LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Finishes Season Strong with Second at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Team Ends Season in Fourth Place Overall in AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series Hebron, OH, September 18, 2007 – Larry Pegram, of the LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team, finished the season strong with a second place finish in the Formula Xtreme class on his Ducati 848. Pegram started on the front row of the grid from the third position after qualifying with a 1:26.576 lap time. Pegram pulled the holeshot and led the first three laps before being passed by Aaron Gobert of Erion Honda. Pegram finishes the 2007 season in fourth place overall with 244 points, just three points behind third place at 247 points. “I am excited to be on the podium in second place at the last race of the season. I wanted to win at Laguna, but it looks like I will have to wait until next year. The team’s performance this year has been very strong, especially since the Mid-Ohio race. For the last four races we have consistently been in the hunt for a podium position. As a team, we accomplished a great deal this season making the best out of a late start and a limited budget. Next year we will be starting off strong, with solid sponsorship and full support of Ducati. I plan to win next year,” said Pegram. Larry Pegram came to Monterey early in the week for Ducati North America’s Dealer meeting. Last week, Ducati North America announced an exclusive endorsement with Foremost Insurance (the team’s associate sponsor) at the dealer meeting. Details about the new official insurance provider status can be found on the Ducati/Foremost Insurance web site at www.ducatiforemost.com. Senior executives from Foremost Insurance attended the dealer meeting and the race event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme race will be televised on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 2 P.M. Eastern. About LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Hebron, Ohio-based Pegram Racing Ducati is a professional superbike race team competing in the AMA Superbike Championship Series. The team is owned and managed by Larry Pegram, a third-generation motorcycle racer. The team competes in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class on a modified Ducati 749. Additional information about the team can be found on their web site at www.pegramracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Racing Honda: CORONA EXTRA HONDA’S ELLISON TAKES EIGHTH AT LAGUNA SECA SUPERBIKE FINALE James Ellison, riding the Corona Extra Honda Racing CBR1000RR took a fine eighth place in the season finale held for the first time at Laguna Seca. In a special one-off ride arranged with American Honda and Cycle News, road test editor Steve Atlas rode the Corona Light Honda CBR600RR to an excellent seventeenth place in SuperSport, his first race in many years. James struggled in qualifying, trying to solve some handling issues that had surfaced in the first Laguna race in July. The crew tried a number of suspension components and tires before sorting out the problem. Unfortunately, with the two day format, track time was short and the issue was not resolved before qualifying. James tried his best but had to settle for eighteenth on the grid. Sunday morning practice saw James drop nearly a second and a half on his qualifying, boding well for the race. On the drop of green flag, James made a conservative start, following the clutch problem at Road Atlanta. He finished the first lap up four places though. From then on he dropped his lap times as he moved up the field, ultimately posting his fastest time of the weekend on the twenty-sixth lap. By lap nine he had broken into the top ten, another lap and he was up to ninth and then on lap twelve up to eighth. He held off a determined challenge from Jake Holden to secure the position at the checkered flag. After the race James said; “I have been really nervous at the start because of the clutch problems. It’s made more work for me getting through traffic. Once I got into my rhythm though everything went really well. We had sorted out some handling problems and got the bike turning good so my times got better and better!” James finished his first Superbike Season Championship in eleventh. Cycle News road test editor Steve Atlas joined the team to ride the Corona Light CBR600RR in the Supersport race for an article he is writing. In his first race in many years Steve and his crew put on a strong effort to get the bike set up to his liking and up to speed in the very short time for practice. He qualified twenty sixth in the strong field of forty riders. In the race Steve got a good start and was soon up three places when a red flag came out. On the restart he got into a pack of riders and started picking off one at a time, moving up the field lap by lap. At the finish he was in a seventeenth position, an excellent result. A clearly excited Steve said; “It was great, I really enjoyed the race, it was really gnarly getting through the traffic. It helped to be chasing guys too; I could follow their lines and learn! Look for the article in Cycle News soon! The event ended with the annual Corona Racing Team party for riders, crew and officials held at the Laguna Seca hospitality center – Ice cold Corona’s and Mexican food was enjoyed by all, a fitting end to an exciting season! More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hayden Earns His First AMA Championship MONTEREY, Calif. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden captured the first championship of his career in the AMA Supersport class at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Coming into the race with a nine-point lead over Hacking, Hayden moved quickly off the line to get a fourth-place start. On lap seven, the red flag came out, and that put Hayden on the front-row during the restart. With a great jump at the restart, Hayden settled into the second position until a rider almost collided with him in the Corkscrew section of the track, causing him to fall back to fifth. After regaining his composure, Hayden rode with determination to a steady fifth place, which secured enough points to claim the AMA Supersport championship. “I was really nervous going into the race,” said Hayden. “After the restart, I made some clean passes to move up to second. I had a rider come in and make contact with me, knocking me off the track. I had to regroup and do the best I could to be in a good position. It seems like the laps got a lot longer than they should have been. I’m just glad it’s over.” With the championship still settling in, Hayden added, “Ever since I was younger, I dreamed of winning a championship. I’m very happy it finally came true.” Able to avoid the incident in the Corkscrew, teammate Hacking was able to use it to his advantage and move up to third. He would later move into second to capture the runner-up position. “After the red flag, I just bombed the start,” said Hacking. “I was stuck behind a lot of guys and it was hard to get by. Coming into the Corkscrew, I was able to avoid the mayhem and move up. After having such a bad start, I was glad to finish on the podium.” Hacking finished second in the final season point standings for the AMA Supersport class. Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard made the most of the situation in the Corkscrew, moving from fifth to second. Keeping a steady pace with the leaders, he would eventually come across the line with an impressive fourth-place finish. “We improved a lot over the weekend,” said Attard. “We were running really well after the restart and had a bit of luck coming out of the incident in second. Overall the race was good and possibly our best finish of the year in this class.” Teammate Steve Rapp got a great start after the red flag, but was caught up in the incident and was pushed off the track. Unharmed but pushed to the back of the pack, Rapp finished 10th in the final race of the season. For the most recent Kawasaki racing action, interviews and more visit www.kawasaki.com/racing AMA Superbike Championship Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. September 16, 2007 AMA Supersport Results 1. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. Martin Cardenas, Medellin, Columbia, Suzuki 4. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki 7. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 8. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 9. Garrett Carter, Royal Oak, Mich., Yamaha 10. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Supersport Standings 1. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 297 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 294 3. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 260 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 247 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 216 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 212 7. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha, 209 8. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki, 181 9. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 178 10. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 174 More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli Crowns its AMA Superbike Season with 2 More Podiums, 2 More Fastest Race Laps Starting with its sweep of the Daytona 200 podium in March, to capping off the final round of the AMA Superbike series with two more podium finishes, Pirelli has posted its best year ever in professional road racing in America, totaling 21 podium finishes. This is half again more than the 2006 total of 14 podiums, proving the combination of top teams with competitive tires. Oh, the final race weekend also had Pirelli riders set two more fastest race laps in two classes. The final AMA Superbike round at Mazda Laguna Seca started off with Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard heading the times in Formula Xtreme practice, the only FX rider into the 26s during morning practice for a weekend of perfect, racing weather. His teammate, Steve Rapp, was fourth quickest with M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas laying down the fifth-fastest time. In the second FX practice Rapp moved to the top of the list with Attard setting the second quickest time and Cardenas moving up to fourth. Qualifying saw Attard take the number-two spot on the front row with Rapp and Cardenas on row two with the fifth and sixth best times. Cory West placed his Team Hunter Yamaha on row three in tenth. The Formula Xtreme race was a tight battle for the podium behind eventual race-winner Aaron Gobert, with Attard and Rapp fighting for second with Larry Pegram until Attard was caught out wide in turn two, running off the track. At the end, Rapp was on the podium with his Kawasaki ZX-6R in third with a hard-charging Cardenas riding his Suzuki GSX-R600 to fourth, after coming back from eighth place. Attard managed to pull off a tenth-place finish after getting back on track. Cory West finished a grand eighth to the pride of tuner Chuck Giacchetto. The fastest race lap in FX was set by Ben Attard, at 1:26.242. Steve Rapp finished the FX season for Attack Kawasaki second in the points behind champion Josh Hayes, taking his Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slicks to just one competitor short of the championship. Ben Attard is fifth, Cory West ninth, and Martin Cardenas finished the season ranked 13th , even after not participating in the first four rounds of the class. In Supersport, Geoff May led the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa riders in qualifying, putting is M4 EMGO Suzuki on the front row with the fourth-fastest time. His teammate Martin Cardenas qualified sixth, sharing the second row with Ben Attard and his Attack Kawasaki in eighth. Steve Rapp took the first place on row three with the ninth best time, with Cory West two spots over from him at 11th on the grid. The Supersport race began with five riders looking to own the same piece of pavement. Cardenas had dropped to seventh but quickly worked his way up to fourth. When trying to make a pass for second, the bidding war for real estate got heated, dropping Cardenas to sixth and Rapp from third to seventh. Behind them riders checked up causing Geoff May to fall. By race’s end Cardenas had worked his way back up to third, less than three seconds behind race winner Josh Herrin. Attard was just a second from him in fourth, with Rapp finishing an unusual tenth because of the incident. The fastest race lap in Supersport was set by Martin Cardenas, using SC2 front and SC1 rear Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa DOT racing tires, a full tenth of a second under the next racer’s fastest lap. Steve Rapp finished the season fourth in the points behind three factory racers. Superstock saw Geoff May qualify fifth for the M4 EMGO Suzuki team, with Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich, Robertino Pietri and Gary Mason taking the ninth, tenth and 11th spots on the grid. HALOF racing’s Scott Jensen qualified 13th. May finished the Supersport race on his GSX-R1000 in fifth, after the race was shortened due to a red flag, with Ulrich, Pietri and Mason also finishing exactly where they each started. And so did Jensen. And so did all of the first 22 riders, which might be a record. Pirelli congratulates all of its AMA Superbike series riders for a great, record-setting season. More, from a press release issued by Millennium/KWS Suzuki: Millennium/KWS Suzuki Wraps up the 2007 AMA Superbike Season Monterey, CA Sep 2007 — Millennium/KWS Suzuki sponsored by Ron Ayers Motorsports had a difficult race weekend at Laguna Seca. Team rider David Weber found out prior to the event that his right his wrist was broken in a crash suffered at VIR. Determined to finish the season out on positive note Weber rode through the pain. Millennium/KWS Suzuki rider David Weber qualified in the fifteenth position in Superstock with a time of 1:28.978. Weber’s teammate John Haner qualified in the sixteenth position with a time of 1:29.406. Haner is one of the strongest riders in the series at starting, but this time he got a little ahead of himself and jumped the start. The AMA issued Haner a ride through penalty which dropped him to last place on the track. Haner quickly fought his way to eighteenth place before the race ended early with a red flag. Meanwhile, David Weber settled in a battle with his year long sparring partner Scott Jenson on the Halof Suzuki. David eventually finished fifteenth on the track. The actual race results are still pending because of a potential disqualification of the Jordan Suzuki’s for a technical violation. David Weber’s broken wrist would get gradually weaker each day with use. Weber was in a lot of pain after the Superstock race, but felt he would be fine for the Superbike race. Both Haner and Weber got good starts to the Superbike race, but Haner was knocked off course in turn two damaging his brake master cylinder. Haner tried to continue, but on lap four retired. David Weber raced until lap sixteen when his broken right wrist weakened to the point where he felt he was a danger to others on the track. John Haner “It was definitely not the weekend we had all hoped to end the season with but overall, it was a great season. This is the best team I have ever been on and the results on track don’t show how good they are. Thank you to the entire team and all the sponsors. Thank you.” David Weber “I just want to thank the entire Millennium/KWS Suzuki team. It was a great year, we all worked really hard, and had a great time. I am having surgery on my wrist next week and then it’s back to training and preparing for next season.” Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) “Nobody knows how hard these guys worked this season. We did the most this season with the least amount of people. These guys have been going non-stop since February and I can’t thank them enough. We have some of the best sponsors in the paddock. Their support is essential to what we do and saying thank you does not accurately describe our gratitude.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Attack Kawasaki’s Rapp Finishes the Season on the Formula Xtreme Podium MONTEREY, Calif. Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp came from behind to earn the final podium position in the last AMA Formula Xtreme race of the year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The final race of the day saw Rapp get a decent start off the line into seventh place. After working his way through the group of riders, he was able to make the necessary passes to finish out the 17-lap race in third place. “I didn’t get a great start, but I was able to pass a couple guys each lap,” said Rapp. “I got stuck behind second-place and I felt like I was faster but never found an opportunity to pass. Overall I was happy to end the season on the podium.” Teammate Ben Attard had a great start and was battling for the second position. On lap 14, he went into turn two and lost the front end, causing him to run off the track. He picked up his bike and made it back up to round out the top 10. “We were fast all weekend and had a winning package, but ended up losing the front,” said Attard. “We have made lots of improvements over the last month and I think it has shown in the last few races.” Rapp finished second in the championship points while Attard finished fifth, ending the season with the two Kawasaki ZX-6R bikes in the top five. In the AMA Superbike class, Jamie Hacking was running in fourth until he crashed on the fifth lap. Teammate Roger Hayden also suffered a crash, which took him out of the race during the first lap. Both riders walked away uninjured. “The superbike has shown a lot of improvement,” said Hacking. “Over the past month, we were able to show the potential the bike has for next season.” For the most recent Kawasaki racing action, interviews and more visit www.kawasaki.com/racing AMA Superbike Championship Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. September 16, 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Results 1. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 2. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati 3. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 4. Martin Cardenas, Medellin, Columbia, Suzuki 5. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Yamaha 6. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 7. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda 8. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha 9. Ryan Elleby, Powder Springs, Ga., Honda 10. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Formula Xtreme Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 324 2. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 279 3. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 247 4. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati, 244 5. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 231 6. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Suzuki, 206 7. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda, 179 8. Martin Craggill, Boulder, Colo., Ducati, 162 9. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha, 157 10. Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Suzuki, 155 AMA Superbike Results 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 4. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 5. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 8. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda 9. Jake Holden, Eastonville, Wash., Suzuki 10. Matt Lynn, Ball Ground, Ga., MV Agusta AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 652 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 651 3. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 468 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 465 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 454 6. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 403 7. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 362 8. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 360 9. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 359 10. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 344 More, from a press release issued by Martin Cardenas’ publicist: MARTIN CONSIGUE SUBIR AL PODIO DE SUPERSPORT EN LA ULTIMA CARRERA DE LA TEMPORADA. DIA 1 Martin Cárdenas debiera de ser una amenaza en la carrera de 17 vueltas de Supersport el domingo para los pilotos que lucharan por el podio. El colombiano, que ha terminado en el podio en dos de las cuatro carreras de Supersport más recientes, saldrá desde la segunda fila de la grilla después de clasificarse como el sexto más rápido con un tiempo de 1:27.272. Cárdenas fue el quinto mas rápido durante la practica de Formula Xtreme el sábado (1:27.376) y se clasifico para la carrera del domingo en la mañana de 17 vueltas. DIA 2 El equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki concluyo la temporada del AMA de una forma impresionante, elevando su número de podios en el año a doble dígitos. El colombiano cárdenas de Nuevo demostró ser el piloto que mas promete en la categoría, consiguiendo su tercer podio en Supersport y el cuarto desde que se incorporo al equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki a mediados de la temporada substituyendo al lesionado Michael Barnes. El ex-campeón colombiano de Supersport lucho con el grupo líder de la carrera hasta el final abordo de su Pirelli-shod GSX-R600. Lucho duramente durante las ultimas cuatro vueltas de la carrera para ganarle una posición a cada piloto y eventualmente terminar tercero. “en la primera mitad tuve una Buena salida y después me pasaron algunos pilotos y yo me les pase de Nuevo,” Cárdenas explica. “estaba alcanzando a los lideres de la carrera, hasta que sacaron la bandera roja. En el comienzo de nuevo, Salí súper bien y al final llegue de tercero. Estuvo muy buena la carrera.” “Este año fue muy bueno para mi. Empecé en un equipo privado y cuando se lesiono Michael Barnes me dieron la oportunidad de correr con el Equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki. Estoy muy agradecido con el equipo y al final termino siendo muy buena decisión. El próximo año regresare con la experiencia de haber conocido las pistas y esto hará que sea una gran diferencia. Seguirá siendo difícil porque hay mucho pilotos que son muy rápidos en el campeonato pero espero que el próximo año sea mucho mejor.” En la temporada los puntos en la general son, May cuarto en Superstock y octavo en Supersport. Cárdenas es once en Supersport teniendo encuenta no haber ingresado ala categoría hasta la cuarta carrera de la temporada. También quedo de trece en Formula Xtreme pero no compitió las primeras cinco carreras de la temporada. “Gracias a Pirelli, a el Equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki y a mis mecánicos por todo el apoyo que me dieron para obtener tan buenos resultados, a mi familia por estar siempre ahí, incondicionalmente y a todos los que me apoyaron durante esta temporada en el AMA. Fue una excelente temporada y espero que la próxima sea muchísimo mejor. Ahora me dedicare a descansar y a disfrutar los podios conseguidos, y por supuesto durante estas vacaciones seguiré mi preparación física de cara ala temporada 2008 y a montar en mi cuatrimoto Yamaha YZF-450R y en la Yamaha R1 la cual disfruto montando por Medellín.” More, from a press release issued by Safety First Racing: Valliant Effort from Safety First Racing in Final AMA Race at Laguna Lady luck did not shine down from the Monterrey Peninsula skies onto the Safety First Suzuki race team for the last round of the 2007 AMA Superbike Season, but despite some setbacks, the team put in a 100% effort and was still able to secure 10th place overall in Formula Xtreme with Bobby Fong riding their Suzuki GSXR 600. “What I hope really stands out is that the guys on the team really worked hard and their effort is not going to be reflected in the post-race results”, commented team owner Kevin Hanson. “After the red-flag in the Supersport race, the team effectively scrambled and got Bobby’s crashed bike back out on the track. Bobby had to start from the back of the grid for the re-start, two laps down, but he rode with some fire in his eyes and was moving up in the pack, finishing in all actuality around 13th place. Scotty also rode hard, picking up a bike that crashed in corner 2 and was able to solider on to finish his race and not give up. I am proud of the way the team came together throughout the year, but it really came through during this last race weekend of 2008.” Bobby Fong- DNF (Classified 30th)-FX, 27th- Supersport “The weekend started out great as I dropped 2.5 seconds in my lap times from when we were here in July. Being 6th in practice made me look forward to qualifying and the race, but I ended up about four spots back from where I should have been for qualifying. The results of the actual races are not the way I wanted to finish the year. Chaz Davies took me out early in the Supersport race, but I do appreciate that he is a gentleman racer as he did come over to apologize for the incident. I can’t thank the guys enough for getting my bike back into race shape during the red flag stoppage. I heard that Speed Channel was also focusing on their effort. Once I got back out there, I wanted to make it worth it and I really put my head down and rode hard. If not for being taken out, based on how I rode from the second start to the finish, I am confident I could have finished in the top ten in Supersport. Formula Xtreme ended early with a mechanical issue, but we were able to maintain a top ten placing, which was my goal for my first year in pro racing and I think a great accomplishment and good reflection of the professionalism of the guys on the team. I have to really thank my team and the sponsors for allowing me to reach that achievement and I look forward to ratcheting that up a few more notches for next year.” Fong ended the season in 10th place overall for Formula Xtreme points and 18th for Supersport. Scotty Ryan- Finished 19th- FX, 26th-Supersport “I can see what kind of improvement I have had this year, as I shaved off 3 seconds in my lap times from when I was here in July. I saw what it takes to race at this level and it’s a full time commitment to not only honing race craft, but its developing the focus that is required for training and even diet that is necessary for success. I was able to learn a lot from Owen Weichel (rider coach) and some of his tips helped me evolve my riding style. If not for a few small niggling issues, I could have easily finished in the top 15 for Formula Xtreme. Knowing that possibility, it only makes me hungrier to take everything I learned this year and turn that into a solid effort for next year. I have to really thank the entire team. Without their work all this year, none of this would have happened. Our sponsors are important and I really appreciate all that they have done for me, Bobby and the team.” Ryan ended up in 29th for Supersport and 17th for FX. The team would like to thank all the sponsors, fans, promoters, tracks, corner workers and other volunteers, that without all their hard work and commitment, would not make it possible for us to take to the track. We look forward to seeing all of you again next year for the 2008 season. Safety First Racing was formed in 2004 by police officer/racer, Kevin Hanson, based out of Chicago, IL. For 2007, Safety First Suzuki will be competing in the AMA Superbike series in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes. More, from a press release issued by Evan Steel Performance: E.S.P. wraps up a successful AMA season with top ten finish at Laguna Seca. Rider Ivan Garza finished his first year of AMA racing twelveth in the Superstock championship, and earned his Superbike license by mid-season. Highlights were a 12th place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Superstock, a 16th place finish in Superbike at Road Atlanta, as well as breaking two local lap records at regional races. Ben Thompson got a late start to the season but finished strong, with a career best 7th place finish at Laguna Seca in Superstock, despite taking his first laps of the track Friday afternoon on a scooter! He also impressed in Superbike, finishing 11th behind the factory MV Agusta of Matt Lynn. Tom Savoca had an eventful season as well, obtaining his AMA license at the start of the year and getting his first taste of pro racing at 49 years old! Tom first turned a lap on a race track in 2004, and was immediately hooked. He has won numerous regional championships since, and shows no signs of slowing down. With a best finish of 22nd this year, Tom says there is plenty more to come next year. Tom Savoca: “Getting a chance to go AMA racing is a dream come true, and I never would have done it without the help of the guys at E.S.P., thank you” Ivan Garza: ” I am really excited to be at the nationals. We set a goal of top ten in the championship, and just missed that. I’m looking forward to next season, this is the arena that I want to compete in and I definitely couldn’t be here without all my sponsors. I would like to thank them very much and ‘muchas gracias’.” Ben Thompson: “I’d like to thank E.S.P. and Suzuki for a great season. They are the ones who helped me to get back out to the races this year and came through when no one else did. They built some great bikes, and we ended up getting fantastic results even though we only started riding with four rounds to go and had to play catch up on getting the 07 Suzuki GSXR-1000 set up for me. We’ll be working hard this off season to try and build on the momentum that we got going this season. Thanks for all your hard work!” Phil Allison: “Well, it was a pretty tough year. There were definitely some high points to compliment the low points. But in the end, everybody put forth a great effort and we ended the season on a high note. I think we have a good team, and with a little more support next year will be even better.” Evan Steel: “I would like to thank my buisness partner Phil Allison, as well as Scott Bergen, Trey Schultz, and Kyle Sorge for all their hard work this year, at the shop and at the track. Also Tom, Ivan and Ben, these guys rode hard all year, and made our bikes look good! Special thanks to Dave and Mike at Ohlins for their help. I can’t wait for next year!” For more info about the shop or race team, visit www.evansteelperformance.com. More, from a press release issued by Joe Rocket: ROGER LEE HAYDEN COMPLETES THE HAYDEN SUPERSPORT DYNASTY Randy Robison, President of Joe Rocket is eager to congratulate the freshly crowned 2007 AMA Supersport Champion, Roger Lee Hayden and the entire Monster Energy, Kawasaki Road Race Team. This past weekend at Mazda Laguna-Seca Raceway, in what some are dubbing “the gnarliest road race of the season,” the AMA 600 Supersport race was encumbered by one red flag, numerous crashes, and even flying shrapnel from rogue sponsor signage that came un-secured from its mount. In some of the most aggressive racing that the series has hosted, Roger Lee was forced off-track at the top of Laguna-Seca’s famous corkscrew section with only minimal laps remaining. To the gasping praises of his supporters, Roger Lee managed to keep the bike upright and maintain his charge to the front. “It was definitely nerve-wracking. I’m sure it was on TV. Just guys crashing everywhere and people all over the place. That’s the way Supersport racing is,” Roger Lee said in a post race interview. Aboard his Monster Kawasaki ZX-6R, Roger Lee brought it home to the finish line with a 3 point margin over his team-mate Jamie Hacking; enough to earn himself the Supersport Championship. “I’m thrilled to see that what everyone close to him has known all along, is now a reality; Roger Lee Hayden is a Champion,” said Randy Robison. “Roger will prove to be a great Champion for many years to come,” he went on to say. On behalf of the Joe Rocket family, The Rocket Nation, and fans worldwide, we congratulate “Country Boy” Roger Lee Hayden, rhe 2007 AMA Supersport Champion! More, from a press release issued by Shift: AMA ROADRACING REPORT CORY WEST Check out privateer roadracer Cory West’s latest report from the final round of the AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme Championships at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. By Cory West At the beginning of the year, when I first looked at the 2007 schedule, I knew the season finale at Laguna Seca was going to be a cool race. Every year that the AMA goes to Laguna, there is always another organization there, like the MotoGP Championship or World Superbikes in the past. For the last race it was only the AMA regulars, and that meant I was going to get some real track time. When the AMA shares the weekend with some other organization, we never get any quality track time. This weekend I actually got to turn a bunch of laps, which helped out a lot because the track isn’t exactly easy. The only thing that was different for the last race was that the AMA decided to just make it a two day event. Practice and qualifying were on Saturday and all the races were scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Even though it was only a two day event, we still had plenty of track time to get up to speed. We started with our setup from the last time we were at Laguna and just got faster and faster. The fastest lap time that I turned when we were here in July was a 1:28.5, but I only turned a 1:29.1 in qualifying. My first practice session in Supersport, I got down to a 1:29.1 which felt pretty good for just getting back into the swing of things. The FX practice went even better and I got down to some low 1:28’s, and I ended that session just outside of the top ten. We made a few suspension changes to the bikes and got our tires picked for the afternoon Supersport qualifying session and we were aiming for a second row starting spot. I got going pretty quick right away in the Supersport qualifying session but everyone was riding really well. I sat inside the top ten for most of the session with a 1:28.1, but I knew that wasn’t going to last when everyone went for the qualifying tires. When I put mine on with 4 minutes to go I got lucky with plenty of open track to get one fast lap. I rode as hard as I could with my extra sticky tire and when the checkered flag flew I saw a 1:27.7 on my lap timer. When I came back into the pits, my time put me 11th fastest overall. I was hoping that would’ve put me higher up in the order but a third row start wasn’t horrible. The only thing left to do on Saturday was one more practice session for FX. I went out to do a long run on what was going to be our race tire and things went pretty well. I was able to turn low 28’s throughout the whole session and I ended up 8th fastest when it was over. Sunday morning we had a short practice session for Supersport and then our qualifying session for FX. The Supersport session went pretty well considering how quick I was starting to go on race tires. I got down to a 1:27.8 on what was going to be my race tire and I knew I would be able to keep that pace during the race. I think I was like 11th or 12th in that practice session but I knew if I got a good start I would be right there in the mix with everyone. For the FX qualifying we stuck to the same plan as the Supersport session and we were still hoping for a second row start. I got down into the 27 range pretty quickly and only needed about a half second to put ourselves on the second row. When I went out with my qualifying tire I was really hoping I could maybe pull off a high 1:26. I charged as hard as I could and ended up turning a 1:27.1 with my qualifying tire. I was so close to putting it on the second row but I ended up 10th, with another third row start. So all I really needed to do in both of my races was to get a good start and get going with the lead pack. I knew I could come out of both races with a top ten for sure and a possible top five if I played my cards right. I didn’t get the greatest launch off of the line in the Supersport race but I chose my lines just right in the first three turns and got myself up to around 8th place. I looked back once on the second lap and noticed there was nobody very close to me and that I was the last one hanging onto the lead pack. I felt comfortable with the pace that everyone in front of me was running and I was doing a good job hanging on to the group. I was definitely stronger in spots and weaker in spots but I wasn’t losing touch with the group by any means. Then on the fourth lap, when I was driving up the hill to the corkscrew, my bike totally lost power and started slowing down fast. I grabbed the clutch, hit the kill switch, and coasted all the way back down the hill and into the pits. My engine had gone sour and the race was over for me. I was pretty upset because of where I was running and how many laps were left. A lot of things could’ve happened in that race because there was a red flag just after I pulled in but I tried not to get too upset and just concentrate on the FX race. I calmed back down and regrouped for my last AMA race of the year. I knew what I was capable of and all I needed to do was go out and do it. My start was pretty crummy and I got held up by a few people right off the bat but it didn’t take me long to get around them and get going. After I got clear of those few guys, I took off after a pack of three not too far ahead of me. I was running in 9th but I just couldn’t make up anytime on the group ahead of me. On about lap 12 of 17, Marty Craggill rode off of the track with his bike on fire and that moved me up to 8th! Then on the next lap, Ben Attard was out in the gravel in turn two and that moved me into 7th. I kept riding as hard as I could but Ryan Andrews caught up to me with about three laps to go. We passed each other a few times but I led us into the last lap. He passed me on the short straight heading to turn 6 and I was just trying to figure out where I was going to get him back. I got a good run coming down the corkscrew and passed him back going into turn 10. He came back under me in the last corner but ran a little wide, and I had him squared up perfect to out drive him to the finish but his team mate, Ryan Elleby, ran right into me. We both stayed up but I lost my drive and ended up finishing 8th. I was a little frustrated at the end because I wanted to finish 7th but with my 8th place finish, that put me 9th overall in the points championship. I’ve never finished the season in the top 10 in points before, so I really felt like we did pretty well. I found out that we ended up 15th in points in Supersport, too, which considering all the problems we had throughout the year, isn’t all that bad either. Chuck and Don really worked their butts off in the last two rounds and we finished out the season pretty strong. I really have to thank all the people that were a part of our little team’s success because without everyone’s help and generosity, we wouldn’t have made it through the whole season. I feel like I have become a much better rider this season and I think with a little more help I can get to the next level and start fighting at the front of these races. And this isn’t the end for me and Chuck just yet, either. There are a few more club races that will keep us busy until the middle of next month, so I’ll keep everyone posted on how things go. I hope everyone has enjoyed my reports this year and I can’t wait to start another season! See ya next year!