Smith battles hard for vital points in Catalunya Tech 3 Racing Team rider Bradley Smith rode a determined race at the Catalunya circuit this afternoon to maintain his impressive 100% points-scoring record in the 2012 Moto2 World Championship. Starting from 13th place on the grid, the British rider spent the entire 23-lap race battling inside the top 15 in cloudy but warm conditions. A brilliant overtake on Alex de Angelis on lap 21 ensured Smith secured 11th position and he has now scored points in each of the opening five races of the season to remain inside the top 10 in the overall World Championship rankings. Jordi Torres enjoyed a positive afternoon too on his first race on board the Mistral 610 machine. Replacing the injured Tech 3 Racing regular Xavier Simeon, Torres was locked in an exciting battle with Smith in the early stages and he rode aggressively to put himself in a position to score the first World Championship points of his career. Torres eventually finished 15th, which secured him his best ever World Championship result and he was able to give the Tech 3 Racing Team vital information that will help development of the Mistral 610 in the future. Bradley Smith 11th 28 points: “Looking at the positives I have finished inside the points again and kept my place inside the top 10 in the Championship. But the gap to the front is still too big and we have to keep working hard to reduce that in the future races. I had a quite good start and put myself in a position to fight for the top 10 but the bike was nervous in the braking area at the beginning of the race and at the end I was not able to do the lap time of the group led by Corsi. I’m quite disappointed about that because I expected to fight for sixth place. We learned a lot once again and we will try and improve our situation to be more competitive at Silverstone, which is obviously a huge weekend for me being my home race.” Jordi Torres 15th – 1 points: “I’d said before the race that I have to make an aggressive start to stay with the fast guys bec ause I am not used to competing in the World Championship. The first corners were quite tricky and a few riders touched me and I was afraid I was going to crash out. I just decided to fight as hard as possible and I really enjoyed it. After four laps the tyres started to drop and I had some problems to adapt to this situation, as I’m not used to it from the Spanish Championship. At the beginning it was a bit easier to stay with the guys like Smith, de Angelis and Corti because what I lost on the straight because of my weight I could recover it in the braking zone where I was aggressive. But it got more difficult as the grip continued to drop and I risked crashing out a few times, so I decided to slow down a little bit and finish the race. I’m completely happy with the result because I wanted to be in the points but I am very happy with the work we did during the weekend. The Tech 3 Team is very professional and I learned a lot. I really enjoyed this experience and I want to stay a big thanks to the Team for this opportunity.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager: “We expected a little bit more from today’s race but at least Bradley and Jordi finished and we gained some more crucial information on the Mistral 610 machine. Bradley was in the points again and he never gave up, but clearly his potential is higher and we need to work together to try and be closer to the front. I want to thank Jordi also because he did a fantastic job in difficult circumstances. It is never easy jumping on a new bike against this level of competition but he quickly adapted to the Mistral 610 machine and he was very professional in his approach. He didn’t make any mistakes all weekend and he gave us a lot of feedback on the bike. He qualified very close to the top 10 and it’s fantastic that we could help him to score his firs t World Championship points with us. It has been a pleasure working him and I think everybody in the Tech 3 Racing Team enjoyed the experience.” More, from a press release issued by Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2: ANOTHER CRASH FOR REA A promising race for Gino Rea ended in disappointment following a crash with a local rider for the second week in succession today. The British rider leaves Barcelona empty handed despite making progress with his Suter machine during practice and now he is hoping for a turnaround in fortunes at his own home race in two weeks time. Gino Rea. (DNF) “Another frustrating Grand Prix, unfortunately. Two weeks ago a French rider took me out in France and this week it was a Spanish rider in Spain. It is hard to take because I made a great start and was fighting for a position in the top ten but then I got hit hard from behind. I don’t know why he hit me but there was no chance for me to save it. It is very frustrating because we need track time and now we go into the next race with a big job to do in terms of setting the bike up. It’s my home race next so I know the circuit well and hopefully we can get better luck there.” Fausto Gresini “This is happening too much and we need to talk about why. Gino is struggling to get on the pace in practice and then unfortunately his chances in the race are being spoiled by crashes. We’ll have a look at things and hopefully at Silverstone he can turn things around.” More, from a press release issued by Team Thai Honda Gresini Moto2: WILAIROT CLOSE TO THE POINTS IN BARCELONA Ratthapark Wilairot looked set to battle for points in the Grand Prix of Catalunya today but unfortunately the Thai rider was unable to maintain his challenge beyond the opening nine laps after struggling with early tyre wear. However he rode hard to the finish to take the flag in seventeenth place and gather some vital data as the team look to continue with their recent progress in the coming races. Ratthapark Wilairot (27th 1′ 48″ 096) “In the beginning of the qualifying session we made some good progress but I made a mistake in waiting for too long to get a tow from another rider and it didn’t work out. I am sorry to the team for that but even though we start from the back we are making progress and I will be pushing hard to make up positions tomorrow.”Ratthapark Wilairot (17th) “The start was not so bad and the bike felt quite good. I was able to follow Bradley Smith’s group and set a 1’47 which was a pace I felt I could keep up. Unfortunately we either chose the wrong tyre or didn’t quite have the set-up right because after nine laps the bike was moving around too much and I lost places. It is disappointing but we have some positives to take to the next race.” Fausto Gresini “It is a shame because he was close to the points today and missed out but we have to take the positives. We clearly need to work on the balance of the bike because it used the tyres too quickly today but we are on the right lines in terms of the work we are doing and I am sure we will break into that top fifteen soon.” More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: HUTCHINSON BENEFITS FROM VITAL SETUP LAPS IN SUPERBIKE TT Swan Yamaha’s Ian Hutchinson got in six laps of vital setup time ahead of Friday’s Isle of Man Pokerstars Senior TT and claimed an eighth pace in yesterday’s Dainese Superbike race in his first event on the island since he badly broke his leg at the end of 2010. The Bingley man was able to gather essential data on the World Superbike-spec R1 and will now collate it all with crew chief Pete Jennings to see where they can make some improvements to the bike’s settings. Hutchinson feels the suspension is still too hard for fast laps at the island and will explore options to soften it up further. Hutchinson said: “We were really up against it yesterday. There are lots of other riders and teams who have been using the same bike for the last four or five years around here, so they know exactly what they need and when. We have had only four days and losing Friday’s session certainly didn’t help. I will get together will Pete tonight and see where we can make some changes to the setup. We need to make the bike much softer in order to cope with the bumps around the island but I’m confident we can do better in Friday Senior. We can also adapt what we have learned to the Superstock and Supersport bikes.” Team principal Shaun Muir added: “It was a fantastic first ride back on the island for Ian, considering all he has been through over the past 18 months. We will get some alterations made to not only the Superbike but also to his other Yamahas ready for the rest of the week. I am over the moon with the results from yesterday and hope to make some further progress before Friday.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2: Hard race for Zarco and Team JiR sees them earn a points finish Johann Zarco and his MotoBI endured a tough race today at the Catalan GP, where he finished in 11th place. After Friday’s excellent showing where he was battling with the top five in Free Practice the 21-year-old Frenchman had a tough qualifying yesterday and a similarly difficult 23 lap race of the Barcelona circuit today. After narrowly avoiding the first-lap crash of compatriot Mike di Meglio, Johann worked hard to stay in the pack battling for sixth place, but for some reason the MotoBI rider found it hard to make fast, consistent times so decided to play it safe and bring home his MotoBI well inside the points. At the front of the race the crowd enjoyed a scintillating battle between Andrea Iannone, Thomas Luthi, Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro. The race was won by Ianonne, from Luthi and Marquez. Luthi now leads the Moto2 World Championship and Team JiR’s Zarco is in ninth place in the standings. Johann Zarco Final position: 11th Fastest lap: 1m 47.112 I’m not so happy with an 11th place finish, really. The race was very difficult for us. On the first lap there was a big crash and I narrowly avoided it and made up some places from 14th on the grid, but it was difficult to make the times compared to practice on Friday when we did so well, I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was something to do with what happened in the warm-up this morning. We had a problem with the clutch then and had to change it in time for the race. From then I didn’t have such a good feeling with my MotoBI, so my pace had gone from 47.5 to around the 1m 48s lap time area. We were in a group fighting for sixth and seventh but it was difficult to follow them and keep with them. Rather than fight hard and risk a crash, I decided to stay on the bike and take points for 11th place overall. While we may have had a problem today, we must be positive. We will do our best to find a solution to this, but then also look at how good our pace was on Friday when we were easily fighting with the top five. More, from a press release issued by Blusens Avintia: Maverick Viñales wins brilliantly and narrows the gap with the world championship leader Montmeló, 3 June 2012. Just as if it was necessary to add emotion to the fifth round of the world championship the rain began to fall shortly before start leaving the track very wet as the MotoGP riders could notice during the warm-up in which a lot of them crashed. Fortunately the asphalt dried off and the Moto3 riders did te race in completely dry conditions. Maverick made a good start but opted for caution over the first few laps. On lap 3 he took the lead before a fierce pack made up of Cortese, Vazquez, Marquez, Faubel, Khairuddin, Oliveira, Masbou, Rossi to which Rins and Fenati joined in later on. Maverick got advised through the board that it was high time he attacked and made an escape and finished the race with some reasonable margin. Viñales obeyed and rode so fast that nobody was able to stand his pace and he managed to be ahead of his rivals by up to ten seconds.. There is not much that the following pack was able to do to prevent Mack from getting his second win of the season which enables him to narrow the gap with world championship leader Cortese who finished second today. 25 Maverick Viñales (1º, 41.58.965): “I am very glad. It always feels good to win but achieving it at home is even more special. In quite a few previous races we nearly got a win but we eventually didn´t for some reason. Today we won and it was at home. It wasn’t an easy race because I had to constantly remain concentrated. I took it easy over the first few laps and then I attacked to make a proper escape. Fortunately I managed not to end up in the following pack in which there was a lot of fighting going on. The motorbike worked really well and this has really helped me get this win. Anyway there is no way we can rest because the competors don´t. We have to work on and do it race after race.” More, from a press release issued by Bankia Aspar: LITTLE REWARD FOR HÉCTOR FAUBEL AFTER BRILLIANT RACE BANKIA Aspar rider involved in podium fight before racing incident relegates him to seventh Light rain in the MotoGP warmup left things cooler on track for the Moto3 Catalan GP than in practice. However, the action on track was just as intense. Louis Rossi led the way early on, before being overtaken by Khairuddin and subsequently Maverick Viñales, who subsequently broke free for the race win. The battle between seven riders for the podium spots behind him allowed Viñales to pull away, and the rostrum spots were only decided at the end of the contest. Cortese and Oliveira accompanied home rider Viñales in the top three when the chequered flag fell. It was a slow race when compared with times from practice and qualifying. BANKIA Aspar rider Héctor Faubel did not have destiny on his side at the Catalan GP, as he deserved to place on the podium but it wasn’t to be in the end. The Spaniard started from seventh on the grid and made an intelligent start that took him to the lead group. Experience was on his side and he kept up with the rest of the podium challengers for an extended period. However, with two laps to go he was hit by another rider and lost touch with the trailing pack. In the end he managed to recover and claim seventh place. Teammate Alberto Moncayo earned two more points for his World Championship tally. Although it was not as impressive a result as his second place last time out, the difficulty of the weekend made this a praiseworthy performance. Three laps in he ran wide, returning to the track in nineteenth before moving up to a definitive fourteenth. 7th Héctor Faubel: “Today was a positive race for me, in which I was able to feel competitive again. I was in the podium fight the whole time and I think that I had things under control; my strategy was to stick in third or fourth and then attack second place on the home straight of the final lap. However, one of Márquez’ passes on one of the latter laps knocked my handlebars and meant that I had to go very wide in order to avoid a crash. I lost time and positions, but I was still able to pass two riders before the end. It is a shame, because we were hoping for a better result, but we are happy with how competitive we were and with how much we fought. The category is like this, you are always battling, so we have to move on and try to adapt for the next race. The new chassis has done its job and we have taken a step forward, so I hope that we can continue like this.” 14th Alberto Moncayo: “After a difficult start I focused on setting my pace in order to get past as many riders as possible. I was setting some good times, but on the penultimate corner of the third lap I ran off track and got caught by a group of riders. That meant I had to ride amongst them and it was hard to maintain my position. I decided to stay back in order to study their lines, whilst in terms of tyres the intermediates that we had chosen for the front was completely worn down. I pushed hard on the final two laps and was able to claim back some positions and get a gap between myself and the group. I was able to take fourteenth in the end, which is two points but obviously not our objective. From now on we have to be more alert in qualifying to get a better spot on the grid.” More, from a press release issued by Mapfre Aspar Team: NICO TEROL FINISHES SECOND CONSECUTIVE RACE IN THE POINTS Spaniard picks up a point whilst teammate Toni Elías crashes out from sixth on lap sixteen At 12.20pm local time, the Circuit de Catalunya played host to the fifth round of the Moto2 season. Andrea Iannone took the early initiative and was the eventual winner, although it was a typically tight contest in the intermediate class. Espargaró, Luthi and Márquez kept the Italian honest, with a four-man group forming by lap six. An incident between Márquez and Espargaró three laps from the end left the latter out of the race and the former out of the running for the win, as Iannone held of Luthi for his first victory of the year. MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol continued his adaptation to the Moto2 class with another points scoring finish. The Spaniard set off from fifteenth, made a mistake at turn two and lost four positions from the start, but kept his cool to try and end a tough weekend on a positive note. Terol kept up a consistent pace until the end, finishing in the points for the second consecutive race in 2012. Toni Elías had begun from eighth on the grid and made an excellent start, even occupying second place for a period thanks to the second fastest lap of the race -1’46.831. The Spaniard was in sixth when, on lap sixteen, he went down at the La Caixa corner and his race was over. 15th Nico Terol: “At Le Mans we got points and we have done the same here, but we were expecting more. Nonetheless, these results keep us optimistic and we can see that we are improving. I got a good start, but in the second sector I ran wide and a few riders got past me, which I think was partially the key moment of the race. If I had stuck with the group that I was in before making that mistake, then, we could have fought for the top ten. I am satisfied with the start and, although I made an early mistake, I was able to hold my nerve and maintain a good pace throughout the race. This weekend hasn’t been easy but we can look back on it positively now. Taking points is good for us and we have taken a step forward, so we have to keep working in order to keep this evolution going. We need to get better in qualifying in order to avoid the early traffic, and also I have to adapt completely to the slides of a Moto2 bike.” Toni Elías (DNF): “I am a little disappointed, because I expected more from this home race. When the tyres had more grip on the opening laps, I was able to stick with the lead riders. I was even able to slot into second and things were looking good, but in the end there was a turn for the worst and I crashed out. It is a shame, because we had done a very good job all weekend, but we never found the necessary grip on the rear. I gave everything in the race, trying to follow riders in order to get as high up the order as possible, but pushing too hard meant that I crashed. We aren’t going to get down about it though. The positive from this weekend is that we have taken another step forward and we are progressively getting closer to the lead riders.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: Double top ten for Marc VDS at Catalunya Barcelona, Spain – 03 June 2012: Mika Kallio and Scott Redding secured two top ten finishes for the Marc VDS Racing Team in today’s Moto2 Grand Prix at Catalunya. Kallio battled his way through the field from 19th on the grid, to finish ninth, while Redding overcame problems with his throttle hand to finish tenth. Kallio threw caution to the wind at the start, diving up the inside of the field on the entry to turn one to make up a handful of places in one go. The 29-year-old Finn then continued to pick up places on the opening lap and was quickly involved in what turned out to be the battle for fourth place. A drop off in rear grip left Kallio able to match the lap times of the other riders in the group, but unable to mount a challenge to improve his position. The Marc VDS rider was eventually forced to settle for ninth position at the chequered flag. Redding was involved in the battle for the lead in the early stages of the race, but dropped off the back of the leading group when his right hand went numb and made it difficult for the 19-year-old Briton to brake and open the throttle with any feeling. Redding dropped back to try and recover feeling in the hand, but no improvement was forthcoming and he was forced to defend tenth place to the finish. The Marc VDS Racing Team will be back on track in two weeks, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Scott Redding’s home race. Mika Kallio #36: 9th Position “After warm up this morning we made a few small changes to the front of the bike for the race. It was a bit of a risk, but we didn’t really have anything to lose starting from so far back on the grid. It turned out that we went in the right direction and straight away I was quicker than in qualifying yesterday. I got a good start and made up a lot of places into turn one and even more on the opening lap. I was battling in a group when the rear grip dropped off; it wasn’t severe and I was able to maintain my lap times, but I just didn’t have the drive out of the turns needed to set up a pass. In the end I finished ninth, which I’m not really happy with, but it was at least satisfactory after the problems yesterday and it was enough to retain sixth place in the championship.” Scott Redding #45: 10th Position “I felt good, the bike was good and I got away from the line okay, but then I started having problems with my throttle hand. When I was tucked in on the bike it started to go numb, as if something was pressing on a nerve somewhere. I let a couple of people through so that I could relax a bit and see if it improved, but it just wouldn’t go away. It meant I was struggling with feeling, both on the gas and on the brakes, which was losing me time in every corner. It’s disappointing because without this problem I know I could have been up there and battling at the front today.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “Mika rode a hard race today, to fight his way up from the seventh row of the grid and finish inside the top ten. I have no doubt that, if he hadn’t had to use up his tyres fighting his way through the field in the opening laps, a top five finish was a possibility today. We need to work with Mika on his qualifying, as it’s costing him good results at the moment. Scott also looked strong in the early part of today’s race, but he started struggling with a numb right hand that cause problems for him on the brakes and with the throttle. He did well to defend tenth position until the end of the race. We need to find out exactly what caused the problem, as it’s not something Scott has experienced before.” More, from a press release issued by Blusens Avintia: Unlucky weekend for Julián Simón as he crashes in first bend hit by another rider Montmeló. Julián Simón will find it hard to forget this weekend. As he has said it himself it was definitely the worst G.P. in his life. Three crashes during the training practices and a fourth one during the race – as he got hit by another rider at start – make up the result of this tragic weekend. In none of the four accidents has he suffered any injuries but there is no denying that it must be difficult to go through so many misfortunes. It seems as though Montmeló kept on plotting against Julián. We need to wait until next year to see if Simón can eventually make up for so much bad luck on this track. Ricard Jové (Moto2 Manager Team ): “For all these years that I have been working in the sports world I can’t remember such an unlucky G.P. It´s been a very difficult situation for the rider and the team. But I´d really like to stress that such difficult circumstances I insist that this is hard for the rider who crashed several times and for the team´s mechanics who had to intensely work night and day – have built up the relationship between the team and the rider which shows a fantastic mutual support. I´d like Julián to know that he has all the love and support from each and every member of the team, that we are aware that he has tried his best at every moment and that he has shown his worth and professionalism every time he has taken it to the track. Let´s forget this fateful weekend and look into the future.” 60 Julián Simón (NF): “There isn’t much I can say after crashing four times in the same weekend. I have already said it yesterday. I had never experienced such a situation. And on top of it today I crashed shortly after starting. It seems self-evident that it wasn’t our day so we have to forget about it all and look into the next race. I´d like to thank my whole team, the mechanics and technicians and for the hard work they have been doing on a daily basis and for their support. I hope that soon the table will turn and that we can enjoy the fruit of our efforts.” More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team: West battles hard for 22nd place Rosell scores a safe race finish Team QMMF rider Anthony West battled his way to 22nd place at the Grand Prix of Catalunya and came to the same conclusions as in the practice sessions: His team engineers had managed to significantly improve the chassis with their own development parts, but the engine was still too slow to confirm the progress with a strong result. But since the scheduled change of the engine happened after the race, West is hopeful to have more horsepower and to be in much better shape at the next round in England. His Spanish team-mate Elena Rosell concluded a difficult weekend with a safe race finish. The only lady racer in the GP world championship fell in the warm-up practice session on Sunday morning, but rode on with her usual determination and is now also hoping for a change of luck in the next Grand Prix. Anthony West 22nd “I had a good start and managed to pass many people in the corner sections, but as soon as I got to the straights, I really felt our engine problem again. Our bike is not very fast anyway, but here at this Grand Prix, it was worse than usual. All the other riders pulled away easily, I couldn’t even stay in their slipstream. I would fight, re-pass them in the corners and make up some positions, only to get caught again on the following straight. I couldn’t stay with the group I was fighting in at the beginning and the gap kept increasing, which was very disappointing for me. We now have an engine change for the next race and I hope this one will be faster. The parts that the team made to improve the chassis work really well and make a big difference to the bike, even though we haven’t been able to show the improvement here at Barcelona. But I want to thank them because they are doing a good job!” Elena Rosell 26th “In the warm-up practice this morning, we tried yet another setting on the bike. Unfortunately, the rear stepped out under brakes before one of the corners and I crashed. After that, I didn’t have the best of races. I felt bad and it was difficult for me to hang on. The only good thing is that we finished the race and that I got more race experience. We were also able to sort a few things on the bike and we know which changes made the bike better and which made it worse. But it would have been nice to have some more luck at my home Grand Prix!” More, from a press release issued by Splitlath Redmond: MILLER 30th AS BUCKLEY’S HARD WORK STARTS TO PAY OFF MARK Miller crossed the line 30th in today’s Dainese Superbike TT Race and attributed the team’s progress with the Aprilia RSV4 to the work of Mark Buckley. Miller enjoyed a solid six-lap race around the famous course on a bike which Buckley had spent several weeks working on before his tragic death at the North West 200 last month. And his hard work particularly with the handling and chassis – paid off today for his friend Miller, who believes he has found a great set up now with his Splitlath Redmond machine. The team has faced various teething troubles throughout practice week, not least the recurring drama of the tanks which blighted progress at last year’s TT. But a new and improved tank which arrived last night has finally solved the issue, and Miller was delighted to be able to finish a race without running out of fuel. “I’m pleased we got the six laps completed out there, and for the first time I knew I wasn’t going to run out of fuel, which was probably our biggest concern coming out here again,” he said. “I’m happy to have been able to finish. We made a little change to the suspension in the first stop and that really helped. The bike has been improving every time we’ve gone out, but that’s because we started off so well with the work Mark did before we came out here. “It’s a great forward leap for us now, and the perfect way to start the week. It gives us all more confidence now for the rest of the week. The crew here have been amazing and I have to thank them for working as hard as they have to get us here today.” Team co-owner John Dimbylow was delighted with the result. “This is fantastic, it’s a good, solid result for Mark,” he said. “The team have been incredible and worked tirelessly all week to produce something great, despite all of my ranting at them which I have to admit has happened once or twice. “And what’s perhaps most important here is that Mark has been out and completed a race on a bike which was set up by Mark Buckley. The work Mark did on this bike has given us a superb foundation to start this week, and it’s a testament to the guy he was. We could not have done this without him.” But Miller’s race wasn’t completely without drama. As he pitted for the second time he struggled to get his machine running again, and had to rely on a push down pitlane from none other than team co-owner Derek Redmond much to Dimbylow’s amusement. “I can honestly say I don’t think Derek has run 100meters that fast since 1992,” he added. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Motor Speedway: MotoGP RACE REPORT: GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA Lorenzo extends points gap with victory after thrilling duel with fellow Spaniard Pedrosa INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, June 3, 2012 – Jorge Lorenzo extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship with a victory Sunday, June 3 in the Grand Prix of Catalunya, his third win of the 2012 season. But unlike his last win, a lights-to-flag march of domination in a wet race May 20 at Le Mans, this triumph came after a tough fight in dry conditions. 2010 World Champion Lorenzo beat fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa to the finish by 5.003 seconds on his Yamaha Factory Racing machine. Andrea Dovizioso held off reigning World Champion Casey Stoner for third, ending Stoner’s streak of 19 consecutive top-three finishes dating back to May 2011. “I’m really happy with this victory, as it was a very tough weekend,” Lorenzo said. “We performed a lot better than yesterday, as in qualifying it was very hot. The grip on the track after the rain this morning was also not so great.” Dovizioso’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate, Cal Crutchlow, rounded out the top five. Lorenzo increased his lead over Stoner in the standings to 20 points, 115-95, with the victory. 2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Lorenzo has finished second or better in all five races this season. Spanish rivals Lorenzo and Pedrosa rode in tandem during this race after American Ben Spies fell out of the lead on Lap 3. On Lap 7, Lorenzo passed Pedrosa for the lead under braking on the long front straightaway at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain. But five laps later, Pedrosa returned the favor on Lorenzo, taking the lead on the front straight. Lorenzo hung on Pedrosa’s rear wheel for the ensuing lap but was late in the brakes in Turn 1 on the next lap, running wide to the edge of the track and handing a lead of 1.1 seconds to Pedrosa. Lorenzo then chewed into Pedrosa’s lead, capitalizing on better grip after choosing a softer tire compound than Pedrosa. On Lap 20, Lorenzo had closed to the rear wheel of Pedrosa. They rode in lockstep around the track before Pedrosa popped a big wheelie exiting a corner. That slight mistake allowed Lorenzo to power past in the next corner and take a lead he never would surrender. It was a tough race for American riders. 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden finished ninth on his Ducati Team machine, slowed by a loss of feeling in his hand during the race. 2010 Rookie of the Year Spies crashed on Lap 3 when he drifted wide into the dirt right after passing Pedrosa for the lead. Spies remounted his Yamaha Factory Racing machine and rode through the field to finish 10th. Colin Edwards wasn’t classified after his NGM Mobile Forward Racing Suter-BMW shut down on the final lap, ending a race plagued by various mechanical problems. The next race is the British Grand Prix on June 17 at Silverstone. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP is the 11th of 18 races this season, Sunday, Aug. 19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. PODIUM FINISHER QUOTES JORGE LORENZO (Winner, Yamaha Factory Racing): “I’m really happy with this victory, as it was a very tough weekend. We performed a lot better than yesterday, as in qualifying it was very hot. The grip on the track after the rain this morning was also not so great. At the beginning of the race when I was following Ben and Dani, it was very easy to make a mistake under braking and touch them, so I waited calmly for my opportunity. When Ben made a mistake, I moved up. I followed Dani and watched him. He slowed his pace and eventually made a mistake, so I was able to pass him then give it full throttle.” DANI PEDROSA (Second, Repsol Honda Team): “A second place is always a second, but I really wanted to win today. I cannot feel happy. We’ve worked very hard during the practice sessions to be ready to win, but finally we couldn’t make it, so it’s a little bit disappointing. I pushed as much as I could, but in the final laps I had some issues to stay on the racing line. I pushed my best in the middle of the race. I tried to attack, but with 10 laps remaining, I couldn’t keep the pace. It was hard to control the bike on braking and in the exit of the corners, so I was defensive because I knew my corner speed was not so good. I made a mistake, and I had a big wheelie, so Jorge got past me and I couldn’t follow him.” ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (Third, Monster Yamaha Tech 3): “I am really happy to get my first podium for Yamaha, and this is a fantastic reward for all the effort my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew has put in since I came to this team. We have been building up to this result for a while now, but it is great to be battling at the front in MotoGP on a satellite machine, and I’m sure nobody expected us to be doing this so early. It was a very hard race because there wasn’t a lot of grip, but I am really happy because I was able to fight very close to Pedrosa and Lorenzo, who are so strong on this track. I was only losing one- or two-tenths, and this is very positive. Maybe I could have stayed with them and fought for the win, but I made a small mistake, and that cost me a lot of time. I found my pace again, but in the final laps Casey and Cal caught me, but I was determined to finish on the podium. I could hear Casey’s bike and knew he was looking to attack, but I tried to give my maximum while not making a mistake.” AMERICAN RIDER QUOTES NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Team, ninth): “It was very difficult for me because I started having a problem with my hand going to sleep. I felt it a little bit in qualifying yesterday, so we did some treatment last night with the team physio, but the problem returned in the race. I’ve had it happen a couple of other times in my career, and around here, with so much hard braking, I could hardly feel the brake lever or the throttle. On the straightaway, I could move my fingers and get some feeling back, but then it would return. My pace was OK in the beginning, but after that group got away, I really just tried to bring the bike home without crashing since I couldn’t feel how hard I was braking.” BEN SPIES (Yamaha Factory Racing, 10th): “I’m more disappointed for the team than for me because I felt good with the bike, and we definitely had a bike to be on the podium today. I just made one mistake in the race and blew our chance. We were going good in the beginning, but I was getting impatient with Dani. He was holding me up, but I couldn’t make the pass on the straight, so I had to go for it on the brakes and unfortunately got out onto the edge of the track. I got up, and we got back into it, and our pace was pretty good. Unfortunately, it was too late to get back to the front.” COLIN EDWARDS (NGM Mobile Forward Racing, not classified): “I went out there today and did my best. Started changing the gears, going up through the gearbox, and the clutch started slipping and I wasn’t going anywhere. Everybody passed me on the straight into Turn 1. I got going, and the bike just felt so different than it did yesterday: Tires reacting differently to the cooler temperature, couldn’t get them to stick in the bike. It just felt so stiff. The only way to steer the bike was with the throttle. Getting in the corner, we were lacking a lot of grip. I had to ride a lot different to how I did yesterday to try to survive and managed by slowly trying to keep the pace. The tire dropped off, and I dropped off a bit. And coming out of Turn 11, with five or six laps to go, it just kind of stopped, full throttle but no rpms, nothing was happening and I knew something broke, so I thought: “Well, the bike is still going, so I’ll try to survive the last couple of laps in case something happens and I can get points.” In the last lap on Turn 4, it just quit completely, and I would do about 3 miles an hour no matter what I did with the throttle. It wouldn’t even make it to the finish line, so I just came in the pits.” POINTS Riders: Jorge Lorenzo 115, Casey Stoner 95, Dani Pedrosa 85, Andrea Dovizioso 60, Cal Crutchlow 56, Valentino Rossi 51, Alvaro Bautista 45, Stefan Bradl 43, Nicky Hayden 40, Hector Barbera 31, Ben Spies 24, Aleix Espargaro 15, Randy de Puniet 7, Mattia Pasini 6, Michele Pirro 6, James Ellison 5, Karel Abraham 4, Colin Edwards 4, Danilo Petrucci 4, Yonny Hernandez 3, Ivan Silva 1. Manufacturers: Yamaha 115, Honda 106, Ducati 56, ART 19, FTR 6, Suter 4, Ioda 4, BQR-FTR 2, BQR 2. MotoGP SUPPORT CLASS WINNERS Moto2: Andrea Iannone, Italy, Speed Master Speed Up-Honda. Moto3: Maverick Vinales, Spain, Blusens Avintia FTR Honda. 2012 tickets: Tickets for the 2012 Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP event, scheduled for Aug. 17-19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, are on sale now at www.imstix.com , by calling (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700 or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information. Information on camping at IMS during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP is available at www.imstix.com. Hotel package information can be found at visitindy.com/redbull. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: Wyman Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Race at Road America Top Three Finishers Separated by 0.403-second Margin Elkhart Lake, Wis. (June 4, 2012) KLR Group’s Kyle Wyman held off Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Scrubblade teammates Michael Barnes and Tyler O’Hara Sunday in a classic drafting battle at Road America to earn his second AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race win of the season by a 0.157-second margin. As has become the pattern in recent XR1200 series races, the trio of Wyman, Barnes and polesitter O’Hara set the pace at the front, furiously trading the lead multiple times per lap of the 4-mile-long road course. O’Hara led the first four of the race’s seven laps, if often only briefly by drafting into the lead at the start/finish line. Wyman took over the lap lead on the fifth lap and held it through to the conclusion of the contest. “I figured out that I was pretty quick in the last few corners of the race track, but very weak in the Carousel, so I figured if I could be out front at the end of the Carousel [on the last lap] I’d be alright to the finish,” Wyman said. “A couple times they drafted me but it was kind of on the fence whether they’d be able to get by me to the [finish] line or not. I knew I could get a good drive out of the last corner so that’s what I wanted to do. I was pretty confident I could make it to the line [first].” Barnes, who came up just short of his second XR1200 win, noted the importance of last-lap positioning at the draft-heavy track: “I didn’t really have anything in the draft, and that’s what I’m really disappointed about because I felt I had something on the last lap. I got a really good run out of the last corner and I had Kyle set up for a draft [pass]. I had to get around Tyler because I didn’t have anything for sitting back in third even to draft into second, so I just took my chances and it kind of paid off 50 percent. I got halfway there.” Behind the front-running trio, Harv’s Harley-Davidson’s Travis Wyman held off Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D) by 0.008 seconds to finish fourth, with Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn) and David Estok (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing) less than one second behind. XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D’s Michael Corbino and Darren James (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing) finished eighth and ninth, with Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D) nipping Joseph Rozynski by 0.006 second to round out the top ten finishers. Final Results: 1. Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Vesrah), 7 laps 2. Michael Barnes (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +0.157 second 3. Tyler O’Hara (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +0.403 second 4. Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D), +10.437 seconds 5. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +10.445 seconds 6. Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn), +10.772 seconds 7. David Estok (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing), +11.207 seconds 8. Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D), +21.391 seconds 9. Darren James (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing), +41.683 seconds 10. Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D), +57.775 11. Joseph Rozynski (Sound Waves/Kneedraggers.com), +57.881 seconds 12. Brice Cooper (Woodstock H-D/Hoban Brothers), +58.114 seconds 13. Paul James (Hoban Cycle/Woodstock H-D), +58.126 seconds 14. Matthew Heidel (Online Paddock/Down Home H-D), +1:44.274 15. Josh Chisum (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), 1 lap 16. Shane Narbonne (Suburban Motors H-D), DNS XR1200 Championship Points 1. O’Hara, 138 2. K. Wyman, 129 3. Barnes, 123 4. Corbino, 74 5. Estok, 70 6. Signorelli, 69 7. T. Wyman, 65 8. D. James, 63 9. Chisum, 49 10. Hansen, 41 The next round of the Vance & Hines XR1200 series is June 23-24 at BarberMotorsportsPark in Leeds, AL. More, from a press release issued by Celtic Racing/Orient Express: Celtic Racing’s Rispoli And Alexander Share Podium Finishes At Road America Celtic Racing arrived at Road America for the AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport West doubleheader with James Rispoli leading the West point standings, and Corey Alexander in fifth in the East championship. James rode hard in Practice and Qualifying aboard his #1 Celtic Orient Express Suzuki GSX-R 600 to take third position on the grid, posting the fastest time in Saturday morning Qualifying as well. Corey showed that he was back to form at Road America, qualifying just behind his teammate in fourth place in the thirty-two rider field on his #5 National Guard Fairhills Group Suzuki GSX-R 600, and was third fastest in second Qualifying. Race one on Saturday saw Rispoli battle for the lead with eventual race winner Lewis, and finish in third position just behind Mesa. Rispoli gained valuable points to maintain his Supersport West lead for the series championship. Alexander had a good start for the first green flag, but then after the red flag suffered with clutch issues which dropped him back to 22nd overall. Some determined and calculated racing moved Corey steadily through the field to finish eleventh, with a pace that would have placed him in the lead pack. The second SuperSport race on Sunday was a three rider battle for the front with Rispoli again battling for the lead. Alexander had a good start, working his way from eighth to fourth, again on pace to battle with the lead pack but unable to close the gap. On the last lap Rispoli attempted to make a pass for the lead and wound up crashing. James would recover quickly and finish sixth, salvaging valuable points. Alexander was in the perfect position to take advantage of his teammate’s misfortune, and grabbed third place on the podium behind Lewis and Mesa. Corey Alexander was thrilled to earn a podium on Sunday, and said “After a tough few weeks and a misfortunate problem with the bike on Saturday, I was super excited to make a podium finish Sunday. My National Guard Fairhills Group crew stuck behind me so I have to give them a huge shout-out, and though I was bummed to see James go down on the last lap I was happy to take third. Thanks to everyone supporting the team, the National Guard, Fairhills Group, and Celtic Racing. Special thanks to my personal sponsors Arai Helmets, Spidi Leathers, XPD Boots, Hudson Valley Motorcycle, my family, and Uncle Richie.” Rispoli battled hard all weekend, and he was happy to gain points as the next event moves to Barber, stating “Race one was pretty good before the red flag, we were right there hanging behind Lewis closing the laps down, but third was all I got Saturday. Sunday morning warm up we made some changes to help get off the corners harder, and through the fast corners. The first lap of the race i knew we had the pace when I could run up on Lewis coming off the corners. On the white flag lap I passed him for the lead going down the back straight into turn five, I got double drafted so I tried to just go back around Mesa to sit in second but I missed my first downshift so I had to grab four gears in a row and got it super side-ways. As I went down I just remember yelling in my helmet “YOU IDIOT” and then “GET UP! GET UP!” Before I was done sliding I was running for the bike, and luckily the flagger had picked it up and I was on my way to the checkered flag, only losing one point in that race. I feel bad that my team gave me the bike to win and I made a very uncharacteristic mistake, that I don’t usually make and that I couldn’t put a win in the books for them. But we’re still 26 points ahead going into Barber where I love to ride.” James would also like to thank his personal sponsors: AGV Helmets, Dainese Leathers, Monster Energy, and Techmount for their support. Both Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600’s showcase the best in road racing technology. Product support for both machines comes from: Michael Jordan Motorsports, American Suzuki, Armor Bodies, Chicken Hawk Racing, DesignStar3, Dynojet, FMF Racing, Full Spectrum Power, Hudson Valley Racing, Galfer Brakes, GB Racing, K-Tech Suspension, Maxima Oils, Motion Pro, Pit Bull, Riviera Country Club, Saddlemen, Star Motorcycle School, Vortex Racing, and Zero Gravity. Celtic Racing was established in 2001 by Barry Gilsenan, and over the past 11 seasons has established itself as a premier privateer racing team. Development of riding talent began with two-stroke 125cc, and 250cc machines competing in professional and regional championship events. More recent Celtic Racing efforts have focused on AMA Pro Road Racing in the Daytona SportBike and SuperSport classes with Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha four stroke motorcycles. Gilsenan’s talent for coaching racers of all ages and abilities has brought Celtic Racing worldwide attention and recognition, with many former Celtic Racing riders now competing on World Championship levels. Please join Celtic Racing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CelticRacing. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Please visit http://www.nationalguard.com to find out more. FAIRHILLS GROUP Fairhills Group is a New York based alternative investment management firm that manages capital for the Bronson family and other high net worth individuals and wealthy families. Fairhills was established in 2002 for the purpose of providing public companies with alternative forms of financing, eventually becoming one of the most active investors in structured equity transactions. Fairhills has since grown to provide financing solutions to companies globally and recently has opened its doors for the first time to external investors, with a full range of alternative investment fund offerings. For more information on Fairhills, please visit http://www.fairhills.com. ORIENT EXPRESS Established in 1973, Orient Express is a high performance motorcycle parts and accessories warehouse distributor; offering dyno tuning, engine building services and precision machine work. Orient Express has an extensive history of racing, including support of both professional and amateur race series and individuals. For more information regarding Orient Express, or to find out what Orient Express can do for your racing success, please call 800.645.6521 or 631.231.9552 (NY/International), visit http://www.orientexpress.com or join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OrientExpressRacing. More, from a press release issued by Bel-Ray: MotoGP Tire choice and bike setup are critically important to success in the MotoGP, especially to the CRT series of bikes competing. As the top CRT team in the series, the Bel-Ray backed Power Electronics team of Aleix Espargaro and Randy DePuniet has consistently performed at the top, just off the factory racing teams. This weekend in Catalunya Espargaro again finished as the top CRT racer in 13th with teammate DePuniet close behind in 15th. Espargaro has been pleased with his season thus far, “I think that we are doing things well and I am happy with that. It was a great feeling to give my all and achieve my objective in front of such great home fans.” DePuniet spoke about his tire choice and the issues he encountered following the day’s racing. “I think that we made a mistake with our tire choice. We had good feedback from the hard rear yesterday and the times were good, so we decided to go with it for the race. However, today, the track conditions were different from the start and I began to feel strange with the bike. I knew that my teammate and the other CRT riders had gone for the soft compound, so I waited, thinking that at the midway point, I would have things easier. That didn’t happen with the rear, and to add to that, I made a few mistakes changing gears that lost me over a second. Now we have to analyze what happened today and see where we went wrong with the tire choice. We still haven’t finished a race 100% happy, so we will continue fighting, so that this can happen at Silverstone.” Moto2 Both of the Mapfre Aspar team members came to Montmeló with fond memories of past performances. Unfortunately, a 15th for Terol and DNF for Elias were not what they had in mind. Terol was fortunate to score points for the second race in a row, while Elias was running just outside the top 5 when he succumbed to an unfortunate crash. Terol spoke about the continual improvements of the team and his riding. “At Le Mans, we got points and we have done the same here, but we were expecting more. Nonetheless, these results keep us optimistic and we can see that we are improving. I am satisfied with the start and although I made an early mistake, I was able to hold my nerve and maintain a good pace throughout the race. This weekend hasn’t been easy but we can look back on it positively now. Taking points is good for us and we have taken a step forward, so we have to keep working in order to keep this evolution going.” Although he was disappointed about the final result, Elias spoke positively about the race. “I am a little disappointed because I expected more from this home race. It is a shame because we had done a very good job all weekend, but we never found the necessary grip on the rear. I gave everything in the race, trying to follow riders in order to get as high up the order as possible, but pushing too hard meant that I crashed. We aren’t going to get down about it though. The positive from this weekend is that we have taken another step forward and we are progressively getting closer to the lead riders.” Moto3 The Bel-Ray backed Bankia Aspar team of Hector Faubel and Alberto Moncayo came to the Spanish circuit in Montmeló with high hopes. Considered a home race for the team, both racers were looking to impress their home fans. Both riders experienced difficulties during the race with Faubel coming in contact with another rider and Moncayo running wide off the race line. Neither rider went down in the altercations, but the delay caused Faubel to finish 7th and Moncayo 14th. Faubel was disappointed with the racing event that took place but was happy with the final results. “Today was a positive race for me in which I was able to feel competitive again. I was in the podium fight the whole time and I think that I had things under control. My strategy was to stick in third or fourth and then attack second place on the home straight of the final lap. However, one of Márquez’ passes on one of the latter laps knocked my handlebars and meant that I had to go very wide in order to avoid a crash. I lost time and positions, but I was still able to pass two riders before the end. It is a shame, because we were hoping for a better result, but we are happy with how competitive we were and with how much we fought.” Moncayo spoke about the events of the race following the checkered flag. “After a difficult start, I focused on setting my pace in order to get past as many riders as possible. I was setting some good times, but on the penultimate corner of the third lap, I ran off track and got caught by a group of riders. I pushed hard on the final two laps and was able to claim back some positions and get a gap between myself and the group. I was able to take fourteenth in the end, which is two points, but obviously not our objective. ” Follow Bel-Ray racers in action all season long on www.belray.com and www.belrayracing.com. Bel Ray Company Inc was founded in 1946 and is a privately held, woman owned business serving the lubrication needs of powersports, industrial and mining customers worldwide. Bel-Ray is recognized as the leader in the specialty lubricants industry for setting high standards of quality and performance with products formulated for the motorcycle, automotive, aviation, energy, food, marine, military, mining, OEM, Industrial steel, and textile industries. “Flex Your Engine” with Bel-Ray’s superior Powersports line that delivers top quality Made-in-the-USA products to motorcycle and recreational vehicle enthusiasts around the world. Bel-Ray products are available at powersports dealers worldwide. Visit Bel-Ray.com for a complete dealer listing. Like us on Facebook.com/BelRay or follow us on Twitter/Bel_Ray More, from a press release issued by Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries: Stephano Mesa wins his first AMA Pro race but the bigger win could be the bet he made with his father. After finishing second place on Saturday in the AMA Pro Racing Supersport class, the Kneedraggers.com/Triplecrown Industries rider Stefano Mesa knew he had a chance to win a bet with his father and Mechanic. After Saturday’s battle with the front runners, Mesa knew that if he stuck to his race strategy he would be within striking distance and have his first shot at an AMA Pro Racing win. Stefano had a simple bet with his father and his mechanic Andy Demming, when he won his first pro race, they would both quit smoking. In a press conference after the race Stefano Mesa said, “I spent the first few laps trying to hang with the leaders, watching their lines and trying to conserve my tires. I made a move, I think it was on the last lap, we were all trying to out brake each other into turn 5, someone fell and I was able to square off the corner and get the drive up the hill into 6. The leader was riding very fast and putting lots of pressure on me, I missed a couple of my shift points but was able to make an inside pass in Canada corner (turn 12) and move in front to win the race. I’m so happy, it’s hard to find words to describe how happy I am, we have been working on this for so long, my whole family, and I had a bet with my dad and Andy that when I won my first pro race, they would stop smoking. I’ve held up my end of the bargain now it’s time for them to do their part.” Robert Ward, Crew Chief: “We’re very happy to provide Stefano with a machine that can showcase his talent and allow him to produce the fastest lap of the race. This win was a great confidence booster and exactly what he needed to improve his championship position going into the next round at Barber Motorsports Park.” Dave Brite, Team Owner: “Stefano really stepped up his game, we all knew he had the skills to run up front but it was his race craft that impressed me this weekend. We have been working closely with Ohlins the past two rounds and as everyone can see, it’s paying off. Big thanks to the entire crew who did a great job this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Dainese, AGV: Subway Superbike Double Header Less than a week after great racing from Dainese & AGV racers at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, AMA Pro Road Racing takes the battle to Road America’s challenging 4.05-mile course where the competition continues to escalate. Elkhart Lakes, WI- On the heels of a tough weekend at Miller, Dainese & AGV rider James “The Rocket” Rispoli hoped to race back to the place he knows so well, the podium. Through AMA SuperSport practices and qualifiers, Rispoli clung to the top three positions with consistent fast lap times that earned him a front row start on the grid. Under excellent track conditions, the start of Race 1 saw The Rocket get the hole shot down the long front straight. He led the first lap, but was overtaken at turn 1. Striking back immediately, Rispoli regained 2nd position from Dominguez and quickly began stalking Lewis when a crash halted the race with a red flag. From second position on the restart, James took to dicing it up with Lewis and Dominguez quickly with all three riders trading positions. Pushing his Celtic Racing Orient Express Suzuki to the limit by backing it through many of the courses turns, Rispoli began to experience front-end issues. Despite displaying masterful control, he was ultimately relegated to a 3rd place finish. Fast and very consistent all weekend, Dainese and Roadrace Factory rider Thomas Puerta battled lap after lap against his teammate Hayden Gillim. Beating him across the finish line, Puerta came home with 5thplace. Race 2 kicked off like Race 1 had never ended, with James Rispoli engaging Jake Lewis from the first lap. Also mixing it up with the front runners, Dustin Dominguez had to retire on lap 3 with mechanical troubles. Pushing hard after showing Lewis a wheel through numerous turns, Rispoli overtook the lead on the brakes at Turn 1 on the 4th lap. Just a lap later in the same place, Lewis returned the favor as the two hard-chargers fought for top position. Pushing the bike sideways through turn after turn, The Rocket put up an impressive display as he again took over the lead at Turn 1 with 3 laps remaining. It didn’t last as he again tangled it up with Lewis and Kneedraggers.com’s Stefano Mesa. Riding the wheels off his Celtic Racing GSX-R 600 on the final lap, Rispoli couldn’t calm the bike as it squirmed and low-sided. With a quick recovery, he was able to pick the bike up and come home with a 6th place finish, and more importantly, more points in the Supersport West standings. Fellow Dainese sponsored rider Thomas Puerta rode another consistent race, only dicing with his own teammate Hayden Gillim again, and bringing home a respectable 4thplace finish. Racing at his home track, Wisconsin-native and Dainese rider Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young took the support of his home fan base and gave chase to Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes in the AMA SuperBike class. Donning a specially painted helmet to resemble the cheese his home state is renowned for, Young started from the front row in a rain-delayed Race 1. Running at a blistering pace, Blake “The Snake” pulled a 7 second advantage over Dainese and AGV riders Josh Herrin, Ben Bostrom, and Steve Rapp, with 7 laps left, but could only follow in the wake of race leader Hayes. Despite such a strong showing and still-injured wrist, with 5 laps remaining Steve Rapp was forced to retire with a mechanical failure, leaving Herrin and Bostrom to fight for the final podium step. When rains returned on the final lap, race officials red-flagged the race earning Blake Young and Josh Herrin a 2nd and 3rd place finish, respectively. Race 2 kicked off under perfect conditions, leaving great racing as the only element to affect Road America. From the drop of the flag, Josh Hayes cleared off and never looked back. Unfortunately for him, he missed the 3rdgreat battle within a week between Dainese riders Blake Young and Josh Herrin. From lap 1 the two racers showed their deep talents as they rode close enough they were seen exchanging glances. Bowing out on lap 2, Steve Rapp closed out his weekend with another mechanical DNF after showing great promise in the morning warm-up. While race fans enjoyed the Young vs. Herrin battle from trackside, the man with perhaps the best seat for the show was Ben Bostrom. Running a strong race just off their pace and displaying his years of experience, Bostrom ran the entire race in 4th place and finished just off the podium. With 4 laps remaining, and the duel reaching a boiling point, Blake Young passed Josh Herrin hard in Turn 1. The favor was passed back and forth between the riders for a full lap. Tearing down the front straight, Young waved Herrin by inexplicably, only to reclaim his lead immediately. Running only a bike-length apart for the rest of the race, Young claimed 2nd place from Herrin by less than one-hundredth of a second, and received a hero’s welcome from his hometown fans at the podium. More, from a press release issued by Kuryakyn Racing for a Wish Team: RACING FOR A WISH AND SIGNORELLI CLOSING GAP TO LEADERS Signorelli and Kuryakyn Racing for a Wish Team Gaining On the Coveted Podium Finish The Kuryakyn Racing for a Wish Team hustled to Road America for the AMA Pro XR1200 Series Round 5, just three days after racing wrapped up in Utah on Memorial Day. The team was ready and confident coming off their best pro finish with a top-five at Miller Motorsports Park. This last weekend was Signorell’s second visit to Road America. Although he crashed out of the race his first time there in 2011, the long and fast road racing course is one of his favorites. Being so close to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s homeland of Milwaukee, the XR1200 series had the treat of putting on a great show for thousands of HD enthusiasts. The team continues to make strides forward. On Sunday, Signorelli finished the race in sixth after a entertaining scrap for fourth, with a best lap time just 1.4 seconds behind the fastest lap time done by any rider all weekend. The team continues to make significant significant progress throughout the year. Signorelli has had his two career best Pro finishes in the last two races. He and the team are confident and poised to make a strong charge in the points race that will begin at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in two and a half months time. Earlier in the year, the AMA and Vance&Hines announced a points chase and an increased purse for the XR1200 Series. Starting at the Indy GP, the points for the top ten in the championship standings will have their points reset to zero. This should lead to some spirited competition in a class that demonstrates some of the most entertaining racing. The team invites all fans to make it to the next round at Barber Motorsports Park on June 24th, or tune in on Speed2.com for race coverage. More information about the next race can be found at www.racingforawish.com or www.amaproracing.com. For more information about Signorelli, the Kuryakyn Racing for a Wish Team, and their charitable cause, find them at www.racingforawish.com or www.kuryakyn.com as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets. Racing for a Wish markets sponsors’ brands in the thrilling world of motorsports. Racing for a Wish is a motorcycle road racing program that donates to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado as it supports Gerry Signorelli’s development towards becoming an internationally competitive racer. The team is currently racing in the full AMA XR1200 Pro Series. More, from a press release issued by Öhlins USA: From Twin-Tube Single Shocks to Single-Tube Twin Shocks: Öhlins Takes AMA Superbike Sweep and V&H XR1200 Win at Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin: At super-long superfast Road America, located in the rolling hills outside Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Öhlins once again had a double-header double-podium sweep of AMA Pro Superbike racers riding on Öhlins shocks and suspension components. Josh Hayes took two wins on his Graves Yamaha YZF-R1, while Blake Young earned two seconds on his Yoshimura Suzuki, and Hayes’ teammate Josh Herrin nabbed two third-place finishes. Each rider was supported by a rear Öhlins TTX twin-tube shock and a front fork Öhlins cartridge kit. On the other side of the history of suspension, Kyle Wyman took the win in the Vance & Hines XR1200 class, with a pair of Öhlins single-tube shocks doing the damping. Wyman is now second in the points and only nine away from the points-leader. A fourth win at Road America for an Öhlins rider, who was also properly dampened and therefore fully unhampered, was Stephano Mesa in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport class, taking his first first-place trophy for the season. Riding for Team Kneedraggers.com, Mesa didn’t flinch in this tight battle that came down to a winning advantage of spectacular domination at .024-seconds at the line. Additional podiums include two seconds and thirds in Daytona SportBike, awarded to Cameron Beaubier Jason DiSalvo in Saturday’s race, and to Jason DiSalvo joined by J.D. Beach in Sunday’s nail-biter, respectively. The next Öhlins earned AMA Pro Superbike wins are scheduled for June 23-24 at Barber Motorsports Park, in greater Birmingham, Alabama. Öhlins USA distributes and services the world’s leading performance suspension components for automobiles, motorcycles, and ATVs. Öhlins develops its proprietary and trend-setting suspension components, steering dampers and oils, at the highest levels of racing from open-wheel car racing, to Moto GP, to off-road competition on two and four wheels. Öhlins USA also provides training for service centers and dealers. Öhlins USA can be contacted at: 828-692-4525; www.Ohlinsusa.com More, from a press release issued by Rockstar: ROCKSTAR ENERGY’S JORGE LORENZO CLAIMS CATALUNYA LOS ANGELES, CA (June 4, 2012) Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo claimed a superfluous victory in dominant form today in the Grand Prix of Catalunya, his third win of the 2012 MotoGP Championship season. Starting from second on the grid, the Championship leader tucked in behind teammate Ben Spies on the first corner, and held third until a mistake by Spies on lap two promoted him to second behind Dani Pedrosa. The two local heroes then battled it out exchanging the lead until six laps from the end where Lorenzo put the hammer down, moving into first and building a lead of over five seconds the line. This second consecutive victory puts the Rockstar Energy rider 20 points clear of closest rival Casey Stoner in the Championship standings and Yamaha nine points clear of Honda at the top of the Constructors Championship standings. “I’m really happy with this victory as it was a very tough weekend. We performed a lot better than yesterday as in qualifying it was very hot. The grip on the track after the rain this morning was also not so great. At the beginning of the race when I was following Ben and Dani it was very easy to make a mistake under braking and touch them so I waited calmly for my opportunity. When Ben made a mistake I moved up. I followed Dani and watched him, he slowed his pace and eventually made a mistake so I was able to pass him then give it full throttle. Thank you so much to Yamaha and my team for working hard to make a great bike for today’s victory.” The next event for Rockstar Energy’s Jorge Lorenzo is round six of the 2012 MotoGP Championship in Silverstone at the Grand Prix of Great Britain on June 17th. About Rockstar: ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful Energy Drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is available in nineteen amazing flavors and worldwide in 25 countries. For more information visit www.rockstar69.com. More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: YOSHIMURA SUZUKI RACING COLLECTS TWO MORE SUPERBIKE PODIUM FINISHES AT ROAD AMERICA Yoshimura Suzuki doubles up: Blake Young cards two 2nds & Chris Clark notches two 7ths in Superbike ELKHART LAKE, WI Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing was the picture of consistency at this past AMA Pro Superbike Championship double-header weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. In front of his home crowd, Wisconsin native Blake Young raced his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to two podium finishes. The weekend also saw Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark enjoy his best overall weekend performance of the season, thanks to seventh-place results on Saturday and Sunday. The first Superbike race of the weekend was delayed and shortened due to powerful storms sweeping through the area. Despite the gusting wind and torrential rains, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Young put his head down and got a good start from the second spot on the grid. Young conservatively clicked off smooth laps to finish second. On Sunday, the weather improved and Young turned in a more aggressive performance on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, dicing with his competition right down to the wire before bringing home second. These results bring Young’s podium tally to nine in as many races this year. “I admit I’m a little disappointed,” said Young. “I’d hoped to win at my home track. But this weekend was definitely a learning experience, and I know that we have some improvements to make. We have a few weeks before the next race, so we’ll go back and figure out what we need to do to come out strong for Barber.” Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Clark was undaunted by the bad weather and had a good showing at Road America. He started both Superbike races from the third row and then slotted his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 into solid positions in both rain and shine. After running as high as fifth on Sunday, Clark carded two seventh-place finishes at the end of the weekend. Currently, Clark is tied for eighth in the overall championships points. “Right before the first race, we caught the tail end of a big storm,” said Clark. “But by the time the race started, it was drying. Unfortunately, I got behind a rider whose bike was spitting oil. Once he was off the track, I put my head down on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and gained time. By the white flag, it was raining again and the race was red flagged, but I kept pushing and cut the gap even more. Sunday’s race was a hard-fought battle for fifth. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and wound up seventh. But I’m happy with the bike and my lap times show that. Now, I’m looking forward to Barber and moving forward.” Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, the weekend of June 22 – 24, 2012. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS TEAM FINDS MORE SPEED & POWER AT ROAD AMERICA ELKHART LAKE WI The Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) team continues to make progress and improve their results with almost every round of the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike series. The recent double-header weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI was no exception. MJM’s Ben Bostrom lifted his game across the board, carding impressive fourth-place finishes in both Saturday and Sunday’s races. MJM’s Bostrom started the weekend with a promising qualifying session, in which he landed a front-row spot on the grid. Unfortunately, heavy storms swept through and delayed and abbreviated Saturday’s AMA Pro National Guard Superbike race. Nonetheless, Bostrom gave it his all and raced his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a respectable fourth. Sunday dawned sunny, and Bostrom again gave 100 percent in the 13-lap Superbike race and again brought home fourth. Bostrom’s strong performance this weekend moved him up a hefty four spots in the overall championship points. “I just can’t thank the Michael Jordan Motorsports crew enough for helping me continue to chip away at the leaders,” said Bostrom. “They made my job awesome at Road America. Racing the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 this weekend was the most fun I’ve had on a bike in years.” National Guard Jordan Suzuki teammate Roger Hayden had a rough time of it at Road America. In Saturday’s race, he put forth a good effort, but his bike had some electronic issues and he retired early for the day. On Sunday, he was penalized for jumping the start and wound up finishing 13th. In the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship points standings, Hayden sits in fourth place and Bostrom moved up to seventh. The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship is at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL the weekend of June 22 – 24, 2012. ABOUT MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS: Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on MJM, please visit www.23race.com, www.twitter.com/23race and http://www.facebook.com/23race. ABOUT THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Michael Jordan Motorsports is proud to partner with: Jordan Brand (a division of Nike), National Guard, American Suzuki, Hanes, Gatorade, Bazzaz, Vortex Racing Components, FMF Exhausts, Gemini Racing, K-Tech Suspension-Orient Express Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, Mechanix Wear, K & N Air Filters, Dainese Leathers, AGV Helmets, Ancra Tie-downs, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Armour Bodies, DID Chains, Factory Pro Dyno, Roclun International, Cardo Scala Rider, STAR Motorcycle School, Motion Pro Tools, Zero Gravity Windscreens, with transportation provided by Eastside Trucking.