Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Hacking Rebounds for Podium at Mid-Ohio Lexington, Ohio Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking returned to the podium at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a hard-fought race that saw him move back and forth amongst the podium positions, eventually finishing as the runner-up. Hayden brushed off the bad luck he’s recently had, putting in a great race to finish fifth. Solid Result Hacking was hoping to put Saturday’s result behind him and he did just that with his sixth podium finish of the season. He shared the lead position for the last half of the race, but had to settle for second at the finish line. “It was a good race for me,” said Hacking. “I really thought I had the win. If we are trying to go for that championship, we need consistent finishes. At least we were able to bring home second today, but I really wanted that win.” Top-Five For Hayden Leaving Saturday’s race behind him, Hayden worked his way up from his sixth-place starting position to eventually finish in the top-five. He led the mid-pack of riders just about the entire race and was happy to finish with a good result. “I knew from my lap timer that I was going pretty quick,” said Hayden. “I was really trying to reel in the front guys, but about halfway through they started pulling away. Fifth isn’t bad. The bike felt a lot better and we are moving in the right direction. We have another test this week so we have a chance to improve even more. The team’s working really hard and overall I’m happy with today’s results.” Mustache Superstition After not finishing the last two races because of bike issues, Hayden decided to try another tactic to improve his results. He shaved off his attention-getting mustache and went after some great results. It must have worked because he finished in the top five. Nearly There Hacking’s first win of the season nearly came at Mid-Ohio and although he took second, the race performance was a step in the right direction for the team. “I feel like I’m going after the first win of my career,” said Hacking. “It seems like whenever we got our set-up working great, Danny (Eslick) is right there to challenge me. We’ll get it. We have a good set-up right now and hopefully we will be able to continue in this direction.” New Track For most of the riders, the next race will be at a brand new track. In two weeks, the AMA Pro Road Racing Series will move in at Heartland Park in Topeka, KS. With no previous testing at the track, the riders must take advantage of every practice session. “I’m usually pretty good at learning new tracks and I hope that will give me a good advantage,” said Hacking. “The settings on the bike are definitely better. We’ll see how it runs when we pull it off the truck in Kansas. Maybe we’ll get a little luck from Dorothy.” Results AMA Pro Road Racing Series Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio July 19, 2009 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Results 1. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 3. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki 4. Taylor Knapp, Lapeer, Michigan, Buell 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 6. Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha 7. Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla 8. Josh Herrin, Clovis, Calif., Yamaha 9. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha 10. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Point Standings 1. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki, 285 2. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell, 275 3. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 241 4. Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha, 211 5. Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 201 6. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda, 177 7. Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla, 176 8. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 157 9. Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha, 157 10. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha, 155 13. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 95 More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Weekend of Solid Progress for Tunstall Round seven of the twelve round British Superbike Championships took place at Mallory Park over the weekend and for Hardinge Doodson Motorsport backed racer Tom Tunstall it proved to be a weekend of solid progress, just missing out on yet another podium by one lap. Over the past couple of years Tunstall has toiled to get the best from a superbike at the short and tight Leicestershire track; “The track is a bit small for superbikes really it’s basically made up of three chicanes and a hairpin all of which are really tight and between 30 & 40mph which on one of these 200bhp machines is very hard work and dictates a specific riding style to get the best out of it. It’s a style that’s not natural to me but I’m here to learn. Tunstall applied himself well and after following the practice and qualifying sessions had lapped nearly 1.5seconds faster than ever before no mean feat around tight circuit. “It’s been a learning curve here this weekend and its sounds strange but I’ve had to slow down to go faster. My corner speed is a strength at most circuits but you have to sacrifice it here, get the bike turned and get out of the tight corners as fast as possible. I’m pleased to be lapping so much faster than previous years but it’s very tight. I’m only 0.5second from 5th on the grid but in 21st place [5th of the Superbike Cup runners]! Despite lapping at the same pace as eventual 2nd & 3rd place cup finishes [Tommy] Bridewell and [Peter] Hickman in the first of Sundays 30-lap races Tunstall lost a vital few seconds passing [Atsushi Wantanabe on lap three and [Kenny] Gilbertson on lap 14. A multiple rider “pile-up” at Shaws Hairpin on lap 22 brought a premature end to the race with Tunstall taking 4th in the Superbike Cup class and 13th overall. Race two took place in contrasting conditions with rain soaking the 1.41mile circuit. Having passed both Relentless Suzuki’s on lap two the Honda rider was running fourth in the Cup contest, climbing up to third after passing Cup series leader Gary Mason on lap 12. Tunstall then set about catching Simon Andrews and Hickman ahead. However heavy rain started to fall again on lap 15 and with obscured vision Tunstall’s lap times dropped allowing Gilbertson to nip passed taking third place. The race was red-flagged a lap later and as track conditions deteriorated further the organisers abandoned the rest of the event forcing Tunstall to take the fourth place result. As the race wasn’t fully completed only half points were awarded to the finishers meaning Tunstall now closes to within 4.5 points of third place in the championship. “It’s really frustrating that we didn’t get chance to restart and I’m gutted I missed out on the podium but I guess there was no choice with all the rain and track flooding. “This was always going to be a tough weekend as it’s not a strong circuit at all for me and I’ve learnt a lot. In both the wet and dry I’ve had the pace for the podium and although it’s frustrating that we didn’t turn that potential into silverware it certainly bodes well for the coming races” Tom’s next chance for that silverware comes in just under three week’s time with the legendary Brands Hatch GP circuit next up on the calendar over the weekend of 7th-9th August. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Rossi Wins German Grand Prix, Extends MotoGP Points Lead For the second time this season, Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo engaged in a thrilling head-to-head battle to the flag, this time at the German Grand Prix in Sachsenring on Sunday, July 19. Once again it was eight-time World Champion Rossi who emerged as the winner, scoring his 101st career Grand Prix victory in the process, but his young teammate pushed him every step of the way and finished just 0.099 seconds behind. Rossi’s win also ties him with Giacomo Agostini in all-time GP podium finishes with 159. It likewise extends his championship points lead over Lorenzo and rival Casey Stoner with eight races left to go in the season. Rossi got a brilliant start from pole position, in contrast to Lorenzo who made a poor getaway and slipped from second to sixth. But the 22-year-old climbed back into fourth by the end of the first lap, establishing the order as Rossi, Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo the four main championship protagonists all circulating within three-quarters of a second. Rossi relinquished his lead to Stoner for 10 laps in the early going, but retook control on lap 18 with a brilliant pass under braking. Lorenzo followed suit, setting up the final battle between the Yamaha YZR-M1 teammates. The pair swapped the lead in dramatic fashion late in the race, but Rossi’s race-craft made the difference and he retaliated on the penultimate lap to seal the win. “I think this was a great race for everyone because all four leading riders in the championship were fighting very closely and all in strong form,” Rossi said. “At the end it came down to another incredible battle with Lorenzo and I really had to be on top form. This is my fourth win of the year and I really think that our Yamaha is fantastic this season.” Lorenzo added, “Keeping pace with Valentino today was a big challenge for me, especially since I’m not at full fitness, so I am happy that I was able to push him until the end. Of course I’m disappointed to lose another very close race but I know that we are capable of fighting with him and considering his experience this is something I must be proud of. Second is important today and we still have a long way to go in this championship.” Double Wins for Hayes, R1 in Mid-Ohio Superbike Yamaha Factory Racing’s Josh Hayes enjoyed a huge weekend by taking the pole and grabbing both race wins in the AMA Superbike doubleheader at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19. The wins are a first ever career “double” for Hayes in the top Superbike class and represent Yamaha’s first back-to back Superbike wins since Colin Edwards did the trick in 1994. The victories also bring Hayes to within one point of Ben Bostrom, who lies third in the championship and who had a great weekend of his own, scoring 4-2 finishes for the two races. After winning the pole on Friday, in Race 1 on Saturday Hayes grabbed the holeshot aboard his YZF-R1, setting the pace until a charging Blake Young took over the lead midway through the first lap. But Hayes returned the favor and held a narrow lead until the end of the 21-lap contest. On Sunday, rival Tommy Hayden grabbed the lead at the start, but this time Hayes did the stalking and quickly took over the lead that is until teammate Bostrom forged his own R1 ahead on lap seven to set up a Yamaha vs. Yamaha battle that would last for several laps. In the end though, Hayes prevailed again, leading Bostrom to the flag by less than a second. “To get the pole, lead most laps in both races, and get two wins is a dream come true,” Hayes admitted afterwards. “This really fulfills my obligation to Yamaha to ride with all my heart and to prove to the world how good the R1 really is. The crossplane crankshaft engine gives me a really good feel for the rear tire and helps me get off the corners well.” Yamaha road race team manager Tom Halverson added, “It’s a really great feeing for the whole team to do this. We’ve been making progress race by race, and a double win is a great payoff for all that hard work. Both Josh and Ben wanted to win really badly and they definitely both came through.” The Mid-Ohio weekend added still more laurels for Yamaha as Graves Motorsports’ Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino podiumed in Saturday’s Daytona SportBike race aboard their YZF-R6s, while Dane Westby and Dustin Meador won the GT1 2 Hour Team Race on their Westby Racing R6. Then on Sunday, a pack of five more R6s led by Team ESP’s Joshua Day totally dominated the 17-lap SuperSport race. Well done all! More, from a press release issued by Birchall Brothers Racing: BIRCHALL BROTHERS SECURE SERIES LEAD After a close and exciting battle for the lead, Ben and Tom Birchall took their second victory of the year in round three of the FIM Superside Sidecar championship at Sachsenring in Germany to regain their series lead with an advantage of five points over Pekka Paivarinta and Adolph Hanni. There were to be two sidecar races on the race programme at the German round of MotoGP but the addition of a Red Bull Rookies event caused the sidecar class to be reduced to just one round. The Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored brothers headed the time sheets in the first qualifying session and this position was maintained when final qualifying was affected by heavy rain. No other crew was able to outpace the Mansfield pair and they lined up to start the 22-lap affair from pole position. After a close and tense three-way battle for the lead, the Birchall Brothers finally hit the front and made it stick at the half way stage of the race on lap 11.They managed to pull away from the pursuing riders to establish a 10 second advantage which they held to the chequered flag breaking the existing lap record in the process with a fastest lap time of 1m 27.706s. This fine result means they regain their series lead and go into the next round with a five point lead over current world champions Paivarinta and Hanni. Round four is at the Croatian circuit of Rijeka on August 23 when Ben and Tom will have to contest the sprint races as well as the longer Gold race. The brothers will be seeking a strong set of results to maintain their position on top of the world rankings ahead of the final showdown at Le Mans in France on September 6. Meanwhile Ben and Tom revert back to the F11 outfit in order to take part in the 15-lap F11 sidecar race that runs as part of the support package with MotoGP at Donington Park on Saturday with a scheduled start time of 5.15pm. More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Honda Racing: PAIR OF NINES FOR HOLDEN AND HODGSON AT MID OHIO SUPERBIKE RACE Corona Extra Honda Riders Neil Hodgson and Jake Holden each took home a ninth place finish at the Mid Ohio Superbike race this weekend. Both riders had their share of struggles and challenges getting up to speed in the races but worked hard and came home with top-ten placings. The weekend started off well for Jake Holden with a set of blistering laps in opening practice that saw him second on the leader board. Jakes speed through qualifying put him in seventh and into Superpole. Neil Hodgson struggled at the track, citing his recovering shoulder as holding him back on the many side-to-side transitions the technical Mid Ohio circuit provided. Neil qualified in twelfth position. In Superpole Jake was not able to hold his speed and had to settle for tenth. Jake said; “We tried a tire that I just couldn’t get confidence in so had to take it easy!” In the first race, both riders got good starts and were well in with the front group, Jake in tenth and Neil a position up in eleventh. The two stayed in this position for much of the race when a late charge by Jake netted him another position on the penultimate lap so at the finish it was Jake in ninth and Neil in eleventh. Holden commented that it was his front tire that held him back at the start: “The front didn’t feel planted for the first few laps and I just didn’t push it. I sort of lost touch with the leaders!” Thereafter Jakes lap times were equal to most of the front group. In race two, both riders got away with an extra spot at the start, Jake in ninth and Neil eleventh. Holden lost a position to Mladin on lap two but both moved up a spot with Yates crashing out on lap three. On lap five Jakes bike started to misfire, forcing him to retire. Neil held his position to the finish, duplicating the ninth place of Jake the day before. Neil said; “I just tried to ride as smoothly as possible. This track is really physical and so I was having a hard time getting a a rhythm going!” For more information please visit Corona Extra Honda Racing online at www.corona-racing.com, email [email protected] or call 310 521 9802. Corona Extra Honda Next Race: Heartland Park, Topeka, KS, Ohio July 31-August 2, 2009 More, from a press release issued by Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies: The Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team finishes Top Five at Mid Ohio. Lexington, OH July, 2009 The Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team had another top five weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with rider Chaz Davies. New rider Aaron Gobert had a solid weekend with an eleventh place finish in Saturday’s Race One, and made progress through out the weekend. The AMA rolling start procedures make a good qualifying position critical to a podium finish in the race. If the rider is not able to latch on to the lead group early in the race, the lap times are too close to bridge the gap. Due to weather on Friday, the normal qualifying session was canceled which lead to a cancelation of the Superpole competition. This left only a twenty-minute final qualifying session on Saturday morning. Chaz was able to get some quick laps in early, but unfortunately, the session was ended early when another rider crashed and Davies never got a chance to put in his fastest laps. In the end, he ended up ninth on the grid on the inside of the fifth row. The cancelation of the qualifying session on Friday was the last thing new rider Aaron Gobert needed. Gobert only had twenty-one practice laps on the Aprilia RSV1000R before qualifying and desperately need more track time to learn the motorcycle. Despite the lack of track time, Gobert went faster each lap of qualifying to eventually end up in the fourteenth position on the outside of row seven. Race One saw both riders get boxed in at the start and lose positions going into turn one. Davies and Gobert both put their heads down and proceeded to turn their fastest laps of the weekend at that point. In the end Davies finished in the fifth position and Gobert finished just outside the top ten in eleventh position in his first race for the Millennium Technologies Sponsored Aprilia team. In Daytona SportBike Race Two, both riders got much better starts with Chaz falling into a race long battle with the second group of five riders. The team had improved the bike on the second day and Chaz was able to turn lap times as fast as the leaders. By the end of the race, Davies was able to get to the lead of the five rider battle but he caught a false natural on the last lap and had to settle for seventh. Gobert once again went faster in the second race, going faster with each additional lap. Unfortunately, Aaron had a bolt break on the shifter and he had to come in for a quick repair. Gobert went back out one lap down and raced with eighth place finishing Josh Herrin for the remainder of the race. In the end, Gobert gained some valuable information for the next race at Heartland Park, Kansas. Chaz Davies “We had the pace on the second day to run with the lead group, but we couldn’t get close enough to them because of our qualifying position. It’s a shame that because of some rain of Friday, we didn’t get a chance at the podium on Sunday, but that is the way it goes. The bike worked really well this weekend and I can’t thank Rocky Stargel and Jimmy Le enough for all their hard work.” Aaron Gobert “Overall I had a great weekend. The team is really good and the Aprilia has a lot of potential. What I need now more than anything is track time on the bike. We are going to the test this week in New Jersey and this will help immensely. Thanks to my crew, Michael Godin, Marty Ashmore, and Brain Nallin. I am very much looking forward to the last three rounds of the season.” Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) “We made it to the podium last week so we want that success again, so we are not completely happy, but it was a solid weekend. We had some good finishes with Chaz and we made a lot of progress with Aaron. I want to thank Ben Thompson for all of his efforts over the past few years and we wish him all the success in the world for the future.” More, from a press release issued by Rockwall Yamaha: TOP FIVE FOR BEACH, WORRELL AND ROCKWALL PERFORMANCE IN OHIO Lexington, Ohio The RockwallPerformance.com team had a great weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at last weekend’s AMA Pro Road Racing event. Both Lloyd Worrell and new rider J.D. Beach finished in the top five in SuperSport, and Marcos Reichert put in two solid performances in the Daytona SportBike races. New RockwallPerformance.com team member J.D. Beach earned fourth in Sunday’s AMA Pro Supersport race and fought for a podium result in the 17-lap final. The former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion was quick all weekend on the #73 Yamaha. “I had a lot of fun out there,” said J.D. “It was an exciting race. I got a good start and was battling for second place and we were having a fantastic battle. With about three to go, Garrett Carter got up the inside of me in the Keyhole and it bent my brake lever, so it was a little hard to brake from there on out. I ended up fourth, but I was right there, so it was a good result for us. I’d like to thank my new team. They helped me out a lot this weekend and everyone had a blast. The bike is super nice and I can’t wait for Kansas.” The team’s other AMA Pro SuperSport young gun Lloyd Worrell finished next with his best result of the season. “In the early going, I was getting the feel of the race and the team came over the radio and told me I was in seventh. I put my head down and tried to charge a little harder,” said Lloyd. “I did a 1:29.9 and I was pushing the envelope and had a good time doing it. Getting fifth was my best result of the year. Hopefully I can show my team I’m improving and we can move up even more from here. It was good having a teammate in the same class this weekend and we’re really looking forward to the next round.” Marcos Reichert was in a tough position after qualifying but made nice progress in the races, improving his finishing position each time. “We were doing well on Friday, but the rain took away the qualifying. On Saturday morning’s qualifying, I crashed on the third lap so I ended up in 27th, which made it tough because it is so hard to pass here. There are only a couple of places to make it happen,” said Marcos. “In each race I’d get past one rider and then have to make up a gap and then wait to pass the next guy. Saturday I finished 18th and Sunday I finished 21st. I did as many good laps as I could and tried to get as good of a result as possible. On Saturday, I improved nine spots. Sunday was tougher because someone pushed me out at the start and I lost about five more positions before we could really get charging to the front. The results probably don’t reflect how we performed this weekend but we are excited to go to Kansas. We are one of the few teams to have ridden there before and I have the Supersport track record there.” The RockwallPerformance.com Team is eagerly anticipating the Heartland Park Topeka event, July 31-Aug 2. More, from another press release issued by Yamaha: Cypress California, July 21, 2009 After the double win and one-two finish by Josh Hayes and Ben Bostrom on the Yamaha R1 and a podium finish by Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino on the Graves R6, Yamaha domination continued in the AMA Supersport class at Mid Ohio with the top five finishers all aboard the Yamaha YZF-R6. As the best selling Supersport of 2009 and multi-year AMA Supersport Champion, the R6 has been the weapon of choice in the new Supersport class this year. “We are pleased to see the results of the R6 in this new class as well as the Daytona Sportbike class” said Yamaha Racing Manager Keith McCarty “and are pleased to see wins in different classes by different teams. These results certainly speak to the level of design and competitiveness of the R6″. Look for more R6 results at an upcoming AMA Pro Racing Round near you and check out the 2009 R6 at your local dealer. For a dealer near you and full product information please visit: www.yamaha-motor.com More, from a press release issued by FIM and Shell: Shell technicians have been on site all weekend in the German MotoGP paddock at the request of Ducati, to analyse samples of Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden’s race oil and fuel. Shell has been working next to Ducati’s pit garage and trailers to ensure not only the best possible race result, but so that future FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) regulations can be met and exploited to provide long term benefits to Ducati. Working from a new mobile track lab in the Sachsenring paddock, Shell’s team of fuel and lubricant experts have been on hand to generate valuable data as Ducati collects samples of race fuel and oil from each of Stoner and Hayden’s on-track sessions. The Shell V-Power race fuel analysis gives important performance insights, while the engine-protecting properties of the Shell Advance oil are examined in-depth to ensure constant reliability for the Desmosedici GP9. In a media discussion also attended by Dorna and Claude Danis, FIM Road Racing Commission President, Richard Karlstetter, Shell’s Global Racing Fuels Technology Manager, spoke of current challenges in MotoGP. Karlstetter said: “We always need to be prepared for championship rule changes. We have a strong ten-year-old technical partnership with Ducati, and by supporting the team on-site at the races, we can speed up the pace of development and really see the benefits of our close collaboration. Our constant aim is to find the best balance between power output and fuel consumption for the Ducati Team MotoGP machines. In light of the tough regulations we face, we must always be prepared to do the right thing at the right time.” Claude Danis, FIM Road Racing Commission President added: “It’s good to talk to Shell about what they do in MotoGP, and to see the hard work going into meeting the championship regulations. When we make important changes to the MotoGP Championship regulations, for example the fuel tank size and the forthcoming multiple-race engine use, it’s important for us to know that the work is going on behind the scenes to make sure the rules work in the interest of a bright future for MotoGP.” As the championship advances towards the age of restricted engine use, attention will be more focused than ever on the final seven races of the season. Shell’s team of 12 Ducati-dedicated technicians at its Hamburg-based laboratories will have an important role to play in prolonging the life of the Desmosedici GP9 engine. Shell Advance is vital in lubricating the engine and the gearbox, maintaining its protection properties over multiple races. Shell’s analysis both on-site at the track and in Hamburg will provide key developments to keep Ducati ahead of the pack in MotoGP. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: German Grand Prix debrief with Tohru Ubukata Round 9: German GP Post-race debrief Sachsenring, Tuesday 21 July 2009 Bridgestone compounds available: Front: Slicks – Hard, Extra hard Wets – Hard Rear: Slicks – Hard, Extra hard (asymmetric) Wets – Hard The German Grand Prix was the fifth race of the year to be affected by rain and tested all of Bridgestone’s available tyres. The first free practice started wet but dried by the halfway mark. Saturday’s second free practice was dry but was followed by torrential rain and standing water for the qualifying session. It was dry again on Sunday when Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi won his fourth race of the season, and rear slick compound choices varied greatly. Q&A with Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development How did the hard compound wet tyres perform during the weekend? We saw incredible wet conditions for the qualifying session on Saturday that were probably the worst we have seen this season, and I am happy with the level of performance our wet tyres provided. Even with much standing water and a cold track temperature, the fastest lap was quicker than that set in the wet last year, so this clearly shows the steps forward we have taken in terms of tyre performance and operating range. There were some problem parts of the circuit, most notably turn seven that caught many riders out during qualifying. It is a very tricky corner when it is wet as it is fast and downhill, and on Saturday we also saw a small river of rain water running across the track mid-corner, and this is what caused some difficulties for riders. We saw very varied conditions during the weekend from dry to damp to very wet. How did this mixed weather affect tyre performance in general? The conditions this weekend actually allowed us to demonstrate the crossover between all the tyre options we brought to the race. From the first practice session we saw a good operating range overlap between our wet tyres and the hard compound slicks, showing again that our wets work well until the track is almost dry and our slicks start working when a dry line is just emerging. Then in the race we saw a great deal of variation between riders using our hard and the extra hard compound slick tyres. All riders except Casey used the softer option front, but nine riders chose the hard rear and eight opted for the extra hard compound. Apart from Jorge and Dani who used the same compounds, the top four each chose a different tyre combination which provided some good competition at a circuit which is traditionally very hard to overtake on. More, from a press release issued by ESP Venemotos Yamaha: ESP/ VENEMOTOS YAMAHA EARN FIRST AMA PRO RACING VICTORY July 21, 2009 (Reno, NV)”” ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha arrived at Mid-Ohio riding a wave of momentum from Laguna Seca after Robertino Pietri’s charge through the Daytona Sportbike field earning their first top 5 position in that class. The team was rejoined by Josh Day, who has been competing for the team in the Supersport East Championship. Daytona Sportbike basic qualifying and Superpole were both cancelled on Friday when rain entered the Mid-Ohio area. After overnight rains, the field went out on the still green track for a twenty minute qualifying session. The ESP/ Venemotos crew did an excellent job in light of the ever changing track conditions to secure a top 15 starting position for Pietri. AMA Supersport qualifying went even better for the ESP/ Venemotos crew. Although they were focusing on a consistent race pace, Josh Day was able to lap the Mid-Ohio circuit in a time of 1:32.091, good enough for second place on the grid. Before the start of the Daytona Sportbike race, Pietri twisted his ankle in a freak off track mishap while climbing some stairs. Pietri’s ankle continued to swell up before the race, causing some concern if he could get his foot to fit in his boot. Riding without pain injections, both races would have a similar storyline, seeing Pietri dropping back in the opening laps due to the pain until the adrenaline of the action took over and he was able to put his head down and make his way back through the pack. Pietri and the team were left to wonder what would have been without the pain of the opening laps since his race pace after the opening laps easily matched the competitors at the front of the field. The Supersport race was a welcome reversal of fortune for the ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha team. Josh Day had been comfortable all weekend and was at or near the top of every session leading into the Sunday final. Gridded in the second position, Day was able to get a good start and headed into the first turn in second place behind Ricky Parker. Once Day was able to get past Parker he dropped into the 1:29’s and eased away from the pursuing field, eventually building and maintaining a nine second margin of victory. The Supersport victory was the first AMA Pro race win for both Day and the ESP/Venemotos Yamaha squad. The Mid-Ohio win puts Day in first place in the Supersport East championship. Robertino Pietri: “What a strange weekend. We get rained out on Friday afternoon but we still qualify fifteenth even though we didn’t test here and then I sprain my ankle climbing some stairs! The good news is we continued to have a good feeling with the bike and if it wasn’t for my ankle we would have been a lot farther up the field. I’m expecting my ankle to heal by Topeka, where we aim to be fighting for another top 5 finish.” Josh Day: “Finally! I’ve been waiting for this win since Daytona. We’ve consistently had the pace to run upfront but we haven’t been able to get this win until now. This weekend was almost perfect. It was going pretty smoothly until I crashed in turn one in the last five minutes of morning warm-up. Luckily, my new Cortech leathers, Puma boots, and Shoei helmet kept me safe and the bike wasn’t that bad either. The ESP crew got the bike back together and when the lights went out, it was like nothing had happened.” Phil Allison (ESP co-owner): “This has been a strange weekend of highs and lows. Even though Robertino struggled with his twisted ankle, we saw him run good lap times after the opening few laps. We’ll take that information into Topeka knowing that he can run up front. Josh Day continues to impress me. He ran a smart race, building a gap, watching his pit board, and made it look easy as he crossed the finish line. That was the first AMA Pro Racing win for ESP and now we know we can do it.” For Sponsorship inquiries contact Murph at Syndicate Motorsport Management, LLC: (+1) 831 464 3458 or email: [email protected] Team ESP/ Venemotos Yamaha: Evan Steel Performance is a small, personal, specialized shop located in Tucson, Arizona that deals with all aspects of motorcycle road racing. ESP bikes have had some of the highest trap speeds in their classes at AMA Nationals, as well as the highest top speed at start/finish at the 50th annual Macau Grand Prix. In 2008, ESP scored a very rare privateer podium at the VIR AMA National in the Superstock class with Chris Peris. ESP is open to any level of racing, from basic race prep to planning a season at the Nationals. ESP can be reached at (520) 294 3050 or www.evansteelperformance.com More, from a press release issued by Acceleration Racing: The Canadian National Superbike Championship Series returned to Mosport Raceway for Rounds 4 & 5 this past weekend. The grueling 2.5 mile high-speed road course has long been deemed the track to separate the men from the boys and a track known to make or break a rider’s season. The first Qualifying sessions took place Friday with grid results to stand for both race days in the Superbike class. McBain was seated as the second fastest rider to challenge for pole position on board his Alberta Cycle Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSXR1000. In the end, McBain was unable to better his earlier time and would settle for 4th place in the one-lap qualifying session; good enough for a front row view on the starting grid for both races. The younger pilot on the Acceleration Race Team (having set a new unofficial lap record at 1:25.4 in Friday’s practice), would have to wait for Saturday’s scheduled Qualifying session to challenge McCormick’s record time officially and stake his claim to another record in the books. Littering the entire length of the 2.5 mile asphalt labyrinth, tens of thousands of die hard race fans welcomed Round 4 of the Superbike series. For McBain and Crew Chief (Patrice Goyette) this would mark the first time in 2009 they would come to the race-table with a little testing time under their belt. The extra track time proved vitally important as the St-Onge Recreation co-sponsored GSX-R1000 was clearly back up to speed and once again a serious threat to Factory teams. The Joe Rocket clad veteran took his spot at the front of the grid and when the track went green, it was the Acceleration Suzuki that tore loose from the line. McBain peeled around the outside of the front row contenders to nab the holeshot. A 3-rider lead pack quickly formed with McBain aggressively leading the way. Close behind Szoke and McCormick followed, stretching their gap over the rest of the field. By lap 7 the first shuffle in the running order finally developed, but it was overshadowed by news that McCormick had jumped the start (a 5-second penalty). Over the next 5 laps, the top three weaved their way through lapped traffic only to tighten up again by the time rain started to trickle. On the 13th lap with only 2/10ths of a second between them all, the red flag was thrown and the race was called. McBain would happily return to a podium celebration and just one step shy of his goal. “The bike felt great”, smiled McBain. “It was so good to be dicing out front again and I have an amazing team to thank for that; they never stopped believing in me and gave me the bike I needed to get back in the mix”. Due to the heavy rainfall, qualifying for Matechuk’s Armour Body 600 Amateur race was cancelled and Officials would look towards times from the last practice session to create a string grid. Based on that, Matechuk would be starting Sunday’s race from pole position. Heading into Sunday’s event, rider’s returned with the expectation of clear sunny skies and warmer temperatures. Instead paddock temperatures dropped in the early hours and threats of heavy rain loomed overhead the entire day. Morning practices ran as scheduled but prior to the 600 Amateur Races Mother Nature started to flex her muscle. Riders were forced into a hold pattern for nearly an hour as corner workers on several sections of the track reported heavy rainfall while others stood completely dry. When the five minute horn sounded, Matechuk was called to task. The young teen glanced through his Zox helmet down the long line of competitors and gave a quick nod to his crew. The bikes took 2 spotting laps and realigned for the start of the race. Matechuk settled in on the outside of the front row and left the line with a smooth strong launch to earn the holeshot. As the pack filed into single order to stay on the dry line, they followed each other tightly through Moss’s corner, popping up on the long back straight where the draft shuffled Matechuk back into 2nd position. The top 5 riders burst back into view along pit lane and in the next few corners Matechuk would reclaim his lead not to be challenged again. Each lap came back faster as the young McBain protégé set, broke & reset a new lap record no less than 5 times in the 12 lap event. With a fist pumping, Matechuk received the checkered flag for the 3rd time this season. “I really want to thank my crew for this weekend”, Matechuk shared. “Due to a part failure, we dropped a motor on Friday and they worked all hours to get me back in the saddle. They got the motor back into the bike in enough time to get our Race Tech suspension dialed in.” The win gives Matechuk a nice cushion over 2nd place Tremblay in the Championship standings. After podium celebrations, it was the veteran rider McBain who was called to the start grid for the Superbike walkout. Expecting to make another charge for the podium, the crew was anxious to put their Acceleration GSR-X1000 back into the mix. Within moments, teams pulled from the grid and the riders prepped for the start light for the 2nd race of the double header weekend. When the light turned green, all four front line starters pounced in unison. Running four wide into turn one, McCormick pulled out the holeshot. Over the next couple laps the running order held but the gap between them never opened. In lap 3 the show began as the front runners pulled out all the stops, dive bombing, late braking and undercutting through every turn. By the 6th lap the announcer shared that McBain was in fourth but all over the rear tire of Lacombe. For two more laps McBain was looking at every turn to make his move but could not stick the pass. On the 11th pass down the front straight the breakaway gang of McBain, McCormick, Szoke and Lacombe really started to gap the field. The nail-biting 4 way showdown ensued through a wide field of lapped traffic and on the 20th lap when the dust settled, McBain crossed in fourth place just a heartbeat short of the podium. “We had a tremendous fight out there”, smiled McBain. “That was anyone’s race right to the final lap. I had some sketchy moments negotiating some of the slower lapped traffic, but thanks to the expertise of Joe Skidd from Superior Suspension Settings, Race Tech, Pirelli and my entire crew, we were in it to the end”. The fourth place finish coupled with Saturday’s podium performance moves the Alberta Cycle Acceleration Suzuki team up to third place in the Championship point standings. From here the teams travel to the East coast to Shubenacadie, N.S. for the second last event August 6th- 9th. See you there! More, from a press release issued by Wyman Brothers Racing: BAD LUCK CONTINUES FOR KYLE AT MID-OHIO, TRAVIS PLACES RESPECTABLY Macedon, New York (July 21, 2009) – With Kyle’s first time at Mid-Ohio and Travis’ first AMA Pro race, the Wyman Brothers had a lot on their plate going into this past weekend’s event. Kyle’s weekend ended in disaster when a rider made contact with him going into the final turn of the 17 lap, 40 mile race and caused a violent highside putting Kyle over the bars and ultimately into the air-fence. “It was like someone hit the eject button,” said Kyle, “Luckily I’m not hurt all that bad and neither is the other rider but it’s a bummer being one corner away from a top 5 result after such a long weekend.” Travis had a good run, improving from his 20th starting position to finish 15th. It was only his first AMA Pro start at Mid-Ohio and put in a good effort. “I had a lot of fun out there and I’m really looking forward to racing again at Topeka. I’m learning each and every time I go out on the track and can’t wait to see what comes next to make me faster.” WBR head to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the CCS/ASRA National event on the lightning course this weekend. Kyle will sit out as he heals up and Cody will be making his first career start in the 125cc USGPRU race. Go to www.kylewyman.net for more info on Wyman Bros. Racing More, from a press release issued by Guy Martin’s publicist: Solid top five finishes at Kells for Martin Kirmington’s Guy Martin racked up two top five finishes at the Kells Road Races on Sunday, where he was competing for the first time since 2007. Fresh from his victory in the Southern 100 Championship, the Hydrex Honda rider finished fifth in both the Open and Grand Final races despite having to start from the second group of riders. With poor weather hitting the 2.25-mile venue during practice, organisers decided to make the practice sessions untimed with the grid formation being decided by championship position. Having not contested any of the previous rounds that meant Guy had to start from the second wave of riders for the two 8-lap races whilst race fans also saw him competing in the unusual helmet colours of fellow competitor Adrian Archibald, his own AGV model having sustained damage from flying stones at the Southern 100 just days earlier. Starting from the second wave was always going to be a difficult task for Guy as although he was comfortably quicker than those riders in his wave, he found himself circulating on his own in both races. With no riders to race against, there was no one to gauge himself against nor any target to aim for and he ultimately finished fifth in both 8-lap races although he wasn’t too far behind the leading group of riders on corrected time. Speaking later Guy said: “It was a steady weekend and with all the weather problems on Saturday, 5 laps of practice on Sunday morning on the Superbike wasn’t really enough. The lack of a 600 machine held me back as well as I really needed to get some laps in so that I could get dialled back in to the circuit. If I’d been in the first group, I would have had people to battle with and that always drags you along but I was just riding ride on my own. I did enjoy the weekend though and Aileen and Lester Ferguson looked after me good and proper so big thanks to them. The results weren’t what I was looking for but I had a nice ride in both races and the bike never missed a beat so I’ll look forward to the Mid Antrim now.” Guy now has a two-week break before his next meeting, which will be at the Mid Antrim ‘150’ races, a venue that he last competed at in 2005. The races take place on Saturday August 1st. More, from a press release issued by Canadian Kawasaki Motor: Szoke back on top. More milestones for Welsh. BOWMANVILLE, Ont. (July 20) Brantford, Ont.’s Jordan Szoke regained the lead of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings with a superb sweep of the doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday and Sunday. The three-time defending series champion was leading Saturday’s race on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R when it was called due to rain after 11 of a scheduled 20 laps. Twenty-four hours later, the 30-year-old Szoke repeated the feat, this time coming out on top of a thrilling three-way fight that went the full 20 laps. Szoke also led the most laps on Sunday, and with two races now remaining in the season he is poised to claim a sixth national Superbike crown and an unprecedented fourth in a row. He has 251 points to the 226 of his closest rival, with a race win worth 50 points. “What a great weekend for Kawasaki. I think this is one of the best weekends of my life,” said Szoke, who became the winningest Superbike rider at Mosport with six victories and now has 29 career wins, more than any other racer. Szoke qualified second for the pair of Superbike races, although he was one of the few to improve on his pre-qualifying time in the single-bike Pirelli SuperPole shootout. Saturday’s opening race was held under threatening skies and Szoke found himself embroiled in a three-rider scrap for first place. “I’m extremely happy. It seems the luck finally went my way,” said Szoke after his second victory of the season. “Unfortunately it didn’t end the way I would have wanted it to [with the early stoppage] but we’ll take it for sure. I’ve lost races like this before too.” Sunday’s race will go down as one of the classics in the sport’s history, as three riders took turns at the lead and just 0.336 secs. separated the top trio at the finish. “What a great race; that was anybody’s win,” Szoke said after his second career Mosport doubleheader sweep. “Fortunately I pulled it off. I got a good break through traffic near the end. “Every bike has its strengths and our Kawasaki really comes off the corners well. But [engine builder] Mike Crompton was the man today. That’s a big long backstraight and he built a great motor.” Szoke’s Canadian Kawasaki Motors team-mate Alex Welsh also enjoyed a stellar weekend at Mosport. In Saturday’s race the 21-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont. claimed his first career Superbike podium with a third place finish on his Ninja ZX-10R. “We just didn’t have the outright speed,” he explained. “We were quicker than our SuperPole pace but we were still about three-quarters of a second behind the top guys. But we did have a consistent set up and I’m confident I could have done those laps all race.” On Sunday Welsh improved his set-up, sticking with the lead pack before losing the draft in lapped traffic around half distance and settling for a fifth place result. Last year’s HJC Pro Rookie of the Year had the third fastest lap of the race, just 0.029 secs. off his winning teammate’s mark. “We found some things in the morning warm-up and made a huge jump,” he explained. “It was a little bit of everything. The front end felt more planted going in to the corners and the rear was more planted coming out. The problem is, we knew it was good for eight or nine laps but there was no way to anticipate how it would react as the race went on. “It’s good moving forward. We now have a lot of data for getting the bike better and if we can find the balance between consistency over the long run and the speed to match we’ll be in good shape.” Welsh improved to fourth in Superbike points with 145. Szoke also put himself in an excellent position to claim a fourth straight Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike title at Mosport. After losing victory on the last corner in Saturday’s race he bounced back to win for the third time this year on the Ninja ZX-6R on Sunday, despite an anxious moment at half distance. “I guess I got a little too comfortable and I grabbed too much throttle going onto the backstraight,” he admitted. “It shot me out of the seat but I was able to gather it all back together.” The race came down to a four-way shootout, which included Szoke’s teammate Welsh, at the end of the backstraight on the final lap. Welsh made a move from fourth to take the lead into the corner but ran wide on the exit, allowing Szoke to reclaim the top spot. Welsh was able to recover to finish second and complete the Ninja 1-2. On Saturday Welsh had planned to execute the same move but didn’t get a strong drive onto the backstraight and had to settle for third. “The team worked hard and the Kawasaki was great all weekend,” said Welsh after his career best national finish on Sunday. “We had a great race yesterday and I learned from that. I almost had the win today. I got a good draft and was first into turn eight but I couldn’t get it turned quick enough and Jordan snuck back by me.” Szoke also claimed his third Pro Sport Bike pole of the year at Mosport and now has 255 points in the class standings. He takes a 27-point lead into the penultimate round of the championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. Aug. 7-9. Welsh is now third in the rankings with 178 points. The Mosport weekend was a fitting tribute to the 25th anniversary of Kawasaki’s Ninja brand. Szoke and Welsh ran with special one-off bodywork on their Superbikes to mark the occasion, and the pieces will be auctioned off at the end of the year. Money raised will go to the Get Well Trev Fund for injured Canadian moto journalist Andrew Trevitt and the Canadian Rider Safety Fund. For the latest news and photos, log onto ~http://www.kawasakiracing.ca/~ or ~http://www.cdnsuperbike.com/~ More, from a press release issued by Buell: Eslick Sweeps AMA Pro Mid-Ohio Daytona SportBike Races Knapp Nabs Top 10 Finish in American Superbike Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR/GEICO Powersports rider Danny Eslick swept both races of the AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike double-header weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, clinching victory in Sunday’s second race with a dramatic last-lap pass on rival Jamie Hacking. With the double wins, Eslick closed the gap on championship points leader Martin Cardenas to 10 points with six rounds remaining in the 2009 season. Eslick and Monster Attack Kawasaki’s Hacking battled for the lead throughout the race, with an official six lead changes coming between them and Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin, until Eslick took control on the final lap, forcing his Buell 1125R past Hacking on the inside of the lefthand entrance to the Esses on the track’s technical back section. “It was so close. Jamie went by [on the last lap]. I made a little mistake, missed a gear”‘­it just kind of caught a false neutral. He put a good gap on me but I ran him back down,” Eslick said. “He slid through on a lapper and I got hung up around the outside and he made up a little ground. I knew I could catch him. I was a little bit faster in some spots. We had some contact. That was my opening. I had to do it and that was the last place I could do it. My hat’s off to Jamie. That was a heck of a race.” With the double-header sweep, Eslick moved to within 10 points of the Daytona SportBike championship lead behind Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas, who finished third in Sunday’s race. Heading into round nine at Heartland Park Topeka July 31-Aug 2, Cardenas leads with 285 points, followed by Eslick with 275 and Hacking with 241. Fourth place in Sunday’s Daytona SportBike race went to Latus Motors’ Taylor Knapp, equaling his best class result of the season. Knapp pulled double-duty at Mid-Ohio, also piloting the new Buell 1125RR in its AMA Pro American Superbike competition debut to a 10th place finish in Sunday’s American Superbike race. In other results Sunday, Eslick’s teammate Michael Barnes finished 13th on his GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell in Daytona SportBike, while Bartels’ H-D/Higbee-racing.com’s Shawn Higbee finished in 20th in the Daytona SportBike race and 15th in Sunday’s American Superbike contest. The next round of the championship is set for July 31-Auguest 2 at Heartland Park Topeka, Kansas. Founded by visionary motorcycle designer and former privateer racer Erik Buell in 1983, Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel, including the 1125R superbike, 1125CR café racer, and air-cooled XB-series Ulysses, Firebolt, and Lightning. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, or to locate the dealer nearest you, log onto www.buell.com.