2013 AMA Pro Road Racing Buckeye SuperBike Weekend Results

Five Card Stud: Josh Hayes Takes Points Lead with Fifth Straight AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Win

Escape artist Josh Hayes pulled off another disappearing act in Saturday's AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike contest to thrill the crowd at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire.

The characteristics of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course often result in tight match-ups, creating something of an expectation of a close dogfight for victory today. Instead, Hayes leveraged his relentless and consistent pace to shake a pack of rivals by half-distance. And once clear, it was smooth sailing once again for the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace who scooped up his fifth-consecutive race premier-class victory.

Career win number 38 marked the completion of Hayes' season-long goal to dig out of his deep Daytona hole. Combined with a third-place result on the part of Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's Martin Cardenas, Hayes' triumph saw him claim a single-point advantage in the developing championship picture just five races removed from his double disaster to open the 2013 season.

"I'm still really surprised at how quickly it happened," Hayes admitted, who erased the deficit on the strength of five maximum points outings. "I didn't count very much for races wins in the series paying off as well as they do. When you're in a points lead, you don't notice points accumulating in quite the same way, I don't think. The fact that I've caught up as quickly as I have has been a big surprise, especially considering none of these guys have been on the ground in a race. I kind of thought I was going to have to have a couple of zero-point weekends from them to get me back into this. Martin has only had one fourth-place finish, and the rest of the time he's been on the podium. I'm quite surprised I've gotten back so quickly."


While Hayes ultimately broke the pursuit of his challengers, the contest saw its fair share of jockeying over its opening half. Hayes' Monster Energy Graves Yamaha teammate, Josh Herrin, slammed up in the inside to lead on the race's first circulation. While Hayes fought his way by before they hit the stripe for the first time, Herrin hung tough and actually re-passed the champ on lap 4 of 21.

Cardenas worked past National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden on the second lap and then closed down on the Yamaha duo as a four-man group at the front took shape -- with Jordan Suzuki's Danny Eslick just clinging on in fifth.

Hayes dove past Herrin on lap 6 on the brakes at the end of the back straight and then applied the pressure from the front. Herrin made a couple minor mistakes in his attempt to stay in contention, which also slowed up Colombian Cardenas, who struggled to find a way through into second. A few laps later, Hayes had eked open what would prove to be an unassailable gap while Cardenas and Herrin settled in for a battle to decide second over the remainder of the race.

Cardenas sliced ahead of Herrin entering Turn 1 to open lap 13 and would remain in that position until the final lap. At that point, Cardenas was forced onto the grass momentarily while attempting to negotiate a lapper through a narrow opening that surprisingly evaporated, which provided Herrin with a free pass to storm ahead and claim the runner-up spot.


Herrin said, "I got a good start and got up there. It was a good race. I'm proud I was able to get up there and lead a couple laps. As soon as (Hayes) got back out front, I tried my hardest to keep up, but I just wasn't able to. Martin came up and got by me. I was comfortable running his pace so I figured I'd watch his lines and try and outsmart him in the end, but he got up with the lapper in the end. But that's racing. That's how it goes, and I'll take the points and come back tomorrow and hopefully having something more for these guys."

The last-lap off-track excursion proved especially costly for Cardenas. Had Martin been able to fend off Herrin and lock down second, he would have held onto the championship lead, at least for one more day.

Cardenas said, "Tough race today. Actually, I'm happy with the result. Yesterday, it wasn't looking very good. I wasn't very comfortable, and I crashed in the first practice. Things weren't looking very good and this has been a tough track for me -- I'm not saying I'm bad here, but there's always something missing. Me and my team worked pretty hard to be able to be comfortable today and we had a good pace in the race.

"Unfortunately, on the last lap, I got caught up with a lapper, and I lost second position. But it's okay -- it can happen to anybody. We'll try tomorrow to be a little bit better."

[caption id="attachment_27528" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]

Hayden, meanwhile, suffered through a disastrous outing. Showing the ability to run the lead pace early, he started a slow fade, which compounded into a rapid decline, as the Kentuckian struggled with his equipment.

After fighting for victory at Mid-Ohio last season, and twice last time out at Barber Motorsports Park, Hayden ultimately plummeted to eighth position, finishing more than 45 seconds behind race-winner Hayes. The National Guard Jordan Suzuki pilot could yet prove a contender this weekend, with an overnight opportunity to correct what went wrong in today's race.

Eslick was the primary beneficiary of Hayden's misfortune, driving past en route to a lonely fourth.

Team Hero EBR's Geoff May came out on top of a three-way fight for fifth, which also included teammate Aaron Yates on Team AMSOIL/Hero EBR 1190RS and KTM/HMC Racing's Chris Fillmore.

Home track favorite Larry Pegram finished ninth on the Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 while Cory West (Motosport.com/EBR II) completed the Saturday top ten.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

won again on Saturday in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Beaubier and Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha have won five of six races in the 2013 season, once again topping Jake Gagne and RoadRace Factory Red Bull Yamaha. Gagne's teammate JD Beach was third on the day.

Beaubier started poorly and had to charge forward from sixth, but by lap four he'd passed Gagne for the lead. Gagne shadowed him closely until three laps to go. Beaubier then set his quick lap of the race to earn a gap, then the win by 4.469 seconds.

"I got a pretty bad start... My jump wasn't too bad but I wasn't very aggressive going into the first corner," said Beaubier. "Then Dane (Westby) passed me in the corner going onto the back straight, and I got shuffled back to like fifth or sixth or something like that. I slowly started making my way through. Jake and I had a good battle right to the end. I pushed it hard the last couple laps. I made a few mistakes today -- I pushed the front a couple times and almost highsided coming out of 1. But yeah, I really want to thank my team for giving me an awesome bike. We'll go back and try to do it again tomorrow."

Beaubier now has a 35-point lead.


Gagne once again took second place, having come back to lead another lap after Beaubier initially charged to the front. For Gagne, it was his fourth second place of the season.

JD Beach earned third again, but was much closer to the front than in some of his previous efforts that netted him a podium slot.

Jake Lewis (Meen Motorsports Racing) took fourth, ahead of Beaubier's teammate Garrett Gerloff in a battle of young riders. Former race winner Dane Westby (GEICO Motorcycle Racing) was in the second pack early and was able to top seventh place James Rispoli (National Guard Celtic Racing). Rispoli led the opening of the race with a great start before settling in for another top-ten result.

AMA Pro SuperSport

took a convincing win in AMA Pro SuperSport on Saturday. The RoadRace Factory pilot and West division leader didn't have to worry about points but still came away with a solid victory, separating himself from a six-rider pack as the laps wound down.

Puerta got a good start and won by 3.213 seconds over Team 95's Hayden Gillim and CTR Racing's Miles Thornton. Puerta had his hands full with Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson), but the Colombian was able to run a consistent pace throughout.

"It was a tough race," said Puerta. "17 hard laps. Every time I looked at my board, the message was '+0.' They made me work hard. The last four or five laps, I was really going. I wasn't worried about crashing, I was trying to bring the race home, and they made me work really hard."

Gillim and Thornton diced for position behind Tomas, with Thornton losing out for second but still pleased after earning his best AMA Pro finish yet.

Wyman took a fine result but faded from the podium at the end. TOBC Racing's Nick McFadden took another top five in his second AMA Pro event. Wyatt Farris (Jon Block Group/Meen Motorsports) topped Corey Alexander for sixth.

East points leader Stefano Mesa crashed late, allowing Alexander to assume the lead heading into tomorrow's race.

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series

Despite missing parts of the previous two race weekends, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson's Steve Rapp has still ultimately turned in dominating race performances. If his rivals were worried what the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing veteran might be capable of with an entire weekend to prepare, it looks as if they were right to be nervous.

Rapp powered to provisional pole aboard his XR1200 today, stopping the clocks at 1:35.595, nearly eight tenths quicker than his nearest rival, Harv's Harley-Davidson's Travis Wyman. Points leader and defending champion Michael Barnes (Spyke's Harley-Davidson) was third on the day.

Rapp, who is still seeking his first pole position of the season, said, "I think just being here the whole weekend helps a little bit. Every time I ride the bike, I'm able to do a little more adjustment because there's not a lot of practice time. And, with me missing a lot of practice early in the year, I never had time to focus on the bike -- I was basically riding it 'as is.' We've actually been able to make two or three changes to the geometry and spring rates and things like that, where in the past I hadn't been able to do that."

About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing:
GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country's finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.

Source: AMA Pro Racing

Josh Herrin Takes Advantage to Record Second AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Win of 2013 at Mid-Ohio

Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes took the checkered flag 4.878 seconds ahead of his up-and-coming teammate Josh Herrin in Sunday's AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike final. Unfortunately for Hayes -- and to Herrin's good fortune -- the Mississippian actually required a margin of five seconds to fully make up for the penalty he was given for jumping the start. As a result, Herrin was awarded his second-career premier-class victory to conclude the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

In its early stages, the 21-lap contest looked as if it would shape up to be a thrilling three-man dogfight for the win. Hayes ran in first but was shadowed by both Herrin and National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden over the opening eight laps. However, the race was delivered a pair of big twists moments later; Hayden ran off track, overshooting the hard-braking Turn 6, at nearly the same time that Hayes was judged to have jumped the start and assessed his five-second penalty.

Informed of the situation by his crew, the defending triple champ immediately went to work in an attempt to shake Herrin and assemble the requisite gap on track. However, Herrin's recent efforts, which included running lap after lap by himself during practice and qualifying this weekend in order to improve his clear track pace -- allowed him to cling onto Hayes for an extended period and then maintain lap times that proved just strong enough even after the champ pulled clear and eliminated Herrin's ability to gauge off his teammate's rear tire.

Despite their physical separation on track, the race to the checkered flag was as tense and exciting a conclusion as the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing series has enjoyed in some time.


Hayes whittled away at the five-second penalty and took the white flag with 0.737 left to be made up. Despite his relentless pace, he ultimately came up a meager 0.122 seconds short of accomplishing the goal and closing out his third consecutive double victory weekend.

While Hayes was very aware of what he was up against, Herrin later admitted that he was clueless that he was actually battling for the win. Incredibly, the Georgian later explained that he was pushing hard because he was afraid he was being tracked down and in danger of losing what he thought to be a runner-up result.

Race winner Herrin remarked, "I guess that was kind of a crazy race. I had no idea that I won the race until I was interviewed for television and I was kind of shocked for a second. I couldn't even say anything... Josh really rode a great race as he does every time he gets on the bike. He's proven over the past three years that he's a GP quality rider... I just have to thank him for all the help that he's given me. I really lucked out today. We'll take it -- a win's a win -- and we'll move onto Laguna with a lot of confidence, just in the way that we rode. I think we rode pretty well today, even though Josh beat me by so much. I was proud of the way I was able to keep a consistent pace by myself and hopefully Laguna goes just as well."

Hayes said, "You know, I'm proud of the way I rode the race. I made one little mistake and the race was going okay... I was pushing absolutely as hard as I could and I had a few moments in the six-to-three laps to go range. On the white flag lap I had a little front-ender but I just kept pushing as hard as I could. I was able to stay in the '25s and I put in the best last lap that I could.

[caption id="attachment_27525" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]

"Big congratulations to Josh -- he did a great job. I know he's been working on pace and I know he got stuck out there by himself, so I think the work paid off for him today. He was able to keep a good enough pace that I couldn't overcome it."

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's Martin Cardenas rode a lonely race to complete a double third-place weekend, hitting the stripe more than 13 seconds off the win (and more than 18 seconds behind Hayes' genuine pace).

The Colombian said, "It was a very tough race for me today. I didn't quite have the pace today. I had maybe the same pace as yesterday but these guys were a little bit faster. I did everything I could and maybe halfway through the race I had a few moments and realized I wasn't going to catch the front. So I tried to stay conservative and maintain the gap that I had behind me. Today's race was a little bit disappointing for me -- I was hoping for a little better. But anyway, thanks to the Yoshimura team -- we've been working hard and we'll keep trying."

Jordan Suzuki's Danny Eslick finished some distance back in fourth but also well clear of the heated three-man scrap for fifth, waged by Erik Buell Racing teammates Geoff May and Aaron Yates, and KTM/HMC Racing's Chris Fillmore. Fillmore held the spot early but was ultimately overhauled by both fifth-place finisher May on the Team Hero EBR 1190RS and sixth-placed Yates aboard the Team AMSOIL/Hero-backed machine.


Hayden recovered well enough to charge back to eighth as minor consolation in what's what's been a deeply disappointing weekend for the Kentuckian.

Motosport.com Motul Fly Racing's David Anthony and Fillmore's KTM/HMC Racing teammate, Taylor Knapp, rounded out the top ten.

Defending champion Hayes leads an extremely tight title fight into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca next weekend, boasting 191 points to Herrin's 187 and Cardenas' 186.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

extended his magical season on Sunday at Mid-Ohio, winning his sixth of seven races in the 2013 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike season. Beaubier had to work for this one, topping JD Beach by just 0.655. Beach's RoadRace Factory/Red Bull teammate Jake Gagne finished third in the race shortened to 15 laps after a crash on the fan lap caused a lengthy clean up.

Beaubier had to move through the field and gain positions one at a time, having gotten off the line in fifth place. Although Beaubier was able to take the lead from Beach on lap six, Beach did not concede the win. Beach actually closed on Beaubier late by virtue of the race's fastest lap on the white-flag lap.

"At the beginning, I was a little timid going into the left-hander," said Beaubier. "I could hear JD on me the whole race, especially in the last turn. He was there the whole time, and it was tough." Cameron added that he had tried to pull away, but couldn't shake Beach.

Beach earned his best-ever Daytona SportBike result in the contest and did a great job of holding Gagne at bay, too.

Gagne had a tough time with National Guard Celtic Racing's James Rispoli, who ultimately finished fifth. As has been the case in other races this year, Rispoli was very strong in the opening laps but managed to earn his best Daytona SportBike finish yet even though Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha) edged him out of fourth place by 0.2).

Meen Motorsports' Jake Lewis earned sixth, ahead of GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing's Dane Westby, Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing), and Bobby Fong (D&D Cycles/Castrol/Triumph.)

AMA Pro SuperSport

In AMA Pro SuperSport, Hayden Gillim won an eventful contest to begin the day of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Team 95's Gillim emerged victorious in the red-flagged race despite opposition from the likes of RoadRace Factory's Tomas Puerta and Harv's H-D pilot Travis Wyman. Although Gillim had earned spectacular SuperSport victories in Utah and New Orleans in previous seasons, the Kentuckian had been shut out in the win column in 2013 until Sunday.

After a restart, Gillim was fourth but quickly dispatched Miles Thornton (CTR Racing) as Puerta passed Wyman for the lead. But Puerta had a machine issue just as he took the lead, and he pitted. Gillim and Wyman dueled at the front until the end, trading the lead until Gillim seized it with a bold move on the last lap.

"These guys were running a really good pace, too," said Gillim, who won by 0.184 of a second. "Travis got out in front. The last couple of laps, we were going at it. I wasn't aware that he had a penalty, so I was racing for the win. It was a really fun race."

Miles Thornton topped off his excellent weekend with third place. Thornton emerged on top of the scrappy battle with points contenders Corey Alexander and Stefano Mesa. Alexander (National Guard/Celtic Racing) made a tight pass on Mesa late. Mesa responded with his best lap of the event but couldn't counter a move.

Alexander now leads the points by 9, but now Gillim is second after his great weekend with Mesa a further five points back. "I'm in the points lead after Stefano falling yesterday, but Hayden is coming on strong," said Alexander. "Every position is crucial."

Nick McFadden (TOBC Racing) was next in the running order. He nudged Oklahoma's Connor Blevins of Ajax Kawasaki.

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series

Suburban Harley-Davidson's Steve Rapp kept his AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series win streak alive, notching his third victory in a row today. However, unlike his previous two blowouts, Rapp's Mid-O win was earned by only fractions of a second -- both at the race's start and its conclusion.

Polesitter Rapp found himself in danger of missing the start altogether when the zipper on his leathers got stuck and then was ripped off in an attempt to free it. As his opponents took the warm-up lap, Rapp scrambled for a solution and jumped into a pair of borrowed leathers just in time to mount his machine and make the race.

He immediately dropped several positions down the order as his tires warmed up but then started systematically working forward. He ultimately arrived at the front, overtaking an on-form Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson). Wyman didn't back down, however, and challenged Rapp to the checkered flag.

Rapp won by a scant 0.173 seconds over Wyman, who also finished second in the day's SuperSport race.


Rapp explained what happened with his leaders: "It's so embarrassing... It's never happened ever in all the years I've raced. The zipper got stuck and I couldn't get it up or down. Then we were really getting on it and the whole zipper broke off, so I had no suit. Luckily the guys from Surburban ran back and got me Brice Cooper's suit. I put it on last second. I missed the warm-up lap and jumped over the wall just as they were taking the grid, but I was able to go from my grid spot."

Meanwhile, Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade's Tyler O'Hara won out in a three-man scrap for third, edging ahead of Rapp's Suburban Harley-Davidson teammate, Ben Carlson, and reigning class champ Michael Barnes on the Spyke's Harley-Davidson XR1200.

Eric Stump (Fernet Insurance), Nicholas Hansen (H&S Distributors), Josh Chisum (Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade), Hayden Schultz (Happy Trails MC Connnection), and Shane Narbonne (Mob Racing) completed the top ten.

Next Up

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will pick right back up next weekend (July 19-21) in Monterey, California as the series shares the spotlight with the global superstars of the MotoGP World Championship for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at https://mobile.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing.

About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing:
GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2012 schedule consists of 12 rounds of competition on the country's finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.

Source: AMA Pro Racing

Yoshimura Suzuki Double Podium At Mid-Ohio

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's Martin Cardenas turned in a consistently-impressive performance at the weekend's 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championships at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

The Colombian rider raced his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to two podium finishes on the scenic, rolling course and in Sunday's race, Cardenas was one of four Suzuki racers celebrating a top-10 finish in the premier class.

This weekend's double-header saw Yoshimura Suzuki's Cardenas turn in 100% effort throughout the event. Despite qualifying fifth, Cardenas got good starts in both 21-lap races. On Saturday, he slotted into a podium position almost immediately and ran in second place for most of the race before encountering lapped traffic on the last lap and finishing third. On Sunday, Cardenas maneuvered through the competition to take over a podium spot halfway through the race and again brought home third.

"Overall this was a good weekend," said Cardenas. "I've struggled at Mid-Ohio in the past, so I was expecting a tough weekend. So to get two podiums for the Yoshimura Suzuki team was really good and it was the best that we could do. The next few races are at tracks that I really like and where I've done well, so we'll keep trying and see what happens."


Yoshimura Suzuki team-mate Chris Clark struggled this weekend but saw improvements as the racing progressed. Although he was unfamiliar with the challenging Mid-Ohio track, Clark gave it his all on Saturday before suffering some bad luck and finishing 14th. On Sunday, he got a good start and ran in the top 10 before retiring from the race early.

"The first race we had a bit of a struggle," said Clark. "I got a bad start, I had some tire problems, and I ran off track. But you almost can't get mad at days like that; you just have to write them off and move on to the next one. Sunday, I got a pretty decent start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was running in 10th when I had some issues and had to pull out of the race. But now I'm looking forward to having some success as we go to the tracks that I really like. Our next race is at Laguna and that's one of my favorite tracks so I'm excited about that race."

The Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team's next event of the 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on July 19-21st.

Check out the Mid-Ohio "Behind The Scenes Race Report" Video:


Source: Team Suzuki

Danny Eslick Scores Best Jordan Suzuki Result

Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider Danny Eslick celebrated some of his best results this year in the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championships at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington at the weekend with two fourth-place finishes, while National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki's Corey Alexander took over the championship points-lead in AMA Pro SuperSport East series.

Eslick started the weekend by qualifying on the front row of the grid. In Saturday's race, he got a good start on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and turned smooth, consistent laps to finish fourth. On Sunday, he got another good launch and, once again, did what he had to do to bring home fourth. These results moved him up in the overall championship points and marked Eslick's best performance since the season-opening round.

"The weekend started pretty good," said Eslick. "The Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 was fast right out of the box and helped me get the weekend off on the right foot. Both my races were pretty much the same: I got good starts and was able to hang with the lead guys. It was tough to keep-up with them but I was doing it, and then I made a few mistakes and lost some time. But this was the best weekend I've had as far as feeling comfortable with the bike and getting my confidence up. So now, we'll head for Laguna Seca and hopefully talk about winning next weekend."

National Guard Jordan Suzuki team-mate Roger Hayden also enjoyed a good showing in qualifying and picked-up the second spot on the grid. In both races, Hayden got excellent starts on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and ran in a podium position. Unfortunately, he suffered some issues mid-way through both races but still managed to bring home two top-10 finishes.


"It was a tough weekend," said Hayden. "We struggled a bit at first but the team worked hard and gave me a good bike with the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. I was able to run with the leaders in Saturday's race until we had some tire problems mid-way through, so we switched tires on Sunday and I was able to keep-up with the front-runners until I made a mistake with a false neutral. I feel bad for my guys because they worked hard and made my bike really good after we struggled on the first day. Now I'm glad we only have a few days off before we get another chance at it. Laguna Seca has always been a good track for me and I'm looking forward to that race."

Representing MJM's 600cc contingency, National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki's Alexander took over the championship points lead in AMA Pro SuperSport East after finishing seventh in Saturday's event and fourth in Sunday's race.

National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki team-mate James Rispoli also celebrated two solid finishes in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, finishing fifth on Sunday and seventh the day before.

In the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series rider points standings, Hayden sits in fourth place while Eslick has moved up to fifth. In AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, Rispoli is fifth, while Alexander leads AMA Pro SuperSport East.

The Michael Jordan Motorsports team's next event of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on July 19-21st.

Source: Team Suzuki

Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp Place Inside Top Ten at Mid-Ohio AMA Pro SuperBike Race

[caption id="attachment_27527" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]

KTM/HMC Factory Superbike Team riders Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp placed inside the top ten during the second day of racing at the fourth round of the AMA Pro SuperBike Racing Series held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Fillmore had two solid practice sessions that placed him 7th overall heading into the race on Saturday morning. Knapp struggled with a few bike set-up issues and qualified 14th overall.

On Saturday, Fillmore got out to a decent start and was sitting around 8th after the first lap. His teammate, Knapp, had an even better jump from his starting row and was able to move from 14th to 9th within the first two laps. Both riders charged forward for the next laps before an issue with the tires on the bike, which affected multiple riders in the race, caused them to slow down. Despite the issue, Fillmore was able to ride his bike safely to a 7th place result while Knapp finished 12th overall.

"Unfortunately, the tire compound was too soft for Saturday's race and the tire began to blister and deteriorate very quickly. Luckily, we were able to finish the race safely and will be given a new tire for Sunday's race," commented Fillmore after the race.

[caption id="attachment_27524" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]

Sunday was a better race day for both riders. Fillmore launched off the line to a 6th place start and began a battle that lasted more than three-quarters of the race for the 5th place position. Meanwhile, Knapp had a worse start than the previous race but set to work quickly to begin picking off riders.

Fillmore was charging forward in 6th position when he hit a slick oil patch left from an earlier spill that caused him to have to run wide in order to straighten up his bike and avoid a crash with a few laps to go. This mistake cost him one position and dropped him back to 7th. He was able to hang strong in that position and finish the race with another 7th place finish. Knapp moved forward from his 14th place start to finish 10th by the end of the race.

"We had experimented with some different set-up options for Sunday's race," stated Knapp. "It ended up being much better and I felt very comfortable during the afternoon race and was happy that I was able to work into the top ten."

Next Event: Monterey, CA - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - July 19-21, 2013

Source: KTM North America

Dane Westby 6th To Start Buckeye SuperBike Weekend

battled his way to a sixth-place finish on his GEICO Motorcycle Honda in the GoPro Daytona SportBike race on Saturday at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, Saturday's stop in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series.

Westby started the race with eventual winner Cam Beaubier in his sights but got held up by some other bikes along the way.

"I got a better start than I had been getting," Westby said. "I was still the last guy off my row. Beaubier was right in front of me and cutting one guy at a time. I thought, 'Ok, I'll just stay with him.' "

With the leader pulling away, Westby settled into a battle with James Rispoli.

"Rispoli held me up for a few laps," Westby said. "Where I was strong, he was just strong enough to hold me. I probably should have been more aggressive.


"I feel like I can be more aggressive and not let those front guys go. We all ran fairly similar lap times, so I need to stay aggressive tomorrow."

Westby said the track surface at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, while tricky in a few places, was a lot of fun to ride.

"It was slick where the patches are, per usual," Westby said. "The non-patched sections were pretty darn good. You had to watch the off-camber section at the top of the hill because it was different every time, but it was a lot of fun to ride."

Beyond Sunday's final race of the weekend, Westby said he's looking at everything he does to help shave a few fractions of a second a lap off his times.

"I'm thinking about changing my training routine," Westby said. "I've probably got to lose some poundage on these front guys. I've been doing a lot of flat-track riding but probably need to introduce some more cardio to what I do to prepare."

Source: GEICO Honda

Dane Westby Battles Odd Circumstances Finishes 7th at Mid-Ohio

After enduring a nearly hour-long delay in Sunday's GoPro Daytona SportBike race while officials cleaned up Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Dane Westby guided his GEICO Motorcycle Honda to a seventh-place finish at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, part of the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series.

"This was the weirdest race we've had this season," Westby said. "I had the most contact in this race than I've had in a long time."

As part of the pre-race festivities, fans run parade laps on their street bikes around the track. One fan's bike lost its engine and sprayed fluid all over one of the corners of the track, which required extensive cleanup.

Westby, like the rest of the riders on the grid, had to wait an extended time in the heat under the shade of an umbrella waiting for the OK to start racing.


"That was a little bit beneficial for me actually," Westby said. "I think some guys let it get to them and bubble up in their heads. I felt like I was feasting on their insecurities."

Once the riders did get a chance to work their way through the impacted section, Westby had to change his race line through that section.

"I didn't go through the part that had the oil dry on it," Westby said. "During the warm-up l tried to push it through there to see. I wanted to be the guy who went through there when everyone else was scared. It didn't work out because I almost crashed.

"During the race I cut my line to the inside a little. That corner and the next corner had the oil dry on it, too. That section was weird but the rest of the track was fine."


Off the start, Westby made brief contact with another rider, which killed his momentum and his chances of keeping up with the lead group of bikes.

"I got an OK start but I got together with Jake Lewis in the keyhole," Westby said. "That blew it for me and the front pack got away. I got together with Bobby Fong a little later in the race.

"I know I can hang with that top group, and it's frustrating we're not getting any luck."

The next stop for Westby and the GEICO Motorcycle Honda team is the July 19-21 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

Source: GEICO Honda

Steve Rapp Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Race at Mid-Ohio

[caption id="attachment_27537" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo: Brian J. Nelson[/caption]

Suburban Harley-Davidson's Steve Rapp took his third straight win at the fourth round of the 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, but it was anything but a straightforward charge from the front of the field like his previous two wins.

Rapp qualified his XR1200 motorcycle on the front row of the 21-rider field, but in a bizarre incident, had to change into a borrowed set of riding leathers on the starting grid when the zipper malfunctioned on his primary set. As the rest of the field completed the warm-up lap, Rapp changed into the new leathers and was able to start from his pole position, but running on cold tires, he fell back to fifth position on the opening lap. Rapp fought his way back into the lead on lap five, and from there waged a back and forth battle with Harv's Harley-Davidson's Travis Wyman, who led the first four laps of the 11-lap race. Wyman retook the lead on lap nine and the side-by-side action continued until the checkered flag, with Rapp barely taking the win, his third of the season, by a 0.173-second margin.

"I thought, "Did I come all the way to Ohio for nothing?" That was terrible. I've never had a zipper stick. That was as close as you can cut it," Rapp said about his frantic wardrobe change on the grid. "It took me a couple of laps to get the tires up to temperature. Once Travis and I got together, I couldn't really ride how I wanted to, as hard as I wanted to, and I was a little tentative in some of the corners. In the end it came down to whoever got the best last lap, [and was] in the right place at the right time. It worked out [for me]."



Behind the leading duo, Tyler O'Hara (Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade), Benny Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), and defending class champion Michael Barnes (Spyke's H-D), fought a race-long battle for the third step of the podium, with O'Hara taking the podium spot after a coming out on top of a three-wide charge down the back straight on the final lap.

Eric Stump (Fernet Insurance) finished sixth and Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D) finished seventh at the head of a seven-rider battle for that position, with Josh Chisum, Hayden Schultz, and Shane Narbonne rounding out the top ten.

The AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series returns to action August 2-4 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.

Source: Harley-Davidson

Mid-Ohio Overview And Point Standings

AMA Pro SuperBike Class Race 1 Results - Race Time: 30:10.978

1. Josh Hayes - 191
   
2. Josh Herrin - 187
   
3. Martin Cardenas - 186
   
4. Roger Hayden - 133
   
5. Danny Eslick - 130
   
6. Larry Pegram - 118
   
7. Chris Fillmore - 107
   
8. Geoff May - 92
   
9. David Anthony - 85
   
10. Aaron Yates - 84
    

1. Cameron Beaubier - 215
   
2. Jake Gagne - 170
   
3. JD Beach - 138
   
4. Garrett Gerloff - 124
   
5. James Rispoli - 101
   
6. Jake Lewis - 96
   
7. Dane Westby - 91
   
8. Jason DiSalvo - 72
   
9. Bobby Fong - 68
   
10. Benny Solis - 63