ELKHART LAKE, WI, JUNE 1 – Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier has never taken a pole position in the Daytona Sportbike class, but that could change this weekend. The northern Californian rebounded from a crash to set a new record in Daytona Sportbike qualifying late on a cold, windy afternoon at the Subway Superbike Doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Asked how he felt about setting a new qualifying time, he said, “I didn’t even know I did, but that’s really cool. That’s awesome.”
Beaubier’s fast lap of 2:19.638 mins. was faster than the previous mark of 2:20.139 mins. set by Jason DiSalvo in 2009, the first year of the class. (In Superpole that year, Jake Zemke lapped in 2:19.835 mins., but that wasn’t his final qualifying time.)
Earlier Beaubier had said that he’d gotten two good laps at the end of the 50-minute session. The first he did on his own, and it wasn’t clean, the second he “nailed everything.” He believes there’s some time to be made, “so hopefully tomorrow goes a little better.
“I’m happy I’m safe from my crash and everything.”
Beaubier explained that he was passing another rider on the inside in the Turn 8 left-hander when he lost the front end.
“Yeah, I just was struggling a little bit with front end feel,” he said. “We got it dialed towards the end of the session and I’m feeling a lot better for tomorrow. Should be good.”
Four different makes were represented on the front row. Next to Beaubier (Yamaha) came Latus Motors Racing Castrol Triumph’s Jason DiSalvo (2:19.638), Geico Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas (2:19.933), and Ducati Racing Ducati’s Jake Zemke (2:20.325).
Road America Daytona Sportbike Qualifying:
1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 2:19.638
2. Jason DiSalvo (Triumph) 2:19.875
3. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) 2:19.933
4. Jake Zemke (Ducati) 2:20.325
5. Dane Westby (Suzuki) 2:20.852
6. JD Beach (Yamaha) 2:20.993
7. Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 2:21.192
8. Tommy Hayden (Yamaha) 2:21.344
9. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 2:21.665
10. Huntley Nash (Yamaha) 2:21.854
