AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

With an impressive and deep talent pool making up the 31 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike field for this weekend's Great Clips West Coast Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway, no rider has a clear-cut advantage heading to the 2.32-mile natural road course in Sonoma, Calif.

Series points leader Martin Cardenas (No. 36 GEICO Suzuki GSX-R600) is a likely front-runner. The 2010 Champion competed in AMA Pro National Guard Superbike last season and has returned to AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike stronger than ever. During his 2009 and 2010 seasons in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, Cardenas won 16 times but only locked up one pole position; this year he has taken two poles and as many wins with just three races in the books. The Colombian, who has won half of the GoPro Daytona SportBike races contested at Infineon Raceway, now leads the points by 20 markers and will look to widen that gap to strengthen his hopes for a championship repeat.

In last year's contest, Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team Latus Motors Racing Triumph Daytona 675) took pole position and then led a confident march to victory, finishing at least four seconds ahead of the field in both race finals. The New Yorker had an impressive run at the 2012 season-opening DAYTONA® 200 and although he suffered mechanical woes in Round 2 at Road Atlanta, his determination and the strength of his team make him a sure bet for a top finish this weekend at Infineon.

One of the most impressive rising stars in GoPro Daytona SportBike, Dane Westby (No. 5 M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) earned his maiden AMA Pro victory last season at Mid-Ohio and is poised to take home another one very soon. Westby, whose top result at Infineon is a third-place finish earned during the 2010 season, finished fifth after leading seven laps of this year's DAYTONA® 200 and took home second- and third-place results at Road Atlanta to lock in second position in the point standings.

The Y.E.S. Graves Motorsports team was plagued by early-season injuries to its young talent and enlisted the support of AMA Pro National Guard Superbike veteran Tommy Hayden (No. 8 Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) as a substitute for Garrett Gerloff. Even though he hadn't competed on a 600cc machine in several seasons, the multi-class AMA Pro Champion found success immediately in the highly-competitive class, taking home third- and second-place results at Road Atlanta after race-long battles with Westby. Hayden's last outing at Infineon Raceway resulted in a National Guard Superbike Race 2 win over Josh Hayes.

This weekend marks the return of Cameron Beaubier (No. 6 Y.E.S. Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6). Beaubier, who took home the final spot on the podium at the DAYTONA® 200 in March before suffering a knee injury, is healthy and ready to be back. At Infineon Raceway in 2010, he led Huntley Nash (No. 75 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) to the line for his second career victory during the last season the two competed in AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport.

Joey Pascarella (No. 52 SGA Racing/Yamaha Champions Riding School Yamaha YZF-R6) became the 71st winner of the DAYTONA® 200 after an incredible performance at Daytona International Speedway in March. The 2010 AMA Pro SuperSport West Division Champion was nearly without a ride for the remainder of the season until a last-minute collaboration came together between The Jon Block Group and SGA/Katra Racing - Yamaha Champions Riding School. The local star, who hails from Vacaville, Calif., posted a pair of top 10 finishes at Road Atlanta two weeks ago and heads to his home track fourth in the point standings.

Jake Zemke (No. 98 Ducshop Racing Ducati 848) has two AMA Formula Xtreme wins to his credit at Infineon Raceway (2005, 2008), along with several podium finishes in National Guard Superbike and AMA Superstock. The Californian has found his pace after just two rounds with his new team, turning in a sixth place finish at Daytona and two fourth place results at Road Atlanta.

Another rider that has posted solid results with a new team, local rider Bobby Fong (No. 50 Meen Motorsports Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) is now sixth in the point standings after two sixth place finishes at Road Atlanta. Fong, who lives in nearby Stockton, Calif., considers this his home track and will have a large number of family and friends in attendance.

J.D. Beach (No. 95 RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha YZF-R6) and teammate Jake Gagne (No. 132 RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha YZF-R6), sit in seventh and ninth positions in the standings, respectively. The two rising stars, both of which have Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Championships to their credit, are settling in with their upstart team. Gagne's fifth-place finish in Race 2 at Road Atlanta is their best to date.

Cory West (No. 57 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600) leapt to seventh in the standings after his top five finish in Race 1 at Road Atlanta but his Race 2 crash resulted in a 28th place finish that puts him in 10th position. The Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki crew has another rider in their stable that has had some difficulty early on but promises to be a threat this season in Benny Solis (No. 35 Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600), exemplified by his ninth-place finish in Race 2 at Road Atlanta.

Huntley Nash (No. 75 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6), Michael Beck (No. 60 Full Tuck Racing Yamaha YZF-R6), Cameron Beaubier (No. 6 Y.E.S. Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6), Barrett Long (No. 29 Longevity Racing Ducati 848) and Austin Dehaven (No. 56 Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries Yamaha YZF-R6) round out the top 15 in the standings heading into this weekend.

AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike riders will take to the track for practice on Friday at 1:00 p.m., followed by their first qualifying session at 4:00 p.m. Grid positions will be set after Saturday morning's 8:55 a.m. final group qualifying sessions and the class will take on Infineon Raceway in a set of 22-lap race finals, scheduled for Saturday, May 5 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 6 at 2:15 p.m. local time.