Elias & JD Beach take MotoAmerica Virginia double

Toni Elias continues MotoAmerica domination

JD Beach takes the Supersport double

Qualifying

Cameron Beaubier led the opening day of qualifying for the two MotoAmerica Motul Superbike races at VIRginia International Raceway, the Californian the only rider to break into the 1:23s on a hot and sunny Friday afternoon in the Championship of Virginia.

Beaubier lapped at a best of 1:23.976 to lead Toni Elias in the qualifying session, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider crashing in the waning moments after lapping at 1:24.096. Elias was uninjured in the crash and rode the Suzuki GSX-R1000 back to the pits.

The Supersport class battle between Hayden Gillim and JD Beach continued into round two at VIR with Gillim coming out on top on the opening day of qualifying by just .041 of a second over Beach. Bryce Prince rode his to third, 1.8 seconds behind Gillim and just a few tenths quicker than Nick McFadden.

The first Liqui Moly Junior Cup qualifying session also took place on Friday and it looks as though the tweaking of the technical rules have brought parity back into the class. Alex Dumas led the way on his KTM RC390, the French Canadian lapping at 1:38.698. That put him .145 of a second ahead of Cory Ventura and .188 of a second clear of another Yamaha ridden by Jay Newton.

The Twins Cup qualifying session was led by Xavier Zayat with the youngster having 1.5 seconds on Curtis Murray. Chris Parrish, who won the opening round of the series at Road Atlanta, was third fastest. All three were Suzuki mounted with Jason Madama riding the first Yamaha to the fourth fastest time.

Superbikes R2 – Sunday

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias continued to roll through the early portion of the 2018 MotoAmerica Motul Superbike Series, the defending class champion winning today at VIRginia International Raceway in the Championship of Virginia after winning yesterday for his fifth win in six starts.

Unlike yesterday when he stalked race leader Cameron Beaubier until two laps from the end, Elias did the leading this time around. In fact, he led all of the 23 laps of race two on another sunny afternoon at VIR. But his lead didn’t come without pressure from behind as at first there were three riders tailing him – Beaubier, Yamalube/Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Attack Performance/Herrin Compound Yamaha’s Josh Herrin. Herrin was the first to fade, but the other three stayed mostly together.

With two laps to go, Beaubier tried to outbrake Elias going into the first corner but ran wide and very nearly off track. The Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing rider regrouped, re-passed Scholtz, and then tried to make up for the mistake with the fastest lap of the race on the last lap to catch Elias, but he came up .546 of a second short.

Toni Elias

“Well, we did a couple of changes on the bike. Yesterday, the grip was pretty good but it was a little bit uncomfortable. Today, I was more comfortable, but with less grip. You’re never 100 percent happy with what you ride. But I was there trying to make my pace. At several moments of the race, I wanted to let Cam (Beaubier) past. I was thinking we were only two riders. When I turned back, and I saw four riders, I said, ‘Oh my God. It’s not possible. Let’s continue here leading the race, pushing, and let’s see what happens at the end.’ This is what I did. I tried to rest the last three or four laps, and to try to make the last lap with a good level. Try to not make any mistakes. It’s what I did. I didn’t know Cameron ran a little bit wide, and I had a real advantage. It’s perfect. This win is amazing here in VIR. I never expected that. The team works really good, but always, we suffer a little bit here. Now Road America is good for us and I really like. But I know Cameron likes, too. I have to say he rides an incredible level. He was faster than us with his really strong pace. It was difficult to beat him, but also Mat (Scholtz) is very consistent. Every race, he’s there with the great level of riders. So congratulations to both, and thanks to my team.”

The victory was the fifth of the year for Elias and the 21st of his MotoAmerica Superbike career, which moved him past Fred Merkel and into sixth on the all-AMA Superbike win list. Yesterday, Elias became the fastest rider in AMA Superbike history to reach 20 wins.

Beaubier was again a disappointed second and remains winless for 2018, though he’s been on the podium in the last five races and had the pace there to win.

Cameron Beaubier

“Just as you guys might think, I’m just sick of second place, I haven’t got a win yet under my belt (this season), but I’m happy that I at least stayed on the track there the last few laps. Yesterday, I was struggling pretty bad with grip there at the end of the race. I felt like I pretty much used up the tire on the right side as much as I could. I was spinning pretty bad at the end of yesterday. So, we went into today with a little bit of a different tactic. Made a couple changes to the bike, mainly on the electronics side. Just tried to ride a little bit more patient race at the beginning. I felt pretty good there with 10 laps to go. I started trying to make my way forward. I was just struggling really hard getting by Toni (Elias). He’s super-good on the brakes, especially down into (turn) one. That was pretty much my only spot I could really make a good move that at least I thought that I could make stick. It didn’t happen the one time. He started covering the inside, so I was starting to go to the outside and maybe sneak up the inside when he would run wide going up the inside. I ended up getting sucked in there pretty good, teeter-tottered on the white line, like I said, in between the dirt and the pavement. I lost probably a second or something. I just did everything I could on the last lap. I felt like a dummy after almost running off the track and kind of blowing it there to make a charge to try to win the race. Hats off to my guys for working so hard all weekend. It could be worse. I could be picking my bike up out of the gravel trap. I got two second places this weekend. We’re going to some good tracks for our bike and tracks I love. So, I’m looking forward to it.”

Scholtz’ third-place finish is also his fifth podium in the first six races and he was closer to the front than he was in yesterday’s identical result. The South African was just 3.8 seconds behind Elias after 23 laps.

Mathew Scholtz

“During the final practice, I kind of thought that the first race was going to sort of pan out like the second race did. Me and (Josh) Herrin kind of got caught battling again and these guys gapped us. But this race overall was really positive for us. We made some changes and we really stepped up so, overall, I’m very happy. I think from everyone in the MotoAmerica paddock, we would just like to pay our biggest respects to Jake Lewis for the loss of his father, Bobby. Everyone’s thinking of him.”

Herrin held on to finish fourth, some eight seconds behind Scholtz after harassing Elias at the front of the pack in the early laps.

Fifth placed went to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis – his fifth fifth-place finish of the season. Naturally, he sits fifth in the championship after three rounds and six races.

6D Helmets/KWR’s Kyle Wyman ended his weekend with a sixth-place finish after beating Scheibe Racing BMW’s Danny Eslick to the line by just .115 of a second.

Eighth place went to Quicksilver/LEXIN/Hudson Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong with the Californian barely beating South African Cameron Petersen on the Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda. Fly Street Racing’s David Anthony rounded out the top 10 on his Kawasaki ZX-10R.

After three rounds and six races, Elias leads the championship point standings by 35 points over Scholtz and Beaubier, who are tied, 138-103. Herrin is fourth with 75 points.

Motul Superbike Race Two

1. Toni Elias (Suzuki)
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)
3. Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
4. Josh Herin (Yamaha)
5. Jake Lewis (Suzuki)

Motul Superbike Standings

1. Toni Elias 138
2. Mathew Scholtz 103
3. Cameron Beaubier 103
4. Josh Herrin 75
5. Jake Lewis 55
6. Kyle Wyman 52
7. Garrett Gerloff 48
8. Danny Eslick 39
9. David Anthony 39
10. Sebastiao Ferreira 31

Superbikes R1 – Saturday

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias continued to show he has an uncanny knack of being able to win close races in the closing laps, the defending MotoAmerica Motul Superbike Champion stalking race-long leader Cameron Beaubier before taking the lead and ultimately the win with two laps to go at VIRginia International Raceway.

Elias’ victory in the Championship of Virginia today was his fourth of the season and the 20th of his MotoAmerica Superbike career. It also gives him a 26-point lead in the championship going into tomorrow’s second of two Motul Superbike races at VIR. Beaubier was a frustrated second, just .114 of a second from victory after leading the majority of the 20-lap race.

The race was red-flagged before the completion of lap one when Beaubier’s teammate Garrett Gerloff crashed. Quicksilver/LEXIN/Hudson Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden also went down trying to avoid Gerloff. While Fong was able to restart (and crash again), Hayden was a bit banged up and didn’t make the second start. Gerloff, meanwhile, was transported to a local hospital for precautionary chest X-rays.

Beaubier, who had been fastest in practice and also earned his first pole position of the season in this morning’s Superpole session, was frustrated with second place after leading for so much of the race.

Mathew Scholtz, the South African who has won the two races that Elias hasn’t won this season, finished third and now trails Elias by 26 points in the title chase. Scholtz battled early with Attack Performance/Herrin Compound Yamaha’s Josh Herrin, who ran off the track shortly thereafter and ended up fourth.

Fifth place went to Jake Lewis, the Kentuckian riding with a heavy heart after his father’s tragic passing this week. Lewis only lost out to Herrin for fourth in the final laps. It was Lewis’ third fifth-place finish of the young season.

Fly Street Racing’s David Anthony finished sixth, well clear of 6D Helmets/KWR’s Kyle Wyman, the team owner/racer suffering with a bad back that almost kept him off the bike yesterday. Danny Eslick,  Sebastiao Ferreira and  Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.

In addition to Fong, Gerloff and Hayden, Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda’s Cameron Petersen also crashed, the South African in sixth place at the time of the get-off.

Superbike Race One Results

1. Toni Elias (Suzuki)
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)
3. Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
4. Josh Herrin (Yamaha)
5. Jake Lewis (Suzuki)

Supersport R2 – Sunday

There are two stories to tell about Sunday’s Supersport race. First of all, JD Beach put in an even more dominant performance than he did on Saturday to win by more than 28 seconds after Hayden Gillim crashed out.

Beach got the holeshot in the race and led all 20 laps. While he was way out in front, a fierce battle was taking place behind him between Braeden Ortt and Cory West. Ortt and West passed each other back and forth, ran side-by-side through some of VIR’s tight corners, and put on quite a show for the fans. At the checkers, Ortt just edged out West to notch his first career MotoAmerica Supersport podium.

In the post-race press conference, Beach let it be known that he has a specific agenda that he’s focused on this season.

JD Beach

“My whole team just gave me a great bike today, I think, for me, the race was won in the first five laps or so because I got a little bit of a gap on Hayden (Gillim). Once I got my gap, he was keeping it the same so I was really having to push. Then, he went down on the ground at lap 12 or so. It really sucks to see that just because he’s riding so well. For sure, it’s made me a better rider because I live with him and I don’t want to get beat by him. I know it’s the same for him. It was a great race. I think my mission this year is just to win as much as I can. I want to go faster than we did last year at all the tracks. I want a Superbike ride bad. I’m mad at myself that I messed up last year and didn’t get that ride that my teammate (Garrett Gerloff) got. But that’s the past, and I’m just working towards the future.”

Supersport Race Two

1. JD Beach (Yamaha)
2. Braeden Ortt (Yamaha)
3. Cory West (Suzuki)
4. Nick McFadden (Suzuki)
5. Richie Escalante (Yamaha)

Supersport Standings

1. JD Beach 95
2. Hayden Gillim 65
3. Cory West 53
4. Braeden Ortt 42
5. Nick McFadden 39
6. Anthony III Mazziotto 39
7. Richie Escalante 38
8. Ashton Yates 30
9. Bryce Prince 28
10. Miles Thornton 26

Supersport R1 – Saturday

For 2015 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion JD Beach, his Saturday at VIR got off to a rocky start in final qualifying, as he suffered a mechanical issue and, after his YZF-R6 was repaired, he crashed and the bike had to be rebuilt in time to start the race.

Everything came good for the Kentuckian, though, as he got a great start, pulled the holeshot, and was never headed all the way to the checkers. Hayden Gillim, also R6-mounted, finished a close second and Richie Escalante completed the Yamaha R6 podium sweep with his third-place result.

Supersport Race One Results

1. JD Beach (Yamaha)
2. Hayden Gillim (Yamaha)
3. Richie Escalante (Yamaha)
4. Cory West (Suzuki)
5. Braeden Ortt (Yamaha)

Liqui Moly Junior Cup R2 – Sunday

In Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Alex Dumas won his second race of the weekend, and it was his third victory out of four so far this season. His KTM received some balancing adjustments to start the weekend, in order to level the playing field with the other brands of motorcycles competing in the class.

But Dumas seemed unfazed by the reduction in power to his machine, and he used his considerable race craft to prevail over second-finisher Gavin Anthony aboard his Yamaha, and third-place finisher Kevin Olmedo, who was also Yamaha-mounted.

Alex Dumas

“I did a good start, like yesterday, I just put my head down and saw Gavin (Anthony) pass me two times in turn one. I passed him in turn seven and just kept my head down. We made some changes on the bike that helped me a lot for the second half of the race. I’m happy with my race.”

Liqui Moly Junior Cup Race Two

1. Alex Dumas (KTM)
2. Gavin Anthony (Yamaha)
3. Kevin Olmedo (Yamaha)
4. Jay Newton (Yamaha)
5. Sean Ungvarsky (KTM)

Liqui Moly Junior Cup Standings

1. Alex Dumas 75
2. Ashton Yates 53
3. Jay Newton 48
4. Sean Ungvarsky 47
5. Gavin Anthony 40
6. Cory Ventura 37
7. Kevin Olmedo 33
8. Dylan Deutschlander 33
9. Jackson Blackmon 32
10. Jamie Astudillo 29

Liqui Moly Junior Cup R1 – Saturday

Following the balancing measures that MotoAmerica took to level the playing field in the Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Saturday’s race saw two brands of motorcycles reach the podium, with Alex Dumas notching his second win out of the three races held so far.

Yamaha rider Gavin Anthony was second, and Jay Newton earned the first podium result of his MotoAmerica racing career.

Liqui Moly Junior Cup Results

1. Alex Dumas (KTM)
2. Gavin Anthony (Yamaha)
3. Jay Newton (Yamaha)
4. Dylan Deutschlander (Yamaha)
5. Jackson Blackmon (Yamaha)

Twins Cup – Saturday

In the Twins Cup race, it was an RBoM Racing sweep. The team fielded six riders aboard Suzuki SV650s at VIR, and three of them reached the podium. Xavier Zayat, who has previously competed in MotoAmerica’s KTM RC Cup and Superstock 600 classes, won the Twins Cup race with Road Atlanta Twins Cup winner Chris Parrish finishing second and Curtis Murray, who was third in Atlanta, rounding out the VIR podium again in third.

Xavier Zayat

“Practice and qualifying was my first time on the bike, first time racing in this new series. We ran into a couple of tire issues. We ran the same front tire all weekend and it didn’t give us any grief. It gave us a little grief in the race, so we should have swapped it. On the start, I got away. I had a little strategy just to get out of the gate. I just wanted to get away from the pack. I got a good jump off the line. I was able to do that and fortunately my comrades didn’t follow through. But, we still made it up here. Big shout out to (RBOM Racing’s) Russell and Mike. They are the living, breathing spirit of our team and this (Twins Cup) class. He was able to bring (six) entries on board. Hopefully, this is what they want changed for rules and everything like that because it will only make it fair and better racing, for sure.”

Twins Cup Results

1. Xavier Zayat (Suzuki)
2. Chris Parrish (Suzuki)
3. Chris Murray (Suzuki)
4. Jason Madama (Yamaha)
5. Darrell Ricks (Suzuki)

Twins Cup Standings

1. Chris Parrish 45
2. Jason Madama 33
3. Curtis Murray 32
4. Xavier Zayat 25
5. Shane Perry 20
6. Dustin Ducote 15
7. Darrell Ricks 11
8. Sam Wiest 10
9. Carl Price 10
10. Matt DiLorenzo 9

Stock 1000 – Sunday

Travis Wyman has dominated the new Stock 1000 class thus far in the season, and Sunday was no exception as the polesitter led from start to finish and took the checkers with nearly a 10-second lead to notch his second victory in a row.

Andrew Lee raced his Kawasaki to his second-consecutive runner-up result in the class, and Superbike Unlimited rider Samuel Smathers rounded out the podium aboard his Yamaha in his first-ever MotoAmerica race.

Travis Wyman

“This is a memorable weekend for me, I’ve never actually led every session and I got the holeshot for once, which I’ve been kind of struggling with my starts. Happy to do that and happy to really put in some good laps and feel comfortable and have a good pace right from the beginning of the weekend. It’s truly a team effort. The guys from Weir Everywhere Racing and BMW coming on board this year, it’s just been incredible for us. To go two for two is something I never really dreamed of actually happening. It’s all the work behind the scenes that really makes this happen. I can’t thank MotoAmerica enough for putting on this class. It’s really good for us to be able to showcase the new BMW. Just hats off to my team for a really good effort.”

Stock 1000 Results

1. Travis Wyman (BMW)
2. Andrew Lee (Kawasaki)
3. Samuel Smathers (Kawasaki)
4. Shane Richardson Jr. (Kawasaki)
5. Alastair Hoogenboezem (Kawasaki)

Stock 1000 Standings

1. 1. Travis Wyman 50
   2. Andrew Lee 40
   3. Timothy Bemisderfer 26
   4. Stephen Incledon 19
   5. Samuel Smathers 16
   6. Shane Richardson 15
   7. Shane Richardson Jr. 13
   8. Barrett Long 13
   9. Alastair Hoogenboezem 11
   10. Melissa Paris 10