,” said Fong. “With all of the changes we made it took me the first half of the race to get used to the bike. I just kept chipping away, started gaining ground, and never gave up. That chicane actually helped me get the win today, so I’m digging the chicane. It was a blessing that I didn’t take everyone out in the final corner, but it was for the race win.”
Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Josh Hayes finished eighth in what was his 300th AMA start across all classes. TOBC Racing’s Danny Eslick battled back from an off-track excursion to finish ninth with Australian Anthony West 10th on the Fly Street/Motul Oils/ADR Motorsports Kawasaki.
Scholtz continues to lead the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class by 51 points over Lewis, 286-235. Fong now trails Scholtz by 72 points after matching Scholtz’ win total with his sixth victory.
Supersport: Again It’s All Gerloff
Supersport races aren’t normally won by large margins, but apparently Garrett Gerloff doesn’t know that. Gerloff rode his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha to victory today in Pittsburgh, topping M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Valentin Debise by 19.1 seconds after 16 laps. Gerloff’s teammate and title rival JD Beach was a further five seconds behind in third and just two tenths ahead of Team H35’s Benny Solis.
This one was all Gerloff, however. The Texan battled back from a slight off-track excursion and a bee sting to lead the final 12 of the 16 laps for his seventh win of the season and his fourth in a row as he tries to defend his 2016 Supersport title. With Beach finishing third, Gerloff now leads by 23 points, 271-248. Debise, who came from well down after running off in turn two on the opening lap, is third in the series points with 178 points.
“It was a dumb mistake that I made in turn one by running straight through the grass,” said Gerloff. “I had a little bit of a gap on the guys behind me and everything was clicking really well all day for me. We’ve made a lot of small changes and have been focusing on some minor details with my program, which has really shown the past three races. I’m looking forward to carrying my momentum through the rest of the season.”
New Jersian Anthony Mazziotto III finished fifth today and that was good enough for him to earn his first career win in the Superstock 600 class, the former KTM RC Cup race winner coming back after sitting out the last three “west” races in Utah and California. Paasch topped his former KTM rival Brandon Paasch, with last year’s KTM RC Cup Champion finishing sixth.
Travis Wyman’s first race of the 2017 MotoAmerica season resulted in him finishing seventh on his Travis Wyman Racing Yamaha. M4 medAge Suzuki’s Nick McFadden finished eighth, and second in the Superstock 600 class, just ahead of third-place Superstock 600 finisher Michael Gilbert. Connor Blevins rounded out the top 10.
With Jason Aguilar crashing and remounting to finish 12th and sixth in the Superstock 600 class, the Riderz Law/Aguilar Racing rider saw his lead shrink to just eight points over Gilbert, 201-193.
Dumas Gets His First In KTM RC Cup
Fifteen-year-old Canadian Alex Dumas won his first-ever KTM RC Cup race, the JP43 Junior Team rider barely holding off Quarterley Racing/On Track Development’s Jackson Blackmon by .045 of a second after 10 laps of the Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
CSVMoto’s Cory Ventura ended up third, just 1.1 seconds behind and in the battle for victory for all 10 laps despite a big crash in the morning practice session. Blackmon’s teammate Draik Beauchamp finished fourth with Savage Racing’s Sean Ungvarsky rounding out the top five.
Points leader Benjamin Smith failed to finish after crashing out of fourth place and the result is a tighter championship. Ventura now trails Smith by 21 points, 192-171, with Blackmon moving to third in points, 36 points behind Smith.
“I thought it was Benjamin (Smith) and Cory (Ventura) with me at the end of the race,” said Dumas. “It ended up being Jackson (Blackmon) who was there with me, but I had no idea that it was him. The finish was close and it felt good to grab the win. I’ve been to this track one time previously and it seems to suit me pretty well.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
THREE PODIUMS FOR TEAM HAMMER IN PITTSBURGH
Team Hammer kicked off its first weekend racing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in style, scoring three podium finishes across three classes as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series made its debut at the venue on Saturday.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Valentin Debise rocketed into the lead early in the Supersport race aboard his GSX-R600, but his advantage was short-lived; the Frenchman ran off the track on the opening lap and found himself well outside the top 10 in the early going.
Debise kept his wits about him, however, and methodically worked his way back up through the field. He ultimately slashed all the way up to second, and even pulled five-plus seconds clear of the fight for the final spot on the podium before it was over.
After securing his fifth runner-up-or-better finish of the season (his ninth podium in all), Debise said, “It’s funny because I think that’s the first time since I’ve been in MotoAmerica that I actually got a good start. I was leading the race until I made a huge mistake into the second corner. It was all my fault–I got into the wrong gear and went sideways and I couldn’t stop it.
“After that, I knew I had to put my head down and keep going because my pace was good. I tried to focus on my lines and my cornering. I just stayed consistent and conserved my tires. I caught back up to the riders battling for second. I waited one lap behind them to slow down and rest a little bit, and then I took second place from that. Tomorrow we’ll stay on track and try to fight for the win.”
Moments later, M4 medAge Suzuki’s Nick McFadden finished with a runner-up result himself in the MotoAmerica Superstock 600 class. McFadden clicked off his fastest laps of the weekend during the race to claim a clear second.
McFadden’s sixth podium of the season saw him move to within two points of third in the STK600 title fight.
“The race went pretty well for us,” McFadden said. “It’s been a tricky weekend deciding which tire to race on. We had a good set-up for the hard rear which we ran in the race. We put in consistent laps the whole time and stayed up front. After getting into second and opening an advantage on third, we just managed the gap at the end. We’ll get things dialed in tomorrow, make the bike a little better, and try to move up one spot on the box.”
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis got an excellent start after qualifying on the front row of the combined Superbike/Superstock 1000 grid aboard his GSX-R1000. He led almost the entire Superstock 1000 race while hounding the front-running Superbikes deep into the contest.
Tire woes became a bigger and bigger concern, and ultimately bit him on the race’s final lap. With just a few corners remaining, he was passed by a rival. An attempted counterpunch then opened the door for another adversary, and Lewis found himself third as the three took the checkered flag separated by just 0.314-second.
After claiming his 12th podium of his 2017 STK1000 campaign, Lewis said, “It was a good race. I got a good start and was right there with the three Superbikes. Eight laps in I was just sitting there and the bike felt good. But over the second half of the race, I started struggling a lot. The track tears up tires pretty good and, unfortunately, I think it affected my bike more than the others.
“I led it until the last lap. I got passed going into the chicane and tried to get back by, coming out of the last corner. We were side-by-side coming down the straightaway, but he had the inside line. I had to get off the throttle because I was about to hit him, and that allowed another rider by as well, pushing me down to third in the end.”
Meanwhile, Saturday came to an early end for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Cleland and M4 Rickdiculous Racing Suzuki substitute rider Francesc Perez. Spaniard Perez crashed at the start of lap two of the Supersport/Superstock 600 race and clipped Cleland from behind, causing the Texan to fall as well.
Team Hammer will be back in action on Sunday for the second half of the Pittsburgh International Race Complex double-header.
About Team Hammer
The 2017 season marks Team Hammer’s 37th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 68 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 181 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 134 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
First Time’s A Charm For Beaubier & Gerloff At Pittsburgh As Cameron Wins MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 And Garrett Wins Supersport Race 1
Wampum, PA – August 26, 2017 – MotoAmerica’s two-time and defending Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier, and defending Supersport Champ Garrett Gerloff, both were winners in their first-ever races at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, new to the MotoAmerica race calendar for 2017. And, for both riders, their performances got better and better as the laps wound down.
Cameron got a good start from the second row on the grid, and he was almost immediately in the lead pack and dicing with his rival Toni Elias. The two Champions passed each other back and forth, until Cameron ultimately took the lead towards the end of the race, and crossed the finish line with a gap of nearly one-and-a-half seconds back to Elias. Also, he ran his fastest laps of the race in the latter stages of the 22-lap event.
“It was a really good race for us,” Cameron said. “I felt like I struggled a little bit with grip in the beginning, but as the race went on, the bike kept getting better and better, and my lap times kept improving. I’m happy to get this win today and keep this momentum going.”
Speaking of “getting better and better,” that’s been the ongoing theme for Josh Hayes, who has won all four of his Superbike Championships in the latter stages of his racing career. Today, as Josh lined up on the second row for the race, Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., presented the Mississippi Madman with a commemorative hat for starting his 300th career AMA road race.
“It’s a huge honor to be recognized for 300 AMA starts,” said Josh. “I didn’t even know until Keith brought it to my attention on the grid. Also, it’s cool to have it happen on the same weekend that Vale (Valentino Rossi) is being honored for 300 starts in GP. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have had such a long career and opportunity to ride in so many races, and I’m proud to represent Yamaha and the AMA in this way.”
About his race, in which he finished fifth in the Superbike class and eighth overall, he said, “Unfortunately, I made a big mistake in turn one on the first lap, and I put myself in a bad position right from the start. From that point forward, I feel like I ran a good race. I had a solid pace, and I was able to catch up to some of the riders at the front. My laptimes towards the end of the race were pretty decent, so if I hadn’t run off the track going into the first turn off the start, I’d have had a better end-result. I’m glad I get to race again tomorrow and put all that behind me.”
Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday at 3:15 PM EST.
Garrett, who ran a lightning-fast lap earlier in the day to earn the pole position, also ran off the track in the first turn at the start of Saturday’s MotoAmerica Supersport race, but he fared even better than Josh. Showcasing his trademark smoothness, Garrett recovered quickly from his grassy excursion and clicked off fast lap after fast lap. He was the only rider to dip into the 1:43s, and he pressed his advantage all the way to the checkers, where he won by more than 19 seconds in a display of utter dominance.
“Once I got my pace going, I felt like I could just keep running fast laps to the end,” commented Garrett. “We keep making improvements to an already great bike, and I can’t thank my team enough for all they do. It’s been a great season so far, and I just want to keep having fun. I can’t wait to race again tomorrow.”
Garrett’s teammate JD Beach notched his 12th podium result of the season, with his third-place finish.
The fan-favorite, Kentucky-based rider said, “I know I can’t win all the races, but I wish I could have been closer to the front and in the fight. We’re pretty far back in the points, and we don’t have a lot of races left. But, we’re not giving up, and we’ll work on some things so we can come back strong tomorrow.”
Supersport Race 2 from Pittsburgh International Race Complex will go green on Sunday at 2:25 PM EST.