Eslick Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Race at Laguna Seca
2010 Champ Takes Over Series Points Lead After Rapp Gets Jump Start Penalty
MILWAUKEE (July 14, 2014) – Danny Eslick returned to the top of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series standings with a victory Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles rider, who earned his first AMA Pro championship in the class in 2010, took advantage of a 10-second jump start penalty assessed to Suburban Motors H-D/ Aerostar Global’s Steve Rapp to take his first class win of the season along with the top spot in the series’ points chase.
Although Rapp was the first rider to take the checkered flag, he was judged to have jumped the start early, ceding the victory to Eslick, the only rider able to keep pace with the defending series champion.
“I’ve been getting a lot of second [places] and getting beat up in this deal. I think everybody expected me to just come in and win and it just shows that these guys have been busting their butts and riding these Harleys really hard,” Eslick said. “When you get up to the pace Steve and some of these other guys are going, it makes it pretty tough. It’s not the way I wanted to win it, by penalty, but a ‘W’ is a ‘W,’ and we need the points.”
Despite the jump start penalty, Rapp had built a large enough lead over the rest of the field by the end of the race’s 11 laps to take second place. He was followed home by a deep battle for the third step of the podium, which went to KWR/Millennium Technologies rider Kyle Wyman, who recently returned to action after knee surgery for an injury at Barber Motorsports Park last month.
The fifth and sixth rounds of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley Davidson series will be contested August 8-10 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the FIM Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Race Results:
1. Danny Eslick (Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles), 11 laps
2. Steve Rapp (Suburban Motors H-D/ Aerostar Global), +6.128 seconds
3. Kyle Wyman (KWR/Millennium Technologies), +9.982 seconds
4. Tyler O’Hara (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +10.476 seconds
5. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +10.522 seconds
6. Ryan Kerr (Thunder Roads Magazine), +10.927 seconds
7. Gage McAllister (Folsom H-D), +10.933 seconds
8. Hayden Schultz (Chili Pepper Racing/H-D of Bloomington), +12.673 seconds
9. Darren James (Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +39.866 seconds
10. Josh Chisum (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +43.328 seconds
11. Shelina Moreda (Chili Pepper Racing), +1:26.679
12. JC Gibbs (Octane), +1:34.255
13. Jerrett Martin (CPL Systems/Aggressive Insurance), 6 laps
14. David Estok (Thrashed Bike Racing/Arrow Aviation), DNF
15. Nicholas Hansen (Aerostar Global/Suburban Motors H-D), DNS
AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Points
1. Eslick, 95
2. O’Hara, 84
3. Carlson, 76
4. McAllister, 70
5. Rapp, 57
6. K. Wyman, 51
7. Hansen, 47
8. Schultz, 41
9. Stump, 40
10. Kerr, 40
Company Background
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit harley-davidson.com.
More, from a press release issued by Proforma:
HAYDEN SCHULTZ BOUNCES BACK AT LAGUNA SECA IN AMA PRO VANCE & HINES HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR1200 SERIES
Hayden Schultz wasn’t sure he could get his race bike together after a crash at the previous round, but thanks to Paul Diener and the crew at Indian Motorcycles of Lafayette, Indiana, he was able to get his bike repaired and looking better than ever. Hayden and the bike made the trek to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California to race in round four of the eight-race of the 2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XR1200 series. Hayden finished eighth in the single 11-lap race on Saturday afternoon on the challenging road course, racing with a group of riders all fighting over fourth place.
Hayden qualified in sixth place after picking up time in the Saturday morning qualifying session, and started on the outside of the second row for Saturday’s race. At the start he fell in with the battle for fourth place, making passes but unable to make them stick for more than a few corners. “Steve (Rapp) and Danny (Eslick) pulled away from our group, but we kept passing and re-passing each other,” said Hayden. “I could pass in a few corners, but just couldn’t make them stick for a whole lap. On the last lap, I pushed hard into the last turn, and tried to get a good drive, but I got kicked out of the seat and lost some time on the guy ahead of me.”
Hayden still sits in eight place in the season points standings.
Hayden’s next event of the 2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XR1200 series is at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio on July 19-20, 2014.
Hayden is proud to receive support from Indian Motorcycles of Lafayette (IN), Lenny Albin/Nitron USA, Chili Pepper Racing, Arai, AXO, Racer Gloves, TCX Boots, Silkolene, Leatt, Leo Vince, Speedmob, Moto Skiveez, Spy Optic, and Anthony & Joanne Cardarelli.
To learn more about Hayden Schultz, visit him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hayden.schultz.