VIR: Superstock race notes

Yates scores fourth 'Stock win of season

After his four-race midseason 'drought,' without a win, title leader Aaron Yates now looks truly back in command of the AMA Superstock series, claiming his second consecutive victory of the season today at VIR. The triumph was the Georgian's fourth of the year, equaling the number of wins his rivals have scored combined.

The Jordan Suzuki star was running a close second to teammate Geoff May in the race's opening laps when the contest was red-flagged due to a Robertino Pietri crash in Turn 1 of the sixth circulation.

When the race picked back up, Yates moved past Team ESP's Chris Peris and ducked right back in behind his teammate. The two quickly opened up an impressive gap on the field as Corona Honda's Jake Holden fought hard to work his way past the on-form Peris.

Once Holden finally made his move, the Jordan-liveried GSX-Rs were already a few seconds removed at the front and realistically out of his reach.

Yates dove up the inside of May in the first corner of the 13th lap (with just 15 scheduled following the red flag). Seeing a gap opening up to the new leader, May attempted to respond but ran way off the track in the final section of that same lap.

By the time May made his way back onto the course both Holden and Peris had sailed by, and he was nearly caught by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki's Blake Young, who opened the race in dead last, starting from pit lane.

May settled back in and tracked Peris down, looking set to steal back the podium placing he had just gifted him, but the Georgian pulled a Giovanni Bussei and mistook the white flag for the checkered flag, easing up and allowing Peris to run home free in third.

The third-place result was the 21-year-old Canadian's first AMA podium finish.

Young also stole a position from May, who finally got back on the gas to finish fifth.

Jeremy Toye piloted his Roadracing World project ZX-10R to sixth, followed by A's Customz Performance's Seth Stevens, Pirelli-backed Scott Jensen, the mending Chris Ulrich on the Roadracingworld.com Suzuki, and Suzuki-mounted David Anthony.

Yates now heads to Road Atlanta leading Holden 278-242 with a real shot at locking up the crown in front of his home fans.

-credit: ama