AMA Pro Road Racing Joins World Superbike For BigM Memorial Day Weekend

Hot on the heels of a great weekend of racing at Infineon Raceway's
May 13-15 West Coast Moto Jam, the AMA Pro Road Racing paddock is
ready to celebrate Memorial Day with some international friends.
May 28 through 30, AMA Pro will join the FIM World Superbike
Championship for the BigM Weekend Presented by Lucas Oil, hosted by
the spectacular Miller Motorsports Park facility in Tooele,
Utah.
AMA Pro returns to MMP following a two-season hiatus, but the
series' official test at the circuit in early May proved the field
is more than ready to work the flowing 3.048-mile track. That's
especially true of reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike
Champion Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha), who was
dominant in both days of MMP testing and is coming off a Race 1 win
at Infineon's Round 2.
Hayes won't have it easy, though; having split Infineon wins with
Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden, Hayes enters MMP Round 3
with a slim 6-point lead in the standings. Hayden himself has more
to worry about than just the rider ahead, however; teammate Blake
Young sits just two points behind in third overall, and despite a
difficult Race 2 at Infineon, M4 Suzuki's Martin Cardenas remains
fourth overall, the reigning AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion
having proven he's a SuperBike contender by notching his first
podium-finish (a third) in last round's Race 1.
With a total of twenty-eight National Guard SuperBike riders
entered thus far, the riders listed above will have more than their
fair share of competition, and the same can be said for the
infamously intense AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class, currently
boasting forty-one entries.
Though the depth of
talent in the Daytona SportBike field is almost as incredible as
the class' tendency toward ten-deep lead changes that at times run
four-wide, one rider has been unquestionably dominant in the
results thus far: Team Latus Motors Racing's Jason DiSalvo, who's
gone three-for-three in the series' opening rounds. Infineon,
however, saw him regularly challenged by Monster Energy Graves
Yamaha's Josh Herrin, GEICO Powersports/RMR Suzuki's Danny Eslick,
and then-privateer Jake Holden. With the latter having since picked
up season sponsorship from RidersDiscount.com, DiSalvo's sure to
have his hands full at MMP.
The AMA Pro Motorycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class will also see
its ranks swell at Round 3, as the BigM Weekend's edition of the
rising-star class, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport
Larry H. Miller Challenge, will feature a host of top local talent,
all vying for a piece of the purse that's been doubled for this
special event. Taking on all newcomers will be top series regulars
like Roadracingworld.com's Benny Solis, Y.E.S./LTD Racing's Tomas
Puerta and David Gaviria, Vesrah Suzuki's Corey Alexander, and
more.
MMP fans will also be treated to the sights and V-twin sounds of
AMA Pro Road Racing's newest class, the AMA Pro Vance & Hines
XR1200 division. These handlebar-to-handlebar, footpeg-dragging
monsters are in their first full season of AMA Pro competition, and
the already-packed field through which riders like Chris Fillmore,
Kyle Wyman, Steve Rapp, and Michael Barnes barrel will see the
return of reigning class champion Danny Eslick (joining RMR/Bruce
Rossmeyer Daytona Racing teammates Fillmore and Wyman) aboard the
#1 machine.
SPEED TV will highlight all of Round 3's AMA Pro races via an AMA
Pro Road Racing Special set to air Monday, May 30, at 9 p.m.
PST/midnight EST, and will broadcast the Motorcycle-Superstore.com
SuperSport and Vance & Hines XR1200 contests live on SPEED2. There
won't be any substitute, however, for being there in person, as MMP
has planned a big lineup of weekend concerts. Saturday night will
feature country superstar Dierks Bentley, supported by Sawyer Brown
and Reckless Kelly, while Blue Oyster Cult and Creedence Clearwater
Revisited will take the stage on Sunday night. Whether you're a
die-hard road race fan or just an admirer of all things wheeled,
MMP is the place to be this Memorial Day Weekend.
For event-specific tickets and information, visit
www.BigMweekend.com or call (435) 277-RACE. For general information
about Miller Motorsports Park, visit
www.millermotorsportspark.com.
To learn more and be a part of AMA Pro Racing, please visit
www.amaproracing.com and join us via facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing,
twitter.com/AMAProSBK, and twitter.com/AMAProLIVE.