Fillmore Goes 9-8 at Road America Elkhart Lake, WI – KTM/HMC Superbike rider Chris Fillmore took home a 9th place result on Saturday and an 8th place finish during Sunday’s race at the second round of the AMA Pro SuperBike Series held at Road America. Fillmore had a great qualifying session to earn a 7th place starting position for Saturday’s race. Once the race began, Fillmore leaped forward to a decent start. At the end of the first lap he was sitting inside the top ten. His teammate, Taylor Knapp, also had a good jump off the line and was sitting in 13th off the start. He quickly moved up one position on the next lap. Unfortunately, Knapp suffered a mechanical problem two laps later and did not finish the race. Meanwhile, Fillmore continued to plug away and went on to finish the race in 9th place. On day two, Fillmore launched off to a 7th place start and Knapp to a 14th place start. Fillmore held 7th through the majority of the race, while Knapp chased down the 13th place rider. Unfortunately, Knapp suffered another mechanical and did not finish the race. On lap seven Fillmore began a battle with David Anthony for 7th position. Anthony made the pass on Fillmore with three laps to go but was unable to pull away from a hard-charging Fillmore. The two battled through to the checkered flag with Anthony edging out Fillmore by just a bike length when they crossed the line. Fillmore’s effort earned him an 8th place finish for the day. “I am happy to get two top ten finishes,” remarked Fillmore. “We have made quite a few improvements on the bike in the last months but we definitely still have some areas to work on. I am happy with the progression so far and hope to continue to improve upon our results at the next round.” More, from a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing: Westby finishes sixth in second race back from spleen injury ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – GEICO Motorcycle Honda rider Dane Westby made steady improvement during Sunday’s GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Road America. He finished sixth and made his quickest laps of the weekend during the second half of the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America, the second stop in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series. “We did move forward,” said Westby, who competed for the first time this season following a spleen injury. “We went faster than we qualified. We’re still having some problems with myself and a little with the bike, but today was a step in the right direction.” Westby’s biggest stumbling block of the weekend was reestablishing a confident feel for the front end of his GEICO Motorcycle Honda as it transitioned from Road America’s long, fast straightaways into its tight corners. Westby didn’t have the confidence in the front end to be as aggressive as the leaders through those sections. “I’m going to try to get some more front-end feel any way I can,” Westby said. “When I train at home, I’ll ride my dirt bike or maybe lower the pressure in the front tires. I feel like this problem is me and not the bike.” Despite the mental hurdles, Westby still ran the fastest laps of the weekend on Sunday even though the track lost grip because of rain and a 30-degree shift in temperatures overnight. Westby’s quickest lap on Sunday was 2 minutes, 20.919 seconds. During Saturday’s race his best lap was a 2:21.469 on the way to an eighth-place finish. “Before the next race we’re going to change the way the power is delivered on the bike,” Westby said. “I thought for sure I could pass Garrett Gerloff for fifth on the run to the line (on the last lap). I got a better drive on him and almost ran into him coming into the last corner and he just squirted away. “There are a few things we need to iron out. Some of it sits with me and some of it is the bike. We’re trying to make up for lost time. With the way my confidence has been shaken, I’m not able to fully tell them what’s wrong with the bike.” But with a supportive crew and the next race at the familiar surroundings of Barber Motorsports Park, Westby said it shouldn’t take long to return to form. “Handling is this bike’s strength,” Westby said. “We’ve already tested at Barber and put up good times, so I think we’ll be able to hang with these other bikes.” The next stop for the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series is the June 21-23 Triumph SuperBike Classic at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media on behalf of Erik Buell Racing: Yates cracks Top 10 at Road America for Amsoil, Erik Buell Racing ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Erik Buell Racing rider Aaron Yates solved the brake problems on his Amsoil/Hero EBR to bring home a Top 10 finish Sunday in the National Guard SuperBike race at the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America. “All weekend we’ve been progressing along trying to get comfortable on the bike,” said Yates, who came home ninth. “We’re looking for a good setting where we can carry speed through the corners. Yesterday was a learning experience because of the brakes, but things held in there really well today.” At a track where drafting and pack racing is the norm, Yates wound up running most of the race on an island without any other riders around him. It gave the rider an opportunity to experiment with the limits of his Amsoil EBR. “I didn’t have anyone to race with, so it became a pretty uneventful race,” Yates said. “It was a good evaluation of some of the experiments we put on the bike for the race. “We went into today with a bike setup that hadn’t been ridden on. It was just something we wanted to try to see if it would give us some confidence on the side of the tire and carry some more corner speed. It proved to be pretty comfortable and consistent throughout the track.” Yates’ teammate Geoff May wasn’t so fortunate because he and his Team Hero/Amsoil EBR separated coming out of a turn early on in the race, sending May into the sand on the outside of the track and the bike to the grass on the inside. “The good news is I was far enough away from Chris Fillmore that there wasn’t any chance of contact,” May said. “The only danger was him running me over after I had already fallen. Chris did a really good job of avoiding me, because when the bike low-sided it started dragging me back across the track into harm’s way. “I just had to get off as fast as I could. Chris missed me by a foot or two. There was a paint line on the track that got me. I went in there hot, ran out wide, tried to keep it on the track, and as soon as I hit the paint line it threw me down.” The Amsoil-backed Erik Buell Racing team next turns its attention to the June 21-23 Triumph SuperBike Classic from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., the third stop of the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series. “The long straightaways at these bigger tracks take a little bit away from us,” Yates said. “But the bike does get through the corners really well. We’ve got some big steps to take to get the bike where we want it, but these next few races are going to really display what our bikes can do.” More, from a press release issued by LTD Racing: LUCKY 13: NASH REBOUNDS WITH IMPRESSIVE SUPERBIKE FINISH AFTER TOUGH WEEKEND ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2013) — Huntley Nash rebounded from a difficult weekend to finish 13th in Sunday’s AMA Pro National Guard Superbike race at Road America. Nash, who fell hard in turn five in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race following a mechanical issue, rebounded to score points in his first weekend of competition in the Superbike class. The 21-year-old piloted the Neyra Racing Kawasaki ZX10 as the team greatly improved the pace during the weekend, one that saw him compete in both Superbike and DSB. “I am happy with how the Superbike race turned out for us after some tough points in the weekend,” said Nash. “We went around two seconds faster than we qualified in today’s race. It was really the first time we got to see what we could do after being taken out of yesterday’s race and some dodgy weather at times this weekend. We made a lot of progress with the bike with limited track time. I think we’re ahead of where people think we should be at this point. It was the most fun I’ve had for a while, and I want to do it again.” “Superbike is different, and I am still learning, but it didn’t really overwhelm me,” said the LTD Racing regular. “I think we can make more progress next time.” Nash will next race at Barber Motorsports Park June 21-23. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 2, 2012) – There were no ‘what ifs’ following the second half of the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader that closed out the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing weekend at Road America. In contrast to Saturday’s opening-lap clash for the lead, the championship’s three major players — reigning National Guard SuperBike champ, Josh Hayes, pre-event title leader Josh Herrin, and the current points leader, Martin Cardenas — all got away relatively cleanly for the 12-lap contest and settled in for a straight fight to determine the day’s victor. And in the end, Hayes once again proved his supremacy. However, unlike the script that played out so frequently during the 2012 season — including twice here at Road America — the win did not come easily. The Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha superstar worked past Herrin on the opening lap and then hounded Cardenas until he finally found a way into the lead on lap 3. But, once in front, it proved no easy task to shake his determined challengers, and when he finally did — unlike his numerous ’12 blowouts — the race was still not completely decided. Hayes pushed the gap up to 2.428 seconds by lap 7, however, Cardenas responded by finding his groove aboard the #36 Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing GSX-R1000. The Mississippian’s advantage decreased lap by lap from there on out until he finally took the checkered flag with the charging Colombian just 0.818 seconds behind and within a sniff of his #1 R1’s draft. The victory marks Hayes’ fifth National Guard Superbike win in a row at Road America — the most of any rider. It also marked his second consecutive season of not only maximizing his points haul in Wisconsin but doing so while topping every single practice, qualifying session, and race. Hayes now boasts 35 career SuperBike victories and lowered his title deficit by 14 points on the weekend. He currently has 71 points, 34 removed from Cardenas’ class-leading 105. With his Daytona disaster now firmly behind him, Hayes said, “It was a great weekend. I’m really happy with the results. The racing was very hard for me. It was a really tough day.” Commenting on Cardenas’ late-race rally, Hayes remarked, “I was trying really, really hard. I got really tight. I was definitely struggling even from the halfway flag on. It was just me hanging on and gripping the bars really tight. My right arm is pretty worked… I started to panic a little bit when he started closing that gap up, but I was just trying to stay relaxed. I never really looked back. I had a pretty bad moment in 8 and thought, ‘oh, you just threw away the race.’ I looked back and saw I had a little bit of room and just tried to ride the second half of the lap clean. I’m glad I was able to make it to the line.” While he didn’t complete his charge for the win, Cardenas’ effort was most impressive and further signaled his arrival as a serious contender for the throne. He said, “The race was good. I liked it a little bit better than yesterday. Especially at the end, I got in a very good rhythm. I got a good start and the first few laps I was kinda okay. And then he passed me and did some very fast laps and I couldn’t keep on with him. I was not so good in some corners, but then I calmed down and started to get into a very good rhythm. We finished second, which is a very good place and a little bit closer, which is the idea. We’re happier than yesterday, and the Suzuki is working good. We’re looking forward to Barber and seeing what we can do.” Herrin hung tough on Cardenas’ rear wheel until the Suzuki man ratcheted up the pace. Once he lost the tow, Herrin faded dramatically, finishing more than eight seconds off the win. However, the career-long Yamaha pilot had built up a large safety margin behind him and cruised to a safe podium finish. “I thought it was really good,” Herrin said, who is now second in the points with 92. “Towards the end of the race I faded, obviously. I have no excuses for that — I was making little mistakes. For some reason when Martin would run wide, I’d think in my head, ‘here’s my chance to catch up or to pass him’ but I’d follow him every time. He’d run wide, I’d run wide. He’d have a bobble, I’d have a bobble. That was really hurting me. “Towards the end, he really dropped the hammer and started reeling in Josh. I was hoping I’d stay with him but I just wasn’t able to.” National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden scored a lonely fourth after flashing a front-running pace on the race’s opening two laps. He was followed home by his Jordan Suzuki teammate, Danny Eslick, to put three Suzukis in the top five. Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Yamaha’s Larry Pegram took sixth with several seconds of padding in either direction. Motosport.com Motul Fly Racing’s David Anthony beat KTM/HMC Racing’s Chris Fillmore for seventh. Team AMSOIL/Hero’s Aaron Yates was elevated to top EBR 1190RS pilot when his Team Hero teammate, Geoff May, crashed out of seventh on lap 3. The big Georgian finished ninth. Team RSRacecraft EBR’s Cory West just held on to beat Farrell Performance Kawasaki’s Jason Farrell and M4 Broaster Chicken Honda’s Chris Ulrich for the final spot inside the top ten. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Sunday’s AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race was a classic, a battle between Jake Gagne and Cameron Beaubier that saw each rider take a turn at the front and one that saw both riders nearly lose control at other times on the 4.05-mile Road America circuit. RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Gagne took his second AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike win with a great ride that saw him pressure Beaubier into a mistake with three laps to go. Jake Lewis earned third via a photo finish with J.D. Beach. Gagne won last year’s GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Miami in the rain, and today’s Road America win was his first DSB victory in the dry. Unlike yesterday’s contest, Gagne was able to stick with Beaubier in the early going. “I think Cam had more pace than me early in the race,” Gagne said. “I didn’t want him to get away like yesterday. A few laps to go, he made a mistake, and I got a gap.” The colder temperature conditions certainly changed things for the riders from Saturday’s race and both riders were near and sometimes beyond the limits of traction throughout the 13-lap contest. Beaubier even cracked his windscreen but managed to keep his Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6 on two wheels to the finish, and he maintained the points lead. “I made a lot of mistakes and felt like I had the pace to win. I almost ran into Jake but he rode awesome and got a good win,” said Beaubier, who now leads Gagne by 15 points in the championship. Lewis and Beach had a similar race, but their battle only concluded with the checkered flag. Lewis, racing his Meen Motorsports Racing Yamaha, finished just 0.008 seconds in front of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Beach, who had won the battle of Kentucky residents on Saturday. Garrett Gerloff took fifth again for Y.E.S./Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha and is now third in the GoPro Daytona SportBike points behind Beaubier and Gagne. Oklahoman Dane Westby was sixth on the GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing machine. James Rispoli (National Guard/Celtic Racing) shadowed Westby to the line. Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Triumph), Elena Myers (Castrol/Triumph/Apex Manufacturing), and Ben Young (Ben Young Racing) rounded out the top ten. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Corey Alexander won the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race at Road America on Sunday, besting a five-rider draft pack in the final run up the hill to make it a weekend sweep for the National Guard/Celtic Racing pilot. The rising star topped Stefano Mesa (Motosport.com RSRacecraft) and Tomas Puerta (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull) for the win, with AMA Pro officials confirming the results with a photo finish. “We changed positions so many times, it was tough to remember everything that happened,” Alexander said. “I could have been first, and I could have been fifth. I was glad to win it. First off, everyone in the top five had an awesome race. The bike was great all weekend, and we have some momentum going into Barber.” Stefano Mesa took second-place again on Sunday. “It was a solid weekend with the new team. Two second places, it was a good fight. All five of us out there were riding strong. My hat is off to the others,” said Mesa. Puerta looked to back up his Daytona victory with another triumph but lost out in the waning moments. The Colombian still took a fine third place. “We were battling very hard. With two laps to go, I got the lead and tried to pull away, but it did not work out,” said Tomas. Officially, Mesa was 0.012 seconds behind Alexander, and Puerta was a scant .001 farther back. Also in the lead pack were Harv’s H-D racer Travis Wyman and Baby Appleseed CM Motorsports’ Jeffrey Tigert. The top five finished the race within 0.425 seconds, making for a tightly contested victory. Initially the first race on Sunday’s schedule, the race was red-flagged after a crash on a restart and postponed until the last event of the day. Connor Blevins (Ajax Kawasaki) was fifth, ahead of Houston Superbikes’ Travis Ohge and Team 95’s Hayden Gillim. AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Suburban Harley-Davidson’s Steve Rapp did the unthinkable in Sunday’s 6-lap AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series final — he managed to escape from the pack and win the race going away. Each previous H-D dogfight at the circuit was decided by 0.157 seconds or less, but the veteran competitor somehow managed to break free of the draft and control the race from the front, ultimately taking the checkered flag with some four seconds in hand. Adding to the level of difficulty was the fact that the airline pilot didn’t even show up at the track until Sunday morning; Rapp earned a slot on the front row of the grid in the class’ second qualifying session, which was held Sunday morning, and then flew to victory in the afternoon in what was his day off from work. Rapp said, “I love this place — I do. I always look forward to coming here… I’m just happy to be here. It’s Suburban Harley-Davidson’s home race and I want to thank them — they put in a big effort. “It was really just a great, great day for me.” While Rapp’s dominance eliminated the expected drama for the win, a thrilling scrap took place behind him to decide second. Rapp’s Suburban Harley-Davidson teammate, Ben Carlson, ultimately took a popular runner-up result in front of his home fans by an impossibly small 0.001-second margin over Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson’s reigning champ Michael Barnes. Harv’s Harley-Davidson’s Travis Wyman was a further 0.063 back in fourth. Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade/Bartels’ Tyler O’Hara was also part of a four-man pack fighting for the position for much of the race but was forced out with a mechanical issue moments after moving into second position. ChiliPepperRacing.com’s Ricky Parker came out on top of a hard-fought four-rider brawl to complete the top five. Next Up The racing at Road America included some of the closest competition and fiercest battles seen to date and the series looks to continue the momentum later this month at the Triumph SuperBike Classes presented by America’s First Federal Credit Union. The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will return to the track on June 21-23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. For tickets and information, please visit http://www.barbermotorsports.com. CBS Sports Network Broadcasts, Live Streaming and Social Media This season GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel at http://www.amaprolive.com. All season long, stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2012 schedule consists of 12 rounds of competition on the country’s finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/. 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. More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media on behalf of Motorcycle-Superstore.com: Alexander doubles-up in Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport action at historic Road America ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 2) — Corey Alexander edged fellow teenage sensation Stefano Mesa for the second day in a row Sunday to complete a weekend sweep of the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport category at Road America. Unlike Saturday when he beat Mesa by a relatively comfortable 1.118 seconds, Alexander crossed the finish line just .012 seconds ahead of his rival this time in a breathtaking three-way photo finish. Tomas Puerta ended up third, just one-thousandth of a second behind Mesa. “We changed positions so many times, it was tough to remember everything that happened,” Alexander said. “I could have been first, and I could have been fifth. I was glad to win it. Everyone in the top five had an awesome race. “The bike was great all weekend, and we have some momentum going into Barber.” Alexander’s performance at this weekend’s Subway SuperBike Doubleheader offered a measure of redemption from the season opener in Daytona, where the National Guard Suzuki rider followed up a disappointing 14th-place finish on Day 1 with an improved third-place result in Day 2. He is now second in the Motorcycle Superstore SuperSport points, six back of Mesa. Motosport.com Yamaha pro Mesa, meanwhile, has now finished on the podium in three of four SuperSport races, including a victory in the first Daytona race. “It was a solid weekend with the new team,” Mesa said. “Two second-place finishes is good. It was a good fight again today. All five of us out there were riding strong. My hat is off to the others.” Coming off a victory in the second Daytona race, Puerta rode his RoadRace Factory Yamaha to fourth and third place finishes this weekend. Travis Wyman from Harv’s Harley-Davidson and Jeffrey Tigert of the Baby Appleseed team were fourth and fifth Sunday, respectively. Wyman is now third in the championship points. The top five riders finished the race within 0.425 seconds of one another in a race that was red-flagged and postponed until later in the day after a scary pile-up during a restart at the regularly scheduled time. The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season continues in two weeks on June 21-23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer: PROGRESS FOR ULRICH AT ROAD AMERICA M4 Broaster Chicken Racing’s Chris Ulrich closed out the AMA Pro Road Racing weekend at Road America with a hugely encouraging performance aboard his Honda CBR1000RR. After a frustrating lead-up to Sunday’s 12-lap AMA Pro Superbike race, Ulrich and his crew rolled the dice on a major chassis set-up change and came up golden. Ulrich’s previously unruly machine was transformed into a weapon he could effectively wield, allowing him to dice for position. The Californian made good use of the improved racebike, racing up from 16th to finish 12th, just a half-second removed from a top-ten result with the promise of further positive developments ahead. Chris said, “You always want to be a little further up, but it seems like this whole weekend we’ve been behind. We had the electronics problem on Friday which was a significant problem and we worked on that. That’s getting minutely better. But we discovered a pretty big thing about how the CBR1000RR chassis reacts to certain changes. “For today’s race we threw a Hail Mary. We changed the offset from the morning. I wasn’t that confident before the race but we all sat there and wondered what would happen if we went up a couple rates on the springs on both ends. We did, we lengthened the wheelbase considerably, and changed the gearing. We ended up a little short on the gearing, which was the only negative of that whole thing. But the positives were all the sudden it was a transformed bike. The thing was stiffer, it was agile yet it was supportive. It was fun ride. “I got done with the race and I told my guys, ‘We’ve got a baseline now — I can ride this now.'” For the second consecutive race, Dane Westby led the charge for Team Hammer in Daytona SportBike. The Oklahoman again underlined his return to competitiveness following his Daytona injury, engaging in a three-way dogfight for fifth. In the end, Westby finished in the middle of that pack, earning sixth on his GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing Honda CBR600RR. M4 Broaster Chicken Racing’s Benny Solis opened the SportBike race in a positive fashion, running eighth and looking to move up. Unfortunately, he ran off the course and dropped to 18th early in the contest and spent the remainder of his day making his way back up the order, ultimately finishing 14th. MPH Racing’s Melissa Paris came home two places back of Solis in 16th aboard her Team Hammer Contract Services Honda CBR600RR. Team Hammer will next travel to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL for the third stop on the 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing calendar on June 21-23. Ulrich in particular is looking forward to getting to Alabama and building on his positive Sunday afternoon in Wisconsin: “It’s a great track for me. My fitness is good and I’m looking forward to Barber and going forward. I’m so pleased that we found something in the bike this weekend and I feel like I’m actually riding the bike and the bike is not dictating me. I’m really happy. I’ve to thank my crew for coming along on this adventure and I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha’s Josh Hayes Wins SuperBike Race 2 For A Record Fifth-Consecutive Victory At Road America Elkhart Lake, WI June 2, 2013 –Three-time defending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes will be the first to tell you that he loves Road America, and he’s not just paying lip service to the historic racing venue. With today’s win in SuperBike Race 2, he set a new AMA Pro Road Racing record at Road America with five SuperBike wins in a row on the 4.05-mile, 14-turn natural road course. “It was a great weekend, and I’m really happy with the results,” Josh said after celebrating with his Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha crew in the winner’s circle. “Both races were tough, and I had to work hard for the two wins I got. But, I’m happy. We closed the points gap a good bit, and there’s a lot of racing left to go in the season.” Much like yesterday, Josh found himself in a battle with current SuperBike points leader Martin Cardenas. But, once he got past Cardenas, he was able to stretch out a little bit of a gap, which closed up some in the closing laps of the race. Despite the challenge, Josh kept his #1 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R1 out in front to take the checkered flag. Josh Herrin, rider of the #2 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha R1, had a much better day on Sunday than he did on Saturday, as his crew led by chief Rick Hobbs worked hard to make him more comfortable on the bike. The changes helped a lot, as Josh was able to get his third podium finish out of four races so far this season. “It was a good race for me,” Josh Herrin said. “But, I really wanted to catch Martin. Towards the end of the race, he really dropped the hammer, though. We lowered the air pressure in my rear tire a little bit for today, and it seemed to make a difference, so I’m excited about how that might help me moving forward.” Josh Herrin is currently in 2nd place in the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Championship. Fellow Yamaha R1 rider, Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram, is in 3rd place. Making the biggest leap up the standings is Josh Hayes, who currently sits in 4th place in points after just two rounds completed in the 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing season. At Road America, Josh Hayes had another one of his signature perfect weekends, in which he earned the pole position, won both SuperBike races, and also led the most laps in both races. So, the defending champ collected all the available points that he could at Road America. And, if he keeps doing that in the upcoming rounds, he’ll find himself back in the championship lead once again. One thing that’s certain is that the unfolding drama in AMA Pro SuperBike is going to be exciting, so stay tuned. 2013 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Championship Points (top five after two rounds) 1. Martin Cardenas 105 2. Josh Herrin 92 3. Larry Pegram 75 4. Josh Hayes 71 5. Danny Eslick 66 The next race weekend for the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha team will take place on June 21-23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. For more news, results, and other team info, be sure to check out Yamaha’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @YamahaMotorUSA. More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: YOSHIMURA SUZUKI FACTORY RACING TAKES OVER SUPERBIKE POINTS LEAD AT ROAD AMERICA Yoshimura Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas podiums in both Superbike races ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2013) – Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Martin Cardenas claimed the championship points lead this weekend in the 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. Cardenas raced his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to two spectacular podium finishes at the fast, flowing racetrack and was one of four Suzuki riders to finish in the top 10. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Cardenas started the weekend by qualifying second and picking up a front row starting position. In Saturday’s race, he got off the line cleanly and turned fast, consistent laps to bring home second. On Sunday, he got an even better start on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and took the holeshot. Cardenas went on to lead the field for several laps before eventually finishing second again. “It was a good weekend,” said Cardenas. “Sunday’s race was better than Saturday. On Sunday, I got a really good start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and the first few laps were good. But I got passed and couldn’t quite keep up. But toward the end of the race I got into a good rhythm and we got a little bit closer. The bike was working great and I’m happy with the results this weekend. Now I’m just looking forward to the next race at Barber.” Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark struggled at Road America. He suffered mechanical issues during qualifying and had off-track excursions in both races. Despite this, he still put forth the best effort possible, finishing 12th and 14th, respectively, in Saturday and Sunday’s races. “It was a bit of an off weekend,” admitted Clark. “During the first race, I had a decent start but another rider tried to pass me and ran us both off the track. On Sunday, we had an unfortunate issue on the warm-up lap. Luckily the first start was delayed and we were able to make the second start, but in last place. Even though I got another good start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, I made a mistake trying to make up positions and ran off track. Now I’m just focusing on getting a good result at Barber.” The Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team’s next event of the 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, the weekend of June 21 – 23, 2013. Road America Superbike Results, Race 1: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Martin Cardenas 3. Roger Hayden 4. Larry Pegram 5. Danny Eslick 6. Josh Herrin 7. Geoff May 8. David Anthony 9. Chris Fillmore 10. Cory West Road America Superbike Results, Race 2: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Martin Cardenas 3. Josh Herrin 4. Roger Hayden 5. Danny Eslick 6. Larry Pegram 7. David Anthony 8. Chris Fillmore 9. Aaron Yates 10. Cory West 2013 Superbike Standings: 1. Martin Cardenas – 105 2. Josh Herrin – 92 3. Larry Pegram – 75 4. Josh Hayes – 71 5. Danny Eslick – 66 6. Roger Hayden – 57 7. Chris Fillmore – 49 8. Chris Clark – 48 9. David Anthony – 47 10. Chris Ulrich – 36 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 Corporation founded Suzuki Motor of America Inc. (SMAI), Brea, CA, in 2013. SMAI markets motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, Outboard Engines and Automotive Parts and Accessories via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. SMAI’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 147 distributors in 201 countries. For more information, visit www.suzukicycles.com. Like Suzuki on Facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukicycles. Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, Motorex, Dunlop, Shorai, Renthal, BMC Air Filter, RK Racing Chain, Enjoy Manufacturing and Chicken Hawk Racing. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: Rapp Dominates AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Race at Road America Carlson Steals Second from Barnes by 0.001-second Margin Milwaukee (June 3, 2013) – Veteran racer Steve Rapp dominated the second round of the 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series with a commanding victory aboard his Suburban Motors H-D Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycle June 3 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Despite missing all of Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions, Rapp, who raced fulltime in the Harley-Davidson class in 2011, used his experience to get up to speed quickly on Sunday. With only a single qualifying session on a cold, blustery morning to get his machine into the 22-bike field, Rapp was able to qualify on the front row in the third starting position. He quickly converted that into the race lead on the opening lap that afternoon, taking over the point from a fast-starting Tyler O’Hara (Eco Fuel Saver/Bartels H-D), who briefly headed the field into Turn 1 from fourth place on the grid. Once assuming the lead, Rapp never relinquished command of the race and was officially credited with leading all six circuits of the 4.05-mile road course en route to a 4.051-second victory margin over teammate Benny Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D) and Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson’s Michael Barnes. “I love this place. I always look forward to coming here. I’m happy to be up here. It’s Suburban Harley-Davidson’s home race and I want to thank them­­, they put in a big effort. It was really just a great, great day for me,” Rapp said. As Rapp checked out at the front, a three-way fight developed for the second and third podium spots between O’Hara, defending 2012 class Champion Barnes, and Carlson. Each was credited with the second spot on at least one lap of the race until a mechanical problem felled O’Hara on lap five, dropping him out of the race. But the second step of the podium was not settled until the final few inches of the race, with Carlson snatching second place away from Barnes with a perfectly timed draft pass on Road America’s long uphill finishing straight to take the position in dramatic fashion with a 0.001-second margin. Travis Wyman, who worked his Harv’s H-D-sponsored XR1200 up into the mix as Carlson and Barnes battled, finished in fourth position less than a tenth of a second behind Barnes. “I knew on the last lap I needed to be in back of Michael. I actually gave him up a little bit [of distance] on the front straight so I could get a run at him and it worked,” said Carlson, a resident of West Bend, Wisconsin, who rides for nearby Suburban Motors. “As a local team, we couldn’t have a better result than one-two.” The AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series returns to action June 21-23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Road America Race Result: 1. Steve Rapp (Suburban Motors H-D), 6 laps 2. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +4.051 seconds 3. Michael Barnes (Rossmeyer’s H-D), +4.052 seconds 4. Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D), +4.116 seconds 5. Ricky Parker (ChiliPepperRacing.com), +33.993 seconds 6. Darren James (Deeley Racing), +34.739 seconds 7. Barrett Long (Longevity Racing), +34.945 seconds 8. Paul James (Hoban Cycle/Spectro Oils), +42.048 seconds 9. Josh Chisum (Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade/Bartels H-D), +42.054 seconds 10. Brice Cooper (Aerostar Global Logistics/Suburban Motors H-D), +42.360 seconds 11. Adam Raffe (Racing for a Wish/Pikes Peak H-D), +42.493 seconds 12. Eric Haugo (MOB Racing), +50.949 seconds 13. Cory Texter (MOB Racing, Black Hills H-D), +1:17.916 14. Dave Rhinehart (Rhinehart Development), +2:23.014 15. Hayden Schultz (Happy Trails M/C Connection/Landers H-D), 5 laps 16. David Estok (Thrashed Bike Racing), +3:44.884 17. Tyler O’Hara (Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade/Bartels’ H-D), 4 laps 18. Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D), 3 laps 19. Shane Narbonne (MOB Racing), 2 laps 20. Eric Stump (Peter Brady/Level 10), DNF 21. Greg Hutcheson (WFO Racing), DNS 22. Bryan Desimone (Kuryakyn), DNS AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Points Standings 1. Barnes, 37 2. O’Hara, 35 3. T. Wyman, 32 4. Rapp, 31 5. K. Wyman, 25 6. Carlson, 25 7. Long, 22 8. Fong, 21 9. Corbino, 18 10. P. James, 18 Company Background Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight 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.