RPS riders run strong at Daytona

Racing Performance Services sponsored Ty Howard and Ricky Orlando ran strong in the Daytona 200. Both ran in the top 10 with the Texan Howard finishing 8th on the GP-Tech Yamaha R-6. Orlando looked positioned to take top-10 honors additionally until his motor went sour 3 laps from the end of the grueling 200-mile race. Both riders commented that the suspension services performed by RPS were a key factor in their impressive runs.

Ty Howard

The week started off tough for Ty Howard. Ty was riding both his privately owned Yamaha in the Supersport race and the GP-Tech R-6 in the 200. The poor Daytona Beach weather hampered the ability to learn the new track layout and Howard really only felt that he was coming to grips with the track during the first qualifying session for the 600 supersport race. Regardless, the Texas rider put in an impressive performance to qualify 20th and both RPS owner Marcus McBain and Howard felt there was still a few seconds to be gained with some suspension changes that would put the Steve Upchurch built R-6 in the top-10 Supersport race. An early mistake by another rider collected another rider and nearly took Ty with him. Howard was run off the track in the incident and seeing the leaders disappear while he rode through the Daytona infield grass urged him to pull in and use the race for setup information.

The Daytona 200 started on Thursday for Howard and the GP-Tech Yamaha team. With a never ridden before bike and an Ohlins combination of forks with Supersport internals and shock handed to the team by Jamie James, RPS owner Marcus McBain quickly make changes to some of the internal settings of the forks to get the suspension to perform optimally. The Ohlins combination seemed to work very well with the modifications made by RPS and Howard qualified an impressive 15th. With everything seeming to be working well, the team looked for more speed and more adjustments were made throughout the rest of the practice sessions leading up to the 200.

The race started off as planned. Howard launched well off the start and then worked his way into the top 10. The Geoff Maloney/GP-Tech built R-6 ran like a clock. Howard ran as high as 7th during the prestigious race and the talented Texan brought his bike home in a solid 8th place finish. Howard commented, “I want to really thank Marcus McBain for the suspension work throughout the week. I also can’t thank Geoff Maloney of GP-Tech enough. He put together a great bike and more importantly brought out a great crew from Texas to put together a seemingly seasoned team in less than a week. Mark Niemi and Frank Shacklee just did some great work with awesome tire changes. Mike Worrell fueled the bike quicker than I could have imagined.”

Ricky Orlando

The Colorado AMA veteran started the week with high hopes. Despite the lack of development time, Orlando seems to know how to go fast on Kawasaki’s and the new ZX-6R looked very potent. The start of the week began as inhospitable as conceivable as Ricky crashed in cool and damp conditions after only 5 laps of practice and heavily damaged his new Kawasaki. RPS owner McBain and Ricky talked and began making some geometry changes. The next session went well, but disaster struck the third session out as Orlando crashed again. Detailed conversations with Dunlop and other teams provided no solid answers and after measuring the bike, the frame was found to be bent. Fellow Colorado rider Les Gerber really stepped up with generous help so that Orlando could qualify. After qualifying, Orlando, crew chief Marv Rosencrans, and McBain discussed the options and the decision was made to straighten the frame on the bike and go with some radical geometry changes. The combination worked and the team had optimistic hopes for the first time in some days.

Although Ricky would have to start from the 2nd wave, the AMA veteran knew that with the newfound performance of the chassis, he would be a threat for a top-10 finish. Orlando launched from the 2nd wave on a mission and by the time the first pit stops were underway, announcer Richard Chambers was thrilling the Daytona crowd with the story of how Ricky was now in the top ten. AMAZING. Orlando was relentless and kept driving his ZX-6r into the top 10 of the field. As the race wound down, another amazing finish similar to last year’s 6th place finish was looking to be in order. The hard work by the team and the talented Colorado rider fell short as the engine expired with three laps to go.

For Orlando, it was an emotional week. He had seen more ups and downs in one week than many riders experience in a season. Ricky spent some time to reflect on the week, “I really am disappointed for the many people that just kept working to keep me on the track this week. I really want to thank crew chief Marv Rosencrans. Marv just kept working and working all week. There were so many other folks that stepped up with parts and assistance. Jon Glaefke, Les Gerber, Pedro Bravo, Bob Fier, Pete Brandauer, Don Atkinson, and Jim Clark just did everything it took to keep me on the track this week. It was amazing. I also want to thank Marcus McBain and RPS. Once we got the ZX-6r dialed in, the bike just worked flawless. I was really impressed at how the new Traxxion Dynamics AK-20 cartridges worked.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

HODGSON BLAZES TO SUPERBIKE PODIUM AT DAYTONA

Daytona Beach, FL – March 12, 2005 – Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Neil Hodgson finished a strong second place in the first AMA Superbike race of the season, making for a fabulous racing debut with Ducati’s factory team in America. Hodgson and the powerful Ducati 999 were fast on the fabled high banks of the Speedway, making an impressive statement at one of the most notoriously difficult tracks on the Superbike circuit. Although Neil’s teammate Eric Bostrom had a disappointing end to his Daytona weekend, both riders earned valuable championship points.

Neil had a solid race that saw him charge through some of the top AMA riders to earn second position after briefly dropping to fourth. “I’ve got mixed feelings now inside,” said Hodgson. “I’m happy to get it out of the way and get some good points, and then you’re sick because you didn’t win. It’s like that up and down feeling. I had a bad year last year, so it’s nice to get back to where you’re battling for the lead and actually enjoying your race.”

Hodgson turned in impressive and consistent lap times throughout the race and even cut into the eventual winner’s gap when the leaders hit lapped traffic. Although he made a strong bid for victory, a win at Daytona was not meant to be. “I was comfortable running that pace. Every time I tried to push harder, I was tucking the front, though,” he said.

By virtue of his second place finish, Neil will head into Barber second in Superbike points, an excellent start to the season consisting of 10 events.

Eric Bostrom was 11th in the 15-lap race. “It was very disappointing,” said Eric afterward. “We tried a lot of changes this weekend, but couldn’t really get faster. I rode hard and the team tried hard and that makes it even worse for me. They put in a great effort. I’m disappointed for them and I’m frustrated.”

Bostrom ran a lonely race on Saturday, with no real battles for position. “At least the good thing is we have some testing lined up before the next race at Barber,” he said.

Team owner Terry Gregoricka was pleased with the podium finish for Hodgson. “Neil did a great job out there. We’re really happy with his result but not completely satisfied because we race to win. Still, it was a great start to the season for Neil and will help us to focus over the next weeks. We have even more testing coming up and both riders will have plenty of track time to get even more comfortable on their Ducati 999s.”

The next AMA Superbike race will be April 22-24 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL.

RACE: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki); 2. NEIL HODGSON (Ducati 999); 3. Ben Spies (Suzuki); 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki); 5. Jake Zemke (Honda); 6. Miguel DuHamel (Honda) … 11. ERIC BOSTROM (Ducati 999).

More, from a press release issued by Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki:

Opie Caylor Was On Fire “¦and then was on fire

Daytona Beach, Fl.- Chris “Opie” Caylor, aboard his Team Emgo Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R 600, had a disappointing end to what was shaping to be a solid, top-ten finish in the Daytona 200. Caylor had been turning consistent laps and climbing to the front of the order on the high-banks of Daytona International Speedway when a motor failure near the end of the race caused his bike to spectacularly catch fire.

Caylor started the week learning the new track layout and testing gearing combinations. “We were searching for a gear that would work well in the new, tight infield section but also allow us to maintain a high top-speed on the banking,” explained Caylor. “Once we had the best gear, we concentrated on testing our Dunlop tires and VP fuel consumption at race pace.” Caylor was extremely impressed with the low wear and consistent grip of the Dunlops. Even under the harsh and demanding conditions of the 200 mile race, the team scheduled and changed the rear tire twice and the front remained on for the full race. The performance was kept high with out drastic fuel burn because of a custom fuel-injection map for his Power Commander programmed by the Dynojet technicians using their on-site dyno.

Qualified on the seventh row, Caylor quickly maneuvered his Team Emgo Taiwan sponsored Suzuki to 10th place by his first scheduled pit-stop at lap 25. “By being able to stay out a little longer than the other guys, the fact that we were only changing rears and the amazing job of my crew during the stop; I was able to get in and get out without losing a position,” said Caylor. The second pit-stop didn’t go as smoothly when the rear axle jammed during reinstallation, causing Caylor to lose six positions by the time the problem was sorted and he was back on track.

Unfortunately he was unable to gain back the positions when soon after the pit-stop his bike suffered a catastrophic engine failure at top-speed. The belly pan of the bike was able to contain the oil and water from the engine but as Caylor was coasting the dead bike off the banking it caught fire. Caylor recalls “I was hoping to make it off the track and into the pits when I felt my boot getting hot. I looked down and saw flames pouring out of every opening on the bodywork! I was already well off the race-line so I stopped the bike and bailed.” The bike was extinguished by AMA safety and Daytona emergency track personnel. Caylor suffered no injuries and credits that to his Teknic leathers and boots.

Caylor says his strong performance prior to this set-back has only fueled his determination of finishing at the front of the pack during the remaining Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme races.

More, from a press release issued by Michael Barnes’ publicist:

MICHAEL BARNES TAKES SEVENTH IN DAYTONA 200

Daytona, USA – Venemotos Yamaha Venezuela/Prieto Racing’s Michael Barnes overcame early pit stop problems to finish seventh in the Daytona 200. Starting from the second row of the grid after a fantastic qualifying effort placing him fifth fastest, Mike ran as high as fourth place during the race.

In the beginning half of the race, Mike was unable to keep pace with the lead group, but managed to secure sixth position without a problem. “The FX bikes just had too much horsepower for me to keep up with them on our Supersport machine, and our split times show that,” said Mike. “I think all of the guys in front of me at the start had built motors, and that made a big difference. They would just pull away on the banking.”

After advancing to fifth place on lap twelve following Vincent Haskovec’s mechanical problem, Mike maintained position and pitted on lap twenty-five. A sprocket problem on the rear tire change forced Mike to pit again on lap twenty-six, losing valuable time and dropping him over twenty places. For the remainder of the race, Mike charged back through the field running near qualifying times to work his way back to seventh, where he finished the race.

The Pirelli shod Yamaha YZF-R6 provided by chmapionsonline.com ran extremely well for the duration. “The tires were working fantastically throughout the race,” said Mike. “We managed to run the full 200 miles on just two front tires, and the grip on my front in the last lap was as good as it was at the start of the race.”

“Clearly we could have finished higher if we didn’t have the problem, but overall I’m satisfied with the finish,” said Mike. “Venemotos Yamaha Venezuela, Prieto Racing and championsonline.com all provided outstanding support that let me enter the 200, and I’m grateful for that opportunity.”

Entered in his first Daytona 200, 16 year old Venemotos Yamaha Venezuela rider Armando Ferrer finished a very respectable fifteenth.

More, from a press release issued by Bill Syfan on behalf of Millennium KWS Suzuki:

MILLENNIUM KWS SUZUKI RIDERS LEE ACREE AND BLAKE YOUNG DEBUT NEW TEAM AT DAYTONA

Millennium KWS Suzuki riders Lee Acree and Blake Young debuted the new team with good results at Round 1 of the AMA Superbike Championship at Daytona International Speedway, March 9-12. In Thursday’s Repsol Superstock race, Lee raced to 13th place and Blake finished 15th on their brand-new 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000s, which the team had received only a week before. Blake finished 16th in the following Supersport race on his GSX-R600, while Lee battled to 16th in Saturday’s Superbike event on his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000.

Lee Acree Thursday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 13th Place “We tried some changes, we’re sorting out a brand-new motorcycle,” said Lee. “It’s fast, it transitions well, but we’ve got some issues to work out with it. You know, new bike teething things. We were struggling with handling and grip, getting the bike to go where I wanted it to go and to be stable on the banking. We’ve got some changes we’re gonna try for the Superbike race on Saturday.”

Saturday’s Superbike Final – 16th Place “All in all it wasn’t bad,” said Lee. “We definitely made some improvements on the bike. There’s no doubt the bike’s got a lot of potential. It’s fast, and now the team’s gonna have a chance to set the motor up. We definitely learned some stuff about the chassis. We should be able to make some progress with that, once we get more time getting this bike sorted out. Other teams had more development time, we’ve had our bikes for a week.”

Blake Young Thursday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 15th Place “It went pretty good,” said Blake. “Riding the new GSX-R1000, the thing’s a rocketship. We ended up qualifying 17th, and in the race we got a pretty good start, but I ended up grabbing an extra downshift in the chicane, I ended up blowing the chicane. Got back into it and just put my head down. I rode as hard as I could and we ended up 15th. For the first time being on a 1000 this year, I think it was a good race. I only rode a 1000 a couple of times last year.”

Thursday’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport Final – 16th Place “The 600 race could have went a little better,” said Blake. “We think the bike might have had some problems, but we’re not sure yet. I’d catch guys in the infield, but when we hit the banking I’d fall back. It was a long race, 22 laps. I think it went well overall, we didn’t throw anything on the ground, we just had to get through this weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki:

MAY AND HASKOVEC CHALLENGE AT DAYTONA

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki flashed their potential again today at Daytona International Speedway as the opening round of the 2005 AMA season came to a close. With Thursday’s AMA Superstock victory still fresh in everyone’s minds, the squad gave the full factory teams even more reasons to be concerned even if luck wasn’t exactly on their side Saturday.

Geoff May scored a fantastic eighth-place finish aboard his Pirelli-shod Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the opening round of the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship. May soundly defeated a pair of full factory riders and several more factory-supported Superbike pilots with an impressive ride aboard Superstock-spec machinery.

If not for some misfortune at the start and struggles with the wind in the chicane, May could have placed even higher.

Afterwards, the Georgian said, “The race went well, but I got a horrible start. A rider in front of me wheelied and bogged the bike of the line. He then went to the left right in front of me so I had to shut off. That put me a little further back than I hoped to be. I picked a few guys off working my way up, but by that time the leaders were gone. I just put my head down and went as hard as I could.”

He continued, “The wind kept picking up harder and harder as the race went on, and I started having problems getting off into the chicane. I messed it up three times. The first two times I lost the front and just picked it back up and ran through the dirt on the inside. The last time was with about two laps to go. I just went straight through it. I ended up getting eighth instead of seventh because of it.”

Early on in the 64th running of the prestigious Daytona 200, Vincent Haskovec closed right in on three factory machines leading the way and threatened to pull another upset like his Superstock victory of just two days earlier. Haskovec ran in the lead pack and was nearing the first pit stop of the race. Unfortunately, a mechanical problem ended the Czech Republic native’s race early, preventing Team M4 EMGO Suzuki from showing their full capabilities on the day.

“The team worked so hard to give me the horsepower I needed from my GSX-R600,” Haskovec said. “But that’s just the way it goes in racing. I’m really proud of the effort we gave this weekend, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish the rest of the year.”

The next race for Team M4 EMGO Suzuki is April 22-24 at Barber Motorsports Park.