FIM Cup Superstock 1000 Round 7 Nürburgring (Germany) September 4, 2011 Good 6th position for Reiterberger At home on the Nürburgring track, Markus Reiterberger finished well at the 6th place, even if it was possible for him to hope for a better result if he would not have had some tyre problem. With this position he is still doing well in the championship, which is nice for a young rookie rider. Randy Pagaud and Beau Beaton finished 18th and 19th. Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) was the quickest at the start, in front of the championship leader Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) and Markus Reiterberger. Giugliano soon took the lead and won the race in front of Barrier. Because of his tyre trouble, Reiterberger could not stay in front of Niccolò Canepa (Lazio MotorSport Ducati), Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati) and he had to let them go. But the young German rider still has three races this year to prove how talented he is. Randy Pagaud and Beau Beaton did not have great starts, and consequently they were stuck in the middle of the pack in the first very sharp corners. After that, they gained a few position and finished not very far from the points. Michel Garnier (team owner): “Randy finishes 18th after being stuck in the middle of a group in the first corner. After that he goes well, but it’s too late for him to catch the guys in front. He is disappointed not to score points but it’s not bad. It’s his first season. Beau is just behind Randy. He did well, better than usual. There was no crash, nothing broken, so there is still some work to do but it’s getting better. Markus was hoping for a better result. He started well, but it was difficult for him to turn entering the corners. He also had some tyre problems. He is happy, but a little bit disappointed. For the championship, the points of his 6th position are good to take. Overall, it was a good weekend. Now let’s go to Imola!” Markus Reiterberger: “The start was good. I was in third position. But during the whole race I had some problems with the rear tyre. Yesterday in the second qualifying it was perfect. The feeling was OK. Today I had no feeling with the back. Everybody passed me and I finished in 6th position. It’s OK, but little unlucky.” Randy Pagaud: “The qualifying was fine but the start not so good. I don’t have a good feeling with the clutch. I lost roughly 10 positions at the start, which is huge. After that I gained a few places but the guys in front were too far. It’s too bad because I was doing the same lap times as the guys in the points. Next race will be better.” Beau Beaton : “I was a difficult race, slippery in some spots after the rain last night. I didn’t get the best start. The first corners are very tight here at the Nürburgring and it’s difficult to stay calm and keep on the bike. After we made a few places up. I made a small error in Turn 1, my team mate and another rider went passed.” Race result: 1- Davide Giugliano Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 2- Sylvain Barrier BMW Motorrad Italia BMW S1000RR + 4.274 3- Niccolò Canepa Lazio MotorSport Ducati 1098R + 11.241 4- Lorenzo Zanetti BMW Motorrad Italia BMW S1000RR + 11.459 5- Lorenzo Baroni Althea Racing Ducati 1098R + 11.711 6- Markus Reiterberger Garnier alpha Racing Team BMW S1000RR + 13.169 7- Andrea Antonelli Team Lorini Honda CBR 1000RR + 15.742 8- Sheridan Morais Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki ZX-10R + 17.441 9- Marco Bussolotti Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R + 18.440 10- Bryan Staring Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R + 21.016 11- Fabio Massei Team Piellemoto BMW S1000RR + 22.967 12- Eddi La Marra Team Lorini Honda CBR 1000RR + 23.242 13- Lorenzo Savadori Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki ZX-10R + 24.239 14- Ferruccio Lamborghini Ten Kate Junior Team Honda CBR 1000RR + 25.979 15- Jeremy Guarnoni MRS Yamaha Racing France Yamaha YZF R1 + 26.329 16- Michael Savary Salac Racing BMW S1000RR + 32.230 17- Leandro Mercado Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R + 32.311 18- Randy Pagaud Garnier alpha Racing Team BMW S1000RR + 40.130 19- Beau Beaton Garnier alpha Racing Team BMW S1000RR + 43.603 20- Tomas Svitok SK Energy Team Ducati 1098R + 50.646 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup provisional standings: 1. Giugliano 140 points; 2. Zanetti 117: 3. Petrucci 94; 4. Barrier 85; 5. Canepa 80; 6. Baroni 57; 7. Antonelli 53; 8. Reiterberger 52; etc. 8th round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup: Imola (Italy) on September 25 More, from a press release issued by Effenbert Liberty Racing Team: NURBURGRING – 4.09. 2011 – The Effenbert Liberty Racing snaps a great result with a double podium, just like at the Miller Motorsport Park , the passed 30th of may.Race2 has been charachterized by a very heavy rain that began falling just a couple of minutes before the start of the race , forcing the mechanics to immediately change the tires. Someone was asking to suspend the competition without success and race2 finally got to a start, with riders that had big difficulties to stay on the track riding at 230Km/h under the heavy rain and risking a lot and trying not to make any mistake . The result blessed Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz. For the French it meant a second place in the race and the eighth place in the World championship’s standings , adding also precious points from Race1, where he placed sixth ;for “Kuba”,however, after so much bad luck and disappointments, a third place that will give him self confidence in view of the final season. Race 1 The most interesting news are , apart from the domination of Saturday’s Superpole by Carlos Checa, is the forfait by Max Biaggi because of the condition of his fractured left foot . The first chapter of the Nurburgring races could be summarized with the fasct that, practically, only Haga has tried and managed, in his own way, to compete with the leader of the World Championship.For the Effenbert Liberty Racing Team, a confirmation by Sylvain Guintoli, author of a sixth place after an exciting fight with Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), capable of a great comebackand , who overtook the French on the last lap of the race.Unlucky Jakub Smrz , that withdraws from the race 8 laps before the end. Carlos Checa keeps leading in the overall standings with 76points ahead of the runner-up, who is now no longer Biaggi (-87 from Checa) but Melandrii. This the final standings of Race 1 : 1 7 C. CHECA ESP Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 2 33 M. MELANDRI ITA Yamaha World Superbike Team Yamaha YZF R1 1.855 3 41 N. HAGA JPN PATA Racing Team Aprilia Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2.322 4 58 E. LAVERTY IRL Yamaha World Superbike Team Yamaha YZF R1 7.789 5 91 L. HASLAM GBR BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 9.727 6 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 10.113 7 17 J. LASCORZ ESP Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 17.226 8 2 L. CAMIER GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.228 9 86 A. BADOVINI ITA BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 18.166 10 4 J. REA GBR Castrol Honda Honda CBR1000RR 19.457 11 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike Kawasaki ZX-10R 22.136 12 8 M. AITCHISON AUS Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 25.346 13 52 J. TOSELAND GBR BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 31.617 14 44 R. ROLFO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 31.796 15 11 T. CORSER AUS BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 33.320 16 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 38.149 17 100 M. TAMADA JPN Castrol Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’16.143 ————————————————–Not Classified————————————————– RET 96 J. SMRZ CZE Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 8 Laps RET 121 M. BERGER FRA Supersonic Racing Team Ducati 1098R 16 Laps NS 1 M. BIAGGI ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory Race 2 – On the eve, both of the Effenbert Liberty Racing riders had expressed confidence in view of the Grand Prix of Germany, also because it seems that the bike and the riders seem to express themselves best through the uncertain weather conditions and “fresh” temperatures. Just before the start a violent downpour “flooded” the Nurburgring, Guintoli and Smrz both start well and ,in the wet,make no mistakes and performe greatly. The winner has been the surprising Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), reporting the first success in his World Superbike career, just when everyone thought that it had to be Haga to be the predestined for the top step of the podium”¦unfortunately for him, he fell on the last lap of the race, when he was well in the lead and since the very first lap. Behind Sykes, the double podium for the Effenbert Liberty Racing, by SylvainGuintoli and Jakub Smrz. The Frenchman always fighting for the top positions, even showing that he could also win the race in some moments, while the Czech talent becomes the protagonist of a comeback confirming the well-known characteristics of “Kuba” on the wet track . Fourth place went to Rhea, protagonist of a very exciting race, then Eugene Laverty, ahead of team-mate Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) after a battle between the two that lasted the entire race. To close up the Top Ten Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italy), the leaderCarlos Checa (Ducati Althea, cleraly in difficulty on the wet track ) and LeonHaslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport). A good result in the standings for the manufacturer Ducati, and Guintoli , with the second place, is now eighth in the standings. These are official results of today’s Race 2: 1 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike Kawasaki ZX-10R 2 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 4.063 3 96 J. SMRZ CZE Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing Ducati 1098R 22.759 4 4 J. REA GBR Castrol Honda Honda CBR1000RR 28.497 5 58 E. LAVERTY IRL Yamaha World Superbike Team Yamaha YZF R1 38.374 6 33 M. MELANDRI ITA Yamaha World Superbike Team Yamaha YZF R1 45.326 7 86 A. BADOVINI ITA BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 47.030 8 7 C. CHECA ESP Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 50.032 9 91 L. HASLAM GBR BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 53.586 10 121 M. BERGER FRA Supersonic Racing Team Ducati 1098R 55.261 11 17 J. LASCORZ ESP Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’12.805 12 11 T. CORSER AUS BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1’15.468 13 44 R. ROLFO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’40.323 ————————————————–Not Classified————————————————– RET 41 N. HAGA JPN PATA Racing Team Aprilia Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1 Lap RET 100 M. TAMADA JPN Castrol Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1 Lap RET 2 L. CAMIER GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2 Laps RET 8 M. AITCHISON AUS Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 3 Laps RET 52 J. TOSELAND GBR BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team BMW S1000 RR 5 Laps RET 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 8 Laps Rider’s overall standings, after the German Grand prix: 1 CHECA 376 points 2 MELANDRI 302 3 BIAGGI 281 4 LAVERTY 232 5 HASLAM 176 6 CAMIER 154 7 FABRIZIO 141 8 GUINTOLI 139 9 BADOVINI 134 10 HAGA 115 11 SYKES 114 12 REA 113 13 LASCORZ 111 14 SMRZ 109 Manufactors standings, after the German Grand Prix 1 DUCATI 400 points 2 YAMAHA 351 3 APRILIA 336 4 BMW 214 5 KAWASAKI 171 6 SUZUKI 158 7 HONDA 132 Here are the comments of our riders: Nurburgring – Eighth position in the standings, sixth in race 1 and the podium with second place in Race 2 behind Sykes. A Sunday to remember of course fot the French rider of the Effenbert Liberty Racing , SylvainGuintoli, “Finally we got a result that rewards the efforts made until now and not always collected – says the Frenchman During the whole of the German weekend we can say that the bike giving positive feedbacks . During the race I found, progressively, the right feeling with the tires, and managed to be competitive in both races. The podium? I am so happy, it is a success I want to share with the whole team that lately has been working really hard . The future? I am confident and I think we might have more, similar ,satisfactions. ” “Kuba” Smrz, after an unlucky race 1, hits a very important podium . “Already yesterday, during the Qualifications and the Superpole session, I understood that something would change, and so it has been.We have always been competitive with our rivals,and then the rainy conditions gave me a little extra help although it was certainly not an easy job to keep the bike on the track, on some parts of the track. Third place? I dedicate it to all the people that have believed in me in this difficult period and have been close to me, starting from the mechanics and the sall of the team ” More, from a press release issued by FTR MOTO: FTR HOLDS ON TO THIRD PLACE AFTER TOUGH MISANO ROUND FTR MOTO maintained third place in the Constructors World Championship after a demanding 12th round of the Moto2 World Championship at the Misano circuit in Italy on Sunday. Three of FTR’s M211 riders; Pol Espargaro, Simone Corsi and Esteve Rabat repeated their achievement of the following week in Indianapolis as all three scored World Championship points. Espargaro qualified in ninth place and finished in ninth place on the HP Tuenti Speed Up machine at the 4.226km/2.624-mile circuit while Italian Corsi on the Ioda Racing Project machine continued his run of scoring points in every race by taking 10th place. Blusens-STX team rider Esteve Rabat couldn’t repeat his third place at Indianapolis of seven days before but the young Spaniard and former Dorna Academy rider took 11th place at Misano. Corsi’s team-mate Mattia Pasini missed out on a World Championship point by just 0.53s as he finished in 17th place. Kenny Noyes (FOGI/GP Tech) bounced back from a qualifying crash to finish 23rd with Santiago Hernandez 24th on the Stop and Go M211. Valentin Debise (Speed Up) held off Joan Olive a replacement for the injured Blusens-STX rider Yonny Hernandez for 25th place with Anthony West 27th on the MZ-FTR while American youngster Jacob Gagne (Aeroport de Castello) and wild card Alessandro Andreozzi (Reparto Corse M211) finished 28th and 29th respectively. Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda Singha SAG) was a first lap retirement after crashing out while Max Neukirchner retired his MZ-FTR at the halfway stage of the 26-lap race. “After the exceptional rides by Pol Espargaro and Esteve Rabat at Indianapolis the previous week it was always going to be tough to repeat those sort of finishes at Misano,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “The Misano event proved a difficult one for us and for no particular reason but the guys still managed to add to the World Championship points tally.” More, from a press release issued by TwoThree Press Relations: Gobert makes return to AMA Superbike in New Jersey finale Former American national champion Aaron Gobert made a welcome return to the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Championship at New Jersey Motorsport Park’s season finale on 2-4 September. Gobert received an 11th hour invite from the San Diego BMW Racing powered by Lee’s Cycles squad to contest the round, marking his first appearance in the U.S. since 2009. Despite limited track time on the team’s privateer S 1000 RR during a track day in California ahead of the race weekend, Gobert made strong improvements throughout the race weekend at NJMP. Gobert, who is currently in contention for the Australian Supersport Championship with one round remaining, qualified 15th with a 1:22.546, lapping less than a second per lap off a front row position in a talent-filled field. “I’m thankful for the team to give me the opportunity to race this weekend and it’s a good feeling to be back in the AMA paddock after spending so many years here during my career,” 2004 AMA Superstock 1000 Champion and Daytona winner Gobert commented. “We’ve steadily been making improvements all weekend with the bike’s settings and I’m feeling comfortable out there. Everything takes time to adjust to, but the progression has been pretty quick since I first rode with the team last week.” Come Saturday’s opening 23-lap affair Gobert recovered from a slow start to work his way up to 12th with a personal best of 1:22.444, before ultimately settling for 13th after a near-crash and a lack of set-up time hampered his race pace during the final stages. Gobert’s fastest lap under race conditions was just over half a second off those set by those in the top five in a credible performance by the Sydney-based Australian. “It was a positive race for us and we learnt a lot about the bike,” he explained. “There’s a lot of promise in the package that we are racing with and it’s been nice to show good pace without much time on the BMW. We just need to improve over the race distance and a good result is definitely possible.” Gobert made more progress in the morning warm-up before race two on Sunday, however a mechanical problem ruled him out of the second outing during the sighting lap dashing his hopes of a top 10 result for the round. “It was disappointing to finish the weekend like that, especially after we made a lot of improvements following race one, but hopefully I can come back to the U.S. full time in 2012 and put a full season together,” he added. “I just want to thank the San Diego BMW powered by Lee’s Cycle team, Locust, and all of my sponsors and supporters.” Gobert will now return to Australia for the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship in November, maintaining a chance at the title following a victory in the opening round at Phillip Island earlier this year. More, from a press release issued by Rockstar Makita Suzuki: TEAM ROCKSTAR MAKITA SUZUKI CONCLUDES 2011 AMA PRO SUPERBIKE SEASON WITH DRAMATIC VICTORY AT NEW JERSEY!! Blake Young wins on Sunday & Tommy Hayden podiums on Saturday MILLVILLE, NJ Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki gave 110 percent in the season-ending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, this past weekend. Sunday’s race was one of the most exciting in recent history, and Blake Young took the spectacular win on his Yoshimura-prepared Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. Teammate Tommy Hayden represented well on Saturday, bringing home an impressive third-place finish. When all was said and done, Young finished out the season in second-place overall, while Hayden finished up in third-place overall. In Saturday’s 23-lap race, Young battled with Hayden for the final podium spot but wound up relinquishing that position to his teammate and ended up in fifth. On Sunday, however, Young pulled out all the stops. He got off the line in second place on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, and was dicing with up to eight other riders all separated by mere tenths of a second. Young swapped out the lead multiple times before capturing the breathtaking victory. “My Yoshimura-supported Rockstar Makita Suzuki team has worked hard all year long,” said Young. “Although I’m happy to get the win, finishing second in the championship was tough. But in the race, I just wanted to show what my team was capable of. I wanted to bring home the win for them because they deserve it. They know how to win championships, and I’m still learning. They’ve stuck by me and I want to say my guys thank you for everything. Overall, I’m happy that I’ve had the season that I’ve had, and I’ll come back next year and try harder to put forth a better effort, because that’s what my team deserves.” Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Hayden came into the weekend with the attitude that he was going to “win or die trying”. On Saturday, the Kentucky native overcame a lackluster start, moved quickly through the field on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and finished on the podium. On Sunday, he got the holeshot and led the multi-bike freight train for much of the race before suffering a get-off while in second place. Fortunately, Hayden wasn’t harmed but neither was he able to rejoin the race. “Overall the weekend was pretty good,” said Hayden. “Yesterday, we were on the podium and today my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 was fast in the race and I was competing for a win. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and tipped over. It’s definitely disappointing to end the season like that, but I went out trying and I feel good about that.” New Jersey SuperBike Results, Race 1: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Ben Bostrom 3. Tommy Hayden 4. Roger Hayden 5. Blake Young 6. Steve Rapp 7. Larry Pegram 8. Martin Cardenas 9. Chris Clark 10. Brett McCormick New Jersey SuperBike Results, Race 2: 1. Blake Young 2. Josh Hayes 3. Roger Hayden 4. Martin Cardenas 5. Ben Bostrom 6. Geoff May 7. Taylor Knapp 8. Chris Clark 9. Jeremy Toye 10. JD Beach 2011 AMA Pro SuperBike Class Standings: 1. Josh Hayes 363 2. Blake Young 358 3. Tommy Hayden 288 4. Martin Cardenas 231 5. Ben Bostrom 209 6. Roger Hayden 202 7. Larry Pegram 190 8. Chris Clark 157 9. Steve Rapp 139 10. Geoff May — 139 About 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. Follow Suzuki Scoop on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukiscoopfans. 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 sixteen amazing flavors. Also, check out ROCKSTAR Energy Gum and ROCKSTAR Energy Shots. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink supports the active Rockstar lifestyle in every sport. Go to www.rockstar69.com for athlete and event updates, videos, profiles, and product information. About Makita: Makita is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita applies leading-edge technology and innovation to engineer tools that are more compact with less weight yet deliver industrial strength power and results. Makita innovation includes Makita LXT®, the industry’s first 18V lithium-ion cordless lineup. The Makita Teal color is the trade dress of Makita Corporation and is protected under common law and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Makita is Best in Class Engineering. For more information visit www.makitatools.com. 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 have 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. Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Industrial Power Tools, Yoshimura R&D, Dunlop, Motorex, Parts Unlimited, Galfer, Renthal, BMC Air Filter, NGK Spark Plugs, F. Fabbri, Catalyst, RK Racing Chain and Motion Pro. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: YAMAHA’S JOSH HAYES REPEATS AS AMERICAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPION Millville, NJ As a fitting conclusion to one of AMA Pro Racing’s most exciting seasons, the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams had one of its most successful and memorable weekends ever in American motorsports competition. Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha rider Josh Hayes dramatically and successfully defended his American SuperBike Championship aboard his powerful, crossplane-crankshaft YZF-R1® at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the final round of the AMA Pro Racing season. Coming into the weekend just five points behind in the Championship chase, Josh quickly went to work at making up the deficit. He earned a valuable point for winning the pole in Saturday’s qualifying session, which made it a remarkable eight out of nine pole positions won by Josh this season. Then, later on Saturday, Josh won SuperBike race one, and he also earned another bonus point for leading the most laps. Coming out of Saturday’s excitement, Josh turned his 5-point deficit into an 11-point lead by the end of the race day. Commenting on his change of fortunes, Josh said, “I needed to earn maximum points, so my mindset was to work hard to capture the pole, try to lead the most laps, and also win the race. My crew put an awesome bike underneath me, and I was able to build some points in our favor going into Sunday.” Josh participated in the very popular fan track walk on Saturday evening, and the fans had a rare opportunity to hear him talk about his race lines, braking markers, and strategies on the 2.25-mile Lightning race course. On Sunday, Josh put those insights to the test in what will go down as one of the most exciting American SuperBike races of all time. From start to finish, the race was very much in contention, but never more so than on the final lap. Josh’s points lead increased and decreased with practically every one of the 14 turns on the track, and by the time his blue-white-and-black Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha R1 crossed the finish line for the final time, he had captured his second American SuperBike Championship in a row. He finished the day, and the season, five points ahead of his closest competitor, which, ironically, was the polar opposite of where he began the weekend. It was a remarkable turnaround for the Mississippi native and indicative of his unbeatable will to win. “There were so many things going on in that race,” Josh said. “What an ‘exhale’ it was when I crossed the line. I’m really glad to bring [the Championship] home again. Big thanks go to the entire Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha team for giving me the best bike in the paddock.” “We’re all so happy for Josh,” said Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Division Manager for Yamaha. “He works hard at his racing, and he’s a great representative of the Yamaha brand, as well as Monster Energy and Graves Motorsports. Two in a row is quite an accomplishment, especially against such tough competition.” JOSH HERRIN FINISHES DAYTONA SPORTBIKE SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE The other Josh H. on the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha team, Josh Herrin, rounded out his Daytona SportBike season with a second-place finish on Saturday, followed by a season-ending win in Sunday’s exciting race. Aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6®, Josh earned two bonus points for leading 15 of the 23 laps in Saturday race and all but 4 of the laps in Sunday’s season finale. With his win and those two bonus points, Josh only missed out on the Daytona SportBike Championship by just 19 points. As a testament to how tight-knit the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams are, after Josh’s Sunday race win, he gave credit to “the other Josh.” “Before the start, I talked to Josh Hayes, and he gave me a little advice. It seemed to work,” Josh said. “It’s really awesome to have a teammate like that who can help you.” TOMMY AQUINO BREAKS THROUGH WITH BIG-BLUE RESULTS In a pivotal weekend for Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Motorsports/Graves/Yamaha rider Tommy Aquino, the California native traveled about as far to the east as he could in America to notch his first win in Daytona SportBike competition. Tommy was fast right out of the truck, capturing the pole position in Saturday’s qualifying, then winning the race on Saturday over hard-charging teammate Josh Herrin, and fellow Yamaha R6 rider Cameron Beaubier. That finish made it an impressive, all-Yamaha podium. In Sunday’s race, Tommy fought hard for the win again, coming up just short to Josh, with Cameron finishing just off the podium in fourth. Commenting on his first win in the highly-competitive Daytona SportBike series, Tommy said, “Going into the weekend, I put it in my head that this was the best chance I had to get a win. I’ve gone well on this track in the past, and I’m so pumped to be able to give this win to my entire Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Motorsports/Graves/Yamaha team.” Tommy finished the season 3rd in the Championship points standings, to give Yamaha two R6s in the top three. CHRIS CLARK FINISHES STRONG Tommy’s teammate Chris Clark, who rides the Number 2 R1 in American SuperBike for Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Motorsports/Graves/Yamaha, raced to another pair of solid, top-10 finishes. On Saturday, Chris came in 9th, and then he improved upon that result in Sunday’s race, coming home in 8th. GARRETT GERLOFF GIVES YAMAHA A GLIMPSE INTO ITS FUTURE The youngest member of the Yamaha U.S. Road Racers, Garrett Gerloff just recently turned 16 years old and became eligible to compete in AMA Pro Racing’s SuperSport series. Garrett wasted no time in getting up to speed on his Graves Motorsports/Monster Energy/Yamaha R6. The young phenom, who hails from Ben Spies’ and Colin Edwards’ home state of Texas, hadn’t even seen New Jersey Motorsports Park before this weekend, let alone raced on it. Yet, he finished the very first qualifying session of the weekend in first place, and then, he went on to win Saturday’s race. On Sunday, Garrett was once again up front and poised for another win. He ultimately finished a still-impressive 2nd to the Championship winner. In his first AMA Pro Racing press conference, Garrett said, “I’m really happy to be on top for my first Pro race. I have to thank Graves and Yamaha for giving me such a fast R6. After qualifying, I knew I had the pace to run up front.” Look for big things from Garrett in 2012. IN THE GARDEN STATE, EVERYTHING COMES UP ROSES FOR YAMAHA New Jersey was good to Yamaha’s U.S. Road Racing Teams, and the team will look back with much fondness on this past weekend in The Garden State. Yamaha and all its sponsors, including Monster Energy, Graves Motorsports, Yamaha Extended Service, and Pat Clark Motorsports, send out a big thank you to the many fans who attended the races this year, watched the race telecasts on Speed TV, and read in the media about the team’s memorable season. Before we all know it, it will be March 2012 and time to do it all again starting at Daytona International Speedway. Be sure to follow the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams on Facebook. More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: TEAM SUZUKISCOOPFANS’ ELENA MYERS CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL 2011 AMA PRO SUPERSPORT SEASON Myers finishes up the 2011 season with solid results at New Jersey MILLVILLE, NJ Team SuzukiScoopFans rider Elena Myers celebrated a solid finish to the end of the 2011 AMA Pro SuperSport season at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, this past weekend. Having already secured fifth-place overall in the class’ West Division despite missing two rounds early in the season due to injury, Myers still put in a skillful performance at the final round. Although Myers’ official season ended with the previous round at Laguna Seca, she still raced both AMA Pro SuperSport races at New Jersey and has also contested the entire AMA Pro SuperSport schedule. This year, the 17-year-old California native picked up a podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park, plus five top-five finishes throughout the season. Additionally, Myers became the first woman to ever win an AMA Pro road race when she captured the AMA Pro SuperSport victory at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, last year. This weekend at New Jersey, Myers rode two smooth and consistent races and held her own in an extremely competitive field. Saturday’s 19-lap event saw Myers running in the top 10 on her Team SuzukiScoopFans GSX-R600 for the first half of the race before finishing 11th. On Sunday, the Team SuzukiScoopFans rider turned solid lap times on her GSX-R600 and brought home a top-10 finish. “It was a bit of a rough weekend,” said Myers. “Everybody was really fast and times have been super-close. At the beginning of the weekend, I wasn’t quite there, but I’ve been slowly progressing throughout, and today I had one of my best runs. Even though I got 10th, I was pushing really hard the whole way and was really consistent on the Team SuzukiScoopFans GSX-R600. Overall, I’m happy with the weekend, even though 10th isn’t where I wanted to be. But at this track, SuperSport’s been faster than Daytona SportBike, so there’s definitely some good competition in this class. I’d like to thank my SuzukiScoopFans team, and everybody at Suzuki, and all my fans for supporting me, and I hope next year will be even better.” About 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. Follow Suzuki Scoop on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukiscoopfans. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: Fillmore Takes AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Win and Championship at NJMP Rapp and O’Hara Round Out Series Top Three Milwaukee (Sept. 5, 2011) Chris Fillmore raced to his first AMA Pro Road Racing career championship with a determined victory over challenger Michael Beck in the season finale of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series September 4 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The win was the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing rider’s fifth of the season and it was enough to hold off championship challenger Steve Rapp (Parts Unlimited), who was the only rider in the field with a mathematical chance of wresting the title from the 24-year-old Michigan racer, who earned podium finishes in all but one of the series’ nine races. However, the potential for a championship battle quickly took an anti-climatic turn when Rapp, who had qualified second on the grid behind polesitter Fillmore, chose to start the race at the back of the grid after his motorcycle experienced a fuel pump issue during the warmup lap. Instead, it was Beck (J&P Cycles) who took the fight to Fillmore, racing tooth-and-nail until the final corner of the 12-lap contest, with Fillmore eking out the victory by a 0.135-second margin. A few seconds back, Tyler O’Hara (Tyler O’Hara Racing), who ran off track earlier in the race while dicing with Fillmore for the lead, and Kyle Wyman (Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing), battled for the final spot on the podium, with Wyman nipping O’Hara for the position by 0.296 second. Rapp recovered to finish sixth in the race and second in the championship points. “I feel really good,” said Fillmore. “The XR1200 series, now that I went through the year and got used to the bikes, I think I learned a lot. It’s a great series. I had a lot of fun with it. I stayed in it and learned a lot about lines, and I’m really glad that at the end of it, Richie [Morris] and I hooked up and I got the opportunity to ride with him. What AMA Pro and Vance & Hines have done with this series gave guys like us, guys who haven’t really had a chance to develop a name, a place to go to develop our names and learn the tracks. It’s been great.” “For sure I gave it my all,” said second-place finisher Beck, who placed fourth in the overall championship. “It was a fun race. I got a little bit of a lazy start and a couple of the guys got by me, but I never gave up and reeled them in. I had a little bit of back-and forth with O’Hara, but didn’t want to let Fillmore go because I knew he’d be running away with it. I saw that O’Hara ran off halfway through, but Fillmore was still right there and he had a good pace today. I gave it all I had.” New Jersey Race Result: 1. Chris Fillmore (Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing), 12 laps 2. Michael Beck (J&P Cycles), +0.135 second 3. Kyle Wyman (Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing), +13.789 seconds 4. Tyler O’Hara (Tyler O’Hara Racing), +14.085 5. Chase McFarland (Latus Motors Racing), +21.057 6. Steve Rapp (Parts Unlimited), +21.226 7. Shane Narbonne (Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson), +21.315 8. Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn), +35.899 9. Michael Morgan (Python Exhaust), +39.016 10. Michael Corbino (Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing), +39.798 11. Josh Chisum (Troy Lee Designs), +1.07.376 12. Jeremiah Johnson (BE-EV.com ·New Roc Harley-Davidson), +1:10.148 13. Pete Demas (Bob Schaefer/Jim Howard/Dave Duffin), +1:10.284 14. Paul James (Hoban Brothers/Dark Horse Crankworks), +1:25.467 15. Thomas Montano (HOG Racing/Harley Owners Group/Cycle News), 8 laps, crash 16. Michael Barnes (Drag Specialties), 0 laps, crash XR1200 Series Final Points Standings 1. Chris Fillmore, 231 2. Steve Rapp, 202 3. Tyler O’Hara, 153 4. Michael Beck, 135 5. Kyle Wyman, 132 6. Michael Barnes, 131 7. Michael Corbino, 118 8. Chase McFarland, 90 9. Paul James, 65 10. Michael Morgan, 64 Company Background Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit harley-davidson.com.
Updated: More From This Past Weekend’s Various Races
Updated: More From This Past Weekend’s Various Races
© 2011, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.