Motourage

Like last year, the opening round of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship saw a single Suzuki rider sweep the double-header, but where current Daytona SportBike rider Jake Zemke filled that role in 2010, 2011 saw the re-emergence of Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s fully recovered, hard-charging Blake Young.

Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Blake Young

Young, who suffered serious back injuries mid-season via a crash during testing, had made his return felt at 2010′s season-ending race at Barber Motorsports Park, where he won the last National Guard Superbike race of the year. But at Daytona International Speedway, Young confirmed that he wants a piece of this year’s championship just as much as teammate -and 2010 runner-up – Tommy Hayden and defending champ, Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes.

Young’s rivals for the early lead both had solid opening weekends, Hayden going 2-3 and Hayes kicking off the event by taking pole position before finishing 3-2. And while Hayden was clearly less than satisfied with his result, Hayes could at least cheerfully compare it to his less-than-successful 2010 Daytona experience, which left the Graves team with serious work to do to put the Mississippian back on solid ground.

Jordan Motorsports’ all-new lineup used Daytona to indicate they’ll be regular frontrunners this season, with Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom turning in a pair of top-five finishes while National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Roger Hayden – back from a determined season in World Superbike – proved capable of the same, earning a fifth-place finish in his first AMA Pro race since 2009.

Contenders can also expect trouble from reigning 2010 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas, whose Superbike debut aboard M4 Suzuki machinery was good enough to remind watchers of the dangers of underestimating this quiet but fierce rider. Cardenas was at home on the GSX-R1000 in no time, latching on to race leaders and showing impressive speed right out of the gate, going 6-4 on the Daytona race weekend and leaving the speedway in fifth overall.

A pair of BMW S1000RRs also ran well at the season opener, with Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram – who switched from Ducati to BMW machinery over the off-season – looking comfortable inside the top ten and BMW of San Diego’s Jeremy Toye finishing as high as eighth.

The Cycle World/Attack Performance Kawasaki Superbike effort had a tough Daytona weekend, as a second-row qualifying performance was negated by a DNF in Race 1, though rider Eric Bostrom was able to rebound for a respectable eighth-place finish in Race 2. No word yet on whether the project will be able to secure funding for future rounds, but should the Green Team show up at Infineon, trust that Bostrom will be looking for redemption.

Another team to keep an eye on at Infineon will be Amsoil EBR. A best-finish of twelfth fell far short of what it takes to make Erik Buell Racing pilot Geoff May happy, and having spent the down time hard at work, the team will be ready to show at Round 2.

For tickets to the next round of National Guard Superbike action at Infineon Raceway’s West Coast Moto Jam, click here.

The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship is set to invade the West Coast for the first time in 2011 over the Easter weekend, as Salinas, California’s Salinas Sports Complex plays host to Rounds 4 and 5 on April 23-24. Saturday will feature a TT Steeplechase, followed by a Short Track on Easter Sunday, all adding up to one can’t-miss event.

This isn’t the first Grand National to be held in Salinas. A Half Mile National was staged in the Monterey County city back in 1968; a race won by former Grand National Champion Mert Lawwill. Amateur and Pro-AM TT racing at the Sports Complex dates back to the early 1960s.

For 2011, Kenny Coolbeth makes the switch from Harley-Davidson to Kawasaki

For 2011, three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth is fresh off his first Short Track National win at last weekend’s DuQuoin event and will be looking to notch his first TT win on a Kawasaki.

Current points leader Sammy Halbert backed up his pair of Daytona wins with a come-from-behind fifth-place result at Round 3, but he’s looking to expand on his 16-point lead in a big way. Meanwhile, Coolbeth is tied for second in the points chase with defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson. And though Johnson’s a Pennsylvanian, Salinas will be something of a of a hometown event for his crew, as the Zanotti Racing Team is based in California. Another local boy fighting for points is Salinas native and former MotoGP 125 and 250 rider Stevie Bonsey, who won last August in Calistoga, just a few hours up the road.

Henry Wiles, who’s dominated Grand National Singles racing over the last few years, will be trying to straighten out what’s been a trying year. After getting banged around at last weekend’s DuQuoin event and coming away with a dismal 19th-place finish, Wiles is 12th in points.

South Dakota’s Gerit Callies has taken possession of the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles points standings after his dominant performance in DuQuoin. California’s Mikey Avila had been tied with Callies, but his ninth-place finish at Round 3 leaves him 14 points back, in second. Another Californian, Mikey Martin, rests third in the points.

For information and tickets to Rounds 4 and 5 of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship at the Salinas Sports Complex, April 23-24, click here. To see the entire 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft.

The new alliance between AMA Pro Road Racing and Motorcycle-Superstore.com kicked off in spectacular fashion at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month, comprising a pair of unbelievably exciting SuperSport races that saw two riders take their first career AMA Pro wins in the newly sponsored Motorcycle-Superstore.com-supported class.

LTD Racing Y.E.S. Yamaha teammates Tomas Puerta and David Gaviria took dramatic victories in two of the best races of the season’s opening weekend. For Puerta, the victory was particularly sweet, as he’d turned in ten top-four finishes the year before (including four third-place finishes and a pair of seconds) but was unable to reach the top step. Race-watchers knew it was only a matter of time for the talented Puerta, and at Daytona, the young Colombian rider made good.

In contrast to the ever-present Puerta, David Gaviria ran a limited number of 2010 events, and despite decent results stayed mostly under the radar, turning in his best finish (a sixth) at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Daytona, however, was an entirely different story for Gaviria.

With former LTD Racing star Huntley Nash having moved up to the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class for 2011, Puerta – now the leader of the young-gun squad – quickly took hold of the mantle by dominating the first Daytona SuperSport race of the Motorcycle-Superstore.com-sponsored era. In a class that has already produced a number of rising-star graduates, Puerta led every lap on the way to his very first win in AMA Pro. Second-place finisher Stefano Mesa (Rata Racing Ducati) crossed the line just .008 seconds ahead of Gaviria, who was new to both the LTD team and to Daytona itself.

Saturday morning’s Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Race 2 was an even closer affair, as Gaviria – in contest with Puerta, Mesa, James Rispoli (ANT Racing/Star School), and others – came out on top of a drafting battle that saw him take his first career AMA Pro win by a margin of just .048 seconds. Second-place Puerta was disappointed not to have swept the weekend, but still pleased for his LTD Racing teammate.

These two very fast, very personable young Colombian riders have thus staked their claims on the $25,000 Motorcycle-Superstore.com Year End Points Fund, which is split between East and West Coast Division Championships and additionally recognizes the class’ Overall Championship and Young Gun recipient.

With just one round in 2011′s rear view, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Supestore.com SuperSport series is already off to a phenomenally exciting start. Round 2 of the AMA Pro Road Racing series runs May 13-15 at Sonoma, California’s, beautiful Infineon Raceway. To be part of the action, please visit www.infineonraceway.com for ticket and event information.

Graves Motorsports‘ Josh Herrin issued a statement on his Facebook page yesterday in response to the suspension, probabtion and fine handed down from AMA Pro Racing for what it perceived as a dangerous maneuver during the last moments of the Daytona 200.

Herrin and Project 1 Atlanta rider Dane Westby made contact several times on the final straight. During the contact, Herrin or his bike activated Westby’s front brake lever causing him to crash and bring down trailing rider Taylor Knapp.

After reviewing the footage and talking with those involved, the AMA made the decision to impose a one race suspension, season-long probation and a $7,500 fine to the Graves Motorsports racer.

Herrin responded with this post on his Facebook page:

“Ever since I was a little kid racing mini bikes it has been my dream to become a professional racer. Five years ago, after years of hard work and dedication, I had the good fortune to achieve my goal of becoming a professional racer.

For me as a racer, it’s incredibly disappointing when I don’t win, and sometimes in the heat of the moment at a race’s conclusion, make statements which are regrettable. That said; I would like to set the records straight and say that I did not intend to get caught up in the last lap incident that jeopardized my fellow racers Dane Westby and Taylor Knapp. I am sincerely thankful that Dane and Taylor did not sustain any serious injuries.

For the record, I do not agree with the penalty that was assessed and with a clear conscience I can say that I am not guilty of what was said of my actions. I want to ensure my fans, my team, my sponsors, the AMA and my fellow riders that it has always been and will continue to be my goal to race as competitively as possible for the entertainment of everyone while staying within the AMA rules and not endangering anyone else on the track. I look forward to this matter reaching a fair resolution and participating in future AMA Pro Racing events. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and continued to support me.

-Josh Herrin”

AMA Pro Racing announced that penalties and an accompanying fine have been assessed against Josh Herrin and Graves Motorsports, respectively, as the result of actions during the March 12 Daytona 200, specifically those related to the rider’s last-lap approach to start/finish. As per the AMA Pro Road Racing 2011 Rule Book, rules A1.1, A2.1, A2.3.p, and A2.3.u, the details of the penalties and fine are as follows:

Rider penalty: One-event suspension, to be applied at Infineon Raceway Round 2, May 13-15

Rider penalty: Season-long probation, in effect through December 31, 2011, the violation of which shall result in further and more-serious penalties

Team penalty: $7,500 fine, the entire proceeds of which will be applied to the purchase of additional Airfence

Both rider and team were notified of the above details in advance of this release, and the penalties do not prevent them from taking part in the May 2-3 official AMA Pro test at Miller Motorsports Park.

The opening round of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing season featured some of the most intense, unforgettable action the series has seen yet. It also featured difficult decisions, outright failures, and confusion and dismay among fans and participants, out of respect for whom AMA Pro Racing pens this lengthy release. The decisions made last weekend will be explained here in detail; the failures that occurred will be acknowledged and addressed.

As is common knowledge at this point, AMA Pro Racing’s spec-tire partner, Dunlop, saw evidence of front-tire overheating in the aftermath of many Daytona 200 riders’ first pit stops. Once a conclusion was reached, they immediately notified AMA Pro officials that in the interests of rider safety, the Daytona 200 would need to be stopped long enough to allow all participating riders to mount a fresh front tire, and the red flag was thrown within ten seconds of that communication. The length of the downtime that followed has led to significant speculation about several aspects of the day’s events; the actual facts are detailed below.

Additional background: Initially, Dunlop advised AMA Pro that riders would need to swap their current fronts for fresh versions of the same tire before continuing the 200, and the paddock was instructed to do so. Once riders were pitted under the red flag, however, Dunlop reassessed the situation and decided, again in the interests of safety, that all riders would need to be fitted with entirely new-spec backup fronts then stored in Dunlop’s garages. The execution of both Dunlop decisions were complicated (and lengthened) by the fact that many teams had neither extra fronts (relating to the first set of instructions), nor extra rims.

LENGTH OF THE RED-FLAG HOLD: The length of the downtime that followed the first red flag was wholly and solely dictated by the amount of time it took to get each of the thirty-eight Daytona 200 competitors re-fitted with new-spec tires that were warmed long enough to be safely raced on. The downtime included the paddock’s attempts to comply with original instructions, the communication to the paddock of Dunlop’s revised assessment, the process of getting the entire field’s front rims re-fitted with new-spec rubber, and the time it took to safely warm new tires.

Dunlop’s new-spec re-fitment process was non-stop. During this period, AMA Pro re-set the Daytona 200 re-start time several times based on communication with Dunlop about their progress. LTD Racing’s Huntley Nash was the last rider in the class to receive a new tire, and in consultation with Nash’s crew chief, Gary Medley, it was decided that 20 minutes was the minimum amount of time his tire needed to warm. The 3-minute board for the race’s re-start was set for 20 minutes from that time.

TEAM LATUS RACING/JASON DISALVO: Because Team Latus Racing used the significant red-flag downtime to repair eventual race-winner Jason DiSalvo’s Ducati machine, speculation has given rise to two rumors that will be addressed here: 1) That the red-flag hold was extended to give Latus time to re-enter the race; 2) That the Latus machine was out of AMA Pro’s control at points during said downtime.
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Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki celebrated a tremendous AMA Superbike opening-round weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with Blake Young winning both races and teammate Tommy Hayden joining him on the podium in both events.

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders raced their Yoshimura-prepared Suzuki GSX-R1000s flawlessly, with Young celebrating the double victories in style and Hayden bringing home impressive second and third-placed finishes.

The weekend’s first AMA Superbike race saw Young in a multi-rider battle for almost all 15 laps on the famed Daytona racecourse. However, when the dust had settled, Young took the win over his teammate by just .026 of a second. In the second race, Young was biding his time until the final lap when he stormed the front-runner and took the lead along with his second victory of the weekend.

“Today was great,” enthused Young. “The only thing we could have done better was to lead more laps and get that pole position. Coming out of here with two wins, I’m ecstatic. I haven’t had the best of luck at Daytona before: Last year we had a fifth and a seventh, so this year is definitely a positive. But it’s a long season, and Daytona is just one of the races. We just need to chalk this one up and work hard in the seven weeks we have off. I’m happy for my guys; they worked really, really hard for me in the off-season to get me and my Suzuki on top of the box both days.”

Meanwhile, Hayden was right there with his head down for both races. Although Hayden was leading on the last lap of the first race, the checkered flag saw him finish in second place. In the second race, Hayden again was right there with his team mate and battled competitors as well as the famous Daytona draft before settling into third position.

“Today’s race was about what I expected,” said Hayden. “Blake and Josh Hayes were riding really well, so it was a tough race for me and my Suzuki. I was third today and I thought it was an all-right position. I was second yesterday; and Blake won from third yesterday, you know, so I figured I’d try it from that way. But I didn’t get a very good run on the straight. That’s the way this place goes. Yesterday, I got too-good-of-a-run. Today, not good enough.”

The 2011 Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event of the 2011 AMA American Superbike Championship series is at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, on May 13-15.

Daytona Superbike Race 1:
1. Blake Young (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Josh Hayes
4. Ben Bostrom
5. Roger Hayden
6. Martin Cardenas
7. Larry Pegram
8. Jeremy Toye
9. Chris Ulrich
10. David Anthony

Daytona Superbike Race 2:
1. Blake Young (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Josh Hayes
3. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki)
4. Martin Cardenas
5. Ben Bostrom
6. Larry Pegram
7. Chris Clark
8. Eric Bostrom
9. David Anthony
10. Chris Peris

2011 Superbike Standings:
1. Blake Young (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki) – 60
2. Josh Hayes – 49
3. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki) – 46
4. Ben Bostrom – 34
5. Martin Cardenas – 33
6. Larry Pegram – 29
7. Chris Clark – 24
8. David Anthony – 23
9. Roger Hayden – 22
10. Chris Ulrich – 22

Jake Zemke, riding the all-black Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha R6, laid down the class’ fastest lap in virtually the last possible moment of AMA Pro Daytona SportBike qualifying to capture pole for today’s 70th Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway. His pole-winning time of 1:49.775 also earned him the coveted Rolex watch, which will be formally presented before the 200. Team Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo took second, with GEICO/RMR Suzuki’s Danny Eslick and Team Cycle World/Attack Performance Kawasaki’s JD Beach rounding out the front row.

Project 1 Atlanta's Jake Zemke

Jake Zemke, Pole: “At the start of the session I just let everybody go; I just wanted to get some clear track and ride the bike a little bit. I don’t have a lot of laps on that bike so I’m not 100% comfortable with it yet. I have a little bit of the flu—been sick all week—and yesterday I didn’t really have my head around it, so today I wanted to ride my own pace, ride my own laps, find my own lines. Jason put down a pretty good lap early and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s going to be a hard time to beat.’ But the last two laps I started to see where I was going to get a little bit of clear track, and that last lap just worked out really well. It really didn’t feel overly special, though—I thought Jason got the pole. I came around the signal area and saw my pit board, and it said .49 P1. I thought, ‘No way,’ and then there’s the agony of riding around the last cool-off lap looking at the board the whole time waiting to see who’s still out there. Luckily, it stuck. It’s pretty nice to get that watch; it’s something that I definitely wanted for a long time.

“I’ll be happy when I get 100 percent out of the bike, but I still haven’t got it yet. The bike is really good, and my guys have been working non-stop since January to get here today in March. We’re an unsponsored team with no money, so we’re pretty happy to be here right now. It’s going to pay off dividends if we can do well in the 200—hopefully that can bring us sponsorship to get us through the rest of the season.”

Jason DiSalvo, 2nd: “I’ve had Miguel [Duhamel] to do it to me twice [take pole away on the last lap]—it’s not a new experience for me. Maybe we can win the race and I can make Danny an offer to buy his. It seems like that’s the only way I’m going to get one of those things.”

Danny Eslick, 3rd: Jake definitely pulled me along and got me to the third spot, but it’ll be a good place for us for the 200. The front row’s always a good place to be, because there’s a whole lot of excitement up there.”

Fifty entries have been filed for the 70^th running of the legendary Daytona 200 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race. The 57-lap contest will go green this Saturday afternoon on the 3.51-mile Long Course that combines Daytona International Speedway’s high banks with its twisting infield course. This year, the classic race will be televised live on SPEED from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12.

Dating back to 1937, when Ed Kretz won the fist Daytona 200 on an Indian, this world-class race has served as the opening event of the American road race season. In keeping with tradition, the 70-year-old contest will again kick off the current AMA Pro Road Racing season, and with 2010 class champion Martin Cardenas having moved to AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike this year, the field is wide open.

Headlining up the 2011 competitors is 2010 Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin, who finished third in last season’s final points standings with five wins to his credit. Back with his long-time Graves Motorsports crew and fielding a newly liveried Monster Energy Graves Motorsports Yamaha, Josh’s 2011 bid for title redemption begins now.

Last year’s Daytona 200 Pole Position winner, Danny Eslick, finished second in the 2010 class championship and also returns with his 2010 squad, GEICO Powersports RMR Suzuki. The eternally hard-charging Eslick claimed three Daytona SportBike victories last year and can be expected to be high up in the mix come Saturday.

Taking over the 200 reins for Team M4 Suzuki in Cardenas’ absence will be Dane Westby, who stunned many by claiming second in last year’s Daytona 200 contest after leading twelve laps. Jake Zemke, who won both Daytona AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike races last year, will return to middleweight competition with the Project 1 Atlanta team, the talented Californian representing a big unknown for other riders in the class.

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Laurel Allen, who previously served as Road Racer X magazine’s Senior Editor, has been hired as a Media and Channel Marketing for AMA Pro Racing. She will manage an ongoing, aggressive campaign to strengthen and promote AMA Pro’s Road Racing and Flat Track series.

In this newly created role, Allen – in addition to handling traditional print and online media duties – will manage AMA Pro’s social media efforts while assisting series participants in raising their own profiles in this area. She’ll also work to create dynamic, one-off events and promotions that deliver added value to existing sponsors and fans, as well as to reach out to non-endemic media, companies and audiences.

“I am thrilled to have Laurel join AMA Pro’s group of key advisers,” said AMA Pro C.O.O. David Atlas. “Laurel’s long-term presence in the AMA racing paddock, and her very significant experience with some of the finest premier motorcycle publications, gives me great confidence about the substantial contribution she will make to our efforts to really elevate professional motorcycle racing.”

“I grew up in race paddocks,” says Allen, “and these series have been a part of my life since I can remember. After spending the last five years at RRX thinking and writing about U.S. motorcycle racing, I’m really excited to have an opportunity to actually do something about it-to effect change and improvements in a way I couldn’t before.”

Allen will be present at all of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing events, as well as at a number of non-conflicting AMA Pro Flat Track events.