Press Release | April 14, 2019
COTA MotoAmerica Results 2019
Sunday Austin COTA MotoAmerica Results 2019
AUSTIN, TX (April 14, 2019)– Yoshimura Suzuki won its second straight race at the Circuit of The Americas on Sunday, but it wasn’t the one ridden by yesterday’s winner Toni Elias. This time it was Josh Herrin on the top step of the podium after winning the seventh AMA Superbike race of his career in the MotoAmerica Championship of Texas.
Herrin battled for 13 of the 15 laps with his teammate Elias, with Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Cameron Beaubier always within striking distance. In the final two laps, Herrin was able to put his head down and he crossed the line .958 of a second ahead of Elias with Beaubier 1.6 seconds behind in third.
Fourth place went to Beaubier’s teammate Garrett Gerloff, the Texan coming on strong at the end of the race to finish 3.2 seconds behind Herrin. Gerloff, in turn, was well clear of fifth-placed Jake Lewis on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Omega Moto’s Cameron Petersen finished sixth, some three seconds ahead of KWR Ducati’s Kyle Wyman. FLY Racing/ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony, Weir Everywhere Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was 13thafter getting the meatball flag that forced the South African to pit. JD Beach, meanwhile, crashed out of fifth place late in the race on the Attack Performance Estenson Racing Yamaha.
With two rounds (and four races) of the EBC Brakes Superbike Championship in the books, Elias has a 13-point lead over Beaubier, 90-77, with Herrin moving past Scholtz and into third with 49 points to Scholtz’ 45. Beach and Lewis are tied for fifth with 40 points each.
Josh Herrin
“Just mentally, I feel like I was a lot more prepared today. We spent a lot of time at the track last night. We ran a different tire today, but it was two totally different weather conditions today, so I don’t think that really had much to do with it for us. Just made the right choice, I guess. It’s just been, like Toni said, every day I think I get more comfortable on the bike. Each time I can race it and actually put in those hard laps I learn a lot. We have a lot of data to look at and I can learn what I’m doing wrong, what I’m improving on. Like I said on the podium, it’s been such a crazy off-season. I had super highs coming into it and then, once the season started, I was bumming pretty hard because I just wasn’t riding like myself. I think I was just getting so excited at the beginning of the races that I was kind of blowing it for myself, riding like a rookie a little bit. I just had to kind of reset my brain and just relax a little bit. Toni set an amazing pace. I was able to keep up with him. I had to keep telling myself, don’t pass at the end of the straight. My bike was a missile today. I had to roll off as soon as we got three-quarters of the way down the straightaway. Just felt super comfortable. I saw whatever happened to his bike or the mistake he made going into one of the corners with two laps to go. Just put my head down. At first I thought that he did it on purpose to get me to lead, but when I had a little gap when I looked on the front straight, I’m coming onto the last lap and I realized that it was something going on. So for sure, he would have been there. Like I also said out there, he’s been the best teammate. I have so much fun with him. We work good together. It’s been great. Hopefully that doesn’t change. Hopefully the team stays the way it is and we can fight all year and get a lot of 1-2’s like this. It feels so good to be able to get a win for Suzuki. Two wins this weekend. They won a MotoGP race, so it’s a big day for them. Thank you to everybody at Suzuki and Yoshimura for believing in me.”
Toni Elias
“I just was trying to do my race, my pace. There is still something I am missing, because it’s me. Riders we have to choose the tires, the things. Mistake a little bit before the race. I choose the same tire as yesterday, when yesterday I wasn’t happy. I choose it again because I was thinking today with more temperature was better but is the same tire. Last year in Barber I had some bad feeling, too. So, I think today it’s been a good advice to cancel the tire for the future. I’m not going to use it anymore, for sure. But anyway, I was there. I was doing my pace. The team is working so good. We don’t change anything on the bike, just the track condition was much better than yesterday. But I didn’t expect at the end to have this little issue with the shifter. After that, I lost everything, and I couldn’t fight. It’s okay. These things happen in race. A little bit pissed off because I could fight a little bit more. Maybe we could have a big battle with Josh. But anyway, I’m happy for him. 1-2 for Suzuki is so, so good. He deserves this more than anyone. So, very happy for him, for the team, too. After all, I’m happy to take this second place. Let’s continue like this. This is going to be long. Let’s see.”
Cameron Beaubier
I gave 110 percent that race just to hang onto those guys. They were riding so good. The pace was a second and a half faster than it was yesterday. I don’t know where the hell they found that. I was just hanging on for dear life. All in all, I’m really happy that I was even able to keep pace with the Yosh boys this weekend. This is always a pretty tough track for us. It just gives me confidence going into the rest of the year. I wasn’t able to even fight with them today. I was just able to latch onto their rear wheel at times. Like I said, it gives me confidence going into the rest of the season. There are some places where we need to work on the R1. Mainly just getting off the corner and midrange, but once we get it up on top the bike’s fast. We definitely have a weapon going into the rest of the season. A third, it’s a third. I always want to win every time I get on the bike, but it’s shaping up to be a really exciting season. The Superbike class is stacked this year. Josh rode his butt off today. I’m super happy for him. He put it to us the last two laps. I saw him creeping away from Toni and I was barely holding on to Toni. Hats off to both these guys. I’m excited for a really tough year and battling it up with these guys.”
EBC Brakes Superbike
- Josh Herrin (Suzuki)
- Toni Elias (Suzuki)
- Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)
- Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha)
- Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
- Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
- Kyle Wyman (Ducati)
- David Anthony (Kawasaki)
- Travis Wyman (BMW)
- Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Sunday photos and video are available HERE.
Saturday results by class:
EBC Brakes Superbike
Complete practice, qualifying and race results are available HERE.
For complete 2019 MotoAmerica Media Resources please visit – 2019 MotoAmerica Media
—
Saturday Austin COTA MotoAmerica Results 2019
AUSTIN, TX (April 13, 2019)– Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias continues to show that he is the MotoAmerica version of Marc Marquez when it comes to winning motorcycle races at the Circuit of The Americas. Elias won a scintillating battle with Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Cameron Beaubier to win his sixth out of seven starts in Texas.
After 15 laps of the 3.426-mile Circuit of The Americas, Elias beat Beaubier by just .089 of a second after a battle that went to the final two corners. And Beaubier’s teammate, Garrett Gerloff, was just .248 of a second behind in third place – despite starting the race from the back of the grid.
Josh Herrin, who led at times early in the race, ended up fourth, 1.9 seconds behind his teammate Elias.
JD Beach rode the Attack Performance Estenson Racing Yamaha to fifth, some four seconds clear of fellow Kentuckian Jake Lewis on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz ran off the track once, crashed and remounted to finish seventh, barely besting FLY Racing/ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony and Omega Moto’s Cameron Petersen with the trio separated by just .454 of a second.
KWR Ducati’s Kyle Wyman rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Scheibe Racing BMW’s Jake Gagne didn’t make the start after crashing out of the warm-up session prior to the start of the race, tweaking his previously broken leg. Gagne has made the decision not to race tomorrow and will rejoin the series at VIRginia International Raceway, May 4-5.
With his second win of the season, Elias leads the MotoAmerica EBC Brakes Superbike Championship by nine points over Beaubier, 70-61. Scholtz is third with 42 points, two better than Beach. Lewis rounds out the top five with 29 points.
Cameron Beaubier
“Going into the last lap I felt like I had a couple spots where I was a little bit better than him and he had some spots that he was better than me. I felt pretty strong in the last section today compared to previous times here. Overall, really I felt like my R1 was working pretty good compared to the past few years here. So, hats off to my team for giving me a good bike this weekend. I tried to go up the inside of him in the second-to-last corner because I felt like I was getting through that right pretty good. He tightened up his line pretty good going in there, just because obviously it’s the last lap. Then he didn’t take the same line he did, so I kind of had to square off that corner a little bit and I just had no drive going into the last corner. He got me going into the last corner. He stood it up, played it smart. There was nothing I could really do about it. Like I said, I’m happy with where are right now with the bike and with my riding and my team. I got a really strong teammate this year. Garrett’s riding really, really good. I feel like it’s really good for both of us, just pushing each other forward and forward. It’s going to be a fun rest of the year. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Garrett Gerloff
“Just had a little bit of trouble getting the bike started. The pace car passed me so I guess by the rules I had to start from the back of the grid. Definitely a hard first lap because the first sector is all just one line, it seems like. I was getting pretty frustrated trying to get around these guys. Luckily Cameron (Beaubier), Toni (Elias) and Josh (Herrin) and whoever else, they were kind of dicing and catching each other, slowing each other up and gave me the opportunity to come back. I was fired up from having to start in the back of the grid. Kind of a slap in the face, but it was good. It gave me some motivation and I was able to come back and be close to these guys for the last couple laps. In the last corner I thought I was going to have the opportunity to get up the inside but of course I missed a shift going in there and couldn’t get the thing into second gear. So, I came out of the last corner clear and just didn’t have the drive to try to pass at least one of them. It’s good. The bike was good. Ready for tomorrow and going to go give the best I got.”
Toni Elias
“Before I arrive at COTA this year, I was pretty sure they will be there this year, because all the things happening in Atlanta was 200% they could be there. And is what happened. Every practice they’ve been there. We worked well, but still we are missing something. We have to work more to find it. Anyway, today was pretty particular. It rained a lot. The track was not the same as yesterday. Was so different. Big difference to lead the race or be in second or third position. It was much more easy just because the wind is much less. The wind made me make a couple mistakes in the last lap when I was pushing hard. I think for that, he was more close than the other laps. I didn’t expect he pass me on the bridge down there. I didn’t expect it. I tried to move quick and also I closed the door before the last corner, but he made it. So, congratulations. Is an amazing ride. I played my card. Was good. We finished and win this race. It’s amazing. I need to sit down with my team, work a little bit more, find something for tomorrow, especially with the rear grip. Anyway, we are consistent, happy. Let’s see what happens.”
EBC Brakes Superbike
- Toni Elias (Suzuki)
- Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)
- Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha)
- Josh Herrin (Suzuki)
- JD Beach (Yamaha)
- Jake Lewis (Suzuki)
- Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
- David Anthony (Kawasaki)
- Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
- Kyle Wyman (Ducati)
Friday Austin COTA MotoAmerica Results 2019
AUSTIN, TX, (April 12, 2019) – To say that the Circuit of The Americas seems to suit Yoshimura Suzuki’s Toni Elias would be a massive understatement. A five-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner in Texas, the Spaniard put himself in perfect position to add more race victories to his COTA tally with his 2:08.537 lap in Friday afternoon’s Superpole session putting him on pole for the start of this weekend’s two races.
Elias improved his lap times methodically during the day from recording the third-fastest time in Friday morning’s first qualifying session, to ending the the afternoon’s second qualifying session in second, to grabbing the pole in the 15-minute Superpole session.
Elias’ teammate Josh Herrin made a big jump in Superpole to qualify second, besting Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. The defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion up third-fastest time after leading the timesheets in both of the qualifying practice sessions leading up to Superpole
Toni Elias
“I’m not a guy who takes many poles, so always a pole is very welcome. I think the new rules are better for me. We have more opportunities to make one quick lap, so we have three laps now, a good three laps. I was closing in at Road Atlanta, more than other times, but today we were more ready and we did first pole of the year, so I hope some others will come. But, for the moment, we did a great job. The team is working perfectly. It’s going to be a difficult race for the tires. There’s no one tire which we are sure to make the distance. Some tires are difficult. Medium tires are very difficult. Good luck for everyone.”
Josh Herrin
“The session was pretty terrible. We were like a second and a half, two seconds off and then I was able to look at some data right before we went out for Superpole and learned something that Toni (Elias) was doing that helped a lot going over the some of the bumps. It made me feel so much more confident on the bike. We made some changes going out also. We fixed some things on the bike, but that also helped a lot. My confidence just doing that lap was so good and I felt really good. It feels like we just won a race. I know we didn’t even get pole. We got second, and it’s not a race, but it feels like it to me. It’s been a difficult beginning of the year and I’m just pumped to see something positive come out of today. No better way to go into the race than being 1-2 with Suzuki, so I’m pumped for that.”
Cameron Beaubier
“Superpole didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, but in reality I’m on the front row and I have a good feeling with my R1 this weekend. I feel like I’m riding better, and my bike’s working better than it ever has here. This has always been a track that we’ve struggled on pretty bad. We were able to lead both practices today. So, I’m really happy with that. On the front row and ready to go racing with the boys tomorrow.”