More Previews Of This Weekend’s CCS/ASRA/AMA Pro Event At Daytona International Speedway

More Previews Of This Weekend’s CCS/ASRA/AMA Pro Event At Daytona International Speedway

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CZAIA & GALLAGHER’S TEAMHURTBYACCIDENT.COM LOOK TO END THE SEASON ON A HGH NOTE Bradenton, Fla – Ready to end the season on a high note, Czaia & Gallagher’s TeamHurtByAccident.com is set to mount a full charge right into Victory Lane at the 8 Hours At Daytona, the final round of the 2009 AMA Pro SunTrust MOTO-GT Series, Saturday, October 17th at Daytona International Speedway. “Winning the 8 Hours At Daytona is definitely extremely prestigious,” says team owner C.J. Czaia. “We took top honors in the GST class in 2006 and 2008. This year, we want to win both GT-1 and GT-2. We will be running our No. 69 Suzuki GSX-R600 in GT-1 and both our No. 59 and 64 Ducatis (PS1000LE) in GT-2. We have put together a top rider lineup and will be utilizing the talents of Santiago Villa, Rodolfo Ramirez, Justin Filice, Tomas Puerta, John Linder, Robert Fisher, Aaron Frank and Russ Wikle. All of these riders have run with us before with the exception of Puerta and his two-wheeled skill is well documented.” Hailing from Medellin, Columbia, Puerta, who just turned 17, has earned a number of national championships in his home country and in South America. He also competed in the 2008 Red Bull US Rookies Cup ending the season in fifth overall. This year he competed in selected AMA SuperSport events and took four top ten finishes in six races. “I am excited to be racing the 8 Hours At Daytona,” says Puerta with obvious enthusiasm. “My goal is to be one of the very best racers in the world and competing in this prestigious event is an honor.” “We took the class win last year,” says John Linder of Tampa, Fla. “Now we want to bring it home again. There are a number of things that go into winning a race of this caliber. You need the perfect combination of riders, machinery and crew and we think we have it nailed. I will be racing with Robert Fisher, president of Roaring Toyz located in Sarasota, Fla., and Motorcyclist Magazine Editor Aaron Frank. We all work extremely well together so it should be a good race for us.” “All we really need is Lady Luck to smile on us,” says C.J. Czaia. “This season has been an up and down year for us, so we really want to end it on a high note. While there is no way to predict how the race will end, the one thing I can predict is that everyone on the team will be going full bore to make it happen.” Headquartered in Bradenton, Fla., with offices in many Florida cities, Czaia & Gallagher P.A. is one of the larger personal injury and accident law firms in the state of Florida. Extremely involved in community activities, they are dedicated to supporting numerous causes including the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies, Family Health Centers, Herocare, Healthy Start and AFCAAM to name just a few. In addition, they are strong supporters of Biker Nights held around the state. Utilizing both their racing program and appearances at Biker Nights one of Czaia & Gallagher’s goals is to educate Florida motorcycle riders of their rights. Be sure and follow TeamHurtByAccident.com as they go for the championship. More, from a press release issued by Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati: Daytona Dreaming The final round of the AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT championship ends with a formidable 8-hour endurance race at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, the Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati hopes to be an equally formidable force with three bikes, nine riders and a championship crown within their grasp. The two-time national champions head to Daytona with a 14-point championship advantage with their # 77 Ducati PS1000LE and need only finish on the podium to claim their third consecutive crown. They will also run the team’s # 38 PS1000LE as well as an 848 in the premier GT1 race. The line up is as follows: #77 – PS1000LE Pete Friedland Corey Rech Brad Phillips #38 – PS1000LE Brian Stokes Dario Marchetti FRank Shockley #49 – 848 Ryan Elleby Matt Lynn Hawk Mazzotta The team’s last two eight-hour races were drama filled. In 2007 they won the race and championship in the last lap when tuner Mark Sutton successfully changed the clutch on an unscheduled pitstop, earning him the name Hot Fingers. In 2008 the #77 bike crashed twice in the first hour Friedland first crashed after hitting another rider, Phillips just crashed on his own accord and the 848 suffered fuel problems. Team orders and strategy will be key to the team’s success this year. Team owner, Frank Shockley, has a dozen different scenarios to work with. If the #77 takes pole it will earn them an additional point allowing them an extra position in the race. If the #38 wins the race it makes the scenario even better for the championship leader. So despite last year’s crashes, the conservative riders will team up on the #77 bike while the #38 riders will fight for the lead. But the competition will be stiff with new entries from across the nation vying for the sizable purse. “We just need to stay focused and stay out of trouble and make sure we’re there at the end for that magic lap” says Shockley. You can follow our progress at www.facebook.com/ducshop or www.twitter.com/ducshop. The team will be dedicating this race to Jesse Treamaine. Ducshop proudly builds and maintains the PS1000LE engine. The team is also sponsored by Touring Sport Ducati, gBehavior, EZ- Glide 350, Öhlins USA, Speedy Moto, Robby Byrd, USDESMO, Swatt Motorcycle, JVE Limited and Pilot Leathers and Operation Home Front. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: 8 Hours At Daytona and AMA Pro SuperSport Shootout Ready for “World Center of Racing” 8 Hour closes AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT season Saturday; SuperSport Shootout Noon on Sunday DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 15, 2009) – The toughest test of endurance on the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing schedule will share the spotlight with a fast and flat-out sprint race to headline a full schedule of motorcycle road racing at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) at this weekend’s Fall Cycle Scene, Oct. 16 – 18. Saturday’s fourth annual 8 Hours At Daytona will close the 2009 AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT season while Sunday will be highlighted by the AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei National Championship Shootout sprint race at high noon. The 8 Hour race starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday and at least one AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT title will be on the line in the season-ending event. The division features two classes of motorcycles and teams of riders competing at the same time for overall and individual class honors. The faster GT1 class is home to a diverse lineup of motorcycles that includes big-bore bikes from Buell, Aprilia, Triumph, Ducati, Kawasaki and Suzuki and more. The slightly smaller GT2 class features bikes from Kawasaki, Buell, Suzuki and Ducati and others. The strongest threat for the overall and GT1 class win is two-time defending 8 Hours At Daytona winner Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki. The team has put together a potent rider lineup that includes Chris Ulrich, Martin Cardenas and Jason DiSalvo on the No. 18 Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600. Ulrich was an anchor rider on the winning bike each of the last two years and was also part of the second-place team in the inaugural 8 Hours At Daytona in 2006. Cardenas was also part of last year’s winning effort in addition to scoring a series-leading seven wins while contending for the 2009 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL championship. DiSalvo was also a top Daytona SportBike rider this season and led the class in qualifying with six poles. He scored six Daytona SportBike podium finishes, including third place in the season-opening Daytona 200 by Honda at DIS in March. Mark Crozier (No. 14 Crozier Motorsports Triumph Daytona 675) and his potent Triumph team clinched the 2009 GT1 class championship one race ago at New Jersey Motorsports Park. With the title wrapped up, Crozier and his co-riders Scott Jensen, Dave Estok and Michael Barnes, who joined Ulrich on the second-place bike in the inaugural 2006 race, can race for the all-out win at Daytona. A victory this weekend would be a series-leading third of the year for Crozier and the team after a pair of wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway earlier in the season. Crozier also won the GT1 and overall pole for the SunTrust Moto-GT opener at Daytona last March. The only other two-time GT1 winners this season are young upstarts Dane Westby and Dustin Meador and the No. 13 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. The Westby team won in its debut at Mid-Ohio and was victorious again one race later in Topeka. The 8 Hours At Daytona will be the new team’s major endurance racing debut but they are expected to be in contention from the drop of the green flag. Other 2009 GT1 winners likely to challenge in the 8 Hours At Daytona include the Road Atlanta winning No. 69 TeamHurtByAccident.com Suzuki GSX-R600 and lead rider Rodolfo Ramirez, the Road America winning No. 70 James Gang/Hoban Bros. Racing Buell 1125R of Paul James and Jeff Johnson and the No. 20 El Rey Beer for Kings Ducati 848 and primary rider Calvin Martinez, who won overall and in GT1 during the SunTrust Moto-GT Daytona opener. Top GT2 team Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati has also entered a GT1 class Ducati 848 for Ryan Elleby, Hawk Mazzotta and Matt Lynn. Two more teams to watch are currently second and third in the GT1 championship standings. The No. 14 Crozier team sealed the title with 165 points but the No. 37 Old Pros Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R of Paul Schwemmer and Dave Aldana is second in points with 130. The No. 41 Liberty Waves Racing Buell 1125R team of Eric Pinson and Eric Haugo is third in the championship with 129 points. Old Pros finished second in season-opening race at Daytona while Liberty Waves crossed the line in third after leading the most race laps. The 8 Hours At Daytona will run between 1 – 9 p.m. ET this Saturday, October 17, with official practice and qualifying on Friday. GT2 Title Battle The GT2 battle in AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT will be a race for the 8 Hours At Daytona class win and season-long title honors. The class leading No. 77 Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati PS1000LE team was in a position to clinch the GT2 crown at New Jersey only to retire when rider Huntley Nash crashed out in the race’s first 30 minutes. Nash was uninjured, but the poor result opened the door for former SunTrust Moto-GT class champions and 8 Hours At Daytona class winners Jay Springsteen and the No. 9 Pair-A-Nines Kawasaki EX650 team. Springsteen and teammate Scott Ryan won the New Jersey GT2 race for the team’s second victory of the year after Springsteen and Nick Cummings won the Daytona opener. Heading back to Daytona, the No. 77 has 203 points but the No. 9 squad has closed to within 14 points with 189 markers. A maximum 32 points are available to a team at the Daytona finale. Taylor Knapp, who impressed in Daytona SportBike and AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited in 2009, will co-ride with Springsteen and Ryan at Daytona. Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati is stacking its championship deck with not only the No. 77 but also its Mid-Ohio-winning No. 38 Ducati PS1000LE. Pete Friedland, Brad Phillips and a returning Corey Rech will be tasked to seal the title on the No. 77 while team owner/rider Frank Shockley, Dario Marchetti and Brian Stokes will go for the all out win on the No. 38. Rech is recovering from a mid-August right femur fracture in the SuperSport race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) but is ready to ride this weekend. The day before his accident, Rech co-rode the No. 77 with Elleby to its fourth and most recent win of the season. In total, the No. 77 team has the four victories, three second-place finishes and lone DNF (Did Not Finish) in New Jersey in eight starts this season. The No. 64 TeamHurtByAccident.com Ducati PS1000LE of John Linder and Robert Fisher is out of contention for the title race but is third in the championship standings with 140 points. They finished second in New Jersey for the team’s first podium since winning at Barber Motorsports Park in May and are also expected to be a factor at Daytona. The team has also entered its No. 59 Ducati PS1000LE GT2 class bike for Daytona. In addition to Ramirez, Linder and Fisher, the full stable of TeamHurtByAccident.com riders for its total of three GT1 and GT2 entries includes Santiago Villa, Justin Filice, Tomas Puerta, Aaron Frank and Russ Wikle. Exact rider assignments will be declared prior to the race. The No. 10 East Coast Powersports Suzuki SV650 of lead riders Kenny Rodriguez and Trey Yonce is another team to watch. The East Coast group finished third for the team’s fourth consecutive top-three finish at New Jersey and could be on the box again at Daytona. SuperSport Shootout Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei National Championship Shootout is expected to be a highly anticipated battle between 2009 SuperSport Champions Josh Day (No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6) and Ricky Parker (No. 96 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6). The lucrative non-points race is open to any rider that has run at least one SuperSport race this season, with the winner earning the title of SuperSport National Champion. Day won the 2009 SuperSport East title while Parker took SuperSport West honors. The pair of young guns gave a preview of what may be in store on Sunday one race ago in New Jersey. The duo waged a thrilling SuperSport shootout of its own with Day ultimately winning the race by .460 of a second over Parker. Day was credited with leading 16 of the SuperSport race’s 19 laps but the number of unofficial lead changes within laps was almost impossible to follow. Day’s unmatched four-race win streak came at Mid-Ohio, Topeka and VIR, in addition to New Jersey. Parker has won this year at Infineon and Laguna Seca. The only other 2009 multiple race winner is Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R), who would love nothing more than to get in the middle of the Day and Parker battle. Tyler Odom (No. 46 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) is the only other 2009 winner entered in the Shootout and his victory came right here at Daytona in the season-opening race last March. Wikle (No. 5 Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600) and Nash (No. 15 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) have each hit the podium at least once this season in SuperSport and could factor into the action in Daytona. Nash is part of a strong four-rider entry from LTD that also includes Puerta (No. 12 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6), Joey Pascarella (No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) and team newcomer Jacob Gagne (No. 45 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6), who finished sixth in his SuperSport debut in New Jersey. Pascarella and Wikle battled to the line just behind winner Odom in the Daytona opener with Pascarella taking second place over Wikle in a photo finish. SuperSport is AMA Pro Road Racing’s showcase of America’s future motorcycle racing stars today. The proving ground series is reserved strictly for up-and-coming riders between the ages of 16 and 21 who compete on 600cc bikes that are only minimally modified from what you will find at your local Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda or other motorcycle dealership. Sunday’s SuperSport race will start at Noon for 12 laps/40 miles. 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. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

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