Cycle News

Cycle News 2019 Issue 18 May 7

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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MOTOAMERICA AMA/FIM NORTH AMERICAN ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 / MAY 3-5, 2019 VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY / ALTON, VIRGINIA P104 Northern Californian took only his second race win at VIR in eight years on the factory Yamaha. Beaubier took the win after inheriting the lead when Scholtz crashed out, eventually finish- ing 3.5 seconds up on Elias with Gerloff in third. "I felt pretty comfortable on the R1 out there," said Beaubier. "We were able to get up to pace pretty quick. I feel like I've kind of struggled getting that pace here in the past. This one just feels really, really good." Rounding out the top five was Beach in fourth and Lewis fifth. It was a nightmare weekend for COTA race winner Josh Herrin, who suffered a mechanical failure in race one and struggled to sev- enth in race two's tricky conditions. In the championship, Elias is sitting at 124 to Beaubier's 102, Beach is next with 78, Gerloff with 72 and Lewis fifth at 62 points. Supersport The two Supersport encounters at VIR saw one rider get his first MotoAmerica win, another return to the Supersport podium and one give an emotional victory to a fallen family member. Former ex-pat and now full-time MotoAmerica Supersport rider PJ Jacobsen took the first win of his MotoAmerica Supersport career in race one after erstwhile leaders Hayden Gillim (RICKdiculous Rac- ing Yamaha) and Bobby Fong (M4 Ecstar Suzuki) both crashed, with the race red flagged. At the restart, Jacobsen there. I just passed him. I stayed there and then if he pushed, I would push. If not, I would stay. So everything was good. Every- thing went in the right strategy. I tried to be smart, to stay on the bike, finish the race [and] take the points. It was not very important to finish third or fourth. Especially when I see Cam out." Elias held off Mathew Scholtz (Wesby Racing Yamaha) and M4 Suzuki rider Jake Lewis to round out the top five. Earlier in the weekend, race one was all Beaubier as the For Elias in third, he was gift- ed a 24-point title lead as chief championship rival Beaubier crashed out on lap 10, his sec- ond get-off for the weekend after crashing early in Superpole. "We start to see that the track was coming dry," Elias said about choosing his tires for the race. "I said, 'okay, let's do slicks,' but then [go] with the wet setting, or with the dry setting? Dry setting, slicks, and let's go. It was good. I felt good since the first corner, but honestly, I was not thinking to win this race. So, Cameron was PJ Jacobsen came good in race one for his first win of 2019.

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