Round ten of the AMA Pro Racing season is the Big Kahuna Miami presented by Dunlop Tire & LeoVince at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. This post will highlight the Sunday action as well as looking at the Saturday events.
Daytona Sportbike is up first for their second race. Winning race one, Cameron Beaubier.
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
At the start of race two, it's a battle between Martin Cardenas, Cameron Beaubier, and Dane Westby. There has been a weather delay but it looks like the track is dry now. There were lightning strikes and thunderstorms earlier. There was no rain while the lightning was going on. The bikes are lining up for the start of the race. It's beginning to rain. It's a Florida sun shower. The rear tires are full wet tires provided by Dunlop. At the start, Jake Gagne gets the lead over Dane Westby.
Westby is ahead by five bike lengths now. He's sliding the bike sideways. Dane Westby is a former endurance racer. He knows these conditions with the wet weather. Jake Gagne tries going with him back into the infield and off the oval track. Martin Cardenas is third with J.D. Beach fourth. This race has started well and there's no standing water at all. It's just damp. This is a 23 lap race. J.D. Beach has to clean his visor off because of the water.
Jake Gagne and J.D. Beach are both going well. There's no traction control on the 600cc bikes. Jake Zemke is not out there. He didn't want to risk riding in the wet. Cory West is also in the pits. His bike is having issues. Tommy Aquino is also out, watching the race with his helmet on, and umbrella in hand. Turn seven is the scary corner for these riders and some will say, "I can't race in these conditions." Martin Cardenas needs 63+ points to earn the 2012 Daytona Sport Bike crown.
Tommy Aquino actually is now back on the track. Cory West is worried about the conditions and will be out there, but circulating slowly. Jason DiSalvo is doing the same on his Triumph. The top twenty will get points. But, the championship battle is between Cardenas and Westby. Jake Gagne is trying to go for it on his Yamaha YZF R6. Jason DiSalvo is still running at the lower end of the field. DiSalvo passes Tommy Aquino.
He's running 1:42 laps while the race leaders run in the 1:34 bracket. Westby is really using his body to control the motorcycle. Cameron Beaubier ran a 1:24.6 pole time. But in the race, with the rain, the bikes are eight to ten seconds slower. Martin Cardenas is followed by Cameron Beaubier. These two have won most of the races in Daytona Sport Bike this year. These riders are using full wet tires, and dragging their knees on the pavement.
Huntley Nash has had a bad weekend as his crew was not there at the track for a while. David Gaviria on bike #175 is right behind. Eight laps have been run of 23 scheduled. So, the halfway mark is approaching. Bike #52 of Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella is running well. Dane Westby leads over Jake Gagne. In the race yesterday, it was dry. Gagne had trouble with his lap timer, also hitting the kill switch on the bike and stalling. He fell back and is fortunately, doing better in race two.
Gagne continues to hound Westby. Dane Westby still leads Jake Gagne. These two are five and a half seconds ahead of their competition. In these conditions, relax. Feel out the bike. Be smooth and don't upset the bike. Yesterday, Westby closed up on the leaders, but couldn't do anything. Gagne passes Westby for the lead. Can Jake Gagne pull out a gap? The race is at halfway. Unless you get a position marked on a pit board or if you look back, you're thinking your rival is right on top of you at all times.
Jake Gagne has experience riding in the rain, riding in the Red Bull Rookies Cup on a 125cc bike. J.D. Beach and Joey Pascarella run together. Beach has also run in Europe in a feeder series for MotoGP. J.D. Beach had mechanical problems in race one yesterday (Saturday). J.D. Beach and Joey Pascarella are both having good races. Jake Gagne has gapped Dane Westby by 3.2 seconds. Gagne is not in contention for a championship while Westby is. Ten laps remain in this race.
Cameron Beaubier breaks the 1:31 barrier with a 1:31.9. He's the quickest on the road. Cameron Beaubier ran MotoGP 125cc bikes in 2009 which is now Moto 3 of course. Martin Cardenas needs a 63 point gap over Dane Westby to win the championship title. Cardenas needs to hold on and he can win the championship for Daytona Sport Bike. David Gaviria passes Huntley Nash. Gaviria is a Colombian racer. Eight laps remain in this race with Gagne still leading. Jake Gagne continues to lead by six seconds on his Red Bull, Road Race Factory Yamaha.
Barrett Long and Niccolas Ferrieria battle. Now, Dane Westby is under pressure from Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier set fast lap at 1:31.9. He's going for it. Dane Westby runs wide. If you make a mistake, you have to keep composed and not worry. Can Beaubier pass Westby? Five laps to go. Jake Gagne remains out front, negotiating lapped traffic. Shane Narbonne is thirteenth and has been lapped. Jake Gagne is acknowledging his buddies on the track. He's really going well and some Superbike racers might ask him questions between the races.
Dane Westby holds second. J.D. Beach tries passing Barrett Long. Austin Dehaven is eighth. Jake Gagne is the rainmeister as Cameron Beaubier drops back from Dane Westby. Jason DiSalvo gets lapped by the third place bike of Cameron Beaubier. Westby goes around Tommy Aquino. It's the final lap of the Daytona Sport Bike race. Gagne's best finish has been fifth four times. But, after qualifying third, Jake Gagne will win his first pro race in Daytona Sport Bike!
#132 Jake Gagne Yamaha YZF R6
Martin Cardenas wins his second Daytona Sport Bike championship, finishing fourth!
Champion: #36 Martin Cardenas Suzuki GSXR600
Huntley Nash and Austin Dehaven have good finishes and so does Barrett Long. There were no crashes or incidents in this race. Amazing! Tommy Hayden did not compete in this race. He's healing from injuries. Also, this happens to be the first wet race of the entire 2012 AMA season.
Coming up, it's the race for the Superbikes.
In yesterday's race, Josh Hayes fell off his bike! Roger Hayden won the Saturday race with Danny Eslick beating Blake Young. Roger Hayden was the early leader as Hayes crashed and fortunately continued. Roger Hayden battled Blake Young as Geoff May and Danny Eslick battled. Eslick on his EBR battled with Blake Young, and Roger Hayden got his first Superbike win in five years.
#54 Roger Hayden Suzuki GSXR1000
With Hayes finishing twelfth, it's now a two man race between Hayes and Young. Josh Hayes has to lead the points by 63 or more. He must finish 13th or better if Blake Young leads the most laps or wins the race. The riders will go on a sighting lap, and see if it's going to be a wet or dry race. The sun is coming out and this track is starting to dry out. Stay on the dry line. Passing might be difficult. There's a lot of grip in the track once the tires get warmed up.
Blake Young, Danny Eslick, and Aaron Yates may choose to not start this race. It's likely they won't because of safety issues. At the start, Ben Bostrom, Josh Herrin and Roger Hayden are all battling. The Jordan Suzuki's are 1-2 now. Can EBR win for the first time? Danny Eslick and Geoff May are up there. Chris Fillmore slides Josh Herrin wide. His KTM is running well. Geoff May takes the lead and it's EBR and KTM 1-2.
Chris Fillmore wants by Geoff May. It's an Austrian bike vs. an American bike and Fillmore takes the lead! This race will be 23 laps. Chris Fillmore has Supermoto experience. The crowd is going crazy! Tire choices will be critical. If they've gone with rain tires, it won't work. They'll need drys. Geoff May tries passing Fillmore, but no. Fillmore might have gone with a rain tire. A rain front, and an intermediate rear. The bikes transition from the oval to the road course. Josh Hayes and Steve Rapp battle.
Geoff May takes the lead from Fillmore. Fillmore is now third and he's losing traction. He'll have to back down. Roger Hayden is now third, sliding. Can EBR win a race? Ben Bostrom is also coming to the front. The 1190 RS is running great. But Chris Fillmore is losing ground on the KTM. Ben Bostrom is on the podium now. Geoff May continues to lead to start lap six. Chris Fillmore is sinking like a stone with Josh Herrin and Steve Rapp battling. Blake Young is not in this race. Josh Hayes is now a three-time Superbike champion!
Steve Rapp and Larry Pegram are going well and have passed the KTM of Fillmore. It's Kawasaki, BMW, and KTM. Josh Hayes is the only rider on intermediate tires on both ends of the bike. Geoff May continues to lead. Danny Eslick and Aaron Yates did not start this race either, as documented. Josh Herrin passes Josh Hayes. It's the Josh and Josh show. Larry Pegram and the BMW are up to sixth. Jordan Burgess pits for new tires. He switches to intermediates. Maybe Dunlop has come up with a decent front tire for intermediates. Geoff May resets fast lap again at 1:28.5. Josh Hayes is 7/10ths slower at 1:29.2. Those intermediate tires are set up for 600cc bikes.
Geoff May is still leading. Can he hold on? Geoff May is running the rain front tire. He loses the front end. It washes out. His tire is going away. Now, at halfway, Josh Hayes is fastest. He's running in the 1:28 bracket. Ben Bostrom runs the 1:28s too. Bostrom has caught Roger Hayden. Bostrom has a 1:28.2 but Geoff May is 1.2 seconds slower at 1:29.4. Ben Bostrom slides on the inside, by Roger Hayden. Can Ben Bostrom reel in Geoff May? Larry Pegram ditches his BMW S1000RR. He's still running, and maybe can salvage a finish.
Now, Josh Hayes is coming. He's gambling on the front tire. Geoff May wiggles. He's got no chance of holding the lead with the tires going away. There's ten laps left and Ben Bostrom is the new leader for Michael Jordan Motorsports. Yes, the team is owned by the basketball legend. May is being reeled in by Josh Hayes now. Can Michael Jordan Motorsports get two consecutive wins? The sponsorships and rider lineups are being discussed. Josh Hayes runs a 1:26.5, bearing down on Bostrom. Steve Rapp and Josh Herrin battle.
Rapp goes from last, all the way to fifth. Roger Hayden pits and his front tire is gone. Josh Hayes has reeled in Ben Bostrom and is gapping Bostrom now. Now, will Bostrom be able to reel in Hayes? Eight laps remain. Hayes and Bostrom run 1-2. Geoff May, Steve Rapp, and Josh Herrin round out the top five. The front tires are fading for everyone. Steve Rapp sweeps by Geoff May. Rapp has a lot of work to do if he wants to reel in Bostrom. Someone loses a helmet visor and it becomes debris on the track.
Six laps remain now. Larry Pegram has smoke eminating from his BMW. Josh Hayes signals to him that he's got a problem. Robertino Pietri runs ahead of Larry Pegram. Will the champ win another race? We'll see. Josh Hayes retains the lead. Hayes' fastest lap is 1:26.487. Robertino Pietri is chasing Taylor Knapp. Knapp has not had the best of races this weekend, but finished second in New Jersey a few races ago. Steve Rapp will pass Ben Bostrom for second. Steve Rapp just has himself and one other crew member this weekend. It's amazing that he'll finish so well. Rapp sets fast lap at a 1:26 flat! The time is 1:26.018. It's the white flag lap.
Josh Hayes is going to win this race. Earlier race leaders Chris Fillmore and Geoff May will still finish well. Chris Ulrich is now eighth. Robertino Pietri wants to lap Ulrich who is his team owner and team mate! But, Josh Hayes is the winner of this race.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Josh Hayes is also a three-time AMA Superbike champion! He's won three in a row now.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
In Pro Supersport, James Rispoli set sail in the race running with Stefano Mesa. But, Rispoli won it.
#1 James Rispoli Suzuki GSXR600
In race two, Dustin Dominguez was a DNF. Jake Lewis led for a long while and then, Rispoli got the lead. However, the race was called short after ten laps because of lightning and thunder.
#1 James Rispoli Suzuki GSXR600
In XR1200, Tyler O'Hara was on pole. But Michael Barnes made the move for the win.
#34 Michael Barnes Harley Davidson
There is only one race remaining on the 2012 AMA Pro Racing schedule. It's in New Orleans, Louisiana at NOLA Motorsports Park. The race will be sponsored by the same companies that sponsored this race at Homestead. It's the Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans presented by Dunlop Tires and LeoVince. That race will be run in two weeks.
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