Motourage

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.
Read more…

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.

Read more…

AMA Pro Road Racing
Daytona 200 Week
Daytona International Speedway
March 3 – 5, 2010

Daytona 200 (57 laps) – 3/5/2010 8:00:00PM
1 8 J. Herrin Yamaha YZF-R6 57 WINNER 1:50.4520 51 Team Graves Yamaha 31*
2 2 D. Westby Yamaha YZF-R6 57 +7.964 1:50.7200 44 Project 1 Atlanta 25
3 15 S. Rapp Ducati 848 57 +24.496 1:50.3930 35 Team Latus Motors Racing 21
4 1 D. Eslick Suzuki GSX-R600 57 +40.973 1:50.6020 26 GEICO Powersports, RMR, Suzuki 19^
5 25 K. Coghlan Yamaha YZF-R6 56 +1 lap 1:50.8390 18 Aussie Dave Racing 16
6 57 C. West Suzuki GSX-R600 56 +39.919 1:51.9520 6 Vesrah Suzuki 15
7 99 G. May Suzuki GSX-R600 56 +1:50.590 1:52.6520 30 GMR Racing 14
8 11 S. Higbee Buell 1125R 56 +1:54.030 1:50.9540 47 Higbee-Racing.com 13
9 23 T. Knapp Ducati 848 55 +2 laps 1:53.1660 28 Ducshop Racing 12
10 53 E. Wood Honda CBR600RR 55 +15.626 1:53.4450 5 Team Heyser • Woodcraft 11
11 19 E. Haugo Yamaha YZF-R6 55 +50.989 1:53.8500 52 Viking Moto 10
12 125 R. Patterson Yamaha YZF-R6 55 +1:16.795 1:53.6660 16 D and R Racing 9
13 30 B. Fong Ducati 848 55 +1:17.343 1:53.0590 6 Crozier Roberson Motorsports 8
14 12 R. Orlando Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 55 +1:40.129 1:54.5850 16 Ricky Orlando Racing 7
15 32 S. Villa Suzuki GSX-R600 55 +1:40.244 1:54.8620 44 RoadRacingWorld.com 6
16 70 P. James Buell 1125R 54 +3 laps 1:55.6780 21 James Gang • Hoban Bros. Racing 5
17 65 A. Padovani Ducati 848 54 +18.553 1:55.6850 25 CR2 Corse 4
18 49 A. Lazo Yamaha YZF-R6 54 +31.987 1:55.1510 5 Alex Lazo Racing 3
19 77 D. Marchetti Ducati 848 54 +1:09.585 1:55.3820 13 Ducshop Racing 2
20 221 W. Sipp Buell 1125R 54 +1:09.855 1:55.2810 54 Walt Sipp Racing 1
21 37 J. Ashmead Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 53 +4 laps 1:56.4390 12 Brady Racing
22 192 R. Vargas Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 53 +49.807 1:56.0780 13 Vargas Racing
23 69 K. Keesee Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 50 +7 laps 1:56.7940 44 Brevard Superbike Racing
24 20 C. Martinez Ducati 848 50 +3.965 1:59.9510 12 Mid Cities Motorsports
25 170 D. Dumain Yamaha YZF-R6 49 +8 laps 1:56.7460 31 Moto Journal-Crit
26 13 M. Paris Yamaha YZF-R6 47 +10 laps 1:53.9920 27 MPH Racing, Inc.
27 61 B. McCormick Suzuki GSX-R600 31 +26 laps 1:50.8390 15 Picotte Racing
28 38 K. Turner Suzuki GSX-R600 30 +27 laps 1:53.7200 17 Turner’s Cycle Racing
29 594 D. McPherson Yamaha YZF-R6 29 +28 laps 1:56.2620 16 McNology Racing
30 17 B. Long Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 24 +33 laps 1:56.0530 8 LEVEL 10 Racing
31 34 M. Barnes Yamaha YZF-R6 21 +36 laps 1:53.3800 2 VRC Racing
32 6 T. Aquino Yamaha YZF-R6 17 +40 laps 1:51.0170 14 Team Graves Yamaha
33 78 R. Wacker Suzuki GSX-R600 15 +42 laps 1:55.9210 14 Wacker Racing LLC
34 75 J. Wood Suzuki GSX-R600 15 +5:03.726 1:53.7900 6 Vesrah Suzuki
35 113 C. Moodie Yamaha YZF-R6 10 +47 laps 1:58.7980 9 Bulldog Racing
36 84 A. Fania Suzuki GSX-R600 8 +49 laps 2:00.4050 3 KSW Racing
37 7 F. Amantini Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 1 +56 laps –.— 0 Team Amantini
38 36 M. Cardenas Suzuki GSX-R600 0 DNS –.— 0 Monster Energy/M4 Suzuki
39 4 C. Seller Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS –.— 0 Project 1 Atlanta
40 47 J. Day Yamaha YZF-R1 0 DNS –.— 0 Four Feathers Racing
41 54 P. Jacobsen Suzuki GSX-R600 0 DNS –.— 0 Celtic Racing
42 474 B. Skubic Yamaha YZF-R6 0 DNS –.— 0 Inotherm Yamaha Racing Team Slovenia
43 16 R. Wikle Suzuki GSX-R600 0 DNS –.— 0 Wikle Racing
44 14 M. Crozier Ducati 848 0 DNS –.— 0 Crozier Roberson Motorsports

Read more…

After losing out on the Daytona 200 victory in 2009, No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 rider Josh Herrin secured his name in the history books by becoming the 69th winner of the Daytona Beach classic.  Held for the second year in a row under the lights, Herrin battled a number of riders before pulling away after a super quick pit stop on lap 39.  After that, he rode with tremendous composure and skill to take the checkered flag with a 7.964 second margin of victory on the historic 3.55 mile Daytona International Speedway.

Dane Westby and his No. 2 Project 1 Yamaha YZF-R6 took a well deserved second place and up until the last pit stop, it was a two man race.  Westby showed his skill by running up front all night, trading the lead with Herrin several times over the course of the 57 lap race.  Finishing third was 2007 Daytona 200 winner Steve Rapp on his No. 15 Team Latus Motors Racing Ducati 848.  Rapp also ran up front all night and was one of five riders to lead during the race. 

Leading the field off the line was pole winner Danny Eslick on the No. 1 GEICO Powersports RMR Suzuki GSX-R600 and as the field took the green flag from the standing start, fellow front row rider Martin Cardenas, riding the No. 36 Team M4 Monster Energy Suzuki GSX-R600, shot into the lead and led the field through turns one and two.  In a heartbreaking moment, Cardenas had the front end slide out on him going into turn three and down he went, his race over.  It was a devastating moment for what was clearly a big pre-race favorite.  Further back in the lineup, a number of riders came together in the next turn, necessitating a red flag and immediate race stoppage and full restart from the original grid.

One rider, P.J. Jacobson, was transported from the scene to Halifax Hospital but was later released.  Four other riders were examined at the infield care center and released and one rider, Bostjan Skubic, later complained of dizziness, was taken to Halifax for precautionary evaluation and was later released.  After a brief delay, the race was restarted and this time the field had three riders go off in turn one but with no impact on the race.  A tight group of 10 riders were drafting and swapping positions, with many changes every lap. Rapp, Herrin, Eslick, Team Graves Yamaha teammate Tommy Aquino, Kev Coghlan riding the Aussie Dave Racing Yamaha, Westby and more were all part of the action. 

Read more…

AMA Pro Racing Round 1 – Daytona International Speedway
Schedule

Wednesday March 3
8:30am Garages Open
9:00am – 12:00pm Rider Head Shots in Media Center – Mandatory
12:00pm Post Entry Deadline for SuperSport Top Guns Only
12:30pm – 1:00pm Free Practice Daytona SportBike (LC)
1:30pm – 2:00pm Free Practice American SuperBike (SC)
2:10pm – 2:40pm Free Practice SuperSport (SC)
2:40pm – 3:40pm Mid-day Break
3:45pm – 4:45pm Free Practice American SuperBike (SC)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Free Practice SuperSport (SC)
6:30pm – 8:00pm Free Practice Daytona SportBike (LC)
9:00pm Garages Close

Thursday March 4
8:00am Garages Open
9:00am – 9:20am Qualifying Practice Daytona SportBike Group A (LC)
9:25am – 9:45am Qualifying Practice Daytona SportBike Group B (LC)
10:15am – 10:45am Qualifying Practice American SuperBike (SC)
11:00am – 11:30am Final Qualifying SuperSport (SC)
11:45am – 12:30pm Final Qualifying American SuperBike (SC)
12:30pm – 1:30pm Mid-day Break
12:45pm – 1:30pm Mandatory Autograph Session- American SuperBike,
Daytona SportBike, SuperSport
1:30pm Opening Ceremonies – SuperSport
2:00pm SuperSport (12 laps) 35 Mile Race
3:00pm Opening Ceremonies – American SuperBike
3:30pm American SuperBike (15 laps) 44 Mile Race
5:00pm – 6:30pm Evening Break/Fan Track Rides
6:30pm -7:00pm Final Qualifying Daytona SportBike Group A (LC)
7:00pm -7:30pm Final Qualifying Daytona SportBike Group B (LC)
8:30pm Garages Close

Friday March 5
9:30am Garages Open (DAYTONA 200 Pit Assignments Posted at Tech)
11:30am – 12:00pm Warm-up SuperSport (SC)
12:15pm – 12:45pm Warm-up American SuperBike (SC)
1:30pm – 2:00pm Warm-up Daytona SportBike (LC)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Mid-day break
3:00pm SuperSport (12 laps) 35 Mile Race
4:00pm American SuperBike (15 laps) 44 Mile Race
7:15pm Opening Ceremonies-DAYTONA 200
8:00pm DAYTONA 200 (57 laps)
12:00am Garage area move-out

TIME CERTAIN SCHEDULE – All Sessions to start and finish as shown
(SC) = Short Course-4.67km, 2.9 miles (LC) = Long Course-5.65km, 3.51 miles

Daytona 200 TV Coverage:
Friday, March 5
AMA Pro Road Racing – Daytona 200
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
SPEED
9:00pm-11:30pm (Live)

Well, I guess we can’t complain. The nice racing fans (?) over at SPEED have found it in their hearts to postpone the 35th re-runs of Pinks All-Out and Pimp My Ride to bring us some coverage of the AMA Pro Road Racing Series round 1 from Daytona.  The – um – excitement kicks off on Friday, March 5 with live coverage of the Daytona 200, which – as Ralph Shaheen will tell you – is “the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world.” And, although it will be dark outside and this will be live coverage, listen for Ralph to remind you about 100 times that this race is taking place “under the lights.”

On Saturday evening, set your DVRs to record the Supercross event and Superbike race 1 and 2 (which will be on a two-day delay). Finally, the weekend winds down with AMA Flat Track action from the new 1/4 mile Daytona short Track. It’s great for flat track fans to actually be able to see a race on TV, but don’t get used to the coverage, as AMA Flat Track will only be available on MavTV for the remainder of the season.

The ongoing coverage failure by SPEED makes one wonder if they’re in cahoots with the folks over at DMG to completely kill American road racing…

Daytona Bike Week broadcast schedule (subject to change):

March 5
· Daytona Sportbike Daytona 200, 9 p.m. ET

March 6
· Daytona Supercross, 8 p.m. ET
· American Superbike Race 1, 10:30 p.m. ET
· American Superbike Race 2, 11:30 p.m. ET

March 7
· AMA Grand National Flat Track, 6 p.m. ET

It feels great to be able to post some real racing schedules for the first time in a long time.  We’ve been (not so) patiently waiting all winter long, and racing season is finally here. The next week brings us round one of the FIM World Superbike Championship and the Australian Superbike Championship, both happening at Phillip Island. Also, AMA Pro Road Racing returns to Daytona for the Daytona Sportbike class’s Daytona 200, as well as American Superbike, Supersport and AMA Flat Track. With the uncertainty that the US economy brings as well as the ongoing DMG fiasco, Daytona will be the first chance for many of us to take a peek into what 2010 has in store for American motorcycle racing.

Here’s what’s going on in the upcoming week:

At the Track

February 26-28
FIM Superbike World Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island Circuit, Victoria, Australia

February 26-28
Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island Circuit, Victoria, Australia

February 27-28
Castrol Power 1 New Zealand Superbike Championship Rd #4
Manfeild Park, Feilding, New Zealand

February 27
XIIR – Extreme International Ice Racing
The Aud, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

March 3-4
AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Grand National Championship Rd #1-2
Daytona International Speedway Short Track, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

March 3-5
AMA Pro Road Racing Rd #1
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

On TV

Sunday, February 28
Superbike World Championship Rd #1
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
SPEED
3:00pm-4:00pm (Same Day Delay) -Race 1
4:00pm-5:00pm (Same Day Delay) -Race 2

Friday, March 5
AMA Pro Road Racing – Daytona 200
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
SPEED
9:00pm-11:30pm (Live)

*The Official Motourage Daytona 200 Drinking Game: Drink every time Ralph Shaheen says “Under the lights.” You’ll be falling down by lap three.