Crutchlow sets Silverstone pace

From the WSBK Press Office

Local hero Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) set a blistering 2:05.664-second lap at Silverstone to head the first qualifying session at his home track, with no fewer than five of his compatriots inside the top 10 places in World Superbike Championship action on Friday.

The 5.902km Silverstone circuit is new to almost all of the 25 Superbike riders on show, making Crutchlow’s advantage of 0.342 secs. over the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda of Jonathan Rea an impressive first day result.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser was third quickest, with British rider Leon Camier fourth on his Aprilia Alitalia v-four. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) made it five different bikes in the top five places with one qualifying session to go, and James Toseland (Crutchlow’s Yamaha Sterilgarda team-mate) secured sixth place.

Championship leader Max Biaggi, Camier’s team-mate, was a steady seventh, one place ahead of his main championship threat, Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Privateer Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was 0.811 secs. away from Crutchlow, in ninth, with the top 10 rounded out by Tom Sykes on his official Kawasaki Racing Team four-cylinder machine.

Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) was a happy 11th, as he was one place up on the official machine of Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox). Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was 13th, the Team Pata B&G Aprilia of Jakub Smrz 14th, and 15th was a rider returning from injury, Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati).

Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) eased to the top of the first World Supersport qualifying session at Silverstone, 0.090 secs. ahead of UK-based series regular Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) and 0.161 secs. up on Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com). Championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was fourth, Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) fifth.

Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Junior Honda) earned the best time in the first Superstock 1000 qualifying session in the last minute, heading off championship leader Ayrton Badovini (BMW Italia STK).

Wildcard rider Luke Mossey (Sondelsport Yamaha) was the provisional Superstock 600 pole man at Silverstone after the first day, holding off the push of championship challengers Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) and Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha).

World Superbike Times
1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 2:05.664
2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2:06.006
3. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000RR 2:06.052
4. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2:06.064
5.Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2:06.088
6. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R1 2:06.238
7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2:06.315
8. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2:06.464
9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 2:06.475
10. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2:06.596
etc.

Szoke takes another Trials win

By John Hopkins
with files from Waznie Racing

Jordan Szoke won a CMA Observed Trials event in Font Hill, ON last weekend, finishing with a score of 35 in the Expert class.

Andrew Young placed second with a 69 and Will Abell was third on 90 points.

Despite some rain leading up to the event competition on the seven-section, four-loop event was held in ideal conditions.

Szoke's wife Amy made her Trails debut and carded a 67 in the Junior class.

"I was so nervous that I kept messing up on the simplest things," said Amy, winner of the most recent round of the Pro Honda Oils Women's Cup road racing series at Mosport International Raceway. "Jordan was super-patient with me and I was able to work the bugs out. Once I relaxed I rode so much better in the afternoon."

Jordan will continue the defence of his CMA national title in Tweed and Arden, ON on Aug. 21-22.

ARL prepares for East Coast invasion

From the Atlantic Roadracing League

HALIFAX, NS -- The Atlantic Roadracing League is gearing up for the busiest two weeks of its five-month race calendar.

The next two weeks will see the Shubenacadie circuit and surrounding areas explode with racers from all over the country as the ARL holds Round 4 of its Atlantic Championship this weekend and then plays host to the final rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship the following weekend.

This will be the second year that the ARL has organized Round 4 of its regional series to be held the weekend prior to their National event. This is to allow visiting riders to come down a week early and get as much track time in as they can, plus it gives spectators a great chance to get into the swing of things before the big National the following week.

So far out of town riders have taken full advantage of this opportunity, also relishing the chance to soak up some of that famed East Coast hospitality.

The following weekend, Aug. 5-8 will see the country's best make their annual pilgrimage east for the Atlantic stop on the Parts Canada Superbike tour. This time, things are slightly different. Traditionally the east coast stop on the tour was the penultimate stop on the calendar, though this time it will be the final event. All five national titles are still undecided and if the past is any indication, AMP will provide some great races to decide the final title standings.

Adding to the excitement is a strong mix of fast local riders looking to show well in their home event. The east coast is home to some of Canada’s fastest racers with multi time Canadian Champion Don Munroe hailing from Bedford, just 40 minutes from AMP.

One of the main reasons the ARL keeps organizing the Atlantic stop of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship is to provide its riders with a chance to showcase their talent on the National level without having to travel halfway across the country.

With established national stars Jordan Szoke, Jodi Christie, Francis Martin, Alex Welsh, Steven Nickerson, Raphael Archambault and co. all ready and raring to go the stage is set for some great racing. Throw in local fast men Todd Scott, Andrew Dunlap, Ron Munroe, Charlie Legere, Austin Shaw-O’Leary and Mark Goodwin and things get even more exciting.

For more information visit http://www.atlanticroadracing.com or e-mail admin@atlanticroadracing.com.

New features for 2011 Harleys

From Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada

MILWAUKEE, WI – Harley-Davidson Motor Company is expanding its family of Great American Touring motorcycles for 2011 with the debut of the new Road Glide Ultra, a full-feature model with a frame-mounted fairing.

Harley-Davidson also introduces PowerPak, which bundles the Twin Cam 103 engine with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and the Harley-Davidson Smart Security System as either standard equipment or as an option on select Touring family models. PowerPak marks the first time Harley-Davidson has offered a Factory-installed engine-upgrade option on a production motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson will offer eight Touring models for 2011, each featuring V-Twin power and an appealing combination of technology and tradition.

Harley-Davidson combines its Ultra level of luxury touring appointments with the wind-splitting aerodynamics and lighter handling of a frame-mounted fairing in the new Road Glide Ultra. The PowerPak is standard equipment on the Road Glide Ultra model. Other features include ventilated fairing lowers, a King Tour-Pak carrier with soft luggage liners and passenger backrest, electronic cruise control and a premium Harman/Kardon Advanced Audio System with four speakers and a CB/intercom system.

The Road Glide Ultra is a touring machine for riders ready to rack up some serious mileage.

A new combination of performance and technology, PowerPak combines the Twin Cam 103 engine with ABS and the H-D Smart Security System. PowerPak is a standard feature on the 2011 Road King Classic, Electra Glide Ultra Limited, and Road Glide Ultra models, and will be available as a Factory-installed option on the 2011 Street Glide and Road Glide Custom.

The Twin Cam 103 is rated at 102 ft-lb of torque at 3,500 rpm, a 9.6 percent increase in peak torque over the Twin Cam 96 engine it replaces, giving it extra power for enhanced passing and hill-climbing performance when a passenger and luggage are on board.

Harley-Davidson Touring ABS works in conjunction with high-performance Brembo brakes to help the rider maintain control during braking, especially in less-than-optimal conditions. The components of Harley-Davidson ABS are virtually invisible, preserving the uncluttered styling of the area around the wheels. Harley-Davidson ABS is not a linked system, which means that the rider maintains full, independent control of both front and rear brakes.

The H-D Smart Security System offers automatic self-arming and disarming through the Hands-Free Fob, which communicates directly with the security module on an individualized frequency. When the rider switches off the ignition and leaves the proximity of the motorcycle, the Smart Security System disables the vehicle starter, ignition, and electronic fuel injection (EFI).

Any Touring model not equipped with PowerPak may be ordered with ABS and the H-D Smart Security System bundled together as a single Factory-installed option. These items will no longer be offered as separate options.

The seats on all 2011 Harley-Davidson Touring models have been re-shaped to enhance styling, improve rider leg reach to the ground, and to provide better lower back support. A key element of the new seat designs is a narrower forward section of the seat, which makes it easier for more riders to place both feet confidently on the ground.

Hayden pleased with Laguna effort

From motogp.com

Roger Lee Hayden’s weekend at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix was an all-round success for the American, who achieved 11th place on the RC212V of the LCR Honda team last Sunday as he stood in for the injured Randy de Puniet at Laguna Seca.

The younger of the Hayden brothers improved throughout the weekend, shaving just over 1.6 secs. off his lap times from the first practice to qualifying. Finding the difference in the carbon front brakes used in MotoGP to the metal ones he is accustomed to in World SBK and the Bridgestone tires two of the main challenges, the 27-year-old rose from 17th on the starting grid to take five championship points in his second premier class race.

“This was a very good race for me. After the start I got boxed in at the first corner and after that it took me a few laps to find my pace. The rest of the guys had taken a few seconds on me but I started to pull them back in and I did my fastest lap of the whole weekend in doing so. I charged hard and caught De Angelis and with two laps to go I passed him and took 11th place,” said Hayden.

“At the start of the week I really did not think I could have taken 11th place. I really want to thank the LCR Team for this fantastic opportunity. Everybody in the team has bent over backwards to help me in every way. The guys worked really hard on the bike and made it very comfortable for me to ride. They put absolutely no pressure on me this weekend for a result but this is the American GP and all my friends, family and fans are here so I wanted to give them all a good result.

"I would love a chance to ride for this team again as they are a fantastic bunch of guys and the machine they gave me was perfect.”

Team owner Lucio Cecchinello stated, “First I want to wish Randy a very quick recovery and want to thank the team for their great work this weekend. Despite the bad luck we have decided to come here and do our best as always. We are pleased with Roger’s result because he improved his feeling on the bike session by session and during the race he was focused and tough especially when he passed De Angelis with two laps to go.”

Harley raises touring stakes

From Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada

CONCORD, ON – The 2011 Custom Vehicle Operations Road Glide Ultra bike, a new super-premium touring motorcycle with a frame-mounted fairing, offers its rider and passenger exceptional style, comfort, and performance.

Trimmed in glistening chrome and spectacular paint, the limited-production CVO Road Glide Ultra also features exclusive audio, navigation, and seating components. Powered by the Screamin’ Eagle Twin Cam 110 V-Twin engine, the CVO Road Glide Ultra is one of the most capable and beautiful touring motorcycles on the road today.

Harley-Davidson CVO models are super-premium motorcycles for customers who desire the exclusivity of intricate paint, custom accessories, and a high-performance powertrain not available on standard-production Harley-Davidson models. CVO motorcycles define the advance vision of Harley-Davidson styling, features, and performance.

For the CVOTM Road Glide Ultra, the Harley-Davidson Touring chassis serves as its solid foundation. A single-spar, rigid backbone frame and two-piece swingarm contribute to this platform’s long-haul durability and responsive manoeuvrability. Dunlop Multi-Tread dual-compound tires enhance handling and extend rear-tire tread life. Air-adjustable rear shocks accommodate variable passenger and luggage loads. Chassis geometry and suspension are calibrated to deliver confident handling and comfort.

The CVO Road Glide Ultra features an aerodynamic, frame-mounted fairing that offers a lighter steering feel than a fork-mounted fairing, and incorporates dual headlamps and a cockpit-style instrument display. The CVO Road Glide Ultra is also equipped with ventilated fairing lowers. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and cruise control are also standard equipment.

The CVO Road Glide Ultra will be offered in three custom colour schemes, each with Granite powdercoat powertrain and colour-matched inner fairing and speedometer/tachometer housing:
Rio Red & Black Ember with Quartzite Graphics, Charcoal Slate & Black Twilight with Quartzite Graphics, Frosted Ivory & Vintage Gold with Quartzite Graphics.

Production of the 2011 CVO Road Glide Ultra will be limited to approximately 3,000 units. The bike has a suggested Canadian Retail price of $41,919.

World Superbikes return to Silverstone

From the WSBK Pressoffice

Round 10 of the 13-round HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the latest incarnation of the classic Silverstone circuit this weekend.

The championship has been to Silverstone on six previous occasions, the most recent being in 2007, when only one race took place due to incessant rain that flooded the track before race two could get underway. The Silverstone that WSB returns to this year is a very different venue from previous versions, with massive investment in both a heavily modified circuit layout and infrastructure improvements resulting in a 5.902km circuit, which owes a lot to the ex-airfield circuit’s original reputation as a fast and open racetrack, where speed is a key element.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) and his factory team have been almost immaculate in 2010, winning half the races on offer, finishing every race in the points and having no individual placing lower than eighth. Biaggi has been so consistent he has only had five non-podium finishes all season. No surprise to find that he is a clear championship leader after round nine at Brno, now having a 68-point advantage approaching Silverstone.

Biaggi has not got far to look to see the immediate threat at Silverstone, with the first of seven well-equipped local riders being second placed in the overall WSB rankings, Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Haslam could ask for no better current WSB venue to try to make big inroads into Biaggi’s points lead, as he will have the crowd firmly on his side for the first time all year, and greater recent experience of at least some of the Silverstone layout than many of his rivals.

There are no fewer than seven full time riders in the 2010 line-up who emanate from the UK, and all of them are on either official or well-supported machinery. For this reason alone Silverstone may well provide the best chance of a new name appearing on the 2010 winner’s roster since Kyalami in May.

So far we have had six different race-winning riders, the roll of honour led by Biaggi with nine victories. Next up, Haslam is tied on three wins with overall third placed rider Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda). Rea has been busy of late, winning the first race at Brno last time out before heading to Japan and a podium slot at the Suzuka 8 Hours last weekend.

Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was a winner at round one in Australia and he is now fourth in the points, close to Rea and the following rider in fifth place, Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox). Haga is another with a single win to his credit in 2010, and the most recent rider to enter the 2010 winners’ club is Haga’s own team-mate, Michel Fabrizio - eighth overall and twice a podium man in the past two rounds. The Ducati 1200cc V-twin riders will all arrive at Silverstone with the same regulation minimum weight of 162 kg as the other machines, after once more breaking through the lower threshold of the balancing regulations at the previous Brno round.

The seven British regulars looking for hometown glory on Sunday include James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda), a double WSBK champion but a rider still looking for his first win in his comeback season. Toseland is sixth in the current rankings.

Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was unlucky to injure himself at the previous round in Brno, missing raceday, but he is expecting great things from his S1000RR around the fast sweeps of Silverstone, if he comes through a test at Mugello in good condition. Corser is seventh now, two points ahead of a chasing Fabrizio, with the second official BMW rider, Ruben Xaus, 13th overall and improving all the time.

One of the ‘magnificent seven’ local riders is particularly well known to British crowds, 2009 BSB champion Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia). Already a podium placer on his v-four Aprilia, Camier is having an intense learning year in WSB, tied on points with a Superpole expert in his first full season, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda). Briton Crutchlow has scored pole four times so far, and has four podium places to boot. He is 10th in the championship, but tied on the same 138 point total as Camier and British-domiciled Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare).

Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) sits 12th right now, looking forward to his latest return home to race and another chance to match his sheer speed over a single lap to a race result of equal prominence.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) is the seventh Brit in regular WSB competition in 2010 and he more than anyone will see Silverstone as an opportunity to shine. With his regular team-mate Chris Vermeulen out for the rest of the year through injury, he will have the legendary figure of Akira Yanagawa alongside him at Silverstone.

Series regular Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati) who suffered a fracture at the Brno race weekend, has recovered well and will race in England. Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Aprilia) will be on a v-four for this round again, with Max Neukirchner (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) and Honda privateer Broc Parkes (ECHO CRS) out for more points to move up the standings. Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) plus Pedercini Kawasaki team-mates Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco are also privateers worth watching.

Wildcards of the highest quality and equipment levels are set to join the Silverstone party in 2010, as Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari (both HM Plant Honda) combine forces to lever points and places from the hands of the regulars. Privateer rider Tommy Bridewell will also be made welcome in the WSB paddock on his Quay Garage Honda.

For the fifth time this year the World Supersport Championship lead has changed hands once again with three riders having taken turns to head up the standings even before the last round at Brno. After another win, his third of the year, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) left Brno at the top of the reckoning and second place in the race gave Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) second in the rankings also, some 15 points behind Sofuoglu.

Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) no-scored for the first time and is now third, 22 points adrift but with four races to go - including Silverstone.

ParkinGO Triumph BE-1’s Chaz Davies is an increasingly impressive fourth, having scored three podium finishes so far.

Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) has remained untouchable at the top of the Superstock 1000 standings, winning six from six as his championship carries on relentlessly. He now has a 77-point advantage over Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Corse Honda), and a win at Silverstone would give Badovini the championship no matter what. Lesser results would also see him crowned champion, if all his four main rivals have poor weekends.

Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) is overcoming all obstacles in his way this year in the 600 Superstock division, having won four races and been placed in the other two. He leads his French countryman Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 30 points after his last win in the Czech Republic. Italian rider Federico D’Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) is still third but looking for his first win of the year.

Jervis cracks the win column

By John Hopkins

Victoria's Oliver Jervis picked up the win in 600 Superbike and added a pair of runner-up finishes to his tally in the third round of the OMRRA season at Portland International Raceway last weekend.

Riding his Zlock-prepared Kawasaki ZX-6R, Jervis came out on top of a tight battle with fellow Kawasaki rider Chris Ancien in the 600 Superbike race after finishing a close second to Ancien in the 600 Supersport round a day earlier.

"I was able to slot into second again off the start but I had a different mindset for this race," Jervis explained. "I'll leave it at the word 'determined' and let you imagine the rest. The result was probably one of the best races of my career, passing on every lap, two to three times, if not more. Timing lapped riders to the 10th of a second and relentlessly pushing as hard as possible every second of every lap."

In Formula Ultra Jervis grabbed second off the start on a Kawasaki ZX-10R borrowed from Mike Sullivan and chased Alan Schmidt. Jervis was unable to get ahead of his fellow BC rider and survived a near crash in turn three on his way to another second place finish.

Corduroy Enduro entry now open

By Jeff Morgan

Entry is now open for the legendary Corduroy Enduro.

Follow the link for entry and rules. http://www.corduroyenduro.ca/entry.htm

 

You could be in a Yamaha ad

From Yamaha Motor Canada

TORONTO, ON – For years Yamaha Motor Canada has been asking “What kind of Yamaha are you?” and more and more Canadians are answering back. So much so, that for 2011, Yamaha plans to include pictures of real world Yamaha owners in their promotional materials.

“We agreed it was the next logical step to our advertising strategy,” says Yamaha’s National Manager, Marketing, Tim Kennedy. “In our first run of ‘What kind of Yamaha are you?’ we used generic images; last year we featured Yamaha celebrity figures like motocross champion Colton Facciotti and Facts of Fishing’s Dave Mercer. Now we want to showcase those who have walked into a dealer and purchased a Yamaha. It’s a great way to bring a ‘real world’ perspective to our products.”

Yamaha is currently creating advertisements for every product group (motorcycle, ATV, side by side, snowmobile, marine, and power product) and searching for just the right “This is my Yamaha” candidates.

Do you want to show the pride of ownership of your Yamaha with the rest of Canada? If so, please submit your favourite photos to their Facebook Fan page, facebook.com/YamahaMotorCanada.

Lorenzo stretches lead; Pedrosa crashes

From motogp.com

Jorge Lorenzo’s MotoGP World Championship lead was stretched to 72 points at Laguna Seca on Sunday as the Fiat Yamaha rider won the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix ahead of Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi, in a race that saw Dani Pedrosa crash out when leading.

A trademark lightning start from Pedrosa saw him lead into turn one of the first lap and the Spaniard appeared to be making a similar break for victory as he had done in the previous round, as he led for the early part of the race while setting a fierce pace.

However, on lap 11 and with Lorenzo pressuring him for the lead the Repsol Honda rider crashed out at turn five, leaving his fellow Spaniard to take his M1 to a sixth win of the season as he tasted victory on the Californian circuit for the first time.

In second place at 3.517 secs. behind Ducati Team rider Stoner scored his best result of the season so far – his fourth podium in a row – and a comfortable finish with a distance of almost 10 seconds back to third place. That was taken by Rossi, the reigning World Champion achieving a superb podium finish in only his second race back from injury and one which he worked hard for throughout the race.

“I rode very well today, at the limit," said the 23-year-old Lorenzo. "I started well with the clutch but a lot of riders overtook me on the outside by the first corner, so I had to take a lot of risks to overtake Spies. Then Stoner made a mistake in a corner and I overtook him… I didn’t make my best start of the season!

“Dani was impressive and was pushing so much at the limit as well, and I knew it was possible for him to crash. That happened and then it was quite easy to finish the race.”

Stoner’s second place came after a weekend of exhaustive work from the Australian and his Ducati Team crew, as he took his best result of 2010. The finish was made all the more impressive given the front-end issues Stoner said he had been struggling with during the race.

“We tried everything we could this weekend and everything was working more or less as well as it has been all year,” he began. “At the beginning of the race everything felt pretty good and once I got the tires up to temperature I wanted to try and make a pass on Dani… as soon as I tried to close in on him a little bit I lost the front and ran it wide. It happened again, and a lap or two later I lost the front too much and basically ran very wide and Jorge was able to get through.

“For me it just wasn’t worth it, I had to ease off a bit and the rest of the corners seemed okay. I put up the best fight I possibly could, but it wasn’t enough today again. I can always come back in the next race in Brno and see what happens. We are happy with the overall weekend.”

Stoner set a new lap record of 1:21.376 early in the race before he started to experience problems.

“I knew we were able to run some pretty quick lap times but when I started to lose the confidence the lap times were gone," he added. "It was important to finish the race. I thought there might have been a bit more of a battle but as soon as I saw Dani go down I knew he was obviously having similar issues to me.”

Just 51 days after suffering the injury at Mugello which had threatened to rule him out for much longer, Rossi was back on the podium.

The reigning World Champion rose from sixth on the starting grid to work his way up the field, passing Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) five laps from the end of the physically demanding 32-lap race and holding off his fellow Italian to complete a remarkable achievement.

“It was a difficult race but also a difficult weekend because this track is very demanding on the body. I suffered a lot, also during the practice sessions,” explained a drained but delighted Rossi. “We improved the setting of the bike and I was confident of having a good race, but at the beginning it was very difficult to get into a good rhythm and I lost a lot of time.”

As the tires started to go off toward the end there were changes further down the order, as Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) fought for the honour of highest placing American, a duel that presented plenty of enthralling moments of its own.

Hayden edged out Spies for fifth place, with the latter’s team-mate Colin Edwards seventh. The top 10 was completed by Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team), Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki).

The remaining two riders to finish the race in 11th and 12th were Roger Lee Hayden (LCR Honda) and Alex de Angelis (Interwetten Honda MotoGP).

There were early ends to the race for rookies Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) and Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar), the former of whom crashed while the latter retired, neither making it past lap four.

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) suffered the disappointment of crashing out two-thirds of the way through the race when battling with team-mate Melandri for eighth, while Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) fell three laps from the end when in a top-10 position.

Lorenzo now has 210 points, with Pedrosa remaining second in the standings on 138 and Dovizioso third on 115.

Despite his very healthy advantage in the overall standings at the halfway point of the season Lorenzo has no room for complacency, and he indicated that the title is far from decided.

“We have a big lead in the Championship, it’s easier than before this race, but this is not the first time a rider has had such a big gap in the Championship,” he stated.

Race Results
1. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha 43:54.873
2. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati +3.517
3. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha +13.420
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda +14.188
5. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati +14.601
6. Ben SPIES (USA) Monster Tech 3 Yamaha +19.037
7. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Tech 3 Yamaha +40.721
8. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) San Carlo Gresini Honda +47.219
9. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Ducati +52.813
10. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki +52.814
11. Roger Lee HAYDEN (USA) LCR Honda +1:14.089
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) Interwetten Honda +1:14.666
Not Classified
Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Pramac Ducati +4 Laps
Marco SIMONCELLI (ITA) San Carlo Gresini Honda +14 Laps
Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda +21 Laps
Hector BARBERA (SPA) Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati +29 Laps
Alvaro BAUTISTA (SPA) Rizla Suzuki +30 Laps

Point Standings
1. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 210
2. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 138
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 115
4. Casey STONER (Ducati) 103
5. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 90
6. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 89
7. Ben SPIES (Yamaha) 77
8. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 69
9. Marco MELANDRI (Honda) 53
10. Marco SIMONCELLI (Honda) 49
11. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 48
12. Hector BARBERA (Ducati) 41
13. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 36
14. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 31
15. Aleix ESPARGARO (Ducati) 28
16. Alvaro BAUTISTA (Suzuki) 25
17. Hiroshi AOYAMA (Honda) 18
18. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 8
19. Roger Lee HAYDEN (Honda) 5
20. Kousuke AKIYOSHI (Honda) 4
21. Wataru YOSHIKAWA (Yamaha) 1

Bostrom takes first victory of season

From AMA Pro Racing

MONTEREY, CA - Today's AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix was won by a rider who loves everything about Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and he has the record to prove it. Ben Bostrom and his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha team culminated a very special weekend by winning from the pole position to capture his third career AMA Pro SuperBike victory on Sunday. Bostrom also won here last year in Daytona SportBike and also a World SuperBike race here in 1999. 

"Every time I ride into this track, it reminds me of home," Bostrom said. "I love the fog and when I can ride up here and see the blue sky start to break through, it makes me happy and a happy rider rides well."

Finishing second was points leader Josh Hayes aboard his Team Graves Yamaha. Hayes led the race early and fought all the way until the checkered flag on what was on paper a fine weekend. Hayes was disappointed with himself but he admitted that this was a difficult track for him and he paid tribute to his Team Graves Yamaha team for their hard work in giving him a bike he could win with. 

"I wanted to win here. This has always been a very, very difficult racetrack for me," Hayes admitted. "I don't have a single excuse. I had a great motorcycle but I was very inconsistent this week but I am happy with second. Now we are going to two tracks that are really good for me that I had great weekends last year so I want to hurry up and get there and let's get back to business."

Third place went to Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Tommy Hayden. Hayden maintained second in the points standings despite having a weekend where he felt he didn't get the best from himself and his machine. Once again, his mental toughness was on display as he took a solid points haul when his situation wasn't at its best. 

Bostrom almost gave the game away early on in the race when he came into the famous Corkscrew turns at the top of the circuit and had a big moment under braking and had to run off the track and rejoin, albeit very carefully! Streaking by was a very strong starting Jake Holden on his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki as he took full advantage of the moment to lead until Hayes got by in a hold-your-breath pass on the front straight. Hayes and Holden were side-by-side coming out of the last corner and held station right next to each other until Hayes was able to squeak by to take the lead that he would hold for the next 12 laps.

It took Bostrom a little while but he eventually got by Holden for second and set sail after Hayes. Bostrom closed up on Hayes and the two rode in synchronized fashion for a number of laps until Bostrom got by Hayes in turn five on lap 15. Hayes didn't let up whatsoever but Bostrom was in sync on a track he loves and he captured his third career AMA Pro SuperBike win in fine fashion.

Ben wasn't the only Bostrom that had a great day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. His brother Eric, riding the new Cycle World Attack Performance Yoshimura Suzuki put in a stellar performance in only his second appearance this year. Starting sixth, he fell back to 16th at the start and then began a sterling comeback ride to seventh at the flag. He battled his way back into contention with the likes of Geoff May on his Buell, a strong running Chris Peris of Calgary on the Team Iron Horse BMW and Saskatoon's Brett McCormick, who rewarded the hard work of his Jordan Suzuki team with eighth place after a couple of off-track excursions in Saturday's qualifying sessions.

Foremost Insurance Ducati's Larry Pegram also ran well, continuing his solid year. He and Jake Zemke aboard his National Guard Jordan Suzuki had their own battle but Pegram was able to pull away to finish fifth with Zemke in sixth, well ahead of the aforementioned Eric Bostrom in seventh. 

Next up for AMA Pro Road Racing will be Aug. 13-15 at Virginia International Raceway.

Race Results
1. Ben Bostrom (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 23 Laps
2. Josh Hayes (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.440
3. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar ·Makita ·Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.331
4. Jake Holden (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +10.170
5. Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance ·Pegram Racing) Ducati 1098R +18.033
6. Jake Zemke (National Guard Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +22.257
7. Eric Bostrom (Cycle World Attack Performance Yoshimura Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +35.516
8. Brett McCormick (Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +40.806
9. Chris Peris (Team Iron Horse BMW ·ESP) BMW S1000RR +41.817
10. Geoff May (Erik Buell Racing) Buell 1125RR +42.126
11. Taylor Knapp (RidersDiscount.com) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +46.969
12. Jeremy Toye (San Diego BMW Racing Powered by Lees Cycle) BMW S1000RR +1:03.394
13. Ricky Corey (RCR Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:10.563
14. Jason Pridmore (Celtic Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1:19.026
15. Hawk Mazzotta (Ace Racing) Yamaha YZF-R1 22 Laps
16. Brian Parriott (Sutter Home Family Vineyards Racing Team) Aprilia RSV1000R Factory +3.712
17. Chris Siebenhaar (BCS Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +3.971
18. Skip Salenius (Run 1 Racing Motorsports) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.197
19. Steve Atlas (MotoUSA Yoshimura Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +21.356
20. Trent Gibson (Gibson Motorsports) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +29.984
21. Chris Clark (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 20 Laps
22. Johnny Rock Page (Aussie Dave Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 16 Laps
23. Chris Ulrich (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2 Laps
Did Not Start
Miguel Duhamel (Moto Forza/Nova Tac Racing) Ducati 1098R
Race Time: 32:45.180
Margin of Victory: 0.440
Best Race Lap: Josh Hayes (1:24.691)

Point Standings (Top 20 plus Canadians)
1. Josh Hayes 311
2. Tommy Hayden 302
3. Jake Zemke 260
4. Larry Pegram 225
5. Ben Bostrom 223
6. Blake Young 197
7. Chris Ulrich 150
8. Taylor Knapp 141
9. Brett McCormick 112
10. Jake Holden 93
11. Chris Clark 89
12. Geoff May 64
13. John Hopkins 62
14. Aaron Yates 59
15. Shane Narbonne 58
16. David Anthony 56
17. Johnny Rock Page 54
18. Chris Peris 43
19. Eric Haugo 40
20. Eric Bostrom 35
33. Jordan Szoke 11

Sixth SportBike win for Cardenas

From AMA Pro Racing

MONTEREY, CA - When the dust cleared it was Martin Cardenas and his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki that rode to his sixth and maybe best win of the 2010 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike season. Certainly for Cardenas, winning Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca had special meaning but it is the way that he won that also made for another thrilling day of racing in this competitive series.

After starting eighth, the irrepressible Steve Rapp and his small but effective Team Latus Motors Ducati team took yet another podium finish with a very determined second place. Finishing third was Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha rider Clinton Seller, who mixed it up with the frontrunners from the drop of the flag and in the process posted his best finish of the season.

These results alone don't tell the story of the race and it was DNA Energy Drink Ducati rider Bobby Fong that really put on an impressive show. Fong fought his way quickly to the front, passing polesitter Tommy Aquino before the end of lap one and at one point building a lead of over two seconds on the usually close Daytona SportBike field.

And close it was behind Fong with at least five riders grouped together battling for every inch on the 11-turn flowing 2.238-mile natural road course. Aquino and his Team Graves Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin were in the mix as was Seller and also Danny Eslick, who actually grabbed second and led the six bike train for a while. Eslick, Herrin, Seller, Aquino, Cardenas and Rapp all made up this group but as the race went on Eslick dropped back and Cardenas started his march to the front. Try as he might, Herrin could not shake off Seller, Aquino and Cardenas. Rapp fell back a little and battled with Eslick. 

On lap 11 Cardenas passed Aquino and in the famous Corkscrew at the top of the circuit, Herrin ran off the track and did a great job staying upright as he rejoined but now back in seventh. At the end of this lap, Cardenas made a solid pass on Seller at the last turn and set sail for Fong. 

"Bobby was two or three seconds clear and I was a little bit worried because I saw that Herrin wasn't gaining on him," said Cardenas. "I thought maybe today the best finish was going to be second but I pushed very hard for two or three laps and I caught him." 

At that point Fong caught some slower riders and Cardenas was able to get right up to him quicker than even he expected.

"I caught him and stayed with him and unfortunately for him, he lost the front under braking. From then on it became a little bit difficult to maintain concentration but I was able to break through here and win," said a pleased Cardenas after the race. "I always wanted to win here, ever since I first came here in 2007, it is my favourite track but for some reason, I was always fast but like last year, when I had pole, I crashed. Fortunately for me this time I could do it, I am very happy."

Fong had his mishap on lap 15 and even thought he quickly picked up his Ducati and rejoined, there was too much damage to continue and he retired.

It looked like Aquino was going to lead Seller home for the other two podium spots but on lap 21 of 23, Rapp pulled a double pass and went from fourth to second in one move in turn two.

Seller tried to fight back at turn 11 but Rapp's Ducati was running better and better and he was able to pull away and take his fifth podium finish and his third second place finish of the season. 

Aquino was disappointed in fourth and Eslick was OK with his fifth. Herrin took a subdued sixth and maintains the points lead by one point over Eslick (264-263) with Cardenas closing with 252. 

Cory West and Chris Fillmore took seventh and eighth on their Vesrah Suzukis and Michael Beck did post a result for the DNA Energy Drink Ducati team in ninth. Fernando Amantini took another good result with 10th on his Kawasaki, following up from his ninth place finish last week at Mid-Ohio. 

The AMA Pro Daytona SportBike championship chase resumes Aug. 13-15 at Virgina International Raceway in Alton, VA.

Race Results (Top 15 plus Canadians)
1. Martin Cardenas (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 23 Laps
2. Steve Rapp (Team Latus Motors Racing) Ducati 848 +1.590
3. Clinton Seller (Project 1 Atlanta) Yamaha YZF-R6 +2.108
4. Tommy Aquino (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R6 +2.157
5. Danny Eslick (GEICO Powersports ·RMR ·Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +7.373
6. Josh Herrin (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R6 +9.063
7. Cory West (Vesrah Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +29.228
8. Chris Fillmore (Vesrah Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +33.585
9. Michael Beck (DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports Ducati) Ducati 848 +34.980
10. Fernando Amantini (Team Amantini) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R +48.414
11. Tyler Odom (Erion Racing) Honda CBR600RR ABS +1:02.789
12. Shawn Higbee (Higbee-Racing.com) Buell 1125R +1:03.832
13. Russ Wikle (Wikle Racing) Suzuki GSX-R600 +1:07.785
14. Jimmy Wood (Aussie Dave Racing) Kawasaki ZX-6R +1:11.687
15. Santiago Villa (RoadRacingWorld.com Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +1:22.412
30. Kevin Boisvert (Bayside Performance) Suzuki GSX-R600 21 Laps

Point Standings (Top 15 plus Canadians)
1. Josh Herrin 264
2. Danny Eslick 263
3. Martin Cardenas 252
4. Steve Rapp 215
5. Cory West 178
6. Dane Westby 157
7. Tommy Aquino 156
8. Clinton Seller 134
9. Chris Fillmore 128
10. Bobby Fong 123
11. P. J. Jacobsen 88
12. Fernando Amantini 88
13. Lenny Hale 54
14. Michael Beck 48
15. Tyler Odom 46
56. Marie-Josee Boucher 3

Canadian H.O.G. Rally returns

From Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada

TORONTO, ON – Starting Aug. 5 and running through to Aug. 7 the 15th Canadian National H.O.G. Rally brings Harley-Davidson enthusiasts together to share their love for the open road in Sherbrooke, QC.

Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, the exclusive distributor of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in Canada, is proud to host the event to thank its most loyal and devoted customers – the H.O.G. members. With an expected attendance of over 1,500 participants, this event has all of the makings of becoming a memorable Rally.

“I am really excited about this year’s event," said Gina McNeil, manager, Enthusiast Services. "We are taking a grass-roots approach by creating a fun atmosphere where like-minded people can share their common passion in motorcycling.

"Although there are exclusive H.O.G. member-only events, such as seminars and ceremonies, there are plenty of activities where the public can participate as spectators. We welcome everyone in the Sherbrooke area to come out on Saturday morning to witness a parade of over 800 motorcycles.

"Thanks to everyone involved, including the local retailer and chapter, as well as the City of Sherbrooke itself for allowing us to host this event in such a biker-friendly setting. It will be a great event and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in Sherbrooke in August.”

Starting on Aug. 5, Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson will be the first place in Canada to test ride a brand new 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Demo rides are available to enjoy for free for anyone with a valid motorcycle licence.

On Aug. 6, the Delta Sherbrooke Hotel will host a Show ‘N Shine competition. This event will feature the best customized motorcycles at the Rally and categories will include Antique, Three-Wheeled and Pro Custom. The public will also have the opportunity to get involved by voting for the People’s Choice award. Motorcycles will start rolling in at 10 a.m. with the winner presentations at 1 p.m.

On Aug. 7 spectators can watch a fascinating scene at the University of Sherbrooke as over 800 motorcycles prepare for a formal parade through the streets of Sherbrooke. The parade departs at 10:30 a.m. with the best viewing locations along Rue King (between Boulevard Jacques-Cartier South and Boulevard Queen Victoria) and Rue Wellington North (between Rue Frontenac and Rue King). Spectators at the university will enjoy watching all of the bikes returning from the parade.

The always crowd-pleasing field games begin near the university stadium at 12:30 p.m. Passers-by can cheer on the H.O.G. members as they compete in various challenges, such as the slow motorcycle race, hula hoop toss, and ball drop.

Lean Angle to distribute MICS

From Lean Angle

OTTAWA, ON – Lean Angle (leanangle.ca), the exclusive Canadian distributor of TechSpec Gripster Grip Pads, has announced that it is now the exclusive Canadian distributor of the Medical Information Carrier System (MICS) for wearers of motorcycle, automotive, and other powersport helmets.

This simple yet extremely important helmet safety system was developed to meet the needs of all motorsports competitors and enthusiasts utilizing protective headgear.

"It is a privilege to have Lean Angle on the MEDS 'Make your helmet a Lifesaver!' Team as our global MICS distributor (excluding USA and South Africa) so together we can help promote safe riding," stated Dr. Lou Gaston, inventor of the device.

The 1x2-inch carrier is located universally on the left rear of the motorcycle helmet. It is protected, yet quite visible, and readily available. Directions on the carrier inform non-medical bystanders NOT to remove the helmet.

Inside the carrier is the location of the medical information data form. Users simply use a pencil to print info on the medical data form. This completed form is waterproof and difficult to tear, ideal for high energy activities.

“In the event of an emergency this simple and effective system will quickly provide life-saving information about the wearer's identity and medical history to paramedics and other trained emergency personnel,” said Steve Reed, president of Lean Angle.

Currently there are over 800,000 carriers in use worldwide. Sportbike enthusiasts and racers have acknowledged the benefits of the Medical Information Carrier System (MICS) for helmets. Toronto-based Pro 6 Cycle will be the first trackday organizer to provide all their trackday riders with the MICS helmet system. And, Pro Canadian Superbike racer Andrew Nelson will be wearing the MICS helmet safety system on his helmet for the balance of the 2010 season.

The Medical Information Carrier System (MICS) for helmets is currently available online at www.leanangle.ca and at an ever-growing network of dealers and online powersport accessory retailers across Canada.

Women motorcyclists ride road to change

From the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada

MARKHAM, ON - History will be made at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, ON when it plays host to women motorcycle riders from across North America Aug. 11-15. It will welcome women and men who are gathering to celebrate the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada's (MCC's) inaugural International Women Riders Congress and Festival, presented by Honda.

MCC is proud to welcome as keynote, Jennifer Botterill, Canadian Gold medal Olympian from the women's hockey team. Chantal Cournoyer and Stephanie Chagnon, the first women to complete the Rally Roses des Sables across the Sahara on motorcycles, Toni Sharpless, first woman ever on the grid at Daytona, and Sue Slate and Gin Shear who, through their Women's Motorcyclist Foundation, have raised $2.5million (US) in support of cancer research, are among the exceptional workshop presenters at the event.

"Motorcycles are the common ground but there's nothing common about the women who are attending," observed Myra Abstreiter, Chair of MCC's Women Riders Council. "They are leaders, adventurers, visionaries and change agents. Learning to ride a motorcycle often requires overcoming personal obstacles. Overcoming these obstacles not only makes us stronger, but also gives us skills and confidence we can apply to other areas of our lives."

Themed One World, One Ride the action-packed three-day event will offer innovative sessions that address body, mind and spirit - from seminars, advanced skills training, charity events, demo rides, entertainment and networking.

MCC is a national federation of rider organizations in Canada and serves the interests of all riders. Its purpose is to unite motorcyclists and preserve, protect and promote motorcycling. Its Women Riders Council was formed in 2006 to address the specific interests of women riders in Canada.

Ducati announces 848 evolution

From Ducati North America

CUPERTINO, CA – Ducati has announced the 2011 Ducati 848EVO Superbike, designed to be the leader in the middleweight class.

Weighing only 369 pounds and propelled by 140 horsepower and 72 lb/ft of torque, it is the most powerful motorcycle in its category.

The 848EVO is based upon Ducati’s best ever selling middleweight Superbike - the 848. Along with the 'EVO' designation comes a significant amount of upgrades based on AMA Pro Racing feedback and consumer demand.

At the heart of the 848EVO is the Testastretta Evoluzione engine, significantly redesigned for a higher power output. All new cylinder heads, pistons, throttle bodies and camshafts combine for a forceful output of 140hp @ 10,500rpm and 72.3 lb/ft of torque @9,750rpm. All of this significant engine performance is wrapped in new black cylinder cases.

In addition to the more powerful engine, the 848EVO’s chassis and braking systems have been upgraded. A cross-mounted steering damper has been added for greater control of the steering system, and the addition of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires will ensure maximum grip while delivering every last horsepower to the asphalt.

The 848EVO receives a massive upgrade to the braking system in the form of Brembo Monobloc calipers. These single-piece calipers are machined from solid alloy and achieve a higher rigidity and resistance to distortion during extreme braking. The resulting increase in hydraulic efficiency not only delivers incredible braking power, but also provides an enhanced and precise 'feel' at the brake lever.

For 2011, a special 'Dark' version will be available, which unlike 'Dark' editions of Ducati’s past will be a truly black bike from front to rear, giving the motorcycle an aggressive look and attitude.

The Ducati 848EVO Superbike will be available in North American Ducati Dealerships at the end of August and MSRP will remain unchanged from the 2010 848 it replaces.

For more information visit www.ducatiusa.com.

Duhamel Races With Speed and Strength

From Tucker Rocky

Steve Johnson, President and C.O.O. of Tucker Rocky Distributing, Fort Worth, Texas, is very pleased to announce an endorsement with road racing superstar Miguel Duhamel.

This agreement calls for Miguel to wear the new 2011 Speed and Strength 'Twist of Fate' race suit and gloves, while contesting the AMA Pro American Superbike race at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca.

"Miguel Duhamel is a true legend in motorcycle racing and we're thrilled for the opportunity to work with him," said Johnson. "Miguel's success, talent, and determination reflect the core values of the

Speed and Strength brand."

"Miguel and I have enjoyed a long friendship and have worked together through his many AMA Superbike and Supersport Championships," said Bruce Parker, President of Parker Synergies. "His racing record and fan base put him in a league of his own and I'm especially proud to see him return to the racetrack wearing the Speed and Strength brand."

Look for Miguel Duhamel aboard the Moto-Forza Ducati 1098R this Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the AMA Pro American Superbike race at the Red Bull U.S. GP.

Ural Canada Sponsors Canada's Greatest Dirt Track Race

From Ural Canada

Ural Canada president Gerry Young announced today that Ural Canada will be the presenting sponsor of The Norm Carr Classic National Championship dirt track race.

“We at Ural Canada didn’t take long to make up our minds when the opportunity to be the main sponsor came up. We’re proud to be on board and are really looking forward to a great night of racing.”

Ural Canada takes presenting sponsor status with the Belleville Agricultural Society and the Quinte Exhibition Raceway acting as promoting partners. The race is sanctioned by the Canadian Motorcycle Association and is the 14th race of the 19 scheduled on the 2010 CMA schedule.

Doug Rollins, President of the QER welcomed Ural Canada saying, “ We’re very happy to have a partner like Ural, without this support we simply could not run these races. Many thanks to Ural.”

This annual half-mile motorcycle dirt track race is scheduled for Saturday evening August 7th under the lights at the Belleville Fairgrounds, virtually downtown Belleville. (City Hall is just 2km away) It is a motorsport event that is a must-see for the local residents as well as drawing flat track fans from far and wide.

The race is named after a promising dirt track talent from Hamilton Ontario, Norm Carr, who was tragically killed in a van/truck collision while on his way to the Indy Mile in 1975. The events most notable notoriety comes from the fact that the first winner of what was then The Norm Carr Memorial race was Scott Parker. Then just 15 years of age and thus restricted from racing in the AMA, Scotty notched the first pro win of what would be a long career on the Belleville half-mile. He would go on to be The Greatest of all Time in AMA Pro Flat Track racing.

In announcing his company’s involvement in supporting The Norm Carr Classic, Ural Canada’s Gerry Young also passed comment, “Some people might find it strange that Ural would help with a dirt track race but as we see it dirt track racing is the heart and soul of motorcycle racing. Everyone loves half-mile racing. We know full well what a mix of people come out to this race. The parking lot has from Harleys and Gold Wings right down to scooters, and a lot of mini vans. There’s a lot of families come out, lots of kids. There’s folks there that might never think of riding a motorcycle but may find the stability of a Ural an attraction.”

 Practice for the Norm Carr Classic begins at 3:30 Saturday August 7th with qualifying races scheduled for 7:00pm.

Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship moves east to crown Eastern Canadian Enduro Champions and National Pro Champions

From World Enduro Canada

The Western rounds of the Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship presented by Parts Canada are in the books.  Riders, media, and spectators all agreed they were a success.  To increase media support Dan Paris from Offroadmotorcycles.ca and Suzanne Howie from Inside Motorcycles came along for the ride.  Dan was posting photos and updates a few times per day on his site and after two weeks his site was getting over 11,000 visitors.  It's great to see the sport of Enduro getting into the Canadian mainstream the way it is in other parts of the world.

In BC the Western Canadian Enduro Championship - crowned the Amateur Champs courtesy of Inside MotoX and Off Road Magazine.

A - Tyler Murray - BC

B - Ryan Linderman - BC

C - Ty McKenna - Alberta

Vet - David Larson - Alberta

Super Vet - Jean Marie Breau - New Brunswick

Women - Shelby Turner - Alberta

The series is now moving east where the fastest amateurs will compete for the Eastern Canadian Enduro Championship and the fastest Pro's will be crowned Canadian National Enduro Champions in the 4 Pro Classes as well as the Overall fastest Pro being awarded the Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship #1 Plate.  In addition the #1 plate winner will also receive a Kymco Scooter courtesy of Kymco.

There were over 15 riders from New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario who made the trip west and we are expecting that many or more from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to be in Parry Sound, ON and Labelle, QC.  Having riders from across the country at the same event will once again show us who are the fastest Amateur & Pro off road riders in Canada!

Current Overall Pro Standings

1  JASON SCHRAGE          100

2  GEOFF NELSON              76

3  RYAN GRAFFUNDER       72

4  RYAN DURKEE                69

5  SHANE CUTHBERTSON   67

6  BRIAN WOJNAROWSKI    60

7  BEN REGO                      50

8  JULIAN CERNY                45

9  DILLON BUCKNELL          42

10 SHANE WATTS               40

11  GUY GIROUX                 38

12  JARED THOMAS            38

13  CHRIS VAN HOVE         30

14  BRENT KROEKER         26

15  ADAM MILLSON            24

16  IAN MCKILL                  17

17  PHILLIPE CHAINE         17

18  NOEL BOLSO               16

19  MARTY HALMAZNA      14

20  JACK SAWATZKY        12

21  PAUL PETRIN              11

22  KEVIN PELLETIER       10

23  MARK CAHILL               7

24  LUKE SYDOR               2

25  TRENT BURGISS          1

For more details on the eastern events please visit our website www.worldendurocanada.com. See you in Parry Sound on September 11 & 12

Thanks to all the companies that supplied products for the prize packs including Jeff Williams at Ogio Canada, Colin Gibb at MX1Canada.com and Rick Maynard at Pit Posse Motorsports.

Another Hayden to race at Laguna

From motogp.com

Randy de Puniet underwent a successful two-hour operation on his left leg Sunday night to insert a titanium rod, following fractures to his left tibia and fibula sustained in a crash in Sunday’s MotoGP race at Sachsenring.

The surgery, organized by Doctor Claudio Costa from the Clinica Mobile along with Doctor Ulf Schendel and his medical team, was conducted at hospital in Hartmannsdorf, where De Puniet was flown by helicopter from the circuit. LCR Honda has reported the operation as a positive one, and De Puniet will leave the hospital Tuesday to begin his rehabilitation with the aid of the Clinica Mobile.

“As riders we always risk crashing and breaking something, but it’s always when you are not thinking about crashing that you do,” said De Puniet. “When [Mika] Kallio accidentally hit my leg after I crashed I immediately knew I had a serious problem. However, the surgery went very well and now I am feeling better.

"I want to thank Doctor Costa and all the medical staff here for the good job they did. They say that I need a six-week recovery period before starting to race again, but I will try my best to be back in Brno (Aug. 15).”

LCR Honda has also officially confirmed that Roger Lee Hayden, younger brother of 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky, will ride the team’s satellite RC212V at the Red Bull US Grand Prix this weekend. The agreement, which has been facilitated by American Honda, means Roger Lee Hayden will ride in his second MotoGP race at the circuit – one he knows well – having ridden to seventh place there in 2007 on a Kawasaki.

LCR Honda Team Manager Lucio Cecchinello said, “I was a rider and injured myself several times so I understand Randy’s condition and how he feels. I am still here with him at the hospital and Doctor Costa and Doctor Ulf are very confident about his recovery. He is a tough rider and I am sure he will be back soon.

“After yesterday’s bad news we had a meeting with Randy and Honda to take a decision for the following race. Despite this unfortunate experience we decided to go on with our job and we agreed to replace Randy for the US GP. Thanks to the cooperation from Nicky Hayden and Kevin Schwantz, we went for the best choice: Roger Lee Hayden. He has plenty of experience at Laguna Seca and we will do our best to support him.”

Roger Lee Hayden commented: “First of all I want to wish Randy a speedy recovery. It’s never nice to see another rider on the sidelines due to injury. I'm very happy that LCR has chosen me to fill in for Randy this weekend at Laguna Seca. It is a track I like a lot and I hope to do a good job for the team and for all the American fans. I want to thank Team Pedercini for giving me the okay, and everyone else involved for helping with this great opportunity.”

Impressive weekend for McBride

From Budds' Motorrad Riders Choice BMW
Photo courtesy cdnsuperbike.com

MISSISSAUGA, ON – Matt McBride made a successful return to national road racing competition by scoring a fourth place finish in the first race of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway last weekend.

Despite having only briefly ridden the Budds’ Motorrad / Riders Choice BMW S1000RR, and losing a day of practice due to rain, the Mississauga, ON racer was on the pace all weekend. He qualified comfortably within the top 10 and followed up his fourth place in Saturday’s race with a ninth on Sunday.

McBride’s achievements came despite facing the biggest Superbike field of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship season so far, with 27 riders entered for the feature class.

Despite sweltering heat and a lack of preparation time, McBride turned the seventh fastest time in Thursday practice, a 1:24.159. That ended up being his starting position as Friday’s Pirelli SuperPole qualifying session was called off due to rain.

More significantly, heavy rain on Friday morning cost the Budds’ Motorrad / Riders Choice team valuable track time to refine the set up of the S1000RR.

McBride held seventh through the early stages of Saturday’s 20-lap Superbike race around the famed Mosport 3.957km track but steadily worked his way up, and ultimately won a fierce battle with Chris Murray-Audain for fourth.

“Right now we’ve got more power than the bike can handle,” said the 25-year-old McBride. “First the front end was giving us trouble and now it’s the rear we’ve got to get hooked up.”

The Ryan Gill-led team made a major breakthrough in Sunday morning practice and McBride turned his best lap of the weekend, a 1:23.753.

“I think we can stick with the leaders now,” said McBride after the session. “We just need a good start and we can be there.”

Unfortunately McBride didn’t get as strong a launch on Sunday has he had the previous day and found himself ninth at the end of the opening lap. He quickly moved up a spot but as the race wore on his lack of track time began to take its toll and McBride faded back to ninth.

“The most important thing was to bring the bike home,” McBride said. “We’ve had a very successful weekend. The S1000RR is fabulous and it’s been a great pleasure to work with the folks from Budds’ and BMW Motorrad Canada. They couldn’t have been more helpful. We’re thrilled to be part of a great weekend of racing at Mosport.”

Graffunder third in EnduroCross opener

From KTM Racing (with files from John Hopkins)
       
Taddy Blazusiak, the defending EnduroCross champion rode his Red Bull KTM to a hard fought victory over GEICO / Christini-backed Geoff Aaron in round one of the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross Series in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Canadian Cory Graffunder was third on a Husqvarna.     
       
Blazusiak, Mike Brown and Graffunder were the heat race winners and earned the best gate picks for the main event.

Blazusiak earned the $750 Girardi Wealth management holeshot award but was quickly passed by Aaron. The two riders swapped the lead several times during the first half of the race until Aaron made a small mistake and fell over in the GEICO rock garden. That gave Blazusiak a small lead that he managed hold for the remainder of the race.

Expert Class Results
1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
2. Geoff Aaron KTM
3. Cory Graffunder Husqvarna
4. Mike Brown KTM
5. Justin Soule Kawasaki

Pedrosa outduels Lorenzo in Germany

From motogp.com

Dani Pedrosa firmed his grip on second in the MotoGP World Championship standings with victory at Sachsenring in the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on Sunday, his second win of the season, as Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo took second place and Casey Stoner third ahead of a courageous Valentino Rossi in his first race back after injury.

“This victory is even better than the one in Italy because at Mugello I just went away in front and there was no battle with anybody, but here I was battling with Lorenzo in the first and second race, and finally beat him, so this is even more important,” said the 24 year-old.

Pedrosa had been contesting the lead with Lorenzo in the first race, which was red flagged after nine laps, and did not lose his momentum for the second 21-lap version as he and the Championship leader vied for the lead until Pedrosa began to pull away halfway through.

“I’m very happy because we are back winning races and it’s a great feeling,” he said. “It wasn’t easy today because when the race is stopped and restarted like that, sometimes you don’t have the same feeling on the machine in the second part. Also you get nervous again on the grid and it’s possible you won’t have the same pace after the restart. But it went very well for us in both races.

“We just made one small change with the rear suspension to get a bit more traction for the second race. I made another good start and in the first laps after Lorenzo had passed me I was pushing very hard to try to take him back. I couldn’t do it with my first attempt, but when I got a second chance I just went for it.”

Having competed closely with his fellow Spaniard until halfway through the race Lorenzo opted to avoid taking any risks and settled for second place and another valuable 20 points, having won the previous three races.

"It's always difficult when a race is split like this and I think I didn't ride quite as well in the second race as I felt I had been doing in the first,” said Lorenzo, who now holds a 47-point advantage over Pedrosa in the Championship. “Dani was very, very strong and I was on the limit trying to stay ahead. When he passed me I tried briefly to stay with him but he was much faster than me today and I was going to have to take a lot of risks to stay with him; the safest thing for me to do was finish second and take 20 points for the Championship.”

It was another strong result for Lorenzo and came on a track that remains one of just four on the current calendar at which he has still not tasted victory in any GP category.

“I am happy because I never really liked this track and now I've been second here two years in a row. Now we go to Laguna and I am very excited about racing there again," he added.

Stoner said that he felt the benefit of the race restart. The 25-minute interval before a second 21-lap contest began allowed Stoner and his Ducati team to change the rear tire he was using, an alteration that the Australian said made a big difference.

“I thought it was going to affect us in a bad way but it actually helped us slightly,” said Stoner of the restart. “In the first part of the race we had a new rear tire that wasn’t producing the grip that the tires had been all weekend. I just wasn’t able to keep up with the lap times being set by Dani and Jorge.

“For the second part of the race we went back to a tire we were using in qualifying yesterday so it already had laps on it, and immediately it felt better with more grip and a better feeling in mid-turn. We were able to run a lot faster lap times, maybe three or four-tenths of a second consistently. I tried to chase the top two down but didn’t quite have the pace.”

As Pedrosa and Lorenzo remained ahead, Stoner became engaged in a battle with Rossi for third, a fight the Ducati man won thanks to an overtake on the final corner of the last lap.

“I saw Valentino coming and he had a much higher pace than me and I thought he would just take off if he got past. So I tried to do everything I could to stay with him and when I got an opportunity to overtake him it came down to the last two laps,” explained Stoner. “We had a few nice passes and I just had to go for it in the last corner, and it worked out. I’m pretty happy with the result, and we managed to pick up points when we needed to.”

The 31-year-old Rossi surprised himself with his own display and said, "I didn't expect this! I thought it was maybe possible to make fourth or fifth place but I thought it would be very difficult. In the end I was fourth but I had a great battle with Casey and I was so close to the podium, so this is a fantastic result after missing four races.

“I need some more kilometres to really recover the feeling and feel completely okay with the bike again, but I think I did a great job and this was a very good comeback, better than we could wish for. I felt a bit of pain in my shoulder but more in the leg when changing direction, but at the end the battle with Casey was such fun that I didn't think about it. Unfortunately though he just got the better of me on the last corner.”

The original race was red flagged when a crash for Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) at turn four brought down both Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing), neither of whom could avoid the Frenchman’s bike, which burst into flames.

The top five order at that stage was Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Stoner, Andrea Dovizioso and Rossi, and the trio involved in the accident were unable to line-up for the shortened 21-lap new race after failing to return to Pit Lane with their bikes within five minutes of the red flag.

De Puniet was physically not able, having sustained fractures in his left tibia and fibula in the incident.

There was a good scrap for fifth between Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team), Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team). Dovizioso finished fifth, with Simoncelli achieving his best premier class result to date in sixth.

American duo Hayden and Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) were seventh and eighth respectively, with Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) completing the top 10.

The final two riders to complete the race in 11th and 12th were Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and stand-in rider Alex de Angelis (Interwetten Honda MotoGP).

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) had crashed out on lap seven of the original race.

Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) slid out at turn one in an unfortunate end to his weekend.

Lorenzo now has 185 points at the top of the standings, with Pedrosa second on 138 and Dovizioso third on 102. Stoner moves into fourth, 19 points off Dovizioso.

Toni Elías’ third win of the season came at Sachsenring on Sunday as the Gresini Racing rider triumphed in the Moto2 class at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, giving the Spaniard a further grip on the Championship lead.

Elías crossed the line 3.297 secs. clear of Andrea Iannone.

A fantastic last-lap battle for third was played out between Roberto Rolfo and Fonsi Nieto, eventually being won by the Italian.

Elías now has 136 points at the top of the standings, 42 clear of second-placed Thomas Lüthi after a DNF on Sunday. Iannone moves into third, just four points off the Swiss rider thanks to his third podium of the season.

Marc Márquez’s dominance of the 125cc class continued on Sunday, where the 17-year-old Red Bull Ajo Motorsport rider benefitted from a late crash for Pol Espargaró to take a fifth consecutive win, with Tomoyoshi Koyama and Sandro Cortese completing the podium in a thrilling contest.

The result means Márquez now holds a 26-point lead at the top of the Championship, with Espargaró remaining second and the absent Nico Terol (Bancaja Aspar) third.

Sixteen-year-old American Jake Gagne won both races at Sachsenring as he took the lead in the Red Bull Rookies Cup standings.

MotoGP Race Results
1. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda 28:50.476
2. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha +3.355
3. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati +5.257
4. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha +5.623
5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda +17.158
6. Marco SIMONCELLI (ITA) San Carlo Gresini Honda +17.757
7. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati +17.935
8. Ben SPIES (USA) Monster Tech 3 Yamaha +20.957
9. Hector BARBERA (SPA) Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati +22.000
10. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) San Carlo Gresini Honda +35.217
11. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki +45.042
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) Interwetten Honda +45.204
Not Classified
Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Ducati 0 Lap
Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda 0 Lap
Alvaro BAUTISTA (SPA) Rizla Suzuki 0 Lap
Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Pramac Ducati 0 Lap
Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Tech 3 Yamaha 0 Lap

MotoGP Point Standings
1. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 185
2. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 138
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 102
4. Casey STONER (Ducati) 83
5. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 78
6. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha) 74
7. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 69
8. Ben SPIES (Yamaha) 67
9. Marco SIMONCELLI (Honda) 49
10. Marco MELANDRI (Honda) 45
11. Hector BARBERA (Ducati) 41
12. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 39
13. Loris CAPIROSSI (Suzuki) 30
14. Aleix ESPARGARO (Ducati) 28
15. Alvaro BAUTISTA (Suzuki) 25
16. Mika KALLIO (Ducati) 24
17. Hiroshi AOYAMA (Honda) 18
18. Alex DE ANGELIS (Honda) 4
19. Kousuke AKIYOSHI (Honda) 4
20. Wataru YOSHIKAWA (Yamaha) 1

Hayden closes gap with SuperBike win

From AMA Pro Racing

LEXINGTON, OH - The tables were turned on Sunday as Tommy Hayden took his third career National Guard SuperBike victory ahead of main championship rival Josh Hayes during the last day of competition in the Honda Super Cycle Weekend Presented by Dunlop Tire at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

Hayden, riding his Rockstar Makita Suzuki, bounced back from a third place finish in Saturday's SuperBike race and took a calculated victory in the second race of the weekend. Hayden paid tribute to his Yoshimura team, "I told them what I wanted the bike to do and they gave it to me."

Saturday's winner, Hayes paid tribute to Hayden, "My Team Graves Yamaha team gave me a winning bike, I just got beat." Hayes did hold onto the points lead that he gained on Saturday but Hayden trimmed it down from 10 points to just four, 285-281. 

Foremost Insurance Ducati rider Larry Pegram thrilled his local fans by taking the lead into the first corner and leading lap one. Hayden had other ideas though, and he passed Pegram on lap two and proceeded to lead the next six laps. By this time, Hayes had passed Pegram and was shadowing Hayden's every move and for a while it looked like Hayes was going to repeat his win from Saturday when he took the lead and led laps eight and nine. Hayden re-passed Hayes and controlled the race from lap 10 all the way to the flag. Hayes never let up though and the margin of victory was only 0.194 secs. at the end of the 21-lap race. 

Pegram was able to take what he felt was a satisfying third place finish ahead of Saturday's second-place finisher Ben Bostrom on his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha. Bostrom kept the pressure on Pegram all day but just couldn't find a way by the Columbus, OH rider.

After another strong start to the race, Jake Zemke with his National Guard Jordan Suzuki found himself battling with teammate Canadian Brett McCormick on the #23 Jordan Suzuki. These two ran nose-to-tail for the last part of the race and McCormick continued his nice progression in the sport by passing Zemke on the last lap.

Behind the Jordan riders were Taylor Knapp on his RidersDicount.com Suzuki and Chris Ulrich with his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki in eighth. Georgia rider Geoff May finished ninth on his Erik Buell Racing Buell and Kurtis Roberts made a nice return to the sport with a 10th place finish on his RidersDiscount.com Yamaha.

Hayden and Hayes each staked a claim for this year's National Guard SuperBike Championship this weekend and this fight looks like it is going right down to the wire. The teams will gather again in five short days as they will race next weekend at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix in California.

After winning earlier in the day in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, Danny Eslick repeated his winning form with his second consecutive AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

Eslick took his RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 to another well deserved victory, this time ahead of Shawn Higbee, riding another XR1200 supported by HOG Racing. Third was Eslick's RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing teammate, Jake Holden.

The Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will resume at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 13-15.

American SuperBike Race Results
1. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar ·Makita ·Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 21 Laps
2. Josh Hayes (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.194
3. Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance ·Pegram Racing) Ducati 1098R +2.970
4. Ben Bostrom (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 +3.158
5. Brett McCormick (Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +24.340
6. Jake Zemke (National Guard Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +25.271
7. Taylor Knapp (RidersDiscount.com) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +33.525
8. Chris Ulrich (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +33.818
9. Geoff May (Erik Buell Racing) Buell 1125RR +55.061
10. Kurtis L. Roberts (RidersDiscount.com) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:06.365
11. Greg Fryer (FJ Racing) Yamaha YZF-R1 20 Laps
12. Johnny Rock Page (Aussie Dave Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1:02.639
13. Eric Bostrom (Cycle World Attack Performance Yoshimura Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 15 Laps
14. Jake Holden (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 12 Laps
15. Jordan Szoke (Waznie Racing Ciclo Werks BMC Dewildt Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 8 Laps
16. Chris Clark (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 1 Lap

American SuperBike Point Standings
(Top 15 plus Canadians)
1. Josh Hayes 285
2. Tommy Hayden 281
3. Jake Zemke 245
4. Larry Pegram 209
5. Blake Young 197
6. Ben Bostrom 192
7. Chris Ulrich 150
8. Taylor Knapp 131
9. Brett McCormick 99
10. Chris Clark 89
11. Jake Holden 75
12. John Hopkins 62
13. Aaron Yates 59
14. Shane Narbonne 58
15. David Anthony 56
22. Chris Peris 31
32. Jordan Szoke 11

Eslick wins eventful SportBike race

From AMA Pro Racing

LEXINGTON, OH - Just when everything was falling into place, the entire apple cart was overturned on Sunday in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Last year's Daytona SportBike champion Danny Eslick took a hard-fought victory and with this year's championship points leader Josh Herrin suffering a dramatic fall on the last lap, Eslick and his GEICO Powersports team have pulled themselves right back into the thick of the championship battle. Herrin and his Team Graves Yamaha team now lead Eslick by only two points, 249-247.

The 21-lap race at Mid-Ohio began somewhat like Saturday's event, with furious action at the front involving Eslick, Herrin, Martin Cardenas (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki), Bobby Fong (DNA Energy Drink Ducati), Herrin's Team Graves Yamaha teammate Tommy Aquino and Team Latus Motors Ducati rider Steve Rapp. These six riders once again made a break and dueled back and forth, exchanging the lead lap after lap, sometimes two or three times per lap. 

Under partly cloudy but hot and humid conditions, something had to give and it happened as the leaders were finishing the 11th lap. Coming through the Carousel corner, Cardenas went down and Herrin had to take evasive action, allowing Fong, Rapp and Aquino quickly by. Eslick was in front and didn't really know what happened until after the race but this gave him the break he needed to consolidate his second win of the season and vault him right back into the chase for the championship. In a great display of courage, Cardenas picked up his Suzuki and continued to the finish, and his persistence was rewarded as he ended up fifth at the flag. 

Another rider who stayed the course all day was Aquino, who raced hard with Fong, Rapp and Herrin as well and took home a solid fourth place finish. Gathering his second consecutive podium finish was Fong. It was only the hard riding of another Ducati rider, Rapp that prevented Fong from another second place. Rapp, who started strong Saturday but ran into some mechanical issues, came back Sunday and contended all the way and took a well deserved second place for his Team Latus Motors team.

In a cruel twist of fate, as Herrin headed into turn six at the end of the long Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course backstraight for the last time, his motorcycle seemed to twitch and he was down. Rapp and Fong were quickly by as Herrin struggled to pick up and restart his Yamaha. He did so and to cheers from the appreciative crowd, he slowly rode back around on the damaged bike to post a 19th place finish, thereby scoring two valuable points. 

P.J. Jacobsen ran well again but was passed on the last lap by Cardenas; Jacobsen still had a solid weekend on his Celtic Racing Suzuki. 

Cory West took seventh on his Vesrah Suzuki, Josh Day, the 2009 SuperSport Young Gun East Division Champion ran well again on his Four Feathers Racing Yamaha, finishing eighth. After making a change in his Dunlop tire choice, Fernando Amantini took a nice ninth place finish aboard his Kawasaki followed by Kris Turner in 10th on his Turner Cycle Racing Suzuki.

The AMA Pro Daytona SportBike riders will reassemble next weekend in California for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. The Daytona SportBikes will race on Sunday, prior to the MotoGP event.

In a repeat of Saturday's dominant performance, J.D. Beach and his Rockwall Performance Yamaha teammate Cameron Beaubier once again ran away from the field in  Sunday's AMA Pro SuperSport race at the Honda Super Cycle Weekend Presented by Dunlop Tire at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

This time, Beach had to battle back from fourth place as the field swept into the first turn but once he took the lead on lap four, he was never headed again and swept to a 12.942-sec. victory over Beaubier and LTD Racing Yamaha rider Huntley Nash.

The Mid-Ohio SuperSport event was a combined East and West Divisional Young Gun event and with his sixth place finish on Sunday, Joey Pascarella clinched the West Division Young Gun Championship with 172 points.

The series now moves to the West Coast for next weekend's race at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. The AMA Pro SuperSport race will be on Saturday.

Daytona SportBike Race Results Not Available

Daytona SportBike Point Standings
(Top 15 plus Canadians)
1. Josh Herrin 249
2. Danny Eslick 247
3. Martin Cardenas 222
4. Steve Rapp 190
5. Cory West 164
6. Dane Westby 157
7. Tommy Aquino 137
8. Bobby Fong 122
9. Chris Fillmore 115
10. Clinton Seller 113
11. P. J. Jacobsen 88
12. Fernando Amantini 77
13. Lenny Hale 54
14. Kris Turner 42
15. Russ Wikle 37
55. Marie-Josee Boucher 3