MILLVILLE, N.J. – The AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport season winds up this weekend with the New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown at New Jersey Motorsports Park, concluding an unpredictable and exciting season that has seen five riders win in 2013 and 12 riders earn the podium in this year’s races thus far. With those capricious outcomes as the backdrop, the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Division title will be decided in the weekend’s doubleheader that promises to be another thrilling chapter in a great year of racing. There are 39 riders pre-entered for the races this weekend, but the spotlight will shine on the three riders most likely to take home the East Division championship. Corey Alexander (No. 5 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600) currently leads the points and the New Yorker is glad to be headed to his home region with a nine-point advantage. Alexander’s season has gone well, with the youngster clocking his best results yet in the class. He won both races at Road America to cement his status as a class contender and has been steady throughout his 2013 campaign. Alexander has finished inside the top seven positions a total of eight times this year, with four podium results. In the East races, he has finished outside of the top 10 only once, in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The effort has earned him a slim margin, so he has a few points to give up to a rival but not enough to go into full conservation mode. Alexander will need to be quick in New Jersey and the young rider should be ready to put in a good performance this weekend. Second-place man Hayden Gillim (No. 69 Team 95 Yamaha YZF-R6) has closed rapidly in the second half of the year. He found his form at Mid-Ohio and has been on the podium for the last three East races, including a win in Ohio at the most recent East contest. Gillim, a tough rider to beat on his day, can still control his own destiny with two races plus bonus points for pole and leading the most laps up for grabs. Gillim’s aggressive style could serve him well at New Jersey. Knowing what is up for grabs will allow the Kentuckian to push hard and see what happens. Stefano Mesa (No. 37 Motosport.com RSRacecraft Yamaha YZF-R6) is still in the fight as well. The Colombian has two positions in the standings and 14 points to make up, but the fiery rider has found a hot streak before. At the season opener at Daytona, Mesa won a tightly contested battle. Despite some recent misfortune along the way, Mesa led the points for much of the year. He was ill at Barber Motorsports Park and at Mid-Ohio, a late-race crash put him in a tough spot as he was classified 23rd. Mesa is going to need to be at the top of his game this weekend, plus get some help from some other riders in the field. There are plenty of fast riders looking to make an impact and none more notable than the recently crowned West and Overall AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport champ Tomas Puerta (No. 1 RoadRace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6). The Colombian locked up the 2013 championship at Miller Motorsports Park and will compete with his new number one plate at the final race of the year. In a season filled with unpredictable races, Puerta has been the most consistent racer in the class. The fans may not have been able to guess the winner, but figuring Puerta would be near the front was always a safe bet. “Tomy” finished in the top five at every East and West race, save for one race at Mid-Ohio when his machine developed a problem while he led. With the points situation decided, Puerta can truly go for victory without fear of damaging his championship goals. The class veteran could have a big impact in how the East points play out as well, since he’ll be tough to beat in Jersey. Another racer who has been on the rise is Wyatt Farris (No. 9 Meen Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6). Farris made steady improvement in 2013 through the top ten, but in Utah his second and third-place finishes that saw him scrap for wins were a high-water mark. Farris was quick to credit his team for the advances, but his skills have improved considerably this season and a win or two would complete his charge to the front. Miles Thornton (No. 72 CTR Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) is another rider that has impressed of late. Sitting fourth in the points, the Georgian had his best round yet in Ohio, backing up a strong qualifying performance with two thirds. Thornton is itching to win a race and could be one of the pivotal players this weekend in New Jersey. Travis Wyman (No. 24 Harv’s H-D Suzuki GSX-R600) is in a similar position, posting a close second to Gillim at Mid-Ohio. Wyman led much of that race and the New Yorker gave Gillim all he could handle in that memorable race. His confidence level is high heading into New Jersey. After finishing second to Puerta in West points, veteran Jeffrey Tigert (No. 91 Baby Appleseed CM Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) will be in a similar position. A win would be a nice cap to a good season for the Californian. Also keep an eye on Nick McFadden (No. 118 TOBC Racing Suzuki GSX-R600) and Conner Blevins (No. 33 Ajax Kawasaki ZX-6R), two young riders with bright futures in AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport. The 19-lap race finals to determine the East champion will be held Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time, respectively. For tickets to GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing’s Round 8 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 13-15, 2013, please visit http://store.njmp.com/store/category/9/69/AMA-SUPERBIKE/ or call 856-327-8000. How to Catch the Action This weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. This weekend’s coverage consists of four straight hours of programming on September 15, including LIVE broadcasts of Sunday’s AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike finals. The four-hour block will begin on Sunday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. In addition to the race broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, September 13 at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com/rr/. Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country’s finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/. 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. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. More, from a press release issued by VETMotorsports: VETMotorsports will be at New Jersey Motorsports Park this Weekend. (9/12/13) Upper Arlington, OH VETMotorsports will engage disabled combat veterans this weekend during the AMA Pro Racing event at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Local area combat veterans will be placed into two AMA Pro Road Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teams, Rhinehart Racing’s #990 team and James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing #70 team. Combat veterans who’ve worked with teams at prior AMA Pro Racing rounds through VETMotorsports have enjoyed the experience and found it rewarding in ways they didn’t even expect. “My experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was stellar,” said Army Sargent Rebecca Antall. A disabled combat veteran, Antall participated as a VETMotorsports crew member during the Indianapolis Red Bull GP. “The team totally engaged me from the time the bike was unloaded to the time we packed up. I found a piece of myself that was missing while I was there and I am glad to have it back. I gained not just friends but more out of the team. I am humbled by the experience and grateful for the opportunity.” As for the AMA Pro race teams themselves, they enjoy giving something back to the veterans they work with. “I’m excited to be teamed up VETMotorsports at NJMP,” said Rhinehart Racing’s team owner and rider Dave Rhinehart. “Rhinehart Development/Rhinehart Finishing (WWW.RHINEHARTDEVELOPMENT.COM) works to supply the men and women of the armed forces with the parts they need to accomplish the mission at hand. It’s amazing to think that Rhinehart’s can also provide this hands-on immersion experience to enhance the lives of those same men and women who are wounded or disabled while serving our country.” “Working with VETMotorsports and these combat wounded veterans has been the highlight of our year as each of these veterans have shared so much of themselves and shown a remarkable example fortitude and positive attitude in the face of adversity,” said Paul James, rider and co-owner of James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing. “We’re honored to be part of this program and thankful for the experience.” About VETMotorsports: VETMotorsports is a recognized 501c3 tax exempt outreach program. We place combat veterans into motorsports events that are team-oriented, purposeful and goal driven with actual hands-on time. Motorsports by nature is a high energy and adrenaline-filled sport, and by engaging combat veterans we work with established skills and tools they acquired while deployed. VETMotorsports ensures our combat veterans are empowered and engaged; making them central components to our team operations and including as many care givers, peers and family members as possible. VETMotorsports supporters are: Oxford Consulting Group, Drippin’Wet, Ellanet, Midwest Motorcyclist, Motion Pro, Optimum Print Solutions, Portfolio Creative, XR1200 Owners Group. To learn more about VETMotorsports please visit them on the web at www.vetmotorsports.org or follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/VETMotorsports, Twitter @VETMotorsports or Pinterest atpinterest.com/VETMotorsports/ Tax-deductible contributions can be made here http://www.crowdrise.com/VETMotorsports More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: MILLVILLE, N.J. (September 12, 2013) – Every session, every overtaking maneuver, and every hard-earned position at the checkered flag hold increased importance now that the 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series title fight is down to its final two races. Following last month’s XR Showdown doubleheader opener at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the four-race shootout to determine this year’s champion is already halfway completed, but nothing is settled just yet. This weekend at The New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown the intense struggle for XR1200 supremacy and the $60,000 Showdown prize resumes at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Steve Rapp (No. 5 Aerostar Global/Suburban Harley-Davison) carried a four-race win streak into the XR Showdown. However, that streak was snapped and he was twice defeated at Indy in a pair of thrilling contests that came down to final-lap drafting duels. While his 4-2 finishes may have felt like a minor disappointment considering his stellar mid-season form, the combined result was anything but a setback for his ultimate goal. In fact, Rapp’s consistency, combined with the fact that the two wins went to international wild card entries not in XR Showdown contention, means the veteran pilot actually finds himself in a position of power in his quest to secure a first-career GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing championship. Despite missing out on victory for the first time since March, Rapp now boasts an eight-point advantage heading into NJMP. Also working in Rapp’s favor is that that fact that the only other Showdown contender to have won a race this season, Tyler O’Hara (No. 29 Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade), crashed out early in Sunday’s contest at IMS. As a result, O’Hara finds himself with a steep hill to climb, as he’s been relegated to fifth in the title chase, some 20 points removed from Rapp and with precious little time to make up that ground on the steady and experienced Rapp. While Rapp is undeniably in a good place at the moment, anything can happen at New Jersey Motorsports Park, as illustrated by last year’s Harley-Davidson stunner. Kyle Wyman came into NJMP with a commanding XR Showdown lead after an excellent performance in the ’12 Indy doubleheader. However, Wyman crashed hard on the final lap while running as part of a seven-man dogfight for the win in New Jersey and was effectively knocked out of the title fight as a result. The win that day actually went to a rider outside the XR Showdown — home-track hero Shane Narbonne (No. 46 Mob Racing). Narbonne is very much in title contention this year, however, as he returns to the scene of his first-career GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing race victory ranked fourth in the championship fight and well positioned to make a serious move for this year’s crown. Kyle’s brother, Travis Wyman (No. 24 Harv’s Harley-Davidson), is another rider to keep close tabs on. Wyman has increasingly shown the ability to match Rapp in terms of outright pace, pushing him for a close second at Mid-Ohio and then followed that up with a strong fifth and third at Indy. He is currently second in the XR Showdown standings, just eight points removed from title favorite Rapp. Of course, you can never count out defending series king Michael Barnes (No. 1 Spyke’s Harley-Davidson). ‘Barney’ is now third, 15 points off Rapp, but successfully fought his way back from a deeper deficit last season to score his first AMA Pro title. Positions five through ten are tightly packed following the Indy doubleheader. David Estok (No. 123 Thrashed Bike Racing) leads that group, but only eight points total separate Estok, Ben Carlson (No. 45 Suburban Harley-Davison), Nicholas Hansen (No. 97 H&S Distributors), Josh Chisum (No. 10 Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade), and Barrett Long (No. 2 Longevity Racing). And as Narbonne showed last year at NJMP (and indeed, as Jeremy McWilliams and Hafizh Syahrin demonstrated last month in Indy), talented riders from outside the XR Showdown can still step forward and make their presences felt at the front on any given day, adding to the unpredictable nature of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. For tickets to GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing’s Round 8 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 13-15, 2013, please visit http://store.njmp.com/store/category/9/69/AMA-SUPERBIKE/ or call 856-327-8000. How to Catch the Action This weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. This weekend’s coverage consists of four straight hours of programming on September 15, including LIVE broadcasts of Sunday’s AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike finals. The four-hour block will begin on Sunday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. In addition to the race broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, September 13 at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com/rr/. Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country’s finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/. 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. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Geiger Media on behalf of AMSOIL: AMSOIL EBR SuperBike riders seek podium glory at Devil’s Showdown MILLVILLE, N.J. (Sept. 11) – The AMSOIL EBR National Guard SuperBike team is ready to go short-track racing at this weekend’s New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown, the final doubleheader event in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series. New Jersey Motorsports Park’s 2.2-mile, 14-turn layout features a lot of curves and almost none of the long straightaways found at other tracks in the series. It’s the kind of track that a good-handling bike will tear up and the kind of track Team Hero/AMSOIL rider Geoff May is looking to conquer. “Our bikes have been handing well all year long, so it lends itself to our setup,” May said. “I feel strong about it. We had a bike that contended for the podium last year, and I actually got knocked down by one of our opponents and had a big crash. “We were well in the fight for the lead, and I’m excited to get back there and repeat that performance.” May’s team has put in extra shop time since the last race, and a recent test showed the bike has some more power to pair with that good handling. “We’ve not been on the podium this year, so I’m real motivated to get us up there this weekend,” May said. “We’ve made some improvements to the motorcycle. We’ve tested the bike and I’ve been training really hard. “We’ve done a lot to make the bike easier to ride and improve our lap times. You have to be able to trust the bike and lay it all on the line during the race without worrying about getting spit off the thing and having a big crash.” With three races left to run this season (two will be held this weekend), May has a shot to finish as high as sixth in the SuperBike standings. He is currently in eighth but only three points behind seventh-place Chris Fillmore. Larry Pegram is in sixth and a dozen points ahead of May. May’s teammate Aaron Yates, rider of the AMSOIL/Hero EBR, is in a battle with David Anthony for ninth place. Yates trails Anthony by just two points. Yates’ bike also has gone through some major positive changes since the last race six weeks ago. “I’ve not been at NJMP since 2009 but had a good result when I was there,” Yates said. “We’ve been doing a little testing on our AMSOIL EBR and picked up a little power in the process. We’ve refined a few things on the bike, like the handling and some of the electronics. “I think it’s going to be a really good track for us. We’ll be able to get the bike around the track to turn in some pretty good lap times.” Practice for the New Jersey Lottery Devil’s Showdown gets under way at noon on Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with the first qualifying session starting at 3 p.m. The field will be set after the final qualifier, which starts at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday. Race 1 rolls off at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Race 2 will be at 4 p.m. on Sunday. CBS Sports Network will air Race 1 at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday and Race 2 live at 4 p.m.