Once again, Beaubier was the man to raise the bar at the four-mile circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The four-time Superbike Champion broke the lap record that he set at the previous outing, not once but twice, first in Friday’s QP1 and then again today in Superpole with a 2’10.623. When the lights went out, Beaubier rocketed down the straight to take the holeshot and never looked back. He crossed the line over six-seconds ahead of the competition to take his ninth-career victory at Road America and his third on the trot this season.
Gagne qualified third to join his teammate on the front row, but dropped to fifth at the start and found himself locked in a three-way battle for that final podium spot. He made a move for fourth in the final corner of the first lap, but was passed back on the front straight. On lap three, the Californian was right on the heels of his competitor and looking to make the pass for fourth but then had a technical issue. He had to blow the chicane to avoid making contact with the other rider and was dropped back to seventh. A few laps later, Gagne was able to put his head down and close the gap on sixth. With two laps to go, he made the pass going into Turn 5 and held onto it all the way to the finish. Although not what he was hoping for, it was an important top-10 finish at this early stage of the championship.
The Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team now gears up for Sunday’s race two at Road America.
