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AMA Pro Road America: Sunday (updated regularly)
June 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under 2010 Race Calendar, Quick Release
NEWEST AT TOP
Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki
Elkhart Lake, Wis.- Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado swept the AMA SuperSport weekend by claiming the pole position and winning the race at Road America. Mercado was confident on the four-mile course considering the track was the location of his first win in America during the AMA Rookies Cup race last year. In the AMA Daytona SportBike race, both Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden improved on their starting positions to finish ninth and 11th, respectively.
Click here for full story and photos.
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ESP/Venemotos
June 9, 2009 (Reno, NV)— ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha rolled into Elkhart Lake fresh off Robertino Pietri’s podium performance at the Larry H Miller challenge races and were ready to continue their front running ways. Thursday’s promoter practice allowed the team to dial in their Yamaha R6’s for Pietri and Josh Day. Both riders were enjoying the new found power of the Phil Allison built motors down Road America’s famously long straights.
Friday opened with Robertino Pietri near the front of both sessions, just missing out on Superpole by a mere two-tenths, ending in the eleventh position on the grid. Josh Day’s speed on Friday in the Supersport class was only matched by three other riders and a front row start looked like a sure thing, but Supersport qualifying would have to wait for Saturday morning.
Saturday morning arrived and brought rain and cold temperatures with it. The team adjusted the setups to the wet conditions and both riders made the mental adjustments necessary to ride in the tricky conditions. Josh Day was able to secure the second spot on the grid for the Sunday’s Supersport final, and Robertino was third in the final ten minute wet session that AMA officials deemed necessary immediately preceding the first Daytona Sportbike race on Saturday. With the confidence that the final wet session brought to Robertino, he was ready to quickly improve on his eleventh place qualifying position in the race. The opportunity to improve on his position never came when his bike stopped suddenly on the sighting lap, the victim of a mysterious electrical problem—no doubt the result of the torrential conditions.
Sunday morning was also wet, but the forecast called for a drying track, and the first sessions for both Daytona Sportbike and Supersport were held in half-dry, half-wet conditions. Day topped the Supersport charts, while Pietri elected to sit out the session due to the conditions being neither dry nor wet. With the weather clearing, both races were to be held in the dry. First came the Daytona Sportbike class where Pietri was embroiled in a drafting battle with a large group of riders for the majority of the race in the highly competitive and deep field. Pietri just missed out on another solid top fifteen finish by .192 seconds, with the seventeenth place finisher just .043 seconds behind him. Day’s Supersport race was also held in the dry where he was in a three way drafting battle for the lead until he eventually lost the draft around lap three. After losing the draft of the two leaders, Day eased off and had a relatively lonely race to third place, thirty-eight seconds clear of fourth place.
Robertino Pietri:
“This weekend was pretty frustrating because of what could have been. We just missed Superpole by tenths of a second, we had a great wet setup for race one and the bike stopped before the green flag, the second race was better, but missing out on a top fifteen by .192 second is tough. I’ll use this frustration as motivation over the next few weeks for the next round at Laguna Seca where my goal is Superpole and a top ten finish.”
Josh Day:
“We were chasing the front end setup all weekend and the changing conditions didn’t make it any easier. I knew I didn’t have the pace to run with those guys at the front but I did what I could to latch onto their draft and try and stick with them. I even used the double draft to get past them at the beginning of the race and tried to keep them behind me. Once they were able to get past me, I lost touch with their draft and just cruised by myself to third place.”
Evan Steel:
“Tino’s dnf in the first race was the first mechanical dnf for ESP in over three years of AMA competition. That is still bugging me because I know that Tino had the pace to run up front in the wet. The good news is that we are no longer satisfied with what he have already accomplished. We are looking for our first top ten in Daytona Sportbike and our first victory in Supersport. We know we have the riders and the equipment to achieve our goals, we just need to put all the pieces together.”
For Sponsorship inquiries contact Murph at Syndicate Motorsport Management, LLC:
(+1) 831 464 3458 or email: murph@SyndicateRR.com
Team ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha:
Evan Steel Performance is a small, personal, specialized shop located in Tucson, Arizona that deals with all aspects of motorcycle road racing. ESP bikes have had some of the highest trap speeds in their classes at AMA Nationals, as well as the highest top speed at start/finish at the 50th annual Macau Grand Prix. In 2008, ESP scored a very rare privateer podium at the VIR AMA National in the Superstock class with Chris Peris. ESP is open to any level of racing, from basic race prep to planning a season at the Nationals.
ESP can be reached at (520) 294 3050 or www.evansteelperformance.co
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Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies
Elkhart Lake, WI – June, 2009 – The Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team scored a top ten finish at Road America in what was otherwise an extremely difficult weekend. Saturday’s Daytona SportBike Race One Saw the unveiling of a special set of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” bodywork, helmet, and leathers on Ben Thompson’s number 97 Aprilia RSV1000R, but it wasn’t long before it was “transformed” into an earth mover. Sunday’s Daytona SportBike Race Two was much better with Chaz Davies finishing eighth and Ben Thompson making up over ten positions to finish twentieth.
Ben Thompson struggled during the first part of the weekend to qualify in the thirty-first position. Davies once again made Superpole and qualified in the fourth position. This is the forth weekend in a row that the team has qualified on the second row.
Daytona SportBike Race One was held in abysmal conditions with heavy rain and cold temperatures. Ben and Chaz both got great starts, moving up several positions in the first couple of corners. On the exit of turn five Chaz Davies moved into the lead and started to build a gap over the competition. Unfortunately, Chaz crashed going into turn eight and Ben crashed at almost exactly the same time on the exit of turn seven in the slippery conditions. Both riders were un-hurt but the team was disappointed about both riders crashing out of what could have been a pair of great finishes.
Daytona SportBike Race Two saw much better conditions and the team were excited about not having to contend with the variables of a rain race. The team was able to find a solution to a lot of the problems Thompson was having earlier in the weekend and Ben’s dry set up was much better. Thompson got a great start and was passing riders with every lap. At the finish, Ben passed over ten riders to finish twentieth and he dropped over second off his qualifying time. Davies got a great start and was battling with the lead group early. Davies fell into a race long battle for but end the end had to settle for eighth position after a problem with false neutral.
Chaz Davies – “We had a good bike this weekend and we had really high hopes that Road America was going to be a good track for us, it just didn’t work out. This is the way racing goes sometimes. The Millennium Technologies crew helped out a ton this weekend and of course I really want to thank Rocky Stargel and Jimmy Le for all of their hard work.“
Ben Thompson – “We were behind the eight ball all weekend with track time and set up. We got some stuff figured out Saturday morning and then it rained and we crashed in the first race. The second race was better, but when you are starting that far back there are so many laps to pass people. Laguna Seca is my favorite track and I am very excited about our chances there. Thanks to Michael Godin and Marty Ashmore for all their hard work this weekend and to everybody at Millennium Technologies and Aprilia for their support and hospitality.”
Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) – “The results are not what we wanted them to be, but in the end it was a good weekend. We had a great promotion with Aprilia and Paramount Pictures for the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” bike and we also unveiled the new RSV4 for the huge crowd at Road America. Both riders came away un-hurt from their crashes and we lead a race for the first time this year. The bike is getting better every round and I know we will be on the podium soon. A very big thanks to Millennium Technologies and Aprilia for all their support. We couldn’t do it without you.”
The Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team is proudly sponsored by: Aprilia USA, Millennium Technologies, KWS Motorsports, Pit Bull, LeoVince Exhaust, Motion Pro, Bazzaz Performance, Sebimoto Bodywork, Yoyodyne, Slednecks, EK Chains, Motul, Performance Friction Brakes, Worldwide Bearing, K&N Filters, Zero Gravity Windscreens, Suzuka Tire Warmers, Stomp Grip, Hel Brake Lines, Spider Grips, ETI FuelCel and ASV Inventions.
For Information: http://www.kwsmotorsports.com
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Paradigm Racing
Paradigm Yamaha’s Damian Cudlin experienced highs and lows at the latest round of the AMA series at Road America on the weekend.
Visiting yet another circuit for the first time, Cudlin steadily gained pace in practice, before posting the 9th quickest time in qualifying, securing his second Superpole berth in the last 3 races. Although his Superpole lap was described as “a bit of a mess from start to finish” Cudlin would eventually start from 8th on the grid for both 13 lap races.
“Qualifying went well for us and I managed to use Jamie Hacking for a good tow around the place. He definitely knows where he’s going, where as I’m still learning with every lap. I think that’s why my Superpole lap was so average, I was all on my own.” Cudlin explained after Superpole.
Rain engulfed the Road America circuit for Saturday’s opening leg, and an action packed race ensued. In deteriorating conditions, Cudlin showed a cool head as chaos played all around him. Steadily working his way forward as the conditions claimed more victims, Cudlin showed increasing speed and was in a strong position when a pace car ‘froze’ the race order. As the pace car finally left the circuit, a 2 lap shootout brought the crowd to their feet as sparks flew in the final moments of the race.
Cudlin made a strong surge forward, battling elbow to elbow with Hacking, Eslick and Knapp in torrential conditions. As the final lap flag waved, Cudlin broke from Hacking and Eslick and planned his move on Knapp for 4th. In a brilliant pass in the final turn Cudlin advanced to 4th but the Buell was too strong to the line, relegating the Aussie to 5th across the strip. It was the team’s best finish to date and Cudlin’s first top 5 in his short AMA career.
“The race was tricky in those conditions and it became a real battle for survival. When the final safety car made an appearance, I knew it’d come down to a shootout at the end so I really wanted to capitalize on that. You either sink or swim in those conditions and luckily we stayed afloat and brought it home. 5th is a great result for us, in just my 3rd race for the team. I think it shows a glimpse of the potential we’ve got for the remainder of the season.” Cudlin grinned.
Although clouds threatened a repeat of Saturday’s conditions, the rain stayed away and ensured a dry second race. With high hopes of a repeat performance of Saturday’s result, Cudlin gridded up for the rolling start, however as leading riders slowed dramatically before the line, Cudlin was forced to brake heavily to avoid a collision at the start of the race. This proved a pivotal moment in Cudlin’s race as the young Aussie watched his terrific grid position fall away as he was swallowed up in the Daytona Sportbike pack. Back as far as 25th in the opening turns, Cudlin crossed the strip 22nd for the first time around, shaking his head furiously as he passed his team on the pit wall.
In a race long struggle that saw Cudlin stuck in a drafting pack of riders, Cudlin could only advance to 17th by the finish, securing enough points for 10th overall for the weekend.
“Race 2 was definitely disappointing for me, but just proves how important the starts are at a circuit like this.” Cudlin explained.
“I’m not a fan of the rolling start, and I got caught out by the concertina effect. From there it was just a battle to move forward in a pack of drafting riders. It was a frustrating race but we’ll take it on the chin and move forward from here. We’ve shown we can run with the top guys this weekend and I plan to do that more often from now on.”
Cudlin and the Paradigm Racing Team will take part in the 2 day official AMA test at Mid Ohio this week, in the lead up for their next AMA appearance at Round 8 in July.
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Corona Extra Honda
AMA Superbike racing came to America’s heartland, picturesque Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin. The fans here are always extremely enthusiastic, seeing the Superbike race weekend as the beginning of the summer riding season. So it’s a great excuse to bring out both old and new bikes from winter storage and cheer on their heroes!
The Corona Team of Neil Hodgson and Jake Holden were certainly well supported at the event. The traditional Corona promotion at Seibkins in Elkhart Lake, one of US motorcycling’s best known “place to be” saw a large crowd meet Jake, Neil and the lovely Corona girls. The highlight was a “target” Frisbee throwing competition for special autographed team shirts – the Corona girls were the targets so you can imagine the interest!
The weekend looked to be a good one with practice starting under clear blue skies and near perfect riding conditions. Both riders worked to improve their bikes throughout qualifying and after the basic round both riders were qualified for the Super Pole with Neil sitting in the 9th spot and Jake in 10th. During Super Pole the track conditions deteriorated with colder conditions and not as much grip as during qualifying. Both riders were slower for the one flying lap format but managed to improve their grid position by one place, Neil being in eighth with Jake right behind in ninth.
Race day dawned gray and cold and the prospect of rain later in the day. The prospect became a reality and by the time the green flag dropped it was a wet race! The race got off without mishap and Neil was soon in fourth challenging for third but in what turned out to be a ludicrous situation he was given a stop-go penalty. He was deemed to have “jumped” the start. On coming through the pit lane Neil was clearly confused as to why he had been penalized. Later review confirmed that he had not jumped the start but his bike was deemed to have “moved” by officials when he put it into gear! Review of the rules clearly stated that “Anticipation” i.e. “jumping” of the start required “Forward” movement which did not occur. In any case Neil’s race was effectively over. He rode as hard as possible and finished sixteenth. A frustrated Hodgson said: “I did not know what was going on with the flag. I knew I did not jump the start so thought maybe the bike was leaking oil. I came into the pits and the AMA waved me through then so did my crew. After that I could not get in the groove and just did as best as I could!”
Jake had a steady race, clearly not comfortable in the slippery conditions. He rode conservatively and finished twelfth. Afterwards he said: “I didn’t want to make any mistakes, last year I fell off twice, so just rode my own race. It was very slippery out there!”
The second day opened even colder but at least not raining. Morning practice was more a procession with riders taking it very carefully. With great fanfare the sun came out for the Superbike race! After getting less than great starts both riders rode solid races. Hodgson, continuing to recover from an early season injury, rode as hard as he could for the entire race but some electronic issues hampered his progress. He was able to bring his CBR1000RR Superbike home a well-earned 6th place finish. Neil said: “I had problems after the first couple of laps with the engine control system. The setting kept upsetting the chassis so I rode as carefully as possible. I’m happy to be getting nearer to the front!”
Holden had early race problems with his gearshift but continued to ride hard and settled for a lonely 9th after losing touch with the lead group but opening nearly half a minute gap ahead of tenth.
In its “Race to the Lime” Corona Extra Honda Racing is proud to be partnering with; Parts Unlimited, Cycle Gear, Pro Honda Oils, AGV, FMF, Autolite, Hotbodies Racing, K&N, Motion Pro, Vortex, Dainese, GPR, Ogio, CR&A, RK, Dunlop, JE Pistons, Powerstands, Bellco, Adran, K&L, HRC, Acme Garage, Vicci, Fluid Designs, EBSCO Media, MTS.
For more information please visit Corona Extra Honda Racing online at www.corona-racing.com, email media@corona-racing.com or call 310 521 9802.
Corona Extra Honda Next Race:
Moto GP/AMA Superbike Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California, July 3-5, 2009
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Chris Fillmore
Monday, June 8, 2009 – The race weekend at Road America for Chris
Fillmore was one that gave the AMA Pro Racing industry a reason to
keep an eye on him throughout the remainder of the 2009 season.
Fillmore came to Elkhart Lake, WI now having two race weekends under
his belt. The confidence that Fillmore is getting in the Goeff Cesmat
prepared Yamaha R6 Daytona Sportbike is beginning to show in
qualifying and racing situations.
Fillmore came into qualifying on Friday and was able to make good use
of the Yamaha on the series spec Dunlop tires to make his first
Superpole session in his career. The Superpole session was good for
Fillmore as he was able to make good use of the two-lap session to
post eighth quick time, which made him the top Yamaha in qualifying.
This meant Fillmore would start both Saturday and Sunday in eighth
grid position.
Saturday arrived with midwest style summer rain. This would mean a
full wet race event. While some struggle in these type of conditions,
Fillmore thrives on this type of track with a “loose” style that he
developed as a rider in the AMA Supermoto professional class. After
the race started and developed into a rhythm, Fillmore, Chris Peris,
and Taylor Knapp checked out early. While Peris took the lead,
Fillmore and Knapp battled for second throughout the 13-lap race
event. As the rain filled race moved to conclusion, the lead riders
began to encounter lapped riders. With less than a lap to go in the
event, Fillmore and Knapp moved past a lapped rider. However, after
concluding the pass to lap the rider he low sided the bike. The bike
gained speed and ran directly into the back of Fillmore’s no. 55
Yamaha R6. Instead of second or third, Fillmore would have to settle
for the knowledge that he has the ability to run at the front in
addition to the 24th place finish.
The second race of the weekend on Sunday was a more standard dry
weather race. The conditions meant that Fillmore would have more
company at the front as the dry weather kept all of the top riders
near the front throughout the race. Fillmore rode a consistent pace
and the end result was a well-earned top 10 in 10th position. In
addition to finishing 10th, Fillmore was also the top finishing Yamaha
R6.
Fillmore said post weekend, “This weekend has been a roller coaster
ride for me. Geoff and I have worked hard to get me to a point where
I am 100 % attacking in every session to ride the bike to it’s
maximum. I think the qualifying position and my results show that I
am getting everything I can out the R6. The situation on Saturday was
disappointing on one hand because of the final result. On the other
hand, I really enjoyed the conditions on track and I think we showed
that we will be a force in future rain events for victory.”
Look for AMA Daytona Sportbike coverage next Saturday night at 10 pm
EST on SpeedTV. In addition, round seven of the AMA Daytona Sportbike
series will take place in Monterey, CA on July 3-5. Chris Fillmore
Racing will take part with the no. 55 Yamaha R6.
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NPS Racing
About NPS Racing Engines
At NPS we have a state of the art Machine Shop providing performance Cylinder Head work as well as a SuperFlow Chassis Dyno and Flowbench to test and confirm our products and services. NPS can also do full service work on your motorcycle from suspension to performance add-on parts. For more information about NPS Racing Engines please contact Will at 1-888-570-4NPS or check out our web site at www.npsracing.com
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Buell
East Troy, Wis. (June 8, 2009) Taylor Knapp posted fourth and sixth place finishes aboard his Latus Motor’s Buell 1125R in last weekend’s AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike double header at Road America, his best finishes of the season.
Knapp’s fourth place finish in Saturday’s rain-soaked Race 1, which included a two-lap dash for the checkered flag after a late-race caution, was a test of fortitude and survival for the 22-year-old, Lapeer, MI-based racer.
“Normally I’m horrible in the rain. But I clicked good, and got a good rhythm and flow [going],” said Knapp, who led the 13-lap race early until being passed by eventual winner Chris Peris (Erion Honda) on lap four. “The big difference for me this weekend was that I qualified well. I started up front and was determined to stay up front.”
Saturday’s wet and wild race also resulted in 6th, 7th and 9th place finishes respectively for Buell 1125 riders Danny Eslick, Shawn Higbee and Michael Barnes. “Having four privateer riders from three different Buell teams finish in the top ten was a testimony to how easy the 1125R is to ride in the wet,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company. “It’s also proof of the success of our concept of providing the same parts to all teams instead of running a factory team.”
In Sunday’s cool but dry Race 2, Knapp raced as high as third, then settled back into sixth to finish between the Buell 1125Rs of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR/GEICO rider Danny Eslick in fifth and GEICO Powersports/RMR’s Michael Barnes in seventh.
Knapp also posted Buell’s highest qualifying position of the weekend, earning a fifth place starting grid spot in Friday’s Superpole final qualifying session with a 2:22.164 lap. It was Knapp’s first Superpole appearance of the season.
“Being able to start up front makes a big difference in the weekend. The field is stacked with ten or 20 guys in the same second, so getting up front from the back is really hard,” he said. “But being fourth twice makes me hungrier than ever. Gotta get that podium now.”
Eslick’s combined sixth and fifth place finishes brought his season total to 199 points and solidified his third place standing in the Daytona SportBike championship behind Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking in second (204 points) and championship leader Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas (255 points) who won Race 2.
In Saturday’s two-hour SunTrust Moto-GT endurance race, the James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing team of Paul James and Jeff Johnson won the Moto-GT1 class in challenging wet/dry conditions with a combination of luck, strategy and quick pit stops.
“To win at home, the home of Buell and during the Buell Homecoming, with our primary sponsors, H-D/Buell of Appleton and Hoban Brothers nearby, and to have friends and family here, is very special,” James said. “This win means a lot to me and to our team.”
After starting the race from the pit lane and initially being shown a lap down at the finish, the Liberty Waves Racing team of Eric Pinson and Eric Haugo was elevated to third place in Moto-GT1 after a post-race analysis of timing and scoring restored the team’s missing lap, and is now tied for the championship lead with Old Pros Racing in the GT1 class with 68 points.
In the Moto-GT2 class, the James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing team of moto-journalists Troy Siahaan and Kevin Duke placed fourth, followed by Old Glory H-D/Buell’s Jaycent Gebers and Dennie Huff in seventh.
Founded by visionary motorcycle designer and former privateer racer Erik Buell in 1983, Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel, including the 1125R superbike, 1125CR café racer and air-cooled XB-series Ulysses, Firebolt, and Lightning. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, or to locate the dealer nearest you, log onto www.buell.com.
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Yamaha
Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom captured his fourth podium of the season aboard his 2009 YZF-R1 in a rain-soaked Superbike race at Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wis. on Saturday, June 6. He charged to the front of the pack early in wet conditions, and then sparred with several other riders during the 13-lap contest before settling into a strong third-place finish. Then under better conditions on Sunday, “BBoz” took his R1 to a solid fifth-place finish to add to his points in the American Superbike championship, where he climbs to third place with six of 11 rounds completed. After leading the first practice on Friday, teammate Josh Hayes rode aggressively and set some of the quickest race laps, but crashed out on both Saturday and Sunday.
Superpole qualifying on Friday saw Hayes in third and Bostrom in fifth aboard the new crossplane crankshaft R1. Then on Saturday, the Yamaha duo gave the bike its rain-race debut. Full of confidence and with his machine shod with rain tires, Bostrom dove into the lead under braking for the first turn on lap one, although he soon relinquished the position to Larry Pegram, eventual race winner Mat Mladin, and second-place finisher Michael Laverty. Fortunately Pegram eventually dropped through the order somewhat, and Bostrom was able to reclaim third spot during the middle of the race. The rain, combined with cold temperatures only in the 40s, made the conditions extremely difficult, and the R1’s rider-friendly YCC-T throttle-control system definitely helped Bostrom achieve such a strong result.
So what’s it like racing in the rain at nearly 180 mph? “It was radical, honestly,” Bostrom admitted afterwards. “The scary part is that one of the straights has a big bend in it with a wall on the outside and it’s really gnarly. Fortunately I was on an R1 so it had great traction, and with the crossplane crank it was also very controllable. I feel like we have a winning machine and I never should be off the podium.” Road racing team manager Tom Halverson added, “We do have a good bike and the team and riders know it, and we also have two riders who can win. Anywhere we go we have a real chance of winning, and the riders are fighting real hard to get there. It didn’t go exactly like we wanted this weekend but we’ll be fighting hard for the win at he next race at Laguna on July 4th weekend.”
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Paradigm Racing
Elkhart Lake, WI. (June 7, 2009) – It was a weekend of highs and lows for Paradigm Racing. Race one saw rider Damian Cudlin fight through the field and the elements to bring the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home with a fantastic 5th place finish. It was a race that was a rewarding as it was challenging. Conversely, race two was far different from the success of the previous day. Despite the improvement in conditions, the race proved to be a continuous struggle.
“It was a rough day for us, especially after the high we had after finishing 5th yesterday,” Cudlin said.
Race two began with Cudlin in 8th position on the starting grid. The rolling start severely bunched up the field and created a serious danger as the field sped into turn one. Disaster nearly ensued as the riders around Cudlin slammed on the brakes, almost causing a pile-up as the race had just begun.
“Our race took a big hit after the rolling start, when a traffic jam basically boxed me in. I think I was in 22nd place on the first lap,” said Cudlin.
Cudlin was then caught in a pack of slower riders and struggled to break free. He became mired in the group, but gained several positions back only to have them taken away again.
“It was a struggle to break free from some slower riders around me, and despite giving it my best shot I only improved a bit. It’s disappointing, but we’ll come back stronger in the races to come,” said Cudlin.
Cudlin was able to secure a solid top twenty finish despite the constant set of issues that cropped up during the race. Race two’s 17th place result brought the weekend’s average finishing position to 11th.
Paradigm Racing will be participating in the upcoming official tire test, but will miss the next round at Laguna Seca. However, the team will return to the races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, OH. on July 17-19.
For more information on Paradigm Racing please visit www.paradigmracing.net
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Suzuki: American Superbike
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin continues to lead the AMA Superbike championship after finishing second in Sunday afternoon’s race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Sunday’s race was the second of two in the AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader weekend, which saw six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin winning the first race of the event on Saturday. So far this year, Mladin has won nine AMA Superbike races and finished on the podium a total of 10 out of 11 times. Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates joined Mladin on the podium in third place after passing Mladin’s Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Blake Young, who ran in third for most of the 13-lap event. After Yates’ pass, Young fell and wound up finishing eighth. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden finished up the weekend with a seventh-place result.
Mat Mladin:
“Obviously, it was a race with a lot of back and forth for the lead and in the end, we couldn’t get it done. We rode hard on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and that’s all we could do today.”
Tommy Hayden:
“I got a better start today and it was good to have a dry race. We’ve been struggling a bit all weekend, though it was definitely a better race today than yesterday. I did my fastest times all weekend in that race. But I’ve had a tough time this weekend and I feel like I’ve really had to work hard for every little bit of progress we made on the track. But we’ve got to keep on working on the bike and get back to where we need to be.”
Blake Young:
“I got off to a really good start on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was running fourth for a little while. And I just kind sorted out the field and ended up in third for a little bit. I tried to keep my head down and watch the guys in front of me battling it out, and hoping they would make a mistake and I could get a little closer. But we ended up eighth and now we’ll go to our next test and work on the bike from there.”
Aaron Yates:
“We had a pretty decent race there. The start didn’t go as good as I’d have wanted… it looked like it was going to be a tough one. But I managed to get by some folks on the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and put in some good laps. We made some changes to the bike last night and this morning, and I was able to go out there and ride like I needed to to go fast so thanks to the Jordan Suzuki crew for that. I was pushing as hard as I could and was able to ride hard to the end. It feels good to get up on the podium for the Jordan Suzuki team.”
Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, the weekend of July 3 -5, 2009.
AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers:
1. Larry Pegram, Ducati
2. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
3. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki
4. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki
5. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha
6. Neil Hodgson, Honda
7. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
8. Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
9. Jake Holden, Honda
10. David Anthony, Suzuki
AMA Superbike Points Standings:
1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
2. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
3. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha
4. Larry Pegram, Ducati
5. Josh Hayes, Yamaha
6. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki
7. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki
8. Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
9. David Anthony, Suzuki
10. Taylor Knapp, Suzuki
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Roadracingworld.com Suzuki
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki had numerous obstacles thrown their direction during Round 6 of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing championships at Road America, but the team showed their collective grit and determination to repeatedly make the best of the difficult circumstances.
Chris Ulrich twice charged up through the field in the American Superbike class, Russell Wikle came back from a painful crash and machinery drama to claim a SuperSport top five, and Santiago Villa made a stirring run up through the field after dropping to last place while avoiding an opening corner crash to score the best AMA Pro finish of his career in Saturday’s Daytona SportBike contest.
Ulrich battled the conditions, bike set-up, and tire issues during the weekend, as Saturday’s wet weather further complicated the difficulties the Californian was already encountering in his attempts to dial in his new 2009 GSX-R1000 racebike.
After showing strong form in the ten-minute wet weather warm-up, Ulrich suffered a tire issue during the race’s opening three laps before it came around. He dropped down to 22nd but recovered to make his way all the way up to eleventh, missing out on a top ten result by just 0.107 seconds.
Ulrich’s misfortune continued on Sunday as he was cited for jumping the start. Chris dropped down to 20th after coming in for his ride through penalty but made his way back up to 14th by the time he crossed the checkered flag.
Chris said, “We’ll start out a positive note: last year I left Road America with two pins in my hand on my way home to have another surgery. At least this year we’re leaving in one piece.
“We were just behind the whole weekend. We had some set-up issues and we’re just trying to get the hang of the K9. We thought we left Infineon with a pretty good setting but we struggled with the bike this weekend. The bike was unstable from the get-go and we made some drastic changes. We never found a cure but we have a test coming up at Mid-Ohio which should help a lot.
“In Saturday’s race, we looked pretty good in the warm-up and the tire worked really well. We put a new tire on for the race and that thing almost crashed me several times on the first three laps. I lost so many positions over the first three laps I could not believe it after showing such good pace in the warm-up. But then it stopped sliding and snapping and once the tire built pressure it got better and I dropped into some decent times — times that would have put me about sixth, but by then it was too late. I almost caught up to the guy in tenth but just ran out of laps in the end.
“Apparently I moved at the start today. I never moved out of the box but I moved in the box and the rule says that any movement is a jumpstart and they called me for it. We came from 20th back to 14th. I don’t agree with the rule. I don’t believe I gained any advantage. I think the rule needs some review. The interpretation is very harsh and I don’t think there should be any penalty if there is no advantage gained.”
17-year-old Wikle was a victim of the treacherous Saturday conditions, crashing hard in the opening turn of a chaotic Daytona SportBike race. After returning to competition on Sunday when x-rays showed no broken bones from the painful spill, the Alabaman had an eventful Sunday as well. After choosing to sit out the SportBike final in order to concentrate on his SuperSport duties, Wikle ran into the back of a competitor whose machine stalled in front of him but managed to avoid crashing and carried on even with the resultant problems with his GSX-R600.
Despite the extreme circumstances, Wikle still came through to pick up a superb fifth-place result.
“Russell had a very difficult race on Saturday, crashing and then having to go get some x-rays,” Ulrich explained. “And then his bad luck continued today. He ran into the back of a rival whose bike stalled and he bent the brake rotor. The pads were knocked back so every time he put on the brakes he had to pump them like crazy and the bike was shaking going into the corners.
“It was a character building weekend for Russell but he came through it with a top-five result in the end. It would have been real easy for him to wreck in that deal but he showed his maturity once again.”
Colombian Santiago Villa had to fight to overcome a great deal of drama as well. Villa was forced to the very back of the field in Saturday’s SportBike contest when he took evasive action to avoid Wikle’s fall. Santiago kept his wits about him and fought all the way back up to eleventh, beating a number of the class’ top-ranked riders to the checkered flag in the process.
On Sunday he picked up 22nd despite suffering technical problems that came about due to his broken hand. Villa moved his brake lever out to try to get leverage with his broken hand but he moved it far enough that after a couple laps it was hitting the throttle housing.
Santiago said, “The first race was full of crazy things. I got a great start, but in turn one, my teammate highsided so to avoid hitting him I ran out of the track. At that point I was last and start passing people until the first pace car. I saw my pit board and I was in 29th so I just put my head down and started passing people. The second pace car came out and at that point I was 14th. On that race start I made a pass on a couple of riders and someone crashed, so I ended 11th, my best result of the year. I just want to thanks to my crew, James and Peter for giving me a great bike, my Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki, my sponsors Addict By Bosi, P3 Racing, Bodytech, Moto Xtreme, and to my wife Diana for her support.”
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will next head to Mid-Ohio to test before picking back up on July 3-5 at Laguna Seca for Round 7 of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing championship.
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LTD Racing
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (June 7, 2009) – Bryce Prince had a fantastic race for LTD Racing at Road America on Sunday, finishing sixth. Prince improved on his 14th starting position to earn another top ten finish and improve to fourth in AMA SuperSport West points.
“Overall, I was happy with how I finished, especially after I qualified in 14th,” said Bryce, from Bakersfield, California. “I felt I turned the weekend around by having a good race. It was my first weekend ride on a Yamaha R6 and I liked the bike a lot. I felt like I got faster as the weekend progressed but then qualifying didn’t go the way we wanted. I got up to fourth place briefly in the race but the tire was spinning just a little bit and we got sixth. I had a blast.”
Huntley Nash ran as high as fourth as well, but a mistake at Canada Corner left him down in the running order. “I downshifted one time too many,” said Nash, of Marietta, Georgia. “I just pulled in the clutch and ran it wide rather than crash. I was able to put in some good laps after that and get back up and earn some points. I’m up to fifth place now in the points, so that’s a positive.”
Tomas Puerta had a disappointing race. After making a good start and running with the leaders in fourth place, a machine issue left him out of the running on the first lap. “I was with the leaders, but then we had a problem with the bike and my race was done,” said Puerta, from Medellin, Colombia.
LTD Racing will contest the Laguna Seca SuperSport round, July 3-5.
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AMA Pro Road Racing
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 7, 2009) - On a nearly perfect day for racing at Road America, Larry Pegram captured his first AMA Pro Racing National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited victory in 10 years and Martin Cardenas scored his sixth AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL victory of the season on the final day of the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader.
The American Superbike race featured an epic, four-bike battle royal at the front with Pegram on the No. 72 Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R, Mat Mladin on the No. 7 Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, Blake Young on the No. 79 Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Geoff May on the No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. The four bikes swapped positions throughout the first three-quarters of the race before the fight for the victory became a mano-a-mano duel between Pegram and Mladin.
As he also did at the standing start in Saturday’s first race of the doubleheader, Pegram got an outstanding start from the second row and claimed the lead. Pegram led the first six laps of the 13 lap race before Mladin first took the lead as he went in search of his 10th victory of the season. The second half of the race featured a seesaw battle in which Pegram would power past Mladin heading into Turn 1 at the end of the long front straightaway, and Mladin would return the favor under braking in Turn 5 on each lap.
As a result, Mladin was scored as the leader from Lap 7 through Lap 11. However, the lead changed hands an amazing four times on Lap 8 alone as the two combatants thrilled the Road America fans with their determination to wrestle the lead from one another at every opportunity.
The battle came to a head on the penultimate lap of the race. Pegram took the lead on the front straight heading into Turn 1, but Mladin reclaimed the position in Turn 3. Pegram finally sealed the deal on the run from Turn 3 to Turn 5 and managed to pull away for a 0.342-second victory.
It was Pegram’s first win since April 19, 1999 at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, Calif., and was the third victory of his AMA Pro Racing career. The other win came in 600 SuperSport competition at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. On September 6, 1998.
“It was definitely a great race,” said Pegram. “I was expecting that I could run the pace, but I wasn’t expecting to lead like that most of the time. I was real comfortable. When Mat would get in front of me, he wouldn’t really get me anywhere. We were pretty even, but I’d catch him in The Carousel (Turns 9 and 10). When we’d go through there, he would gap me in the left-hander after The Carousel. It was weird. He was really getting through there good. It’s been such a long time. I don’t know if that was as good as the first one or not, but I don’t want to wait 10 years for another one.”
For Mladin, who won the opening race of the doubleheader on Saturday, it was just the second time in 11 races this season that he did not stand atop the box. However, it was his 10th podium of the season and he comfortably leads teammate Tommy Hayden (No. 22 Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) – who finished seventh today – in the American Superbike championship standings by 110 points, 325-215, with nine races remaining on the season.
“Obviously, it was back-and-forth,” Mladin said. “In the end, we couldn’t get it done. We rode hard and that’s all we could do today.”
Riding the No. 23 Jordan Brand Suzuki GSX-R1000, Aaron Yates caught the lead pack late in the race as his teammate dropped back. Yates came out on top in the fight for the final podium spot with Young, taking third place away in Turn 11 on the final lap. Young fell just after Yates took the spot away, but was not injured in the incident and finished the race in eighth place. It was Yates’ first podium since finishing second in the second race of a doubleheader at Barber Motorsports Park last month.
“We had a pretty decent race there,” Yates said. “The start didn’t go quite like I was hoping. I left a little late, but I managed to just start to get by folks and just started putting in some good laps. We made some changes last night and this morning, so I was able to go out there and ride like I needed to to go fast. Thanks to the Jordan crew for that.
“I couldn’t do much with ‘ol Blake. His little self on that Yoshimura bike was getting it pretty good down the straightaways. I was making a lot of ground through the (Turns) 5, 6 and 7 area. I had a look under the inside of him coming out of The Carousel. I was on the inside for the next turn on one lap, and I knew he’d just get me on the straightaway. On the final lap, I looked again, but I was a little too late getting in there. I just kind of slipped up under him for that right (Turn 11) and I had to get in there and kind of park it. He wasn’t expecting that, for sure, and I guess he had to get on the brake a little hard or something. It looked like he slid down, and I was able to just ride it hard to the end. It feels good to get us up here on the podium for the Jordan Suzuki.”
May made it two Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000s in the top four with a fourth-place performance, for his sixth top-five result of the season. Ben Bostrom finished fifth on the No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1. It was Bostrom’s fifth top five in his past six races and was his sixth top-five run of the season overall.
The next round for American Superbike is scheduled for Sunday, July 5 as part of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Cardenas Wins Daytona SportBike Thriller
In a race where the lead changed hands at least five times on the final lap, Cardenas came away with his sixth AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL victory of the season on the No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600.
After running second for most of the race, Cardenas had an epic final-lap battle with Jake Zemke on the No. 1X Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR. Over the final four miles of the race, Cardenas took the lead from Zemke in Turn 1, but Zemke returned the favor in Turn 5. Cardenas reclaimed the lead from Zemke five turns later, but Zemke got inside position heading into the left-hand Turn 12, which is famously known as “Canada Corner,” and appeared to be headed for Victory Lane.
However, Cardenas had one last burst on the long, uphill front straightaway and won the drag race to the stripe to win by 0.104 seconds. It was the eighth podium in 10 races for Cardenas, who now leads the Daytona SportBike championship standings by 51 points, 255-204, over No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R rider Jamie Hacking, who finished ninth. Eleven of 20 races are now in the books.
“The first plan that I had was to pass him,” Cardenas said. “I tried to make a very good lap and tried to win, but under braking into Turn 5, Jake came by again. I tried to pass him again on the chicane, and he went past me on the next turn. We went side-by-side for the last half of the racetrack and it went down to the last corner. He was protecting the inside and, on that particular lap, I made a good run out of that turn and it worked out and I could win. Especially today, my bike was very fast and it helped me a lot today to win the race. Thank you to M4 Suzuki and all the team.”
Zemke took the lead on Lap 7 and led a total of six laps, coming up just short in his bid for a breakthrough Daytona SportBike victory. Nevertheless, it was the Californian’s first podium finish of the season. His previous best ride was a fourth-place performance in the first race of the April doubleheader at Road Atlanta.
“I was trying to be anywhere that Martin wasn’t,” Zemke said. “We were pretty much side-by-side through all those final corners. We were basically side-by-side since out of the chicane (Turn 11). He had a little slip there with the rear and we went side-by-side all the way to Canada Corner. I had the inside there, and then he crossed back over and was outside of me as we went into where the bridge used to be (Turn 13). I knew he was kind of sitting there and I knew I had to protect the inside on the last corner. Leading the race, you just can’t go in there and leave the door wide open for somebody. Being where I was, I just had to protect the inside. Martin is real strong on the brakes, so I knew if I left that open, he’d definitely go up the inside of me. I just had to do what I had to do, and today it didn’t work out for us.
“Congratulations to Martin, he rode great, and also Jason (DiSalvo). These guys have been the class of the field this year, and they’re the ones we’ve got to set our sights on. We’re going to come out to the next race at Laguna and see if we can’t hunt Martin down.”
Rounding out the podium was Jason DiSalvo, who started from the pole position on the No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600. DiSalvo never led, but kept the lead battle in sight throughout the race to take his fifth podium result of the season.
“I was just really happy to make it out and get back on the box,” DiSalvo said. “After yesterday’s performance in the rain, it was just good to get back out. I wish I could have fought for the win, but we lost a little bit of power in the bike from about Lap 3 on, and I just really couldn’t hang in the draft and couldn’t get off some of the slower corners. I just had to sit back and watch those guys inch away from me. It was pretty tough to do, but we just stuck it out and brought it home a very comfortable third. We just want to go out and get that win. We’ve been waiting a long time for it.”
Yesterday’s race winner, Chris Peris, finished fourth in the second race of the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on the No. 10 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR. Danny Eslick rounded out the top five on the No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R.
Next up for Daytona SportBike is the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, July 5.
Mercado Scores Second SuperSport presented by Shoei Victory
Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) and Ricky Parker (No. 96 Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) capped an entertaining day of racing at Road America with a great, race-long battle for the victory in AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei action.
The race, which included both the East and West divisions of SuperSport, was a continuation of sorts of the battle Mercado and Parker had last time out at Infineon Raceway last month. On that day, Parker came out with his first SuperSport victory.
Things would be different this time around. Mercado started from the pole, and although Parker was able to lead the first two laps of the race, the 17-year-old Argentine proved why he topped the time charts throughout the weekend by putting the No. 92 Kawasaki into the lead in Turn 5 on Lap 3. Mercado led the next four laps before Parker once again stepped to the front of the class in Turn 5 with four laps remaining.
Heading down the front straightaway with two to go, Mercado made the decisive pass and managed to keep Parker in his mirrors to win by 0.449 seconds. It was Mercado’s second career SuperSport victory and his first since taking Round 2 of the SuperSport East championship at Road Atlanta in April. The victory moved Mercado to the top of the SuperSport East point standings by 18 points, 81-63, over No. 5 Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600 rider Russ Wikle.
“It was a really fun race,” said Mercado. “It was really hard, Ricky was very close behind. He passed me a couple times. The race was difficult. I tried to push hard every lap and be consistent and not make any mistakes. I’m really happy. Today, my Kawasaki worked awesome. I hope to keep it like this in the other races of the year. I want to thank my team for a great job.”
Parker came home second for his second consecutive SuperSport podium result. He is now third in the SuperSport West point standings with 56 points, just one point behind Clint Shobert (No. 26 American Honda CBR600RR), who finished ninth today, and 18 behind leader Tyler Odom (No. 46 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR), who was seventh in today’s race. It was just Parker’s third SuperSport race of the season.
“This was actually better than Infineon,” said Parker. ”There was a lot more action in there. We had a lot of passes during the whole race and that made it a lot more fun for us, and I believe for the spectators also. It was an awesome race. Leandro and I stayed close pretty much the whole race. The last lap unfortunately I made a mistake, I ran wide and lost a little bit from him and couldn’t just make up the gap in the last few corners. It’s okay, I’m happy with second. I’ll take second this weekend and look forward to Laguna, hopefully we’ll get another podium.”
Josh Day completed the podium on the No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6 with a third-place ride. It was Day’s best ride since finishing second in Round 2 at Road Atlanta.
“It went pretty well,” said Day. ”I wish I could have stayed with the guys at the front but they just picked up the pace a little bit more than what I had for them and we didn’t really have the bike setup to be going that quick. Congrats to how good they were riding up front. Other than that, the rest of the race was pretty flawless and lonely. The rest of time I was pretty much out there all by myself towards the end. I wish I could have stayed with them up front, that way we would have had a good three-way battle but hopefully we’re coming out for the next race and can stay up front with them.”
James Rispoli, who leads the points in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Pro Singles Championship, finished fourth in his SuperSport debut aboard the No. 71 NPS Racing Suzuki GSX-R600, and Wikle completed the top five.
The next SuperSport round is scheduled for Saturday, July 4 as part of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
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Ducati
ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 7 2009) – Larry Pegram and the Foremost Racing Ducati 1098 R won today after a race long dual at historic Road America- only three months after Ducati’s return to Superbike racing in America.
Larry Pegram used the stable chassis and massive horsepower of the Ducati 1098 R Superbike to defeat the long dominant Suzuki squad today. The fast, flowing circuit has historically suited Ducati well, and entering the weekend Pegram was confident of a win.
“I told my guys we’ve got past Barber and Sears Point. Those are my two worst circuits and after finishing third at Sears Point I knew we could win anywhere else,” commented Pegram. “The bike went well in the wet yesterday and I felt confident going into today’s race.”
Pegram’s primary opposition came from Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, who pressured Pegram from flag to flag; stating later that the Ducati 1098 R must have had a “10 mph advantage” over the Suzuki on the straightaway. In an effort to take control of the race Mladin attempted a series of risky passes, only to find Pegram blowing back by. With two laps to go Pegram built up a gap, and put his head down to take the checkered flag.
“I got a good start and out-broke everyone into turn five,” said Pegram in the press conference. “Once I made it out front I rode a good pace until Mladin caught me. I didn’t want a four or five way battle come the last few laps so I had to stay on Mladin in order to gap the others. The Ducati was working better than the Suzuki over most the track so I just fought to keep Mat behind me. On the last few corners I kept telling myself to keep my head down and not screw it up! It feels so good to win on my own factory team. It’s been a long time since we set started out in 2004, and my last Superbike win was at Willow Springs in 1999. To be able to do it on a factory Ducati, with the team I built means a lot to me. It hasn’t fully set in yet but it feels so great.”
The race win was popular with both fans in attendance as well as historians of the sport, all delighted to see Ducati back on top of the podium in America. After a three year absence from the Superbike class Ducati returned to action only three months ago; with today marking their 40th win in the class. Looking forward to the next round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 3-5th; Pegram has another reason to smile- this weekend’s finish promotes him two spots to fourth overall in the Championship.
For a race report, photos and team information please visit www.pegramracing.com; for more information on Ducati and the revolutionary 1098 R Superbike please visit www.ducatiusa.com.
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M4 Suzuki
Martin Cardenas’ incredible season continued on Sunday at Road America as the Team M4 Suzuki star scored perhaps the most exciting of his six 2009 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike victories.
The Colombian broke free of the pack early in the 13-lap affair but was soon joined by the reigning Formula Xtreme champion, Jake Zemke, in the battle for the win. Zemke moved into the lead on lap 7 of 13 at which point Martin chose to sit in his tow and stalk his opponent from behind as the laps wound down.
The title leader finally struck on the final lap, diving underneath in the opening turn with hopes of making a break to the checkered flag. Cardenas’ rival came back, however, and the two traded the position a couple more times leading up to a dramatic sequence in which the two chased each other through the final few corners practically alongside each other.
Cardenas entered the race’s final corner in second position but he set up his launch off the exit perfectly, positioning his Suzuki GSX-R600 to motor into the lead as he stormed up the hill and to the checkered flag for his sixth win in the last eight races.
Speaking about the thrilling final lap, Cardenas said, “My first plan was to pass him early and make a very good lap and get away but he came back by in turn five. I tried to pass him again in the chicane and we went past me in the next turn. We went side-by-side for the last half of the track and it came down to the last corner. He was protecting the inside and I got a great run out of the turn and it worked out for the win. The last lap I just went for it and gave everything to try to win it.
“My bike was very fast today and it helped me a lot. Thanks to M4 Suzuki and all the team.”
Teammate Jason DiSalvo gave Team M4 Suzuki further reason to celebrate, contesting Cardenas for the lead early before settling into third for his fifth podium ride of the season.
DiSalvo and Cardenas have now finished together on the podium three times this season, including their two earlier 1-2 results.
“We had a good start and the first opening laps were pretty exciting racing with Martin,” DiSalvo said. “We were dicing around but after the opening few laps I had trouble holding onto the draft down the straights. It was kind of a lonely race. It was kind of a lonely race but I had a great view of the battle up front.
“It was good to get back on the podium and I’m thankful to the whole team. They did a great job this weekend.”
Cardenas now leads the Daytona SportBike championship race by a mammoth 51 points at 255 points while DiSalvo is fourth at 179.
Team M4 Suzuki will look to continue their remarkable run of success following the summer break when the AMA Pro Racing series joins the MotoGP World Championship at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA on July 3-5.
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Suzuki: Daytona SportBike
Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas captured yet another win in the AMA Daytona SportBike class, this time at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The double-header weekend saw the Colombian rider pick up a podium in spite of cold, rainy conditions in Saturday’s race and then take the win on Sunday. This victory marks Cardenas’ sixth win of the 2009 season and allows him to extend his lead in the overall championship points standings. M4 Suzuki teammate Jason DiSalvo also had a strong showing at Road America. DiSalvo picked up another pole position in the Daytona SportBike class – his fourth-consecutive one this year – and he brought home a third-place result in Sunday afternoon’s race. This result marks DiSalvo’s fifth podium of the season and currently, he’s in fourth place overall in the AMA Daytona Sportbike points standings.
Martin Cardenas – 3rd place, Race 1 (Saturday) & 1st place, Race 2 (Sunday):
“Saturday’s race was good for the championship though it was very tough to race in these conditions. Since the warm-up, there were two times when I almost crashed so I was a little bit scared. In the race, the track was very slippery, so at the beginning some guys came by me and I tried to stay with them – some I could stay with, some I could not – and I tried to stay in that rhythm and try not to lose as many positions as I could… (Toward the end of the race), I tried to do two laps as fast as I could to try and gain some positions and that worked and I ended up on the podium so I’m happy with that result. “On Sunday, the race went down to the last corner. I was trying to make a good lap and get the win. I made a good run out of the turn and it turned out I could win. Today, especially, my M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 was very fast and it helped me to win the race. I gave it everything I had and thank you to M4 Suzuki.”
Jason DiSalvo – 3rd place, Race 2 (Sunday):
“We had a good start and the first opening laps were pretty exciting with Martin. We were kind of dicing around, but after the opening laps I had some trouble holding the draft down the straightaways and out of the slower corners. It was kind of a lonely race, I was just riding round and waiting for the guys in front of me to get together and for something to happen. But I had a great view of the battle up front, so it was a good race and I’m happy to get another podium. I’m grateful to M4 Suzuki and all the crew, they did a great job all weekend and it’s good to be back on the podium.”
M4 Suzuki Racing will race next at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, over the weekend of July 3-5, 2009.
