VOL. 54 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 21, 2017 P31
GERLOFF STEPS UP TO SUPERBIKE
2
017 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion
Garrett Gerloff will move up to the Monster
Energy/Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing
Superbike team in 2018, taking the place of
veteran four-time champion Josh Hayes.
Gerloff has been eyeing the superbike ride
for some time, and with two consecutive su-
persport titles under his belt, feels 2018 is the
right time to step up.
"Last year was a dream season for me,"
said Garrett. "I accomplished a lot of things on
my list of goals. So for me, I was ready for the
next step. I have wanted to ride a superbike for
such a long time now, so for it to finally happen is
amazing. I have some big shoes to fill. Taking the
'Josh Hayes spot' isn't something I take lightly…
it is an honor. If I can accomplish just a fraction
of what he has, then I will be doing pretty well.
Luckily, I've been able to ride the R1 Superbike a
couple times already, and all I can say is that it is
an animal! It's so fast, but also smooth and agile.
I couldn't ask for a better machine with which to
attack the 2018 MotoAmerica Superbike Cham-
pionship. I already feel right at home on the bike
and with all of the amazing people on the team.
It's going to be a steep learning curve, but I'm
more than ready for a challenge! With the whole
package together, I know I can't fail! I'm looking
forward to an exciting 2018 aboard my #31 R1
Superbike!"
Meanwhile, Josh Hayes will be taking an am-
bassador role within the factory Yamaha organiza-
tion in 2018. Hayes will also be the team's official
test rider, and in a statement released by Yamaha
Motorsports, it's clear the veteran rider is some-
what reluctant to hand over the reins to Gerloff.
"This is not a retirement announcement,"
Hayes said. "I feel like 'retirement' is a choice
you make. I never intended to stop racing, but
with Yamaha's vision and goals, it became time
to move in a new direction with the young talent
that's been dominating the MotoAmerica Super-
sport class. I'm thankful to Yamaha, Keith [Mc-
Carty], and the team for giving me the opportunity
to accomplish what I was able to in superbike,
and I'm proud that they want me to continue with
them, beyond just racing their motorcycles. I'm
looking forward to sharing my knowledge and ex-
perience with the younger riders moving up." CN
have remained committed and
professional during what has
been a challenging few years.
Moreover, we are grateful to our
valued vendors and suppliers
who have remained our partner,
and we thank our customers who
continue to trust and rely on us.
We look forward to continuing to
work together for many years to
come," added Graves.
Court filings as well as other
information related to the re-
structuring are available at www.
donlinrecano.com/vhc or by
calling the restructuring informa-
tion hotline, (800) 581- 5607
(toll free in North America) or
(212) 771-1128 (International).
Inquiries may also be submitted
via e-mail to vhcinfo@donlinre-
cano.com.
Proskauer Rose LLP and
Cole Schotz P.C. are serving as
legal counsel and AlixPartners
LLP is serving as financial advi-
sor to MAG. CN
Gerrett Gerloff
is finally getting
his hands
on a factory
superbike.
