ROAD RACE
2017 MOTOAMERICA AMA/FIM NORTH AMERICAN ROAD RACING
ROUND 4 / JUNE 3-4, 2017
ROAD AMERICA / ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN
P104
team, they've been working re-
ally hard, and the R1 works great
here at Road America."
Was the move in the final cor-
ner planned?
"I felt like I had some
strengths and some weaknesses
compared to these guys and
the final corner I believe was
one of my strengths, so when
Toni bobbled and got close to
the grass I knew that was my
chance," Beaubier said. "I was
able to stay close enough to Toni
in the final section and got the
job done."
Elias saw his points lead get
cut in half with his sixth podium
Hayden was a shadow third.
For defending two-time Mo-
toAmerica Superbike Champion
Beaubier this win was number
two on the season and the 21st
superbike win of his career.
"That was such a fun race,
just clean, hard, fun racing
between all three of us [Elias
and Hayden]," Beaubier said. "It
was awesome. Going into turn
five I got my doors blown off by
those guys and it really woke me
up. It was a crazy race. It felt so
good to stand on that top step
of the podium again since it's
been quite a few races since I
grabbed a win. Big thanks to my
when four-time AMA Superbike
Champion Josh Hayes spec-
tacularly high-sided his Yamaha
R1, the bike catching fire and
Hayes hobbling away, uninjured
but badly beaten.
When the flag dropped, it
was Hayden in the lead until
Beaubier took a turn at the front
on the seventh of 13 laps. Elias
led for the first time on the 10th
lap, and he led from there until
the final corner when Beaubier
sneaked up the inside. From
there it was the high-speed run
up the hill to the checkered flag
and Beaubier got there first, al-
beit by just 0.005 of a second.
Elias stormed back Sunday and took
a narrow win over Beaubier.
