MotoAmerica AMA/FIMNA Mid-Atlantic Superbike Road Racing Championship

VIRginia International Raceway

Alton, VA

May 17, 2015

Provisional Superbike Race Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha), 25 laps

2. Roger Hayden (Suzuki), -13.368 seconds

3. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha), -18.972

4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki), -23.765

5. Danny Eslick (Honda), -55.137

6. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki), -80.910

7. Stefano Mesa (Honda), -1 lap

8. Elena Myers (Suzuki), -1 lap

9. Bernat Martinez (Yamaha), -1 lap

10. Huntley Nash (Ducati), -24 laps, DNF, mechanical

Provisional Superstock 1000cc Race Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Jake Gagne (Yamaha), 25 laps

2. Josh Day (Yamaha), -34.822 seconds

3. Mark Heckles (Yamaha), -49.420

4. Tyler O’Hara (Yamaha), -55.824

5. Taylor Knapp (Yamaha), -63.200

6. Barrett Long (Yamaha), -1 lap

7. Max Flinders (Yamaha), -2 laps

8. Jeremy Cook (BMW), -2 laps

9. Dustin Dominguez (Aprilia), -9 laps, DNF

10. Frankie Babuska (Suzuki), -17 laps, DNF

11. Shane Narbonne (Yamaha), -21 laps, DNF

Provisional Superbike Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 18 races):

1. Beaubier, 131 points

2. Hayes, 115

3. Lewis, 84

4. Hayden, 68

5. Martinez, 67

6. Ulrich, 54

7. Myers, 53

8. Mesa, 28

9. Eslick, 24

10. Mat Orange, 15

Provisional Superstock 1000cc Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 18 races):

1. Gagne, 100 points

2. Knapp, 94

3. O’Hara, 90

4. Heckles, 84

5. Dominguez, 75

6. Day, 45

7. TIE, Long/Devon McDonough, 41

9. Narbonne, 29

10. Marcel Irnie, 25

More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media Global:

GEICO Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich races to pair of top-10 finishes at VIR

ALTON, Va. (May 17) — A couple of top-10 finishes helped GEICO Suzuki racer Chris Ulrich climb up one spot in the Superbike points standings after the MotoAmerica Mid-Atlantic AMA/FIM Road Racing Championship on Sunday at Virginia International Raceway.

Ulrich charged from 13th to finish seventh in the first 25-lap race Sunday, and then he came home 10th in the second race. In Superbike, he was sixth in both races and moved up to sixth in the standings with a 20-point day at VIR.

“We’re moving up in the championship and getting the bike a lot better,” Ulrich said. “We’ve solved some of the electronics problems we’ve been having recently, so we’ll keep charging.”

Ulrich switched to Suzuki for the 2015 MotoAmerica season, and the team continues to develop the new bike. He missed out on Superpole 2 qualifying Saturday, though, and had to start 13th Sunday. But in the first race, Ulrich was able to make a good start and charge through the field.

“It was good,” Ulrich said. “The bike started working pretty well, and we started going good. I beat my row and moved up into the next row and then quickly got through those guys, but the problem is by the time that happens the leaders are going away.

“Qualifying down there in 13th really hurt us. It’s tough when you’ve got the speed but get stuck behind two or three guys.”

Ulrich was helped by a red flag midway through the race, when he restarted ninth.

“We got a good start and got a better grid position after that red flag,” Ulrich said. “That was really important.

“We found a decent setting and got me more comfortable, and I went faster than I qualified.”

Ulrich didn’t get the benefit of a restart in the second race and instead caught himself in a tight battle with Tyler O’Hara that hampered his pace.

“I needed a better grid spot so I could get myself out of the muck,” Ulrich said. “I had the pace but just got out-broke a lot. I’d get next to (O’Hara), get inside him, and we had a nice duel, but it’s definitely very difficult.”

Ulrich and the GEICO Suzuki team return to action at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on May 29-31.

“We’ll go to Road America and started better and get stronger,” Ulrich said. “We’ll work and move up.”

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Hayes The VIRtuoso Gets The Double Win In MotoAmerica Superbike At VIR; Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Teammate Beaubier 3rd

Alton, VA – May 17, 2015 – Four-time and defending Champ Josh Hayes notched his 50th Superbike win in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at VIRginia International Raceway and, just to make a point that he’s far from done racking up Superbike wins, the “Mississippi Madman” got Superbike win number 51 in the same dominant style for which he is well-known.

Josh’s performance in Race 2 was almost a carbon copy of what he did in Race 1: get the holeshot, pull an immediate gap, circulate faster than any other rider on the course for lap after lap, and win the race by more than what would be called a “comfortable margin.”

Current points leader Cameron Beaubier had never been to VIR before this weekend and compared with Josh, who has several wins and a lot of laps at VIR, he needed to learn the course (and its intricacies) quickly. And he did just that. Cameron followed up his second-place finish in Race 1 with a solid third-place result in Race 2, which makes him six for six in podium finishes this season.

So, with three rounds completed and six Superbike races under their belts, Cameron leads the 2015 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with 131 points, and Josh is in second place in the standings and only 16 points behind Cameron with 115 points. Stay tuned because there is a lot of racing left before it’s all decided.

After his second win of the day, Josh said, “This racetrack has been very good to me. I’ve gotten a lot of good results here. The weekend started out a little rough (after crashing on Friday), but my Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha crew is just the best. They built me a brand-new bike, and I’m so happy to be able to repay them for all their hard work by getting these two wins.”

“I’m happy to still be in the Championship lead, Cameron said. “But I’m not that happy with my results because, of course, I want to win! Josh had an awesome job this weekend, and I’ve got some work to do. I’m not sure if it’s because this track is new to me or what it is, but I need to go home, get strong again, and be ready for Road America in two weeks.”

The Yamaha bLU cRU riders will be back in action for round four of the MotoAmerica series, which will take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, on May 29 through 31.

Watch Round 3 Of The MotoAmerica Championship on CBS Sports

MotoAmerica Round 3 from VIR will air on Sunday, May 24, at 4:00 PM EST with a replay later that day at 9:00 PM EST, and a second replay on Tuesday, May 26, at 10:00 AM EST.

For the complete MotoAmerica TV broadcast schedule on CBS Sports Network, visit http://www.motoamerica.com/motoamerica-tv-schedul…

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 LTD Racing:

MECHANICAL ISSUES STOP NASH IN VIRGINIA

Alton, VA (May 17, 2015) – Huntley Nash and LTD Racing saw their fortunes dashed at VIRginia International Raceway on Sunday as mechanical issues ended the hard charger’s race in each leg of the doubleheader.

In race one, Nash had settled in during the early laps and looked to make a charge when his shifter broke. In race two, Nash had a great start and was in prime position for his best-yet Superbike finish before an engine issue caused him to pull to the side of the 2.25-mile track. Despite showing promise during the weekend, the Georgian was denied a points-paying result for his efforts.

“In the first race, I was getting into the groove when the shifter broke,” Nash said.”In the second one, I got a good start and jumped up to fifth. I was happy with that and looking forward to some battles. I was feeling ready to go when we had a problem with the engine. It’s frustrating not to finish, but I felt good about how I was riding. It’s just our second race with the Ducati, and we’re working hard to be competitive. We’ll learn something from the weekend and look forward to putting it all together for the next time.”

More, from a press release issued by Yamalube/Westby Racing:

Josh Day Finishes Second In MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Race 2 At VIR Aboard The #00 Yamalube/Westby Racing YZF-R1

Alton, VA – April 17, 2015 – After winning the pole, as well as Superstock 1000 Race 1 at Road Atlanta, Josh Day and the Yamalube/Westby team came into VIRginia International Raceway riding a wave of optimism and good fortune. And, by Sunday night that good fortune was still in play, although admittedly, it did take a slight dip earlier in the day.

Starting from the second row on the grid after qualifying second in the Superbike 1000 class and fifth overall, Josh was in position to get a good result in Race 1. Unfortunately, on lap 11, he and Jake Gagne both had separate tipovers in the same, and the race was red-flagged as a result. After waiting for the #00 Yamaha YZF-R1 to be returned to the pits on the crash truck, the Yamalube/Westby Racing crew went to work getting the bike ready for the restart. Unfortunately, they ran out of time and Josh was unable to make the grid.

Things went better for Josh and the team in Race 2. The #00 R1 was ready to go, and it performed flawlessly. Josh was able to exploit the power of the 2015 R1’s crossplane crankshaft engine, and he finished second in the race to end the weekend at VIR on an upswing.

“I’m really happy with where we ended up in Race 2,” Josh said. “But we need to keep working on closing the gap. And, I have no doubt we’ll get there. The new R1 is, by far, the best 1000cc bike I’ve ever ridden, and we’re still learning more and more every time I ride it. My mission in Race 2 was to finish strong and bring it home for the guys. It’s really great to work with the entire Yamalube/Westby Racing team, along with our other sponsor Broaster Chicken. Also, big thanks to RS Taichi, Sidi Boots, and Arai Helmets for keeping me safe when I had the tipover in Race 1.”

Yamalube/Westby Racing will be back in action for round four of the MotoAmerica series, which takes place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, on May 29 through 31.

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Hayes Perfect In MotoAmerica VIR Superbike

Josh Hayes Does The Double At VIR, Escalante Takes His First

ALTON, VA, MAY 17 – In a word, Josh Hayes was perfect at VIRginia International Raceway today, the Monster Energy/Graves Motorsports Yamaha rider chalking up two dominating Superbike wins during round three of the 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship. At day’s end, the four-time AMA Superbike Champion had won the 50th and 51st Superbike races of his stellar career.

Starting from pole position, Hayes had his head down from the get-go in both races, storming away from the field to win the red-flag interrupted race one over his teammate Cameron Beaubier by 3.2 seconds. In race two, the gap was even bigger, with Hayes turning quicker laps to beat Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden by 13.368 seconds. In race one, Hayes’ best lap was a 1:24.994. In race two, he did a 1:24.895 on the 2.25-mile North Course.

With Beaubier splitting second- and third-place finishes with Hayden, the Californian managed to keep his championship points lead intact and he leaves Virginia with a 16-point lead over his teammate Hayes, 131-115. Hayden’s young teammate Jake Lewis is still third in the title chase with his fifth- and fourth-place finishes on the day, with Hayden jumping to fourth with 68 points after his two podiums.

“I thought it was possible,” Hayes said when asked if he came into VIR thinking he could have such a dominant weekend. “This is a racetrack that has been very good to me. I’ve always enjoyed racing here. I’ve gotten some good results here. I guess it just suits me well to the style that I ride with. I have a lot of fun riding around here.”

Earlier in the day when commenting on hitting the half-century mark in victories, Hayes said: “It feels like it wasn’t that long ago when I was just praying for one.”

The first Superstock 1000 race, which runs in the same event as the Superbikes but is scored separately, was won by TOBC Racing’s Taylor Knapp over Ryders Alley Racing’s Mark Heckles and Aprilia HSBK Racing’s Dustin Dominguez. In race two, it was Jake Gagne bouncing back from a mechanical DNF in race one to take his fourth victory of the season with Yamalube/Westby Racing’s Josh Day finishing second after crashing out of race one. Heckles completed his successful day with another third-place finish. Gagne leads the title chase by six points over Knapp, 100-94.

Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s JD Beach led every lap of Saturday’s Supersport final – except for the last one. But he wasn’t going to let that happen again in race two on Sunday as he managed to take the lead early and then stretch it, winning by 2.7 seconds over his teammate Garrett Gerloff, who was some five seconds ahead of Saturday’s race winner Josh Herrin. Herrin barely beat M4 Suzuki’s David Anthony after a heated last-lap battle.

Beach’s victory puts him atop the championship standings by just a single point over Gerloff, 102-101. Herrin is third with 95 points.

“My first win at COTA felt amazing, but to win it in the rain… it just didn’t feel like it was a win,” Beach said of his first career victory in Texas in round one. “To finally get one in the dry like this is awesome. After yesterday, leading every single lap and then Josh [Herrin] coming by me with three corners to go, it was devastating. It was horrible. Today I just wanted to put the race in my own hands and just go for it. It was awesome.”

Richie Escalante was a popular winner of the Bazzaz Superstock 600 class, the Escalante Racing Yamaha-mounted rider topping Kyle Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman by 3.7 seconds to win his first-ever American National road race. The Mexico City, Mexico resident is believed to be the first from his country to win a road race National in the U.S.

With his maiden victory, Escalante moves to the top of the Bazzaz Superstock 600 Championship over Saturday’s race winner Joe Roberts, 78-75. Roberts, who had been perfect on the season going into Sunday’s second race with three victories, crashed out of his early race battle with Escalante.

“Joe (Roberts) was sliding the tires and crashed,” Escalante said in his ever-improving English. “I just wanted to slow down and finish the race. I am so happy and I continue this way to the next races. I thank my team and my family for supporting me and congratulations to these guys.”

SUPERBIKE RACE 1: 1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha); 2. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha); 3. Roger Hayden (Suzuki); 4. Danny Eslick (Honda); 5. Jake Lewis (Suzuki); 6. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki); 7. Bernat Martinez (Yamaha); 8. Stefano Mesa (Honda); 9. Elena Myers (Suzuki); 10. Mathew Orange (BMW).

SUPERBIKE RACE 2: 1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha); 2. Roger Hayden (Suzuki); 3. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha); 4. Jake Lewis (Suzuki); 5. Danny Eslick (Honda); 6. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki); 7. Stefano Mesa (Honda); 8. Elena Myers (Suzuki); 9. Bernat Martinez (Yamaha).

SUPERSTOCK 1000 RACE 1: 1. Taylor Knapp (Yamaha); 2. Mark Heckles (Yamaha); 3. Dustin Dominguez (Aprilia); 4. Frankie Babuska (Suzuki); 5. Tyler O’Hara (Yamaha); 6. Shane Narbone (Yamaha); 7. Barrett Long (Yamaha); 8. Jeremy Cook (BMW).

SUPERSTOCK 1000 RACE 2: 1. Jake Gagne (Yamaha); 2. Joshua Day (Yamaha); 3. Mark Heckles (Yamaha); 4. Tyler O’Hara (Yamaha); 5. Taylor Knapp (Yamaha); 6. Barrett Long (Yamaha); 7. Max Flinders (Yamaha).

BAZZAZ SUPERSTOCK 600: 1. Richie Eslcalante (Yamaha); 2. Travis Wyman (Yamaha); 3. Wyatt Farris (Yamaha); 4. Bryce Prince (Yamaha); 5. Christian Crosslin (Yamaha); 6. Andy DiBrino (Yamaha); 7. Jason Aguilar (Yamaha); 8. Nick McFadden (Suzuki); 9. Michael Gilbert (Yamaha) 10. Curtis Murray (Suzuki).

SUPERSPORT: 1. JD Beach (Yamaha); 2. Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha); 3. Josh Herrin (Yamaha); 4. David Anthony (Suzuki); 5. Tomas Puerta (Yamaha); 6. Cameron Petersen (Yamaha); 7. Ben Young (Yamaha); 8. Kyle Wyman (Yamaha); 9. Corey Alexander (Yamaha); 10. Hayden Gillim (MV Agusta).