2013 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Results
The 2013 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike series headed to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend for round five of eight, occurring following the MotoGP Championship.
And it was no surprise who took the win – Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier.
The YZF-R6 rider has ridden flawlessly this season, winning seven of eight races in five rounds. And the one he didn’t win at Road America? He finished second.
Beaubier finished Laguna Seca 2.95 seconds ahead of teammate Garret Gerloff and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Jake Gagne in a red-flagged race shortened to 14 laps.
Beaubier also led before the red flag flew as the race approached halfway. On the restart, he was able to get out in front and avoid the entertaining battle behind him to lock up yet another race.
Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S./Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 SportBike) says: “I kind of slacked on the first start and I went back to fifth. I was on the outside of (Jason) DiSalvo, and he ran a little wide. I finally made my way up to the front, put my head down, and pulled a little gap and then I saw the red flag. I thought, ‘Oh man, it’s going to be a bummer if we have to restart.’
“So, I just made sure I got a really good start on the restart and just put my head down. I knew Jake and Garrett were going to be right there. I have to give it up to my whole Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha crew. They’ve been working so hard and giving us awesome bikes.”
Gerloff returned to the podium for the first time since his second-place finish at Daytona. His race saw him dicing with Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo for second, with Gagne just behind. With three to go, Gerloff made his move into second and was able to hold it to the flag to culminate arguably his best weekend yet on the GoPro Daytona SportBike.
Gagne led much of the race before the red flag but had to scramble to finish third after a poor restart. Gagne was in the second half of the top ten but made some smart moves, culminating with a pass of DiSalvo entering the Corkscrew, to earn his seventh podium result of the year.
DiSalvo’s fourth was his best result since Barber Motorsports Park. The Triumph pilot was especially aggressive in the early laps once again.
RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s JD Beach backed up his Mid-Ohio podiums with fifth at one of his least favorite circuits, so it was a favorable result for the Kentucky resident. He topped Jake Lewis of Meen Motorsports by 2.172 seconds.
Dane Westby of GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing took seventh on his Honda.
James Rispoli (National Guard/Celtic Racing), Bobby Fong (D&D Cycles/Castrol/Triumph), and Joey Pascarella (Riders Discount Racing Triumph) rounded out the top ten.
The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume in two weeks’ time as the series travels to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, for Round 6 on August 2-4.