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MotoAmerica, Elias fights and triumphs in the battle of Pittsburgh

On the final spectacular lap of the race, Toni and his Suzuki best Cameron Beaubier's Yamaha: "It was crazy". Herrin rounds out the podium. 

MotoAmerica: Elias fights and triumphs in the battle of Pittsburgh

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With the microphones off - but even with them still on - the podium finishers parried and thrusted, competing on every move at the limit of a fiercely fought Race 2 that lasted 18 laps all the way to a spectacular finish.

Toni Elias, Cameron Beaubier and Josh Herrin: this was the finishing order on Sunday in Wampum, at the fantastic Pittsburgh Race Complex, high speed rolling hills nestled in the Pennsylvania woodlands, the theater of a battle on the track seasoned by unfiltered statements in the press conference where, in any case, there was no lack of smiling faces.

Because this is one of the characteristics of MotoAmerica: the riders pull no punches on the track, but they joke and have fun in the paddock with a true sporting spirit that is palpable all around.

Passes, bumps, drifting and hair raising crisscrossing trajectories: the final lap was also a heart-stopper for the number 1 team Yoshimura rider,  former Moto2 World Champion, who beat out the current ranking leader Cameron Beaubier and his factory R1: I’m really proud of the moves these two (Cameron Beaubier and Josh Herrin) are doing during this season because I think there’s not many championships you can see this show. Some days it falls on my side, other days it falls on his side, and other days on his side. So, everybody is there to try to win”

And Toni is definitely there to try to win: despite trailing in the overall standings - 56 points behind - with 100 still up for grabs in the New Jersey and Alabama rounds, the Spaniard’s hopes of taking the title two years in a row are still alive.

As long as Beaubier is in agreement. This time, Cameron - two-time champion, almost three - got the short end of the stick. At the end of the race he congratulated his rival, but no one is foolish enough to think that the number 6 rider easily swallowed the defeat: “Toni deserved the win - he admitted - It always sucks to come up short, but I was really happy with how I rode this weekend.”

First on Saturday, third on Sunday. Pretty good spoils for Herrin, the rider who seems to be in the best shape in the American series. Jake Lewis finished behind him, so it was a Yamaha ahead of a Suzuki, with South African Mathew Scholtz fifth on the black and gold R1.

 

Honda finished in the top ten thanks to Bobby Fong’s sixth place ahead of Danny Eslick’s BMW in seventh. Kawasaki finished in the points with Brazilian Bruno Silva. Garrett Gerloff and Roger Lee Hayden did not move in the standings, both factory riders, both crashing out of the race.

In Supersport 600, JD Beach was back on the top step of the podium, dominating in the category and besting Gillim and Prince, in a race marred by a red flag. Truly close to the champion’s cup, the wild-haired and extravagant JD needs just three more points to earn the number 1 for the top fairing of his factory R6. Unless, of course, he moves up to Superbike in 2019 to enrich a category that is already spectacular in and of itself.

 

 

 

 

 

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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