JD looks ahead to new challenges as 2017 squad is announced

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Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. has announced that its Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Extended Service (Y.E.S.)/Graves/Yamaha road racing team will be competing aboard the refined, redesigned, and remarkable 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Supersport class of the 2017 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship. The announcement was made by Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.

With two MotoAmerica Supersport Champions on its team, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha boasts one of the most successful and experienced middleweight motorcycle road racer lineups in the world, as 2016 Champ Garrett Gerloff and 2015 title-winner JD Beach are both back and excited to climb aboard their brand-new 2017 Yamaha R6 machines. Garrett’s R6 will carry the #1 as defending MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and JD will run his signature #95 on his identically prepared R6.

“We’re proud to add Monster Energy as official title sponsors of our Supersport team, and to continue our long and highly successful relationships with Yamalube and Yamaha Extended Service,” commented Keith McCarty. “We’re especially proud to continue working with Chuck Graves and Graves Motorsports. For nearly 20 years, Chuck and his organization have been an integral part of our racing efforts. Together, Yamaha and Graves have won a lot of races and championships–in Supermoto, road racing, and UTV off-road racing–and we look forward to continued success in 2017 and beyond.”

2016 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion JD commented, “I’m really looking forward to the 2017 season and the new challenges that lay ahead. Not only do I get to run my beloved number 95 again, but also, I get to work extra-hard to put it at the front aboard the brand new R6! I’m really looking forward to racing the new R6 and to re-claim the title on a new machine with the number 95 on it. It would put the icing on the cake. I’m getting as old as my teammate Josh Hayes now, so, to have new challenges keeps me motivated after all these years racing.”

The 2017 MotoAmerica Supersport road racing season gets underway on April 20-23 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, TX.

Source & photo: Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.