APRILIA USA/LLOYD BROTHERS MOTORSPORTS PRIMED FOR A GOOD RUN Topeka, Kan”¦Primed for a good run at Heartland Park Topeka, Ty Howard, Mike Himmelsbach and the entire Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports crew are set to challenge the field when the Heartland 500, Round 5 of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series comes alive August 16-17. “I’m really looking forward to this race,” says Ty Howard who hails from Weatherford, Texas. “I rode this track a number of times a few years ago and really liked it. It’s kind of similar to some of the GP circuits I have seen and that is cool. We’re definitely tired of second and plan to be Number One this time out.” Sitting in first place with a seven-point lead, Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, the defending Super Sport Class champions (SST), have so far earned victories at Daytona and Virginia International Raceway and second place at Road America and Barber Motorsports Park. “The final race of the season is the 8 Hours At Daytona, explain the team’s co-owners Michael and David Lloyd. “And, that can be a really tough event. “We would really like to get a stronger foothold in the standings so that we have a cushion going in. Doing that means winning the next two rounds and that is what we are hoping to do.” “We struggled at Barber,” continues Howard, “and then we had a problem in the pits that lost us a little more time. The crew has been working overtime to make sure that that doesn’t happen again. With the extra practice time at Heartland Park, things should really be good.” Equally as motivated and determined is teammate Mike Himmelsbach who is also familiar with Heartland Park. “It is a pretty technical track,” he explains, “but it is a track I feel comfortable on. The long straights in the front will definitely play into our Aprilia characteristics. “I’ve raced here a number of times and really like it. In fact, I won here two years ago. One of the neat things about this race is we will be running on Friday in the promoter practice. Having a full day of practice will really give both of us lots of time on the bike and will also give us the opportunity to get everything perfectly dialed.” In addition to running in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series, Howard also plans to try his luck in the Superbike Shootout on Saturday. “I figured that this was a good opportunity to get even more time on the track,” says Howard, who became the proud new father of a baby boy born last week. “The more time I get on the Aprilia, the better I will get and that’s what it is all about.” Two top-ranked riders, one of the best crews in the industry and extremely tough machines all add up to make Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports the team to beat.