Cameron Beaubier Hasn’t Forgotten How To Win at Road America
Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Cameron Beaubier may have been gone from the MotoAmerica Superbike Series for two years, but the Roseville, California rider still remembers how go fast at Elkhart Lake’s Road America
Riding a BMW for Green Bay’s Tytlers Racing Cycles, Beaubier won at Road America Saturday for the eleventh time in a race shortened to 8 laps out of the scheduled 12 when the engine in Zachary Butler’s Yamaha expired in a major way as he accelerated out of turn 14, covering the racing surface with oil.
“Something about this track is special for me. I love coming here. It seems like, for the most part, we get pretty lucky on the weather here. Staying by Elkhart Lake and going to have dinner at night, it’s just an amazing area and this track really suits my style, if you like.”
But Beaubier didn’t make it easy on himself. Out-dragged by the Ducati of pole-sitter Josh Herrin, Beaubier ran wide at turn two and fell back to sixth at the end of the first lap.
“I just basically ran out of track on the outside. When you’re braking straight up and down there without any angle, it’s easy to run wide. And I knew once I was wide off the racing line, the track’s slick because it almost caught me out this weekend, being off line and having the rear end come around and the front push. I just tried to make sure I got through there on two wheels and started my racing there.”
“Something about this track is special for me. I love coming here”
Beaubier patiently made his way back to the front, finishing 2.773-seconds ahead of teammate P.J. Jacobsen when the red flag was displayed.
“It’s a super good day. A great day for BMW and Tytlers with P.J. (Jacobsen) having a one-two. Yeah, see what tomorrow brings.”
With the win, and Jake Gagne dropping out with mechanical issues, Beaubier has taken the point lead. For Beaubier, who won five MotoAmerica Superbike titles with the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha team, it’s a surprise to see his former team struggle at Road America this weekend.
“To be honest, that’s a tough one. Obviously, I’m happy we got the points lead back, but for those guys, it’s a great team, it’s a great group of guys and you don’t want to wish that on anybody. That’s tough. I see all the effort these teams put in, and especially those guys over the years. That’s a bummer but it’s racing. They see the BMW and the Ducati have some legs right now and they’re trying to do their homework. That’s why Richard (Stanboli, team manager) is so good. He always goes back and finds something. I’m sure they’ll be back tomorrow.
“We’re gonna keep our heads down and keep going.”
Even though he was pleased with his BMW, Saturday, Beaubier doesn’t rule out making changes for Sunday’s race.
“I’m honestly pretty happy with what it is today, but I definitely think we can fine tune some things. I had a little band going on the front tire. I was starting to push it around mid race, but it still stuck there even with a little shred coming. Yeah, pretty happy with my bike, but I’m sure will make a couple of adjustments to keep going forward.”
In the Supersport class, the ageless Josh Hayes came up just short of winning a record 86th race across all classes in the American Motorcyclist Association, finishing third behind championship leader Xavi Fores and Stefano Mesa.
“I knew pretty early, like the run to the flag, it’s just too uphill for me, I just can’t quite get there. I got the perfect draft on Xavi on one lap, I was able to pass him and actually clear him, but it was well past the (start/finish) line, and lead into turn one. I’m just, I’m pretty happy. I rode so hard, I’m just happy to be in the fight all the way to the end.
“I rode so hard, I’m just happy to be in the fight all the way to the end.”
“With two or three to go, at one point, I got back to third and the guy showed me a P3 plus zero and I’m going, like, you got to be kidding me. I’m thinking they’re all lined up behind me. So, I was fighting pretty hard to stay in it. I had so much fun being in the fight and trying to make moves in the right places.
“It’s funny, because you get out there and Xavi is so good on the brakes, and I just got to remind him once in a while that I can do that too, buddy (laughs). Some of it is just kind of trying to show off to one another and play your cards and go you better be watching out for me on the last lap.”
Championship point leader Ezra Beaubier scored his third win of the year in the eight lap Steel Commander Stock 1000 race. Beaubier and his Orange Cat BMW M 1000 RR finished nearly three seconds ahead of runner-up Travis Wyman.
“I knew we would be really strong this weekend. Obviously, the BMW Alpha Racing package is really, really strong, especially here with all the long straightaways. Yesterday (Friday) went really well and we found some more with the bike this morning. I wasn’t able to put a clean lap together, I kinda just got held up in traffic and didn’t get to show what my full potential was this morning.
“But I knew going into the race we were going to be just as strong as anyone and I was ready to bring the fight. I knew those first couple of laps were going to be tough with going with the hard option rear tire. It was super slick, super greasy those first couple laps. I saw Travis almost go down in the second to last corner and I kinda felt like it was my chance to kinda break away and slowly just try to inch away, saw I was slowly building a gap and kept my head down, kept clicking off my laps, just hit my marks and bring it home P1.”
In MotoAmerica Junior Cup, Avery Dreher won his fourth race of the season.
Kyle Wyman won Saturday’s King of the Baggers race on his Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle.
Mikayla Moore won the first Royal Enfield “Build Train Race” event of the weekend by a whopping 17-seconds.