Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella is continuing with the SGA/Katra Racing – Yamaha Champions Riding School team for at least the Infineon Raceway and Miller Motorsports Park rounds of the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Championship. Pascarella, age 19, started the 2012 season by winning the 71st Daytona 200 on a Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha YZF-R6 displaying March of Dimes logos and taking the Championship point lead. Shortly after that event, however, Pascarella learned that Project 1 Atlanta failed to secure the necessary funding to continue into the 2012 season, and Pascarella was left to find a new ride. The young Californian and his personal sponsor, www.JonBlockGroup.com, then did a deal with Charlie Grannon, of SGA Racing, and Katharin Zimpel, of Katra Racing, to work together at Road Atlanta. That event did not go as well as Pascarella hoped for. He crashed his new Yamaha YZF-R6 during practice and finished eighth and 10th in the two races, but Pascarella said a recent test at Barber Motorsports Park has allowed him to get more comfortable on his new motorcycle and more confident for the next two races. “We had a tough time at Road Atlanta,” Pascarella told Roadracingworld.com Thursday at Infineon Raceway. “The bike was set up more for Tommy [Aquino, who raced for SGA/Katra Racing – Yamaha Champions Riding School Team at Daytona]. But we went for two days of testing at Barber, and we’ve got things back on track. We changed a lot of things with the setup, and the bike is 100 times better now than it was.” As for the team racing together beyond the May 26-28 AMA National round at Miller Motorsports Park, Pascarella said, “We’re trying to find more funding. It’s coming together. It’s getting better. If we have a smooth weekend [at Infineon Raceway], we’ll be set for a couple more rounds.”
Pascarella Continuing With SGA/Katra Racing – Yamaha Champions Riding School Team At Infineon, Miller
Pascarella Continuing With SGA/Katra Racing – Yamaha Champions Riding School Team At Infineon, Miller
© 2012, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.