Road Atlanta First outing for the Literbikes

Practice & Qualifying

1. 1  Jake Gagne 1:23.453
2. 6  Cameron Beaubier 1:24.381
3. 45 Cameron Petersen 1:24.542
4. 11 Mathew Scholtz 1:24.666
5. 99 PJ Jacobsen 1:24.972
6. 2  Josh Herrin 1:24.999
7. 54 Richie Escalante 1:25.512
8. 24 Toni Elias 1:25.785
9. 23 Corey Alexander 1:25.900
10. 25 David Anthony 1:26.742
11. 22 Ashton Yates 1:26.833
12. 69 Hayden Gillim 1:27.452
13. 88 Max Flinders 1:28.397
14. 48 Joseph Giannotto
15. 21 Nolan Lamkin
16. 92 Jason Waters
17. 78 Benjamin Smith 1:29.389

Over a month after Daytona and the 1000cc Superbikes have their first weekend and there is lots to talk about. Josh Herrin just won the 200 after dominating Supersport in ’22 and during the offseason he’s put in a lot of extra training to head back out on a Literbike. Herrin qualified in 6^th, with a time of 1:24.999 and over a second and a half off reigning champ Jake Gagne who showed up fastest on Friday. That fact never really changed, and Jake got pole with a blistering 1:23.453, almost a second clear of qualifying runner-up Cameron Beaubier.

Cam, the five-times MotoAmerica Superbike title winner is back from overseas and on a rocket-ship BMW. Second fastest in P1 and Q1, Cam looks dialed in, recording a 1:24.381 lap time. PJ Jacobsen ended ’22 with some really solid finishes and is #1 rider at Tytlers, at least through March.  PJ showed good speed throughout practice and qualifying but ended up a little off the pace with a 1:24.972 and will start from 5^th spot. The second factory Yamaha of Cam Petersen ran with the top 3 from P1 on and will start 3^rd with a time of 1:24.542. Mathew Scholtz stayed right there with the fast group, just a few tenths off from the factory Yamaha duo, the stalwart South African qualified a satanic 1:24.666, good enough for 4^th place.

 The Suzuki operation feels refreshed with Elias coming back to racing to lead the still developing M4 GSX-R and Richie Escalante having a year to work out his jitters. The most international of all the teams will start from 8^th and 7^th respectively. Corey Alexander, Aussie Dave Anthony, Aaron Yates’ kid, Hayden Gillim (with a disappointing 12^th in qualifying coming off a very solid Daytona 200),Maximum Flinders, et al… make up your Superbike field.

Race 1  Lap-By-Lap

1. Cameron Beaubier looks to take the hole-shot but is shut out by Jake Gagne and Matthew Scholtz. Cam Petersen sits in 4^th coming though the downhill esses, having gotten a good launch off the line. Herrin is just ahead of PJ in 5^th place, who has a gap to the two Suzuki’s of Tony Elias and Richie Escalante. Herrin makes a move on Petersen just before the group comes onto the front straight.
2. Gagne has a sizeable lead already with Beaubier making it to second place, Scholtz then Herrin until Josh makes a move at the top of the hill. PJ was running with Cam Petersen and the top group until a crash.
3. Across the line it is Gagne (1), Beaubier (6), Herrin (2), Scholtz (11), Petersen (45), Escalante (54), Elias (24), Corey Alexander (23), Dave Anthony (25), Maximum Flinders (88), Hayden Gillim (69), Waters (92), Lampkin (21), Smith (78), Giannotto (48) and PJ (99) remounts. Gagne puts in a 1:23.8xx and working on a second and a half lead over Cam Beaubier. Petersen and Scholtz having a good fight behind Herrin but there is over a second of a gap to the BMW rider in second place.
4. Richie Escalante is almost 4 seconds down from the top 5 already. 2, 45, 11 are bunched up together while Cam Beaubier is eaking out tenths on Gagne at the front.
5. Herrin is slowing Petersen down badly through the tight corners, the Ducati has the top speed and Josh is still one of the best of the brakes but the Yamaha rider is looking for a way through.
6. Over the line, Beaubier has cut the lead to almost a half a second and Escalante is now down over 5 seconds to the three rider group of Herrin, Petersen and Scholtz. Corey Alexander makes it though on Elias and Hayden Gillim is working his way up.
7. Cam Beaubier really closes up on Gagne on lap 6. Josh Herrin’s Ducati is moving around a lot going into the corners. Cam Beaubier makes a move up the inside at the end of the back straight going into the chicane.
8. Gagne tucks in behind Cam, very closely. He is stalking and showing a wheel to Beaubier at nearly every turn around this lap.
9. The Yamaha of Gagne is starting to move around a little trying to stay with the BMW of Beaubier. The Yamaha looks like it can hang on the long straights pretty good though.
10. Coming across the line for lap 10 and Jake is very close but Cam can run so much faster through turn 1 and up the hill. Herrin, Petersen and Scholtz hold form at 4 seconds down from the leading duo.
11. Jake Gagne is still moving around a lot as the top two run almost identical lap times on lap 10, albeit at a slightly slower 1:25.1xx pace. Jake is really looking to push Cam into a mistake every time he gets close.
12. The leading two riders are +3 seconds clear and Gagne has a beautiful controlled slide coming out of turn 1 and Jake is having a lot of bucking coming onto the back straight.
13. Herrin runs a 1:25 flat to the leaders 1:25.3xx’s. Josh and Cam Petersen have made a little gap to Scholtz on the last few laps. Petersen makes a move up the inside of Herrin at the last turn but Josh shuts the door and holds the position coming over the start/finish line.
14. Josh Herrin and Cam Petersen both under 1:24 while Jake Gagne goes 1:25.211 but takes a few tenths off Beaubier. Every time Gagne catches Cam during the lap, the BMW eats up asphalt on the back straight and Jake has to claw back those milliseconds.
15. Five laps to go and the top two hold steady while Herrin is visibly closing the gap to them. Petersen is back from Josh by a half a second and Scholtz is another half a second back on him.
16. Richie Escalante is now over 20 seconds away from Mathew Scholtz. Cam Beaubier just digs the front end into turn 1 so much better than Gagne and he picks up a tenth or two right there.
17.  Three to go, Jake is looking but cannot make it close enough to make a move. Petersen and Scholz have closed back on Herrin now and they are within a couple seconds of the leader.
18. Herrin looks like he has a real chance at this, Josh is bringing Cam Petersen with him on this lap. Gagne looks for a move at turn 7 buts thinks better of it, that rehearsal gave Beaubier a bit of a lead coming onto the back straight.
19. Gagne is not near enough to Cam across the line and Herrin/Petersen are waiting in the shadows to pick up the pieces if contact should occur. Jake is still pushing hard and closes it up at turn 7 again, not quite close enough but Jake is much closer this time around. The BMW rider keeps a defensive line and leads coming out of the chicane and wins it by three tenths of a second. A story book return to MotoAmerica Superbikes for Cameron Beaubier.

1. 6  Cameron Beaubier
2. 1  Jake Gagne +.340
3. 2  Josh Herrin +1.950
4. 45 Cameron Petersen +2.156
5. 11 Mather Scholtz +3.881
6. 54 Richie Escalante +29.171
7. 24 Tony Elias +38.539

DNF. 99 PJ Jacobsen

Race 2 Lap-By-Lap

1. Scholtz jumps the start bad. Cam Petersen also rolled early while the lights were on. It’s Gagne leading up the hill followed by Cam Beaubier, Josh Herrin, Cam Petersen, and Mathew Scholtz through the tight esses section. Richie Escalante is hanging onto the back of Scholtz heading through the kink with a gap to Tony Elias and PJ Jacobsen.
2. At the start of lap number two, Jason Waters goes down at the end of the back straight, leaking fuel badly. For some reason, maybe they didn’t see the leak, but two corner workers went to pick the bike up, it of course went up in flames almost igniting the unfortunate track marshals standing there. Smoke and flames continue to billow out of the bike and a red flag is thrown.
3. On the restart it is Cameron Beaubier leading into turn 1, with Gagne in second place, Cam Petersen, Herrin, Scholtz, Richie, PJ and Elias. Jake shows Beaubier a wheel at turn seven and Cam Petersen tries a move on Gagne going into the turn 10 chicane, but gets the door shut. At the last turn, Gagne goes up the inside on Beaubier and takes the lead onto the front straight.
4. Beaubier aggressively throws his BMW into turn 1 and rails around the corner going up the hill but cannot make a move stick on Gagne. The BMW rider is sandwiched between the two Yamaha men and It’s getting bunched up tight at the front. The top four of Gagne, Beaubier, Petersen and Herrin have a small gap to Scholtz and Escalante followed by a further gap to PJ. Cam Beaubier makes a move at the bottom of the hill going into the chicane. He tries to cut across Gagne going back to the right, but Jake runs it around the outside and somehow stays in front of Beaubier, having not relinquished the lead. Brilliant! Herrin makes a pass on Petersen down the hill and Petersen takes it back just before the start/finish line.
5. Herrin back though on Petersen into turn one and Gagne is sideways coming out of the corner while leading the field. At the top of the hill, Cam Petersen has his engine blow up, we see a second fireball in the race today. Down the back straight, Beaubier and Gagne are side-by-side through the kink. Gagne keeps to the inside, but Cam pulls off his own ‘round the outside move and holds onto the position as they flick it left and right through the chicane.
6. Across the line, Beaubier leads Gagne. All the back and forth between the two has allowed Herrin to catch right up to them and Mathew Scholtz is quickly gaining ground on the front three himself. Richie Escalante is still there, lurking in the shadows. Gagne gets the power down for a great drive and leaves a black mark coming out of turn 1 and nips Beaubier going into the very tight turn 2, a cheeky place to make a pass. Back down the hill and Beaubier takes the inside line from Gagne on the brakes, but Jake lets off late and rolls through the left-right chicane holding onto the lead.
7. The top three riders are beginning to break away from Scholtz, who then sets the fastest lap of 1:24.4xx for the race. Beaubier makes another lunge up the inside of Gagne going into the chicane and this time makes the pass stick. Jake almost makes a move going into turn 12 but the champ backs off.
8. 10 laps to go and Cam goes fastest lap of the race with a 1:24.052. Gagne and Herrin are 24.4 and 24.5 respectively. The Yamaha is for sure catching the BMW going down the back straight, but Cam looks very stable on the brakes. Herrin right behind Gagne now as they head to the front straight.
9. Scholtz closes down on the top three going through the esses, it is a four-rider group now. Number 6 leads 1, 2 and 11. Before the kink on the back straight, Herrin makes a move on Gagne and holds onto second spot going into the chicane.
10. Through most of the lap, Herrin is right on Beaubier while Gagne stays in front of the number 11 Westby rider. Josh can’t make a move on Beaubier going into the chicane but is looking already. The top four hold steady coming across the line.
11. Coming down the back straight Herrin stays in the draft a little longer this time and goes past Beaubier after the kink and makes it stick. Through the left then right, Josh lets his Ducati move around and carries a wheelie over the hill and smoothly backs it into the last turn leading onto the front straight.
12. Herrin leads a lap for the first time with 5 to go. Josh leads over the line to Cam, Jake and Scholtz. Josh Herrin did over 190 mph passing Beaubier on the back straight last time by. Coming into the chicane Beaubier makes a move up the inside of Herrin, then Gagne looks for a way around Herrin going into turn 12.
13.  5 Laps to go. Herrin runs very wide through turn 1, losing him some ground to Beaubier going up the hill to the esses. Josh made back that gap by turn 7. Gagne looks like he wants to pull the trigger and starts pushing Josh down the backstraight. Everyone stays in formation with Gagne looking up the inside of Josh coming back onto the front straight, doesn’t make a move.
14. Four to go and the front four come across the line evenly spaced apart with Richie Escalante sitting 10 seconds behind the leading group. Herrin is visibly more out of shape than the rest, as he slides his Ducati through turn one and looks unstable flicking it through the esses. Beaubier and Gagne look pretty planted still. Scholtz looks better than yesterday but you can tell he is starting to push for the last few laps. Herrin gets a perfect drive out of turn seven and passes Cam before the kink, but the BMW rider is much more stable on the brakes and takes that first position back from Josh. Gagne now looking for a move on the Duc every time they come into turn 12.
15. Three laps to go. Beaubier goes 25.3 with Herrin right on him and Gagne/Scholtz slightly back from the top two going up the hill. Out of turn 7 Gagne catches up to Cam and Josh. The Ducati rider makes a brave move on the brakes going into the chicane, the bike bucking and protesting as Herrin lets off the brake lever a little later than Cam and makes it stick. Gagne now has a peak at Beaubier at turn 12 but no dice.
16. 2 laps to go. Herrin leads over the line and into turn one, Beaubier backs it deep into turn one, allowing Gagne to close right up to Cam. Onto the back straight, Herrin leads through the kink, but Beaubier gets him on the brakes again. Gagne can’t get a pass done on Herrin before the front straight.
17. Last lap. Going into turn one Beaubier, (who still looks very stable) leads Herrin, (his Ducati is bouncing around heavily over the bumps and on acceleration) leads Gagne, (he throws it sideways into turn one and squares it off for a nice straight-line up the hill into the tight esses). Scholtz stays patient like he has the entire race, not pushing over the limit but ready to pick up the pieces should anything happen. Turn 6, Herrin goes for a pass up the inside on Cam and Gagne tries to go with him to no avail. Herrin leads coming out of turn 7, followed very closely by Beaubier and Gagne. Scholtz is now right on Jake and coming onto the back straight it is a four-rider battle for the lead. Herrin runs a little wide getting on the gas for the back straight, Cam goes up the inside of Josh going to the kink. Leaned over at 180 mph with Herrin on the outside of Beaubier, they touch! Josh is stood up as his knee slider flies off into the air and Herrin is pushed out very wide to the edge of the grass as the group come down the hill speeding towards the chicane. Gagne keeps rolling, slicing between the chaos with Cam on to right and Josh making all kinds of shapes to Jakes left side. 180 mph, down the hill leading to the tight left-right chicane, things are getting busy at the front. Josh brings it back onto the racing line, but he has yet to hit the brakes. Gagne is fully past Josh and Beaubier must check up, and that might have saved a complete yard sale at the chicane. Herrin slams on the brakes and backs it in, threading the needle between Gagne in front and Beaubier right behind. Josh finishes his incredible save by running it through the gravel and grass and rejoining the track going over the hill for turn 12. Gagne has the lead onto the front straight and wins the race. Beaubier stays unscathed and finishes the race in second, Scholtz right behind for third and Josh Herrin in fourth. What a race and incredible show of ability from Josh and Cam! Later on, Beaubier would say he pushed the front end through the kink and had to stand it up to keep it from sliding and causing a massively fast pileup.

1. 1  Jake Gagne
2. 6  Cameron Beaubier +.575
3. 11 Mather Scholtz +.850
4. 2  Josh Herrin +2.206
5. 54 Richie Escalante +12.345
6. 99 PJ Jacobsen +15.795

DNF. Cam Petersen

Jake Gagne and Cam Beaubier are tied for first in the championship with 45 points, Josh Herrin with 29, Scholtz – 27, Richie – 21, Elias and Corey Alexander – 17, Petersen – 13 points.

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