Boulder Motor Sports and Shane Turpin to Race at MMP World Superbike

Miller Motorsports Park hosts a round of the FIM World Superbike Championship during 26 to 28 May 2012, and many of the world's best motorcycle racers will melt rubber in pursuit of winning - or at least finishing in the points - on the Utah circuit. Alongside them will be a name well-known to US fans of AMA Pro Racing, riding a Boulder Motor Sports Ducati 1198R will be Shane Turpin. You may also know him from the Yamaha Champions School, where he instructs, or from his many Championships accumulated from his time in the MRA series in Colorado, or for him riding for Segway / MotoCzysz in the TTXGP (see photo above). Please get in touch with him and wish him well! He could use a few sponsors...


http://tinyurl.com/csbafjr

TTXGP Begins at Infineon Raceway Today!

Sorry this is so late, but the inaugural TTXGP race for the 2010 season will begin today at Infineon Raceway in California. The series will have 13 rounds and will end with a huge Grand Finale event in Spain. It is a historic weekend for all motorcycle racing - this is the first ever global electric racing series! You may be able to catch some of the action on your local motorsports TV channel if you cannot get to the track...check your local schedule. In the meantime, take the link below to learn more.

http://tinyurl.com/397dhpu

Breaking News: KTM Will Go Electric & Jeff Ward Joins AMA Pro Racing

KTM has announced that they will be showing two electric motorcycles at the Tokyo Motor Show next week. They even leaked obscure photos of the machine - much like Honda's VFR1200F, Ducati's Multistrada 1200, etc. Anyway, it is very sweet to hear that the orange Austrian marque will actually consider producing electric enduro and supermoto models. If they produce them, I guarantee they will sell with the one caveat being the price. Take a look and watch for more Tokyo Motor Show news...

http://tinyurl.com/yzmkzm6

It has also been announced that Jeff Ward, a nine-time AMA Pro Racing Champion in motocross, supercross and supermoto, will be joining AMA Pro Racing as a rider liaison and advisor. The man is a living legend. He is in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, he competed in IRL events including the Indianapolis 500 - where he was voted Rookie of the Year - and it goes on like this...He will be a very valuable asset to both riders and the AMA Pro Racing owners, Daytona Motorsports Group. Maybe he can bring back some legitimacy...

http://tinyurl.com/ykqk6ke

Friday Night Moto News - Daytona AMA Pro Racing Update

It was another close finish in the second race of the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series at Daytona International Speedway. And, Jake Zemke pulled it off again! Two wins, two days. Two very close finishes again. I wish I would have been there...Please, take the link below to learn more about the race.

http://tinyurl.com/yhtkmdn

In the world famous Daytona 200 Yamaha notched their dominance of the class with Team Graves rider Josh Herrin taking the victory. I knew this would happen, and you likely did as well; this guy is good. Dane Westby pulled in second place and Ducati 848 rider Steve Rapp rounds out the podium. A past acquaintance, Ricky Orlando finished up in 14th...a solid accomplishment for a privateer effort. Take the link to see the full list of finishers - it is preliminary, so it could change slightly after verification.

http://tinyurl.com/yzs4rzt

More news: http://tinyurl.com/yhntt4s

Post-race press conference: http://tinyurl.com/ygdhase

More Morning Moto News - Daytona Supersport & James Ellison and Stuart Easton

The AMA Pro Racing Supersport race was also held at the Daytona International Speedway and it was also a very close finish. Rockwall Honda's Cameron Beaubier won the race by only .001 of a second! Joey Pascarella was the second place man right next to him riding his LTD Racing R6. Elena Myers came in a close seventh in the event.

http://tinyurl.com/y8vkgb6

Swan Honda debuted their bikes at the Cartagena circuit where riders James Ellison and Stuart Easton are testing this week. The bikes are all painted in black with a huge 'Swan' written across the fairings and a rider number. So, we assume that this is just for testing and they will show their livery at some point later. In either case, both riders enjoyed their tests and they actually are a bit ahead of where they wanted to be...bodes well for the 2010 BSB season.

http://tinyurl.com/ydczew3

Thursday Afternoon Moto News - Steve Rapp Interview & Day in the Dirt

Yep, we get ourselves an interview with one of the fastest riders in the Daytona 200 practice, Steve Rapp. Just a few weeks ago he was at home with no ride. The Latus Ducati team signed him up and put him on their 848 machine and he took the reins and ran with it. So, what has he been up to? How does he see the 2010 AMA Pro Racing season? Well, take the link and read about it!

http://tinyurl.com/yaylhgh

For the 13th time, the Day in the Dirt race - they say 'the Burning Man of off-road racing' - was held back around Thanksgiving of last year. Too bad this is the first report from this year's even that I have seen. The author takes part with thanks to Troy Lee Designs, sponsor of the event, and gets to ride with some legends of the sport. The best part of the entire race, though, is that FUN is of utmost importance - everyone should have a great time while competing! Take the link and enjoy the story...

http://tinyurl.com/y9admlh

Wednesday Night Moto News - Elena Myers Realizes a Dream

Elena Myers, who spends most of her time in Stockton, California, will make her professional racing debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. She will be riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 in TWO AMA races this weekend - starting tomorrow. At 16-years-old, that will make Myers the youngest female to ever race as a pro in an AMA Pro Racing series. She has even had to battle back from a serious injury to get to this point...a true mark of a professional. Look for her to start showing up at a paddock near you!

http://tinyurl.com/y8quhpz

Tuesday Night Moto News - Daytona Bike Week News

There will be many more of these this week, though you may only see a few more here. That is because Daytona Bike Week is the largest festival of its kind in the US. It has the most activities in the shortest time of any rally that I have seen (or known of). So, if you are not able to attend, please take some time and see what you are missing. You may find there is much more to it than the 'Spring Break' type party you may have imagined. The racing alone is worth the trip...Take some of the following links to see if it is worthwhile for your vacation time next year...

http://tinyurl.com/y9fofbz

Suzuki-related: http://tinyurl.com/ykjp4ny

Rockstar Makita Suzuki & Yoshimura: http://tinyurl.com/yg98tka

Tuesday Afternoon Moto News - Toni Elias Fastest & Celtic Racing Daytona 200

Toni Elias was the fastest Moto2 rider on the circuit at the recent Moto2 test session at Valencia in Spain. Elias is using, of course, the Honda spec engine and a Moriwaki chassis. On the first day of the three day event, Elias held the fastest lap and was the quickest around the track. He is picked as a favorite for the Moto2 Championship, but he has to get there first. Julian Simon, 125GP Champion, was a very close second to Elias.

http://tinyurl.com/yh3pgvw

Finally, we get a wrap-up of what the 2010 Celtic Racing team will look like. We have heard that American PJ Jacobsen and Bermudan Antoine Richards will both be racing for the team, but from different sources. Now we have confirmation that Jacobsen will be riding in the Daytona SportBike class and Richards will be riding in the East Coast Supersport class. The team will officially debut at Daytona this week. If you are going, you should already be there!

http://tinyurl.com/ylou8oh

Monday Afternoon Moto News - Speed Dating!

In our weekly bit from one of my favorite motorcycle rags, Road Racer X, we get our Speed Dating column. This week we have birthdays for Alex Debon, Noriyuki Haga, Kevin Atherton, Larry Maiers, Gianluca Vizziello, Alex Criville, Malcolm Smith, Joey Lombardo, Anthony Gobert, Ralph Bryans and Jonah Street. It is getting to the time of year that we also start to see anniversaries of the death of some great motorcycle racers in the line of duty; this week we lost Roger Reiman, Libero Liberati and Jimmy Adamo. This week also saw the beginning of the very first AMA Superbike race in 1976. This week last year was the first ever AMA night race - the 2009 Daytona 200. And, two years ago this Sunday was the day AMA Pro Racing was sold to Daytona Motorsports Group - maybe we should count that as a death as well???

http://tinyurl.com/y9kk7hj

MORE Afternoon Moto News - Beach and Beaubier, Shane Byrne & WSBK Preview (again)

J.D. Beach and Cameron Beaubier will both be racing for Rockwall Honda in the AMA Pro Racing SuperSport East series. Both riders are still quite young, but they both also have many years of experience already. This pairing should be a powerhouse team in the SuperSport class. For more information, please take the link.


http://tinyurl.com/ycbh83p

During the World Superbike qualifying at Phillip Island in Australia, Shane Byrne crashed hard and hurt his back. It is so severe that it may keep him out of this weekend's racing at the track. He was chasing Checa at the time, so he was certainly pushing himself. Let's hope he gets some rest and gets back in the saddle before Sunday!

http://tinyurl.com/ycs8dfw

From Alpinestars we get another preview of what to expect this weekend at Phillip Island. I am only posting this one because it is a bit different from the others. So, if you want some entertaining words about your favorite sport, please take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/ya2lo5e

More Night Moto News - Burmuda's Antoine Richards

This racer hails from a place used by huge American and multinational corporations to keep from paying taxes anywhere, the island nation of Bermuda. It is also a well-known, but a bit expensive, Caribbean getaway. His name is Antoine Richards and he will be competing in the AMA Pro Racing Daytona 200 event for the very first time. He says that he isn't intimidated...well, wait until near mile 160 when your tire starts to slide to and fro...At least he will get some good practice in at the coming weekend's CCS races at the same location. Stand with me, though, and wish him Good Luck! May you reach the podium because it would be a very interesting story and, of course, you will have the historic win!

http://tinyurl.com/yjonfde

Wednesday Evening Moto News - Brett McCormick & Ride for Haiti

2009 Canadian Superbike Champion Brett McCormick will be racing with the Picotte Performance team, riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000, in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship for 2010. His team in Canada was just hit too hard by the economy to be able to support him in his home nation. So, he has decided to race in the US with his own money and some help from his new team. Let's wish him well!

http://tinyurl.com/ygwovtx

Out in Los Angeles, Jimmy Jean-Louis (someone in NBC’s TV show "Heroes"), and several other organizations are bringing a Ride for Haiti event to the city on 27 February 2010 - just a over a week away. The event will kick off from Glendale Harley Davidson. There is a plethora of information about the ride, the people involved and the people who will be helping Haiti with your donations. Please take the link and do something to help; the people of Haiti need whatever we can get to them...

http://tinyurl.com/yafakwd

More Afternoon Moto News - Electric Motorcycle Racers & Pegram Racing Club

As you might expect, electric motorcycle racers simply want to face the best of the competition. With the strange competition between the three major players in organizing the races, it looks like some teams will never meet on the track, and that is not good for the sport. The questions abound and most are covered after the link...

http://tinyurl.com/ykpw9a4

With the upcoming AMA Pro Racing season getting even nearer, Larry Pegram has come up with another way to gain some sponsorship money has created the Pegram Racing Club. With support from Foremost Insurance and Ducati NA, Pegram has been able to build a successful team around the Ducati 1098R - he won 3 races last year and finished fourth overall. With the Club, which is only limited to 10 people, the members will get a first-hand experience with American motorcycle racing...take the link for more information.

http://tinyurl.com/ylx6czb

Monday NIgth Moto News - CCS Florida & Danny Eslick

The 2010 CCS Florida started this season at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. The three big winners were Jeff Wood, Andres Londono and Kevin Mendez. The racing started off with a couple of nasty red flag events, but it did get underway and all else went well. For all the details, you need to take the link; there really is a great deal of information located there.

http://tinyurl.com/yzl7fw7

Danny Eslick will be riding a Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 in the 2010 AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike Championship, defending his title in the inaugural season. Most of this we already knew, but it is a good round-up, so take the link and enjoy.

http://tinyurl.com/yb4opw4

More Morning Moto News - AMA Pro Racing, FB Corse & Ducati Motologic

AMA Pro Racing (part and parcel of the Daytona Motorsports Group) has now hired a Race Director - David McGrath. He has over 25 years of experience with motorcycle road racing; he was a racer, team manager and then went on to work with many motorcycle-related companies. McGrath is well-positioned for the new job and we hope that he brings some consistency and stability to the sport...and, maybe, cleans up some of the current mess.

http://tinyurl.com/yd8u74q

Future MotoGP competitor FB Corse has released the three-cylinder MotoGP machine which they hope to use in the series. It is called the FB01 and was designed and built by Italian company Oral Engineering. They do not yet know if they will be able to contest any of the 2010 events, but we should find out as testing continues.

http://tinyurl.com/ykgyx7c

The Australian Superbike Championship bound Ducati Motologic team unveiled their new livery and their new rider, Jordan Burgess, at Phillip Island this past Monday. Jamie Stauffer will also be racing with the team and he was also present for the testing. This is the first time that both riders have tested together. Where will they end up at season's end? No one can even remotely guess at this point...take the link and see for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/ykotnqu

More Afternoon Moto News - West Coast Moto Jam, USGPRU & Andrew Short

The motorcycle racing weekend at California's Infineon Raceway has been re-named the West Coast Moto Jam. The event will take place when AMA Pro Racing and the TTXGP host their races at the track. The whole thing goes off 14 - 16 May 2010, so don't miss it!


http://tinyurl.com/yht6boy

The USGPRU has announced that they are raising the value of the race purse for the 2010 season. They are doing this to encourage more people to participate in the series. With the economy only slowly recovering, they needed to do something to keep the competitors interested in participating. It should go a long way to improve the racing and should help to bring in the crowds!

http://tinyurl.com/yhzt699

Honda's Andrew Short was injured in the AMA Supercross event this past weekend in San Diego. This brings us to some four (or five) top riders who are sitting out at this point in the season due to some rather nasty injuries. However, in this article, we hear from Short about his injury - how, why, etc. - and when he expects to return to racing.

http://tinyurl.com/yzxf5oq

Sunday Morning Moto News - Gulf Bike Expo, AMA Team Sponsorship & Husaberg

Over in the UAE, the Gulf Bike Festival started last Thursday and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA Vice President and President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), also announced two more motorcycle models which will be sold in the Gulf Coast nation this year. They presented models from BMW, Kawasaki and Honda, which have never been sold in the UAE previously. The show goes through the weekend and will attract thousands of attendees.

http://tinyurl.com/ykpxq8p

Two AMA Pro Racing teams have just signed sponsorship deals this past week. First up is Crozier Roberson Motorsports has signed with DNA Beverage Corp for the 2010 season. They will field two Duacti 848 bikes in the DMG/AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike class. In American Superbike, the Jordan Motorsports team has signed another agreement to use Chicken Hawk Racing products in their garage.

http://tinyurl.com/yz7m9qm

Husaberg's riders in the 6th annual Hell's Gate event in Italy - the toughest one-day extreme off-road event in the world - took on some heavy competition. Xavi Galindo and Alessandro Botturi rode in the main event for the Husaberg Factory team, with Galindo finishing in sixth and Botturi crashed hard and could not finish. Another Husaberg rider, Erich Brandauer, managed to come home in 29th position.

http://tinyurl.com/yzdfc2c

More Afternoon Moto News - Larry Pegram & WSBK

As if we did not expect this news, Larry Pegram will continue to ride a Ducati in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series. The good news that we just now learned is that Foremost Insurance has stepped up their support for the relative privateer (Ducati's factory is not supporting him, but Ducati North America is bending over backwards to assist his effort). With his finishes last season - fourth overall - he will have a real chance of taking the title in a field of what are essentially other privateers.

http://tinyurl.com/ydmqp7b

Want to know who will be sitting on the grid in the 2010 World Superbike Championship? If so, this link will help you. It has each team, each rider and some history on some of the racers in this year's series. Given the stacked grid, it will be an awesome racing season in 2010!

http://tinyurl.com/y8mkx5h

Friday Night Moto News - Monash University and HART & Jake Zemke

From the southern side of the globe - the relaxed and cool part - we hear that Australia's Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) and Honda Australia Rider Training (HART) are looking for riders (in Oz, obviously) who have been away from riding for five or more years and are just now returning to the sport. They are conducting motorcycle safety research and they will pay you AUS$70 for one hour of your time. Not only do you help your fellow riders, you get money to take another safety course...since you have been away for a while. There are qualifications, so please click the link to learn more...

http://tinyurl.com/yj478q8

As most of you probably know, Jake Zemke just recently wrapped up testing at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Well, there is much to tell about his time on the National Guard Suzuki GSX-R1000 race weapon. All went rather well, but there is more to do; just take it from the man himself and take the link.

http://tinyurl.com/yc9gsta