AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

Cameron Beaubier won his fifth AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday, emerging victorious after a heated contest that saw five riders make it to the flag within just over two seconds of the winner. The Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha rider won by 0.022 over series points leader Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki) and hard charging Dane Westby, who had qualified 13th.

Beaubier made his moves just before the white flag lap, taking second from Westby, then positioning himself to pass Cardenas as the final lap began.

“I slotted into third the last few laps,” said Beaubier. “I saw what Westby and Cardenas were doing and I was able to make my moves. I was a little out of my rhythm and I would have liked to have made my moves earlier but there was no way I was getting away from these guys. I tried to conserve my tires and wait until the end.”

Cardenas was in it until the checkers. “I made two great starts and tried to get in a rhythm, but these guys were with me the whole time and we had a lot of passing,” said the Colombian. “It was clean racing. Cameron got me in the first corner and I came up a little short today.”

The Wolverine qualified 13th on his M4 Suzuki but was able to jet forward and lead before the halfway point. “We started way back but I wasn’t worried,” said Dane. “At the end, I saw there were just the tree of us, which is what I wanted.”

Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports) was fourth, just ahead of Tommy Hayden on the other Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha. Jason DiSalvo ran strong on his Triumph, earning sixth after losing the lead group in the late stages.

Tommy Aquino (Kneedraggers.com Yamaha) was able to handily top the RoadRace Factory/Red Bull teammates Jake Gagne and J.D. Beach for seventh.