MotoAmerica Defending Superbike Champ Sweeps the Weekend in Grand Fashion

Four-time MotoAmerica Superbike national champion and current defending title holder Cameron Beaubier completed as perfect a weekend as we’ve ever seen, dominating the premier class even more solidly than the day before at Wisconsin’s Road America raceway. Jumping out from pole position again to snag the holeshot, the Californian took command of the race and ran away again on rails, finally crossing the finish an astounding 13.4 seconds ahead of the field in Sunday’s drama-filled race. Beaubier didn’t just put on a show, he took the HONOS Superbike class to school- fastest lap records fell at his hand, claimed both day’s pole positions, and blasted away with both victories, snagging the full 50 points in the first weekend of racing.

“I can’t ask for a better start to the year,” stated Beaubier. “Being able to get pole and both race wins. If you look at my track record, that’s not really how my seasons start. I’m normally trying to claw back points throughout the year. Plain and simple, I just got to give it up to Richard (Stanboli) and Keith (McCarty) for putting this amazing program together – Monster Attack Yamaha. My bike, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been this comfortable on a motorcycle… The bike’s just easier to ride. I’m just having pure fun on the thing.”

The race shaped up to be repeat of Saturday’s race, even seeing Toni Elias crash out with a DNF like the day before (threw a chain in race 1), while Jake Gagne, Mathew Scholtz and Bobby Fong battled back and forth to fill out the podium as Beaubier “social distanced” himself from the fray out in front. Then Fong came in a bit hot at turn 5, got inside Scholtz then clipped his rear, sending both riders and bikes tumbling, and opening the door for Gagne to run away and chase his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha teammate Beaubier for the 2nd podium spot. Third went to Scheibe Racing BMW’s Josh Herrin, the Georgian earning a podium spot in this first weekend on the BMW S 1000 RR by just .011 of a second over Inde Motorsports Ranch/KWR Ducati’s Kyle Wyman. Herrin’s effort earned the Scheibe BMW team its first HONOS Superbike podium.

Three other classes saw racers “do the double” as well, with Richie Escalante, Kaleb De Keyrel, and Dominic Doyle winning both of their races in Supersport, Twins Cup and Junior Cup, respectively. In Sunday’s Supersport race two, HONOS Kawasaki’s Escalante absolutely dominated the field to take his second race victory of the weekend, the Mexican rider winning by nearly 8 seconds at the checkered flag. Brandon Paasch finished second in the race, but his Celtic HSBK Racing Yamaha was found to be underweight in the post-race inspection, and he was disqualified. That bumped M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly up to second, and RiderzLaw Aguilar Racing’s Jason Aguilar moved up to third to round out the podium.

“I’m really happy,” said Escalante. “It’s my first time to double win in the MotoAmerica Championship, so I am really happy about that. In the race, I did not start very well again. Then I had a mistake in turn six. I lost the brake point and almost crashed. The ZX-6R Kawasaki is amazing. I’m very happy. My team is working really good. I’m very comfortable right now, so I’m ready for Road America 2 next month.”

In Twins Cup, which was actually the first race of the day, 1833CJKNOWS Yamaha rider Kaleb De Keyrel and American Racing/SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s Rocco Landers battled as they did in Saturday’s race. But on Sunday, Robem Engineering Suzuki rider Jackson Blackmon also joined the eight-lap fracas. The three riders stuck together in a tight pack at the front, but in the end, De Keyrel took the win by .081 of a second for his second victory of the weekend. Landers and Blackmon crossed the stripe in a photo finish, with Blackmon nipping Landers for second place by a mere .001 of a second. Twins Cup was arguably the most exciting finish of the weekend.

The Liqui Moly Junior Cup class joined Superbike and Supersport in also having a double race winner at Road America as BARTCON Racing Kawasaki’s Dominic Doyle prevailed again in another razor-close finish over Landers Racing Kawasaki’s Rocco Landers. The pair put on quite a show at the front as they passed each other back and forth for the lead. Doyle’s margin of victory over Landers was just .007 of a second. In an equally exciting battle for third place, a tightly bunched group of eight riders were all in the hunt for a podium spot. In the end, Quarterley Racing/On Track Development Kawasaki rider Benjamin Gloddy completed the podium in third.

What a race weekend. MotoAmerica will return to Road America for its second round, June 26-28, and it will do so with fans in attendance after this successful weekend of racing without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay in touch with us here at Road Dirt, as we are now official partners with the race series, and will cover all the action, all season.

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*Photos by Ryan Nolan, Dean Phelps, and Brian J. Nelson

*Thanks to Paul Carruthers of MotoAmerica for supplying us the race details.