AMA Pro Road Racing Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca MotoGP Weekend Kicks Off Tomorrow

AMA Pro Road Racing Revs Up for Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix


DAYTONA BEACH, FL (July 21, 2011) - When the spectacular Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix makes its annual stop at Monterey, California's Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend, AMA Pro Racing's National Guard SuperBike, Daytona SportBike, and Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport racers will be lining up with something to prove. Featuring more passing, head-to-head racing, and potential race winners than many other series combined, AMA Pro action is ready to point the world toward some of the most intense competition in motorsports today.

Highlighting the AMA Pro portion of the weekend will be the premier National Guard SuperBike class, in which a championship battle is currently raging between reigning champion Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) and Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammates Blake Young and Tommy Hayden. Young currently leads Hayes by just 11 points, and while the 23-year-old, six-race winner is experiencing his best year yet in AMA Pro SuperBike, Hayes hasn't eased up for a moment -- the Yamaha rider has captured two wins and five consecutive pole positions while putting himself in contention for every win this year. Hayden has likewise been a consistent factor, and he boosted his title chase with a timely victory at last round's Mid-Ohio event.

Also of note in the class are M4 Suzuki's 2010 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas; National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden, who took his first AMA Pro SuperBike podium last round; and Roger's Jordan Suzuki teammate, Ben Bostrom, who not only won last year's Laguna SuperBike race but will be fielding the LCR MotoGP machine as a wildcard in weekend action. Adding to the intrigue is new machinery such as the Chris Fillmore-piloted KTM RC8R and the Geoff May-steered EBR 1190RS, as well as a host of other talented riders determined to vie for top honors.

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AMA Pro American Superbike Championship Series action at Mid Ohio in July 2011 has Blake Young #79, Josh Hayes #1 and Tommy Hayden #22 battling for position.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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Daytona SportBike action, meanwhile, extends the offerings of can't-miss action, having kept fans on the edge of their seats since Round 1 with non-stop passing and ten-rider freight trains that frequently run three- and even four-wide. The class has seen four different winners thus far, with a total of eight riders having proven themselves capable of podium finishes. GEICO Powersports/RMR Suzuki's Danny Eslick (2009 class champion) currently holds the overall lead, but fellow winners Josh Herrin (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha), Jason DiSalvo (Team Latus Motors Ducati), and Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki) are joined in the hunt by a number of young, lightning-fast competitors. 

The AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class -- a proving ground for the series' youngest professional racers -- has likewise seen a huge diversity of winners. Results have boasted eight victors thus far in the class' two divisions, as the field counts down to the $25,000 Motorcycle-Superstore.com Year-End Points Fund.

In West Division standings, LTD Racing/Y.E.S. Yamaha's David Gaviria leads the pack, heading Roadracingworld.com's Benny Solis and Vesrah Suzuki's Corey Alexander. Other riders to watch include Gaviria's teammate Tomas Puerta, SuzukiScoopFans Racing's Elena Myers, and Dustin Dominguez (Latus Motors Racing), who took his Triumph to SuperSport victory last round.

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AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Series action from Mid Ohio in July 2011.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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For those fans unable to attend this weekend, broadcasts of Laguna Seca's AMA Pro action will begin at 8 p.m. PST/11 p.m. EST Sunday on SPEED. Those lucky enough to be at the Red Bull USGP will enjoy not only non-stop, on-track action, but a host of additional fan activities including Red Bull Air Force performances, demonstration laps by GP legend Kenny Roberts, a stunt show by Bill Dixon, a live concert by The Dirty Heads, ongoing fun in the Yamaha Marketplace and Ducati Island, and much more.

For Red Bull USGP tickets and information, visit www.mazdaraceway.com or call (800) 327-7322. To be a part of AMA Pro Road Racing, please visit www.amaproracing.com and join us on facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing and twitter.com/AMAProSBK.

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

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