Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/726231
IN THE WIND P34 BETA WELCOMES JORDAN ASHBURN V eteran GNCC racer Jordan Ashburn has signed a two- year deal with Beta USA. Ashburn has spent the last few years with the AmPro/Yama- ha squad but will change colors for the 2017 and 2018 racing seasons. Ashburn will compete in the GNCC XC1 class aboard a Factory Beta 390 RR. This means that Ashburn will now work alongside the team's new coach, five-time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith (hired just this year). Ashburn is currently fourth in the 2016 GNCC overall standings and trails third place by just nine points. He finished seventh overall in 2015, and his best finish ever was in 2014 when he claimed third overall in the GNCC championship. He was second in the XC2 Pro Lites class in 2011. "I am really excited to be a part of Beta USA for 2017-2018," Ashburn said. "I feel like together we can both achieve our goals of win- ning races and possible cham- pionships. Beta combined with Rodney Smith as a rider coach has a lot to offer to the program. I'm looking forward to a great next couple years on red." "I'm very excited with the signing of Jordan Ashburn," Smith said. "He has signed on with us at Beta to compete in the GNCC series, and I feel the combination of his excitement and my knowledge after winning five GNCC titles, that we can bring a title to this team in the future!" Ashburn's new team man- ager will be Zack Huberty who added, "I'm ecstatic over having Jordan join our team for the next two years. Jordan fits perfectly into our new XC1 program and I feel we have a bright future ahead of us in the XC1 class in GNCC aboard our Beta 390 RR." CN Long-time AmPro/ Yamaha rider Jordan Ashburn will move to the Beta team. HAYES, BEAUBIER RE-SIGN WITH YAMAHA N ewly crowned MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier and four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes both inked a deal extending their tenure with Yamaha for the 2017 season. Both Beaubier and Hayes will pilot Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Factory Racing YZF-R1 Super- bikes in 2017 in the AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship. "Cameron's and Josh's return to the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha Factory Superbike team for 2017 shows their commitment and belief in Yamaha," said Yamaha's Keith McCarty. "Both riders not only show their incredible skills on the track throughout each MotoAmerica race weekend, but they represent Yamaha in a way that is consistent with the values of our entire Yamaha family. These two riders alone are responsible for 79 of Yamaha's 100 AMA Superbike wins. If that doesn't say commitment, then I don't know what does." CN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J. NELSON Josh Hayes (left) and Cameron Beaubier (right) will be together again next year.