Yoshimura Suzuki Hogs the Podium in MotoAmerica Superbike First Round
- Apr 28, 2017
Elias may have stolen the show at COTA, but Roger Hayden proved that he is game for a season-long battle with his Spanish teammate. Hayden pressed Elias in both Superbike races and secured a solid second in the MotoAmerica standings. Before the first race at COTA, both Yosimura Suzuki riders were excited to see how the new GSX-R1000 would perform in full race conditions. “It will be interesting to see how the GSX-R does on a long race weekend,” Hayden said. "We really don’t have that many laps on the new bike, but Suzuki has given us a great platform, so we will see.”
Race 1 The first race was an epic battle between Hayden and Elias from start to finish. The matched pair of Yoshimura GSX-R Superbikes were clearly the class of the field all race long. Hayden stalked Elias for more than a dozen laps looking for any opening that his teammate would give him. On the final lap, Hayden made an exciting pass at the end of the back straight. However, the speed Hayden carried into the turn proved to be too hot. When Hayden went wide, Elias dove back under his teammate and held on for the win. Rounding out the podium behind Elias and Hayden was Bobby Fong on his Kawasaki. Fong tried desperately to stick with the Yoshimura riders, but faded late in the race.
The final race of the exciting weekend at MotoAmerica/MotoGP at COTA served as a fittingly dramatic curtain call. An impressive number of fans remained after the MotoGP race to see the MotoAmerica Superbike finale. Again, Elias and Hayden put on a fantastic show on their new GSX-R1000 machines. Just like in race 1, Hayden found himself stuck to Elias’ rear wheel for most of the race looking for an opening for a pass. It often looked like Hayden may just steal the race. However, last year’s champion Cameron Beaubier added to the drama on his factory Yamaha. Late in the race, Beaubier made a fast and desperate charge on the Yoshimura riders, but the veteran Elias was surgical in his defense of the lead. In the end, Elias stayed perfect at COTA with another impressive win. Beaubier held on for second, and Hayden had to settle for third. The COTA weekend was a huge success for Yoshimura Suzuki and the 2017 GSX-R1000.
Hayden was equally impressed with how the team performed on the new Suzuki. “We had an awesome weekend here at COTA,” Hayden said. “We got a lot of points with a second and third. The new GSX-R was working great all weekend. I came up a little bit short, but I’m really excited about the team, how hard they’re working and where we are with the new bike. I’m looking forward to Atlanta already.” | ||||
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