PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J NELSON
ELKHART LAKE, WI, MAY 30 – Yamalube Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha’s JD Beach and privateer Richie Escalante held onto to pole position in their respective class—Supersport and Superstock—as Mother Nature pretty much made today’s MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship’s qualifying sessions at Road America a wash.
For JD Beach, it is his second MotoAmerica Supersport pole position in a row, following up on his success at the previous round at Virginia International Raceway. Joining him on the front row is teammate Garrett Gerloff and Wheels In Motion/Motorsport.com/Meen Yamaha’s Josh Herrin.
Although the morning session had no bearing on qualifying, it was valuable time as it looks to be a wet race this afternoon. Setting the fast time in the wet was Gerloff with a 2:40.056 , over 3.5 seconds ahead of his nearest competitors—Veloce Racing MV Agusta’s Hayden Gillam and Herrin. Beach was 6.359 seconds down in seventh.
In Superstock 600, Escalante topped Herrin’s teammate Joe Roberts to earn his first pole in the series, with Suzuki privateer Nick McFadden joining them on the front row in third. As it was in the Supersport session, the times set in Superstock 600 painted a little different picture in the wet with Roberts on top and Escalante 18.329 seconds back in 13th.
The KTM RC390 Cup on the other hand only had a wet qualifying session as yesterday’s afternoon session was changed to a practice session to allow more track time for series’ debut weekend. In the end it was Cool Breeze Racing’s Josh Serne went down in the books to earn the first ever pole position in the new KTM RC390 Cup class. The 16 year old edged out fellow Northern Californian Gage McAllister by .212 of a second in the wet qualifying session. Joining them on the front row for the inaugural race this afternoon was Gabe Miller.
2015 MotoAmerica Road America Qualifying Results
Supersport
1. JD Beach (Yamaha) 2:20.078
2. Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha) 2:20.459
3. Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 2:21.753
4. Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 2:21.885
5. Tomas Puerta (Yamaha) 2:21.902
6. Corey Alexander (Yamaha) 2:22.293
7. David Anthony (Suzuki) 2:22.495
8. Bobby Fong (Triumph) 2:22.654
9. Kyle Wyman (Yamaha) 2:23.786
10. Ben Young (Yamaha) 2:24.558
Superstock 600
1. Richie Escalante (Yamaha) 2:22.985
2. Joe Roberts (Yamaha) 2:23.162
3. Nick McFadden (Suzuki) 2:24.958
4. Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 2:25.115
5. Travis Wyman (Yamaha) 2:25.357
6. Wyatt Farris (Yamaha) 2:25.367
7. Carl Soltisz (Yamaha) 2:26.131
8. Conner Blevins (Yamaha) 2:26.221
9. Jason Aguilar (Yamaha) 2:26.869
10. JC Camacho (Yamaha) 2:27.058
KTM RC390 Cup
1. Josh Serne 3:16.533
2. Gage McAllister 3:16.745
3. Gabe Miller 3:16.842
4. Hayden Schultz 3:18.074
5. Anthony Mazziotto III 3:18.497
6. Alejandro Gutierrez Mejia 3:19.121
7. Ezra Beaubier 3:19.623
8. Brandon Altmeyer 3:19.999
9. Christopher Martinez 3:20.450
10. Mason De Keyrel 3:20.862
