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.

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

After waiting out a rain delay on Monday and losing most of Tuesday to damp conditions and early morning fog, the assembled AMA Pro Road Racing teams finally got onto the newly-paved Daytona International Speedway for the Dunlop Tire Test, the first official open test session in advance of the upcoming 2011 season.

Topping the timesheets in the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike class was the reigning champion, Yamaha’s  Josh Hayes, posting a time of 1:38.795/127.901 MPH.  Right behind Hayes was Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden with a time of 1:39.074/127.542 MPH.  Hayden’s teammate Blake Young was third, and debuting Kawasaki’s new liter-bike was Eric Bostrom, who finished fourth.  Another rider showing well on a new combination was Larry Pegram, who posted the fifth-fastest time with his new BMW.

Debuting entirely new team-and-machinery combinations were Ben Bostrom and Roger Hayden, both showing well for Jordan Motorsports’ 2011 effort.  2010 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas made his debut in the SuperBike class and ended up eighth, just ahead of his Team M4 Suzuki teammate Chris Ulrich.  Rounding out the top ten was the Buell-mounted Geoff May.

“The track is just so unbelievably smooth; when you compare some of the data from previous years, it is so much smoother,” Hayes commented on his day.  “It is different, but it doesn’t take long to get back into the groove.  I’m looking forward to the race.”

In preparation for the Daytona 200, the Daytona SportBike riders took to the track for one session, which was interrupted by a brief sprinkling of raindrops. Jason DiSalvo initially set the fastest time, returning to the series aboard the Team Latus Ducati, but ultimately settled for third. Jake Zemke, new to the Project 1 Atlanta team this year, finished second on his Yamaha with a time of 1:51.987/93.225 MPH. Last year’s Daytona 200 pole-position winner and 2009 Daytona SportBike Champion Danny Eslick also appeared at the top of the timesheets at numerous points during the disjointed session, but it was P. J. Jacobsen who topped the times after the short break with a best lap of 1:51.822/93.362 MPH on his new Ducati. Suzuki-mounted Cory West rounded out the top five, while Santiago Villa, who ran well early in the session, ended up sixth overall.
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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

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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. 

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[SPEED Press Release]

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 19, 2010) – AMA Pro Racing and Daytona International Speedway are pleased to announce the Daytona Short Track National will air in high-definition Sunday, March 7th on SPEED at 6 p.m. ET.

Back-to-back Daytona Short Track Nationals will kick off the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the new DAYTONA® Flat Track on March 3rd and 4th. After traditionally being staged at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium, the events now have a new home on a quarter-mile lime rock dirt track located in the West Lot outside NASCAR Turns 1 and 2.

The one hour show will feature highlights from March 3rd with coverage of the March 4th race.  The Daytona Short Track Nationals have a tradition as two of the most difficult nationals of the year just to make the main events, as over 300 entries are expected over the two days. Speed will capture the excitement and thrills of handle bar to handle bar action on the ultra fast quarter-mile track.

Henry Wiles will make his first appearance of the year carrying the No. 1 plate on his Kawasaki 450 after winning the 2009 AMA Pro Grand National Expert Singles division. Defending Pro Singles National Champion Brad Baker will make his debut on a Honda 450 carrying the No. 1 in the Pro Singles National.

“We are thrilled that our season opener on the new DAYTONA® Flat Track will be on SPEED,” AMA Pro Racing Director of Flat Track, Mike Kidd said. “This is a great opportunity for our fans, riders, teams and sponsors to showcase one of the most exciting forms of motorcycle racing in the country.”

SPEED™ is the nation’s first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 79 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.

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.

Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Rider Passes Team E.S.P. Yamaha’s Josh Day on Last Lap

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 18, 2009) – Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) passed Josh Day (No. 4 Team E.S.P. Yamaha YZF-R6) coming out of the final turn on the last lap of Sunday’s AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei National Championship Shootout at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) to win the final race of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing season by a scant .148 of a second.

Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki's Leandro Mercado celebrates with his team after being presented with the AMA Pro Racing 2009 SuperSport championship #1 plate

Mercado, who was presented with the SuperSport National Championship No. 1 plate for the victory in the winner-take-all finale, led the first three circuits of the 12-lap sprint race.  Day passed for the lead in the DIS International Horseshoe on Lap 4 but Mercado stayed close by in second for the rest of the race.  Mercado closed on the final lap in “NASCAR” Turns 3 and 4 and passed Day for the win on the run into the Daytona tri-oval as the checkered flag waved.

“It was a really good race,” said Mercado, who averaged 113.800 mph in the victory.  “I really had to work hard to catch him.  The only place I could pass him was in the second horseshoe as I was a little faster there. I was afraid to do it because the bike moved a lot and I didn’t want to leave a final draft for him.  I didn’t have any other opportunities to pass, but on the last lap I had a really good run out of the chicane.”

Mercado won his third SuperSport race of the year but the 17-year-old Argentinean wasn’t able to mount a title bid in the regular season points championship due to visa-related travel issues that forced him to miss two races.  He did win at Road Atlanta and Road America in the SuperSport East division but his third victory, and the National Championship title that goes with it, made up for any regular season disappointment.

“In the middle of the year I had a problem with my visa so I couldn’t make it to the races,” Mercado said. “So to finish the year like this, winning the SuperSport National Championship, is so awesome.”

Joey Pascarella (#25) and Leandro Mercado (#92) stalk Josh Day (#4) during the AMA Pro SuperSport Championship Shootout at Daytona International Speedway

Day, 20, won the 2009 SuperSport East Championship with a dominating performance in the second half of the season that saw him win four consecutive races.  He was also a favorite to capture the National Championship Shootout after winning the pole in Friday qualifying, but the Orlando native wasn’t surprised by Mercado’s performance.

“Like I said after qualifying, I knew Leandro was going to be fast because he got quite a bit of practice on this track in March when he did the Daytona 200,” said Day, who was also on the pole for the season-opening SuperSport race at DIS in March. “I was hoping he would try to pass me because it is a tough position to be in at the start/finish line for the checkered flag.  I tried my hardest to put in a fast lap on the white flag lap since he wouldn’t come by me.  I really wanted him to lead going into the chicane so I could do the same thing that he did to me.  We ended up with second today and it’s a good way to end the season.  At least we were there at the finish.”
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Daytona International Speedway

26th Annual Race of Champions
October 15 – 18, Daytona International Speedway
ASRA | TC | CCS Sprints | Championship Awards Ceremony
Pre-Entry Deadline: October 2, 2009: (5pm Central Time)
Special Pre-Entry Form Required (see below)

• Tentative ROC XXVI Event Schedule*
• 2009 CCS & ASRA ROC Pre-Entry Form
  • CCS Pre-Entry Fees: 1st Entry $130, Add’l $90 (includes weekend credential)
  • CCS Post Entry Fees: All Entries $100 ea. (does not include weekend credential)
• 2009 Rider/Owner Camping Form
• Team Challenge Pre-Entry Form
• 2009 ROC Garage Rental Form

Racer Practice / Advanced School: Thurs, Oct. 15 (Pre-Entry with Team Hammer Recommended)

• Contact Team Hammer – Phone: (951) 245-6414 – Team Hammer Website
  Practice Fees (payable to Team Hammer):
  • $225 pre-entry
  • $275 post entry (if space available)

* All online event schedules are tentative, and subject to change.

Race of Champions Host Hotel:
Homewood Suites by Hilton
165 Bill France Blvd
Daytona Beach FL 32114
Phone: (368) 258-2828
Fax: (368) 258-2281
website
Rate: $99.00 per night plus tax
Mention CCS or Championship Cup Series
Reservations must be made 30 days in advance of check-in

IMPORTANT:
One parking space per room. (Parking passes will be issued.)
No Trailers, RVs, Buses or oversize vehicles.
Vehicles in violation will be towed at owners’ expense. No Exceptions.

Garage Rentals: Riders who have rented garages will be entitled to that unit and are welcome to put as many people as will fit into their space without causing a problem with your neighbors in the garages next to you. If there is a problem, we will remove all but the rider that originally rented the unit and his machines.

Thurs. General Move-In:
7am – Team Hammer participants

10am – 5pm  – Entrance for all participants with proper credentials

5pm – Final Group allowed inside

6pm – Everyone must leave the paddock and exit the track

Paddock space is available on a first come, first served basis. To gain access to the paddock if you are not registered with Team Hammer, you must have a credential (either the Team Hammer crew wristband before 10am or our event credential), so make sure you visit Registration before moving your vehicle in line.

Your Number May Change: Having duplicate numbered bikes entered in the same race is unavoidable when all regions combine in one location. Therefore, to ease the strain on scoring, you may be assigned a temporary number for Daytona only. Be prepared by bringing supplies to make changes on your bike as necessary. There will be vendors selling bike numbers in the vendor area also.
Note: If you add a CCS class, you will be assigned a temporary Daytona number that must be on your bike for all of your CCS races.

ASRA participants must display proper ASRA number during all ASRA Practice, Qualifying and Races, or their CCS number (if different) during any CCS Races entered to avoid disqualification.

National Championship Awards Ceremony: TBD

RIDER & CREW EVENT CREDENTIALS:
(Buy at Rider Registration)
Thurs. only: $10 (Team Hammer)
Thurs.-Sun.: $60
Fri.-Sun.: $50
Sat.-Sun.: $40
Sunday: $25

MEDIA / PRESS PASSES:
All Media must obtain credentials from the Daytona Credentials Office – Map
Email us if you have questions.