AMA Pro Daytona SportBike New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, New Jersey September 3 Provisional Race One Results (all on Dunlop tires): 1. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), 23 laps 2. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), -0.113 second 3. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R6), -0.144 4. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), -0.913 5. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R600), -1.403 seconds 6. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), -3.435 7. Jason DiSalvo (Tri Daytona 675R), -14.642 8. P.J. Jacobsen (Duc 848EVO), -19.874 9. Tyler O’Hara (Yam YZF-R6), -45.939 10. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), -47.589 11. Austin DeHaven (Yam YZF-R6), -52.652 12. Kev Coghlan (Yam YZF-R6), -53.443 13. Huntley Nash (Yam YZF-R6), -54.656 14. Kenny Riedmann (Tri Daytona 675), -62.281 15. Josh Galster (Yam YZF-R6), -62.728 16. Mike Selpe (Yam YZF-R6), -63.707 17. Dane Westby (Suz GSX-R60), -1 lap, DNF, crash 18. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 94.639 19. Skip Salenius (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 114.392 20. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 122.641 21. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 122.666 22. Sam Rozynski (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 141.306 23. Raul Alzate (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, DNF, crash 24. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R6), -7 laps, DNF, crash 25. Kyle Wyman (Yam YZF-R6), -7 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Paul Allison (Yam YZF-R6), -11 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Nahun Alvarez (Hon CBR600RR), -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR), DNS Provisional Championship Point Standings (after 12 of 13 races): 1. Eslick, 259 points* 2. Herrin, 225 3. Aquino, 216 4. DiSalvo, 210 5. West, 200 6. Beaubier, 195 7. Westby, 163 8. Knapp, 136 9. O’Hara, 114 10. Jacobsen, 108 11. Nash, 89 12. Amantini, 84 13. Allison, 79 14. Villa, 74 15. Tyler Odom, 56 16. Galster, 49 17. Kris Turner, 38 18. David Sadowski, Jr., 34 19. Matthew Sadowski, 31 20. Barrett Long, 30 * clinches 2011 Championship More, from a press release issued by GEICO: GEICO rider Eslick celebrates second AMA SportBike title MILLVILLE, N.J. (Sept. 3) — GEICO Suzuki rider Danny Eslick once again proved he’s the best rider in the AMA Daytona SportBike class by clinching his second championship of the last three years Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. “I don’t think this has sunk in yet,” said Eslick, who entered this weekend’s twin bill of races with a hefty 45-point advantage over Josh Herrin. “At first I didn’t think we finished far enough up there. I did know we had to be within a few spots of Josh to win it and obviously we were.” Eslick actually finished the race in sixth place, with Herrin, the only rider with any chance of catching him this weekend taking second. That actually reduced Eslick’s lead to 34 points, but the most a rider can earn in a single race is 32 so the title was clinched. “It was an awesome race, a perfect way to finish this thing out,” Eslick said. “I don’t know how many lead changes there were but there were a bunch, probably more than any race this year. There was seven of us going back and forth pretty hard. “At the beginning of the race there were a few times when I knew I should probably back off a little. I knew I was in a pretty good position and I didn’t want to give the race away by wrecking out. Taylor (Knapp) and Cory (West) put some pretty hard moves on me that were a little more risky than how I wanted to race so I held back a little to hold the position I was in.” Eslick clinched the 2009 SportBike Championship at this same facility in 2009. Last year he finished eight points behind Martin Cardenas. “It’s great to come back here and have a good, close race,” the Oklahoman said. “The guys just had everything together for me this year and the fans picked us up when we needed it. They’ve always been so awesome and supportive of me. I can’t thank them enough for always being there. GEICO, Suzuki, Richie Morris, none of this would have happened without them. I’m a lucky guy.” The season had an inauspicious start for Eslick when came off his bike at 160-plus mph during the Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway. It was later determined that faulty tires caused the accident in a race that was red-flagged two laps after Eslick’s crash, but the result was still a 35th place finish that earned him zero points. He only missed the podium three times after the wreck, winning a trio of events and leading the most laps on four occasions. “After my big crash at Daytona we made a joke out of the fact that the guy who eventually won the championship the last two years had left Daytona with either zero or negative points,” Eslick said. “Now that we’ve won it again I guess we can make that three in a row.” All three of the GEICO Harley-Davidson XR1200 riders made qualifying laps Saturday afternoon to end the day’s activities. Points leader Chris Fillmore had the fastest qualifying time of 1:30.0 which placed him on the pole for Sunday’s race. Kyle Wyman’s fastest lap of 1:32.3 slotted him sixth, while Michael Corbino’s 1:34.7 earned him the 11th starting spot. More, from a press release issued by Vesrah Suzuki: TOP 5 FINISHES FOR VESRAH SUZUKI IN AMA PRO DAYTONA SPORTBIKE RACE ONE AT NJMP. After qualifying on the second row, both Vesrah Suzuki Daytona SportBike riders Cory West and Taylor Knapp were able to bring home top 5 finishes in Race One at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ. Cory just missed the podium in 4th place and Taylor followed him home in 5th. In AMA Pro SuperSport things did not end up as well for the Vesrah Suzuki team. After qualifying on the front row, Corey Alexander crashed in a high-speed portion of the track and did not finish the race. Stefano Mesa qualified on the second row but issues with a stalled rider on the first lap dropped him back and he was able to fight his way back up to 10th place at the finish. Mark Junge Team Owner Vesrah Suzuki “All 4 of my riders rode great today and the crew is doing an excellent job. I am looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how we can finish up this season.” Cory West Vesrah Suzuki #57 “We definitely made big progress in the final qualifying session this morning and ended up with a second row start. I got a good launch in the race but I got pinched off down in turn 1 and had to fight my way to the front. About halfway through the race I caught the lead pack and just tried to figure out where I was going to make my moves. I had a podium in sight on the last lap but just couldn’t close the gap on the leading three riders. I was happy to finish 4th though, and to be top finishing Suzuki. We’ll do our homework tonight to try and squeeze a few more tenths out of the lap time so we can land on the box tomorrow. Big thanks to my Crew Chief, Tony Pogue, and mechanic, Sean Goff for their hard work this weekend and to the rest of the Vesrah Suzuki crew.” Taylor Knapp Vesrah Suzuki #44 “Race 1 went really well as we had a good qualifying position both Friday and Saturday and just got bumped off the front row. I got a good start in the race and just filed in with the leaders and the pace did not seem that fast but it was hard to make a pass. My Suzuki GSX-R600 felt so fast into turn 1 and that was a strong point for me. I was able to make a pass on the last lap to end up 5th. For tomorrow if I just get out front with a clear track I think we can race for the win. I cannot thank the Vesrah Suzuki team enough as the bike worked really good today.” Corey Alexander Vesrah Suzuki #5 “This weekend has been up and down for us so far. We had a rough start but we made some changes that put us up on the front row fortunately. Today’s race started off well but as the race continued things started to go downhill and I ended up crashing. We’re going to go back out tomorrow with some changes and try to put my Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600 on the podium. I have to give a huge thanks to my mechanics for working hard. Tomorrow will be better for sure.” Stefano Mesa Vesrah Suzuki #37 “My weekend started very good with the first session and finishing 7th – I was having a little bit of trouble with the suspension set up on my Vesrah Suzuki. My first qualifying was okay as we got the bike set up and ran in 6th and I was really happy with the only problem being that we were tearing up the front tire. Final qualifying was not so good as I went out and had a lot of trouble so we went back to my old settings and finished 7th.” “The race was not good at all as I started in 7th but had a little bit of trouble with a stalled rider on the start and my first lap I went through start finish in 18th place and from there worked back up to 10th. I know I can do much better and am looking forward to tomorrow. I have to thank Mark and Vesrah Suzuki for the opportunity to ride for them, my crew James & Don for all of their hard work and my Mom and Dad for making this happen for me along with my personal sponsors – Bell Helmets, Leo Men’s Underwear, Addict by Bosi, Motoprimo & Studio 299.” Vesrah Suzuki wants to thank all of their sponsors for their support for the 2011 season Vesrah, American Suzuki, Rockstar Energy Drink, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Penske Racing Shocks, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Yoshimura, Catalyst Racing Composites, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Vortex, DID Chain, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, GP Tech, Active, Pilot, Suzuka Tire Warmers, Pit Bull & Road Rage Designs. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: Eslick Reclaims Daytona SportBike Crown at New Jersey Motorsports Park MILLVILLE, NJ (September 3, 2011) – The fast and furious number-crunching that followed today’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race was nothing compared to the class’ on-track action, but at the end of both the ultimate victor was revealed: GEICO Powersports RMR Suzuki’s Danny Eslick has clenched the 2011 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship. Eslick — who adds this year’s crown to the class title he earned in 2009 — dedicated the championship to recently departed race legend Gary Nixon. “It hasn’t set in yet,” said Eslick, grinning. “At first I didn’t think we were far enough up there to get the job done. When I came in I saw my team looking around, then we looked at an official and they gave me the checkered flag, and then it started kicking in a little bit. It was an awesome race; I don’t know how many lead changes — a bunch, probably more than any other race this year. There were seven or eight of us for a while going back and forth … it was pretty spectacular. It’s nice to get it done with a race to go, and we’ll go out and give it a heck of a shot tomorrow, too.” Nearly as happy was Y.E.S./Pat Clark/Graves Yamaha rider Tommy Aquino, who earned his career first AMA Pro victory at New Jersey Motorsports’ Thunderbolt Raceway after a hard-fought battle with Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki), Josh Herrin (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha), and Cameron Beaubier (JHR/RidersDiscount.com). While Aquino and Herrin dominated the lead for the first half of the race, with Beaubier making occasional forays to the front, it was Westby — via his now-infamous late-race magic — who took over as the contest entered its final laps. After taking the lead and being quickly usurped several times, Westby grabbed the frontrunner position yet again with three to go and looked destined to hold it as the laps clicked down. When the leaders encountered traffic on the final lap, however, disaster struck: Heading into a corner, Westby tried an outside pass to get around a lapped rider and the contest was quickly over for both leader and lapper, the pair heading straight off into the dirt. “Those last four or five laps,” said Aquino, “I kind of put it in my head that that was the best chance I had [to win a race]. Dane wasn’t going to give me an inch and … I was lining him up for a pass in Turn 6 and was going to go for it no matter what, but before I had a chance, he was gone. I got in the lead from there and tried to just put in a flawless lap. I really didn’t know who was behind me, I just focused on Dane at first and then just on getting a clean lap. I thought, ‘You’re a professional — do one lap, how hard can it be?’ Very hard, if you’re wondering. It was a great weekend, and I have to thank the Yamaha Extended Service crew — this win is for them.” “It was a really exciting race,” said runner-up Herrin, despite being disappointed that his hopes for a 2011 championship are now officially over. “As far as the year goes, I’ve been pretty proud of my year. We had some mechanicals that hurt us, but when I’ve finished, my worst was a fifth; otherwise we’ve been on the box the whole time. I wanted to win, definitely, but to do today and get second made me happy. I’m hoping tomorrow we can put it on the box to end the season on top, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” (Having announced he’ll be fielding a Yamaha SuperBike next season, Herrin’s looking forward to 2012, as well.) Behind third-place Beaubier, Cory West (Vesrah Suzuki), Taylor Knapp (Vesrah Suzuki), Eslick, Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing), PJ Jacobsen (Celtic Racing/Fast by Ferracci), Tyler O’Hara (GP Bike Parts Racing), and Santiago Villa (M4 Suzuki) rounded out the top ten. The final race of the 2011 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike season kicks off tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. ET. The broadcast of today’s AMA Pro Road Racing action airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET on SPEED. For New Jersey Motorsports Park tickets and information, visit www.njmp.com. To learn more and to be a part of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship, visit www.amaproracing.com and join us on facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing and twitter.com/AMAProSBK. More, from a press release issued by Team M4 Suzuki: TOUGH BREAK FOR WESTBY, VILLA EARNS TOP TEN IN NEW JERSEY Dane Westby and M4 Suzuki came within two miles of victory on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park before it all unraveled in heartbreaking fashion. Qualifying on the second row with the seventh best time, Westby came alive in the 23-lap Daytona SportBike final, knifing his way up through the field in a tight eight-rider pack for the lead. Carving up from eighth to finally slot his GSX-R600 into positions 1-4 in the seesawing affair, Westby opened the final three laps running in first position. However, as the pack raced up on a lapped rider, the Mid-Ohio race winner was pushed out wide and tangled with the backmarker, sending him off course and ultimately on his side. The only consolation other than Westby’s terrific performance that went unrewarded was Santiago Villa’s tenth-place effort in the SportBike race. The Colombian suffered a nightmarish start, dropping from 17th on the grid to outside the top 20 as the deep class of contenders assumed their positions. Undeterred, the Colombian made a heroic charge to register one of the strongest dry race performances of his AMA Pro career. Villa said, “I got a really terrible start and someone took my line. I had to work my way from 22nd to 12th. I made another pass at the end and, sadly, my teammate crashed and that gave me the top ten. I’ll take it. I’ve fighting with a broken collarbone for the last couple months. I was in a lot of pain but I was riding as hard as I could and I was catching ninth place but the laps weren’t quite enough. “I finished ninth at Daytona but Daytona is an endurance race. This is my first dry sprint-race top ten. I’ve had a lot of elevenths, which I don’t like, so I’ll take it. I hope tomorrow I can get a better start and finish even higher.” Meanwhile, M4 Suzuki’s Superbike struggles carried over from Friday to Saturday. Finding it difficult to rediscover his middleweight race-winning NJMP form on the more powerful GSX-R1000 Superbike, Martin Cardenas was an uncharacteristic 12th in qualifying. He ran in 13th position in the 23-lap AMA Pro Superbike event before steadily climbing to an eventful eighth-place finish. Chris Ulrich, still recovering from injury, finished exactly where he qualified in 19th position despite battling against an unusually deep Superbike field. M4 Suzuki will look to close an excellent season on a high note as the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing season concludes on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park.