Team M4 Suzuki’s Jason DiSalvo and Martin Cardenas were the top two riders during AMA Pro Daytona SportBike practice Wednesday night under the lights at Daytona International Speedway. DiSalvo said he spent most of his time getting adjusted to riding on the lighted 3.51-mile infield road course but set aside one session to see how fast he could go in the cooler conditions. The result was his best lap of the day, a 1:49.507. “I got a pretty good lap out there,” DiSalvo told Roadracingworld.com. “The biggest thing is we’re just working on set-up and trying to get the bike just right for the start of the 200. This is great practice, a great opportunity to get out and try these dark conditions on the bike here. It’s really invaluable, so we’re just trying to make the most of our time and clocking a lot of laps and trying a range of different settings and seeing how the bike reacts over the course of the cooling down process at night.” Cardenas’ best lap, 1:50.027, was second in the session and the quickest among a group of seven riders separated by 0.7 second. That group included, in no particular order: Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin, Josh Hayes and Ben Bostrom; Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke; Danny Eslick (the fastest rider during the Daytona SportBike class’ daytime practice); and Jamie Hacking. “We’ve got a total of 30 laps on our bike,” said Hacking, who rode the Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki ZX-6R to a fifth-fastest time of 1:50.305. “We’ve never ridden this bike before [today]. So we’re doing a great job. The bike’s getting progressively better. The nighttime deal is obviously something to throw into the mix for setting up our bike. I think the lighting is very bad. If you look at the coverage of MotoGP from Qatar it looks like it’s daylight, and out there is looks like we’re running down a back alley. It’s terrible, but I’ll make do with it. I have to make do with it.” Quietly sneaking into the top 10 during the session was five-time Daytona 200 winner Miguel Duhamel on the Blackfoot Picotte Racing Suzuki GSX-R600. “Everything’s going good,” said Duhamel. “It’s really great to have Pascal Picotte as kind of a Crew Chief. He’s the owner of the team, and he’s doing a good job. Communications are really great. For just showing up like we did our speed is not that bad at all. For me I’m just going around getting used to everything. It’s kind of like a past love ride or something. I’m on DOT tires, and I haven’t been on DOT tires in so many years. And I’m on a Supersport bike. There’s a lot of things I need to get accustomed to pretty quick, but all the boys are doing a great job.” Daytona SportBike competitors will have “Basic Qualifying” starting at 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Then the top 10 riders will come back at 6:30 p.m. local time for SuperPole. Former Daytona 200 winner Steve Rapp started the session on his Black Hole Racing Aprilia RSV1000, but he said his efforts were hindered by the team’s lack of gearing for the bike. Frustrated, Rapp accepted an offer to tryout Scotty Van Hawk’s Four Feathers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Van Hawk crashed his American Superbike Wednesday morning and suffered a knee injury that will prevent him from racing at Daytona. In the matter of a few laps Rapp went faster on the Yamaha than his Aprilia. When Roadracingworld.com asked Rapp which bike he was going to ride, he said he was going to think about it overnight and make his decision in the morning. AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike Presented by AMSOIL Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida March 4, 2009 Provisional Evening Practice Results (3.51-mile course, all on Dunlop tires): 1. Jason DiSalvo (Suz GSX-R600), 1:49.508 2. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), 1:50.027 3. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.072 4. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.101 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:50.305 6. Danny Eslick (Buell 1125R), 1:50.373 7. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.769 8. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:50.778 9. Dane Westby (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.165 10. Miguel Duhamel (Suz GSX-R600), 1:51.212 11. Robertino Pietri (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.218 12. Michael Barnes (Buell 1125R), 1:51.519 13. Chris Peris (Hon CBR600RR), 1:51.551 14. Damian Cudlin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.675 15. Kris Turner (Suz GSX-R600), 1:52.037 16. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.050 17. Ty Howard (Apr RSV1000), 1:52.185 18. Leandro Mercado (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:52.470 19. Chaz Davies (Apr RSV1000), 1:52.544 20. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600), 1:52.587 21. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.688 22. Bostjan Pintar (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.739 23. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:52.902 24. Bostjan Skubic (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.071 25. Andres Londono (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.191 26. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.208 27. Ben Thompson (Apr RSV1000), 1:53.249 28. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.359 29. Eric Wood (Hon CBR600RR), 1:53.366 30. Armando Ferrer (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.374 31. Daniel Parkerson (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:53.555 32. Steve Rapp (Yam YZF-R6), 1:53.580 33. Josh Bryan (Buell 1125R), 1:53.773 34. Ryan Elleby (Apr RSV1000), 1:54.070 35. Steve Rapp (Apr RSV1000), 1:54.231 36. Marcos Reichert (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.236 37. Jason Quillman (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.280 38. Matt McBride (Suz GSX-R600), 1:54.313 39. Justin Filice (Tri Daytona 675), 1:54.360 40. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), 1:54.510 41. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR), 1:54.563 42. Nicky Moore (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:54.761 43. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell 1125R), 1:54.857 44. Eric Haugo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.972 45. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:55.109 46. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.380 47. Mark McCormick (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.430 48. Dylon Husband (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:55.500 49. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R600), 1:55.798 50. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:55.803 51. Larry Myers (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:55.909 52. Walt Sipp (Yam YZF-R6), 1:56.018 53. David Sadowski, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), 1:56.393 54. Lloyd Bayley (Yam YZF-R6), 1:56.423 55. Mark Crozier (Tri Daytona 675), 1:56.443 56. Kyle Keesee (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:56.692 57. John Ashmead (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:56.835 58. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), 1:57.134 59. David McPherson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:57.178 60. Anthony Fania (Suz GSX-R600), 1:57.429 61. Meghan Stiles (Yam YZF-R6), 1:57.481 62. Jean Paul Tache (Yam YZF-R6), 1:57.819 63. Ray Hofman (Hon CBR600RR), 1:57.853 64. Troy Vincent (Suz GSX-R600), 1:58.261 65. Scott Jensen (Apr RSV1000), 1:58.627 66. Alistair Douglas (Suz GSX-R600), 1:58.860 67. Dean Mizdal (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:58.973 68. Clinton Gibson (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:59.258 69. Thomas Digiandomenico (Yam YZF-R6), 1:59.757 70. James Digiandomenico (Yam YZF-R6), 1:59.773 71. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6), 2:00.478 72. Rodney Vest (Suz GSX-R600), 2:01.302 73. Mike deBrabant (Suz GSX-R600), 2:01.757 74. Alan Schmidt (Buell 1125R), 2:01.827 75. Calvin Martinez (Duc 848), 2:03.589 76. Richard Keesee (Yam YZF-R6), 2:05.486 77. Kevin Boisvert (Suz GSX-R600), 2:05.840 78. Gene Burcham (Duc 848), 2:06.721 79. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6), 15:53.883 More, from a press release issued by Team M4 Suzuki: DISALVO AND CARDENAS 1-2 IN DAYTONA 200 PRACTICE Team M4 Suzuki kicked off the opening day of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing season in near perfect fashion, posting the top two times in the evening’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike practice session under the lights at Daytona International Speedway. Team newcomer Jason DiSalvo led the way in the free session meant to serve as preparation for Friday’s first-ever nighttime Daytona 200, followed closely by teammate Martin Cardenas. DiSalvo, who won twice in last weekend’s racing at the Speedway and finished third in the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship, was over a half second quicker than the rest of the field aboard his M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 SportBike with a fastest lap of 1:49.508. Making the New Yorker’s accomplishment all the more impressive is the fact that it was his first experience riding a roadracing machine under the lights while some of his competition got a taste of it during the December’s tire test. Cardenas was second overall at 1:50.027. If the two remain near the top of the charts in tomorrow morning’s ‘Basic Qualifying’ session, they’ll move onto Superpole, where the top ten fastest riders in the class each get a single flying lap with a clear track to determine the front of the grid. “I think the whole team is really stoked with Martin and I going 1-2,” DiSalvo said. “This is such a great group of guys and they get really pumped up to win and have the fastest bikes out there. The bikes are amazing and everything is just really clicking. “It took about half the session to get used to the lights,” he continued. “I put in my fast lap when my eyes were just getting adjusted to it. I thought it would be kind of like dirt track but you’re not going 170-something miles per hour on a dirt track! Let’s hope we can keep this momentum up and have a good qualifying tomorrow morning and then a good lap in Superpole.” Colombian Cardenas said, “The bike is working very good and we’ve had a good set-up since the beginning. We changed a few things in the night practice and the bike responded very well so I think we’re in good shape for qualifying tomorrow. “I’ve never done Superpole ever. I think it’s exciting, but we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.” Teenager Kris Turner also made an impressive AMA Pro Road Racing debut with Team M4 Suzuki. The Chattanooga, TN resident was the second fastest rider in the new AMA Pro SuperSport class, lapping at 1:44.927 to rank near the top of the charts in the category specifically designed to help discover and develop the stars of tomorrow. Turner also proved he can hang with a more experienced bunch, lapping 15th fastest in the night session aboard his Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600, clocking in at 1:52.037. Along with Thursday’s Daytona SportBike qualifying and Superpole sessions, the day will also include SuperSport qualifying in the morning, followed by its 12-lap race debut in the afternoon. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: Mladin and Eslick Pace Opening Practice For AMA Pro Road Racing Daytona 200 Week by Honda Mladin Bests American Superbike Field; Eslick Quickest Daytona SportBike Day Runner DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 4, 2009) – Six-time Champion Mat Mladin (No. 7 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX- R1000) was the fastest rider in the AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited class while 22-year-old Danny Eslick (No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R) outpaced a full AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL field Wednesday in the opening day of practice for Daytona 200 Week by Honda at Daytona International Speedway. Mladin, who is looking for his second Daytona AMA Pro American Superbike win in a row and fourth in five years, set the day’s quick lap of 1:38.540 (105.947 mph) in the last of two practices Wednesday afternoon on the 2.9 mile Daytona short course. He edged Neil Hodgson (No. 100 Corona Extra Honda CBR1000RR) who set the session’s quick pace halfway through the 60-minute afternoon run and ultimately ended up with a best lap time of 1:38.607 (105.875 mph). Mladin’s teammate Tommy Hayden (No. 22 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) was third in the afternoon run and also ranked third overall in American Superbike for the day with his session-leading morning lap of 1:38.815 (105.652 mph). Thursday’s season-opening American Superbike race starts at 3:30 p.m. local time and will be featured on SPEED in the premiere of the new AMA Pro Prime Time, Saturday, March 21 at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT). Eslick turned the fastest lap of the 73 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike entries that posted times in the class’s only daytime practice on Wednesday. He lapped the traditional 3.55-mile Daytona long course in 1:49.491 (116.722 mph) and led Team M4 Suzuki teammates Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) and Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600). DiSalvo posted a quick lap of 1:49.718 (116.480 mph) while Cardenas turned a fast time of 1:49.978 (116.206 mph). The Daytona SportBike class will be featured in Friday’s Daytona 200 by Honda, which can been seen in flag-to-flag coverage that night on SPEED at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT). It will mark the first time in the 68-year-history of America’s premier motorcycle endurance race that the Daytona 200 will be run at night and under the lights. Night Moves DiSalvo stayed quick in Wednesday’s Daytona 200 night practice with a top lap time of 1:49.508 (116.704 mph) in a scheduled one-hour session that ended 10 minutes early when local Daytona Beach rider Thomas Digiandomenico (No. 398 J&T Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) went off course in the quick left-hand turn in the infield. Digiandomenico was examined and released from the DIS medical center but his Yamaha was heavily damaged and the extensive accident clean up forced an early end to the session. Several other riders also suffered mishaps during the night run, including Graves Yamaha teammates Ben Bostrom and Josh Herrin. Both riders went off course at Daytona’s “Bus Stop” chicane but were uninjured after low-siding their bikes. Bostrom rode the No. 1 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 back to the pits, but Herrin’s similar No. 46 Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 was transported back to the team’s garage area. Two-Wheel Tour Before Hodgson and Daytona 200 by Honda contender DiSalvo even turned a wheel at Daytona this week, both riders took time out of their busy schedules to participate in a Jacksonville, Florida media tour on Tuesday. Hodgson and DiSalvo spent the better part of the day visiting area television stations and also had several radio and print interviews. Hodgson’s No. 100 Corona Extra Honda was also brought along to better acquaint the media with an AMA Pro Road Racing machine and proved to be quite popular with all of the press. “It was awesome,” said DiSalvo, who won three races in CCS and ASRA competition last week at Daytona. “All of the media were very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic in generating interest about the Daytona 200 and building awareness for Daytona International Speedway.” The tour was organized by Daytona International Speedway and AMA Pro Road Racing and was the first of many such media opportunities that AMA Pro and its promoter partners will conduct this season. Sadowski’s Super Crew Supporting his sons David Jr. and Matthew, 1990 Daytona 200 by Honda winner David Sadowski is back at Daytona this week and clearly remembers his first look at motorcycles at speed on the legendary high banks. “I was as student at the American Motorcycle Institute (AMI) which was located just behind the track,” said the elder Sadowski. “I heard what sounded like nuclear sewing machines and climbed a tree, which is still there, to get a look. Freddie Spencer and Mike Baldwin were testing Honda 1000s and I decided right then and there I was going to come back and win this thing someday.” Today, the elder Sadowski is helping 21-year-old AMA Pro Daytona SportBike rider David Jr. (No. 22 Sadowski Brothers Yamaha YZF-R6) and 19-year-old AMA Pro SuperSport challenger Matthew (No. 77 Yamaha YZF-R6) with their own racing. The father-and-son trio, however, is only part of the extended Sadowski clan that is all hands on deck this weekend. The team also includes the senior Sadowski’s older brother Jamie Sadowski, who lives in nearby Melbourne, Florida, and who will be working the rear tire of the No. 22 Yamaha in the Daytona 200. Jamie’s sons Jason and Josh will also crew for their cousins this weekend at Daytona. Jason is an Iraqi war veteran who is now part of the SWAT Team for NASA at Cape Canaveral while Jamie is currently a student at WyoTech Daytona, which was formerly AMI. 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 Team ESP/Venemotos Yamaha: TEAM ESP/ VENEMOTOS YAMAHA CONTINUE BUILDING MOMENTUM AT DAYTONA March 4, 2009 (Daytona Beach, FL)”” Team ESP/ Venemotos continue building momentum at Daytona. Following up their successful outing in the CCS/ ASRA weekend, ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha rider Josh Day lead the time sheets in both Supersport sessions, finishing the first day 1.2 seconds clear of his nearest competitor. In Daytona Sportbike, Damian Cudlin and Robertino Pietri finished the first free practice in sixth and seventh position respectively. The ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha pairing continued their strong form in the second Daytona Sportbike session with Pietri eleventh and Cudlin fourteenth. Both riders are confident they can improve their lap times going into the qualifying session Thursday morning. Josh Day: “Today was really good. I haven’t ridden a bike since December and I feel really good on my R6. I was a little worried about riding a 2007 versus all the 2009 bikes but it seems like it’s going alright. We’re still chasing a little bit of chatter in the front end, but I’m confident the ESP guys can work it out for me and we’ll be good for the race.” Robertino Pietri: “Overall today was really good. I had a big highside in the first practice session but luckily I’m just a little sore. I was getting up to speed in the second session and had just fitted a new tire when the red flag came out. After running with DiSalvo at the CCS weekend I am pretty confident I’ve got some more speed in me, I just have to relax and ride steady and I think the time will come.” Damian Cudlin: “The more I ride around this place, the more I realize I still have to learn! It’s not real difficult to learn where the track goes, but there are definitely some places where you can gain or lose time getting into and out of the infield and onto the banking. I was pretty happy finishing up the first session in sixth, I slipped back a little in the second session, but I’m confident we can get back up there for split qualifying tomorrow.” Team ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha: Evan Steel Performance is a small, personal, specialized shop located in Tucson, Arizona that deals with all aspects of motorcycle road racing. ESP bikes have had some of the highest trap speeds in their classes at AMA Nationals, as well as the highest top speed at start/finish at the 50th annual Macau Grand Prix. In 2008, ESP scored a very rare privateer podium at the VIR AMA National in the Superstock class with Chris Peris. ESP is open to any level of racing, from basic race prep to planning a season at the Nationals. ESP can be reached at (520) 294 3050 or www.evansteelperformance.com