Josh Herrin's run at the 2015 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship ended this weekend in Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he crashed on the first lap after a restart essentially handing over the crown to JD Beach.
Herrin, who rides for the Wheels in Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen Motosports team, had a tough hill to climb anyway with a 49 point deficit with just two rounds and 50 points remaining in the season. Herrin and Beach were tied after Round 4 but Beach looked untouchable thereafter, notching six straight wins.
Herrin tailed Beach early before getting into the lead on Lap 2 and stayed there until officials called the red flag and restart after Nick McFadden's crash left his motorcycle on the track. At the restart it was Beach again out front with Herrin right behind when Herrin's attempt to avoid a collision sent him into the pavement along with his title hopes.
"Josh had the pace to win the race and led the first 10 laps until the red flag," said Ameen Sajjadi, Wheels in Motion/MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha team owner. "Unfortunately the restart did not go so well. JD Beach was ahead of us going into Turn 2 and in order to avoid hitting the back wheel of JD, Josh had to use first gear to get the bike to stop faster and when he shifted into second gear the bike had too much lean angle in the higher rpm causing him to have a spectacular highside."
Ultimately, Beach finished in third-place in what became the title race and it was Garrett Gerloff taking his second win of the season. Herrin managed to get the chain back on the sprocket, remount and finish the race, salvaging five points. However, he dropped into third place in the standings behind Gerloff. Herrin entered the day with a 17 point lead over Gerloff and now trails by three. The two battle for runner-up status in September at New Jersey.
Joe Roberts took fourth in his second Supersport race
Joe Roberts, who wrapped up the Superstock 600 Championship last month at Laguna Seca, impressed with a fourth-place showing in the Supersport contest besting his sixth place result at the start of the season. Roberts also had issues in the restart getting run off the track on the first lap and losing the lead group.
"Battling back and putting in the fastest lap of the restart, Joe was able to beat all but three of the class veterans finishing a solid fourth place," Sajjadi said. "Another lap for the newly crowned SuperStock champion and he might have been able to get on the podium."
A conflict with MotoGP prevented the Superstock 600 series from racing this round and the opening round in Austin, TX.
The 2015 MotoAmerica season wraps September 11-13 at the New Jersey Motosports Park in Millville, NJ.
MotoAmerica Indianapolis Results
Supersport
- Garrett Gerloff
- Bobby Fong
- JD Beach - 2015 Supersport Champion
- Joe Roberts - MotoSport rider
- Cameron Petersen
- Travis Wyman
- Hayden Gillim
- Bryce Prince
- Corey Alexander
- Benny Solis Jr.
