Moto America 2017: Toni Elias US champion on the new GSX-R1000R

Arriving almost by chance in the American Superbike Championship last year, Toni Elias won the "Number One" plaque in 2017 riding the all-new Suzuki GSX-R1000R. Feedback on this success, shared with the Suzuki Yoshimura team and a certain… Hayden.

It all started in 2016, when Roger Lee Hayden – brother of – is supposed to team up again with another promising Kentucky kid: Jake Lewis, best rookie of the 2015 Moto America season, new formula for the American Superbike championship..

Unfortunately for him, "Mister" Lewis is injured in training just before the start of the season … But it is fortunate for Toni Elias, who then seriously thinks of putting an end to his sports career: it has been laborious and his few freelancing in MotoGP in 2015 were unsuccessful…

The Spanish’s CV and his availability (!) Earned him a call from the charismatic Suzuki Yoshimura team: as a reminder, the Catalan finished third in the GP125 world championship in 2001, then third two years later in 250, and was then able, in his best days, to compete against the best MotoGP riders !

But Toni never managed to match his compatriots Gibernau, Pedrosa and Lorenzo, so much so that when the opportunity to compete in the first Moto2 championship presented itself to him, the famous No.24 decided to demote to the intermediate category. . Good pick: on team Gresini’s Moriwaki, Toni won his first – and only to date – world crown !

In early 2016, therefore, Elias replaced Lewis on the GSX-R1000. And the guy wins the first three races of the season! Pat Alexander, race manager at Suzuki in the United States, logically chooses to start the championship leader (!) And relocates the unlucky Lewis in another team.

Finally, Toni finished his first American season in third place, just behind the two official Yamaha riders: just one point behind quadruple champion Josh Hayes (!) And seven points behind defending champion Cameron Beaubier (!!).

For 2017, the Yamaha and Suzuki teams keep their respective “Dream Teams”. But in Hamamatsu Yellow, Hayden and Elias receive a brand new bike: the GSX-R1000R! To accelerate and optimize its development, the American and the Spanish – who until then were content to share their box are starting to share their data…

In doing so, Roger and Toni get to know each other better and forge bonds of friendship, reinforced by the tragic disappearance of Nicky: "it was a difficult period for Roger", recently testified Toni. "I tried to be there for him. We now have a good relationship. I can tell he’s my friend.".

For the record, the Spaniard was closely linked to Nicky and his MotoGP title: during his only victory in the premier class (), Elias had outstripped Rossi by two thousandths of a second, thus nabbing him five points … gap between "The Doctor" and champion "Kentucky Kid" at the end of the season. Muchas gracias, Toni !

This year in MotoAmerica, on the other hand, Toni did not give Roger any gifts, no more than Josh or Cameron for that matter: in 20 races, the n ° 24 has won ten victories and eight second places! His second crash of the year in the last event at Barber had no impact on his coronation: Toni was titled five races before the end of the season.

The domination of the "Scud Missile" – nickname he owes to his attacks on Josh Hayes – in MotoAmerica this year is not unlike that of a Kawasaki rider in World Superbike: Jonathan Rea of ​​course! At Site, we would like to see what Toni and his GSX-R would be capable of in WSBK. And we would gladly stick to him as teammate Sylvain Guintoli, just for fun !

Toni Elias, however, seems completely satisfied with her "second life" in the United States. "From the age of three or four, I had a big American flag in my room", delivered the second non-English speaking champion of the United States (after the Quebecer Miguel Duhamel) in an instructive interview granted to the official site MotoAmerica.

"The feeling that I have when the national anthem is played on the circuits is incredible", explained the most American of the Spanish pilots. “I love the American lifestyle. I’m so grateful to be here, to give my all, to try to make people happy and to help this championship grow.”.

At almost 35 years old, Elias no longer seems to seek another international title, but rather intends to develop the American Superbike championship which welcomed him so well last year, allowed him to shine this year … made you dream so much when he was a kid !

"Interesting fact", point out our colleagues from the MotoAmerica site: "in just two seasons, Elias has already joined his childhood hero, Wayne Rainey, in eighth place on the list of the most successful MotoAmerica / AMA Superbike riders, with 16 professional victories ".

The first place in this ranking will be much harder to get for the new "Number One": the Australian Mat Madlin has won 83 times in AMA Superbike, also at the helm of different generations of … The "Gex" is back !

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