ROUND 8 / SEPTEMBER 13-15, 2024
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS
ROAD RACE I MOTOAMERICA AMA/FIM NORTH AMERICAN ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
P86
of the leading two and kept a
watching brief for much of the
race in third. Herrin knew if he
beat Beaubier in race three, the
title was his, and thus the Cali
-
fornian resident was let off the
leash.
Sliding the Panigale like
a dirt tracker, Herrin very nearly
sent himself flying over the
highside in the daunting Nicky
Hayden right-hander on the last
lap as Beaubier inched away.
As such, Herrin settled for
second, 0.9 of a second off
Beaubier. Kelly backed off on
the final lap to finish 2.9 sec
-
onds behind Beaubier for a
clean sweep of
Texas podiums.
"Those last couple laps, I just
put everything I had into trying
to open up just enough of a gap
Children's Hospital in Hollywood,
Florida.
Beaubier was the first to
congratulate Kelly, while Herrin
was also happy for Sean as he
denied Beaubier a further five
points in the title chase.
Fourth went to Baz once
again, with Fong improving to
fifth, the championship slowly
but surely slipping out of reach.
The final race of the weekend
was another shootout between
old foes Beaubier and Herrin.
Like Herrin in race two, Kelly
couldn't quite hold the pace
start/finish line. He and Beau
-
bier gradually pulled away from
Herrin, who was making all sorts
of shapes on the Panigale as he
struggled for rear grip.
It boiled down to a final-lap
boxing match between Beaubier
and his former Moto2 World
Championship teammate, Kelly.
Beaubier took the lead at turn
one, Kelly hit back in the esses,
Beaubier then jammed it up the
inside going on the back straight,
and that looked like that.
Not so, as Kelly got the run
on Beaubier into the last corner,
block-passing him and holding
the advantage to the finish line
for an emotional victory, with his
livery the artistic job of a bunch
of kids from the Joe DiMaggio
Richie Escalante (54) made a
welcome return to the Superbike
podium after missing much of
the year through injury.
