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.
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