YOSHIMURA-BACKED TEAMS SHOW THEIR DOMINANCE IN PAST WEEK OF RACING CHINO, CA Yoshimura-backed teams were strong throughout the past week of racing, which included the opening round of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL and the 11th round of the 2012 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. The Yoshimura Suzuki Road Race and Supercross teams, Rockstar Energy Suzuki Supercross and Honda Racing Supercross teams showed the performance advantage of their Yoshimura products with solid results in a week of extremely competitive racing. The Yoshimura Suzuki Road Race team was a force to be reckoned with at the season-opening round of AMA Pro Superbike this past double-header weekend in Daytona. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Young captured the win in one Superbike race and a second-place result in the other, while new teammate Chris Clark made his Yoshimura Suzuki debut with two top-10 finishes. The weekend’s first race saw Young get a good start on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, slot into second place and hold on until the checkers. As impressive as Friday’s podium finish was, it was Saturday’s race where Young really strutted his stuff. The Wisconsin native got another great start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and again settled quickly into second position. But this time, he stayed with the leader until the last few laps, at which point, he made his move and brought home the win. “Today’s race was a lot better than yesterday’s race,” said Young. “My Yoshimura Suzuki team worked hard for me on Friday, and after the race, we looked at the data and I knew the problem was me. I just didn’t have a very good race, for whatever reason, and I needed to work hard to let my crew know not to give up on me yet. We need to go strong all year long. We just needed to come in here, get some points and race hard the rest of the year. Today’s race was good, and now I’m just looking forward to Atlanta and the rest of the season.” Yoshimura Suzuki’s newest addition, Chris Clark, admittedly struggled in Friday’s race. He got a decent start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and held his own to bring home a ninth-place finish. On Saturday, Clark lifted his game, getting another decent start but turning faster, more consistent laps to finish a respectable seventh. “This was my first race with the Yoshimura Suzuki team, so I definitely was over-riding the bike a little bit,” said Clark. “I was nervous and wanting to do well and putting a little too much pressure on myself. So I came out today and worked on what we were having problems with. I was able to turn it around in the second race. We’re not too far off from where I want to be, fifth in the championship, so I’m just looking forward to Atlanta. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is working great; it’s a really fantastic bike. So we’ll head to Atlanta with our heads up and hopefully do well there.” Yoshimura Suzuki Racing celebrated their best night of Supercross so far this year at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night. Brett Metcalfe raced his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to his first-ever Supercross-class heat race victory, and then went on to bring home an impressive fourth-place result in the Supercross main event. As the evening’s racing commenced, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Metcalfe was feeling strong and looking good. Going into his eight-lap heat race, the Australian rider did not disappoint. He came off the gate swinging and got the holeshot, then he held onto the lead to take his first heat race win. “We came in with a different approach with bike setup this weekend,” said Metcalfe. “It was evident in my first lap of practice. I just felt so much more comfortable and could really attack the track and ride the bike. I was really stoked; the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 was running great. We got great starts and qualified the best we have all year. In the heat race, we ripped the holeshot and it felt awesome to get out there in front. I was able to hold on and get my first heat win of my 450 career, and that was a big achievement for me. This weekend in Indy was a good start for us with the new setup for the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450. I’m looking forward to carrying this on to Toronto next weekend, and I’m really stoked about that.” Yoshimura-backed Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki’s Blake Wharton gave the Rockstar Energy Racing teams their first Supercross Lites main event win of the season at Indy. Not only did Wharton capture his and the team’s first Supercross Lites victory of the season, the charismatic rider also put a halt to another racer’s winning streak in the process. En route to victory, Wharton grabbed the holeshot in his six-lap heat race and finished second before going onto the 15-lap main event and bringing home the win. “It feels good to get the win,” said Wharton. “It’s been a while since I’ve won, but I never stopped thinking I could. I know it’s not easy to win, but at the same time, what we’re doing during the week, we’re doing to win. I happened to win tonight, but it’s so tough with the competition because everyone’s so fast. But this weekend, I won it, and I just want to go into next weekend and carry this over. Toronto should be good, I like going to Canada.” Yoshimura-backed Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton had his best night of the season, finishing second in the Supercross main event in Indy while Yoshimura-backed GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia placed third to maintain his championship lead in the East Lites class. Brayton was quick to find his groove on the track aboard his Yoshimura-equipped CRF450R, qualifying third fastest in practice and winning his heat race. In the main, he put together a solid ride from start to finish. Second off the line, Brayton made the pass for first a few laps in, which is where he would stay the majority of the race. He eventually was passed, but maintained his second place spot to the checkers his career-best finish. “It was a really great night for me, with a heat win, some awesome starts and now a second place finish in the main,” said Brayton. “This was my first time ever leading laps in the 450 class and now I want it more than ever. It has been a long time coming and now I feel like the trophy is right there. This is a good building block and I am ready to work this week and come out swinging in Toronto.” In the Supercross Lites East competition, Yoshimura-backed GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia rode a noteworthy race on his Yoshimura-equipped CRF250R. Despite getting a less-than-desirable start, Barcia was given a second chance to close the gap on the leaders when a red flag forced all riders into a staggered restart. Barcia worked his way from eighth place to a respectable third. “With such a slick track, I had a feeling it was going to be a tough night,” said Barcia. “It is definitely a bummer not to keep my winning streak going but I am still happy to be on the podium. Consistency is the most important thing in the long run so I am glad to have the Yoshimura-equipped GEICO Honda on the podium regardless.” The next stop of the 2012 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship for the Yoshimura-backed teams is Saturday, March 24th, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Yoshimura Suzuki Road Race team’s next event of the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, the weekend of April 20 22, 2012. 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 has 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. Yoshimura products are designed, manufactured, intended, and sold for use on vehicles that are operated only on closed course racing circuits unless otherwise noted. Use of these products on public roads or lands is strictly prohibited and may be a violation of local, state, or federal laws. Products intended for use on vehicles operated on public roads or lands are clearly so indicated. More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing Team: Aprilia Racing Team back on track in 2012 FX Superbike Opener. The newly formed Aprilia Racing Team got its 2012 season underway in style with strong – and ever improving – performances in both classes in the first round of the 2012 Australian FX Superbike Championship held at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway. With two bikes of different specifications – and two riders with completely different recent experience – the season got underway with the team ticking all the required boxes at Eastern Creek. Dan Stauffer, fresh from blistering performances in New Zealand recently ran strongly in Formula Oz and former Australian Superbike runner up Russell Holland – back in the saddle after not riding for over eighteen months – constantly improved over the weekend in arguably the most star studded FX Superbike field ever. Tricky conditions on Saturday didn’t really allow the team to fine tune the teams two Aprilia RSV-4’s to the technical layout of Eastern Creek during the FX Nationals Series. New Pirelli Slick tyres for the teams Formula Oz bike also meant continual work to find the optimal setup of the multi adjustable Aprilia’s chassis to get the best from the different specification of tyres Over Sundays three race Australian FX Championship program Stauffer carded three second place finishes in a packed forty plus bike Formula Oz field behind young western Sydney hard charger – multiple Australian Champion – Cru Halliday. In his first competitive outing on the RSV-4 in Superbike spec – the machine he started development on over 2 years ago – for over a year, Dan improved during the weekend with his fastest lap in the early stages of the final race.. “It was great to be back on the Aprilia RSV-4 this weekend” commented Stauffer after the three hectic races. “The rain didn’t really help us all that much but what impressed me was how much potential the RSV-4 has to develop further. With the new tyres to test – and my first visit to Eastern Creek for a while – we couldn’t challenge Cru this weekend but I really enjoyed the racing with Mitchell Carr. I am really looking forward to Wakefield Park because the Aprilia is just so nimble and should really suit the circuit” Russell Holland also improved over the weekend, but his rate of improvement considering the amount of time since he last rode competitive race equipment was the most impressive point of the weekend. Following race three – the best of the weekend – Holland was on a high after improving his fastest lap from race one by one full second in race two, and again improving by another half second in race three. Although finishing in tenth place in races two and three Russell’s race time improved an impressive six and a half seconds – and more importantly he was eleven seconds closer to the leaders – clearly indicating with more time on the production specification Aprilia RSV-4 Russell Holland will be challenging the FX Superbike front runners. ” In race three I got a great start and got away the leaders, I then just tried to hang with them for as long as I could and I felt so much more comfortable on the bike” beamed Russell after his impressive performance in race three. “I really have to say a big thanks to Steve Trinder, he was nothing but positive over the weekend, a weekend that proved to me that with a bit more time on the bike we will be up there battling with the leaders. I hadn’t ridden since October 2010 and felt a bit rusty but I have to say five races over the weekend was a great way to get back into it. I can’t wait for Wakefield Park, I have done a lot of laps around there in the past as I used to live at Marulan so it will like a home race for me.” “I was really disappointed that the weather on Saturday didn’t allow us to test our setup and that caught us out a bit on Sunday” commented Team Principal Steve Trinder. “What I was most pleased about was the performance of our riders, and the team in general. Dan was great on the Superbike – as usual – and Russell just got better and better as the weekend went on, 18 months off racing motorcycles and to apply himself like he did shows that it is only a matter of time until he is at the front and dicing for the podium”. The Aprilia Racing team would like to thank its sponsors for the 2012 season, as without them it is impossible to go racing; Aprilia, Archers Paint & Panel, Motul, RK Chains, Pirelli, JT sprockets, BMC Air Filters and Goodridge More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: 2012 DAYTONA® 200 Week Recap: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 21, 2012) – AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike title favorites Josh Hayes and Blake Young opened the 2012 season in precisely the manner in which they concluded their epic showdown of 2011. The two men left Daytona International Speedway having taken a well-deserved win apiece, with double-defending champ Hayes boasting a slight edge in the points. Despite successfully retaining his crown a year ago, the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace had little problem finding motivation to drive his offseason program. Still smarting from being more than doubled in the wins column by his Yoshimura Racing Suzuki rival Young during the ’11 campaign, Hayes substantially upped his training regimen and arrived at the opener fit, motivated, and hungry. Aiding his cause was the superb development winter work of his crew, who somehow extracted even more horsepower from his YZF-R1, a fact made evident by routine trap speed readings in excess of 200mph — and more than a few comments of acknowledgement by his peers. Hayes put that combination to good use on the racetrack, storming to pole by nearly a half-second with a best time of 1:37.463. Even more telling, however, was the fact that he had the oomph to break free of the draft in Friday’s season-opening race, which enabled him to walk away with a lopsided win. The result was a promising sign for Hayes, who often dominated qualifying in 2011 only to be harassed and — more often than not — defeated by the Yoshimura Suzukis come the race. For his part Young, despite suffering an 8.332-second beating while finishing as the race’s runner-up on Friday, once again showed the resiliency that made him such a revelation in ’11. Undeterred by Hayes’ runaway success, the Wisconsin native made the necessary adjustments for Saturday’s contest and clung onto Hayes’ draft through the 15-lap rematch. While appearing very much the underdog throughout the race, Young somehow summoned up his last-lap magic once again to fend off Hayes by a scant 0.002 seconds at the checkered flag. Dramatic last-lap victories are Young’s specialty. Of his 11 career AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike wins, just one has been taken by a margin of over a second (1.306 seconds over John Hopkins in the ’10 finale at Barber Motorsports Park). However, none had been quite as close his latest triumph. Hayes, who holds a three-point advantage (58-55) over Young following the Daytona opener, said, “It’s a tough field. Blake rode really well last year. Tommy (Hayden) was all over me. Rog was taking all the necessary steps to be a big pain at the end of the year and (Josh) Herrin has been fast in testing. So I just went home and worked really, really hard to try to take another step in my game and the team has been working really hard on the machine. This is the payoff. Daytona is one of the tracks last year where we were fast but couldn’t get it done. This year we were able to take it another step and I hope we’ll be able to do that at every racetrack this year.” Saturday winner Young said, “(Saturday’s) race was a lot better than (Friday’s) race, for sure. I knew Josh was going to be good on the banking and out of the chicane — I just didn’t know how good. I knew I had to make it happen on the first five laps and be right on him to see what he was doing exactly out of the chicane that made me him so good onto the banking. I definitely learned and adapted pretty quickly before he could get away. “He’s got more power this year than last year for sure, but my guys worked hard for me. We sat back and looked at the data, but I knew it was nothing we were going to see on the data — it was me (on Friday). I just didn’t have a very good race and wanted to work hard to show my crew they shouldn’t give up on me yet.” Hayes and Young both got off to an early start in the chase for the $2,000 Cortech “Performance Edge Award,” which will go to the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike rider who posts the highest number of “fastest lap of the race” in event finals during the 2012 season. In Race 1, Hayes turned the fastest lap of the race on Lap 4 with a time of 1:37.490 and in Race 2, Young turned the fastest lap of the race on Lap 11 with a time of 1:37.379. National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden registered a bountiful opener of his own, doubling his all-time AMA Pro National Guard Superbike podium tally by securing his third and fourth career third-place results. However, the Kentuckian had somewhat mixed feelings regarding his performances due to the increased expectations that have come along with his remarkably strong close to the ’11 campaign, in which he demonstrated the pace to push the likes of Hayes and Young and challenge for victory. Hayden found himself more than 10 seconds off the win in both AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SuperBike races, battling with impressive rookie Josh Herrin on the second Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 rather than duking it out for the lead. Hayden admitted that he was searching for speed and grip throughout the weekend, but wasn’t overly discouraged considering the anomalous setting of the Florida high banks while being comforted in the fact that his GSX-R1000 should prove better suited to the more conventional circuits ahead. Hayden said, “Josh Herrin made me earn this one. He was really riding good for his rookie race weekend. I was trying to break the draft in the infield; I felt I was a little bit stronger than him but he could always draft back by me and I couldn’t draft him. We definitely need to find a little bit more speed but I’m happy to come away with two third-place finishes. It’s a good start to the season. We kind of know where we are weak at now so we can try to improve before Road Atlanta.” Speaking of 21-year-old Herrin, while the points standings show him outside the top ten, the reality on track made it clear that he was the fourth strongest competitor at Daytona International Speedway in what should have served as a warning shot to the rest of the field. The former 600cc ace has proven a quick study on the 200+ horsepower R1 SuperBike. And while he’s likely to face some struggles at times as he adjusts to the class (like Friday’s crash from fourth position), he’s also certain to shine, as he did when he finished a close fourth a day later. Veteran SuperBike pilots Larry Pegram and Steve Rapp found each other at the conclusion of both races in Daytona. Motorcycle-Superstore.com/Big Kahuna/LeoVince Attack Kawasaki’s Rapp piloted the black ‘AP10′ ZX-10R in front of Pegram’s Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW S1000RR for the majority of both contests, only to get aced at the line by meager margins of 0.001s (for fourth on Friday) and 0.081s (for fifth on Saturday), respectively. Pegram, who gridded up for each of the race finals in 11th position, led two impressive charges at Daytona, rising seven positions in Race 1 and six positions in Race 2. For his efforts, Pegram took home the MotoBatt “Hard Charger Award,” a $500 award given at the completion of each race weekend to the rider who improves the most positions combined from each of the weekend’s race finals. EvanSteelPerformance.com BMW’s Jake Holden (seventh and eight), Young’s new Yoshimura teammate, Chris Clark (ninth and seventh), Team Venezuela Suzuki’s Robertino Pietri (eighth and 10th), Kneedraggers.com/Motul/Fly Racing Suzuki’s David Anthony (10th and 11th), and M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich (11th and 12th) leave Daytona filling out title positions six through ten on the strength of solid outings both days. Holden said, “The weekend didn’t turn out quite the way we wanted, but the team worked really well together and overcame a lot of obstacles, we made constant forward progress but just ran out of time. A positive is we finished both races, and leave here sixth in points, the best points position I have left Daytona with since 2006 or so.” “This was my first race with the Yoshimura Suzuki team, so I definitely was over-riding the bike a little bit,” said Clark. “I was nervous and wanting to do well and putting a little too much pressure on myself. So I came out today and worked on what we were having problems with. I was able to turn it around in the second race. We’re not too far off from where I want to be, fifth in the championship, so I’m just looking forward to Atlanta.” Ulrich, who is back to strong health following a 2011 injury, said, “We’ve now got two races and 30 race laps under our belts. We banked two races and picked up some points and we’ll build from there. I’m looking forward to going to Atlanta and continually improving and going forward the way we should be. Last year if I would have left Daytona with an 11th and a 12th it would have been the end of the world but this year I’m quite pleased.” A number of big names weren’t so lucky. Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom had the speed to be the top rider off the podium pace of the front four on both days but crashed and remounted both days to register just 13th and 15th place finishes. “It was a tough weekend for #23,” said the ’98 series champ. “I’m not sure I can remember the last time I crashed out of a race, much less two races. I know the package we have for the upcoming tracks, though, and that keeps my mood right. The Jordan team has done a great job this winter and I hate to let them down. It was great to see Roger on the box.” Similarly, the EBR 1190RS machines of Geoff May (Team Amsoil/Hero MotoCorp.) and Danny Eslick (Team Hero) showed competitive pace and each landed in the top 10 once (May finished sixth on Friday and Eslick ninth on Saturday), only to be balanced out with unlucky rides on the other day. KTM/HMC Racing’s Chris Fillmore was another rider whose title standing (13th on the strength of 12th and 14th place rides) doesn’t accurately reflect the potential of the RC8R and its rider, who will no doubt be looking to make amends next time out. There was little time to reflect on their opening-weekend performances, however, as the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike contenders immediately packed up and headed further south to Homestead-Miami Speedway, in Homestead, Florida where they are currently in the midst of a two-day test. AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. More, from a press release issued by KWS Motorsports: KWS Motorsports and Riders Discount Dominate the WERA National at Roebling Road Raceway! Charleston, SC March, 2012 KWS Motorsports-sponsored riders Luie Zendejas and Sean Dwyer won four races and achieved eight podium finishes at the WERA Nationals held at Roebling Road Raceway. The WERA National series event at Roebling Road Raceway was a combined National and Regional event with Regional races held on Saturday and Nationals held on Sunday. All of the racing was ultra-tight with the top five separated by as little as eight tenths of a second in some races. On Saturday, the Riders Discount/Millennium Technologies-sponsored duo of Dwyer and Zendejas finished one two in the WERA F1 race, with Zendejas taking the first win of the weekend. In the Regional A Superbike race, Dwyer came out on top with Canadian Superbike regular Francis Dumas splitting the KWS riders for second and Zendejas finishing only a fraction of second back in third. The final race of the day was Regional A Superstock. Tough competition from 2011 A Superbike National Champion Tim Bemisderfer meant that Zendejas and Dwyer had to settle for podium finishes on their Dunlop shod Suzuki GSX-R1000’s. Sunday was the big day at Roebling Road Raceway with the first National event of the season underway. The Riders Discount sponsored team of Zendejas and Dwyer raced National Open Superstock and the premier WERA Superbike classes and they were barn burners! Dwyer won both races with Zendejas collecting two top fives. In the WERA Superbike race Zendejas turned the fastest lap of the entire weekend and finished less than eight-tenths of a second back in fifth place from the winner Dwyer. Luie Zendejas “I am extremely happy with my KWS Motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Riders Discount Suzuki GSX-R1000. Michael Godin built me the best bike in that whole paddock and it shows with this weekend’s results! We went faster than anyone did this weekend and that reflects on the craftsmanship and attention to detail of his work! Special thanks goes out to Kevin Hunt for the time and resources of his shop, Brian Gibson, and TJ from Riders Discount for stepping up the support this year. Mike Fitzgerald at Thermosman Suspension for the insane shock set up, Ballistic Performance Components, Parts Unlimited, Infinite Labs, Arai, Alpinestars, Drippinwet, Andrew Swenson Designs, Motion Pro, Web Cams, and all my sponsors for all their support.” Sean Dwyer “This is a great way to start off the 2012 WERA Nationals Challenge Season. All the hard work I’ve put into this off-season on and off the track has definitely paid off this weekend. My endurance throughout the races was outstanding. I felt great out there. We had some epic battles. Starting from the 2nd row Saturday and the 3rd row Sunday, I knew I would have to get a good start to get to the front quickly. The WERA SB race was so close that on the cool down lap we weren’t sure who had won it. My KWS motorsports, Millennium Technologies, Riders Discount Suzuki GSXR1000 was a rocket. Many thanks go out to Michael Godin for prepping a proper machine and Kevin Hunt for his support. A special thanks to Brian Gibson and TJ for their support at Riders Discount, Ballistic Performance Components, Mike “Thermosman” Fitzgerald for the top notch suspension, and Dunlop for the best tires.” Kevin Hunt- “All the hard work by Michael, Luie & Sean in the off season just showed up in a 2 day showcase at the WERA National opener. The weekend was a great start to 2012 and we hope to keep the pressure on for the entire season. We try and test our engines & suspension in the toughest environment and it can only help us as a team to improve. Having such close racing shows us everyone is working as hard as we are, and it looks like it will be a great year of WERA racing.” KWS Motorsports (www.kwsmotorsports.com) is proudly sponsored by: Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Pit Bull, LeoVince Exhaust, Motion Pro, VP Race Fuels, Bazzaz Performance, Yoyodyne, Worldwide Bearing, K&N Filters, Zero Gravity Windscreens, Spider Grips, Cp-Carillo, Web Cams and Motul lubricants. Luie Zendejas (www.luiezendejasracing.com) is proudly sponsored by: KWS Motorsports, Riders Discount, Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Thermosman Suspension, Dark Horse Foundation, Infinite Labs, Andrew Swenson Designs, Drippin Wet, PitBull, Dunlop Tires, VP Racing Fuels, LeoVince Exhaust, Bazzaz Performance, Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Oakley, Web Cams, CP-Carillo, Motion Pro, K&N Filters, Zero Gravity Windscreens, Worldwide Bearings, Parts Unlimited, Vesrah Brake Pads, Speigler Brake Lines, Spider Grips and Motul Lubricants. Sean Dwyer is proudly sponsored by: KWS Motorsports, Riders Discount, Millennium Technologies, Ballistic Performance Components, Thermosman Suspension, Andrew Swenson Designs, Drippin Wet, PitBull, Dunlop Tires, VP Racing Fuels, LeoVince Exhaust, Bazzaz Performance, Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Oakley, Web Cams, CP-Carrillo, Motion Pro, K&N Filters, Zero Gravity Windscreens, Worldwide Bearings, Parts Unlimited, Vesrah Brake Pads, Speigler Brake Lines, Spider Grips and Motul Lubricants. For Information: ~http://www.kwsmotorsports.com~. More, from a press release written and issued by Monica Cruz-Hernandez on behalf of Meen Motorsports: Solid Start for Meen Motorsports’ Daytona Debut Campbell, Ca (March 21, 2012) Team Meen Motorsports opened their 2012 AMA debut, in Daytona International Speedway, with a confident start to the season. Working through the mechanical kinks, Bobby Fong captured a 14th place finish in the Daytona 200, while Travis Ohge, who consistently improved throughout the weekend, placed 14th in Supersport race #1 and 11th in Supersport race #2. “The Meen Motorsports crew worked hard all weekend and we learned a lot. I cannot wait for Road Atlanta. It’s game time,” says Fong. The team would like to extend a special thanks to Chuck Graves and his Graves Yamaha team who provide the Meen Motorsports with extra support during the weekend. Thank you as well to all our other 2012 sponsors, Pilot, Yamaha, Ktech, Motydesigns.com, Radiomedics, K&N performance filters, Sharkskinz, Bazzaz, and Galfer, for making our weekend possible. For more information, about the team, visit www.Meenmotorsports.com. Become a Facebook Fan. Search: Meen Motorsports More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist: Passion’s Quandary The Joy and Hurt of a Wonderful Heartbreak: Gary Nixon’s Spirit Rides to Second in Daytona 200 Daytona Beach, Florida: Celebrating the life of the late Gary Nixon, racer Jason DiSalvo completed the hardest ride of his life while running the number and livery of this sixties superstar, earning second place in the 71st running of the Daytona 200. Team Latus Motors and Jason DiSalvo dedicated this event to Gary Nixon, sharing their admiration for this racer who passed away seven months ago. DiSalvo’s Triumph Daytona 675R was painted in the blue and white of this two-time winner of Daytona on a Triumph; Nixon earning the coveted prize in 1967 and 1968. But Nixon had a powerful personal relationship with numbers more than colors, and his life-long #9 was for him far more than just a racer’s numerical designation. In respect for that, DiSalvo engaged in revolution, running Nixon’s #9 in place of his own #40. It was an event of events for DiSalvo and Team Latus Motors Racing at Daytona International Speedway in 2012. The trials and tribulations started out on the sweet side for this defending Daytona 200 winner, immediately putting the unproven Triumph Daytona 675R at the top of both of the first-day’s practice times for the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike class. In the second practice of the opening day, DiSalvo upped expectations by being the first-and-only rider to break into a 1:49-lap times, setting the bar at 1:49.734. Again the fastest on the second day in first qualifying, the challenge then reversed, becoming a day of adversity. In the closing minutes of final qualifying, when each tick of the clock defines the course of private experience and public history, a miss-mounted tire forced DiSalvo back on track to search for his fastest times while riding on traction at the far side of its life. The result was third-place on the grid, earned during his time in the morning session. Race day ran the same way, with DiSalvo’s Triumph revealing an oil leak during the morning warm up, forcing him onto the back-up bike for the race. Despite that, DiSalvo succeeded in posting the third fastest time of the session, barely six-tenths off of the fastest rider of the day. In the Daytona 200 itself, DiSalvo was quickly into the fray, battling with the elite lead group of six after a slow start that saw him claw his way forward from a group of riders trying not to lose touch with the leaders. Then fate”¦ DiSalvo slowed into the chicane due to a suspect vibration. Well, you know, having had oil on boots can cause a Daytona rider to think about things. From that moment forward, DiSalvo put in the ride of his life, needing to overcome a 26-second deficit with 25 laps to go, by the time the clock had settled out. Taking off about a second a lap from the leading pair of eventual-winner Joey Pascarilla and third-place finisher Cameron Beaubier, after 23 laps DiSalvo found himself battling for the checkered flag with those two plus Martin Cardenas, who’d arrived from a closer distance back. On the final run to the flag, in the toss-up of drafting in a pack of four, DiSalvo came up just short, in the hardest ride of his storied career. After the race DiSalvo said, “I’m half disappointed in myself for slowing when there turned out to be no known problem with the bike, but I’m also proud of what we did today in memory of Gary. Maybe finishing second was even more fitting than winning. Maybe the spirit of Gary is all about giving it your all, trying your hardest, and doing your best no matter how difficult the challenge. Maybe second is best because it shows that what we do isn’t a fairytale; it’s real and it’s difficult. I rode harder longer than I ever have in my life. Considering all the scenarios that could have played out, finishing second for Gary is real good. We’ll take that.” More, from a press release issued by Dainese: Dainese athletes celebrate two trips to the podium Daytona, Florida. Dainese athletes celebrate two trips to the podium. Defending Super Sport series champion James Rispoli claimed victory in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport series opener at Daytona. The Dainese and AGV supported rider took the top spot on the box in a very close race that saw the top seven riders finish within a second of each other, with Rispoli eking out a victory by a mere 0.031. second. “I got lucky with a lapper,” commented Rispoli. “He really just got me a super draft on the front. I snuck by him and went straight low and held in as tight as possible. I didn’t see anyone come around and I was screaming right through the checkered flag.” James leaves Daytona with a 5 point lead over second place as the series heads to Road Atlanta April 20th. After finishing 2nd place in the AMA Pro National Guard Super Bike race on Saturday Dainese D-air Supporter rider Blake Young put his head down and pulled off a hard fought victory in race #2 claiming victory by just 0.002 second. The race began with Young battling with Dainese newcomer and Super Bike rookie Josh Herrin. The veteran Young was able to shake Herrin and focus on the leader Josh Hayes, Hayes and Young would experiment back and forth with different draft strategies. But it was young that prevailed holding the defending champion Hayes off in a very close and dramatic finish, Herrin would finish 4th. Michael Jordan Motorsports backed star Ben Bostrom had a tough weekend putting his Dainese leathers to the test crashing out both days, Ben was able to rejoin each race and salvage a 13th and 15th place respectively. Long time Dainese and AGV supported Athlete Steve Rapp signed a one race deal with Attack Kawasaki and put in a couple of impressive finishes. “Rapper”, after being off the bike since last year’s finale, got the call last minute to race Daytona. With little testing, Rapp relied on his talent and experience and put his machine in the top 10, finishing a respectable 5th on Saturday and 6th on Sunday. Dainese, an Italian company founded in 1972 by its current President Mr. Lino Dainese, started out as a manufacturer of leather motocross pants. The company’s history has been intertwined with that of legendary riders who have made motorcycling history: from Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene, Freddy Spencer, Kenny Roberts and Kevin Schwantz in the FIM Road Racing Championship to Edi Orioli and Franco Picco in the Paris-Dakar off-road race. Champions have been wearing and helping to improve Dainese apparel and protection since the 1970’s. Today, the tradition is carried on by the most illustrious names in motorcycling like Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Nicky Hayden and many others. AGV helmets are the result of 64 years of hard work finding the best solution in safety and design. A tradition carried on by some of the most important riders of all times who helped AGV make motorcycling history. Among them Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto, Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts, Gennady Moiseev, Randy Mamola, Ezra Lusk, as well as Formula 1 racing legends such as Niki Lauda and Emerson Fittipaldi. Today the legend is carried on by the 9 times MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, who has been wearing an AGV helmet since the beginning of his thrilling career, 2008 FIM MX1 Motocross champion David Philippaerts, motocross freestyle legend Travis Pastrana and Women Motocross star Ashley Fiolek. A passion for design, engineering and development leads the success of AGV helmets. For further information on AGV and Dainese, visit www.dainese.com and www.agv.com More, from a press release issued by Orient Express/K-Tech Suspension: K-Tech Suspension Scores Opening Round Win, Five Podium Finishes, And SuperSport Pole At Daytona K-Tech Suspension is pleased to start the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season with a great victory at the legendary Daytona International Speedway. National Guard Fairhills Group rider Corey Alexander set the pace in SuperSport qualifying aboard his K-Tech Suspension 20DDS front fork cartridge and 35DDS rear shock equipped #5 Suzuki GSX-R 600, securing Pole Position with a fast lap in Thursday’s first qualifying at 1:52.728. His Celtic Orient Express Racing teammate #1 James Rispoli qualified alongside him in second position with a 1:52.780 also equipped with K-Tech Suspension components. Rispoli would then go on to claim the first SuperSport victory of the season in race one, with Alexander finishing fifth after a race long battle in the lead pack. The second SuperSport race Saturday morning saw Rispoli start strongly and dominate the majority of the race, but faded in the closing laps as Alexander moved forward to finish second, just ahead of Rispoli in fourth. Alexander now leads the SuperSport East points battle, and Rispoli leads the SuperSport West series. Roger Hayden rode his K-Tech Suspension equipped #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R 1000 to qualify in third for the Superbike races with 20DDS front fork cartridges and a 35DDS rear shock. Hayden was impressed with the quick set up and was able to get up to speed quickly in practice and qualifying. Roger would go on to finish third in each of the two Superbike races, giving K-Tech two more podium finishes. In the XR1200 class, Bartel’s/Josh Chisum Racing Harley-Davidson rider Michael Barnes qualified second, just ahead of teammate Tyler O’Hara. Barnes and O’Hara’s XR1200’s both feature the 25IDS front fork cartridges, and MT35 rear shocks. In a tight and close race, O’Hara would finish second, just ahead of Barnes, securing a double podium finish for the two riders. Orient Express is proud to be the exclusive North American importer and distributor for K-Tech Suspension products from the U.K. For detailed information, technical assistance, or for information regarding where you can purchase K-Tech Suspension products please contact your local authorized K-Tech service center or Orient Express at 800.645.6521 or visit our website ~http://www.orientexpress.com~. Orient Express has provided riders and racers with the finest equipment, parts, and performance since 1973.