KENNEDY SECURES DOUBLE AFTER EPIC MOTORPOINT BRITISH SUPERSPORT SCRAP Motorpoint British Supersport Championship protected by Datatag Sprint race result: 1. Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) 2. Glen Richards (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph + 0.454s 3. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +3.132s 4. Luke Mossey (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) +4.639s 5. Billy McConnell (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) +6.332 Motorpoint British Supersport Championship protected by Datatag – Feature race result: 1. Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) 2. Billy McConnell (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) +0.021s 3. Glen Richards (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) +0.039s 4. Sam Warren (Seton Tuning Yamaha) +0.096s 5. Christian Iddon (Oxford TAG Triumph) +0.575s Motorpoint British Supersport Championship protected by Datatag standings after Snetterton: 1. Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) 146.5 2. Glen Richards (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) 119 3. Sam Warren (Seton Tuning Yamaha) 107 4. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 103 5. Billy McConnell (Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph) 91 Report Mar-Train Yamaha’s Jack Kennedy sensationally scored his first double win of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship season following an intense four-way scrap on the final lap of the feature race at Snetterton to beat off the Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumphs of Billy McConnell and Glen Richards. Kennedy had been victorious in the Sprint race at Snetterton following a battle with pole-sitter Glen Richards and Gearlink Kawasaki’s Ben Wilson. Richards had taken the early advantage but Kennedy and Wilson fought for the podium positions during the early stages of the race before Kennedy regained the lead and held on to claim the win from rival Richards with Wilson dropping to third. Luke Mossey was closing in on the second Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph but had to settle for fourth with Billy McConnell completing the top five. The Feature race was an intense battle for supremacy as Wilson took the lead on the first lap from the Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumphs of Richards and Mossey. Richards then stormed into the lead to push Wilson to second with Mossey running third at his home round before waiting until the lap later to move ahead of his Gearlink Kawasaki rival at Brundle. Kennedy then edged ahead into Riches before Richards repaid the move before the Nissan GTR safety car was deployed when Wilson, Jimmy Hill and Luke Jones crashed out at Nelson. When the race resumed Richards continued to hold the lead, however Seton Tuning Yamaha’s Sam Warren was storming through the order to move up to fourth. Warren then moved third and the top three changed again as Warren moved second on the penultimate lap as a hard-charging McConnell moved third to relegate Kennedy to fourth. Mossey then crashed out of the leading pack at Nelson, ending his hopes of a strong result at his home race. On the final lap the positions changed throughout the 2.99-miles; Richards had held the lead across the line but Warren hit the front into Riches for the final time. The Smiths (Gloucester) Racing Triumph rider wasn’t giving up without a fight to take the position back into the next corner of Montreal as team-mate McConnell moved to second around the outside of Warren. The leading four then battled on the infield section as McConnell snatched the lead into Oggies before Richards regained the advantage into Coram as his team-mate ran wide. McConnell made a final attack into Murrays to take the lead from Richards, Warren and Kennedy, but the Mar-Train Yamaha got the drive out of the final corner to win the drag to the line. McConnell claimed second from Richards as Warren just missed out in fourth. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Philip Wain on behalf of the Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar Championship: Controversy reigns at Snetterton as Steinhausen gets disqualified Controversy reigned at round 3 of the Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar Championship at Snetterton at the weekend, when race 2 winners Jorg Steinhausen/Gregory Cluze were disqualified. The German-French pairing took the lead on the fifth lap and promptly pulled away to ‘win’ the race but they were punished for an overtaking maneouvre on the opening lap which saw them collide with Barry James/Calum Lawson and put the latter in the trackside barrier, fortunately without injury. It was Championship leaders Roger Lovelock/Rick Lawrence that grabbed the holeshot and led from Ben Holland/Lee Watson, Scott Lawrie/James Neave, James/Lawson and Steinhausen/Cluze but halfway round the lap, James drifted wide and as Steinhausen dived up the inside he clattered into the side of him, forcing him onto the grass and head first into the barrier. As news came through that the incident was under investigation, the race continued with Lawrie hitting the front on the second lap only for Lovelock to re-take the lead a lap later. All the time though, Steinhausen was closing and he took second on the fourth lap. A lap later, it was Lovelock’s turn to run wide and onto the grass and Steinhausen needed no second invitation, taking the lead along the Bentley Straight. Lovelock tried to respond immediately only to run into the back of Steinhausen through the Esses and go grass tracking, dropping back to fourth. That gave Steinhausen a 1.1s lead over Lawrie with Holland in third but now under pressure from Lovelock. However, the latter then spun the outfit on lap 8 and dropped even further back so the podium positions were now decided with Steinhausen, Lawrie and Holland filling the top three. That was how the race finished but with Steinhausen’s subsequent disqualification, Lawrie was awarded the win, his first of the season, with Holland in second and Ben Bygrave/Paul Knapton promoted to third thus giving the Buildbase BMW team their debut podium. Further back Andy Peach/Tony Belsey took fourth ahead of Gary Smith/Jon Allum, Gary Horspole/Rob Briggs and Lovelock who grouped for an eventual sixth place. Earlier in the weekend, Lovelock had taken his fourth race win of the season with a hard fought victory over Holland. The duo fought throughout the race and after a race to the line, Lovelock got the verdict by just 0.08s. Steinhausen and James were only three seconds further back in third and fourth with Lawrie in fifth but he was later penalised ten seconds for overtaking under the safety car, relegating him to seventh, Bygrave and Smith moved up to fifth and sixth. Meanwhile, Thruxton podium finishers Johan Reuterholt/Aki Aalto crashed out on the fourth lap. After two hectic races, Lovelock continues to lead the Championship table with 120 points with Holland in second on 90. They’re followed by Lawrie (71), James (59) and Steinhausen (42). The series now heads north of the border with round 4 taking place at the Knockhill circuit on the weekend of June 22-24. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Two Good Points Scores Keep Sykes Close To The Championship Lead WSBK, Miller Motorsport Park, USA, 29 May 2012 Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes scored eighth and fifth place finishes today in the USA and in doing so went equal second in the table. His team-mate Loris Baz was also in the points twice. Having qualified third on the grid, despite struggling for a time to match his usual practice excellence at a circuit that proved challenging for man and machine, Sykes was unable to overcome a less than ideal race set-up in the first race, which went to a full 21-lap distance. He led for the first four laps but eventually dropped back as he was unable to make corner entries as fast as many of his rivals. He finished eighth. Race two was started then stopped after three laps when another rider’s machine hit the kerbstones and in the resultant crash spilt significant quantities of oil on the track surface, causing a long delay to the eventual 18-lap restart. Tom was second off the grid for that race but he was forced back to fifth and had to battle hard to the end with Eugene Laverty to keep his fifth place. Loris Baz, being eased into his relatively new role as replacement rider for the injured Joan Lascorz, rode sensibly to take a point for 15th in race one and go one place better in race two. He had been 17th in qualifying. In the championship Max Biaggi leads with 160.5 points, Marco Melandri and Sykes share 142.5 and Baz’s three points in America put him 20th in the rankings, with 11 points in total. In the Team Pedercini Kawasaki squad Leandro Mercado and David Salom both no scored in race one, then Mercado was 17th in race two, while Salom once more entered the pits to retire. Next round, when the Supersport World Championship riders join the party again, will be at Misano in two weeks’ time. Tom Sykes: “We were much better in race two. We made a bit of a change in set-up, three changes really, and I was able to be a bit more competitive. In the early laps I got behind Melandri and felt really good but unfortunately Davies came past and really upset my rhythm. It made it difficult for me to do what I needed to do, so my pace slowed. I just missed that slipstream from Melandri. In race one I was missing some front traction so I was not able to get the bike into the corners very well and obviously that affected my mid-corner and exit speed. You cannot give anything away to these boys but unfortunately this weekend it looks like we did for a while. We cannot get carried away with any thoughts like that because we are still second equal on points in the championship despite having a disappointing weekend by recent standards. We have got some better tracks coming up and I am looking forward to getting there. It is just hard for me to sit in my chair and debrief when some of the others are on the podium spraying champagne. I have got the taste for it now! On balance the guys in our team have done a great job again at this difficult track and in race two we were able to make changes that worked out quite well.” Loris Baz: “Two races in the points was good but I wanted a bit more! The team wants me to keep getting used to the bike and they guys have told me not to risk a crash. In the first race I had good lap times and I finished ten seconds from Tom Sykes, which was really good. The second race was also going well but I could not follow Fabrizio, as he was a bit too fast. I was with Badovini through almost all the race. I was waiting to pass him and I think I passed him four times in the last two laps, a big battle but I could hear all the guys in the team in my head saying not to crash, so he finally passed me back. We scored points again and we are getting a good setting for me, and every session the bike is getting better.” More, from a press release issued by Miller Motorsports Park: Checa, Melandri Win at Miller Motorsports Park Hayes, O’Hara claim AMA victories; ‘Quest for 200′ continues TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH “” What was shaping up to be a third weekend sweep at Miller Motorsports Park for reigning Superbike World Champion Carlos Checa of Spain wound up only 50-percent satisfactory for the popular Spanish rider known affectionately as “King Carlos.” After winning the first of two races for the FIM Superbike World Championship, the featured events of the BigM Weekend presented by Lucas Oil, Checa crashed while leading the second race, handing the lead and eventual victory to BMW’s Marco Melandri, who scored the German marque’s second series win in as many race weekends. Checa, riding the No. 7 Althea Ducati 1098R, was dominant in the first 21-lap race, posting a 1.346sec margin of victory over the No. 33 BMW S1000 RR of Italy’s Marco Melandri. Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes got a great start and took the early lead, but Melandri got by to take the lead on Lap 5 and led three laps before being overhauled by Checa, who never looked back. Melandri, who won BMW’s first-ever World Superbike race at England’s Donington Park two weeks ago, powered through to second place, 2.313sec behind Checa. Max Biaggi, aboard the No. 3 Aprilia RSV4 Factory, claimed third place, crossing the finish line just over three seconds behind Melandri. Jonathan Rea (No. 65 Honda CBR 1000RR) and Biaggi’s teammate Eugene Laverty (No. 58 Aprilia) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Polesitter Jakub Smrz, Chaz Davies, Sykes, Michele Fabrizio and Melandri’s teammate Leon Haslam filled out the top 10. “I had a great time and I always enjoy coming to America, spending time around here, and I always feel really well at this track,” Checa said in the post-race press conference. “It is a fantastic moment for me to win again, get on the podium, to take a victory, so some great feelings come back. It is a really special day for all the Americans here as it is Memorial Day, so I want to dedicate this victory to you.” The second race started much the same as the first, with Sykes jumping out to an early lead. Checa blasted past after two laps and looked to be checking out again, but a crash and subsequent oil spill by Honda’s Hiroshi Aoyama on the fourth lap brought out the red flag. It took approximately 90 minutes to get the track cleaned and a complete restart was staged with 18 laps remaining to run. Checa again took the lead and held the point for five more laps, but a Lap-6 crash at Turn 5 put an end to his hopes for a third MMP sweep (he won both World Superbike races here in 2008 and 2011). With Checa’s exit, Melandri was elevated to the race lead. A titanic battle with Rea ensued, with Melandri leading Laps 6-10 before Rea got past to lead Laps 11-17. Melandri made a bold, last-lap pass to secure BMW’s second World Superbike win, edging a charging Rea by 0.195sec. Biaggi claimed the final podium spot, almost two full seconds behind Rea, with Davies and Sykes filling out the top five. Laverty, Checa’s teammate Davide Giugliano, Haslam, Smrz and his teammate Sylvain Guintoli completed the top 10. “It was such a difficult race for me,” Melandri said afterwards. “I was lucky for sure when Carlos made a mistake. I was struggling a little bit with a full fuel tank, but after 50 percent of the race it was getting better. When Johnny passed me he was much faster than me, and I lost a bit of concentration, so Max passed me and then Chaz Davies did as well. So I tried to stay calm, take my rhythm and try to get a good feeling to catch Johnny. I was very lucky because my engine was so strong, so I could pass him on the straight. Otherwise, for me it would have been really difficult to pass him. So a podium in race one and a win in race two is really unbelievable.” Two-time and defending series champion Josh Hayes regained the championship points lead in today’s AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship race, putting in a decisive and dominant race on No.1 Monster Energy Graves Yahama R1. Hayes checked out from pole position and never looked back, taking the checkered flag 7.774sec ahead of teammate Josh Herrin (No. 2) to give Yamaha a 1-2 victory. Herrin emerged atop a vicious back-and-forth, last-lap battle with Blake Young’s No. 79 Yoshimura Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 to claim the runner-up spot, with Young settling for third. Completing the top five were Team Hero’s Geoff May (No. 99 EBR 1190RS) and Ben Bostrom (No. 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000). Danny Eslick, Larry Pegram, Chris Clark, David Anthony and Chris Fillmore rounded out the top 10. “What an awesome day,” Hayes said after the race. “The bike was good; things have been pretty smooth for the weekend. We didn’t really make too many changes, and we just worked on getting good, clean laps. All in all, it was a pretty smooth run. “We couldn’t have asked for much more today. It was a beautiful day for racing. It was a perfect Memorial Day. Having the National Guard as the primary sponsor of our series, it was fantastic that on Memorial Day we would be able to put on a good show for them,” he continued. “Thanks to all the servicemen and women out there who support us, and hopefully they were entertained by the show under the umbrella they provide for us.” In the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race, Tyler O’Hara became the first series rider to score a second win this season with a convincing triumph on his No. 29 Bartel’s Harley-Davidson XR1200. Kyle Wyman finished second, 4.261sec behind, on his No. 33 KLR Group/Vesrah entry, with O’Hara’s teammate Michael Barnes claiming the final step on the podium on his No. 34 machine. “Ever since we unloaded the bike off the truck, it’s been awesome,” O’Hara said. “I rode here a few years ago on the Supermoto track, and wanted to be out here. I’m just really comfortable on this track; it’s fast and flowing. I ran really hard tires and was comfortable out there sliding around. I put in a good charge at the beginning, and just maintained the lead.” “Quest for 200″ Update: Unfortunately, no World Superbike rider was able to surpass 200 mph on Miller Motorsports Park’s 3,500-foot front straightaway for the first time, which would have made Miller Motorsports Park the fastest natural-terrain road racing circuit in America. However, it was very close: in today’s first World Superbike race, Melandri, Biaggi and Laverty each recorded a top speed of 198.35. As a result, the prizes in the “Quest for 200″ contest went unclaimed until another day. Attendance for the weekend was estimated at 49,000 by Infront Motor Sports, the Italian-based company that owns and operates the FIM Superbike World Championship. The next major event at Miller Motorsports Park will be the third annual appearance of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series, which will take to MMP’s Off Road Short Course over the weekend of June 23-24. To obtain tickets for or information about Miller Motorsports Park, visit the track’s website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com or call 435-277-RACE (7223). More, from a press release issued by KTM: Fillmore Earns 10th at MillerMotorsportsPark AMA Pro Superbike Race Toole, UT Factory KTM/HMC Superbike Race Team rider, Chris Fillmore, earned another top ten result at the fourth round of the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Series held at MillerMotorsportsPark. Fillmore started the race in 14th position. By the end of the first lap he had already moved around one rider to takeover 13th. He repeated that move on the second lap making another pass to move into 12th place. Fillmore continued to improve upon his lap times and began closing on the riders in front of him. Within a few laps he was able to move into 10th position. As the race unfolded Fillmore continued to battle for positions and was able to finish 0.3 seconds behind 9th place. “It was a tough weekend coming to Miller for the first time and we had limited time on the track due to the changing weather conditions,” commented Fillmore. “We never found the optimal set-up for the race and we thought the potential was there for a stronger finish.” The crew will now head to Wisconsin to prepare for the next round at Road America. The KTM/HMC Team is looking forward to that round as it is the hometown race for the Wisconsin-based crew whose headquarters is only 45 minutes from the racetrack. Next Event: Road America Elkhart Lake, WI June 1-3, 2012 Overall Results 1. Josh Hayes 2. Josh Herrin 3. Blake Young 4. Geoff May 5. Ben Bostrom 6. Danny Eslick 7. Larry Pegram 8. Chris Clark 9. David Anthony 10. Chris Fillmore KTM 11. Steve Rapp 12. Chris Ulrich 13. Jordan Burgess 14. Reno Karimian 15. Trent Gibson 16. Tony Porter 17. Chris Siglin 18. Roger Hayden 19. Taylor Knapp 20. Robertino Pietri Overall Point Standings 1. Josh Hayes 194 2. Blake Young 187 3. Roger Hayden 114 4. Josh Herrin 109 5. Larry Pegram 96 6. Geoff May 95 7. Danny Eslick 86 8. Steve Rapp 83 9. Chris Clark 79 10. Chris Fillmore 77 More, from a press release issued by Aprilia: Superbike entertains once again. DOUBLE PODIUM FOR A TOUGH MAX BIAGGI WHO LEAVES THE UNITED STATES AS RANKING LEADER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. EUGENE LAVERTY FINISHES FIFTH AND SIXTH IN THE TWO RACES AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK. Tooele (Utah) The United States was the venue for yet another great Superbike race. Two spectacular races, especially for the lead pack, which the Aprilia Racing Team left with good spoils thanks to Max Biaggi’s double podium. The Corsair, taking third place twice, got off to a good start from the second row in both races, then having to carefully tackle an extremely heated battle in the first curve. As the laps went by, Max took advantage of his pace, gaining ground toward the podium. Even the suspension after three laps in Race 2 (due to oil left on the track by Aoyama’s bike) was not enough to compromise Max’s concentration, still ranking leader in the championship with an 18 point advantage over the nearest contender. However, overtaking cost Biaggi precious tenths of seconds, preventing him from battling for the win. “Two good races commented Max Biaggi even if the hectic initial phases made us lose a lot of ground. I was able to recover well and make it to the third step of the podium, but unfortunately overtaking and battling for positions means that you can’t lap the way you could on an open track. We are leaving the United States ahead in the standings, but the last few races have shown how BMW and Honda have been improving. We need to improve our bike as well, because our rivals’ progress is clear”. The sun at Miller Motorsports Park created some unexpected difficulties for Eugene Laverty, who appeared competitive during the practice sessions in lower temperatures. The rider from Toomebridge was unable to find the right feeling straight away in the new track conditions and had to settle for crossing under the chequered flag in fifth and sixth place. Eugene does not hide his disappointment: “It was not a good day for me. To be honest my expectations were much higher. After the test session all the conditions were there to aim for the podium. Unfortunately in the higher temperatures I wasn’t able to find the right feeling with my RSV4, which is not an uncommon problem when you’re riding a new bike. In any case, points are important, especially since I’m continuing to learn and this will be helpful for the races to come”. More, from a press release issued by Effenbert Liberty Racing Team: Monday to forget After the triumphant Smrz Superpole, the Liberty Racing Team expectations vanished in the race but the squad will not and should not settle for placements not up to its real possibility. Kuba Smrž and with him, his whole Liberty Racing Team were, with good reason, very confident after the great Czech rider pole position, the dreams of glory are gone, unfortunately, at just the extinction of the lights already in race 1 when Kuba, victim of a not good starting, lost from the first few feet his poleman status, while Guintoli, sixth on the grid, got recovered by the big group, because of a technical problem. Smrž after resisting for a few laps at the attacks of the powerful four-cylinder had to give way lap after lap his position to Melandri, Haslam, Biaggi and Laverty, but was able to overtake Sykes, finishing sixth. Meanwhile the French, Sylvain Guintoli, plagued by mechanical problems, recovered with some difficulty closing in the twelfth position. The countryman and teammate Maxime Berger, for most of the race ahead of Guintoli, has sold only in the last laps the fifteenth position and with it the opportunity to score championship points. At the start of the second manche Smrž was in tight spot losing positions, then after few corners covered with great attention, the race was stopped with the red flag due to the oil lost by Aoyama’s Honda. After an hour and a half break that certainly didn’t contribute to the concentration of the riders, the race has taken off, following the order of arrival of the three laps closed. Smrž and Guintoli, started once again slowed down, had lost the contact with the first group just from the first corners, so they were in the middle of the deployment. A rough race, which ended with Smrž ninth, tenth Guintoli and Berger fifteenth. The transfer in the USA, as had already happened, was begun in the best way thanks to the Liberty Racing Team highest level performance in chrono sessions, but unfortunately when it came the time to collect the heavy points in the two races, something is jammed, forcing the Liberty to sweat more than it is needed to emerge. The challenge is not over, it has been lost a battle, not the war, and since on Misano Circuit, the Czech team will be back on track with motivations and objectives unchanged. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: O’Hara Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Race at Miller Bartels’ H-D Rider Leads Flag-to-Flag Tooele, UT Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Scrubblade rider Tyler O’Hara produced a command performance in front of the World Superbike paddock Monday, converting pole position for the 8-lap AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race into a dominating flag-to-flag victory at the Big M Weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah, to earn his second victory of the season. O’Hara jumped off the front of the field and never looked back, building a 4.260-second lead over KLR Group’s Kyle Wyman at the checkered flag. O’Hara’s Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Scrubblade teammate Michael Barnes finished third, more than 12 seconds back. “Ever since we unloaded the bike off the truck it’s been awesome,” O’Hara said. “I rode here a few years ago on the Supermoto track and wanted to be out here [again]. I’m just really comfortable on this track; it’s fast and flowing. I ran really hard tires and was comfortable out there sliding around. I put in a good charge at the beginning and just maintained the lead.” Outside the top three, Kuryakyn’s Gerry Signorelli charged back through the field after stalling on the start, picking off riders lap by lap to finish a strong fifth behind XP Motorsports’ Michael Corbino and just ahead of Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D teammates David Estok and Darren James. Josh Chisum, the third member of the Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade team, finished eighth. Further back, Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D) held off Paul James (Hoban Cycle/Woodstock H-D) to complete the top ten running order. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Win-win-win-second for Team Kawasaki SRC in French Superbike Championship Newsflash, 29 May 2012 With a 1-2 in Supersport and a double win in the Superbike class, Team Kawasaki SRC riders Grégory Leblanc and Julien Da Costa firmly increased their leads in the overall standings. It would be almost impossible to make this third French Superbike Championship round an even more successful weekend than it’s already been. During all sessions (free practice, qualifying and races) Kawasaki SRC rider Julien Da Costa was on top of the standings. In the Supersport class, his team mate Grégory Leblanc was close to secure the same result but finally finished second in the last Supersport race. The weekend showed a Kawasaki dominance in all races, something that consequently made Team Manager Gilles Stafler very happy. ‘What can I say? It’s been the perfect weekend for us. Everything went well, except when Julien crashed on Friday afternoon. The team has performed very well and the riders have done what they had to do. It’s really nice and confindence-boosting to get this kind of perfect races. I’m feeling sad for Grégory because we’ve made the wrong choice for the rear tyre in the 2nd Supersport race, but anyway I’m really pleased about the way we’ve run this week-end.’ Julien Da Costa said, ‘For sure it’s another double win and I’m really pleased to secure my leading position! But it’s not over yet. My crash on Friday afternoon reminds to everybody that racing is never an easy thing. We were lucky this time, but it could have been quite different”¦’ Gregory Leblanc said, ‘For the third time in a row I’ve made a 1-2 finish and I hope this is not the way it will be until the end of the championship! Things went pretty well during the first race, but for the second race we’ve made a wrong tyre choice. It’s a bit frustrating but in any case I’m now leading the standings with a 59 points gap. So all in all, I’m quite satisfied about this week-end.’ The next FSBK round will be hold at the Ledenon circuit on 16-17 June. FSBK standing after the race at Le Vigeant (3rd 2012 round) : Superbike Class 1/ Julien DA COSTA (Kawasaki SRC Pirelli) 150 Pts 2/ Sébastien GIMBERT (BMW) 102 Pts 3/ Guillaume DIETRICH (BMW) 81 Pts Supersport Class 1/ Grégory LEBLANC (Kawasaki SRC Pirelli) 135 Pts 2/ Louis BULLE (Yamaha) 90 Pts 3/ David PERRET (Yamaha) 76 Pts More, from a press release issued by Alex Cudlin’s publicist: Alex Cudlin Wins Championship in Final Show Down Taree’s Alex Cudlin has claimed the 2012 Qatar International Road Racing championship for the 2nd year in a row. Racing for QMMF racing team, Alex entered the round 20 points behind Qatari rider Mashel Al Niami and knew it would be a big task to claw back enough points to win the 2012 Qatar Championship. Alex started his weekend in perfect form by topping the time sheets in practice, then proceeding to claim pole position for the following days 2 races. As everyone arrived at the circuit on race day, the pressure was mounting for all the riders and teams, all wondering who would be the winner. Spectators, TV, and Newspaper journalists all come to see who would be the champion of 2012 and the racing didn’t disappoint. Race 1 got underway, and Alex showed his fine riding form by storming to the lead in the first corner. The race was a glide for Alex as he wasn’t past the entire 15 laps finishing a massive 8 seconds ahead of 2nd place, Nina Prinz and 1 minute ahead of Championship leader Mashel Al Niami in 3rd, clawing back 9 crucial points on the leader. It was then down to race 2. Alex had to win and if Mashel finished 4th or lower, Alex would be the 2012 champion. Alex again showed that pressure didn’t bother him and stormed to the lead on lap 1. Mashel Al Niami and Nina Prinz then past Alex down the straight on the start of lap 2, which was the setting for a intense battle. Alex quickly passed Niami into turn 1 under brakes and held the 2nd position. Then in turn 2, the race changed completely. As Both Mashel Al Niami and Alex were jostling for position, Niami hit the rear wheel of Alex and crashing out of the race. Luckily for Alex, he was able to stay on his bike and continue on. Alex then knew his chances of becoming champion were more possible if he finished in the top 4 spots. Alex proceeded to ride with more caution when just two corners later 1st place rider Nina Prinz engine broke handing Alex the lead. Alex then proceeded to clear off from the rest of the field, eventually crossing the line 15 seconds ahead of nearest rival Sultan Al Kuwari and becoming the 2012 Qatar International Road Racing Champion. “That was a finish you only see in movies. I came here 20 points behind Mashel but managed to put on a flawless performance to win the title. I’m extremely happy to win for the 2nd year in a row. This year has been harder then ever. I missed the first 4 races of the season which gave my competitors a huge head start. Mid way through the year I dislocated my elbow and had to ride through the pain to keep my championship alive, then just 2 weeks ago, I had a big crash and badly damaged my right foot. It seemed like everything was against me, but I had to believe I could still do it. The races were intense and that showed in race 2 when my biggest threat to the title crashed out. We come together in turn 2 and he went down. I’m happy to hear that he wasn’t hurt in the crash. He has been a great rival this season and also a good friend of mine. It was a pleasure to slog it out on track and I’m happy to have come out the victor.” Said Cudlin The 14 race series started in November 2011 and Alex only joined the series in January 2012 losing valuable points. In the 10 races Alex participated in, he won a staggering 8 of them, finishing 2nd once and one DNF. Alex will now stay in Qatar for 2 more weeks, where he will contest round 2 of the World Endurance Championship at the Qatar 8 hour. Alex Currently sits in 4th position in the World Cup after one round, riding for team DG Sport. More, from a press release issued by Team Motorrad Competicion: Race of courage and honour for Forés in Motorland 29/5/2012 – Xavi Forés and Team Motorrad carry out the race of honour after the outlet from the pit line with the BMW. Berto López sums 8 more points in the general and holds a 7th position. Motorland Aragón has atended one of the most difficult races for Xavi Forés and Team Motorrad. After departing from the pole position of the starting grid, the BMW S1000RR suffered an electronical failure during the warm-up lap, what led Forés to get off the bike and therefore to give up the race. Out of the grid, the technicians of Team Motorrad checked the bike while on. Nevertheless no ideal results were found as it showed a great loss of power. The valencian rider, who didn?t want to resign the race for the sake of it, got again on the bike. However he was aware that he would not be able to score the pace of close laps to his best time in Motorland departing from the pit line in last position. Forés finished in a nineteenth position out of 37 riders of the stock extreme category and went through the checkered flag showing an amazing example of bravery and courage. Alberto López got a balanced race in each lap the confidence lost in the past race in Navarre, where he suffered a nasty fall in the last lap. The rider, who was classified in the eighth position, was carrying out a race at a very comfortable pace that would keep him among the first ten positions. Lastly he finished in an eighth position over the checkered flag of Motorland. This makes him sum 8 more points in the general classification for the next appointment in Montmelo, what would push him to a 7th position in the stock extreme championship. López wants to be again within the first five in the category, fighting for a new podium together with this colleague Forés. Therefore the Team Motorrad will continue its hard work in order to achieve the objectives in the following race in Montmeló. The races can be enjoyed again in Telecinco.es and also the retransmission will be broadcasted in Mediaset Spain?s Energy TV, who have accompanied for the first time live to the Spanish Championship. XAVI FORÉS #12 Campeonato de España de Stock Extreme @xavifores “It?s been a weekend to be forgotten. The motorbike failed in the warm-up lap and I thought we weren?t gonna be able to run. I wanted to go back to the circuit even from the pit line being aware of the great loss of power we had. I had to do it for the whole team and for the people supporting us. We will be recovered and stronger than ever for Montmeló and we will try to make up for the lost time.” ALBERTO LOPEZ #42 Campeonato de España Stock Extreme @bertolopez42 “The objective of finishing the race was clear and we could get to the same position in the starting grid. I know we can be higher up and for the incoming races we will work harder to get the podium.” More, from a press release issued by BYR/FOGI Racing: Young Finishes a Commendable 21st after a Challenging Weekend TOOELE, UTAH – May 29, 2012 – BYRFOGI Racing’s Ben Young battled through a variety of challenges to earn a commendable 21st place finish at this past weekend’s AMA Pro Road Racing GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Miller Motorsports Park. Leading up to Saturday afternoon’s first qualifying session a combination of rain and high winds would present numerous challenges for not only the young resident of Thornbury Ontario, but all the competitors trying to setup their machines for the ever-changing track conditions. By the time the Daytona SportBike qualifying began, the rain had stopped but the riders still had to deal with strong winds and a few damp sections of the track. Young’s suspension setup added to the challenging weather and track conditions only allowing the Scottish-Canadian pilot to achieve 24th on the scoring sheet. The team spent the rest of the day refining the bike’s setup, making changes to the gearing and suspension in an effort to adapt to the unusually colder temperatures, wind and the potential for additional rain. On Sunday, the team’s setup choices along with Young’s previous experience in cold weather and rain riding in Canada and Scotland helped him break into the top ten for the first time this season as he was 9th fastest during the second and final qualifying session of the weekend. The combined qualifying results would see FOGI Racing’s apprentice starting in 24th position from the sixth row on the grid. Sunday afternoon’s race was greeted with dry weather and the best track conditions of the weekend. Young got off the line well and held his position for the opening laps before he began to set his sights on the riders just ahead of him. After battling with fellow Yamaha pilots Melissa Paris and Matthew Presting, Young would eventually work his Scot-Build Yamaha YZF-R6 up to 21st place. Young crossed the start/finish line with a commendable 21st place finish. Team manager Scott Young was asked about the weekend and results; “It was a hard weekend. The most important track time at any race weekend is qualifying. If the rider can not get up to pace and achieve a good grid position it’s a huge battle there on out. Ben’s progress is good. This is his first season in the Daytona SportBike class which is a very demanding championship. If we can get Ben to be finishing mid pack this season we will have done our job. Continuous progress and development are the team’s goals for Ben this year.” BYRFogi Racing’s next AMA GoPro Daytona SportBike round is the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI – June 1-3. Ben Young Racing (BYR) and the Fogi Racing Development Team would like to thank the following outstanding companies for their support; Scotbuild Developments, Arai Helmets, GP Tech LLC, Tim Hortons – Sudbury, K&N Filters, EBC Brakes, Arlen Ness Racing boots, Armour Bodies, BCL Motorsports Pit Kit, Vortex Racing, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, RS Taichi Leathers, The Graphix Factory, Four Feathers Racing and The North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW. Contact Scott Young at 1-705-888-2759 or [email protected] for information on how your company can get ahead of the competition, enhance brand visibility and engage a loyal audience through the BYR/FOGI Racing team and Ben Young’s AMA Pro Road Racing program. To keep up-to-date on Ben Young and the Fogi Racing Development Team, visit www.fogi.us, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter @86BY. More, from a press release issued by Dainese/AGV: The Big Memorial Weekend at Miller Motorsports Park Race action resumed this Memorial Day weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah on the heels of class wins at Infineon Raceway by Dainese and AGV riders Blake Young and James Rispoli, and the second AMA activation of the D-Air System. Tooele, UT- In an abbreviated race weekend run in conjunction with World Superbike, weather conditions were unpredictable at best. Dainese & AGV rider James “The Rocket” Rispoli came back from mechanical difficulties to qualify second on the grid with seconds to spare. In the single-race weekend, Rispoli got the hole shot from the start as the skies threatened rain. Despite doing an admirable job trying to manage his bike at race-pace, he was quickly overtaken by RoadRace Factory’s Hayden Gillim. James had to back off as his soft-compound rear tire faded. Using his experienced judgment, Rispoli massaged all he could out of his bike for a hard-earned 8thplace finish. Starting from further back on the grid, Dainese racer Thomas Puerta hung with the front pack all race. Swapping positions with Factory Triumph Latus Racing’s Dustin Dominguez and Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki’s Jake Lewis, Puerta crossed the finish line in a well-fought 4thplace. AMA SuperBike kicked off the weekend in mixed weather that made for inconsistent qualifying. Dainese rider Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young fared well despite changing track conditions by posting up a best time of 1.50.141 good for a first row start in Monday’s race. Unable to make up the ground they were hoping for during the session, Dainese riders Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom & Monster Energy Grave Yamaha’s Josh Herrin qualified on the second and third rows, respectively. Perfect conditions met the riders for the BigM AMA SuperBike race as winds died down and the sun heated the track. Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes got out to an early lead that he never relinquished, leaving Blake Young and Josh Herrin, who got a great start from 7th position, to fight for the remaining steps on the podium. Both racers rode flawlessly with Herrin stalking Young for most of the 16 lap race. In the last 3 laps Josh Herrin poured on the pressure, showing Blake Young his front wheel numerous times. Young responded with a tremendous effort to keep his lead going into an epic final lap. Herrin overtook second position only to be counter attacked at the next corner by Young, who made a hard pass resulting in the riders making contact. Undeterred, Josh Herrin fought back again with decisive pass to secure second place. Not far off their pace and just hours after his induction into the World Superbike Hall of Fame, Ben Bostrom was able to bring home a respectable 5th place finish for the weekend. Honorable mention to Dainese & AGV racer Attack Performance’s Steve Rapp, who despite nursing a broken wrist, finished the race in 11th place. More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki: A DIFFICULT WEEKEND FOR RIDERS DISCOUNT VESRAH SUZUKI TEAM ENDS UP WITH A PODIUM FINISH FOR JAKE LEWIS. The Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team faced difficult conditions this weekend during the Big M Weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele UT with Mother Nature bringing rain, cold and high winds to hamper practice and qualifying. Qualifying did not go well for the team with all of the riders earning 3rd and 4th row starting positions. In the AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport race, Jake Lewis jumped from the 3rd row to actually lead by the second lap. Jake kept with the front group contesting second place the entire race and was able to hold solid for a 2nd place finish. In the AMA Pro Road Racing GoPro Daytona SportBike race, Cory West was able to take advantage of an excellent start and went from the 4th row to 6th place by turn 1. Both Cory and Joey Pascarella faded back during the race eventually ending up with Cory in 11th and Joey in 15th place. Cory and Joey still hold solid in the point’s standings in 9th and 5th place respectably. The team is now headed to Road America in Elkhart Lake WI for the Subway Superbike Doubleheader June 1st 3rd. Not only is this the team’s home race but the President of title sponsor Riders Discount, Brian Gibson, will be joining the team competing in the SuperSport class at the event on the # 88 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R 600. Breeann Poland Team Manager Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki “The weather presented many challenges this weekend but the team got through it and is now headed to Road America for the next round. I am so proud of Jake finishing on the podium after qualifying on the 3rd row.” Jake Lewis Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #85 “It was a pretty decent weekend for me! The race went quite well after a difficult weekend with qualifying and getting the set-up right. The whole Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team worked tirelessly to get everything better. It felt good to stand on the podium of the Big M weekend. Now I’m looking forward to Road America!” Cory West Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #57 “The whole weekend seemed to be a bit of a struggle. I was competitive in the wet but the race ended up being dry. I pushed hard into one on the start and made up for my crummy qualifying spot. I was up to 6th or so but I couldn’t hold the pace and went backwards the rest of the race. I’m pretty disappointed to finish out of the top 10 but I’m hoping for better luck at Road America.” Joey Pascarella Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #52 “This weekend at Miller Motorsports Park was a big learning curve for the team and me. A new bike, team and track made for a tough first race weekend. My mechanics and suspension techs did all they could to make me get used to the Suzuki GSX-R 600 as fast as I could. We spent tons of time just learning each other and I think for it being our first weekend together we did okay. I am happy being on the Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team and enjoy working with my new team. I can’t thank them enough and we are a work in progress going into Road America where I know we can be up front were we belong.” Brian Gibson Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #88 “I am looking forward to representing the team and adding a second rider to the SuperSport Class, we should have some good representation during the race with Jake Lewis taking care of the front of the pack and myself representing from the back. It will be a lot of fun contesting this race and racing with all the young talented riders racing in the SuperSport class this year. I just hope they all take it easy on this old guy.” 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 Öhlins USA: Sometimes Hayden is a Racer’s First Name; but an Ö is Never an O Tooele, Utah: Hayden Gillim rode his Team Roadrace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6 to victory at the Miller Motorsports Park round of the AMA Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport, crowded at the finish line by barely over a second of slack by Jake Lewis and Dustin Dominguez, providing Öhlins with a win and a third in the single Supersport feature at this combined WSBK/AMA Pro event in Tooele, Utah. This is Hayden’s first win in the AMA SuperSport class this season, while his consistency has him scored at second in the Supersport West series points chase. So the question now is, will this win cause him to get more Twitter followers than his teammates, to whom he’s now running in fourth? Joining Hayden in the win column at Miller was Josh Hayes on his Team Graves Yamaha sponsored Yamaha YZF-R1, giving Öhlins, and the folks with tuning forks, wins for heavyweight and mediumweight Rs. Hayes was hounded to the flag in the AMA Superbike race by teammate Josh Herrin and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young, making it an all Öhlins podium for the big bikes. We think that might mean something. In GoPro Daytona SportBike, Jason DiSalvo earned a second place with his Öhlins fitted Team Latus Motors Racing’s Triumph, pushing him higher in the points, while another second for the weekend was earned by Kyle Wyman in the Vance & Hines XR1200 class, moving him into second overall in the pushrod class for the season. 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 Celtic Racing/Orient Express: Celtic Racing Heading East After Memorial Day Weekend At Miller Mixed weather all weekend and mixed luck kept both Celtic Racing riders from podium finishes in the single AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport event at Miller Motorsports Park on Sunday. James Rispoli fought hard on an unfamiliar track to place his Celtic Orient Express Racing #1 Suzuki GSX-R 600 in second position on the grid for Sunday’s race. Corey Alexander would qualify in sixth position on his #5 National Guard Fairhills Group Suzuki GSX-R 600, having visited Miller last season and won the race convincingly in 2011. James took the lead early in Sunday’s race, but after three laps began to fade slowly through the pack and would finish eighth, with valuable points towards the championship in hand. Corey had a poor start which dropped him back to 20th position at the beginning of the race, but after regrouping and putting his head down, clawed his way back up to finish eleventh in a field packed with heavy competition. Rispoli holds on to his SuperSport West points lead, with a solid 21 points over second place. Celtic Racing moves immediately to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the next round of the 2012 season. Rispoli and Alexander both have experience at Road America, and both plan to work towards improved results. Road America is one of North America’s finest road courses with challenging turns and a high speed front straight making up the 4 mile long circuit. Alexander and Rispoli both had good results in last season’s event at Road America, and everyone is looking forward to a strong rebound forward! James Rispoli showed his pragmatic side in describing the weekend at Miller, stating “We actually had a good weekend just a bad race. The weekend started off good we started working into a pace. We had a problem with our rear wheel change in Saturday’s qualifying, and even with that problem, in the two laps we got we ended up P2. Sunday morning it rained and I got a full session in the rain and had so much fun – got the fear of riding in the rain out. In the race we had a small technical problem and salvaged a 8th and important points. We are looking to have a great Road America and be back on the top step!” Corey Alexander looks forward to Road America and said that at Miller “The team gave me a great bike and I wasn’t able to get it up in the front where we belong. It’s unfortunate as I was really hoping for a comeback, especially on such a special weekend for the National Guard. We can only look forward to the next race and better results. Happy Memorial Day to all of those who serve our country! Huge thanks to my crew, the National Guard, Fairhills Group, and everyone sticking behind me.” 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: Bel-Ray Racing-Weekend Racing Wrap-Up May 29, 2012 Competition has always been important to Bel-Ray and the professional racers that are supported with the high performance lubricants Bel-Ray supplies, who riders are considered the top in their respective classes. World Superbike Situated against a beautiful snowcapped mountain background, the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah was the site of Round 6 of the 2012 World Superbike Championship Series. Bel-Ray backed Althea Ducati racer Carlos Checa won race 1 in a dominant fashion. Starting from 6th place on the grid, Checa was quickly in the lead and held on for the victory. Teammate Davide Giugliano experienced a less successful event after struggling with grip from his rear tire. He held on for an 11th place finish. Race 2 again saw Checa out front of the pack when tragedy struck the popular Spaniard. On lap 5, he lost the front end and went down. He returned to the pit area for repairs, but in the end he was too far back to score points and did not finish. Giugliano, meanwhile, raced to an excellent 7th place finish and valuable championship points. Checa spoke about the weekend following the event. “Race 1: a great result, a great race, a great moment! I’ve always had a great relationship with this track and to win here again is just fantastic, especially after some difficult recent rounds. In this second race I was pushing, I was feeling confident with the setting, but clearly I pushed a bit too hard and lost the front. I went back on track, but there was nothing I could do, I’d lost too much ground.” Giugliano also spoke about his first trip to Miller Motorsports Park. “In race 1, we made a conservative tire choice knowing that it was the one everyone was using, but it didn’t suit my riding style and I wasn’t able to ride as I wanted to, I just had to control the situation as best I could. In race 2, I was satisfied to be the first Ducati although of course, I’m really sorry for Carlos, as the win would surely have gone to him. It’s not an easy track for the Ducati, we were all losing so much along the straight. But, considering that we couldn’t even stick in the slipstream of the four-cylinders, I think that seventh is not at all bad and we go towards Misano satisfied, and ready for what is one of my favorite tracks.” Following the United States round, Checa is 5th and Giugliano is 9th in the overall series standings. The series continues at Misano in San Marino on June 10th. AMA Motocross Round 2 of the 2012 AMA National Motocross Championship continued Saturday in Wortham, Texas. WMX Bel-Ray backed Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki racer Jessica Patterson continued her charge to the WMX Championship this weekend with strong 1-2 moto finishes for second overall. After a second place start in moto 1, Patterson was into the lead after a few laps, a lead she held until the checkered flag. Moto 2 again saw Patterson with a second place start and then quickly into the lead. Crashing in the back section of the track, she fell back to 7th place and had to charge through the field to an eventual 2nd place moto finish. Patterson leads the series by 3 points after 2 of the series 8 rounds. 250 Class Bel-Ray backed Team Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki came to Freestone MX looking to improve on their first round results. Blake Wharton was the team’s top rider with a confident 4th place overall finish. His 6-3 moto scores included time at the front of the class in the second moto. Following a first moto crash, Jason Anderson recovered and finished 7th place in the second moto, good enough for 12th overall. Martin Davalos’ 14-13 moto finishes gave him 11th overall, while the final member of the team, Hunter Hewitt was in 20th overall with 17-20 moto scores. Elite Racers In addition to the teams that rely on Bel-Ray to succeed, several national privateers also count on Bel-Ray to protect their bike and keep it performing at the highest level. Often travelling on a shoestring budget, these riders are the backbone of the sport. This weekend in Texas, Bel-Ray Elite Racers Derek Anderson rode to (22-9) 16th and Dustin Kendall rode to (37-31) 37th overall in the 450 class. In the 250 class, Bel-Ray Elite Racer Steve Roman rode to (35-32) 35th overall. World Supermoto TM racing’s Thomas Chareyre continued his winning ways this weekend at the Sicilian Grand Prix. Round 2 of the 2012 World Supermoto Championship series took place at the old airport in Palermo. Under sunny skies and beautiful conditions, Chareyre continued his championship points lead. His 4-3-1 race finishes were good enough for 2nd overall. The 2010 World Champion is looking to regain that championship this season. Teammate Marco Dondi scored an excellent 6th place finish in the third S2 class moto. His 11-25-6 place moto scores were good for 13th overall. The series continues June 24th in Bulgaria. French Elite Championship Bel-Ray backed Team CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit racer Sebastein Pourcel scored his 5th French title this weekend in Gaillac, Toulza. Pourcel was very happy with this championship and hopes to use the momentum from his victory when the World Championship series continues in France this weekend. He spoke about his feelings following the event. “It’s a good feeling to get this title, as I had two difficult years with my shoulder injury in 2010 and then my back injury last season. I know that I’m not yet at my best level, but this title is a first step in my recovery and I want to thanks Kawasaki, my team and my family who were behind me.” Follow Bel-Ray racers in action all season long on www.belray.com and www.belrayracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Racing: YOSHIMURA SUZUKI CAPTURES SUPERBIKE PODIUM AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young third & Chris Clark eighth in Utah TOOELE, UT Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing turned in another successful performance in the AMA Pro Superbike Championship this Memorial Day weekend. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young made his seventh visit to the podium at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, on Monday afternoon. In the seven races so far this year, Young has either won or been on the podium. Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark lifted his game and brought home a very respectable eighth-place finish. Additionally, this result moved Clark up in the overall championship points. At this weekend’s event, the AMA Pro Superbike riders shared the Miller Motorsports paddock with the World Superbike series, so they were subject to abbreviated practice and qualifying sessions and only one race, as opposed to the usual two. Additionally, because the race weekend fell on the Memorial Day holiday, the 16-lap Superbike race occurred on Monday instead of Sunday. Despite these limitations, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Young made the most of his track time and qualified second on the starting grid. When the lights turned green, Young got a good launch on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and slotted into second immediately. He put his head down and held off the constant pressure from the competition before eventually finishing third. “Today was a pretty tough day,” said Wisconsin-born Young. “To start with, I went out in the morning warm-up and I made a rookie mistake and wrecked my good bike. The Yoshimura Suzuki team had a back-up GSX-R1000 for me but I only got a few laps on it before the race. Overall, it was a hard race and we ended up third, but I’m happy to get away from Miller with the points. Now, I’m ready to go home to Elkhart Lake, and spend some time with my friends and family and get back to racing at the front.” Teammate Clark continues to increase his comfort level with the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and has found more speed at almost every round. The race at Miller was no exception. After qualifying on the second row of the grid, Clark got a good start in the Superbike race and eventually settled into a solid eighth. From there, he clicked off consistent laps until the checkered flag flew. “Miller is my favorite track,” said Clark. “And I was pretty confident that the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 would go good there. I’m getting more and more comfortable with the bike with every opportunity that I get to ride it, and I think my results this weekend show that. I’ve said all along that my goal is to finish the season in the top five overall and this weekend I moved closer to that goal. Now I’m just looking forward to Road America next weekend and hopefully progressing more.” Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, the weekend of June 1 – 3, 2012. Miller Superbike Race Results: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Josh Herrin 3. Blake Young 4. Geoff May 5. Ben Bostrom 6. Danny Eslick 7. Larry Pegram 8. Chris Clark 9. David Anthony 10. Chris Fillmore 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Standings: 1. Josh Hayes 194 2. Blake Young 187 3. Roger Hayden 114 4. Josh Herrin 109 5. Larry Pegram 96 6. Geoff May 95 7. Danny Eslick 86 8. Steve Rapp 83 9. Chris Clark 79 10. Chris Fillmore 77 About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com. About American Suzuki: Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) founded the Motorcycle and ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, CA, in 1963. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries. For more information visit www.suzukicycles.com. More, from a press release issued by Suzuki: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS TEAM CELEBRATES TOP-FIVE FINISH IN MEMORIAL DAY SUPERBIKE RACE TOOELE, UT The Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) team celebrated the Memorial Day holiday weekend by capturing a solid top-five result in the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike race at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. MJM’s Ben Bostrom turned in a worthy performance and picked up his second top-five finish of the year. This round of AMA Pro National Guard Superbike was complemented by the visiting World Superbike series. As a result, the Superbike riders were subject to abbreviated practice and qualifying sessions and only one race, instead of the usual two. Also, as the event fell on a holiday weekend, the 16-lap Superbike race was held on Monday instead of Sunday. The weekend saw MJM’s Bostrom continuing to come into his stride on the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. Riding more confidently than he has all year, Bostrom qualified on the second row of the starting grid. At the beginning of the race, he got off the line with a good start and it was obvious Bostrom was back in his groove. He fought valiantly for fourth throughout the race before finishing fifth. “What can I say,” said Bostrom. “Jordan Motorsports continues to improve our number 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I’m confident that we can win. I can’t thank the boys enough for the long hours they’ve put in. It wasn’t our day today but we’re getting there.” National Guard Jordan Suzuki teammate Roger Hayden, unfortunately, suffered a run of bad luck at Miller. Over the course of the weekend, the Kentucky native had several get-offs and damaged his “A” bike. Going into Monday’s event, Hayden had put only 10 laps on the bike he was racing. Despite this, he got a good start and ran in a podium position on the first lap. While battling for third, he went down again and retired for the day. “I’m pretty disappointed,” admitted Hayden. “I could see the leaders getting away and I felt like I had more speed, but I ended up going into the turn wide and using a little too much front brake, and I lost the front end. But we’ve been fast the whole weekend and that’s something we can build on. It’s Memorial Day, and I wish we could’ve gotten a better finish for the National Guard. For now, though, we’ll just focus on Road America.” In the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship points standings, Hayden remains in third place and Bostrom moved up to 11th. The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship is at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, the weekend of June 1 – 3, 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.