LeoVince Riders and Teams at Fontana 2009
2 Days, 8 Races, 5 Podiums…now that’s successful R&D
Developing side by side with pro teams
LeoVince race teams had a successful weekend of racing and developing at round 2 of the AMA Road Racing series at Fontana California’s Auto Club Speedway. LeoVince USA’s general manager Tim Calhoun, event marketing man Jon Bekefy and R&D tech man Manny Hauswirth were onsite working hard at the LeoVince race support rig.
Micheal Jordan Motorsports scores a team first
May leaves Fontana in high spirits after putting in hard effort all weekend long. He earned his first Superbike podium finish in Race 1, finishing third during Saturday's race. On Sunday, May once again had a solid finish in fourth place in Race 2, just missing out on the final podium position by .2 seconds. May started both races from fourth position on the grid after qualifying his National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSXR-1000 on the front row during Friday's Superpole session. These consistent finishes now put Geoff May in 3rd for the championship point standings.
“It feels pretty good to put my National Guard Jordan Suzuki on the podium in our 2nd race of the season,” said May. “This one goes out to all the soldiers representing us in the National Guard. It feels good to get my first Superbike podium this early in the season with our new team.” – Geoff May
It was a difficult weekend for Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates. Although he was consistently one of the fastest riders in the American Superbike class all weekend long, Yates was hampered in both races by unfortunate circumstances. In Race 1, while sitting in third place and making up ground on the lead group, Yates lowsided and was forced to Pit In for inspection of his GSXR-1000, eventually finishing the race in 15th place. Even more disappointing was Sunday's Race 2. As Yates made a high speed pass on the front straight to move his Jordan Suzuki into second place, he was balked by his competitor, causing a collision on track. Holding on after rear-ending another motorcycle at over 150 MPH, Yates soldiered through the remainder of the race with a flat front tire and non-functioning front brakes. Through sheer willpower and skill, Yates managed to cover the 2.3 mile course in the 1:35 laptime range and brought his GSXR home inside the Top 10, a remarkable feat.
“What a race! On lap 15, I was making my move past Tommy Hayden on the front straight for second, when he missed a shift and moved down into my line. I don't think he knew I was there but regardless; it caused me to run into the back of his motorcycle. I almost lost it and the collision caused some serious damage, causing me to ride the rest of the race with no front brakes and a flat front tire. It made for a long final four laps, but I was able to bring it home with a Top 10 finish. I'm disappointed not to leave Fontana with the results I know our team was capable of and I can't wait to get to my home track next round at Road Atlanta.” – Aaron Yates
Hacking takes points lead in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike
Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s ZX-6R piloted by Jamie Hacking had an incredible weekend. Despite an impressive but distant 2nd place finish on Saturday, Hacking was convinced there were some set up changes that could make him more competitive. His LeoVince powered team came through and Sunday saw an even faster Kawasaki ZX-6R. During one lap Jamie made up 5 seconds on the leader and finished just one tenth of a second behind the Beull 1125R of Danny Eslick. This puts Jamie Hacking in a solid points lead for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship.
“We made a few changes from the set-up yesterday and they did the trick when it came to catching the lead rider,” said Hacking. “I tried to think of some way to get past, but in the end I just barely missed out on the win. “ – Jamie Hacking
Clint Shobert takes his first AMA Podium
In only his second race as an AMA Pro Racer, Clint Shobert earned a hard fought third place aboard an American Honda / Pro Honda Oils sponsored Honda CBR 600RR. Shobert, who is 18 years old and the son of 4-time AMA Champion Bubba Shobert, has only been road racing for less than a year. The podium came only a few weeks after his professional debut at Daytona Speedway and marked a significant accomplishment for the young racer from Texas.
“I started further back in the pack and just put my head down and tried to be smooth and fast, while working my way up and clicking off the laps” said Shobert. “I am really looking forward to the rest of the season and to keep building some momentum with my racing. It is just crazy how much I seem to learn everytime I get on the bike.” – Clint Shobert
Steve Drew a factor again for 2009 in SuperMoto Unlimited Class
Fresh from his championship win in 2008 LeoVince Rider Steve Drew proves he’s still just as competitive as ever. In Sunday’s race Drew led much of the way until loosing control in the whoops section and going off course allowing Nicoll to take the lead. Drew would have none of it though and fought his way back to Nicoll’s rear tire but was unable to retake the lead. The LeoVince USA crew has been working closely on the development of his bike and we’re eager to see him ride at our home track of Infineon Raceway in May.
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