Yamaha R6 Riders Show Their VIRility In MotoAmerica Supersport Race 1 As Herrin Wins
. By Bikeland Staff
The Yamaha bLU cRU made another big statement, this time at VIRginia International Raceway, as YZF-R6 riders swept the podium in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Supersport Race 1. Wheels In Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen/Yamaha rider Josh Herrin won the race, while Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha teammates JD Beach and Garrett Gerloff rounded out the all-R6 podium by finishing second and third, respectively.
JD started on pole, got the holeshot, and led pretty much the entire 22-lap race, while Josh stalked the Kentuckian, carefully studied his racing lines, and patiently waited to make his move to the front. It took a combination of last-lap heroics, a hot and somewhat slick racing surface, and diminishing tire grip for Josh to make his decisive move, getting around JD and crossing the finish line to notch his second win in four races.
Meanwhile, the biggest hero of the day was arguably Garrett Gerloff, who had a big crash early in the first qualifying session on Friday and fractured the little finger on his left hand. Garrett sat out Saturday morning’s final qualifying session, went out in the late-morning warmup, and started in sixth position for the early-afternoon race. With a plan to salvage as many points as he could under the difficult circumstances, Garrett had an exciting race, fighting for position with Bobby Fong and then David Anthony. He ultimately passed both riders and brought home his #31 Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha R6 in a very impressive third place.
After his win, Josh said, “JD was holding a really good pace, and I really couldn’t get by him until that last lap. It was a good race for me, and I was glad to be able to get by him when I did and make it stick. This is a tight championship battle, and I need all the points I can get.”
Riding out front with no one in front of me was a good lesson,” JD commented. “I tried to set a good pace, and that kept me out front for most of the race. It got a little bit greasy out there towards the end of the race. I tried to keep Josh behind me, but he got by me right there at the end. It was a good race, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
When asked about how he felt while riding with the injury to his left hand, Garrett said, “After two or three laps, I got into a battle with Bobby Fong and then Dave Anthony, and I forgot all about the injury. I felt pretty good, despite the broken finger, and I concentrated on keeping my R6 on two wheels and bringing it home safe. I’m glad to get on the podium, considering the situation, and we’re still in good shape in the points standings, which was my goal today.”
Based on his finish, Garrett retained the lead in the 2015 Supersport Championship, while Josh moved into second place over JD, who is now in third. All three riders are only separated by four points with a lot of racing left to go in the 2015 MotoAmerica season.
MotoAmerica Supersport Race 2 will go green from VIR tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM. Go to www.MotoAmerica.com, click on “Streaming” under the “LIVE” header in the top-left corner of the page, and then click on “WATCH SUPERSPORT” to watch the race live online.