R AC E
R E P O R T
MotoAmerica at Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 2-4 SERIES CLOCKS RECORD CROWDS FOR RACE WEEKEND Brian J. Nelson photos
T
he 2023 MotoAmerica Championship headed into Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the Road America round and clocked record attendance for the series at the track. Spectators packed into the venue for six classes of racing, which was headlined by the Medallia Superbike Championship. By the end of the second day back in June, the Superbike series saw Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier win race one on Saturday, with Parts Unlimited/Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider Josh Herrin stepping in to win his first race of the season and his ninth Superbike win of his career. The support classes were equally as exciting, featuring a range of crowd favorites like the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. and Steel Commander Stock 1000 series to the eyepopping, V-Twin-centric Mission King of the Baggers series.
RACE ONE
A near off-track excursion in turn three on the opening lap of the Medallia Superbike race dropped BMW/Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier back in the thick of the pack, but it didn’t stop him from working his way to the front and ultimately scoring his second race win of the season. After completing lap one in sixth, while pole sitter Josh Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R streaked away at the front of the field, Beaubier put his head down and started his charge. On lap two, Beaubier was fourth and a lap later he was third.
RACE TWO
Going into the second MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race on Sunday, Parts Unlimited’s Herrin had won AMA Superbike races on two different makes of motorcycles – Yamaha and Suzuki. That day he added Ducati to that list as the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider rode his Panigale V4 R to his first victory of the season and the ninth Superbike win of his career. Herrin led from the start and then tussled with Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Beaubier in the early laps until Beaubier’s BMW M 1000 RR suffered a mechanical failure that put him out of the race. From there Herrin withstood the constant pressure from a second Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW ridden by PJ Jacobsen. But Herrin was fast, consistent, and mostly mistake-free en route to a 2.01-second win over Jacobsen after 12 laps of the four-mile Road America circuit. The win came in front of a MotoAmerica record three-day crowd of 41,000 spectators at “America’s National Park of Speed.” Jacobsen finished second for the second straight day after crossing the finish line some eight seconds ahead of Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne. As of press time immediately after the MotoAmerica round at Brainerd International Raceway, Gagne led the series’ points run with 262 points, followed by Herrin at 194 and Beaubier rounding up third with 183 points.
He stayed there for two more laps before passing his teammate PJ Jacobsen and chasing down Herrin. Beaubier took the lead on the sixth lap and two laps later the race was red flagged when a blown engine oiled the racing surface. At that point the race was called complete with Beaubier 2.7 seconds clear of Jacobsen, who forced his way past Herrin and into second the lap prior. Beaubier not only won his 11th career Superbike race at Road America (and 56th of his Superbike career), but he also took over the lead of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship at the time when Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne suffered a mechanical issue that knocked him out of the race and the points lead. Herrin held on for third place after earning pole position with a new lap record in qualifying on Saturday morning.
24
PARTS MAGAZINE
BMW/Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier worked his way up from the thick of the pack to win Medallia Superbike race one at Moto America. It was his 11th career Superbike race at Road America and 56th of his Superbike career.
★ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •