ROAD RACE
MOTOAMERICA FIM NORTH AMERICAN ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 7 / AUGUST 10-12, 2018
SONOMA RACEWAY / SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
P82
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J. NELSON
O
ne of the great things about professional
sports is to watch an athlete at the top
of their game, reeling off spectacular
performances almost at will.
That was certainly the case for Roseville,
California resident Cameron Beaubier (Mon-
ster Energy/Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing
YZF-R1), who extended his lead to 63 points
in his quest for a third MotoAmerica Superbike
Championship by leading every practice ses-
sion, taking pole position with a record-breaking
lap, and cruising to two dominant race victories.
The wins mark four for four in California this
season after he cleaned house at round five's
Laguna Seca double header, and three in a row
after taking race two in Utah's round six two
weeks ago.
Beaubier was impervious to any and all pres-
sure in the qualifying and practice sessions
and would go on to set a new pole lap record
of 1:34.071, finally besting Ben Spies' 2008 lap
record of 1:34.731. Second in Superpole would
go to the impressive Mathew Scholtz (Yama-
lube/Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1), also un-
der the lap record at 1:34.485 from Josh Herrin
(Attack Performance Herrin Compound Yamaha
YZF-R1) with a 1:35.485.
The start of race one saw Herrin lead the
melee into turn one and hold the position for the
opening lap. By lap two, Beaubier was in front
and sped off to a 7.6-second win in a proces-
sional race from Herrin and Toni Elias (Yoshimu-
ra Suzuki Factory Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000).
The expected challenge from Scholtz never
took place. The South African lost the front at
turn seven while challenging for fifth place, slid-
ing off but able to remount before falling again,
this time terminally, at the turn-nine chicane.
For Beaubier, however, there were no such
issues as he increased his championship lead
with Elias down in third.
Cameron Beaubier in
full flight. The NorCal
resident was on another
level at Sonoma.
