Halfway at Homestead HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Chris Ulrich told the crowd at the last SunTrust MOTO-ST Series race that they were going back home to Lake Elsinore, California to build a more competitive bike for their next outing, and their hard work appears to be paying off. At the halfway point of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series Homestead 500K, the No. 18 RoadRacingWorld.com Suzuki SV1000S of Ulrich and Michael Barnes leads the pack by 7.755 seconds, having taken the lead in lap 24 from the No. 6 Aprilia USA Tuono 1000R of Ty Howard and Troy Green. Leading the race and the Buell Motorsports Company SuperSport Twins class, the RoadRacingWorld.com team’s advantage thus far lies in pit strategy and consistency. During the first round of pit stops the Aprilia team changed riders while the RoadRacingWorld.com team decided to run a double stint. Team owner John Ulrich explains: “That was the plan from the beginning. I think we’re looking good for the second half of the race. I’m cautiously optimistic.” The Aprilia USA team has already proven themselves, winning last month’s DAYTONA USA 300. Despite their current second place position, Howard turned the fastest lap of the race at 1:29.352 (92.667 mph). “Everything went real good,” Howard says, “I was able to lap faster than in practice. I usually do a pretty good job working traffic, although I did have a close call one time when a guy missed a shift in front of me.” In the BMW Grand Sport Twins, the No. 31 RPM Motorsports/Keesee Racing Ducati Multistrada 1000DS of Todd and Kyle Keesee holds a 30-second lead over the No. 70 James Gang Racing Buell XB12 ridden by Paul James and Jeff Johnson. Both teams are battling for their first class victory in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. In the Sport Twins class, the No. 9 Pair-A-Nines Racing Kawasaki EX650 is looking to get their second straight class victory, holding a decisive lead over both the SportTwins and GrandSport Twins classes. Riders Jimmy Filice, Modesto, Calif. and Jay Springsteen, Lapeer, Mich. put on an equally impressive performance at the season opener in Daytona, and are currently leading the No. 79 GoBigRacing Suzuki SV650 of Ross Milson and Paul Glenn by almost two minutes. Following this weekend’s event, this year’s SunTrust MOTO-ST Series will continue with the VIR 500K, April 27-29 at Virginia International Raceway, the Road America 500K, July 7-8 at Road America, the Iowa Speedway 500K at Iowa Speedway July 12-13, and the 8 Hours At Daytona Finale, October 19-20 at Daytona International Speedway. MOTO-ST is organized and sanctioned by Professional Motorsports Productions (PMP) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the Grand American Road Racing Association, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., provides the series with administrative and commercial support. The MOTO-ST advisory board features some of the most respected individuals in the world of motorsports, including Hall of Fame members, respected motorcycle racing journalists and renowned officials from various forms of road racing. Learn more about MOTO-ST at www.moto-st.com.