Beaubier Keeps Daytona Sportbike Pole

Henny Ray Abrams | September 22, 2012

HOMESTEAD, FL, SEPT 22 – Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier kept the Daytona Sportbike pole position after morning rains prevented anyone from improving their times in final qualifying at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Yesterday we got a lot of good laps in, felt pretty consistent, and yeah the bike feels really good for the race,” Beaubier said. “Went out this morning, the wet track felt pretty good, had good grip. I’m not really sure how it’d be in the race, but we’ll see.”

Beaubier’s lap of 1:24.645 mins. was about ten seconds faster than the best lap in Saturday qualifying turned in by Road Race Factory/Red Bull Yamaha’s Jake Gagne. Gagne posted a 1:34.519 mins. lap of the 2.21-mile road course south of Miami. His lap of 1:25.901 mins. in Friday qualifying put him third on the front row.

Also on the front row for this afternoon’s race is second fastest Martin Cardenas (Geico Suzuki) and Latus Motors Racing Triumph’s Jason DiSalvo, who was fourth fastest.

M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby was second fastest in today’s wet session behind Gagne and in front of Cardenas. Beaubier was fourth fastest in the wet.

“We’re hoping for a dry race, but if it’s wet we tried this morning and it’s quite good,feels also good on the wet conditions, so I think we’re prepared for either one and hoping for a good race,” Cardenas said.

Daytona Sportbike Qualifying:
1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:24.645
2. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) 1:25.794
3. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:25.901
4. Jason DiSalvo (Triumph) 1:25.978
5. Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 1:26.148
6. Dane Westby (Suzuki) 1:26.156
7. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha) 1:26.310
8. Jake Zemke (Ducati) 1:26.417
9. JD Beach (Yamaha) 1:26.592
10. Joey Pascarella (Suzuki) 1:26.928

Henny Ray Abrams | Contributing Editor

Abrams is the longest-serving contributor at Cycle News. Over the course of his 35-some years of writing and shooting photos, he’s covered events from MotoGP to the Motocross World Championship - and everything in between.