Cameron Beaubier led a parade of Yamaha YZF-R6 racebikes to win the 72nd running of the famed Daytona 200. The Yamaha Extended Service Graves Yamaha rider started from pole position and led for 50 of 57 laps before winning by a 22.254-second margin.

Behind Beaubier were four other R6 riders including his teammate Garret Gerloff who finished second. The Y.E.S. riders were followed by Bobby Fong of Triple Crown /RMR, and the RoadRace Factory team’s Jake Gagne and JD Beach. The five Yamaha riders were also the only five to finish on the lead lap.

The race was clean of the red flags that were common in recent runnings of the Daytona 200, but it also lacked the dramatic 0.048-second victory by Joey Pascarella in last year’s race. The 2013 race did produce some noteworthy results however. Continue Reading »

Michael Jordan Motorsports revealed its racing livery for its 2013 AMA Superbike Championship Suzuki GSX-R1000 racebikes. The 2013 racebikes will sport a wavy blue camo pattern inspired by the new Nike Air Jordan XX8 sneaker. The team unveiled the new livery on the Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) in Chicago, where the team was founded and, more notably, where team owner Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Bulls.

The two-time AMA Daytona Sportbike Champion Danny Eslick joins the team after racing last season with the Erik Buell Racing team. Eslick will ride the #23 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. He’ll be teamed with the Roger Hayden who returns for 2013 riding the #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. Continue Reading »

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R has been homologated for AMA Pro Racing, making it eligible for the Daytona Sportbike and Supersport classes for 2013. The news comes as a bit of a surprise as those classes typically consist of Inline Four racebikes with a displacement smaller than 600cc.

The new Ninja ZX-6R immediately carries a displacement advantage over its I-4 competition in the class such as the Honda CBR600R, Suzuki GSX-R600 and Yamaha YZF-R6. Also eligible in those classes are the Ducati 848 (a Twin) and the Triumph Daytona 675 which uses a three-cylinder engine. The 636 will carry a weight penalty however, facing a minimum weight of 375 pounds compared to 355 pounds for the sub-600cc bikes.

The last time Kawasaki had a 636cc Ninja, it produced a 599cc  ZX-6RR for competition purposes. Kawasaki did the same this time for Japan, introducing a limited production run of the 599cc Ninja ZX-6R because the 636cc version did not qualify for its domestic racing program. The AMA has decided this wasn’t necessary and gave the new, larger Ninja approval.

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R will also be eligible for various classes in the WERA, CCS, AFM, MRA, CVMA, CMRA and UtahSBA championships. Continue Reading »

Latus Motors Racing announced it will compete in the 2013 Daytona 200 with Jason DiSalvo, Elena Myers and Kenny Riedmann on the Triumph Daytona 675R.

DiSalvo should be considered one of the favorites for the Daytona 200. DiSalvo won the 2011 edition of the race on a Ducati 848 for Latus, and nearly did it again in 2012, finishing second on a Triumph Daytona 675R sporting a special livery in tribute to Gary Nixon. Amazingly, DiSalvo was just 0.048 seconds behind the winner Joey Pascarella despite having to make an early pit stop to replace his rear tire.

“I’m really happy to be back on the Latus Motors Racing team and can’t wait to get back to Daytona’s high banks,” said DiSalvo. “I’m especially excited about the opportunity to have Kenny and Elena as teammates. The past few seasons with Latus and Triumph have been awesome, and I’m so happy to continue this great relationship. We’re going to have some great racing.” Continue Reading »

Days after the release of the reigning AMA Daytona Sportbike champion from his contract, the Geico Motorcycle race team announced it will field Dane Westby with the backing of Team Hammer on a Honda CBR600RR season.

Westby rode last season for Team Hammer on the M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 to finish second overall behind fellow Team Hammer rider Martin Cardenas who raced on a Geico-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R600. Last week, Team Hammer released Cardenas from his contract option for the 2013 season so he could pursue opportunities in the Superbike class. That opened up the Geico-backed ride for Westby for the coming season.

Along with that change comes the switch from the Suzuki to the Honda CBR600RR, marking the Japanese manufacturer’s return to AMA Pro Road Racing. American Honda pulled its support of AMA road racing in 2009 after first two turmultuous years of Daytona Motorsports Group running the series. It is unclear at this point how much support, if any, American Honda is providing Team Hammer. Continue Reading »

Ducshop Racing and Jake Zemke are appealing to the public for donations to fund their AMA Daytona Sportbike Championship effort.

Zemke is currently fifth in the championship riding the Ducati 848 EVO, an impressive feat for crew comprised entirely of volunteers. As good a run as Ducshop has been on, the team lacks the funds to complete the rest of the season.

To help cover expenses, the team is appealing to the public by setting up a website asking for donations. To thank its supporters, the team is offering various gifts such as signed racing shirts and posters for donations over $50. Continue Reading »

Tommy Hayden has signed on to race the remainder of the 2012 AMA Daytona Sportbike season with  Yamaha Extended Service Graves Yamaha after joining the team as a substitute for the injured Garrett Gerloff.

Hayden joined the YES Graves Yamaha team as a last-minute replacement after Gerloff got injured in the first practice of the Daytona 200. While Gerloff continued his recovery from a broken femur suffered in the high side crash at Daytona International Speedway, Hayden has raced his way to fourth overall in the championship standings after five rounds with two podium appearances. At 140 points, Hayden is two back of M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby. Reigning champion Martin Cardenas of GEICO Suzuki sits in the lead at 66 points with 11 races to go.

So far this season, Hayden has been racing with Gerloff’s #8 on his Yamaha R6 but he will now switch to his traditional #22 for the rest of the season. Pictured below is Hayden with the #22 on the 1999 Yamaha R6. Continue Reading »

Triumph Motorcycles has signed a sponsorship agreement with Jason DiSalvo‘s riding school.

The 2011 Daytona 200 winner rides a Triumph Daytona 675R for the Latus Motors AMA Daytona Sportbike team so it’s no surprise the British manufacturer is sponsoring the Jason DiSalvo Speed Academy. DiSalvo also raced for Triumph-backed BE1 World Supersport team, and though he left the team on rather murky terms, DiSalvo and Triumph enjoy a strong working relationship.

“As much as I enjoy racing, I love to help others improve their riding abilities,” says DiSalvo. “We created the Speed Academy to help riders raise their game at the track, and with Triumph’s re-emergence into racing this partnership was a natural fit for both of us.” Continue Reading »