AMA SUPERBIKE

YOSHIMURA SUZUKI DOMINATES COTA MotoAmerica SBK


Team Suzuki Press Office – April 15.

Toni Elias – GSX-R1000 – 1-2
Josh Herrin – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 4-1

You couldn’t have written a better script for Suzuki in the combined MotoGP/ MotoAmerica weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. At the biggest motorcycle racing event in America, Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing came away with all of the first-place trophies, winning both MotoAmerica Superbike races with the GSX-R1000 as well as Superpole.

Icing on the cake came in the form of Team SUZUKI ECSTAR also winning the MotoGP race, with Alex Rins and his GSX-RR giving Suzuki a clean sweep of all races it participated in this weekend.

Toni Elias got the Texas party started by winning MotoAmerica Superpole aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. He then followed up with a thrilling victory in Superbike Race One on Saturday, with a last-lap, last-turn pass on rival Cameron Beaubier, bringing the crowd to their feet.

Then in Sunday’s Superbike Race Two, it was Yoshimura Suzuki finishing 1-2, with newest team member Josh Herrin breaking through to score his first win of the season. Elias was second.

All of that winning added up to Elias extending his series lead to 13 points after four races in the 20-race series and Herrin rocketed up from ninth to third in the standings after collecting a huge cache of points in Sunday’s victory.

“It was just a great weekend for Yoshimura Suzuki,” said team president Don Sakakura. “It was good to see Josh to get his first win with the team, I’m certain more will come. And for Toni to win Saturday’s race and finish second Sunday, it’s just one of those weekends where everything came together with the performance of the bike and the riders.”

A roar came up from the crowd on Saturday with Elias’ daring pass in the final corner heading to the chequered flag. It marked his second win of the season, and his sixth victory in seven starts at COTA dating back to 2016.

“It is amazing, two wins and two seconds,” Elias said of his 2019 campaign so far. “Our consistency is good. Saturday’s race was one that was fun for the fans. Cameron [Beaubier] was so strong, but I was able to get back by him in the last corner and hold on to the victory. Today we finished second even though we had a minor issue, so I am happy with the results. We’ve added to our championship lead and you cannot ask for more. Overall a very good weekend.”

Herrin was incredibly excited to get his first win of 2019. It was a tremendous comeback from the troubles he experienced just a week ago at Road Atlanta.

“I didn’t expect it to feel this good,” Herrin said of Sunday’s victory. “I mean I have seven Superbike wins, but this one feels way different. I’m happy to get a win for Suzuki. We took two wins in MotoAmerica and the win in MotoGP, so it’s something super special.”

Yoshimura Suzuki heads back east to Virginia International Raceway for round three of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship in Alton, Virginia, on May 4-5th.

MotoAmerica Superbike Image Gallery (Brian J Nelson): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

MotoAmerica points (after 2 rounds): CLICK HERE




 For more stories about Toni Elias, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

For more stories about Josh Herrin, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

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