RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 54 ISSUE 19 MAY 16, 2017 P79
my COTA performance, but I always try
and reach for the stars," Fong said, who
no doubt had Journey's 1980s hit "Don't
Stop Believing" ready in the garage for
his return. "I want to be smart for the
championship, but the other part of me
is a racer and I want to get up there with
these guys."
Yet the talk of the race was not Fong,
Beaubier, Hayes or Hayden, but Josh
Herrin's take out of Toni Elias. At a circuit
he loves and led on a superstock ma-
chine last year, Herrin was once again
at the pointy end of the field and made
every effort to stay there on the Helmet-
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Yamaha. Yet his charge would end in
a takeout of championship leader Toni
Elias (Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing)
after diving for the inside line at the Roll-
ercoaster corner, incurring a three-place
grid penalty for race two.
"In some way, this is racing and Josh
(Herrin) come and said, 'Hey, sorry,' but
Toni Elias (24) was on target for a podium until getting punted by Herrin (2).
