TEAM ROCKSTAR MAKITA SUZUKI WINS AND PODIUMS AT INFINEON RACEWAY Tommy Hayden scores a spectacular win in Sunday’s superbike race and Blake Young cards another impressive podium SONOMA, CA Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki had cause for great celebration after this past weekend’s AMA Pro Superbike event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden went out and rode an aggressive and impressive race on Sunday, taking the AMA Superbike win on his Yoshimura-prepped Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. Teammate Blake Young also battled hard throughout the weekend and brought home a solid podium finish on Sunday. In Saturday’s race, Hayden got the jump on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 before moving into second place. He stayed right with the leader for all 22 laps and brought home a remarkable second-place finish. On Sunday, however, Hayden pulled out all the stops. His GSX-R again powered him to the front and he again fell into second place. But he was simply biding his time. Riding one of his most determined races ever, Hayden made a pass for the lead with five laps left and then made it stick to take an extraordinary win. This win marks Hayden’s 32nd AMA Pro Racing win, his third win at Infineon, and his sixth career Superbike victory. “I got an awesome start in Saturday’s race on my Suzuki and I felt good from the beginning,” said Hayden. “I knew it was going to be tough, but I tried to put my head down and see if I could pick up some speed in a couple areas. Overall, it had been really positive and we’d been fast and competitive all weekend. On Sunday, I got another good start, I led a couple of laps, and I realized that as the race went on, my GSX-R was working great and I was more comfortable. This win feels really good, for both my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and me. I can’t thank them enough for all the work they’ve put in. I was really disappointed with myself here last year so I really wanted to redeem myself.” Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Young finished up fourth on Saturday after an intense race-long battle. Then, on Sunday, Young put his head down and just rode his heart out, bringing home a hard-won third-place podium finish. “Saturday went pretty well,” said Young. “We got off to a good start, though it took me a while to get into a rhythm. On Sunday, I knew I needed to get a good start and get the momentum going, so that’s what I tried to do. I felt good about the start; my GSX-R1000 felt great and I tried to go out and just put my head down and race my own race. I’m happy to get a podium for my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team because they’re working really hard for me. Now, I’m just looking forward to the next race and being there for the team.” The 2011 Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on May 28 – 30, 2011. Infineon Superbike Class Results, Race 1: 1. Josh Hayes 2. Tommy Hayden 3. Martin Cardenas 4. Blake Young 5. Chris Peris 6. Steve Rapp 7. Larry Pegram 8. Geoff May 9. JD Beach 10. Chris Ulrich Infineon Superbike Class Results, Race 2: 1. Tommy Hayden 2. Josh Hayes 3. Blake Young 4. Steve Rapp 5. Larry Pegram 6. Ben Bostrom 7. Roger Hayden 8. Martin Cardenas 9. Chris Peris 10. Chris Clark 2011 Superbike Class Standings: 1. Josh Hayes 107 2. Tommy Hayden 101 3. Blake Young 99 4. Martin Cardenas 67 5. Larry Pegram 59 6. Ben Bostrom 51 7. Chris Clark 45 8. Roger Hayden 39 9. Chris Peris 39 10. Jeremy Toye 36 About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) founded The Motorcycle and ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, CA, in 1963. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries. For more information, visit www.suzukicycles.com. Follow Suzuki Scoop on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukiscoopfans. About Rockstar: ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful Energy Drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng, and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is available in sixteen amazing flavors. Also, check out ROCKSTAR Energy Gum and ROCKSTAR Energy Shots. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink supports the active Rockstar lifestyle in every sport. Go to www.rockstar69.com for athlete and event updates, videos, profiles, and product information. About Makita: Makita is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita applies leading-edge technology and innovation to engineer tools that are more compact with less weight yet deliver industrial strength power and results. Makita innovation includes Makita LXT®, the industry’s first 18V lithium-ion cordless lineup. The Makita Teal color is the trade dress of Makita Corporation and is protected under common law and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Makita is Best in Class Engineering. For more information visit www.makitatools.com. About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit, and quality that have been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com. Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Industrial Power Tools, Yoshimura R&D, Dunlop, Motorex, Parts Unlimited, Galfer, Renthal, BMC Air Filter, NGK Spark Plugs, F. Fabbri, Catalyst, RK Racing Chain and Motion Pro. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS RIDERS BEN BOSTROM AND ROGER LEE HAYDEN REBOUND AT INFINEON SONOMA, CA The Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) team had an up and down weekend at round two of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Team riders Ben Bostrom and Roger Lee Hayden had tough luck Saturday and didn’t finish race one, but they both came back strong in race two on Sunday with a sixth place for Bostrom, just ahead of Hayden in seventh. In Saturday’s race, Jordan Suzuki’s Bostrom got a great start after qualifying on the front row and ran in fourth place before slipping to fifth, where he held the position until a mechanical issue forced him out of the race. On Sunday, Bostrom slotted into sixth place on his GSX-R1000 and battled with teammate Hayden for the position, with Bostrom prevailing in the end. Bostrom sits in sixth position in the championship points. “Today went a little better than yesterday,” said Bostrom. “We made some progress, but I hope that’s our worst race of the year. That was a tough one on one of my favorite tracks. I’m confident that my Michael Jordan Motorsports team will work hard on a different setup for my GSX-R and we’ll show up at Miller with a new bike. You can’t get disappointed; just have to go forward.” Roger Lee Hayden on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R was running in ninth place in Saturday’s race when he was hit from behind by another competitor and knocked out of the race. Hayden got a good start on Sunday, racing with teammate Bostrom before ultimately finishing in seventh place. Hayden is eighth in the championship points race. “This weekend was a bit of a struggle for me from the get-go,” Hayden said. “We changed the Suzuki a lot from Friday to Saturday, and it was better in the race. We were making up a lot of positions and moving toward the front and in the last corner, a guy ran into the back of me and we crashed. I was okay. We changed the bike again for today, and it was an improvement. I’m glad that Miller is soon because I’m ready to go again. My National Guard Jordan Suzuki team is working hard and we’ll get there.” The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on May 28-30, 2011. ABOUT MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS: Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on MJM, please visit www.23race.com, www.twitter.com/23race and http://www.facebook.com/23race. Michael Jordan Motorsports is proud to partner with: Jordan Brand (a division of Nike), National Guard, American Suzuki, Upper Deck, Hanes, Gatorade, Bazzaz, MMI – Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Vortex Racing Components, Gemini Racing, K-Tech Suspension-Orient Express Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, K & N Air Filters, Dainese Leathers, AGV Helmets, Ancra Tie-downs, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Armour Bodies, DID Chains, FMF Racing Exhaust, Factory Pro Dyno, Roclun International, STAR Motorcycle School, Motion Pro Tools, Zero Gravity Windscreens, with transportation provided by Eastside Trucking. More, from a press release issued by Brammo: Brammo Dominates the Inaugural Round of TTXGP Electric Motorcycle Racing at Infineon Raceway Setting Outright Lap Record. Ashland, OR — Brammo, Inc. a global leader in the electric vehicle industry, dominated the A123 Infineon round of the TTXGP North American Championship series for electric motorcycles this weekend in Sonoma, California. Not only did Brammo win both races, it also established a new lap record at the first ever AMA and FIM North American Union-endorsed TTXGP race. With AMA Champion rider Steve Atlas astride the Empulse RR motorcycle, Brammo consistently scored a higher average lap speed (fastest lap 1:55.150) than last year’s winner of the TTXGP North American Infineon race, ZeroAgni. and posting faster times for longer, Brammo fired its opening volley in the 2011 season with an outstanding demonstration of its technology, experience and talent. The results this weekend make it clear that Brammo truly is leading electric vehicle innovation with its Brammo Power battery pack and vehicle management system. Brian Wismann, Director of Product Development for Brammo, said; “This weekend was a great result for Brammo and it feels good to reap the benefits of many months of hard work and overcoming development challenges in a very public way. We’ve been convinced about the performance potential of this package and with the help of some great partners and a very talented rider, we were able to prove that potential on the track this weekend. We’re looking forward to the chance to pit the Empulse RR against the best efforts from the likes of Mission, Lightning, and Motoczysz when their bikes are ready.” Steve Atlas the Brammo Empulse RR rider stated “I had a blast on the Empulse RR this weekend and I’m stoked we were able to set the track record for these bikes. I think we’re just at the start of this technology and the Brammo boys are doing a great job moving the sport on to higher levels of performance.” About Brammo Brammo Inc is a leading electric vehicle technology company headquartered in North America. Brammo designs and develops electric vehicles including the Enertia, Empulse and Engage motorcycles. Brammo is an OEM supplier of its innovative Brammo Digital Drivetrain™ systems including the Brammo Power™ battery pack and Brammo Power™ vehicle management system. Brammo has vehicle distribution and marketing operations in North America, Europe and Asia.For more information, please visit www.brammo.com The following are trademarks of Brammo, Inc. in the United States or other countries or both; Brammo®, Enertia®, Empulse®, Engage®, Encite®, Brammo Digital Drivetrain®, Brammo Power®, the Brammo logo and bulls head graphical device. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: French Grand Prix debrief with Hirohide Hamashima Round 4: French GP Post-race debrief Le Mans Circuit, Tuesday 17 May 2011 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear (asymmetric): Soft, Medium For the French Grand Prix, Bridgestone debuted a brand new asymmetric rear tyre; soft compound rubber in the right shoulder and extra soft compound rubber in the lesser-used left shoulder. Conditions all weekend were fine with only a brief rain shower on Saturday morning, and the laptimes on the new tyre were very fast. Casey Stoner was fastest all weekend and dominated the race to take victory after an early battle with teammate Dani Pedrosa. Pedrosa and Marco Simoncelli collided on lap 18, resulting in a broken collarbone for Pedrosa and a ride-through penalty for Simoncelli, which demoted him to fifth at the finish. The battle for what became second was fought between Andrea Dovizioso who claimed his first podium of the year, Valentino Rossi who clinched third and his first podium for Ducati and Jorge Lorenzo. Pedrosa set a new lap record whilst Stoner set a new total race time record. Hirohide Hamashima Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division Did the new rear tyres provide a performance advantage at Le Mans? “I can say from the laptimes, and from riders’ feedback, that yes our new soft asymmetric rear slicks were another step forward in performance. For the laptimes from the very first practice session on Friday morning to be under the lap record is almost unheard of and something we at Bridgestone are very happy about. Of course, the tyres cannot take all the credit because an enormous amount of work has been done by the teams and the Hondas in particular were very fast this weekend, but the tyres play a crucial role in translating machine and rider performance to the track. “The extra soft compound rubber in the left shoulder of the rear tyres provided the riders with better feeling in the early laps, especially given the cold morning conditions in France. In the morning the track temperature was as low as 23 degrees Celsius yet still performance was good enough. By contrast, on Friday afternoon the track was 45 degrees and still riders dipped beneath the lap record on the same soft rears, indicating that not only does this new tyre provide better warm-up and rider feeling but it also has a wider operating temperature range.” With no tyre competition, what is the reasoning for Bridgestone to develop a new tyre? “We are always competing against ourselves and we have a goal to produce and make available the best tyres we can. Yes, tyre development has slowed down since the era of tyre competition but this new tyre shows that we have not stopped developing tyres for MotoGP. We are always listening to the riders, and whilst it is not always possible to meet all of their demands or modify our tyres immediately, it is important to us to listen carefully, take notice of what they are asking, and do our best to improve our products for their benefit. Our intention in new tyre development is to provide an increased margin of safety for the riders in the early stages of each session. I can say that in France our new soft rear slick achieved this target and furthermore laptimes on this new tyre were faster than last year which I believe shows very successful development.” More, from a press release issued by Jordan Burgess’ publicist: Disastrous weekend for Jordy Burgess in AMA Pro Superbike round two at Infineon Raceway A string of misfortune including a bizarre snapped chain and a multi-bike crash has ruled Jordan Burgess out from completing neither of the the two races at last weekends second round of the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike series from Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California. The Rookie AMA Superbike rider from Australia riding for Team ADR FLY Racing made his debut at Daytona with promising results in the first race before suffering a DNF for the second race (mechanical) and was keen to redeem his misfortune at the challenging Infineon circuit. Gaining momentum through the qualifying sessions, Burgess was inside the top 15 before suffering a lowside through turn 7, effectively ending the session and had to settle for a start from 16th on the grid. Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 was over within 3 laps, when he suffered a snapped chain on the Suzuki GSXR1000, rendering the end of his race. Team mate and Team Owner, David Anthony (Aussie Dave) was chasing hard for the top positions on board the #25 ADR Machine until an unforeseen on track mishap created a collision with Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden. Anthony was able to get up and continue, only to have a second crash caused from a steering lock through a corner. Burgess and his crew regrouped after investigating the chain issue and re-gridded for Sunday’s Race 2 with high hopes of a solid finish for the weekend. This was not to be, as Burgess was caught up in a collision between Kawasaki’s J.D. Beach and Tony Kasper’s BMW on Turn 2 on the starting lap, which saw Jordy with nowhere to go and running straight over the Kawasaki superbike and losing control of his ADR machine. The accident saw Kasper caught underneath his BMW S1000RR in the crash in which Burgess ran from off the track to help lift bike off of him. Aussie Dave also suffered a DNF with an electrical issue taking out of contention of the race whilst contesting for 7th position. Burgess Comments: “What more can you say than this is just one of those weekends you would rather forget. Coming into this round the team has been working hard on the bikes and we have been looking great in testing and getting more comfortable on board the ADR machine. I am disappointed with the way the weekend turned out, but there was nothing I could of done to change the way the weekend panned out. The chain snap in race was unfortunate and I just had to cop that one on the chin. The incident on Turn 2 in Race Two was yet another disastrous mishap, in which I am glad we all walked away from. I was thinking all sorts of things to myself when I saw Beach’s bike straight in front of me with nowhere to go! I certainly wasn’t expecting to practice my motocross skills, that’s for sure. Anyways we just have to put this weekend behind us and focus on Round Three at Miller and try and get a favorable result to repay the team for their hard work thus far.” Round Three of the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Series will contested at Miller Motorsports Park on the 28-30th May. Jordy Burgess would also like to thank his supporters and sponsors including Team ADR FLY Racing, Teterin Engineering, Rev’It Leathers, ARAI Helmets, Two Brothers Racing, FLY Racing Road, MX and Casual apparel, and SABRE Sunglasses. www.jordyburgess.com More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Lorenzo Extends MotoGP Points Lead An incident-packed Grand Prix of France saw Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo take fourth place and nearest championship rival Dani Pedrosa crash out of competition on Sunday, May 15. The results, though not yielding the usual win or podium for Lorenzo, widens the defending MotoGP world champion’s lead to 12 points over race winner Casey Stoner in the long 18-round series. Meanwhile Lorenzo’s YZR-M1 teammate Ben Spies finished a strong sixth, as both Yamaha Tech 3 riders, Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow, unfortunately crashed out. Lorenzo suffered a low-side fall in the morning warm up, sustaining what fortunately proved to be only a minor injury to his finger. But he held his second-row grid position off the line once the race finally got underway, battling up to fourth with 14 laps left to go. With his sights set on a podium position, a mistake caused him to run wide and lose ground, though he still crossed the line still in fourth. “The race was good in general for us, and of course the results and points are good for the championship,” Lorenzo said afterwards. With his own strong finish, Spies leaves France happy to have put the misfortunes of the previous two rounds behind him. The Texan kept his eighth-place grid position off the line but made two small mistakes in the early laps, losing time to those in front. Then, holding a consistent race pace let him close on Edwards until the crash by the fellow Texan caused Spies to run wide. He recovered and managed to fight off Nicky Hayden to eventually take sixth. “It was a pretty exciting race,” Spies said. “I tried to ride as hard as I could and was reeling in Colin until unfortunately he crashed, which allowed Nicky to get up to the back of me. We diced around a bit then I was able to get around him and go on my way. Anyway sixth place is good for the points!” Hayes 1-2 at Infineon Superbike Doubleheader Yamaha’s Josh Hayes swept to 1-2 finishes in the second round of the 2011 AMA Superbike series at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. on Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15. The defending champion excelled in the blustery winter-like conditions at the San Francisco-area track aboard his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1, chalking up his second pole of the season and leaving with a six-point lead in the nine-round championship. Meanwhile in the Daytona Sportbike class, Josh Herrin earned a solid third-place podium finish on Sunday aboard his Graves Sports YZF-R6 after sitting out Saturday’s race to satisfy a penalty the AMA assessed after the Daytona 200. Herrin now lies sixth, with teammate Tommy Aquino fourth, in the Daytona Sportbike standings. Superbike race one was a textbook example of Hayes’ smooth, fast riding style and of the R1’s performance envelope. Although rival Tommy Hayden grabbed the holeshot at the start of Saturday’s 22-lap race, Hayes took the lead after an early battle with both Hayden and Blake Young. Then as tires wore and nerves frayed, Hayes was able to inch further and further ahead, ultimately scorching to the quickest lap of the race late in the going and opening up a sizable seven-second advantage at the checkered flag. “Our bike was just like last year,” Hayes noted of his R1. “It’s a very strong bike that basically allows me to just go out there and ride well.” Race two on Sunday proved more of a battle for Hayes, partly due to fierce competition from Hayden and Young, and partly due to a restart precipitated by a crash by Chris Ulrich. Hayden took he holeshot at the restart, with Young and Yamaha’s Hayes in tow. Hayes would not be denied, and eventually forced his way past both rivals to again head the field. But in the closing laps Hayden found his way back past the Yamaha star, and was even able to open up a small gap over Hayes at the flag. Nonetheless, the defending AMA Superbike champ was rightfully satisfied with the day. “I got a pretty good jump, but I just didn’t get rolling as good as Tommy and Blake did,” Hayes commented. “I think the red flag hurt me a little. But before that I’d been able to do pretty good laps, so I decided I was just going to dig deep and ride the R1 the best I could.” More, from a press release issued by CRP Racing: Completed the second round of the Championship FIM e-Power It was concluded Saturday, May 14, the second round of the World Championship FIM e-Power in Schleiz, Germany. The suddenly temperature changes have caused teams some technical problem in qualifying on Friday, while on Saturday, thanks to the work done by the technical staff, the eCRP 1.4 recorded the second fastest time in qualifying sessions in the morning. In the afternoon there were again problems with condensation due to fluctuating temperatures in the circuit and Alessandro Brannetti was forced to retire with regret, and the team had worked until the last minute to set at the best motorbike. However, the race of Schleiz showed that the track is the best test to highlight strengths and weaknesses of new technology that is proving to be the future for two and four wheels. The CRP Racing team once returned to his headquarters in Modena, will start to work in order to find the right solution for difficulties coming from extreme weather conditions and have the vehicle operating correctly. More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist: DiSalvo Dominates in California Wine Country Race 1 Saturday Stafford, New York’s Jason DiSalvo continued his streak of wins by doing a double at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma California over the weekend. The weekend began with Jason being second fastest in the first round of qualifying. Upon inspection by the officials Jason’s fuel was out of the spec range set by AMA Pro Racing. Although a new drum of fuel was used, it did not meet the standards of compliance with the series. The result of this was Jason’s second fastest time being disqualified putting him in a precarious position to qualify on Saturday morning with only a short session remaining. Halfway through this second qualifying session on Saturday, Jason set the fastest lap, giving him pole position for both races. Saturday, although cool, was a good day for racing with Jason starting from the pole and immediately going to the front, maintaining a strong pace with another rider in hot pursuit. The pace that Jason had set was close to his qualifying times and he proceeded to pull away from the group after the second place rider took an off track excursion. With an open track in front of him, Jason was able to manage his advantage which at one point was 8 seconds. As the race closed to the last four laps, Jason was able to maintain his dominating speed and bring the bike home with a 7 second lead. Although Jason had raced at Infineon numerous times, and been on the podium in past years, he had not won at this track until Saturday. Race 2 Sunday With rain falling early in the morning there was concern that the day might be washed out as Infineon Raceway’s configuration is not conducive to racing when wet. As the morning cleared, practice began with Jason opting not to take the short 20 minute warm-up, feeling nothing would be gained. Race time was set for 1:00 pm, the AMA Supersport Class finished and it appeared the weather would hold. With Jason starting from the pole position, he ran second going into the early part of the first lap. Again a shuffling of riders found Jason in third after lap one but in pursuit of the leaders. At one point Jason ran as far back as fifth, trying various moves to take the lead. In a sequence of daring passes, he moved from fifth to fourth, to third, to second, to first over a four lap period and began extending the lead, turning times that no rider could match at that point in the race. Jason was able to manage and extend his lead into the closing laps of the race. Coming down to the final lap with turn 9, 10 and 11 left before the checkered flag, Jason ran off course but was able to save the situation to bring it home for a very impressive second win of the weekend. This win brings Jason to 3 consecutive first place finishes which is a new high for his career and a double at Sonoma which in its own right on such a technical track is a major feat. Additionally, Jason leads the series with a 37 point advantage over the second place competitor. Jason commented after the race “Once I got out in front, got in that rhythm, got in that zone, I just kept chugging away””pulling laps, keeping my head down, and riding hard”. The results speak for themselves.