The 2009-2010 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series will feature four new race venues to compliment five established Nationals from seasons past. New venues in Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Sarnia, Ontario and New Hampshire will help strengthen the growing series.
“We are very excited about the new race venues for this season,” said ISOC CEO John Daniels. “We’ve worked very hard to find locations which will lend success for not only ISOC, but most importantly our racers, fans, sponsors like AMSOIL and the entire sport of snocross.”
The new evaluation process weighs the combination of race track set-up, community population, enhanced event media coverage, and local commitment to support the race to ensure success and long-term growth.
In the 250 class, rookie Justin Barcia was all the rage again at round two, and he got the hole shot in the first moto before pulling away from the pack. Unlike at Glen Helen, though, Barcia’s lead lasted nearly to the end of the moto. Even once he lost the lead, he fought to get it back, eventually finishing second.
“When (Christopher Pourcel) passed me, I definitely wanted it back,” Barcia said. “It was weird because when he was catching me, I don’t know if I got tight or nervous, but I definitely tried to get him back, for sure. I wasn’t tired. People think I’ve been getting tired every weekend, but that’s not really it, because I’m really in good shape. I’ve been having a bit of a problem with my hand and I had a big blister on it, so that didn’t help in the second moto.”
In that second moto, Barcia got a mid-pack start and then moved his way quickly through the pack up to sixth and was gaining on the top five when trouble started. After crashing, Barcia officially ended the race 29th, but with the second in the first moto, that landed him 10th overall.
His teammate Trey Canard, however, fared better in the overall rankings. In moto one, he barely lost out on the hole shot to Barcia, eventually finishing a strong third, and in moto two, he was also near the front off the start, eventually finishing second. His 3-2 was good for second overall on the day, his best finish at an outdoor national in his young career.
“The year has started off 10 times better than it did last year, so that’s definitely a positive thing, and I think I’m in a good position right now,” Canard said. “I’m not out of the title hopes – I’m in third – so that right there is something to be happy about. I would like to get a win, though. That’s just me as a racer. I want to win races, so I’ve just got to keep putting in the effort that I am and I know my time will come.”
Still recovering from injuries suffered in supercross, Brett Metcalfe is making the best of it every weekend. At Hangtown, Metty went 5-4 for fourth overall despite fighting through a wrist injury. Finally in the 250 class, rookie Blake Wharton had a tough go of it in the first moto on his way to ninth, but in moto two he was up front the whole race, and despite some pretty major mistakes, was able to finish fifth for sixth overall. This marked the second consecutive weekend that all four AMSOIL sponsored riders finished in the top ten.
In the 450 class, Dan Reardon had a much better day than at Glen Helen. His starts were better, and in both motos he battled it out with members of the Honda factory squad, among others. In the first moto, Reardon grabbed seventh, a took fifth in the second moto for sixth overall.
On a nearly perfect day for racing at Road America, Team AMSOIL’s Larry Pegram captured his first AMA Pro Racing American Superbike victory in 10 years and Martin Cardenas scored his sixth AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL victory of the season on the final day of the Suzuki Superbike doubleheader.
The American Superbike race featured an epic, four-bike battle royal at the front with Pegram on the No. 72 Foremost Insurance/AMSOIL/Ducati 1098R, Mat Mladin, Blake Young and Geoff May. The four bikes swapped positions throughout the first three-quarters of the race before the fight for the win became a mano-a-mano duel between Pegram and Mladin.
As he did at the standing start in Saturday’s first race of the doubleheader, Pegram got an outstanding start from the second row and claimed the lead. Pegram led the first six laps of the 13 lap race before Mladin took the lead as he went in search of his 10th victory of the season. The second half of the race featured a seesaw battle in which Pegram would power past Mladin heading into Turn 1 at the end of the long front straightaway, and Mladin would return the favor under braking in Turn 5 on each lap. As a result, Mladin was scored as the leader from Lap 7 through Lap 11. However, the lead changed hands an amazing four times on Lap 8 alone as the two combatants thrilled the Road America fans with their determination to wrestle the lead from one another at every opportunity. The battle came to a head on the penultimate lap of the race. Pegram took the lead on the front straight heading into Turn 1, but Mladin reclaimed the position in Turn 3. Pegram finally sealed the deal on the run from Turn 3 to Turn 5 and managed to pull away for a 0.342-second victory.
It was Pegram’s first win since April 19, 1999 at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, Calif., and was the third victory of his AMA Pro Racing career. The other win came in 600 SuperSport competition at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo. On September 6, 1998.
“It was definitely a great race,” said Pegram. “I was expecting that I could run the pace, but I wasn’t expecting to lead like that most of the time. I was real comfortable. When Mat would get in front of me, he wouldn’t really get me anywhere. We were pretty even, but I’d catch him in The Carousel (Turns 9 and 10). When we’d go through there, he would gap me in the lefthander after The Carousel. It was weird. He was really getting through there good. It’s been such a long time. I don’t know if that was as good as the first one or not, but I don’t want to wait 10 years for another one.”
Please note the corrected date in the text below. The ABATE of Wisconsin Share the Road Program will be presented at the Wisconsin State Capitol, Room 400 SE, at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
ABATE of Wisconsin has been given a tremendous opportunity to gain widespread political support for its Share the Road program. ABATE trained instructors throughout the state share the video and their life experience with driver’s education students in an effort to encourage them to drive with greater skill and attentiveness around motorcycles.
As a result of the interest expressed in our Share the Road program by Senator Jon Erpenbach following Lobby Day, ABATE will present “Share the Road” to members of the State Senate and Assembly at the Capitol in Madison.
Senator Erpenbach’s office has extended an invitation to all interested legislators. Please call or email your State Senator and State Assembly Representative as soon as possible and urge them to attend ABATE of Wisconsin’s Share the Road presentation on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 400 SE. Ask them not to miss this enlightening and powerful program.
For more information about ABATE of Wisconsin’s Share the Road Program contact Share the Road Coordinator
The 2009 AMA Supercross finale was highly charged, and the Dave Coombs Sr. Lites East/West Shootout nearly held to the pattern of wins by underdogs, as GEICO Powersports /AMSOIL/Honda’s Trey Canard put on a charge.
In the main event, Canard started just behind teammate Blake Wharton, in second place, took the lead on lap two, and began to pull away slowly from both the East and West champs. He would lead until lap thirteen of the fifteen lap race when he lost traction in a turn, throwing his timing off for an entire section. That allowed Ryan Dungey and Chris Pourcel to take advantage and put the 2008 East Coast Lites champion in the third spot, his finishing position for the third year in a row.
As was previously mentioned, Wharton grabbed the holeshot in the main, but he struggled in the whoops all night, eventually going down in them while running fourth.
“I got the start, which is good,” Wharton said. “I got the holeshot, and I came down that big straightaway in first with a big lead for the start, which is cool, and I did the first lap in the lead, but there was one set of whoops where I was struggling, and on the second lap, they came up on me, and Trey got me in the whoops right there. I got sideways a little bit and went down in there, and that was pretty much the end of it.”
Wharton finished 11th, just in front of his replacement teammate Daniel Blair. Blair won the LCQ to go to the main, then rode a strong race on his way to 12th.
In the 450cc class, Kevin Windham put in a charge from a so-so start to grab fourth pretty early in the race, where he would eventually finish.
“The start wasn’t that good, and with Reed and James playing that cat-and-mouse game, I wish I could’ve gotten up to them, but it was just kind of a fitting end to my season, you know?” Windham said.
Windham finished out the supercross season fifth in points, one point out of fourth.
From here, the AMSOIL sponsored team will get some final testing done before the AMA National Motocross Series, which kicks off on May 23 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif. There will be four riders underneath the awning, with Canard, Wharton and Brett Metcalfe racing the 250cc class while Dan Reardon tries his hand in the 450cc class.
As the days get longer and the weather warmer, ABATE of WI would like to remind all motorists to “Be Aware, Motorcycles are everywhere” . ABATE of WI proudly announces May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. In the proclamation, it states, “it is especially important that the citizens be aware of motorcycles on the roadways and recognize the importance of motorcycle safety, courtesy, and sharing the road”. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics conclude that nearly two thirds of automobile/bike crashes are the fault of the automobile drivers’ not yielding right of way to motorcyclists’. Every year the number of motorcycles on the road increases with almost 472,000 motorcyclists in Wisconsin. With proper education and awareness, right of way violations will be reduced, thus making Wisconsin roads safer for all.
ABATE of WI has compiled a list of tips for both motorists and motorcyclists to increase safety on Wisconsin roadways.
For motorcycle riders:
Ride so you are seen. You and your motorcycle are easily hidden in traffic, in motorists’ blind spots or against a bright sky. Use lane positioning to be seen.
Signal your intentions. Signal before changing lanes. Avoid weaving between lanes. Flash your brake light when you are slowing down before stopping.
Sharpen your riding skills. Know your abilities and ride within your limits. Earn and maintain your motorcycle license. An Experienced Rider Course (ERC) can upgrade your skills and increase your riding enjoyment.
Be courteous and respectful. Being courteous, non-aggressive and cooperative can go along way in reducing crashes.
For motorists:
Learn to expect motorcycles in traffic. Watch out at intersections and when making left turns. Motorcycles are everywhere, look twice and save a life.
Respect the motorcyclist. Motorcycles are vehicles with the same privileges as any vehicle on the roadway. Give the motorcyclist a full lane of travel.
Allow plenty of space. Traffic, wind, weather, and road conditions affect the motorcyclist differently. Leave more following distance, allowing room for the motorcyclist to maneuver and enough time for you to react.
Be courteous and respectful. Being courteous, non-aggressive and cooperative can go a long way in reducing crashes.
Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL Added to Laguna Seca Schedule
With approval from event organizers, AMA Pro Racing and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced the addition of AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL to the weekend schedule of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, complementing the already notable schedule of premier international motorcycle racing including the MotoGP World Championship and AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited, as well as AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei.
“We are very excited to bring the Daytona SportBike division to the Monterey Peninsula,” said AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson. “The Daytona SportBike riders will round out the world-class talent already scheduled to participate and the intense competition will provide the fans with as thrilling an experience as you can get in motorsports.”
On-track activity will begin on Friday, July 3rd with MotoGP and AMA Pro Practice. Saturday, July 4th will see MotoGP and AMA Pro Qualifying and will end with the AMA Pro SuperSport race. Each premier class will have one race, ending the weekend on Sunday with the AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike and MotoGP World Championship finals.
“We are showcasing the premier overseas and American motorcycle riders,” said Gill Campbell CEO/general manager, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “During the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix you will be able to watch the amazing talents of our U.S. riders - Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards and Ben Bostrom.”
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. AMSOIL is the Official Oil of AMA Pro Road Racing and the presenting partner of the Daytona SportBike class. AMSOIL is also the sponsor of Ducati’s Larry Pegram in the AMA Pro SuperBike class.
The AMA Pro Road Racing series returns to action this weekend at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
