Farquhar and Hamilton shine at Southern 100 KMR Kawasaki’s Ryan Farquhar and his young team-mate Jamie Hamilton enjoyed some excellent results at this week’s Southern 100 road races on the Isle of Man with Hamilton claiming his first ever road race victory. Team leader Farquhar took the opening Supertwins race by just 0.197s from Hamilton but the latter turned the tables in the second encounter, also claiming a new lap record. The racing got underway on Tuesday evening with the Corlett’s Trophies 1000cc race but problems with his Superbike meant Ryan had to use his trusty Superstock machine and although he started well, a tough move by Guy Martin at Stadium Corner pushed Ryan wide and down to third as he fought to keep the bike upright. He regrouped but Conor Cummins relegated him to fourth at the final corner on the last lap whilst Hamilton, making his debut around the 4.25-mile road course, finished in a superb 6th. With good weather continuing on the Island, Wednesday’s racing commenced with the Senior race but Ryan was an early retirement on his Superbike, which was still causing problems, whilst Jamie again took sixth. The Supertwins race saw the duo go head to head on their ER6 Kawasaki’s, the pair continually breaking the lap record as they pushed it over the 100mph mark for the first time. Ryan eventually held on by 0.197s although Jamie set the fastest lap and won the Walter Wain Cup in the process, the trophy awarded in memory of the life long enthusiast who passed away in 2006. That just left Thursday’s main race day and it saw Hamilton take his first ever road race victory as he dominated the second Supertwins race, pushing the lap record higher still to 102.527mph. Ryan had no answer to his protege but still took a good second, just over 5 seconds adrift. The final race of the week for the pair was the Southern 100 Championship and a strong ride by Ryan saw him lap at close to 112mph on his way to fourth place whilst Jamie finished in a fine 7th and became one of only two newcomers ever to break the 110mph barrier around the course, his best lap being 110.475mph. Speaking on his return home, Ryan commented; “For me personally, it’s been an up and down week as I’ve had a few problems with the bikes and am absolutely shattered after a really hectic few weeks but, on the plus side, Jamie’s had a superb few days and it was great to see him get his first ever road race win. He rode excellently throughout the event, very smooth and there’s no doubt he’s got a big future in the sport.” “When I arrived on the Island, I found a problem with the valves on the Superbike so didn’t get to go out on that until Wednesday’s race and in Tuesday’s Superbike race I was having a good run on the Superstock bike until Guy put a hard move onto me into Stadium. It ran me right out to the kerb and I was lucky not to be in the wall so, after that, I ended up just riding round almost and that, along with a bit of brake fade, allowed Conor to pip me on the run into the line. I went into Wednesday’s race without any practice on the Superbike and the suspension wasn’t right but the Supertwins was a great race. There was nothing between Jamie and myself and I just managed to get the better of him – but it was very close and I think he could have passed me if he’d have wanted to!” “On Thursday, the bike wasn’t working that well, I think there may be an electrical problem somewhere, but Jamie was absolutely flying and he beat us fair and square, he throughly deserved his win. I was back on the Superstock bike for the Championship race and although I had no problems and felt that I was riding well, I think the bike’s a bit long in the tooth now and I just can’t run with the Superbikes. It’s ok around the likes of Bush and Skerries where top speed isn’t crucial but here it’s just not possible. Since the TT, I’ve been flat out and haven’t had a day off so now I think it’s time to have a week off and have a good look at all the bikes. They’re not quite working right so I need to get them all stripped and working properly so that everything’s 100% for the next meeting. Like I say, I’m shattered and need a bit of time out to get myself mentally and physically prepared for the next meeting.” Ryan has opted out of contesting this weekend’s Walderstown road races and will instead turn his attentions to the Cock o’ the North road races at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough on July 21-22. More, from a press release issued by Ivan Lintin’s publicist: Superb month on the roads for Lintin Fresh from his success at the Isle of Man TT, Ivan Lintin’s rich vein of form on the roads has continued in recent weeks with some high class performances at both Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and the Southern 100. The Bardney, Lincs rider took a brilliant four-timer at Scarborough at the end of June and backed this up with a host of top ten finishes at this weeks Southern meeting, including a first ever win around the 4.25-mile course. The Barry Sheene Classic Festival was Ivan’s first meeting after the TT where, with races also for modern machinery, he was once again out on the R&D Sheet Metal ER6 and ZX-6R Kawasaki’s. Despite the mixed weather conditions, no-one was to get the better of Ivan as he won all four of the races he entered taking a commanding double over David Bell in the Supertwins races and defeating Keith Pringle and Jamie Coward in the two 1000cc events. It was then back to the Isle of Man for this week’s Southern 100 road races, which were held on the Billown circuit near Castletown in the south of the Island. Whilst most of the UK continued to be hit by heavy rain, weather on the Isle of Man was near perfect as Ivan made his first appearance at the ‘Friendly Races’. He opened his account for the week with 11th overall in Tuesday evening’s combined 600cc/1000cc race but it was a brilliant start as Ivan was the first 600cc rider to finish and so got to take the top step on the pdoium for the class. Wednesday saw Ivan have two races and the first of the evening was the 250cc/650cc event where he battled for much of the race with Chris Palmer and Russ Mountford on his new Tigcraft-framed ER6. There was little to choose between the trio as they contested the final podium spot and at the end of the 8 laps, it was Palmer on his 250cc machine who prevailed with Ivan in fourth, just over a tenth of a second adrift. Immediately afterwards was the first 600cc race and Ivan was involved in a terrific four-rider dice for fourth although on this occasion, he had to settle for a close seventh as he lost out on the drag to the line. Thursday’s final race day had a packed schedule and it was another highly successful day for the 27-year old. A superb battle with Ian Lougher and Dean Harrison saw Ivan finish 6th in the Supersport race, less than five seconds off the podium, and he also set his fastest lap of the week at a hugely impressive 107.373mph. Sixth was taken in the second 250cc/650cc race before he completed his week with 14th in the feature Solo Championship race where he was the second 600cc rider home. Speaking on Friday, a delighted Ivan said; “I’ve had a really good couple of meetings and couldn’t have asked for much more as I’ve been really happy with my performances. I had my first ride on the new ER6 at Scarborough and although Ryan (Farquhar) wasn’t present, I was happy with how the bike went and was delighted to take two race wins. The weather was a bit iffy during the day and I had dry races, damp ones and wet ones and the second 600cc race was really bad. The rain was relentless with standing water everywhere, definitely the worst conditions I’ve ever ridden at Scarborough so I was pleased to get to the finish of that one!” “I’d ridden at Billown before in 2011 but had never contested the Southern 100 meeting before and it was a quality event with some top class riders so it was a good chance to pit myself against them and see how I fared. Overall, I’m really happy with how it went and the results certainly exceeded my expectations with my lap times far better than what I thought they’d be. The 600 was working really well and I had some really good battles with Lougher, Harrison, Coward and Michael Pearson. It’s really important to get away with the front group and get the tow and I was ahead of them on the final lap of the first race only to get outdragged on the run in to the line. It was a similar story in the second and I was well chuffed to be just a few seconds off the podium and also to be running so close to Ian Lougher around there as he’s won stacks of races!” “It was only my second time on the ER6 and we were making changes to the suspension continually, which were improving the bike all the time. I was slightly disapointed to lose 3rd to Palmer in the first one and although 6th second time around was a worse result, I was really pleased with it as the bike was a bits not long before the race started as we were fitting a new clutch and radiator! I enjoyed the Championship race as well even though some of the 1000s were holidng me up in places so it’s been a really good few weeks. I’m over the moon with the results so a big thank you to the team and all the sponsors.” Ivan’s next meeting sees him return to Scarborough for the Cock o’ the North races, the meeting taking place on July 20-22. More, from a press release issued by K-Tech Suspension/Orient Express: K-Tech Riders Earn Six Podium Finishes & Set Three Fast Laps At Mid-Ohio K-Tech Suspension equipped riders achieved great results in AMA Pro Road Racing competition this weekend at the Buckeye AMA SuperBike weekend. In total, K-Tech equipped riders took six podium positions and a race win over the weekend, and three fastest race laps out of seven events. K-Tech Suspension technicians provided trackside service and support and worked hard in changing conditions over the weekend to ensure consistent performance for the riders. Roger Hayden rode his National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 hard from the first practice on Friday to secure second position on the starting grid for both races. Hayden’s National Guard Jordan SuperBike features K-Tech 20DDS front fork cartridges and a 35DDS rear shock, and allowed him to finish third on Saturday, and an even stronger second on Sunday, earning valuable points towards the championship chase. Roger’s pace in Sunday’s race was quick enough to earn the fastest lap of the race and help him stay close to race winner Hayes at the checkered flag in a very tight final few laps. In the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series, Tyler O’Hara rode his Bartel’s Harley-Davidson XR1200 from third position on the grid to win the race in dominating fashion and extend his points lead over Wyman 196 to 184. O’Hara’s XR1200 features K-Tech 25IDS front fork cartridges and MT35 rear shocks for great control and feel. O’Hara set the fastest lap of the race in a hotly contested battle to the finish among three riders. Celtic Racing’s James Rispoli rode his #1 plate Celtic Orient Express Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 to second place on the grid, and two hard fought battles in the races Saturday and Sunday yielded a pair of second place finishes. Rispoli maintains his lead in the SuperSport West championship with 232 points with points at Mid-Ohio only paying to East series competitors. Rispoli’s machine features K-Tech 20DDS front fork cartridges and a 35DDS rear shock that allowed him to finish less than half a second behind race winner Dominguez on Sunday. In the AMA GoPro Daytona SportBike class, Meen Motorsports rider Bobby Fong charged forward from seventh on the grid to finish on the podium and in third position in Sunday’s race using K-Tech 20DDS front fork cartridges and a 35DDS rear shock. Fong also set the fastest lap of the race on Sunday, showing that he has the pace to be at the front and gain valuable points. Orient Express is proud to be the exclusive North American importer and distributor for the complete range of K-Tech Suspension products. For more information regarding K-Tech, please contact Orient Express through our website ~http://www.orientexpress.com~, send an email to [email protected], or call 800.645.6521 / 631.231.9552 (NY/International). Since 1973 Orient Express has provided enthusiasts around the world with the finest high performance parts, service, tuning and expertise. Contact us today so we can help you, or contact an authorized K-Tech service center in North America for local support. K-Tech Suspension front fork cartridges and rear shocks combine cutting edge technology with easy set up straight from the box. K-Tech is pleased to offer trackside support for many racers through on-site factory technicians as well as authorized K-Tech Suspension service centers. More, from a press release issued by KTM North America: Nebel Finishes 11th at Mid-Ohio AMA Pro SuperBike Race Lexington, OH KTM/HMC Factory Superbike rider Stefan Nebel earned an 11th place finish during the second day of racing as part of the seventh round of the AMA Pro SuperBike Championship held at The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Nebel qualified 14th fastest at the conclusion of Friday’s qualifying sessions. Shortly after, he began to complain about pain in his hand and upper arm. On Saturday morning, medics determined that Nebel’s infection had spread through his bloodstream and he would not be able to compete in Saturday’s race. Nebel received additional care from the medics throughout the day and was able to return to racing action for Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperBike race. Nebel started 14th off the line when the race began and was able to maintain that position for the first half of the race. He stayed strong and fought through his infection to pick up a few more positions before the checkered flag to finish 11th place. Missing from the racing action was Nebel’s teammate, Chris Fillmore. The KTM/HMC Superbike rider suffered a broken hand after a crash during practice at Barber Motorsports and is back in California recovering. The team reported that they are hoping for a quick recovery and anticipate Fillmore returning to action at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca event on July 27-29, 2012. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: O’Hara Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Race at Mid-Ohio Top 10 Runners Set for XR Showdown Chase Lexington, OH (July 15, 2012) Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Scrubblade rider Tyler O’Hara topped a three-way battle between Michael Barnes (M.O.B. Racing) and KLR Group/Spyke’s Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman to win his third AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race of the season Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Wyman jumped out to the early lead in the first turn on the first of the race’s 11 laps ahead of polesitter Barnes, who slipped to third behind O’Hara later in the lap, and led the field for the first three trips around the 2.4-mile circuit. By lap four, O’Hara was in the lead, but Barnes wasn’t ready to give up the fight, briefly taking the race lead for the first time on lap seven. Although the official lap chart showed O’Hara leading the remaining four laps, the trio swapped positions multiple times in the closing stages, with most of the passes coming at the end of the track’s long back straight before entering a set of technical turns that make up the second half of the course. On the final lap, Wyman made a pass on Barnes to take over second place and tried to move into the lead at the entrance to that series of turns but ferocious late-braking by O’Hara kept Wyman at bay and sewed up the victory. “I went in there a couple of times way sideways. I knew if I could just get through there and get through the next left [turn] I could control the rest of the lap,” O’Hara said. “What a great weekend and race. We struggled at the beginning and we had to put some stuff together, but I had my whole team behind me. It means so much to win today.” Harv’s Harley-Davidson’s Travis Wyman came home fourth in a lonely race ahead of Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D) who held off David Estok (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing) for fifth. Benjamin Carlson, Shane Narbonne, Darren James and Josh Chisum rounded out the top ten. Sunday’s race marked the last opportunity for riders to earn a spot in top ten of the championship standings before the points reset for the XR Showdown. Beginning with August’s double-header round at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, the top ten runners will have their points reset level at 1000 each and battle for a $60,000 prize fund over the course of the final five races of the season. Final Results: 1. Tyler O’Hara (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), 11 laps 2. Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Spyke’s H-D), +0.136 second 3. Michael Barnes (M.O.B. Racing), +0.353 second 4. Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D), +11.762 seconds 5. Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D), +15.726 seconds 6. David Estok (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing), +15.874 seconds 7. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +19.301 seconds 8. Shane Narbonne (Suburban Motors H-D), +29.664 seconds 9. Darren James (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing), +29.882 seconds 10. Josh Chisum (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +41.496 seconds 11. Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D), +42.520 seconds 12. Brice Cooper (Hoban Brothers/Woodstock H-D), 55.125 seconds 13. Sam Rozynski (Triple Crown Industries), +56.421 seconds 14. Joseph Rozynski (Triple Crown Industries), +1:01.671 seconds 15. Paul James (Hoban Brothers/Woodstock H-D), +1:01.841 16. Ray Delaney (None listed), +1:38.758 17. Peter Cline (RIDER Insurance), +1:40.881 18. Calvin Martinez (National Precious Metals), 7 laps 19. Aaron Borello (Air Ground Xpress), 2 laps, crash XR1200 Championship Points [XR Showdown Top 10] 1. O’Hara, 196 2. K. Wyman, 184 3. Barnes, 166 4. Corbino, 105 5. Estok, 103 6. T. Wyman, 97 7. Signorelli, 78 8. D. James, 75 9. Chisum, 73 10. Carlson, 68 The next round of the Vance & Hines XR1200 series is August 17-19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer: WESTBY CAPS GREAT MID-OHIO WEEKEND M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki’s Dane Westby closed out an outstanding at Mid-Ohio weekend with his fourth-consecutive top-two result. Westby again battled at the front throughout the once-red-flagged Daytona SportBike showdown, holding down the lead for a number of laps while threatening to log a double win on the weekend. ‘The Wolverine’ just fell off the chase for the checkered flag in the race’s waning stages as he turned his attention to defending second–which he did, by 0.141-second. Westby’s mid-season surge has allowed him make a serious move in the SportBike title hunt. He’s now a clear second with 247 points thanks to his six podium finishes, including four runner-up finishes and one victory in 2012. After notching up his Sunday second, Westby said, “We had some problems that we didn’t have yesterday; we changed out the brake pads and I was able to attack in the braking zones a little bit better but we gave it up for some other chatter issues. It was pretty close — that extra bit I was holding back because of the chatter might have been it. But it is what it is. It was a good race. I’d have liked it to be closer like it was yesterday but every race is different. That’s how the cards played today.” Suzuki SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Elena Myers enjoyed a fantastic outing on Sunday as well. After qualifying 12th and finishing eighth on Sunday, Myers rocketed off the grid in the SuperSport contest’s restart and immediately put herself in top-five contention. Myers scrapped with a fellow 2012 race winner for fourth and came up just 0.126-second short of the spot at the flag, but still reeled in an encouraging fifth-place result. Meanwhile, M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich scooped up his third straight top-10 result in his march to regain the form he showed prior to being seriously injured last season. The past Mid-Ohio Superstock race winner piloted his Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike to 10th on Sunday, equaling his Saturday performance. Team Venezuela’s Robertino Pietri missed the Sunday race, having returned to his U.S. base in Miami to seek additional medical evaluation of his troublesome left wrist, injured in a violent crash at Road America two rounds ago. Team Hammer will be back in action in two weeks’ time as the AMA Pro Road Racing series joins the MotoGP World Championship at Laguna Seca on July 27-29. In 2012, Team Hammer, Inc. is competing in its 32nd consecutive racing season and marks its sixth year of offering technical and logistical support through its Contract Services Department. Riders on Team Hammer-prepared racebikes have earned 53 AMA Pro National race wins; 122 AMA Pro National podium finishes; 4 AMA Pro Championships; 133 Overall National Endurance race wins; 13 National Endurance Championships and assorted other race wins and titles. More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: YOSHIMURA SUZUKI CELEBRATES YET ANOTHER SUPERBIKE PODIUM AT MID-OHIO Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young cards second on Saturday, Chris Clark brings home top-10 on Sunday LEXINGTON, OH (July 16, 2012) This past double-header race weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH, saw Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing put another podium finish into the proverbial books for the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike season. Rider Blake Young raced his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a well-earned second place in Saturday’s race, while Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark picked up a top-10 result the following day. In Saturday’s 21-lap race, Young started out strong by getting a good launch on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was running in fourth when a red flag stopped the race. After the restart, Young got another good start and fought hard for his second-place finish. On Sunday, Young wasn’t as fortunate with his start but worked his way up into fourth place to battle for a podium position. Unfortunately, Young went down but managed to recover and finish 13th. “In Saturday’s race, I got two good starts and I can’t complain,” said Young. “I ended up slotting into first for the first few laps, but I was kind of hesitant to run up front. I had a tough time finding my flow, but I need to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki team because the GSX-R1000 was great. On Sunday, I had some issues and the crash is going to make the points battle pretty tough. But we have a bike capable of winning, so I just need to keep my head down and do my best at Laguna Seca.” Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Clark pushed hard all weekend and walked away from Mid-Ohio having made some overall progress. On Saturday, Clark put his head down on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and rode a smart, consistent race to finish 11th. On Sunday, he again turned in a smart, solid performance and finished an even better ninth. “Overall it was a really positive weekend,” said Clark. “Mid-Ohio is a track I’ve always struggled at, but the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is an incredible bike. By the end of the weekend, I’d improved my lap times by almost two seconds over my qualifying pace the year before. Obviously, I’m not too happy with where I finished, but it was a huge step in the right direction. I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki crew for their efforts and I’m really looking forward to Laguna Seca.” Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA, the weekend of July 27 – 29, 2012. Mid-Ohio Superbike Results, Race 1: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Blake Young 3. Roger Hayden 4. Steve Rapp 5. Larry Pegram 6. Geoff May 7. Ben Bostrom 8. Taylor Knapp 9. Danny Eslick 10. Chris Ulrich Mid-Ohio Superbike Results, Race 2: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Roger Hayden 3. Josh Herrin 4. Steve Rapp 5. Geoff May 6. Larry Pegram 7. Danny Eslick 8. Taylor Knapp 9. Chris Clark 10. Chris Ulrich 2012 Superbike Class Standings: 1. Josh Hayes 383 2. Blake Young 316 3. Josh Herrin 225 4. Roger Hayden 204 5. Geoff May 190 6. Larry Pegram 182 7. Steve Rapp 151 8. Danny Eslick 147 9. Ben Bostrom 146 10. Chris Clark 146 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 American Suzuki: Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) founded the Motorcycle and ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, CA, in 1963. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, 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/regions. For more information visit www.suzukicycles.com. Follow Suzuki on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/SuzukiCycles. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS TEAM CELEBRATES BEST RESULTS OF THE SEASON AT MID-OHIO SUPERBIKE RACE WEEKEND LEXINGTON, OH (July 16, 2012) The Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) team celebrated its best weekend of racing so far this season at the double-header AMA Pro National Guard Superbike weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH. National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden raced his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 to second and third place, while MJM teammate Ben Bostrom brought home a solid seventh-place finish on Saturday. For Hayden, the results marked his personal bests for the season. On Saturday, Hayden got a good start on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and, despite a red flag, raced to an impressive third-place finish. On Sunday, Hayden again came out swinging right from the get-go and battled successfully for the second spot on the podium. “We had a good weekend at Mid-Ohio,” said Hayden. “The first race went pretty good. I worked my way up to third and engaged in a good battle throughout the whole race. In the second race, I was able to go good right out of the gate and about halfway through the race, I moved into second. I had really good speed and ran with the leader the whole race. All in all, it was a good weekend for us and it was great to be back on the podium for both races. I can’t thank my National Guard Jordan Suzuki team enough. Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling at Laguna Seca, which is a track that I like.” MJM’s Bostrom started the weekend on a high point by getting a decent start in Saturday’s 21-lap race, turning consistent laps and bringing home a solid seventh. On Sunday, Bostrom again got a fair start and worked his way up into fourth by the middle of the race, but finished 15th. “It was a rough weekend for the number 23 Jordan bike,” said Bostrom. “But it was a great weekend for the National Guard Jordan 54. It was great to see Roger up on the podium and I hope to join him up there at Laguna Seca. And I have to thank the Jordan Motorsports boys, who are doing an awesome job as always.” In the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship points standings, Hayden moved up to fourth place while Bostrom sits in ninth. The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA, the weekend of July 27 – 29, 2012. ABOUT MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS: Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on MJM, please visit www.23race.com, www.twitter.com/23race and http://www.facebook.com/23race. ABOUT THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Michael Jordan Motorsports is proud to partner with: Jordan Brand (a division of Nike), National Guard, American Suzuki, Hanes, Gatorade, Bazzaz, Vortex Racing Components, FMF Exhausts, Gemini Racing, K-Tech Suspension-Orient Express Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, Mechanix Wear, K & N Air Filters, Dainese Leathers, AGV Helmets, Ancra Tie-downs, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Armour Bodies, DID Chains, Factory Pro Dyno, Roclun International, Cardo Scala Rider, STAR Motorcycle School, Motion Pro Tools, Zero Gravity Windscreens, with transportation provided by Eastside Trucking. More, from a press release issued by Celtic Racing/Orient Express: Celtic Racing’s Rispoli Captures Double Second Place Finishes At Mid Ohio AMA SuperSport Celtic Racing’s James Rispoli rode his #1 Celtic Orient Express Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 to double second place finishes at Mid Ohio this weekend in the SuperSport class, putting in another strong weekend of work with Sunday’s race being an epic battle before and after the red flag among the top three. Corey Alexander had the pace in both races to earn a top five finish, was unable to capitalize early enough in either race. Corey would finish seventh on Saturday and ninth on Sunday on the #5 National Guard Fairhills Group Suzuki GSX-R 600. Weather conditions were threatening all weekend, but both races were dry at Mid Ohio, a famously technical track with notoriously poor traction. James Rispoli stated enthusiastically that “My Celtic Orient Express Racing crew did a great job this weekend and gave me a wicked fast bike. We found a great set up, and Sunday was a dog-fight the whole race with Dominguez. He pulled a gap on me the last lap on Sunday coming out of the keyhole, and I made a little mistake coming out of turn six or I would have been even closer at the checkered flag.” Rispoli was 0.8″ faster on average during the race Sunday than he was on Saturday, allowing him to challenge for the race lead and keep Dominguez close. Rispoli said that “on Saturday I could match his lap times, so I knew I had to find something extra for Sunday. Big thanks to my Celtic crew for all the hard work, and to my personal sponsors AGV Helmets, Dainese Leathers, Monster Energy, and Techmount for all their support!” Corey Alexander has found ways to work through problems and will spend the two weeks before Laguna Seca training and reviewing where he can improve his results. Corey said that “Overall the weekend didn’t go as I expected. My National Guard Fairhills Group team gave me a great bike; I just struggled to put it to use against the stiff competition we faced this weekend. Huge thanks to my team and all the sponsors. I can only look forward to and get better results.” Corey’s personal sponsors include Fairhills Group, Hudson Valley Motorcycle, Spidi Leathers, XPD Boots, and Arai Helmets. Celtic Racing travels to Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California for the eighth round of the season in combination with the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MotoGP event July 27-29. Both Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600’s showcase the best in road racing technology. Product support for both machines comes from: Michael Jordan Motorsports, American Suzuki, Armor Bodies, Chicken Hawk Racing, DesignStar3, Dynojet, FMF Racing, Full Spectrum Power, Hudson Valley Racing, Galfer Brakes, GB Racing, K-Tech Suspension, Maxima Oils, Motion Pro, Pit Bull, Riviera Country Club, Saddlemen, Star Motorcycle School, Vortex Racing, and Zero Gravity. Celtic Racing was established in 2001 by Barry Gilsenan, and over the past 11 seasons has established itself as a premier privateer racing team. Development of riding talent began with two-stroke 125cc, and 250cc machines competing in professional and regional championship events. More recent Celtic Racing efforts have focused on AMA Pro Road Racing in the Daytona SportBike and SuperSport classes with Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha four stroke motorcycles. Gilsenan’s talent for coaching racers of all ages and abilities has brought Celtic Racing worldwide attention and recognition, with many former Celtic Racing riders now competing on World Championship levels. Please join Celtic Racing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CelticRacing. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Please visit http://www.nationalguard.com to find out more. FAIRHILLS GROUP Fairhills Group is a New York based alternative investment management firm that manages capital for the Bronson family and other high net worth individuals and wealthy families. Fairhills was established in 2002 for the purpose of providing public companies with alternative forms of financing, eventually becoming one of the most active investors in structured equity transactions. Fairhills has since grown to provide financing solutions to companies globally and recently has opened its doors for the first time to external investors, with a full range of alternative investment fund offerings. For more information on Fairhills, please visit http://www.fairhills.com. ORIENT EXPRESS Established in 1973, Orient Express is a high performance motorcycle parts and accessories warehouse distributor; offering dyno tuning, engine building services and precision machine work. Orient Express has an extensive history of racing, including support of both professional and amateur race series and individuals. For more information regarding Orient Express, or to find out what Orient Express can do for your racing success, please call 800.645.6521 or 631.231.9552 (NY/International), visit http://www.orientexpress.com or join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OrientExpressRacing.