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.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)