The Yamaha YZF-R6 continues to be the dominant Supersport motorcycle in AMA-sanctioned road racing, and in this new MotoAmerica era, the R6 is two for two in race victories. In Supersport Race 1 at Road Atlanta, Wheels In Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen/Yamaha rider Josh Herrin won the race, with Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha teammates Garrett Gerloff and JD Beach finishing second and third, making it a podium sweep for the Yamaha R6.

Garrett started from the pole, and he and JD were immediately at the front of the pack, along with Josh, who took the lead in the closely packed group. Garrett was able to get past Josh a couple of times during the race, but Josh moved back into the lead each time. The final lap was a battle, but Josh would not be deterred from taking the checkers and getting his first win of the season. JD held third throughout the race, and his result keeps him in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship points lead.

After his win, Josh said, “I’m really happy to get this victory. I was a little tense today because I know this track well, and I was probably putting too much pressure on myself. But I settled down once the race started, and everything felt good. That’s the first race I’ve been able to win from the front since New Jersey in 2009. Racing in Moto2 last year–while it wasn’t a great year over there for me–it did teach me a few things, and I think it helped me today to get this first win.”

Garrett commented, “I battled hard with Josh today, and JD was keeping me honest and pushing me forward. We have a really strong bike, and it’s really good in a lot of the areas on the track. I put everything into getting past Josh on that final lap, but it just wasn’t enough. I expect to be racing with these same guys tomorrow, so it’s going to be a great race. Rain or shine, we’ll be going for the win.”

When asked about retaining his Championship points lead, JD said, “Right now, I’m focused on winning races, and I’m not really worried about the points. My Yamaha R6 was working awesome today. When we were doing ‘31s’ in qualifying, I was really comfortable. The race pace was a little bit quicker–in the ‘29s’–and it caught me out a little bit on the setup. I know the team will give me a great bike for tomorrow, so I’ll try to get that second win, for sure.”

MotoAmerica Supersport Race 2 will go green from Road Atlanta tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM. Go to www.MotoAmerica.com, click on “Road Atlanta” on the “Schedule” link, and scroll down for the live streaming link to watch the race live online.

For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, visit http://www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racing. Also, check out “YamahaMotorUSA” on your favorite social media site.