Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Reviews Season-Opening AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series from Daytona

A pair of Tyler O'Hara's #29 JCR/Scrubblade/Bartel's H-D/RS Taichi-sponsored XR1200s get some attention during the lunch break at the Indy Tire Test on August 11, in preparation for their next event as the undercard of the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend on August 17-19 in the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series.  O'Hara won his initial event in the then-two year old series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the previous year's first race, in what was the series' first appearance at The Brickyard.

O'Hara has been one of the top contenders in what has now been rebranded as the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series in his three seasons of campaigning the spec series events, contending for the crown last season up until the last event of the year, when the championship was won by Michael Barnes.  The series was renamed this year due to the fact that H-D did make the XR1200 available for U.S. sale for the 2013 model year.

At the season-opening round at Daytona eleven days ago, the #29 Bartel's-sponsored rider took the glory again for the first round of the year, leading a pack of ten bikes across the line, all separated by just .792 seconds after the 7-lap main event.  O'Hara beat out 2nd-place finisher Kyle Wyman by just .075 seconds, and the top seven machines crossed the line within less then .5 seconds of the 25 machines that started the final, to ensure another exciting year of racing in the 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series.

Check out the full press release of the wrap-up to the season-opener below, thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing.

Tyler O'Hara Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Race at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (March 26, 2013) - Just about everyone expected the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series to deliver the kind of wild and entertaining racing action it has in the past as it officially kicked off the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season on Friday, March 15, 2013 at Daytona International Speedway, and did it ever.   While a pack of Harley-Davidson XR1200s dueling in the draft around the high banks was to be expected, few were optimistic enough to predict an eleven-rider pack from green light to checkered flag with head-shaking moments of eight abreast as they crossed the stripe to start another circulation in the hard-fought seven-lap contest.   With no one able to make a break, the race took shape as a strategic affair, each man testing their ability to pick off multiple opponents for one last run to the flag and positioning themselves accordingly on the crucial final lap.                             Tyler O'Hara on the #29 Bartel's Harley-Davidson XR1200 leads the pack during the running of the season-opening round of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series at Daytona during the kick-off round to the 2013 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.     In the end, it was Tyler O'Hara (Eco Fuel Saver/ Scrubblade) who was able to strategically maneuver himself through the field of talented riders and cross the finish line first. The win for O'Hara couldn't have come at a better time as the Californian has had a bitter taste in his mouth all offseason after barely missing the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Championship.   O'Hara followed the lead of two-time DIS Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson race winner, Kyle Wyman, who cut a path through the pack as he raced to the checkered flag.  Wyman appeared set to make it three-for-three aboard the Revolution Performance/Millennium Technologies machine, but O'Hara had just enough momentum to blast past at the drop of the checkered flag.   "It was crazy," race-winner O'Hara said. "It was almost like riding a Pro Single on a mile. I'm just happy everybody rode respectfully.  I was just riding the rear brake a lot and trying not to hit the guy in front of me. We had the whole team working extremely hard this offseason and to come away with a win is just an amazing feeling."  O'Hara spoke on being given the chance to make up for last season's narrow runner-up championship result, "I've been working extra hard. When something slips out of your fingers like that, it makes you realize how bad you want it. There's a long off-season but that's past us, and we're all looking forward now. It was a good lesson learned. We came prepared and we're in it for the long haul."   Second-place finisher Wyman spoke on behalf of the close quarters he was forced to race in throughout the duration of the race, "I know a little bit about the draft but that was the first time I've ever experienced anything like that in my entire life. That's drafting at a whole different level and it's so hard to figure out where you want to be. I kind of played with a lot of different stuff throughout the race -- I kind of put myself in a lot of different spots to see where I would end up by the end of the straightaway. Twice, I think I came out like fifth or sixth and ended up leading that lap so that's where I wanted to be. However, I'm aware that when you've got 15 XRs all trying to occupy the same piece of real estate, you're going to run into some problems. I'm just thankful that nobody crashed into each other, and we were able to come out of their safely. You could have thrown a tissue over all of us."   Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson's Bobby Fong kicked off what turned out to be a spectacular weekend by crossing the line in third (he also finished third the following day in the 72nd running of the DAYTONA 200).  "I thought the race went well," said Fong. "It was just a scrap the whole time with all of us banging bars. It was one of the best races I've ever been in. There was a huge group of us up front, and it all came down to the draft on the final lap. I'm happy with how we ran and the hard work our team put in leading up to this race."  Rossiter's Harley-Davidson of Sarasota's Michael Corbino took fourth while Canadian Steve Crevier was credited with fifth on the Motosports Plus Harley after Carlson was DQ'd following the post-race technical inspection. Defending 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Champion Michael Barnes crossed the finish line less than a half-second behind the race winner, but only earned sixth-place on the Rossmeyer's Harley-Davidson.

Thursday Friday Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series

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 2012 schedule consists of 12 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 XR1200 Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/. About AMA Pro Racing:   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.   For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Set to Launch at Daytona Season-Opener

A pair of Bartel's Harley-Davidson XR1200s sit ready to go at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the tire test scheduled with IMS and AMA Pro Road Racing on August 11, 2012.  Josh Chisum's #10 JCR/Scrubblade/Bartel's H-D/RS Taichi-sponsored XR1200 and team mate Tyler O'Hara's #29 like-sponsored mount get the final treatment before the afternoon session begins at The Brickyard, one weekend before the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series is set to compete as the undercard during the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP weekend.

Chisum and O'Hara will again be team mates for the now rebranded 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series as it kicks off at Daytona International Speedway today, and both will be looking to unseat 2012 XR1200 Champion Michael Barnes, who will be riding for the returning-to-the-series Rossmeyer's H-D team for the upcoming year.  Qualifying is set to go this afternoon at 5:30 PM EDT and the bikes will take to the track for their first race of the year on Friday, March 15 at 2:30 PM EDT.

Here's the link to the full rundown of activities at Daytona for today, tomorrow and Saturday, thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing!

And you can read the full press release below, again thanks to the great folks at Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing.

Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Riders Set for Impressive Performances at DAYTONA 200 Week

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2013) - History -- and common sense -- suggest that this weekend's AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway will be nothing short of a multi-rider dogfight to the checkered flag.  Entering its fourth season of existence, the spec class series has quickly earned its place in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing line-up by producing reliably close and unpredictable racing, and nowhere has that been more evident than on the high banks of Daytona.   The two previous H-D Daytona clashes were defined by strategic gamesmanship and impossibly close maneuvers and the same will be expected in 2013.  In 2011, Kyle Wyman won by .016 seconds over Chris Fillmore, with Joe Kopp just 0.89 seconds off the win and Steve Rapp missing the podium but only 0.136 seconds short of taking the checkered flag first.  2012 saw Wyman win again in another contest that saw four men take hit the stripe within a second of the win with season-long title rivals Tyler O'Hara and Michael Barnes rounding out the podium.                             Kyle Wyman #33, Tyler O'Hara #39 and Michael Barnes #34 lead the field during the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race at Daytona during the 2012 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season.  Barnes went on to clinch the championship in the final round at NOLA to secure his first-ever #1 plate in an AMA Pro Road Racing series in the over two decades he has been campaigning the U.S. road racing series.  Barnes will return to defend his championship in what is now the rebranded AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series for the 2013 season.  The race is scheduled to be run on Friday, March 15 at 2:15 EDT.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.     While Wyman's promising campaign ended early due to injury last season, the championship wasn't decided until after the checkered flag was waved for the final race of the season, with the nod going to Barnes over O'Hara in what was the culmination in the Floridian's long quest to claim his first individual AMA Pro crown.   Barnes is back with the #1 plate in 2013, riding a Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson backed by Bikers Choice. O'Hara (Eco Fuel Saver, Scrubblade, Bartel's Harley-Davidson) and Wyman (Revolution Performance, Millennium Technologies) return as well, as the three men will look to reignite their three-way rivalry for class dominance.   However, there are other riders in the field with the potential to push for the checkered flag. Chief among them are former Superbike hero Rapp, who is back on an XR1200 with Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson, joining ex-Supermoto ace Ben Carlson, who has developed into a fine roadracer aboard the big Harley twin.  New Jersey Motorsports Park winner Shane Narbonne will again compete for Mob Racing, while SportBike race winner Bobby Fong and British sensation Sandra Stammova will team with champ Barnes on Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson equipment.  Michael Corbino (Rossiter's Harley-Davidson of Sarasota), Josh Chisum (Eco Fuel Saver, Scrubblade, JC Racing), Travis Wyman (Harv's Harley-Davidson), and Steve Crevier (Motorsports Plus) are just a few of the other names that could easily prove to be factors up front in what's virtually guaranteed to be a hard-fought AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson opener.   Qualifying for Vance & Hines Harley -Davidson Series grid positions will take place in two sessions, Thursday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. and Friday morning at 9:40 a.m. The 7-lap contest will kick off the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season's race action on Friday at 2:15 p.m. local time.   Live Timing & Scoring of all on-track sessions will be available 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; keep up with Daytona International Speedway via Twitter (www.twitter.com/DISupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).   For tickets and additional event information, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

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. For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Teams to Host Wounded Warrior Project Veterans at Season-Opener in Daytona

The #26 Team Ohio Racing/Oxford Consulting Group/RevZilla.com/RIDER Insurance-sponsored XR1200 sits on display at the Lima Half-Mile round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on June 30.  Team owner and rider, Pete Cline, was on-hand to talk with the spectators about the program that the team has put together that allows members of the Wounded Warrior Project to work with the team during race events as part of the series and team's calendar.  The team hosted wounded veterans at several rounds of the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series throughout season in the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series.

With rider Cline still recuperating from off-season surgery, the team won't be participating in the season-opener of the now-rebranded 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series, but has worked out an agreement with a couple of prominent teams in the popular series to host members of the WWP at the Daytona round, which will be held on March 14-15 at Daytona International Speedway.  The Motolist.com and James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing teams will each host two members of this great organization to help out their respective teams in the pits during the annual gathering at the 'Beach.'

Thanks to Pete Cline (who put this deal together at the Indy Dealer Expo last month) for the great news (and heal-up quick man!) and you can read all about it in Team Ohio Racing's press release below.  What a great effort for our wounded veterans!

Press release courtesy of Team Ohio Racing

Wounded Warrior Project Alumni Crews to Work in Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Teams at Daytona

3/4/2013 Upper Arlington, Ohio -- Team Ohio Racing’s / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports will partner with two AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teams by working with combat veteran crews at Daytona International Speedway, March 14-15.  The number #3 Motolist.com XR1200 of Richard Barnett and the #70 James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing XR1200 of Paul James will each have two combat veterans included in their crew.  These veterans are local to the area and part of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Alumni.  They will assist as needed throughout the event.

"I feel very honored to have alumni from the Wounded Warriors Project on my pit crew at Daytona," said James. "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather have on my side than someone who has served our country in a time of need.  It's going to be an awesome experience for all of us to work together."

Barnett added, "I can't wait to work with the Wounded Warriors at Daytona in March. They will be an indispensable part of our crew.  I know that I speak for everyone when I say that we are all grateful for the sacrifices these Veterans have given to our country.  They always amaze me with their dedication, knowledge and attention to detail.”

United States Marine Corps combat veteran A.J. White crewed on previous XR1200 teams, and had this to say, “This will be an experience that the WWP crew will not forget for a long time, if ever.  The chance to get work intricately within a team environment, with so much on the line and with other veterans, is something they probably haven’t done since they were injured.  This is a great experience for any veteran; to immerse him or herself again into reliving those feelings of true teamwork, responsibility, and accomplishment as we experienced serving our nation together.”

 

Asked how this came together, Team Ohio Racing’s Pete Cline stated, “Richard posted up in the WERA forum that he was coming out from California.  He had mentioned after Indy last year that Motolist.com would love to put together a warrior crew.  I reached out to him and he thought Daytona would be great.  I then saw Paul at the Indy bike show and he asked if I was racing. I told him I’m still healing up from surgery and he asked about a crew as well.  So when the WWP connected with me Team Ohio Racing was able to put this together.  This is a tremendous opportunity and continues the outreach we had last year.  I appreciate both teams for making this experience possible.”

 

About Team Ohio Racing’s / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports: Team Ohio Racing is the first motorsports team to fully integrate disabled veterans into an active race team environment.  By working with the Wounded Warrior Project, local alumni-warriors are incorporated into their AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines XR1200 team.  Team Ohio Racing delivers respect to the WWP mission by working with WWP-Alumni members, allowing them to focus on their abilities instead of disabilities, and to heal and empower through motorsports.

Team Ohio Racing supporters are: Drippin’Wet, Ellanet, Maverick Moto Media, NEXX Helmets, Midwest Motorcyclist, Motion Pro, Motogearu.com, Optimum Print Solutions, Portfolio Creative, REV'IT! Sport USA, Sidi, Silkolene, Wounded Warrior Project Alumni crew, XR1200 Owners Group.

 

To learn more about Team Ohio Racing, follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/TeamOhioRacing on twitter @TeamOhioRacing or visit them on the web at www.tor-vetm.org

Peter Cline, Founder
Team Ohio Racing Ltd
VETM, Inc. (Veteran Empowerment Through Motorsports, a 501c3)www.tor-vetm.org
AMA #26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Ohio Racing 2012 autograph card courtesy of Pete Cline and Team Ohio Racing.

 

Team Ohio Racing Will Again Compete in AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Along with Wounded Warrior Project for 2013 Season

Team Ohio Racing's Pete Cline talks with members of his team in between test sessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 11, 2012.  Cline, a former WERA championship winner and founder of Team Ohio, was on hand along with his team to take part in the IMS and AMA Pro Road Racing-hosted test at the Brickyard in preparation for round 8 of the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to be held the next weekend as the undercard for the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend.

The team has been involved with the Wounded Warrior Project, a most worthy cause that helps injured veterans to better transition into a return to a normal lifestyle after being injured while serving in the military.  Inviting members of the WWP to AMA Pro Road Racing rounds, the team uses these great heroes who have served their time in the military and been injured along the way as crew members over the course of each weekend.

Team Ohio Racing's #26 Oxford Consulting Group/RevZilla.com/RIDER Insurance/XR1200 Owners Group-sponsored XR1200 sits in the garage ready for the afternoon practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 11, 2012.  The team was taking part in the AMA Pro Road Racing-hosted special test the week before the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP.  Looking over the team's mount is Maverick Moto Media's Lance Lau and one of the team's helpers and close friends, Nan Algieo, a long-time WERA scorer and friend of Stu's Shots.

TOR announced yesterday that they will be continuing their affiliation with the Wounder Warrior Project into the 2013 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season and again will be contesting select rounds of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series. 

The WWP helps America's veterans who have incurred an injury while serving in the military.  Team Ohio has been inviting some of those members of the WWP to help out at various events that they contest on the series' schedule in order to help enhance their overall abilities and to better help them transition back into what most of us know as a normal lifestyle.

You can check out their press release and find out more about Team Ohio Racing and the Wounded Warrior Project below.


A big thanks to RoadRacing World.com for this press release from Team Ohio Racing concerning their renewed plans to contest the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series and will again be working with the Wounded Warrior Project for the 2013 season:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=50504

You can follow more from Team Ohio Racing via their Facebook link here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/TeamOhioRacing

And you can find out more about the Wounded Warrior Project here:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

You can check out Team Ohio Racing's bio here thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing:

http://www.amaproracing.com/rr/teams/team.cfm?tid=2292

AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Review from Homestead-Miami Speedway Sees Michael Barnes Take 2nd Win of the 2012 Season & Take Points Lead Heading to NOLA Finale

The 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series is coming down to the final round at the New Orleans Motorsports Park event on October 5-7 and leading the fray heading to the Bayou State is long-time AMA Pro Road Racing veteran Michael Barnes on the #34 KLR Group/Spyke's H-D/Vesrah/GK Motorsports-backed Milwaukee 'V' twin.

Barnes, who has raced anything and everything and just about everyWHERE on two wheels in his over-two decade career in road racing, won his second event last Sunday over title-rival Tyler O'Hara at Homestead by a slim margin of .132 seconds, and leads O'Hara by two points heading into the final race in one week's time (1090-1088), with Wisconsin's Benjamin Carlson sitting another six points back. 

Barnie told me at the XR1200 Indy Test back in August (seen above talking with members of the KLR Group team while his and his team mate's Kyle Wyman's #33 machines get attended to during the lunch break) that he was really thrilled with the way this championship could play out, what with the points having been re-set for the final rounds ala NASCrash and the NHRA's shoot-out championship systems.

"The extra money that the sponsors and Geico kicked in really made this a great deal, " stated Barnes, "and makes it worth the extra effort."  Barnes noted that Geico's advertising budget alone was thought to be over $500M per year, and it was nice to see them come on board to sponsor AMA Pro Road Racing.  "We'd love to see more of that spent here, of course, which could really help the series and road racing overall grow, but are thankful to have what we can in the XR1200 class."

But the fact that at least some of their sponsorship dollars are making their way to any series in the States is big in itself, and will help to sustain some efforts as the economy starts to at least climb somewhat and hold more steady then what it has for the last few years.

Although a lot of riders are still having to pay their way to ride this season, at least a few more teams are starting to return and campaign efforts in some of the various AMA Pro Road Racing classes, and where we are seeing Vance & Hines and the Milwaukee iron making for some great racing in the spec-class championship. 

You can say what you want about the over-500 lb. machines, they have put on a GREAT show since their inception into the ranks of the AMA Pro Road Racing calendar as a part-time effort in 2010 and in their third season have grown in popularity and in average entrants at each event.  And the two doubleheader rounds at Indy in 2011 and 2012 proved to be crowd favorites in terms of close and exciting racing as the undercard on the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP weekends.

So a big thanks goes out to Geico and the other sponsors in AMA Pro Road Racing for kicking up the ante and we sincerely appreciate what they have brought to the table, and we wish Barnie the best of luck next weekend in trying to wrap-up the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Championship next weekend in New Orleans.  We'll be rooting for you man!

You can read the full press releas below of the review of the Homestead-Miami round thanks to Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing.

AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Recap: Barnes Earns Second Win of the Season in Fiercely Fought Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 28, 2012) -- The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series delivered yet another barnburner -- or perhaps better put, 'Barney burner' -- at Homestead-Miami Speedway as hometown ace Michael Barnes emerged victorious at the conclusion of a race-long multi-rider brawl.  The weekend was pivotal in terms of the developing XR Showdown for a couple of reasons.   The thrilling victory of KLR Group/Spyke's H-D/Vesrah Racing's Barnes over Bartel's Harley-Davidson's Tyler O'Hara has elevated the Boca Rotan resident to a scant two-point advantage lead in the Showdown over Californian O'Hara with just the New Orleans finale to decide the championship.   Secondly, it marked the end of the title bid of season-long standout Kyle Wyman. Barnes' teammate, Wyman, suffered a second concussion in the last couple of weeks, the first coming with his huge crash on the final lap at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and the most recent during a Friday session.   Wyman will sit out the season finale as a result. The unfortunate turn marks a huge turnaround from the doubleheader XR Showdown opener at Indianapolis, where Wyman grabbed a big lead early with his 1-2 weekend as Barnes and O'Hara struggled by comparison.   Besides Barnes' awesome effort to put out the last-lap win over polesitter and laps leader O'Hara, Wyman's brother, Travis, stepped up his game to put himself in the mix in Kyle's absence.                               Michael Barnes #34 leads Jake Holden #59 and Tyler O'Hara #29 in route to winning his second race of the season in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at Homestead-Miami last Sunday and in the process took sole possession of the overall points standings heading into the final race of the season in New Orleans on October 5-7.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.     The Harv's Harley-Davidson entry led at one point and ultimately finished a close third to collect his first podium result of the season.  "It's been a real emotional rollercoaster weekend with Kyle getting hurt yesterday," Barnes said. "It affected the whole team but it made us dig that much deeper, and I know Travis was digging deeper for his brother out there too. He was riding hard. It was hard to out-brake him, but I needed to get by Travis in order to get by Tyler. I dug deep for that one."   Suburban Harley-Davidson's Benny Carlson finished with the lead group fourth and remains very much alive in the Showdown hunt. He entered the Triumph Big Kahuna Miami presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince leading the points and leaves displaced to third, albeit just eight points removed from the lead.   With no other rider within 25 points of the XR Showdown lead, it looks like New Orleans will be a three-rider affair for the title -- although if the season leading up to the finale is any indication, the race for the win could be waged by several others as well.   Sunoco "Go the Distance" Award Update:   1. Josh Chisum - 1278.64 mi. 2. David Estock - 1248.98 mi. 3. Michael Corbino - 1200.04 mi.   Next Event   GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing will finish the 2012 season at NOLA Motorsports Park with the Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince, scheduled to take place October 5-7. For tickets and event information, please visit www.m1powersports.com.

Saturday Sunday AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Race Highlights Shane Narbonne on First Career AMA Pro Win   Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans October 5-7   Event | Ticket

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. For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Review From Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend

The Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing spec-class AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series made it's second appearance as the undercard over the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend from August 17-19, 2012.  This year instead of being 'garaged' behind the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS, Dorna and the AMA came together to have them paddocked in the Gasoline Alley-area of the track, amongst the vendors set up in the garages over the 3-day weekend. 

This made for great up-close glances of the behind-the-scenes action in the 3-year old series that pits race-kitted Harley-Davidson XR1200s against one another in what started as an 'experiment' of five races in the 2010 season into what has since blossomed into a 12-round must-see support event full of action and some great, close racing.  On 500 lb. motorcycles with tricked-out 17" front wheels (part of the $3500 Vance & Hines race kit), overworked trick suspensions and spec tires, fuel and gearing.

Starting with the season-opening round at Daytona, AMA Pro Road Racing revamped the points and money awards into a 'shoot out' for the last four rounds and eight races, ala NASCrash and the NHRA.  Points were reset for the top-10 riders and were evened out when the series arrived for it's round 8 of the 2012 season at Indy, fresh off of a summer break after the previous event at Mid-Ohio in mid-July.

The top-3 riders heading into the showdown had been putting on a torrid fight for the championship coming into the Indy round, with Tyler O'Hara on the #29 JCR/Scrubblade/Bartel's H-D/RS Taichi-sponsored mount leading the overall with 196 points, followed by Kyle Wyman on the #33 KLR Group/Spyke's H-D/Vesrah/GK Motorsports-backed XR with 184 points.  Michael Barnes followed closely in the 3rd-place position on the #34 KLR Group-like sponsored mount to team mate Wyman with 166 points.  Their closest pursuer in the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Championship fight was 61 points in arrears of Barnie (Michael Corbino.)

But Indy arrived and the duo of O'Hara and Wyman split wins over the weekend, with Wyman carding his win in race one and a 2nd-place in race two, and O'Hara 'supermanning' his way to the race two win after crashing and remounting to pull-off a 12-place finish in race one.  Barnie, the veteran of the series by at least 15-16 years over the winning duo, soldiered his way home for a 4-5 finish over the two days' events. 

Wyman leads the points heading into the New Jersey round coming up September 7-9 with 1055 points, Carlson slipped into the 2nd spot with 1046, O'Hara up next with 1040, then Corbino with 1036 and Barnes rounding out the top-5 with 1034 points.  With just six races to go in the season everyone will be hungry to go after a chunk of the $60K payoff in the shoot-out for the remaining rounds at New Jersey, Homestead and New Orleans.

GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Recap: AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Doubleheader at Red Bull Indianapolis GP

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 28, 2012) - The Indy GP weekend was a chance for the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to shine on a big stage. With a massive crowd from all over the globe keenly watching, one of the most historic venues in the world hosting, a $50,000 weekend purse on the line, and the $60,000 XR Showdown finally underway, there was no way there wasn't going to be fireworks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the doubleheader.   But even with the excitement, money, significance, and talent (with a number of proven roadracing stars joining the regulars to get a piece of the action) all ratcheted up, few expected this.  Saturday's opening leg ended in dramatic fashion.   Skillful youngster P.J. Jacbosen, a former class race winner and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike podium finisher now racing in Europe, made a one-off Vance & Hines XR1200 Series return at Indy riding for the MOB Racing/K Tech/Orient Express/Moroney's outfit. He immediately made headlines by leaving the class' established top-three usual suspects in his dust in qualifying, grabbing the pole with a second-and-a-half to spare.   Jacobsen appeared poised to school the field in the race as well, pulling clear to a four-second advantage after one of the winners of last year's Indy races Tyler O'Hara (JCR/Srubblade/Bartel's Harley-Davidson) fell off the chase -- literally -- crashing out of what had developed into a two-man scrap for the lead in the early going.                               Tyler O'Hara #29 leads Benjamin Carlson #45, Kyle Wyman #33 and Bobby Fong #30 during race two of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway round of the Red Bull MotoGP Weekend on August 19, 2012.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.     However, Jacobsen then unexpectedly fell himself. His fall was followed by several others, as soon the track was a scene of mechanical carnage and red flags, with fallen XRs crashing into previously fallen XRs.   The race was stopped and ultimately called complete due to oil that had been laid down on the course, causing the multi-rider accident in the first place.  Jacobsen was initially tabbed the winner but an extensive review made evident the fact that Jacobsen's machine had caused the red flag and as a result, he was moved back to tail-end of the lead lap in the official results.   That meant that KLR Group/Spyke's Harley-Davidson/Vesrah Racing's Kyle Wyman was elevated from runner-up to race winner, giving him a huge early advantage in the XR Showdown over luckless rival O'Hara, who crashed twice in the race and finished a lowly 13th (he also fell in the pile-up and believes he crashed initially due to fluid from Jacobsen's machine as well).  Surburban Harley-Davidson's Benny Carlson and XP Motorsport's Michael Corbino rounded out the adjusted podium, while title contender Michael Barnes wound up fourth while making another team transition, racing as teammate to Wyman on the KLR Group/Spyke's Harley-Davidson/Vesrah Racing team.   Sunday was all about redemption. Jacobsen appeared to be in line for it, racing out to an early advantage, but his impressive corner speed and lean angles came with a risk. O'Hara was unwilling to take that same gamble and allowed his young rival to escape, which proved wise when the leader crashed out while holding a near-two second advantage as the race approached the halfway point.   O'Hara was all too happy to take the reins and he powered to a lopsided win of his own, which he wrapped in his trademark 'Superman' fashion at the checkered flag.   "It was really awesome," O'Hara said after his bounce-back win. "I felt like (Saturday) I got a little bit unlucky that we were able to restart the race after the red flag. I had some bad luck, and that's not a good way to start the chase. So now, my goal is to win every race here on out to stay in the hunt. It's going to be tough no matter what.  P.J. was riding awesome, and Kyle and Benny were up there. P.J. tucked the front and crashed, and I just put my head down. I built up a nice gap and was just monitoring the gap through my pit board.  It's just awesome. From yesterday and how it went, to rebound like that feels really good. This place is really special to me -- I got my first win here a year ago and, ever since, it's just sort of been a blur."   Despite not showing the outright pace of Jacobsen or O'Hara during the weekend, Wyman was the weekend's big winner. He edged out Carlson and ringer Bobby Fong, a one-time AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race winner, in the fight for second and boasted an immediate commanding lead over season-long rivals O'Hara and Barnes following the first two of five XR Showdown races.   Wyman has 1055 points, 15 up on O'Hara, who is ranked third, and 21 up on Barnes, who is fifth following his 4-5 weekend.   Commenting on Saturday's wild ride, Wyman said, "Tyler went down three or four laps in, and I was thinking I was in a pretty good position. P.J.'s not in the chase, and I had a gap back to third, so I figured we'd start settling in. But I looked up in Turn 10 and saw P.J. on the ground ahead of me and before I knew it, I was on the ground too. It's not the way you want to end the race, but I can't say enough about my KLR Group Harley -- it was working great. We've had a little bit of a struggle trying to find the chassis set-up with the tire change last weekend. We're making progress, and I'm glad to get a result."   While Jacobsen, Fong, and former AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike star Steve Crevier, who finished fifth and seventh, at Indy, were big name wild cards who made their presence felt over the course of the weekend, Carlson only felt like one.  The former AMA Supermoto Unlimited Champion quietly slipped into the XR Showdown by taking the tenth and final spot into the five-race shootout. But riding loose and confident at Indy, Carlson demonstrated that he must be considered a threat to win the title.   Taking full advantage of the title reset that put the ten Showdown finalists even at 1000 points prior to the IMS weekend, Carlson showed the ability to dice with the likes of Wyman and promised more to come following his breakthrough 2-3 weekend.   Carlson said, "(Saturday) was kind of a gift, but today I think we earned the podium position. I think we had the speed to get second place -- I just had a little trouble getting off the corners and getting down the straights. Kyle is a bit lighter than me, so he gets down the straightaways pretty good, so the only option I had was to go really deep on the straights, and I did that four or five times. We battled all race, and I had a lot of fun."   Corbino too worked his way into the mix with his Saturday podium, which he followed up with a Sunday sixth, putting him fourth and ahead of Barnes in the Showdown standings.  Harv's Harley-Davidson's Travis Wyman is sixth following Indy with a pair of eighths, followed by Ruthless Racing's David Estok who took tenth and eleventh place finishes on the weekend.  O'Hara's teammate, Josh Chisum, Kuryakyn/Racing for a Wish's Gerry Signorelli, and Ruthless Racing's Darren James all suffered through rocky starts to their XR Showdown bids.   Meanwhile, non-Showdown qualifiers Barrett Long (Longevity Racing) and Shane Narbonne (Teterboro Rams LLC) enjoyed relatively strong weekends, notching up 11-9 and 9-10 results, respectively.   AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Extends Through 2014   AMA Pro Racing, Vance & Hines and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company announced on Saturday that the Harley-Davidson spec racing class will be extended for the 2013 and 2014 seasons in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Championship.   Continuing with the Harley-Davidson XR1200 platform modified with a spec racing kit from Vance & Hines, from 2013 onward, the class will be renamed as the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series.   Next Event   GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing will bring the full show to New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ on September 7-9 for the American Red Cross Devils Showdown presented by Team ProMotion.

Friday Saturday Sunday      Red Bull Indianapolis GP Race One Highlights Red Bull Indianapolis GP Race Two Highlights Steve Rapp Rides Attack Performance CRT Bike in MotoGP Race PJ Jacobsen Returns to AMA Pro Racing With MOB Racing Brice Cooper Rides Indy GP With Pan Am Ben Spies Talks Red Bull Indianapolis GP Weekend Vance & Hines' Terry Vance on Series' Renewal Valentino Rossi Attends Indy Mile MotoGP CRT Rider Colin Edwards is Grand Marshall for Indy Mile Tyler O'Hara at Indianapolis     American Red Cross Devils Showdown presented by Team Pro Motion- Sep. 7-9

Race One Results Kyle Wyman (HAR), 5 Laps Benjamin Carlson (HAR), +4.422 Michael Corbino (HAR), +4.878 Michael Barnes (HAR), +4.900 Steve Crevier (HAR), +5.535 Bobby Fong (HAR), +5.589 Michael Beck (HAR), +8.345 Travis Wyman (HAR), +8.748 Shane Narbonne (HAR), +9.594 David Estok (HAR), +10.271 Barrett Long (HAR), +13.325 Tyler OHara (HAR), +15.763 Josh Chisum (HAR), +32.950 Paul Schwemmer (HAR), +38.683 Charlie Long (HAR), +41.751 Lee Kuhn (HAR), +51.145 Paul James (HAR), +55.785 Brice Cooper (HAR), +56.995 Ray Delaney (HAR), +1:04.853 Matthew Heidel (HAR), +1:05.550 Richard Barnett (HAR), +1:07.638 Aaron Borello (HAR), +1:13.457 Calvin Martinez (HAR), +1:24.644 PJ Jacobsen (HAR), +1:24.645 Gerry Signorelli (HAR), DNF Darren James (HAR), DNF Nicholas Hansen (HAR), DNF Josh Guyer (HAR), DNF Peter Cline (HAR), DNS   Race Two Results Tyler OHara (HAR), 10 Laps Kyle Wyman (HAR), +1.891 Benjamin Carlson (HAR), +2.360 Bobby Fong (HAR), +2.431 Michael Barnes (HAR), +9.300 Michael Corbino (HAR), +11.849 Steve Crevier (HAR), +12.859 Travis Wyman (HAR), +12.869 Barrett Long (HAR), +21.097 Shane Narbonne (HAR), +21.113 David Estok (HAR), +21.492 Josh Chisum (HAR), +49.447 Nicholas Hansen (HAR), +1:06.233 Josh Guyer (HAR), +1:18.513 Lee Kuhn (HAR), +1:19.070 Ray Delaney (HAR), +1:56.518 Richard Barnett (HAR), +1:56.593 Aaron Borello (HAR), +1:58.675 Calvin Martinez (HAR), +3:29.210 Michael Beck (HAR), +8 Laps Gerry Signorelli (HAR), +6 Laps Brice Cooper (HAR), +52.710 PJ Jacobsen (HAR), +5 Laps Matthew Heidel (HAR), +1 Lap Darren James (HAR), DNS Paul Schwemmer (HAR), DNS Charlie Long (HAR), DNS Paul James (HAR), DNS Peter Cline (HAR), DNS     AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series - XR Showdown Point Standings Kyle Wyman, 1055 Benjamin Carlson, 1046 Tyler OHara, 1040 Michael Corbino, 1036 Michael Barnes, 1034 Travis Wyman, 1026 David Estok, 1021 Josh Chisum, 1017 Gerry Signorelli, 1000 Darren James, 1000

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.   For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com