WSS: Gino battles to 8th at Portimao 28/03/2010- Gino Rea made progress from his debut 10th place at Phillip Island to score another top 10 finish in 8th at the Portimao World Supersport 600cc race. After a good start Gino was up to 6th from 12th on the grid. Rea outbraked himself a lap later and ran off track loosing a few places. After re-grouping and battling with the Portuguese Miguel Praia, Gino touched his knee on Miguel’s tyre and had to run off track again, loosing more positions. The young londoner was then left to battle for 8th place with team mate Massimo Roccoli and Factory Triumphs David Salom. Gino came out on top and secured a strong 8th place with team mate Roccoli in 9th. Although Gino secured another top 10 result, he was sure that a higher placing was possible. Gino said: ‘Andrew and the team worked hard all weekend so I’m happy to bring another strong result for the team, I’m still a little bit dissappointed, I would have liked to be in the top 6 here and I know it was possible. I got away with them at the beginning but ran off track twice which lost me contact with the battle for 5th with Fabien Foret. I then had a good scrap with Salom and my team mate Roccoli for the 8th position. I came out on top of the battle but its still clear that we need to make several improvements to develop the bike. ‘I crashed in free practice on Saturday which lost us a whole session of set up time, so we ended up racing on a suspension setting that could have been improved. We have work to do in the electronics side of the bike also. After qualifying in 10th on Friday and only 1 second off pole I feel that the electronics are the next thing we really need to improve to get us in the top 6. I’m looking forward to the next race at Valencia and I hope we can continue progress. Nearly all the teams tested at Portimao pre-season and also at the end of last season, so to be close to them here was very positive for us. Bring on Valencia!’ www.GinoRea.com More, from a press release issued by Syndicate Motorsport Management: HOLDEN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AT FONTANA AMA SUPERBIKE EVENT IN SPITE OF HARD LUCK (Fontana, CA)”” Jake Holden returned to the American Superbike field this weekend in Fontana, and quickly demonstrated why he is a force to be reckoned with in the class. Still nursing a broken thumb and running without a real crew, Holden made his mark on the field in the first timed session on Friday by posting the third fastest time. All the more impressive was that his time was set on his personal CBR while using the same set of tires all session and with only one tire warmer after his rear warmer shorted on pitlane. The Friday afternoon qualifying session also went well for Holden. While his closest competitors were routinely coming back down pitlane for fresh rubber in an attempt to set a fast time, Holden didn’t have that luxury in his personal budget. Even though Holden only had one set of tires, he was able to post the seventh quickest time. The qualifying drama continued after the session when his fuel was found to be slightly out of specification””most likely due to a contaminated fuel container that the team had used. With his qualifying time disallowed, Holden mentally prepared to re-qualify Saturday morning. Saturday greeted all the AMA Superbike competitors with high winds. The winds were so strong that on track activities were put on hold for safety concerns. When the on track activities resumed, there was not enough time for a second qualifying session. The AMA Superbikes were only going to have one fifteen minute warm up before the race. After discussing the situation with the AMA, Holden was going to be allowed in the field based on his Friday morning practice time””the only other timed session of the weekend””good enough for seventh place on the grid. As the AMA American Superbikes were gridding up, Holden’s privateer bike was in stark contrast to all the other bikes gridded around him. Stock wheels, stock brakes, stock calipers, and stock radiator outfitted Jake’s bike while on his left on the grid was the factory Yamaha Superbike of Josh Hayes and to his right was the National Guard Suzuki of Jake Zemke””both glistening with magnesium wheels, oversized radiators, big Brembo rotors and calipers. When the lights went out, Jake rocketed away with the lead group using his riding talent to overcome his hardware deficiencies. The race was shaping up well, Holden was running in fifth and looking to make a move on fourth when his bike slowed. The temperature was reading 230 degrees and Holden pulled into the pits trying to avoid engine damage to his one and only engine. Jake’s “crew”– really just a collection of friends and family– pulled the radiator cap off and noticed that the fluid level was low, hoping it was simply an air bubble in the cooling system, they refilled the radiator and sent Jake back out to see if he would be able to race on Sunday or if the motor was too damaged to continue. Sunday morning arrived with clear skies and no wind. After completely draining his radiator, refilling the cooling system and bleeding all the air out, Jake was ready to shake down his motor on Sunday morning. Morning warm up went well for Jake where he was able to run a good race pace even though he was re-using his front tire from Saturday’s race. None of Saturday’s cooling issues re-surfaced during the morning warm-up. After fitting a new set of race rubber that was bought by a fan, making a slight gearing change, and adjusting his brake setup, Holden was quietly confident of his chances in Sundays final. When the lights went out, Jake had a great start and latched onto the lead group. When the leaders started to break away, Jake was right there with them. The race was shaping up well and Holden was strategizing where to make his moves on the riders in front of him when disaster struck. The bike slowed and the temperature shot up to 230 degrees again. The “crew” watched helplessly as he pulled off the racing line and coasted into the pits. The motor had overheated again in the race, probably due to a small crack or pinhole in the motor. Holden was a victim of his limited financial resources, with proper funding there would have been a spare engine to mount in the frame for Sunday’s race. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Holden’s bike is heading home to Seattle, where he will try and get the necessary funds together so he can repair his motor. Currently, Holden plans on returning to the American Superbike field at Infineon and Laguna Seca, both tracks that he has historically done well at. In the next few days, there will be an announcement about an innovative new fundraising campaign for Holden, including how fans can help and get involved to keep Jake on track. Jake Holden: “That didn’t go exactly to plan! Two DNF’s is not what I needed this weekend. I just hope that some people took notice of what we were able to do this weekend. Most of the other guys tested here, and for sure they had more money and resources, but we were still able to run with them during practice and qualifying. Even the races I was right where I wanted to be until the motor went. I did get some help this weekend from fans that bought me tires and I’m really grateful for that. I’m going home now and will keep training, keep fundraising, and keep working hard”¦ my luck has got to change at some point. Anybody need a rider?” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Herrin Takes Daytona SportBike Win at Fontana Led by Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin, Yamaha racers took three wins and six more podium positions at the second round of the 2010 AMA Superbike series in Fontana, Calif. on March 27-28. Aboard his Team Graves YZF-R6, on Sunday Herrin won the Pro Daytona SportBike race, while teammate Josh Hayes placed second on his YZF-R1 in Sunday’s premier Superbike contest. The awesome finishes put Herrin in command of the Daytona SportBike title fight, while Hayes now lies fourth in American Superbike. Adding to the blue-and-white successes, privateer Joey Pascarella led R6 podium sweeps in both Pro SuperSport rounds over the weekend, giving Yamaha a stronghold in that series as well. Saturday’s Superbike event was challenged by strong wind gusts that had riders battling to hold their lines in some places. Hayes started only sixth the result of a canceled qualifying session but he nonetheless advanced almost to the podium in fourth. The Yamaha star further improved matters on Sunday by grabbing the lead early in the 21-lap Superbike race ahead of rivals Larry Pegram and Tommy Hayden. Pegram soon retook the lead, but crashed just before the halfway point, handing control of the race back to Hayes. Working hard to maintain the lead, Hayes eventually used up his tires and an aggressive Hayden drove past, leaving the R1 pilot with a hard-fought second place. In Daytona SportBike, Herrin started the weekend with a fourth-place finish on Saturday, then returned to notch his second Daytona SportBike win of the season on Sunday. He swapped positions with rival Danny Eslick beginning early in the race, and eventually used the same focus that earned him his first Daytona 200 title to snatch victory right before the checkered flag. “Josh knew he could win here, but he got in too much of a hurry in Saturday’s race,” said Yamaha Road Race team manager Tom Halverson. “On Sunday he was patient and sat behind Eslick for the entire race, measured him well and then made up his mind where to make his move.” More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Hayden Nabs First Spectacular SuperBike Win Rockstar Makita Suzuki Goes 1-3 on the Podium in Fontana Brea, Calif. March 29, 2010 Rockstar Makita Suzuki had a great day on Sunday, the second half of the Round 2 AMA SuperBike doubleheader at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Tommy Hayden and his No. 22 GSX-R1000 got his first-ever SuperBike win after taking the lead with three laps to go in the 21-lap race. Tommy’s teammate Blake Young rounded out the podium with his third-place finish in the race, making for a Rockstar Makita Suzuki 1-3 on the box Sunday afternoon. Hayden started first off the grid on Sunday after placing second in qualifying, as the pole sitter MJM Suzuki’s Aaron Yates was injured in the mornings practice and unable to start the race. Hayden stayed near the front of the pack watching the leaders trade spots throughout the first half of the race. By the midway point, Hayden made a calculated move into second and Young followed suit moving into third. With three laps left in the race, Hayden saw his opportunity made a spectacular move into first place. He rode his GSX-R1000 to the checkered flag, the first of his SuperBike-class career. Now in his fourth year on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki SuperBike team, Hayden was relieved to finally get that first win out of the way. “It’s really strange for me since I’ve won a lot of races and even championships in other classes, and I’m racing a lot of the same guys now in the SuperBike class,” Hayden said. “It seems like it’s never the same guy who beats me, and it’s always a guy who I’ve beaten plenty of times before. Whatever the reason, I haven’t been able to put it together. It feels good to finally get that weight off my shoulders.” The first race of the doubleheader on Saturday didn’t go according to Hayden’s plan, as high winds and stiff competition found Hayden finishing sixth. “Saturday, I was really disappointed the way the race went,” Hayden said. “I feel like I raced poorly and it was a disaster for me. I had a long talk with myself and I came back Sunday and definitely redeemed myself.” Hayden is now the veteran of the team and feels he should be racking up wins for the whole organization. “Before on the team I had Ben [Spies] and Mat [Mladin] who always won races, so it didn’t feel like too big of a deal if I didn’t win,” Hayden said. “But now I feel it’s my responsibility to, no matter what, be there and represent the team who deserves, at minimum, be battling for the lead.” Hayden is currently second in overall points for the season. Blake Young put together a great race on Sunday with his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. He moved into third place midway through the race and defended his position through to the checkered flag. Young also clocked the best lap time of the race with a 1:24.428, faster than any of the other racers on the track. This was Young’s first podium finish of the 2010 season and an improvement on his fifth-place race finish on Saturday. Young’s sophomore year in the SuperBike class is now starting to heat up. “Obviously, I would’ve liked to win, but it’s good getting on the podium,” Young said. “It’s one step closer to getting a win, so it’s good to get it out of the way here in California at the Auto Club Speedway”¦what I wouldn’t call one of my strong tracks. It’ll be good to get out of here with some points.” Young was also very thankful to the crew who works tirelessly to put together a great race bike for him. “The guys work really, really hard for me in the shop and on the track, and they’ve been building on a really good setup. I want to thank them for not giving up and continuing to work hard for me.” Young is currently fifth in the points standings going into Atlanta for Round 3 on April 16-18. The Suzuki GSX-R1000 filled up seven of the top-10 spots in the SuperBike class, with two of them on the podium thanks to the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team. AMA Pro SuperBike Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif. Sunday, March 28, 2010 Results 1. Tommy Hayden Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 2. Josh Hayes 3. Blake Young Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 4. Jake Zemke National Guard Jordan Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 5. John Hopkins M4 Monster Energy Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 6. Ben Bostrom 7. Brett McCormick 8. Chris Ulrich M4 Monster Energy Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 9. Taylor Knapp RidersDiscount.com Suzuki GSX-R1000 10. David Anthony Aussie Dave Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 AMA Pro SuperBike Overall Standings 1. Jake Zemke 106 2. Tommy Hayden 95 3. Larry Pegram 70 4. Josh Hayes 67 5. Blake Young 67 6. Aaron Yates 59 7. Ben Bostrom 52 8. Chris Ulrich 49 9. Taylor Knapp 45 10. Brett McCormick 37 Team sponsors: Rockstar, Makita, Yoshimura, Motorex, Dunlop, Galfer, RK Racing Chain, BMC Air Filter, NGK Spark Plugs, Color Rite, Renthal, Catalyst, F.Fabbri Accessori and Motion Pro. About Suzuki: The Motorcycle/ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, Calif., was founded in 1963 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries. www.suzukicycles.com. About Rockstar: ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful Energy Drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is available in fourteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Energy Cola, Recovery Lemonade, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, Roasted Light Vanilla, and Roasted Espresso. ROCKSTAR ENERGY SHOTS are available in Wild Berry and Tropical Punch flavors, and coming in 2010 – ROCKSTAR ENERGY GUM. About Makita: Makita is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita applies leading-edge technology and innovation to engineer tools that are more compact with less weight yet deliver industrial strength power and results. Makita innovation includes Makita LXT, the industry’s first 18V lithium-ion cordless lineup. For more information, visit makitatools.com. Follow Makita at facebook.com/makitatools and twitter.com/makitatools. Makita is Best in Class Engineering. More, from a press release issued by Vesrah Suzuki: AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY RACE 2 HAS VESRAH SUZUKI RIDERS FINISHING IN 7TH AND 8TH PLACE. Vesrah Suzuki concluded the Auto Club Speedway AMA Pro Racing weekend in Fontana, CA with a 7th place finish for Cory West and 8th place for Chris Fillmore. The team tested some changes in morning warm up that seemed promising for the races later that day but still had some grip issues with the Dunlop tires during the race this afternoon. Vesrah Suzuki heads to the next round at Road Atlanta with Cory in 5th place in the season points and Chris in 10th place and looking to move both riders higher up in the standings. Also look for an announcement on a special project the team is undertaking at the Road Atlanta round. Mark Junge Team Owner Vesrah Suzuki “The team is adjusting to the spec Dunlop tires required in the Daytona Sportbike class but needs more time on them to figure out what makes them work the best. The team will be testing before the Road Atlanta round and I look forward to seeing what we can do after having some time on these tires.” Cory West #57 Vesrah Suzuki “Today’s race was a little harder than yesterdays. I did not get the best of starts and touched wheels with someone in turn 3 and got stood up” said Cory. “I did manage to get with the lead group but I had rear grip issues throughout the entire race. We made some changes to the bike after yesterdays race that made the bike handle better, but I just could not get the rear tire to hook up on corner exits although I am happy about my lap times. I had faster lap times throughout the whole race and the gap between the leaders and myself was much closer today. We will take these points and head on to Road Atlanta with the goal of getting to the front. Thanks to Tony, Bruce and the whole Vesrah Suzuki team for a good weekend.” Chris Fillmore – #55 Vesrah Suzuki “I really needed to use today’s warm up as a test on some setting changes we made after race 1 but we had an issue which limited my time on track getting up to speed and getting a proper test in. My goal was to stay with the lead group off of the start and see how long I could hang on to them but that did not go to plan as I had issues with the front end from the beginning of the race. Eighth place is okay for my first weekend back and with a new motorcycle. I look forward to getting some seat time and testing before we head to Road Atlanta. I know we have a lot of work to do to get to the front but I am confident that the team can provide what I need to get there.” Vesrah Suzuki wants to thank all of their sponsors for their support for the 2010 season Vesrah, American Suzuki, Rockstar Energy Drink, Nielsen Enterprises Suzuki, Waterbridge Investments, Traxxion Dynamics Fork Components, Dainese Leathers, Boots and Gloves, AGV Helmets, Graves Motorsports, Hotbodies Racing Bodywork, Sudco Int., Bazzaz, Factory Pro, Maxima Racing Oils, Vortex, DID Chain, Penske Racing Shocks, GPR Stabilizers, Trek Bicycles, GP Tech, Active & Road Rage Designs