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.
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