JD takes sixth podium of 2017 at Elkhart Lake

In Saturday’s Supersport race at Elkhart Lake, WI, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha teammates Garrett Gerloff and JD Beach made the decision to race on full-rain tires versus some other competitors who chose slicks.

The wet track and red-flag-shortened race were the combination that gave Garrett and JD an advantage, and they were able to finish 1-2, with Garrett notching his third win of the season and JD reaching the podium for the sixth time this year. It was another storybook finish for the team and their 2017 Yamaha YZF-R6 machines.

“We made the right tire choice,” JD said. “I needed to go with what the points leader was doing, and that’s Garrett. He chose rains, so we did, too. I’m glad it worked out, and it was good to get some points. We’ve got another race tomorrow. It’s good to be back with my racing family this weekend. It’s been really tough losing Nicky [Hayden], and I was proud to wear his helmet today. I wish I could have gotten the win for him, but there’s another race tomorrow, and I’ll be trying my best.”