Cameron Beaubier and Garrett Gerloff scored a win each for the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing Team at round seven of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Sonoma Raceway, on August 10-11.
In Saturday’s race one, Beaubier went for the holeshot from pole position, but found himself in second with Gerloff right behind in third. Track conditions on the 2.2-mile track in Northern California’s wine country were a bit tricky and caught many riders off-guard, including the reigning Superbike Champion, who lost the front in turn four on the third lap of the race.
Soon after, his Texan teammate took the lead and knocked down some fast, consistent laps to build a healthy gap. Gerloff went unchallenged to cross the line by more than 10 seconds, earning his second-career Superbike win in back-to-back races aboard the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory YZF-R1.
Looking for some redemption at his home track, Beaubier got off on a much better foot in Sunday’s race two. The Californian got the holeshot he was looking for and led from start to finish to take his third victory of the season. A combination of his win and his title rival’s error in race two allowed Beaubier to gain back five points in his battle for the championship.
Now that he has the taste for it, Gerloff was looking to keep his winning streak alive. He was in third when the series points leader made an error and ended up on the ground. Gerloff then attempted to catch his teammate, but unfortunately his tire choice made it difficult to make a late race charge to the front. At the end of the day, the runner-up finish was a good points haul for the newly turned 24 year old, who sits third in the standings, 40-points adrift of the championship leader with three rounds remaining.
Up next on the schedule for the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing team is round eight of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, August 23-25.
