Beaubier and Gagne share the wins at Street Atlanta

2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship
Spherical One – Street Atlanta

Photographs by Brian J. Nelson

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Superbike Race 1

Cameron Beaubier picked up the place he left off three years in the past on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Street Atlanta with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion successful the primary race of his comeback season in a straight battle with two-time and defending champion Jake Gagne.

Beaubier’s .340-of-a-second victory over Gagne marked the fifty fifth AMA Superbike win of his profession and his first on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR. It was Beaubier’s first MotoAmerica race since his championship-winning 2020 season and his two years of competing within the Moto2 World Championship.

Beaubier’s win was additionally the primary within the Superbike class for the Tytlers staff and the primary AMA Superbike win for BMW in 45 years, relationship again to Harry Klinzmann’s victory in 1978 at Bryar Motorsports Park in New Hampshire.

When Contemporary N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s Gagne threw down his normal blindingly quick opening two laps and pulled a spot on the pack, which was led by Beaubier, it a case of déjà vu from the previous two years: Gagne will get nice begin, Gagne pulls away, Gagne wins.

Nevertheless Beaubier had different concepts and he put his head down and went after his former teammate, closing the hole till catching and passing Gagne on the seventh of 19 laps.

From there the 2 ran in formation with Beaubier main and Gagne tucked in behind and the battle went to the end with five-time champ Beaubier beating two-time champ Gagne to the end line by a scant .340 of a second.

Cameron Beaubier

“After I noticed Jake (Gagne) using away originally, I used to be like, ‘Oh, man. It’s going to be a protracted race.’ I knew the fellows behind us weren’t far off in apply and qualifying. Then I simply saved my head down, saved pushing, saved pushing. Jake began coming again to me slowly. Actually, the Tytlers’ BMW works actually, actually good on contemporary rubber. I used to be simply making an attempt to make the most of the strengths of the bike as soon as I used to be in a position to get by Jake. That’s the facility down the straightaway, and it brakes actually good. It’s secure on the brakes. I used to be making an attempt to do my greatest, however I used to be struggling so unhealthy with grip there the second half of the race. I used to be doing the whole lot I may simply to maintain Jake behind me. I used to be coming down the entrance straightaway and I used to be taking a look at Jake’s board and I noticed the hole shrinking. I used to be like, ‘Man.’ I didn’t have something left. I used to be using as exhausting as I may. Similar factor with me. I used to be pumping up a bit of bit within the first part. This place is a freaking handful on a giant bike. However it feels so good to get this primary win for Tytlers BMW. All these guys have been working so exhausting, sunup to sunset in Florida constructing the bikes, getting us able to race for the season. Like I mentioned, we didn’t know what to anticipate coming in, however on the similar time, we’ve received to maintain our ft on the bottom. I understand how good this man is (Gagne). He’s unbelievable. He’s been stomping everybody the final couple years, and us all weekend till it got here race time. I do know his stage. Simply going to maintain doing our factor. Hopefully, get some extra grip out of this factor over race distance and simply maintain our heads down.”

Behind them got here a race-long battle between Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, in his Superbike debut for the staff, and Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen – the South African returning to motion after his horrific qualifying crash from Friday afternoon.

Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was additionally within the battle early on earlier than ultimately ending fifth, 1.7 seconds behind Petersen, who was crushed to the road by Herrin by .206 of a second. The pair preventing for third truly closed in on the Beaubier/Gagne duel within the ultimate laps with Herrin simply 1.9 seconds behind Beaubier on the finish of 19 laps.

Imaginative and prescient Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was sixth, some 9 seconds forward of his teammate Toni Elias in what was the Spaniard’s first race in over a yr.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Corey Alexander was eighth with Wrench Bikes’ David Anthony and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the highest 10 finishers.

Three riders failed to complete the race, together with Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen who crashed early within the race. Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, in the meantime, failed to begin the race after encountering mechanical issues with the staff’s BMW.

Superbike Race 1 Outcomes

Superbike Race 2

4 riders battled to the bitter finish on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Street Atlanta in what was probably the most thrilling Medallia Superbike race in current reminiscence.

When the smoke cleared after 15 intense laps it was defending two-time Superbike Champion Jake Gagne crossing the end line first on his Contemporary N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, simply half a second forward of yesterday’s winner Cameron Beaubier on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.

Simply previous to the end, it was anyone’s race when the 4 ran collectively down the backstraight and thru the 180-mph kink when Beaubier’s line pushed him extensive and almost pressured Josh Herrin off the monitor. That left an enormous gap between Beaubier and Herrin to undergo, and Gagne went via it.

Herrin recovered however couldn’t get his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati stopped for the chicane and his off-track tour allowed Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz to go him, placing Scholtz third and Herrin fourth on the end line. Scholtz was .850 of a second behind Gagne with Herrin some two seconds behind after getting his Panigale V4 R again on monitor.

The win was Gagne’s first of the season and the thirtieth MotoAmerica Superbike victory of his profession and it put him right into a tie with Beaubier on the high of the championship standings after one spherical and two races. The pair each have 45 factors with the sequence heading to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, Might 19-21.

Jake Gagne

“Acquired off to a different good begin, and me and Cam (Beaubier)… these first couple laps, 5 or 6 laps, Cam knew I wished to push the tempo. Any alternative Cam may to shove it in me and he was nice going into (flip) 10A. I used to be struggling large time down into there, so he handed me a bunch of occasions there. We had been facet by facet via one, via 10A, 10B a pair occasions. So, it was enjoyable battling. I haven’t had that shut of racing shortly. These first couple laps, I sort of forgot about all people else. I wasn’t even taking a look at my pit board. I believed it was simply sort of me and Cam. Then hastily, halfway via, Herrin comes by, and I nonetheless see plus zero. So, I didn’t know if it was (Mathew) Scholtz behind us, however anyone was. So, I’m like, ‘We’ve received a complete pack right here.’ The bike was superior. My drives are superior. I used to be nonetheless struggling on the brakes, however I feel that was simply due to me and after a pair laps, I used to be actually pumped up. So, I sort of tried to simply chill and calm down and tried to simply breathe and watch what these guys had been doing a bit of in another way and watch them battle one another. For the final lap, it was exhausting to actually have a plan. Clearly, each of these bikes had been actually quick and actually robust down into 10 via the kink. So, I used to be sort of simply hoping for the very best. I figured perhaps they each would have a bit of braking battle in there and I may drive up beneath the bridge, however it was nuts. The seas parted and I simply shot down the middle of them, and from then on out, I led into 10A. Like I mentioned, my bike was actually good driving up over the hill and simply protected the within line. It was enjoyable. That was actually enjoyable racing, shut racing. I haven’t had stuff like that in a variety of years, truly. Racing with guys like this that I’ve spent my entire profession racing with all these guys, so it was enjoyable. I’m certain we placed on a very good present. Once more, I feel luck was on my facet a bit of bit with these guys coming collectively, for certain. However I’m glad all people stayed on monitor as a result of that’s scary. 180 miles an hour one thing scary may occur there. So, I’m simply glad all of us introduced it dwelling. Good begin to the yr. We scored factors within the first two races, so I can’t complain.”

Scholtz and the Westby Racing crew labored exhausting over the course of the weekend and the South African mentioned they’d made big progress over the course of the three days. He was rewarded with a podium end on Sunday.

Herrin was additionally blissful on Sunday afternoon, regardless of lacking out on the rostrum. The 2 races had been simply his second and third outings on the brand new Ducati Panigale V4 R and he landed on the rostrum in Saturday’s race.

Imaginative and prescient Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was fifth on Sunday, some three seconds forward of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and his teammate Corey Alexander.

The returning Toni Elias was eighth on the second Imaginative and prescient Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 with Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim rounding out the highest 10.

Notably lacking from the outcomes was Gagne’s Contemporary N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen. The South African’s tough weekend ended early when his Yamaha YZF-R1 caught hearth only a few laps into the race.

With Gagne and Beaubier tied atop the standings with 45 factors, Herrin is third with 29 factors, two forward of Scholtz and eight forward of Escalante.

Superbike Race 2 Outcomes

MotoAmerica Superbike Standings

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Inventory 1000 Race 1

Ezra Beaubier had by no means completed on the rostrum in any of the MotoAmerica lessons he’d dabbled in. Not KTM RC Cup, not Inventory 600, not Supersport. Final yr, Beaubier raced in Superbike and Inventory 1000 with a greatest end of fifth in Inventory 1000.

On Saturday at Street Atlanta that each one modified as Beaubier didn’t resemble a first-time winner as he withstood fixed stress from the likes of Travis Wyman and Geoff Might to win his first profession MotoAmerica race on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR with out placing a wheel mistaken.

Beaubier, who made a break for it when the lead trio encountered visitors, bested Wyman by 2.7 seconds with Might one other half a second behind in third on the finish of the 13-lap race.

Inventory 1000 Race 2

Ezra Beaubier admitted shock that he received his first profession Inventory 1000 race on Saturday. On Sunday, the youngest of the 2 Beaubier brothers got here again to Street Atlanta full of the arrogance of a race winner.

And he turned all of that right into a second win in a row on his Orange Cat Racing BMW M 1000 RR, this time over Geoff Might Racing’s Geoff Might by six seconds with the 25-year veteran of the game saying his retirement from racing this weekend.

Taylor Knapp Racing’s Taylor Knapp put his BMW on the rostrum with a formidable experience to 3rd, 6.2 seconds behind Beaubier and two seconds forward of fifth-placed Kaleb De Keyrel. De Keyrel was working second and proper behind his Orange Cat Racing teammate Beaubier when he received into flip 12 too scorching on the ultimate lap and ran straight, shedding three locations to Might, Knapp and fourth-placed Travis Wyman.

Beaubier’s good 50 factors places him 14 factors forward of Might and 17 away from Travis Wyman.

Inventory 1000 Race 1 Outcomes

Inventory 1000 Race 2 Outcomes

Inventory 1000 Standings

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Junior Cup Race 1

The Junior Cup race featured your typical Junior Cup race with a horde of racers battling to the bitter finish. This one was a bit completely different than final yr’s model in that the names had been principally completely different as a brand new class of children settled in on the entrance with final yr’s greatest transferring on to different lessons.

Avery Dreher was the very best of the brand new crop on Saturday with the Dangerous Boys Racing Kawasaki-mounted 16-year-old besting SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van, a three-time winner in 2022, by .612 of a second. Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese, a one-time podium finisher final yr, was third and simply .348 of a second behind Van

Junior Cup Race 1 Outcomes

Junior Cup Race 2

Avery Dreher as soon as once more took the win on Sunday, mirroring the Race 1 outcomes, with Max VanDenBrouck and Hayden Bicknese rounding out the rostrum, 0.949 and 1.080s off main tempo, Chase Black narrowly lacking a podium place 1.137s off.

Junior Cup Race 2 Outcomes

Junior Cup Standings

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Supersport Race 1

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores raced at Street Atlanta in 2004 in a Suzuki World Cup race as a 16-year-old. Nineteen years later, Fores was again on the highest step of the rostrum with a scintillating victory over 17-year-old Tyler Scott by a scant .041 of a second after an exhilarating 18-lap battle.

For almost all of the race, it was a battle between Fores and Squid Hunter Racing’s Josh Hayes, however Scott moved into competition within the closing laps and nearly beat Fores to the road. Hayes, in the meantime, held on for third, simply .315 of a second from victory as he searches for what could be a record-setting 87th AMA victory.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa and Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert rounded out the highest 5 finishers.

Supersport Race 1

Supersport Race 2

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores adopted up his debut Supersport win on Saturday with one other flawless efficiency on Sunday. The Spaniard began slower than in yesterday’s race however completed with a bit extra consolation as he topped Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa by 1.4 seconds after 18 laps of Street Atlanta.

Mesa, in the meantime, had labored his well past Squid Hunter’s Josh Hayes for second place on the ultimate lap with Hayes ending up third for a second time on the weekend. Imaginative and prescient Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fourth after ending second on Saturday.

Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert was fifth, matching his effort from race one.

Fores leads the title chase with 50 factors, 17 forward of Mesa and Scott, who’re tied for second, and 18 forward of Hayes.

Supersport Race 2 Outcomes

Supersport Standings

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REV’IT! Twins Cup Race 1

The ultimate race of the day on Saturday was REV’IT! Twins Cup and it marked the primary victory of the season for defending class champion Blake Davis, the N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto-backed rider besting championship factors chief Gus Rodio by .276 of a second after 11 laps.

Davis and Rodio, on the Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering Aprilia battled for the length with some six seconds in hand over the battle behind them that went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz over Observe Day Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Jackson Blackmon.

Schultz was lucky to be racing as he was taken out in a crash on the warm-up lap however was in a position to get again to the pits for repairs in time for the restart.

After three races, Rodio leads Davis by 14 factors within the championship, 65-51. Blackmon is third with 49 factors.

REV’IT! Twins Cup Race 1 Outcomes

REV’IT! Twins Cup Race 2

Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering’s Rocco Landers suffered an engine failure whereas main Saturday’s REV’IT Twins Cup race. On Sunday, he got here out with weapons blazing and utterly dominated the race, beating his teammate Gus Rodio by 4.166 seconds. Third place, for the second straight day, went to Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, who was 8.31 seconds behind championship chief Rodio on the finish of the 12-lap race.

Defending class champion and Saturday’s race winner Blake Davis crashed early within the race however was in a position to remount his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R7 to complete eleventh.

After 4 races, Rodio leads the title chase with 85 factors – 26 greater than Schultz and 29 forward of Davis.

Junior Cup – Dreher X Two

Seems that Avery Dreher appreciated successful a lot he determined to do it once more with the Dangerous Boys Racing rider incomes his second straight Junior Cup win on Sunday with a .949-second victory over Max Van, who was second for the second straight day.

Bicknese Racing’s Hayden Bicknese was third for the second day in a row, simply 1.080 seconds from victory.

Along with his two wins, Dreher leads Van by 10 factors heading to Barber in a month’s time.

REV’IT! Twins Cup Race 2 Outcomes

REV’IT! Twins Cup Standings

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