IN
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YAMAHA TO STEP UP IN 2015
Y
amaha will have a massive
presence in the new Mo-
toAmerica AMA/FIM sanctioned
road race championships in
2015. In Superbike, four-time
AMA Superbike Champion Josh
Hayes returns to the Monster
Energy/Graves Yamaha team to
attempt to earn his fifth series
title. Joining Hayes, once again,
aboard Yamaha's factory-backed
Superbike effort is Cameron
Beaubier.
Monster Energy is returning
as title sponsor of the Superbike
team, beginning a new, two-year
agreement, according to Keith
McCarty, Motorsports Racing
Division Manager for Yamaha
Motor Corporation, USA.
Hayes will carry his number-
one plate into the new Mo-
toAmerica Series where he will
compete in Superbike aboard
the brand-new R1. Hayes is ex-
cited to race the new bike, espe-
cially since he and MotoGP rider
Valentino Rossi worked with the
Yamaha factory to test and de-
velop the bike.
Also excited to be racing the
brand-new Monster Energy/
Graves/Yamaha R1 Superbike
is 2013 AMA Pro Daytona Sport-
Bike Champion Cameron Beau-
bier, who won three AMA Super-
bike races, had seven podiums
and two poles during his rookie
season last year.
The championship-winning
Yamaha Superbike team, with
Hayes and Beaubier, are by any
measure, the pre-season favor-
ites in this year's championship,
which kicks off on April 10-12 at
Circuit of the Americas as part of
the MotoGP weekend at the Tex-
as facility. That event will mark
the AMA Superbike debut at the
circuit.
In the MotoAmerica Supers-
port class, Yamaha welcomes
brand-new title sponsor Yama-
lube to the Yamaha Extended
Service/Graves Team, which
includes experienced R6 riders
Garrett Gerloff and JD Beach.
In addition, Yamaha Extended
Service and Graves Motorsports
continue their long-standing rela-
tionship with the team.
Gerloff won last year's Su-
perbike Shootout Pro Sportbike
