By Dean Adams
The Peoria TT is a near religious experience for race fans in and around Illinois. It’s not uncommon to meet fans sitting in the grass who are now the fourth generation in their family to enjoy the stadium-style race. Some feel that the Peoria TT is the best race in America, or the world, for that matter.
Yamaha man JD Beach injured his left ankle in the weeks leading up to the Peoria TT. The TT is a race where a rider needs everything to be perfect in order to contend for the win. And since it’s a TT race, part of a lap has your bike flying in midair. Peoria’s jump section isn’t kind to the human body, even one with a healthy left ankle.
Knowing he needed to deliver, Estenson Racing Beach sucked it up and won the race over a group of very talented TT riders. He taped his boot up enough to give the swollen ankle support but with just enough slack so he could still shift.
Every top rider wants to win every race he enters. But JD Beach had a good source of extra motivation: July 30 is his friend Nicky Hayden’s birthday and the Peoria TT was always a special race to our Nick. Win it he did.
