Cypress, CA April 16, 2012 – The Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams will be back in action this weekend as AMA Pro Racing makes its return to Road Atlanta for the Big Kahuna Atlanta.
The 2.55-mile circuit is located just 35 miles outside of Atlanta and is the first round of the Big Kahuna Triple Crown. Billed as a “series within a series,” the Big Kahuna Triple Crown encompasses three exciting, new race weekends that have been added to the 2012 AMA Pro Racing schedule.
MONSTER ENERGY/GRAVES/YAMAHA
For two-time reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes, this will be a very welcome return to a track on which he’s won five times in his career. Josh said, “I can’t wait to get to Road Atlanta. The track is so much fun to ride on, and I’ve always loved racing there.” After a successful Daytona weekend in March, Josh goes to Road Atlanta with the points lead in this year’s SuperBike Championship.
Josh’s Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin is also looking forward to racing his Yamaha YZF-R1® SuperBike at RoadAtlanta. With his home in nearby Dublin, GA, Josh is thrilled to be returning to what he considers his “home track.” This will be Josh’s first time at Road Atlanta as a SuperBike rider, so he’s looking forward to racing the screaming, crossplane-crankshaft R1 around the storied, 12-turn road course set in the picturesque, red-Georgia-clay hills.
YAMAHA EXTENDED SERVICE/GRAVES/YAMAHA
In AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike competition, the Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha team will have a slightly different look at Road Atlanta as both of its riders, Cameron Beaubier and Garrett Gerloff, will unfortunately not be racing. Cameron is recovering from a non-racing injury, while Garrett is recuperating from the leg injury he suffered in the first practice session for the Daytona 200 last month.
Cameron will not be in attendance at Road Atlanta, but Garrett will be making the trip up from his home in Katy, TX, and he’ll be at Road Atlanta to sign autographs, meet the fans, and support the team.
Commenting on the situation, Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha said, “Both Cameron and Garrett are doing well and quickly working themselves back into racing shape after their unfortunate mishaps. They’re both young riders with a lot of talent, so we’re looking forward to their return to racing. It’ll be great to see Garrett at Road Atlanta even though he won’t yet be in the saddle of his Number 8 YZF-R6®. In the meantime, we’re happy to be able to have veteran Tommy Hayden race Garrett’s bike as he did in the Daytona 200 and at the team test held at Homestead-Miami Speedway right after Daytona. Tommy acclimated to the R6 very quickly, and we’re proud to have him compete for us in the DSB class at Road Atlanta.”
Tommy, who was one of the first riders to race a Yamaha R6 when it debuted back in 1999, is happy to be back with Yamaha and heading to Road Atlanta. “It feels good to reunite with the Yamaha family again,” said Tommy. “Road Atlanta isn’t far from my home in Owensboro, KY, and I love racing there. It’s great to be back on the R6, too. I couldn’t be happier.”
TUNE INTO SPEED TV
There’s nothing like watching motorcycle road racing live and in person, but if you can’t make it to the track, be sure to watch all the action from Road Atlanta on Speed TV. For the exact days and times of the telecasts, be sure to check your local listings, or go to www.SpeedTV.com for more information.
Follow the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams on Facebook.
