AMA Pro Daytona SportBike BigM Weekend Presented by Lucas Oil Miller Motorsports Park May 29 Provisional Race Results (wet-to-drying conditions, all on Dunlop tires): 1. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 16 laps 2. P.J. Jacobsen (Duc 848EVO), -0.161 second 3. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R6), -3.408 seconds 4. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), -6.703 5. Dane Westby (Suz GSX-R600), -7.644 6. Jason DiSalvo (Duc 848), -17.111 7. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), -33.454 8. Josh Galster (Yam YZF-R6), -33.765 9. Paul Allison (Yam YZF-R6), -36.216 10. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), -36.560 11. Dalton Dimick (Yam YZF-R6), -36.958 12. Joey Pascarella (Yam YZF-R6), -37.468 13. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), -38.997 14. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R600), -44.592 15. Huntley Nash (Yam YZF-R6), -55.806 16. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), -62.925 17. Eli Edwards (Yam YZF-R6), -72.731 18. Tyler O’Hara (Yam YZF-R6), -73.257 19. Matthew Sadowksi (Duc 848), -81.369 20. Jake Holden (Duc 848EVO), -86.090 21. Nahun Alvarez (Hon CBR600RR), -96.881 22. David Sadowski, Jr. (Duc 848), -101.832 23. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), -102.314 24. Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R6), -105.733 25. Christian Cronin (Yam YZF-R6), -106.122 26. Ted Rich (Yam YZF-R6), -106.295 27. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-6R), -117.599 28. Sam Rozynski (Yam YZF-R6), -124.473 29. Mike Shreve (Yam YZF-R6), -124.963 30. Kelcey Walker (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 31. Dylon Husband (Kaw ZX-6R), -5 laps, DNF, retired 32. Patrick McCord (Kaw ZX-6R), -5 laps, 15.995 seconds, DNF 33. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 34. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), DNS Championship Point Standings (After 1 of 17 races): 1. DiSalvo, 109 points 2. West, 74 3. Herrin, 67 4. Beaubier, 63 5. Jacobsen, 62 6. Eslick, 60 7. Aquino, 56 8. Allison, 47 9. Westby, 37 10. Knapp, 36 11. Amantini, 32 12. Villa, 27 13. TIE, Holden/Galster/O’Hara/Nash, 26 17. Jake Zemke, 23 18. TIE, J.D. Beach/Prince, 18 20. Pascarella, 15 More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: TOOELE, UT (May 29, 2011) – The rain-fraught AMA Pro Daytona SportBike contest at Miller Motorsports Park’s BigM Weekend was ruled by a five-rider pack of unrelenting ferocity, each taking his turn at the front throughout the 16-lap race. Two riders, however, rose above-one higher than he’s ever been before, the other to a once-familiar height he’s sorely missed in 2011. Celtic Racing/Fast by Ferracci’s PJ Jacobsen was ascendant in the 34-rider race, the 17-year-old New Yorker launching into the lead off the line and holding off attack after attack while riders diced for position eight-deep. Team Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo-who started from pole, and was coming off a three-race win streak-seemed a sure bet for frontrunner status, but he was shuffled back surprisingly early in the race by Josh Herrin (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha), Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki), and Cory West (Vesrah Suzuki). Behind DiSalvo, a battle raged full-force among the likes of Cameron Beaubier (GP Bike Parts), Tyler Odom (Don Odom Racing), Paul Allison (Triple Crown Industries), Danny Eslick (GEICO Powersports/RMR Suzuki), Joey Pascarella (Run 1 Racing), and more, the quickest laps of the race repeatedly being posted by riders in this second group. Up front, Westby was the first rider to take the lead from Jacobsen, only to have West sail by both riders while the top seven were blanketed by less than a second. Jacobsen reclaimed the lead with authority just corners later, leaving West and Westby to engage in a frenetic battle for second that Herrin-looking entirely calm and smooth-watched carefully from fourth. With nine laps to go, Herrin began to make his move, first picking off West to settle into the third-place position. In front, Westby and Jacobsen seemed to trade the lead every other corner, neither willing to let go nor able to make a pass stick for long. Suddenly, it was fourth-place West sliding back into the lead, closing the door so hard on a hopeful attempt by Jacobsen that the latter rider was shuffled back to fourth. Shortly after, Herrin made a quick outside pass to take second from West and began calculatingly sizing up race-leader Westby, while Westby did everything he could to discourage the Graves rider’s line of thinking. In the meantime, Cameron Beaubier had been carefully maneuvering his way vertically through the field, and with five laps to go, had firmly attached himself to the back of the five-rider front pack, which went tearing up Miller’s long front straight four-deep as the laps clicked down. Jacobsen, however, had been doing the same at the front of the field, taking third, then second, then first positions from their previous owners in a no-holds-barred fashion that left no doubt about his talent, but some doubt about how much longer his tires would last. With Westby immediately positioning his bike on Jacobsen’s rear wheel, the youngster found himself coming under increasing pressure-to which he responded by putting his head down and doing everything he could to gap the field. With only three laps left to go, however, that didn’t fit with Herrin’s plans. Giving the Ducati rider zero room, Herrin pushed him faster and faster, the two putting several bike lengths between themselves and the rest of the field. Then, just after the lead pair took the white flag, it happened-tires pushed to the max, Jacobsen’s machine began exhibiting gasp-worthy, high-speed wobbles that told Herrin it was time to pounce. Though Jacobsen valiantly tried to hold the Yamaha rider off, Herrin was by now unstoppable. Slicing through the lap’s final corners, he took his first victory of 2011 by .161 seconds. Jacobsen was followed across the line by another first-time podium-earner in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, as Beaubier had craftily dispatched both West and Westby, who finished 4-5 in today’s event. DiSalvo, Eslick, Josh Galster, Allison, and Aquino rounded out the top-ten. For detailed results, visit http://results.amaproracing.com/. To learn more and be a part of AMA Pro Racing, please visit www.amaproracing.com and join us via facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing, twitter.com/AMAProSBK, and twitter.com/AMAProLIVE. Josh Herrin, 1st: “It was getting pretty crazy in the beginning; a lot of guys were passing me on the brakes in Turn 1 just ’cause I didn’t want to push in there too hard … I was just trying to save my tires. I had to shave a couple tenths off to go into the puddles, but I think at the end it really helped us out a lot. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha was working really well, and I’m really grateful we’re on such good tires-the rains were phenomenal; we haven’t used them since Road America last year and they were perfect. These guys rode a really good race, everybody did, and I’m just glad to be up here. It’s a relief after having such a tough time this year, and I look forward to continuing on with the season with some more-consistent results.” PJ Jacobsen, 2nd: “Josh and Cory and Dane got by me, so I just tried to stay with them and sit behind them and see what they could do. There was like seven laps to go, so I figured just sit behind them ’cause it’s going to be a long race still. I tried to break away [at the end] there, but Josh got me on the last lap. I really, really was pushing, but he just got the best of me.” Cameron Beaubier, 3rd: “It was crazy. I struggled a little bit on the brakes, couldn’t really pass anyone on the brakes, and I was just watching them swap positions every corner … it was pretty awesome to watch. Toward the end I started to get a little more comfortable on the brakes and started making a couple passes, and it was an awesome race. The front was skating around a lot the whole race, so I had to always make sure I went through a puddle on the straightaway to cool the tires down, but it was a fun race, that’s for sure. It feels great to get on the podium for the first time in SportBike.” More, from a press release issued by Team M4 Suzuki: WESTBY LEADS, EARNS TOP FIVE IN UTAH M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby put forth a Herculean effort to battle for the win and ultimately claim a top-five result in Sunday’s thrilling AMA Pro Daytona SportBike final at Miller Motorsports Park. After a difficult qualifying session on Friday, Westby demonstrated front-running pace in the morning’s final qualifying session held in the wet. While he did not improve his grid position, his third-place session ranking was merely a hint of things to come. Immediately charging up to the front from his starting slot on outside of Row 3, Dane proved aggressive and skillful in the tricky cool, damp-but-drying conditions in which the 16-lap race was contested. Slicing up to second position on the opening lap, Westby regularly swapped positions with the lead group, running creative lines in a bid to both gain position and keep his tires cool by piloting through patches of standing water. Routinely out-dueling the field entering the hard-braking Turn 1, Westby slotted his #5 GSX-R600 into first position on multiple occasions and was officially credited with two laps led. His tires eventually faded after the spirited battle, forcing Westby to accept fifth at the conclusion of a hugely encouraging performance. Westby said, “I thought pretty much had a podium in the bag and I was just going to let those guys lead me around until the end. But a couple more guys came and I got a little agitated and we were just dicing. I had nothing left at the end. I was trying to go for the water to save the tires but I just couldn’t make them last to the end. I was really diving in there to catch them on the brakes in Turn 1 but in the end I had to tip toe around a little bit. “Overall, it was a really positive weekend for us. We got some major issues worked out and I feel like we’re competitive now in the rain or dry. I think this race shows what we’re going to be like at the upcoming rounds.” Santiago Villa charged forward on Sunday as well. The Colombian found himself in 18th at the conclusion of the opening lap but patiently worked his way forward, ultimately finishing in 13th position. M4 Suzuki Superbike star Martin Cardenas will contest the weekend’s AMA Pro Superbike race Monday afternoon. The reigning SportBike champ will start from the second row based on the strength of Saturday’s sixth-place qualifying effort as Sunday’s wet conditions did not allow for a chance to improve on the competitors’ previous times. More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media on behalf of GEICO: Daytona Sportbike pro Eslick takes seventh at rainy Miller Motorsports Park SALT LAKE CITY (May 29) — GEICO Suzuki rider Danny Eslick rode to a seventh-place finish Sunday at a wet and cold Miller Motorsports Park to remain solidly in the mix of the Daytona Sportbike championship chase. “We rode around in the rain today, battled it out with a couple of guys for most of the race, and finished right where we started, in seventh place,” Eslick said. “Towards the end I pulled away and was running on my own but none of us could be as aggressive as we wanted to be.” The 2009 Daytona Sportbike champ is hoping to earn a second crown in the class this year and knows Sunday’s finish could have been much worse. “It’s not where we want to be but we’ll take it,” said Eslick, who turned 25 Sunday. “Seventh place earns a lot more points than if you wreck out and don’t finish. The conditions were wet and cold and considering the way the day and the weekend has gone so far, its not so bad. “I’m so happy to be out here for GEICO, Richie Morris Racing, Suzuki and everyone else that supports us. We’re having fun and I’m grateful I get to race with the best of the best.” Eslick will have one more chance to win this weekend as he successfully qualified his GEICO Harley for Monday’s AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series event. He’ll start that race seventh on the grid and is looking forward to once again competing in a class he won last year. “Tomorrow should be fun,” Eslick said. “I’m ready to go out there and have a good time on the Harley.” The AMA Pro Vance & Hines Series race is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. MDT Monday at Miller Motorsports Park. More, from a press release issued by Monica Cruz-Hernandez, GP Bike Parts Public Relations: GP Bike Parts Racing’s Cameron Beaubier Celebrates First Podium Finish In Daytona Sportbike Toole, Utah (May 30) Working through the difficult weather conditions, GP Bike Parts Racing rider Cameron Beaubier took a third place finish in Daytona Sportbike this past Sunday. Having qualified fourth, Beaubier rode in the back of the leader pack for a better part of the race, keeping a steady pace in solid sixth. “I was struggling a bit on the brakes and I just wanted to ride smart,” notes Beaubier. With two laps left, Beaubier made his move, passing Sportbike riders Cory West and Dane Westby, securing a third place finish. “I did not come to Miller expecting to be on the podium this weekend, but my hard work paid off and it feels great,” says Beaubier. Only in his rookie year in Daytona Sportbike, Beaubier has worked his way up each AMA weekend, producing better results every race, his third place podium finish being his best to date. Also in his Daytona Sportbike rookie year, teammate Tyler O’Hara ran a valiant race, finishing 18th. “At the start of the race I had a really good pace going and was making a charge,” comments O’Hara. O’Hara pushed the limits, setting one of the fastest laps of the race in lap six. Yet in the following lap O’Hara ran off, setting him back ten positions. “I am a bit upset that I made a mistake, which made me run-off but my GP Bike Parts Yamaha is working great so now I am just looking forward to Road America and racing in the front with Cameron.” O’Hara reflects. Excited about their great results thus far this season, the GP Bike Parts Racing team seeks more sponsorship for the remaining race year. “It takes a lot of sacrifice to get out to every race each weekend and we really need the support to keep on racing,” comments team owner Ameen Sajjadi. A privateer team, GP Bike Parts Racing knows that sponsorship opportunities will only bring many more podium finishes for their riders. For more information about sponsorship opportunities contact Ameen Sajjadi at [email protected]. For more info about the team and the riders please visit Gpbikepartsracing.com. Become a Fan on Facebook! Search: GP Bike Parts (Local Business)