Beaubier claims MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
JD Beach crowned Supersport Champion
Andrew Lee claims Stock 1000 championship
Alex Dumas claims Liqui Moly Junior Cup title
Herrin a non-start in Race 2 with technical issues
Images by Brian J. Nelson
Cameron Beaubier is 2018’s MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, having closed out the New Jersey round with the Race 2 win, marking his eight win of the season.
Beaubier’s path to victory got easier before the race even started when Race 1 Motul Superbike winner Josh Herrin couldn’t get his Yamaha YZF-R1 to fire and he was a non-starter. The other notable non-finisher was Mathew Scholtz, the South African crashing out of the race early while trying to chase down Beaubier.
Superbike Race 1
Yamaha’s Josh Herrin showed once again that if the conditions are iffy, he’s a difficult man to beat. Herrin mastered the conditions today in a very wet Championship of New Jersey at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the Georgian backing up his victory from a few weeks ago in Pittsburgh with a textbook display of wet-weather riding that earned him a second Motul Superbike victory on the season. The win was the sixth of his AMA Superbike career and his first in the rain.
In typical Herrin fashion, he started quickly but was surprised after the first lap to have the lead that he did. Herrin beat Mathew Scholtz by 37.1 seconds with the South African backing off the pace at the end of the race when he saw the gap he had on Cameron Beaubier.
Beaubier was some 18 seconds adrift of Scholtz and in championship-winning mode, which meant he wasn’t taking any chances. Especially after having a big highside crash in the wet Superpole session.
With Toni Elias crashing out of third place, Beaubier has his hands on the title with a 72-point lead and only 75 points left on the table.
Roger Hayden passed Cameron Petersen on the final lap for fourth. It was Petersen’s best finish of the year in fifth, just .116 of a second behind the Suzuki. Such was Herrin’s performance that Petersen was the last rider on the lead lap.
Kyle Wyman finished sixth, well clear of Garrett Gerloff. Jake Lewis crashed, remounted and finished eight with Max Flinders ninth. Danny Eslick was 10th.
Beaubier now leads Elias by 72 points, 345-273, after his 15th podium finish of the season. Herrin is third, 20 points behind Elias. Scholtz is fourth, 43 points behind Herrin and 24 points ahead of fifth-placed Gerloff.
Motul Superbike Race 1 Results
- Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 38:09.918
- Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) +37.130
- Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) +55.802
- Roger Hayden (Suzuki) +1:15.892
- Cameron Petersen (Honda) +1:16.008
Superbike Race 2
Beaubier led from the start and was never headed, never putting a wheel wrong in harrowing conditions on the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway. At the end of the shortened, 18-lap race, Beaubier was 13.65 seconds ahead of Roger Hayden. The win was the 32nd of Beaubier’s AMA Superbike career, a mark that puts him in a tie for third on the all-time win list with Miguel Duhamel.
Cameron Beaubier
“Honestly, going into both these races I was kind of running pretty low on confidence. I just didn’t really have the best feeling in the wet after I crashed going into yesterday’s race. Also, this morning in warmup, just the feeling wasn’t there. When the feeling’s not there in the wet, it makes it really tough. After the first couple laps, after the warm-up lap and the first couple laps in the race, it kind of came back and I was able to tick off some laps. I was honestly kind of surprised when I saw plus-1 on my board. I was like, ‘well, what do I got to lose?’ Just put my head down and kept going. I’ve never wrapped up a championship with a win before. It’s an amazing feeling. I just have so many people to thank. There’s a long list, starting with my entire team. They work so hard. We got beat up pretty good last year. These guys (Toni Elias and Roger Hayden) were riding so good. The Suzuki team, they were so strong last year and the first part of this season. I’ve never got pushed so hard in my life. We were just constantly scratching our heads after qualifying and practices. Then I ended up getting hurt last year and then it was kind of the same story at the beginning of this year. So, to be able to turn around and keep fighting and just digging deep and never giving up, and to come out with the title again, it just feels so good. Hats off to everyone that’s behind me, and big thanks to my family.”
The second-place finish was Hayden’s fourth podium of the year and his best result of the season. Hayden’s run to the flag got a lot easier when Broaster Genuine Chicken Honda’s Cameron Petersen crashed while chasing the Suzuki in the closing stages of the race. That left Hayden some breathing room and he ended up some 14 seconds ahead of his teammate Toni Elias.
Roger Hayden
“Yeah, it definitely was pretty slick. I got a really good start today and a couple guys… Mathew Scholtz crashed which put me in second. I just kind of was pulling away on (Cameron) Petersen and we got about a three-second gap on him. I could see he was pulling away in fourth place. I was having a lot of moments, but the bike was so much better for me than yesterday. Yesterday, I wasn’t very comfortable so I was excited. I can usually tell by the fifth corner in the wet if I’m going to have a good day or a bad day. When I went out on the warm-up lap, I got to turn six and I said, ‘today is going to be a good day.’ This morning I didn’t feel very good in the wet. I’m just really happy for my team. They had a good race. Just had nothing to lose and just kept going for it. There was only one mistake. With two to go my board said plus-14 and I thought it said plus-1.4, so I started to push again and come around and see plus-17. So, the last lap was nice. I didn’t have the pressure. It’s good to be on the podium. My guys were stoked. Don’t have too many more opportunities left, so it’s cool.”
Elias trailed Beaubier’s Yamaha teammate Garrett Gerloff for a lot of the 18 laps, but was able to get around the Superbike rookie to finish third. At the finish line Elias was some four seconds ahead of Gerloff.
Toni Elias
“This is not the first time I lose a championship. When that happens, you learn a lot. So, I think we did a really strong part of the championship when Cam (Beaubier) and Yamaha were struggling more. They’ve been smart enough to take second positions, third positions… to be consistent taking the points. When the situation gets changed, we didn’t. We always talk as a team when we win, when we lose. When things got a little bit more difficult, we didn’t finish on the podium. We didn’t finish some races. That is at the end not good thing if you want to win the championship. We improve. We learn. We will try to be better next year. At the end, today was a really difficult race. Stay on the line was so, so difficult. Finally, we did it and the most important thing right now is second position for the championship then start to work for the next year. Congratulations, again. Cameron and his team did an amazing job.”
Gerloff was fourth across the line, well clear of Jake Lewis. David Anthony was sixth, matching his best effort of the season. Kyle Wyman crashed twice and still finished seventh with Danny Eslick eighth. Max Flinders and Sam Verderico rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Motul Superbike Race 2 Results
- Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 31:50.810
- Roger Hayden (Suzuki) +13.675
- Toni Elias (Suzuki) +27.855
- Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha) +31.794
- Jake Lewis (Suzuki) +44.590
Motul Superbike Standings
- Cameron Beaubier 370
- Toni Elias 289
- Josh Herrin 253
- Mathew Scholtz 210
- Garrett Gerloff 199
- Jake Lewis 185
- Roger Hayden 151
- Kyle Wyman 149
- Danny Eslick 132
- David Anthony 92
Supersport Race 1
In Saturday’s Supersport race, JD Beach clinched the 2018 Championship with his second-place finish and 12th podium in 13 races. For the Kentuckian, it was the second MotoAmerica Supersport Championship of his career.
Hayden Gillim notched the win on a wet NJMP track for his second victory of the season, and Richie Escalante completed the Yamaha podium sweep. Gillim was happy with the victory, his second of the year and first since Road Atlanta in April.
Supersport Race 1 Results
- Hayden Gillim (Yamaha) 33:47.460
- JD Beach (Yamaha) +13.723
- Richie Escalante (Yamaha) +22.783
- Anthony Mazziotto III (Yamaha) +35.848
- Nick McFadden (Suzuki) +1:00.082
Supersport Race 2
In Supersport, 2018 Champion JD Beach, who clinched the title with a second-place finish on Saturday, won Sunday’s race aboard his Yamaha. Saturday’s winner, Hayden Gillim, was second on Sunday. Third place went to Yamaha rider and New Jersey native Anthony Mazziotto III to complete the all-Yamaha podium.
JD Beach
“I’ve been wanting to get a win in the rain, but that’s not the way that I want to do it. Hayden (Gillim) was going damn quick. It was all I could do to keep up with him the first four laps or whatever it was. I saw him just make a small mistake. It was small. I knew the crash wasn’t bad. I know Hayden so I knew he was going to be a little pissed off, and he was going to pick the bike up and get going again. So, the next lap, going into turn 11, I spotted his suit and stuff and I knew where he was at. I just tried to ride my own race and keep not a fast pace, but just one that I felt like I could finish the race. Each lap I could see at first he wasn’t really gaining a lot of time on me and then after that he started making some more time every lap. His helmet kept getting closer and closer. But we were able to finish. I know he wants to get a win in the dry. I hope it’s dry in Barber. I think for the last round it’s going to be some good racing, because that’s basically our home track so I think it’s going to be fun.”
Supersport Race 2 Results
- JD Beach (Yamaha) 28:40.259
- Hayden Gillim (Yamaha) +8.025
- Anthony Mazziotto III (Yamaha) +35.910
- Miles Thornton (Suzuki) +46.880
- Nick McFadden (Suzuki) +51.944
Supersport Standings
- JD Beach 348
- Hayden Gillim 250
- Valentin Debise 150
- Bryce Prince 150
- Nick McFadden 150
- Richie Escalante 137
- Cory West 129
- Anthony III Mazziotto 129
- Braeden Ortt 104
- Jason Aguilar 100
Liqui Moly Junior Cup Race 1
The wet conditions played a huge factor in Saturday’s Liqui Moly Junior Cup race as the championship leaders all crashed out unhurt, including points leader Alex Dumas.
The attrition started early and often as polesitter Ashton Yates also crashed his Yates Racing Kawasaki on the opening lap. Dumas was in the catbird seat and in the lead group, poised to wrap up the championship based on merely finishing the race. However, the French Canadian went down in the wet and postponed his title celebration for at least another day.
Meanwhile, the MonkeyMoto/AGVSPORT racing team swept the podium aboard their Yamaha R3s, with Kevin Olmedo taking the win, Marc Edwards finishing second, and Jay Newton coming home third.
Liqui Moly Junior Cup
- Kevin Olmedo (Yamaha) 23:14.552
- Marc Edwards (Yamaha) +14.838
- Jay Newton (Yamaha) +24.011
- Damian Jigalov (Kawasaki) +42.351
- Joseph Blasius (Yamaha) +42.442
Liqui Moly Junior Cup Race 2
In Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Alex Dumas rode a solid race despite the tricky track conditions and clinched the 2018 class championship with his seventh-place finish.
Jay Newton won the race, becoming the fifth different rider to taste victory in Liqui Moly Junior Cup this season. Cory Ventura finished second, and Joseph Blasius crossed the finish line in third for his first podium in the class, making it a Yamaha sweep for the second day in a row.
Alex Dumas
“Yesterday, I thought I had it and I just lost the rear, so today I did some slow laps, tried to keep the bike straight. My last lap was one of my favorite laps ever on a motorcycle. It was like a Sunday cruise at the beach. I can’t thank everyone (enough) that helps me for this year. I had a good season. Did some crashes in the races, but still had a good season, ups and downs. I’m ready for Barber.”
First-time race winner Newton was happy, having finished on the podium for a second straight day in difficult conditions.
Jay Newton
“Honestly, I’m speechless right now, I heard Mark (Edwards) just skidding right behind me. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, please don’t take me out.” Luckily, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his bike kind of go off when I started turning in. At that point, I knew it was me and Kevin (Olmedo). Kevin’s a really good rider. He obviously won yesterday, and I was looking forward to batting with him. Unfortunately, he went down. My whole crew did a great job on my bike this morning. I can’t thank them enough. I’m super-pumped for this first win. I’m looking forward to Barber. Should be good.”
Liqui Moly Junior Cup Race 2
- Jay Newton (Yamaha) 15:20.079
- Cory Ventura (Yamaha) +13.700
- Joseph Blasius (Yamaha) +13.735
- Jackson Blackmon (Yamaha) +14.645
- Renzo Ferreira (Kawasaki) +15.021
Liqui Moly Junior Cup Standings
- Alex Dumas 245
- Cory Ventura 185
- Ashton Yates 172
- Jay Newton 170
- Sean Ungvarsky 134
- Jackson Blackmon 126
- Jamie Astudillo 112
- Gavin Anthony 104
- Kevin Olmedo 98
- Renzo Ferreira 75
Twins Cup
In what was arguably the best race of the day, Saturday’s Twins Cup feature event concluded in a photo finish with Kris Turner edging out Brian McGlade for the win by .003 of a second, with both riders aboard Suzukis. Jason Madama, who crashed early on in the 14-lap event, remounted his Yamaha and raced all the way back up to third.
Championship leader Chris Parrish also crashed his Ghetto Customs Suzuki and remounted, but he only managed to finish seventh. As a result, Parrish now leads the point standings by just two points with one race left on the schedule to decide it all.
Twins Cup Race Results
- Kris Turner (Suzuki) 23:00.117
- Brian McGlade (Suzuki) +0.003
- Jason Madama (Yamaha) +1:26.884
- Bart DeFrancesco (Suzuki) +1 Lap
- Tyler Humphreys (Suzuki) +1 Lap
Twins Cup Standings
- Chris Parrish 139
- Jason Madama 137
- Kris Turner 45
- Ryan Roth 44
- Danielle Diaz 33
- Curtis Murray 32
- Brian McGlade 31
- Aaron Tulchinsky 31
- Justin Filice 27
- Jeffrey Tigert 25
Stock 1000
The Stock 1000 race also netted a clinched championship as Andrew Lee wrapped up the 2018 class title by virtue of a fifth-place result aboard his Kawasaki in Sunday’s fully wet race.
Andrew Lee
“I qualified on pole but in qualifying two I had a little tip-over, so, coming into the race, I was a little timid and you could definitely see that. It was really tricky conditions. You could see all weekend that people were having problems and crashing. I did it once. So, I knew if I wanted to wrap the championship up this weekend and not take it to Barber I first of all had to finish the race. So, my mindset coming into the race was definitely just keep it on two wheels, get it across the checkered line and hopefully it was enough to win the championship.”
Tawfik Khalil emerged the surprise victor, and it was only his third race in MotoAmerica’s Stock 1000 class. Travis Wyman raced his BMW to a runner-up result, and Ricky O’Hare was third aboard a Yamaha.
Tawfik Khalil
“I had a mishap in five on the left and went down. I walked back. I thought I didn’t qualify. I was like, all right, what are we going to do later? I get down to parc ferme and they tell me, you’re P2 right now. I couldn’t believe it. I was elated. So I just needed a (foot) peg. They put it back together and here we go. They said, ‘You’ve got a chance at winning this.’ I got a poor start, but I fought through and here we are.”
Stock 1000 Race Results
- Tawfik Khalil (Yamaha) 19:02.358
- Travis Wyman (BMW) +5.458
- Ricky O’Hare (Yamaha) +6.128
- Frankie Babuska Jr. (Yamaha) +26.893
- Andrew Lee (Kawasaki) +38.780
Stock 1000 Standings
- Andrew Lee 141
- Travis Wyman 108
- Chad Lewin 71
- Shane Richardson Jr. 58
- Stephen Incledon 41
- Melissa Paris 36
- Timothy Bemisderfer 34
- Roi Holster 32
- Andy DiBrino 29
- Tawfik Khalil 26
