AMA Pro Road Racing Previews Barber Motorsports Park Round 6 June 22-24

AMA Pro Road Racing Heads to Barber Motorsports Park for Triumph SuperBike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 20, 2012) - AMA Pro Road Racing returns to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. this weekend, June 22-24, 2012, for the Triumph SuperBike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union. For the motorcycle and motorsports enthusiast, a trip to Barber is a must. With immaculate grounds and fan-friendly viewing areas complemented by giant art sculptures that are strategically placed throughout the facility, this is one of the most interesting tracks in the country to visit. This year will mark the 10th AMA Pro Road Racing event at the 2.38-mile natural road course. The nine-year history has seen 18 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike races and eight different winners: Blake Young, Martin Cardenas, Tommy Hayden, Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, Miguel Duhamel, Kurtis Roberts and Aaron Yates. Suzuki has claimed 16 of the 18 victories; Honda has claimed the remaining two. With a strong showing at the last two rounds, Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) has strutted out to a 20-point advantage over closest rival Blake Young (Yoshimura Suzuki). Though the Gulfport, Miss. native has taken every available point since his uncharacteristic miscue in Race 2 at Sonoma Raceway earlier in the year, history and statistics are set against Yamaha's leading man. Young is historically strong at Barber, earning one of his three career SuperBike poles in 2010 with a time of 1:25.554 and gathering up Race 2 wins in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons.  Young is also the only active National Guard SuperBike rider with a win in the class here, as both Yamaha and two-time defending National Guard SuperBike Champion Hayes are still looking for a first SuperBike victory in Birmingham. Aside from Suzuki's leading man, five other SuperBike riders have class victories here: Josh Herrin (2011 GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2), Danny Eslick (2011 GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1), Steve Rapp (2011 Vance & Hines XR1200 Series), Josh Hayes (2009 AMA Pro SuperSport) and Roger Hayden (2004 AMA Pro SuperSport). In last year's contest, Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki) earned a rare breakout National Guard SuperBike victory in his freshman season in the class on Saturday while Young pulled away to a 0.765-second win over Hayes on Sunday. For 2012, Cardenas has returned to the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike division, where he is currently dominating the championship with six wins in eight starts and a 47-point lead.  Third in the National Guard SuperBike standings is Hayes' teammate Josh Herrin (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) with 151 tallies. In his first season in the class, Herrin has displayed awesome speed and made four trips to the podium.  Behind Herrin is Roger Hayden (National Guard Jordan Suzuki) with 126 points. The Kentuckian is looking to turn his season around after a string of recent bad luck. Geoff May (Team Amsoil/Hero EBR) rounds out the top 5 on the only American-made SuperBike in the field, the EBR 1190RS. Although the Georgian is mathematically tied with Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance Pegram BMW) at 123 points, May's top finish of third in Race 2 at Sonoma gives him the edge for fifth position in the standings.  Hayden's Jordan Motorsports teammate Ben Bostrom (Jordan Suzuki), May's EBR teammate Danny Eslick (Hero Moto Corp. EBR), Young's teammate Chris Clark (Yoshimura Racing Suzuki) and Chris Fillmore (Team HMC KTM) round out the top ten. Josh Hayes on the #1 Graves Motorsports Monster Energy Yamaha YZF-R1 leads the rest of the pack out of turn one during one of the AMA Superbike Championship races at Sonoma Raceway earlier in the 2012 season.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson. The Triumph SuperBike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union will take place this weekend, June 22-24. The AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike division will take to the track for the first practice session of the weekend on Friday, June 22 at 12:00 p.m. and will be featured in 21-lap races on Saturday, June 23 at 3:15 p.m. local time and Sunday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m. local time. SPEED will broadcast both race finals, with Race 1 scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night, followed by Race 2 mid-day on Monday at 12:00 noon ET/9:00 a.m. PT. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. Josh Hayes (Gulfport, MS) - 257; 2. Blake Young (Waunakee, WI) - 237; 3. Josh Herrin (Glendale, CA) - 151; 4. Roger Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 126; 5. Geoff May (Gainesville, GA) - 123; 6. Larry Pegram (Hebron, OH) - 123; 7. Ben Bostrom (Malibu, CA) - 111; 8. Danny Eslick (Broken Arrow, OK) - 107; 9. Chris Clark (Las Vegas, NV) - 107; 10. Chris Fillmore (Oxford, MI) - 101. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Since 2009, Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki) has clinched victory in five of six outings at Barber Motorsports Park, including all four AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races during the 2009 and 2010 seasons and a surprising win during his debut AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike season in 2011. Following his return to GoPro Daytona SportBike this season, the Colombian has posted up on the top spot of the podium following six of the season's eight finals and leads the championship 206-159 over nearest rival Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) heading into this weekend's Triumph SuperBike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union. Much of the points gap between DiSalvo and Cardenas is a result of the Alabama resident's troubled runs at Road Atlanta earlier this season. Had DiSalvo earned the average of 26 points he has grabbed at each of the season's other rounds, he would be leading Cardenas by 1 point in the championship chase heading to Birmingham. Instead, DiSalvo has a much steeper hill to climb and will likely have his hands full with the outright GoPro Daytona SportBike win leader -- Cardenas has 22 to his credit -- this weekend.  Third in the points is the consistent, Suzuki-mounted Dane Westby (M4 Lucas Oil Suzuki) with 142 markers. Westby has visited the podium twice this season but is still looking to lock up a win. Lagging behind by just two points is 2010 National Guard SuperBike Race 1 winner Tommy Hayden (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha), who was recently confirmed as the third rider in the Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha stable for the remainder of the 2012 season. Wrapping up the top five in the points is Jake Zemke (Ducshop Racing Ducati 848), whose three AMA Formula Xtreme wins here highlight his in-depth knowledge of the circuit.  Positions six through 10 in the points are locked down by J.D. Beach (RoadRace Factory/ Red Bull Yamaha), DAYTONA® 200 winner Joey Pascarella (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki), Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports Yamaha), Cory West (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki) and Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha). The AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike division will contest 21-lap race finals on Saturday, June 23 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 24 at 2:15 p.m. local time. SPEED will broadcast both race finals, with Race 1 scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night, followed by Race 2 mid-day on Monday at 12:00 noon ET/9:00 a.m. PT. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. Martin Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) - 206; 2. Jason DiSalvo (Batavia, NY) - 159; 3. Dane Westby (Tulsa, OK) - 142; 4. Tommy Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 140; 5. Jake Zemke (Paso Robles, CA) - 124; 6. JD Beach (Philpot, KY) - 112; 7. Joey Pascarella (Vacaville, CA) - 111; 8. Bobby Fong (Stockton, CA) - 109; 9. Cory West (Eureka Springs, AR) - 97; 10. Cameron Beaubier (Roseville, CA) - 89. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Barber Motorsports Park marks the second dual-region AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race of the 2012 season. Both East and West Division racers will have the opportunity to put points up on the board in Birmingham following a three-round tour of West Division races. Despite the geographic separation, fans have seen East Coast riders battling for the steps of the podium all year long. East Division points-leader Jake Lewis (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki) has participated in every Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport round this season, taking four out-of-region podiums, including one win, in the last five starts. Lewis' closest combatant has been West Division points leader James Rispoli (Celtic Racing/ Orient Express Racing Suzuki), who hopes to repeat last year's Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport conquest and close out his SuperSport career with a second No. 1 plate. The New Yorker has topped the podium three times this season and is the only active Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport rider with a class win at Barber.  Trailing Lewis 82-67 in the East Division point standings is Stefano Mesa (Kneedraggers.com Yamaha). Mesa took home his first AMA Pro victory in dramatic fashion just last round at Road America, the young Colombian showing the speed and conviction of a rider well beyond his 17 years. Just eight points back is Tomas Puerta (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha), whose 2012 effort is bolstered by a podium finish in Race 2 at Sonoma Raceway. Triumph-mounted Dustin Dominguez (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) sits fourth in the East points with three in-region podiums to his credit in 2012 plus three out-of-region podiums, highlighted by one victory (Sonoma Raceway Race 1). Rounding out the Eastern Division top five is Corey Alexander (National Guard/ Fairhills Group/ Celtic Racing Suzuki).  On the West Division side, Rispoli tops the charts, followed by Hayden Gillim (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha) and Elena Myers (SuzukiScoopfans SportbikeTrackgear.com M4 Suzuki). Tyler Linders (Rotobox/ Nexx Yamaha) and Travis Ohge (Harv's Harley-Davidson Suzuki) round out the top five Western Divisional standing positions. Saturday's 17-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., followed by Race 2 on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. local time. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Division Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. Jake Lewis (Princeton, KY) - 82; 2. Stefano Mesa (Boca Raton, FL) - 67; 3. Tomas Puerta (Medellin, Colombia) - 59; 4. Dustin Dominguez (Newalla, OK) - 56; 5. Corey Alexander (Carmel, NY) - 53; 6. Travis Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 39; 7. Miles Thornton (West Point, GA) - 38; 8. Ryan Kerr (Johnstown, OH) - 37; 9. Jacob Morman (Loganville, GA) - 34; 10. Zach Herrin (Dublin, GA) - 29. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport West Division Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. James Rispoli (Attica, NY) - 181; 2. Hayden Gillim (Owensboro, KY) - 155; 3. Elena Myers (Discovery Bay, CA) - 113; 4. Tyler Linders (Mission Viejo, CA) - 67; 5. Travis Ohge (Aurora, OR) - 67; 6. Ryan Matter (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) - 59; 7. Sebastiao Ferreira (Paravna, Brazil) - 59; 8. Devon McDonough (Damascus, OR) - 42; 9. Rocco Horvath (Chandler, AZ) - 36; 10. Colter Dimick (Ft. Collins, CO) - 34. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series has seen the dominant trio of Tyler O'Hara (Bartel's Harley-Davidson), Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Vesrah Racing Harley-Davidson) and Michael Barnes (Bartel's Harley-Davidson) lock up every podium position at each of the five rounds competed as part of the 2012 season. Although there are only six finishing order permutations that are possible between the three riders they have yet to repeat this season, indicating just how fierce the battle for position has been at each round. Heading to Barber, O'Hara tops the charts with 138 points, followed by Wyman with 129 and Barnes with 123. O'Hara and Wyman have taken home two wins apiece this season and Barnes captured his first AMA Pro victory since the 1996 season at the Sonoma Raceway round in May.  Notable riders that have scratched at the podium door with fourth place finishes include Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/ Rossiter's Harley-Davidson), David Estok (Ruthless Racing/ Deeley Harley-Davidson), Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson) and Shane Narbonne (Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson).  Corbino and Estok hold positions four and five in the standings, followed by Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn/ Racing for a Wish Harley-Davidson), Travis Wyman, Darren James (Ruthless Racing/ Deeley Harley-Davidson), Josh Chisum (Bartel's Harley-Davidson) and Nicholas Hansen (Surburban Motors Harley-Davidson) in positions six through 10, respectively. The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders take to the track for their 11-lap race final on Sunday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. local time. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Point Standings (After Round 5): 1. Tyler O'Hara (Petaluma, CA) - 138; 2. Kyle Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 129; 3. Michael Barnes (Boca Raton, FL) - 123; 4. Michael Corbino (Sarasota, FL) - 74; 5. David Estok (Daytona Beach, FL) - 70; 6. Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, CO) - 69; 7. Travis Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 65; 8. Darren James (Deep Cove, Canada) - 63; 9. Josh Chisum (Bakersfield, CA) - 49; 10. Nicholas Hansen (Cedarburg, WI) - 41. SPEED2 Live Streaming Broadcasts and Live Timing & Scoring Follow along live as the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders battle it out 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 the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com and AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series races, please review the SPEED2 FAQ located at http://www.speed2.com/faq. Live Timing & Scoring of all on-track sessions is available at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/. Between the races, stay connected with AMA Pro Road Racing at www.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. Barber Motorsports Park Event Activities In addition to watching some of the greatest on-track action AMA Pro Road Racing has ever seen, ticketholders will have multiple opportunities to meet riders and their teams and even a chance to take their own motorcycle onto the 2.38-mile track. The first chance for fans to meet riders will be at the AMA Pro Fan Party on Thursday night. Scheduled for 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Billy's Sports Grill (4520 Overton Road in Birmingham), fans will have a chance to visit with their favorite riders in a casual atmosphere prior to the start of race weekend.  At the end of Friday's on-track activities, all Friday ticketholders attending the event will be allowed to walk the picturesque track with the stars of the AMA Pro. The track walk will be free to all ticket holders and ZOOM Motorsports, the exclusive promoter at the Barber Motorsports Park, will donate a portion of the day's ticket sales to the Roadracing World Action Fund.  Saturday's and Sunday's schedules include a stunt show with Nick "Apex" Brocha and Ernie "EDub" Vigil, Fan Walks to meet the riders and teams, as well as Parade Laps for fans to take their personal motorcycles onto the track. The fan walks are open to all guests who have purchased paddock access pass, allowing fans to interact with the riders and their teams while viewing the race machines just prior to day's racing activities. The parade laps offer fans the opportunity to take their motorcycle on track and are available at the end of the day Saturday and Sunday for just $30. In addition to all the rider interaction, fans also will have the opportunity to see some of the latest motorcycles and motorcycle accessories in the Fan Expo area. Triumph, Suzuki, Kymco and Rider's Harley-Davidson will all be on-site with their latest products, as will several motorcycle accessory dealers. The Fan Expo area also will be home to the Kids Zone as well as event and rider merchandise. Tickets for the Triumph SuperBike Classic start at just $15 and can be purchased at www.barbermotorsports.com. Kids 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. The Motorcycle Super Saver package is available until June 21st with access to three motorcycle events at Barber Motorsports Park in 2012, along with complimentary motorcycle parade laps during the Triumph SuperBike Classic. While at Barber Motorsports Park, fans are also encouraged to visit the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, a 144,000 square foot home to the largest private collection of motorcycles, representing 20 countries and over 200 manufacturers. Tickets to the Museum are available for an additional fee and can be purchased at the door.

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