AMA Flat Track Ready to Roll at Calistoga 1/2 Mile and Stu's Shots Has All the Info You Need to Follow It Today

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The AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by MotorcycleSuperstore.com Grand National Championship kicks back into gear in Calistoga, CA. today with the first running of the Calistoga Half Mile National at the Calistoga Fairgrounds.
Some of the names to keep an eye on today at the first running of a GNC race in Northern Cali in 11 years are pictured above getting ready for the green to drop at Lima on June 26. Your front row main contestants consist of (L-R): Matt Weidman on the #20 White's H-D/Mack Daddy Racing/SNIP/Silkolene/Shoei XR, who garnered 3rd place at Lima for the first GNC podium of his young career. Next up you have defending AMA Twins GN Champion Jammin' Jared Mees on the #1 Rogers Lake Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Rockysonline.com XR, Smokin' Joe Kopp on his #3 Latus Motors/Lloyd Bros/American Agip/MotoConcepts Ducati, and Slammin' Sammy Halbert (the defending 'mythical' overall GN Champion) on his #7 Kings Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply/Nelson Racing XR.
Rounding out the last two spots are #17 Henry 'Hammerin' Hank' Wiles (and the defending Singles GN Champion) on his KK Motorcycle Supply/Mike & Eddie Adkins XR and Jersey Jake Johnson (and mult-time GN Singles Champion) on his #5 Zanotti Racing/Leo Vince/Arai/Tucker Rocky XR. Don't blink because when the green drops the greatest show on wheels will zip by you so fast you won't be able to keep up with all the action. Strap in and settle down and get ready to follow the action with us here on Stu's Shots.

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After a three week break in the action, the AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by MotorcycleSuperstore.com Grand National Flat Track series is ready to roll again this afternoon at the first running of an AMA GN Championship race in Northern California in 11 years. The Napa County Fairgrounds is ready to host Mike Kidd, Steve Morehead and the AMA Pro Flat Track Racing crew as they work their magic to bring AMA Flat Track fans the best racing show on wheels on the half mile Calistoga Speedway track.

Since this is a first time event, the playing field is pretty even on this one as no one running the series has ever been on the track at Calistoga. For that matter I also heard that many hadn't even seen the track as early as this week. Reports were read on the FlatTrack.com forum this week from general fans AND AMA Flat Track Manager and Guru Mike Kidd that the promoter and track prep for this place is top notch, and that they are expecting a great crowd draw due to everyone's hard work and efforts. Mike Kidd was especially stoked in one of his posts this week about this event, beside the fact that it is the only west coast round this year. Originally to be paired with the Castle Rock TT to make it easier for the traveling racers, fans and officials to be able to hit two events on the west coast to ease expenses, Castle Rock unfortunately didn't make the cut and was canceled. If you are near this area, this is a MUST SEE event and will further help to show and prove that the AMA Flat Track show is the best show on wheels. And at least if you aren't, this is an event that is being handled by MavTV and will be shown on television for those of you who are lucky enough to get this channel (HELLO DirecTV--we want our MavTV!!!)

With the weather expected to cooperate in the area today, the leading men on the championship circuit are guaranteed to go for it and make a great show for the fans. With 2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp taking an overall lead in the points over Jake Johnson by 154-141, Henry Wiles in 3rd at 139 with Sammy Halbert another four back in fourth, and Jared Mees rounding out the top five at 129 points, today could see some changes, or not. Kenny Coolbeth sits in sixth with 119, 7-Time GN Champ Chris Carr is seventh with 76, and Bryan Smith on the Werner/Springsteen Kawasaki a solid 8th in the points with 74. The entry lists on the event page haven't been updated for some time, but with the up surge in the AMA Flat Track series, especially this year, I would be real suprised if fewer then 45-46 riders try to qualify for the GNC twins main. I've been wrong before (and dammit I know I'll be wrong again), but there is an awful lot of positive vibe for this event. Here's hoping for a SUPER fan AND rider turn out!

You don't need to look or go any further today, as Stu's Shots has put together all the goods for you to follow today's action whether you are at the track or away like I am here in Indy. You can follow the action below with all the links to keep up on the on the track happenings. With first practice to roll off at 2:30 PDT/5:30 EDT, get ready to check out the greatest show on wheels and see some of the best motorcycle flat track racers in the world get ready to battle it out for what is the first race of the second half of the season.

It's WFO from here on out baby and you better be ready. This show moves fast.......

Enjoy and may your favorite racer make it to the checkers first--and most of all safe!

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AMA Pro Flat Track GN Championship Calistoga LIVE TIMING and SCORING here (and the link on the left side column is current, as well!):

http://laptraxtg.racersites-cluster.com/LapTraxTG/AMA/livescoring.html?LAPTRAXID=2010021045


THE site for flat track fans is Wayne Hosaka's FlatTrack.com. This is the general meeting and news place to be for the casual AND hard core flat track motorcycle racing fan. Hos has put together a heck of a site here, and for a long-time and hard core fan, there is nothing else like it. You can keep up with the chatter and the race events via the forum link right here:

http://www.flattrack.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=46


Twitter updates for AMA Flat Track here (and thanks again to Nicalee for TCB here:

https://twitter.com/GNC_Flattrack


Official AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by MotorcycleSuperstore.com GN Calistoga event page:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?eid=2010021045

Calistoga Fairgrounds AMA GNC track link (and tickets are still available so if you are in the area this is a must-see event for you West Coasters!):

http://www.calistogaflattrack.com/

Napa County Fairgrounds web link:

http://www.napacountyfairgrounds.com/

Google Maps link to Calistoga Speedway at the Napa County Fairgrounds:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=Cb4XlEZSiVW4FWyqTAIdB5Wx-CmRMnGHCUOEgDFA7pgzYeKLBw&q=Calistoga+Speedway,+Calistoga,+CA&sll=38.582811,-122.585449&sspn=0.007833,0.013754&ie=UTF8&hq=Calistoga+Speedway,&hnear=Calistoga,+Napa,+California&ll=38.587692,-122.585921&spn=0.015665,0.027509&t=h&z=15


Calistoga weather can be found here:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Calistoga,%20California&wuSelect=WEATHER

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Eric Bostrom Talks About His Return to AMA Superbike Racing

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Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1-mounted Eric Bostrom sets up for a turn during practice for the AMA Superbike round at Barber Motorsports Park in April of '07. The 2001 AMA 600 Supersport Champion returned to the track at Mid Ohio in the middle of July with the newly-formed Cycle World/Attack Performance/Yoshimura Suzuki team to contest the AMA Superbike series in some select races for the rest of the 2010 season.
After a stellar mid-pack race at Laguna Seca's Mazda Raceway last weekend, it looks as if the rust is wearing off after having left the series at the end of the '08 season. Bostrom set his fastest lap of the race on lap 18 in the battle for what ended up a seventh place finish, and showed that the fire definitely still burns from within. And having his ability on the track back in the series, coupled with his great personality can only be good for the series, and especially the fans. If he keeps progressing at the rate he has in two events and three races, there may be some racers that think otherwise, though. With a little more work, that gap from seventh to the front is going to get a whole lot narrower.
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If you can't tell by now from reading what I have to say on this stuff, I'm obviously a big fan of the Bostrom Brothers. So when news came down the pike that Eric Bostrom would be returning to the AMA Superbike Championship to run a select few races this year, needless to say, I was stoked. Not only to see him come back to the track but for the series itself, as well.

The two-time premier class runner up had been away in South America since the end of the 2008 season (and away from racing), so to expect great leaps and strides with a newly-formed team (Cycle World/Attack Performance/Yoshimura Suzuki with GSX-R1000 AMA-spec Superbikes at their disposal) would for even the most active of racers been a stretch right out of the box. But then again, to not see some progress or some glimmer of 'races past' shown in a reasonable amount of time would or could surely tarnish the image, history or pedigree-so to speak-of any racer's or fan's expectations and/or accomplishments. Well, after his first two events back ole EBoz is having none of that, and after a VERY impressive mid-pack run at Laguna on Sunday that netted a seventh-place finish, he is showing the fire inside is still alive and the desire to get to the front is definitely still there. And bravo!

Putting together a strong run with a new team and learning the eccentricities of the new-rules machines compared to the fire-breathing dragons of the '08 season has made for a pretty good return so far. And if things keep getting better, Eric COULD very possibly nail down a podium before the end of the season. Possibly. And that would be great not only for him, obviously, but for the fans and the series as well. The man with the boyish smile makes for a great interview and his enthusiasm, just like his older brother Ben's, is unequaled.

The remaining three rounds and six races in the 2010 AMA Superbike Championship are going to be even more interesting, and could lay some hefty groundwork for Eric to work with going into the 2011 season. I think it's not only going to be fun, but it's going to be fun to watch as the action on the track has just stepped up another notch with ole Eboz back in town, and with Brother Ben topping the box last weekend we are going to see some classic Bos Bros action on the track together again. And that is a great thing!

Thanks to the great people at On The Throttle and RoadRacingWorld.com, we get a chance to hear straight from Eric himself exactly what he feels and what he sees in AMA Superbike at this point in time, the new team, and how glad he is to be back. Pretty good stuff.

I'll shut up now and you can go here and hear it for yourself:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41392
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3-Time AMA Superbike Champ Doug Chandler Talks About The Current State of Racing

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Doug Chandler on the #1 Muzzy Kawasaki ZX-7R turns it into turn 8 during qualifying for the AMA Superbike round at Road America in June of 1998. Chandler, who won the AMA Superbike Championship in '90, '96-'97, is one of the most versatile racers to ever throw a leg over a fire-breathing 180+ HP superbike rocket. One of only four men to earn the original AMA Grand Slam in Class C racing, Doug always made it look effortless in getting the best out of the machine. One of the friendliest riders in the paddock, Doug was known for his ability to learn the machine and apply it to the track and/or circumstances at hand and bringing it home.
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Doug Chandler rips it out of Canada Corner at Road America during a practice session in June of 1999. While contesting the AMA Superbike Championship on the Muzzy Kawasaki ZX-7R, Doug and Rob Muzzy helped set the bar for professionalism on and off the track. Working with legendary tuners that included Gary Medley and the late Merlyn Plumlee, Chandler and Team Muzzy put together a string of wins and championships that went from '89-'90 and '96-'99. Doug also raced for Kawasaki in '00-'02 after they took the superbike program in-house.
Chandler also contested the AMA 600 and 750 Supersport Championships throughout the same years at different times, and from '91-'94 was in Europe contesting the 500CC World Championship for Yamaha, Suzuki and Cagiva. Upon his return to the States in '95 Doug hooked up with the then-new H-D Factory VR1000 Superbike team, but injuries suffered trying to develop the VR while racing kept him out of action for some of the year.
Back before the mid-'80s, when AMA Racing split the road race and flat track championships apart, AMA Pro Racing in 'Class C' competition as it was originally run, included running dirt track races on four different types of tracks--mile, 1/2 mile, short track, and TT (which includes a jump and where the bikes are also equipped with front brakes)--and running road racing events. To win one race at all five types of tracks incorporated in Class C racing is known as a 'Grand Slam.' There are only four men to have won the prestigious and extremely hard--especially now since the split--to attain Grand Slam. Those four men are Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert and Doug Chandler. Nicky Hayden is about the only active racer that could possibly add his name to that list, but the chances of Ducati-or anyone in MotoGP, for that matter-allowing a multi-million dollar rider to try to contest a mile dirt track race are pretty slim and none. Doug Chandler resides in some pretty tight company.
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Former 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler, who lives pretty much within ear-shot of Laguna Seca, was interviewed the week before this last weekend's Red Bull Monterey MotoGP and AMA Superbike event by one of the local sports writers and chimed in on his thoughts on racing and racing as it is now. Always one of the more approachable riders at the track, Chandler was known for his ability to bring it home and to set up a bike to be able TO bring it home.

Winning the AMA Superbike Championship in '90, '96-'97 while riding for Rob Muzzy's Kawasaki powerhouse, Chandler was one of the go-to guys of the day and along with Scott Russell, Fred Merkel, Steve Crevier and Tommy Hayden (among others) helped to make Muzzy's team the one to beat for well over a decade. The Salinas, CA. resident is one of the most versatile of this bunch, honing his abilities for Team Honda on the pro dirt track scene and then on the road race courses in the early-mid '80s. By the time Chandler hooked up with Muzzy the ability and the attitude were there, but putting that on Muzzy's Kawasakis uncorked it all once they hit the track.

Doug Chandler is what racing is and always should be and he brought a level of professionalism and attitude to the track as well as the paddock that was welcomed by all. But beneath those boyish grins was a mad man with steely eyes who could whip a throttle on a bike and that could make a grown man cry. But it was always a pleasure to see him do it and to be able to witness what he did for AMA Superbike and for the fans and to be able to talk with him and bore him to death with all the pictures he autographed for me over the years.

Thanks for all the memories, Doug! You made it fun to be a witness to it all.


Here's Doug's spin on the current state of racing, as well as racing in the States, thanks to The Monterey Herald in Monterey, CA.:

http://www.montereyherald.com/motorsports/ci_15556976
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Ben Bostrom Takes Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha to Victory at Laguna Seca AMA Superbike Race--Little Brother Eric Finishes 7th in Superb Mid-Pack Race

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Ben Bostrom on the Vance and Hines/Parts Unlimited Ducati #1 machine bends it through the carousel just before the last turn onto the main straight in the AMA Superbike final at Mid Ohio in 1999. Captain America, as can be seen from the stars and stripes on his helmet, is back ladies and gentlemen, as today he took his first win in the AMA's premier class at Mazda Raceway's Laguna Seca in over six years. Bostrom's last win in the premier class came at Laguna in July of 2004 while he was riding for Team Honda, and he has also won three World Superbike rounds at the famous west coast track.
In this shot, Ben had scooted out to a 3+ second lead over team mate Anthony Gobert and eventual '99 AMA Superbike Champ Mat Mladin, but had a shifter shaft seal blow out causing the bike to dump oil on the rear tire. He was able to re-enter the race but suffered a loss that surely could of at the time been his first win in the premier class. It would be at the Brainerd round approximately a month later that BBoz would notch the first of his now three wins in the AMA Superbike Series, to go along with his '98 AMA Superbike Championship which he won while riding the RC45 as a team mate to Miguel Duhamel on Team Honda.
One of the now-elder statesman in the class, as well as one of the most energetic and well-liked people in the paddock, Ben made everyone proud today, including Yamaha, who notched their first win at Laguna in the AMA Superbike Series. Great job Ben! We were rooting for you man!
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Eric Bostrom on the Ducati Austin/Parts Unlimited #32 machine wrestles his machine during AMA Superbike race one action at Mid Ohio in the summer of 2004.
Of note for today's race at Laguna Seca, Eric, on only his second ride back in the AMA Superbike series after a lay off since the end of the '08 season, came from mid-pack start today to end up 7th overall in the final. Racing with a pack that consisted of Brett McCormick (Jordan Suzuki-8th place finish), Chris Peris (Team Iron Horse BMW-9th place finish), Geoff May (Erik Buell Racing Buell-10th place finish), Taylor Knapp (Riders Discount Suzuki-11th place finish) and Jeremy Toye (San Diego BMW-12th place finish), EBoz stole the show in the middle of the race while battling with this tightly knit group.
On the 18th lap of the 23 lap race, EBoz set his fastest lap of the race (1:25:813 to Josh Hayes fastest lap of the race on lap 8 at 1:24:692 and Brother Ben's 3rd fastest lap of the race on lap 5 at 1:24:824) to slowly leap ahead of this pack and finish over five seconds ahead of 8th spot finisher McCormick. In the end the youngest of the Boz Bros. was a little over 35.5 down on big brother Ben, but had shown the fans and the other racers on the track that his learning curve is narrowing quickly. Great job Eric!
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The old guard treated the new guard to a sampling of what has been, and what COULD be again today at the Laguna Seca round of the AMA Superbike Championship, as '98 AMA Superbike Champ (and '08 AMA Supersport Champ) Ben Bostrom took his #155 Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1 to the top of the box over Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes and Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden in exciting race action at the Monterey lagoon.

Winning his fifth pro race overall at Laguna (Captain America won here in July of '04 and also has 3 World Superbike wins at the famous Monterey, CA. track), Bostrom fired a shot that has been in the chamber for some time now to show everyone that he is not only back but that he is very capable of running with the boys. After leading for the first lap, BBoz mis-judged the corkscrew turn on the second go around, and fell behind Hayes and then-leader Jake Holden (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki-4th place finish) when running into the dirt, and fell just over 1.5 seconds back from the front battle. Working his way back up, he was able to lead the last nine laps and hold off Hayes by .440 seconds at the stripe for his third overall AMA Superbike premier class win in front of his home state fans on hand.

Also of note for today's finishers was little brother Eric on only his second race event back in action on a Cycle World/Attack/Yoshimura Suzuki who had a great battle mid pack that started with him 13th and ended with him finishing 7th overall. Very impressive indeed!

Great job and congrats to Ben 'Captain America' Bostrom on his great win at Laguna and his return to the top rung in an AMA Superbike race. Couldn't have happened to a nicer, harder working guy. Bravo dude, take a bow!

And great job by little brother Eric as well. Who knows, it might not be too long to see both of them on the box at the same time. With three events and six races left in the AMA Superbike Championship this year nothing is out of the question. And to see the Boz Bros on the steps together would be way too cool.

Next round action is at VIR in three weeks. Josh Hayes takes a nine point lead over Tommy Hayden and Jake Zemke another 42 points back in third to the Virginia double header round August 13-15th. Stay tuned as this one is far from over yet!

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Here's the story on the race from the bible of motorcycle racing news and Cycle News.com's Paul Carruthers:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2010/07/25/bostrom-s-drought-buster

And here is Chris Martin's version of the race from the great folks at SpeedTV.com:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/spoiler-warning-ama-sbk-results-laguna-seca2/
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AMA Pro Road Racing Laguna Seca AMA Superbike finale results:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011035&discipline=rr&class=SB&type=F&rnum=1
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Ben 'Captain America' Bostrom Takes the Pole at Laguna AMA Superbike Round

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Ben Bostrom on the #155 Team Honda CBR1000RR races his shadow as he comes out of the carousel during qualifying for the AMA Superbike Series round at Road America in June of 2004. After winning the '98 AMA Superbike Championship for Team Honda on the RC45, BBoz jumped to the Vance and Hines Ducati Team for '99. Racing in Europe for the next few years in the World Superbike Championship, Captain America made a name for himself wherever the series raced. Coming back to America in '03 to Team Honda again, he was paired with Miguel Duhamel as a team mate on the RC51 big twins. In '04, Honda came out with their inline CBR1000RR, and again BBoz and Miguel were teamed up. Ben then raced for the U.S. Ducati team as a team mate to '03 World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson.
By the '07 season, Ben was hooked up with the Graves Motorsports Yamaha powerhouse, and by '08 had captured the AMA Supersport Championship after winning several races during the 2008 season. By 2009, Yamaha, Graves and BBoz found themselves back in the the premier AMA Superbike Series, and team mate Josh Hayes ended up second overall to '09 Champ Mat Mladin. For the 2010 season, Ben hooked up with Pat Clark Motorsports out of Las Vegas, who put him on one of the team's new mounts, a Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike. Ben helped to pay them back today by taking the pole at Laguna Seca for the final tomorrow afternoon. Great job!
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One of the nicest guys in the AMA Superbike paddock took the pole today for the Laguna Seca round tomorrow in Monterey, CA. Ben Bostrom, the '98 AMA Superbike Champion who just early this year hooked up with the Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha team, took his Graves Motorsports Yamaha-built R1 to the top of the sheet in both qualifying sessions for first overall for this event. With outside-the-industry sponsors in The Palm Resorts/Casinos and Las Vegas Speedway on board, BBoz showed his magic in taking a superbike to the top and for his riding background and knowledge of the Laguna circuit to take the pole by .2 seconds over Graves Yamaha teamster and current points leader Josh Hayes.

Jake Holden on the M4 Monster Suzuki, Tommy Hayden on the Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki and Larry Pegram on his Pegram Racing/Foremost Insurance Ducati rounded out the top five, and Eric Bostrom, in his second event after returning last weekend at Mid Ohio to the series on a Cycle World/Yoshimura Suzuki, ended up 6th overall. Other notables for tomorrow's 6:45 P.M EDT final start were Jason Pridmore on the Celtic Racing Suzuki who will start 12th on the grid and former '95 AMA Superbike and 5-Time AMA 600 Supersport Champ Miguel Duhamel who qualified 15th on his privateer Ducati 1098R.

This was BBoz' first pole of the 2010 season and the 8th AMA Superbike pole of his long and storied career. Great news for Captain America and I can guarantee you I will be watching this one on edge on the live timing link tomorrow. Being a LONG time BBoz fan, this is great news to the old guys like me that appreciate and relish the roots of the sport and the best of talent that has come, gone, and returned again to the U.S. shores to contest the AMA Superbike Championship.

Go get 'em Ben and good luck! We'll be rooting for you man!!

You can read the rundown straight from the track by the always excellent Paul Carruthers over at CycleNews.com, the bible of motorcycle racing news online and in print:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2010/07/24/bostrom-takes-laguna-sbk-pole
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AMA Pro Road Racing combined qualifying results from Laguna (PDF-version):

http://results.amaproracing.com/pdfresults/rr/2010/07-laguna/sbqcovr.pdf

AMA Pro Road Racing 2nd session qualifying results from Laguna (standard version):

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011035&discipline=rr&class=SB&type=Q&rnum=2
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Nice article from Steve Atlas over at Motorcycle-USA.com about the coming together of Ben Bostrom and the Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha team:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/748/7523/Motorcycle-Article/Pat-Clark-Motorsports--The-New-AMA-Superbike.aspx
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And here is the official AMA Pro Road Racing Live Timing and Scoring link for tomorrow's races:

http://laptraxtg.racersites-cluster.com/LapTraxTG/AMA/livescoring.html?LAPTRAXID=2010011035

Here's the event info for tomorrow's events on the AMA side of things:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/event.cfm?eid=2010011035
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Jason Pridmore To Ride For Celtic Racing at Laguna AMA Superbike Round This W/E

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Jason Pridmore celebrates after winning the AMA 750 Supersport final at Road America in '92, beating Scott Russell in the process (okay, so Scott started at the back of the grid, but still...)
Jason was riding his Class Schools sponsored Kawasaki ZX-7R in the 750 Supersport series that year and this was quite a monumental win considering Russell dominated the class in winning 3 titles from '90-'92, and winning EVERY race in the series the year prior.
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Great news to come across this week----yeah, I'm a little behind----in hearing that Jason Pridmore will be running the AMA Superbike class at Laguna for Celtic/Orient Racing on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the team. Celtic, having fielded riders Chaz Davies and Canadian Brett McCormick in the past, has been competing in the AMA Road Racing Series regularly now for the last 4-5 seasons in various classes.
Jason, who is a former AMA 750 Supersport and AMA Formula Extreme Champion, not too mention the '03 FIM World Endurance Champ, has been away from the AMA scene since the end of the '06 season, concentrating on running his Star Motorcycle School, his professional golf game, doing the two-up rides for Michael Jordan Motorsports this year, as well as a part-time announcer for the AMA SpeedTV team and it's coverage of the races (which he adds a great turn to as a former/current racer.)
It will be great to see Jason hit the track here in the States again! Always a great guy and a great champion, JP43 is one of the better 'elder' spokespersons for the sport. Let alone his very colorful personality. You can read more below!
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Here's the official news on Jason's return to the AMA Superbike Series at Laguna today thanks to David Swarts at RoadRacingWorld.com:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41299
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Here's a little more background on Jason from his Star Motorcycle School website:

http://www.starmotorcycle.com/jasonpridmore.html
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Here's Celtic Racing's website that will give you a little more background on them and their machines and riders in the past:

http://www.celticracing.com/
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We wish Jason the best of luck this weekend. It should be a good weekend for Jason in the AMA Superbike class as Celtic has been producing some great racing bikes over the course of the last 4-5 years and has proven themselves to be one of the top-tier privateer teams in the AMA paddock. Good luck to Jason and Celtic this weekend on and off the track!
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Yamaha Gifts Ex-Eric Bostrom Graves R1 Superbike to Jay Leno

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Chuck Graves is the man behind the Yamaha Graves Motorsports dynasty that has been supreme in pretty much all of the AMA Road Racing classes in the last 7-8 seasons, and is a former west coast road racer who first burst onto the scene in the '80s at Willow Springs Raceway. A former multi-time track and FUSA Champion, Graves started Graves Motorsports in 1990. After more then proving his mettle and ability on the track, the man also proved it in his ability to craft a finely tuned piece of racing equipment into a fire-breathing 180mph+ two-wheeled rocket. And he hasn't slowed down any either.
Hooking up with Yamaha as the unofficial and official factory team for the tuning fork people in the early '00s, the team won multiple championships in AMA 600 Supersport and AMA Superstock as a litmus test. It paid off. Graves and Yamaha came back to the premier AMA Superbike class in 2007. With riders Eric Bostrom on the #32 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike and Jason DiSalvo on the #40 like-machine, the team finished in the 4th spot (DiSalvo) and in the 5th spot (EBoz) in the final 2008 AMA Superbike Championship points standings, scoring 10 top fives and 27 top tens between the two riders. The only riders to finish ahead of them were '08 Champ Ben Spies, then-six time champ Mat Mladin, and Jamie Hacking on the Factory Kawasaki. Not a bad second year back. And in '09 Josh Hayes finished 2nd in the hunt, and Ben Bostrom nabbed 5th. As of this writing, Hayes is in the middle of the hunt for the 2010 AMA Superbike Championship with a four point lead and four race wins.
Since the '08 season, the rules have been de-tuned somewhat and the machines we now see on track are not the fire-breathing dragons of years ago (at least in the U.S. AMA Superbike Series). Bummer. Here are two of those Graves Yamaha R1 AMA Superbikes as they sit in the Graves paddock area at Road America in June of '08 while being readied for the weekend's events. Getting ready to breath fire.
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Whether you are a fan of Jay Leno or not (and I am so deal with it) you at least have to admire his automobile and motorcycle collection, that if you don't know about already, it's time to get out from under the rock. And slowly.

Anyway, Yamaha USA gifted an ex-Eric Bostrom '08 Graves Motorsports R1 Superbike to Jay Leno last night in part of the celebrations leading up to the Laguna Seca MotoGP event this weekend. Of course, all the BIG stars were there....KR, Sr., Eddie Lawson, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards......oh, and of course, Jay Leno. Sounds like a wayyyyyyyyyy cool time. Besides getting to put an ex-AMA (and REAL fire-breathing) Superbike in your garage and collection.

Read it and weep here thanks to the release and the great people over at Dean Adams' bitchin SuperBikePlanet.com:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Jul/100721leno.htm
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And you can check out some pics from the guest list, thanks to Dean Adams, right here:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/archive/leno/1/

And here:

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/archive/leno/2/

And here, too:

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/archive/leno/3/
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And before you have to crawl back under that rock again, go here....Jay's garage:

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/
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Roger Lee Hayden Talks About MotoGP Ride at Laguna With LCR Honda

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Roger Lee Hayden rips up the hill into turn 10 at Mid Ohio during qualifying for the AMA 600 Supersport event in July of 2005. Roger joined the Kawasaki Factory effort in '04 and contested the 600 Championship for the team, and as a team mate to his oldest brother Tommy. Tommy won the AMA 600 Championship for Kawasaki in '04-'05 and Roger followed through winning the title for the team in '07 while riding the ZX-6R-based machines.
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Roger Lee Hayden, the youngest of the Hayden Clan from Owensboro, KY., was officially announced yesterday as the fill in replacement rider for the LCR Honda MotoGP team at Laguna this upcoming weekend. Regular rider Randy DePuniet was knocked out of action for the next 6-8 weeks +/- during the MotoGP race in Germany on Sunday when involved in a three bike crash during the MotoGP race and suffered a broken leg. As a result, Roger will get a chance to step in and race at a track he is familiar with and on a competitive (DePuniet was sitting in the 6th spot in the MotoGP Championship prior to the crash) satellite Honda-factory supported team. Roger last rode at MotoGP machine at Laguna in '07 for the Kawasaki effort with top ten results.

Roger had a chance to talk to the folks at MotorcycleNews.com across the pond about his upcoming ride and you can read about that right here and see why RLH95 is so pumped for this home race for the Hayden clan:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2010/July/jul2010-roger-lee-hayden-on-lcr-honda-chance/
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Here is the official release courtesy of the great team at SuperBikePlanet.com concerning LCR's signing of Roger to the team's efforts for the Monterey round this weekend:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Jul/100719rlh2.htm
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We wish Roger and all the other Americans in the field this weekend the best of luck. For that matter we wish everyone in the field this weekend the best, AND safest of luck this weekend as well! Go get 'em Team USA/Team Kentucky!
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Tommy Hayden Leads 18 Laps to Win AMA Superbike R2 at Mid Ohio

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Tommy Hayden has come a very long way since he first started riding in the AMA Superbike class for Rob Muzzy's Kawasaki team back in '97, where he won '97 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Honors. After leaving Muzzy's team at the end of the '98 season as shown in qualifying at Mid Ohio above, he rode for the Yamaha Factory team, back to Kawasaki's Factory in-house effort, and then landing with the powerhouse Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki team for the '07 season where he has steadily improved since that time. Tommy Gun took the '04 and '05 AMA 600 Supersport Championships and sat out the Superbike class for several years while riding Supersport and Superstock machinery. He returned to the Superbike class with Yoshimura in 2007 and this year won his first premier class event earlier in the season. He now has three premier class wins to his credit after all these years. The hard work HAS paid off for the eldest of the Hayden clan!
Today's win at Mid Ohio moves him to within 4 points of the championship hunt behind series leader Josh Hayes, whom Hayden beat today by .194 seconds, for his third win and ninth podium on the season. The series moves on to Laguna Seca next weekend paired up with the Red Bull MotoGP American round in Monterey, CA.
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Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki-mounted Tommy Hayden emerged victorious today over series rival Josh Hayes in the second race of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires at Mid Ohio. Leading 18 of 21 laps at the stripe on his GSX-R1000, Hayden held off series points leader Josh Hayes on the #4 Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1 by just .194 seconds at the stripe. Local and hometown hero Larry Pegram on the #72 Pegram Racing Foremost Insurance Ducati 1098R rounded out the podium 2.97 seconds back from Hayden. Ben Bostrom on the #155 Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha finished fourth and Brett McCormick, the Canadian sensation filling in for the injured Aaron Yates on the #23 Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki, had his best finish of the season in fifth.

The series moves to Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA., for next weekend's event paired with the Red Bull MotoGP stars. Track time will be at a premium for everyone next weekend as the MotoGP Circus stars will get star billing on AND off the track. Most practice and qualifying sessions for next weekend have been shortened from the usually little-time of 50 to 40 minutes, so getting dialed in early will be the key to getting through the weekend with little or no errors and remaining in the overall hunt for the championship. Stay tuned!
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Here's the abbreviated version of what happened in the race today from the always excellent on-the-scene SpeedTV.com man Chris Martin:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/spoiler-warning-ama-sbk-race-2-results-mid-ohio/
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AMA Pro Road Racing official results for Mid Ohio SBK R2 are here:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011030&discipline=rr&class=SB&type=F&rnum=2
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And in the AMA Daytona Sportbike race today at Mid Ohio, '09 AMA DSB Champion Danny Eslick on the Geico Motorsports/Richie Morris Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 took advantage of crashes by the other title contenders to take the win today over Steve Rapp on the #15 Team Latus Motors Ducati 848 by 4.481 seconds. Yesterday's second place man Bobby Fong (DNA Energy Drink/Crozier Ducati 848) took the last spot on the podium and Tommy Aquino and Martin Cardenas rounded out the top five.

Series point leader Josh Herrin still holds a slim 2 point lead in the AMA DSB Championship over Eslick after crashing out today and remounting to finish 19th in race two. The boys will be back next weekend as well at Laguna Seca for next Sunday's 1:25 P.M. EDT race start.
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Thanks again to Chris Martin at SpeedTV.com for the abbreviated version of the Mid Ohio DSB race two action:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/spoiler-warning-ama-dsb-results-race-2-mid-ohio1/
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AMA Pro Road Racing Daytona Sportbike official results here:
http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011030&discipline=RR&class=DS&type=F&rnum=2&class_sort=all
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Hayes Takes Squeaker in AMA Superbike R1 Action at Mid Ohio

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Josh Hayes on the American Honda/Erion Racing/Parts Unlimited CBR600RR #1 machine comes up the hill having just passed under the pedestrian bridge at Mid Ohio during the running of the AMA Formula Xtreme final in August of 2007. Hayes won the race by over 5.4 seconds to second man Ben Attard on an Attack Kawasaki and Chaz Davies on a Celtic Racing Yamaha. After seven wins and eight podiums on the season, Josh bagged his second AMA Formula Xtreme Championship over runner-up Steve Rapp (on another Attack Kawasaki) by 45 points at year's end.
After four wins on the year and a now-ten point lead in the 2010 AMA Superbike Championship, Hayes could very well add to his championship total and be wearing that #1 plate on his Graves Yamaha at the of the season. Stay tuned!
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AMA Superbike action in race one this afternoon at Mid Ohio saw Josh Hayes, riding the #4 Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1, hold off seasoned veteran Ben Bostrom on a like Graves-supported, Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha by just .219 seconds at the 21st and final stripe. Tommy Hayden rounded out the podium on his Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to stay within 10 points of new series leader Hayes. Hometown and local hero Larry Pegram on his Pegram Racing Foremost Insurance Ducati 1098R ended up fourth and Jake Holden, riding in place of injured John Hopkins on the Monster Energy Emgo Racing Suzuki rounded out the top five.

You can read the race rundown from the always excellent, and sometimes controversial Henny Ray Abrams over at CycleNews.com right here:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2010/07/17/hayes-holds-off-bostrom

And here's the results thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011030&discipline=rr&class=SB&type=F&rnum=1
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And in AMA Daytona Sportbike race one action at the big Mid O, Josh Herrin took the win on his Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6 over Bobby Fong (riding a DNA Energy Drink/CNR Motorsports Ducati 848) by just .045 at the stripe. Herrin now leads the AMA DSB Championship by 31 points over fourth-on-the-day Danny Eslick on his Geico/RMR Suzuki GSX-R600.

Here's Henny's rundown on the AMA Daytona Sportbike race one at Mid O:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2010/07/17/herrin-in-a-squeaker

And thanks again to AMA Pro Road Racing for the results:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/results.cfm?year=2010&eid=2010011030&discipline=RR&class=DS&type=F&rnum=1&class_sort=all
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Larry Pegram Ducati Foremost Racing Live Webcam for AMA Superbike Mid Ohio Round

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Larry Pegram's Pegram Racing/Leo Vince/Competition Accessories/Foremost Insurance Group Ducati 749R sits under the team's canopy in the paddock area at Mid Ohio in the summer of 2007. Pegram raced the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship in '07 and finished fourth in the class with six top five finishes and three podiums to his credit. The big twin was no match for the inline fours of Erion Honda's duo of Josh Hayes and Aaron Gobert, or the inline of Attack Kawasaki's Steve Rapp. The 2010 season marks four years with Larry onboard the Italian marque, after riding Hondas in '06. This is his second straight year back in the premier AMA Superbike class and he has already proven to be a front runner again after a stellar year last year aboard the team's 1098R's. After first round qualifying today Larry sits in the third spot to line up for the AMA Superbike finals tomorrow and Sunday.
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Larry Pegram, who has raced just about everything imaginable in the AMA Pro Racing series and for what seems like forever, is in the middle of a great run this year after having a stellar year back in the premier AMA Superbike class last year. After today's provisional qualifying session at Mid Ohio, Pegram sits in the 3rd spot on the grid for the AMA Superbike races with his Foremost Insurance Ducati 1098R just .542 seconds behind race and series front runners Tommy Hayden and Josh Hayes. Go Larry!

For this weekend, the Pegram Racing team is offering an 'in view' live webcam of the goings on in their garage at Mid Ohio. (it requires Apple Quicktime plug-in to view)

So while you are checking out the Live Timing and Scoring feeds from the races outside Lexington, you can have a look at what Larry and the Foremost Ducati team are up to.

Check it out here--and thanks to Larry and the team for the live feed. You guys rock as usual!

http://pegramracing.com/liverace/index.php
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Mid Ohio AMA Superbike Preview--Get it All Here! (Updated 7/16/10 w/ Live Timing and Scoring)

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Mat Mladin on the #66 Yoshimura Makita Rockstar Suzuki GSX-R1000 leads team mate Ben Spies on the #1 machine across the stripe early in AMA Superbike race two action at Mid Ohio in 2008. Just coming out of the last corner onto the front straight is Jamie Hacking on the #2 Monster Energy Team Kawasaki ZX-10. Team Honda team mates Neil Hodgson on the #100 CBR1000RR and Miguel Duhamel on the #17 lead Aaron Yates on the Michael Jordan Motorsports #20 Suzuki GSX-R1000 as they all try to keep the front group in sight.
Since the takeover of the AMA Road Racing properties and running of the racing events by the DMG-led folks, the Superbike class has gone from a fire-breathing, 240+ HP and top-of-your-game class to Superstock heavy. With control tires and control fuel being implemented to help level the field--not a bad thing by me, it's working in WSBK!--and less-then-super Superbikes in the way of stock front suspensions-albeit the internals can be changed out-to milder-tuned and less hopped-up engines. With the racing arguably closer in the premier class, but still missing the fire that a full-blown Superbike class should have (see WSBK rules). And due to other problems such as the economy, losing sponsors and teams, the AMA Road Racing series at least appears to be making somewhat of a comeback in 2010. Though they do still need to work on the television package in respect to times shown (or not).
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One of the more user-friendly tracks (in terms of fan viewing and garage-access anyway) on the AMA Road Racing schedule is the flowing 2.5+ mile track known as Mid Ohio, located just outside beautiful downtown Lexington, OH. The Trueman Family still runs the track after all these years, and their ties to one of their original Indy car sponsors in Red Roof Inns is still prominent in the building and rooftop colors.
One of the nicer advantages of viewing a race at Mid Ohio is the way they set up some of the garages on each end of the paddock with stairs and a walkway above and over-the-shoulders of the teams set up inside for the race weekend. It gives you a nice chance to view some of the teams as they prepare for the weekend-or scramble because of it, and not get in anyone's way while doing it. Overhead views seem to lay everything out for you, so to speak, as well, in giving you an idea of where everything is.
In this shot you can see Josh Herrin's Graves Motorsports Yamaha 600 Supersport machine and his team as they prepare for the day's events in the summer of 2007. Herrin can be seen at the bench in the tan cap. Herrin will be looking to extend his lead in the 2010 AMA Daytona SportBike Championship at M.O. this weekend with two races on tap. Herrin won the Daytona 200 back in March riding for Team Graves and has gradually over the course of the last four seasons proved to be a seasoned-veteran with the team on and off the track. Winning multiple races the last couple of years it's just a matter of time before he bags a championship for Yamaha and for Graves Motorsports.
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Coming out of the keyhole onto the back straight at Mid Ohio, several riders run together during the first qualifying session for the AMA Formula Xtreme class in 2004.
Just outside the keyhole area the track offers camping and motorhomes and is a good high-speed vantage to watch from as the riders roll it on through the gears. The track also offers shower facilities just behind the paddock area where the safety garages and cars are. You can't miss that, just look for all the Honda's set up in racing school gear!
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Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, one of the oldest tracks on the current AMA Road Racing schedule that has been an annual stop since the early '80s, hosts round six of the AMA Superbike and AMA Daytona SportBike races this weekend. Also on hand will be the AMA Supersport races and the new Vance and Hines H-D XR1200 race on Sunday.

Honda Supercycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires is the hosting sponsor for the races that will kick off with practice sessions tomorrow at Noon EDT and continue into Saturday for race one and wrap up with race two on Sunday for the top three classes.

Links to all you need to know to follow action at Mid Ohio can be found below!

Mid Ohio has been hosting double-race Superbike rounds since the 2000 season, and this track is a great place to see a race in terms of viewing and bang-for-the-buck happenings. If you can't get excited about watching the races anywhere around this place you don't have a pulse.....

Of note for the race weekend, Eric Bostrom #32 will be returning to AMA Superbike action riding for the Cycle World/Attack Suzuki team and Doug Polen, the '91-'92 WSBK Champion and '93 AMA Superbike Champion, will also be riding a Ducati for DucShop Racing in the Daytona SportBike class. Unfortunately, Aaron Yates' leg is not mended enough for him to ride for Michael Jordan this weekend, but Canadian sensation Brett McCormick is scheduled to fill the seat of the #23 Superbike entry again after filling in for the last few rounds on Aaron's bike.
Also, #79 Blake Young is out after a massive crash in testing after the Road America round in early June, and the rider that was slated to be his replacement on the Yoshimura Suzuki squad, Josh Waters, an Australian Superbike fenom, was also injured in a testing crash a couple of weeks ago, and will not fill the seat as planned. No word if anyone will be in the seat tomorrow when first practice rolls out at 1 P.M. EDT for the Superbike class.

AMA Road Racing Honda Supercycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires Mid Ohio event info:
http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/event.cfm?eid=2010011030

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Various AMA Road Racing Mid Ohio event press releases courtesy of RoadRacingWorld.com:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41118

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41101

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41082

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41169

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41150

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Lexington, OH. weather thanks to the Weather Underground:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=44904

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Google Maps link to Lexington, OH.:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&g=7721+Steam+Corners+Road,+Lexington,+OH+44904-0108&q=lexington,+oh&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lexington,+Richland,+Ohio&ll=40.678815,-82.580624&spn=0.06405,0.110035&t=h&z=13

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Mid Ohio Official track link:

http://www.midohio.com/Home

Official Mid Ohio Track Map (pdf version):

http://www.midohio.com/Assets/Images/Pictures/TS-GenTrackMap-09

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AMA Live Timing and Scoring Mid Ohio event Link--UPDATED Fri. 7/16/10:

http://laptraxtg.racersites-cluster.com/LapTraxTG/AMA/livescoring.html?LAPTRAXID=2010011030
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Miguel Duhamel Returning to AMA Superbike for Laguna Seca Round

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Miguel Duhamel heads out of the pitlane at Mid Ohio during the summer of '91 on the Team Commonwealth Camel Honda RC30 for a rain practice session. Duhamel earlier in the season had won his first of five Daytona 200's while on his maiden ride for the Louisville-based Camel Honda team while replacing their injured rider, the late Randy Renfrow. Duhamel went on to also win 5 AMA 600 Supersport Championships and two AMA Formula Xtreme Championships.
The ride for the AMA round in Laguna Seca will be Duhamel's first on a Ducati in two wheel competition after having ridden Honda's for the better part of his racing career. Some exceptions to that are when he contested the World 500cc Championship for Yamaha in '92 and when he returned to AMA action in '93 riding for Team Muzzy Kawasaki. Duhamel won one of his 600 Championships while riding for Muzzy that year, as well. He also won his first AMA Superbike race at Heartland Park in 1990 while riding a Suzuki. Miguel last competed in AMA competition in the Daytona 200 at the beginning of the 2009 season on a Suzuki prepped by the Canadian Picotte Performance team.
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Good news to hit the motorcycle racing news pike this week is the return of 1995 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel to the grid of the AMA Superbike round at Laguna Seca at the end of this month.
Teaming with Team Forza on a Ducati 1098R, Miguel will throw a leg over for this round in an attempt to help raise awareness for TERI Services for Children and Adults with Autism. At the time this is scheduled to be a one-off ride and any future rides, according to the press release anyway, would be based strictly on future sponsorship.

You can read this super news of Miguel's return to the AMA Superbike ranks via this press release thanks to the good folks at Moto Forza and Motorcycle.com:

http://www.motorcycle.com/news/duhamel-to-race-ama-superbike-at-laguna-seca-89772.html
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Roger Lee Hayden Scores in the Points in Both Races at Brno WSBK Round

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Roger Lee Hayden on the #95 Team Kawasaki ZX-6 leads Jason DiSalvo on the #40 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 during the AMA 600 Supersport final event at Road America in June of '04. This was Roger's first year riding for Team Kawasaki, and he eventually brought them a 600 Supersport Championship in 2007.
Roger's quest to run the World Superbike Championship with Team Pedercini on a limited budget has proved to be a building year for everyone involved, but yesterday at Brno RLH placed 14th in race one and 13th in race two to take his 2nd and 3rd points paying positions of the year. It may not sound like much, but for Roger and the team this is big. In race one the Tom Sykes finished 11th on the Kawasaki Factory effort and in the second race RLH finished AHEAD of all of the other Kaws in the championship. Great job Roger! Hang in there man, you're making us proud!
DiSalvo, who until just after the Miller/USA round was running in the World Supersport Series, showed up at Grattan Raceway outside of Grand Rapids, MI. over the July 4th weekend and helped the Team Zyvax Yamaha team to victory and second place in the WERA Endurance race that weekend. As it were, Jason must have faced a much steeper and darker curve in bringing the ParkinGO Triumphs up to speed as he parted company with them just after the Miller USA/WSBK round at the end of May.
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Roger Hayden, who has been contesting the World Supersport series in Europe this year for Team Pedercini Kawasaki, scored his 2nd and 3rd points paying finishes yesterday at the Brno round. The underfunded team has struggled throughout the season to get up to form, and Roger having to learn all the tracks this year has also played against them this year as well. But they have stuck it out and haved gained considerably from where they had started the year off back in February at Philip Island, and their upwards movement paid off in the points yesterday.
In the process of doing so, Roger placed 13th and ahead of the other Kawasakis, except for 11th place finisher Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki factory effort in race one, and placed ahead of all of them while going on to finish 13th in race two, his third points paying finish of the year, and best placing for the year as well. Great job Roger!

And to add to the mix I included the race results below, and interview with Roger from back in April and the link to a picture of the Indy Moto2 entry that Roger will be riding for American Honda/Erion Racing in August. Some good things coming down the pike for RLH and Stu's Shots is primed to bring you the news and developments as the season moves on.

Congrats to Roger and Team Pedercini on their great finishes from yesterday.

Good luck and we can't wait to see you at Indy next month, Rog! It's going to be a good to have you representing us in the new Moto2 class at the big IMS track just down the road from Stu's Shots! Go get 'em!

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Brno WSBK Race 1 results:

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-results/3890-brno-superbike-race-1.html

Brno WSBK Race 2 results:

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-results/3899-brno-superbike-race-2.html

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Great interview with Roger from the great folks at RoadRacerX.com that was published back in April. He speaks about the team and how close knit they are and the learning curve they have all faced in light of the budget restraints the team has as opposed to some of the factory teams. Good read--catch it here:

http://www.roadracerx.com/features/tuesday-conversation/tuesday-conversation-roger-hayden-3/
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And just to add to this great news today is the article from Dean Adams over at SuperBikePlanet.com of Roger's Moto2 American Honda/Erion Racing entry for the Red Bull MotoGP Indianapolis round in August. This details some of the team's inner ties between the relationship with Team Manager Kevin Schwantz and the team that designed the great looking graphics for the U.S. round.
You can read about it and see the bike and Roger's leathers as he will be wearing in Indy at the end of next month right here:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Jul/10070795341.htm
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Joe Kopp Takes Latus Motors XR to Win at AMA Flat Track Lake Odessa Round 8

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Joe Kopp, '00 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion, sits behind his Latus Motors/Moto Concepts/American Agip/Lloyd Brothers XR while signing autographs for the fans during a break in the action at Lima two weeks ago. Kopp parked the Ducati and jumped on the #3 H-D XR750 to lead combined practice, win his heat and the National Final at Lake Odessa last night.
The AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com series made it's stop at I-96 Raceway for round 8 of the schedule. Kopp led all 25 laps of the final and was able to keep it up front in spite of a two restarts, the first on lap 2 and the second on lap 11.
As a result of winning his second main on a different make of motorcycle this year, and put together with his two other podiums this season, Smokin' Joe took over the number one spot atop the overall point standings by 13 points over second place man Jake Johnson. Henry Wiles dropped to third after a 9th place finish last night, two more points back of JJ.
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Jake Johnson helps out his Zanotti Racing/Leo Vince/Tucker Rocky crew on the #5 H-D XR machine in the pits at Lima at the end of June. Johnson hounded eventual winner Kopp for the whole race and even with the benefit of the red flags could get no closer then .215 seconds at the completion of 25 laps last night at Lake Odessa's half mile track.
Johnson moved up in the overall points from the last round at Lima as a result of his second place finish and his fourth podium of the year as well. The series returns on July 31 at Calistoga, CA. for round nine.
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The H-D XR's of #5 Zanotti Racing's Jake Johnson and the #2 of H-D Motor Corp./Screamin' Eagle's Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. flank the #40 Aprilia of Lloyd Bros./American Agip's Aaron King in the pits at Lima last month. King didn't make the main last night at Lake O, but H-D's Kenny Coolbeth did on the #2 factory machine to round out the podium in third place last night, finishing .281 seconds back of winner Kopp. The King of Cool and multi-time champ remains in the sixth spot in the overall standings 35 points adrift of leader Kopp. And the season is just getting rolling!
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The #7 H-D XR of Sammy Halbert, sponsored by Kings Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply/Nelson Racing sits in his pit area at Lima in June. Sammy kept it in fourth for the final last night at Lake O finishing .636 seconds back from Kopp. He now sits 19 points back from point leader Smokin' Joe in fourth overall. It was Slammin' Sammy's fourth podium of the year after winning the season opening round on the new Daytona Short Track.
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Reigning twins champ, Jared Mees, on the #1 Rogers Lake/Blue Springs H-D/Rockysonline.com XR finished 5th last night on the Lake Odessa half mile, just .822 seconds adrift of winner Kopp. Jared stays in the fifth spot in the championship run 25 points back of Kopp. His bike is shown in the pits at Lima last month.
Notice a pattern? Yep, 15 of the 17 starters last night were the tried and true H-D XR's and only the two Kawasakis , one of which was Werner Springsteen's Bryan Smith on the #42 machine (finishing 17th after dropping out 7 laps into the final and dropping to eighth in the series standings 80 points adrift of the lead) and the Scott Powersports/Cycle Dynamics/K&N Filters-sponsored Kawasaki of #10 Johnny Lewis. Lewis finished seventh on the evening and the only non-XR in the top 10.

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The AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com series made it's stop at I-96 Raceway yesterday in Lake Odessa, MI., and Joe Kopp came away with the big win on his Latus H-D XR this time instead of his Lloyd Brothers Ducati mount. Jake Johnson brought his Zanotti Racing XR home in second to extend his top five performances this season to five and his seventh top six position on the year. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., on the H-D Motor Corp. #2 machine rounded out the podium in third.

Of note, Pro Singles Champ Brad Baker #17M rode one of Mark Cheza's XR's to a semi win last night to put it into the twins main for the first time in his career where he finished a very respectable 13th on the evening. As per info out on the web AMA Flat Track is giving some of the Pro Singles riders chances to run some GNC events this year to get them ready for the new big bikes. Per notations on Dave Hoenig's Flat Trak Fotos results, no points will be awarded and these are being considered as provisional starts and finishes. Sounds like a great idea. Several other singles riders including James Rispoli also tried to qualify for the evening's events at Lake Odessa but fell short of making the field. Good luck to Brad and better luck to the others in the future in being able to put it in to the field for the rolling thunder show and the best show on wheels!

The AMA Flat Track series now takes a three week break before reconvening for one of the west coast rounds in Calistoga, CA. on July 31 for round nine. The season is just heating up so stay tuned to Stu's Shots for the remainder of the season's schedule. We didn't make it to Lake O yesterday but are trying to make several of the remaining races that are close to Indy that will be coming up in August and September. And as always we will bring you the racing news for today with some of the pictures of yesterday to cover this exciting series through the end of the year.
Hats/helmets off to Mike Kidd, Steve Morehead and the AMA Flat Track team for helping to guide this series down the road. With 50+ riders trying to time their way into the last two twins events, the numbers are up and the series is looking stronger then ever. And the level of competiton is as strong as ever in AMA Flat Track. Like we've said before and will probably wear you out with, this is the best racing series going on wheels, bar none! You owe yourself a favor to check out at least one round this year as the racing is primetime, and so is the running of the show.

Here's the abbreviated version of the rundown at Lake Odessa from last night from the always excellent Dave Hoenig from Cycle News and Flat Trak Fotos:
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/flat-track/2010/07/11/kopp-has-good-night-on-i-96

AMA Pro Flat Track Official results and points can be found here:
http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/results.cfm?eid=2010021035
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