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TONI ELIAS | MOTUL SUPERBIKE
Toni Elias turned a lot of heads in the MotoAmerica paddock when he showed up as a last minute replacement for the Yoshimura Suzuki team at the beginning of the 2016 season -- partly because
a former MotoGP race winner and
Moto2 World Champion is important to improving the reputation of the series,
but moreso because he won the first
three races of the season. The start to
the 2017 season was no different as
Elias maintained his undefeated record
at Circuit of the Americas, making it four out of four race victories in two years. Although he has one year under his belt of accumulated track knowledge and the behavior of the motorcycle, it’s almost as if he must start from ground zero again due to the brand new 2017 GSX-R1000R. The characteristics of the tracks haven’t changed, but his motorcycle has and Elias must adapt accordingly. He has handled the first four races like a seasoned professional with three out of four race victories and a second place, fighting for the lead each and every time he clicks his visor into position. The Spaniard put in an exceptional performance in the opening race at Road Atlanta, battling back to
the front of the pack after being pushed off into the grass by Cameron Beaubier on multiple occasions. He was publicly frustrated about the incident in the post race interview and repaid the favor on his way to the victory in the second race of the weekend, but it’s unlikely that the two of them are done trading paint for the rest of the season. Elias put his Yoshimura Suzuki on the podium at both races in Virginia last year, most notably winning the second race ahead of his teammate. The thirty-four year old will be aiming to keep his streak of podium finishes alive and continue to grow his advantage at the top of the championship points standings when the racing wraps up at VIR.
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THEGRID!
26 GRIDMOTO • JUNE 2017