With the recent addition of Tommy Aquino to replace the injured Austin Dehaven, the Kneedraggers.com/Triplecrown Industries team has stacked the deck with a group of riders who have done well at Laguna Seca. In 2008 Benny Solis finished 1st in the Red Bull Rookies Cup race, in 2011 he qualified on pole and went on to cross the finish line in 1st place for a second time at Laguna Seca. Tommy Aquino holds the Daytona Sportbike track record of 1:27.038 that he set back in 2010. In addition to owning the track record, Aquino has produced a top 5 finish in his last 3 trips to Laguna. David Gaviria finished 6th at Laguna in 2010 but then beat his personal best with a 4th place finish in 2011. AMA Pro SuperSport rider Stefano Mesa took on the Corkscrew for the first time last year and finished 6th out of 36 riders. Stefano Mesa “I’m anxious about this week, I rode here last year and I have a good feeling for the track, there’s not a lot of east coast guys that can say that. We are really close to a perfect set up, the changes we’ve made are going in the right direction. This round isn’t for points with me so I can go out, have a good time and go big. I think it’s going to be a good weekend for the whole team.” David Gaviria “It’s like no other track, so much fun, I’ve always liked this track from the first time I rode it. The bike is where I want it to be, I don’t see us making a lot of changes, I just need to get on the track and up to speed as fast as possible.” Benny Solis “I really like this track, it’s a GP track so there’s a lot of run off which means that you can really push the limits. Every time I’ve been at Laguna, I’ve had fun. With so many great riders in DSB my goal is to do what I can to run with that lead pack. I’d like to produce a top 5 finish or my first podium of the year, that would be nice.” Tommy Aquino “I’m glad to be back in the states and I’m super pumped to be riding at Laguna. I just can’t wait, hopefully we can get a good set up and be right there like I know we should be. I really want to thank the guys at Kneedraggers.com and Triple Crown Industries for giving me this opportunity to come back to the states and do some good!!” Team Owner, Dave Brite “The Kneedraggers.com/Triplecrown Industries team is excited to have Benny, Tommy, David and Stefano going into Laguna this weekend. All of these guys have done well in the past and at this point in the season we have figured out what they’re looking for in a good set up. In Tommy’s case we are going to use some notes from last year and see how close that gets us to where we want to be. Robert and the guys have really worked hard on this one and I’m really looking forward to seeing where we end up.” Kneedraggers.com provides the highest standards for selection, quality and price competitiveness and takes pride in giving sportbike enthusiast what they want while leaving more cash in your pocket. Our hand-selected parts and accessories from brands like Graves Motorsports, Dyno Jet, Shogun Motorsports, Vortex, Akrapovic, Two Brothers Exhaust, & Yoshimura as well as industry-leading gear manufactures like Icon, Shoei, Alpinestars, Joe Rocket, Sidi, & Arai ensure you get the boost you want without breaking the bank. www.Kneedraggers.com Triple Crown Industries and Triplechannel.com is your place to share videos, photos and news with the motorcycle racing industry. Get super hot deals on ACT leathers, Black Heart graphic kits and up to 90% off on clearance items.www.Triplechannel.com More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: The World Stage Is Set As The Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams Share The Spotlight With MotoGP At Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Cypress, CA July 25, 2012 As the world’s best and brightest motorcycle road racers descend on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for this weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams will be there, as well, to show the world that its American riders don’t take a back seat to anyone when it comes to exciting racing and compelling personalities. MONSTER ENERGY/GRAVES/YAMAHA: HAYES & HERRIN To say that two-time reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes is on a roll this season would actually be an understatement. Aboard his #1 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R1, Josh has won every pole position so far this season–seven in a row, in fact–and he’s also amassed 10 wins so far, with seven more races to go. Last year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Josh won the pole and led the most laps in the race, but he came up just short to Tommy Hayden at the checkered flag. Josh will be looking to avenge that result and, on the world stage, notch his first career SuperBike win at Laguna Seca. Josh Hayes’ toughest competitor of late has been his own teammate, Josh Herrin, who rides the #2 Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha R1. Josh has gotten a few holeshots off the starting line and, at Mid-Ohio, he got a feel for what it’s like to lead a SuperBike race. Josh has been on the podium eight times already in this, his rookie SuperBike season. He won a SuperSport race at Laguna Seca aboard a Yamaha R6 back in 2007, so he’s already tasted victory at the Home of the Corkscrew. YAMAHA EXTENDED SERVICE/GRAVES/YAMAHA: BEAUBIER, HAYDEN & GERLOFF Cameron Beaubier is another Yamaha rider who is on a roll of late. After his breakthrough weekend at Barber Motorsports Park where he notched his first career AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike pole position and two race wins, the 19-year-old got another win aboard his #6 Yamaha Extended Service/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6 at Mid-Ohio. Cameron has won three of the last four DSB races, and is looking to make it 4 for 5 with a win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Cameron is from nearby Roseville, CA, and he’ll have lots of family and friends in attendance to cheer him on. Veteran rider Tommy Hayden, who is Cameron’s Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha teammate, will be racing his trademark #22 R6 on a track where he’s had a lot of success. Tommy won last year’s SuperBike race at Laguna Seca, and he also won two SuperSport races back in 1999 when he raced the very first version of the Yamaha R6. 13 years later, and Tommy returns to Laguna Seca R6-mounted once again! The third member of the Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha team, Garrett Gerloff, will also be in attendance at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where he’ll be available to greet fans, sign posters, and provide his continued support of the team. Garrett is inching ever closer to making his return to AMA Pro Racing competition after fully recovering from his injury at Daytona. OTHER YAMAHA ACTIVITIES AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA On Friday at 11:35 AM, don’t miss the special on-track parade laps where you’ll see the Yamaha U.S, Road Racers circulate the track in a special photo opportunity. On Saturday at 1:00 PM at the Yamaha team transporters in the AMA Pro Racing paddock, both Josh’s, Cameron, Tommy, and Garrett will all be on hand for an autograph session. And then, at 3:00 PM on Saturday in the Yamaha Marketplace, there’ll be another autograph session featuring Cameron, Tommy, Garrett, and the Yamaha Extended Service Umbrella Girls. On Saturday night at 6:00 PM, Yamaha and GE Capital welcome Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, along with Yamaha U.S. Road Racers Josh Hayes, Josh Herrin, Cameron Beaubier, Tommy Hayden, and Garrett Gerloff to the stage for a fan celebration. Josh Hayes will be giving away free T-shirts commemorating his 2011 SuperBike Championship. If you missed any of the other autograph sessions, you’ll have one more chance on Sunday at 12:45 PM as both Josh’s and Garrett, along with the Monster Energy Umbrella Girls, will be on hand in the Yamaha Marketplace to greet fans and sign posters. FOLLOW THE YAMAHA U.S. ROAD RACING TEAMS ON FACEBOOK For news, results, and other team info, be sure to check out Yamaha’s Facebook page. More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki: RIDERS DISCOUNT VESRAH SUZUKI COMPETING IN ALL 3 AMA PRO RACING CLASSES DURING THE U.S GRAND PRIX WEEKEND AT LAGUNA SECA. The Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki team will have a busy weekend with entries in every AMA Pro Road Racing class competing during the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in Monterey CA July 27-29. The addition of Bostjan Skubic on the #57 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki in the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike class along with Cory West and Joey Pascarella in GoPro Daytona SportBike and Jake Lewis in SuperSport puts a rider in every class. Breeann Poland Team Manager Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki “Bostjan is returning to the team riding in SuperBike after having a successful Daytona 200 with Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki. It will be nice for Jake to be able to race without worrying about points this weekend since this round is not in his championship. Cory and Joey are looking for better finishes in Daytona SportBike after spending more development and testing time since the last round. Many of the team sponsors will be in attendance this weekend including Riders Discount so we are looking forward to getting started.” Cory West Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #57 “Laguna is always one of the coolest rounds of the year since we get to ride with the MotoGP circus. My confidence is growing with the Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600 and our setup and I think that a strong finish is possible. I’m hoping for a solid result before we take a long summer break!” Joey Pascarella Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #52 “I’m excited about racing Laguna this weekend as I haven’t been there for a couple of years and the place is fun. We made progress with the bike in Ohio and hopefully we will make some more this weekend.” Jake Lewis Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #85 “I’m ready to head out west and to a new track for me. I’ll have to learn the track fast and get the bike dialed in with limited track time. I look forward to racing in front of a large crowd and get the results we are used to aboard my Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600!” Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki would like to thank their sponsors for the 2012 season: Vesrah, Riders Discount, MCJ Motorsports, American Suzuki, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, Penske Racing Shocks, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Yoshimura, Catalyst Racing Composites, Shoei, Cortech, Sidi, Held, Motion Pro, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Spiegler Brake Lines, Adjustable-levers, Vicci, Vortex, DID Chain, Zero Gravity, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, Suzuka Tire Warmers, K&N Filters, Full Spectrum Batteries, Oakley (Jake), Roclun (Jake), Progressive Trail Design (Cory), Jon Block Group (Joey), 509 sunglasses (Cory and team), Andrew Swenson Designs and Drippinwet. More, from a press release issued by Celtic Racing/Orient Express: Celtic Racing’s Rispoli and Alexander Training Hard In Preparation For Laguna Seca Event The eighth round of the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Championship takes place at the famous Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. Because the weekend is shared with MotoGP, there will only be a single SuperSport race on Saturday, which counts towards the West Championship. Celtic Racing’s James Rispoli and Corey Alexander have had a short break after Mid-Ohio, and have used this time to focus on training and honing their riding skills. James Rispoli will ride the #1 Celtic Orient Express Suzuki GSX-R 600 at Laguna Seca with a fifty-nine point lead over second place in the SuperSport West Championship, and plans to work hard for strong qualifying and race results to maximize his points advantage in the overall standings. Corey Alexander will ride the #5 National Guard Fairhills Group Suzuki GSX-R 600 at Laguna Seca, a track where he has seen success in the past. For Corey, points earned will not count towards his SuperSport East Championship, where he is solidly in fifth position and locked in battle for fourth place, just five points behind and within sight of third position overall. Corey finished third in the 2011 SuperSport race at Laguna Seca, just 0.037 seconds off second place in a three rider battle, after qualifying second ahead of the race. Laguna Seca Raceway is regarded as one of the finest road race courses in the world, with a mix of high and low speeds, tight technical sections, and amazing elevation changes over it’s 2.2 mile length and eleven turns. It is a circuit that rewards riders who can think several turns ahead, and find a rhythm for their laps. As short as it is, and with as many bikes in the field, it is sure to be a battle from start to finish. Corey Alexander looks forward to the weekend at Laguna Seca, and says that “after a good result during last year’s race at Laguna I hope to have the same result this coming weekend. To prepare, I’ve been riding motocross and feeling better week after week. I’m looking forward to having fun and just continuing to work my way forward. I’m really excited to be back riding in front of the MotoGP crowd and the premier racing teams in the world. Hopefully I can show what my National Guard Fairhills Group Celtic Racing GSX-R600 is made of!” For James Rispoli, securing a race win is his first goal and he stated “Going into Laguna I feel very confident and ready to win! After the mistake in race two at Mid-Ohio, and to not get a win at Mid-Ohio I am hungry for it this weekend! I feel like I had the race winning machine to do it at Mid-Ohio. Mathematically we have a chance to clinch the SuperSport West Championship at Laguna. As a team we are going to keep doing what we have been doing all season — show up to do our job! Qualifying is going to play a big factor in our chase for the championship, getting a good start and the opening few laps of the race will be huge.” 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~. More, from a press release issued by Meen Motorsports: O’Hara to ride Daytona Sportbike at Laguna for Meen Motorsports CAMPBELL, Calif. – Coming off a first place XR1200 podium finish in Mid-Ohio, Tyler O’Hara will be making a wild card entry in the AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike series, riding a Meen Motorsports Yamaha R6 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. O’Hara has been having a impressive run in the Harley class this 2012 season and is looking forward to mixing it up a little this weekend and run with the Sportbikes at one of his home tracks. “I am really grateful for this opportunity to ride at Laguna with the Meen Motorsports team. Testing earlier this week went well and I am ready to get out on the track,” comments O’Hara. Meen Motorsports team owner Ameen Sajjadi states, “I am very happy to see Tyler back on one of our bikes. We have made a lot of changes to our equipment since last season when we worked together and that combined with his riding maturity, which has only increased by riding the Harley, makes it for a great weekend to come.” Watch the whole Meen Team this weekend live at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 27-29, 2012. For more about the team visit: www.meenmotorsports.com Become a Facebook Fan Search: Meen Motorsports