Galfer USA Riders Sweep Two Podiums, Get One First and Two Thirds in AMA Pro Road Racing Daytona Opener Oxnard, Calif. – March 19, 2013 – Daytona International Speedway is all about the throttle on the banking, but in the infield, having better brakes can be the difference between winning and losing. Galfer USA proved that last weekend, when sponsored riders Stefano Mesa and Tomas Puerta each won a SuperSport race. Mesa put his Galfer-equipped Triple Crown/RMR Yamaha YZF-R6 at the front in SuperSport race one. Galfer riders took over the podium, with David Sadowski, Jr. finishing second and Hayden Gillim in third. Puerta, who finished fifth in SuperSport race one, came back to take the win for Galfer and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull in race two. National Guard / Celtic Racing Corey Alexander took the third step. Galfer USA riders also swept the podium in the Harley-Davidson Series. Tyler O’Hara led the way on his Galfer-equipped XR1200, followed by Kyle Wyman and Bobby Fong. Galfer brakes helped Triple Crown/RMR’s Bobby Fong finish third in the Daytona 200. The Daytona SportBike event featured three Galfer riders in the top five. In addition to Fong, RoadRace Factory/Red Bull riders Jake Gagne and JD Beach finished fourth and fifth, respectively. In SuperBike, Galfer riders accounted for three top-ten finishes during the double-header event, thanks to the riding skills of KTM/HMC’s Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp. Fillmore was tenth in race one and eighth in race two, while Knapp started the 2013 season with ninth in race one. Galfer USA congratulates all of its sponsored riders on a successful, safe start to the 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing season. To learn more about Galfer performance brakes for racing, street and off-road applications, visit www.GalferUSA.com. More, from a press release issued by Joe Houpt, crew chief and race team manager for the Aerostar Global Transportation, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson XR1200 race team. “I would like to publicly apologize to our sponsors, supporters, AMA Pro racing and the fans. Based on time constraints, available personnel and equipment availability, I had to withdraw one of my racers from the Daytona Round of the Vance and Hines XR1200 Harley-Davidson race. “I am in complete support of AMA Pro Racing and the series but I also have a business to run in order to be able to compete. The dealership is in the middle of a remodeling project in order to be ready for the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary celebration. Due to prior business commitments I had to return home immediately following the competition. I am in complete agreement on how AMA Pro Racing is controlling this class. In the future I will be better prepared to meet their requests. I look forward to the rest of the season.” Editorial note: Aerostar Global Transportation, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson rider Benny Carlson finished fifth in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson race at Daytona. After the race AMA Pro Racing required the top 10 finishers to completely disassemble their engines in post-race technical inspections. Carlson and his team refused, and Carlson was disqualified from the race, forfeiting all purse and points. More, from a press release issued by Jimmy Merck’s publicist: JIMMY MERCK COMES OUT SWINGING AT ROEBLING ROAD Atlanta, Georgia’s Jimmy Merck competed onboard his Vesrah-sponsored GSX-R600 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, GA this past weekend with six podium finishes in as many starts. Saturday’s events included the Pirelli/WERA Sportsman series with two classes entered, and Sunday was the WERA/Michelin National Challenge series with four classes entered. The weather was gorgeous for WERA’s first National Event of the year! With a day of practice under his belt on Friday, Merck lined up for the C Superstock race on Saturday afternoon with 24 other expert competitors. After a great battle and almost highsiding to the moon in turn five, Jimmy backed it down and crossed the line second for his first trophy of the day. Next up was B Superstock competing with the larger 750cc bikes and 30 racers. After a great start, Jimmy found himself in second place, pulled a clean pass, and went on for the win by 12 seconds! “I had some front end chatter in the beginning of the weekend but with the help of Mark Junge, Brian Livengood, and Jon McGarity we we’re solid the rest of the day!!” said Merck. “It was some great clean racing and I am looking forward to the next event and keeping my Vesrah GSX-R on the box!” Sunday’s National races were up next with 600 Superstock as Jimmy’s first event. After another great start, Jimmy was battling for the top five. After 12 laps, Jimmy came up a bit short with yet another podium second placed finish and low 1:13 lap times. 750 Supersport was up next, again competing against the larger 750cc bikes. After a decent start, the battle was on. Three riders including Jimmy were battling for second place, and Jimmy came up .05 seconds short to secure his third place trophy. Jimmy’s third race of the day, 600 Superbike, was back-to-back with his previous race. Warmed up and ready for combat, Jimmy got a great start. The battle was on with lap times once more in the low 1:13’s; Jimmy came out on top with his second win of the weekend by .497 seconds! With one race in between his last and final event, the stage was set for 750 Superbike. Jimmy got a great launch, had the fastest average speed of any competitor, and checked out by 10 seconds for his second win of the day and a hat trick for the weekend! Jimmy is proud to work with Mark and Tony with Vesrah, Vesrah Brakes, Nielsens Enterprises, Dunlop and Race Tire Services, Graves Exhaust, Livengood, Traxxion Dynamics, Penske, Maxima Oils, Shoei Helmets, Pilot Leathers, Chris with MPH, DID Chains, Bazzaz, Spiegler Brake Lines, Vortex Sprockets, Pit Bull, Cycle Gear, his father Jimmy SR, and girlfriend Bobbi. More, from a press release issued by Gavin Elstad’s publicist: 14 year old Elstad podiums in WERA premier 600 race on first attempt! On the weekend of March 15-17 Gavin Elstad raced in Savannah, Georgia at Roebling Road Raceway with WERA. Gavin surprised us all this weekend with an extraordinary performance. This was Gavin’s first weekend racing a Yamaha YZF R6. On Friday the 15th he participated in a track day and had three practice sessions and a qualifying session. Crashing in turn one during Friday practice didn’t slow him a bit. He got back up, dusted himself off, and qualified 10th, out of 23 bikes, with a 1:17.893 seconds lap time. On Saturday Gavin had four practices, in the morning, where he continued to improve his lap times. In Sunday’s practice Gavin and dropped his lap times to 1:15.354. Finally it was race time. In the 600 Superstock race Gavin started 10th. On every lap he would pick up positions. By the final lap he had moved into third place and ended up finishing third, edging out last year’s champion by .005 of a second. His fastest lap in the race was a 1:13.730, whi ch was only .3 off of the race winners fastest lap. Gavin also raced in the 750 Superstock race. He started 11th, and much the same as the 600 race, he picked off bike after bike as he moved forward. In the end Gavin finished fourth only 0.4 of a second behind second place. He almost had second. In the end, to improve your lap times by over four seconds a lap is outstanding. Gavin had a fantastic weekend. More, from a press release issued by Tucker Lancaster’s publicist: Lancaster Takes Five Podiums At Roebling Road With WERA Young Pirelli rider, Tucker Lancaster, made the trek from northern California to southern Georgia for the combined Pirelli/WERA Sportsman Series presented by Marietta Motorsports and Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series Round One held at Roebling Road this past weekend, March 16-17, 2013. It was Lancaster’s first time at this track, and he acclimated quickly. On Saturday, during the WERA Sportsman Southeast regional, he took home the wins in C Superstock and C Superbike. On Sunday, during the opening round of the WERA National Challenge series, he again took home wins in C Superstock, B Superstock and a second place finish in C Superbike. Lancaster said, “My goals going into the weekend were to learn the track as fast as I could and win as many races as I could. I wanted to gain experience so I can build the best resume I can and win the GNF this season. This was my first time at this track, and I really didn’t like it at the beginning. But the more I rode it, the more I started to like it. On Saturday during the WERA Sportsman round, I was just trying to get faster and faster and push myself in the races. I ran the new Pirelli DOT’s for C Superstock, the grip was amazing, and I won by seven seconds. For C Superbike, I ran the SC1 slick on the rear, and had really good grip on traction again and won by four seconds. “Sunday was the WERA National Challenge round one, and my first race was 600 Superstock. I qualified on pole, got the hole shot, and led the whole race, winning by four seconds. My next race, 750 Superstock, I started from the third row, got the hole shot, and won by eight seconds. My third race, 600 Superbike, I was gridded on the inside on the second row. I got the hole shot, and we had a really good battle for most of the race. It was really fun race. Overall, I had a great weekend. My Pirelli tires were awesome all weekend long, worked great, and gave me a lot of confidence. I’m looking forward to the next round for WERA Nationals at Talladega in April. “I’d like to thank my sponsors for all their help and support: Pirelli tires, Chris and Corey at CT Racing, Leon from Competition Motorsports South, Jason Pridmore’s Star School, Mike Pascarella, Motorex, EDR Performance, Cortech, Shoei, FMF, Full Spectrum batteries, KFG Racing, Zero Gravity, Drippin’ Wet, GB Racing, and Rider’s Discount.” Tucker Lancaster’s next rounds will be at Las Vegas, April 20-21, 2013, for Pirelli/WERA West Series presented by Lucas Oil Round Three, and Talladega, April 26-28, 2013, for Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series Round Two. More information is available at Lancaster’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tucker.lancaster.5. More, from a press release issued by Meen Motorsports: Meen Motorsports’ Jake Lewis and Wyatt Farris debut at Daytona Campbell, CA (March 19, 2013) Working through unusually cold ambient and track temperatures, as well as a high number of red flags, Meen Motorsports’ Jake Lewis’ and Wyatt Farris’ Daytona debut showed great potential for AMA Pro 2013 season. Geico AMA Motorcycle-Superstore.com Supersport contender Wyatt Farris, a first time rider at Daytona, endured challenging and limited pre-race track time in the sixty entry class. Riding through a minor get off in practice one, Farris was able to qualify sixteenth, starting in the fourth row of the heavily packed rider grid. Farris finished the weekend with an eleventh place in race one and a fourteenth place in race two. “I am happy to have left Daytona with some points after my first time at this track. My team was truly awesome this weekend and I plan to run up in the front come Road America,” states Farris. Daytona Sport Bike rookie Jake Lewis’ Daytona 200 debut was short, yet strong, consistently keeping pace with the top class riders throughout the weekend. Strategically making the most of his practice and qualifying, Lewis started his first Daytona Sport Bike race in the second row, sixth on the grid. Launching himself into third, at the start of the race, Lewis stuck with the lead rider group that put a gap on the rest of the class. Suddenly making an unscheduled pit stop in lap seventeen, Lewis’ first time appearance was cut short, but proved immense promise for the rest of the AMA Pro year. “Overall the weekend at Daytona went well. Our pit stops practices were great and I felt like I had the pace to run up front after qualifying. When the race began I had a great start. Then from turn one, I could tell the clutch was not running the way it had all weekend, eventually causing me a DNF. I would have liked to finish because the whole team had been working hard over the off-season and especially this weekend, but we will just have to move onto Road America. I can’t wait to get back on the track and take what we learned from this weekend and carry it into the next round,” comments Lewis. The Meen Motorsports Team will be heading next to the Subway Superbike Doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI on May 31- June 2. Meen Motorsports would like to thank the following team sponsors for 2013, Yamaha, Graves Motorsports, South Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, San Jose Ear And Sinus, Hawaiian Ola, San Jose Yamaha, Yamaha Generators, Yamalube, Radiomedics, G Squared, Fit For Speed, DID, Mot Y Designs, Galfer, Vortex, Sharkskinz, Zero Gravity, Apex Mfg, Sportbike Track Time, Roclun Int’l (Lewis) and Jon Block Group Sports (Farris). Meen Motorsports is a professional motorcycle racing team established in 2012 formally known as GP Bike Parts Racing (2011). For more about the team, visit meenmotorsports.com. The team is still currently looking for potential advertising partners to collaborate with for the remaining of the race season. For more information, contact [email protected]. Become a Facebook Fan, search: Meen Motorsports Follow the team on Twitter: @MeenMotorsports Follow the team on Instagram: @meenmoto Follow the team on Vine: Meen Motorsports More, from a press release issued by Triple Crown/RMR Racing: MESA WINS, FONG ON THE PODIUM AT DAYTONA FOR TRIPLE CROWN/RMR RACING Daytona, FL — Triple Crown/RMR Racing enjoyed a spectacular opening weekend to the 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing season at Daytona International Speedway. Consistently battling up front throughout the weekend, the squad left the prestigious event with a race win and multiple podiums, including one taken in the legendary Daytona 200. Bobby Fong made a stunning debut with Triple Crown/RMR Racing on the weekend. The emerging star scored a third-place result for the Triple Crown/RMR Rossmeyer Wrecking Crew aboard the Rossmeyer’s Biker’s Choice XR1200 in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series opener on Friday. The then came back the following day and took a hard-earned third-place result in the grueling 57-lap, 200-mile main event aboard the MotoSport.com/Tucker Rocky Yamaha R6. Fong showcased his speed and strategic acumen in both races, slicing his way to the podium amongst the 11-rider lead pack in the H-D race, and then deftly negotiating the challenges of the arduous 200, which included a pair of potential pitfalls in the form of pit stops. After the Daytona 200, Fong said, “It was a long race but the training I did this offseason paid off. My bike worked great the whole time — I was just out there circulating, trying to maintain my position. It’s the best finish I’ve ever had at Daytona so thanks to everyone for helping me out.” Earlier in the weekend, Bobby talked about his podium result on the team’s XR1200: “It was just a scrap the whole race — banging bars. It was one of the best races I’ve ever been in. There was a huge group of us up front and it was all about the draft on the last lap. The last lap had to be two seconds slower because everyone in the front pack was going way slow to make people pass them. I was in an okay spot and it’s all where you position yourself the last lap. I had a good race and the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Biker’s Choice XR Harley-Davidson was awesome.” Meanwhile, Stefano Mesa played a starring role on the weekend as well. The up-and-comer from Medellin, Colombian also found himself engaged in a couple of drafting wars in the weekend’s twin SuperSport contests. On Friday Mesa aced the multi-rider lead pack on the final lap to edged his way to the checkered flag first by a scant 0.026-second margin of victory. Mesa said of his second-career AMA Pro victory, “It feels great. The MotoSport.com Triple Crown/RMR bike was awesome. They make such a great bike. We all rode such a good race — I was looking back thinking anybody could win it. We were all in the draft and it came down to the last lap. “I was leading but kind of backed off a little bit and let somebody past me. We came back on the banking and I was able to get it back up front. It’s good to be up here again. Hopefully we’ll have a lot of them this year.” Stefano attempted to repeat the feat the following day and was in good position but unfortunately he overshot the chicane on the final lap. Re-entering the fray with the lead group that he had been dicing with on the other side of the chicane, Mesa actually drafted his way into third at the line but was later officially listed in eighth position after being accessed a time penalty. Reigning Harley-Davidson Series Champion Michael Barnes joined Fong as part of that 11-rider fight to the checkered flag. With as many as eight riders abreast on the banking during the chaotic race, ‘Barney’ found himself in the middle of the lead pack as it roared across the stripe, kicking off his title defense with a sixth-place run on the Rossmeyer’s Biker’s Choice XR1200. The Triple Crown/RMR Rossmeyer Wrecking Crew also notched 17th, 19th, and 20th-place results courtesy of Sam and Joseph Rozynski and Sandra Stammova, who made her Daytona and AMA Pro debut on the weekend. Additionally, Daytona Anderson added 25th and 32nd-place SuperSport results of his own. The young rider showed considerable toughness as he worked on finding an ideal setup at the tricky circuit. The 16 year-old then managed to finish both races and gain more valuable experience in his first AMA Pro event. Triple Crown/RMR Racing will look to build upon its incredible ’13 opener when the AMA Pro Road Racing season picks back up on May 31-June 2 at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. More, from a press release issued by Putter Power Media on behalf of Chicken Hawk Racing: AMA Pro Racers Using Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers Dominate Daytona RED HOOK, N.Y. (March 19, 2013) — Chicken Hawk Racing tire warmers dominated AMA Pro Road Racing’s opening weekend on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, taking 88% of the top-10 finishing positions in five races. Out of 50 available spots in the top 10, this works out to 8 racers in the Daytona 200 as well as the top 9 out of 10 in each pair of SuperBike and SuperSport races, including Larry Pegram, who uses CHR’s Suzuka brand of warmers. All of their highly visible chrome-look and custom-colored tire warmers and full-coverage, neoprene Chicken Wraps wheel insulators could easily be spotted on every grid. By any measure, this is total domination. Yoshimura Suzuki Team Coordinator, Rich Doan, said “The Chicken Hawk World Team Tire Warmers we are using this season are the next evolution. These warmers utilize the new heating elements, have neoprene side panels and better insulation. After consulting with the crew, I can say we are really happy with them.” Chicken Hawk Racing President and Founder David Podolsky said “After helping win the World Supersport Championship and three out of four U.S. national titles in 2012, these Daytona results speak for themselves, proving once again that Chicken Hawk products are the choice of top professional racers.” Every Chicken Hawk Racing tire warmer component is built exclusively to the company’s exacting specifications. They accurately bring race rubber up to temperature with a sophisticated digital controller that effectively metes out and accurately regulates the heat tires receive–up to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. CHR’s patented DuPont Nomex melt-proof inner liner, high-tech outer material and wind-stopping neoprene side panels are other keys to class-leading tire prep and insulation. The potent combination of these components result in tires that are heated more evenly, without high surface temperatures and hot wheels, so their pressure can be more accurately set in the paddock. Chicken Hawk Racing is the only brand that manufactures tire warmers in the U.S.A. with American-made materials. They’re backed by a one-year warranty, an in-house service department and are available directly from Chicken Hawk Racing.com. For more information on how to lead the pack with Chicken Hawk Racing tire warmers and related products, log on to ChickenHawkRacing.com. Additional company-related news can be found on Chicken Hawk’s Facebook page and its YouTube postings. More, from a press release issued by Öhlins USA: By Choice, By Performance, Not By Rule: Öhlins Shocks Win All Six Daytona Races Daytona Beach, Florida: From the Daytona 200 to the XR1200 class, all six races on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, during the 72nd annual races at “The Beach,” were won by motorcycles using one brand of shock: Öhlins. Also, by choice and performance, Öhlins riders made huge use of the advantage of advanced suspension technology by sweeping the podiums in five of the six road races this year, including a sweep of riders on the lead lap of the Daytona 200. If a rider completed 200 miles in the 72nd Daytona 200, that rider was riding on Öhlins. Cameron Beaubier rode his Yamaha Extended Service, Graves, Yamaha to a dominating win in the Daytona 200, followed by the Yamahas of teammate Garrett Gerloff, and Triple Crown/RMR’s Bobby Fong, rounding out the podium of the GoPro Daytona Sportbike class. Two more Yamahas finished on the lead lap beneath teammates Jake Gagne and JD Beach from the RoadRace Factory. In the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike double-header races, the podium sweep of Öhlins riders was a surprise order in Race One of Monster Energy Graves Yamaha rider Josh Herrin taking the win over Yoshimura Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas, with a reinvigorated Larry Pegram on his Pegram Racing Yamaha taking third. In Race Two it was the same three, but in order as Cardenas, Herrin, Pegram. In the AMA Pro Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport class, Stefano Mesa won Race One on Friday while David Sadowski Jr. earned second place and Hayden Gillim took a hard-fought third from the six-bike pack crossing the finish line with a scant difference of 0.274 seconds between them. In comparison, the one-second advantage at the finish line in Race Two on Saturday seemed huge for Tomas Puerta, on his RoadRace Factory Yamaha. The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 class was classic, with nine riders crossing the finish line within a second of each other. Lead changes happened numerous times each lap but at the end it was Tyler O’Hara earning the win with Öhlins shocks on his bike, hounded by the Öhlins fitted second and third-place finishers of Kyle Wyman and Bobby Fong. Öhlins congratulates its winners, podium finishers, nearly podium finishers, and all competitors, large and small, for an excellent weekend of racing on The High Banks. Öhlins USA distributes and services the world’s leading performance suspension components for automobiles, motorcycles, and ATVs. Öhlins develops its proprietary and trend-setting suspension components, steering dampers and oils, at the highest levels of racing from open-wheel car racing, to Moto GP, to off-road competition on two and four wheels. Öhlins USA also provides training for service centers and dealers. Öhlins USA can be contacted at: 828-692-4525; www.Ohlinsusa.com More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount Triumph: The 72nd running of the historic Daytona 200 is in the books, and despite a promising second row start, previous Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella’s race didn’t go as planned. He and his Riders Discount Triumph Daytona 675R got off to a good start, but an unfortunate issue with the shifter forced him to return to the pits at the end of the opening lap. “I was feeling good on the grid, and I was more than ready for things to get going,” said Pascarella after the race. “I had a good start, and things were going well through the first few turns, but that changed when I had to downshift for the Horseshoe. I downshifted once, went for the second, but it wouldn’t happen.” Pascarella returned to the pits for repairs and was able to rejoin the field 4 laps down. “I wanted to get back out there and keep going even though I knew I was down 4 laps already. It was at least a good way to get more experience on the Triumph and blow off some steam.” Despite this less than perfect start to the 2013 AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike season, Pascarella and Riders Discount Triumph are optimistic about the rest of the season. “Looking back, Daytona wasn’t all bad for the team and myself,” Pascarella went on to say. “Even though the race didn’t go the way we wanted, we learned a lot and I feel like we got some bad luck out of the way early. I can’t thank the Riders Discount Triumph Team enough for supporting me and I’m really looking forward to bringing the new 2013 Triumph Daytona 675R out at Road America.” Brian Gibson, Riders Discount Triumph team owner, had this to say about the weekend, “I am disappointed to say the least to have our first race end with one single bolt working its way out of our left rear set, but I am happy to say we left with Joey healthy, and with a strong motivation to redeem ourselves at the next round. I want to personally apologize to Joey for the mechanical and thank him again for staying out on the track representing our sponsors and showing what true grit and determination he has. We are going to take that single bolt and use it to build a solid foundation for the rest of the season. We will be back and I am positive that our fans will see the results the Riders Discount Triumph team is capable of.” Bree Poland, team manager added, “We obviously didn’t get the outcome we wanted at Daytona, but this race is always a tricky one. We are naturally disappointed that we left the first round with no points, but that just makes us want to work even harder heading to Road America. Big thanks to all of you who came and supported us this past weekend!” Riders Discount Triumph would like to thank his sponsors: Riders Discount, Triumph, Speed and Strength, K-Tech, Shoei, Akrapovic, Dunlop, Motion Pro, Zero Gravity, Vicci, Maxima, Saddlemen, Sidi, Forcefield Armour, Full Spectrum Power, Renthal, Andrew Swenson Designs, Hanshaw Engines, GB Covers, Brembo, Cap-It Tire Warmers, Spiegler, Attack Performance, Sharkskinz, Drippinwet, Pitbull, Fastbikes USA About RidersDiscount.com: RidersDiscount.com is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company founded by racers, RidersDiscount.com ships equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide, backed by knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service. Triumph Motorcycles (www.TriumphMotorcycles.com) is the British motorcycle marquee that produces a wide range of sport, cruiser, adventure and touring motorcycles. From the storied Bonneville to the class-leading Speed Triple and Daytona 675R, Triumph offers a blend of design, character and performance that result in truly distinctive motorcycles. First established in 1902 and now located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, Triumph has always set the pace for category-winning machines. The company is solely owned by Bloor Holdings Ltd. and its North American operations are based in Atlanta. *If interested in being a partner/sponsor of Riders Discount Racing, please contact [email protected] for more info.* More, from a press release issued by K-Tech Suspension/Orient Express: K-Tech Equipped Riders Fill Daytona Grids K-Tech Suspension is pleased to report strong results from the season opening event at Daytona, with riders scoring wins, podiums, and top ten finishes in multiple classes. The races at Daytona saw the largest group of K-Tech supported riders in AMA Pro Road Racing competition to date, with seventeen riders across four classes. In AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport, there were nine K-Tech equipped riders competing in two races under cold conditions and limited track time. CJ Weaver rode his EDR Performance Yamaha R6 to second place from a thirteenth place start in Saturday’s race two behind eventual winner Puerta. Corey Alexander battled with the leaders and brought his #5 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 home in third place on Saturday. K-Tech equipped Tigert and Ferreira were also contesting for the lead and podium finishes over the course of Saturday’s race, and along with Thornton made for a total of five K-Tech riders in the top ten. Friday’s race saw Sebastiao Ferreira finish in sixth position aboard his EDR Performance Yamaha R6, with Travis Ohge taking tenth place on his Houston Superbikes Yamaha R6. The Vance & Hines Harley Davidson XR1200 Series race, Tyler O’Hara won on his Bartel’s Harley Davidson Scrubblade machine in a very tight battle with the lead pack. Steve Crevier and Shane Narbonne both finished in the top ten, for a total of three K-Tech equipped riders close to the front. K-Tech is pleased to see this very competitive class growing in entries for 2013! Daytona Sport Bike Rider James Rispoli piloted his #43 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 to finish a strong seventh in his first ever Daytona 200. Rispoli spent the entire race at the front with the lead pack with K-Tech Suspension front and rear. 2012 Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella was on the Riders Discount Triumph 675 equipped with K-Tech Suspension, but struggled during the race and would eventually finish twenty-third with determination. Luke Mossey made the trip to Daytona from the U.K. aboard his GB Racing backed Yamaha R6 equipped with K-Tech suspension, and finished a respectable sixteenth in his first Daytona 200. In the National Guard Superbike class, Roger Hayden put in a strong qualifying effort on his #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 to start from the front row in third position. K-Tech equipped Danny Eslick rode his #23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 to finish fourth in race one on Friday, narrowly missing the podium. Race two on Saturday saw Roger Hayden finish fourth, just a head of his teammate Eslick, who was fifth at the checkered flag. K-Tech Suspension engineers the finest in cutting edge suspension technology for motorcycles. The unique Direct Damping System (DDS) offers precision control, accurate adjustments, and incredible feel which serve to improve rider confidence and reduce lap times. The popular 20DDS pressurized front fork cartridges are available to fit all late model sport bikes, and feature a closed system design with 31mm control pistons, 20mm displacement pistons, and 8mm piston rods. Likewise, the aluminum bodied K-Tech 35DDS rear shock provides independent circuits for compression and rebound damping adjustments, and is easy to tune and setup with a unique bypass valve adjustment feature. Remote hydraulic spring preload adjustment, as well as adjustable shock length allow custom configurations for every rider. For more information regarding K-Tech Suspension components, please contact Orient Express, the exclusive North American importer and distributor. Orient Express is pleased to be your source for high performance service, tuning, and parts since 1973. Visit http://www.orientexpress.com, call 800.645.6521, or email [email protected] to explore what we can do to help your racing ambitions! More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: Yoshimura’s Cardenas Goes 2-1 in Daytona AMA Superbike Series, Daytona Beach, FL Yoshimura Factory Suzuki racing kicked off the 2013 season at the Daytona International Speedway in style with a 2-1 performance by its newest member – two-time AMA 600cc Champion Martin Cardenas. With eight wins in 2012, the Colombian racer wasted little time moving to the front of the 2013 AMA Superbike class. In Friday’s Superbike Race 1, Hayes and Herrin started in front and pulling away, but on lap five, Hayes dropped out due to a mechanical. Herrin stretched his lead to over two seconds, but Martin made up the gap and applied pressure for the entire race. Cardenas ended up just one tenth of a second (0.135) behind at the flag. The race for fifth was a thriller with Yoshimura Suzuki’s Chris Clark holding off Robertino Pietri by 0.240 – for the best finish of his Superbike career. Martin said after the race: “My plan was to stay there and attack on the last lap because it’s Daytona and the draft is very important. But this time it didn’t work for me – I kind of did the chicane badly and he got me a little too much. But second place is a good start to the season and we’ll try to do a good job again tomorrow.” And on Saturday, he delivered on that promise. Cardenas ran in third early and was falling behind the lead duo of Hayes and Herrin, but the Colombian hammered a remarkable 1:36.835 lap from his #36 GSX-R1000 (fastest lap of the weekend) to close the gap on the Yamaha pilots. He moved into second with a mistake from Herrin. He then pushed Hayes late into the race when Hayes bike gave up for the second time on the weekend. From there, Cardenas stretched his lead to over eleven seconds. Teammate Clark scored a sixth place after another battle with Robertino. “I’m very happy. I want to thank very much Yoshimura Suzuki for giving me the opportunity to ride for them. This team is awesome,” said Cardenas at the finish. The 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championship heads to Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, on May 31 – June 2, 2012. Team Yoshimura Suzuki Sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, MOTOREX, Dunlop, Shorai, Renthal, BMC Air Filter, RK Racing Chain, Enjoy Manufacturing and Chicken Hawk Racing. Daytona SBK Race 1 1. Josh Herrin 2. Martin Cardenas 3. Larry Pegram 4. Danny Eslick 5. Chris Clark 6. Robertino Pietri 7. Geoff May 8. David Anthony 9. Taylor Knapp 10. Chris Fillmore Daytona SBK Race 2 1. Martin Cardenas 2. Josh Herrin 3. Larry Pegram 4. Roger Hayden 5. Danny Eslick 6. Chris Clark 7. Robertino Pietri 8. Chris Fillmore 9. Chris Ulrich 10. Bernat Martinez 2013 Superbike Standings 1. Josh Herrin – 56 2. Martin Cardenas – 55 3. Larry Pegram – 42 4. Danny Eslick – 34 5. Chris Clark – 31 6. Robertino Pietri – 29 7. Chris Fillmore – 24 8. David Anthony – 20 9. Bernat Martiniz – 20 10. Geoff May – 19 More, from a press release issued by Team Ohio Racing/Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports: Combat Veteran Outreach a Success at Daytona. 3/19/2013 Upper Arlington, Ohio. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Alumni crews enjoyed a successful weekend at Daytona International Speedway. A total of four disabled combat veterans were assigned between two teams in the AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson class. Team Ohio Racing / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports helped facilitate the experience with the #3 Motolist.com entry of Richard Barnett and the #70 James Gang/Hoban Brothers entry of Paul James. The combat veterans were local area WWP Alumni and assisted as needed throughout the event. Paul Quast, a veteran of 4 tours of Afghanistan and Iraq with the 101st airborne, had this say about his experience with the James Gang/Hoban Brothers team “Paul (James) went out of his way to ensure that we had a great experience, from working on his bike to taking us to the flat track races. I cannot say enough about Paul and the James Gang/Hoban Brothers team. They are great people I wish there was a way to thank them for what they did.” Assisting Quast was Sgt Chad Clickner, a USMC combat veteran. Echoing Quast’s comments, Clickner added “I spent a decade of my life serving in the Marine Corps with people that influenced my life, giving me confidence and a sense of pride to serve with them. This past weekend, I spent time working with the James Gang/Hoban Brother race team, and that gave me the same feeling of confidence as a wounded warrior and that I can still do great things and make a difference” Paul James, Team Owner, #70, James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing (16th) “We had a fantastic experience working with our Wounded Warrior Project crew at Daytona. Paul (Quast) and Chad fit right in on the team and jumped in and worked hard to help us prepare our XR1200 for the race. For as smooth as it all went, it felt like we’d been teammates working side by side for a long time. A special thank you to Chad and Paul, not only for working with us at Daytona, but for your service to our country.” “Being on the Motolist.com Team was an event that I will never forget” stated Michael “Mick” (Turtle) Lum, a USMC veteran and WWP Peer Mentor. “This experience is the one that is going to be on the best sellers list thus far me. I was so honored being selected to be part of this encounter, but this can only be done is with support from race teams” Richard Barnett, Team Owner, #3, Motorlist.com (21st) “Team Motolist.com wishes to thank the Wounded Warriors for their invaluable teamwork at Daytona. Our Warrior crew and team had my back and gave me a fast and safe race bike. I can’t wait to work with them again. They are truly a top-notch group of guys. Also, thanks to Pete Cline from Team Ohio Racing for organizing the effort.” About Team Ohio Racing’s / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports: Team Ohio Racing is the first motorsports team to fully integrate disabled veterans into an active race team environment. By working with the Wounded Warrior Project, local alumni-warriors are incorporated into their AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines XR1200 team. Team Ohio Racing delivers respect to the WWP mission by working with WWP-Alumni members, allowing them to focus on their abilities instead of disabilities, and to heal and empower through motorsports. Team Ohio Racing supporters are: Drippin’Wet, Ellanet, Maverick Moto Media, NEXX Helmets, Midwest Motorcyclist, Motion Pro, Motogearu.com, Optimum Print Solutions, Portfolio Creative, REV’IT! Sport USA, Sidi, Silkolene, Wounded Warrior Project Alumni crew, XR1200 Owners Group. To learn more about Team Ohio Racing, visit them on the web at www.tor-vetm.org or follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/TeamOhioRacing, Twitter @TeamOhioRacing or Pinterest pinterest.com/teamohioracing/ More, from a press release issued by Acorn Woods Communications on behalf of Saddlemen: Saddlemen Hits the Podium in Daytona 200, SuperSport and Harley-Davidson Series Rancho Dominguez, Calif. – March 19, 2013 – Saddlemen-sponsored riders were a triple threat during the AMA Pro Road Racing season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Saddlemen riders found the podium in the Daytona SportBike, SuperSport and Harley-Davidson classes. “Clearly, good things come in threes,” says Saddlemen Director of Sales and Marketing, Ron Benfield. “Earning a podium finish in all three of the classes where Saddlemen has a presence gave us a fantastic start to the Road Racing season, and we’re happy to congratulate Tomas, Bobby and Corey on great racing.” AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike The opening weekend of AMA Pro Road Racing is always special because it marks one of the great traditions of the sport: the Daytona 200. Riders in the Daytona SportBike class must compete for 57 laps over the course of nearly 2 hours. The addition of pit strategy and the mental and physical endurance required to maintain focus makes the Daytona 200 the most grueling stop on the tour. Bobby Fong finished 3rd in the legendary Daytona 200, getting the Daytona SportBike season off to a good start for Triple Crown/RMR. Fong put together a solid run and held onto his 3rd place position as the field stretched out throughout the race, finishing 38 seconds behind the winner. Fellow Saddlemen riders Jake Gagne and JD Beach of RoadRace Factory finished 4th and 5th, respectively, in the Daytona 200, giving Saddlemen 3 of the top-5 finishers. Two-time SuperSport champ and SportBike newcomer James Rispoli finished 7th on his Saddlemen-equipped National Guard/Celtic Racing Suzuki. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport RoadRace Factory rider and newcomer to the Saddlemen family Tomas Puerta started off the 2013 season with a pair of solid performances. The defending SuperSport East champ landed in 5th for the first race in an incredibly close finish that saw the top five riders cross the line within a quarter of a second of the winner. Puerta followed up in Race 2 with a commanding victory, taking the checkers by more than a second and jumping out to an early points lead in the SuperSport West standings. National Guard/Celtic Racing talent Corey Alexander rebounded from a tough 14th place finish in Race 1 to bring home a 3rd place finish in Race 2 of the SuperSport class. Alexander managed to ride his Saddlemen Performance Sport seat to the podium in a photo finish, as top-10 riders all finished within 2 seconds of the winner. AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series With the Daytona SportBike class only racing on Saturday, Bobby Fong took the opportunity to compete in Friday’s Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson opener. The Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson rider piloted his Saddlemen-equipped XR1200 to a 3rd place finish after a close battle through seven laps. Learn more about Saddlemen’s Performance seats for sport bikes online at www.Saddlemen.com. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saddlemen for the latest product and racing updates. Saddlemen has been making high performance seats for racing for over 20 years. During that time some of the world’s fastest racers have fitted their motorcycles with Saddlemen seats, including land speed attempters, flat track racers and road racers. Saddlemen is the Official Seat of AMA Pro Racing. More, from a press release issued by Acorn Woods Communications on behalf of LeoVince USA: LeoVince USA Riders Take Two SuperSport Wins at Daytona; Third in Daytona 200 Richmond, Calif. – March 19, 2013 – LeoVince exhausts powered two winners during the AMA Pro Road Racing season opener at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, as well as three of the top-five finishers in the Daytona 200. LeoVince USA sponsors both Stefano Mesa and Tomas Puerta, who each brought home a victory in AMA Pro SuperSport. Mesa won race one on his Triple Crown/RMR Yamaha YZF-R6, while Puerta took the race two win on his RoadRace Factory/Red Bull R6. In addition to their LeoVince exhausts, both riders also utilize LeoVince’s SBK Carbon Fiber case covers and the innovative Dion Device brake lever guards. SuperSport race one was an overwhelming success for LeoVince USA riders, who took the top six spots. Mesa led the way in front of David Sadowski, Jr., Hayden Gillim, Matt Sadowski, Puerta and Sebastio Ferreira. All of them were on board LeoVince-equipped R6 race bikes. Puerta’s SuperSport race two victory was enhanced by four more top-ten finishes for LeoVince riders, including Jeffrey Tigert in fourth and David Sadowski, Jr. in sixth. In the prestigious Daytona 200 on Saturday, Bobby Fong put LeoVince on the podium, finishing third on his Triple Crown/RMR Yamaha YZF-R6. RoadRace Factory/Red Bull teammates Jake Gagne and JD Beach finished fourth and fifth, also riding R6 entries. Both Triple Crown/RMR and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull equip their bikes with LeoVince exhausts, SBK Carbon Fiber, and the new Dion Device brake lever protector. The Daytona 200 results marked a great start for the Dion Device, which was recently named the Official Brake Lever Guard of AMA Pro Road Racing. Throughout the weekend the Dion Device made its mark as well in AMA racing with a first, a second and two third place finishes in Superbike. Both Yamaha Factory R1’s with riders Josh Hayes and Josh Herrin were equipped with them as was Larry Pegram’s Foremost Insurance R1. “Congratulations go out to all our sponsored riders and teams. It was an incredible opening round to the season,” LeoVince USA Vice President Tim Calhoun reflected. “I am ecstatic for Stephane Dion with the AMA naming the Dion Device as the official Brake Guard of the series and seeing so many of them in use over the weekend. Stephane’s core desire in designing the Dion Devices was to improve the safety of riders and that is why a mandatory rule like this is elemental to the long-term success of this sport. We will continue to do our part in supporting teams and riders throughout the year.” For more information about sponsored teams and the Leo Vince line of performance products, visit the Leo Vince USA website at www.leovinceusa.com. To keep up with the latest product and racing news from Leo Vince, be sure to like them on facebook at www.facebook.com/leovinceusa.