4 Dunlop named official Tire of ama pro flat Track

Transcription

1 JUNE 2014

2 CONTENTS 4 Dunlop named official Tire of ama pro flat Track 6 gncc update 8 Dunlop riders lead The national enduro championship 10 Dunlop rolls at superbike shootout 14 geomax mx32 and mx52: media reviews 16 Dunlop launches new marketing campaign 22 an unmatched pair 32 Dunlop claims Three supercross championships 48 Team Dunlop makes history in DeTroiT 50 Team Dunlop kicks off its eighth season 56 nixon is Triumph 58 DayTona 200: Triumph of The Triumph 68 The 2014 motocross battle begins 82 upcoming events ON THE COVER: Ryan Dungey goes out for a bit of fresh air as the outdoor Motocross season ramps up. Photo by Simon Cudby. Dunlop has gone social, so join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages, and check our latest videos on the Dunlop YouTube channel. 2 Dunlop Download magazine is published for Dunlop motorcycle Tires by vreeke & associates. 3

3 DUNLOP NAMED OFFICIAL TIRE OF AMA PRO FLAT TRACK Dunlop is now the official Tire of ama pro flat Track for the 2014 season through at ama pro flat Track grand nationals for 2014, Dunlop will take over exclusive sales and service of the product currently produced by The goodyear Tire & rubber co. Throughout 2014, Dunlop will work to industrialize production of the current tire at its buffalo, new york manufacturing facility with scheduled production to begin late in Dunlop has been the official tire sponsor of ama pro road racing since 2009 and continues to expand support of professional motorcycle racing in the united states. we're very excited to have Dunlop on hand at events this season for distribution and service purposes, said Dan Johnsen, director of ama flat Track. Dunlop r&d and race staff will be attending key ama pro flat Track nationals throughout the year to support this new aspect of racing tire development. This is a great way for Dunlop to expand its racing presence, said mike buckley, Dunlop vice president of sales, marketing, research and development. we are excited to tackle this new challenge, and it also serves as further evidence of our commitment to the sport of motorcycle racing in the u.s. from grass-roots amateur motorcycle racing to the highest pro levels, to weekend recreational riders, we re committed to developing new generations of motorcycle tires. 4 AMA Pro Racing/Dave HoenigAMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig 5

4 GNCC CHARLIEmullins UPDATE KAILUBrussell charlie mullins got off to a quick start in the 2014 grand national cross country series by taking the first win of the season at the mud muckers gncc in florida. and with defending champ kailub russell finishing ninth due to a mechanical problem, mullins left florida with the series points lead and plenty of momentum. mullins florida win wasn t easy, however, as he and russell were forced to come from the back of the pack when the Dunlop-sponsored fmf/ktm teammates collided off the start, leaving both riders on the ground. mullins was able to work his way to the front relatively quickly to take the win. fired up about his disastrous finish in florida, russell came into the general gncc, round two of the series in washington, georgia, with fire in his eyes. after getting another bad start and rounding the first turn in last, russell came from the back of the pack to win in nasty conditions. heavy overnight rains left standing water all over the track, with deep, water-filled ruts waiting to swallow up unwary riders. mullins got stuck on the final lap and finished the race in sixth. round three at steele creek was another big day for russell. The west virginia rider claimed a runaway win, and by doing so pulled to within three points of mullins in the series point standings. mullins took the runner-up position. russell went on to claim his third straight back-toback victory at the fourth stop of the 13-round series in union county, south carolina, but like his first two wins it wasn t easy. after getting tangled with another rider off the start, russell was nearly dead-last at the beginning of the three-hour race. he charged through the field, passing mullins for the lead on lap three, and gapping him by nearly a minute by the checkered flag. mullins responded at the limestone 100 in springville, indiana, for round five by claiming his second win of the season. russell took the early lead, but went down hard a few laps into the race, forcing him into the pits and causing him to lose valuable time. mullins capitalized, taking the lead and win. round six at loretta lynn s in hurricane mills, Tennessee, was another solid day for mullins, who took the win after an intense battle. russell launched off the line to the holeshot, but fell victim to the slick mud in turn one, allowing mullins to take the early lead. The ktm duo went head-to-head dicing back and forth all the way to the end. russell claimed his fourth win of the season at round seven in masontown, west virginia, with a dominant performance. he claimed the holeshot and led the three-hour race unchallenged all the way to the checkered, finishing nearly two minutes of mullins. with seven rounds in the books and six remaining, Dunlop-sponsored riders competing on Dunlop s new geomax at81 tires hold the top three spots, with mullins leading the title chase with 181 points, followed by russell with 178 points. 6 PHOTOS: HILL K. 7

5 DUNLOP RIDERS LEAD THE NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP charlie mullins dominated the 2013 ama national enduro series. running Dunlop s new geomax at81 tires, he won eight of 10 rounds on his way to the national title. The Dunlop-sponsored fmf/ktm rider is threatening to do the same in this year s series. with four rounds in the books, mullins has a perfect record, having won all four held to date. mullins first two wins came without a serious challenge, but he had to come from behind to beat a couple of the series up-and-comers in the third race and overcome some course navigation problems and rear-brake issues in the fourth. grant baylor finished second in Texas, a personal best for the ktm support rider and is sixth overall. meanwhile, eight-time national champ mike lafferty is seventh overall in the 2014 standings, back with ktm now for his final year before retirement. 8 PHOTO: MOORE S. CHARLIEmullins 9

6 DUNLOP ROLLS AT SUPERBIKE SHOOTOUT 10 11

7 professional superbike and sportbike racing in america took a new turn in 2014 as familiar faces plus many newcomers battled to win a new three-event superbike shootout series. Dunlop provided support to the racers in this open-tire competition, and Dunlop-sponsored riders overwhelmingly dominated the series. The opportunity for a new series arose when the 2014 ama pro road racing calendar was first released. The schedule of events contained five races, none in the western half of the united states. following the march Daytona opener, a gap of more than two months awaited racers before the next event at road america on may 30. That spurred the creation of a new series by racer, publisher and team owner John ulrich of lake elsinore, california. when i saw that there were no national-level professional motorcycle road races scheduled anywhere in the western half of the country, i knew i had to make something happen, said ulrich. The result was a three-race series held in conjunction with key club events: the wera-sanctioned weekend at auto club speedway in fontana, california; the afm-sanctioned races at california s sonoma raceway; and the utahsba races at miller motorsports park. During the first event at auto club speedway, riders in both classes put down some serious laps in qualifying that promised wide-open competition. and the race results did not disappoint. martin cardenas earned the superbike win, with cameron beaubier and Josh hayes in hot chase. in the sportbike class, bobby fong emerged victorious, as garrett gerloff and benny solis trailed him to finish on the podium. fans at sonoma raceway lent their full support to northern california resident beaubier, who started from the pole to win the superbike race. his yamaha teammate hayes battled gamely, but had to settle for second place, and cardenas climbed the podium once more in third. in sportbike action, race-winner gerloff turned the tables on fong, who had to settle for the runner-up spot this time. bryce prince filled out the podium. The final race took place at miller motorsports park over the memorial Day weekend, with the series championship up for grabs in both classes. points leader beaubier rocketed off to a fast start and snatched the lead from hayes by the end of the first lap. he proceeded to open a gap and set a pace that looked to have him earn a championship in his rookie year of superbike racing. unfortunately, at about the halfway mark beaubier crashed out. That miscue handed the race and the championship to three-time ama superbike champion hayes. cameron was in front of me, hayes said after the race, and i was trying to figure out what i needed to do to stay with him because he rides so well. i saw him tip over, and i feel really bad for him. This was his championship to win, and i m sorry that it ended like that for him. but i was happy that i was able to pick up the pieces for the team and get this victory and championship for our entire monster energy/graves/yamaha crew. it s really cool to win this first superbike shootout championship. i ve enjoyed racing in this series, and it s been great to see the fans come out to see us race. youth triumphed in the sportbike class as 18-year-old gerloff won the race and the championship for his yamaha extended service/monster energy/graves/yamaha team. Despite his young age, he posted a masterful display of racing, stretching out a lead of more than 11 seconds by the time the checkered flag flew. his teammate JD beach finished in second. gerloff said, i thought i got a good jump at the start, but JD got by me on the first lap. i really wanted this championship, and i worked hard to build a lead so that i didn t have to fight so hard towards the end of the race. i m excited to win my first pro national championship for my team. They ve worked tirelessly to give me the best bike out there. in the end, the superbike shootout series turned out to be a victory for everyone: the teams, their sponsors, the tracks, the fans of motorcycle road racing in america, and the Dunlopsponsored riders who swept the series

8 GEOMAX MX32 AND MX52: MEDIA REVIEWS Dunlop recently invited media out to milestone mx in riverside, california, to introduce its all-new geomax mx32 and mx52 tires. Dunlop s senior manager of motocross and off-road broc glover, and off-road race manager brian fleck gave some background on the new tires, before allowing the media to head out onto the track to check them out themselves at milestone. editors also took some of the new tires home with them to try at their own favorite tracks. check out the links below to see what media had to say about the mx32 and mx52. click here To see what cycle world had To say click here To see what rideapart had To say click here To see what DirT rider had To say click here To see what cycle news had To say click here To see what motorcycle.com had To say click here To see what TransworlD mx had To say click here To see what vurb moto had To say click here To see what racer x had To say click here To watch a racer x video from The launch click here To watch a racer x video on The Dunlop suzuki rm-z250 click here To see what motocross action had To say 14 15

9 I RIDE I RIDE FOR SUNSETS LIKE THESE I RIDE TO WIN New-generation Geomax MX32 and MX52 tires Prototypes dominated the 2013 AMA Supercross and Motocross series, winning 62 races Radical new technology includes a patented block-within-a-block rear knob design, damping-control sidewalls and directional front tire for superior performance More versatility covers a wider range of terrain so two tire lines can now do the job of three Linear and responsive handling Traction characteristics on par with sport tires, plus extended tread life thanks to MT Multi-Tread rear tire construction Outstanding wet-weather performance Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) intuitively offers greater latitude in line choice while cornering Ryan Dungey, Red Bull KTM Share your I Share your I RIDE story For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. Do not overload your tires. Never exceed vehicle load capacity found in your owner s manual. Never exceed maximum load molded on the tire sidewall. Check your tire pressure frequently and always before extended trips. Obey all traffic and safety laws. Dunlop does not endorse or encourage exceeding legal speed limits. ROADSMART II Scan the QR code with a smartphone to view Dunlop s Geomax MX32 and MX52 product video. For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. Riders sponsored by Dunlop. This is an off-highway product NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. DUNLOP LAUNCHES NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN if you re a motorcycle magazine reader, or attend an ama supercross or motocross race this year, or are active on social media, chances are you re going to see a new advertising campaign from Dunlop. called i ride Dunlop, this new campaign features print ads, online advertising, social media content and commercials that run in conjunction with the 2014 ama supercross and motocross races. This new i ride Dunlop campaign combines highly experiential ads that highlight why people ride with highly technical ads showing the complex technology that goes into Dunlop tires. best of all: you can get involved. go to Dunlop s facebook page ( and tell your own i ride story and include the hashtags (#iridedunlop #sweepstakes). you may have a chance to win a cool hat, t-shirt, tire stickers or even a set of tires.* so don t wait. Join the i ride movement now. see official rules for details: * shirts, hats and stickers will be awarded every month to i ride story winners chosen by Dunlop. a set of tires will be given away to a story winner in the months of may, august, november, and December)

10 This is an off-highway product NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. Prototype Geomax MX32 and MX52 tires won 62 AMA Supercross and Motocross races in 2013 New technology such as block-within-a-block knobs offers superior grip in a wide variety of terrain Innovative front and rear block patterns enhance grip and contact feel Directional front tire design for better grip and steering feel Innovative damping-control sidewall rubber compound helps the tire to better follow the track surface Controlled-flex recess carcass design offers enhanced handling and improved knob durability Wider terrain application allows MX32 and MX52 to replace three tires in the Dunlop Share your I RIDE story For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. This is an off-highway product NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. IF YOU RE A MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE READER, OR ATTEND AN AMA SUPERCROSS OR MOTOCROSS RACE THIS YEAR, OR ARE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CHANCES ARE YOU RE GOING TO SEE A NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FROM DUNLOP. I RIDE FOR TRACKS LIKE THESE I RIDE FOR VIEWS LIKE THESE New-generation Geomax MX32 and MX52 tires Prototypes dominated the 2013 AMA Supercross and Motocross series, winning 62 races Radical new technology includes a patented block-within-a-block rear knob design, damping-control sidewalls and directional front tire for superior performance More versatility covers a wider range of terrain so two tire lines can now do the job of Share your I RIDE Share your I RIDE story Scan the QR code with a smartphone to view Dunlop s Geomax MX32 and MX52 product video. For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. This is an off-highway product NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. I RIDE THE TIRES THAT WON AMA CHAMPIONSHIPS 18 19

11 THIS NEW I RIDE DUNLOP CAMPAIGN COMBINES EXPERIENTIAL ADS THAT HIGHLIGHT WHY PEOPLE RIDE WITH TECHNICAL ADS SHOWING THE COMPLEX TECHNOLOGY THAT GOES INTO DUNLOP TIRES. Go to Dunlop s Facebook page ( and tell your own I RIDE story and include the hashtags (#IRIDEDUNLOP #SWEEPSTAKES). CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE I RIDE VIDEO I RIDE FOR MOMENTS LIKE THESE Bred from Dunlop s championship-winning road-race tires Innovations include revolutionary Carbon Fiber Technology for exceptional cornering response and feel, Intuitive Response Profile and MT Multi-Tread technology for superior performance Superb grip, stability, feel and longevity on the street and track Josh Hayes, multiple AMA Superbike Champion Share your I RIDE For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call Dunlop. Do not overload your tires. Never exceed vehicle load capacity found in your owner s manual. Never exceed maximum load molded on the tire sidewall. Check your tire pressure frequently and always before extended trips. Obey all traffic and safety laws. Dunlop does not endorse or encourage exceeding legal speed limits

12 WHEN YOU HAVE THE IMAGINATION OF ROLAND SANDS, A CUSTOM BIKE CAN START ANYWHERE AND END UP WHO KNOWS WHERE. AN UNMATCHED PAIR 22 23

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14 KTM TRACKER The ktm Tracker started life as a ktm 690. lightweight, fast, nimble, and built for good times. it s a great streetable single that s got enough torque to put a smile on your face. while rsd s newest version of the 690 is a street bike, it s got a whole lot of dirt under its nails. The sheet metal is all hand-formed aluminum and draws from traditional dirt track machines while bringing a little motocross influence into the mix. lightweight contrast ops Del mar wheels are shod in goodyear flat-track rubber and are stopped by performance machine brakes front and rear. a one-off hand-built exhaust system breathes through an rsd slant exhaust tip. you can see some small things that really set a bike apart, such as: a shortened shock reservoir by race Tech, raptor titanium footpegs, and billet aluminum brake pedal tip and shifter tip by hammerhead Designs

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16 HARLEY DYNA BULLET This is the perfect bike when you have to get out of town fast. inspired by a long line of club bikes, rsd gave the Dyna a multi-faceted attitude adjustment from front to back. in the end this machine landed somewhere between a club bike and a café racer, which is an interesting way to look at a bike. rsd drew some inspiration from the alwaysclassic fxr, and carried that aesthetic and performance throughout the Dyna. They wanted something fast, that handles well and is comfortable enough for a long trip. from the sportbike front fender to the one-off aluminum tail section, nothing was left untouched. a hand-built aluminum, competition-inspired tail section fit nicely on the stock frame, which rsd also stripped of the standard square battery box and electronics in favor of minimal fxrinspired side covers. rsd then fabricated a custom efi fuel tank, set low on top of the motor. They redesigned the tunnel for our vintage tank to work with the Dyna backbone, fabbed aluminum side pods to cover the battery/oil tank and designed a mono-block riser system that will inspire a whole new rsd line of narrow handlebars

17 DUNLOP CLAIMS THREE SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS with the 2014 monster energy ama supercross, an fim world championship series in the books, Dunlop riders dominated the field by winning every main event and sweeping all three supercross championships for the fifth year in a row. These sponsored riders were on the podium an impressive 107 of the 108 available podium positions. with one round remaining, ryan villopoto made history in the 450 competition by clinching his fourth consecutive title, while rockstar energy ktm s Jason anderson and geico honda s Justin bogle a Team Dunlop alumni each wrapped up their first-ever career 250 championships at the finals in las vegas, nevada

18 JAMESsTewarT 34 35

19 KENroczen THE 450 CHASE villopoto is already one of the most successful riders in the sport, but following his win at the inaugural metlife stadium he joined the king of supercross Jeremy mcgrath as the only rider in history to achieve four consecutive premier class titles. he has piloted his Dunlop-equipped kxf450 to a total of seven victories this season, including phoenix, oakland, Daytona, houston, his hometown of seattle, east rutherford and las vegas. the series, nailing down three-consecutive wins in Detroit, Toronto and st. louis. he also surpassed ricky carmichael for second place on the all-time wins list behind mcgrath with 50 victories. stewart finished fourth overall in the standings, behind 450-class rookie ken roczen in third. roczen nabbed his second win of the season in atlanta, and was in the championship hunt until a Dnf caused him to fall in the standings. red bull ktm s ryan Dungey became the fifth different winner of the 2014 season after soaring to victory at indianapolis lucas oil stadium. Dungey finished the season second overall in the standings with 304 points. it has been a roller-coaster couple of years for yoshimura suzuki s James stewart, but in 2014 he surprised and impressed the field. after logging two victories early in the season, stewart found even more speed in the later half of Despite a tough start to the year, Team honda muscle milk s Justin barcia seems to have found his groove after posting three- consecutive podium finishes at Toronto, st. louis and houston. he finished the season in fifth. after being injured for most of the year, teammate Trey canard returned to action at houston and posted impressive results aboard his honda crf450r throughout the remainder of the season. RYANDungey 36 37

20 JASONanDerson 38 39

21 DEANwilson 250 SX WEST after a seven-week hiatus the western regional 250 supercross class resumed the battle in houston, Tx for round seven of the series where anderson captured his fourth win of the season, extending his points over Troy lee Designs/ lucas oil/ honda s cole seely. The following week in seattle, seely countered with an impeccable race, leading every lap of the main event to capture his second win of the season. only eight points separated anderson and seely heading into finals at sam boyd stadium, but anderson came out on top, clinching the western regional 250 supercross championship. monster energy/pro circuit/ kawasaki s Dean wilson rounded out the top three with 163 points. COLEseely 40 41

22 JUSTINbogle 42 43

23 VINCEfriese 250 SX EAST The eastern regional 250 supercross series has been dominated by the monster energy/ pro circuit/ kawasaki team, whose riders have won six of eight rounds, and swept the podium twice. unfortunately, injuries plagued the team, allowing geico honda s Justin bogle to score two wins and grab the points lead heading to the final round in las vegas. at the final stop of the circuit, bogle secured his first-ever 250 supercross championship with a second-place-overall finish in the main event. another Team Dunlop alumni, adam cianciarulo, looked to be the guy to beat this season. The 17-year-old supercross rookie was leading the championship going into the Toronto round, having already won three races before a dislocated shoulder sidelined him for the remainder of the series. Teammate martin Davalos overtook the red number plate only to fall to the same fate. after two victories at atlanta and houston, Davalos was injured while practicing during the week and was unable to finish the season. MARTINDavalos 44 45

24 FINAL STANDINGS 450 Supercross Championship Points (after 17 of 17 rounds) 1. ryan villopoto (Dunlop) ryan Dungey (Dunlop) ken roczen (Dunlop) James stewart (Dunlop) Justin barcia (Dunlop) andrew short Justin brayton Josh hill (Dunlop) broc Tickle (Dunlop) mike alessi (Dunlop) Supercross West Championship Points (after 9 of 9 rounds) 1. Jason anderson (Dunlop) cole seely (Dunlop) Dean wilson (Dunlop) Justin hill (Dunlop) cooper webb (Dunlop) malcolm stewart (Dunlop) Jessy nelson (Dunlop) zach osborne (Dunlop) shane mcelrath (Dunlop) Jake canada (Dunlop) Supercross East Championship Points (after 9 of 9 rounds) 1. Justin bogle (Dunlop) martin Davalos (Dunlop) vince friese (Dunlop) kyle cunningham (Dunlop) adam cianciarulo (Dunlop) blake baggett (Dunlop) Jimmy Decotis (Dunlop) alex martin (Dunlop) matt bisceglia (Dunlop) Jeremy martin (Dunlop) 96 RYANvillopoTo 46 47

25 ADAMcianciarulo JUSTINbogle BLAKEbaggeTT TEAM DUNLOP MAKES HISTORY IN DETROIT Team Dunlop s amateur support program made history at the recent Detroit supercross. for the first time in the eight-year history of the Team D amateur program, three Team Dunlop alumni swept an ama supercross podium. The race was won by rookie phenom adam cianciarulo, who scored his third supercross east race win in Detroit, becoming one of only a few riders in history to lead a supercross championship in his rookie season. cianciarulo was a Team Dunlop elite rider since the program began in second in Detroit was Justin bogle, who became a Team Dunlop rider in 2008, and third was blake baggett, who won the 2012 ama motocross championship and like cianciarulo was a member of the original Team Dunlop crew of Dunlop couldn t be more proud of adam, Justin and blake, and all the other Team Dunlop alumni who have gone on to great success as professional racers, as well as all the current amateur Team Dunlop riders with their sites set on joining the pro ranks. To follow the Team Dunlop elite riders, or to join Team Dunlop yourself, just go to teamdunlop.com

26 SEAN CANTRELL JORDAN BAILEY TEAM DUNLOP KICKS OFF ITS EIGHTH SEASON Dunlop recently celebrated the eighth season of its exclusive amateur support program called Team Dunlop with a kick-off dinner and special team photo shoot at the James stewart freestone spring amateur championship. The team s stellar young amateur motocross stars felt like professional racers for the day, as they were treated to an exclusive action photo shoot earlier in the afternoon at freestone county raceway. if getting the opportunity to tear up the track wasn t enough, each member also received a swag bag including a customized Team D battery charger, stickers and their team apparel with the prestigious Team D logo on it. unlike previous years, the dinner was hosted at the track under the Dunlop tent. Dunlop s manager of amateur motocross support, rob fox, proudly announced the lineup for the 2014 season, which has grown from 18 to 20 racers, and showcases 15 returning members and five new members. also in attendance was Dunlop vice president mike buckley, who spoke to the kids and their families about the Team Dunlop program. The dinner was capped off with a special video message from Team D alumni adam cianciarulo. entering his seventh consecutive season as a Team Dunlop rider is 13-year old Jordan bailey. also returning are sean cantrell, lance kobusch, Tanner stack, stilez robertson, chase sexton, garrett marchbanks, austin forkner, pierce brown, carson mumford, Jett reynolds, ryder Difrancesco, hannah hodges, parker mashburn, and Joey crown. Joining the team in 2014 for their first year is aiden Tijero, Jalek swoll, matthew leblanc, Daxton bennick, and haiden Deegan. These future stars will appear at major amateur motocross races and the winners podiums across the country. CARSON MUMFORD 50 51

27 JETT REYNOLDS AUSTIN FORKNER GARRETT MARCHBANKS STILEZ ROBERTSON JOEY CROWN PIERCE BROWN JALEK SWOLL HANNAH HODGES AIDEN TIJERO 52 53

28 TANNER STACK MATTHEW LEBLANC HAIDEN DEEGAN LANCE KOBUSCH PARKER MASHBURN RYDER DIFRANCESCO DAXTON BENNICK CHASE SEXTON 54 55

29 NIXON IS TRIUMPH The late gary nixon was the modern era s most iconic Triumph racer. most famous for his 1967 Daytona 200 win on a Triumph, nixon raced the brit bikes for most of a decade, was the factory team s lead rider and to a generation of race fans was the face of Triumph racing in the usa. for nixon, his relationship with Triumph was a special one. by the time his racing career ended nixon had ridden for nearly every motorcycle manufacturer in existence, and he was never shy about telling tales out of school, not always saying good things about the brands of bikes he rode. except when it came to Triumph. for gary nixon, Triumph had a slightly revered status in his world, and he could never criticize Triumph. That s because gary nixon s relationship with Triumph was much deeper and assuredly longer than just the period when he raced for Triumph in the 1960s and won the 200. while still in high school back in oklahoma, nixon bought his first Triumph street bike with money he borrowed from his father. nixon rode a Triumph to high school, and then after he began racing professionally, he moved to the east coast to be closer to Triumph s then u.s. base. To ride for Triumph was nixon s dream

30 DAYTONA 200: TRIUMPH OF THE TRIUMPH AMA GO PRO DAYTONA SPORTBIKE DANNYeslick 58 59

31 AMA GO PRO DAYTONA SPORTBIKE JAKEgagne DANNY ESLICK, TRIUMPH AND TUNER RICHARD STANBOLI PUT IN A STUNNING SHOW OF DOMINANCE TO WIN THE 2014 DAYTONA 200. eslick was left without a superbike ride after the 13 season when michael Jordan suzuki folded, but rebounded nicely with a ride on the rider Discount Triumph 675, making a return to the class where he formerly won the title and was a near dominant rider. eslick s win marked the first Triumph win in the Daytona 200 since 1967 when racing legend gary nixon won the race. nixon and eslick are in some small way kindred sprits. both born in oklahoma, both won the Daytona 200 and both, well, could never be accused of not enjoying all that life has to offer. after the usual pack of lead riders started to string out, two of eslick s main protagonists for the Daytona 200 win, Triumphmounted Jason Disalvo and yamaha man Dane westby, were challenging the okie for the win when they went down simultaneously. eslick s pit stops were smooth and as is typical with any Daytona 200 protagonists, dark horses and favorites began to slide out of the race or out of contention for the win. Through it all eslick remained at the front, riding on the balls of his feet, giving his all in what will be the last 600cc Daytona 200 in history. DAYTONA 200 RESULTS Danny eslick, Triumph Jake gagne, yamaha Jake lewis, yamaha bobby fong, Triumph garrett gerloff, yamaha kyle wyman, yamaha luke stapleford, Triumph Jake zemke, honda bostjan skubic, yamaha steve rapp, Triumph Daytona s famed rolex pole award was won by no surprise eslick for the fastest lap in Daytona 200 qualifying. road race factory rider Jake gagne finished second, while Jake lewis of meen motorsports finished third. eslick put in a gritty, aggressive, sole-shearing performance, riding his heart out, wrenching the triple around the Daytona 200 circuit, willing the bike to the finish, nearly wearing his boots out in the process. eslick took a victory lap, which at one point saw him in one of the party buses parked at the track, and then he broke down after entering Daytona s famed victory circle. he dedicated his win to his late friend, racer Tommy aquino. JAKElewis 60 61

32 AMA SUPERBIKE DARK CLOUD RETURNS FOR HAYES you d have to be a brave man to bet against exsuperbike champion Josh hayes in any superbike race held in america. unless it s Daytona, that is. Daytona has not been kind to hayes in recent years. last season hayes yamaha failed in both superbike races at Daytona and put a serious dent in his hopes to win another superbike title. in 2014, it looked like the long dark shadows of ill will had started following someone else at Daytona. Josh hayes won the first superbike race of the weekend and was all smiles on his return to the Daytona victory circle. new yoshimura rider roger lee hayden showed that he still very much has the right stuff scoring the Daytona superbike pole and finishing second to hayes in superbike race one. hayes new superbike teammate, cameron beaubier finished third in the first superbike race, but showed incredible speed and a quick ability to learn at 200 mph. he rode off the track several times but was able to draft his way right back to the lead group. after race one it was clear that the yamahas had the dominant motorcycle again at Daytona, a track that favors top speed and a multi-bike draft at 200-plus mph. anyone wishing to beat them was going to have to wait for a yamaha rider to make a mistake that he could not recover from, hope for a Dnf or simply get out front and try to break the draft. none of those would be inside a folder marked likely to happen. superbike race two at Daytona showed that the dark cloud was merely hiding itself from Josh hayes, it hadn t vacated the premises, at all. hayes was leading the race and assuredly looking for a double when he his r1 made some serious, oh, no! noises, putting the former champ out of the race. he slowed and parked the bike, saying afterward that it had encountered unspecified engine failure or most entertainingly, that the r1s engine had come unstarted. his teammate cameron beaubier, was very much in the accelerated learning class for superbike racing at Daytona. his goofy lines and ride-offs in practice, qualifying and in race one were gone in race two as the reigning Dsb champ was able to keep the r1 on the correct line, ride mistake-free and put in a very smart race. a late race challenge from roger hayden and his yoshimura suzuki were really no challenge for the full of top speed r1. The podium for Daytona s second superbike race of the weekend was cameron beaubier, roger lee hayden and teammate martin cardenas. DAYTONA SUPERBIKE RESULTS race 1 Josh hayes, yamaha roger lee hayden, suzuki cameron beaubier, yamaha chris clark, suzuki David anthony, suzuki chris fillmore, ktm Diego pierluigi, suzuki Taylor knapp, suzuki cory west, ebr stefano mesa, kawasaki race 2 cameron beaubier, yamaha roger lee hayden, suzuki martin cardenas, suzuki chris clark, suzuki David anthony, suzuki chris fillmore, ktm Diego pierluigi, suzuki Taylor knapp, suzuki cory west, ebr chris ulrich, honda JOSHhayes 62 63

33 AMA SUPERBIKE CAMERONbeaubier 64 65

34 AMA SUPERSPORT ALEXANDER DOMINATES DAYTONA celtic/hudson valley motorcycles sponsored corey alexander absolutley dominated the supersport races at Daytona this year. alexander set pole and won each race by combined margin of victory of nearly fifteen seconds. his gsx-r600 was as flawless as his riding was at Daytona, and many fear that alexander could dominate the entire season of racing in the up and comer ama pro racing series. suzuki nearly tripled out both podiums in the 600 supersport class with wyatt farris finishing second in race one and Dustin Dominguez being the lone nonsuzuki rider (Dominguez rides a yamaha) on the podium all weekend long in supersport. in race two farris again finished second with hayden gillum finishing third. CORYalexanDer AMA SUPERSPORT RESULTS race 1 corey alexander, suzuki wyatt farris, suzuki Dustin Dominguez, yamaha cody wyman, suzuki armando ferrer, yamaha miles Thornton, Triumph hayden gillum, suzuki Jason aguilar, yamaha mark miller Jr. yamaha andrea ochs, yamaha race 2 corey alexander, suzuki wyatt farris, suzuki hayden gillum, suzuki armando ferrer, yamaha cody wyman, suzuki Dustin Dominguez, yamaha Jc camacho, yamaha mark miller Jr. yamaha Jason aguilar, yamaha erick sanchez, yamaha DAYTONA 200: BACK TO THE BIG BIKES 2015 RACE WILL FEATURE 1000CC SUPERBIKES representatives from Dunlop, yamaha, suzuki and the Daytona international speedway met with the media during the 2014 Daytona 200 to talk about returning the Daytona 200 to a superbike race in it s an ambitious plan: Today s superbikes are capable of topping 210 mph at Daytona. while track configuration and other details of the superbike 200 are still being discussed, the race might be a 69-lap affair with four pit stops. four stops and superbike-spec equipment will certainly make the race an exciting one for fans to watch. mike buckley, Dunlop s vice-president of sales, marketing and r&d, said, we take a lot of pride in the fact that most of the people on our team are pretty hardcore enthusiasts. and if you think about it in those terms, what's better than having 1000cc bikes back in the 200? we want to do our part to support this change and put superbikes back in the 200. Joie chitwood, president of Daytona international speedway, spoke about the history of motorcycle racing at Daytona and what that means to return to 1000cc superbikes in the prestigious Daytona 200: some people don't realize the history of motorcycle racing in Daytona beach and Daytona international speedway. it was the motorcycle racing that actually intrigued everyone, and they weren't going to bring car racing back (after the first event). so when we really think about our history, motorcycles helped us get to where we are today. if you look at what we do with everything around motorcycles, it is definitely an important part of what Daytona international speedway stands for. so for us, the opportunity to talk about switching up the format for the 200 and bringing the big bikes back, that's exciting for us. Josh hayes, three-time ama pro superbike champion, said, i think it's no secret, with the Daytona 200 being as big a race as it is, it definitely should be the premier class. i only participated in one Daytona 200 on superbike, and it was an incredible and exciting race, and hopefully we can bring it back and get the big crowds out here. i do have a bit of unfinished business with the Daytona

35 THE 2014 MOTOCROSS BATTLE BEGINS 68 69

36 THE 2014 LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS SERIES IS IN FULL SWING, AND ONCE AGAIN DUNLOP-SUPPORTED RIDERS ARE LEADING THE CHARGE. DUNLOP- SPONSORED RIDERS OCCUPY EIGHT OUT OF THE TOP 10 SPOTS IN BOTH THE 250 AND THE 450 CLASSES. The first two rounds of the series have seen the same top-three-overall finishers in the 450 class, which include red bull ktm s ken roczen and ryan Dungey, along with Team honda muscle milk s Trey canard. The ktm duo has had an impressive start to the season, swapping overall victories at glen helen and hangtown. canard has fought hard for a pair of third-place-overall finishes, sitting third in the championship chase with 72 points. in the 250 class, yamalube/star racing yamaha has posted back-to-back 1-2 sweeps with an undefeated Jeremy martin and fellow second-year rider cooper webb. heading into the season, martin was an underdog in the discussion for title contenders, however, nobody has been able to come even close to challenging him throughout the first two rounds and now he now has a perfect fourmoto-win score. 450 Class Championship Points (after 2 of 12 rounds) 1. ken roczen ryan Dungey Trey canard James stewart brett metcalf Justin barcia weston peick Jake weimer malcolm stewart Josh grant Class Championship Points (after 2 of 12 rounds) 1. Jeremy martin cooper webb christopher pourcel Jessy nelson marvin musquin Jason anderson Justin bogle blake baggett matt bisceglia Justin hill 43 KENroczen 70 71

37 RYANDungey 72 73

38 TREYcanarD 74 75

39 HEADING INTO THE SEASON, MARTIN WAS AN UNDERDOG IN THE DISCUSSION FOR TITLE CONTENDERS, HOWEVER NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO COME EVEN CLOSE TO CHALLENGING HIM THROUGHOUT THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS JEREMYmarTin 76 77

40 COOPERwebb 78 79

41 JAMESsTewarT 80 81

42 UPCOMING EVENTS June 14 ama motocross round 4 high point mt. morris, pa July 5 ama motocross round 6 redbud buchanan, mi July 19 ama motocross round 7 spring creek millville, mn august 1-3 worcs round 7 straddleline orv park mccleary, wa June gncc round 9 snowshoe mountain resort snowshoe, wv July worcs round 6 iron mine race park cedar city, ut July ama pro road racing round 5 mid-ohio sports car course lexington, oh august 9 ama motocross round 9 unadilla new berlin, ny June 28 ama motocross round 5 Tennessee blountvillle, Tn June 29 ama national enduro series round 6 marquette, mi July ama pro road racing round 4 mazda raceway laguna seca monterey, ca July 12 ama motocross round 7 budds creek mechanicsville, md July 26 ama motocross round 8 washougal washougal, wa July 27 ama national enduro series round 7 cross fork, pa august 16 ama motocross round 10 crawfordsville, in august 23 national hare & hound round 8 panaca, nv 2014 Dunlop P. O. Box 1109, Buffalo, New York dunlopmotorcycle.com