Not much else has happened this weekend. Just been laying around, doing a whole lot of nothing. I'm starting to get antsy about coming home, I need to stop thinking about it though.
So I missed Road Atlanta this year (I've been going there every year for the past 5 years), so that probably has something to do with my mood. Oh, and also World SBK was in Valencia this weekend. I have seen the results, but I want to know what happened. It is possible for anyone to copy/paste the race transcript and race times? I cant get any website to load. It has taken me about 30 minutes just to get this far on blogger.com.
ok, I'm gonna go relax some more. Maybe watch a movie, talk to ya soon!
You want to know what is as bad as not being able to see road atlanta/ama races in person? you can not see them on tv until a week later due to the DMG's gay new setup. they only show the races at 9pm central on saturday. GAY
ReplyDeleteGlad to know you got some sun. Made your body kick up some good ole vitamin D, and keep the SAD level down! Don't know much about the races so don't guess I can help you out on that one.
ReplyDeleteHope your day goes good today. 37 days!!!!!!!!!
Eslick Takes AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Points Lead with Third Win of 2009 at Road Atlanta
ReplyDeleteBruce Rossmeyer's Daytona/RMR Buell 1125R Rider Scores Third Win in Last Four Races BRASELTON, Georgia (April 5, 2009) - Danny Eslick (No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R) took the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL points lead with his third win of the season Sunday in the 20-lap Daytona SportBike final of the Suzuki Superbike Showdown weekend at Road Atlanta.
Eslick took the lead from polesitter Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) on Lap 12 and withstood an intense battle with Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) to take his third win in the last four races. Eslick led Herrin across the finish line by .484 of a second while Canadian rider Chris Peris (No. 10 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) improved from 14th on the grid to finish third for his first podium finish of the season.
The race came down to a final lap tussle between Eslick and Herrin as some lapped traffic set up a side-by-side battle to the finish. Herrin tucked up behind Eslick on the uphill run out of Turn 1 and the leaders couldn't have been closer - including some contact - for most of the last lap.
"When we first got in the lappers, I don't think they knew we were there," said Eslick. "When we were coming around for the white flag, those guys definitely moved out of the way and let us race. I took a peek over and there he (Herrin) was. Out of Turn 10, driving up out of the right-hander, I got a good drive and we were both on the gas. I wasn't going to let out to not make a little contact, but it was driving out towards him. It was a great race. He tried as hard he could and it was great. It was an awesome race for Bruce Rossmeyer and RMR Buell."
Herrin finished second to match his career-best result in the season-opening Daytona 200 by Honda but nearly came up with the win Sunday.
"I saw that group of lappers on the last lap and I knew he (Eslick) was going to get stuck in the chicane or something, and he did," Herrin said. "He didn't get a great drive off of (Turn) 7, so I just tried as hard as I could and I got up next to his back tire. I knew I'd been catching him good into (Turn) 10 on the brakes. I got in there pretty good and got by him. When we squared it up to come over the hill, we just had a little contact and I fell off the side of the bike. I wasn't even going to try and get him in the last corner, because I knew I'd tuck the front or run off trying. The R6 was working great. The Graves Yamaha crew has been working hard all weekend. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Peris improved three spots on the first lap, quickly joined the lead pack and steered clear of trouble that hit several other top riders.
"I was just trying to get past everybody for the first few laps," said Peris, who swapped third place with the Buell of Taylor Knapp on the final lap. "I was trying to get past everybody where I could actually put my head down and run my own kind of pace. A couple of the guys, I think, chose the soft rear tire and they were all fading with about five laps to go. My bike seemed to hold in there pretty good. The Erion Honda was just working awesome. We made a few changes last night to get the bike to steer a little bit quicker and it all paid off today."
DiSalvo led the opening lap and later Laps 8 through 11 but ultimately finished seventh after his tires faded in the late going. The only other rider to lead the race was Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) who passed DiSalvo on Lap 2 but crashed while running up front five laps later.
Zemke wasn't injured and joined fellow front runners Roger Hayden (No. 95 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) and Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) in walking away after lowside incidents during the race.
Knapp impressed in his first start on the No. 54 Latus Motors Racing Buell 1125R and finished a close fourth behind Peris. Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) continued his string of strong finishes to round out the top five while Chaz Davies (No. 57 Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV1000R) also kept his competitive streak of consistent results alive with a solid sixth-place showing.
Eslick now leads the Daytona SportBike championship with 109 points, Hacking is second with 99 markers and Herrin is third in the standings with 96 points.
Saturday's Race 1 winner Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) retired after 13 laps with mechanical issues while Dylon Husband (No. 73 Team Pur Sang Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) recovered from Saturday's nearly catastrophic crash in Turn 12 to finish 28th Sunday on a stock Kawasaki replacement bike. Husband went off course at full speed when he lost his front brakes and ended up in the Air Fence near the end of Saturday's Race 1. He was uninjured but his primary race bike was destroyed. He started last in the 40-bike field.
Next up for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL is the Honda Superbike Classic at Barber Motorsports Park, May 1 - 3.
All of the races from the Road Atlanta AMA Pro Suzuki Superbike Showdown will be featured on AMA Pro Primetime on SPEED over the course of the next four episodes. AMA Pro Prime Time airs every Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. ET) with the next scheduled show set for next Saturday, April 11.
Mercado Breaks Through In SuperSport
Seventeen-year-old Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) capped a wild race and weekend with a victory in Sunday's AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei race.
Mercado - who shook off several accidents, early-race rain and a red-flag delay for an oiled track in the SuperSport final - took the lead on Lap 8 and held off polesitter Josh Day (No. 4 Kerker Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) and Joey Pascarella (No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6). Mercado led Day across the finish line by 2.893 seconds while Pascarella took the SuperSport East points lead with his third-place finish.
"I'm very happy," said Mercado, who also raced alongside teammates Hacking and Roger Hayden in Daytona SportBike at Road Atlanta. "This weekend was a crazy weekend for me. I crashed yesterday twice. Then, in the beginning of the race it was good and it started raining and I crashed, so the red was a little crazy. I was very happy on the second start. It was a fun race. I pushed hard and had to be consistent. I'm very happy. I want to say thanks to my team, Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki, for the great job all weekend. Everybody, my trainer and my family, thanks a lot."
Pascarella, who finished second in the Daytona opener, now leads the SuperSport East Championship with 46 points. Kyle Wyman (No. 33 Harv's Harley Davidson Yamaha YZF-R6), who led and finished sixth at Road Atlanta, is second with 33 points and Mercado made a big jump to third with the 31 points earned for today's victory. Day, who like Mercado went off track early in today's race and took advantage of the red flag restart, is fourth in the standings with 27 points.
"I got a little second chance there," Day said. "I had to work a little bit harder from the back, since I had to start way in the back, but I think I was lucky today to get that second chance again. I made another mistake going into Turn 10a at the beginning and ended up losing the front, but ended up coming out as close as we could to the top. It ended up pretty well."
The red flag was displayed on Lap 4 after heavy oil coated the track after the No. 29 Honda CBR600RR of Frank Gillim went down and the No. 55 Yamaha YZF-R6 of Ryan Conrad caught fire. Neither rider was injured and Pascarella had a front seat for all of the action.
"When I went into there, I really didn't even know what was going on," Pascarella said. "Almost everybody crashed in front of me. It was just kind of weird. It happened so fast and everybody was just going down everywhere. I didn't feel the track was slippery, because I slowed down a lot when I saw people going down. I had no problems."
AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei will next race as a part of the Honda Superbike Classic at Barber Motorsports Park, May 1 - 3.
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. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
World Superbikes, Valencia: Haga Breaks the Spies Spell
ReplyDeleteBy Mike Nicks
World Superbikes
05 April 2009 17:04
Noriyuki Haga won the second race in the World Superbike Championship round at Valencia today on his Xerox Ducati, and proved decisively that the American new boy Ben Spies can be beaten on equal terms.
In this race Spies stayed on his Yamaha R1 – he dropped it in the first encounter – but still trailed in second by 5.105s to a raging Haga.
Haga’s double win gives him a 40-point lead in the championship, and the prospect that the 34-year-old Japanese might finally win it after twice finishing second.
Michele Fabrizio crowned a fabulous weekend for the Xerox Ducati 1098R machines by claiming his second podium of the weekend, with third place, just ahead of Regis Laconi on the DFX Ducati.
Leon Haslam continued the fighting form that has made him Britain’s top superbike rider this season, blazing through from the third row to claim fifth place on his Stiggy Honda, from Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
It was a disappointing weekend for the two new factory teams in the championship, Aprilia and BMW. After qualifying for the fifth row, Max Biaggi fought through to eighth place on an RSV4 that earlier in practice looked like a potential winner, and Troy Corser could only finish 15th on the BMW S1000RR.
The other Brits? Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) was 11th, a troubled Johnny Rea (Ten Kate Honda) 13th and Tommy Hill (Althea Honda) 22nd
Looks like all has been covered or answered. So all that's left for me to say is.......Hi Buddy!
ReplyDeleteNoriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) dominated both races in round 3 of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. In front of 65,000 spectators the Japanese rider notched up wins number 35 and 36 in his ten-year long World Superbike career to lead the table with 135 points. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio also had a positive weekend, the young Italian taking second and third while the remaining podium places went to Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) in race 1 and rookie Texan Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) in the second encounter.
ReplyDeleteRace 1
Haga led virtually from lights to flag after moving past early leader Neukirchner at the start of lap 3, the championship leader adding a chunk of points to his advantage over Spies, who then crashed out while fighting with the German. Fabrizio took the second slot to give the factory Ducati team a 1-2 finish. Front-row man Regis Laconi (Ducati DFX) finished just one place away from the podium, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing) was the first Honda rider to the flag ahead of Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare). Yamaha's race was saved with the positive form of Tom Sykes in seventh ahead of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), who recovered well from a lowly grid position. Broc Parkes finished an encouraging tenth for Kawasaki, with Superbike rookie John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) one place behind. Riders who crashed out included Troy Corser (BMW), who was running fourth in the early laps, and Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who remounted but retired.
Noriyuki Haga: "Not so bad! Anyway I had a good feeling this weekend, bike and the team have both been working well. At the start it was good but I had already decided I would go into the lead in the early laps. Finally I kept my own race. Of course I want to win both races today but it's not so easy. I now have a very good feeling with this bike, it is so easy to ride, that's why I was able to push, also I did very consistent laps with this tyre."
Michel Fabrizio: "For me Valencia is very difficult but this result is fantastic. I grew a beard to bring me good luck, and it worked so maybe I will keep it now! It's a great result for the team, we have worked very well from Friday after the first disappointing couple of races."
Max Neukirchner: "Even for us it was really hard. We were always in the top 10 this weekend but didn't find perfect set-up. But during the practices we changed some things and in the end we found a very good way and I am so happy to finish on the podium. I was in second place for so long, but even with this result I'm so glad for my team and our new sponsor."
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'44.766 (150,408 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 3.677; 3. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 3.959; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 4.210; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 13.824; 6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 14.562; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 15.155; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.316; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 098R 20.361; 10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 23.878; 11. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR30.902; 12. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 31.298; 13.Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 32.660; 14. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 42.156; 15. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.040
Race 2
Haga dominated the second race in a similar fashion, this time taking the lead on lap 5. He then pulled out to win by over five seconds, taking a new lap record in 1 minute 34.618 seconds in the process. Spies managed to prevent a second Ducati 1-2 of the day with the runner-up slot but never managed to challenge Haga for the win. Third went to Fabrizio, who again had to hold off Laconi throughout the 23 laps for the final podium slot. Haslam scored another fifth place, again the best Honda rider to the flag, ahead of Checa and Neukirchner, who faded away with tyre problems after starting off well. Biaggi came home in eighth place again, after prevailing in a five-way battle with Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda), Sykes, Shane Byrne (Ducati Sterilgarda) and Hopkins. The final point went to Corser, while Parkes failed to get into the top 15.
Noriyuki Haga: "We did a great job this weekend. I think one of the reasons is that after Qatar I did some ‘age training! But anyway today 50 points is a great advantage over Ben and I'm very happy with this double win."
Ben Spies: "I was trying as hard as we could in the first couple of laps, but had a couple of problems and didn't quite get rolling. By the time we got into second, I would have needed to be right on the back of Nori to stay with him because he was riding at a really good pace. I just didn't quite have those 3 or 4 tenths today so I will come back at Assen and try to step it up."
Michel Fabrizio: "I didn't expect these results here at Valencia, at the most a top 5 position, because it's a difficult track for me. I'm really happy, the team gave me a lot of confidence. It was a really tough battle with Laconi, who was right behind me throughout the race. He brakes really late, I'm amazed he never managed to pass me!"
Results: 1. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 36'46.927 (150,261 kph); 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 5.105; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 6.386; 4. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 6.573; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 14.075; 6. Checa C. (ESP)Honda CBR1000RR 17.333; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 19.207; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 20.697; 9. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 21.015; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 22.581; 11. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 22.604; 12. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 23.952; 13. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 29.082; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.277; 15. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 32.384
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 135; 2. Spies 95; 3. Neukirchner 65; 4. Fabrizio 60; 5. Haslam 58; 6. Laconi 56; 7. Biaggi 54; 8. Sykes 47; 9. Kagayama 35; 10. Rea 33. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 145; 2. Yamaha 110; 3. Honda 73; 4. Suzuki 65; 5. Aprilia 57; 6 Bmw 31; 7. Kawasaki 8
World Supersport
On his third appearance in World Supersport, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) finally managed to step onto the top of the podium. The British rider made the decisive move at the start of the final lap when he passed Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda), who was unable to respond. Third place went to Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who moved back into the lead of the championship, level on points with Crutchlow, who also set the new lap record in 1'36"865. Just off the podium was Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea), ahead of the Kawasaki of Katsuaki Fujiwara. Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini) finished in seventh place, but had the satisfaction of leading the first three laps. Qatar winner Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) could only finish ninth, while former leader Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) fared even worse with a disappointing 13th place. One of the pre-race favourites Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) had a race to forget when he was forced to retire with tyre problems.
Results: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 38'15.613 (144,456 kph); 2. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.171; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 8.408; 4. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 12.421; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 16.529; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 19.242; 7. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 26.124; 8. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 34.525
Points (after 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 54; 2. Sofuoglu 54; 3. Laverty 43; 4. Pitt 43; 5. West 43; 6. Lagrive 25; 7. Aitchison 24; 8. Pirro 18; 9. Roccoli 17; 10. Veneman 17
Superstock 1000
The opening Superstock 1000 round was dominated from the start by Claudio Corti, who powered away from the front row of the grid into the lead. The battle for the runner-up slot was first between Javier Fores (Kawasaki Pedercini) and Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda), who were then joined by Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox). After a few laps, Corti upped the ante to eventually win the race with a five second lead over his pursuers. The other two podium finishers were Simeon and Berger. Pole sitter Davide Giugliano (MV Agusta) had to retire with a technical problem.
Results: 1. Corti C. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 21'18.839 (146,566 kph); 2. Simeon X. (BEL) Ducati 1098R 4.939; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 7.339; 4. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 11.388; 5. Burrell B. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 15.167; 6. Beretta D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 16.927; 7. Jezek O. (CZE) Honda CBR1000RR; 17.129; 8. Magnoni M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 17.855
Points (after 1 of 10 rounds): 1. Corti 25; 2. Simeon 20; 3. Berger 16; 4. Fores 13; 5. Burrell 11; 6. Beretta 10; 7. Jezek 9; 8. Magnoni 8
Superstock 600
Danilo Petrucci made it two Italian winners today in Superstock with an overwhelming victory in the opening 600 class round. After dominating qualifying and setting pole, Petrucci met with no opposition in the race and he took the chequered flag by a comfortable margin of 4 seconds. Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha) was second, with Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) preventing an all-Yamaha podium by holding off Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Italia Junior) for third.
Results: 1. Petrucci D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 18'31.326 (142,711 kph); 2. Lonbois V. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 3.923; 3. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 4.871; 4. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.108; 5. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 9.444; 6. Litjens J. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 14.817; 7. Kerschbaumer S. (AUT) Yamaha YZF R6 16.528; 8. Guittet B. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 16.743
Points (after 1 of 10 rounds): 1. Petrucci 25; 2. Lonbois 20; 3. Rea 16; 4. Bussolotti 13; 5. Guarnoni 11; 6. Litjens 10; 7. Kerschbaumer 9; 8. Guittet 8.