AMA Pro Infineon: Sunday (updated regularly)

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Damian Cudlin

Damian Cudlin put in another solid performance at Infineon’s AMA round on the weekend, securing another top 10 finish for the Paradigm Racing Team.

In his second appearance aboard the Paradigm R6, Cudlin set out to make his mark in the hotly contested Daytona Sportbike class, at another venue he’d never seen before. In an impressive display of learning circuits quickly, the young Aussie instantly made his presence known in practice before narrowly missing out on a second consecutive Superpole berth. Nevertheless, Cudlin took his 14^th position grid slot with a lap time just 1.1seconds from pole.

In a chaotic opening lap, an incident between four riders brought out the safety car, ‘freezing’ proceedings for the next 4 laps of the race. As the re-started race got back underway, Cudlin settled into 13^th place and engaged in an entertaining battle with Roger Hayden, Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp. Gaining track knowledge and experience with every lap, Cudlin stayed right in the hunt, eventually crossing the line in a solid 11^th spot.

“The race was tough in that heat but we did pretty well under the circumstances and managed to move up a bit in the race.” Cudlin said.

“I’ve been playing catch up all weekend learning the tricks to this place, but my team has done a great job for me and hopefully I can go even further in race 2.”

The Paradigm Team made some adjustments overnight which put Cudlin in a confident mood going into Sunday’s second race. In searing heat, the 22 lap race got underway in front of a boisterous crowd and the pace proved to be hot from the outset. Getting shuffled back to 15^th place in the opening laps, Cudlin gave himself some work to do in the race but a determined fight back saw a steady rise up the leader board. Disposing of Danny Eslick with 3 laps to run, Cudlin upped his pace in the closing stages and secured a 10^th place finish.

“That race was even tougher than the first, as the conditions made it very difficult, but I came home strong and picked em off at the end.” Cudlin explained.

“We’re still a bit away from where we want to be, but we’re building on our experience all the time and I think a top 5 finish isn’t far away. These Paradigm guys have been great to work with and I’m really excited to see where this team is going. I can’t wait for Road America.”

Despite missing the Atlanta AMA round, Cudlin now sits 13^th in the AMA standings and will continue his chase at the next round of the AMA series in Wisconsin, on the June 5/6/7^th.

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Dainese/AGV

There was one very important motorcycle fan that came to Infineon to support his team: Michael Jordan.

The Michael Jordan Suzuki Team, this year teaming up with National Guard, is sponsored by Dainese that provide leathers to Geoff May and Aaron Yates.

Michael, after enjoying the qualifications on friday, jumped on a bike and went for a ride in the beautiful countryside of Sonoma protected with an AGV helmet. The helmet was one of the many helmets from the National Guard Jordan Suzuki Racing Experience: the 2-up program sponsored by Dainese and AGV. This program provides an exclusive on-track experience for members of the media and selected guests at each round of the AMA National Guard Pro Racing Superbike Series. All riders are protected “head-to-toe” with Dainese leathers, gloves, boots and AGV helmets confirming the safety mission for both Dainese, AGV and National Guard.

http://www.dainese.com/us_en/news/Dainese_AGV_racers_at_Infineon

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Aprilia Millennium Technologies

Sonoma, CA – May, 2009 –  Chaz Davies scored a fourth place finish in Saturday’s Daytona SportBike race one in what could be considered the team’s most difficult weekend of the year. The dark cloud of bad luck returned for Ben Thompson who was fresh off his best finish of the year at Barber Motorsports Park. Despite improving in every session Thompson fell victim to a crash in both races at Infineon Raceway.

Chaz was immediately fast from the beginning of the weekend and the team had high hopes for a podium finish in what many thought would be the worst track for the Aprilia RSV1000R. Chaz qualified in Superpole in the third position with a time of 1:40.010, only a tenth of a second out of second place. Thompson was making steady progress in first qualifying, but crashed out early and had to start from the eighteenth position.

Daytona SportBike race one didn’t start off as planed when Ben Thompson crashed on lap one in turn two with a huge high side. Fortunately, Thompson was virtually un-injured but his Aprilia RSV1000R was destroyed. Davies missed the first lap incident and was running up front with the lead group. Chaz spent most of the race in third place, but was passed by Hacking with a handful of laps to go leaving the Welshman fourth on the final lap. This is the teams second top five in a row.

The Millennium Technologies sponsored Aprilia team worked hard Saturday night to come up with a solution that would allow Davies to move up to a coveted podium position and to repair Thompson’s damaged RSV1000R. It appeared that the set-up changes worked early in Sunday’s Daytona SportBike race two when Davies was able to turn the fastest lap of the race. Again, Davies was right there with the lead group but on lap six his Aprilia RSV1000R overheated and he was forced to pull out of the race. Thompson continued his streak of terrible luck when he was taken out early by another rider.

Chaz Davies – “Although the weekend didn’t end the way we wanted, it was actually very encouraging that the bike worked as well as it did at this track. Infineon is a very tight track that rewards a nimble, lightweight bike and the KWS Motorsport team has done a wonderful job to make the Aprilia RSV1000R competitive here. I am very much looking forward to Road America. Thanks to Rocky Stargel, Jimmy Le, and the rest of the team for all their hard work this weekend. “

Ben Thompson – “It was a bad weekend. This is only my second time at Infineon and we made some mistakes early, but we really started make some progress by Saturday. Every time we started to get some momentum we ended up in the dirt. I really want to thank Michael Godin and Marty Ashmore for all their hard work this weekend. I am very glad that this weekend is over and I wish we could race Road America tomorrow.”

Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) – “Despite all the challenges, it is very encouraging that we can run up front at place like Infineon. If we can run up front here then we can run up front anywhere. Road America should be a good track for the Aprilia and it is the home track for Millennium Technologies so we will put this one behind us and move on.”

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.kwsapriliaracing.com

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ESP/Venemotos Yamaha

May 18, 2009 (Reno, NV)— Team ESP/Venemotos Yamaha continued to improve on the first day of official on track activity at the Infineon round of the AMA Daytona Sportbike class. The ESP crew arrived at Infineon raceway a day early to take advantage of an extra day of testing before the AMA national. The ESP crew was able to work on the race setup of Robertino Pietri’s R6 during the day, continually improving as the day wore on. Unfortunately, when the checkered flag waved at the end of basic qualifying, Pietri had missed Superpole by less than one second.

The second day of competition saw the ESP crew continue their progress and Pietri was confident after the morning practice going into the first race of the weekend. The first lap was exciting, with some of the riders caught out by the greasy track conditions, leading to multiple crashes on the first lap. After taking avoiding action, Robertino found himself well down in the field when the safety car came onto the track while the track crews cleaned the racing surface. After battling through the field, Robertino was able to secure a solid nineteenth in the highly competitive Sportbike class.

Taking what the team learned from the first race, the ESP/ Venemotos crew made some adjustments to Pietri’s R6 and were looking to improve in the second race of the weekend. Pietri had a much stronger start and was running in a group that was to make up the eventual top ten before a late race tire issue forced him to slow his pace, coming home in fourteenth.

Robertino Pietri:
“We keep working on the setup of my R6 and we keep going faster, we only missed out on Superpole by nine tenths. We made some changes to the front end and we were better for the first race. After that first lap pile up I was pushed back, but kept my head down and tried to work my way forward. We made it back into the top twenty and learned some things for the second race. In the second race, we were in contention for a top ten finish before my tires went off in the hot greasy conditions. I wanted to keep pushing but I’d rather finish in the top fifteen versus the crash truck. After the second race, we know we can achieve a top ten finish and that is what I am aiming for in the next race. ”

Evan Steel:
“We’re making progress, every session we seem to drop half a second. Tino’s race pace is pretty good and he always seems to find time when the green flag drops. We just need to keep working and qualify a little better. We weren’t that far off the Superpole times this weekend, and even starting back in the field Tino was able to push his way to the front. He was battling with the group that made it into the top ten during the second race. More importantly, Tino really used his head this weekend. When his tires started to go off, he knew he had to ease off and finish the race instead of continuing to push until he ended up in the dirt. The Daytona Sportbike field is really competitive and deep this year, but after this weekend we know we can be in the top ten. That is our goal at Road America. ”

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.com

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Corona Extra Honda

The Infineon Superbike event marked the return of Corona Extra Racing pilot Neil Hodgson into the AMA Superbike fray.  Neil joined Jake Holden who has been handling the riding duties in Neil’s absence at the picturesque Napa valley circuit.  The weather was beautiful with peak temperatures hitting well into the high 90’s.

Neil took the riding chores as easy as possible to get back into the swing but was still able to qualify for Superpole along with Jake.  The riders went out one after the other and finished eighth for Jake with Neil right behind in ninth.  Neil said he was having a hard time with his shoulder and Jake was getting used to being back on his Superstock bike after the factory Superbike.

Come the race both Jake and Neil got good starts and were right in the lead pack for the first lap.  Misfortune was soon to befall both however.  On the second lap, while in eighth, Jake ran wide at turn seven, rejoining almost last, in eighteenth, but really on the gas. Neil started out in eleventh after lap one but worked up to ninth on lap two and was right in the mix but lost the front end in turn eleven on lap four and went down. He was not able to restart.  Neil said; “The track got really greasy because it was so hot.  I was going in hard and the front end just washed out!”  Jake really had his head down after his off track excursion, making up two places every lap and working back up to twelfth by lap six but then the Turn eleven gremlin bit him and his bike threw its chain as he came out of the corner.

Day two dawned even hotter with numbers nudging the high nineties when the flag dropped on the second Superbike race.  Jake got a good start and held his position for the opening laps.  He moved up as high as sixth before a mechanical problem with his suspension slowed him down and eventually forced him to pull off. Overall it was a very disappointing weekend for Jake.

Neil rode a steady pace after his get-off in the first race.  Early in the race he lost a couple of positions over his start but worked back up to ninth and held it to the finish with a strong cushion of fourteen seconds over tenth.  Neil Said; “I wanted to make sure I finished so decided to take it very conservatively and not push it.  I actually felt a lot better today than I did yesterday even after getting off!”

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, 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 – Miller Motorsports Park, Toele Utah May 29-31, 2009

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Monster Energy/Attack Kawasaki

Sonoma, Calif.– Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado earned second overall in his third AMA Pro SuperSport race of the year during an exciting 18-lap, bar-to-bar battle at Infineon Raceway. The race temperature was in the mid-90s as the young riders raced fearlessly around the 11-turn course. In the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race, both Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden had small crashes. Hacking was able to come back for 13th, while Hayden was unable to continue.

Another Podium for Tati
With only three races in the books for Mercado in the AMA Pro SuperSport class, the Argentine nicknamed Tati, took his second podium. Throughout the 18-lap race, Mercado was on the rear tire of the first place rider, but was unable to find a time and place for a safe pass.

“This was a tough race,” said Mercado. “I was battling the whole time and it was really hot out. It was still fun even though I didn’t get the win.”

The Tough Get Going
After a few laps of the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race, Hacking was in a good position. A small mistake put his bike briefly on the ground, but a new AMA rule requires that all downed bikes come into the pits for a quick safety check before re-entering the race. After being a held up in the pits, Hacking was still able to come back for 13th overall.

“The race was a little frustrating because I felt really good,” said Hacking. “After those first few laps, I didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard and I wasn’t getting tired. That’s racing and we’ll just have to hope that our next race is better.”

Pushing it
After a solid race on Saturday, Hayden made noticeable improvements during the Sunday warm-up prior to the race. He was running a fast pace during the race, but laid the bike down in turn two. When he came in for his safety check in the pits, he was unable to return to the race.

“I was catching the rider in front of me after a mediocre start and pushing it pretty good,” said Hayden. “The track was a bit greasy with the heat and I think I just pushed it a little bit too hard. I’ll try and make up for my mistake at the next race.”

Heat, Heat and More Heat
The temperature in Sonoma, Calif. was a big factor in Sunday’s race. The riders did what they could to stay cool prior to the race.

Still Talking
During the autograph session on Sunday, Hacking only seemed to hear one thing from the fans; “That was the best save I have ever seen in my life.” The fans were referring to the near crash that Hacking displayed during race one at Barber Motorsports Park.

“I heard that phrase all weekend and even though it seemed to be repetitive, I was very grateful for the fans and their enthusiasm,” said Hacking.

Results
AMA Pro Road Racing Series
Infineon Raceway – Sonoma, Calif.
May 17, 2009

AMA Pro SuperSport Results
1.    Ricky Parker, Mansfield, La., Yamaha
2.    LEANDRO MERCADO, LODI, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI
3.    Russ Wilkie, Huntsville, Ala., Suzuki
4.    BRYCE PRINCE, BAKERSFIELD, CALIF., KAWASAKI
5.    Garrett Willis, Loomis, Calif., Yamaha
6.    EZEQUIEL ITURRIOZ, ARGENTINA, KAWASAKI
7.    Christopher Clark, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha
8.    ROBERT TINAGERO, SANTA ROSA, CALIF., KAWASAKI
9.    Tyler Odom, Torrance, Calif., Honda
10.    BRIAN PINKSTAFF, PORTLAND, ORE., KAWASAKI

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Results
1.    Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki
2.    Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki
3.    Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha
4.    Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha
5.    Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda
6.    Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha
7.    Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda
8.    Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Yamaha
9.    Taylor Knapp, Lapeer, Mich., Buell
10.    Damian Cudlin, Austalia, Yamaha
13. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI
40. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Point Standings
1.    Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki, 203
2.    JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 179
3.    Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell, 168
4.    Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 148
5.    Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha, 136
6.    Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla, 108
7.    Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha, 103
8.    Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 103
9.    Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha, 94
10.    Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda, 92
16. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 44
18. LEANDRO MERCADO, LODI, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 39

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Chris Fillmore

Monday, May 18, 2009 – Chris Fillmore entered the AMA Infineon Raceway weekend with no experience of the fast, sweeping, technical track found in Sonoma, CA.  However, Fillmore was able to quickly get up to speed at the facility and show promising potential for the remainder of the season.

Fillmore arrived early to Sonoma so that he could take part in a pre-event open lapping session.  The session allowed him to learn the track and find a number of places on track that he would work to maximize his pace as the weekend progressed.   Once into the race weekend, Fillmore took a measured approach in qualifying that garnered a 17th in qualifying aboard his 2009 Graves Motorsports Yamaha R6.

While this was not as far up as Chris would have liked to qualify, he knew that he had an opportunity to re-qualify on Saturday morning.  In this second session, Fillmore attacked harder and this allowed him to move to 13th for the start of the event.

On Saturday, Race 1 found Chris attacking from the start of the event.  From his inside seventh row starting position, Fillmore quickly moved toward the top 10.  Chris and his mechanic Geoff Cesmat spent time in practice getting the Yamaha to work well under braking.  Chris was able to use the brakes to great effect in a number of passes during Race 1.  In the end, Fillmore, like at Barber, found himself in a group with Damian Cudlin, Roger Hayden, and Michael Beck fighting it out for 9th – 12th.  Fillmore earned a first top ten in 2009 in 10th.

For Sunday, Fillmore and Cesmat set the bike up for the same type of race tactics for Race 2 as in Race 1.  At the start, Fillmore once again leapt from the seventh row and quickly moved into the top 10.

However, nine laps into the 22-lap event, Fillmore lost grip in the front end and the event came to a premature conclusion.  It was unfortunate as Fillmore was already into the top ten and looking to better his result from Saturday.

After moving close to the top ten in points in 12th after Saturday, Fillmore finds himself in 14th at the conclusion of the race weekend in Daytona Sportbike points.  This is a very positive points position if the lack of participation at the opening round in Daytona is considered.

Fillmore had this to say about the weekend, “I came to the race this weekend and wanted to learn the track and continue to improve my bike.

Geoff and I found a good balance for the race and once I got into a rhythm I was able to go really deep on the brakes.  I am not sure what happened in race two that put me out.  I was coming through the uphill esses early in the lap and the front went away.  It was too bad as I got a good start and was feeling good about my early pace in the race.”

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Yamaha

Josh Hayes earned his first AMA Superbike victory at Infineon Raceway in the blistering Sonoma, Calif. heat on Saturday, May 16. In doing so he gave Yamaha its first AMA Superbike win since 2002 and the new crossplane crankshaft YZF-R1 its first-ever American Superbike win. The victory also vaulted the popular Yamaha racer from sixth to third in the standings with five out of 12 events completed in this year’s championship. Meanwhile teammate Ben Bostrom fared nearly as well, leading the first of the weekend’s two Superbike races before crashing and recovering to finish ninth, then coming back on Sunday to finish second in the next Superbike race, with Hayes solidly in fourth.

On Friday, Hayes and Bostrom earned second and fourth grid positions in Superpole qualifying. Then on Saturday Mladin took the early lead in the first Superbike race, with Yamaha’s Bostrom swooping past him on lap two, only to low-side in hairpin Turn 11 soon afterwards. The miscue put Mladin back into the lead – but only briefly, for Hayes was next to attack, taking the lead on lap three and holding it all the way to the checkered flag. “It felt like the longest race of my life,” Hayes admitted afterwards. “The pace wasn’t that fast but it was miserably hot, and I’m happy to get the new R1 a win in the United States.” Yamaha Road Racing team manager Tom Halverson added, “This is a super-big win for us because we have expected a lot from the new R1 model. Once we figured it all out we were able to give both riders something truly competitive to use.”

Thwarted in race one, Bostrom had unfinished business to address in Sunday’s second Superbike race – like claiming a win of his own. But Mladin again jumped to the early lead and despite pressure from Bostrom and fellow pursuers Tommy Hayden and Hayes, the running order of the top four stayed constant throughout the 22-lap event. Mladin put in some fast early laps to build up a useful advantage over Bostrom, but the Yamaha rider closed the advantage to under a second at one point, and ultimately finished only 1.8 seconds in arrears at the flag. “It’s a tough track, one of the toughest we go to,” Bostrom admitted afterwards. “I love it so much and I’ve always wanted to win a Superbike race here.” Bostrom now lies fourth in Superbike points, just behind teammate Hayes.

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Ducati

Sonoma, Calif. (18 May 2009) – As a productive weekend comes to an end, Team Foremost Pegram Racing leaves Infineon Raceway with two top five finishes, advancing rider Larry Pegram to sixth overall in the championship.

Following Saturday’s race one battle to third position, rider Larry Pegram set his sights on overall advancement in the American Superbike Championship. As the crew made several changes to his Ducati 1098 R Superbike, Pegram set a goal of leaving Infineon sixth in the championship.

Sunday’s race two was held in comparable heat to Saturday’s scorcher, and when the flag dropped Pegram immediately propelled his Ducati 1098 R to fourth position- riding aggressively in pursuit of the number one spot. A failed overtaking maneuver on Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden enabled Geoff May and Josh Hayes to sneak through; dropping Pegram to sixth place. Pegram then twisted the throttle on his Ducati and put his head down, enabling a pass on Geoff May for fifth position. Once the Ducati got past May there was a significant gap to Hayes in fourth, which Pegram fought to the end to close. When the checkered flag fell Pegram took fifth position, and more importantly reached in his goal of sixth in the championship.

“Needless to say I’m really happy with what we have accomplished this weekend,” commented Pegram. “My team has been great and the Ducati ran strong all weekend. Leaving Infineon a solid sixth in the championship is a great feeling, and I’m ready to start fighting for fifth at Road America!”

Team Foremost Pegram Racing now heads back to their Ohio race shop, where the Ducati 1098 R will be rebuilt in preparation for round six of the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship.

The next race will be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 5-7.

For more information on Team Foremost Pegram Racing please visit www.pegramracing.com. To learn more about Ducati’s line of racing inspired motorcycles please visit www.ducatiusa.com.

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Buell

East Troy, Wis. (May 18, 2009) Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR/GEICO Powersports rider Danny Eslick and Latus Motors Racing’s Taylor Knapp posted the best results of the Buell riders entered at this past week’s AMA Pro Racing doubleheader at Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway, but with only a single top five result between the two, both are looking forward to the series’ next stop at Road America in Buell’s home state of Wisconsin.

Knapp continued his strong debut on the Buell, posting a 9th place finish in Sunday’s race to recover from a mechanical problem and a 34th place finish on Saturday.

“After the problem on Saturday, the Latus guys made some changes and had everything going good. We worked our way forward to ninth at the end of the race,” Knapp said. “We’re all looking forward to Road America and I’m hoping to get on the podium, but I think all the Buells are going to show well there.” In between Infineon and Road America, Knapp will stop at Miller Motorsports Park to enter the support races for the World Superbike round on his privateer Suzuki.

With his fifth place finish in Saturday’s Race 1 combined with a 12th place finish on Sunday, Eslick slipped from second to third in the season championship standings behind points leader Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas (203) and Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking (179), with 168 points through 5 of the 11 rounds.

The next stop of the AMA Pro Racing schedule is June 5-7 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., near to Buell’s East Troy headquarters. In addition to hosting demonstration rides and hospitality at the track, Buell Motorcycle Company will hold an open house at the East Troy factory on June 5 as part of its annual Homecoming celebration, which is open to all riders and fans of the brand. For more details, log onto www.buell.com.

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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Suzuki (Daytona SportBike)

Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas won both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races and took over the points lead in the AMA Daytona SportBike class at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, this weekend. This feat is Cardenas’ second AMA Daytona SportBike sweep in a row, and the result also marks his fifth win in the series this year. M4 Suzuki teammate Jason DiSalvo also celebrated an impressive weekend. The rider set the fastest lap time in Superpole and picked up pole position for both races and then he finished up in second place in Sunday’s event. Currently, DiSalvo is in fourth place overall in the AMA Daytona SportBike points chase.

Martin Cardenas – 1st place, Race 1 (Saturday) & Race 2 (Sunday):
“The weekend was good. At the beginning, it was a little bit tough because the pace that these guys were running was a little too much but then in every practice session we were able to close in a little bit. In Saturday’s race, the M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 worked awesome and I knew I could win. Today, it was a little bit the same. The bike was great, I think had a little bit of an issue with grip but for everybody it was the same because the tires were spinning a lot. But the Suzuki worked great all weekend and it’s been working awesome for three races and I want to thank the M4 Suzuki team for that.”

Jason DiSalvo – 2nd place, Race 1 (Sunday):
“We really wanted that number-one spot on Sunday and after (crashing) yesterday I was really gunning for it but Martin ran an incredible race. The last lap was flawless by him, actually by both of us. But we were just so evenly matched, that there was no place to make a move. Congratulations to both sides of the garage, they’ve really been working hard and they deserve this, and it’s great to see M4 Suzuki one/two on the podium today.”

M4 Suzuki Racing will race next at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, over the weekend of June 5-7, 2009.

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Suzuki (American Superbike)

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin returned to his race-winning ways in the second AMA Superbike race of the double-header weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, on Sunday afternoon. The six-time AMA Superbike Champion started from pole position on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, got into the lead immediately and created a gap to take the win. This victory marks Mladin’s eighth win (out of a possible nine) this season and his 80th career AMA Superbike victory. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden celebrated two podium positions this weekend, thanks to a third-place finish on Sunday that followed up his second-place finish on Saturday. This impressive result is Hayden’s sixth AMA Superbike podium finish of the 2009 season.

Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki rookie Blake Young opted to sit out this race weekend after injuring his hand at the previous round at Barber Motorsports Park. Young hopes to be back racing at the next event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Mat Mladin:
“It was a tough one today. I had nothing left out there at the end of the race. I just went as hard as I could on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and kept going and going and going. Toward the end, I just tried to keep it clean and that’s that.”

Tommy Hayden:
“It was good to get two podiums this weekend. I kind of bounced back after a couple of rough races and I feel like we’re going in the right direction now. Today, it was a hard race. From the beginning, I got a pretty good start on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I was just trying to hold on. It was tough to run the pace but toward the midway point, it got a little easier. I was just kind of hanging there, though a couple of times I was able to close up on them in traffic but I made a mistake with a couple laps to go and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to close it back up after that.”

Blake Young:
“I got injured at Barber and I got off my pain killers and finished up my antibiotics to make sure I didn’t get an infection. I got back on the bicycle and started training. My finger felt really good, motion was coming back better and better every day. So I decided to come on out here and see what we could do because every day was getting so much better. Maybe we’d have a chance to ride the bike. But when I got to the track, I realized that if I tried to ride at this point I would just damage my hand. So we’re going to sit out this weekend and then go back to the doctor and keep it healthy and get it healed up for Elkhart Lake.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the weekend of June 5-7, 2009.

AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers:
1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
2. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha
3. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
4. Josh Hayes, Yamaha
5. Larry Pegram, Ducati
6. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki
7. Taylor Knapp, Suzuki
8. David Anthony, Suzuki
9. Neil Hodgson, Honda
10. Ryan Ellerby, Yamaha

AMA Superbike Points Standings:
1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
2. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
3. Josh Hayes, Yamaha
4. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha
5. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki
6. Larry Pegram, Ducati
7. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki
8. Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing
9. Taylor Knapp, Suzuki
10. David Anthony, Suzuki

********************************

Roadracingworld.com Suzuki

Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki enjoyed a positive weekend of racing in extremely grueling conditions at the hot and physical Infineon Raceway for the fifth stop on the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing tour.

Chris Ulrich showed major progress in his second weekend aboard the team’s all-new 2009 GSX-R1000 and registered a season’s best result of eighth on Saturday, backing up a strong qualifying effort (1:38.015). Sunday’s race didn’t quite go to plan, however, will a crash costing him a shot at a second top-ten result on the weekend.

“We made a lot of progress this weekend,” said Ulrich. “The conditions were tough with the heat but it was a good weekend for Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki.

“I had a good race on Saturday and was able to finish eighth. The gap to the front was a lot closer and we were pleased with that.

“On Sunday I was mixing it up some guys for eighth place in the early laps and I touched a paint line and I went down. I broke some stuff on the bike so I couldn’t continue and that was that.

“Obviously, we’re still learning with the new bike and developing our stuff. We’re happy with how it’s going. For Road America, we’ll have some new chassis parts that will help us run even stronger.”

Rising star Russ Wikle again showed great promise and maturity, putting his Suzuki GSX-R600 racer on the podium after starting from the front row (3^rd, 1:42.606) during Sunday’s SupeSport contest.

Making the feat all the more impressive, Wikle registered 15^th and 17^th-place results in the hotly-contested Daytona SportBike class and put in his third-place SuperSport ride immediately following Sunday’s SportBike final, both contested in 100-degree weather on a racetrack that offers racers very little opportunity to catch their breath.

“Getting off the Daytona SportBike, I was just hoping to be able to finish the SuperSport race,” Wikle admitted. “I’m really excited I was able to stick in there and finish third. That was a hot race but it was fun. It was kind of low pressure because it was a non-points paying race for me because I’m in the East division. It was more a ‘bragging rights’ kind of race.”

Ulrich added, “Russell did great in SuperSport and got on the box again, plus he did well in Daytona SportBike on a track he’d never seen before. This was a good experience for him and we think it will pay off when we get to a track that he knows.”

Santiago Villa picked up a pair of solid results in Daytona SportBike as well. The gritty Colombian once again put his courage on full display, riding to two of his best rides of the season despite being far from 100%.

Villa finished a season’s best 17^th on Sunday to improve on Saturday’s 20^th.

“Villa got two top 20 results with a broken right hand and a broken left wrist,” Ulrich said. “That guy gets the Iron Man award again.”

Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will next head to Road America on June 5-7 for the sixth round of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing series.

*********************************

AMA Pro Racing

SONOMA, Calif. (May 17, 2009) – Season win number eight put Mat Mladin (No. 7 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-1000R) back on top of the podium in AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited competition as Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-600R) completed his second consecutive weekend sweep to earn win number five in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL competition in the final round of this weekend’s Kawasaki Superbike Showdown presented by Supercuts doubleheaders at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

Mladin held off repeated attempts by runner-up Ben Bostrom (No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) to take the number one spot as the two ran like they were qualifying from the moment the green flag dropped.

“It was a tough one today,” said Mladin, who holds the record for AMA Pro American Superbike wins at Infineon with nine.  “I had nothing left out there today.  I went as hard as I could and kept going and going and going.  I got stuck behind a couple of lappers but I said (to myself) I didn’t want to give Ben a sniff, but he got one and he got pretty close.  I just put my head down and went hard the rest of the way.”

Bostrom spent his laps not only chasing Mladin, but holding off the charge of third place finisher Tommy Hayden (No. 22 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-1000R).  Hayden threw down fast lap after fast lap at Bostrom but couldn’t get by the rider from California.

“It’s a tough track, one of the toughest we go to,” said Bostrom.  “I love it so much and I’ve always wanted to win a Superbike race here but I’ve never done it.  Congratulations to Mat and Tommy, especially Mat.  He rode a perfect race and it was stellar to watch”.

Bostrom closed to within .608 seconds of Mladin on Lap 18 as both riders fought through traffic, but was never closer as Mladin led all 22 laps and stretched the lead to 1.833 seconds at the checkered flag. For Bostrom, his second-place finish was his highest in AMA Pro American Superbike this season.

Of the leaders, Hayden seemed to suffer the most with lapped traffic, falling back time and time again only to charge back to the rear wheel of Bostrom, but was unable to maintain enough momentum to complete the pass.

“It was a very tough race for me,” said Hayden.  “In the beginning Mat had his head down and was doing some quick laps.  I just tried to hang in and stay close.  I knew the bike was good over the distance of the race so I wanted to stay in and I hoped to make something happen but I made mistakes and lost some time.  After that, I just tried to hang on.”

Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) finished fourth as the Saturday AMA Pro American Superbike winner couldn’t mount a charge to match the front three riders.

“It was very disappointing today, especially after yesterday,” said Hayes, whose victory in Saturday’s race came as the first American Superbike win of his career.  “The guys worked hard on the R1 and it was all rider error.  I had a headache earlier and I don’t know if it was allergies or what, but I just wasn’t feeling right.  The R1 was staying up with the front riders and I was just trying to ride my race and hope something happened up front.  But I started messing up, hitting the bumps and missing the lines and I just tried to hang on.”

Mladin, who has won eight of the last 14 American Superbike races at Infineon, increases his points lead over teammate Hayden, 268-189.  Hayes’ performance this weekend improves him from sixth position to third in the 2009 championship points battle with 160, while Bostrom’s strong performance on Sunday takes him to fourth with 150 points.

Round Six for AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited will be the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America June 5-7.

Daytona SportBike Sweep

Cardenas held off teammate Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) in Sunday’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL race to claim his fifth victory of the season in the final round of the doubleheader in this weekend’s Kawasaki Superbike Showdown presented by Supercuts at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

“Today’s race was tough like yesterday’s (race) but it was a little different because I got to the front a little early and led a lot of laps,” said Cardenas.  “It’s tough because of the pressure.  Jason was there and I think (Jake) Zemke was there the whole time so I needed to keep focused.  I knew Jason would try to pass on the last lap so I tried to ride as hard as I could and shut the door.  It worked out this time; it was an awesome race.”

Cardenas’ second consecutive weekend sweep of the season didn’t come easy, as the Colombian had to hold off his hard-charging teammate for the last 10 laps of the race.  On the final lap, DiSalvo tried to slip by on the inside of Cardenas in Turn 11 but was unable to make the pass stick in the race to the line, finishing just .104 seconds behind the No. 36 machine.

“That was everything I had,” said DiSalvo, the third place finisher in the 2008 AMA Pro American Superbike points chase.  “Martin ran a great race and I’d like to say congratulations to all of the M4 guys and our team owner, John Ulrich.  It was a great day and I gave everything I had but it just wasn’t enough.”

Third-place finisher Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) led the most laps of the race after passing pole-sitter DiSalvo on the first lap heading into Turn 3 and holding off the M4 teammates for the opening 11 laps.  DiSalvo grabbed the top spot back on Lap 12 as he and Cardenas passed Herrin in Turn 7.  The final pass for the lead came in Lap 13 as Cardenas snuck past DiSalvo under hard braking in Turn 9.

“It went pretty good,” said Herrin.  “I can’t complain after yesterday’s race when I got a rock in my radiator.  Today it was just rider error on tire choice and it paid off for those guys (M4 Suzuki).  I hope we can go to Road America and be strong.”

Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YXF-R6) ran in fifth most of the day but passed 2008 Formula Xtreme Champion and eventual fifth-place finisher Jake Zemke (No. 1X Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) on the final lap to finish fourth.

Cardenas takes 203 championship points into the next round, with Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) slipping to second with 179 points and Danny Eslick (No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R) falling to third with 168 points.

Round Six for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL will be the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America from June 5 – 7.

SuperSport Sunday
Ricky Parker (No. 96 Graves Motorsports/Hattiesburg Cycles Yamaha YZF-R6) and Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) put on a heated battle that made the 99 degree temperature at the track seem mild as the two young riders ran nose to tail for the full 18 laps of the Sunday AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei main event.   Parker took the hole-shot and was able to hold off the Argentinean’s aggressive pass attempts for the duration of the race.

“It was pretty hot out there, but it was a fun race,” said Parker, whose win comes in his second AMA Pro SuperSport showing.  “It’s tough to stay in front of Leandro (Mercado).  Man, he is pretty fast out there.  I’m just glad we held on and won the race.”

Mercado made several attempts in Turns 6, 7 and 9 throughout the race including an aggressive run at just about every turn on the track in the last lap, but just couldn’t find a way to slip past Parker.

“It was a hard race,” said Mercado, who was looking for a second career SuperSport win to accompany his Auto Club victory from earlier this year.  “I tried to make a pass on Ricky but I knew I couldn’t do it so I settled back and just took second place.  I want to congratulate Ricky; he did a great job.”

Third -place rider Russ Wikle (No. 5 RoadracingWorld.com Suzuki GSX-R600) ran alone in third for nearly the whole race as he was unable to join the battle for the lead while the battle behind for fourth allowed him to claim the final podium spot without a challenge.

“It was pretty fun and low pressure today because I only race for points in the (SuperSport) East Division,” said Wikle.  “This was more for bragging rights than anything else.  I wanted to stay with Ricky and Leandro but they were tough.”

The hard-earned fourth place finish was taken by Bryce Prince (No. 74 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R), who was followed to the line by fifth place Garrett Willis (No. 80 Mach 1 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6).

Parker’s previous best finish was a tenth place at Road Atlanta and today’s race saw another podium covered with three different manufacturers as Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki were all represented in victory lane.

The next round for AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei will be a combined East and West Division race during the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America June 5 – 7.

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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Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. (May 17, 2009) – Mat Mladin returned to form Sunday at Infineon Raceway, running away with his 80th career victory on Day 2 of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts.

The triumph came some 24 hours after his seven-race win streak was halted by a poor-handling bike and the spirited charge of Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, who captured his first win at this level.

To emphasize that his departure from the Winner’s Circle was an aberration, the 37-year-old Australian dropped down and performed pushups before accepting his first-place trophy and spraying a cheering crowd with champagne.

“When I won my first championship over a decade ago I heard that I would only win one and that would be the end of him,” Mladin said. “I’ve heard it all before. I won my first national championship 28 years ago as a kid. I’ve been doing this a while and won’t go away that quick.”

Mladin and his Suzuki topped second-place Ben Bostrom (Petaluma native) on a Yamaha despite Bostrom leading the 30-minute Sunday warm-up and posting the fastest time in a recent test at the 2.28 mile, 12-turn track.

On a day when track temperatures pushed past 120 degrees and heat impacted every competitor, Mladin’s margin of victory was an impressive 1.833 seconds.

“I don’t want too many days at the office like that,” he said.

Third place went to Mladin teammate Tommy Hayden, followed by Hayes and Larry Pegram in fifth on a Ducati.

Mladin, the six-time series champion, entered the weekend pursuing a record eighth straight victory. Instead he had to settle for eight wins in his last nine outings.

His performance was the kind that fans and competitors have come to expect. Mladin beat back several challengers entering the first turn, methodically built his lead and then defended it with skill and tenacity.”

Said Bostrom: “(Mat) rode a perfect race and it was stellar to watch.”
Mladin was up by .734 seconds after one lap, by .826 after 2 and 1.031 after 3, had pushed it to 1.312 after the fourth circuit with a lap of 1:36.730 and 1.347 after 5. By Lap 10 the cushion up was 2.269.

Lapped traffic eventually cut into the margin, with Bostrom narrowing it to under a second in the race’s late stages but there was little suspense.

For Bostrom, it was another failed attempt to win at his home track. He’s still awaiting his first win at the challenging, 12-turn road course.

“It’s a tough track, one of the toughest we go to,” Bostrom said. “I love it so much and I’ve always wanted to win a Superbike race here but I’ve never done it.”

Mladin holds a 79-point lead in the standings. Hayden is second, 29 points ahead of Hayes and 39 in front of Bostrom.

Earlier, Colombia’s Martin Cardenas completed a sweep of both Daytona Sportbike races by holding off a late challenge from Jason DiSalvo. The win was the fourth straight for the Suzuki rider, fifth of the season and upped his lead in the point standings.

In the Supersport class, Ricky Parker drove to victory on a Kawasaki. Santa Rosa’s Robert Tinagero finished eighth.

AGATE

Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown

SONOMA, Calif. (May 17, 2009 ) – Results of Sunday’s AMA Daytona SportBike and American Superbike races at Infineon Raceway, showing finishing position, number (in parentheses), name, team, motorcycle and laps completed around the 2.28-mile road course.

AMERICAN SUPERBIKE

1. (7) Mat Mladin; Rockstar · Makita · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
2. (2) Ben Bostrom; Yamaha Motor Corp. USA; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22.
3. (22) Tommy Hayden; Rockstar · Makita · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
4. (4) Josh Hayes; Yamaha Motor Corp. USA; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22.
5. (72) Larry Pegram; Foremost Insurance · Pegram Racing Ducati; Ducati 1098R; 22.
6. (54) Geoff May; National Guard Jordan Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
7. (44) Taylor Knapp; Taylor Knapp Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
8. (25) David Anthony; Aussie Dave Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
9. (100) Neil Hodgson; Corona Extra Honda; Honda CBR1000RR; 22.
10. (27) Ryan Elleby; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22.
11. (61) Scott Jensen; Moto Garage Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
12. (96) Aaron Gobert; Team Trifoglio Racing; Honda CBR1000RR; 22.
13. (62) Cory Call; MDK Motorsports; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22.
14. (121) Hawk Mazzotta; Aussie Dave Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21.
15. (47) Mark Crozier; Four Feathers Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21.
16. (58) Eric Haugo; Moto Garage Racing; Yamaha YZF-R1; 21.
17. (38) Dean Mizdal; M Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21.
18. (45) Brad Puetz; SRK Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21.
19. (269) Johnny Rock Page; Johnny Rock Page · 944 Magazine · Energized by Verve!; Yamaha YZF-R1; 21.
20. (59) Jake Holden; Holden Racing; Honda CBR1000RR; 8.
21. (23) Aaron Yates; Jordan Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 6.
22. (18) Chris Ulrich; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 3.

Race Time: 35:39.437

Margin of Victory: 1.833 seconds

Winner’s Average Speed: 85.9 mph

Lap Leaders

Mladin: 1 – 22

DAYTONA SPORTBIKE
1. (36) Martin Cardenas; M4 Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22.
2. (40) Jason DiSalvo; M4 Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22.
3. (8) Josh Herrin; Team Graves Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
4. (6) Tommy Aquino; Team Graves Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
5. (1x) Jake Zemke; Erion Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 22.
6. (15) Steve Rapp; Bazzaz; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
7. (10) Chris Peris; Erion Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 22.
8. (27) Bobby Fong; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
9. (54) Taylor Knapp; Latus Motors Racing; Buell 1125R; 22.
10. (51) Damian Cudlin; Paradigm Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
11. (60) Michael Beck; Team Beck Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
12. (9) Danny Eslick; Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Racing · RMR Buell; Buell 1125R; 22.
13. (88) Jamie Hacking; Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 22.
14. (311) Robertino Pietri; Team E.S.P. Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
15. (5) Russ Wikle; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22.
16. (47) Mark Crozier; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22.
17. (32) Santiago Villa; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22.
18. (7) Fernando Amantini; Amantini Racing; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 22.
19. (193) Liko Miles; Miles Ahead Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22.
20. (73) Dylon Husband; Team Pur Sang Racing; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 21.
21. (90) Jamie LeBlanc; East Coast Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 21.
22. (250) Nadr Riad; Riad Racing; Aprilia RSV1000R; 21.
23. (181) Craig Mason; Fast 50s · Slide Motorsports; Yamaha YZF-R6; 21.
24. (370) Clinton Gibson; Fast Track Education; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 21.
25. (68) Kevin Boisvert, Canada; Bayside Performance; Suzuki GSX-R600; 20.
26. (45) Josh Bryan; Latus Motors Racing; Buell 1125R; 18.
27. (55) Chris Fillmore; Chris Fillmore Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 9.
28. (89) Chip Yates; Swigz.com Pro Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 9.
29. (160) Sebastiao Ferreira; Ferreira Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 7.
30. (97) Ben Thompson; Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team; Aprilia RSV1000R; 6.
31. (57) Chaz Davies; Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team; Aprilia RSV1000R; 5.
32. (96) Ricky Parker; RPR Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 3.

Race Time: 37:10.172

Margin of Victory: 0.104 seconds

Winner’s Average Speed: 82.4 mph

Lap Leaders

Herrin: 1 – 11; DiSalvo: 12; Cardenas: 13 – 22

***********************

Paradigm Racing

Sonoma, Ca. (May 17, 2009)-Daytona SportBike race two proved to be a test of wills as the challenging conditions conspired to defeat even the hardiest riders. Track temperatures rose as high as 146 degrees prior to the  start of the race. Despite the conditions Paradigm Racing rider Damian Cudlin pushed through the sweltering heat and achieved a tremendous 10^th place finish. It was the second top ten finish in two race weekends for the Aussie rider who was completely new to the track.

“I thought this race would be easier than the first, but I was wrong! It was another tough one,”  said Cudlin.

Cudlin had a solid start, but was shuffled down from his starting position to 15^th following a near collision with a fellow rider. However, he battled back and took the fight to the competition. Throughout the race Cudlin battled with Michael Beck and Chris Fillmore swapping positions numerous times. With five laps to go Cudlin was able to pass Danny Eslick for 11^th and began to close in on Beck. With only three laps remaining Cudlin was able to get past and secure the 10^th finish.

“We came home strong and jumped up a couple spots at the end. Another top ten finish was just what we needed and now we can build on that at Road America. I really want to thank my crew for working so hard and getting behind me. I’m definitely proud to be a part of this team,” said Cudlin

Paradigm Racing travels next to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America for the AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on June 5-7.

For more information please visit www.paradigmracing.net or follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/paradigmracing.

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M4 Suzuki

Team M4 Suzuki backed up Saturday’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike victory at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California in perfect fashion on Sunday, claiming a dominant second 1-2 finish of the season.

Martin Cardenas claimed his fourth straight victory, narrowly holding off an intense challenge from teammate Jason DiSalvo as the two powered away from the rest of the field during the race’s second half aboard their Suzuki GSX-R600 machines.

Cardenas and DiSalvo broke free of a tight pack for lead on lap 14 of 22 and battled it out among themselves in the blisteringly hot conditions. Both men took their turns at the front but the Colombian led down the stretch, doing everything in his power to keep the New Yorker corralled behind him.

The two charged out of the race’s final corner side-by-side, crisscrossing as they lunged for the stripe. Cardenas took the checkered flag an instant earlier, getting his fifth win in the last six races by a meager 0.104 seconds.

Cardenas’ victory opens up a bit of breathing space in the championship race, extending his title lead to 24 points (203 vs. Jamie Hacking’s 179).

“Today’s race was again very tough,” Cardenas said. “It was a little bit different because I got to the front a little bit early and it was very tough because of the pressure; Jason was there the entire time. I knew on the last lap Jason was going to try to pass me but I tried to ride as hard as I could. I shut the door in the last corner because I knew he was fast and that was a good place to pass, but it worked out this time.

“I want to congratulate the whole team. They did a great job.”

DiSalvo, who is fourth in the points with 148, was highly motivated after suffering a fall while leading on Saturday, but admitted there just wasn’t anything he could do with Cardenas on this day.

“We wanted that number 1 spot,” he said. “After yesterday I was really gunning for it but Martin ran just an incredible race. The last lap was faultless by both of us but we were just so evenly matched there was no place to make the move.

“Big congratulations to the whole M4 Suzuki team. These guys have really been working hard and they really deserve this second M4 Suzuki 1-2 of the season. Hopefully at Road America we can get a couple more of them.”

Team M4 Suzuki will carry their four-race win streak into Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on June 5-7.