2012 DAYTONA® 200 Week Recap:

AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2012) – Just as he did at Daytona International Speedway one year ago, young Kyle Wyman outfoxed his more experienced rivals to score a dramatic victory in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series season opener.

Following a strong Saturday morning final qualifying effort that saw the 22-year-old set a lap record for the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series with a time of 2:05.633, Wyman gridded up for the afternoon final on pole position alongside Bartel’s Harley-Davidson teammates Michael Barnes and Tyler O’Hara, with Deeley Racing’s David Estok closing out the front row. After a fast and furious first lap, the New York-native led the thundering Harley-Davidson XR1200s as they crossed the line to complete the first of the race’s seven laps around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.51-mile traditional motorcycle course.

Wyman, Barnes, O’Hara and Estok then quickly slipped free of the pack, engaging in a furious battle for the lead. O’Hara officially led laps two and three and Barnes officially led the ensuing three circuits before the foursome took their fight to the race’s final lap.

At that point Wyman put himself in the perfect position, double drafting his Kyle Wyman Racing/Vesrah Harley-Davidson XR1200 past O’Hara and Barnes to steal the checkered flag by 0.117 seconds.

“It was a fun race battling with these guys,” Wyman said. “It was just like last year, really, four riders swapping positions and trying to play head games with each other — where we were going to be on the last lap. I knew it was going to be a race from the last chicane to the checkers and that’s what it turned out to be. I just wanted to be in the right place at the right time and it worked out for me.”

O’Hara said, “It was about being at the right place at the right time. I don’t think on the last lap anyone wanted to be the leader. Barney got by me on the first banking and I kind of checked up and Kyle was sitting behind me. I pulled out and Kyle got the double draft and was at the right place at the right time. Hats off to him.”

Barnes, who picked up the point for the most laps led and was sitting first in the final run to the checkered flag before Wyman and O’Hara both blasted past, said of his race, “It was busy. We were practically touching handlebars. This class is just so competitive and so much fun for the fans and the racers themselves. I just couldn’t be more pleased for Bartel’s. And to have both Tyler and I up here is something to be proud of for the team.”

Estok finished fourth, missing out on the podium despite being just three-quarters of a second short of the victory.

Estok’s Ruthless Racing/Deeley Racing teammate, Darren James finished fifth, followed by race winner Wyman’s younger brother, Travis Wyman on the Harv’s Harley-Davidson. XP Motorsports’ Michael Corbino, Kuryakyn/Racing for a Wish’s Gerry Signorelli, third Bartel’s H-D man Josh Chisum, and Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson’s Nicholas Hansen completed the race’s top 10.

Vision Harley-Davidson’s Chris Harmon turned 45 laps around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.51-mile traditional long course during the event for a total of 157.95 miles, giving him the early advantage in the Sunoco “Go the Distance” award. As part of the Sunoco “Go the Distance” program, a $2,500 year-end award will be given to the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series rider that completes the furthest total distance in 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing race-weekend events. In a month, AMA Pro Road Racing will return to Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia for Round 2 of the 2012 championship and the first of the season’s three Triumph Big Kahuna events, the Big Kahuna Atlanta. The event, scheduled for April 20-22, 2012, is the first return to Road Atlanta for the Series since the 2010 season and marks the return of M1 PowerSports to full-time event promotion at the site of the original Big Kahuna. For event information and tickets, please visit ~http://www.m1powersports.com/big-kahuna-atlanta/~. 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. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.