Although Cameron Beaubier missed the last six races of the 2023 MotoAmerica season, it didn’t appear that way in the opening Steel Commander Superbike session of the new season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Friday morning with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion looking like he’d never been away.
Tytler Cycle Racing’s Beaubier ripped off a 1:24.916 on his 17th lap to best Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin by .259 of a second with Attack Performance Yamaha’s defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne third fastest in the first session of the weekend.
Beaubier was the first to lap in the 1:24s, 1.5 seconds off Jake Gagne’s lap record of 1:23.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante got his season off to a good start with the fourth fastest time, just ahead of Wrench Motocycles’ Bobby Fong and Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who is also returning from injury that kept him out of most of the 2023 season.
Class rookie Sean Dylan Kelly ended up seventh in his Superbike practice debut on the TopPro Racing Team. Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch was eighth with Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz rounding out the top 10.
The top six riders all circulated within a second of Beaubier’s best.
- Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:24.916
- Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:25.184
- Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:25.369
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 1:25.608
- Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 1:25.709
- Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 1:25.729
- Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW) 1:25.916
- Brandon Paasch (Suzuki) 1;26.516
- JD Beach (BMW) 1:26.531
- Loris Baz (Ducati) 1:26.848
