ROAD AMERICA SUPERSPORT RACE A CONFIDENCE BOOST FOR TEAM SUZUKISCOOPFANS’ ELENA MYERS Myers scores solid seventh-place finishes at Elkhart Lake ELKHART LAKE, WI Team SuzukiScoopFans SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki rider Elena Myers picked up more than just points at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, this past double-header race weekend. The young California rider also went through some growth experiences en route to carding two top-10 results in AMA Pro SuperSport. In a nutshell, Myers left Wisconsin with a better sense of what both she and her SuzukiScoopFans Suzuki GSX-R600 are capable of. “It was another solid weekend at the office,” joked Myers after the race. “I came into the weekend with tons of confidence, but I’m leaving with even more. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best results but I learned even more about my SuzukiScoopFans Suzuki GSX-R600 and about myself. So I can only have a positive outlook.” Both Saturday and Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperSport races saw Myers turn in consistent performances on her SuzukiScoopFans Suzuki GSX-R600. She qualified on the second row of the grid, and then clicked off smooth laps on the scenic, meandering Road America course to finish seventh in both 10-lap races. With this round firmly behind her, Myers is already focusing on the next event later this month at a track where she’s been on the podium in the past. “I’m really looking forward to racing at Barber Motorsports Park,” said Myers. “It’s a good track for me and the SuzukiScoopFans Suzuki GSX-R600 goes great there. Also, I was on the podium there last year and it’s an enjoyable track to race on.” The Team SuzukiScoopFans SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro SuperSport season is at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, the weekend of June 22 – 24, 2012. About American 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 146 distributors in 198 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzukicycles.com. Follow Suzuki Scoop on facebook for exclusive team content www.facebook.com/suzukiscoopfans. More, from a press release issued by BYR/Fogi Racing Development Team: YOUNG ACHIEVES BEST FINISH OF THE SEASON SO FAR AT ROAD AMERICA THORNBURY ONTARIO, CANADA – JUNE 5, 2012 BYR/FOGI Racing’s Ben Young continued his progress in the AMA Pro Road Racing Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike class this past weekend earning his best finish of the season so far with a 16th place finish in the first of two races at the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. However, a mechanical setback in Sunday’s race ended his day early, halting any further progress the team had hoped to accomplish over the weekend. Prior to Friday afternoon’s practice session it seemed that the unseasonably cool temperatures had followed the AMA Pro Road Racing series from Miller Motorsports Park to Road America. Under overcast skies Young took to the track for the first practice session earning 18th fastest with a time of 2:26.356. In the first qualifying session Young rode confident and dramatically dropped his lap times down to a 2:25.013, tentatively placing him 19th on the grid. With one more qualifying session to go Young new he could dig deeper. In Saturday morning’s final qualifying session the young resident of Thornbury Ontario achieved 15th fastest with a best lap time of 2:23.065 placing his Scot-build Yamaha R6 15th on the grid, a personal best for the pilot in his rookie Daytona SportBike season. In the first Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race of the weekend Young ran equally as strong as he did in the final qualifier, chasing Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries – Austin Dehaven and Turner`s Cycle Racing’s Kris Turner for most of the race. Dehaven began to pull away however in the closing laps of the race Young would pass Turner to take 16th place at the line. Feeling confident from the previous day’s progress FOGI Racing’s young apprentice was eager to see what the second race of the weekend had in store for him and the team. On Sunday the track conditions and weather were perfect for the racers and the fans in attendance at Road America. After the morning practice the team decided to risk changing the rear gearing to allow Young to get a better drive out the corners. As in the first race Young was once again chasing #56 Dehaven and #38 Turner with Fernando Amantini joining the mix. Preparing to make a pass on Kris Turner, Young’s machine developed transmission problems and was forced to retire on the 8th lap. The young Scottish-Canadian rider was asked about his weekend: “The second race was unfortunate but we had a strong weekend overall. Our bike is underpowered at present compared to the front runners. Hopefully we can rectify that and award our sponsors and the team with high-end results for the remainder of the season.” Young is looking forward to spending some time at home with family and friends before heading back out on the road for Round 6, the Triumph SuperBike Classic at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL – June 22 24. Ben Young Racing (BYR) and the Fogi Racing Development Team would like to thank the following outstanding companies for their support; Scotbuild Developments, Arai Helmets, GP Tech LLC, Tim Hortons – Sudbury, K&N Filters, EBC Brakes, Arlen Ness Racing boots, Armour Bodies, BCL Motorsports Pit Kit, Vortex Racing, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, RS Taichi Leathers, The Graphix Factory, Four Feathers Racing, The North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW and Liquid Performance. Contact Scott Young at 1-705-888-2759 or [email protected] for information on how your company can get ahead of the competition, enhance brand visibility and engage a loyal audience through the BYR/FOGI Racing team and Ben Young’s AMA Pro Road Racing program. To keep up-to-date on Ben Young and the Fogi Racing Development Team, visit www.fogi.us, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter @86BY. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: WATERS BROTHERS STAR IN QUEENSLAND SBK Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters has extended his lead in the Australian Superbike Championship’s fifth round at Queensland Raceway at the weekend aboard the 2012-model GSX-R1000. Waters finished third overall in the Superbike ranks following a weekend of mixed weather conditions, while younger brother Brodie Waters captured his first Australian Supersport Championship victory of the season on the 2012 GSX-R600. The Superbike class saw Josh Waters (pictured) finish with a consistent performance of 2-4 finishes in the pair of 17-lap races, stretching his series lead to a commanding 30.5 points with two rounds remaining. Waters was top finisher on wet tyres in race one as Racer’s Edge Performance Suzuki privateer Scott Charlton raced to a popular win when he gambled to start from pit lane on dry weather slicks, before backing that result up with a fighting fourth in race two. “The first race was good when I finished second and the first bike on wets, but Scotty outsmarted us there!” Waters reflected. “I think it was his experience that got him over the line there, but he also didn’t have anything to risk really. “In the second race I felt good in the dry, but I was struggling to pull up under brakes from the start, so I just had to be smart to do what I could do. We have a bit of a break now and the Suzuka 8 Hour is coming up, so hopefully I can gain momentum from that.” Waters’ team mate Ben Attard was a fine fifth overall in his home round, claiming fourth in race one and fifth in race two despite an off-track excursion while battling amongst the top positions. It was an improved performance from Attard, which will serve as a confidence-boost ahead of the final rounds. “I guess the result isn’t great, but we still battled up the front,” said Attard. “We went in three-deep for the left-hander and Glenn Allerton had a moment, so that pushed me off the track. I felt like I could have maybe got second, but to come from Phillip Island battling for eighth, to come here and be up front was positive. I’m happy with the way things are going at the moment, so we’ll keep moving forward.” Queenslander Robbie Bugden made the perfect start to the weekend by clinching his first career Pole on Saturday after Superpole was cancelled. Bugden also went off track during race day in the opening leg before recovering to eighth, and then finished a satisfying third in race two. “I gave Jamie Stauffer a bit of room to move in race two, but it was a bit frustrating because I felt I had a bit more speed than what I was showing,” said Bugden. “Once I got a clear track the tyre started going off a bit then I had a battle with Glenn Allerton at the end. The whole Volvo Group Suzuki team has been working hard and I can’t wait for Phillip Island.” Charlton’s impressive win and a sixth place in race two sealed him second overall for the weekend, making it two GSX-R1000s on the overall podium alongside Waters. Cube Racing Suzuki’s Ben Henry finished eighth overall in Queensland. The Supersport round was won by Brodie Waters, placing him right back in title contention just 12.5 points from the lead. Waters worked his way to a third-placed finish in race one after qualifying seventh and then won the second race of the weekend despite being involved in an incident that forced the race stoppage. Waters was chasing down race leader Glenn Scott when the latter fell, leaving Waters with nowhere to go and taking him down in the process. Since Scott’s crash was the initial cause of the red flag, Waters was awarded the victory when officials wound the race back to the running order before the incident – minus Scott as he was the cause of the red flag. “I knew as soon as I saw Glenn in Turn Three on the first lap of race one I knew the gap he had on us was nearly unrealistic to catch from where I started,” Waters said. “I just wanted to work into it and not rush things, but it ended up an okay race for me in third. “In race two my start was better and we were up there straight away. Glenn got away a little bit but then we closed him back down and put 1.8 seconds on him to catch up. When I caught him he must have hit a wet patch and tucked the front and I had nowhere to go but over the top of him. “It was a bad way to end, but we still managed to get the round win and that’s a great result for Team Suzuki. From this point I just need to maintain focus and I really feel like my time on the Superbike at the 2+4 rounds has helped me improve back on the Supersport bike.” Suzuki also maintains the lead in the Australian Prostock Championship, run in conjunction with the Superbikes; as Chas Hern claimed his second round win in succession. Hern now has a buffer of 13 points with two rounds remaining. The Australian Superbike Championship will now engage in a mid-season break for the next two months before resuming at the penultimate round on August 17-19th at Phillip Island in Victoria. Superbike Round Results: 1. Jamie STAUFFER 43 2. Scott CHARLTON (Racer’s Edge Performance Suzuki) 40 3. Joshua WATERS (Team Suzuki) 37 4. Glenn ALLERTON 35 5. Ben ATTARD (Team Suzuki) 33 6. Robert BUGDEN (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 32 7. Wayne MAXWELL 29 8. Ben HENRY (Cube Racing Suzuki) 28 Superbike Championship Standings (after 5 of 7 rounds): 1. Joshua WATERS (Team Suzuki) 207.5 2. Wayne MAXWELL 177 3. Jamie STAUFFER 164.5 4. Glenn ALLERTON 164 5. Robert BUGDEN (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 150 6. Ben ATTARD (Team Suzuki) 148.5 7. Ben HENRY (Cube Racing Suzuki) 134.5 8. Scott CHARLTON (Racer’s Edge Performance Suzuki) 129 9. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 45 10. Chris TROUNSON 26 Supersport Round Results: 1. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 30.5 2. Josh HOOK 27 3. Glenn SCOTT 26 4. Brendan CLARKE 24.5 5. Chris QUINN 21 6. Jaden HASSAN 21 7. Mitchell CARR 20 8. Laurence GUDE (Gude Racing Suzuki) 17 9. Mitch LEVY (Racer’s Edge Performance Suzuki) 16.5 10. Adam SENIOR 16 Supersport Championship Standings (after 3 of 5 rounds): 1. Mitchell CARR 103.5 2. Josh HOOK 99 3. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 91 4. Glenn SCOTT 89 5. Chris QUINN 77.5 6. Levi DAY (Suzuki) 66 7. Adam SENIOR 60.5 8. Christan CASELLA 49.5 9. Mitch LEVY (Racer’s Edge Performance Suzuki) 39.5 10. Anthony QUINN 37.5 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: MARTIN AND SUZUKI 5TH IN SUPERSTOCK TT Team Suzuki Press Office – June 5. Fifth place in yesterday’s Royal London 360 Superstock race and a best lap of 127.375mph was the tonic Tyco Suzuki’s Guy Martin needed to quell the disappointment of Monday’s opening encounter: the four-lap Supersport race, where he was forced to retire with a fuel pump problem at the end of lap one. Guy Martin: “I wasn’t quite sure what the problem was or how bad it was going to be until Cameron Donald came past me in the Supersport race and I just couldn’t hang onto him. The bike just wouldn’t hold the revs, but that’s the TT – the smallest of problems can cost you any chance of a podium. “In the Superstock race I was in the hunt for a podium in the opening laps and had a good steady run, but we just weren’t good enough today for the win. The boys did a great pit stop for me and the new rubber helped, but it just wasn’t enough at the end. We get another go on Wednesday in the second Supersport race and then on Friday in the Senior so I’m still hopeful of nailing that first win.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “We were obviously disappointed not to finish the Supersport race after such a strong first sector for Guy, but that’s racing; we accept it and move on. The Superstock race was one of the closest fought in quite some time and Guy and the GSX-R1000 ran at the sharp end for the majority of the race and looked like a podium finisher. Unfortunately we faded towards the end as the leading trio set a tremendous pace. “Fair play to the boys in Guy’s pit crew who made a sweet job of the wheel change, which is a rare thing in Superstock racing these days. This really helped Guy put in a strong last lap to almost snatch fourth. The best we could manage was fifth, which is a little disappointing. It’s not been a perfect TT for us so far but we will keep working towards Friday’s Blue Riband Senior TT race and are hopeful that Conor Cummins will be back to join Guy on the start line.” Royal London 360 Superstock Race: 1: John McGuinness [Honda] 1hour 11:29.65 2: Michael Dunlop [Kawasaki] 1:11.37.45 3: Ryan Farquhar [Kawasaki] 1:11.42.41 4: Bruce Anstey [Honda] 1:12.05.98 5: Guy Martin [Tyco Suzuki] 1:12.06.85 6: James Hillier [Kawasaki] 1:12.11.09 Race Schedule Wednesday, June 6: 10.45am – SES TT Zero Challenge 1pm – Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 3.15pm – Sure Sidecar TT Race 2 Senior Qualifying Lightweight Qualifying More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: MORE PROGRESS FOR HUTCHINSON Swan Yamaha’s Ian Hutchinson made some significant progress in both of yesterday’s Royal London 360° Superstock and Monster Supersport races, working on setup with the YZF-R6 to make further headway in the second middleweight outing tomorrow. Hutchinson, who has barely had any saddle time with either machine, placed ninth in the Supersport race and 11th in the Superstock encounter but says it was the latter where he had made some big steps in the way he approached lapping the Mountain Course. Hutchinson said: “Although the results are a long way from where I want to be, we had hardly any track time with either the Supersport or Superstock bikes so I can’t be too disappointed. I’ve made some headway into how we are approaching the races now and I think we’ve found some data for the R6 which will help in the second race tomorrow.” Team principal Shaun Muir concluded: “Ian is obviously disappointed with the result sheets so far but we have made some significant progress not only with the way we are setting the bikes up but also how we are approaching each event. We have learned from yesterday’s Supersport race and will put that into practice tomorrow.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by KMR Kawasaki: Podium delight for Farquhar in Superstock TT Ryan Farquhar put behind him the disappointment of two previous retirements to finish in a superb third place in Monday’s Superstock TT race. The KMR Kawasaki rider was in contention for the win early on as he pushed eventual victor John McGuinness hard but an oil leak slowed him in the closing stages and he had to settle for third. It was his 11th Isle of Man TT podium in total and made up for the problems encountered in both the earlier Supersport race and Saturday’s Superbike encounter. The 4-lap Superstock TT was always going to give Ryan one of his best chances of success and so it proved when an opening lap of 128.034mph placed him in second place and just 0.17s behind TT legend McGuinness. There was still only 0.3s in it at Glen Helen on the second lap and although McGuinness had widened the gap as they came into refuel at the end of the lap, a speed of 128.341mph meant Ryan was only 3.99s behind McGuinness and 10.31s clear of third place rider Bruce Anstey. McGuinness continued to increase his advantage but Ryan was now experiencing an oil leak as well as visibility difficulties in the low, evening sun and this, combined with a flying Michael Dunlop, meant that his second place was under threat. He had to ease his pace slightly in the closing stages, which allowed Dunlop to seize second, and so at the end of over 150 miles of high speed racing Ryan took a well deserved third place. Earlier in the day, Ryan had been on course for another strong result this time in the 4-lap Supersport race when he was lying in fifth with just a few miles of the race to go. In one of the most thrilling TT races ever, Ryan was involved in a race long battle with McGuinness once more but on the final lap it looked like he’d secured fifth place as the gap between the two was almost five seconds as they went through Ramsey on the final lap. However, as the riders dropped down the Mountain, the battery on the ZX-6R Kawasaki lost power and Ryan was forced to retire at Creg ny Baa just a few miles from the finish. Meanwhile, team-mate Jamie Hamilton still awaits his first TT finish after he was forced to retire from the Superstock race. The 21-year old was lying in 32nd place after posting two 120mph+ laps but he was forced to stop on the third lap when the battery started vibrating against the subframe causing the earth wire to come loose. Speaking at the end of the day, Ryan said; “To get a podium in the Superstock race is like a dream come true and although it’s a shame I couldn’t hold onto second, I’m still over the moon with the result. We had a fair few problems with the bike and I’m very grateful to John Duggan who we borrowed an engine off and also John Holden who lent us a gearbox. I really enjoyed the race and although I didn’t get the best of starts, I managed to stay in touch with John and could see him in the distance at a number of places around the course so knew we were pretty even. He began to edge away from me so I concentrated on staying in second but in the final lap, my feet started slipping off the pegs due to an oil leak so I just rode as hard and as steady as I could. It was a hard old race and with sweat running down my forehead, it was getting tricky to see properly especially with the evening sun getting lower in the sky. It was really bad in some places, especially Gorse Lea where I had to 50p the corner, but I kept going and although I thought I’d got second, Michael pipped me. I take my hat off to John for the way he rode at the head of the field and to be sitting here next to him and Michael is something I’m very proud of.” “It makes up for the disappointment of the two previous retirements and I was gutted to retire from fifth in the Supersport race earlier in the day. The wee bike was going really well and although I was in eighth place early in the race, it was very tight so I just kept plugging away. Cameron (Donald) came by me and although there were a couple of sections where I felt I was quicker than him, I knew he was up on time on me and probably fighting it out for the lead so I didn’t want to mess his race up and sat behind me. It towed me along me a bit and brought me up to fifth but dropping down the Mountain, the bike lost all power. The stator to the generator broke and that ended up making the battery go flat so it was one of those problems that you only get at the TT! The race was going well and I was riding well so it was a shame but the podium later in the day made up for that so a big thanks to all my team sponsors. Everyone works so hard so it’s good to repay everyone with a TT podium. Finally, I’d like to pass on my best wishes to John Holden who had a spill in the sidecar practice, I was very grateful for his help so hopefully he’ll be on the mend soon.” Ryan’s next race takes place on Wednesday with the second 4-lap Supersport race. More, from a press release issued by Bournemouth Kawasaki Pr1mo Racing: Hillier enjoying superb week on the Island With two days and three races held so far at the Isle of Man TT races, James Hillier and the Bournemouth Kawasaki Pr1mo Racing team have been excelling and with three top seven finishes, the 27-year old has posted his best ever TT results, including a brilliant fifth in Monday’s Supersport TT. After being on the leaderboard in all his classes during practice week, particularly the Lightweight where he was second quickest, race week got underway for James on Saturday with the 6-lap Superbike TT. Fifth through Glen Helen, the first timing point, James completed the opening lap in sixth place with a lap of 127.811mph and although he got shuffled back to seventh a lap later by William Dunlop, he was still comfortably ahead of eighth placed rider Ian Hutchinson. Consistently lapping in excess of 126mph, James was able to consolidate his position for the remainder of the race to claim a strong seventh. The week got even better on Monday with his best ever TT result, fifth in the first Supersport TT race and again the first Kawasaki rider home. Despite not getting many laps on the bike during practice week, a strong opening lap of 121.829mph placed James in ninth place. Although he dropped back to 12th on lap two, he was still only two seconds off ninth such was the closeness of the race and combined with Michael Dunlop retiring, Daniel Kneen crashing (fortunately without serious injury), and his own strong lap he moved up to seventh. The gap he now held over Dan Stewart, Roy Richardson and Ian Lougher was up to eleven seconds and with the final lap seeing Ryan Farquhar and Gary Johnson both retire, James took a brilliant fifth at the chequered flag. Later that same evening, there was the 4-lap Superstock race and a fantastic start saw James lie in second place at Glen Helen, nine miles into the lap, just half a second behind John McGuinness. At the end of the lap James had slipped back to sixth but it was again very close with just a handful of seconds covering the riders in third to eighth. For the remainder of the race, James enjoyed a good dice on the roads with Michael Rutter and Dan Stewart and the battle meant that James closed in on Bruce Anstey and Guy Martin who were battling for fourth. At the end of over 150 miles, James finished in a very strong sixth place, just four seconds behind Martin and five behind Anstey. Speaking on Tuesday, team owner Pete Extance said; “What can I say, the week’s going really, really well and after being strong throughout practice week, James has carried that good form into race week. A solid seventh got the races underway in fine style and even though the Supersport race is our weakest class, it’s ended up giving James and the team our best result so far. Due to only having one engine left, James didn’t get many laps on it during practice and although there were a few retirements in the race, the name of the game is to get to the finish and that’s what James did. He was always in the top ten and the lap times were good so we were delighted with the result and also being the first Kawasaki home.” “It set us up for the evening’s Superstock race and James set off at a fantastic pace, running in second at Glen Helen. The gaps between the top half dozen riders was always close and the second half of the race saw James comfortably in the top six and right on the tail of Guy Martin and Bruce Anstey. He was able to consolidate his position and had a great dice on the roads with Michael and Dan and the end result was another good sixth place. Even more pleasing was the fact that he was just five seconds off fourth place and multiple race winner Bruce Anstey. That made it three top seven finishes out of three starts and we’re all now really looking forward to the rest of the week, especially the Lightweight TT race on Friday where James has a really good chance of a dream debut victory.” The next race is Wednesday’s second 4-lap Supersport race with Friday seeing the 3-lap Lightweight and 6-lap Senior races. More, from a press release issued by Dan Kneen’s publicist: Supersport race ends on painful note for Kneen Dan Kneen’s 2012 Isle of Man TT races campaign ended on a painful note on Monday when he crashed out of the 4-lap Supersport race. The Marks Bloom Racing rider was putting in a superb ride on the GSXR600 Suzuki and was lying in an excellent fifth place when he crashed out on the third lap, highsiding on the exit of Governor’s Bridge with just one lap of the race remaining. It also puts his participation in the remaining races in doubt. After a delay of two hours and fifteen minutes, the race got underway at 1pm with perfect weather and dry, sunny conditions all around the Mountain Course. With his previous best results at the TT coming in the Supersport class, and having posted the sixth fastest time during practice week, hopes were high of another top class result. Indeed, with an opening lap of 124.607mph, he slotted into sixth place just four seconds adrift of second place rider Cameron Donald. It was incredibly close race and although his second lap was quicker still, at 124.983mph, he remained in sixth place. Only six seconds separated the third to eighth placed riders but, after the pit stop at the end of lap two, Dan moved up to fifth half way round lap three. The retirement of race leader Michael Dunlop helped promote Dan up the order but he was also finding a good rhythm and at Ramsey on the third lap he was only nine seconds behind William Dunlop who was occupying fourth place. However, just as he was negotiating the tricky Governor’s Bridge section at the very end of the lap, he got caught out by a damp patch under the trees and highsided out of the action. The bike was severely damaged whilst Dan was left nursing some painful back injuries. Speaking on Tuesday, Dan said; “The race was going really well and apart from Michael Dunlop coming past me, it was just me and the circuit. The little Suzuki was working really well and I was inside the top six but just as I was about to start the final lap, I got caught out by a small damp patch at Governor’s. It had rained on Sunday and with Governor’s always being slippy due to the overhanging trees, there was just enough of a damp patch to cause me to highside. The bike took a battering whilst I landed on my back and am pretty bruised and it was such a shame as I was on course to equal my best result – if I’d have kept going, I could have got fourth too as race leader Gary Johnson ran out of fuel. Obviously it put me out of the Superstock race later in the day and my back’s pretty sore and swollen and there’s a couple of squashed vertebrae so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get out again this week. I certainly won’t be in the second Supersport race on Wednesday but if I can, I’ll try and get out on Friday for the Lightweight and Senior races. I’ll just see how I feel and take it day by day.” Dan’s due to be out on Friday on the Track Electronics Kawasaki in the 3-lap Lightweight race and the Marks Bloom Racing Suzuki in the 6-lap Senior. More, from a press release issued by Blackhawk Farms Raceway: Local Privateer Blackhawk Farms Raceway Track Championship Race Academy Instructor Jason Farrell finishes 6th place at AMA PRO RACING Subway Superbike Doubleheader held at Road America (SOUTH BELOIT JUNE 5) The 2012 AMA Pro Racing Road America event proved to be another exciting race weekend for Midwest fans, with local privateer, Blackhawk Farms Raceway Track Championship Race Academy Instructor Jason Farrell taking another top ten finish in the traditional Subway Superbike Doubleheader held on June 2-3 at Road America. Aboard the #86 Farrell Performance / Southeast Sales Kawasaki ZX-10R, Jason Farrell took 6th place in Saturday’s Race-1 of the premier Superbike class, improving upon his 7th place finish in last year’s event. “Our entire staff was ecstatic with Jason’s finish! It was a great feeling to represent all of our local customers, race fans and Kawasaki Motors in a great way,” said John Erdmann, owner Southeast Sales Corp. Kawasaki, KTM, Honda, Suzuki. “It was a great weekend for our team and our local fans to be able to run up with the factory teams,” said Jason Farrell. “The bike was working great! Each practice and qualifying session we made changes in the right direction which got up to par for the race. I’d like to thank all my sponsors who made this happen and thanks to all my fans and students who attended Road America for their help and support. It’s always nice being at home at your home track!” Race 2 held on Sunday had just as much excitement for the fans, as Farrell went to work looking to improve upon his results from the previous day. However, fate and his competition had other plans for #86. Jason elaborated on the turn of events, saying: “Sunday’s race wasn’t my day as we ran into a coolant leak as the bike was overheating the whole race. I couldn’t continue on without blowing up the engine.” When not racing, Jason coaches new riders and road racers at the Blackhawk Farms Raceway’s “MotoVid.com All Levels Motorcycle Track Days” and “MotoVid.com Track Championship Race Academy” presented by one of his main sponsors Southeast Sales Corp. The next Track Championship Race Academy event is scheduled for Friday June 8th prior to the WERA Midwest Regional race weekend event on June 9-10 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. For a complete schedule of MotoVid.com events held at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, or for more information regarding special dealership pricing for MotoVid.com events, contact John Erdmann at Southeast Sales Corp. Kawasaki, KTM, Honda, Suzuki Phone (414) 463-2540 or go to Motovid.com or more details. Jason Farrell – AMA PRO RACING #86 is sponsored by: Farrell Performance / Southeast Sales Kawasaki / Kawasaki Motors USA / US Chrome Cylinders / MotoVid.com / Line2Line Coatings / Hindle Exhaust / EBC Brakes / Arlen Ness Leathers / Arai Helmets / Silkolene Oils / Penske Shocks / Woodcraft / Attack Performance. More, from a press release issued by Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki: CONTINUED SUCCESS FOR RIDERS DISCOUNT VESRAH SUZUKI AT ROAD AMERICA. Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki continued their successful weekend at the Subway Superbike Doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake WI with Kyle Wyman winning the AMA Pro Road Racing Vance and Hines XR1200 race and Jake Lewis finishing on the podium in SuperSport race 2. After qualifying on the front row Kyle was able to stay with the lead group for the entire XR1200 race and was able to pull off the win. Kyle is now in 2nd place in the season point standings, 9 points out of first place. In the AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport Race 2 for the weekend, Jake Lewis was able to use his pole position off of the start to lead the race for every lap except for the one that counts the most the final one. Jake finished on the podium in 2nd place to wrap up his weekend. Riders Discount CEO Brian Gibson improved on his performance from Race 1 finishing in 21st place for Race 2. Cory West was able to bring home another top 10 finish in the AMA Pro Road Racing GoPro Daytona SportBike class in Race 2 and Joey Pascarella just missed out on a top 10 finishing in 11th place for Race 2. Both riders are in the top 10 in the 2012 GoPro Daytona SportBike point standings with Joey now in 7th place and Cory in 9th. Kyle Wyman – #33 “This was such a fun race – My plan towards the end was to get out front and keep as much of a gap as I could because I knew they’d probably team up and make a double-run at me. I was able to answer all of their attempts and when I came around the last turn I just climbed under the paint to get as aerodynamic as I could be coming up the hill to the finish line.” Jake Lewis Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #85 “What an awesome and really fun race! The whole race I was up front controlling the pace and felt really comfortable in the lead. On the last lap James crashed right in front of me, which forced me to run really wide, and I dropped back to second. I came up just a little bit short of winning and making it two wins for the weekend. The whole Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki crew was flawless this weekend and we nearly had a perfect weekend. My Suzuki GSX-R 600 ran great all weekend thanks to the whole team working really hard on the bike. I’m looking forward to Barber and going back east where my points series gets underway again.” Brian Gibson Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #88 “What a crazy second race, I felt like a ball in a pinball machine on that first lap. I made a good start but got side swiped coming into turn one and then someone ran into the back of me in turn 3, I still moved up 7 places and the bike felt much better after the changes my crew and I had made. Unfortunately after 6 laps my right hand went completely numb and I could not feel a thing and I lost a few places towards the end of the race. It was still a fun race as the bike finally came into it’s sweet spot and was fun to ride. A big thank you goes out to Tom Jenson, Taylor Knapp and the rest of the Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki Team who worked so hard with me for my return to AMA Pro Racing.” Breeann Poland Team Manager Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki “The team finished up the gruelling 2 weekend back to back races with some good results and improvements. I have to thank the riders and all of the crew for their efforts over these past 2 weeks. Now with 3 weeks until the next round we can recharge and be ready for Barber Motorsports Park and Jakes continued march towards the SuperSport East Championship!” Cory West Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #57 “My start wasn’t the best and I found myself way back in the pack for 4-5 laps it seemed. My bike was real uncomfortable to ride early in the race but then it started to get better as the fuel load got lighter. I clicked off some pretty fast laps at the very end and caught a few riders to take 8th place. It was another difficult weekend but I can’t be too bummed about a couple top ten finishes. Hopefully lady luck will be kinder to us at Barber! Thanks to the whole Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki crew for all their hard work this weekend!” Joey Pascarella Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki #52 “Today was a huge leap in bike set up and speed on our Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki. I can’t thank the team and my mechanics enough as we are getting and closer to where we belong. I can’t wait for Barber as I enjoy the track and I think we will have the bike up front again.” Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki would like to thank their sponsors for the 2012 season: Vesrah, Riders Discount, MCJ Motorsports, American Suzuki, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Parts Unlimited, Penske Racing Shocks, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Yoshimura, Catalyst Racing Composites, Shoei, Cortech, Sidi, Held, Motion Pro, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Spiegler Brake Lines, Adjustable-levers, Vicci, Vortex, DID Chain, Zero Gravity, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, Suzuka Tire Warmers, K&N Filters, Full Spectrum Batteries, Oakley (Jake), Roclun (Jake), Progressive Trail Design (Cory), Jon Block Group (Joey), 509 sunglasses (Cory and team), Andrew Swenson Designs and Drippinwet.
Updated: Even More From This Past Weekend’s Various Races
Updated: Even More From This Past Weekend’s Various Races
© 2012, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.