STRONG FINISHES FOR THE RIDERS DISCOUNT VESRAH SUZUKI TEAM DURING THE U.S GRAND PRIX WEEKEND AT LAGUNA SECA. The Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team dealt with adversity at the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA July 27-29 caused by a severe lack of time on the track with weather issues canceling or shortening morning practice and qualifying sessions. In his first time at the Laguna Seca circuit, Jake Lewis was able to quickly learn the circuit, qualifying in 6th position, and ran in a podium position in the AMA Pro Racing SuperSport class for over 80% of the race. Jake was drafted at the line, finishing in 4th position by a gap of .001. In the GoPro AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike class, Cory West qualified in 10th with Joey Pascarella right behind him in 11th and right next to him on the starting grid. In the race both Cory and Joey improved their positions running much of the race in the same manner as qualifying with Joey running right with Cory just outside of the top 5. Cory finished the GoPro Daytona SportBike race in 6th place with Joey slipping back one spot to finish in 8th place. The teammates also continue to be right next to each other in the season point standings with Cory in 9th and Joey in 10th. Bostjan Skubic on the #57 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R 1000 was able to qualify in 19th for the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike class and moved up one spot to 18th at the end of the race. Breeann Poland Team Manager Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki “Time on the track is at a premium at this event every year and this year was even less than normal due to the early morning weather conditions. All of our riders did great this weekend and I have to thank our crew for all of their efforts especially with setting up and tearing down the Hot Pits almost every time we went out on track “ Cory West Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #57 “It was a difficult weekend to improve bike setup with such limited track time. I got off to a good start in the race but the pack got separated on lap one with a few riders crashing in front of me. I had a good battle in the second group but the conditions were a lot cooler and the grip was not as good. With the tricky conditions there were a lot of crashes and scary moments but I’m happy to bring home a solid 6th place finish. We’re building some momentum and catching some riders in the points, so I’m looking forward to a nice summer break and then finishing out the year strong! Thanks to Boyd, Bubba, and the whole Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki crew for a good weekend.” Joey Pascarella Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #52 “Every race I get more comfortable with the bike and we get a little stronger. I had a lot of fun in the race and hopefully during the upcoming break we will find some more speed for Jersey.” Jake Lewis Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #85 “The weekend went pretty well for me being my first time at Laguna Seca. I learned the track pretty quick with limited track time and had a lot of fun. I was only .001 off the podium so that was a good result. I would have liked to put it on the box for my whole Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team but came up just a little short. I’m looking forward to having a month off to prepare myself for the last three rounds of the year to fight for the championship!” Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki would like to thank their sponsors for the 2012 season: Vesrah, Riders Discount, MCJ Motorsports, American Suzuki, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, Penske Racing Shocks, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Yoshimura, Catalyst Racing Composites, Shoei, Cortech, Sidi, Held, Motion Pro, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Spiegler Brake Lines, Adjustable-levers, Vicci, Vortex, DID Chain, Zero Gravity, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, Suzuka Tire Warmers, K&N Filters, Full Spectrum Batteries, Oakley (Jake), Roclun (Jake), Progressive Trail Design (Cory), Jon Block Group (Joey), 509 sunglasses (Cory and team), Andrew Swenson Designs and Drippinwet. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Laguna Seca MotoGP™ debrief with Masao Azuma Wednesday 1 August 2012 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative) The 2012 United States Grand Prix was won by Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner, the reigning MotoGP™ champion taking the checkered flag ahead of Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo in second place and teammate Dani Pedrosa who finished third. The race was run at a fierce pace, with the overall race time being over six seconds faster than last year, while Pedrosa set a new record fastest lap on lap five of the thirty-two lap race. Weather conditions for last Sunday’s race were fine with clear skies and a track temperature of 43°C. Tyre choice was quite varied, particularly at the rear, and due to the difference in weather conditions between the morning and afternoon sessions, many riders including race winner Casey Stoner made their final race tyre choice on the grid. Six of the twenty-one riders on the grid selected the harder compound rear slick, while eighteen riders selected the harder front slick for the race. Lorenzo extends his lead over Pedrosa in the championship to twenty-three points, while Stoner’s win sees him remain in third place overall though he closes the gap to Lorenzo and Pedrosa to thirty-two and nine points respectively. Q&A with Masao Azuma Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department Rear tyre choice for the race was a hotly debated topic over the weekend. In the end, both compound options were selected for the race, so what were the determining factors in rear tyre choice? “During long runs in free practice and qualifying it was clear that both the softer and harder rear slicks were viable options for the race, but it would come down to which rear tyre better suited the bike setup and riding style of individual riders. Generally, harder rubber compounds give better durability, but with the right bike setup and race strategy, the softer option also provided consistent grip levels throughout the race at Laguna Seca. “The race was won on the softer rear slick and the fastest race lap was set on the harder rear slick so the determining factors were riders selecting a tyre that provided the best feel, and what grip characteristics the rider preferred over the duration of the race. Also, many teams waited to see what the track temperatures would be for the race before making a final decision on the rear tyre, though conditions were almost the same as they were in the Friday and Saturday afternoon sessions. We can determine from the results that under the race conditions both compounds worked very well, though it is difficult to say which was the better choice.” Weather conditions last weekend were typical for Laguna Seca; cool and cloudy in the morning and clear and warm in the afternoon. How did this affect tyre performance? “The variable weather conditions at Laguna Seca can make things complicated for teams and riders, though this year our feedback from riders was that they had a very good feeling from the tyres even in the morning sessions. I believe the improved warm-up performance of the 2012 specification tyres enabled riders to quickly find their comfort zone at Laguna Seca, especially during the cool mornings, and this was particularly important given the increased power output of the new 1000cc machines around this technical circuit.” The harder front slick tyre was the preferred option throughout the race weekend, with only three riders selecting the softer front slick. What benefits did the harder front slick offer at Laguna Seca? “Laguna Seca is a circuit with quick changes of direction and elevation that loads and then unloads the front suspension is a very short period of time. As a result of this character, front-end stability is always sought by riders at this circuit and the hard compound front slick is better in this regard. As the harder option also still gave riders enough edge grip to cope with the demands of this circuit, it was the preferred front tyre for all the sessions and the race. A few riders however did prefer the feel of the softer front slick, so they chose to use this for the race.” More, from a press release issued by Speedcell Technologies: ANOTHER PERFECT WEEKEND IN AMA COMPETITION FOR SPEEDCELL EQUIPPED RIDERS (Las Cruces, New Mexico)– Speedcell equipped riders enjoy another perfect weekend in AMA competition, taking all six podium positions in the premier classes. Superbike: Last weekends Superbike race was a continuation of Josh Hayes dominance of the Superbike class in AMA competition. On Saturday, Hayes took his eighth straight pole position on his Speedcell equipped Monster Energy Graves Yamaha. On Sunday, he simply left the field in his wake to battle over second place, eventually crossing the stripe nine seconds clear of his nearest competitor. The battle for second was a much closer affair with Hayes’ teammate, Josh Herrin and Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s Blake Young taking the fight all the way to the final drag race up the front straight on the last lap. Young, on his Speedcell equipped GSXR1000 just getting the better of Herrin at the stripe. Once again, Speedcell occupied every position on the victory podium in AMA Superbike competition. Daytona Sportbike GEICO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas, on his Speedcell equipped GSXR600, once again earned pole position for the Daytona Sportbike race. Qualifying was an all Speedcell equipped front row with Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha teammates Tommy Hayden and Cameron Beaubier on their Yamaha R6s. The race was a continuation of qualifying with the front row eventually leaving the field to battle it out for non podium positions. Cardenas controlled much of the race from the front only to have Beaubier pass him in turn two on the final lap. The Colombian was not about to give up and the two scrapped it out all the way to the line with Beaubier’s margin of victory just 0.092 of a second over the Cardenas. Tommy Hayden rounded out the all Speedcell equipped podium in third. Roadrace Factory RedBull Yamaha’s Jake Gagne had a gritty ride to fifth place on his Speedcell equipped R6 after a massive collision with M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby on the opening lap. About Speedcell Technologies Speedcell Technologies, a division of Navitus Group, was established in 2008 to create a lightweight lithium battery alternative to original equipment lead acid batteries. Speedcell engineers design and build all batteries in-house, in the USA. Speedcell builds OEM battery replacement and custom battery solutions for specific applications. Speedcell also works with various cell chemistries and builds battery management systems. Speedcell supplies batteries to the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy. Speedcell is a proud supplier to Attack Performance Motogp, Monster Energy Graves Yamaha, Yoshimura Suzuki Racing, Attack Performance Superbike, GEICO Suzuki, M4 Suzuki, Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha, Roadrace Factory RedBull Yamaha, SuzukiScoopFans Suzuki. Speedcell also supplies batteries to the Factory Yamaha Snowmobile team. More, from a press release issued by RoadRace Factory/Red Bull: GILLIM SECOND, GAGNE FIFTH FOR ROADRACE FACTORY/RED BULL AT LAGUNA SECA Monterey, CA – The USGP weekend proved to be a successful one for RoadRace Factory/Red Bull, with the team’s four young riders racing in support of MotoGP in California. Hayden Gillim earned a close second in the AMA Pro SuperSport race. He was narrowly edged out after a race-long battle for the win and came up just 0.036 short of his second win of the year in an exciting race. “The last lap, I knew it would be tough,” said Hayden. “The whole race, I was right behind James (Rispoli), sizing him up. I knew there were some spots where I was quicker. I knew there were some spots he was quicker, and I knew I had to get past him early in the lap or he could stick with me and get me in the last turn. That’s what he ended up doing. I broke pretty late in turn five and just decided to go for it. I made a little mistake in the last turn and got in there a little deep, and he was able to get past me at the line. I was glad to give the fans one of the best shows of the weekend.” Tomas Puerta had a tough race after a crash in the morning, but the Colombian managed to race anyway. Tomy finished 8th. “I crashed in the morning qualifying,” said Puerta. “I got a good start, but I did not feel well as the race went on. I dropped down to about P10, but I was able to improve some. It’s not how I wanted to race, and I was feeling strong before, and I always go fast here, so I leave a little disappointed.” Jake Gagne earned a fine fifth in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, but it wasn’t easy. The Californian, who has had terrible luck this season, collided with a crashing rider on the opening lap but managed to stay upright. Gagne was able to show his competitiveness despite a damaged bike and an ankle injury from the collision. “A top five is not bad, and the goal coming in was to get in the top five, so I’m happy with that,” said Gagne. “The race itself was disappointing in some aspects. The first lap, I had another rider crash in front of me, and I had nowhere to go so I plowed into him. In the next corner, I had a huge moment and got passed by three more guys, and I hit my foot hard. From then on, I ran the same pace as some of the guys in front of me in the lead pack, but they were gone. It was good to finish a race in a decent position, and I feel like I learned some things.” J.D. Beach earned 9th in the Daytona SportBike race but was in the pack that contested sixth place. “It wasn’t our best weekend,” said Beach. “We struggled with the bike some, and I struggled with the track. We needed all the track time we could get and there wasn’t much to be had, unfortunately.” RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Danny Walker said, “It was so tough because of the lack of track time, but it gave the young riders a good challenge, that’s for sure. J.D. had a little issue on Friday, and it jacked him all weekend because of the limited time with the GP, and the weather and everything. That being said, he charged up there in the race, and then, the tire went off a little bit at the end. He rode well, and we were pleased. I don’t know what we have to do to get Gagne a break. He had the speed to run with the frontrunners, and we have to give the credit to the crew for working hard and making improvements to the bikes. Hayden…what a race. In my opinion, he didn’t get the trophy, but that pass he made around the outside of turn five was the pass of the weekend. Tomy, he smacked himself up, and there was no time for that here. We’re heading in the right track, but I think we took some big steps this weekend, and we’ll continue to keep building.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Team 38 PS-K: 2012 Suzuka 8 Hour Full of Drama for Kawasaki Team 38 PS-K A dark cloud seemed to follow Kawasaki Team 38 for the duration of the 35th annual Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours race. The first free practice was shortened for the team when a rear brake caliper broke. Then, during the first set of qualifying session a tire issue plagued the team and reduced the amount of track time. An engine issue had the team scrambling to prepare the “B” bike during the second qualifying sessions, but thanks to the hard work of the Team 38 crew they were able to secure 30th position on the grid despite the issues faced throughout qualifying. Race day seemed to be looking brighter for Team 38 as each rider found a good pace during the morning warm up with American rider, Derek Keyes, turning his best lap times ever at Suzuka (just over 2 seconds faster than his qualifying time). Syohei Karita made an amazing start to the race and had the Team 38 Ninja® ZX™-10R up to 23rd position by the end of the first lap. By the end of his stint, Karita had the Team 38 bike solidly into 17th place. Disaster struck about an hour and a half into the race when a rider high sided directly in front of Derek Keyes, leaving him no place to go but straight into the tumbling machine. Derek was uninjured in the crash but after inspecting the bike he discovered that the front brake rotor was bent and the front wheel would not move. Since he could not get the bike back to the pit garage, Team 38 was forced to retire from the race. The entire team is very sad to have the race end like this, but this is the nature of endurance racing. Team 38 is already making plans for next year’s 8 hour race and hope to return stronger than ever! Derek Keyes: “I’m really sad for the team. They put in so much hard work for the race! They had the pit stops down to under 25 seconds and the bike was really in amazing form! We had the pace to challenge for a top 15 position so it hurts to have the race end like this. We have discussed next year’s plans already. I think we have a strong team and a good bike and I seem to be able to go a little quicker with each session so I really want to come back and put forth a strong effort next year! A big thanks to all of the crew for their hard work this year. These guys are really amazing and I am very happy to be a part of their team!”