YOSHIMURA SUZUKI FACTORY RACING’S ROGER HAYDEN CARDS SUPERBIKE VICTORY AT NEW JERSEY, FINISHES SECOND FOR ‘14
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Hayden, Martin Cardenas double-podium at season-ending race
MILLVILLE, NJ – The season-ending round of the 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championships was a cause for celebration for Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing. First, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Roger Hayden turned in a spectacular ride in pouring rain to get the win in the first race of the weekend at Millville’s New Jersey Motorsports Park. Then, in the final round’s second race, Hayden was joined by Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Martin Cardenas on the podium, with the duo finishing second and third, respectively. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Chris Clark also gave a solid performance over the weekend, picking up two seventh-place results.
This weekend’s win was Hayden’s first with Yoshimura Suzuki and was the culmination of a truly inspired ride on a soaking track. He followed that up with an impressive second-place result on Sunday, after recovering from an off-track excursion and charging his way through the field to the podium. The latter was one of seven podium finishes for the Kentucky rider in 2014. Thanks to this weekend’s performance, Hayden finished second overall this year.
“I’m really happy with the way the season went,” Hayden said. “We’ve been consistent and fast, and we were on the podium at just about every race. This was our first year together and I’m really proud of my team. I can’t thank Yoshimura and Suzuki enough for giving me this opportunity. This weekend was a good way to finish the season, I rode as hard as I could, every lap. This was my first time to finish second in points, and I learned a lot this year. We can all be proud of this.”
Although Saturday’s wet race saw Cardenas crash and retire early at New Jersey, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider was back in full force on Sunday. He battled down to the wire with Hayden for the runner-up spot before finishing an extremely close third. This New Jersey result was Cardenas’ fourth AMA Pro Superbike podium of the season and saw him finish sixth overall in the series.
“This was a tough weekend,” said Cardenas. “The track is very physical. I wanted to finish a little higher on the podium on Sunday but third was the best I could do. I’m very happy for me and for the Yoshimura Suzuki team to finish on the box.”
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Clark came into the 2014 season hoping to finish the series in the top five and he was more than successful, ending up fourth for the year. On top of that, Clark picked up his first-ever AMA Pro Superbike podium this season. In addition to that, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider also notched four more top-five finishes for the season.
“Overall, it was a really incredible year,” Clark said. “I felt like we were finally going in the right direction and we became a lot more competitive. There were some changes with my Yoshimura Suzuki crew, our chemistry improved and we were able to communicate really well. I have to thank the whole Yoshimura Suzuki team for opportunity to race and for providing me with a great bike like the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.”
2014 New Jersey Superbike Results, Race 1:
1. Roger Hayden
2. Josh Hayes
3. Larry Pegram
4. Sean Dwyer
5. Cameron Beaubier
6. Marcel Irnie
7. Chris Clark
8. Cory West
9. Chris Ulrich
10. Taylor Knapp
2014 New Jersey Superbike Results, Race 2:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Roger Hayden
3. Martin Cardenas
4. Bernat Martinez
5. David Anthony
6. Jodi Christie
7. Chris Clark
8. Larry Pegram
9. Chris Ulrich
10. Taylor Knapp
2014 Superbike Standings:
1. Josh Hayes – 285
2. Roger Hayden – 231
3. Cameron Beaubier – 206
4. Chris Clark – 176
5. David Anthony – 175
6. Martin Cardenas – 147
7. Cory West – 124
8. Chris Fillmore – 119
9. Larry Pegram – 105
10. Bernat Martinez – 98
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (SMAI) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Outboard Motors and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. SMAI’s supplier, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles and Outboard Motors. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki Motor of America, Motorex, Parts Unlimited, Dunlop, Shorai, Renthal, RK Racing Chain, NGK Spark Plugs, Pilot, K&N Performance Filters, Zero Gravity and Chicken Hawk Racing.
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Eslick Clinches AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Title at NJMP
Kyle Wyman Tops Rapp and O’Hara for Final Win of 2014 Season
MILWAUKEE – Danny Eslick (Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles) won his second AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series championship Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, while Kyle Wyman (KWR/Millennium Technologies) grabbed the victory in the final race of the 2014 season.
Eslick, who earned his first Harley-Davidson series championship in the class’s 2010 debut season, entered the final round with a 16-point lead over Benny Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D/Suburban Speed), the only other competitor with a mathematical chance to take the title. But a shoulder injury sustained during Sunday morning qualifying put Eslick’s championship hopes in doubt. Still nursing the injury during the race’s opening ceremonies, Eslick chose to forego the sighting lap, but when Carlson was hit with a 10-second jump start penalty, the final championship outcome became all but a formality, allowing him to ride a conservative race to a sixth place finish.
“I ran off the track and wadded it up in the wet grass this morning and pretty much destroyed that motorcycle,” Eslick said. “The Trev Deeley/Ruthless Racing team busted their butts from the time I crashed the motorcycle until the moments before the race. We were pretty close to not making it. Hats off to everybody out there.”
Meanwhile, Wyman battled at the front amidst a five-rider pack that included Carlson, Steve Rapp (Suburban Motors H-D/Aerostar Global), Tyler O’Hara (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), and polesitter Shane Narbonne (Six-Four Motorsports). On the last of the race’s twelve laps, Wyman was able to use lapped traffic to create the small gap he needed to break free from Rapp for the victory and take his second win of the season.
“I tried to put my head down from the beginning,” Wyman said. “I got the holeshot from the second row and did my best to push as hard as I could for a whole lap. But [Rapp] came flying by on the front straightaway, and from that point I knew the race was going to be a little different than I wanted it to be. It turned into a pack and I sat there through the middle part of the race. It was getting crazy up front and I just wanted to make sure I didn’t get caught up in any of that.”
New Jersey Motorsports Park Race Results:
1. Kyle Wyman (KWR/Millennium Technologies), 12 laps
2. Steve Rapp (Suburban Motors H-D/Aerostar Global), +1.667 seconds
3. Tyler O’Hara (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +6.012 seconds
4. Shane Narbonne (Six-Four Motorsports), +8.784 seconds
5. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D/Suburban Speed), +12.652 seconds
6. Danny Eslick (Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +26.215 seconds
7. David Estok (Thrashed Bike Racing/Arrow Aviation), +30.541 seconds
8. Darren James (Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +30.544 seconds
9. Josh Chisum (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +30.658 seconds
10. Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D/Suburban Speed), +34.854 seconds
11. Hayden Schultz (Chili Pepper Racing), +35.020 seconds
12. Sam Rozynski (Sound-Waves.com/Sirius XM), +1:09.783
13. Jerrett Martin (CPL Systems/Aggressive Insurance), 11 laps
14. Shelina Moreda (Chili Pepper Racing), +7.718 seconds
15. Jon Foy (Jupiter Cycle Racing), +10.595 seconds
16. Joe Rozynski (Sirius XM/Sound-Waves), 10 laps
Final AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Points
1. Eslick, 174
2. Carlson, 159
3. O’Hara, 148
4. Rapp, 144
5. K. Wyman, 138
6. Hansen, 93
7. Schultz, 90
8. McAllister, 84
9. Chisum, 84
10. D. James, 80
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 WINS SUNOCO ‘GO THE DISTANCE AWARD’, FINISHES SEVENTH IN AMA PRO VANCE & HINES HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR1200 SERIES POINTS AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
At the end of his second season in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XR1200 series, Hayden Schultz came into the New Jersey Motorsports Park finale leading the Sunoco ‘Go the Distance Award’ over his Chili Pepper Racing teammate Shelina Moreda, so his primary mission was to ride as many laps as possible and take home the prize. Unfortunately, a crash in the first practice on Saturday morning put the plan in jeopardy, but Hayden wasn’t hurt and his crew got the bike repaired for what turned out to be a wet first qualifying session that afternoon. Sunday dawned cool and dry, where Hayden qualified eighth and finished 11th in Sunday’s 12-lap final, ending the season seventh in overall series points and winning the Sunoco award for the rider that completed the furthest distance in 2014 race-weekend events.
“I’m glad to get the Sunoco fuel mileage award,” Hayden said. “But it’s hard not to be able to go out there and race as hard as you want to, and to make sure you don’t crash. We didn’t have a set-up after some tampering with the bikes was done Friday night. We had to start completely over this morning in practice, so we were just taking a shot in the dark with that. I couldn’t push real hard because I wanted to make sure I finished.”
The seventeen-year-old Schultz was philosophical about the eight-race Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XR1200 series that wrapped up in New Jersey. “I definitely had bigger expectations, for sure,” commented Hayden. “We’ve had a lot of weird things happen this season, so it’s been kind of different. Not how I hoped, but I can’t complain with a good team like Chili Pepper Racing and my other sponsors behind me. We hope to get a good program together for next year and have a better season.”
For 2014, Hayden has been proud to receive support from Indian Motorcycles of Lafayette (IN), Chili Pepper Racing, Paul Diener, Lenny Albin/Nitron USA, Arai Helmets, AXO Leathers, Racer Gloves, TCX Boots, Moto Skiveez, Silkolene, Leatt, SpeedMob, Spy Optic and Anthony & Joanne Cardarelli.
To learn more about Hayden Schultz, visit him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hayden.schultz.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Double Delight as Yamaha Take 2014 Championship Honours in AMA
Yamaha has proved its dominance yet again with the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 in the AMA Pro SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike classes. The last round of the season at the New Jersey Motorsports Park saw not only Jake Gagne clinch the 2014 DSB Championship, but also Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes end the 2014 AMA Pro SuperBike season in a spectacular fashion. The results mark Yamaha’s fifth consecutive Superbike title. Both Yamaha riders managed to get the job done with one race remaining.
Josh Hayes knew exactly what he had to do when he started the last race with a 40-point lead over teammate Cameron Beaubier. The vastly experienced rider secured pole and rode one of the strongest races of his career on the Saturday, fighting off his rival to the very end to cross the line in first place. The Yamaha rider was euphoric, but his happiness was closely followed by a moment of uncertainty. AMA Pro Racing deemed that one of his multiple passes on Roger Hayden was made under a yellow flag, meaning that Hayes wouldn’t be credited with the win. Ultimately, the AMA Pro decided imposed Hayes with a 20-second time penalty, moving him back just one position in the official race results to second place. With Beaubier finishing in fifth place, 20 points were enough for Hayes to claim the Championship title.
With his fourth AMA Pro SuperBike in the bag and less pressure on his shoulders, Hayes was able to ride a solid second race on Sunday, riding the R1 to victory, his seventh of the season. His seven wins put him on 285 points in the final standings and added to a total of 48 wins in Hayes amazingly successful AMA ProSuperBike career. All of these wins were achieved onboard a Yamaha.
RoadRace Factory Yamaha’s Jake Gagne sealed his first AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike title in a similar fashion to Hayes. Gagne led MotoSport.com Meen Yamaha’s Jake Lewis by just seven points, before kicking off at the Devil’s Showdown. Gagne rode a strong race on Saturday, finishing in second place, while Lewis was not able to score higher than a 17th place. Like Hayes, Gagne also finished the season on a high, climbing on to the top step of the podium after winning Sunday’s race. The victory was his third of this season. Where Yamaha YZF-R6s made up the top five finishers.
Josh Hayes
“I wanted to win the first race, and I gave it everything I had. I didn’t want to come here and have anyone feel that I was riding around for the Championship. In fact, I wasn’t even really thinking about the Championship too much. I was confident out there despite the rainy conditions. I knew that I just had to ride my race and I’d be OK. I had fun today. The second race was definitely not as smooth as it looked, and with Cameron leading, I felt like I was losing ground, but I relaxed and just ran my race. I was running some pretty good lap times, and things were starting to come around. I’m gutted for Cam because I wasn’t sure that I could catch him, and I really wanted a Yamaha one-two. I’m glad to win this last race of the season, though, especially after winning the Championship yesterday. It’s been an awesome season, and I’m so lucky to be racing for Monster Energy Graves Yamaha. Five straight Championships for Yamaha and the R1 is just amazing.”
Jake Gagne
“It’s incredible. This class is stacked with so many fast riders, and a lot of the guys are on Yamaha R6’s like me. The last thing I thought about today (Saturday) was to have this wrapped up. I’m stoked for the Yamaha and the whole RoadRace Factory crew. To do it for those guys and to pay off all their hard work is incredible. Ending the season with a win is amazing. Dane and Garrett and those guys were really haulin’, and I could see on my pit board that I needed to turn it up a little bit. So that’s what I did, and I was able to build up a little bit of lead. I’m glad it worked out for me and my team, not only today, but all season long.”
More, from a press release issued by Tuned Racing:
New Jersey Motorsprorts Park
Millville, New Jersey
The final 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing event at New Jersey Motorsports Park presented tough conditions and tough racing for Tuned Racing riders Bryce Prince and Jason Aguilar. In AMA Pro Supersport’s first practice and qualifying, Jason finished 10th. The final qualifier on Saturday left Jason in a disappointing 13th position on the grid. Race 1 was really tough. The riders went out on rain tires, but the damp track was not wet enough for rain tires, so the officials declared it a dry race even though rain was just minutes away. Without much experience in the rain, Jason lacked confidence in the damp conditions. Jason got a poor start, and combined with the damp conditions, he dropped to 25th position at the end of the first lap. As Jason got accustomed to the conditions, he was able to start pushing harder, moving up to 15th place by the end of lap 5. It started raining on lap 6 and Jason could not continue to push hard dropping a spot to 16th. When riders started crashing all around, the red flag stopped the race and it was declared a complete race after 8 of 16 scheduled laps were completed. Jason’s season long string of top 10 finishes came to a disappointing end as the race was called early, leaving him in 16th place.
For Bryce Prince, Saturday’s first qualifying session had him tied with Steve Rapp for 13th. Bryce improved to 11th in the second qualifying session. On the out-lap for Race 1, Bryce crashed in the rainy conditions. The team worked frantically to get him back on the grid in time for the start. Only 9 riders made it to the finish. Unfortunately, Bryce was not one of them, losing the front early on for his first DNF of the season, ending another streak for Tuned Racing riders.
Sunday welcomed the riders with clear skies and a dry track. After the team made some suspension adjustments, Jason was 9th in the warm-up. Race 1 saw Jason get a better start. Jason was behind a group of 3 riders that were holding him up, but it took him 5 laps to make a single pass. On the next lap, he got around the other 2, but the riders ahead had pulled away by 6 seconds and Jason could not close the gap, finishing in 9th place. Jason was the top rookie in Supersport for 2014. Jason was 6th in the Supersport Championship in his first year as a pro, racing on tracks that he had never ridden before. Jason is really looking forward to 2015 now that he has some experience.
Bryce got into a back and forth battle with Blake Young in Race 2 of Daytona Sportbike. On the final lap, Bryce led Blake through the final turn, but Blake got the draft for a 0.003 second advantage and 11th place.
Now the team will focus on winning Championships at Moto West Grand Prix. Having missed 2 MWGP events due to conflicting dates with AMA Pro Racing events, Bryce is now 2 points behind in his chase for the #1 plate. Bryce still leads the Formula 1, Open Superbike, and 600 Superbike Championships. Jason Aguilar leads the 600 Superstock class, and is 2nd in Formula 1, and 3rd in Open Superstock.
With the new MotoAmerica leadership taking over AMA Road Racing in 2015, the Tuned Racing team is really excited about next year. A combination of the new leadership’s commitment and Dorna’s support to restore American Road Racing to world class status, and to: run more events, sign a strong television package, pay bigger purses, will allow American Road Racing to really take off again. 2015 is going to be a great year not only for Tuned Racing, but for the sport overall. We are really excited to build on lessons learned in 2014, and chase podiums and championships in 2015.
Big thanks to all of our sponsors for making the 2014 Professional Racing Season possible:
Tuned Industries, Graves Motorsports, Dunlop Tires, Solarmax Technology, Galfer Brakes, Worxxx Performance and Machine, Drive Systems USA, Torco Advanced Lubricants, OFD Racing, Motoyard.com, Let’s Ride Trackdays, Zero Gravity Racing Corporation, Dynojet, VNM Sportgear, EFSigns.com, SBKPaint.com, Optimal Racing Bodywork, SpeedAngle, Shorai Batteries, ACT Leathers, NEXX-USA, Onyx Oil Service and Scott’s Plumbing.
Jason Aguilar also thanks his personal sponsors: RS Taichi, Moto Liberty, AXO, Vortex Racing, Impact Safe-T Armor, Spider Grips, HT Moto, GPR Stabilizers, Troy Lee Designs, and Chicken Hawk Racing.