2010 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas won both races in a doubleheader that determined the 2011 Latin American 600cc Supersport Championship at Autodromo Tocancipa in Bogota, Colombia on Sunday. Cardenas entered the race on an AMA Pro-spec M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 shipped to Colombia for the event, and brought his 2009-2011 AMA Pro Crew Chief Robin Hawley with him. On Saturday, Cardenas qualified on pole, turning laps two seconds faster than the rest of the field. The annual event drew 25 entries from Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico and the United States, including AMA Pro riders Cardenas, Santiago Villa, Stefano Mesa and Raul Azate. Cardenas won both races by a wide margin, but did not immediately take the lead, following Santiago Lopez and Mauricio Palacios early on. But Cardenas soon passed Lopez and Palacios and pulled away, turning laps a second faster than the rest of the field, with CCS Florida Champion Villa quickly moving into second and building his own gap. But Villa highsided avoiding a lapped rider, was hit by his tumbling Yamaha YZF-R6, slid into the curbing and was knocked unconscious. The race was red-flagged and Villa was taken to the track medical center where he came to and was diagnosed with two broken ribs and a broken scapula. The race was restarted and Cardenas again pulled away, crossing the finish line well ahead of Lopez on a Triumph 675 and Raul Alzate on a Yamaha YZF-R6. Doctors cleared Villa to start the second race and he took the early lead, staying in front for three laps before Cardenas went past and again opened a gap. Villa maintained second while gapping a four-way battle for third involving Lopez, Palacios on another Triumph and Alzate, with Palacios taking the final podium spot. Combined scoring gave Cardenas the 2011 Latin American Supersport Championship with a perfect 50 points, ahead of Lopez with 31 points and Palacios with 29 points. Alzate was fourth in the scoring, followed by Zaret Leon of Mexico with 21 points and Villa with 20 points. Young Gun Stefano Mesa was 10th in the standings with 14 points. “I had a great time racing in my country and I’m happy to win the Latin American Championship again,” Cardenas said. “The track conditions were not so good, but I put my M4 GEICO Suzuki on the top of the podium twice. I want to thank my team for helping me with my bike for this race, and I also want to thank Robin Hawley who has been my Crew Chief in AMA Pro for three years.” Villa said, “I got a decent start in the first race but it was impossible to run with Martin. I was having a calm race until I met that lapper, who put his hand up, slowed and pulled wide, then dove back onto the line as I was about to pass him in the fastest corner on the track. I braked hard to miss him and highsided, so I have to thank the doctor who gave me a pain injection and cleared me for the second race. In the second race I showed I was supposed to be in the Latin American Championship and finished second. I want to thank my mechanic Fuji Duran, who with help from Willy Otalora and Robin Hawley got my bike back together for the second race. And a big thanks to my sponsors Addict by Bosi, Tacama Motul, Arai, Heroic, Dunlop and Sean Prieto of Prieto Performance, who built a sweet engine for my R6.” 2011 Latin American Championship Final Point Standings 1. Martin Cardenas, Colombia, Suzuki GSX-R600, 50 points 2. Santiago Lopez, Colombia, Triumph 675, 31 points 3. Mauricio Palacios, Colombia, Triumph 675, 29 points 4. Raul Azate, Colombia, Yamaha YZF-R6, 29 points 5. Zaret Leon, Mexico, 21 points 6. Santiago Villa, Colombia, Yamaha YZF-R6, 20 points 7. Franklin Reveron, 18 points 8. Nelson Perez, 16 points 9. Ronny Frias, Venezuela, 15 points 10. Stefano Mesa, United States, 14 points