Yet another race for MotoAmerica EBC Superbike, right here at Laguna Seca Raceway. It is time, to bring the action, on a Sunday afternoon! Red lights, on. Red lights, out! We're off and racing at Laguna Seca for the second time this weekend! Garrett Gerloff is the man who gets the jump, and tries to cut off Cameron Beaubier, but it's also Toni Elias on the Suzuki, who muscles his way past both of them on the inside! You need to bring some more power. Well, Toni Elias did, and the Yoshimura Suzuki has to be the motorcycle that leads in the power department, at least right now. We've got cool temperatures here in the Monterey peninsula, with a gusty wind at 13 miles an hour. Josh Herrin is trying hard to move past J.D. Beach. The EBC Superbikes and MotoAmerica are playing a supporting role to the World Superbike Championship here at Laguna Seca this weekend.
Mat Scholz moves past J.D. Beach as we are on lap one of 23 scheduled. Coming to The Corkscrew for the first time, one of the most iconic corners in all of racing. Toni Elias, is in a spot of bother, look, on the entry to the turn. Amazing that he turned that motorcycle despite having the blowtorch applied by Cameron Beaubier down the hill, as they drop through the Corkscrew and down into Rainey curve. Garrett Gerloff leads this race coming across for the completion of the first lap. Poor David Anthony, after having a good run in race one yesterday, it's game over for the rider of bike #25. Cameron Beaubier moves around Toni Elias for second place. Elias makes the move right back around Beaubier. It's that old pass and re-pass, slam the door in a competitor's face strategy at work.
Josh Herrin also swallows up Cameron Beaubier. In the meantime, on lap five, Garrett Gerloff is scorching his way around Laguna Seca! His fastest lap so far, clocked at 1:24.6 and change. Josh Herrin has a challenge from Cameron Beaubier. Like we've spoken of in previous races, square up the corner leaning into it, and force your rival to sit up. Garrett Gerloff is still mowing this field down, cutting the fastest lap of the bike race so far at 1:24.5. Toni Elias runs wide into turn five. Cameron Beaubier goes straight to the apex and the Suzuki sweeps past the Yamaha. Beaubier just does not have the power.
Josh Herrin goes across, and will he square Beaubier up. They almost touch! Yikes! Over the rise, he has a wheel hop up off the ground. 14 laps into the race, Herrin is flying and Beaubier wants to park him. Garrett Gerloff still leads and the cat and mouse game between Elias and Beaubier continues. Elias runs wide into The Corkscrew once again. Through Rainey corner they come, and Beaubier does not force the issue on Elias. That's a smart, tactical piece of riding from the Monster Energy Yamaha rider. Two laps left and Toni Elias goes in and gets in a little deep. Now, he is straight into the apex, and poor old Beaubier can't sequare it up.
But, it's a first-time winner in EBC Superbike. Garrett Gerloff! He wins! He wants to race in Europe, maybe in MotoGP. Gerloff is your winner!
#31 Garrett Gerloff Yamaha YZF R1
Just four race weekends now remain in the 2019 MotoAmerica season. Next up, we stay in California, headed for the wine country, and Sonoma Raceway in northern California, another beautiful, legendary circuit. Stay tuned for all of the action, yet to come, right here on 2 Wheelin'.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Monday, July 15, 2019
MotoAmerica Highlights: Laguna Seca Race 1
The spectacular beauty of the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, California, welcomes the teams and riders of MotoAmerica Superbike for the next round of the championship. Will we have another stormer of a race on our hands? We'll find out, now. Red lights, on. Red lights, out. Clutches are out, and we're away and racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Josh Herrin and Toni Elias both launch off the line well, and J.D. Beach, on the inside, he has good track position as well. 23 laps scheduled for this race. Josh Herrin has made his way all the way from eighth on the grid to second. But, wait, we have a rider down in the middle of corner number two! Check that. Two riders are down! Jayson Uribe was one of the riders to take a spill, and we see that Kyle Wyman may have been the second rider involved in this little dust up.
Right away, through turn ten, at Rainey curve, Cameron Beaubier shoots underneath Toni Elias. Rainey curve, named for another motorcycle racing legend, Wayne Rainey, a multiple world champ back in the days of 500cc World Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Josh Herrin sees his chance and slides up underneath both Elias and Beaubier! Garrett Gerloff loses the front of the motorcycle, but as it is washing out from underneath, he saves it! That was a brilliant piece of riding from Gerloff. Josh Herrin drives past Cameron Beaubier as well. It appears Beaubier may have missed a shift coming off turn 11. How close do you like your motorcycle racing? The top three protagonists all year, are at it again. It's Cameron Beaubier vs. Josh Herrin vs. Toni Elias, all in the same place on the road, at the same time.
Herrin is off on the gravel going up the hill towards The Corkscrew! He's off the road. Can he save the bike? No! Down he goes into the sand on the side of the circuit, sliding towards the air fence. You could almost see that coming because there is a large bump headed for The Corkscrew, in that hill, and Herrin hit it and was vaulted off the bike. In replay, we can see that Beaubier and Herrin made contact, racing for position, but poor old Herrin knew he was down and out at that moment. When you miss the turn, and your lean in point, there is no room, before you and your motorcycle are pitched into the gravel.
Josh Herrin is OK. But, it is without doubt game over for the Yoshimura Suzuki rider. Toni Elias dives around Cameron Beaubier, but Beaubier walks right back through the door and slams it in Elias' face. Elias comes back, returning the favor, slamming the door in Beaubier's face. The tug of war continues. Now, we see Garrett Gerloff and J.D. Beach both coming to the sharp end. Gerloff makes the pass on lap seven while poor old Cameron Beaubier is dropping like a stone. Still on lap seven, coming off turn 11, Garrett Gerloff goes for the lead on Toni Elias. It's Yamaha YZF R1 vs. Suzuki GSXR1000 in a drag race down the front straight here at Laguna Seca! Elias back to the lead, but J.D. Beach wants a piece of both of these two blokes. It's not done yet!
Two laps to go. Now, the white flag. Toni Elias is flying. He powers off the final turn. Gerloff really needs the whole rest of the track to try and catch Elias. Gerloff can't do it. Toni Elias wins race one at Laguna Seca!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Stay tuned as we still have action from race two at Laguna Seca yet to come.
Right away, through turn ten, at Rainey curve, Cameron Beaubier shoots underneath Toni Elias. Rainey curve, named for another motorcycle racing legend, Wayne Rainey, a multiple world champ back in the days of 500cc World Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Josh Herrin sees his chance and slides up underneath both Elias and Beaubier! Garrett Gerloff loses the front of the motorcycle, but as it is washing out from underneath, he saves it! That was a brilliant piece of riding from Gerloff. Josh Herrin drives past Cameron Beaubier as well. It appears Beaubier may have missed a shift coming off turn 11. How close do you like your motorcycle racing? The top three protagonists all year, are at it again. It's Cameron Beaubier vs. Josh Herrin vs. Toni Elias, all in the same place on the road, at the same time.
Herrin is off on the gravel going up the hill towards The Corkscrew! He's off the road. Can he save the bike? No! Down he goes into the sand on the side of the circuit, sliding towards the air fence. You could almost see that coming because there is a large bump headed for The Corkscrew, in that hill, and Herrin hit it and was vaulted off the bike. In replay, we can see that Beaubier and Herrin made contact, racing for position, but poor old Herrin knew he was down and out at that moment. When you miss the turn, and your lean in point, there is no room, before you and your motorcycle are pitched into the gravel.
Josh Herrin is OK. But, it is without doubt game over for the Yoshimura Suzuki rider. Toni Elias dives around Cameron Beaubier, but Beaubier walks right back through the door and slams it in Elias' face. Elias comes back, returning the favor, slamming the door in Beaubier's face. The tug of war continues. Now, we see Garrett Gerloff and J.D. Beach both coming to the sharp end. Gerloff makes the pass on lap seven while poor old Cameron Beaubier is dropping like a stone. Still on lap seven, coming off turn 11, Garrett Gerloff goes for the lead on Toni Elias. It's Yamaha YZF R1 vs. Suzuki GSXR1000 in a drag race down the front straight here at Laguna Seca! Elias back to the lead, but J.D. Beach wants a piece of both of these two blokes. It's not done yet!
Two laps to go. Now, the white flag. Toni Elias is flying. He powers off the final turn. Gerloff really needs the whole rest of the track to try and catch Elias. Gerloff can't do it. Toni Elias wins race one at Laguna Seca!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Stay tuned as we still have action from race two at Laguna Seca yet to come.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
MotoAmerica: Utah Motorsports Campus Race 2 Highlights
We are set now, for the second race of MotoAmerica's doubleheader, here at Utah Motorsports Campus. Race one, was a scorcher! Race two, should be no less frenetic and exciting. On full fuel tanks yesterday, Toni Elias, even though he was your winner, didn't feel right about his motorcycle. What will race two bring us? We're soon to find out. Red lights, on. Red lights, out, and away we go! Toni Elias gets away well, but Cameron Beaubier is the bloke with the horsepower, and he shoots around the Suzuki to take the lead immediately into corner number one. Garrett Gerloff, just as he did in yesterday's contest, is third at the moment.
J.D.Beach, in the meantime, is holding off Josh Herrin. Beach in fifth place. Herrin in sixth place. Garrett Gerloff and Matt Scholz are ahead of this duo. We have six laps on the board already, of 23 scheduled. So, we are already at quarter distance. We watch from the onboard camera on Josh Herrin's Suzuki GSXR1000 and see how physical the track here in Utah is. We watch the lean angle of Josh Herrin's body as he turns into the corner, dancing on the edge of adhesion at all times, which is what makes motorcycle racers such athletes. Shift your weight, from left to right, depending on which turn you are going into. Almost on the rev limiter, in top gear, shift down a gear into the next corner, a left hand turn.
All in second gear through this part of the course. Herrin is trying hard to work past J.D. Beach and gain another place. Maybe he went back down to first gear, and then, he'll short shift up to second gear. Josh Herrin, in the meantime, makes a move on J.D. Beach. Lap eight, and Herrin passes Beach for position. What can he do as we are approaching the halfway mark here in Utah, of the second and final race of the weekend. We have three riders, and three different motorcycles in a fight for the eighth spot, right at the back end of the top ten placings.
It's Jake Gagne vs. Cameron Petersen vs. Jayson Uribe. We have a BMW racing a Yamaha racing a Honda. Oh dear! The Westby Racing motorcycle, the Yamaha of Matthew Scholz, over and out! He's gone down, and hit the air fence in one of the turns. That is what it's there for, to protect the riders, should they fall. But, there's big damage to the motorcycle and it's game over for Mat Scholz on this day. Scholz was fourth on the road, and now, Josh Herrin will inherit that place. Scholz is OK. He is limping a bit, and the visor has come away from the front of his helmet.
Red flag on the course. So, we will restart this motorcycle race. Re-rack 'em, and we're off and underway again. Revs rise. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! It's time for the restart! It's a ten lap shootout to determine the winner. Poor old Cameron Beaubier gets bogged down at the start, and guess who, Toni Elias, is in the lead, with clear track ahead. Elias can control things from the front. This happens in any form of racing. The good riders and drivers, they can clear away and haul the mail at the start, and then, they have clear sailing ahead while the other blokes in the field are scrapping away for position behind them. Beaubier strikes early, and while the iron is hot! But, so does Garrett Gerloff!
Gerloff decides, "OK. I've had enough of just sitting here!" and screams past into fourth place past his rivals. He's right up with Josh Hayes and Toni Elias now. Elias says, "no you don't", and Gerloff says, "think again. I've got you covered, buddy." But Toni Elias, he's a terrier and he'll nip at your heels. He goes right back by Gerloff into the next s curve. We move on to lap four of the restarted race. One lap away from the halfway mark, as Josh Herrin has passed Garrett Gerloff for third spot, look. Beaubier will have his hands full with Josh Herrin through corners seven and eight, which, here at Utah Motorsports Campus are called Agony and Ecstasy.
Oh dear! A rider gets spat out by his bike, and gets launched right over the handlebars! Ouch! That was weird. That's not right, that. Who is the rider who has gone down? Jeremy Coffey on the #42 Speed Monkey BMW S1000RR got the worst of that deal, right in front of Max Flinders aboard the Thrashed Bike Racing Yamaha YZF R1. That whole fracas was at the exit of corner number seven. Halfway home now, and the scrap between Elias and Beaubier is as hot and heavy as ever. Beaubier is going to have a go at Elias! What's going to happen? We can see that Toni Elias stops the bike, standing the Suzuki on it's nose right at the middle of the apex. This gives Beaubier his chance to pounce.
Beaubier makes the corner ahead of Elias. It'll be a drag race! Elias has the position on Beaubier into the corner, but, no dice! Beaubier beats him to the next right hand turn! This is thrilling racing, ladies and gentlemen! This is what motorcycle road racing at it's best is all about! Lap six and Toni Elias is back into the race lead! Amazing stuff! Garrett Gerloff has moved onto the podium as he makes a pass on Josh Herrin as well. Beaubier sends it on the inside, riding his Superbike as if it were a flat track dirt bike, set up for sliding on a dirt oval. Elias swaps the lead with Beaubier again! Oh my gosh, this is fantastic! It's the final lap of the second race here in Utah.
It's mano e mano between Toni Elias and Cameron Beaubier to the checkers in this one, folks. Beaubier is trying to square up Elias for the run to the flag. Toni Elias is controlling the speed into the turn. Cameron Beaubier pops out to the outside, and he's up the inside but runs wide! This isn't going to work for Beaubier. He's running out of time! Elias has the position on the inside. Toni Elias ducks under the bubble, the fairing, for aerodynamic advantage, and he flies towards the checkered flag, taking the win here, in race two at Utah Motorsports Campus! Wow! What a finish!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Another win for Toni Elias in the EBC Brakes Superbike division. Elias and Beaubier talk after the finish of the race, congratulating each other, or, Cameron is wondering, "Toni, how on earth did you have the power and the speed to beat me?" Good, clean, hard racing, in race two at Utah. The next event for MotoAmerica is in mid July at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, California. Join us, there, for more action, and until then, so long, for now.
J.D.Beach, in the meantime, is holding off Josh Herrin. Beach in fifth place. Herrin in sixth place. Garrett Gerloff and Matt Scholz are ahead of this duo. We have six laps on the board already, of 23 scheduled. So, we are already at quarter distance. We watch from the onboard camera on Josh Herrin's Suzuki GSXR1000 and see how physical the track here in Utah is. We watch the lean angle of Josh Herrin's body as he turns into the corner, dancing on the edge of adhesion at all times, which is what makes motorcycle racers such athletes. Shift your weight, from left to right, depending on which turn you are going into. Almost on the rev limiter, in top gear, shift down a gear into the next corner, a left hand turn.
All in second gear through this part of the course. Herrin is trying hard to work past J.D. Beach and gain another place. Maybe he went back down to first gear, and then, he'll short shift up to second gear. Josh Herrin, in the meantime, makes a move on J.D. Beach. Lap eight, and Herrin passes Beach for position. What can he do as we are approaching the halfway mark here in Utah, of the second and final race of the weekend. We have three riders, and three different motorcycles in a fight for the eighth spot, right at the back end of the top ten placings.
It's Jake Gagne vs. Cameron Petersen vs. Jayson Uribe. We have a BMW racing a Yamaha racing a Honda. Oh dear! The Westby Racing motorcycle, the Yamaha of Matthew Scholz, over and out! He's gone down, and hit the air fence in one of the turns. That is what it's there for, to protect the riders, should they fall. But, there's big damage to the motorcycle and it's game over for Mat Scholz on this day. Scholz was fourth on the road, and now, Josh Herrin will inherit that place. Scholz is OK. He is limping a bit, and the visor has come away from the front of his helmet.
Red flag on the course. So, we will restart this motorcycle race. Re-rack 'em, and we're off and underway again. Revs rise. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! It's time for the restart! It's a ten lap shootout to determine the winner. Poor old Cameron Beaubier gets bogged down at the start, and guess who, Toni Elias, is in the lead, with clear track ahead. Elias can control things from the front. This happens in any form of racing. The good riders and drivers, they can clear away and haul the mail at the start, and then, they have clear sailing ahead while the other blokes in the field are scrapping away for position behind them. Beaubier strikes early, and while the iron is hot! But, so does Garrett Gerloff!
Gerloff decides, "OK. I've had enough of just sitting here!" and screams past into fourth place past his rivals. He's right up with Josh Hayes and Toni Elias now. Elias says, "no you don't", and Gerloff says, "think again. I've got you covered, buddy." But Toni Elias, he's a terrier and he'll nip at your heels. He goes right back by Gerloff into the next s curve. We move on to lap four of the restarted race. One lap away from the halfway mark, as Josh Herrin has passed Garrett Gerloff for third spot, look. Beaubier will have his hands full with Josh Herrin through corners seven and eight, which, here at Utah Motorsports Campus are called Agony and Ecstasy.
Oh dear! A rider gets spat out by his bike, and gets launched right over the handlebars! Ouch! That was weird. That's not right, that. Who is the rider who has gone down? Jeremy Coffey on the #42 Speed Monkey BMW S1000RR got the worst of that deal, right in front of Max Flinders aboard the Thrashed Bike Racing Yamaha YZF R1. That whole fracas was at the exit of corner number seven. Halfway home now, and the scrap between Elias and Beaubier is as hot and heavy as ever. Beaubier is going to have a go at Elias! What's going to happen? We can see that Toni Elias stops the bike, standing the Suzuki on it's nose right at the middle of the apex. This gives Beaubier his chance to pounce.
Beaubier makes the corner ahead of Elias. It'll be a drag race! Elias has the position on Beaubier into the corner, but, no dice! Beaubier beats him to the next right hand turn! This is thrilling racing, ladies and gentlemen! This is what motorcycle road racing at it's best is all about! Lap six and Toni Elias is back into the race lead! Amazing stuff! Garrett Gerloff has moved onto the podium as he makes a pass on Josh Herrin as well. Beaubier sends it on the inside, riding his Superbike as if it were a flat track dirt bike, set up for sliding on a dirt oval. Elias swaps the lead with Beaubier again! Oh my gosh, this is fantastic! It's the final lap of the second race here in Utah.
It's mano e mano between Toni Elias and Cameron Beaubier to the checkers in this one, folks. Beaubier is trying to square up Elias for the run to the flag. Toni Elias is controlling the speed into the turn. Cameron Beaubier pops out to the outside, and he's up the inside but runs wide! This isn't going to work for Beaubier. He's running out of time! Elias has the position on the inside. Toni Elias ducks under the bubble, the fairing, for aerodynamic advantage, and he flies towards the checkered flag, taking the win here, in race two at Utah Motorsports Campus! Wow! What a finish!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Another win for Toni Elias in the EBC Brakes Superbike division. Elias and Beaubier talk after the finish of the race, congratulating each other, or, Cameron is wondering, "Toni, how on earth did you have the power and the speed to beat me?" Good, clean, hard racing, in race two at Utah. The next event for MotoAmerica is in mid July at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, California. Join us, there, for more action, and until then, so long, for now.
Monday, June 17, 2019
MotoAmerica Highlights: Utah Motorsports Campus Race 1
Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah, is the scene for the next round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. It's time for race one. Spoiler alert! As many as seven riders were in the lead of this motorcycle race. Let's check out the highlights of race one, and then, we shall move on to race two. Of course there are indeed two races every weekend in MotoAmerica competition.
It is time for race one for MotoAmerica in Utah. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! A couple of riders at the back of the grid, jumped the start or so it appears. The marshals will have to examine that. But, as per usual, her comes Cameron Beaubier going for the lead of this motorcycle race right out of the blocks. Matt Scholz is doing his best to get past Garrett Gerloff as well. Gerloff on the outside, and here comes Josh Herrin, look. Herrin is charging already! Folks, don't worry. You will be able to see this race in it's entirety. Watch what happens. This is some great action we have already!
Herrin is flying right now, and Gerloff has the afterburners on on his motorcycle as well! 23 laps on the board for this race, and we are already three laps in. J.D. Beach is also coming up, fast. Oh my! Just as we are trying to sort out riders down the order, Herrin is making a move for second on his team mate, Garrett Gerloff, taking Gerloff by surprise, look. In replay, we can see he does the slingshot between turns five and six and he has the move covered. Lap six now, and we have three Yamaha's in the top four places.
We look in replay, and Gerloff took J.D. Beach entirely by surprise. We're past halfway in the race now, and Cameron Beaubier has just dominated race one here in Utah. We look at the championship points standings and Cameron Beaubier for Yamaha as well as his closest pursuer, Suzuki's Toni Elias, they are tied for the championship lead at the moment, 167 points apiece. Garrett Gerloff is 50 markers behind in third spot on 117 points, and Josh Herrin is only a single point behind Gerloff, 51 points in-arrears. Josh Herrine wants by Cameron Beaubier.
He is telling Cameron, "look, mate, I'm not going to let you run away with this race, or with your points lead." Herrin has the right gearing and the right attack angle out of The Attitudes, a twisting section of S curves here at Utah Motorsports Campus. In the meantime, Garrett Gerloff has also made a pass, look, on Toni Elias. Elias says, "no you don't, sunshine", and takes the fight right back to Garrett Gerloff headed for turn one! Elias is on the move! He lunges inside Cameron Beaubier as well! How bad do you want it? What will you do to get it? Poor old Cameron Beaubier has lost two places.
He might still get a podium out of this race, and we still have another to run as well. The action is not over yet. Matt Scholz has also passed Garrett Gerloff. The Westby Racing Yamaha is now fourth in this motorcycle race. J.D. Beach takes advantage of a slip up by Garrett Gerloff and says, "thanks for opening the door, Garrett. I'll step right through, sir." Matthew Scholz has now taken his Westby Racing bike, #11 to third spot and gotten around Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier is just not having the race he'd like, here in race one in Utah. Oh dear! We have a rider down, hard! Dust all over the shop here, look. J.D. Beach has crashed! Ugh! He was just in sight of the podium! We watch the Attack Performance Yamaha rider in replay.
He runs wide over the curbs, tried to turn, but the bike was gone at that point and he low sides right off the road. Hold on a second. Ladies and gentlemen, we have more drama on the circuit. Josh Herrin has a mechanical issue with that bike. Has the engine gone bang? Is there something amiss in the electronics system? What's the matter? Maybe he had a braking issue and just couldn't stop the bike properly. Meanwhile, we are indeed on the last lap of race one in Utah and Toni Elias is going to take the victory. Elias is the 2017 EBC Brakes Superbike champion, and he wins this race at Utah! His fourth race win of the year so far. Matthew Scholtz and Garrett Gerloff round out the podium.
Jake Lewis scores a top five spot. Josh Herrin comes back to finish in sixth spot. It should be noted that there was a mega battle for seventh place all the way to the finish line, between Jake Gagne, David Anthony, and Jason Uyribe! They all almost crossed the line together!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Race two highlights are coming up. Stay tuned for that.
It is time for race one for MotoAmerica in Utah. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! A couple of riders at the back of the grid, jumped the start or so it appears. The marshals will have to examine that. But, as per usual, her comes Cameron Beaubier going for the lead of this motorcycle race right out of the blocks. Matt Scholz is doing his best to get past Garrett Gerloff as well. Gerloff on the outside, and here comes Josh Herrin, look. Herrin is charging already! Folks, don't worry. You will be able to see this race in it's entirety. Watch what happens. This is some great action we have already!
Herrin is flying right now, and Gerloff has the afterburners on on his motorcycle as well! 23 laps on the board for this race, and we are already three laps in. J.D. Beach is also coming up, fast. Oh my! Just as we are trying to sort out riders down the order, Herrin is making a move for second on his team mate, Garrett Gerloff, taking Gerloff by surprise, look. In replay, we can see he does the slingshot between turns five and six and he has the move covered. Lap six now, and we have three Yamaha's in the top four places.
We look in replay, and Gerloff took J.D. Beach entirely by surprise. We're past halfway in the race now, and Cameron Beaubier has just dominated race one here in Utah. We look at the championship points standings and Cameron Beaubier for Yamaha as well as his closest pursuer, Suzuki's Toni Elias, they are tied for the championship lead at the moment, 167 points apiece. Garrett Gerloff is 50 markers behind in third spot on 117 points, and Josh Herrin is only a single point behind Gerloff, 51 points in-arrears. Josh Herrine wants by Cameron Beaubier.
He is telling Cameron, "look, mate, I'm not going to let you run away with this race, or with your points lead." Herrin has the right gearing and the right attack angle out of The Attitudes, a twisting section of S curves here at Utah Motorsports Campus. In the meantime, Garrett Gerloff has also made a pass, look, on Toni Elias. Elias says, "no you don't, sunshine", and takes the fight right back to Garrett Gerloff headed for turn one! Elias is on the move! He lunges inside Cameron Beaubier as well! How bad do you want it? What will you do to get it? Poor old Cameron Beaubier has lost two places.
He might still get a podium out of this race, and we still have another to run as well. The action is not over yet. Matt Scholz has also passed Garrett Gerloff. The Westby Racing Yamaha is now fourth in this motorcycle race. J.D. Beach takes advantage of a slip up by Garrett Gerloff and says, "thanks for opening the door, Garrett. I'll step right through, sir." Matthew Scholz has now taken his Westby Racing bike, #11 to third spot and gotten around Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier is just not having the race he'd like, here in race one in Utah. Oh dear! We have a rider down, hard! Dust all over the shop here, look. J.D. Beach has crashed! Ugh! He was just in sight of the podium! We watch the Attack Performance Yamaha rider in replay.
He runs wide over the curbs, tried to turn, but the bike was gone at that point and he low sides right off the road. Hold on a second. Ladies and gentlemen, we have more drama on the circuit. Josh Herrin has a mechanical issue with that bike. Has the engine gone bang? Is there something amiss in the electronics system? What's the matter? Maybe he had a braking issue and just couldn't stop the bike properly. Meanwhile, we are indeed on the last lap of race one in Utah and Toni Elias is going to take the victory. Elias is the 2017 EBC Brakes Superbike champion, and he wins this race at Utah! His fourth race win of the year so far. Matthew Scholtz and Garrett Gerloff round out the podium.
Jake Lewis scores a top five spot. Josh Herrin comes back to finish in sixth spot. It should be noted that there was a mega battle for seventh place all the way to the finish line, between Jake Gagne, David Anthony, and Jason Uyribe! They all almost crossed the line together!
#24 Toni Elias Suzuki GSXR1000
Race two highlights are coming up. Stay tuned for that.
Friday, June 7, 2019
MotoAmerica race highlights for the rest of the season
Yours truly will highlight most of the racing in MotoAmerica for 2019. Stay tuned for more from the rest of the season including Superbike, as well as Supersport and Stock 1000 races.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Motorweek Retro Review | 1993 Honda CBR600F2
Motorweek's Retro Review, takes a look at the 1993 Honda CBR600F2.
Monday, June 3, 2019
More motorcycle racing ideas
Still contemplating writing about old, archived motorcycle races on this blog, when the time permits, especially since yours truly has had zero time to delve into the more current races from World Superbikr and MotoGP. Really considering delving into old 500cc Grand Prix and Isle of Man TT material, and you will likely hear more about that. Stay tuned.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
MotoAmerica, Road America: Day 2
A little different routine this weekend, as we are coming to you, live from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for the latest races in the MotoAmerica EBC Brakes Superbike Championship. Today, Saturday, is race one, and race two, will follow, live, tomorrow. So, no need, really, for highlighted coverage. Yours truly, has found time (amid covering other races), to go live for these two events, at the famous, fabulous, 4 mile ribbon of asphalt, Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. This is, one of the best road racing tracks in the country, for riders on two wheels, or, drivers on four wheels.
Yours truly was hoping to blog race one, but, it was not broadcast on TV. Let's try race two. First, a recap of Saturday.
Race 1 recap
In race one, Toni Elias and Josh Herrij got away well, and Herrin wiggled up the hill, being passed by Garrett Gerloff. Cameron Beaubier went sideays, and Beaubier tried chasing him down, but it was not enough. Toni Elias is your winner. It is time, to go at it, in race number two of the weekend. Glad to have you with us on this Sunday evening. We are at Road America, for the Dunlop Road America Championship. After this race, we will come up to the halfway mark of the season. Strange weather was the story on Saturday. Toni Elias got the hole shot, but Josh Herrin, hew was scrapping, hard. Kyle Wyman crashed, and should be OK for today's race.
The Yamaha's ran after the Suzuki's, but Toni Elias ended up passing Josh Herrin on the Yamaha, even though Herrin could make up time. The times were not what people expected, because of the weather. Our old pals J.D. Beach and Garrett Gerloff, both were in contention, but they weren't in the lead picture. Herrin and Elias were pointing fingers at each other after race one.
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Yoshimura Suzuki GSXR1000
Garrett Gerloff, he wants a win in EBC Superbike. He has won in the lower divisions, and has been a champion. But, he wants a win. Gerloff did very well on a 600cc bike, but the Superbike, that motorcycle is a completely different kettle of fish. His team mate, Josh Hayes, has really been a big help. At Road America, the front straightaway, goes uphill. Road America has an uphill straight that crests and sends the front wheel into the air. Wheelie control is a major help for the bike. Keep the throttle open, and make sure the chassis of the bike, is rigid. Avoid using the rear brake. Races have been lost and won at Road America by as little of a thousandth of a second.
The bikes are on the grid. J.D. Beach, after yesterday's race, there is something in the electronics called Engine Protection Strategy. At 196 miles an hour, some oil moved into the engine, and a sensor was tripped, to shut the engine off. The system has been shut down, so the engine will keep running. Beach was able to recycle the thing. Wow. J.D. Beach, with his dilemma with Engine Protection Strategy, he knew the steps to reset the motor. In Super Pole, qualifying was wet. Toni Elias chases Josh Herrin, and he eventually passes Herrin with Josh Hayes third in qualifying.
Four miles. Eight right hand corners, six left hand corners. This track has had no changes really, for many years. Its a classic circuit. Turns five and eight are good passing spots. Turn nine, the Carousel is another great passing point. Canada Corner is also famous. Turn 14, the last turn, is another great passing spot. We'll be ready to start the race, soon. The bikes are on the grid. David Anthony has five broken ribs from a Motocross training accident, and can't ride the bike. He'll need to heal in two weeks before the next race in Utah. More about that at the end of this blog entry.
Josh Herrin wants to win, and has one chance with Yoshimura Suzuki. Kyle Wyman crashed out of race one, and he has a new missing winglet from the spare bike. The Ducati V4R can go over the hill at full chat with no restriction. Those winglets are stock on the motorcycle and that's how the organizers want the team to run the bike. Race two, is go! Toni Elias and Josh Herrin fly to turn one for the first time in this 13 lap race. Kyle Wyman is behind J.D. Beach and he'll get a double draft off Beach and Cameron Beaubier. Yamaha went with a harder compound Dunlop tire. Toni Elias is on the Extra Soft front tire.
Josh Herrin is trying to make up ground. What can he do? Herrin and Yoshimura Suzuki also changed shocks on the motorcycle. He went really well through turn three on Saturday. Toni Elias is off like a rocket, but can Josh Herrin or Josh Hayes go for it? J.D. Beach is trying to go with the lead group. Herrin tries to draft pass Elias and can't do it. Toni's bike begins to wiggle. He rides the motorcycle in a very loose way. The Yoshimura Suzuki's yo yo between how they run, based on setups. Different parts of the track suit each rider individually.
These two blokes are not fighting. They are running in lock step at the moment. Cameron Beaubier wants by Garrett Gerloff ASAP. 2:12.4 for Elias, 2:12.2 for Herrin, and here comes Cameron Beaubier, trying to close up. J.D. Beach is dropping behind the leaders. Through the Carousel on lap three, into the chicane they go. Herrin's bike might be a tad better than Toni Elias' bike. Elias squares the corner, and Herrin carries more speed right into the turn. Beaubier is making inroads. In 2018, Herrin set the race lap record in race one at 2:18.195. They scream down the back straight. Elias and Herrin have similar setups except the linkage that connects the shock and the swing arm.
Elias' bike loses some stability at high speed, but he can handle it. Beaubier is steaming right up behind the Suzuki's, look. But then, the Suzuki's gap the Yamaha on the straight. The lap times for all three of these chaps are all in the 2:12 bracket, but Beaubier, look, passes both Suzuki's! Wow. He wants this. Garrett Gerloff wisely tucks in. Beaubier chasing Herrin, and Beaubier has a tad more pace than Elias at this moment. Herrin accelerates out of Canada Corner and through the uphill esses. Herrin has a drive down the front straight. Herrin's bike was a missile on Saturday. He was flying!
Cameron Beaubier's crew chief Rick Hobbs says that the electronics were tuned down a tad on Beaubier's motorcycle. Elias and Herrin are the two protagonists here. The bikes run single file. Gerloff has gone to third place. He goes past Toni Elias for second. Wow. Beaubier wants a double slipstream, but will he make it? Elias does not pass Gerloff. Dear me. We're just halfway through this motorcycle race. Elias does not want Herrin to get away. The sun is shining, at Road America. This is going to get very competitive. These races ebb and flow. Wild at first, then relaxed in the middle, and throw caution to the wind before the motorcycle race ends.
Toni Elias, as a smaller rider, he can't grip the foot pegs as well as if he had a taller stature. In replay, we see Josh Herrin trying to reel in Elias. He's set up to hit the corner. Elias is really running well, but not speeding away. Up the wheelie hill again, and side by side stuff here, look. Elias hits the throttle early, but Herrin is running his own race. He's not too worried about how Elias is riding. Gerloff, he's lost some time, and poor old Cameron Beaubier, these darn Suzuki's are the bane of his existence at the moment, driving him bonkers.
Hayes is a multiple American Superbike champion, but still does not have the measure of the Suzuki boys. Just four laps to go as these guys are running in the 2:12 bracket. It's nearly over, race two, here at Road America. Beaubier brakes deep into turn five. Rick Hobbs, his crew chief, knows that if Beaubier's foot slips off the peg, he's in attack mode. Maximum attack, as rally drivers call it. Beaubier is the shark, Elias is the minnow. But Herrin, he could be the bigger shark, wanting to swallow both these chaps in one gulp.
A bobble there, for Beaubier. Herrin was able to go by when Elias had to sit up. Is Elias in tire trouble? Herrin is leading this race. Other riders in the top ten, Cameron Petersen, Matt Scholz, J.D. Beach, Jake Gagne, Kyle Wyman, and more. Elias' bike is still wiggling like a bowl of Jello. He has the electronic traction control, all the riders do. Poor old Beaubier is riding a bucking bronco into turn five. A lap and a half remains. Herrin wants this victory. Elias is working as hard as possible. White flag lap this time.
Elias has to act, now. Herrin is going to try, but no. Herrin has to fly here. Onto the back straight for the final time, look. Elias goes defensive, and the Yamaha is reeling both Suzuki's in. Herrin makes the pass, in no man's land before Canada Corner! Uphill one more time in the esses. Elias fell! He ditched the bike! Herrin wins! Beaubier second! Gerloff in third! No right handlebar for Elias! He has lost this race after his fall! So, Herrin has won.
#2 Josh Herrin Suzuki GSXR1000
Garrett Gerloff gives credit to his team, but knew it was game over when he lost the draft. He did get points and had two podium finishes this weekend. Cameron Beaubier says he gave it all and everything he had, and dove into turn five deeper than ever. He was pushing as hard as possible, tried to get past Toni Elias, and ended up in second spot, and he's glad Toni Elias is OK after his crash. Josh Herrin, meanwhile, is disappointed for Toni Elias, his team mate. Herrin pulled alongside, Elias rolled off the throttle, and Herrin had to back it down. Then, he made it work towards trhe end of the race.
Herrin wants a good setup on his bike, because it is a true racing bike. The next race, is in two weeks at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah. Yours truly hopes to cover it, but has some four wheeled racing to watch, first. Toni Elias says he was working well with Josh Herrin, his team mate, and admits he played his final card before falling off the motorcycle, and yet, he is content with the fact that Josh Herrin, his team mate, won. He knew, too, that Cameron Beaubier had an advantage in Canada Corner.
That's racing, as they say. He was at the limit, and Cameron Beaubier came out of nowhere. So, Josh Herrin was right there. Kyle wyman, Jake Gagne, and Jake Lewis, they had their own battle. Toni Elias leads the championship by 14 markers over Cameron Beaubier. Cameron Beaubier only nine points away from Toni Elias. We look ahead to Utah, and stay tuned for that coverage, when yours truly has the time to write about it. So long, folks. We'll see you in Utah, and until then, take care.
Yours truly was hoping to blog race one, but, it was not broadcast on TV. Let's try race two. First, a recap of Saturday.
Race 1 recap
In race one, Toni Elias and Josh Herrij got away well, and Herrin wiggled up the hill, being passed by Garrett Gerloff. Cameron Beaubier went sideays, and Beaubier tried chasing him down, but it was not enough. Toni Elias is your winner. It is time, to go at it, in race number two of the weekend. Glad to have you with us on this Sunday evening. We are at Road America, for the Dunlop Road America Championship. After this race, we will come up to the halfway mark of the season. Strange weather was the story on Saturday. Toni Elias got the hole shot, but Josh Herrin, hew was scrapping, hard. Kyle Wyman crashed, and should be OK for today's race.
The Yamaha's ran after the Suzuki's, but Toni Elias ended up passing Josh Herrin on the Yamaha, even though Herrin could make up time. The times were not what people expected, because of the weather. Our old pals J.D. Beach and Garrett Gerloff, both were in contention, but they weren't in the lead picture. Herrin and Elias were pointing fingers at each other after race one.
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Yoshimura Suzuki GSXR1000
Garrett Gerloff, he wants a win in EBC Superbike. He has won in the lower divisions, and has been a champion. But, he wants a win. Gerloff did very well on a 600cc bike, but the Superbike, that motorcycle is a completely different kettle of fish. His team mate, Josh Hayes, has really been a big help. At Road America, the front straightaway, goes uphill. Road America has an uphill straight that crests and sends the front wheel into the air. Wheelie control is a major help for the bike. Keep the throttle open, and make sure the chassis of the bike, is rigid. Avoid using the rear brake. Races have been lost and won at Road America by as little of a thousandth of a second.
The bikes are on the grid. J.D. Beach, after yesterday's race, there is something in the electronics called Engine Protection Strategy. At 196 miles an hour, some oil moved into the engine, and a sensor was tripped, to shut the engine off. The system has been shut down, so the engine will keep running. Beach was able to recycle the thing. Wow. J.D. Beach, with his dilemma with Engine Protection Strategy, he knew the steps to reset the motor. In Super Pole, qualifying was wet. Toni Elias chases Josh Herrin, and he eventually passes Herrin with Josh Hayes third in qualifying.
Four miles. Eight right hand corners, six left hand corners. This track has had no changes really, for many years. Its a classic circuit. Turns five and eight are good passing spots. Turn nine, the Carousel is another great passing point. Canada Corner is also famous. Turn 14, the last turn, is another great passing spot. We'll be ready to start the race, soon. The bikes are on the grid. David Anthony has five broken ribs from a Motocross training accident, and can't ride the bike. He'll need to heal in two weeks before the next race in Utah. More about that at the end of this blog entry.
Josh Herrin wants to win, and has one chance with Yoshimura Suzuki. Kyle Wyman crashed out of race one, and he has a new missing winglet from the spare bike. The Ducati V4R can go over the hill at full chat with no restriction. Those winglets are stock on the motorcycle and that's how the organizers want the team to run the bike. Race two, is go! Toni Elias and Josh Herrin fly to turn one for the first time in this 13 lap race. Kyle Wyman is behind J.D. Beach and he'll get a double draft off Beach and Cameron Beaubier. Yamaha went with a harder compound Dunlop tire. Toni Elias is on the Extra Soft front tire.
Josh Herrin is trying to make up ground. What can he do? Herrin and Yoshimura Suzuki also changed shocks on the motorcycle. He went really well through turn three on Saturday. Toni Elias is off like a rocket, but can Josh Herrin or Josh Hayes go for it? J.D. Beach is trying to go with the lead group. Herrin tries to draft pass Elias and can't do it. Toni's bike begins to wiggle. He rides the motorcycle in a very loose way. The Yoshimura Suzuki's yo yo between how they run, based on setups. Different parts of the track suit each rider individually.
These two blokes are not fighting. They are running in lock step at the moment. Cameron Beaubier wants by Garrett Gerloff ASAP. 2:12.4 for Elias, 2:12.2 for Herrin, and here comes Cameron Beaubier, trying to close up. J.D. Beach is dropping behind the leaders. Through the Carousel on lap three, into the chicane they go. Herrin's bike might be a tad better than Toni Elias' bike. Elias squares the corner, and Herrin carries more speed right into the turn. Beaubier is making inroads. In 2018, Herrin set the race lap record in race one at 2:18.195. They scream down the back straight. Elias and Herrin have similar setups except the linkage that connects the shock and the swing arm.
Elias' bike loses some stability at high speed, but he can handle it. Beaubier is steaming right up behind the Suzuki's, look. But then, the Suzuki's gap the Yamaha on the straight. The lap times for all three of these chaps are all in the 2:12 bracket, but Beaubier, look, passes both Suzuki's! Wow. He wants this. Garrett Gerloff wisely tucks in. Beaubier chasing Herrin, and Beaubier has a tad more pace than Elias at this moment. Herrin accelerates out of Canada Corner and through the uphill esses. Herrin has a drive down the front straight. Herrin's bike was a missile on Saturday. He was flying!
Cameron Beaubier's crew chief Rick Hobbs says that the electronics were tuned down a tad on Beaubier's motorcycle. Elias and Herrin are the two protagonists here. The bikes run single file. Gerloff has gone to third place. He goes past Toni Elias for second. Wow. Beaubier wants a double slipstream, but will he make it? Elias does not pass Gerloff. Dear me. We're just halfway through this motorcycle race. Elias does not want Herrin to get away. The sun is shining, at Road America. This is going to get very competitive. These races ebb and flow. Wild at first, then relaxed in the middle, and throw caution to the wind before the motorcycle race ends.
Toni Elias, as a smaller rider, he can't grip the foot pegs as well as if he had a taller stature. In replay, we see Josh Herrin trying to reel in Elias. He's set up to hit the corner. Elias is really running well, but not speeding away. Up the wheelie hill again, and side by side stuff here, look. Elias hits the throttle early, but Herrin is running his own race. He's not too worried about how Elias is riding. Gerloff, he's lost some time, and poor old Cameron Beaubier, these darn Suzuki's are the bane of his existence at the moment, driving him bonkers.
Hayes is a multiple American Superbike champion, but still does not have the measure of the Suzuki boys. Just four laps to go as these guys are running in the 2:12 bracket. It's nearly over, race two, here at Road America. Beaubier brakes deep into turn five. Rick Hobbs, his crew chief, knows that if Beaubier's foot slips off the peg, he's in attack mode. Maximum attack, as rally drivers call it. Beaubier is the shark, Elias is the minnow. But Herrin, he could be the bigger shark, wanting to swallow both these chaps in one gulp.
A bobble there, for Beaubier. Herrin was able to go by when Elias had to sit up. Is Elias in tire trouble? Herrin is leading this race. Other riders in the top ten, Cameron Petersen, Matt Scholz, J.D. Beach, Jake Gagne, Kyle Wyman, and more. Elias' bike is still wiggling like a bowl of Jello. He has the electronic traction control, all the riders do. Poor old Beaubier is riding a bucking bronco into turn five. A lap and a half remains. Herrin wants this victory. Elias is working as hard as possible. White flag lap this time.
Elias has to act, now. Herrin is going to try, but no. Herrin has to fly here. Onto the back straight for the final time, look. Elias goes defensive, and the Yamaha is reeling both Suzuki's in. Herrin makes the pass, in no man's land before Canada Corner! Uphill one more time in the esses. Elias fell! He ditched the bike! Herrin wins! Beaubier second! Gerloff in third! No right handlebar for Elias! He has lost this race after his fall! So, Herrin has won.
#2 Josh Herrin Suzuki GSXR1000
Garrett Gerloff gives credit to his team, but knew it was game over when he lost the draft. He did get points and had two podium finishes this weekend. Cameron Beaubier says he gave it all and everything he had, and dove into turn five deeper than ever. He was pushing as hard as possible, tried to get past Toni Elias, and ended up in second spot, and he's glad Toni Elias is OK after his crash. Josh Herrin, meanwhile, is disappointed for Toni Elias, his team mate. Herrin pulled alongside, Elias rolled off the throttle, and Herrin had to back it down. Then, he made it work towards trhe end of the race.
Herrin wants a good setup on his bike, because it is a true racing bike. The next race, is in two weeks at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah. Yours truly hopes to cover it, but has some four wheeled racing to watch, first. Toni Elias says he was working well with Josh Herrin, his team mate, and admits he played his final card before falling off the motorcycle, and yet, he is content with the fact that Josh Herrin, his team mate, won. He knew, too, that Cameron Beaubier had an advantage in Canada Corner.
That's racing, as they say. He was at the limit, and Cameron Beaubier came out of nowhere. So, Josh Herrin was right there. Kyle wyman, Jake Gagne, and Jake Lewis, they had their own battle. Toni Elias leads the championship by 14 markers over Cameron Beaubier. Cameron Beaubier only nine points away from Toni Elias. We look ahead to Utah, and stay tuned for that coverage, when yours truly has the time to write about it. So long, folks. We'll see you in Utah, and until then, take care.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
MotoAmerica Highlights: Virginia International Raceway
Virginia International Raceway (VIR) sees round three of MotoAmerica 2019. Josh Hayes dominates race one as Garrett Gerloff was also in the hunt, while J.D. Beach crashed. We are looking ahead now, to race two of the weekend at this picturesque, winding, long circuit. J.D. Beach wants to close the gap and is trying hard to win. He spent many years on a 600 Supersport motorcycle and is changing his riding style now, to the big 1,000CC Superbikes. He has also won on dirt tracks. We are ready to race in race two of MotoAmerica EBC Brakes Superbike, here at Virginia International Raceway. All of the action, is coming your way, next!
The bikes are ready to roll. Matt Scholz had a huge wreck on Saturday and he's hurting. His right shoulder is bothering him. He is top heavy, and so, he uses his upper body to ride the motorcycle. One motorcycle is stuck on the grid. That's Sam Bertorico on the Yamaha R1. The conditions are slick, but not totally wet. Sustain a pace early and go through the first few laps. 23 laps scheduled for this race. The wind is blowing, and it was howling earlier on. David Anthony is running on full wet Dunlop tires. These wets will be knackered fairly early. Everyone else is on slick tires. An hour before this race, it was tipping down with rain.
Kyle Wyman will be on rain tires as well. Its time to race. Red lights out, and away we go! Garrett Gerloff gets the jump and here comes J.D. Beach. Kyle Wyman, Max Flinders, and others are on rains and here is Wyman taking the Ducati Panigale to the lead of this race and the Ducatisti are going nuts. Josh Herrin has to sit up0 to avoid crashing the bike. it's very hard to pass on wets because the dry line is really forming at the moment. This is an 18 lap race, checking the lap count. Into turn ten down through the Rollercoaster. The bikes fan out. Wyman runs a 42.6 second lap. The front straight is still really damp.
Matt Scholz, Toni Elias, Josh Hayes and Josh Herrin are going for it and here comes Cameron Petersen as well. All of our championship competitors are flying as Matt Scholz is going for it against Cameron Petersen. Kyle Wyman picks up a 41.839 lap time. Toni Elias gets by Josh Herrin and there's still water on the road, look. Wyman leads this motorcycle race by seven or so seconds. Cameron Beaubier passes both Herrin and Petersen, look. High humidity in the air due to the rain. Scholz has cleared Herrin and here comes Jake Lewis as well. Matt Scholz wants to reel in a couple other people and here comes Max Flinders, with a rain front and a slick rear tire.
1/3rd of this race is done and dusted. Halfway home in three laps. Jake Gagne has a mechanical/electrical issue. Something was wrong with the bike, on the grid. J.D. Beach makes the move out of turn seen over Garrett Gerloff and poor old Kyle Wyman, he's a sitting duck. Cameron Petersen is also on two slicks on his Omega Motorsports entry. Cameron Petersen has had a lot of changes made to the bike as the South African is really going for it right now. Two South African riders race each other.
Garrett Gerloff is chomping at the bit to get a win, and he has made a move for the lead around J.D. Beach. So, he must try to move away from his rival and open up a gap if he wants to win this motorcycle race. Lap five, and Garrett Gerloff has gone around J.D. Beach. Beach may have run a little too hot into a turn. He probably had a deal where he ran wide and yes, it's true. But, Beach reels in Gerloff. Gerloff had the open door, but then, Beach slammed it right in his face. Cameron Petersen is still trying to pass Kyle Wyman and David Anthony.
Petersen goes by Wyman. Cameron Beaubier is being held up big style by Jake Lewis, and Lewis now gets past Wyman as well. Cameron Petersen is up to third spot. He is getting solid finishes, and he made Super Pole in qualifying as well. Two laps to the halfway mark in the race. 34.1 for Petersen, and Beach and Gerloff continue 1-2. Change shocks. Change ride height. No spare bikes are allowed in MotoAmerica unlike MotoGP. Beach is chasing the Suzuki of Toni Elias. Elias has to hurry with Beach right on his six.
One lap to halfway. The track is drying in a hurry. Lap times are dropping like a stone, but that's good in that they are getting faster. 1:28.6. That's the target. Elias wants by Petersen. Elias slides past Petersen and Petersen fights back, wanting a bite of the cherry there, look. Halfway home, now. Jake Lewis as well, he's screaming back towards this pack. This is the scrap for third. Cameron Petersen is still trying his hardest to pass Toni Elias as Matt Scholz and Jake Lewis are trying to catch the leader, Cameron Beaubier.
Petersen dives inside Elias, outbraving the Spaniard. Lots of fight in the South African. Elias wants it, and Beaubier ditches his bike! He low sides, trying to pass the Spaniard! He lost the rear of the motorcycle, digging into the grass, rear forward. Beaubier just eight points behind. Elias won yesterday's race here at VIR. By yesterday, it means Saturday's race.
The next MotoAmerica race is at the majestic 4 mile Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Like VIR, it is one of the original road racing tracks. J.D. Beach leads. He is still in front, with five laps left. Jake Lewis is coming as well. J.D. Beach won his first American Flat Track dirt oval race. But now, he has the chance to win his first Superbike road race as well. Garrett Gerloff is now 2.2 seconds behind J.D. Beach. Four laps to go. Beach runs a 1:26.335. Fastest lap of the race. Thus us J.D. Beach's first season in Superbike in nearly a decade.
Matt Scholz passes Jake Lewis. Scholz wants to go for a podium, talking like a gambler, wanting to give his team a great result. But, Toni Elias will be a tough nut to crack here. Scholz wants by Elias, at the top of the hill, again through the Rollercoaster. Does J.D. Beach keep pushing? The podium scrap is hotly contested indeed. Four laps now remain. Elias, Scholz, Petersen, Lewis, this is the battle we are watching from third to sixth spot. Jake Lewis has had a lot of personal trials and injury. He has had family members pass away. so, a win would be the best medicine if he can get there.
Now, J.D. Beach, though, he is much closer, and he has already won on the dirt. He is looking for his first Superbike win. So is Garrett Gerloff. Petersen dives inside Jake Lewis for fifth spot. Toni Elias is being hounded by Matt Scholz. Can he put the G force into his bike with the bad shoulder? Here he comes, and he passes Elias who is forced wide, look, into no man's land! Dear me! Two laps to go. Adrenaline and Advil for Scholz as he holds Toni "The Scud Missile" Elias at bay.
J.D. Beach, 2008 MotoGP Red Bull Rookie's Cup World Champ, had Superbike chances at Kawasaki after legend Eric Bostrom retired, and it didn't work. Beach went to 600 Supersport, and it went really well. Back on a Superbike, as we are on the last lap, Beach could win this thing after getting his flat track career off to a great start with his first win. Does Matt Scholz have anything left in the locker to throw at Elias? Beach wins his first Superbike win at VIR! What a race!
Garrett Gerloff gets second, and now, Toni Elias takes advantage of a mistake by Matt Scholz. Elias on the podium in third! What a race, ladies and gentlemen! What a race! We have four winners out of six races that have been run so far in 2019. J.D. Beach is savoring this cool down lap. He is a true racer. Team boss Richard Stamboli has prepared a great motorcycle for him, for the Attack Performance team. The riders now in parc ferme. Josh Hayes congratulates J.D. Beach. Hayden Gillam is also down there to give his congratulations.
Beach is overcome with emotion about winning not only on the dirt, but also in road racing! Congratulations! You've earned it, mate. His confidence will be sky high. Three rounds and four winners. Toni Elias is gathering points, but his rivals will be in tow. Again, the next MotoAmerica race is at another legendary venue, Road America, the 4 mile ribbon of asphalt in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the first weekend in June.
The bikes are ready to roll. Matt Scholz had a huge wreck on Saturday and he's hurting. His right shoulder is bothering him. He is top heavy, and so, he uses his upper body to ride the motorcycle. One motorcycle is stuck on the grid. That's Sam Bertorico on the Yamaha R1. The conditions are slick, but not totally wet. Sustain a pace early and go through the first few laps. 23 laps scheduled for this race. The wind is blowing, and it was howling earlier on. David Anthony is running on full wet Dunlop tires. These wets will be knackered fairly early. Everyone else is on slick tires. An hour before this race, it was tipping down with rain.
Kyle Wyman will be on rain tires as well. Its time to race. Red lights out, and away we go! Garrett Gerloff gets the jump and here comes J.D. Beach. Kyle Wyman, Max Flinders, and others are on rains and here is Wyman taking the Ducati Panigale to the lead of this race and the Ducatisti are going nuts. Josh Herrin has to sit up0 to avoid crashing the bike. it's very hard to pass on wets because the dry line is really forming at the moment. This is an 18 lap race, checking the lap count. Into turn ten down through the Rollercoaster. The bikes fan out. Wyman runs a 42.6 second lap. The front straight is still really damp.
Matt Scholz, Toni Elias, Josh Hayes and Josh Herrin are going for it and here comes Cameron Petersen as well. All of our championship competitors are flying as Matt Scholz is going for it against Cameron Petersen. Kyle Wyman picks up a 41.839 lap time. Toni Elias gets by Josh Herrin and there's still water on the road, look. Wyman leads this motorcycle race by seven or so seconds. Cameron Beaubier passes both Herrin and Petersen, look. High humidity in the air due to the rain. Scholz has cleared Herrin and here comes Jake Lewis as well. Matt Scholz wants to reel in a couple other people and here comes Max Flinders, with a rain front and a slick rear tire.
1/3rd of this race is done and dusted. Halfway home in three laps. Jake Gagne has a mechanical/electrical issue. Something was wrong with the bike, on the grid. J.D. Beach makes the move out of turn seen over Garrett Gerloff and poor old Kyle Wyman, he's a sitting duck. Cameron Petersen is also on two slicks on his Omega Motorsports entry. Cameron Petersen has had a lot of changes made to the bike as the South African is really going for it right now. Two South African riders race each other.
Garrett Gerloff is chomping at the bit to get a win, and he has made a move for the lead around J.D. Beach. So, he must try to move away from his rival and open up a gap if he wants to win this motorcycle race. Lap five, and Garrett Gerloff has gone around J.D. Beach. Beach may have run a little too hot into a turn. He probably had a deal where he ran wide and yes, it's true. But, Beach reels in Gerloff. Gerloff had the open door, but then, Beach slammed it right in his face. Cameron Petersen is still trying to pass Kyle Wyman and David Anthony.
Petersen goes by Wyman. Cameron Beaubier is being held up big style by Jake Lewis, and Lewis now gets past Wyman as well. Cameron Petersen is up to third spot. He is getting solid finishes, and he made Super Pole in qualifying as well. Two laps to the halfway mark in the race. 34.1 for Petersen, and Beach and Gerloff continue 1-2. Change shocks. Change ride height. No spare bikes are allowed in MotoAmerica unlike MotoGP. Beach is chasing the Suzuki of Toni Elias. Elias has to hurry with Beach right on his six.
One lap to halfway. The track is drying in a hurry. Lap times are dropping like a stone, but that's good in that they are getting faster. 1:28.6. That's the target. Elias wants by Petersen. Elias slides past Petersen and Petersen fights back, wanting a bite of the cherry there, look. Halfway home, now. Jake Lewis as well, he's screaming back towards this pack. This is the scrap for third. Cameron Petersen is still trying his hardest to pass Toni Elias as Matt Scholz and Jake Lewis are trying to catch the leader, Cameron Beaubier.
Petersen dives inside Elias, outbraving the Spaniard. Lots of fight in the South African. Elias wants it, and Beaubier ditches his bike! He low sides, trying to pass the Spaniard! He lost the rear of the motorcycle, digging into the grass, rear forward. Beaubier just eight points behind. Elias won yesterday's race here at VIR. By yesterday, it means Saturday's race.
The next MotoAmerica race is at the majestic 4 mile Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Like VIR, it is one of the original road racing tracks. J.D. Beach leads. He is still in front, with five laps left. Jake Lewis is coming as well. J.D. Beach won his first American Flat Track dirt oval race. But now, he has the chance to win his first Superbike road race as well. Garrett Gerloff is now 2.2 seconds behind J.D. Beach. Four laps to go. Beach runs a 1:26.335. Fastest lap of the race. Thus us J.D. Beach's first season in Superbike in nearly a decade.
Matt Scholz passes Jake Lewis. Scholz wants to go for a podium, talking like a gambler, wanting to give his team a great result. But, Toni Elias will be a tough nut to crack here. Scholz wants by Elias, at the top of the hill, again through the Rollercoaster. Does J.D. Beach keep pushing? The podium scrap is hotly contested indeed. Four laps now remain. Elias, Scholz, Petersen, Lewis, this is the battle we are watching from third to sixth spot. Jake Lewis has had a lot of personal trials and injury. He has had family members pass away. so, a win would be the best medicine if he can get there.
Now, J.D. Beach, though, he is much closer, and he has already won on the dirt. He is looking for his first Superbike win. So is Garrett Gerloff. Petersen dives inside Jake Lewis for fifth spot. Toni Elias is being hounded by Matt Scholz. Can he put the G force into his bike with the bad shoulder? Here he comes, and he passes Elias who is forced wide, look, into no man's land! Dear me! Two laps to go. Adrenaline and Advil for Scholz as he holds Toni "The Scud Missile" Elias at bay.
J.D. Beach, 2008 MotoGP Red Bull Rookie's Cup World Champ, had Superbike chances at Kawasaki after legend Eric Bostrom retired, and it didn't work. Beach went to 600 Supersport, and it went really well. Back on a Superbike, as we are on the last lap, Beach could win this thing after getting his flat track career off to a great start with his first win. Does Matt Scholz have anything left in the locker to throw at Elias? Beach wins his first Superbike win at VIR! What a race!
Garrett Gerloff gets second, and now, Toni Elias takes advantage of a mistake by Matt Scholz. Elias on the podium in third! What a race, ladies and gentlemen! What a race! We have four winners out of six races that have been run so far in 2019. J.D. Beach is savoring this cool down lap. He is a true racer. Team boss Richard Stamboli has prepared a great motorcycle for him, for the Attack Performance team. The riders now in parc ferme. Josh Hayes congratulates J.D. Beach. Hayden Gillam is also down there to give his congratulations.
Beach is overcome with emotion about winning not only on the dirt, but also in road racing! Congratulations! You've earned it, mate. His confidence will be sky high. Three rounds and four winners. Toni Elias is gathering points, but his rivals will be in tow. Again, the next MotoAmerica race is at another legendary venue, Road America, the 4 mile ribbon of asphalt in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the first weekend in June.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
MotoAmerica Highlights: Circuit of the Americas
Toni Elias, Josh Herrin, and Josh Hayes, all three of them have won titles. As we move into the second race of the championship at Circuit of the Americas, what will happen? We are about to find out. Herrin is Elias' Suzuki team mate. But there's no love lost between those two. In 2018, a lot of this rivalry was seen. What will we see in round two of the 2019 championship? Rivalry is a major talking point in the EBC Superbike Championship. Josh Herrin and Toni Elias say they are going to work together during this race. I wonder. Isn't it every bloke for himself? We shall find out, soon.
Circuit of the Americas is an incredible circuit. The esses from turns two through nine, they are incredible. The back straight is fast, and then, so are the corners in sector three, the stadium section. Start your turn early because you cannot see the elevation until you get there. The back straight will be key for slipstreaming past rivals. Don't get in trouble braking for turn 12. Some of the first gear corners can really catch the boys out if they are not careful. We are ready for race one. Garrett Gerloff won't start. Go! We are racing at COTA and J.D. Beach is into second already. the riders spread out. Toni Elias, J.D. Beach, and Cameron Beaubier are your top three riders so far as we begin this 15 lap contest.
To the bottom of the hill, look, Cameron Beaubier loses a spot and Herrin wants by, but no. Garrett Gerloff started from the pit lane. Jake Gagne had a massive wallop before the race began and it's game over for him. He won't take the start of this race. Herrin eats up both Beaubier and J.D. Beach, look. This is frantic action. Herrin's foot slips off the foot peg and Matt Scholz runs way off the road! Jake Lewis is also moving up behind J.D. Beach. Jake Gagne laid the bike down in the warmup, 40 minutes before this race began due to rain earlier in the day.
Trouble for Matt Scholz who has tipped his motorcycle and he is back in the saddle another time. Elias, Herrin, and Beaubier are the top three and are pulling away from the rest of the field, look. Bradley Ward and others are in the midfield. But we watch the lead scrap. Beaubier, your national champ, has won at COTA and did so in 2015, the first race of MotoAmerica. The Yamaha just does not have the top end power of the Suzuki's. Tire conservation and degradation are going to be a bear as well.
Depending on bike setup and tire compound, that will affect how the riders run this race. 1/3rd of the race is done and dusted. Now, Josh Herrin and Toni Elias can both get their individual bike setups to work. Beaubier has not been able to just dive past the leaders. He is keeping the motorcycle underneath him, taking no risks at this point. Elias wants to tip the motorcycle into the corner, and now, Beaubier is going to try and draft past Herrin on the Suzuki. He knows the Suzuki blokes are going to be all over him. Beaubier knows, "if I can park him, he won't nail me to the wall and have me begging for mercy here."
Ah. Beaubier tries to defend from Herrin, but no dice, look. He runs wide, and holds the position. Does Beaubier pull a gap on the two Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R's? Garrett Gerloff is coming in a hurry. He wants to join this party while the three at the front are playing follow the leader. Beaubier came from 11th on the grid at Road Atlanta and winning. Elias' bike was quite stable during qualifying, but he has a looser bike now. Oh my. Beaubier sweeps around the outside on Herrin who was trying hard to get the lead, but he couldn't quite make it!
Garrett Gerloff is watching the trio at the front, while Beaubier is pushing, pushing, pushing. So is Toni Elias. Elias now, is trying to get a draft but can't until he dive bombs in the apex of the turn! Yikes! Halfway home. Small mistakes in slow corners, can really make a big difference. A whole half of this race is left to go. Slow corners, you can take them at a certain speed. Even track day riders on relatively stock motorcycles, know this. Garrett Gerloff, Cameron Beaubier, and Toni Elias, not in that order, these are the three we want to watch.
Josh Herrin is most definitely in control of the race and Gerloff is side by side. The battles in the back half of the top ten are getting tasty as well. Riders like Kyle Wyman, Cameron Petersen, and more, are back there. In replay, we see that Josh Herrin is running a clean, tight line with just five laps left in this race. We've focused on the leaders this whole time, and Garrett Gerloff is in the fight. Toni Elias has to go for it and poor old Herrin was blocked by Beaubier into the apex of the turn! Wow!
What can Gerloff do with Herrin? Herrin has the preferred line. Herrin ran a 2:12 dead the last lap by. The pace has dropped, which was at a 2:10.5 earlier. Toni Elias tries walking through the door, and well, Cameron Beaubier also said, "pardon me", and came right through. Now, Elias still leads and Beaubier, he wants the pass. These guys are the most recent EBC Superbike MotoAmerica champions. Four laps remain. No more, no less. Beaubier will have to take a really tight line to block against Toni Elias.
Gerloff and Herrin are still there. We have not seen any of the other 11 riders in this field, be able to catch the top four. Beaubier has the edge at the top of turn ten. Kyle Wyman on the Ducati, though, he's coming, and in the next few races, once he has the comfort zone, the sweet spot with that motorcycle, we could see another contender. Josh Herrin is losin g some time, but Gerloff, he could definitely score a podium here. J.D. Beach has gapped Jake Lewis, putting a good bit of daylight between himself and Lewis.
It's indeed Elias vs. Beaubier. Beaubier can score more points if he can win this race. He is nine points behind Elias, 70-61. Toni Elias does not use much engine braking on his Suzuki. Elias moves into the corner, and poor old Beaubier can't get the corner exit speed he wants as they fly down the back straight. Elias has that motorcycle dancing on a knife edge, look. Time is running out. It's go time, now. Just three laps left on the board before this race is done and dusted.
Two laps left now. Beaubier is still pushing, hard. He is a fighter, and is reeling in Elias. The Yamaha has great cornering ability. Elias is just pulling away a shade every time, and Garrett gerloff, too fast into the corner, it messes with his exit speed. Gerloff has to outbrake the two blokes in front of him. Elias can slow the bike down and stop it really well. If you've been chilling on your couch, open your eyes, prop the recliner up and watch this! This is good stuff! One lap to go. Beaubier has the brake marker. Garrett Gerloff is moving away from J.D. Beach.
Beaubier wants to move ahead. Gerloff is still in the race. Elias dives into the corner and fires it out off the exit. drafting time on the back straight abd Beaubier slingshots. To the apex, and Elias snookers him! Wow! Elias won't just open the door. Can Beaubier slingshot? This is for the win of the bike race. On the brakes, and Beaubier dives over, but Elias is there, and they touch! Elias gets it!
Elias says the weekend was odd with little practice. any tire he chose, was a tough one to work with. Keeping calm and just hanging in there, reading the situation was what Elias was doing. But he knew P3 was not good enough. He made a mistake, but corrected it. Elias and everyone else realizes they have to push like crazy if they want to win these motorcycle races. What a motorcycle race this one has been, ladies and gentlemen!
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Yoshimura Suzuki Suzuki GSXR1000
Cameron Beaubier will have to go back to the drawing board and emphasize the strengths of the Yamaha R1. The Yamaha and the Suzuki are two different bikes. The wind on the back straight, is tough to deal with. Don't catch any air pockets. The tail wind on the uphill back straight is tough. In race two, Elias got the jump, but Josh Herrin was right in it. J.D. Beach was third before he ran wide. The Suzuki boys were going for it and poor old Matt Scholz had a problem. The two Suzuki's battled each other, and Herrin took a shot with four laps left. Elias did the very same thing. Cameron Beaubier was going for it, and then, Josh Herrin got around Toni Elias when Elias had a mechanical issue!
#2 Josh Herrin USA Yoshimura Suzuki Suzuki GSXR1000
The next event for MotoAmerica is the Championship Races at Virginia International raceway, coming up the first weekend in May.
Circuit of the Americas is an incredible circuit. The esses from turns two through nine, they are incredible. The back straight is fast, and then, so are the corners in sector three, the stadium section. Start your turn early because you cannot see the elevation until you get there. The back straight will be key for slipstreaming past rivals. Don't get in trouble braking for turn 12. Some of the first gear corners can really catch the boys out if they are not careful. We are ready for race one. Garrett Gerloff won't start. Go! We are racing at COTA and J.D. Beach is into second already. the riders spread out. Toni Elias, J.D. Beach, and Cameron Beaubier are your top three riders so far as we begin this 15 lap contest.
To the bottom of the hill, look, Cameron Beaubier loses a spot and Herrin wants by, but no. Garrett Gerloff started from the pit lane. Jake Gagne had a massive wallop before the race began and it's game over for him. He won't take the start of this race. Herrin eats up both Beaubier and J.D. Beach, look. This is frantic action. Herrin's foot slips off the foot peg and Matt Scholz runs way off the road! Jake Lewis is also moving up behind J.D. Beach. Jake Gagne laid the bike down in the warmup, 40 minutes before this race began due to rain earlier in the day.
Trouble for Matt Scholz who has tipped his motorcycle and he is back in the saddle another time. Elias, Herrin, and Beaubier are the top three and are pulling away from the rest of the field, look. Bradley Ward and others are in the midfield. But we watch the lead scrap. Beaubier, your national champ, has won at COTA and did so in 2015, the first race of MotoAmerica. The Yamaha just does not have the top end power of the Suzuki's. Tire conservation and degradation are going to be a bear as well.
Depending on bike setup and tire compound, that will affect how the riders run this race. 1/3rd of the race is done and dusted. Now, Josh Herrin and Toni Elias can both get their individual bike setups to work. Beaubier has not been able to just dive past the leaders. He is keeping the motorcycle underneath him, taking no risks at this point. Elias wants to tip the motorcycle into the corner, and now, Beaubier is going to try and draft past Herrin on the Suzuki. He knows the Suzuki blokes are going to be all over him. Beaubier knows, "if I can park him, he won't nail me to the wall and have me begging for mercy here."
Ah. Beaubier tries to defend from Herrin, but no dice, look. He runs wide, and holds the position. Does Beaubier pull a gap on the two Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R's? Garrett Gerloff is coming in a hurry. He wants to join this party while the three at the front are playing follow the leader. Beaubier came from 11th on the grid at Road Atlanta and winning. Elias' bike was quite stable during qualifying, but he has a looser bike now. Oh my. Beaubier sweeps around the outside on Herrin who was trying hard to get the lead, but he couldn't quite make it!
Garrett Gerloff is watching the trio at the front, while Beaubier is pushing, pushing, pushing. So is Toni Elias. Elias now, is trying to get a draft but can't until he dive bombs in the apex of the turn! Yikes! Halfway home. Small mistakes in slow corners, can really make a big difference. A whole half of this race is left to go. Slow corners, you can take them at a certain speed. Even track day riders on relatively stock motorcycles, know this. Garrett Gerloff, Cameron Beaubier, and Toni Elias, not in that order, these are the three we want to watch.
Josh Herrin is most definitely in control of the race and Gerloff is side by side. The battles in the back half of the top ten are getting tasty as well. Riders like Kyle Wyman, Cameron Petersen, and more, are back there. In replay, we see that Josh Herrin is running a clean, tight line with just five laps left in this race. We've focused on the leaders this whole time, and Garrett Gerloff is in the fight. Toni Elias has to go for it and poor old Herrin was blocked by Beaubier into the apex of the turn! Wow!
What can Gerloff do with Herrin? Herrin has the preferred line. Herrin ran a 2:12 dead the last lap by. The pace has dropped, which was at a 2:10.5 earlier. Toni Elias tries walking through the door, and well, Cameron Beaubier also said, "pardon me", and came right through. Now, Elias still leads and Beaubier, he wants the pass. These guys are the most recent EBC Superbike MotoAmerica champions. Four laps remain. No more, no less. Beaubier will have to take a really tight line to block against Toni Elias.
Gerloff and Herrin are still there. We have not seen any of the other 11 riders in this field, be able to catch the top four. Beaubier has the edge at the top of turn ten. Kyle Wyman on the Ducati, though, he's coming, and in the next few races, once he has the comfort zone, the sweet spot with that motorcycle, we could see another contender. Josh Herrin is losin g some time, but Gerloff, he could definitely score a podium here. J.D. Beach has gapped Jake Lewis, putting a good bit of daylight between himself and Lewis.
It's indeed Elias vs. Beaubier. Beaubier can score more points if he can win this race. He is nine points behind Elias, 70-61. Toni Elias does not use much engine braking on his Suzuki. Elias moves into the corner, and poor old Beaubier can't get the corner exit speed he wants as they fly down the back straight. Elias has that motorcycle dancing on a knife edge, look. Time is running out. It's go time, now. Just three laps left on the board before this race is done and dusted.
Two laps left now. Beaubier is still pushing, hard. He is a fighter, and is reeling in Elias. The Yamaha has great cornering ability. Elias is just pulling away a shade every time, and Garrett gerloff, too fast into the corner, it messes with his exit speed. Gerloff has to outbrake the two blokes in front of him. Elias can slow the bike down and stop it really well. If you've been chilling on your couch, open your eyes, prop the recliner up and watch this! This is good stuff! One lap to go. Beaubier has the brake marker. Garrett Gerloff is moving away from J.D. Beach.
Beaubier wants to move ahead. Gerloff is still in the race. Elias dives into the corner and fires it out off the exit. drafting time on the back straight abd Beaubier slingshots. To the apex, and Elias snookers him! Wow! Elias won't just open the door. Can Beaubier slingshot? This is for the win of the bike race. On the brakes, and Beaubier dives over, but Elias is there, and they touch! Elias gets it!
Elias says the weekend was odd with little practice. any tire he chose, was a tough one to work with. Keeping calm and just hanging in there, reading the situation was what Elias was doing. But he knew P3 was not good enough. He made a mistake, but corrected it. Elias and everyone else realizes they have to push like crazy if they want to win these motorcycle races. What a motorcycle race this one has been, ladies and gentlemen!
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Yoshimura Suzuki Suzuki GSXR1000
Cameron Beaubier will have to go back to the drawing board and emphasize the strengths of the Yamaha R1. The Yamaha and the Suzuki are two different bikes. The wind on the back straight, is tough to deal with. Don't catch any air pockets. The tail wind on the uphill back straight is tough. In race two, Elias got the jump, but Josh Herrin was right in it. J.D. Beach was third before he ran wide. The Suzuki boys were going for it and poor old Matt Scholz had a problem. The two Suzuki's battled each other, and Herrin took a shot with four laps left. Elias did the very same thing. Cameron Beaubier was going for it, and then, Josh Herrin got around Toni Elias when Elias had a mechanical issue!
#2 Josh Herrin USA Yoshimura Suzuki Suzuki GSXR1000
The next event for MotoAmerica is the Championship Races at Virginia International raceway, coming up the first weekend in May.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
MotoAmerica Highlights: Road Atlanta
Race one of the new MotoAmerica season 2019, Toni Elias ran into trouble and crashed his bike in a serious battle with Josh Hayes and Josh Herrin, both. Elias, the 2017 champion is ready to go for this season, on a motorcycle he knows well. Elias' team mate for 2019 is Garrett Gerloff.
Race two. Red lights, on. red lights, out. J.D. Beach shoots into the lead from turn one as Matt Scholz moves one of his rivals out of the way, down through the esses for the first time. None of these chaps had time to check their setups. Now, Cameron Beaubier has moved himself up to sixth place. J.D. Beach changed everything on his motorcycle. Josh Herrin has his first flying lap on his motorcycle as we have 21 laps on the board to run in this race. Matt Scholz on the Westby Racing Yamaha, has three different traction control map settings. He had one map that didn't work yesterday in race one. The traction control can be intrusive to the rider. So, dial it back on a different map, and look at the tire wear as well.
Josh Herrin makes his move on Matt Scholz in the downhill, look. Cameron Beaubier is chasing Matt Scholz and here comes Toni Elias for the lead of this motorcycle race. He beats J.D. Beach to the apex of the corner and he puts the factory Yoshimura Suzuki in the lead along with Josh Herrin, the new bloke at Yoshimura Suzuki. None of these blokes are going to let up. Matthew Scholz has made a pass on J.D. Beach as well. Poor old J.D. Beach is being snookered. Dear me. Four laps now on the board, and Scholz went deep into the turn. Beach squares up the motorcycle. Elias, Garrett Gerfloff, Herrin, school, Beach, and Beaubier, the top six riders.
Can they run quick times in each sector, lap after lap? Gerloff is staying right on Elias' back tires. Cameron Beaubier has passed J.D. Beach, but Beach is harrying the Yamaha rider, look. Gerloff runs a 1:25.2. Don't risk wearing out your tires. All riders are on the soft tires. Herrin runs wide in turn seven. Herrin has to hang on. Matt Scholz is going to be running Harry Flatters to keep up. Elias is checking out. Gerloff has some damage, and he has a problem. The fender is hanging from the right side of the bike. Big damage for Gerloff, and now he's off the road. It's game over for Gerloff.
He does not want that fender to come off and get under the rear tire as Toni Elias and Matthew Scholz, both of them are flying as David Anthony makes the pass. Come to the lane, now, sunshine. You are not going to be able to get that fender to dislodge off the motorbike. Elias continues to lead this race. Scholz and beach run second and third as we have just eight laps remaining now. Beaubier started 11th in race one after missing Super Pole, and he won race one on Saturday. Attack Performance is running their first race at Road Atlanta.
Beach is still hanging in there. Beaubier is flying and so is Beach. Race pace is hectic now. David Anthony, Kyle Wyman, Cameron Peterson, and Geoff May are flying as well. Cameron Peterson washes out and almost wrecks the motorcycle! Kyle Wyman's Ducati has a load of downforce, and, he can book it, flat down the straight without lifting off the throttle. Meanwhile, Beach is still pressing hard, look. Scholz is faster than Beach right now. Elias has a decal flapping in the breeze off of his bike. Make a map change on the straight if you don't have the traction or wheelie control engaged.
Scholz has to be feeling something with the tire, and he wants to know the bloke who is going to be flying here, and yet, there's tons of respect they all have for each other. Round two at Circuit of the Americas is coming up. More details on that in short order. Beaubier has a look and passes J.D. Beach down through turn 12. Beaubier might just have something left in the locker. Scholz's Westby Racing motorcycle is running extremely well, but poor old Jake Gagne is caboose on the field at the moment.
Beaubier is right behind Toni Elias. He is laser targeted on Elias, but isn't making any wild moves. Elias has led the whole race so far. In race one, they were also battling each other. Beaubier has two riders battling him instead of only one like in race one. Three laps to go now. Drafting or slipstreaming works, sometimes, but it totally depends on the gearing in your motorcycle, and not hitting the rev limiter. Some lapped bikes, look. This will be a bear, maybe. Kyle Wyman has crashed. He is down and out! Game over! Two laps now remain. Poor Kyle Wyman has crashed again, and Toni Elias and Matt Scholz, both of them are going to have their hands full with J.D. Beach.
It should be said that Beaubier is going to flying to reel in Toni elias, and now, Matt Scholz is also flying. But Beaubier might just be cracking under pressure behind the back markers. Toni Elias says, "I'm out of here! I gotta go!" Yamaha vs. Yamaha. It's the final lap. Elias on the Suzuki, he is going to be flying. Now, Scholz is holding on, blocking to the inside. Elias wins! Matt Scholz is second ahead of Cameron Beaubier. That's your podium! It's Toni Elias' first win, as a new dad.
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Suzuki GSXR1000
Kyle Wyman had a massive wreck, having lost the front of his motorcycle. Elias is picking upon his competitor. Wyman tells Geoff May what happened. Wyman ran off the road on the wet grass, and.... crunch! He was down for the count, going into the air fence. The wet grass and the Georgia clay are a bad combination. Beaubier is not happy about something. Toni Elias is very happy and motivated. He was aware of the battle behind him, and was focused on winning. He saved 20 points in race one, knowing that the 2019 season will be a hard one.
Toni Elias was able to control the whole race. In second, Matthew Scholtz, and he says he knew he was able to run a consistent tire. The Briton knew that he had to follow Elias to put a gap on everybody else, and thanks his crew for their efforts. Cameron Beaubier fights his way to the podium, twice. He had to gamble, having no chance to check the bike in the warmup. But he too, gives credit to his competitors. He knows he has the points as the season starts. The Monster Energy, Yamalube Yamaha is running well.
Beaubier has a full complement of points to start off the season on the right foot, and he won race one.
Race 1: #1 Cameron Beaubier USA Yamaha YZF R1
Toni Elias leads the championship at 45 points.
Superbike is going to be very interesting this year. The first race of the year is done and dusted for the MotoAmerica EBC Brakes Superbike class. Next time out, is this weekend, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in support of the U.S. round for MotoGP. We will see you, for the highlights of Circuit of the Americas, very soon. For now, take care, everybody.
Race two. Red lights, on. red lights, out. J.D. Beach shoots into the lead from turn one as Matt Scholz moves one of his rivals out of the way, down through the esses for the first time. None of these chaps had time to check their setups. Now, Cameron Beaubier has moved himself up to sixth place. J.D. Beach changed everything on his motorcycle. Josh Herrin has his first flying lap on his motorcycle as we have 21 laps on the board to run in this race. Matt Scholz on the Westby Racing Yamaha, has three different traction control map settings. He had one map that didn't work yesterday in race one. The traction control can be intrusive to the rider. So, dial it back on a different map, and look at the tire wear as well.
Josh Herrin makes his move on Matt Scholz in the downhill, look. Cameron Beaubier is chasing Matt Scholz and here comes Toni Elias for the lead of this motorcycle race. He beats J.D. Beach to the apex of the corner and he puts the factory Yoshimura Suzuki in the lead along with Josh Herrin, the new bloke at Yoshimura Suzuki. None of these blokes are going to let up. Matthew Scholz has made a pass on J.D. Beach as well. Poor old J.D. Beach is being snookered. Dear me. Four laps now on the board, and Scholz went deep into the turn. Beach squares up the motorcycle. Elias, Garrett Gerfloff, Herrin, school, Beach, and Beaubier, the top six riders.
Can they run quick times in each sector, lap after lap? Gerloff is staying right on Elias' back tires. Cameron Beaubier has passed J.D. Beach, but Beach is harrying the Yamaha rider, look. Gerloff runs a 1:25.2. Don't risk wearing out your tires. All riders are on the soft tires. Herrin runs wide in turn seven. Herrin has to hang on. Matt Scholz is going to be running Harry Flatters to keep up. Elias is checking out. Gerloff has some damage, and he has a problem. The fender is hanging from the right side of the bike. Big damage for Gerloff, and now he's off the road. It's game over for Gerloff.
He does not want that fender to come off and get under the rear tire as Toni Elias and Matthew Scholz, both of them are flying as David Anthony makes the pass. Come to the lane, now, sunshine. You are not going to be able to get that fender to dislodge off the motorbike. Elias continues to lead this race. Scholz and beach run second and third as we have just eight laps remaining now. Beaubier started 11th in race one after missing Super Pole, and he won race one on Saturday. Attack Performance is running their first race at Road Atlanta.
Beach is still hanging in there. Beaubier is flying and so is Beach. Race pace is hectic now. David Anthony, Kyle Wyman, Cameron Peterson, and Geoff May are flying as well. Cameron Peterson washes out and almost wrecks the motorcycle! Kyle Wyman's Ducati has a load of downforce, and, he can book it, flat down the straight without lifting off the throttle. Meanwhile, Beach is still pressing hard, look. Scholz is faster than Beach right now. Elias has a decal flapping in the breeze off of his bike. Make a map change on the straight if you don't have the traction or wheelie control engaged.
Scholz has to be feeling something with the tire, and he wants to know the bloke who is going to be flying here, and yet, there's tons of respect they all have for each other. Round two at Circuit of the Americas is coming up. More details on that in short order. Beaubier has a look and passes J.D. Beach down through turn 12. Beaubier might just have something left in the locker. Scholz's Westby Racing motorcycle is running extremely well, but poor old Jake Gagne is caboose on the field at the moment.
Beaubier is right behind Toni Elias. He is laser targeted on Elias, but isn't making any wild moves. Elias has led the whole race so far. In race one, they were also battling each other. Beaubier has two riders battling him instead of only one like in race one. Three laps to go now. Drafting or slipstreaming works, sometimes, but it totally depends on the gearing in your motorcycle, and not hitting the rev limiter. Some lapped bikes, look. This will be a bear, maybe. Kyle Wyman has crashed. He is down and out! Game over! Two laps now remain. Poor Kyle Wyman has crashed again, and Toni Elias and Matt Scholz, both of them are going to have their hands full with J.D. Beach.
It should be said that Beaubier is going to flying to reel in Toni elias, and now, Matt Scholz is also flying. But Beaubier might just be cracking under pressure behind the back markers. Toni Elias says, "I'm out of here! I gotta go!" Yamaha vs. Yamaha. It's the final lap. Elias on the Suzuki, he is going to be flying. Now, Scholz is holding on, blocking to the inside. Elias wins! Matt Scholz is second ahead of Cameron Beaubier. That's your podium! It's Toni Elias' first win, as a new dad.
#24 Toni Elias ESP. Suzuki GSXR1000
Kyle Wyman had a massive wreck, having lost the front of his motorcycle. Elias is picking upon his competitor. Wyman tells Geoff May what happened. Wyman ran off the road on the wet grass, and.... crunch! He was down for the count, going into the air fence. The wet grass and the Georgia clay are a bad combination. Beaubier is not happy about something. Toni Elias is very happy and motivated. He was aware of the battle behind him, and was focused on winning. He saved 20 points in race one, knowing that the 2019 season will be a hard one.
Toni Elias was able to control the whole race. In second, Matthew Scholtz, and he says he knew he was able to run a consistent tire. The Briton knew that he had to follow Elias to put a gap on everybody else, and thanks his crew for their efforts. Cameron Beaubier fights his way to the podium, twice. He had to gamble, having no chance to check the bike in the warmup. But he too, gives credit to his competitors. He knows he has the points as the season starts. The Monster Energy, Yamalube Yamaha is running well.
Beaubier has a full complement of points to start off the season on the right foot, and he won race one.
Race 1: #1 Cameron Beaubier USA Yamaha YZF R1
Toni Elias leads the championship at 45 points.
Superbike is going to be very interesting this year. The first race of the year is done and dusted for the MotoAmerica EBC Brakes Superbike class. Next time out, is this weekend, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in support of the U.S. round for MotoGP. We will see you, for the highlights of Circuit of the Americas, very soon. For now, take care, everybody.
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