AMA Pro SuperSport Presented by Shoei Shootout Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida October 16, 2009 Provisional Qualifying Results (all on Dunlop tires): 1. Josh Day (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.228 2. Leandro Mercado (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:51.416 3. Kris Turner (Suz GSX-R600), 1:52.917 4. Joey Pascarella (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.952 5. Tomas Puerta (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.956 6. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR), 1:53.897 7. Ricky Parker (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.073 8. Huntley Nash (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.257 9. Travis Wyman (Suz GSX-R600), 1:54.261 10. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600), 1:54.525 11. Jake Gagne (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.106 12. Alex Lazo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.106 13. Reese Wacker (Suz GSX-R600), 1:57.423 14. Kyle Keesee (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:57.594 15. Ryan Conrad (Yam YZF-R6), 1:59.187 More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: Orlando’s Josh Day Takes Pole for AMA Pro SuperSport National Shootout at Daytona SuperSport East Champion Looking For Fifth Straight Win in Sunday’s Championship Shootout DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 16, 2009) – Josh Day (No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6) continued his hot streak in AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei Friday at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) where the Orlando native won the pole on his home track for Sunday’s season-ending SuperSport National Championship Shootout. The lucrative non-points race is open to any rider that has run at least one SuperSport race this season, with the winner earning the title of SuperSport National Champion. Day, the 2009 SuperSport East Champion, sealed the top qualifying spot on his sixth lap of the session with a time of 1:51.228 (114.899 mph). The pole was Day’s fifth of the year and second of the season at Daytona after he also qualified first for the season-opening event at DIS in March. He has also won the last four SuperSport races in a streak that began at Mid-Ohio in June. “The bike is working pretty good right now,” Day said. “We are just trying to make a few changes to it and try and make it better for all of this wind we have been having lately. Hopefully by Sunday it will all be gone once the cold front finally comes through and we will be able to stay up front and battle for the win. Day edged Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) who topped the time sheets early in the session before ending up second with a lap time of 1:51.416 (114.705 mph). “I knew Leandro was going to be right there because he got quite a bit of practice on this layout in March when he did the Daytona 200 with the Attack guys filling in for Roger Hayden,” Day said. “I knew he was going to be fast right away. I am happy to come out with the pole right now, but it is still not a win yet. We’ll see how Sunday goes.” Mercado was Day’s toughest challenger for the SuperSport East title this season and picked up a pair of victories at Road Atlanta and Road America. “We tried a different setup on the front,” Mercado said. “It worked, but not so good, so for tomorrow we are going to try some other setup for the front and see if we can go a little faster. Running in the Daytona 200 helped me because I had much more time on the track, but that was my first race here. We want to work tomorrow on the bike and the points on the track where I have a little trouble to see if we can be a little faster.” The surprise of the day was returning rider Kris Turner (No. 3 Suzuki GSX-R600) who qualified third for his first SuperSport race since Barber Motorsports Park in May. Turner lapped at 1:52.917 (113.181 mph) as three different makes of bikes made up the SuperSport top three. “We have been scrambling up for something to ride the last few months and we finally found a bike to buy,” Turner said. “It’s the same bike I was riding earlier in the year so I feel comfortable on it. It feels great to come back after not being on a bike for so long and putting it in third. For now it is just our own privateer team but we bought the M4 bike and its helping us out a little bit. We got this bike just yesterday and I really have not been on a fast bike since the middle of June. We just picked it up yesterday here at the track.” The final spot on the four-rider front row went to Joey Pascarella (No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) who turned a top lap time of 1:52.952 (113.145 mph). “It went pretty good and I rode with my teammate Tomas Puerta,” said Pascarella, who finished second in the March SuperSport race at DIS. “I didn’t even know what lap it was, I rode the hardest I could and my bike worked great. We’re going to make some changes for Sunday and hopefully we can give it the best we got and get on the box again. Day is fast, like always. He hauls here. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a good race from second back and if we can stay with Day, it’ll be a really good race.” SuperSport West Champion Ricky Parker (No. 96 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) qualified seventh. “First of all, we’ve got to get the bike working better than it is now,” Parker said. “We’ve had some issues with setup but I think we can get it sorted out before Sunday. Hopefully we’ll get a good start like we did at New Jersey, get behind Josh Day and hopefully stick with him for the race. I think everybody is pretty fast out there. Mercado is going pretty good, Tomas Puerta is going good. A lot of people out there are fast, it’s a pretty equal track. I’m just one of the slow guys so far this weekend, so hopefully I’ll pick it up.” The AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei National Championship Shootout starts at noon on Sunday for 12 laps/40 miles on the 3.55-mile Daytona road course. AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. More, from a press release issued by LTD Racing: PASCARELLA AND PUERTA QUALIFY IN THE TOP FIVE AT DAYTONA Daytona, FL (October 16, 2009) Joey Pascarella qualified on the front row for the AMA Pro SuperSport National Championship Shootout at the Daytona International Speedway and his three LTD Racing teammates joined him inside the top eleven qualifiers. Tomas Puerta and Huntley Nash will start on the second row for LTD Racing, with Jake Gagne qualifying on the third row. The season finale, which will determine 2010’s AMA Pro SuperSport champion, is a 12-lap shootout at the “World Center of Racing.” Pascarella, who finished second at the spring race at the Speedway, was quick from the beginning of the weekend and showed his aggressive style early on. He was able to lap at 1:52.952 on the 3.51-mile configuration of the circuit. “The top two guys, (Josh) Day and (Leandro) Mercado, are really fast but we made it on the front row and we’re looking to stick with them and make it a race on Sunday,” said Pacarella. “I had to miss New Jersey due to a Supermoto commitment, but it feels great to be back on my bike again. Tomas and I rode around in the qualifying session and we were both riding hard and getting some drafts, not really worrying about anything other than getting faster. It should be a good race on Sunday.” “Tomy” Puerta has raced well at Daytona in the past and earned another second-row start with his performance on Friday. He was just 0.004 behind Joey to take fifth place with a time of 1:52.956. “It was a hard qualifying,” said the Colombian racer. “I needed a draft to better my time and I didn’t take it … so, second row for us. We’ll see how it goes on Sunday,” he added. “We will work with the setup tomorrow and look to get even faster.” Huntley Nash qualified eighth with a mark of 1:54.257 as “Hunt” set his best time in the closing moments of the session after he improved his lap times throughout the first day of official practice at DIS. “The second row is a pretty good place to be here if you can stick with the draft,” said Nash. “Joey and I seem to qualify fourth and eighth all the time and that’s what we were at the last race here. I felt good [today] and my last lap was the best one. I rode most of the time by myself and I was working on my riding. On my fastest lap, I tried a few things and it worked, so I need to be doing that all the time.” Jake Gagne set the eleventh-fastest time in qualifying, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup racer making his Daytona debut on the LTD Racing Yamaha R6. Gagne performed very respectably in his second-ever race weekend on a 600cc machine, posting his lap of 1:55.106 on Friday. “It’s getting better every time out but I have just struggled with the track and the bike my first time here,” said Jake. “The team and I are continuing to work hard and we have tomorrow to keep getting better for the race.” On Saturday, the LTD Racing team will have one practice session in the morning. The race is scheduled for 12:00 PM Sunday. More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway: Orlando’s Josh Day Ready For Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperSport Shootout Rider of the No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha Captures Pole For 12-Lap Race DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Orlando’s Josh Day, the 2009 AMA Pro SuperSport East champion and native of nearby Orlando, captured the pole on Friday at Daytona International Speedway for Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperSport Shootout. Day, aboard the No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6, turned a fast time of 1 minute, 51.228 seconds, 114.899 mph to earn the pole position. The AMA Pro SuperSport Shootout is a new event to the Fall Cycle Scene race schedule at Daytona International Speedway and is open to any rider that has run at least one AMA Pro SuperSport race this season and the winner of the 12-lap, 40-mile event will be crowned the title of SuperSport National Champion. The 20-year-old Day, a graduate of Boone High School in Orlando, is geared up for Sunday’s SuperSport Shootout where one of his main challengers is expected to be 2009 SuperSport West champion Ricky Parker, who rides the No. 96 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6. “It should be really fun,” Day said. “It’s definitely different since they are having this East versus West thing. It’s kind of like motorcross stuff with the way they do it. They have their East and West side and have it where they fight against each other. “I think it’s going to be good for us. We’re going to do our best and hopefully come out on top.” Day, who is commuting this weekend to Daytona International Speedway from his home in Orlando, was pleased with Friday’s qualifying session. “The bike is working pretty good right now,” Day said. “We are just trying to make a few changes to it and try and make it better for all of this wind we have been having lately. Hopefully by Sunday it will all be gone once the cold front finally comes through and we will be able to stay up front and battle for the win.” Day, who first competed at Daytona at the age of 16 in the Daytona 200 By Honda, is expecting to have a strong cheering section in attendance for Sunday’s race. “There will be quite a few people coming over,” Day said. Leandro Mercado posted a second-place qualifying effort with a lap of 114.705 mph on the No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Rounding out the front row was Kris Turner on the No. 3 Suzuki GSX-R600 and Joey Pascarella on the No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. SuperSport is AMA Pro Road Racing’s showcase of America’s future motorcycle racing stars. The proving ground series is reserved strictly for up-and-coming riders between the ages of 16 and 21 who compete on 600cc bikes that are only minimally modified from what you will find at your local Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda or other motorcycle dealership. 8 Hours At Daytona for set 1 p.m. start: Saturday’s schedule will be highlighted by the fourth annual 8 Hours At Daytona SunTrust Moto-GT Series race, which will go green at 1 p.m. The team to watch in the 8 Hours for the overall and GT1 class victories will be two-time defending 8 Hours At Daytona champion No. 18 Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki and rider lineup Chris Ulrich, Martin Cardenas and Jason DiSalvo. Other Saturday activities: In addition to the motorcycle racing, Daytona International Speedway will be buzzing with activity including a rider’s autograph session in the Sprint FANZONE at 11 a.m., the Hooters bikini contest on Saturday at 3 p.m., free admission to Daytona 500 Experience motorsports attraction (D5X), entertainment and free demo rides and displays. For more information and tickets, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Friday’s results: AMA Pro SuperSport results 1. Josh Day, Yamaha, 114.899 mph 2. Leandro Mercado, Kawasaki, 114.705 3. Kris Turner, Suzuki, 113.181 4. Joey Pascarella, Yamaha, 113.145 5. Tomas Puerta, Yamaha, 113.142 6. Tyler Odom, Honda, 112.207 7. Ricky Parker, Yamaha, 112.033 8. Huntley Nash, Yamaha, 111.853 9. Travis Wyman, Suzuki, 111.849 10. Russ Wikle, Suzuki, 111.591 11. Jacob Gagne, Yamaha, 111.028 12. Alex Lazo, Yamaha, 111.028 13. Reese Wacker, Suzuki, 108.838 14. Kyle Keesee, Kawasaki, 108.679 15. Ryan Conrad, Yamaha, 107.226 Expert GT Lights: 1. Joseph Rozynski, Buell 1200; 2. Sam Rozynski, Buell 1200; 3. Mark Evry, Ducati 1000; Amateur GT Lights: 1. Jim Berard, Ducati 1000; 2. Darrell Ryals, Suzuki 650; 3. Glenn Carnell, Buell 1200; Team Challenge: Overall: 1. Roadracingworld.com, Suzuki 1000. Solo: Vargas Racing, Kawasaki 600; GTU: Roadracingworld.com, Suzuki 600; GTO: Wisconsin Racing, Ducati 848; GTL: 1. KRM Racing, DIM 1000. Amateur GTO: 1. Javier Vazquez, Suzuki 1000; 2. Charles Justice, Suzuki 1000; 3. Michael Devito, Yamaha 1000. Expert GTO: 1. Eric Wood, Ducati 1098; 2. Jeff Lampe, N/A; 3. Eric Erling, Suzuki 1000. Expert GTU: 1. Roberto Pietri, Yamaha 600; 2. Alex Lazo, Yamaha 600; 3. Paul Allison, Yamaha 600. Amateur GTU: 1. James Cohrs, Yamaha 600; 2. Hunter Propst, Suzuki 600; 3. Daniel Guevara, Suzuki 600.