When you talk to veterans of motorcycle racing about which American could be the next champion at the international level of the sport, one name is almost always included in that very short list: Cameron Beaubier.
This is not only because of Beaubier’s status as a two-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion, but also his experience abroad.
A promising young rider, Beaubier impressed during the 2007 Red Bull Rookies Cup season, which found him some riders on the international stage before returning to the USA.
Now a proven talent on domestic soil, along with his experience abroad, Beaubier is an easy pick to make when looking for Americans to promote to a paddock like the WorldSBK Championship.
And now that is exactly the case, with the Cameron Beaubier tipped for ride in World Superbike next season.
We teased this news yesterday, when discussing the options for Tom Sykes next season in the World Superbike Championship, as the Yorkshireman has been linked to a ride with the GRT Yamaha squad.
Sykes isn’t the only name linked to GRT Yamaha though, with Cameron Beaubier in talks with the team, and if you believe the paddock rumors at Laguna Seca, the 25-year-old is on the top of their list.
Perhaps too old now to make the jump into the Grand Prix paddock, at least by the strange notions that GP teams seem to operate under, Beaubier’s best hope for leaving the MotoAmerica paddock is almost certainly now the World Superbike Championship.
Leaving a factory-supported race team in MotoAmerica, arguably the best team in the paddock, for what fate may come abroad is a big ask to make of a motorcycle racer though.
But, as the factory-backed Yamaha team in the World Supersport Championship, and now to become a satellite Yamaha team in the World Superbike Championship, GRT Yamaha is a strong candidate for a new rider looking to make his mark in WorldSBK, even more so as the series adopts more machine parity between factory and satellite outfits.
If such a deal included backing from Yamaha Motor USA, and the blessing of Dorna, the jump for Beaubier would perhaps not be as large as it has been in the past, especially as Yamaha’s MotoAmerica effort continues to wane in budget and support.
Seemingly, such a move would be win for all parties involved as MotoAmerica desperately needs to have a ladder out of the series for its top riders, rather than the US series being perceived as where motorcycle racers’ careers go to die.
For World Superbike too there is a gain, as the series can benefit from more Americans (and fewer Brits) within its ranks, which would surely help spur ticket sales and TV rights negotiations in the United States.
With the Monster Energy Yamaha being the ride to have in MotoAmerica, finding a young rider to replace Beaubier in the team is no difficulty, likely with plenty of riders willing to jump on the ride.
The prime candidate to fill Beaubier’s spot would be JD Beach, who is well on his way to winning the 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, and has spent too many seasons stuck in the supersport paddock, with no ascension to the superbike category.
With all the pieces of the puzzle lining up, all that remains is signing ink to paper. Cameron Beaubier to WorldSBK? Keep your ears out. More as we get it.
Source: Bothan Spies; Photo: © 2018 Brian J. Nelson / MotoAmerica – All Rights Reserved
