Mad Kaw Racing stands on class podium during WERA National Endurance at Willow Springs. Mad Kaw Racing had their best finish to date during the 6-hour WERA Endurance event at Willow Springs Raceway on June 4. The team brought home their CycleTires.com Kawasaki ZX6-R second in the Middleweight Superstock Class and Twelfth overall, and just as at VIR two weeks prior, they did it on remanufactured Tomahawk Tires. “We made some changes to the rear tire profile after VIR that have given us more side grip” said Team Owner Ivan Messina. “We didn’t want to come to Willow with what we had before, the long continuous right hand corners here are really tough on tires. I would go as far as to say that no other track in the country is more abusive on tires than Willow. We tested a few different compounds on Friday, and found one we thought would work.” It got warmer on Saturday though, and the first tire the team used during the race didn’t work very well. “It was too soft, and we ended up having to switch to a harder compound during the race, but that’s why we’re out here, to find out what works and continue to develop these tires.” said Ivan. The team was ready for the rear tire changes, and they went well, but they were unprepared for the number of front tire changes. We have never had to change a front tire in a 6-hour event. We changed two here, and with no front quick change equipment we lost some time in the pits.” said Ivan. “The pit crew did a great job with what I gave them though. Phil Herrin volunteered to help us out, and he brought his own sprint crew over to assist. Without them we would have had a difficult time, and I have to give all of our volunteers a big Thank You.” The team brought in a new rider for this event, former WSMC racer Frank Nolan. James Toohey and Ivan Messina rounded out the riders. “Frank is a great addition to the team, consistent and fast.” said Ivan. “We are all really starting to gel, and I think the result here shows that.” More, from a press release issued by Team Stumpy: Greg “Stumpy” Steltenpohl competes in AMA Supersport action at Road America Greg “Stumpy” Steltenpohl had a successful weekend in his first-ever AMA competition at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America. Aboard the #256 Team Stumpy Racing Lithium Motorsports Honda 600rr, Steltenpohl qualified 33rd on the Supersport grid and placed 29th in the race. “The entire event went really smooth,” says Steltenpohl. “Every time I went on the track, I’d find a faster way to go and drop some time. Qualifying was more stressful for me than the actual race. I’m not great at competing against a clock. I like to dice and have a ‘carrot’ to chase, but things came together and the session went good. Tom Mason picked out a great set of Michelins for the qualifying session that stuck great the whole time. I did have to come in for gas with a few minutes left and was hoping to do one more ‘flyer’, but the clock ran out.” Sunny skies prevailed for the Sunday Supersport final, despite warnings of severe weather. “The race was so fun. I put my head down and was determined to make all 10 laps and I did. With the competition I was facing, I was looking for top 30, so that goal was met,” explained Steltenpohl. “It was the best 29th place I’ve ever won! “The icing on the cake were all the fans there cheering me on,” says Steltenpohl. “I always have the best group of people supporting me, whatever I’m up to. I really wanted to put on a good show for them and I thank everyone for their support and encouragement. I can’t wait for next year!” More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing, which we’re running because former road racer Chris Carr is leading the dirt track points: KOPP SEEKING GRANITE CITY REPEAT PICKERINGTON, Ohio (June 7, 2005) — Joe Kopp returns to Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., on June 11, for round five of the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship. Kopp, of Mica, Wash., hopes to repeat his victory at Tri-City in 2003 and inch closer to series leader Chris Carr. “Tri-City is one of those tracks that suits my style,” said Kopp, the 2000 AMA Grand National Champion who rides for Latus Harley-Davidson/Jones Powersports. “The track has bumpy dirt and it gets kind of rough during the course of a national and I was able to ride that pretty well the last time we were there.” Kopp is tied for second in the series standings with Ken Coolbeth, 14 points behind defending champ Carr. Kopp thinks it’s going to take consistency throughout the entire season to win back the AMA Grand National title from Carr. “I gained two points on him at Springfield (during the AMA Grand National Doubleheader over Memorial Day weekend), but that’s not enough,” Kopp said. “I haven’t been on the podium yet and I need to start doing that consistently to be able to catch Chris.” Coolbeth is also a proven threat at Granite City. The Connecticut native was runner up in both nationals held at Tri-City Speedway. He too would like to make up ground on Carr Saturday night. Bryan Bigelow, of Au Gres, Mich., won the race in 2002. Bigelow comes into Granite City ranked 13th in the standings. Jake Johnson and JR Schnabel have both scored victories in the series this year, but neither scored impressive results in the previous two Granite City nationals. Both riders are proven on short track and TT circuits, but know they will have to step up their performances on the bigger tracks to be considered true title contenders. Iowan Rich King is the hottest rider in the series. He is coming off a victory in the Springfield (Ill.) Mile over Memorial Day Weekend. King has scored a pair of top-10 finishes in Granite City. With the hopes of many riders high coming into this weekend’s race, the championship still goes through Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford rider/team owner Chris Carr. The six-time AMA Grand National Champion has missed the podium only once this year and his record at Granite City is solid. In 2002 he finished fourth in the race and third in the 2003 edition. Tri-City Speedway will also host the second round of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series. Warminster, Pennsylvania’s Scott Stump leads the championship on his Lima Harley-Davidson sponsored 883 Sportster after winning the opening round in Springfield. Stump is a two-time 883 series runner up. Take in a bike show and pig roast before the national. For ticket information call (636) 329-1122 or visit the website www.tricityspeedway.net. More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: Team Morse Racing Wins in the Wet & the Dry! Team Morse Racing rode their way to 6 podium finishes and 3 race wins during round three of the MRA roadrace series at Second Creek Raceway in Denver Colorado. The weekend started with cold wet conditions on Saturday morning, and those conditions continued on through much of the day. By early afternoon it was clear that the mid-afternoon endurance races were going to be run in full wet conditions, however Dave Gallant and Mike Applehans were confident their Pirelli Super Corsa Pro DOT tires were up to the task at hand. By turn 3, Dave and Mike had put their RacerSupply.com Suzuki SV650s in the top two positions, then proceeded to put in silky smooth laps running at the front. Lap after lap, Dave and Mike diced their way through the first wave of Middleweight bikes using their nimble SV650s to their advantage. By the time the checkered flag flew, Dave had built up a comfortable lead to take the Lightweight Endurance class win and finished 3rd overall against a large Middleweight grid. Mike’s injuries sustained at Mid-America Motorplex two weeks earlier however forced him to ride more conservative towards the end of the long race, and he took home a 3rd place finish in the Lightweight Endurance class putting two Team Morse Racing riders on the podium. “Even though the conditions were terrible, they were the same for everyone and it forced me to be perfect every lap” commented Dave Gallant after the finish endurance race. “The SV650 is the best tool for rain riding. If I had rain tires on I am confident we could have been challenging the first wave of Middleweight bikes for the overall win!” added Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing. With the Rocky Mountains close at hand the Colorado weather changes quickly. By Sunday morning the clouds had dispersed and it was nothing but sunshine and warm temperatures for the entire day of MRA sprint racing action. First up on the schedule was Lightweight Grand Prix with Dave and Mike aboard their RacerSupply.com Suzuki SV650s once again. Once again, Dave and Mike led the first lap flying in formation, then proceeded to gap much of the field. Two riders gridded at the rear however used their well-suited bikes and skill on the tight twisty track to cut down the advantage. By the end of the 8 lap sprint race it was a 4 rider lead pack consisting of the two Suzuki SV650s, one KTM 525, and one Honda RS125 ridden by the very talented John Hjelm. At the line, Dave was able to take home the victory however 2nd place was too close to call between Mike Applehans and the KTM mounted rider. The results credit Mike with a third place finish, and with that ruling Team Morse Racing riders once again filled two positions of the podium for the class. Next up for Dave Gallant was an MRA Premier class called “Race of the Rockies GTU”, with much the same rule structure of the AMA Formula Extreme series. Twenty one riders comprised the grid for the double-the-distance race with many of the fastest racers in Colorado contesting it. Dave got off to a good start with the lead pack of riders, then closed the gap to the 3rd place and 4th place riders. This hard work did not pay off however, and Dave was forced to practice his dirt-tracking skills after loosing the rear entering turn four and running off the track. By the time the tires were clean and Dave was back up to speed, the race was winding down and he crossed the finish line in 7th place overall. “That was a really tough race. Running a Supersport legal bike against some of those built monsters is difficult, however I could make time in many corners which is a credit to how good Ryan from Suspension Solution has my suspension dialed in. It is not perfect yet, but it is better than most other’s out here on our tight and twisty tracks. That right there really makes a world of difference, and a top-ten finish is something I can’t complain about today” commented Dave after the grueling race. Next up on the schedule for the both team members was Supertwins GTU. This hotly contested class features everything from superbike-spec SV650s to brand new Ducati 749R race bikes. Dave and Mike took their front row gridding positions, nailed the start, and battled amongst themselves for the entirety of the eight lap race. At the checkered flag it was a Team Morse Racing 1/2 finish, with Dave just squeaking by for the win. Both Dave and Mike put in good performances in Middleweight Supersport as well as Open Supersport, but the day was completed with a spectacular Heavyweight Supersport race. Both riders were off to a good start but were shuffled back to 10th and 12th place by turn two. Neither were pleased with this position, but Mike Applehans turned on the heat and began picking off riders one by one. At the finish line, Mike crossed it in 4th place passing 6 riders in 8 laps against heavy competition! “That was great fun! My RacerSupply.com GSXR750 really felt good out there, and just like on Dave’s GSXR600, Ryan at Suspension Solutions really has the suspension working well for our tracks and my style. I was hoping to get up one or two more positions by the time the race was over, but this result is great and I look forward to doing even better as we continue to improve the bike!” stated Mike Applehans of Team Morse Racing. “This is what it is all about for us – Riding hard and making sure our team sponsors are mentioned during almost every race of the day!” commented Scott Morse, owner of Morse Racing Products / GP Composites. “Fielding four bikes for our riders also gives the shop an opportunity to stress test new bodywork technologies to find ways to make our bodywork that much better. We are already running the next generation bodywork on these four bikes and I excited to see how well it is holding up while at the same time being even more lightweight and flexible!” added Scott Morse of Team Morse Racing. Team Morse Racing will compete in round 4 of the MRA series at Continental Divide Raceway (formerly Mountain View Raceway) on June 18th-19th. More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist: TWO PODIUMS AND NEW TRACK RECORD FOR DISALVO AT ROAD AMERICA Jason DiSalvo competed in the AMA SuperBike Championship at the Road America 4.1 mile course in Elkhart Lake WI June 3, 4th and 5th. The race weekend included a severe thunderstorm during the first SuperBike race on Saturday afternoon but had no effect on the 1000cc SuperStock or 600cc SuperSport classes. With practice on Friday qualifying on Saturday with the final races being Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon. In the 1000cc SuperStock class Jason continued his domination by getting his fourth consecutive pole position in this class while establishing a new track record of almost 1 1/2 seconds faster than previous. With a strong start from his pole position Jason ran a consistent race finishing third securing another podium finish. The 600cc SuperSport class saw Jason finish second fastest in qualifying giving him another front row starting position. Jason had a perfect start leading the pack into turn 1 and running a consistent race while being challenged numerous times by one of his team mates. At the checkered flag Jason finished third again securing the last podium place of the race. With good results at Road America Jason stands second in points in the 1000cc SuperStock class and tied for fifth in the 600cc SuperSport class. The team has traveled to Mid-Ohio for testing and will be concentrating on the upcoming event at Laguna Seca the first week of July which will host Moto GP for the first time in many years. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS SUZUKI: HIGHS AND LOWS AT ROAD AMERICA The Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team had highs and lows at round six of the AMA Superbike Championship at Road America, June 3-5. The highs were Steve Rapp’s two 8th place finishes in Sunday’s Superstock and Superbike races, as well as teammate Montez Stewart’s best finish of the year with an 18th place finish in Superstock. The lows included Jason Pridmore’s short-lived return to racing action, when a freak mechanical problem caused him to crash and break a bone in his right foot during Thursday’s test day, as well Rapp’s first-lap crash in Saturday’s rain-plagued Superbike event. Jason Pridmore “We don’t know what happened, that’s the problem,” said Pridmore. “It’s just so frustrating, because I just wanted to ride and see where I was, coming back from my injury. I did maybe 6 laps all day. I was just accelerating out of the slowest corner on the track, turn 5, on my out lap and the front wheel locked up on me. I’d just started to go up the hill to turn 6. I was doing 60 miles per hour, maybe. Next thing you know, I’m flopping over the bars. There wasn’t even a cornerworker where I fell; the cornerworker had to come down from turn 6. When I got up and went to the bike, the front wheel was locked up, and they don’t know what happened. It’s just frustrating.” Steve Rapp Saturday’s Superbike Final – Crash – DNF “First lap, I was behind Kurtis (Roberts), 9th or 10th place,” said Rapp. “I went through turn 8, there was lots of sealer, I couldn’t really see where I was because I was right behind Kurtis. I followed him through and as soon as I touched the throttle, it went 180 and wiped me out. I learned a little bit in case it rains tomorrow.” Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 8th Place “I could stay with the group the first half of the race,” said Rapp of the lead group of frontrunners. “Maybe 4 or 5 laps into it I went deep into 5 and ran wide, and that was the end of my race right there. I lost the group by about 6 or 7 bikelengths. After that I couldn’t really do much else. By then, my tires were starting to slide a little bit anyway. I was trying to make up ground on the brakes, then I’d lose my drive a little bit.” Sunday’s Superbike Final – 8th Place “I was ahead of (Aaron) Yates and Josh (Hayes) for a couple of laps,” said Rapp. “Then they passed me down the front straight, and I followed Josh for maybe 3 or 4 more laps and he pulled a little gap on me. I rode by myself for the rest of the race. I had plus 15 on my board at one point. The bike was really good. We tried a few things after the Superstock race and they were better.” Montez Stewart Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 18th Place “Those guys who finished in front of me, I was matching their pace all the way around the track,” said Stewart. “They were getting their bikes up on the middle of the tire better than me. I was beating them on the brakes everywhere, but they were setting up the corners better. The lap times were the best I turned all weekend. It’s still not fast enough, but I’m making progress. I almost crashed, because I nearly got caught up in that mess in turn 5.” Superstock Results – Round 6 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI 1. Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 3. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 4. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 5. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 6. Michael Barnes, M4 EMGO Suzuki 7. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha 8. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 9. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha 10. Jake Holden, Lion Racing Suzuki Superbike Results – Race 1 – Round 6 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI 1. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 2. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki 4. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Marty Cragill, Mat Mladin Suzuki 6. Jake Zemke, Honda 7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 8. Larry Pegram, Hotbodies Honda 9. John Haner, Lion Racing Suzuki 10. Akira Tumitsuji, Suzuki Superbike Results – Race 2 – Round 6 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI 1. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Jake Zemke, Honda 4. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 5. Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki 6. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki 7. Kurtis Roberts, Honda 8. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 9. Lee Acree, Millennium KWS Suzuki 10. Clint McBain, Blackfoot Suzuki 2005 Superstock Point Standings (After 6 Races) 1. Aaron Yates, 190 2. Jason Disalvo, 184 3. Tommy Hayden, 168 4. Jamie Hacking, 156 5. Steve Rapp, 152 6. Jake Holden, 130 7. John Haner, 126 8. Roger Lee Hayden, 118 9. Aaron Gobert, 118 10. Geoff May, 113 21. TIE, Akira Tamitsuji/Montez Stewart, 39 26. TIE, Jason Pridmore (injured)/Matt Lynn, 29 2005 Superbike Point Standings (After 10 Races) 1. Mat Mladin, 325 2. Ben Spies, 300 3. Aaron Yates, 265 4. Neil Hodgson, 249 5. Eric Bostrom, 231 6. Miguel Duhamel, 204 7. Jake Zemke, 186 8. Marty Craggill, 186 9. Jake Zemke, 178 10. Lee Acree, 178 27. Jason Pridmore, 49 (injured) More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli Racers Lead Laps in Two Classes at Road America, Scoring Podium Finishes Superstock After leading six laps of the Road America Superstock race, Pirelli rider Geoff May was passed on the last lap and finished second by only .795 of a second. May was ecstatic with how his Pirelli Super Corse tires allowed him to defeat a pack of five factory riders. Superstock is a class of heavyweight bikes in a field of heavyweight teams, yet Geoff May and Michael Barnes, each riding for the M4 EMGO Suzuki team, together led nine laps of the 10-lap Superstock race at Road America. The recently un-retired Barnes finished sixth, in just his second professional road racing event since Daytona. With the dry conditions of the race on Road America’s ultra-fast high-horsepower track, Pirelli’s grabbing the second-highest step on the podium shows how well its tires meet the harshest measure of performance. Another Pirelli shod rider finishing in the top ten was Jacob Holden, coming home tenth on his Lion Racing Suzuki. Holden is now sixth in Superstock points with his teammate John Haner seventh and May tenth. Formula Xtreme In Formula Xtreme action, run on a wet track, M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes finished third, after leading four laps. Barnes, from Boca Raton, Florida, was recently enlisted by the M4 EMGO Suzuki team to fill in for injured rider Vincent Haskovec. Barnes was pleased with the edge he had in the rain with his Pirellis, noting how his advantage was equal, wet or dry. Joining Barnes in the top ten in Formula Xtreme were Pirelli-riders Danny Eslick, 5th; Mike Hale, 7th; and Justin Filice, 10th. This event marked Hale’s return to professional racing. High-ranked Pirelli riders in the season’s points include Team Hotbodies Racing teammates Nicky Moore in seventh (Moore sat out this round) and Taylor Knapp in eighth. Supersport Geoff May’s strong and consistent performances include a six-place finish at Road America in the brutally-competitive Supersport class. This finish places May at seventh in Supersport points for the season. Also finishing in the top fifteen in Supersport were Pirelli-shod riders Blake Young, Jason Ferrell, Nathan Hester and Taylor Knapp. Superbike In the Superbike class, Privateer racers John Haner and Lee Acree each posted a ninth-place finish, Haner in Saturday’s red-flagged-shortened race in the rain, and Acree in Sunday’s race. Acree, riding for the Millennium KWS team, has had a season of top finishes that has positioned him tenth in Superbike points, and as the second-highest ranked privateer.