AMA Pro Road Racing Previews Penultimate Round of the 2012 Season Heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway September 21-23

GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for Triumph Big Kahuna Miami

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (September 19, 2012) - With only two rounds remaining in the 2012 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season and championships on the line, teams and competitors are heading south to Homestead, Fla. to take on Homestead-Miami Speedway for just the second time in the history of the Series. The Triumph Big Kahuna Miami presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince is scheduled for this weekend, September 21-23, 2012, as the second of three events promoted by M1 PowerSports, and the action-packed weekend on the 2.21-mile speedway road course will be bolstered with a number of family-friendly entertainment options.   AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike and AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport will be featured in the standard doubleheader format, with races for each class going off on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, while the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders will take on the track in a winner-take-all final on Sunday afternoon.   SPEED will air the National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike races in a set of back-to-back, same-day delayed broadcasts. Saturday's race finals will begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT late Saturday night, September 22 and Sunday's races will be broadcast beginning at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT late Sunday night, September 9.   SPEED2 will stream the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and Vance & Hines XR1200 Series races live, fans can watch by logging onto http://www.speed2.com. SPEED2 is a broadband service available to customers of Time Warner, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, DISH and Cox. For more information and instructions on gaining access to all of this season's AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series races, please review the SPEED2 FAQ located at http://www.speed2.com/faq.   AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike   Homestead-Miami Speedway played host to AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike in 1996, the first full year of operation for the circuit; Miguel Duhamel performed a weekend sweep by claiming pole position with a time of 1:26.295 and took the race victory over Doug Chandler in Sunday's race final. A few active competitors have race experience at the venue from that weekend, although many turned their first laps on the 2.21-mile motorcycle road course during the official series test held after the season-opening DAYTONA® 200.  The March test was one of the rare occasions in 2012 where two-time defending National Guard SuperBike champ Josh Hayes (No. 1 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1) was not at the top of the time charts. Hayes has led a brilliant charge this season, taking home a record 13 victories - including his current 10-race streak - as he closes in on his third consecutive championship. The Mississippian has a monstrous 98 point lead heading into this weekend and he only needs a 94-point lead following Saturday's race final in order to clinch the championship at Homestead.  Blake Young (No. 79 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) grabbed three wins early in the season and is sitting firmly in second position in the points, but the Wisconsin native has struggled recently to find his usual blazing pace and challenge Hayes for race wins. In order to keep his championship hopes alive, Suzuki's leading man will need to come out in force this weekend and grab every available point for the remainder of the season.   Hayes' Yamaha teammate, Josh Herrin (No. 2 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1) sits third in the standings and continues to impress in his first year of National Guard SuperBike competition. Herrin posted another second-place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park two weeks ago, his 10th podium this year.                             Blake Young #79 leads Josh Hayes #1, Steve Rapp #15 and the rest of the field out of the keyhole area at Mid-Ohio earlier in the 2012 season in one of the AMA Pro Superbike Championship Series races held in July.  Hayes looks to secure his third AMA Superbike Championship title this coming weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.     The Michael Jordan Motorsports duo of Ben Bostrom (No. 23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Roger Hayden (No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) left nothing on the table during the test in March, locking in the top two spots on the charts with laptimes of 1:21:445 and 1:21:526, respectively. Hayden sits fourth in the standings on the strength of six podium finishes. Bostrom won the 1996 AMA SuperTwins race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and is currently seventh in the SuperBike standings.  In thedebut season for the American-made EBR 1190RS, Geoff May (No. 99 Team Amsoil/Hero EBR 1190RS) and Danny Eslick (No. 69 Team Hero EBR 1190RS) have been consistent frontrunners and posted a number of solid results. May sits fifth in the point standings, followed by Larry Pegram (No. 72 Foremost Insurance Pegram BMW S1000RR), who closed out the SuperBike podium at Homestead in 1996 with his third-place finish. Bostrom, Eslick, Young's Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Chris Clark and Steve Rapp (No. 15 Attack Performance/ Motorcycle Superstore/ M1 PowerSports Kawasaki ZX-10R), hold positions seven through 10, respectively.  Another AMA Pro veteran with experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Aaron Yates (No. 20 EvanSteelPerformance.com BMW S1000RR), will make his return to AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike this weekend following a lengthy recovery from an injury sustained during the 2010 season. Yates won the 750cc Supersport victory over Pascal Picotte and Michael Barnes at the Speedway in 1996.   The Triumph Big Kahuna Miami presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince will take place this weekend, September 21-23. The AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike class will take to the track for their first practice session on Friday, September 21 at 11:00 a.m. and will be featured in a set of 23-lap sprint races on Saturday, September 22 at 3:15 p.m. and Sunday, September 23 at 3:30 p.m. local time.   GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing's National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike divisions will be featured on SPEED in a set of back-to-back, same-day delayed broadcasts, scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Saturday night and at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night.   AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Point Standings (After Round 9): 1. Josh Hayes (Gulfport, MS) - 478; 2. Blake Young (Waunakee, WI) - 380; 3. Josh Herrin (Glendale, CA) - 287; 4. Roger Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 250; 5. Geoff May (Gainesville, GA) - 224; 6. Larry Pegram (Hebron, OH) - 219; 7. Ben Bostrom (Malibu, CA) - 203; 8. Danny Eslick (Broken Arrow, OK) - 187; 9. Chris Clark (Las Vegas, NV) - 167; 10. Steve Rapp (Hawthorne, CA) - 166.   AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Martin Cardenas (No. 36 GEICO Suzuki GSX-R600) heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway with a padded AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike points lead on the strength of another win at New Jersey Motorsports Park, his seventh on the season. The Colombian, who posted the second fastest GoPro Daytona SportBike time of 1:24.807 during the Homestead test in March, now leads the field by 76 points and may lock up the championship this weekend. Closest rival Dane Westby (No. 5 M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) has performed excellently at every event in 2012, but in order for the Oklahoman to prevent Cardenas from clinching in Homestead -- and to keep his own championship hopes alive -- he'll need to cut that points lead down by at least 14 points before the transporters head for New Orleans.   The 2012 season has been something of a mixed bag for Cameron Beaubier (No. 6 Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6). The young Californian posted a third-place result in the DAYTONA® 200 and topped the time charts during the Homestead test the following week with a time of 1:24.431 before being sidelined by an off-track injury. Since his mid-season return, Beaubier has made a run for the number one plate, posting five wins in six races. His aspirations of a 2012 title were dashed in an instant at New Jersey Motorsports Park, however, when he was collected in an incident with teammate Tommy Hayden (No. 8 Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6). Beaubier was unhurt but unable to restart the race; Hayden suffered a shoulder injury in the incident and will sit out the Homestead round.  Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Latus Motors Racing Triumph Daytona 675) returned to competition at New Jersey Motorsports Park after missing the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round. DiSalvo is one of three Triumph Daytona 675-mounted riders entered in this weekend's event, joined on the British marque by Kenny Riedmann (No. 42 Sturgess Cycle Triumph Daytona 675) and Kris Turner (No. 38 Turner's Cycle Racing Triumph Daytona 675).  Sitting sixth in the points is JD Beach (No. 95 RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha YZF-R6), who posted two additional top 10 results at NJMP. One of the most impressive riders of late has been Bobby Fong (No. 50 Meen Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6). The Californian took home his first podium in 2012 in Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park and clearly has the drive to win a race before the end of the season.  Rounding out the top 10 heading to Homestead are Jake Zemke (No. 98 Ducshop Ducati 848), Cory West (No. 57 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600) and DAYTONA 200® winner Joey Pascarella (No. 52 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600).   The AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike riders will take to the track for their first practice session on Friday, September 21 at 12:00 p.m. and will be featured in a set of 23-lap sprint races on Saturday, September 22 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 23 at 2:15 p.m. local time. GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing's National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike divisions will be featured on SPEED in a set of back-to-back, same-day delayed broadcasts, scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Saturday night and at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night.   AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Point Standings (After Round 9): 1. Martin Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) - 372; 2. Dane Westby (Tulsa, OK) - 296; 3. Cameron Beaubier (Roseville, CA) - 264; 4. Tommy Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 250; 5. Jason DiSalvo (Batavia, NY) - 209; 6. JD Beach (Philpot, KY) - 203; 7. Bobby Fong (Stockton, CA) - 201; 8. Jake Zemke (Paso Robles, CA) - 198; 9. Cory West (Eureka Springs, AR) - 173; 10. Joey Pascarella (Vacaville, CA) - 167.   AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport The AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport division will contest the final standalone East Division round this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway before next month's dual-division season finale at NOLA Motorsports Park. The Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport competitor with the highest point total at the end of the season will be declared 2012's National Champion, making this round ultra-critical for East points leader Dustin Dominguez (No. 68 Latus Motors Racing Triumph Daytona 675).  This will be the final round for Dominguez to rack up East Division points and balance the scales against defending SuperSport National Champ and West Division rival James Rispoli (No. 1 Celtic Racing/ Orient Express Racing/ Army National Guard Suzuki GSX-R600). Dominguez currently has 208 points to Rispoli's 279; a perfect weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway would bring the Oklahoman to 271 and take the championship chase to new heights.  Another East Division competitor that can make a late-season charge for the championship with a successful weekend is Jake Lewis (No. 85 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600). Lewis has led the East Division at times this season but now sits in second with 188 markers.  Stefano Mesa (No. 37 Kneedraggers.com Yamaha YZF-R6) has 169 points, good for third in the championship hunt. Rounding out the top five in the East Division standings are Tomas Puerta (No. 12 RoadRace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6) and Corey Alexander (No. 5 National Guard/ Fairhills Group/ Celtic Racing Suzuki). A young gun to watch out for this weekend is Garrett Gerloff (No. 96 Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6), who returned to the Series last round and promptly posted a second-place finish.  Notable West Division entries likely to post top results at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend include Rispoli, Hayden Gillim (No. 69 RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha) and Elena Myers (No. 21 Suzuki SportbikeTrackgear.com M4 Suzuki GSX-R600).   Saturday's 18-lap final for the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport division will be the first race of the weekend, set to go green at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 22, followed by Race 2 on Sunday, September 23 at 1:15 p.m. Both races will be streamed live on SPEED2, for more information, please visit http://www.speed2.com/.   AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Division Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. Dustin Dominguez (Newalla, OK) - 208; 2. Jake Lewis (Princeton, KY) - 188; 3. Stefano Mesa (Boca Raton, FL) - 169; 4. Tomas Puerta (Medellin, Colombia) - 146; 5. Corey Alexander (Carmel, NY) - 132; 6. Travis Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 100; 7. Ryan Kerr (Johnstown, OH) - 91; 8. Miles Thornton (West Point, GA) - 80; 9. Eric Stump (Berlin, NJ) - 63; 10. Zach Herrin (Dublin, GA) - 58.   AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series championship was effectively reset on the last lap at New Jersey Motorsports Park when championship leader Kyle Wyman (No. 33 KLR Group/Spyke's Harley-Davidson) had a spectacular high-side in the last set of turns. That miscue gave Shane Narbonne (No. 46 Mob Racing/ Teterboro Rams Harley-Davidson) his first AMA Pro victory and allowed Benjamin Carlson (No. 45 Suburban Harley-Davidson) to grab a scant two-point lead over Wyman in the XR Showdown points, 1064-1062.  One point back in third with 1061 is four-time 2012 winner Tyler O'Hara (No. 29 Bartel's Harley-Davidson), followed by Michael Barnes (No. 34 KLR Group/Spyke's Harley-Davidson) one further back with 1060. O'Hara has only finished off of the podium once in 2012, while Barnes has placed on the box in all but two rounds.  Jake Holden (No. 59 Mob Racing/ Teterboro Rams Harley-Davidson) returned to the class with ease last round, posting the fastest lap time of the race and earning a third-place result. Other riders who have looked strong recently include Michael Corbino (No. 15 Rossiter's Harley-Davidson of Sarasota), Travis Wyman (No. 24 Harv's Harley-Davidson), David Estok (No. 123 Ruthless Racing/ Deeley Harley-Davidson) and Josh Chisum (No. 10 Bartel's Harley-Davidson).   The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders take to the track for their 11-lap race final on Sunday, September 23 at 12:30 p.m. local time. The race will be streamed live on SPEED2, for more information, please visit http://www.speed2.com/.   AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Point Standings (After Round 9): 1. Benjamin Carlson (West Bend, WI) - 1064; 2. Kyle Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 1062; 3. Tyler OHara (Petaluma, CA) - 1061; 4. Michael Barnes (Boca Raton, FL) - 1060; 5. Michael Corbino (Sarasota, FL) - 1048; 6. Travis Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 1041; 7. David Estok (Daytona Beach, FL) - 1035; 8. Josh Chisum (Bakersfield, CA) - 1030; 9. Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, CO) - 1010; 10. Darren James (Deep Cove, Canada) - 1000.   AMA Pro Live Streaming Video Experience, Live Timing & Scoring and Social Media Channels AMA Pro Live, the online streaming video experience launched earlier this season, will be broadcasting views from around the track this weekend. Tune in at http://www.amaprolive.com.   GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Live Timing & Scoring presented by Cortech offers fans real-time access to results from on-track sessions at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/. Between the races, stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. Event Features In addition to the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action, there will be family-friendly entertainment located in every turn. Event promoter M1 PowerSports will be bringing motorcycle stunt rider Jason Britton, local music sensation DJ Irie, a 4x4 Monster Ride Truck, the always-popular Big Kahuna Bikini Girls, a kid's corral full of fun for the Little Kahunas and dozens of vendors. Tickets for this fall's Big Kahuna Miami, scheduled for September 21 - 23, 2012 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, can be purchased at http://www.m1powersports.com/big-kahuna-miami/.

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. For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com