Danny Eslick took Saturday’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race victory in dominant fashion, but Eslick and his Bruce Rossmeyer’s RMR Buell 1125R were chased to the flag by Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking today. Hacking came from far behind to catch up to Eslick, but Eslick was able to hold Hacking off by 0.099 second at the checkered flag. Team M4 Suzuki’s Jason DiSalvo beat teammate Martin Cardenas in a line call for third. After rain in the morning and threats of rain in the afternoon, the race was run in the dry conditions. AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Presented by AMSOIL Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California March 22, 2009 Provisional Race Results (dry conditions, all on Dunlop tires): 1. Danny Eslick (Buell 1125R), 21 laps 2. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), -0.099 second 3. Jason DiSalvo (Suz GSX-R600), -8.000 seconds 4. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), -8.031 5. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), -8.200 6. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), -9.151 7. Chaz Davies (Apr RSV1000R), -12.176 8. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), -12.630 9. Steve Rapp (Yam YZF-R6), -12.644 10. Chris Peris (Hon CBR600RR), -13.027 11. Leandro Mercado (Kaw ZX-6R), -20.525 12. Robertino Pietri (Yam YZF-R6), -20.598 13. Chris Fillmore (Yam YZF-R6), -21.095 14. Dane Westby (Yam YZF-R6), -21.618 15. Michael Barnes (Buell 1125R), -22.900 16. Damian Cudlin (Yam YZF-R6) 17. Ben Thompson (Apr RSV1000R) 18. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6) 19. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6) 20. Alan Schmidt (Buell 1125R) More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: Close Racing Highlights Opening Rounds of AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL Parity Reigns Supreme as New Daytona SportBike Class Sees Several Manufacturers Contend FONTANA, California (March 22, 2009) – The new AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL class has lived up to its billing as a showcase of close racing, top international motorcycles and some of the sport’s best riders in the opening races of the 2009 season. Ben Bostrom (No. 1s Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) and Danny Eslick (No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R) won the year’s first two races at the Daytona 200 by Honda and Saturday’s first round of the Suzuki AMA Pro Superbike Challenge, respectively, but they were only part of the competitive story. Nearly every manufacturer involved in Daytona SportBike has run at the front of the pack this year and the trend is expected to continue in race two of the Suzuki AMA Pro Superbike Challenge today at Auto Club Speedway and for the remainder of the season. Eslick’s victory yesterday will go into the record books as the first win for Buell in major international motorcycle road racing. A quick glance of the results and data from the race, however, quickly reveals that the milestone victory for Buell was only part of the story. The winning Buell 1125R was one of three different makes of motorcycles that hit the podium, which also included the Kawasaki of runner-up Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy/Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) and the Suzuki of third-place finisher Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600). The top-three, however, were part of an overall run of six different motorcycles in the top eight, which included the Honda of fifth-place Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR), the sixth-place Yamaha of Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) and eighth-place finisher Chaz Davies (No. 57 Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Aprilia RSV1000R). Eslick took the lead from the outside of the front row and set the fastest lap of the race (1:27.833) but the majority of his competitors were nearly as fast as the winner and, in some key parts of the track, even quicker. Eslick was only the fastest motorcycle on the track in the first segment of Turns 1 through 9 with a segment time of 50.945 seconds, leading Cardenas’ Suzuki GSX-R600 through the same section by a mere 0.019 seconds (50.964 seconds). In the second segment from Turn 9 through Turn 15, Eslick ran third fastest (18.964 seconds), behind segment leader Cardenas by .076 seconds (18.888 seconds). The third and final segment, form Turn 15 to the Start/Finish line, saw Eslick running fifth fastest (17.744 second), .105 seconds behind Jake Zemke’s Honda CBR600RR (17.639 seconds). By combining the fastest segment time for each rider, it appeared that Cardenas was in position to turn the fastest ideal lap time of all machines on track aboard his Suzuki GSX-R600. Using the first and third segments of his fourth lap and the second segment of his final lap, Cardenas’ perfect lap would have been 1:27.571. Similarly, Eslick’s ideal time would be comprised of the first segment from his fifth lap, the second segment from his fourth lap, and the final segment from his third lap. This combination would have resulted in a lap time of 1:27.653, which is a full .082 of a second slower than that of Cardenas. Eslick, who ran ahead of the field and on a clear track free from the major position battles going on just behind him, was in better position to turn consistently faster average lap times at 1:28.914. Runner-up Hacking intensely raced for position throughout the race, sacrificing lap times and returning a lap average of 1:29.036. Cardenas faced similar traffic and heated racing and ended the race with a lap time average of 1:29.021. At Daytona, Bostrom and Herrin swept the top two finishing spots for Yamaha but the other manufacturers were firmly in the hunt. Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600), who finished fourth at Auto Club Speedway yesterday, placed third at Daytona to give Suzuki its highest finisher. Hacking crossed the line in fourth for Kawasaki while Shawn Higbee (No. 11 Higbee-Racing.com Buell 1125R) made it four different manufacturers in the top five with what was then Buell’s best career result to date. Throw in a seventh-place finish by Davies on the Millennium Aprilia and five different makes of motorcycles were represented in the top seven. Race two for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL will be run at Auto Club Speedway today at 2:30 p.m. local time and will once again be 21 laps for 50 miles. 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 American Suzuki: M4 Suzuki racers Cardenas and DiSalvo earn podium finishes at Auto Club Speedway Both racers finish in top 4 each race of the doubleheader weekend Round 2 AMA Daytona Sportbike Series Fontana, California Auto Club Speedway March 21-22, 2009 In Saturday’s Race 1 of the AMA Daytona Sportbike doubleheader at Suzuki Superbike Challenge at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, M4 Suzuki racers Martin Cardenas and Jason DiSalvo battled in a five-rider lead pack. While eventual race winner Danny Eslick pulled away with the lead, Cardenas and DiSalvo kept their M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 sportbikes in the heat for the final podium positions. The fight carried on into the final lap, and Cardenas was well positioned to earn the third place position. During Sunday’s Race 2, dark clouds and a cool breeze threatened the track, but it remained dry throughout the 21-lap contest. M4 Suzuki racers Cardenas and DiSalvo were forced to battle from a mid-pack start. These two riders remained the fastest of the field through the mid-section of the 2.4-mile circuit, allowing M4 Suzuki to battle for another podium position. In this race, DiSalvo made the most of the last three laps to earn third place and a podium position at the checkered flag. Martin Cardenas 3rd place, Race 1, Daytona Sportbike class: “I did not get the start that I wanted and had to make many passes from about 10th position. It was a very exciting race with all the competition, and my M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 ran very fast and I was able to keep passing toward the front of the field. I know we will compete well throughout the season.” Jason DiSalvo 3rd place, Race 2, Daytona Sportbike class: “Both the M4 Suzukis were really strong. Me and Martin (Cardenas) were making our way through the pack well. With three laps to go, I had three guys to pass, so I knew I had to pass one each lap. I just tried to set ’em all up, and the M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 had what it took at the finish line.” M4 Suzuki Racing will race next at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, on the weekend of April 4-5, 2009. AMA Daytona Sportbike Top 10 Finishers, Race 1, Saturday, March 21, 2009: 1. Danny Eslick, Buell 2. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 3. Martin Cardenas, M4 Suzuki Racing 4. Jason DiSalvo, M4 Suzuki Racing 5. Jake Zemke, Honda 6. Josh Herrin, Yamaha 7. Chris Peris, Honda 8. Chaz Davies, Aprilia 9. Steve Rapp, Yamaha 10. Tommy Aquino, Yamaha AMA Daytona Sportbike Top 10 Finishers, Race 2, Sunday, March 22, 2009: 1. Danny Eslick, Buell 2. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 3. Jason DiSalvo, M4 Suzuki Racing 4. Martin Cardenas, M4 Suzuki Racing 5. Josh Herrin, Yamaha 6. Jake Zemke, Honda 7. Chaz Davies, Aprilia 8. Tommy Aquino, Yamaha 9. Steve Rapp, Yamaha 10. Chris Peris, Honda More, from a press release issued by Team M4 Suzuki: DISALVO THIRD, CARDENAS FOURTH FOR TEAM M4 SUZUKI IN FONTANA Team M4 Suzuki closed the AMA Pro Road Racing weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA by claiming their third consecutive podium finish to kick off the 2009 season. Just as they did on Saturday, the squad came home in third and fourth on their Suzuki GSX-R600s, although on Sunday the positions were swapped with Jason DiSalvo claiming his second podium result of the season, edging teammate Martin Cardenas at the checkered flag. DiSalvo battled his way up through a talented pack, falling back to the third group mid-race before regrouping and charging up to a dramatic last-gasp strike for third. DiSalvo surged past Cardenas as the two crossed the stripe, the New Yorker getting the nod over the Colombian by a scant 0.031 seconds. After the race, DiSalvo said, “Both of the M4 Suzukis were really strong today and Martin and I made our way through the pack of guys. I just couldn’t get going at the start of the race and fell quite a ways back. I was way back there and they had a gap, so I had to get through there and work my way back. By the time I got there and got back up to the pack, I saw three laps to go and I had three guys in front of me and I figured I had to get one guy each lap. “Martin and I came off the last corner and it was M4 Suzuki versus M4 Suzuki. I just tried to set him up and get as a good a drive as I could coming off the last turn. We made the draft work today. My M4 Suzuki had what it took coming to the line.” Team M4 Suzuki will be back in action on April 3-5 at Road Atlanta for Round 3 of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing championship. More, from a press release issued by Buell: Eslick and Buell Complete Fontana AMA Daytona SportBike Sweep Privateer Buell Beats Factory Kawasaki in Race 2 by 0.099-second East Troy, Wis. (March 22, 2009) Danny Eslick swept the AMA Daytona SportBike double-header at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, with a thrilling win in Sunday’s Race 2, bringing his Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R across the line just 0.099-second ahead of Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking. Starting second on the grid, Eslick charged to the front and lead every lap of the race, albeit in much more dramatic fashion than his dominating performance in Race 1. After an early three-lap caution period, Eslick reassumed the lead on the restart and built a small gap, and by the time Hacking worked his way up from fourth past Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke and Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin into second on Lap 13, Eslick had jumped out to a 2-second lead. But Hacking clawed his way back into contention, closing the gap to just 0.151 second by Lap 19 and setting up a battle to the checkered flag as the pair broke away from the rest of the field. At the stripe, Eslick bested the veteran factory rider by less than a tenth of a second. Team M4 Suzuki’s Jason DiSalvo made a late-race charge to nip teammate Martin Cardenas by a photo-finish margin of 0.031 second for third place. The gap from Hacking to DiSalvo was eight seconds. “I got the holeshot and I built a little bit of a gap, but then Jamie was all over me. He never really showed me a wheel, and I kept waiting for a big move from him but it never happened,” Eslick said. “It was an awesome weekend and it was just spectacular to get my first two [AMA Pro Racing] wins.” Eslick’s teammate Michael Barnes finished 15th on his GEICO Powersports/RMR 1125R, followed by fellow Buell riders Alan Schmidt (Latus Motors H-D) in 20th and his Latus Motors H-D teammate Josh Bryan in 28th. Shawn Higbee (Bartels’ H-D/Buell/Higbee-racing.com) pitted early in the race and finished 35th. Founded by visionary motorcycle designer and former privateer racer Erik Buell in 1983, Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel, including the 1125R superbike and air-cooled XB-series Ulysses, Firebolt, and Lightning. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, or to locate the dealer nearest you, log onto www.buell.com.