CUPERTINO, Calif. – Ducati North America announced that sales through June reached a new 12-month high (surpassing the previous record set in 2007) with 10,094 new motorcycles delivered. Read more.
Archive for July 13th, 2012
Under sunny yet windy conditions it was Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo who laid down the marker for the weekend at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM at Mugello, setting the fastest time of the day in the afternoon session ahead of Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden. Read more.
(NEWS RELEASE)
Josh Hayes once again proved his mettle on a difficult day at the track to open the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire in which the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike stars were greeted by a tricky green circuit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. (Brian J. Nelson photo)
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 13, 2012) – Josh Hayes once again proved his mettle on a difficult day at the track to open the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire in which the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike stars were greeted by a tricky green circuit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The early afternoon leaderboard displayed wet weather-like times despite sunny skies, nearly ten seconds off the expected pace as the riders got acclimated to the surface and the track slowly began to come in. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 pilot, however, ultimately logged laps of more familiar speed as the day went progressed, nearing his 2011 mark thanks to his inch-perfect placement around an improving but still one-line circuit.
The Mississippian, who grabbed the provisional pole at 1:25.615, said, “Pretty interesting day… First lap I rolled out and I thought they had left a wheel spacer out of my bike or the rear axle was loose. I rolled all the way around the track slow, even coming into the pits it didn’t feel right. I came in and grabbed the rear tire and said ’something’s wrong, something’s broken.’ They went through the whole thing and found nothing. I went back out and saw other people were as scared as I was. I just kind of settled in and did a whole lot of laps.
“I’m really quite surprised to be in the ’25s and be so close to what I qualified at last year — ‘25.3 — because it sure doesn’t feel like that riding around the racetrack. I guess things are going okay. I feel like we’re struggling a little bit but they’re struggling a little more than me. We’ll just keep our head down and keep focused and see what we can make happen.”
He continued, “The best way I can describe it is the track feels like it’s alive underneath you and squirming and moving around. Like it’s not us moving around, it’s the track that’s moving. I have no idea. Every year we show up and have that to some extent but this year just seems incredibly worse than I remember.
“Right now it feels like we’re threading the needle. There is one line and it’s really narrow. It’s not easy to pass. If you can be very precise and hit those lines well, you can put in good, fast lap times. If you get off line it costs dearly.”
Hayes is perhaps a bit extra motivated to hold that position tomorrow as Mid-Ohio was the solitary circuit at which he failed to score the pole a year ago.
“This is the one I missed,” Hayes said. “I was actually on pole on Friday here last year, but Blake [Young] ended up getting me on Saturday. We’ll have to see at how the track is in the morning. I don’t know if it will be better or worse when it’s cooler quite honestly. The track seems to be getting better every time we ride it. We’ll just have to see how the morning goes.”
Another veteran racer who used every ounce of his experience to excel on Friday was Attack Performance’s Steve Rapp. The Californian out-paced regular podium contenders like Josh Herrin, Roger Hayden, and 2011 Mid-Ohio winner Blake Young to rank second to Hayes on Friday.
Rapp pushed his Attack Performance Kawasaki ZX-10R around the undulating circuit with a best time of 1:25.989, standing as the only other rider outside of Hayes to break into the ’25s.
National Guard SuperBike freshman Herrin was right on Rapp’s heels, circulating at 1:26.068 on the second works Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1.
National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Hayden completed the provisional front row at the scene of his maiden SuperBike pole, racked up at Mid-Ohio one year ago.
Young, who earned pole and won a race here in 2011, was relegated to the provisional second row. The Yoshimura Suzuki ace is desperately looking for a way to reel in his escaping title rival but was nearly a second removed from Hayes on the charts today, 0.861 seconds back in fifth.
Local hero Larry Pegram was next on the Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW S1000RR with on-form Geoff May seventh aboard the Team Amsoil/Hero EBR 1190RS.
Hayden’s Michael Jordan Motorsports teammate, Ben Bostrom, was eighth quick on Friday on the #23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000, while Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki’s Taylor Knapp and Team Hero EBR’s Danny Eslick completed the Friday top ten.
Hayes, who has already taken eight victories in 2012, including maiden premier class victories at Daytona International Speedway, Road Atlanta, Miller Motorsports Park, and Barber Motorsports Park, will look to get his revenge for his weakest outing of his 2011 campaign by securing pole and returning to the top of the podium on Saturday at Mid-Ohio.
AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike
Jason DiSalvo of Team Latus Motors Racing took the provisional pole at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Friday afternoon in the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike class. DiSalvo’s best lap was timed at 1:29.572.
“It was a good session and we spent a majority of the session working on race setup. Being as how AMA Pro splits the Friday session, it makes it hard to do that and then turn in a fast lap, too,” said DiSalvo. “With a chance of some weather rolling in, we had to go ahead and make sure we put that lap in. With 13 or 14 minutes to go, we made one big suspension adjustment and we able to put in some flyers at the end.” The session was called approximately five minutes early due to a red flag.
Joining DiSalvo on the overnight front row are previous Mid-Ohio race winner Dane Westby (M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki), Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S/Graves/Yamaha) and points leader Martin Cardenas (GEICO Suzuki).
Jake Zemke (Ducshop Ducati), Tommy Hayden (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha,) Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports,) and J.D. Beach provisionally qualified on the second row.
AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport
Dustin Dominguez made it two Latus Motors Racing Triumphs leading the way as he broke the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport lap record during the afternoon qualifying session. A previous winner at the track, Dominguez managed to top the class for up-and-coming racers. “We got a pretty good lap time in. We spent most of the time on a medium tire,” said Dominguez. “We did 26 laps on a tire and I got a 30.7 at the end.”
James Rispoli (Orient Express Celtic Racing) was second, 0.7 back. Stefano Mesa (Kneedraggers.com Yamaha) and Hayden Gillim (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull) also showed the speed on Friday to join Dominguez on the front row.
How to Catch the Action
This weekend’s AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and GoPro Daytona SportBike doubleheaders will be featured on SPEED in a set of back-to-back, same-day delayed broadcasts, scheduled to begin at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT on Saturday and Sunday nights. Follow along live as the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series riders battle it out by logging onto http://www.speed2.com. SPEED2 is a broadband service available to customers of Time Warner, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, DISH and Cox. For more information and instructions on gaining access to all of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com and AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series races, please review the SPEED2 FAQ located at http://www.speed2.com/faq.
AMA Pro Road Racing Live Timing & Scoring presented by Cortech offers fans real-time access to results from on-track sessions at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/. Between the races, stay connected with AMA Pro Road Racing at www.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Event Activities
Though there are dozens of hours of track time between practices, qualifying and races, there is plenty to be seen off track, including a fireworks display on Saturday night and motorcycle stunt shows by team BikeStyles performing in the upper paddock throughout the weekend.
Prior to the races on Saturday and Sunday, fans with Pit and Paddock Passes are able to get onto pit lane for a fan walk and autograph opportunities. Bikes and riders from all four classes will be on the grid during the fan walks, making for a packed pit lane.
Weekend tickets start at $60 and daily tickets at $40. General parking is free and children 12 and under are also admitted free. Visit www.midohio.com anytime or call 800-MID-OHIO (643-6446) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. to order tickets or for more information.
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
(NEWS RELEASE)
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation announces the completion of the investigation and report regarding the 2012 induction class of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Click the below link to download the report:
Statement and Review of the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Class
About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation
Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum’s three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering. More information can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org.
NOTABLE MEMBERS, including Grand National Champions, of the AMA Hall of Fame have returned their medals in protest after the organization decided it would not induct famed mechanic Derek “Nobby” Clark into this year’s class after all. Dick Mann and Dave Despain so far have returned their medals, and Kenny Roberts likely was to follow suit, according to reports. Read more.
(NEWS RELEASE)
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, July 13, 2012 – A preview of the Grand Prix of Italy MotoGP World Championship event July 15:
Race: Grand Prix of Italy
Date: Sunday, July 15
Round: Ninth of 18 races in 2012
Circuit: Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, Scarperia, Italy
Distance: 23 laps on 15-turn, 3.259-mile circuit
2011 Winner: Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
2012 Points Leader: Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha
U.S. Riders: Nicky Hayden, eighth, 65 points; Ben Spies, 10th, 61; Colin Edwards, 18th, 8.
TV: MotoGP: 8 a.m. (ET) Sunday, July 15, SPEED. Moto2: 5:30 p.m. (ET), Sunday, July 15, SPEED. Moto3: Noon (ET) Tuesday, July 17, SPEED.
Web: www.motogp.com
Twitter: @MotoGP
LAST RACE
Dani Pedrosa earned his first victory of the season on his Repsol Honda factory machine, beating Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha Factory Racing bike to the line by 14.996 seconds Sunday, July 8 in the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. Andrea Dovizioso finished third on his Tech 3 Yamaha satellite bike.
But Pedrosa’s margin of victory might be the most deceptive statistic of the 2012 season in MotoGP. His victory came after an epic duel with Repsol Honda teammate Casey Stoner for nearly the entire race, as they never were separated by more than a second during the second half of the 30-lap race.
Reigning World Champion Stoner fell on the second-to-last turn of the race while trying to pull even with Pedrosa for a last-gasp pass for victory after losing the lead to Pedrosa with 12 laps to go. Stoner’s Honda remained beached in the gravel trap, as he failed to finish a race for the first time since April 2011, ending a streak of 22 consecutive top-four finishes.
WHO’S HOT
Ben Spies: American Spies has started to salvage his season for Yamaha Factory Racing with three consecutive top-five finishes after a dreadful start in which he produced a best result of eighth in the first five races. Spies appeared to be losing grip on his Yamaha factory ride earlier this year, but his resurgence has led many in the MotoGP paddock to believe Yamaha will renew his contract for a works bike.
Marc Marquez: It’s good to be Marquez right now. Spaniard Marquez, 19, leads the Moto2 standings by 43 points and was announced Thursday, July 12 as the teammate to Dani Pedrosa in the Repsol Honda factory MotoGP team for 2013-14.
WHO’S NOT
Cal Crutchlow: Crutchlow reportedly is mulling a two-year contract offer from Ducati’s factory team. But he still hasn’t finished on the podium in this breakthrough season while his Tech 3 Yamaha teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, has finished third in the last two races. Meanwhile, it appears Dovizioso will not have a factory ride in 2013 despite leading Crutchlow, 92-85, in the standings.
Bradley Smith: Smith signed a MotoGP contract for 2013 with Tech 3 Yamaha before the 2012 season, but the Brit has recorded no top-five finishes this season in Moto2 and is seventh in points.
NEWS and NUMBERS
Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi won this event – his home race – for seven consecutive years from 2002-08, a Grand Prix motorcycle racing record … Andrea Dovizioso earned his third podium finish of the season July 8 at the German Grand Prix on the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha. The last satellite rider to record three podium finishes in one season was Marco Melandri in 2007 … The Italian Grand Prix usually features the highest top speeds of the season due to the long front straightaway at Mugello. Ducati satellite rider Hector Barbera produced the top speed in practice Friday, July 13, 215.4 mph … Czech Karel Abraham will not race his Cardion AB satellite Ducati this weekend, still recovering from deep cuts on his hand and a broken finger suffered in a crash in testing last month in Spain. No replacement was named, so there will be 20 starters on the MotoGP grid … Moto2 points leader Marc Marquez, 19, equaled fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa as the most successful teenager in Grand Prix racing with his 21st career victory July 8 in the German Grand Prix.
***
2012 tickets: Tickets for the 2012 Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP event, scheduled for Aug. 17-19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, are on sale now at www.imstix.com, by calling (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700 or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
Information on camping at IMS during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP is available at www.imstix.com. Hotel package information can be found at visitindy.com/redbull.
(NEWS RELEASE)
All Motos to be Featured Live Through FUEL TV and NBC Networks
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 13, 2012) – The 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will begin the second half of the season tomorrow, July 14, with the seventh round from the Bob’s Cycle Supply Spring Creek National. Renowned Spring Creek MX Park, in Millville, Minn., will host the world’s best riders with a full slate of live broadcast coverage set to kick off at 2 p.m. Eastern.
The opening moto of the 450 Class, led by RedBull KTM’s Ryan Dungey who returns to his home state of Minnesota, can be seen live on FUEL TV at 2 p.m. Eastern, followed immediately by the first 250 Class moto in which Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett aims for a third consecutive win. Both motos can also be seen live online at AlliSports.com.
Live coverage of the final motos will kick off at 4 p.m. Eastern with another two-hour block of bar-to-bar action for the 450 and 250 Classes.
Additionally, coverage of both second motos can be seen internationally on SPEED Australia, ESPN Brazil, FUEL TV Europe and throughout the Americas on ESPN Latin America. The chart below shows the times for SPEED Australia and ESPN Brazil.
SPEED Australia: 6:00 a.m. AEST (on July 15)
ESPN Brazil: 14:00 (on July 15)
*Check local listings for respective air times from FUEL TV Europe and ESPN Latin America
For easier access domestically, here are FUEL TV and NBC Sports Network channels from some major television providers:
FUEL TV
DIRECTV – Channel 618
DISH Network – Channel 398
Verizon FiOS – Channel 198
AT&T U-verse – Channel 536
NBC Sports Network
DIRECTV – Channel 603 & 604 (Alternate)
DISH Network – Channel 151
Verizon FiOS – Channel 90 & 590 (HD)
AT&T U-verse – Channel 640 & 1640 (HD)
*Check local listings for cable operators
Festivities for the Bob’s Cycle Supply Spring Creek National begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, with practice and qualifying. Opening ceremonies start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
For fans who missed any of the action from the sixth round of the season at RedBud, all four moto archives from the 250 and 450 Classes, in addition to the weekly highlight show, are available on AlliSports.com.
Tickets for the remaining rounds of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship can be found at www.allisports.com.
For additional information please visit AlliSports.com/motocross also, “like” the American Motocross Facebook page, “follow” @AmericanMX on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content and information on the latest Lucas Oil Motocross news and developments.
For media information about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please contact MX Sports Pro Racing via email at media@mxsportsproracing.com.
MX Sports Pro Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world’s most prestigious motocross series – the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The industry leader in off road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit www.mxsportsproracing.com.
Alli Sports
Alli Sports, is an action sports lifestyle brand whose mission is to connect fans with athletes and brands through best in class events, media, and authentic branded products. Alli Sports includes: the Dew Tour, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and the Red Bull Signature Series; Alli Media, which creates, produces, and distributes original content; Alli RideShop, an online retailer carrying top skate and BMX consumer products; and Alli MotoShop an online retailer carrying top moto consumer products. Alli Sports is owned by NBC Sports. More information can be found at www.allisports.com.
AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing sanctioning body in the United States, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization sanctions professional motorcycle racing competition, which includes, AMA Pro Motocross, AMA Pro Road Racing, and AMA Pro Flat Track. Visit www.amaproracing.com.
NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January of 2011, the broad reach and storied history of NBC Sports united with Comcast’s 24/7 ability to super-serve fans to create the NBC Sports Group. The new sports media company consists of an array of broadcast television, cable television and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports & Olympics, Golf Channel, Versus, 11 SportNets (regional sports networks) and their respective websites. Together, the new combined assets of the NBC Sports Group possess an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the Olympics, NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, IndyCar, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Wimbledon, French Open, Tour de France and Kentucky Derby.
FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the only cable and satellite television network that features the exciting world of adrenaline and thrill-seeking sports including UFC, surfing, motocross, snowboarding and more. This new generation of sports provides a rich landscape of some of the most vibrant and action-packed television entertainment in the world. With more hours of UFC coverage than any other network, FUEL TV is the place to be for live fights, weigh-ins, prelims, pre- and post-fight coverage, specials and events you won’t see anywhere else. See why adrenaline sports fans call FUEL TV the channel they never turn off. FUEL TV, part of FOX Sports Media Group, was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 36 million U.S. homes and can be accessed by broadband, mobile devices and other digital platforms such as iTunes®. FUEL TV programming is available in more than 50 countries around the world with 24/7 channels operating in Australia and Europe. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.
Lucas Oil Products
Lucas Oil is a worldwide leader in the production of oils, lubricants and additives. Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest-growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry, featuring a premium line of oils, lubricants and problem-solving performance additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop industry. Lucas Oil is involved in an array of motorsports sponsorships, including the “Official Motor Oil of the Pro Motocross Championship.” Visit www.LucasOil.com.
(NEWS RELEASE)
AURORA, Ill. (July 13, 2012) – Feld Motor Sports® announced today that Red Bull/KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Murrieta, Calif., will make his debut at the second-annual Monster Energy Cup held in Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium on October 20.
Roczen, who came to the U.S. from Germany in 2011, capped off his second Supercross Lites Class Championship earlier this year by finishing second overall in the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship. He earned one Main Event win, and an additional five podium finishes. He finished second in the Dave Coombs Sr., East/West Shootout.
Last year marked Roczen’s American debut, where he earned one race win and two additional podium finishes en route to finishing sixth overall. Prior to coming to America, Roczen made a name for himself on the world stage, winning the 2011 FIM World Championship in the MX2 Class.
“The Monster Energy Cup last year looked cool,” said Roczen “First of all, the track is something different; you have a supercross part mixed together with an outdoor part. Overall, a lot of good riders were there, too; I think it is a really good concept. I think it is good that you can bring whatever bike you want; some people go faster on a 250cc, some people like more power (of the) 450cc … it is something different.”
The 2012 Monster Energy Cup features an all-new track design inspired by five-time Supercross Class Champion Ricky Carmichael. The Carmichael-inspired track design will consist of supercross and motocross obstacles unlike any other racetrack design in the world. More than 200’ of the track will be built into the grandstands, and the riders exit the stadium and race through the Monster Energy Fan Zone outside of the stadium and through the pit area before they catapult back into the stadium. The Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse with the winner walking away with a $100,000 check, and any rider that wins all three Main Events will take home $1 million.
For more information on the Monster Energy Cup, log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow the Monster Energy Cup on Facebook and Twitter, log on to www.Facebook.com/VegasMECup and www.Twitter.com/VegasMECup.
Tickets for the 2012 Monster Energy Cup can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, UNLVtickets outlets, online at www.UNLVtickets.com, www.MonsterEnergyCup.com, or by phone at (702) 739-FANS. Tickets will be available at the Sam Boyd Stadium Box Office on the day of the event only.
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.
Alan Sessarego sent us this amazing photo of Dunlop’s road racing roster in 1993. This was an all-star group to say the least. Check out the front-row dream team of Jamie James, Randy Renfrow, Doug Polen, Scott Russell, Mike Smith, Steve Crevier, Dave Stanton, Kurt Hall and Chuck Graves. How many in the photo can you name?
Dunlop’s American road racing roster in 1993 was an impressive bunch. (Alan Sessarego photo)
This looks like it could get ugly. Dick Mann has joined Dave Despain in renouncing his Hall of Fame membership over the Nobby Clark mess. Read more.