Cameron Beaubier Wins AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Round 5 of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

Photo by Brian J Nelson

MONTEREY, Calif. (July 25, 2013) – The AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at the United States Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was a chance for some bright young stars with international aspirations to shine on a global stage, and Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha pilot Cameron Beaubier took full advantage in the weekend’s sole Daytona Sport Bike battle.

As has often been the case in his dominating 2013 season, the Californian won the contest over teammate Garrett Gerloff and RoadRace Factory/Red bull’s Jake Gagne. Beaubier, winner of seven of eight races this year, won his 14th career GoPro Daytona SportBike race on Sunday but it wasn’t easy. Beaubier had to contend with a red flag and a shortened race distance as well as his rivals.

After earning pole, the Yamaha pilot did not get a great start and had to contend with five riders in front of him. Beaubier had worked himself into the lead with a pass of Gagne, but the race was stopped after a crash and the five-lap shootout would tax Beaubier’s common strategy of settling in early, then moving to the front with his sure and fast style, one position at a time.

Beaubier instead took the lead on the restart and was never challenged, winning by 2.955 seconds. The win showed the versatile Beaubier has more tricks in his bag and will use them if needed.

“I kind of slacked on the first start and I went back to fifth. I was on the outside of (Jason) DiSalvo and he ran a little wide. I finally made my way up to the front, put my head down, and pulled a little gap and then I saw the red flag,” said Beaubier. “I thought, ‘Oh man, it’s going to be a bummer if we have to restart.’ So I just made sure I got a really good start on the restart and just put my head down. I knew Jake and Garrett were going to be right there. I have to give it up my whole Yamaha Extended Service Monster Energy Graves Yamaha crew. They’ve been working so hard and giving us awesome bikes.”

Beaubier now leads the championship by 56 points heading into Miller Motorsports Park.

His teammate Garrett Gerloff had his best result since he finished second at Daytona. Gerloff, in the midst of a learning year on the second Graves Yamaha, was able to leapfrog some of the excellent riders that had been getting the better of him in recent races in California, rallying after the red flag to top Gagne for second place.

“Finally, back on the podium,” Gerloff commented after the race. “It’s been a while since Daytona. We came into this weekend and everything was working as it should and I was getting more speed every time I went out. But during the race, that red flag kind of messed me up. I was hoping that we could just do a clean race. But after the restart, I got behind a little bit and Cameron got away. I had to settle for second. I was really hoping to stay with Cameron. My goal by the end of the year is to win a race and I feel like I’m getting closer to that so I’m really happy about that.”

After missing virtually all of 2012 with an injury, Gerloff has faced the challenge of a strong field in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike that makes progress tough. The Texan looks like he’s learned a few things along the way and the rest of 2013 will be about fighting for that win.

Gagne was disappointed after the event. The Californian led the first five laps and was in second at the red flag, but a poor start meant he crossed the fifth on the first time around after the stoppage. He climbed to third at the flag but clearly wanted more.

“It was a pretty bad race. I got off to a bad start, which you couldn’t really do with this five-lap thing,” said Gagne, who won at Road America in a fantastic battle with Beaubier. “I tried to do what I could but it took me a little while to get by some people and I made some mistakes. It’s a little disappointing. We tried some stuff today in the race to try to get a little better bike but we keep up with the Graves bikes, really. I don’t know … we’ll try to come back and work hard at the next race. My guys are working hard behind the scenes. We’ll come back next time and come out swinging.”

Gagne’s second place in the points seems secure as he leads teammate JD Beach by 37, but after a fourth, two thirds and four second place results, he is clearly looking to add to his win total in 2013.

Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo was fourth, taking advantage of the starts to move up the order. The Triumph-mounted pilot got fliers each time and was able to keep RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Beach at bay by .03 at the flag.

DiSalvo has shown good form in 2013 as his team continues to develop the Triumph Daytona 675. “It’s more based on the track layout than anything,” said DiSalvo of his competitiveness at AMA Pro events. “We did well at Barber and we’re doing well (at Laguna Seca.) Even at Ohio we struggled a bit. Any time we have slow corners leading onto a long straight, it is difficult … right now, it’s still development time for us. The progress is coming.”

Going into the race, Beach admitted he struggles at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca but he was still able to salvage another top five result after getting up to speed despite the abbreviated weekend.

“Going into Laguna I knew it was going to be a hard weekend on me. It’s always a bit of a struggle for me with not getting much track time doesn’t help much,” said Beach, third in AMA Pro Go Pro Daytona SportBike points. “Being able to leave with a top five is great for me and the team. We are really looking forward to Miller.”

Fast rookie Jake Lewis took sixth on his Meen Motorsports bike. Lewis once again was the top first-year racer in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike.

Lewis was able to top Dane Westby by more than a second as the GEICO Motorcycle Road Race pilot took seventh once again.

“There’s a lot of sevens on the ledger for us this year and it’s getting frustrating,” Westby said. “We knew there would be a bit of a mountain to climb this year switching to the Honda, but the mountain might be a little steeper than we anticipated. After finishing runner-up to the championship last year and regularly getting up on the podium, I know we have the ability to be there again. We all want it and the work is definitely being put in. We’re just frustrated the top results aren’t happening just yet.”

National Guard/Celtic Racing’s James Rispoli, fifth in points, was well clear of two Triumph-mounted riders in eighth. Bobby Fong (D&D Cycles/Castrol/Triumph) and Joey Pascarella (Riders Discount Racing Triumph) rounded out the top ten.

With the whirlwind of back-to-back events, the field will have time to catch their breaths before the show continues in Utah, a much different circuit than the twisty confines of Mid-Ohio and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

TV Broadcasts

Sunday’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing finals from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be aired in a set of tape-delayed broadcasts on CBS Sports Network.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races scheduled for Sunday afternoon will be featured in one-hour broadcasts as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. Television broadcast airdates and times will be released as soon as they are available.

Next Up

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume in two weeks’ time as the series travels to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah for Round 6 on August 2-4. For tickets and additional information, please visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/events/ama-pro-road-racing-race.html.

Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://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 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/.

Joe Roberts Stays Perfect with AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for Round 5 of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

Photo by Brian J Nelson

MONTEREY, Calif. (July 26, 2013) – The AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class is one of the most unpredictable around and the series regulars were thrown for a loop at Barber Motorsports Park last month when Joe Roberts showed up for the first time and led every session and won both races. When Roberts and the California Superbike School Roadracing World team showed up again at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the best of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport field vowed to at least give him a good fight.

Although Roberts won again in California, but he had a much tougher time of it in the weekend’s only SuperSport race. In fact, the 16-lap affair proved to be the most hotly-contested battle of the United States Grand Prix race weekend.

After a red flag, the race shaped up as a three-man battle, all on different brands as Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuk were represented. With two laps to go, Roberts led but a bad drive meant he lost position to the two riders that shadowed him – RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Tomas Puerta and National Guard Celtic Racing’s Corey Alexander, the two young racers that happen to lead East and West points.

Roberts quickly gained his way past Alexander but had to make a move in the Corkscrew on the last lap to get by Puerta. Honda-mounted Roberts almost ran too wide and Puerta was able to pull even in the following turn, but the American had the line.

The Colombian tried to regain the lead into the final turn and dove past, but it was a fleeting lead as Roberts was able to power ahead on corner exit to earn his third win in three tries. Roberts beat Puerta by just 0.117 and Suzuki-mounted Alexander by 0.294.

“It was a really good race. I thought I might be able to pull away and do something like I did at Barber but these guys were really quick this weekend and it was a hard race for sure,” said Roberts of his first-ever race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “I made a mistake and Corey Alexander and Tomas Puerta went by me. I had to make some aggressive passes to get back to the front and I did it right away. It was fun on the last lap. I knew Puerta was going to make a move in the last corner. As soon as I saw his bike … I knew I broke really late, so he broke even later. I just got the drive. It’s like a dream come true to come to Laguna and win.”

Roberts will also race at Utah and attempt to extend his unprecedented streak of three wins to start his AMA Pro career.

Puerta had been watching the East riders battle for points at recent races. A West round meant the Yamaha pilot could go to work in the points department and he gained ground. Puerta now leads the championship by 35 points with just Miller and New Jersey left on the schedule.

“As soon as he came by me in the Corkscrew, I knew I had to make a pass. I tried to do it in turn ten but it is kind of a risk to do it on the inside. I tried to make a pass in the last corner and I thought I had it but I got a little sideways going in and I went wide,” said Puerta.

“It was a really fun race,” said Puerta. “I made a little mistake on the last lap. I tried to pass Joe in the last turn but it didn’t work. I’ll wait for Miller and try to keep my head up and hopefully get a win there.”

Alexander’s weekend showed a return to competitiveness. After his shocking double at Road America, he struggled some at Barber before improving at Mid-Ohio, but to run with the lead pack until the very end had to be an encouraging sign for the New Yorker who is embroiled in a tight battle for East points.

“Right from the get-go, I struggled a little bit,” said Alexander. “I was just trying to learn some stuff. I had reeled them back in when the red flag came out. I wanted to put my head down after the red flag and run with them. I wasn’t aggressive enough. That’s what hurt us. They rode an amazing race and there was passing going on. I was banking on something happening in the last turn. I felt like I had a good enough drive to pass them on the straight but the tire spun up and I couldn’t make a move.”

Jeffrey Tigert ran with the leaders before the red flag but the Baby Appleseed CM Motorsports pilot lost a little ground in finishing 6.845 seconds back. The result once again showed the veteran is a factor in AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Supersport and was enough to vault Tigert into second place in West points.

Tigert had his hands full with Motosport.com RSRacecraft’s Stefano Mesa and BP Racing’s Sebastiao Ferreira. Less than 0.1 separated this hard-charging trio at the checkered flag.

Wyatt Farris took seventh on the Jon Block Group/Meen Motorsports entry just 8.379 seconds behind Roberts. This wasn’t Farris’s best ever result as he took fourth at Barber, but it is the closest he’s been to the front yet as he continues to improve in 2013.

BP Racing’s CJ Weaver and Gearzy’s Ryan Matter also finished within ten seconds of Roberts. Local rider Cameron Gish earned a top ten result as well on the Z2 Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

The race was stopped just short of the halfway point when racer Travis Ohge crashed in turn six and was injured. Ohge is recovering at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and his condition has been upgraded.

Streaming Video

Saturday’s Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race is now available on the AMA Pro Live Online DVR at http://www.amaprolive.com/rr/dvr/.

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

Next Up

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume in two weeks’ time as the series travels to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah for Round 6 on August 2-4. For tickets and additional information, please visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/events/ama-pro-road-racing-race.html.
Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://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 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/.

Just Joshin’: Hayes Earns Spectacular AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Victory at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

Photo by Brian J Nelson

MONTEREY, Calif. (July 21, 2013) – Immediately following the conclusion of the MotoGP World Championship contest at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the massive crowd in attendance at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix witnessed the performance another world class rider at the peak of his powers.

Three-time AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike king Josh Hayes registered a masterful ride to conclude this weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing activities en route to his 39th career premier-class triumph.

Hayes made an aggressive start off the line and put his head down over the race’s opening laps to immediately crush any hope his rivals may have had of shadowing him for the entire 23-lap race.

The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha superstar made a clean break and, after logging a host of flawless laps, ultimately assembled a 7.829-second gap at the checkered flag that brought a merciful end to the reigning champion’s one-sided victory.

After solidifying his hard-earned championship advantage, Hayes said, “It’s not how I expected the race would play out but I’m glad. My idea of the race was it would be more similar to Ohio where the guys would be there for half the race and then the second half I would have a little more pace than them. 

“The race actually came to me better than any session all weekend. Things clicked well, the laps times came pretty easily, and I didn’t make any mistakes. It was a really smooth race for me, and I’m glad that it finally kind of came around for the race; I feel like I’ve been working hard all weekend and in the race things came a little more naturally.”

While he seemingly needed little assistance on this day, the efforts of his teammate Monster Energy Graves Yamaha teammate, Josh Herrin, helped to ease Hayes’ escape. Herrin maneuvered in front of National Guard Jordan Suzuki‘s Roger Hayden at the start, and corralled the Kentuckian behind him for several crucial laps as Hayes stretched open his early gap.

Hayden had looked to be Hayes’ primary concern this weekend, outpacing him on Friday and then pushing him throughout the remainder of the lead-up to the race. However, by the time Hayden found a way past Herrin on lap 8, Hayes had already built up more than five seconds worth of padding.

While Hayden managed to cut into Hayes’ lead ever so slightly once he had some clear track in front of him, the former Supersport champion’s recent string of poor luck struck yet again. Hayden was forced out of the race on lap 12 with a mechanical issue, making it three consecutive races in which he flashed the outright pace to race for the win but ultimately came away with a disappointing result.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas followed Hayden past Herrin but made a mistake running through the Corkscrew on lap 11, allowing Herrin back past. From that point on, Herrin held strong, successfully fending Cardenas to the stripe.

Runner-up Herrin remarked, “My plan from the beginning was to stick behind Josh from lap 1 but it didn’t work out so well. I know why — on the warm-up lap he always goes from the line like it’s the start of the race and gets the pace going and gets used to it. I just wasn’t ready when the flagged dropped. I got a good start but he was gone the first couple of laps.

“The battle with Rog and Martin was good. I’m not sure what happened to Roger — bummer that he wasn’t there. All the work I’ve been putting in… the last two laps when I decided I needed to put it down so (Cardenas) didn’t pass me somewhere, I was able to do so easily. I think if we could have kept up with Josh at the beginning like we normally do, it would have been a tight race, but I just wasn’t able to keep up with him.”

Cardenas came home third, his eighth podium finish in nine races since joining the Yoshimura squad.

The Colombian said, “It was a very tough race. I gave everything I had on all the laps. I got a little help to get on the podium because Roger had a mechanical and he was faster than me today. But I gave everything that I had. I had not the grip I wanted on the rear and was sliding all the race. I was hoping to get second position at the end but I didn’t quite have a good enough last lap and wasn’t close enough to make an attack on Herrin. I had to settle for third place. A podium is a good position but it’s not the result we are chasing. It’s a good result, and I’m happy. We’ll keep trying at Miller and the next few races and hopefully it will come.”

Several battles for position from fourth through tenth materialized and evaporated as the race took shape. A big train consisting of Jordan Suzuki‘s Danny Eslick,  KTM/HMC Racing teammates Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp, Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing‘s Larry Pegram, and Erik Buell Racing teammates, Geoff May and Aaron Yates eventually broke down into multiple two and three-rider scraps.

Knapp showed his best form of the season, slicing past Pegram and Fillmore and closing down on Eslick, before his race came to an early end with a crash on lap 16.

Eventual fifth-place finisher Fillmore too challenged Eslick before the Oklahoman stretched out a bit of distance late to lock down fourth.

Team Hero EBR’s May slashed his way up from tenth to claim sixth, just holding off Team AMSOIL/Hero teammate Yates on the final lap, while Pegram faded to eighth.

The misfortune of Hayden and Knapp meant that the dogfight waged by Motosport.com/EBR II’s Cory West and Motosport.com Motul Fly Racing‘s David Anthony was elevated to a top-ten tussle. West out-dueled Anthony in the end to claim ninth.

Defending champion Hayes will carry an 11-point advantage over second-ranked Herrin (223-212) into Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, UT when the series arrives on August 2-4 for Round 6 of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard season.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

Cameron Beaubier won his seventh AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race of the year on Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, taking the win over teammate Garrett Gerloff and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Jake Gagne in a red-flagged race shortened to 14 laps.

Beaubier took the win by 2.955 seconds, having led before the red flag flew as the race approached halfway. On the restart, he was able to get out in front and avoid the entertaining battle behind him to lock up yet another race. Beaubier matched his 2012 total of seven GoPro Daytona SportBike contests with the spectacular victory.

“I kind of slacked on the first start and I went back to fifth,” said Beaubier of the opening laps. “I was on the outside of (Jason) DiSalvo, and he ran a little wide. I finally made my way up to the front, put my head down, and pulled a little gap and then I saw the red flag. I thought, ‘Oh man, it’s going to be a bummer if we have to restart.’ So, I just made sure I got a really good start on the restart and just put my head down. I knew Jake and Garrett were going to be right there. I have to give it up to my whole Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha crew. They’ve been working so hard and giving us awesome bikes.”

Gerloff returned to the podium for the first time since his second-place finish at Daytona. His race saw him dicing with Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo for second, with Gagne just behind. With three to go, Gerloff made his move into second and was able to hold it to the flag to culminate arguably his best weekend yet on the GoPro Daytona SportBike.

Gagne led much of the race before the red flag but had to scramble to finish third after a poor restart. Gagne was in the second half of the top ten but made some smart moves, culminating with a pass of DiSalvo entering the Corkscrew, to earn his seventh podium result of the year.

DiSalvo’s fourth was his best result since Barber Motorsports Park. The Triumph pilot was especially aggressive in the early laps once again.

RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s JD Beach backed up his Mid-Ohio podiums with fifth at one of his least favorite circuits, so it was a favorable result for the Kentucky resident.  He topped Jake Lewis of Meen Motorsports by 2.172 seconds.

Dane Westby of GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing took seventh on his Honda.

James Rispoli (National Guard/Celtic Racing), Bobby Fong (D&D Cycles/Castrol/Triumph), and Joey Pascarella (Riders Discount Racing Triumph) rounded out the top ten.

TV Broadcasts

Sunday’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing finals from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be aired in a set of tape-delayed broadcasts on CBS Sports Network.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races scheduled for Sunday afternoon will be featured in one-hour broadcasts as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. Television broadcast airdates and times will be released as soon as they are available.

Next Race

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume in two weeks’ time as the series travels to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah for Round 6 on August 2-4. For tickets and additional information, please visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/events/ama-pro-road-racing-race.html.

Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://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 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 http://www.amaproracing.com/rr/.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Round 6 Preview

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

 

Photo courtesy of AMA Pro Racing/Brian J. Nelson

TOOELE, Utah (July 30, 2013) – The Miller Motorsports Park round is always a favorite for the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing field, in large part because the open, flowing layout is a real rider’s track. For the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike field, the doubleheader races will be a chance to compete on a different kind of circuit from the ones of the past few events. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, and Barber are all tighter, more technical, and have a quicker lap than the 15-turn, 3.06-mile course situated just west of Salt Lake City.   Cameron Beaubier (No. 6 Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) could have a weekend that impacts the record books. After winning seven of eight GoPro Daytona SportBike contests so far in 2013, Beaubier could tie the class mark for wins in a season in Utah. Martin Cardenas, currently Yoshimura Suzuki’s star SuperBike ace, won nine races in his championship-winning 2010 season.   With one victory, Beaubier can also break his tie with Josh Herrin for second on the all-time wins list. Herrin and Beaubier with 14 wins trail all-time winner Cardenas and his 24 GoPro Daytona SportBike victories.   Beaubier has dominated the year like few have in GoPro Daytona SportBike, continuously working his strategy for settling in during the early laps, then making a calculated run to the front followed by a late race push to shake anyone who might be left. After winning seven races last year, Beaubier has matched that total with New Jersey Motorsports Park and the second Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca event still to follow Miller.   Beaubier was in top form at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and changed his approach to deal with a late red flag that created a five-lap shootout. Beaubier showed he can get a good start off the line and push hard from the start if necessary.   Beaubier and the entire field will be going for their first GoPro Daytona SportBike victory at Miller Motorsports Park as riders not currently in the class have won the previous DSB contests.   Jake Gagne (No. 32 RoadRace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6) is second in points, trailing Beaubier by 56 points and a solid 36 points clear of third place. For Gagne, the rest of the season is about beating the Graves machines, as he stated at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca earlier this month. The Californian has had a fantastic season, but Beaubier’s excellence has relegated him to just one win so far in 2013.   Gagne wasn’t happy after finishing third at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He led early but got a poor start after the red flag and spent the last laps fighting for the podium instead of fighting for the win.   Garrett Gerloff (No. 8 Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) had his best race of the year in California, matching his best result of second place at Daytona but this time with a much more competitive battle on his hands. The result was a nice milestone for the young rider’s progress after missing virtually all of last season with an injury. The question now is whether Gerloff can do it again and continue toward his goal of getting his first class win this season.    Seventeen-year-old Gerloff is currently the top GoPro Daytona SportBike rider in the running for the Roadracing World Young Gun Of The Year Award standings with 149 points, but the strong seasons Corey Alexander and Stefano Mesa are having in AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport put them atop the charts with 191 and 168 points, respectively.   JD Beach (No. 95 RoadRace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6) is third in points after improving his competitiveness this season and but his lead over Gerloff is down to five. Beach finished seventh last year in Utah, but the Kentucky resident has finished fifth or better in each 2013 event. Part of the reason for his success has been that Beach has concentrated on getting up to speed sooner and has improved his consistency. In California, Beach rallied at one of his least favorite tracks to get fifth.   Two young riders are battling for the fifth-place spot in the points. James Rispoli (No. 43 National Guard/Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600) currently hold the position, with Jake Lewis (No. 85 Meen Motorsports Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) right on his tail just three points back heading into the races in Utah. In the battle of the two class rookies, Rispoli has been the most consistent with five seventh-place finishes. Lewis earned the podium at Road America with two additional fourth places to bolster his third place in Wisconsin. The final races will determine which young ace can have bragging rights, however.   Dane Westby (No. 5 GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing Honda CBR600RR) has been fighting hard to get back on top in a tough season. An injury at Daytona set him back and his team switched to new equipment for 2013. Westby has found himself in a tough group of riders battling for slots in the top ten. The good news is that “The Wolverine” has finished eighth or better in every race since the season opener at Daytona.   Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Latus Motors Racing Triumph Daytona 675) finished second last year at Utah and the veteran has ridden well in 2013 despite some up-and-down results. DiSalvo and his team continue to develop the 2013 Triumph Daytona 675 with success, but the New Yorker has said tracks that require acceleration onto long straights after slow corners aren’t his ideal circuits. That being said, DiSalvo had a strong showing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, running as high as second place before finishing fourth, and he will look to carry that momentum into this weekend’s event.   Bobby Fong (No. 50 D&D Cycles/Castrol/Triumph Daytona 675) opened up the season strong with a third-place result in the DAYTONA 200, but the class veteran has been struggling to get back to the podium ever since. He’s starting to show some signs of momentum, finishing in the top ten at the last two events. The Californian has shown that he can turn it around at any time and looks to match or better his top-five finish at MMP last year.   Benny Solis (No. 3 M4 Lucas Oil Racing Honda CBR600RR) and Joey Pascarella (No. 52 Riders Discount Racing Triumph Daytona 675) are fighting for the last spot in the top ten in points.   For tickets and additional information, please visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/events/ama-pro-road-racing-race.html.   Television Broadcasts on CBS Sports Network Leading into coverage of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Round 6 at Miller Motorsports Park, CBS Sports Network will broadcast the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races from the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular in a primetime special on CBS Sports Network beginning Friday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.  Following the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca broadcasts, a primetime airing of the weekend preview show for the Miller Motorsports Park event will begin on Friday, August 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.  This weekend’s racing coverage will include three hours of LIVE broadcasts from Utah. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race 1 will air LIVE on Saturday, August 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT and will be followed by a same-day delayed broadcast of AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 slotted for 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT.  Sunday’s coverage will include a two-hour block of LIVE coverage, beginning with GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 on Sunday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 noon PT followed by National Guard SuperBike Race 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.      For an up-to-date list of the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing broadcasts scheduled on CBS Sports Network, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/rr/events/tvlistings.cfm?year=2013. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, please visit the Channel Finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder.  International Pay-Per-View Fully produced, high definition broadcasts of this weekend’s races from Miller Motorsports Park will be available to audiences outside of the United States and Canada through AMA Pro Live, AMA Pro Racing’s live streaming video website. At the low introductory cost of $0.99 USD per race, international fans can follow along with their favorite GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing stars this weekend by logging on at http://www.amaprolive.com/rr/.   The international pay-per-view channel will be available for the following races:  GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 (Saturday, July 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET) National Guard SuperBike Race 1 (Saturday, July 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET) GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 (Sunday, July 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET) National Guard SuperBike Race 2 (Sunday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET) Live Streaming Video and Social Media In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and AMA Pro Live, AMA Pro Racing will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring on the AMA Pro Live streaming video website. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, August 2 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com. Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://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 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/.

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.

AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Round 6 Preview

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

 

Photo courtesy of AMA Pro Racing/Brian J. Nelson

TOOELE, Utah (July 29, 2013) – Only five races remain to decide the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike championship and two of those crucial contests will be waged this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park as GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing travels to Tooele, Utah.  Defending triple champion Josh Hayes (No. 1 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1) took an important step toward becoming the first man in series’ history to claim four consecutive SuperBike titles last time out at Laguna Seca. The Mississippian collected maximum points and scored a dominating victory, powering away from the field right from the start to stretch his narrow points lead out to eleven.   The scary reality for his rivals is the fact that Hayes never seemed completely on his game in Monterey, openly admitting to be somewhat out of sorts on a track that doesn’t rank among his best on the tour.   However, expect the champion to be laser focused this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, which stands as among his favorite circuits and one that rewards his precise lines and consistent style.   Hayes, who took his first win at MMP in his first visit to the track in 2006 in the Formula Extreme class, proved untouchable in Utah last season, as he won in convincing fashion and scored yet another maximum points haul weekend. Last year, the damage he could inflict was limited by the fact that only a single race was contested as the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing competitors shared the bill with the FIM Superbike World Championship. However, this year’s standalone event will see Hayes head into to Utah as the weekend favorite with a full doubleheader schedule awaiting him.   Hayes’ chief title rivals, Josh Herrin (No. 2 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1) and Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000) are no slouches at Miller Motorsports Park themselves.   Herrin, who currently ranks second with 212 points to his teammate’s 223, earned his first-ever AMA Pro podium just weeks after turning 16 in 2006 with a third-place run in the Supersport race at Miller Motorsports Park. Herrin took his first MMP win two years ago by taking first in the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike contest. And last year, Herrin impressed by outdueling two-time SuperBike runner-up Blake Young on the race’s final lap to claim second place behind Hayes.   Cardenas too has an impressive track record at Miller Motorsports Park. The Colombian, who ranks third with 207 points, battled in the lead group in 2011 as a SuperBike class rookie before crashing out of contention. He bounced back last season to win the Daytona SportBike race at the venue en route to taking his second SportBike crown.   While the title race has realistically been whittled down to a three-man race, a number of SuperBike pilots retain serious spoiler potential. Chief among them is Roger Hayden (No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000), who has arguably been the series’ second fastest rider and very nearly even on pace with Hayes during the middle part of the ’13 season.   Hayden’s Laguna Seca disappointment allowed his Michael Jordan Motorsport teammate, Danny Eslick (No. 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000), to overtake him for fourth in the ’13 standings. Eslick has racked up three consecutive fourth-place results as he continues to work hard to bridge the gap separating him from the series’ regular podium contenders.   Geoff May (No. 99 Team Hero EBR 1190RS) and his Erik Buell Racing teammate, Aaron Yates (No. 20 Team AMSOIL/Hero EBR 1190RS), could be in position to turn some heads this weekend as well. While the track’s long front straight and high overall average speed of Miller Motorsports Park might not seem to suit the twin-cylinder EBR 1190RSs at first blush, its flowing corners and high elevation (which works as something of a natural traction control system) actually play to its strengths.   Last season, May and then-EBR pilot Eslick secured two positions on the front row. May backed up his qualifying form with a competitive fourth-place result.   Chris Fillmore (No. 11 KTM/HMC Racing KTM RC8R) and Taylor Knapp (No. 44 KTM/HMC Racing KTM RC8R) may be able to capitalize as well and come in on a high after demonstrating their best combined form of the season two weeks ago at Laguna Seca.   Larry Pegram (No. 72 Pegram Racing Yamaha YZF-R1) is currently battling through something of a midseason slump, but remains within three points of a top-five ranking due to his strong season opening.   And Australian David Anthony (No. 25 Motosport.com Motul Fly Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000) could once again give his factory-backed competition fits as the privateer has already notched up seven top-ten finishes this season.   For tickets to this weekend’s event at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, please visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/events/ama-pro-road-racing-race.html.   Television Broadcasts on CBS Sports Network   Leading into coverage of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Round 6 at Miller Motorsports Park, CBS Sports Network will broadcast the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races from last weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular in a primetime special on CBS Sports Network beginning Friday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.     Following the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca broadcasts, a primetime airing of the weekend preview show for the Miller Motorsports Park event will begin on Friday, August 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.    This weekend’s racing coverage will include three hours of LIVE broadcasts from Utah. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race 1 will air LIVE on Saturday, August 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT and will be followed by a same-day delayed broadcast of AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 slotted for 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT.    Sunday’s coverage will include a two-hour block of LIVE coverage, beginning with GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 on Sunday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 noon PT followed by National Guard SuperBike Race 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.    For an up-to-date list of the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing broadcasts scheduled on CBS Sports Network, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/rr/events/tvlistings.cfm?year=2013. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, please visit the Channel Finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder.    International Pay-Per-View   Fully produced, high definition broadcasts of this weekend’s races from Miller Motorsports Park will be available to audiences outside of the United States and Canada through AMA Pro Live, AMA Pro Racing’s live streaming video website. At the low introductory cost of $0.99 USD per race, international fans can follow along with their favorite GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing stars this weekend by logging on at http://www.amaprolive.com/rr/. The international pay-per-view channel will be available for the following races: GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 (Saturday, July 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET) National Guard SuperBike Race 1 (Saturday, July 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET) GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 (Sunday, July 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET) National Guard SuperBike Race 2 (Sunday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET) Streaming Video and Social Media   In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and AMA Pro Live, AMA Pro Racing will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring on the AMA Pro Live streaming video website. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, August 2 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com.  Stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://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 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/.

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.

Bel-Ray Racer Jason Anderson Scores First Podium of National Motocross Career

Courtesy of Bel Ray Company Inc.,

FARMINGDALE, N.J. (July 29, 2013) ― Round 9 of the 2013 AMA National Motocross Championship series came to scenic Spring Creek Motocross Park in Southeastern Minnesota on Saturday afternoon. Cool temperatures and overcast skies kept the track in excellent condition all day long, and the Bel-Ray racers in attendance rewarded the fans with excellent racing.

 

In 2013, Bel-Ray racer Jason Anderson of the Rockstar Energy Racing Team has experienced the best professional season of his young career. A Supercross main event victory in Salt Lake City in April gave him the confidence he needed to succeed coming into the outdoor series. Throughout the outdoor series, Anderson has shown improvement and this weekend at Millville, he was rewarded for his efforts with the first outdoor podium of his career. He gated well in moto one and continued to keep with the top riders in the class, eventually finishing in third place. His second moto start was not as good as the first moto, but he persevered for a fifth-place second moto finish. Based on his moto results, he earned a podium finish in third overall.

 

Anderson was extremely happy when he spoke about his day following the event. “Millville ended on a good note with my very first outdoor podium,” he said. “My start wasn’t very good in the second moto, but I made it work. It was sick and I felt like I was ripping!”

 

Joining Anderson in the 250MX class was Bel-Ray teammate and New Jersey privateer Dakota Kessler. Kessler’s father Mickey was one of the first racers sponsored by Bel-Ray in the beginning of the company, and now Dakota continues in his father’s footsteps in search of racing success. His 27-22 moto scores were good for 26th overall at Millville.

 

In 450MX class racing, Bel-Ray racers scored mixed results, with privateer Derek Anderson leading the way. Anderson, the star of the Man Vs Moto YouTube program that chronicles his national series, came back from a 38th place first moto to score 24th in the second moto for 27th overall. Fellow privateer Ronnie Stewart qualified into the afternoon program by winning the last-chance qualifier and finished 23-34 for 36th overall.

 

Bel-Ray-powered Rockstar Energy Racing’s Ryan Sipes began the event well with fifth place in timed qualifying. He started well in the first moto and was inside the top 10 in seventh place when disaster struck. A high-speed swap threw him to the ground, breaking his helmet and neck brace in the process. He was too injured to complete the first moto and did not line up for moto two.

 

 “Millville was a little rough. I felt really good in practice and really good in the first moto until I crashed,” Sipes said. “I swapped in the whoops and ended up landing on the back of my neck. I broke my helmet and my neck brace, a couple ribs and I think my hand. It was a tough one and I’m in a lot of pain, but what is pleasure without pain?” Sipes will meet with a doctor on Monday to determine the extent of his injuries.

 

The series will take a one-week break before resuming at Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, N.Y. on August 10.

 

To learn more about Bel-Ray specialty powersports lubricants, visit http://www.belray.com/powersports or call (732) 938-2421.

 

Follow Bel-Ray racers all season long at http://www.belray.com 

 

 

 

Smith, Texter Repeat at Sacramento Mile for Round 5 of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles

Courtesy of AMA PRO Racing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtesy of AMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 28, 2013) – Saturday night’s AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Expert main event was one for the ages as Crosley Radio’s Bryan Smith (Flint, Mich.) earned his third consecutive Sacramento Mile victory at the Cal Expo. The intensity of Saturday night’s action was almost indescribable and most fans that witnessed it firsthand would probably agree that it can’t justifiably be put into words as Smith found himself in a dogfight with the premier riders of the sport. With nine laps to go, less than a second separated Smith, Dodge Bros Racing’s Brad Baker (Eatonville, Wash.), Flat Track Live’s Sammy Halbert (Graham, Wash.), Roger Racing’s Jared Mees (Honetbrook, Penn.) and TJ Burnett Farms’ Brandon Robinson (Oxford, Penn.) and it would remain that close all the way until the drop of the checkered flag.   “Everything went great for me all day,” said Smith. “I really wanted to get away from the pack and win this thing by a long way. I had it going my way early on but my tire got hot and I started to fade back and eventually got pushed off the groove and found myself in a battle. Baker and the rest of the guys really gave me a good run and I knew it would be hard getting around those Harley’s but luckily my Crosley Kawasaki was good on the straightaways and I was able to get by them one final time.”   To no one’s surprise, Smith got the hole-shot and was dominating early on. Then, all of a sudden, with 11 laps remaining, Smith slid off the groove on turn two and forfeited his once dominate lead. Smith’s uncanny mistake opened up the floodgates for Baker and company who seemed to be waiting for that exact moment to capitalize.   Baker enjoyed the lead for less than two laps before defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees took over the top spot. With two laps remaining, the race was literally up for grabs as a split second separated the same five riders. It was Smith who strategically passed all four riders to regain the lead on turn three of lap 24 and refused to surrender any more ground on the final lap. Mees would go on to finish second and just .083 seconds behind Smith with Robinson earning a solid third place finish. The two remaining riders that went bar-to-bar all the way up until the final lap was Baker and Halbert rounding out the top five, respectively.   AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles   The AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles race was also one for the record books and in the end it was Crosley Radio’s Shayna Texter (Willow Street, Penn.) who brought the entire Sacramento crowd to their feet on the final lap as she outdueled Stockton Honda-Yamaha’s Nate Wait (Lodi, Calif.) by a fingernail for her second consecutive victory at the Sacramento Mile.   Last year, Texter proved she could hang with the boys when she won the Sacramento Mile for her second career victory at the professional level. This year, she proved resilience as she started from second position on the grid but got off to a nightmare of a start. Texter found herself in sixth place after the first lap and it appeared she had dug herself too deep of a hole to repeat. However, the female phenomenon refused to let her bad jump off the line cost her as she made her way back up to the front, with the crowd roaring for every rider that she passed.   Texter would go on to win her second Sacramento Mile in as many years. Nate finished in a close second with Parkinson Brothers Racing’s Stephen Vanderkuur (Davison, Mich.) coming in third. Waters Auto Body’s Ryan Wells (Albion, NY) and Rod Lake’s Bronson Bauman (Salinas, Calif.) rounded out the top five.  About AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles: AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country’s finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft.

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.

Two podiums for Red Bull KTM after tough day at Spring Creek

Courtesy of KTM

The Spring Creek National at Millville, Minnesota was a tough day out for the Red Bull KTM Factory Team but ended with Ryan Dungey in third in the 450 class and Marvin Musquin in second in the 250s. Dungey, riding in front of his home crowd courageously fought his way back into contention after losing his chain in the sand whoops half way through his first moto. He had got away well in third at the start and was on the attack when he had to dismount and fix the chain, losing about 20 seconds in the process. He was in tenth when he re-entered the race and put in a great display of riding to finish fifth. Then when the gate dropped in the second moto he was again top three and was soon locked in battle with James Stewart for the race lead. The two riders exchanged the lead back and forth in a thrilling exchange throughout the first half of the race before Dungey finally made it stick and began to pull away. He went on to win the moto by three seconds. While Dungey’s 5-1 moto scores put him on the podium in third place, he also gained championship points on rival Ryan Villopoto, who finished behind him in fifth overall. Riders will now have a one-week break before heading to the next round in New Berlin, NY. Eventful day out for KTM’s Two European riders in 250s French rider Musquin’s set of fours in the two 250 class motos was enough on the day to give him second overall in what was an eventful day on the track at Spring Creek. His German teammate Ken Roczen was not so lucky. He failed to finish the first moto after a massive crash but came back strong to finish second in the second moto to finish ninth overall for the day. Both riders got away well in the opening 250 moto and Roczen quickly moved into the top three. He was soon challenging Wil Hahn for the lead but while trying different lines he crashed badly that left him winded and doubled up on the track. He did get back on the bike but eventually had to retire from the race.   “Luckily, I walked away from that crash with no broken bones,” Roczen said later. “I know I will be feeling pretty banged up tomorrow, but I am thankful I was not seriously injured.” Meanwhile Musquin had better luck in the first moto and ran as high as third before he lost one spot near the end of the moto. In the second moto Musquin launched off the line to a fourth place start while Roczen was two positions back. The two teammates battled for a few laps before Roczen made the pass and moved up to challenge Blake Baggett for the lead. He moved around Baggett and held the front spot for a few laps before Eli Tomac began to challenge for the position. Tomac made the pass and Roczen stuck with him for about five laps before he fell back with arm pump. Roczen was second at the flag and Musquin was fourth. They finished ninth and second overall respectively. Next Event: New Berlin, NY – August 10, 2013 US Pro MX Championship at Spring Creek, Millville, MN Results Rd. 9 450s 1, James Stewart, Suzuki (1-3) 2, Trey Canard, Honda, (2-2) 3, Ryan Dungey, KTM (5-1) 4, Justin Barcia, Honda, (3-5) 5, Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki (6 4) 6, Andrew Short, KTM (7 8) 7, Mike Alessi, Suzuki, (11-6) 8, Chad Reed, Australia, Honda (10-7) 9, Jake Weimer, Kawasaki, (9-9) 10, Broc Tickle, Suzuki (8-10) Championship Points after Round 9 1, Villopoto, 413 2, Dungey, 379 3, Barcia, 307 4, Stewart, 269 5, Canard, 263 Results Rd. 9 250s 1, Eli Tomac, Honda (1-1) 2, Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (4-4) 3, Jason Anderson, Suzuki (3-5) 4, Jeremy Martin, Yamaha (2-7) 5, Blake Baggett, Kawasaki (6-3) 6, Justin Bogle, Honda (5-6) 7, Wil Hahn, Honda (8-8) 8, Justin Hill, Kawasaki (7-11) 9, Ken Roczen (DNF-2) 10, Zach Osborne Honda (11-9) Points after Rd. 9 1, Tomac, 405 2, Roczen, 378 3, Musquin, 334 4, Baggett, 295 5, Osborne, 261

Dungey third overall in 450s Musquin takes overall 2nd with pair of fours Dungey makes a an impressive comeback Musquin in action in Rd. 9 Roczen fights back in 2nd moto after crash in opener