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.
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