Hernandez Salvages A Point For PBM MotoGP In USA
The ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship headed over the Atlantic to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California this weekend but for the Penrith-based PBM MotoGP Team, it wasn’t a successful trip to the Red Bull US Grand Prix although Yonny Hernandez did manage to salvage a point.
After a disappointing weekend at Sachsenring in Germany the previous weekend, hopes were high of an improved performance for Colombian Hernandez and Ulsterman Michael Laverty who were hoping to add to both their own World Championship points scores and to improve their CRT and Manufacturer placings. Hernandez, from Medellin, on the Rapid Solicitors and Minxflix.com-sponsored Aprilia ART started well with 14th place in FP1 but Laverty, from Toome in County Antrim, on the Rapid Solicitors and Minxflix.com-sponsored PBM machine struggled around the short and twisty circuit and could only manage to squeeze into the top twenty in all sessions.
In the race, Hernandez and Laverty got away well but on lap two, the former British Supersport champion crashed out leaving Hernandez to battle on which he did to claim a point in 15th place.
Hernandez still occupies 19th overall in the MotoGP World Championship standings with Laverty dropping to 23rd in his debut season. In the Claiming Rules Teams (CRT) class, Hernandez still holds sixth with Laverty in ninth whereas PBM occupy eighth in the Constructors Championship and 12th in the Teams Championship in their debut season with their brand new British-built machine.
Michael Laverty: “It’s a long way to come to Laguna Seca for only one racing lap. We had improved our set up with every session throughout the weekend and I felt my best on track during morning warm up. I got a really good start and had a good battle with Hector Barbera on the opening lap. As I entered turn two on the second lap the front just simply washed out, it definitely caught me off guard as I wasn’t struggling to stop, everything felt quite settled on entry but down I went nonetheless. We have the summer break now before Indy so it gives us a good chance to evaluate all the work done so far this season and make a plan to improve over the second half of the season.”
Phil Borley, Technical Director: “A disappointing race day with the point scored by Yonny the only positive. The higher temperature may have required a slightly different set up but it was the same for everyone so we should have been better prepared. After seeing Michael crash after struggling with front grip at the beginning of the race, Yonny rode cautiously to ensure a finish. After a good start and first lap, Michael’s crash was unfortunate because he again missed the chance to score some points. The summer break will give us the chance to prepare for a stronger second half of the season.”
Paul Bird, Team Owner: “It was another disappointing weekend for the MotoGP team on the back of the one experienced in Germany so we really need to improve after the summer break. We had a good opportunity as a couple of leading CRT riders had problems and we missed out. The idea is to continue our good progress and after a good start to the season, things have not gone well so I’m going to Indy to see what needs to be done as we must get things turned round and back on course.”
Round ten of the MotoGP World Championship takes place on Sunday 18th August at Indianapolis. For more information, please visit the team’s brand new website www.pbmuk.net and www.motogp.com.
More, from a press release issued by National Guard/Celtic Racing:
Celtic Racing’s Alexander Takes Another Podium Finish With Rispoli In Top Ten At Laguna Seca
Celtic Racing’s Corey Alexander took a strong third place finish in the single SuperSport race at Laguna Seca this weekend aboard his #5 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600. James Rispoli brought home a solid eighth place in the Daytona Sport Bike race on Sunday, on his National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600. Because of the MotoGP shared event both SuperSport and Daytona SportBike classes were reduced to only one event this weekend. Alexander continues to lead the AMA SuperSport East division, with points at Laguna Seca going towards West division racers only. Rispoli maintains his fifth position in the Daytona Sport Bike standings, but was not able to close the gap to fourth this weekend. The team was happy to have Caroline Olsen under the canopy and in the pits this weekend, and everyone was pleased to see her progress.
Corey Alexander had a good start at the beginning of the SuperSport race, immediately breaking away from the field with the lead pack and three other riders. Alexander qualified a strong fourth, and started from the second row in Saturday’s race, and he was able to keep pace with Roberts and Puerta, with Tigert and Alexander exchanging positions several times. When Travis Ohge crashed and the race was red flagged, the entire paddock held their breath. Everyone at Celtic Racing sends their warmest thoughts and prayers for a strong and speedy recovery to Travis Ohge, his family, and Houston Superbikes team. Alexander resumed his battle with the lead pack after the race was restarted, again getting a good launch and working his way to second place ahead of Roberts at one point. The second part of the race was a tight battle with Roberts, Puerta, and Alexander separated by less than 0.295″ at the checkered flag. Alexander stated that “overall this weekend was a success for us. I struggled a bit to get some good times down in qualifying, but the race went really well. I was a bit tentative with my National Guard Celtic Racing machine in the race and I should have made some passes stick. It was a very fun and exciting race for me, I love riding at Laguna Seca. Thanks for all the support from the team and my personal sponsors for sticking with me. We will make it back to the top step shortly!” Corey’s personal sponsors include Arai Helmets, AMMO NYC, Hudson Valley Motorcycles, Spidi Leathers, and XPD Boots.
James Rispoli was frustrated by his results this weekend, and besides a good start to the race, was unable to keep pace after the first lap, and would finish in eighth place. The Daytona Sport Bike race was also red flagged, and the last five laps was a sprint to the checkered flag after the restart. Rispoli stated “I’m not happy with the work I did this weekend, and I know we have a lot of work to do at Miller. Many thanks to my Celtic Racing crew for all the hard work they put in, I know it’s going to come together for us at the next race. Thanks to AGV Helmets, Dainese Leathers, Monster Energy, Spider Grips, and Techmount for their support.”
Caroline Olsen, who suffered a serious shoulder and arm injury at Road America earlier this season, was with the team at Laguna Seca. Caroline enjoyed meeting fans and signing autographs, but the combination of sights, sounds, and race fuel gave her some extra motivation to heal fast and get on her Celtic Orient Express Suzuki GSX-R 600 again soon. Caroline said enthusiastically “I had a good weekend at Laguna with the team, as good as not racing can be at this point. I’m still not ready to get back on the bike, and it’s painful to watch my teammate Corey and my friends in SuperSport race without me. I’m trying to stay positive, and if nothing else, to be stuck on the sideline has made me hungrier then ever to come back stronger and better. I have a meeting with Dr. Ting on Tuesday, then I will know more about when I’ll be on my dear bike. Thanks for all your continued messages of support – it really means a lot to me to hear from all of you!”
Celtic Racing is proud to partner with: Army National Guard, Michael Jordan Motorsports, Orient Express Racing, Hudson Valley Motorcycles, American Suzuki, Armour Bodies, Bazzaz, Chicken Hawk Racing, DesignStar3, D.I.D. Chain, FMF Exhaust, Full Spectrum Power, Galfer, GB Racing, K-Tech Suspension, Maxima Racing Oils, Motion Pro, Pit Bull Products, Saddlemen, Signs Ink, Star Motorcycle School, Vortex Racing, and Zero Gravity.
CELTIC RACING
Celtic Racing was established in 2001 by Barry Gilsenan, and over the past 12 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.
ORIENT EXPRESS
Established in 1973, Orient Express is celebrating it’s 40th year as a high performance motorcycle parts distributor and race shop. Orient Express offers engine and motorcycle building services, precision machine work, suspension servicing, and dyno tuning services. 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 Zero Motorcycles:
ZERO MOTORCYCLES WINS eSUPERSTOCK PRODUCTION AWARD AT 2013 LAGUNA SECA MOTOGP
— Production-Based Zero Motorcycles Take Second and Third Out of All Electric Motorcycles — SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, had another record breaking day of racing this past Sunday, July 21, 2013, at the 2013 FIM eRoadRacing World Cup at Laguna Seca MotoGP. Following very impressive performances at last month’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Zero Motorcycles continues to showcase the high performance results possible with their 2013 production-based line up. With four motorcycles qualifying to compete at this year’s event, Zero took both second and third places on the podium. Kenyon Kluge, Director of Electrical Engineering for Zero Motorcycles, won not only the eSuperStock Production Award, but also took second overall amongst all electric motorcycles competing and recorded the fastest times ever for a production-based Zero Motorcycle (1:48:706).
“This weekend was incredible and the Zero team really put an incredible bike under me to get the job done. My qualifying time was nearly 12 seconds faster than our best time from 2012 and our factory improvements to the 2013 model line really helped to make up the difference,” said Kenyon Kluge, Director of Electrical Engineering for Zero Motorcycles. “All of the riders on Zeros this weekend showed how impressive our production-based bikes are and big congratulations go out to everyone at Zero, the individual racers and most importantly of all, the support crews.”
Finishing third overall behind Kluge was Jeremiah Johnson, sponsored by BE-EV.com, who also scored his impressive race result on a production-based Zero Motorcycle. In addition to Kluge’s and Johnson’s podium results, both Brandon Miller, well-known as the “Electric Cowboy,” and Ted Rich, sponsored by SBKtraining.com, also competed on minimally customized 2013 Zero S ZF11.4 models. All Zero Motorcycles entered in the event used 2013 production-based technology with racing modifications applied.
“This is simply amazing,” said Scot Harden, Vice President of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles. “We’re still riding the high from our historic showing at Pikes Peak and now we’ve done it again. Kenyon and the entire Zero team should be very proud of the results they achieved. This only confirms how much of the success we are currently enjoying, both on and off the track, is due to the passion and commitment of our engineering and manufacturing teams who supported the Laguna Seca MotoGP. Congratulations to everyone involved.”
The eRoadRacing World Cup is a successor series to both the TTXGP and e-Power electric motorcycle series. It replaces both series, and is sanctioned by the FIM. Held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the racetrack is 2.238 miles in length with a 180 feet elevation change. It has eleven turns, including the famous “Corkscrew.” Zero’s recent successes at both the 2013 FIM eRoadRacing World Cup at Laguna Seca MotoGP and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb further validate the impressive performances specifications available from the 2013 Zero Motorcycles model line-up. With 68 ft.-lbs. of torque, 54 hp, top speeds of 95 mph and up to 137 miles on a single charge, the Zero S is available to consumers through Zero’s North American dealer network and global distributors. For more information on Zero Motorcycles visit www.zeromotorcycles.com.
About Zero Motorcycles Zero Motorcycles is committed to transforming the motorcycling experience by bringing to market highly innovative electric motorcycles that offer exceptional value and performance. Zero is powered by innovation, driven by passion, guided by integrity and measured by results. Through extensive research, insight and experience, Zero combines the art and science of motorcycle development to create and manufacture products that excite consumers and inspire brand loyalty. Zero is determined to be the preeminent global electric motorcycle company. Follow Zero Motorcycles on Twitter @ZeroMC, become a fan of Zero Motorcycles on Facebook and check out what Zero is doing on YouTube at www.youtube.com/zeromotorcycles.
More, from a press release issued by Saddlemen:
Saddlemen Riders Solid at U.S. Grand Prix
Rancho Dominguez, Calif. – The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca brings together two of the largest motorcycle racing series on the planet, and Saddlemen supported riders made the most of it with three podium appearances and seven top-10 finishes.
AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike
The Daytona SportBike class has seen Saddlemen riders consistently taking top spots throughout the season, and the 6th round of AMA Pro Road Racing was no different. Once again RoadRace Factory’s Jake Gagne led Saddlemen racers with a 3rd place finish, despite dropping to the bottom of the top-10 following a red-flag restart. Jake fought his way through the crowd for his seventh straight podium finish aboard his Saddlemen Performance Seat.
Gagne’s teammate, JD Beach, went on the record last week saying that Laguna Seca is one of his least favorite tracks, but all the same Beach continued his season-long streak of top-5 finishes with a 5th place. The teammates hold on to their 2nd and 3rd place positions in the points standings with three rounds left to go.
National Guard/Celtic Racing’s James Rispoli finished 8th and Riders Discount Racing Triumph’s Joey Pascarella rounded out the top-10 aboard their Saddlemen Performance Chicane seats. Rispoli retains his 5th place spot in the standings and is poised for a solid first season in Daytona SportBike.
AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Saddlemen supported riders Hayden Gillim, Nick McFadden and Caroline Olsen did not compete at the Grand Prix for a variety of reasons, but Saddlemen was still well represented in the SuperSport class by Tomas Puerta and Corey Alexander.
RoadRace Factory’s Tomas Puerta started from the pole-position, but the 16-lap race proved to be anything but routine for Puerta and the other SuperSport competitors. Puerta dueled for the lead throughout the race and into the final lap, but fell short by just 0.117-second in a thrilling finish. Puerta extended his lead in the SuperSport West standings with the first opportunity for points since Road America.
National Guard/Celtic Racing rider Corey Alexander finished just 0.177-second behind Puerta for 3rd place at Laguna Seca. A non-points race for the SuperSport East rider, Alexander is putting together a solid season and has a 9-point lead with just one round and two races left to go.
Round 6 of the AMA Pro Road Racing series takes riders and fans alike to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, August 2-4. Visit www.saddlemen.com to learn more about Saddlemen Performance Seats, the Official Seat of AMA Pro Racing. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news from Saddlemen.
More, from a press release issued by LeoVince USA:
LeoVince USA Riders Give Fans Plenty of Excitement at Laguna Seca
Richmond, Calif. – Round five of the AMA Pro Road Racing season was another weekend of success for LeoVince USA riders, who put LeoVince exhausts and Dion Device brake lever protectors on the podium four times. There were plenty of fans on hand for the racing, held in conjunction with MotoGP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca the weekend of July 19-21.
On Sunday afternoon, the AMA Pro Road Racing riders took the green flag just after the conclusion of the MotoGP race. If the crowd of fans didn’t know who rules SuperBike before the race, they certainly did after watching Josh Hayes win by a huge 7.829 seconds. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha rider has been a dominating force this year, and this is Hayes’s sixth win of the season on his Dion Device-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1.
While Hayes circled Laguna Seca by himself, his Monster Energy teammate Josh Herrin had a fight for second. Several challengers came up to battle for the second spot on the podium, but Herrin eventually secured the spot, crossing the finish line a little more than one second ahead of third.
Dion Device riders made a strong showing in the top ten. Geoff May brought home sixth on his Team Hero EBR 1190RS, and he was followed across the line by teammate Aaron Yates, Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram, and Motorsport.com rider Cory West.
The Daytona SportBike race saw LeoVince USA rider Jake Gagne running up front in the opening laps on his RoadRace Factory Yamaha. A red flag brought the race to a temporary halt, though, and on the restart Gagne found himself near the bottom of the top ten. However, he rode a smart race and worked his way up to third to take yet another podium on his LeoVince exhaust and carbon fiber equipped Yamaha YZF-R6. His efforts also extended his second-place standing in the Daytona SportBike points.
JD Beach has named Laguna Seca as one of his least-favorite tracks, but the RoadRace Factory rider still rode to fifth on his R6. The finish extended an impressive streak for Beach: in the first eight races this season, he has never finished outside the top five.
The SuperSport race got the weekend’s competition off to a wild start. The race was red-flagged, but once it restarted, a battle broke out among the top three. Nail-biting passes on the last lap resulted in a three-way drag race down the front straight to the checkered flag. At the end of it, RoadRace Factory Yamaha’s Tomas Puerta was second. The finish was so close that Puerta and third-place Corey Alexander were credited with a gap of just 0.117-second. Puerta, whose R6 features a LeoVince exhaust, carbon fiber engine case cover and a Dion Device brake lever protector, continues to lead SuperSport West points by a comfortable margin.
Jeffrey Tigert rode his Baby Appleseed/CM Motorsports R6 to fourth. He had his own drag race to the finish, holding off a challenger by an incredibly narrow 0.065-second. Meanwhile, Sebastiao Ferreira gave LeoVince another top ten by finishing sixth on his BP Racing R6. He continues to hold down third in SuperSport West points. Cameron Gish rounded out the top ten, while Daytona Anderson, Felipe MacLean and Danielle Diaz finished 16th, 19th and 21st, respectively.
LeoVince USA’s riders have a short two-week break before round six at Miller Motorsports Park, August 2-4.
For more information about sponsored teams and the LeoVince line of performance products, visit the LeoVince USA website at www.leovinceusa.com. To keep up with the latest product and racing news from LeoVince, be sure to like them on facebook at www.facebook.com/leovinceusa.
More, from a press release issued by RoadRace Factory:
Once upon a foggy Monterey morning
There is a popular saying these days, “It is what it is.” Not quite sure what that means, but we say it a lot and if it means “Well, that’s just what it is…” then no where is it more appropriate than at the USGP from Laguna. It is what it is…meaning that it’s a great place to race, a fantastic opportunity for young AMA riders to showcase their talents in front of a world audience, a place where sponsors mingle with everyone and shake hands on new deals and an event that brings thousands of fans from across the globe to watch motorcycle racing in the US. The downside is that it’s chaos. Strictly enforced rules from sanctioning bodies mean that the normal flow of pit life and interaction is completely blown up. Pit space is shared and must be set up and taken down between sessions. Riders, Techs, Support Staff, Management, and even the occasional media guy are on high alert every time the pit window opens up. However, those crazy moments, the hurried rush to set up and tear down coupled with the bi-polar weather, is no where near enough to replace the pure awesomeness of being there when the MotoGP crowd is on hand. It’s electric and it’s a much needed boost to the AMA Paddock. If you didn’t make it down this past weekend, you should consider taking a second to think about the priorities in your life. I’m kiddin’ but seriously, you missed some incredible races. Lucky for you, here’s the recap
GoPro Daytona SportBike
With limited track time and only one race a distant Sunday morning away, the DSB Crews and riders had time to work on set-ups and overall performance. Coming off an incredible weekend at Mid-Ohio that saw another two double podiums for Jake and JD, the momentum was clearly shifting our way. We have the factory DSB teams on the ropes and, dare I say, “nervous”? Our little shop in Colorado has been posting double podiums since Road America and we knew Laguna was going to be a hard fought contest. Jake was prepped, JD was pumped up and their crews were working the mechanical bits to perfection as the pit was assembled Thursday morning. Everything needed to be primed and ready come their first outing on Friday. Practice session one on Friday was held in perfect weather conditions for Laguna. SuperSport and MotoGP had already been on track and cleaned it up for the DSB riders. Jake and JD immediately went into their rhythms and began to work their way up the time charts. JD was struggling a bit down in P10 while Gagne sat in P3 when the session ended. Going back to the rig for a consultation with the crews, the bikes were cleaned, set-ups changed and riders were given just about as much Red Bull as they can handle just before Qualifying. It worked! As the sun was getting covered back up by the rolling fog, Jake was on the gas and flying around the circuit. JD found something extra and when the session was called, he jumped to P5 and Jake had moved into the P2 slot. The second qualifying session was held under what can best be described as “tricky” conditions on Saturday morning. The fog hadn’t completely lifted and the track surface was drying. There was a small hold on the session but after about 5 minutes, the track went green and JD and Jake were in the pits waiting until the last possible minutes to go out. When they did, their times were initially slower than those from Q1 due to conditions. Thank fully, no one else was really setting the place ablaze. Before the session ended however as both RoadRace Factory / Red Bull riders were improving, Garrett Gerloff came from no-where to end up in P2. This knocked Gagne to P3 and took JD to P6. Starting grid would be Cameron Beaubier, Garrett Gerloff, Jake Gagne, Jake Lewis, Boddy Fong, and JD Beach. It’s Sunday morning and it’s getting close to race time. The weather was improving, the track was in decent shape and the riders were chatting with their crews. As soon as the clearance was given to set up the hot pits, it was on. The pit crews had it up in a mere moments and the bikes were readied on the wall. As the riders went out for the sighting lap, the excitement was palpable. Riders gridded up, visors went down, revs soared, flags dropped and they launched. JD got off to an incredible start from his P6 and was in the top 4 before T1. Jake got away clean and was in P2 before mid lap. At the line for the first lap Gagne was pulling a lead with JD in a strong P3. As the race progressed, Jake was being challenged for the lead by Cameron and JD had slipped a bit to P5. There was an incident that brought out a red-flag and what would be the start of an old school sprint race. By the time the incident was cleared, AMA officials announced what the restart would be. 5 laps. MX Style! A 5 lap sprint to the line… All bets were off! On the line for the restart saw Jake in P2 and JD in P5 and after they came around again, nothing had changed except for the closeness of the group. Cameron made a breakaway and that left Jake to fight with Garrett. However by the start of the 4th lap, Garrett had built a small gap and the rest of the pack settled in. As the checkers flew, Jake crossed the line in 3rd and JD Beach ran home to a solid 5th.
Jake Gagne – 2nd in Series Points
“The weekend for me was decent, we didn’t get the race result we were capable of but overall a fun weekend. I really enjoy the track there and racing in front of all those fans.”
JD Beach – 3nd in Series Points
“Going into Laguna I knew it was going to be a hard weekend on me. It’s always a bit of a struggle for me with not getting much track time doesn’t help much. Being able to leave with a Top 5 is great for me and the team. We are really looking forward to Miller.”
Motorcycle SuperStore SuperSport
As crazy and fun as the DSB action was, SuperSport is always there to make it more enjoyable. Unfortunately for these guys, their weekend activities were always taking place first thing in the morning. Their best track conditions were in the afternoon on Friday for qualifying. Despite their lack of optimal track time and conditions, Tomy showed up to do his thing and let no one get in his way. Daytona Anderson came into this round full of energy and excitement and looking to build off his Road America experience. Practice Session 1 went off on Friday morning with heavy fog and a greasy track. It was clear that their job was to put some fresh rubber on the track for the MotoGP guys coming up after their session. Tomy took full advantage of this time however and laid down quick times all session, never dropping lower than P2. Daytona g ot off a little slow as conditions were changing. By the end of the session, he was picking up speed and confidence. This confidence was rattled a bit during Qualifying Session 1 in the afternoon. Daytona went out and was feeling pretty good, his times were dropping and he pitted on schedule. When he left the pits, those little electrical gremlins showed themselves and his bike was cutting off intermittently. He continued to circulate the track at a less than ideal pace during the session. Tomy, on the other side, was building his momentum and setting the fastest lap times of the session. When Q1 was over and the fogged rolled in, Tomy was sitting on top of the order with Daytona and his gremlins, having been watered and feed after midnight, down in 17th. Qualifying Session 2 was set for first thing Saturday morning. It was a typical morning at Laguna with most riders and team opting to wait out the fog a bit and then jump on track in the waning moments. For Tomy, this was another session of leading the way. He went on track, laid consistently fast laps until the flags dropped and the session was over. Daytona was unable to improve his times and would be starting the race mid pack. There are certain events that we witness and say, “I’m thrilled to have seen it with my own eyes!” For us, that was the Motorcycle Superstore SuperSport Race. Tomy made an incredible start and was dominating from the beginning. He had built a small but comfortable gap for himself as the race went on. What was building up behind him was a storm that would ultimately suck him back in and create some of the bravest moves seen at the famed course. Joe Roberts was moving up quickly and bringing Corey Alexander with him. While this was going on up front, Daytona was struggling with the same electrical issues that plagued his Q1 session. Without the proper parts to replace the central nervous system of his bike, the issues didn’t go away. Unfortunately, the bike wasn’t as capable as Daytona was on this day. A brief stoppage brought on by a Red Flag brought the riders all back into a group for a restart. Back to the race and Tomy was now side by side with Roberts and Alexander. The last two laps were nothing short of incredible. Tomy and Joe Roberts passed each other over and over again until there was that moment I mentioned. That one moment… Tomy was right on Joe as they entered the corkscrew for the final time. This was not to be a Rossi / Stoner “The Pass”, this was different on another level. Tomy went to the outside of Roberts in order to get the drive into the left hander. He went into the marbles and made it stick, however he lost a little drive and settled in behind Joe through Rainey Curve and the short shoot into T11. Tomy made a bold inside pass on Joe right at the apex of the corner and squared his bike right up. Sadly, this cost him a split second of forward momentum and Roberts was able to get the drive to the line. Tomy crossed in P2 after some very impressive moves. Daytona came home in 16th as he managed to fight his faulty electronics all the way to the checkers.
Tomy Puerta – 1st in Series Points (West)
“Pretty good weekend for us, bike felt awesome, P1 in practice P1 in Qualifying, second pole of the year. Race was looking for me, I tried to run a smart race. I got on the lead with two laps to go, lead all the way through the last lap. Got passed on the top of the corkscrew, I tried to make the pass back in turn 10 but it didn’t work. I tried my hardest in turn 11, but I barely missed the rumble strip. I got second, it’s a pretty good weekend, we extended the lead in the championship and that’s pretty good for us. Just looking forward toward Miller.”
Daytona Anderson – 13th in Series Points
“The weekend started off pretty good, got off just a little bit slow but we started to get into the groove towards the end. Qualifying started pretty good, but then I came in to talk about some stuff but then the bike started cutting out on me. I came in and we tried to fix it, but we didn’t have the parts readily available, so I just went out and gave it my best. The next morning for second qualifying it was just kinda wet and stuff so we didn’t really didn’t go any faster. We were really excited for the race, hoping to be up towards the top 10, but going into the race after the warm-up the bike started acting up again. It’s just one of those freak electrical things. So after the red-flag we came in and swapped boxes and batteries hoping it would do something, but when we went back out, it didn’t so I just limped around in 16th hoping to get some points. Overall the weekend was pretty good. You know freak electronic problems, you really can’t help it, so the team did really and I’m excited for Miller.”
Wrap it Up – Danny Walker
“Well, we did what we didn’t want to do.. We poked the tiger and now he’s trying to bite back, Cameron Beaubier displayed the dominance we’d love to have… We’re gonna go back and work harder. These were not results we wanted to have. We will for sure snap back at Miller
At this point in the season we are having fun and playing with our friends and Yamaha teammates at Graves Yamaha.