Subway Superbike Doubleheader/AMA Pro Road Racing GoPro Daytona SportBike Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 2, 2012 Provisional Race One Results (all on Dunlop tires): 1. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), 13 laps 2. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R6), -1.368 seconds 3. Jason DiSalvo (Tri Daytona 675R), -2.373 4. Dane Westby (Suz GSX-R600), -2.475 5. Bobby Fong (Yam YZF-R6), -10.567 6. Jake Zemke (Duc 848EVO), -16.204 7. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), -18.144 8. Jake Gagne (Yam YZF-R6), -18.169 9. J.D. Beach (Yam YZF-R6), -18.369 10. Huntley Nash (Yam YZF-R6), -18.381 11. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), -23.841 12. Tommy Hayden (Yam YZF-R6), -34.139 13. Benny Solis, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), -37.485 14. Joey Pascarella (Suz GSX-R600), -37.822 15. Austin DeHaven (Yam YZF-R6), -50.270 16. Ben Young (Yam YZF-R6), -59.694 17. Kris Turner (Tri Daytona 675R), -66.603 18. Kenny Riedmann (Tri Daytona 675), -70.031 19. Shane Narbonne (Yam YZF-R6), -70.691 20. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), -71.091 21. Scotty Ryan (Yam YZF-R6), -75.485 22. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R6), -93.268 23. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), -105.483 24. Dan Ortega (Suz GSX-R600), -129.746 25. Dave Ebben (Kaw ZX-6R), -150.893 26. Sam Rozynski (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 27. Ron Mears (Hon CBR600RR), -3 laps, DNF 28. Jeff Wrobel (Yam YZF-R6), -4 laps, DNF 29. Josh Galster (Yam YZF-R6), -12 laps, DNF Provisional Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 19 races): 1. Cardenas, 175 points 2. DiSalvo, 134 3. Westby, 127 4. Hayden, 122 5. Zemke, 108 6. Pascarella, 101 7. Fong, 98 8. Beach, 91 9. Beaubier, 88 10. West, 84 11. Nash, 61 12. Gagne, 53 13. Solis, 52 14. Michael Beck, 50 15. Amantini, 44 16. Prince, 40 17. DeHaven, 37 18. Barrett Long, 21 19. Tommy Aquino, 20 20. Paul Allison, 17 More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media on behalf of GEICO: Cardenas works hard to tally another victory for GEICO Suzuki team ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 2) — GEICO Suzuki rider Martin Cardenas found another way to win a GoPro Daytona SportBike race Saturday at Road America, playing it safe early before riding through the top half of the field from a mid-pack position to take his fifth victory of the season and class-record 21st of his career. Cardenas had qualified third but encountered problems at the launch, which allowed a large group of trailing riders to pull alongside heading into Turn 1, a sweeping right-hander that is almost as wide as the straightaway. Rather than trying to make back all of his lost ground at once, he fell into line, eventually anchoring the lead group in 12th place. “My start was not good,” he said. “Actually, it was pretty bad. It felt like it took a moment for it to engage when I released the clutch so I fell back a little bit. The first turn it seemed as if there were 100 bikes around me. I decided to be cautious and wait for the field to thin out a little bit. Then I had to get to work.” The 29-year-old Colombian found his groove by Lap 3 and started picking off riders in front of him, sometimes in large groupings. By Lap 5 he had moved into third place, where he realized he needed to bridge a fairly sizable gap on leaders Jason DiSalvo and Cameron Beaubier, the two riders that had qualified ahead of him. “I tucked in as tight as I could to move towards the leaders and (Dane) Westby came with me,” Cardenas said. “I pushed very hard because I was looking at the skies and I thought the rain may start at any moment. I wanted to be in the lead position if that happened. “The GEICO Suzuki guys gave me a great bike once again. It was very, very fast and I was able to take the lead position on Lap 6. I didn’t want to give it up after that because I was still worried about the rain. I guess someone (Beaubier) made a little mistake and from there I was able to open a small gap with about 3 laps to go and that was all I needed.” Cardenas’ weather predictions weren’t far off as rain began falling almost as soon as he crossed the finish line, making the cool-down lap an adventure. Eventually, everyone made it back to pit row safely, with Cardenas pulling into the winner’s circle for a raucous welcome from his crew. With the win, Cardenas extended his championship points lead to 41 over DiSalvo. The total includes the bonus point he earned for leading the most laps in Saturday’s race. The GEICO Suzuki crew also was honored as the No. 1 Team of the race, an award that was accepted by crew chief Frank Aragaki on behalf of team owner Chris Ulrich. The Subway Superbike Doubleheader schedule now turns to Sunday with Cardenas going for another trophy at 2:15 p.m. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha Rider Beaubier Races To Hard-Fought Second In Daytona SportBike Race 1 At Road America Elkhart Lake, WI June 2, 2012 In only his fourth race of the season, Cameron Beaubier finished second on his #6 Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6 in today’s AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Road America. Cameron got the holeshot and led the first three laps of the race. He remained in the lead pack throughout the entirety of the contest. At one point in the closing laps, he momentarily fell back to fourth position, but he applied his considerable racecraft and poured on the power in his R6 to make a couple of timely passes and cross the finish line in a solid second. Cameron’s Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha teammate Tommy Hayden, who is filling in for injured teammate Garrett Gerloff, struggled in the race and finished in an uncharacteristic 12th place. Both Cameron and Tommy will consult with their team and come back strong for tomorrow’s Race 2. That second Daytona SportBike race is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:15 PM CST. For news, results, and other team info, be sure to check out Yamaha’s Facebook page. More, from a press release issued by LTD Racing: NASH AND LTD RACING SHOW COMPETITIVE SPIRIT AT ROAD AMERICA, EARN ANOTHER TOP TEN RESULT Elkhart Lake, WI (June 2, 2012) Huntley Nash had his best Daytona SportBike race yet on Saturday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The 20-year old in his second season in DSB ran as high as third place and fought for seventh place, ultimately taking tenth. The former Road America SuperSport race winner has finished higher than tenth in DSB before, but in this race the promising racer showed more competitiveness in the class than he ever has. Nash started the race after qualifying eighth but quickly moved up to fifth off the start and was in third place by the time he left turn one. Nash was charging forward when he found himself on the outside of another rider at turn five, which forced him to run wide and lose a few positions. He regrouped to find himself tenth at the end of lap one, then began a charge to make up ground. Nash found himself in a battle for seventh against some highly competitive riders but was able to take the position on lap eight of 13. He held the position to the final lap where drafting and dicing meant that Hunt unfortunately lost out on some positions but was encouraged to finish this close to the leader. “It’s the best SportBike race so far, over two and a half seconds faster than I’ve ever been here before and really close to the front,” said Nash. “I think I can do even better tomorrow. I made a few mistakes racing really hard with those guys so if I can clean that up, we’ll do even better. I got a good start and got by a few people on the brakes. I got on the outside of DiSalvo instead of the inside, got pushed out wide and onto the rumble strip and nearly crashed. I made up some ground and was passing a lot of those guys on the outside in the Carousel. I’d rather have finished seventh rather than tenth but I’ll take it,” he said. “Since the last laps in Utah, I had a breakthrough and I’m starting to really figure out the trick to ride this bike and this suspension. We haven’t touched one clicker from Miller. I know the bike can run up front, I just have to ride it.” Huntley will compete in the 10-lap finale at the 4.05-mile track tomorrow. More, from a press release issued by Team M4 Suzuki: WESTBY FIGHTS FOR THE PODIUM AT ROAD AMERICA M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby made yet another charge up through the order to battle for the podium on Saturday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. AMA Pro Daytona SportBike title contender Westby, who qualified a strong fifth-fastest at 2:20.852, found himself shuffled back to ninth on the opening lap of the 13-lap race. Westby worked his way into fourth position by lap 4. At that point he teamed up with GEICO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas–both aboard their Team Hammer-prepared GSX-R600s–to track down the early race leaders, transforming the battle for the win into a four-way affair. While Cardenas made a late escape en route to his fifth victory of the season, Westby ran as high as second and held third place for the final run to the flag but was edged at the stripe by a scant 0.101-second. “I thought we had it but not quite. I got pushed out wide and lost some spots, but then I hooked up with Martin (Cardenas) and we went up to the front,” said Westby. “From that point, it was on. It was a matter of seeing where they were weak and I was strong and seeing how it played out until the end of the race. “We let Martin get away and in the end my front tire went off just a little bit,” said the Oklahoman. “We’ll make an adjustment for tomorrow to improve a really good bike even more and be better.” The fourth-place finish saw Westby move up a spot into third place in the championship standings on 127 points. SuzukiScoopFans SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s Elena Myers registered a strong Saturday ride as well. Qualifying on the second row for the weekend’s twin AMA Pro SuperSport races in sixth position (2:23.818), the Daytona winner raced with similar success. Myers took the checkered flag in seventh position, solidifying her third-place ranking in the SuperSport West Region. Saturday’s AMA Pro Superbike contest was delayed to later in the afternoon after rainfall hit the area immediately prior to the scheduled start. M4 Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich made the best of the conditions, moving up from his 16th spot on the grid (2:16.623) to race up to 11th in the race, which was ultimately red flagged and called complete just short of the scheduled distance once the rain returned. Team Venezuela’s Robertino Pietri did not race after suffering broken ribs in a crash during Friday qualifying. On Sunday Westby, Myers, and Ulrich will look for even stronger results in the second half of the Road America AMA Pro Road Racing doubleheader. In 2012, Team Hammer, Inc. is competing in its 32nd consecutive racing season and marks its sixth year of offering technical and logistical support through its Contract Services Department. The team has earned 51 AMA Pro National race wins; 117 AMA Pro National podium finishes; 4 AMA Pro Championships; 133 Overall National Endurance race wins; 13 National Endurance Championships and assorted other race wins and titles.