DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 11, 2013) — Out of all of the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing classes, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport has seen the most diverse group of riders up front so far this season. At Barber Motorsports Park, class rookie Joe Roberts showed up for his first professional event and won both races, at Road America Corey Alexander pulled a surprise double and with Stefano Mesa and Tomas Puerta winning at Daytona, that makes four different victors in the first three rounds. Based on the racing seen so far, any number of talented riders could claim victory at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire set to take place this weekend, July 12-14, 2013, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. As a Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Divisional round, the focus will be on the tight points race. Mesa (No. 37 Motosport.com RSRacecraft Yamaha YZF-R6) currently leads Alexander by just two points heading into the 2.4-mile circuit’s doubleheader, so the lead as the East racers begin the second half of their season is precarious. Mesa had a tough round in Alabama. Feeling ill, the Colombian found himself gridded up much lower than normal – on the third row in ninth place – following a disappointing qualifying effort. Mesa rallied to earn two eighth-place finishes to avert disaster and maintain the points lead. No doubt Mesa will look to return to the podium this weekend. Last year, he earned third and fourth in Ohio, so the young star has performed well at the twisty circuit before. He’ll be looking to do better than that, however, and return to the top step of the box for the first time since Daytona. Alexander (No. 5 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600) might be right on Mesa’s tail but he’s looking to overtake his fellow competitor this time around. Alexander closed a few points on Mesa in Alabama, but his two sixth-place finishes weren’t quite the weekend he’d hoped for going in. Following a crash in practice, he wasn’t exhibiting the form he showed in Wisconsin. But Alexander has made large strides in 2013 and can be the first Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport racer to earn three victories in 2013 if he can get back on top in Ohio. The third place rider in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Division, Hayden Gillim (No. 69 Team 95 Yamaha YZF-R6), made big strides in Alabama. Gillim’s fourth- and second-place results at Barber were highlighted by a photo finish podium where he nudged out former teammate Puerta for second place on Sunday. Gillim, known for his hot streaks, led both races and was able to hang on to eventual winner Roberts for a few laps, which bodes well since Roberts isn’t racing at the Mid-Ohio event. West points leader Puerta (No. 12 Roadrace Factory Yamaha YZF-R6) has nothing to gain in the standings this weekend but will go for victory in Ohio. Puerta’s second- and third-place finishes in Alabama continued his streak of being in the top five in every 2013 SuperSport race, highlighted by one victory. The Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport veteran’s season has been one that we’ve come to expect from the Colombian, keeping mistakes to a minimum and concentrating on the points haul. Newcomer Nick McFadden (No. 118 TOBC Racing Suzuki GSX-R600) impressed in his AMA Pro debut in Alabama. McFadden, from the racing hotbed of Owensboro, Ky., has been climbing the amateur racing ranks for years and celebrated his 16th birthday by qualifying on the front row and earning a podium in his first professional event. On Sunday, he was quick again but crashed out. McFadden certainly looks as if he won’t need much time to get up to speed in the class. Miles Thornton (No. 72 CTR Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) also performed well at the last round, joining McFadden on the front row and then backing it up with two top fives. It was the best race yet for Thornton in 2013 and it allowed him to leapfrog Travis Wyman for fourth place in the East standings by a single point. Like Puerta, the West’s second-place points man David Sadowski, Jr., (No. 101 Mach Modified Yamaha YZF-R6) won’t make any movement in the point standings in Ohio but the second-generation pilot will look to regain the form that saw him earn the podium at Daytona. Another young rider who made his debut in Alabama was 16-year old Kaleb De Keyrel (No. 51 CWS Bleakly-Hayes Yamaha YZF-R6). Keyrel is another GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing hotshot just joining up after meeting the age requirements and took 10th on Sunday in Alabama. TV Broadcast Schedule This weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. The coverage will begin Saturday, July 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET/ 10:30 a.m. PT with the weekend Preview Show, followed by AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m PT and then LIVE coverage of AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 noon PT. Televised coverage of the event will pick back up on Sunday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT with GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 and will conclude with a LIVE broadcast of National Guard SuperBike Race 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 noon PT. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. Live Streaming Schedule In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, July 12 at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com. High Definition streaming of National Guard SuperBike Final Qualifying will begin on Saturday, July 13 at 9:40 a.m. ET/6:40 a.m. PT. Fans will also be able to view high-definition broadcasts of both Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport races LIVE on AMA Pro Racing’s streaming portal thanks to support from Gearzy. Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday, July 13 at 2:15 p.m. ET/11:15 a.m. PT followed by Race 2 on Sunday, July 14 at 10:15 a.m. ET/7:15 a.m. PT. Logon and tune in at http://www.amaprolive.com. Social Media Channels All weekend long, stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. Tickets Tickets for this weekend’s Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire start at just $30 and are available for purchase on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course website at http://www.midohio.com/Schedule/Buckeye-Superbike-Weekend-2013. About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country’s finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.
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.
More, from another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 11, 2013) – There are only two more races remaining for the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series contenders to claim a spot as one of the ten qualifiers for the $60,000 XR Showdown. That makes this weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing event — the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — especially vital for a number of title hopefuls who are attempting to fight their way in for a shot at the prize. The big names at the top of the order after three races are sitting relatively pretty. Steve Rapp (No. 5 Suburban Harley-Davison) has been the story at the previous two rounds as the versatile one-time DAYTONA 200 winner comes into Ohio following consecutive runaway victories. Rapp’s heroics have allowed him to surge to within a single marker of the title lead despite earning zero points at the season opener. Reigning class champion Michael Barnes (No. 1 Spyke’s Harley-Davidson) currently retains that slim advantage thanks to his consistently strong performances this season; while Barnes is still seeking his first victory since brandishing the #1 plate on the front of his XR1000, the resilient pilot has been picking up steam as the season’s progressed. He has decades of Mid-Ohio experience, which he put to good use to win pole at the venue last season, and will be seeking to snap Rapp’s recent run of dominance this weekend. Tyler O’Hara (No. 29 Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade), who led the most laps en route to winning at Mid-Ohio one year ago, is expected to be in the mix once again. O’Hara is currently ranked third, seven points down on rival Barnes, and thus well positioned to make a push over the season’s final four races after the points of the top ten riders are leveled at 1000. Rapp’s teammate, Ben Carlson (No. 45 Suburban Harley-Davison), and up-and-comer Travis Wyman (No. 24 Harv’s Harley-Davidson) have also proven to be regulars in the top five and week-to-week threats to take pole positions and podium placings. Barnes, Rapp, O’Hara, Carlson, and Wyman have firmly established themselves as the leading five riders in this year’s AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series field and will likely be dicing for top honors once again this weekend. However, with the XR Showdown looming, attention will shift in part to those attempting to either hold onto or steal away one of the spots in the championship’s bottom half of the top ten. Only nine points separate seventh from 17th, and riders ranked even lower still have a realistic shot at earning their way in with two outstanding efforts. Barrett Long (No. 2 Longevity Racing), Shane Narbonne (No. 46 Mob Racing), Ricky Parker (No. 96 ChiliPepper Racing) and Nicholas Hansen (No. 97 H&S Distributors) are just a few of the talented racers looking to secure a spot in the XR Showdown and then make waves over the season’s decisive final four races. TV Broadcast Schedule This weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. The coverage will begin Saturday, July 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET/ 10:30 a.m. PT with the weekend Preview Show, followed by AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m PT and then LIVE coverage of AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 noon PT. Televised coverage of the event will pick back up on Sunday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT with GoPro Daytona SportBike Race 2 and will conclude with a LIVE broadcast of National Guard SuperBike Race 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 noon PT. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder. Live Streaming Schedule In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend’s activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel. Streaming will begin with coverage of the weekend’s practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, July 12 at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT at http://www.amaprolive.com. High Definition streaming of National Guard SuperBike Final Qualifying will begin on Saturday, July 13 at 9:40 a.m. ET/6:40 a.m. PT. Social Media Channels All weekend long, stay connected with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing on social media at http://twitter.com/AMAProSBK and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing. Tickets Tickets for this weekend’s Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire start at just $30 and are available for purchase on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course website at http://www.midohio.com/Schedule/Buckeye-Superbike-Weekend-2013. About GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country’s finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.
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.
More, from a press release issued by Celtic Racing/Orient Express:
Celtic Racing Ready To Race At Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Celtic Racing arrives at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course for the fourth round of the 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing series with the team and riders excited to compete again. Corey Alexander is firmly in second place in the SuperSport East points, just two points shy of Stefano Mesa, and knows that this is his opportunity to move forward in the standings. James Rispoli is fifth in the Daytona Sport Bike class, less than twenty points behind fourth place in the very competitive field. Rispoli enjoyed double second place finishes at Mid Ohio in last year’s SuperSport races, and has a good feel for the circuit. Caroline Olsen, who suffered a significant injury to her shoulder at Road America, was home in Norway working with Olympiatoppen and other top physiotherapy and orthopedic specialists for a few weeks. Caroline will join her teammates at Mid Ohio and Laguna Seca to offer support and to have a chance to meet with fans. Please come by and say hello if you are at the track either weekend – she would love to say hello!
Corey Alexander will ride his #5 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 this weekend, and has the overall season championship in mind as he prepares for the race. Alexander stated that “after the last race at Barber I feel like we’ve got to make a statement. We just didn’t have a good weekend at Road America and we need to get some strong results. More importantly this coming weekend will be hugely influential in the championship so I’m really focusing on doing the best I can in that aspect. I know my National Guard Celtic Racing team and everyone involved has been working hard these past two weeks to look for some answers and improvements so I hope we’ve made some progress. Only time can tell!”
James Rispoli has been training hard again and is excited to get back on board his #43 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600 at Mid Ohio. Rispoli feels “confident going into Mid Ohio, I like the track layout and it suits me well. The team and I are making bigger strides every weekend and getting closer and closer to the front. I have been working really hard off the motorcycle to prepare for this event. We are ready to race!”
Celtic Racing is proud to partner with: Army National Guard, Michael Jordan Motorsports, Orient Express Racing, Hudson Valley Motorcycles, American Suzuki, Armour Bodies, Bazzaz, Chicken Hawk Racing, DesignStar3, D.I.D. Chain, FMF Exhaust, Full Spectrum Power, Galfer, GB Racing, K-Tech Suspension, Maxima Racing Oils, Motion Pro, Pit Bull Products, Saddlemen, Signs Ink, Star Motorcycle School, Vortex Racing, and Zero Gravity.
CELTIC RACING
Celtic Racing was established in 2001 by Barry Gilsenan, and over the past 12 seasons has established itself as a premier privateer racing team. Development of riding talent began with two-stroke 125cc, and 250cc machines competing in professional and regional championship events. More recent Celtic Racing efforts have focused on AMA Pro Road Racing in the Daytona SportBike and SuperSport classes with Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha four stroke motorcycles. Gilsenan’s talent for coaching racers of all ages and abilities has brought Celtic Racing worldwide attention and recognition, with many former Celtic Racing riders now competing on World Championship levels. Please join Celtic Racing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CelticRacing .
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Please visit http://www.nationalguard.com to find out more.
ORIENT EXPRESS
Established in 1973, Orient Express is celebrating it’s 40th year as a high performance motorcycle parts distributor and race shop. Orient Express offers engine and motorcycle building services, precision machine work, suspension servicing, and dyno tuning services. Orient Express has an extensive history of racing, including support of both professional and amateur race series and individuals. For more information regarding Orient Express, or to find out what Orient Express can do for your racing success, please call 800.645.6521 or 631.231.9552 (NY/International), visit http://www.orientexpress.com or join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OrientExpressRacing .