AMA Road Racing: Hayes Takes 5th Superbike Win of the Season, Cardenas Takes Daytona SportBike on Day 1 at Road America

Hayes Pleads 'No Contest' To All Charges: Yamaha Man Dominates AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race One At Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 2, 2012) - Defending AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes rang up a resounding victory in the first half of the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader in front of a huge crowd on Saturday at Road America.  Hayes seized control of the contest almost as soon as it began. Starting from pole (Hayes set a blistering National Guard SuperBike track record of 2:11.333), the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha pilot made a couple quick passes and raced off into the distance. The Mississippian's lead at the conclusion of the opening lap was an astonishing 3.372 seconds, leaving little doubt who would stand atop the podium unless something unexpected happened.  It didn't. Hayes cruised to his fifth victory of the 2012 season, opening up a crushing 11.348 second lead before the race was halted and called final while Hayes was working the final lap due to rainfall (although some might have thought the mercy rule was in effect). The start of the race was delayed due to a passing wind and rainstorm but was eventually contested under what were largely dry conditions, as evidenced by Hayes' best lap of 2:12.121 -- almost a second better than any of his competitors managed in qualifying -- at least until its abbreviated ending. Josh Hayes took the #1 Graves Motorsports Monster Energy Yamaha YZF-R1 to a dominating 5th win of the season at Road America on Saturday before the race was called short due to heavy rains in the area.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson. "I don't really know too much of what to say. It was an excellent day," Hayes said. "The bike was working well, the conditions didn't bother me or hurt me too much -- it was a little sketchy in Turn 5. I was quite careful in that section of the track. About the third lap in I wasn't believing my pitboard too much; I was pushing pretty hard at that point.  "It looks like I did most of my damage on the first lap. A little bit into the race there I had eased up and Blake started to take some time back out of me so I refocused and was able to put together a couple of good laps and open the gap back up." Title rival Blake Young was just as clear in second as Hayes was in first. The Yoshimura Suzuki pilot engaged in a brief tussle with MMP sparring partner Josh Herrin on the second Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 before breaking free en route to a lonely runner-up result.  Motivated to impress at home, Young quickly thought better of attempting to match Hayes' torrid pace and collected the maximum number of points that were realistically possible on Saturday with an eye on getting his revenge on Sunday.  "I guess I've got to start doing my homework and start racing with Josh again and stop letting him win by as much as he is," Young said. "It doesn't really make for very interesting racing. There for a minute I had a pretty exciting first lap -- ended up running my foot over in Turn 5; that didn't feel good.  Obviously Josh has done his homework and winning by 11 seconds over me... it's going to be pretty tough it looks like from here on out. We've got some work to do and we've got to figure it out. I think a lot of it is on my part. I know I've got a good team -- the Yoshimura Suzuki team is a great team -- and I know they are going to be behind me 100%." Herrin fell back into a fight for third with Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom, Attack Performance's Steve Rapp, Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing's Larry Pegram, and local hero Jason Farrell.  Herrin and Bostrom slipped away from the bigger group and Herrin ultimately proved successful in withstanding the pressure of his more experienced rival to pick up the fourth podium result of his maiden SuperBike season.  "I could hear Ben behind me the whole time but I was getting lonely there at the end," Herrin admitted. "Josh (Hayes) beat us by 18 seconds. I'm just glad to be on the podium. It was pretty sketchy the last two laps -- that was the only exciting part of the race. I almost crashed like four times. The R1 was running strong and I'm glad to make it up here. We're third in points and that's what I'm most happy about." Rapp's day ended early while holding down fifth just ahead of Pegram when the Californian's Kawasaki ZX-10R lost its chain racing up the hill on the front straight. Pegram inherited the position to complete the top five.  Farrell claimed a superb sixth, while Young's teammate, Chris Clark, Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May, KTM/HMC Racing's Chris Fillmore and teammate Stefan Nebel (who started from pitlane) rounded out the top ten.  National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden's rotten recent luck continued on Saturday. The Kentuckian crashed during final qualifying and then suffered machinery issues during the race, plummeting down the order before retiring from the contest early. Reigning AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike champ Danny Eslick suffered similar disappointment. The Team Hero EBR entry was black-flagged while racing with the KTMs when his EBR 1190RS started spouting black smoke. Hayes dominant win extends his building points lead over Young to 14 (226-212) heading into Sunday's second half of the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike GEICO Suzuki's Martin Cardenas won the first AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Road America on Saturday. Cardenas got a bad start and dropped outside the top ten but made a methodical charge and was back fighting for the lead by halfway. It was Cardenas' 22nd AMA Pro victory and extended his record of GoPro Daytona SportBike wins to 21. Cardenas won by 1.368 seconds. He was able to get away in the closing laps when the battle behind him (Cameron Beaubier, Jason DiSalvo, and Dane Westby) heated up. Beaubier (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha) took second, ahead of DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Triumph).  "My start wasn't great," said Cardenas. "I worked my way up. The bike was very fast and handling perfect. I saw the sky and thought it might rain soon, so I moved to the front as soon as I could. It was my plan." Dane Westby of the M4 Suzuki team narrowly missed the podium by just a tenth of a second. Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports) impressed once again, finishing just over eight seconds behind the winner and setting the fast lap of the race (2:19.629) in a quest to catch the lead pack. Jake Zemke was solid on his Ducshop Ducati, earning sixth place. The battle for seventh might have been the toughest one of all. Cory West (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki) took the spot ahead of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull's Jake Gagne and J.D. Beach and Huntley Nash of LTD Racing. Cardenas now leads DiSalvo in the points, 175 to 134. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport The Saturday race in AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore SuperSport was the typical close, hard-fought contest the class is known for, and this time Jake Lewis of Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki won. Lewis consolidated his lead in the last two laps to take victory at Road America by 3.247 seconds.  "The wind was a huge factor," said Lewis. "It really pushed us in some of the turns and made it tough." The 10-lap race saw polesitter Lewis lead much of the affair with James Rispoli (Orient Express Celtic Racing) shadowing closely in arrears until the race was stopped around halfway by a red flag. In the second part, Lewis once again hounded Rispoli, Stefano Mesa (Kneedraggers.com Yamaha) and Dustin Dominguez (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) but managed to get away a bit after Dominguez overcooked turn five with two laps to go and ran wide.  Mesa made a tough pass around Rispoli in Canada Corner to earn second place, even though Rispoli made a strong bid to retake the position in the final turn.  Dominguez regrouped to take fourth, ahead of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull teammates Tomas Puerta and Hayden Gillim. Rispoli's third place finish extended his Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport West Division points lead over Gillim, 166-139. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Bartel's Harley-Davidson's Tyler O'Hara picked up the provisional pole for the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race at Road America. Following a rare XR1200 breakaway win last weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, O'Hara looked equally dominant in qualifying today. The Californian held down an advantage of well over a second over teammate Michael Barnes (O'Hara's best was a 2:36.546 to Barnes' 2:37.989). KLR Group/Vesrah Racing's Kyle Wyman (2:38.052) and brother Travis Wyman on the Harv's Harley-Davidson entry round out the provisional front row for Sunday's 7-lap final, with final qualifying scheduled for Sunday morning. 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. Tickets are still available and additional event details; ticket pricing and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Races run rain or shine and kids 12 and under are free with an adult.

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

AMA Pro Flat Track & Lima Half-Mile to Host Test Day on June 14 for Upcoming Ohio National on June 30

Round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw the first Twins Series event of the season kick-off at the Springfield Mile I on May 27.  With all but the National main event in the can, the 19-rider main event gets the green flag to round out the days activities at the legendary Illinois State Fairgrounds oval.

Getting the jump from the front row (L-R) are:  Jared Mees #9 on the Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Saddlemen/National Cycle-sponsored XR750, Luke Gough on the #62 Dick Ford/Skip Eaken Racing/Johnson Cams/KK Motorcycle Supply-backed Kawasaki 650R-based mount, Bryan Smith on the #42 Howerton Motorsports/Eaken Racing Kawasaki/Midwest Performance Hardware/Guts Wear-sponsored 650R-based mount, eventual winner Willie McCoy on his #59 Harley-Davidson of Wausau/Independence H-D/Tucker Rocky/Arai-sponsored XR750, 2-Time defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-backed XR750 and 3-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Screamin' Eagle/Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Fox/Arai-sponsored factory H-D XR750.

Also seen in the shot on the second row are Sammy Halbert on his #7 South East Harley/The South Ass/Mo Vaughn Transport/LZ Racing-sponsored XR750, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Werner-Springsteen Racing Kawasaki/Action Motorsports/Big Dawg Racing/Metro-backed Kawasaki 650R-based mount, and Jethro Halbert on the #69 Goodwin Racing/Drew Massa Trans/SHR/Arai-sponsored XR.

AMA Pro Flat Track announced late yesterday, along with the great folks from the Lima Half-Mile, that they will be hosting a special 'test and tune' day on Thursday June 14 from 1-6 PM EDT in order to help riders get tuned up and tuned in for the upcoming Ohio National on Saturday, June 30.  The track will be open for spectators and fans to attend in order to check out the day's action as the competitors in The Rolling Thunder Show get ready for round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, and the first half-mile event on the season's schedule.

You can read the full press release below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track!

 

Lima Half-Mile Gears Up For Test & Tune With AMA Pro Flat Track Riders

Fans encouraged to watch AMA Pro Flat Track riders take to legendary pea gravel track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 1, 2012) - The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil is gearing up for it's summer charge as the Grand National riders make the switch from their 450cc single-cylinder mounts to the twin-cylinder monsters used on mile and half-mile ovals. With the Ohio National (Lima, OH) on the horizon, promoter Dean Gallup is opening the Allen County Fairgrounds for a test and tune session on Thursday, June 14th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The pea gravel half mile will be the first half mile of the season and all riders are welcome. There are many new teams and a wide variety of equipment for the 2012 season with Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, KTM and Suzuki all expected to be represented in the "Twins" class this year. Riders take to the track at round 9 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 26.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig. The test and tune will be open to the press and public where they can get an up-close preview of the Ohio National scheduled, as always, on the last Saturday of June. This year the event will take place on June 30th. For more information, please call Dean Gallup at 419-236-1983.

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

AMA Hall of Fame Announces Sue Fish as Addition to 2012 Inductees



Pioneering female motocross racer Sue Fish to be inducted into AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- June 1, 2012 -- The American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the second member of the induction class of 2012. Pioneering female motocross racer Sue Fish, the 1976 and 1977 Women's National Motocross Champion, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2012 AMA Legends Weekend at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Nov. 16-17.

"Sue Fish stands tall among all competitors for making a difference in motorcycling as an early pioneer in motocross, and her induction to our AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame will share with the world what we all know -- that her career has inspired so many woman to join us in our joy for riding and racing motorcycles," said Tom White, a member of the board of directors of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises funds for the Hall of Fame. "Congratulations, Sue, and thank you!"

In addition to dominating the female ranks, Fish, who currently lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., was one of the first women motocross racers to hold a professional racing license from the AMA and compete regularly against men. Known by the nickname, "The Flying Fish," she raced in the AMA 125cc National Motocross Championship. Fish's talents extended beyond motocross when she competed in the 1978 Subaru International Motorcycle Olympiad, a two-day event encompassing all types off off-road racing. Fish also competed on asphalt, racing in the men's expert ranks in 600cc roadracing classes.

Fish put her talents to work on the big screen as well, working as a Hollywood stuntwoman. Her credits include "Terminator" and "Footloose." She also traveled as part of Evel Knievel's stunt show in Australia.

"I was just a young gal doing what I love to do: riding motorcycles," Fish said. "Motocross is a sport that I love with every cell in my body, and I just feel incredibly honored to be recognized for the sport I so loved. Motorcycling was my way of life. It gave me a way of looking at things that taught me so many wonderful lessons about life."

Even though she inspired so many woman racers to chase their dreams on the motocross track, Fish said that as a young woman racer she never viewed that as her purpose.

"I don't really consider myself a pioneer," she said. "I was just riding motorcycles. I never had an agenda. Yes, there was a lot of press, but for me it was never about proving a point. I just loved riding. Ever since my father put me on the tank of his motorcycle when I was three years old, I've had to be on a motorcycle, and it was that love of riding that drove me."

Fish was born Nov. 9, 1958. Her father, who competed in dirt track and hare scrambles, taught her how to ride when she was 11. By 14, she started racing, winning her first race that year. At age 19, she advanced to the AMA Pro Racing national circuit. Her final professional race was the 1985 Women's National Championship at LACR in California, where she ultimately finished third after running out of fuel in the final moto. Since her retirement from racing, Fish has focused on personal fitness training and mountain bike racing, where she raced for the Factory Yeti team and was a consistent top finisher in National Off-Road Bicycle Association competition.

Fish is the second member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2012 to be announced. She joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary. The rest of the 2012 inductees will be announced in random order in the coming weeks.

The class of 2012 will officially be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame on Nov. 16 as part of the AMA Legends Weekend. The weekend also includes the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Dave Mungenast Memorial Concours d'Elegance on Saturday, Nov. 17, featuring many of the country's most impressive original and restored classic motorcycles.

In addition to the current class, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony shines the spotlight on two previously inducted members of the Hall of Fame, reminding the motorcycling community of the amazing careers of these Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends. For 2012, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legends will be 1998 inductees Malcolm Smith, a pioneer in off-road motorcycling and a star in the motorcycle documentary "On Any Sunday," and Mert Lawwill, the 1969 AMA Grand National Champion whose title defense was the central theme of the timeless film.

Tickets for the AMA Legends Weekend are now available through this online registration form: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5r7zy8ea4316694&llr=vw9ldxbab or by calling (800) 342-5464.

The AMA Legends Weekend will be held at the Las Vegas Red Rock Resort, a world-class spa, hotel and casino, featuring a range of entertainment, dining and family-friendly attractions. The facility's expansive ballrooms provide a stunning backdrop for the AMA Legends Weekend. Room reservations are available now at a special group rate by calling (866) 767-7773 and referencing group code RCIAME or AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST. Online room reservations are available at RedRockLasVegas.com.

More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org.

About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation

Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum's three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering.

 

More information can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org. 

 

Contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail: jholter@ama-cycle.org

 

AMA Road Racing: Surprise-Hayes Sets Early Pace at Road America

Extra Cheese: Josh Hayes up to Speed Quickly at Road America's Subway SuperBike Doubleheader

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 1, 2012) - As much as he wanted to ignore the word, even Josh Hayes had to admit that he has momentum on his side. While the reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike champ's dominant speed in Sonoma only resulted in one of two wins due to a Sunday mistake, he carried that pace into last weekend's round at Miller Motorsports Park and proved unstoppable. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha star continued in that same fashion on Friday at Road America, and boasted an advantage throughout the day better described in seconds than tenths or hundredths. Despite the day's cool and windy conditions, Hayes powered his YZF-R1 around the 4.05-mile circuit with a blistering lap time of 2:11.554 in the weekend's very first practice session -- only 0.013 seconds off Mat Mladin's course record posted back in 2007 when the class allowed considerably more extensive technical modifications.  The Mississippian was back into the '11s in the qualifying session, ultimately claiming provisional pole with over a second to spare at 2:11.853. Josh Hayes took the #1 Graves Motorsports Monster Energy Yamaha YZF-R1 to the top of the charts today at Road America, besting 2nd-quick on the day Blake Young by over 1.1 seconds.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson. "Today started off fantastic," Hayes admitted. "I'm feeling good, the bike is working great, and I'm excited to get back to this racetrack that has always been one of my favorites, if not my favorite. We pulled the bike off the truck and the bike is working, things are clicking. "I looked at the rundown of results last year and saw I qualified pretty fast. I wondered how I did in the first session and I saw a '13.1 and thought, 'Man, I was on it.' I kind of saw the cold weather and the clouds and a little bit of a wind, and hoped I could perform as well today. To go out and perform as well as I did this morning was awesome. I got a little bit of help on that one lap, but I think that I've got '11s pretty steady in the bike.  All-in-all, the bike is working fantastic and I'm excited for the crew because this is home for a lot of the guys."  Of his midseason surge, Hayes said, "I'm just trying to keep things going. I hate to use the word momentum but things are clicking and going well and I'm just trying to keep it on the same page. If I can keep it consistent and keep doing my thing, it's a successful program." While Hayes' chief rival Blake Young was expected to be his biggest threat this weekend (Young is from nearby Madison, Wis., won his first-ever AMA Pro Road Race at Road America, and defeated Hayes here on Saturday last year), Young was once again bumped down to third by Hayes' teammate, Josh Herrin.  Just days after beating Young on the last lap at Miller Motorsports Park, the SuperBike freshman put in a last-lap flyer of 2:13.087 to jump from 10th on the order to second, bumping the Yoshimura Suzuki ace to third at 2:13.178. National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden claimed the final spot on the provisional front row with a best time of 2:13.698, fractionally ahead of Geoff May on the Team Amsoil/Hero EBR entry that has become a fixture near the front.  May's #99 EBR 1190RS split up the Michael Jordan Motorsports entries on the order, as Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom was sixth.  Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing's Larry Pegram put the BMW S1000RR seventh while the mending Steve Rapp completed provisional Row 2 on the Attack Performance Kawasaki ZX-10R. Hayes will enter Saturday morning as a heavy favorite to up his perfect season pole streak to five. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Cameron Beaubier of Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha took provisional pole for the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race in Wisconsin on Friday. Beaubier topped Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) and Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki) in what is shaping up to be a similar plotline to recent races that have seen the same group of riders contesting the wins.  Cardenas led much of the session but was bested by the Yamaha man late. "I nailed everything," said Beaubier, who had crashed earlier in the session and set his best time on his second Yamaha YZF-R6. "I think I still have some time left in me."  Beaubier's lap of 2:19.638 was under the previous AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike lap record at Road America.  DiSalvo's flyer came on his last time around before taking the checkered flag. Jake Zemke was fourth for Ducshop Ducati, making it four makes on the front row. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki's Jake Lewis took the provisional pole for the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class at Road America. Lewis, who won earlier this year at Road Atlanta, topped Dustin Dominguez of Latus Motors Racing Triumph, James Rispoli of Orient Express Celtic Racing, and Corey Alexander of the National Guard Fairhills Group Celtic Racing.  "It was a pretty good lap," said Lewis, who set his time after a red flag. "It's four miles around, so you have to hit your lines every time around here."  Lewis barely edged Dominguez for the best lap. Lewis' 2:21.833 was less than 0.04 better than the Triumph rider's top lap. 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. Tickets are still available and additional event details; ticket pricing and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Races run rain or shine and kids 12 and under are free with an adult.

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

AMA Flat Track: Dan Ingram Shows You're Never Too Old to Return to The Springfield Mile

With practice about to begin for the day at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile, one man's quest to return to the sport that prematurely ended his racing career (and nearly his life) is about to begin again in earnest.  Clermont, Indiana's Dan Ingram, the 1983 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year, and former 3-Time AMA Grand National Championship event winner, suits up for his return to the track that left him battered and nearly broken some 19 years earlier, while Tom Cummings and the TCR crew ready the #31J TCR H-D XR750.

In what surely began much earlier then 13 or 14 months ago, Dan got a chance to do some testing at the Circleville, OH. half-mile in spring of 2011 for Rick Howerton and Eaken Racing in what was then a test of Howerton's newly-built first Kawasaki flat track machine.  Throwing a leg over the 650R-based machine, Ingram headed out to check the machine out and within several laps was within a few tenths of a second of the track record and looking mighty racy for a guy who had been out of commission in terms of competitiveness for almost 18 years, and turning some heads in the process.

After ending that test session on a high-note, Ingram told me at Springfield in May 2011 that the original idea was to do some more testing in preparation to actually qualify for the then-scheduled Indy Mile in August 2011.  A couple of things set his original program back a couple of steps, but never derailed it.

As we all know, the August '11 Indy Mile was eventually canceled due to the tragic rigging collapse at the Sugarland concert in early August in which several lives were lost and dozens of people were injured.  And after evaluating his length of time off of an Expert Twins Series machine, the powers that be at AMA Pro Flat Track thought it best that Dan do some racing in the Pro Singles Series and other AMA Racing events in order garner enough points to re-earn his Expert racing license. 

So off to tracks like Circleville, Peoria Speedway, Mid-America Speedway in Indy and others Dan and his Dad, Sam, headed, along with a bevy of supporters, fans and long-time friends who were interested in seeing this former National event winner attain his goal of throwing a leg over a big twin and competing with the big dogs again.  Dan Ingram had decided that if he was going to retire from racing, he wanted to do it his way, and not because he had to because of an accident or injuries. 

By the time the 2012 season-openers were ready to kick-off the new year at Daytona in March, Dan had already raced in a few of the off-season ice racing series events, and just prior to the Nationals had also gotten a chance to sling a leg over the Cummings XR750 during bike week activities outside Savannah, GA.  And more then several people were instantly impressed with what he did at the track at Oglethorpe after being off of a Twins Series machine for the better part of 19 years.  With his goal of gathering up enough points to satisfy AMA Pro Flat Track's evaluation process complete by the first weekend of May 2012, Dan Ingram was going to be allowed to return to the track as an Expert-ranked rider at the same track that nearly ended it all at the ripe young age of 28, some 19 years previous.

Dan heads out on the #31J TCR/Southside Harley-Davidson/Zanna Racing/Tucker Rocky-sponsored H-D XR750, and in combined practice after only eight laps on the Tom and Nicky Cummings-tuned machine, Dan had put himself in the 26th spot out of the 49 riders entered and 48 that had taken a practice lap.  With a best speed recorded of 97.326 MPH and a time of 36.989 seconds, he had some work to do to get near fast-man Kenny Coolbeth, Jr's speed of 101.491 MPH and a time of 35.471 seconds.  But he was solid and looking good.

In qualifying, things were starting to click.  First session wasn't as strong as what they would have liked in the 30th spot, but in the second session Dan was a solid 17th overall with a speed of 99.456 MPH and a time of 36.197 seconds on the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval, putting him just .783 seconds behind overall fast-man Johnny Lewis, and the speed gap dropped to just over 2.2 MPH off Lewis' Scott Powersports rocket-fast top speed that showed the TCR team had been doing their work to get the XR dialed in for Dan.  This would put him on the outside of the front row in heat two.

After losing the top five draft in the heat, Ingram missed the cut by just over 4.4 seconds and was headed to the semi with a 6th-place finish (heats qualify top-4 to the main while the semi races qualify the top-3.) 

In the heavily-stacked first semi, Dan Ingram most assuredly returned to racing in the top form of two wheeled racing in the world.  Racing against young guns and current hot shoes in The Rolling Thunder Show including Brad Baker, Mick Kirkness, Daytona winner Matt Weidman and eventual semi-winner Henry Wiles, Ingram raced like a man possessed against Shawn Baer and Weidman and took 3rd-place by just .042 seconds to beat out Matt and qualify for his first AMA Grand National Championship main in 19 years in what was one of the best races of the day in terms of close racing and in terms of crowd and fan support.  With the fans standing on their feet and yelling him on, Dan had truly returned on his terms and put on a great show in doing so.  And the crowd went crazy (as did THIS long-time fan of this now and again great racer and person!)

With rider intros taking place at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, Nick Cummings and Dan Ingram acknowledge the crowd and the AMA Pro Flat Track officials and greeters as they get ready to take their place amongst history at the Springfield Mile I event on May 27.  19 years after coming full-circle in his return to good-health and eventually the track, Ingram was going to do what few people can do in any sport, let alone one that requires the participants to slide in the dirt, bang bars and draft in multiple-bike packs of over 130 MPH, at the ripe young age of 47 years old.  And the crowd was still going crazy.

After a slip-up during the earlier part of the 25-lap National main event, Ingram settled into a battle with two of the current hot shoes in the series.  Here he leads on the #31J TCR XR750 over fellow-XR mounted rider '10 AMA Pro Singles Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the #23 Kiesow Racing/Hall's Cycles/Eddie Adkins/Sponseller-backed mount and '09 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Dodge Brothers/Alpinestars/Saddlemen/A&A Racing-sponsored H-D XR750. 

Looking racy throughout the day, in the end Ingram brought the #31J TCR machine home in the 11th spot out of a National main of riders of which most were almost half his age, and finishing just .092 seconds behind 9th-place finisher Carver and .085 seconds behind 10th-place finisher Bonsey.  And he had shown himself and a packed house at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval that he had not only returned, but he had triumphed along the way and put on one heckuva show for the house in the process.

And as the crowd died down and wiped their tears of joy from seeing Willie McCoy win his second-in-a-row Springfield Mile, some of them did the same for the Man from Clermont who pulled off what very few in any sport can accomplish after so long away.  And he had done it in style, with grace and with finesse, something that had never escaped him in that long 19 year span away from the big track.

Great job Dan and congrats man, you deserve it.  And welcome back to the greatest sport on wheels in the world, it's great to see you out mixing it up again!


You can read more about Dan Ingram's return to racing at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I on May 27 right here, thanks to my good friend and traveling buddy, Larry Lawrence, who covered the race for Cycle News.

Here's LL's spin on a return to racing for Clermont, IN. resident Dan Ingram, who showed Indy and every flat track fan proud last weekend by returning to the same track that prematurely ended his racing career and nearly ended his life back in 1993:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120529?#pg89

With the opening salvo having been fired in his return to Expert-ranked racing in AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship competition, Dan and the TCR team are now hoping to continue running the 2012 season, but like with all teams in any racing sport, are in need of sponsorship.

Danny and TCR are actively seeking sponsors to come onboard to help out their efforts to continue racing in The Rolling Thunder Show, and they have a few ideas laid out as to how to go about it.  With tiered levels of support available, the team is accepting any and all offers of sponsorship in order to be able to continue racing the TCR H-D XR750 in National events.

You can get with Dan on his Facebook page below to see what they have to offer, and to keep up with one of the greats in the sport along the way.  Check it out:

https://www.facebook.com/dan.ingram.92

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Invites Supporters to Join My Hall of Fame Project

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame supporters invited to participate in My Hall of Fame project

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- June 1, 2012 -- The American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame has introduced a new way for individuals and companies to help promote and protect motorcycling's heritage: My Hall of Fame.

"The idea is simple," said AMA Director of Operations and Hall of Famer Jack Penton. "For a small donation, your photo can hang on the wall of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum entrance foyer during the campaign year. The image you put in that space can be a photo of you, your family, your friends, your bike, your company logo -- anything appropriate for public display.

"The Penton family has already jumped on board with our support, and I'm looking forward to seeing others back the Hall of Fame's mission in this very visible way," Penton added.

A 3-inch-square photo will be placed on the wall for a $20 donation, while an $80 donation includes a 6-inch-square photo and a $180 donation secures a 9-inch-square photo. All donors participating in the My Hall of Fame program receive an official certificate noting that their picture is on display. All proceeds support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

To hang with the legends and support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, just visit MotorcycleMuseum.org > Get Involved > My Hall of Fame.

About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation

Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum's three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering.

 

More information can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org. 

 

Contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail: jholter@ama-cycle.org

AMA Pro Road Racing Previews Road America Round 5

 

 

Road America to Host AMA Pro Road Racing this Weekend for the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (May 31, 2012) - The fast and flowing 4.05-mile natural road course at Road America will serve as the theater of war for AMA Pro Road Racing this weekend as each of the Series' four title chases continue to heat up. An iconic American motorsports facility with a rich history in motorcycle racing, Road America is also one of the most exciting and challenging tracks on the AMA Pro Road Racing calendar. Since 2009, there have been five different AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike victors on three different brands in the last six race finals. Once again leading the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike charge heading into the event weekend, Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) put on another masterful display last weekend at Miller Motorsports Park to recapture the points lead from Blake Young (Yoshimura Racing Suzuki). Heading to Young's home track, Yamaha's leading man now leads the Wisconsin 194-187 in the standings and each of this season's seven wins have been claimed by one of the two riders.  The results of last year's National Guard SuperBike doubleheader in Elkhart Lake would fit right in with the pattern seen in 2012; Hayes took pole with a time of 2:11.913, Young took Race 1 by a slim margin over Hayes on Saturday and Hayes topped the box in Race 2. Josh Hayes leads Blake Young coming out of turn 8 at Road America during the 2011 event held at Elkhart Lake, WI.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson. Despite an unfortunate lowside while challenging for a podium finish last weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, Roger Hayden (National Guard Jordan Suzuki) is still holding down third place in the Championship chase with 114 points. Just five points behind, Hayes' teammate Josh Herrin (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) grabbed an impressive second-place result last weekend after a thrilling race-long battle with Young.  Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance Pegram BMW) sits fifth in the standings and is the third and final active National Guard SuperBike rider with a SuperBike win to his credit at the facility. Three other SuperBike riders have class victories here: Herrin (2011 GoPro Daytona SportBike Races 1 and 2), Chris Fillmore (2011 Vance & Hines XR1200 Series) and Danny Eslick (2010 Vance & Hines XR1200 Series).  Geoff May (Team Amsoil/Hero EBR) and Danny Eslick (Hero Moto Corp. EBR) hold positions six and seven in the standings, respectively, and are also on a homecoming of sorts, as Erik Buell Racing is headquartered in nearby East Troy, Wisconsin. The team has posted impressive qualifying and race results of late including two front-row starting positions at Miller Motorsports Park and three podium results in the previous four race finals.  Steve Rapp (Attack Performance Kawasaki), Chris Clark (Yoshimura Racing Suzuki) and Chris Fillmore (Team HMC KTM) round out the top ten. The Subway SuperBike Doubleheader will take place this weekend, June 1-3. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike will take to the track for the first practice session Friday, June 1 at 12:00 p.m. and will be featured in 13-lap races on Saturday, June 2 at 3:15 p.m. local time and Sunday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. local time. SPEED will broadcast each of the races in same-day delayed broadcasts scheduled to begin at 12:00 midnight ET/9:00 p.m. PT on Saturday and Sunday. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Point Standings (After Round 4): 1. Josh Hayes (Gulfport, MS) - 194; 2. Blake Young (Waunakee, WI) - 187; 3. Roger Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 114; 4. Josh Herrin (Glendale, CA) - 109; 5. Larry Pegram (Hebron, OH) - 96; 6. Geoff May (Gainesville, GA) - 95; 7. Danny Eslick (Broken Arrow, OK) - 86; 8. Steve Rapp (Hawthorne, CA) - 83; 9. Chris Clark (Las Vegas, NV) - 79; 10. Chris Fillmore (Oxford, MI) - 77. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki) continued to build on his AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Championship aspirations with a last-lap pass at Miller Motorsports Park to top Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) and improve his class win record to 20 victories. The Colombian has won GoPro Daytona SportBike races at Road America twice (2010 Race 2 and 2009 Race 2) and currently leads the standings with 144 points, 31 ahead of second-place Tommy Hayden (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha) with DiSalvo a single marker back at 112.  DiSalvo has finished second or better in four of six races this season and is one of three Triumph riders entered in this weekend's contest, joined by Kris Turner (Turner's Cycle Racing Triumph) and Kenny Riedmann (Sturgess Cycle Triumph). Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki) is sitting fourth in the points with 109. The Oklahoman has finished once in each position from second through seventh this season and is looking to pick up his first win at Road America. DAYTONA® 200 winner Joey Pascarella (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki) was picked up by a new team last weekend and had a consistent run to 15th place by race end, currently classified fifth in the standings with 94 points.  Just one point back, Jake Zemke (Ducshop Racing Ducati 848) is still threatening for a podium finish, finishing fourth for the third time this season at Miller. Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) kept his start-to-podium ratio at 1:1 with another third place finish last weekend. The young rider feels that he is fully recovered and looked strong throughout the event at Miller. The AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike division will contest 13-lap race finals on Saturday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 3 at 2:15 p.m. local time. SPEED will broadcast flag-to-flag coverage of each race in same-day delayed broadcasts beginning each night at 11:00 p.m. ET/ 8:00 p.m. PT. AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Point Standings (After Round 4): 1. Martin Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) - 144; 2. Tommy Hayden (Owensboro, KY) - 113; 3. Jason DiSalvo (Batavia, NY) - 112; 4. Dane Westby (Tulsa, OK) - 109; 5. Joey Pascarella (Vacaville, CA) - 94; 6. Jake Zemke (Paso Robles, CA) - 93; 7. Bobby Fong (Stockton, CA) - 82; 8. JD Beach (Philpot, KY) - 79; 9. Cory West (Eureka Springs, AR) - 70; 10. Cameron Beaubier (Roseville, CA) - 63. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport This weekend at Road America, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport division will fill the 4.05-mile track with the high-speed maneuvers, frequent passing and photo finishes that crowds love. Last year's Race 1 winner James Rispoli (Celtic Racing/ Orient Express Racing Suzuki) leads the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport points chart with 145 tallies over Hayden Gillim (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha). Gillim kicked off last weekend's BigM weekend with a big W, earning the first AMA Pro victory for his upstart team. The win was the sophomore rider's second career victory and the major points grab shifted him past fan sensation Elena Myers (SuzukiScoopfans SportbikeTrackgear.com Suzuk) to the number two spot in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport West Division point standings with 124. Myers finished a conservative seventh at Miller and has garnered 85 points so far this season.  Out-of-region riders will likely occupy many of the top spots at Road America. One of the leading East Division riders, Jake Lewis (Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki) is having a strong debut season including his performance last weekend. The young rider led only the second lap at Miller but held his ground for the remainder of the race to earn another second-place finish. Dustin Dominguez (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) came off a huge weekend earlier this month at Infineon with his Race 1 win, and fed off that momentum to grab the final spot on the podium at Miller Motorsports Park last weekend. Tomas Puerta (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha), teammate of last weekend's race winner Gillim, had a consistent outing with a fourth-place finish to solidify RoadRace Factory's strong presence at the front of the pack. Saturday's 10-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 West Division Point Standings (After Round 4): 1. James Rispoli (Attica, NY) - 145; 2. Hayden Gillim (Owensboro, KY) - 124; 3. Elena Myers (Discovery Bay, CA) - 85; 4. Travis Ohge (Aurora, OR) - 49; 5. Sebastiao Ferreira (Paravna, Brazil) - 49; 6. Tyler Linders (Mission Viejo, CA) - 41; 7. Ryan Matter (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) - 35; 8. Colter Dimick (Ft. Collins, CO) - 34; 9. Garrett Willis (Loomis, CA) - 29; 10. Rocco Horvath (Chandler, AZ) - 26. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Last weekend's AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race at Miller Motorsports Park brought more success to the Series' top three riders. Tyler O'Hara (Bartel's Harley-Davidson) grabbed his second victory in four races, becoming the first racer this season to double up in the win column. Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Vesrah Racing Harley-Davidson) and Michael Barnes (Bartel's Harley-Davidson) had to settle for second- and third-place finishes in what became a lonely race. Heading into Harley-Davidson's home state, the point standings remain tight based on shared success and close finishes from the series top three riders. O'Hara's second victory lunged him 16 points ahead of Wyman, 115-99, with Barnes one point back. Last year, Road America's 4.05-mile track proved to be a challenge for the current Vance & Hines XR1200 Series leading men. Veteran Barnes just missed a podium, qualifying and finishing in fourth while O'Hara and Wyman raced side by side for eighth- and ninth-place finishes. Kyle's younger brother Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson) will be looking to repeat last year's success and fill his brother's recent spot on the podium. The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders take to the track for their 7-lap race final on Sunday, June 3 at 12:30 p.m. local time. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Point Standings (After Round 4): 1. Tyler OHara (Petaluma, CA) - 115; 2. Kyle Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 99; 3. Michael Barnes (Boca Raton, FL) - 98; 4. Michael Corbino (Sarasota, FL) - 61; 5. David Estok (Daytona Beach, FL) - 56; 6. Gerry Signorelli (Colorado Springs, CO) - 54; 7. Darren James (Deep Cove, Canada) - 51; 8. Josh Chisum (Bakersfield, CA) - 49; 9. Travis Wyman (Macedon, NY) - 47; 10. Shane Narbonne (Tyngsboro) - 40. 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. Tickets are still available and additional event details; ticket pricing and camping information can be found at www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Races run rain or shine and kids 12 and under are free with an adult.

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