Press
Yamaha “Very Proud To Be Involved With The Superbike Shootout”
From a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Two Down And One To Go In Highly Successful GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha
Cypress, CA – May 9, 2014 – With the third and final round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha set to commence with the Arai Mountain Nationals on May 24 and 25 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, the first two rounds of the series have been called a huge success by Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
According to Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., “The enthusiastic turnout of fans at the Yamaha SoCal Nationals at Auto Club Speedway and at the Arai Pacific Nationals at Sonoma Raceway was terrific. We wanted to bring professional road racing to venues in the Western part of the U.S., and thousands of fans have attended these races, met our four Yamaha riders, gotten posters and memorabilia autographed, and they’ve also seen a lot of really exciting racing, too. It makes all of us at Yamaha very proud to be involved with the Superbike Shootout.”
Yamaha Road Racers Lead Both Superbike Shootout Race Classes
After two rounds of the Superbike Shootout, Yamaha riders are leading both Pro classes. In Pro Superbike, Cameron Beaubier is at the top of the standings following his dominant win at Sonoma Raceway, and in Pro Sportbike, Garrett Gerloff is tied for the lead after his win at Sonoma. Both championships will be decided at Miller Motorsports Park.
If You Missed Any Of The Races So Far, Don’t Miss The Videos
Don’t worry if you missed either or both of the first two rounds of the Superbike Shootout because Yamaha has you covered. To check out the playlists of Yamaha videos from the Yamaha SoCal Nationals and the Arai Pacific Nationals, click on the following links:
And, since the AMA Pro Road Racing season is set to start up again on May 30 through June 1 with the Subway Superbike Doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, why not also check out the library of Yamaha videos from Daytona? Click on the following link:
Don’t Miss The Arai Mountain Nationals At Miller Motorsports Park
There is just one round left to decide it all in the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha, and that’s the Arai Mountain Nationals on the weekend of May 24 and 25 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, not far from Salt Lake City. Make plans now to be there for the exciting finale.
For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, videos, and more, check out: YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing or your favorite Yamaha social media channel:
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Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing Recaps Arai Pacific Nationals
YOSHIMURA SUZUKI FACTORY RACING’S MARTIN CARDENAS PODIUMS AT SONOMA SUPERBIKE SHOOTOUT
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden cards top-five & teammate Chris Clark finishes eighth
SONOMA, CA (May 6, 2014) – Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Martin Cardenas followed up his 2014 Superbike Shootout win last weekend with a solid third-place result at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA, on Sunday afternoon. Yoshimura Suzuki teammates Roger Hayden and Chris Clark also turned in impressive performances with Hayden bringing home fifth and Clark following him in eighth.
This past weekend’s race was the second of three events that make up the 2014 Superbike Shootout, a Western-states series pairing the Pros with Semi-pro and Amateur events. In Sunday’s race, Cardenas got a good start on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. Although he admitted to struggling during qualifying, he turned in an impressive performance in the race, slotting into third place early on. The Colombian rider then stayed put for the remainder of the 20-lap race and brought home a podium finish.
“We had a tough time on the first day,” said Cardenas. “But we made some changes to the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the practice and warm-up on Sunday, and then we made another step in that direction for the race. It was a good race but I made a few mistakes and let the leaders get away. I did the best I could to reel them in again. But overall, I’m happy to get on the podium, that’s always good.”
Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Hayden got a top-10 start but then had a minor off-track excursion trying to avoid another rider. Undaunted, the Kentucky native got back on track and was able to maneuver his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 through the field and into the top five. By the race’s end, Hayden had picked up fifth place.
“I really didn’t get the best of starts,” said Hayden. “Then I got shuffled back a bit. And on the second lap, I came up on somebody quicker than I thought I would and I had to go off track to avoid hitting him and I fell back to 16th. From there, I kept a steady pace and just worked my way up. It wasn’t a good weekend for me, I’ve been under the weather and that affected me on the bike. Now we’ll go back and get ready for the next race.”
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Clark got off the line right with teammate Hayden and worked his way into fifth by making the most of his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. He focused on turning smooth, fast laps and eventually finished eighth.
“I got off to a pretty good start and took advantage of a few things and got in the top five,” said Clark. “We had a good set-up for the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 but I had a little bit of trouble toward the end of the race. But overall it was a pretty positive weekend. The Yoshimura Suzuki team and I are working well together and communication was great. I’m just focusing on the positives and getting ready for the next race.”
Sonoma Raceway Superbike Shootout Results:
1.Cameron Beaubier
2. Josh Hayes
3.Martin Cardenas
4.David Anthony
5.Roger Hayden
6.Chris Fillmore
7. Cory West
8.Chris Clark
9.Tyler O’Hara
10. Chris Ulrich
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki, Motorex, Parts Unlimited, Dunlop, Shorai, Renthal, RK Racing Chain, NGK Spark Plugs, Pilot, K&N Performance Filters, Zero Gravity and Chicken Hawk Racing.
Tuned Racing Arai Pacific Nationals Recap
From a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
Bryce Prince had an outstanding weekend at the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout round at Sonoma Raceway. “On Saturday I ended up having a few issues in qualifying and ended up sixth” explained Bryce. I knew I had a could do better here and decided to use the AFM races to get a better pace”. Meanwhile, Bryce’s Tuned Racing teammate, Jason Aguilar, who was ridingSonoma for the first time on Saturday, managed an 8th place qualifying position. In the AFM races, Bryce was leading the 600 Superbike and 600 Production classes going into the weekend. He entered these races prior to the Pro Sportbike race to work on getting a better race pace for the Pro Sportbike race. In the 600 Superbike race, Bryce made a pass on the second lap and then pulled away for a 5 second victory. Jason Aguilar was able to hold onto 3rd place until the last couple of laps, and ended up with a respectable 4th place.
On Sunday, the 600 Production race, Bryce quickly grabbed the lead and took off, while Jason fell back in 3rd. On lap 3, Jason ran his fastest lap, a 1:41.014 to catch and pass the 2nd Placerider. It did not last as his opponent answered back with a pass to maintain 2nd Place. Jason made another pass coming out of the Carousel, but ran too hot into the chicane, giving up 2nd Place. Jason closed the gap and made several more pass attempts, including a dramatic, around- the-outside pass in the final corner, but could not make it stick. “I had blast! I was doing times that would’ve had me battling for the lead in 2012 AMA Supersport races”, stated Jason afterwards.
The Pro Superbike race was stacked with talent. From his 2nd row position Bryce got a great launch and moved into 5th place. Bryce was in a 4 rider battle for 3rd place when a crash took out the 3 riders right in front of him. Bryce was the only rider in his group to avoid the crash and took over 3rd Place. However, the incident forced Bryce to check up and he lost contact with the two riders battling for the lead. Bryce then had a lonely ride to the finish and his first Pro podium. Meanwhile, Jason recovered from a 9th place first lap and worked his way by a couple of riders before taking over 5th place. Jason had opened up a large gap between 6th place and just needed to cruise to an easy 5th place finish. But, on the 19th lap of the 20 lap race, Jason hit the seam in the Carousel and was highsided off the bike. “I jumped up and ran to my bike, thinking ‘No! This didn’t really happen!’ I jumped back on the bike, but the clutch lever was broken so I couldn’t get going again”, explained Jason.
“I can’t thank all of my crew and sponsors enough for their help” stated Bryce on the podium. “This was a great way to welcome new sponsor, Solarmax Technology, to the team” added Team Owner, Mike Pond. “This was Bryce’s first professional podium, but I think now that he has the first one, there will be many more. And Jason showed that he has the pace to run with the fastest Supersport riders at a track that he had never ridden before. I am really excited about the rest of this season”.
Tuned Racing thanks all its sponsors for their support:
Tuned Industries, Graves Motorsports, Dunlop Motorcycle Road Racing Tires USA , SolarMax Technology, Galfer Brakes, Worxxx Performance and Machine, Drive Systems USA, Torco Advanced Lubricants, Motoyard.com, Let’s Ride Trackdays, Zero Gravity Racing Corporation, Dynojet, VNM Sportgear, EFSigns.com, SBKPaint.com, Optimal Racing Bodywork, SpeedAngle, Shorai Batteries, ACT Leathers , NEXX-USA, and Onyx Oil Service.
Jason Aguilar also thanks his personal sponsors: RS Taichi, Moto Liberty, AXO, Vortex Racing, Impact Safe-T Armor, Spider Grips, HT Moto, GPR Stabilizers, and Chicken Hawk Racing
Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Sonoma RacefuelZ Pro Superbike Recap
Sonoma, CA – May 4, 2014 – Everything came up smelling like roses for Roseville, CA, resident Cameron Beaubier as he started from the pole and won Round Two of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha at his home track, Sonoma Raceway. Cameron’s teammate and three-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes came in second in Sunday’s Pro Superbike race to make it a 1-2 finish for the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha team.
Cameron, who was last year’s AMA Pro Racing Daytona Sportbike Champion, is having a phenomenal rookie season on his #2 Yamaha YZF-R1. Already a winner at Daytona in March in the AMA Pro SuperBike series, the northern Californian has now added a victory to his resume in the Superbike Shootout, as well.
When the race went green, Cameron got off to a good start, but he got balked on the inside in turn one, which shuffled him back to fifth. Undaunted, he went to work and began to make rapid and smooth move progress back to the front. He managed to pass Josh who was, as always, his toughest competitor on track, and then he managed to stretch out a fairly comfortable lead.
Following his win, Cameron commented, “I started on the pole, which is on the inside here at Sonoma Raceway, so I kind of got pinched off in the first turn, which shuffled me back to fifth. This track is very technical, and I’m glad I’ve upped my training this year because it’s helped me handle the big R1. I was able to work myself back up to Josh, who was in the lead, and it wasn’t easy to get around him. It’s great to get this win on my home track and in front of my family and friends.”
After Cameron got balked at the start, Josh was able to work himself into the lead where he stayed for a number of laps until he made a little mistake with Cameron right behind him. That brief lapse enabled Cameron to take the lead where he stayed all the way to the checkers.
“I don’t feel like I can be unhappy with my race after the way the weekend started,” Josh said. I was riding smooth, putting together the best race I could. I made a little mistake, and it really cost me. I rode hard to try to catch back up to Cameron. He rode a great race. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten beaten like that, so congrats to my teammate. He’s riding really well.”
After two rounds of the Superbike Shootout, Cameron is leading the championship and Josh is currently third. The final round of the Shootout will be May 24 and 25 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.
Tune In To MAVTV For The Arai Pacific Nationals Pro Superbike Race
Today’s Pro Superbike race was taped for airing later on MAVTV. Log on to www.MAVTV.com for the exact time and channel, and don’t miss it!
For more racing news, results, photos, videos, and more, be sure to check out:
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Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Sonoma Dynojet Pro Sportbike Recap
Sonoma, CA – May 4, 2014 – There aren’t many racetracks in the U.S. where Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff hasn’t raced, but Sonoma Raceway was one of them. The first time was a charm for the Texan as he followed up his pole position from Saturday with an exciting Pro Sportbike win at Sonoma Raceway in Round Two of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha. Garrett’s teammate JD Beach, meanwhile, improved on his qualifying position and finished just off the podium in fourth place.
The race was an exciting one from start to finish, and Garrett battled hard for the lead throughout the 20-lap contest. He moved to the front a couple of times, but he just couldn’t make it stick until the closing laps.
“I felt like I had something during those last couple of laps, and I was able to get back into the lead,” Garrett said. “It wasn’t an easy race, and (second-place finisher) Bobby (Fong) gave me all I could handle. We both ran a clean race, and it was fun. It’s been a little while since I’ve won, so I’m really glad to get the victory, especially here at Sonoma Raceway, where I’ve never raced before. I hope the fans enjoyed it as much as I did.”
After two rounds of the Superbike Shootout, Garrett is tied for the championship lead. The final round of the Shootout, to decide it all in Pro Sportbike, will be May 24 and 25 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.
Tune In To MAVTV For The Arai Pacific Nationals Pro Sportbike Race
Today’s Pro Sportbike race was taped for airing later on MAVTV. Log on to www.MAVTV.com for the exact time and channel, and don’t miss it!
For more racing news, results, photos, videos, and more, be sure to check out:
“Like” us on Facebook: YAMAHA MOTOR CORPORATION, U.S.A.
https://www.facebook.com/yamahamotorusa
Follow us on Twitter: @YamahaMotorUSA
https://twitter.com/YamahaMotorUSA
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: YamahaMotorUSA
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GEICO Motorcycle Team Recaps Arai Pacific Nationals
From a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle:
SONOMA, Calif. (May 5) — GEICO Motorcycle rider Jake Zemke was staring at a podium finish in the Arai Pacific Nationals, the second round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout, when the unthinkable happened Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.
Zemke’s Honda slipped out from under him, and while trying to regain control Zemke was clipped from behind. Three riders, including Joe Roberts and Benny Solis Jr., tumbled off the track and out of the SportBike race.
“It was unfortunate for the GEICO Motorcycle team,” Zemke said. “We were definitely looking at the podium this weekend. I guess we’ll just have to roll on to Utah and Miller Motorsports Park, take that momentum, and go forward.”
SuperBike teammate Chris Ulrich is looking forward to the race at Miller as well after making significant progress in Sonoma. Ulrich had a wild race, starting eighth before getting pinched in Turn 1 on the start and slipping back to 12th.
Ulrich, however, had one of the fastest bikes in the race, gaining two spots on the second lap and one more on Lap 4 and was eighth five laps into the 20-lap event. He was closing on seventh place with seven laps remaining when a tire issue slowed his progress.
“We were marching forward,” Ulrich said. “I got to eighth and was closing on seventh and sixth, and then one lap in Turn 4, all of a sudden the back comes around on decel, and I was like, ‘Uh, oh.’ ”
The rear tire got progressively worse on the right side, so all Ulrich could do was ride out a 10th-place finish.
“Overall, I was happy with my performance in the race,” Ulrich said. “We moved up, we made progress, we went faster. We got the bike finally working a lot better for me this morning and bested my qualifying time by about a second. That’s always pleasant to do in the race.
“With the SuperBike class, when you unload with no data it’s always tough. We’ll move on to Miller and we have data from Miller, so that’s a positive.”
Zemke made a solid start to his SportBike race, challenging for the lead on the opening lap before settling into second. He remained third past the halfway point while battling with Roberts and Solis.
“We had made some changes to the bike and kind of took a little bit of a gamble going into the race,” Zemke said. “We’re always trying to make things better, but we actually took a half-step backwards with the bike setup. It was a very small change, just a little tweak to try and make things better, and it probably made it a little bit worse. But we were still able to run competitive times.”
Heading uphill into the right-hand Turn 3A, Zemke’s bike started to slide.
“The rear end of the bike just broke around, broke traction really fast,” Zemke said. “It was a bit unexpected and I was in the process of saving that, and at the same time I believe Joe and Benny had both lost the front end of their bikes. I’m not sure if there might have been something on the track or if they might’ve been reacting to what they were seeing happening in front of them.
“I thought I just about had mine saved, and then all of a sudden the rear end of my bike just shot out from underneath me and threw me over the high side. I think one of the bikes behind me must’ve gotten into my bike. It sent me for a bit of a flip, and one of the bikes ended up hitting me in the helmet and I ended up down in the wall. It was an interesting ride.”
Zemke’s bike was banged up and so was he but otherwise he was fine.
“Yeah, a little beat up, a little bit sore, but all in all we’ll live to do it again at the next one. It’ll be all right. We’ll definitely be looking for that podium at Miller.”
