Michelle Smith, first female to win championship at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, dies

Michelle Smith’s intensity was always what impressed veteran drag racer Louie Hall the most.

“Sweet as sugar, tough as nails,” said Hall, of Portage. “That’s what she had written on the back of her Camaro.”

Mrs. Smith of Belmont died Thursday of liver cancer.

Mrs. Smith, who was the first female to win a track championship at the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, was 46.

Mrs. Smith was a veteran Martin competitor, and she won the track’s Street Tire championship in 2004 and 2005. Mrs. Smith never backed down from the boys -- not even her husband. In fact, Mrs. Smith edged out her husband, Daniel Smith, to capture her first title. Daniel also is a Martin veteran.

“She was a quite a gal and a great racer,” said U.S. 131 Motorsports Park spokesperson Stephanie Peterson.

“I remember when we had our second lady’s race, Michelle Smith was the first one in the lane, and there was no one in the other lane because no one wanted to race her. They were hanging back.

“Her and husband are here every Saturday bracket racing. She will be greatly missed.”

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Michelle Smith Memorial Fund.

Visitation is scheduled 7-9 p.m. Sunday and 2-4 p.m. and 7:30-9 p.m. Monday at the Pederson Funeral Home, 127 North Monroe Street, Rockford. A reading of the rosary is 7 p.m. Monday.

The funeral is 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Assumption Catholic Church, 6369 Belmont Ave. NE, Belmont.


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GENE PRICE MOTORSPORTS LATE MODEL RIVER SERIES HIGHLIGHTS HAVASU 95 ACTION THIS SATURDAY

The Havasu 95 Speedway will present its fans with another full evening of ASA sanctioned racing this Saturday night highlighted by an appearance from the Gene Price Motorsports Late Model River Series. Also making a contribution to the racing excitement level will be the ASA street stocks, factory stocks and the vintage sprints and midgets. The most scenic quarter mile asphalt oval is located within the Sara Park complex in Lake Havasu City-Arizona.

The phenomenally popular Gene Price Motorsports Late Model River Series is now at the half way point of the current winter racing season. The series' schedule is equally divided between the Havasu 95 Speedway and the Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway. In its brief history the series has quickly become a fan favorite because it features close quarter competition from a highly talented field of late model stock car drivers who range from veterans, who know the fast way around a short track, to youngsters who are looking to climb the ladder of their budding racing careers.

Going into Saturday night's race, the series' championship picture is being led by a youngster who has been impressing everyone for several years now. "Awesome" Austin Murphy will be looking for another series win in Lake Havasu City in an effort to pad his current points lead. In four series events the Lancaster-California high school student has two feature wins, along with a second and third place finish. Making his competitive level even more "awesome" is the fact that his team, After Hours Racing, will be debuting a newly constructed late model this weekend.

Murphy will arrive at the Havasu 95 Speedway this weekend with a 28 point lead over former series champion Bobby Keirns. The local driver is well aware of the fact that he has some work to do to towards eradicating Murphy's lead and said "we just need some really good racing and some really good nights. But I do think that we've got something for him, (Murphy). We've got a lot of points to make up and four races to do it in. Our car is fast, I'm pretty excited and optimistic about the whole deal. I can't wait to get this thing going again, we're looking forward to this Saturday night."

But that pair of drivers will have to keep a sharp eye on another pair of drivers expected to be on hand Saturday night. One of them is Mark Schriner a veteran of late model campaigns who fully understands what it takes to win feature races and track championships. Schriner is currently ranked sixth in the series standings but that's only because circumstances caused him to miss a race back in November. He has a feature win during the current campaign and will be a pre race favorite to get another one Saturday night.

Yet another strong factor in the series 50 lap feature will be the presence of Lake Havasu City driver Jerry Snell. Jeff Murphy, the father-crew chief-car builder of the series points leader, has regarded Snell as a major source of competition for his team. Snell is currently ranked eighth in the standings. Unfortunately circumstances forced him to miss two of the four completed events. But it can't help but be noticed that the two races Snell did compete him resulted in a feature win and a second place finish.

Yet another exciting level of racing action, at the Havasu 95 Speedway Saturday night, will be the presence of the ASA street stocks. This ASA street stocks have been completely dominated by the series' elder statesman Ralph Adams. Then again, at age 69, Ralph Adams is the elder statesman at any race track he chooses to show up at. In four events during the current winter racing season Adams has four feature wins and a repeat track championship seems to be eminent. That success is based on years of experience, a race car that is always well prepped and an extremely smooth driving style.

While Adams has been busy taking his much younger competition to racing school this season, there are a trio of younger drivers in this division who are currently engaged in a very tight battle for second in the championship standings. Phillip Waterman and Rick Maddox Jr are tied for second at 174 points each while Rick Benzansen is only four points behind them.

The fan favorite factory stockers will be bringing their special blend of racing excitement to the Havasu 95 Speedway this Saturday night. The series' teams will also be bringing a very close championship battle to the track this weekend. Shawn Deitch and Scott Allen are tied at the top of the rankings with 256 points each. The rotating drivers from the Big O Tire team is also a very big part of the championship profile and are only two markers away from the co leaders. Also never to be overlooked here is the presence of Lisa Snell who is only two points away from third and just 12 points away from the top of the standings.

The Havasu 95 Speedway loves to bring back the exciting racing days of yesteryear. They will be doing just that again Saturday night with a special exhibition race featuring vintage sprint and midget open wheel racers. These cars hold a very prominent place in the history of racing in America. For old school racing fans their presence will be a blast in the past to the days when these open wheel cars barnstormed their way to race tracks all over the country. For younger racing fans the presence of these vintage racers will be an exciting look at history.

The Havasu 95 Speedway racing weekend actually begins on Friday night with a test and tune session for the teams from 6 to 9 pm. Spectators will be admitted free to watch the practice session.

On Saturday race day the spectator gates will open at 4pm with the racing getting underway at 6pm. General admission tickets for Saturday are $12. Tickets for seniors, 55 plus, the military and the handicapped are priced at $10. Kids tickets, ages six to 16, are $6 while kids five and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paid adult. The speedway also offers a family package for $25 which admits two adults and two kids. Fans can also enjoy the special amenities from the speedway's VIP section for $25 which features the best seats in the house for watching the racing action.

For out of town teams and fans the Days Inn is the official motel of the Havasu 95 Speedway. They offer beautiful and spacious rooms at very affordable rates. Call toll free for reservations at 800 835 2410. Reservations can also be made online at www.thehavasuinn.com.

For more information about racing at the Havasu 95 Speedway dial up their official website at www.havasu95speedway.com or contact promoter Bill Rozhon at 928 716 6300.


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HPA Motorsports Crafts Custom 550-HP Scirocco, Offers it to North America

It's been a long 22 years since Volkswagen deemed North America worthy of its Scirocco hatchback. For those V-Dubbers who can't live without VW's newest iteration of the hot hatch, HPA Motorsports will not only import one into the new world, but tune it to your exact specifications.

The volks at HPA Motorsports have worked out a deal to have the Scirocco imported directly to its workshop in British Columbia, Canada, only 10 short miles over the U.S. border. Once the car arrives, the fun begins. While HPA can do just about whatever your heart desires, it strongly suggests its FT565 package. The special setup adds a pair of Garrett H25 turbochargers to the 3.2-liter V-6.

The mechanics at HPA beef up all the internals to handle the 550 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque the new engine produces. Brakes are upgraded to 14-inch rotors and 8-piston calipers in front, along with 13-inch rotors in back. Stock wheels are replaced with 19-inch BBS aluminum rolling stock, wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires.

HPA claims the tuned all-wheel-drive Scirocco can reach speeds of up to 200 mph, and sprint from 0-60 in no more than 3.5 seconds. If that isn't enough, there is a Stage 2 version of the package. This not only gives the car a 100 lb-ft bump, but gets the hatchback down the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds. 0-60 mph times are shaved down to a scant 3.4 seconds.

HPA plans on only building 10 FT565 Sciroccos each year, and every last one of them is destined for the U.S. Later this year HPA says it will debut its FT640 package which will be paired to VW's 3.6-liter powerplant and is scheduled to make a ton more power. HPA says each car will take a cool $150,000 to get you into one of these custom-built monsters, but we're sure they're worth every penny.


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Global Motorsports Group Announces Three Car World Challenge Team for 2010

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Coming off of its strongest season yet in the World Challenge Championship, Global Motorsports Group is announcing its return to the championship for the 2010 season.

GMG, based in Southern California, will return with a trio of Porsche 911 GT3s to compete in the World Challenge GT class. Leading the team will be team owner and driver James Sofronas of Newport Beach, Calif. Sofronas enjoyed a stellar 2009 season, in which he scored wins at the Long Beach Grand Prix and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on his way to finishing a career-best second in the championship.

Joining him will be series veteran Dino Crescentini, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., who is back for his third season in the Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3. Crescentini scored a win in 2009 at Watkins Glen International Raceway, on his way to finishing the season in ninth place. In the third GMG Porsche will be William Ziegler, the 2009 World Challenge Rookie of the Year. All three cars will be outfitted with GMG’s line of World Challenge parts, StopTech brakes, Sparco safety gear and BBS wheels. GMG also enjoys a close association with Porsche Motorsports North America.

“There is no doubt that World Challenge is one of the most competitive and demanding racing series in North America,” said Fabryce Kutyba, co-owner of Global Motorsports Group. “This allows us to develop and test our World Challenge line of components and complete packages for Porsche cars. GMG’s products are the direct result of our involvement in motorsport, and through this race winning experience we are able to develop the best products in the world to enhance performance and maintain factory reliability.”

“We are very happy and proud to announce that we are returning to World Challenge GT with all three of our 2009 drivers for this season,” said Sofronas. “World Challenge has been the foundation on which we have built our race team and our Porsche product line. GMG World Challenge parts can be found not only on our race cars, but our customer’s street and race cars. We are excited to see what 2010 holds for us.

“On a personal level, I can’t wait to get back into the No.14 GMG Porsche GT3 and fight for a championship. Finishing second last year and getting those two wins was great, but now it is time to go after the top spot at the awards banquet. I can’t wait for the lights to go out in St. Petersburg.”

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship begins March 26-28 with a doubleheader race weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com.


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Dan Gurney To Star at Laguna Seca Motorsports Reunion

Dan Gurney Picture

Dan Gurney exits Turn 9 at Laguna Seca in a Lotus 19 racecar in the early 1960s. Though the photo has faded with time, the Lotus was painted bright red.


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The Daytona 500: Like No Other Race In The Motorsports World

The field is already set for the 52nd running of "The Great American Race" on Sunday.

The who’s who of NASCAR, as well as the rest of the sporting world, will have their eyes set on the 43 hard charging warriors who will do battle on one of the sport's most famous and historic asphalt battlegrounds.

With the days leading up to the start of a new decade of NASCAR racing, the fans have already been treated to a sneak preview of what to expect once the green flag drops and the season officially begins.

The story lines that have followed each team from the end of the 2009 season are beginning to quickly take shape, with the hopes and expectations once again taking center stage.

The fans are hungry after their short, and what seemed like a never-ending, hibernation since last season’s final race at Homestead-Miami.

So is it any wonder that while taking a look outside the box at the many story lines that continue to clog the daily internet airwaves, they are not about the drivers or the teams, but instead are a little more internally focused on what is happening to the sport itself?

The sport has gone through a transformation period in the past 10 years, with some of the changes not taken too lightly by those fans who have remained faithful through the trial and error periods.

Change, as we all know, can be for the better depending on the circumstances, as long as they are carefully researched before being put to use.

Now on the flip side, there are those changes that for one reason or another have been instituted at the most inopportune times.

One thing is for sure, and that is once the month of February rolls around, even if for a brief moment, all is forgiven because of the love that each fan has for the sport, along with the excitement the Daytona 500 generates.

Many of our heroes from the past and present have graciously given of themselves, knowing that the fruits of success are not always waiting in the wings.

Exactly what the beginning of the season means to each one of us as individuals can be as precious as the foundations we have built from the very first day we set eyes upon this great sport of ours.

Many challenges and obstacles have stood the test of time, yet the dreams that each driver envisions are carefully withheld in the grasp of destiny’s hands, along with the fans that are there in spirit to also partake of them.

This is Daytona, and for this one weekend the track will come alive, while shining down its glory upon the one driver who can tame the wicked high banks of this hungry asphalt beast.

Good luck to all our drivers, and may the 2010 season be one to remember.


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Crozier Roberson Motorsports Signs with DNA Beverage Corporation

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 12, 2010) - Crozier Roberson Motorsports are pleased to announce that they have inked a sponsorship agreement with DNA Beverage Corporation, makers of DNA Energy Drink® and DNA Shred Stix (meat snacks), to sponsor their AMA Pro Road Racing team in the 2010 AMA Pro Daytona SuperBike Series.



“We are excited to fly the DNA Energy Drink® banner,” said team owner Robbie Roberson. “DNA Beverage Corporation is an outstanding company. They are well-versed in the motorcycle industry and their business savvy and aggressive, up-beat marketing fit right in with our racing program. We know that their association with our team will be extremely beneficial.”



Headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., DNA Beverage Corporation was founded in 2006. Known for superior and delicious taste, DNA’s drinks and meat snacks are favorites with athletes across the country. And, in fact, their citrus flavored energy drink was selected as the world’s best tasting energy drink at the World Beverage Competition held in Geneva, Switzerland in December of last year.



“We are very excited to have DNA Energy Drink as the title sponsor of C&R Motorsports for 2010 and beyond,” said Geoff Armstrong, DNA Beverage Corp.’s VP of Marketing. "C&R has laid out a solid plan to build their team over the next few years and we feel the momentum of the DNA brands will help them achieve this.”



For the upcoming season Crozier Roberson Motorsports will field two Ducati 848s in this year’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Series. Boasting the riding talents of Mark Crozier, who earned the 2009 AMA SunTrust Moto-GT 1 title and another top racing ace to be named next week, this team will be looking to put the DNA colors on the podium at each race in this year’s series.


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Hendrick Motorsports clinches top three starting positions for Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. -- Hendrick Motorsports made NASCAR history last November by sweeping the top three positions in the battle for the 2009 Sprint Cup championship.

On Sunday, the Hendrick juggernaut will kick off NASCAR's season-opening Daytona 500 in the same dominant fashion, with Jimmie Johnson winning the first of two 150-mile qualifying races Thursday to lock up starting spot No. 3.

Johnson's teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had claimed the front row last Saturday by running the fastest qualifying laps -- upwards of 193 mph -- around the high-banked, 2.5 mile oval.

On Thursday, Johnson prevailed in a furious, side-by-side battle with Kevin Harvick exiting Turn 4 on the final lap of the 60-mile event to roar across the finish line 0.005 of a second in front.

Kasey Kahne edged Tony Stewart in the second race in a last-lap duel that was just as heated and nearly as close, taking the checkered flag with 0.014 of a second to spare.

Both races featured plenty of bumping and jostling at nearly 200 mph down the straightaways. But the first race was a testament to Johnson's skill and his race team's might, given that he was skating around the track on worn tires over the final laps and competing in a backup car after his best Chevrolet was mangled in a pileup during Wednesday's practice.

The 150-mile qualifying races cull the 50-plus entrants for the Daytona 500 to 43 and set the starting order for positions No. 3 on back. They also serve as a preview of what's in store for the Daytona 500 -- a race that can be riveting one year and tedious the next, depending on many variables.

Last year's race ended on more of a whimper than a roar, with rain halting the proceedings 48 laps shy of the finish just after Matt Kenseth had taken the lead. NASCAR officials cut the event short and awarded the trophy to Kenseth, who had crept across the finish line at a 55-mph crawl under the caution flag.

NASCAR is unique among pro sports in starting its season with its marquee event. But last year's anticlimactic 500 was a buzzkill, generating little momentum for the races that followed. And the TV ratings were a disappointing 9.2 -- down 16 percent from 2005, when the 500 drew a 10.9 rating.

With an eye toward reversing the trend, NASCAR officials have given the racecars more horsepower and, in turn, more speed, for this year's race. They also lifted the ban on bump-drafting -- the practice of intentionally ramming a car ahead to create an aerodynamic boost through traffic. And on the eve of Thursday's 150-milers, NASCAR officials announced they'll make three attempts to finish races at top speed (under green-flag conditions) rather than having them end on a caution flag.

That new rule may come into play in Sunday's 500, which is notorious for multi-car wrecks as drivers jockey for position over the final laps. Each restart that follows a caution tends to breed subsequent wrecks as 43 drivers frantically accelerate from 55 to 190 mph as quickly as possible.

Martin, who will start Sunday's race from the pole, has warned that three attempts at a so-called "green-white-checkered finish" could result in "a circus."


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Key Motorsports Acquires Sponsor For Daytona

Key Motorsports announced today Bad Boy Buggies and Buck Commander have teamed up to sponsor the #40 Chevrolet and driver Mike Bliss for Saturday's Drive4COPD NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona. Bad Boy Buggies, a Mississippi-based company, sponsored Bobby Labonte and the RCR Nationwide Series team in the 2009 season opener at Daytona.



Bliss practiced the #40 near the top of the speed chart during Wednesday's Nationwide Series practice session, turning in the third-fastest time of the day and drawing the attention of Bad Boy Buggies company officials.



"When we found out the 40-car driven by Mike Bliss was avialable we contacted Richard Childress, who was at the race track," a Bad Boy Buggies spokesperson said. "We told him the car had ESPN in-car cameras and we had the opportunity for a primary sponsorship. Richard said it was a steal, so we jumped on it.”



Bad Boy Buggies executives contacted Buck Commander about the possibility of teaming up with Key Motorsports for Daytona.



“They thought it was a great opportunity to promote their brand," stated a Bad Boy company executive. "The split sponsorship was a natural with Buck Commander. We met with Buck Commander last month in Las Vegas, and we formed a partnership with them and Bad Boy Buggies.”



Buck Commander company officials are confident Key Motorsports will provide great representation of their brand.



"Buck Commander is excited to team up with Key Motorsports and driver Mike Bliss for the NASCAR Nationwide race at Daytona. Key Motorsports represents the everyday working man race team...Mike Bliss will bring the buckshot for Buck Commander in this event. NASCAR racing fans love the outdoors, we feel this primary sponsorship is a great fit for our brand."


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Level 5 Motorsports enters ALMS LMP Challenge class

Level 5 Motorsports, which finished third overall in Grand-Am's Rolex 24 at Daytona last month, confirmed on Thursday that it will join the American Le Mans Series' Le Mans Prototype Challenge class for 2010.

Based in Madison, Wis., Level 5 will compete in the full nine-round championship with Oreca's FLM09 prototype.

Team owner Scott Tucker and former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Christophe Bouchut will compete for the full season. The duo plans to participate in the ALMS's annual winter test Feb. 22-23 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Level 5 is the sixth team to purchase an Oreca-built LMPC racer. Other teams that have purchased LMPC cars for 2010 include Green Earth Team Gunnar, Intersport Racing, Genoa Racing, Primetime Race Group and P1 Motorsports/Mathiasen Motorsports.

"We are excited to be racing at Sebring this year in the new Le Mans Prototype Challenge class," said Level 5 team manager David Stone, who has an extensive history of competing in the International Motor Sports Association, which sanctions the American Le Mans Series. "The new LMPC class has certainly been intriguing since it was announced last year. The number of cars continues to increase each week, which should make for some great competition."

New for 2010, the LMPC class features ORECA cars with a minimum weight of 1,984 pounds and about 430 hp. The FLM09 features a full carbon-fiber chassis, carbon brakes and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle-shift actuation. All LMPC cars will race on spec Michelin tires.

Tucker has spent time behind the wheel of an FLM09. He posted two second-place finishes at the Paul Ricard circuit in France during the Le Mans Winter Racing Series despite never having set foot in the car.

To read more visit the AutoWeek ALMS racing news and reports section.


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Miller Motorsports Park expands superbike event

The HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship's annual stop at Miller Motorsports Park is more than motorcycle race.

It is a four-day festival held over Memorial Day weekend that state and track officials want to turn into a Utah tradition.

That was the message delivered by Gov. Gary Herbert Thursday at a news conference at Energy Solutions Arena to announce an expanded event in 2010.

According to Gov. Herbert, this year's HANNspree FIM Superbike Championship will be the largest international sporting event held in Utah since the 2002 Olympics.

"I'm not sure everybody realizes that," he said.

Over 120 million people around the world will watch on television.

According to Jeff Robbins of the Utah Sports Commissioner, that air time is worth $17 million.

An additional $15-17 million will be pumped into the Utah economy by race teams and fans attending the four days of activities, which begin Friday, May 28 and run through Monday, May 31.

On-track action starts Saturday with practice and continues with racing Sunday and Monday.

A classic rock concert featuring the groups Styx, Foreigner and Kansas, plus a fireworks show, will be held Saturday night.

Opening ceremonies on Memorial Day will include a fly-over by F-16 fighter jets from Hill Air Force Base.

Throughout the weekend, members of the United States military will be honored by a 2,010-flag tribute on the Miller Motorsports

Park infield

Activities begin Friday when Gov. Herbert greets superbike competitors at the state capitol building.

A motorcycle parade to the Gateway will be held prior to a public street party at the outdoor mall that will feature live music, stunt demonstrations and autograph sessions.

Two riders attended the press conference and were impressed by the expanded plans for this year's HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship.

"I don't know if they have to promote as much [in Europe] because motorcycle racing is so big over there," said Roger Lee Hayden of the Pedercini Kawaski team. "People already know about it over there -- like football and basketball here. ...

"But this year, the people here are really stepping up. I'd say Miller is doing as much, if not more, than anyone to advertise, get the fans out and make it a family environment."

Jason DiSalvo of the BE-1ParkinGo Triumph team agreed: "... The events in Europe are easy to promote. You just say, 'We're having a race' and all the people come.

"But I would say as far as the [non-European] events go, this is on a par with Australia, which is another country where the following is tremendous."


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APR Motorsport Optimistic After the Fresh From Florida 200

APR Motorsports, contenders in both classes of the Grand Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, performed well in the season’s opening event, the Fresh From Florida 200, run before the Grand Am Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona International speedway. The team is optimistic for the rest of the season.

The team fielded three cars, an Audi S4 in GS Class and the two VW GTi’s in ST. All three ran well, and all three finished, despite unavoidable bad racing luck.

Director of Motorsport for APR, Jeff Mishtawy, said “APR and their engineering team proved once again their abilities to prepare the cars for competition. The S4 and the GTi’s were in excellent condition and ready for the race. I’m excited about the rest of the season as our development progresses and the drivers continue to settle in.”

Drivers Ian Baas and Mark White in the Audi S4, competing in its first race, finished 19th, two laps behind the leaders, after qualifying 36th. The car ran as high as fifth until a flat tire late in the race put the car out of contention.

Mark White said in an APR press release, “My hat is off to APR for taking the Audi S4 from concept to execution in such a short period of time. It's incredibly difficult to develop a solid racecar from a brand new-to-the-market street car because there is no blueprint to follow.”

In ST class, Josh Hurley and co-driver Kevin Stadtlander had worked the #181 GTi into fourth place in class when the car was rear-ended and spun off the track. The #181 Gti finished 15th in class after starting 23rd.

The #171 APR GTi, driven by Mike Sweeney and Mike Halpin, started 16th in class and finished 24th. The #171 car trailed right behind its sister car for most of the race, but numerous minor collisions slowed the car as the race drew to a close.

Josh Hurley was in good spirits despite the forced off-track excursion, “I was really in a great place to push for the win as time was winding down. The GTi was in great form and Kevin drove very well in the first half of the race to give us a chance to charge for the podium.”

Mike Sweeney said, “We were ready to take over for Josh after his incident and race to the podium but our car suffered similar struggles as well. It was all I could do to get the car to the finish after being hit several times.”

APR returns to its Opelika, Alabama, shop to prepare for the next Grand Am Continental Tire race, the Grand Prix of Miami, at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida on March 6, 2010.


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Historic racing series coming to Barber Motorsports Park

Barber Motorsports Park will host the first event in a new historic racing series led by Bobby Rahal, three-time CART champion and winner of the 1986 Indy 500.

The series will feature Formula One, Can-Am, Grand Prix, Trans-Am and other classic cars mostly from the 1960s and 70s competing in eight races May 21-23.

The series, tentatively called Legends of Motorsports, has three races scheduled -- Barber, Watkins Glen in New York in June and Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Canada in July -- with plans to add one or two more, Rahal said Friday.

Rahal said he and his two partners in the series expect 200 to 250 cars to be entered with drivers coming from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“We think 10,000 to 15,000 would be a good number the first year,” Rahal said of expected attendance.

The cars will be required to be historically accurate.

“If the car had drum brakes in its day, it has to have drum brakes for the race,” Rahal said. “It has to be true to the original.”

Tires will be less strict on historic accuracy, but cars like Corvette Stingrays will have to use treaded tires while Can Am cars will have racing slicks.

“We’ll probably have cars worth more than a million dollars in this race,” Rahal said.

That raises the question of whether the driver of a million-dollar car will be willing to mix it up on the track and risk a wreck. Rahal said that shouldn’t be a problem since most drivers of these cars are “Type-A personalities.”

“If you can afford a million-dollar car, you can afford to fix it,” he said.

The event will include qualifying heat races. The races will be 30 minutes each with about 20 to 25 cars per race and no pit stops.

There is also a road rally scheduled from the track to Mountain Brook Village the day before the event starts.


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MOTORSPORTS: Milsaps masters mud at Qualcomm

SAN DIEGO ---- When it came to slogging through the slop at Qualcomm Stadium, Davi Milsaps proved to be the best mudder Saturday night at the AMA Supercross race.

Milsaps capped a crash-filled night of dirt-bike racing when he won the main event over Josh Hill and Murrieta's Ivan Tedesco.

"The track was pretty slick, so I was just being smooth and consistent and not making many mistakes out there," said Milsaps, 21, who rode a Honda. "It was an amazing race for me."

Points leader Ryan Dungey went down on the first-lap holeshot along with three other riders, including Ryan Villopoto, last week's race winner in San Francisco. Nick Wey took the hole shot on a Kawasaki, but he was passed by Windham on the third lap of the 20-lap final.

Andrew Short was running in second place for most of the final, but he crashed hard with three lap remaining and had to be assisted off the track. Hill, who had passed Tedesco for third earlier, then secured his third straight runner-up finish.

"I rode conservative at the beginning," said Hill, 20. "I went a little too easy."

Tedesco earned his first podium finish for his new Valli Yamaha team.

The win for Millsaps was his first since the 2008 season, when he won two races. He earned his first podium finish of the year last week with a third-place showing in San Francisco.

Dungey, riding a Suzuki, recovered from two spills to advance from 17th place to sixth, but Suzuki remained winless in 28 Supercross class races in San Diego. Villopoto bounced back from his slow start to finish fourth on a Kawasaki.

A crowd of 51,843 braved the wet weather that sent motorcycles sliding off the track throughout the night. The afternoon rains kept the riders off the track until 5:30 p.m., five hours after the first practice session was scheduled to start. Multiple riders were thrown to the mud by hole-shot crashes in the first two heats for the Supercross Lites class, which had a spectacular eight-bike spill on the first turn of its Last Chance Qualifier race.

Not since 2003 had three different riders been victorious in the first four races of the season. Defending champion James Stewart won the season opener in Anaheim, but he got caught up in a crash with his chief rival, two-time AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed, in the second race of the year at Phoenix. Stewart, who missed most of the 2008 season with a knee injury, tried to race the following week in Anaheim with an injured wrist, but he required surgery after that race and is out for an indefinite period of time. Reed is sidelined with a broken hand as a result of the spill and hopes to return for the end of the supercross season.

Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, went on to win the Lites final for his fourth win in five starts this year. The margin of victory was 17 seconds over Honda teammates Cole Seely of Newbury Park and Wil Hahn of Decatur, Texas, who crossed the finish line side by side.


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JR Motorsports delighted with Danica Patrick’s 6th-place finish

The horde around Danica Patrick followed her from outside her car to her hauler. Photographers, cameramen, some reporters and security walked with Patrick. A whole other group waited outside her hauler. She finished sixth in her stock-car racing debut.

“That’s a bigger crowd than we’ve had around Dale in a while,” said Kelley Earnhardt, Dale Jr.’s sister and part owner of JR Motorsports who has spent a lot of time in contact with Patrick the last few months.

The consensus from the JR Motorsports camp was that Patrick ran great. Tony Eury Jr., her crew chief and another part-owner of the team, said he’d like to see her race in next weekend’s Nationwide race.

Some quotes:

Danica Patrick on her mentality at the end of the race: “I was 5th and I was like I feel pretty good and I thought I’m not going to win sitting right here. I thought I might as well go up high and see what we can do. I was really looking at those last 10 laps as just like, whatever. Let’s see what we can do here and have fun with it. Me and Ricky [Carmichael] were having a little bit of side bumping at the end. He was really cool. I had a lot of fun with him out there.”

(Did you enjoy mixing it up?)

“I did enjoy mixing it up. It was fun. Everybody was pretty good about it. I kind of felt like I was getting bumped when I was up there at 6th and I was like loose in the kink and loose into 1 and 2 and then i got up high. I don’t know if I got hit and I don’t really care because I learned something from it.”

(What was the race like?)

“It kind of just felt like a bunch of people out there giving it a whirl. Everybody was just up high, down low. The end of the race got pretty fun.

(What happened on the spin?)

The spin was ar esult of me not coming off the yellow line. … I just held my line … I got really sideways and I slid down the track and it went straight down the grass and I thought grass is not good for grip. And I came back on the track sideways and I took my hands off the wheel and Tony Jr. was screaming for me to get back into it and I hit the gas and it caught and the wheel was so far to the right it was out of control. Once I got it straight I was right.

“I made some mistakes and I also learned a lot. I’m not thinking about next weekend.

Tony Eury Jr.:

On whether or not she’ll run the Nationwide race: “I told her I’ll support you 110% either way you go. We’re ready. … I would like to see her do it but I told her it’s 100% her call.

(How did she do?)

“Great. I mean, I couldn’t ask for too much more. She was put in some predicaments. Her and the spotter worked good together. I was pretty impressed right there in them last 20 laps. I’ll be honest with you. I was like all right she’s getting it done. The biggest goal tonight was to finish. The last 20 laps she really impressed me.

(Was she calm?)

“Yeah, I mean she’s been calm the whole time. i think that little accident she was still calm it was just a matter of us getting her slowed down so we didn’t explode any tires and blow the fenders off and make the situation worse.

“She went through a lot tonight. We put 4 tires on, we stopped for fuel, we spun out, went to the rear, come back up through it. You name it, we’ve done it. It was a good night.”

(Did you find yourself having to explain a lot on the radio?)

“I think we talked constantly because there’s a lot of things a lot of people take for granted on where she comes from and how they do things. Everything’s a lot of opposites. We’ve had this discussion the last couple weeks. She said just feed me all the information you can do. Tell me all the things, act like I’ve never done it before becacuse I haven’t. Sometimes you might hear it on the radio and think man, that’s kind of child’s play, why is he telling her that? But it’s just refreshers. Second gear is the restart, hit your marks, stuff that you’re not thinking about all the time.”

Kelley Earnhardt: “I couldn’t be happier with today. I think she showed us she was able to drive. One time I saw her up on the high side, she pulled down low. I kept thinking, ‘Come on, let’s up pull off an Earnhardt, pass 18 cars in three laps and win this thing.”


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Nemco Motorsports Signs Waverly Property Group As Associate Sponsor For Daytona Speedweeks 2010

NEMCO Motorsports today announced a partnership with Waverly Property Group of Daytona Beach, which includes associate sponsorship of driver Joe Nemechek’s entries in this month’s Speedweeks events at Daytona International Speedway.

Waverly Property Group, an independent real estate company with a focus on waterfront properties, will serve as associate sponsor on Nemechek’s No. 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup and No. 87 Nationwide Series cars throughout the events in Daytona. The partnership marks Waverly Property Group’s first venture as a team sponsor with NEMCO.

"We welcome Waverly Property Group to the NEMCO Motorsports team and look forward to giving them the best experience possible," said Nemechek. "We’re guaranteed a qualifying spot in the Nationwide Series race and feel very confident about qualifying for the Daytona 500 given our success rate last season. We’re coming into Daytona prepared not just to qualify well – but to race well."

Nemechek, a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and former NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, spent the majority of the 2009 season qualifying for races in the hopes of finding funding to race. Fielding both NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series cars out of his family-owned NEMCO Motorsports shop again in 2010, Nemechek says they’ll take it one race at a time.

"We had a lean staff at NEMCO over the off-season but our guys put in the extra hours to get ready for Daytona," Nemechek explained. "Our hope is if we can have a good effort, a potential sponsor may take notice and find NEMCO to be an appropriate and affordable fit. For now, we’re coming to Daytona to race 300 miles in the Nationwide race (Feb. 13) and 500 miles in the Daytona 500 (Feb. 14). We’re thankful for the support of Waverly Property Group in helping us kick off the 2010 season.


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Alliance Forges New Team Name: 'Front Row Motorsports With Yates Racing'

Statesville, NC, United States (AHN) - Due to a new ownership alliance with Doug Yates,Yates Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' new team name is Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing.

Doug Yates, part-owner of Yates Racing, will be the listed as the owner of the No. 37 and No. 38 Fords with Front Rown owner Bob Jenkins remaining owner of the No. 34 Ford Fusion.

"There has been a lot of movement this past off-season inside the sport," said Yates. "The opportunity came up with Bob (Jenkins) and to continue in the ownership role. I didn't have to think long about making this decision."

"Bob is really putting together a strong team this season and has done so over the past few seasons. He's been smart and making all the right moves as an owner. He's capitalized on the changes in the sports landscape and has built a solid team with great factory support and drivers. That's what excited me about making this move," Yates added.

The alliance assures all three entries of being in the top 35 in owner points and unites Yates with former drivers David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil.

Gilliland and Kvapil raced with Yates Racing in 2008 and 2009 and the move locked in all three, who will share information in a combined Sprint Cup effort.

"There has been so much that has happened for us in the past two months," said Jenkins. "But, having Doug come on board is a big piece of our puzzle coming together heading into this season. He brings such a family tradition of winning and a lot of confidence to everyone here. His relationships with Ford Racing, Roush/Yates Engines, David and Travis immediately make us a stronger team."

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017727473?Alliance%20Forges%20New%20Team%20Name:%20%27Front%20Row%20Motorsports%20With%20Yates%20Racing%27#ixzz0eucTa2yS


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BuckedUpApparel.com Set for Return to Sheltra Motorsports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Officials from Sheltra Motorsports announced today that longtime supporter BuckedUpApparel.com will continue their association with the veteran ARCA Racing Series team by aligning with the organization as a associate marketing partner for Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

BuckedUpApparel.com continues their relationship with driver Patrick Sheltra after the Indiantown, Florida native took the “hunting” theme organization to a runner-up finish in their first outing at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway last April.

Founded in 2005, The BuckedUp “Antlers with Attitude” brand engages the spirit of outdoor enthusiast of all ages. Their customers are brand loyal, and are skilled in their sports. BuckedUp has found that they are passionate about their families, their friends, and their communities. They want to make a unique statement with their apparel and they also want it to be fashion forward in regards to design, fabric, and message.

The team also announced that Friday (February 5) will be designated as “BuckedUp” day with team members sporting the company’s unique and flashing signature logo through their various apparel line.

“We are thrilled to have BuckedUpApparel.com back on-board for us at Daytona,” said driver Patrick Sheltra. “We are committed on building our relationship together as they continue to grow and enjoy success. We graciously appreciate their support of our race team and hope to deliver them another exciting finish.”

John Emerson, President of BuckedUp essentially echoed Sheltra’s statement. “We are thrilled to have Patrick Sheltra and the entire Sheltra Motorsports team represent BuckedUpApparel.com again,” he said. “The team fits the qualities and standards that we cherish in a partnership. The team had a great finish for us last year and we are confident that we’re going to be celebrating on Saturday night in victory lane.”

Entering Daytona, Sheltra has 67 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem Speedway (April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated 10 top-fives and posted 22 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham Speedway (April 2009) is Sheltra’s best time trials efforts to date. He has controlled the ARCA field five times for 109 laps.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards schedule. The 47th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 4 with a four hour and fifty minute practice session planned from 12:00-4:50 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 5 slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. A fifty minute final practice session is etched in on Friday evening from 5:40pm-6:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 6 shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

Stay tuned for a revamped web site and several social networking opportunities to connect with Patrick Sheltra and the Sheltra Motorsports team but in the mean time for the latest and marketing partnership opportunities please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

To grab your official Bucked Up Apparel, please log onto BuckedUpShirts.com or BuckedUpApparel.com.


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Robby Gordon Motorsports Forms Sprint Cup Alliance With BAM

Mooresville, NC, United States (AHN) - Robby Gordon Motorsports has formed an alliance with BAM Racing for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

RGM will provide BAM Racing, which will be fielding the No. 49 Toyota this season, with technical support, race cars and personnel.

"I'm very excited for our new alliance with BAM Racing, especially heading into the Daytona 500 next month," said Gordon. "This alliance puts RGM in a great position to basically have a 'teammate' on the track that we can work with throughout the weekend to improve our car, as well as to help BAM Racing improve their car. Hopefully both teams will be able to capitalize on that and bring home strong finishes at Daytona.

While RGM has stayed in the top-35 in owners points the past few seasons, it is a single-car team, just like BAM, which has struggled to make races as of late.

David Gilliland, a fulltime driver for Front Row Motorsports, is slated to drive for BAM at Daytona before jumping to his fulltime No. 38 ride the remainder of the season.

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017678523?Robby%20Gordon%20Motorsports%20Forms%20Sprint%20Cup%20Alliance%20With%20BAM#ixzz0eGLwNsTy


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Boris Said: Signs with Latitude 43 Motorsports

Update:
Said is committed to running the first five races in 2010 and will announce his sponsorship for the Daytona 500 on Saturday, FOX Sports reports.

Recommendation:
Said will race in the No. 26 Ford for newly-formed Latitude 43 Motorsports. Equipment and engines will be provided by Roush Racing so this should be a team with decent resources. If the No. 26 can find sponsorship they hope to field Said for the entire 2010 season.


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Jeremy Clements: Jeremy Clements to drive JD Motorsports No. 0

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Jeremy and his team will be heading to Daytona for the first race of the season on February 13, 2010.
They have come on board to sponsor JCR for the first three races of the season. Jeremy will be driving the Clements Racing Engine powered "0" car owned by JD Motorsports for the Daytona race; sporting a great new yellow paint scheme featuring Boudreaux's famous blue blanketed baby. Boudreaux's Butt Paste has sponsored Jeremy in the past for a few ARCA races and we're thrilled to re-establish this relationship.


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SCC: Daytona: Multimatic Motorsports race report

Strong pace but tough season debut for Multimatic Motorsports in Daytona; Foster/Maxwell and Jeannette/Monteclavo duos encounter gremlins

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 29, 2010) - The Multimatic Motorsports squad's hopes of debut success with the Ford Mustang Boss 302R at the Fresh from Florida 200 came up short today after the Canadian team dealt with 'new-car' gremlins at the Daytona round of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Despite showing encouraging speed, the #15 car of Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell had issues with the power steering of their Ford Mustang Boss 302R and Frankie Montecalvo and Gunnar Jeannette's #16 Bayshore Recycling machine retired late in the race on account of mechanical and electrical issues.

Things looked good early for Multimatic Motorsports - immediately turning competitive times on the opening day of practice. Starting second aboard the #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R, Foster maintained his position in the lead pack throughout his stint despite slight engine issues. By the time the team made a driver change and put Maxwell behind the wheel, the #15 car was sitting in fourth.

Meanwhile, aboard the team's second car was Frankie Montecalvo. The teenager, who drives beyond his years, put in a good run in his debut with Multimatic Motorsports. Having qualified the car 12th yesterday, Montecalvo immediately improved his position to ninth on the first lap. The team's newcomer consistently made his way through the field, getting as high as fifth. Unluckily, due to some engine problems, the American had fallen to seventh before entering pit lane to hand driving duties to teammate Gunnar Jeannette.

16 car on track Daytona Race With the first round of pit stops of the season completed flawlessly by the crew, things were looking up for the team which enjoys a championship winning pedigree in this class. Half way through the race the #15 car was sitting third with the #16 car right behind in fourth. Sadly for the crew things started dwindling in the second half of the two and half hour event.

While the 16 car piloted by Jeannette continued its run in the top five, the #15 Multimatic machine driven by "Mustang Master" Scott Maxwell encountered problems with the power steering. After losing nine laps to the leaders while making repairs, Canadian Maxwell returned to competition with about 40 minutes to go.

By the time the Canadian driver returned to the track, his teammate Jeannette had fallen to 14th in the #16 car having faced problems of his own. Electrical gremlins had caused the car to stop on track, thus getting his Mustang rear-ended by another competitor. After having lost time restarting the car, Jeannette continued to push hard and had made his way back up to eighth before once again losing some positions. While trying to make another attempt through the field with about 15 minutes to go, Jeannette suffered a brake issue that put an end to his day.

As for Maxwell, he also retired before the checkered flag fell due to recurring problems.

Next up for the Multimatic Motorsports squad will be the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at Homestead-Miami Speedway March 5 and 6, 2010.

26th - Frankie Montecalvo, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R

"I had a pretty good start and everything was going great. I had a good run on one of the BMWs at the start and got by him. After that I had to work a little behind a few cars. I went through my stint the best I could, finding a rhythm and trying to keep the car in good shape for Gunnar. Unfortunately I started having some issues and the problem was getting worse as my stint went on so I ended up pitting a little early. Things didn't get any better for Gunnar and things went downhill later on. Even with these problems, I think we have a really competitive car and I'm confident that the issues we faced will be sorted by our next race."

26th - Gunnar Jeannette, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R

"It was a tough race. We had several mechanical and electrical issues that haunted us today. The engine would miss and then it would get better but then the problems kept coming back and getting worse, to the point the car shut itself off on me. That caused us to get rear-ended. Once I got the car started again I was picking up time but then we had the brake failure. There have been better days but as they say, there is no better testing than during a race. On the bright side, we learned a lot and we were competitive despite the problems we faced."

30th - Joe Foster, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R

"Things went well at the start of the race. But then we had an engine problem and then the power steering problem occurred. They're what you call new car development problems but the car ran great and in the top two or three for about an hour and everything was going according to plan until those gremlins snuck in but those things happen sometimes. The BMWs were really hard to catch up to but all in all it was a very encouraging weekend."

30th - Scott Maxwell, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R

"We already had an engine issue when I got in but we still remained in third and fourth for a while. Unfortunately the engine was not getting any better and then I started having problems with the power steering and our day sort of ended there once we had to go behind the wall to fix the problem. It wasn't what we were looking for, but I think if we look at it as a brand new car it was an encouraging debut. We qualified well and we were in the top two in practice. We need to take the good from the weekend and build on that. There's still work to do but everyone at Multimatic Motorsports is up for it."


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Transcript of Miller Motorsports Park World Superbike Press Conference With Roger Hayden

John Gardner: Good afternoon, everybody. This is John Gardner. I'm the media manager at Miller Motorsports Park, and this is the first of what we hope are going to be regular teleconferences with riders from the HANNspree Superbike World Championship.

As you know, Miller Motorsports Park is hosting, for the third year, the Utah USA round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship, and it will be held over Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-31, with the races themselves for Superbike and Supersport on Monday, May 31. This is going to be kind of unusual.

Our first guest is Roger Lee Hayden of Owensboro, Kentucky, who is riding for the Pedercini Kawasaki Team this year. I think all of you know Roger. He was, to briefly recap, the 2007 AMA Supersport Champion. He did a number of years on AMA Superbikes. He raced here in 2007 and finished fourth and fifth in two Superbike races and fifth in the Supersport race. He was not here in 2008 because of injuries suffered at Barber Motorsports Park.

So welcome, Roger. We're glad to have you here. We're looking forward to having you here in May.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right. Thanks for having me.


John Gardner: So tell us how this deal with Pedercini Kawasaki came about.

Roger Lee Hayden: I went to Miller last year and talked to a bunch of teams, and my manager stayed in contact with everyone in World Superbike, and then Lucio contacted my manager, Chuck Aksland, around December 1, end of November, about riding for his team, but I already kind of verbally committed to a Moto2 Team. But that was kind of getting a little iffy, so they kind of gave us a deadline where they needed maybe to know so they could move on and find another rider. And the Moto2 thing fell through, and I ended up with Pedercini Kawasaki, which I'm really happy about.


John Gardner: So you went to Portimao for the test last weekend and met everybody and saw everything. So what did you think and how did it go?

Roger Lee Hayden: Well, it was, I was really surprised at the organization, how nice everyone was that actually worked at WSBK. I mean, I think everyone that worked there came by and looked me up to introduce themselves and told me welcome and if I needed anything, come talk to them. So it was pretty nice, kind of, compared to where I was coming from last year. It was kind of hard to talk to anybody.


John Gardner: Yes, I understand.

Roger Lee Hayden: And the test itself was, it went okay. I wish it would have went a little better, but the weather wasn't all that good, so we lost that, really, about a day and a half of testing. But toward the end we started making some progress, so the track was a lot of fun. And getting used to the Pirelli tires was not a big problem, but they definitely have a little different feeling than the Dunlops did. But overall, I think for the first test, trying to get to know the team, but I don't, they speak a little, a couple of guys speak English a little bit, and I speak zero Italian.


John Gardner: Uh-huh.

Roger Lee Hayden: So it was good to kind of dig down to that aspect.


John Gardner: And the ones that speak English don't speak Kentucky, right?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, that's right. Our lingo was a little bit off.


John Gardner: So how is the bike compared to other Kawasakis you've ridden in the past?

Roger Lee Hayden: You know, they're pretty much the same spot-on, to be honest with you. A few things were a little different, but some of the things I remember struggling with in the AMA when I rode the factory's two bikes was kind of the same things here. So the bike kind of felt like all the other ones I've ever rode.


John Gardner: So tell me, I assume when you come here at the end of May, we're going to have a sizable contingent of folks from Kentucky here.

Roger Lee Hayden: Yes, I would say so. I'm also--.


John Gardner: I know Nicky and Tommy are both off that weekend.

Roger Lee Hayden: Yes, I know they're already thinking about coming out and my mom and dad and a bunch of other buddies from back home, so it will be pretty, pretty exciting. Because I don't think I've ever had anybody come to a race where it was just me racing. I'd do the racing with Tommy or we was all at Laguna Seca and all three of us were there. So that would be pretty, it would be pretty neat.


John Gardner: So tell me your memories of racing here at Miller Motorsports Park. What do you think of the track and what do you think it's going to be like in World Superbike?

Roger Lee Hayden: You know, I don't have a lot of experience on the track, but I loved it. You know, I mean it's for sure the, probably the best track in America that I've rode on. And it's just big, fast and flowing and the facility is just really nice. You know, the garages and all that. So I really love the track, especially like the first three corners are pretty like turn one, two, and three, they're really fast and always, I went pretty good there on the two bikes, so I really liked it and it was safe. So it was definitely different than what we were used to racing the American tracks and had more of the world track feel to it.


John Gardner: So, I mean, I think that this is the only track that you're going to race on this year that you've ever raced on before, right?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yes, that would be the only one that I've ever, that I've ever been to. So that will be nice, to go somewhere nice and not have to learn it completely.


John Gardner: Yes. Does that concern you, having to learn all these new tracks?

Roger Lee Hayden: A little bit. I mean, it's definitely going to not be the easiest thing. But it's going to be part of the learning curve, and I knew that before taking this gig. I considered that. You know, I mean I wish I knew every single track, but we've tested Portimao and then we will test at Valencia and Phillip Island, and for the first three races, I will test it before I actually race there.


John Gardner: Okay. Well, I think we're going to go ahead and open it up to the folks out there and let them fire away at you.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, no problem.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. If your question has been answered and you wish to be removed from the queue, please press the pound key. Our first question comes from Matthew Miles of Cycle World Magazine.

Matthew Miles: Hi, Roger. This is Matthew Miles of Cycle World.

Roger Lee Hayden: How's it going?


Matthew Miles: Good, good. Will you base yourself in the US or Europe for the season?

Roger Lee Hayden: You know, right now I'm thinking about I'm most likely going to, when I go over for the race in Portugal, maybe go a week early. And I'm going to either stay in London or maybe in Italy until Salt Lake City. And then after that, each race we have like a month off, so it won't be a problem traveling back and forth. So for those two months, I plan on staying for those races.


Matthew Miles: And do you have, did you have any experience with the Pirelli tires prior to this recent test?

Roger Lee Hayden: No, I've never rode Pirellis before. I've been on Dunlops, I believe, for the last probably 12 years, even before I turned professional and Dunlop was sponsoring me with tires.


Matthew Miles: Any surprises?

Roger Lee Hayden: You know, not really. I mean, it's a, they were, they seemed pretty good. They weren't no--I mean, they definitely have a little different feel to them, but nothing scary, and you know, I thought they were good.


Matthew Miles: Thank you.

Roger Lee Hayden: No problem.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. Our next question comes from Laurel Allen of Road Racer X Magazine.

Laurel Allen: Hey, Roger.

Roger Lee Hayden: Hey, how's it going?


Laurel Allen: Pretty good. So what are you going to say when people overseas ask what's going on with the US series?

Roger Lee Hayden: I would say it's in a disaster right now, but I really don't know what to say about it, because I don't think anybody knows what's going on.


Laurel Allen: Uh-huh.

Roger Lee Hayden: But I'll just tell them how a new organization took it over and they tried to run it like a car series and pushed all the manufacturers out.


Laurel Allen: Uh-huh. Okay. Do you have a strategy for approaching the next test? I mean, is there something specific that you plan on working on, or what do you, how are you thinking about it?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, the next test now we kind of, we kind of have an understanding and we had a little meeting the last night I was there on some things I want to get changed on the bike and then, and so my goal for the next test is to start pushing it a little bit from the get-go.


Laurel Allen: Uh-huh.

Roger Lee Hayden: And to try to--we're working on some settings where we're starting, where I was getting more comfortable on the bike, so we're going to get those moved more in that direction. So my goal is just to get up to speed a lot faster than I did at Portimao. I kind of, it took me a little while to get up to speed. I'd been off the bike since New Jersey, so I was a little rusty.


Laurel Allen: Right, right. Do you plan on taking anyone over with you, like a trainer or anything else when you go?

Roger Lee Hayden: I don't think so.


Laurel Allen: Yeah. Okay.

Roger Lee Hayden: Probably not. I mean, I'm sure my mom and dad will come to a couple of races, and Nicky might come to one when he's over there. But besides that, I don't really plan on, I don't know anybody that wants to go over there for two months.


Laurel Allen: Okay, thanks.

Roger Lee Hayden: Uh-huh.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. Our next question comes from Mike Quindazzi of Ultimate MotorCycling.

Mike Quindazzi: Hey, Roger Lee. It's Mike from Ultimate MotorCycling. How are you?

Roger Lee Hayden: I'm doing good, thanks.


Mike Quindazzi: So with this series, and you kind of alluded to it here, I think it's maybe the first year in a while where kind of the three brothers are spread amongst three series--Nicky in MotoGP, Tommy back here in AMA, and you're with World Superbike. How's that going to be for the family, with everybody so spread out?

Roger Lee Hayden: I think it's going to be the hardest on my mom and dad, because some weekends--well, actually, a lot of weekends--me and Tommy was looking at the schedule last week right before I left, and we all three race in the same weekend. So they're going to have their hands full trying to keep up with who's doing what.

And my dad just opened a new car lot and stuff, so they're going to be pretty busy. And it's, I think it will be exciting for all of us because we're, nobody we've ever had the family has raced with World Superbike, so now they kind of know how that works out. And so it's definitely going to be different. I mean, it was different whenever Nicky went to MotoGP. It was just me and Tommy. So now it will just be for me another adjustment, because I've always, if I needed something or had a problem, I always had an older brother to go to. Now I'm not going to have anybody, really.


Mike Quindazzi: Right, exactly. As well, how do you, how are you lining up the competition for the coming year? I mean, I guess Americans have a lot of expectations for you.

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I mean a lot of people have high expectations. I mean, I have high expectations for myself, too, but I know World Superbike is not a easy, it's not easy. The riders are all fast, and I think this year is one of the deepest, most competitive fields they've had in a long time with some guys coming back from MotoGP and stuff like that.

So it's definitely going to be hard and I don't, I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself from the get-go, where if I don't feel like I'm doing good enough where I get frustrated, and then it's no fun and then it's just going to get worse. So I just plan on, really, my goal is just to start getting a little bit faster and faster as the year goes on and just keep learning and improving. I mean, really, my goal by the end of the year is to be in the top ten.


Mike Quindazzi: Thank you. And the last question, any lessons learned or relationships there with Ben where you could reach out to him and ask him how he made the transition into the series and kind of, it sounds like you've kind of made your first step. You went over there. You say you feel friendly, lots of people to talk to. I think that's kind of what Ben said initially. People came over and introduced themselves and were real friendly and all that. Any lessons learned from him, or--?

Roger Lee Hayden: Well, I mean, from what he did last year, just the way he kind of approached it with, he didn't really change how he did it in America, you know. He knew what worked for him and he went over there. He went fast straight away and didn't take any prisoners, kind of like he did here when he was racing with Mladin.

So that, and also, he's called where he called me and I've talked to him about the tires and different stuff and where he thinks I should live. And then he told me anything I need, just give him a shout. So that would be nice, too, because he did do the series last year and did a good job. So I can always call him and ask questions about Pirellis or anything.


Mike Quindazzi: That's all. Thanks so much for your time, Roger, and best wishes for 2010 for a great season.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thank you.


Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Evan Williams of Superbike Planet.

Evan Williams: Rog, how are you doing?

Roger Lee Hayden: I'm doing good.


Evan Williams: Yeah. There's a strong tradition of Americans in World Superbike. If you can, tell me what you think about World Superbike, have you followed it in the past, and what you've thought about it.

Roger Lee Hayden: I've always been a huge fan of World Superbike, just ever since watching Fogarty and those guys battling it out, the two races a day. And it always looked like a fun series to be in. You know, it always looked competitive as well. But it's something I've always had a lot of interest in.

That's why last year I went to the Miller to try to talk to some teams to get my foot in the door. So it's definitely been something I've always wanted to do and always enjoyed and kept up with it every weekend and watched all the races on TV.

So a lot of the, it's kind of weird. Some of those guys I was a big fan of, like Haga. And I always pulled for him, even when he went to MotoGP and then back to World Superbike. And then the other day we were in testing. It was kind of weird at first whenever he went by me.


Evan Williams: Yeah. You're going to the only American in World Superbike this year. Is it kind of neat to be the guy that all the American fans are going to be rooting for?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, it is for sure, because you're definitely going to have a lot of people pulling for you. But it also puts a lot of pressure on you, too, because you want to--you know, you want to do good for America and all the fans over here. You want to make them proud. Whenever they turn the TV on, you want to give them something to watch, not be discouraged because their guy's doing bad.


Evan Williams: Right. Yeah, you're going to be on the Kawasaki again, as you mentioned earlier. Do you think that's going to help you get your learning curve going up since you have experience with the bike?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I believe so, because I do kind of know how it works, and kind of like the settings that I liked with the Kawasaki, I kind of took over there with me. And also, the factory team is helping us out and want to help more. You know, anything that they learn or get that they think's better, they'll tell us or give it to us.


Evan Williams: Yeah. You got any fishing spots scoped out yet over there?

Roger Lee Hayden: No, not yet, but I'd like to find something to entertain myself, especially this place that they don't speak English. But I don't know. I haven't got a look at that. Maybe I need, that's what I need to find, a place while I'm there for two months that's got a good little fishing spot.


Evan Williams: Right, right. Well, best of luck and thanks a lot, Roger.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, no problem.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. Our next question comes from Matthew Miles of Cycle World Magazine.

Matthew Miles: Roger, can you describe your relationship with Kawasaki Japan?

Roger Lee Hayden: I think it's really good, because whenever, I've tested all their production motorcycles for the last four to five years before they came out, because they didn't have a World Superbike team, and so we were kind of their main production team for their ZX6 and then ZX10. Every time they came out, I would always go to their test facility in Japan and ride the bikes and tell them what I thought, and I always kept a relationship with them. And then they even asked me to do the GP that time. And that went really well, too, because it was the first time they've ever had three riders in the top 10 to finish that race. So I have a really good relationship. I get along with them really well and even with my next steps, it seems like they want to support me in that, too.


Matthew Miles: The current ZX10R is probably near the end of its life cycle. Do you expect much in the way of development this season?

Roger Lee Hayden: Not a whole lot, but they definitely, I mean, we definitely want to develop it more because we want to do the best we can for Kawasaki and to learn for the next coming years. I mean, not that I'm going to, I might not be with them past this year, because it's only a one-year deal. But Kawasaki definitely wants to win this year. There's no doubt about it. I mean, they're putting a lot of money and effort into their World Superbike program. So I don't think that, I don't think they're going to slow down on the development.

Matthew Miles: Okay, thank you.

Roger Lee Hayden: I hope not, anyways.


Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Julian Thomas.

Julian Thomas: Hello, Roger, this is Julian Thomas, the Press Officer of Infront Motor Sports.

Roger Lee Hayden: How's it going?


Julian Thomas: Very well, thanks. And you?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I'm not bad.


Julian Thomas: Okay, I just wanted to say thank you very much for your kind words that you said about us at the start of the interview, and once again, a warm welcome onboard this year in World Superbike.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thanks, yeah, I appreciate it.


Julian Thomas: And I think most of the gentlemen who have called in have already asked the questions that I had in mind, but I'll throw one at you anyway. I just wondered if you, after the Portimao test, you'd set yourself a benchmark for the sort of result that you would be satisfied with this season.

Roger Lee Hayden: I would like to start out around top 15, first couple of races, and then after, toward the end of the year, I'd like to be close to the top 10, if not in it, for sure.


Julian Thomas: Okay, that sounds pretty good. I mean, there's a lot of tough competition out there. I mean, as you've seen, the seven teams, the seven top teams are also the factory-supported, which means that the top 15, I wouldn't say it's exactly locked out, but it's going to be tough for a top 15 place for a team that isn't factory-supported. Do you agree with that?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I agree completely. And that's why I believe it's going to be hard to get top 15, so that's why I kind of, that's kind of what I believe that what we're capable of doing and what I'm capable of, how I'm capable of doing right now. So I don't want to set my expectations too high, but I don't want to have them too low, either, so I have something to shoot for. But I know it's not going to be easy to get top 15 at all.


Julian Thomas: Okay, thank you very much, Roger, and I'll see you down in Australia.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thanks, appreciate it.


Julian Thomas: Okay, bye-bye.

Roger Lee Hayden: See you.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. Our next question comes from Evan Williams of Superbike Planet.

Evan Williams: Hey, Roger, you've always built close relationships with guys on your team, spent a lot of time with them away from the track. What's your strategy for working with these Italian guys that maybe you don't speak the same language right now?

Roger Lee Hayden: It's definitely a lot different. You know, for one, I mean, you can't really, can't really talk to them, because they don't understand me and I don't understand them except a couple of guys. But toward the end, we started gelling a little better and could kind of start to communicate. So I guess it's going to be my goal to (inaudible) the beginning of the season just so we can all communicate a little better. But they're real nice, you know. They're so friendly and they're just like, they're there to please. You know, one night they were there until 2:30 in the morning working on bikes and they seem like really nice guys, all of them. They all get along. It's just like a friendly little atmosphere.


Evan Williams: Yes. You always had a real, a large fan base here. Are you looking forward to meeting some European fans and getting to experience that as well?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, definitely I'm excited to meet all the European fans, just because they're motorcycle fanatics and kind of like myself. So it'll be interesting to see. You always hear stories about different places where the fans do different things, and so I came late to see it and experience it all for myself.


Evan Williams: Yeah. I know you've been to a lot of GPs over there, but have you ever been to a World Superbike race in Europe yet?

Roger Lee Hayden: I've never been to a World Superbike race in Europe.


Evan Williams: Yeah. Well, thanks a lot, Roger.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thanks.

Evan Williams: Appreciate it.


Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from David Emmett of Moto GP Matters.

David Emmett: Hi, Roger, how are you doing?

Roger Lee Hayden: I'm doing well.


David Emmett: Very glad to hear it. Let's see now, Ben Spies set the--well, he set a pretty high target to aim for, coming in last year and winning the championship. Does that intimidate you at all coming in?

Roger Lee Hayden: No, not really, because I feel like we're on two different kind of levels. I mean, he came in as World Superbike Champion a couple of years in a row and went straight to a factory team. So I think it's definitely--for me, I don't feel like I have to go there and win the title and win races my first year. So, I mean, it's almost--I'm a realist, I guess. I know it's going to be too far-fetched for me to even put myself in that category.


David Emmett: And Kawasaki, over the past few years in World Superbikes, Kawasaki has not had a particularly successful run. How do you see that? I mean, is this, how do you view your year or how do you view Kawasaki and your year with the Pedercini this year?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, they definitely haven't had the greatest run lately in World Superbike. But I also believe that comes down because they haven't had a, really, a factory effort. And they've been pushing their MotoGP program and also put a lot of effort in the American series, where now they have all their efforts in one. You know, there's no MotoGP team, no team in the US, so they're all focused on the World Superbike program, and I think that's going to help.


David Emmett: Yes. So the loss of Kawasaki's MotoGP effort and the fact that they're only, they only have the one focus, that's going to be a real advantage, is it?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I believe so, because Yoda, he came over from the MotoGP Team and a few other guys they have here at the tent, and they want to work with us, our team, too, in case we find anything out that they think might help them. So they definitely want to go. I mean, they're pushing hard.


David Emmett: Okay. And then one last thing. How are you going about learning the tracks?

Roger Lee Hayden: I'm trying to watch the races on the video.


David Emmett: Okay. You're not playing the Xbox or anything like that?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I've got a PlayStation. I play some of the--or a PSP that I play some of the games or the tracks on, so I'll probably do that, because I do like videogames and watching on video.


David Emmett: Yeah. And then does playing on the PSP, how close is it? Does it at least teach you which way the track goes, or is it completely different on the bike?

Roger Lee Hayden: You know, I mean, I know it's going to be completely different than riding the bike, but I mean I kind of know--I mean, if I had to draw the track map right now, I think I could draw one of Phillip Island. And at least I'll know where to time stuff in the first lap out. So I think it helps some for sure.


David Emmett: Okay, well, one last question. Which track are you looking forward to most of all? Of the ones--obviously, apart from Miller, because we have to say that. But of the ones that you haven't ridden on yet?

Roger Lee Hayden: Well, Phillip Island, for one, because I've always heard so many good things about it. And also Assen, some places like that that have a lot of history and stuff. So I guess if I had to pick one, I'd say Phillip Island's the one I'm most excited about.

David Emmett: Okay. Okay, right. Thanks very much.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thanks.

David Emmett: Good luck.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone. Our next question comes from Laurel Allen of Road Racer X Magazine.

Laurel Allen: Hey, Rog, how's your hand?

Roger Lee Hayden: The one with the pinky missing?


Laurel Allen: Yeah, that one.

Roger Lee Hayden: It's pretty good. You know, it doesn't really bother me anymore, and even riding, I'm pretty much, I don't ever even notice it. Sometimes just little things that kind of bother me. I've changed the hand position on the bike because there's no pinky there, so it kind of cocks my hand a little bit. But after a while I was getting blisters real bad because it was rubbing the hand and it's never even got to grip before. But for the most part, I have no complaints about it. Whenever I ride, I never even notice it.


Laurel Allen: So you feel like you've built up the strength in that just fine?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah. It took a while, I mean, pretty much, to get used to it. But I think now, I mean, it's almost going to be two years before long, so I don't really notice it.


Laurel Allen: Great. Because there's that hand guy, or the hand guy you said that they thought once you lost a pinky you never really could regain full strength, but it seems like you're saying otherwise.

Roger Lee Hayden: Well, I mean, I don't think, it's definitely not 100%, but I don't think it bothers me on the bike or in real life too much. I mean, there's a lot worse injuries out there, I believe.


Laurel Allen: For sure. Okay, cool. Thanks.

Roger Lee Hayden: Uh-huh.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or a comment, please press star and then one on your touch-tone telephone.


John Gardner: Roger, I've got a couple more questions for you.

Roger Lee Hayden: All righty.


John Gardner: Your hand, you say your hand's good. How's your overall condition? What kind of shape are you in? I mean, are you feeling good? You're 100% or pretty close?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yeah, I'm definitely as healthy as I've been in probably three or four years, I'd say, pretty close. I didn't have any injuries last year, I didn't have to have any end-of-the-season surgeries or nothing like that, so I definitely feel like my body is the best that it's been in a long time. And as far as being in shape, I feel like I'm in the best shape that I've been in ever in my whole life. So as far as all that goes, physically and mentally, I feel like I might be the best ever. So I'm going to need it, because I'm taking another challenge, and it's not going to be easy.


John Gardner: No, it's going to be a big one, that's for sure. What kind of training are you doing now?

Roger Lee Hayden: Cycling, running, and I go to the gym. I have a trainer. His name's Aldon Baker.


John Gardner: Oh yeah.

Roger Lee Hayden: And he works with me and Tommy and Bubba Stewart. And he used to work with Ricky Carmichael, too, before he retired. So we're out in California. He's from Florida, but he's actually out here with us right now and will be until my first race, just kind of getting ready, getting the final touches before the season. And also, I do a lot of Super Motard riding whenever I'm out here with my brothers. So I think that helps a lot, because I kind of, I drag my knees and, do it just like I ride a road race bike, so I think it helps.


John Gardner: Did you get to meet your teammates or any other riders while you were over there? Any impressions there?

Roger Lee Hayden: I don't know, I don't believe I'm going to have a teammate. The guy that rode there, I think, was just riding. But the test I was in, he was a nice guy. And also I did get to spend some time with Chris Vermeulen and Johnny Rea, and they were both super nice guys. And they seemed laid back and you could cut up with them. So they all, they all seemed pretty nice. I mean, even a couple of guys that I didn't really even talk to, that I just shook hands with seemed nice, like Shakey Byrne and Troy Corser. So those are really the only, the only guys that I've seen, and everybody seemed really nice.


John Gardner: Well, that's good. What's your travel schedule like? Now, where are you off to next?

Roger Lee Hayden: I'm actually in California now until I go to Phillip Island. And then after Phillip Island, I'll go back to Kentucky.


John Gardner: And so you don't have another test between now and Phillip Island?

Roger Lee Hayden: No.


John Gardner: Okay, and that's the end of February, right?

Roger Lee Hayden: Yes.


John Gardner: Cool. Okay. That's all I've got. And Devon, do we have anybody else or are we wrapped up?

Operator: I'm showing no further questions at this time, sir.

John Gardner: All right. Well, Roger, we appreciate it so much, and we look forward to having you here at Memorial Day, and we wish you all the luck in the world.

Roger Lee Hayden: All right, thanks, I appreciate it. And also, I just want to thank everyone for all their support so far.


John Gardner: Well, you go get them, man.

Roger Lee Hayden: All righty.


John Gardner: We'll be pulling for you.

Roger Lee Hayden: Thanks.


John Gardner: Take care now.

Roger Lee Hayden: Bye.


Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your participation in today's conference. This concludes the program. You may all disconnect. Thank you and have a nice day.


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