Czech Republic Grand Prix debrief with Tohru Ubukata Round 11: Czech Republic GP Post-race debrief Automotodrom Brno, Tuesday 18 August 2009 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front Hard, Extra hard. Rear Medium, Hard The Czech Republic Grand Prix was the first race after the mid-season break and represented a welcome return to racing for Valentino Rossi. He won from Dani Pedrosa and Toni Elias to mark his fifth victory of the season and take a 50 point lead in the championship. The weather was fine and hot all weekend, with a track temperature that rose to 48 degrees Celsius during the race. The circuit’s surface was re-laid last year and this year a new lap record was set along with a new best pole position time. The heat and the abrasive surface meant that in the race the harder option Bridgestone slicks were the favoured choice for their extra durability: the extra hard compound fronts and the hard compound rear slicks. Q&A with Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development All riders used the harder compound front tyre and almost all used the harder rear slicks in the race. Why was this? Some riders used the medium compound rear tyre early in the weekend and in qualifying and it worked well. Valentino used this softer option for qualifying and set a new pole position record, so clearly this option worked very well for him. This is the first pole position record to be set this year, and is significant because qualifying tyres are not used this season, whereas the previous record was set by Valentino in 2006 on qualifying tyres, showing the advances we have made in our tyres. We saw though that the difference in performance between the harder and softer compound options was not so significant at this circuit as it is quite high grip which means that there was very little lap time advantage in using the softer option. In this situation, riders will always prefer a tyre that offers greater durability during the race, which is why almost all chose the harder option for front and rear. The track temperature on race day was high and Brno is a flowing circuit that features some high corner speeds and thus tyre loads, so durability for the 22 laps was critical. Over a race distance in these conditions, the harder tyre is able to record a faster overall race time because of its greater consistency and durability, so it was the obvious choice from early on in the weekend. Valentino proved this on Sunday by setting an overall race time that was 20 seconds faster than his winning time from last year, even though the track temperature reached the hottest of the weekend at 48 degrees Celsius and the grip level was down a little from Saturday when a new pole position best lap was set. Rossi set this new pole position best on Bridgestone slicks and Jorge also set a new lap record during the weekend. What can you say about this? Of course I am very happy that our tyres performed well during the weekend and enabled Valentino to set a new pole position best time and a faster race time, and Jorge to set the new lap record. As I mentioned earlier, the pole position best time is important for us as it was set on our race tyres, whereas the existing lap record was set on qualifying-specification tyres. During the race, the two Fiat Yamaha riders recorded a combined total of 29 laps that were all faster than the previous lap record from last year, so we can see that our tyres were comfortably faster this year. The new best lap times were also set on each of the available rear tyre compounds at the Brno circuit. Valentino combined the softer rear with the harder front for his qualifying lap and Jorge used the harder options front and rear for his lap record, so this is further evidence of the cross-over of the wide performance ranges of our tyres this year. It is important to note also that the surface at this circuit was new last year, and new tarmac always contains oils that are present from the manufacture and laying process. Over time these oils seep out of the tarmac and onto its surface, which initially makes the circuit more slippery, but given long enough all of the oils will leave the tarmac and its grip will improve. Since last year this is what has happened at Brno, so now we have a circuit which is more abrasive and delivers a good level of grip which certainly helped in setting these fastest lap and race times. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Hayden Redeems Saturday Race with Top-Five on Sunday Alton, Va. Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden made up for his result during Saturday’s AMA Daytona SportBike race as he challenged for the lead and eventually finished fifth on Sunday at Virginia International Raceway. Teammate Jamie Hacking got pushed back at the start and eventually finished ninth. Leandro Mercado returned to racing at VIR, but crashed out early during the AMA SuperSport race, walking away uninjured. Hayden Up Front After an unsatisfying finish on Saturday, Hayden was ready to come out fighting on Sunday. On the rolling start, Hayden moved up to third place and eventually into the lead a few laps later. A constant battle waged back and forth for the lead over the next dozen laps, but in the end he finished fifth. “It’s disappointing to lead the race that long and finish fifth,” said Hayden. “It is nice to come back and do better and show that I can run up front, but I didn’t have any tire left. It was spinning and I wasn’t able to push it at the finish.” Looking Ahead One Last Time With only one round left in the season, the boys have two races left to make their mark on the field. Already both Hacking and Hayden have had success on the podium, but are searching for their first win. “I hope we learned a few things about the bike so we can come out at the last race and get a win,” said Hayden. “We had a good test there (New Jersey) a couple of weeks ago and Jamie (Hacking) and I have both shown that we have the speed for the front. It would be great to go out with a win.” Off The Track Hacking had some unfortunate luck at the start that moved him back to 10th in the first few turns. He made a push for the front and found himself at the end of the six-man front pack a few laps in. While trying to get advance his position, Hacking went off-track, but rejoined and was able to finish ninth. “I got pushed back pretty bad at the start and knew it was going to be a long race from there,” said Hacking. “I just kept pushing and finally made it pretty close to the front runners, but went off the track. I rode as strong as I could, but that run off ruined my chances for another podium. I really hope the next race will finally be the weekend where it all comes together.” Final Turn Woes With an unwanted month and a half break from racing, Mercado was back in Virginia looking for his third win of the season in the AMA SuperSport class. After a red flag completely restarted the race, Mercado got out front and was challenging for the lead. Only two laps in, Mercado went down in the last corner of the course. He walked away uninjured. “The race started out well and I knew it was going to be a good battle with me and Josh (Day),” said Mercado. “It was barely a few laps in and I lost the front in the last turn. I am not very happy with the race, but I am happy to be back riding. Family Affair When Mercado returned to the states, his mom and dad traveled with him and supported his return at VIR. Along with Mercado’s parents, both Hacking and Hayden’s folks were in attendance over the weekend. Next Up: New Jersey With the penultimate round in the books, the final race will be underway in three-weeks time. The riders had a test at the track after the Mid-Ohio round and hope the season finishes with them on top. Results AMA Pro Road Racing Series Virginia International Raceway Alton, Va. August 16, 2009 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Results 1. Josh Herrin, Clovis, Calif., Yamaha 2. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell 3. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha 4. Taylor Knapp, Lapeer, Mich., Buell 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 6. Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Yamaha 7. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 8. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda 9. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 10. Dane Westby, Tulsa, Okla., Yamaha AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Point Standings 1. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell, 357 2. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki, 340 3. Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha, 321 4. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 274 5. Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 261 6. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 218 7. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha, 213 8. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda, 212 9. Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla, 194 10. Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha, 179 12. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 149 More, from a press release issued by Gary Johnson’s publicist: Johnson takes superb second place at Ulster GP Gary Johnson put in, arguably, his best ever performance in his short real road racing career on Saturday when he finished a close 2nd in the final Superbike race at the Ulster Grand Prix. The 29-year old Broughton rider improved his results steadily throughout the week and both he and the Uel Duncan Racing team were rewarded with a podium finish, hot on the heels of their third place at the Senior TT back in June. Gary also became the third fastest rider ever to have lapped the 7.4-mile Dundrod circuit when he recorded a speed of 133.129mph. Thursday’s Dundrod 150 Superbike race got proceedings underway and Gary opened his account with a solid sixth place, also recording his first ever 130mph laps of Dundrod. It set him up nicely for Saturday’s Ulster GP although heavy overnight rain meant a one-hour delay to the opening Superstock race. He was well placed for another top six finish but he was nudged onto one of the many damp patches and that forced him to take to the slip road at Cochranstown with him eventually rejoining the track for seventh. This was followed by another seventh in the opening Supersport race before coming to the line for the feature Superbike race. There was little to choose between the leading five riders and Gary was in the middle of the action throughout. Positions changed hands on numerous occasions but a slide on the penultimate corner on the final lap meant he missed out on a rostrum finish and he had to settle for fourth, just 1.5seconds off the win. Despite the slide, he did become the third man to break the 133mph barrier with his final lap of 133.129mph. Gary then decided to miss the second Supersport race in order to concentrate on the second Superbike race and it proved to be a good decision. Once again, he was in contention for the win throughout as five riders again fought tooth and nail for the victory. Second at the end of lap one, Gary hit the front a lap later although such was the closeness of the racing, one lap you were leading, the next you were fifth. Going into the final lap, it was still Gary, Guy Martin, Conor Cummins and Ian Hutchinson fighting it out but Martin grabbed the lead at the hairpin and he held on in the dash to the flag. Gary held on to second for a brilliant result and he was only 0.117s adrift at the chequered flag – indeed, only 0.417s split the four riders after seven extremely hard fought laps. Looking back on his day, a pleased Gary said, “The day started off slowly but improved as the meeting went on and the last Superbike race was pretty immense. We’ve been improving the big bike throughout the season and we’ve got it working now just to my liking and it was doing what I wanted it to all around the course. I felt quicker than anyone in the last race and got by Guy on a couple of occasions on the last lap but each time he came back by me. I was losing a bit of time at the hairpin and it was just enough to stop me having a good run on him back to the finish so I had to settle for second. I’m well pleased with the results on the big bike though and to lap at more 133mph and become the 3rd fastest rider around here feels pretty good.” “I had a bit of a moment in the first Superbike race otherwise another podium was on the cards and although I got some solid results in the Superstock and first Supersport race, I knew the second Superbike race would be my best chance of a top result so I opted out of the second Supersport race. It was pretty much my first full day of racing here as 2007 saw half of the day called off and I only got in about 8 laps in practice last year so I’m a relative novice around Dundrod compared to everyone else but I think I showed that I could run with all of them and it bodes well for next year. There were some pretty hard moves being pulled out there and it was hectic stuff but we all got round safely and it was a great day’s racing. I’m pleased for the club as they deserved a break in the weather and they’ve put so much work in, it was nice to see everyone get a great few days. A big thanks must go to all the boys in the team who have been constantly working hard on the bikes and to Gareth and Uel who have pulled out all the stops to give me whatever I’ve needed it’s nice to repay them with a rostrum.” Gary will now contest the final four races of the Metzeler National Superstock Championship with the next round taking place at his home circuit of Cadwell Park, the meeting taking place from August 29-31. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports: TWO TOP FIVES FOR JORDAN SUZUKI AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ALTON, VA (August 18, 2009) Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM), led by rider Aaron Yates, enjoyed two top five finishes during Round 10 of the AMA Pro Racing series this past weekend. Round 10 took place at the beautiful Virginia International Raceway (VIR), located on the border of North Carolina and Virginia, amid sweltering heat and humidity, which taxed riders and teams to the limit. VIR is a rider and fan favorite and the weekend included strong attendance, multitudes of race-related events and great on-track action as the 2009 series winds down to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Labor Day Weekend. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki No. 23 After a solid showing in Friday’s Superpole, during which Aaron Yates qualified fourth on the front row, the Jordan Suzuki rider was poised for strong showings in Saturday and Sunday’s National Guard American Superbike feature races. The veteran rider did not disappoint. 4th PLACE, SATURDAY RACE 1 For a majority of the 23 lap Race 1, Yates engaged in a thrilling battle with factory Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom. Both riders swapped P3 multiple times throughout the race, much to the delight of the enthusiastic Virginia crowd. The battle spread out slightly as the duo hit lapped traffic late in the race with the #4 bike just barely edging out Yates at the line, placing the #23 in fourth position at the stripe. “The Jordan Suzuki was working great today and I thought we were going to put it on the box again,” said Yates. “I had a good tussle with Ben for a while there and it was anyone’s position right up until the end. I was planning to have another run at him, but ran out of laps and that was that. Tomorrow we’ll be back out there and looking to put the #23 back on the podium.” 5th PLACE, SUNDAY RACE 2 After a number of red flags and lengthy delays in the races leading up to American Superbike, Race 2 finally got underway late Sunday afternoon. Yates, on his GSX-R1000, didn’t get an optimal launch and found himself outside the top 10 on the opening laps. The Georgia rider’s “never say die” attitude was in full display, however, and he begin clawing his way forward through the talented field. With front-running laptimes, Yates found himself inside the top five as the laps wound in Race 2, for a final finishing position of fifth. “It really came down to not getting the start I needed,” said Yates. “We made some changes to the clutch before the race and it was a bit tricky on the launch. The bike was real good again today and my crew gave me a machine capable of a top position, so I offer my thanks to them. We’re heading to New Jersey next weekend, which is a new track and that should make things interesting. I’m looking forward to it.” Yates remains in seventh place in the Championship with 248 points. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki No. 54 Geoff May and the #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki team had a trying weekend at VIR, with May enduring a rare non-points scoring weekend. The team is now regrouping for one final assault on the National Guard American Superbike class at Round 11 in New Jersey, where the team had an encouraging test earlier in the season. DNF, SATURDAY RACE 1 May experienced an early exit from Race 1 at VIR while challenging for a podium position in the opening laps of the 23 lap contest. Losing the front entering the tricky “rollercoaster” portion of the 2.25 mile track, May went lowside and effectively ended his day. “I was just going for it,” said May. “The bike felt good and I saw an opportunity to put the National Guard Jordan Suzuki into third and tried to make it happen. Unfortunately, I pushed the front just a bit too hard and lost it. It’s disappointing, as I felt good, the bike felt good and a podium finish was totally possible. We’ll be back out there for Race 2 and going for it once more.” DNF PLACE, SUNDAY RACE 2 Sunday’s Race 2 saw May forced to retire within the first few laps due to unsafe riding conditions. May holds on to eighth position in the Championship with 212 points. “I’m not sure what happened out there,” said May. “It would lose the front three or four times a lap, which caused me to run off a couple times. We had to rebuild the entire bike last night and the guys worked hard into the night, as it was pretty banged up from Saturday’s lowside. Something must have gotten knocked out of whack in the front, though, as I just wasn’t able to push it at any speed during the race. I was forced to bring it in early, which was tough for me to do, but it was that or cause a potential unsafe situation for myself and my fellow competitors. I want to say thanks to my guys, the fans and my sponsors. I am going to give it my all for the final round.” 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 NATIONAL GUARD: The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation’s longest enduring institutions. The National Guard operates in all 50 states, four territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the National Guard’s Web site at www.NationalGuard.com More, from a press release issued by Syndicate Motorsport Management: DAY CLINCHES EAST SUPERSPORT TITLE FOR ESP/ VENEMOTOS YAMAHA AT VIR August 18, 2009 (Reno, NV)”” Josh Day scored ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha’s third successive AMA Pro Racing victory at the Big Kahuna Nationals in Virginia. The ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha team arrived at VIR still riding a wave of momentum from their first two victories at the previous AMA rounds in Mid-Ohio and Topeka. The new front end setting that the ESP crew found at Mid-Ohio continued to work for Day at VIR. The feeling from the front end allowed Josh to quickly lower his lap times, he was the first competitor into the 1:29’s, while running a comfortable pace. The ESP/ Venemotos crew continued to fine tune the setup of the R6 based on Josh’s Daytona Sportbike race on Saturday for the Four Feathers squad. The Orlando native was the class of the field, leading every session leading up to the race. Starting from pole, Josh rocketed away at the start, only to have his efforts nullified by an early red flag and restart. With the grid reformed for the restart, only Day and Mercado were still on the front row””the other two riders both victims of the red flag. When the lights went out for the second time, Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado was right on Josh’s tail. The two kept showing each other a wheel in corner after corner and it looked liked it was going to be a race long battle. As they entered the last corner in the early laps, Leandro crashed out, leaving Josh all by himself out front. Although other competitors finally entered the 1:29’s, Josh was the only rider to do every lap in the 29’s and eventually crossed the finish line with a 9.8 second gap to second place. With the victory, Josh clinched the Supersport East Championship with one round remaining. The championship represents both Day’s and ESP’s first AMA Pro Racing title. Josh Day: 2009 AMA Pro Racing Supersport East Champion “We did it. Going into this season, we didn’t know what to expect. We started out at Daytona with a borrowed R6 and the ESP guys working on it. With help from Steve Liberatore at Yamaha, we were able to purchase a 2009 R6. Phil, Evan, and Willy took it back to the ESP shop, built it, and brought it to all the races. We struggled a little more than we thought we would with the new bike in the beginning of the season, but once we figured out the front end setting at Mid Ohio, the bike was a lot more comfortable and easy to ride hard. From where we started at the beginning of the season, with a borrowed bike, no budget, and wondering if we could afford to do all the races, it sure does feel good to wrap up this championship.” Evan Steel: “Phew. Knowing you are capable of winning races and championships and actually doing it are two different things. We knew we could build Josh a competitive R6 and we knew he was fast enough to win races. Now, we’ve proved it. Josh has won the last three races on an ESP built R6, set four poles, and clinched the championship with one race to go. Everyone knows we don’t have a big truck, or big budget, or sometimes even a razor, but with Josh Day’s riding talent and an ESP built R6 we beat those guys. Our hope is to carry this success and momentum into the 2010 season.” For Sponsorship inquiries contact Murph at Syndicate Motorsport Management, LLC: (+1) 831 464 3458 or email: [email protected] Daytona Sportbike: Race One DNF, Race Two 18th Friday morning practice saw Robertino circulating VIR with a time of 1:29.569 in eighteenth position just behind championship co-leader Cardenas. In Friday afternoon qualifying, Tino was able to improve his position to thirteenth in basic qualifying””just missing the top ten cut-off of Superpole. Saturday morning and Tino was able to match his Friday times with a 1:29.563. The ESP/ Venemotos team worked on a comfortable race setting for the afternoon race. Tino was able to get a good start and was battling with Dane Westby when he tucked the front and crashed out. Sunday morning and the ESP/ Venemotos crew had Robertino’s bike back together and ready for the second round of the Big Kahuna Nationals. Tino and the crew took what they learned from Saturday’s race and tried to come up with a plan for Sunday’s final. The Sunday race was held in the same oppressive heat as Saturday, which put a premium on front end feedback and feel in the slick, greasy conditions caused by the high track temperatures. Robertino rode a smart race, not wanting to push in the tricky conditions and risk losing the front, he crossed the line in eighteenth position. Robertino Pietri: “What can I say? Not really the results we were looking for this weekend but sometimes that is the way it goes. We struggled with the feel in the front end on the spec tire, like a lot of people this weekend. I ended up tucking the front and crashing out of the first race when I was trying to push. Sunday’s race I was more conservative and trying to take it a little easy because we never did get the feeling right with the high track temperatures. I’m looking forward to New Jersey and we’ll try and finish the season strong.” Evan Steel: “This has been a weekend of highs and lows. Tino struggled with front end feedback all weekend and ended up going down in race one when he was pushing. We weren’t the only ones struggling with this issue this weekend””did you see how many front end crashed there were in the Sportbike race? Race two wasn’t the result we were looking for but he rode a smart race and finished in the points. We’ll re-group and be ready for New Jersey.” Team ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha: Evan Steel Performance is a small, personal, specialized shop located in Tucson, Arizona that deals with all aspects of motorcycle road racing. ESP bikes have had some of the highest trap speeds in their classes at AMA Nationals, as well as the highest top speed at start/finish at the 50th annual Macau Grand Prix. In 2008, ESP scored a very rare privateer podium at the VIR AMA National in the Superstock class with Chris Peris. ESP is open to any level of racing, from basic race prep to planning a season at the Nationals. ESP can be reached at (520) 294 3050 or www.evansteelperformance.com About Syndicate Motorsport Management Syndicate Motorsport Management, LLC, is a leading motorsports management and consulting firm specializing in motorsports and motorcycle related marketing. Syndicate Motorsport Management has experience with athletes, brand building, licensed merchandise, sponsorship development and race teams. Syndicate Motorsport Management currently represents: Anthony West, Ben Thompson, Chris Peris, Danny Eslick, Jake Holden, Josh Day.