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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA DSB: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Review
A look back at last weekend's AMA Pro Daytona SportBike contest...
Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha's Cameron Beaubier and GEICO Suzuki's Martin Cardenas (Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Brian J Nelson)
Martin Cardenas won six of the first eight AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races of the year and the GEICO Suzuki GSX-R600 pilot's championship run quickly outdistanced the competition well before last weekend's GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Early in 2012, Cardenas wasn't necessarily winning the races by a mile (often he faced tough competition, notably from Jason DiSalvo and Cameron Beaubier) but he was winning and he certainly looked a cut above the competition.
With a big points lead, Cardenas spent the two previous events at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course scoring solid finishes while Beaubier (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) and Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) took the spotlight at the front.
Cardenas had a bike issue in one of the Barber races and ran strong at Ohio but the slightest of errors meant Beaubier was able to pass him late and win on Sunday. Beaubier has made great strides this year and to top Cardenas in a straight fight even once is a significant achievement.
That set the stage for another battle at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, with the usual gang of GoPro Daytona SportBike gladiators looking to usurp glory from Cardenas and Beaubier.
The conditions were tough and the track time minimal after the Monterey fog played havoc with the schedule but Cardenas won pole with a lap of 1:25.575 and was joined by Tommy Hayden (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) and Beaubier on the three-rider front row. Those three riders got away first of the start and then Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) saw his string of first or second place finishes end at four when he highsided his bike on lap one. He was able to remount and continue the race, which meant Westby would continue to hold second place in the Daytona SportBike points.
Beaubier had a good view of two fast veterans for much of the race. Cardenas led but Hayden, who won the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race at Laguna Seca in 2011, was quicker in some spots and looked content to follow until the end.
By lap six, Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) was able to join the leading trio. Through the middle of the race, there weren't many moves attempted at the front, but there were a lot of looks. At halfway, Beaubier decided to make a move on Hayden, getting a good run up the hill and making the move entering the Corkscrew.
Jake Zemke (Ducshop Ducati 848) closed in with seven to go and was just off the leading four.
"Hammer Time" came with four to go, the same time the leaders hit some lapped traffic. Beaubier tried to make a move around the outside in turn four and five, but Cardenas was having none of it. Seconds later, Fong crashed in turn six to end his run. Beaubier was right on the tail of the 36 bike but Cardenas had all the obvious passing areas covered. It was going to take a move similar to the one Beaubier made at Mid-Ohio; a move in a spot that Cardenas wasn't expecting.
With a big points lead, Cardenas spent the two previous events at Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course scoring solid finishes while Beaubier (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) and Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) took the spotlight at the front.
Cardenas had a bike issue in one of the Barber races and ran strong at Ohio but the slightest of errors meant Beaubier was able to pass him late and win on Sunday. Beaubier has made great strides this year and to top Cardenas in a straight fight even once is a significant achievement.
That set the stage for another battle at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, with the usual gang of GoPro Daytona SportBike gladiators looking to usurp glory from Cardenas and Beaubier.
The conditions were tough and the track time minimal after the Monterey fog played havoc with the schedule but Cardenas won pole with a lap of 1:25.575 and was joined by Tommy Hayden (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6) and Beaubier on the three-rider front row. Those three riders got away first of the start and then Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) saw his string of first or second place finishes end at four when he highsided his bike on lap one. He was able to remount and continue the race, which meant Westby would continue to hold second place in the Daytona SportBike points.
Beaubier had a good view of two fast veterans for much of the race. Cardenas led but Hayden, who won the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race at Laguna Seca in 2011, was quicker in some spots and looked content to follow until the end.
By lap six, Bobby Fong (Meen Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) was able to join the leading trio. Through the middle of the race, there weren't many moves attempted at the front, but there were a lot of looks. At halfway, Beaubier decided to make a move on Hayden, getting a good run up the hill and making the move entering the Corkscrew.
Jake Zemke (Ducshop Ducati 848) closed in with seven to go and was just off the leading four.
"Hammer Time" came with four to go, the same time the leaders hit some lapped traffic. Beaubier tried to make a move around the outside in turn four and five, but Cardenas was having none of it. Seconds later, Fong crashed in turn six to end his run. Beaubier was right on the tail of the 36 bike but Cardenas had all the obvious passing areas covered. It was going to take a move similar to the one Beaubier made at Mid-Ohio; a move in a spot that Cardenas wasn't expecting.
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