Beaubier Fires First Shot with Race One Win at MotoAmerica Superbike Opener
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing’s Cameron Beaubier kicked off his title defense in the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with a win and a third-place finish at the season opener at Road Atlanta. His teammate Garrett Gerloff overcame adversity to score points in race two with a top-10 finish after a DNF in race one.
Gerloff got his sophomore superbike season off to a stellar start as the fastest qualifier and took home the first Superpole of his career. On the flip side, Beaubier struggled early on, qualifying 11th and outside of Superpole. When it came time to race, however, it was a reversal of fortune for the Monster Energy Yamalube Factory Racing riders.
Being the first race of 2019, race one was a heated battle from the start. Gerloff was right there in it, but unfortunately the young rider made an error. He lost the front in turn one while braking to avoid the back of another competitor, ending his race just four laps in. Beaubier on the other hand, got off to a good start from the 11th spot on the grid and latched on to the lead pack. The three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion kept his cool while others made errors and when it came down to crunch time towards the end of the race, Beaubier brought the heat. With just two laps to go, he took the lead and was unchallenged to take the win on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
In Sunday’s race two, Gerloff was once again in the hunt for the win from pole position, but unfortunately a technical issue on lap six forced the Texan to withdraw from the fight. Gerloff was able to pull off track and address the issue to rejoin the race. He then put forth a valiant effort to work his way back from last place to ninth, valuable championship points at this early stage of the title fight.
Beaubier got an even better start in race two, and found himself back in the thick of the fight. With five laps to go, he made his move, going from fourth to second and stalking his championship rival for the lead. Unfortunately, traffic in the final laps made it a battle for second, and ultimately third-place was the result for the day.
Tom Halverson
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“The weekend was actually a really strong one for us. Garrett Gerloff got his first pole and really set the pace in the first two sessions. He was on fire from the beginning of the time he got here, but unfortunately had some bad luck in the races. Cameron had some bad luck early on, too, and couldn’t get the Superpole, but being a champion he overcame that and won the first race. So overall, I think it was a really strong first event for us. Not exactly what we wanted or what we could have accomplished, but we’re leaving here better than we did last year and looking forward to Texas next weekend.”
(Above) Cameron Beaubier. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Cameron Beaubier
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing
“Yesterday’s win was a great start to the season. After the struggles we had on the first day, I was like, ‘Here we go again.’ This is the same first-round bad luck that we’ve had the past few years. But it definitely turned around for us Saturday. I really wasn’t expecting that after the day we had Friday. Toni kind of handed me a gift there a little bit. It would have been a little different. It definitely would have been a dogfight there at the end.
“Today, I felt like I got off to a lot better start and my first couple laps were quite a bit better too, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the win. So it was a little bit frustrating. I can make all the excuses I want. I just got flat-out beat. The competition is really stacked right now. It was a tough day, but at the end of the day, we’re coming out of here with good points, especially starting out as far back as we did.”
(Above) Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Garrett Gerloff
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing
“It started out great. We took the bike out of the truck and everything that we had done in off-season testing worked perfect here, which I was worried about coming into because this track’s a lot different than the tracks we test on. I was able to go fast right away and get my first Superpole, which was awesome. I felt great and I was ready to go out there and try to get my first win, too, but unfortunately, I made a mistake.
“Today I had a second chance. I felt great off the start. I had a good jump. I had a good feeling with the tires and everything. I was there with Toni [Elias] for a while and just trying to figure out what was going on. I still haven’t really raced with these guys. It’s crazy to think about that, after a year of racing, but I’ve never done more than a lap with Toni or Cameron or any of these guys. So that was really good, but then just had a crazy thing.
“It’s disappointing after the speed I know that I had, the consistency that I had also, and not to be able to do the deed and put it on top of the box or at least on the podium for the team and for everybody. I know that there’s highs and lows in racing, though. What goes up must come down, and what’s down low, has got to come up at some point. I feel I’m destined for a breakthrough, and I’ll be fighting until the end of the year.”
2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Road Atlanta Race One Results
1. Cameron Beaubier
2. Toni Elias
3. JD Beach
4. Mathew Scholtz
5. David Anthony
6. Kyle Wyman
7. Jake Lewis
8. Jake Gagne
9. Cameron Petersen
10. Geoff May
2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Road Atlanta Race Two Results
1. Toni Elias
2. Mathew Scholtz
3. Cameron Beaubier
4. JD Beach
5. Josh Herrin
6. Jake Lewis
7. David Anthony
8. Geoff May
9. Garrett Gerloff
10. Cameron Petersen
2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Standings
1. Toni Elias 45
2. Cameron Beaubier 41
3. Mathew Scholtz 33
4. JD Beach 29
5. David Anthony 20
6. Jake Lewis 19
7. Geoff May 14
8. Cameron Petersen
9. Josh Herrin
10. Kyle Wyman
More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki:
Toni Elias Leaves MotoAmerica Season Opener with Victory and Series Lead
Exciting Weekend for Yoshimura Suzuki at Suzuki Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA (April 8, 2019) — Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Toni Elias had a thrilling opening to the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at the Suzuki Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. It included a victory and ultimately the series lead for the 2017 series champ.
Elias made a miraculous save aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Saturday’s race when he ran off into a gravel trap and charged out flat-track style, rear wheel spinning and gravel flying to come back and salvage second. Elias then came back on Sunday and turned in a strong ride to earn a solid 1.839-second margin of victory. The win, his 26th in MotoAmerica, gives him the series lead going into next week’s combined MotoGP/MotoAmerica weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Josh Herrin made his racing debut with Yoshimura Suzuki at the Suzuki Championships. He endured a tough crash on Saturday, but rallied to finish a solid fifth in Sunday’s race.
This is the fourth season in a row that Elias leaves the opening weekend atop the standings.
“It was a great win for the team today,” Elias said after Sunday’s race. “I was lucky to make it through yesterday with the run off the track, but we came back and took an important victory and it feels good to have the championship lead. Of course this is a long season and there are many talented riders, so we will have to continue like this to try to win back this championship”
Videos and photos of Elias’ save in Saturday’s race lit up social media with massive praise for his ability to keep his bike upright after flying into a gravel trap at high speed on the last turn with four laps to go.
He used his ample flat track and motocross experience to not only get back in the race, but come back strong to finish second.
(Above) Toni Elias (24). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I nearly lost everything in the gravel,” Elias grinned. “I lost the chance to win, but it could be worse. In two laps I came back from fourth position to the second, so amazing.”
Herrin came away from Road Atlanta with a growing base of knowledge racing the Suzuki for the first time.
(Above) Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“It was kind of tough going through a couple of crashes this weekend,” Herrin explained. “But I came away with a fifth today and my head held high knowing that I’ve learned a lot and we’ll take that knowledge into COTA next week and shoot for better results.”
Next weekend the series moves to the beautiful Circuit of the Americas for the biggest motorcycle road racing weekend of the year, when MotoAmerica shares the international stage with MotoGP.
If you can’t attend in person, the races are broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 2.
More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:
Lucas Oil/KWR Ducati team starts strong in season-opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
(Above) Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
BRASELTON, Ga. (Apr. 8) — The KWR Ducati team posted impressive results this past weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the opening round of the 2019 MotoAmerica Superbike championship. Kyle Wyman finished 6th in race one, and posted an unfortunate DNF in race two after crashing out of 7th place on his brand-new Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike.
The weekend kicked off in QP1 with a wet-but-drying race track where Wyman posted the 9th fastest time overall. A full dry track in the afternoon allowed Wyman to finally open up the throttle fully on his Panigale V4 R. With a late-session charge in QP2, he posted the 7th quickest lap of the day which was enough to secure a spot in the Saturday morning Superpole session.
“We really came into this weekend with zero expectations, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with our pace today,” Wyman said, after Friday. “I can already tell that the potential is extremely high with this new bike, and I am anxious to see how we can go once I am truly comfortable on it.”
The KWR team spent Saturday morning working through some chassis changes, based solely on the feedback of Wyman, while the bike is yet to have a complete data acquisition system aboard. Wyman was able to complete a Superpole time of 1:26.347 to lock in 9th place on the starting grid. For comparison, Wyman’s best time from previous years at Road Atlanta is a 1:25.330 — just over a second shy of his best on the familiar Yamaha platform. The comparison is a typical baseline to understand where the bike stacks up in stock trim.
Wyman got a great start in race one, and settled into a race-long battle with former World SBK star Jake Gagne over 6th position, clearing ahead of riders but shy of the lead pack. Wyman was able to best him to the line, despite some fuel consumption issues in the closing laps. The 6th place result was a massive win for the team who would have been elated with 10th position.
“To finish 6th in our first outing on the bike, is just an amazing feeling,” Wyman said. “This entire planning process we’ve gone through to prepare for this season has been really tasking on our team and sponsors who had to come up with last minute parts to get us on track. To repay everyone for their tireless efforts, there’s just no better feeling. We are all so excited to see what we can do with this Ducati.”
Race two started in similar fashion, and Wyman found himself chasing down David Anthony for 6th place once again. A late-race mistake took Wyman out of contention when he collided with a rider that was a lap down. Wyman was clipped and pushed off track, only to crash while trying to slow the bike in rain-soaked grass with only three laps remaining in the race.
“Overall, we had a really positive weekend, and fortunately the bike isn’t too bashed up from the wreck,” Wyman added. “For now we have a little bit of work to do to prepare for Circuit of the Americas this weekend. These back-to-back weekends to start the year are very challenging. I have to fly home to Arizona with one of our fuel tanks to see if we can get it modified in time for the next race, and improve a few things on the bike. The thrash continues but we are embracing the craziness and can’t wait to get back on track during the MotoGP weekend at COTA, and be a part of the Ducati Island!”
The next round of MotoAmerica is at Circuit of the Americas, April 12-14, 2019.
LIVE coverage of MotoAmerica is available for only $69.95 per year at www.motoamericaliveplus.com
Visit www.kylewymanracing.com for more news and updates.
More, from a press release issued by Weir Everywhere Racing:
Travis Wyman kicks off 2019 MotoAmerica season with a top-five finish at Road Atlanta
Weir Everywhere Racing BMW rider establishes himself as Stock 1000 Class title contender
(Above) Travis Wyman (24). Photo by BrockImaging, courtesy of Weir Everywhere Racing.
BRASELTON, Ga. — Travis Wyman’s fourth place finish at the 2019 MotoAmerica Championship at Road Atlanta wasn’t his best career result at the track, but it is perhaps his most impressive.
The Weir Everywhere Racing BMW rider and championship runner-up in the 2018 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class who hails from Las Vegas, Nev., persevered through a challenging weekend to capture valuable championship points and establish himself among the class’ title contenders.
Wyman had a strong start to the weekend, topping the time sheets in the class’ Friday practice session. He finished Saturday’s qualifying session in the top five while the team worked to find an ideal set up for its BMW S 1000 RR package. After making major changes to their machine Sunday morning, Wyman ran second fastest in Sunday’s qualifying session.
Starting from fourth on the grid, Wyman got a good start in Sunday afternoon’s race and ran his fastest lap times during the closing stages of the race. He was able to break away from the riders behind him and was closing in on a podium finish by the end of the race.
While the Stock 1000 Class does not return to action until the series’ third round at VIRginia International Raceway on May 4-5, the Weir Everywhere Racing BMW squad will compete in the MotoAmerica Superbike races on April 13-14 during FIM MotoGP’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The event is to mark Wyman’s MotoAmerica Superbike Class debut. A title sponsorship opportunity remains available for the two nationally televised races, which will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2. Those interested in learning more about this opportunity to promote their brand or cause are encouraged to contact the team as soon as possible.
Travis Wyman / #24
“The weekend started off well. We matched our time from last year in the first practice session and worked hard as a team to find a set up that would put us at the front of the field. We made some improvements during the two qualifying sessions and took a big gamble on set up for the race that really worked out well for us. I ran really consistent times today but unfortunately was not up with the race leaders like I expected to be. The next round at Circuit of the Americas is going to be a learning experience for us. We’re super excited to be competing on the world stage during the MotoGP weekend, and I think riding with the Superbike guys will push me to ride our BMW S 1000 RR even harder. It was a tough off-season and I think the extra racing will help me get my fitness up to where it needs to be.”
Steve Weir / Crew Chief
“Obviously we didn’t finish where we wanted to, but we persevered as a team and matched our fastest lap times from last season at this track in the first practice session. We made some pretty big changes to our suspension set up to help Travis push our BMW even harder as the weekend progressed. We will continue to progress with our program and it’s on to Circuit of the Americas next. We’re pretty excited about the opportunity to race in the series’ headliner class and I think the experience will make our team even stronger. It will also give us more track time to perfect our set up and I expect we’ll be right back at the front of the Stock 1000 field at VIR.”