MotoNews

DOING IT RIGHT AT NIGHT!!

Knowing how to ride at night will keep you alive, increase time available for enjoying your pride and joy, and enter you into an exhilarating world, normally the domain of the un-dead.

Welcome to the demonic craft of night riding!

Enjoying your bike during daylight hours is a buzz in it's own right, so when the roads start to clear at the on-set of darkness why does everyone point homewards, succumbing to the fear of the night and all the horrors it holds? Riding at night is naughty...you will become a spectra amongst your friends. Riding at night brings many benefits, not least the training it provides you. Anything learned at night will improve your ability during the day ten-fold.

How do you get involved in night riding? You have probably been out on a Sunday blast, miles from home when the last ray of sunlight bounces off your visor, or you are the kind of rebel who deliberately sets off into the depths of darkness for an all-out thrash along deserted country lanes, unafraid of the 'other' prowlers of the night.

Riding at night follows the same principles as at any time; smoothness and awareness are the keys to fast, safe progress. Be aware, traveling long distances at night demands that you follow one simple rule; if you get tired, STOP! Have a rest, even 15 minutes could be the difference between a safe trip and 6 weeks in some backwater hospital eating soup through a straw.
 
At night your eyes are forced to read the road as far forward as possible, your peripheral vision is not cluttered with distractions like hedgerows or naked woman (or men) practicing fertility rites in a field. Your brain is free to work harder, picking out important things in front of you like corners, road conditions, obstacles, suicidal deer, cats, hedgehogs, and nasty policemen in unmarked cars, for example.

Use your headlamps properly, look out at the farthest illuminated point; looking at the point nearest to you, which is best illuminated, is a recipe for disaster. At night you will become fully aware of the limitations of your pupils and the speed with which they react to light at night. So don't stare at oncoming traffic's headlights, try to keep your eyes in equilibrium with the light conditions you are riding in.

Take advantage of oncoming car headlights, they light up the road in front of you, they show you where they are coming from and of course help you when overtaking. But remember don't look directly at them or you will end up in their front seat. Always look down and out to the right using the inside white lines and verges as your guide.

Don't ride quickly in the rain, snow or fog at night. Slow down and head for home, these conditions are lethal no matter how much of a legend you have become.

Don't use full beam in the above conditions, you will only see a myriad of light and  colour, which will of course blind you, leading to certain death.

Do clean all lights before you go out.

Do wear reflective gear;  no one can see your gorgeous leathers and achingly beautiful helmet paintwork at night anyway!

Don't pull wheelies, you might aid low-flying vampire bats by lighting up the night sky, but you won't be able to see where you're going, makes sense to me!

94% of all alien abductions happen at night!

Vampires, werewolves and all sorts of other cuddly creatures like nightfall.

When illuminated by your headlight deer and foxes have yellow eyes, badgers have green  and rabbits' have red, these and other fauna have the odd habit of standing still, numbly  staring at you in the middle of the road, normally on a blind corner! ………..     

You have been warned!

Of course, when you sit down in the calm of your living room with a cool drink, all of this will seem very basic advice, however we are all guilty of not doing or paying attention to most of it!! Being prepared is the key to your enjoyment in all circumstances, but even more so in the depths of darkness. Your beautiful iridium visor or any heavily tinted visor for that matter is no use to you at night. Even a scratched clear visor will limit your vision; so always have one pristine clear visor lovingly prepared for your night prowling.  Use an anti-fog product, cooler air at night can be a problem.

Remember that the police still work at night and there is less traffic, so your chances of being pulled are higher. If you have a race can or over-noisy exhaust they will hear you coming sooner since noise travels further at night. They cannot use radar at night but all the other gismos work, so be vigilant.

You will think of a million more points to consider and that is the point I'm trying to make. Be aware, safe and prepared and the night will become your friend and ally. There is no question, the thrill of night riding is twice the norm so get a fix, you'll love it and your riding skills will be improved for all times of day.

DOING IT RIGHT AT NIGHT!!

Knowing how to ride at night will keep you alive, increase time available for enjoying your pride and joy, and enter you into an exhilarating world, normally the domain of the un-dead.

Welcome to the demonic craft of night riding!

Enjoying your bike during daylight hours is a buzz in it's own right, so when the roads start to clear at the on-set of darkness why does everyone point homewards, succumbing to the fear of the night and all the horrors it holds? Riding at night is naughty...you will become a spectra amongst your friends. Riding at night brings many benefits, not least the training it provides you. Anything learned at night will improve your ability during the day ten-fold.

How do you get involved in night riding? You have probably been out on a Sunday blast, miles from home when the last ray of sunlight bounces off your visor, or you are the kind of rebel who deliberately sets off into the depths of darkness for an all-out thrash along deserted country lanes, unafraid of the 'other' prowlers of the night.

Riding at night follows the same principles as at any time; smoothness and awareness are the keys to fast, safe progress. Be aware, traveling long distances at night demands that you follow one simple rule; if you get tired, STOP! Have a rest, even 15 minutes could be the difference between a safe trip and 6 weeks in some backwater hospital eating soup through a straw.
 
At night your eyes are forced to read the road as far forward as possible, your peripheral vision is not cluttered with distractions like hedgerows or naked woman (or men) practicing fertility rites in a field. Your brain is free to work harder, picking out important things in front of you like corners, road conditions, obstacles, suicidal deer, cats, hedgehogs, and nasty policemen in unmarked cars, for example.

Use your headlamps properly, look out at the farthest illuminated point; looking at the point nearest to you, which is best illuminated, is a recipe for disaster. At night you will become fully aware of the limitations of your pupils and the speed with which they react to light at night. So don't stare at oncoming traffic's headlights, try to keep your eyes in equilibrium with the light conditions you are riding in.

Take advantage of oncoming car headlights, they light up the road in front of you, they show you where they are coming from and of course help you when overtaking. But remember don't look directly at them or you will end up in their front seat. Always look down and out to the right using the inside white lines and verges as your guide.

Don't ride quickly in the rain, snow or fog at night. Slow down and head for home, these conditions are lethal no matter how much of a legend you have become.

Don't use full beam in the above conditions, you will only see a myriad of light and  colour, which will of course blind you, leading to certain death.

Do clean all lights before you go out.

Do wear reflective gear;  no one can see your gorgeous leathers and achingly beautiful helmet paintwork at night anyway!

Don't pull wheelies, you might aid low-flying vampire bats by lighting up the night sky, but you won't be able to see where you're going, makes sense to me!

94% of all alien abductions happen at night!

Vampires, werewolves and all sorts of other cuddly creatures like nightfall.

When illuminated by your headlight deer and foxes have yellow eyes, badgers have green  and rabbits' have red, these and other fauna have the odd habit of standing still, numbly  staring at you in the middle of the road, normally on a blind corner! ………..     

You have been warned!

Of course, when you sit down in the calm of your living room with a cool drink, all of this will seem very basic advice, however we are all guilty of not doing or paying attention to most of it!! Being prepared is the key to your enjoyment in all circumstances, but even more so in the depths of darkness. Your beautiful iridium visor or any heavily tinted visor for that matter is no use to you at night. Even a scratched clear visor will limit your vision; so always have one pristine clear visor lovingly prepared for your night prowling.  Use an anti-fog product, cooler air at night can be a problem.

Remember that the police still work at night and there is less traffic, so your chances of being pulled are higher. If you have a race can or over-noisy exhaust they will hear you coming sooner since noise travels further at night. They cannot use radar at night but all the other gismos work, so be vigilant.

You will think of a million more points to consider and that is the point I'm trying to make. Be aware, safe and prepared and the night will become your friend and ally. There is no question, the thrill of night riding is twice the norm so get a fix, you'll love it and your riding skills will be improved for all times of day.

The Italian Motorcycle Owner’s Club (IMOC) will hold its 27th annual gathering at the lakeside location of the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club in Sturbridge, Massachusetts on September 19. It will run from 10 AM until 3 PM and admission is only $5 – and that also gets you a rally pin and a ticket good for a door prize (if you are lucky). And, all proceeds will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), so you can feel good about giving in to your desire for Italian beauties.

The IMOC Rally is the largest and longest running all-Italian motorcycle and scooter event in the United States. If the weather holds up well, it is not uncommon for some 400+ Italian machines to grace the lawn accompanied by more than a 1000 enthusiasts and guests wandering between them. Ducati, Aprilia, MV Agusta, Laverda, Bimota, Piaggio, Vespa - just about all of the great Italian breeds will be represented. This year’s featured motorcycle is the Moto Guzzi small-block V-Twin. Great food and drink will also be on offer for those who wish to eat and view.

If you are interested in attending, displaying your Italian bike, or setting up at the swap meet, please visit http://www.imocusa.com or contact Steven Rossi (SLDMRossi@aol.com). The Hamilton Rod & Gun Club is located at 24 Hamilton Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566.

Whether you ride, drive or fly, don’t let this event pass you by…

Ryan Dungey picked a good week to fall. The Rookie phenom has been at the front of the pack all season long, and was going for his 10 straight moto win. But at the hole shot, Andrew Short flew to the front of the pack, and Dungey rode off to the side.

Dungey has already clinched the 450 Motocross title, so a 40th place finish doesn't mean all that much to him. But for Short and Brett Metcalfe, the Steel City event was as important as ever.

With Dungey out of contention, Windham, Short, and Metcalfe battled throughout the first moto. It was an exciting event that came down to the wire. Windham than Metcalfe, Metcalfe than Windham. Windham passed Metcalfe with just two laps to go, and was able to hold on for the moto win.

Metcalfe would finish second, followed by Ben Townley and Andrew Short.

In the second moto, the action was much the same, but with Dungey back in contention, it was a little less exciting. The rookie took the moto win, finishing ahead of Windham, and Brett Metcalfe.

Windham's 1-2 finish gives him the overall win at Steel City, and Metcalfe's 2-3 finish puts him into second place on the leaderboard. Metcalfe now leads Short by 5 points heading into the final event.

In the 250 class, Trey Canard and Christophe Pourcel entered the race as the title contenders. Pourcel had a 13 point advantage going into tonight's race, but due to the fabulous performance of Canard, that lead dwindled to 7.

Canard won both motos, and would have taken the lead if it wasn't for the fact that Pourcel finished right behind him in second during both motos. The two switched positions, and battled on the Steel City track throughout the day. But in the end, Canard got the best of Pourcel.

Pourcel still holds the advantage, but if Canard can duplicate his performance during the final event, Pourcel won't be able to stop him from stealing the 250 season title.

In a surprising announcement, Yamaha Motors Japan has stated that their do-all, beat-all, multi-purpose, world-conquering Super Tenéré will be available to US customers starting in the 2012 model year. After some serious praise from the European moto-press – and some mentions in US industry magazines – all American fans of the bike can say is, “it’s about time!”

The Super Tenéré has a DOHC 1200cc ultracompact parallel-twin powerplant with a 270-degree crank pushing through a six-speed gearbox into a shaft final drive. This is placed in an all-new steel frame which uses the engine as a stressed member and is designed to reduce rider fatigue on long-distance rides. The electronics on-board include the new standard (for this category) of traction control, ABS, EFI, YCC-T fly-by-wire throttle, Yamaha’s D-Mode, and more to be announced later. If you know nothing more about this motorcycle, know that it is a direct competitor to the current multi-purpose sales leader - the BMW R1200GS.

The 2012 Super Tenéré will be made available in September 2010 through Yamaha’s Priority Delivery Program at dealers nationwide. To get your hands on one, you must put down a $500 deposit and wait for delivery starting in May of 2011. MSRP is expected to be $13,900, not including optional equipment. For more details, see http://www.yamaha-motor.com.

The first race of the AMA Superbike at New Jersey Motorsports Park was all set for a dramatic finish when red flags came down at the start of the final lap. Josh Hayes, who had been leading the race since lap 2, gave up the top spot to a charging Tommy Hayden on the first turn of the final lap. But moments after Hayden took the lead, red flags came down when Brett McCormick's bike hit the wall and landed on the middle of the track.

The red flag ended the race, and brought the positions back to the last completed lap, when Hayes still had the lead over Hayden.

The result was a disappointment for Hayden, not only because it takes crucial points away in the overall standings, but it also because it ruined a dramatic comeback. Hayden dropped down as far as fourth place during the race, and was more than two and a half seconds behind Hayden on lap 16. But Hayden put in lap after lap of fast times, and it looked inevitable that he would pass up Hayes on the final lap to steal the race win.

Would of, could of, should of, but Josh Hayes won the AMA Superbike race at NJMP, and extended his lead to 16 points over Hayden. If the positions would have been reversed, which they nearly were, Hayes would only be leading by 6 points. With just three races to go, those ten points could make all the difference.

But of course, Hayden was not guaranteed the race win if the red flag never fell, and there is no point dwelling on what could have been. If anything, Hayden will be even more charged for tomorrow's race, and will work to cut down on Hayes' growing lead.

Ben Bostrom, who was at the top of the sheets throughout the session, finished the podium in third.

AMA Superbike - New Jersey - Race 1 Results

1. Josh Hayes (Yam)
2. Tommy Hayden (Suz)
3. Ben Bostrom (Yam)
4. Blake Young (Suz)
5. John Hopkins (Suz)
6. Jake Zemke (Suz)
7. Larry Pegram (Duc)
8. Geoff May (Buell)
9. Taylor Knapp (Suz)
10. Chris Peris (BMW)

The last few races of the AMA Pro Racing Daytona Sportbike series are bound to be intense, as the top three riders are now all within 5 points of one another. Martin Cardenas pulled off a spectacular win today, to put himself just two points behind the title leader. Josh Herrin, the other title contender, finished in second place, and is now just five points back.

Cardenas got off to a slow start today, and at one point, was more than 2 and half seconds back in 8th place. But the Columbian bided his time until the final laps where he made a dramatic charge toward the finish line. Cardenas would end up finishing .79 seconds ahead of Herrin today in New Jersey, but more importantly, season leader Danny Eslick could only manage a fifth place finish.

Cardenas and Herrin got a little help from Dane Westby and Bobby Fong, who both put in spectacular races to claim the third and fourth place positions.

The Daytona Sportbike race saw a scary fall from front row qualifer Tommy Aquino that brought out the red flag on lap five. But after a short stoppage, the race resumed.

Eslick will look to build on his lead tommorow. He currently has 125 points, to Cardenas' 123, and Herrin's 120.

AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike - New Jersey - Race 1 Results

1. Martin Cardenas (Suz)
2. Josh Herrin (Yam) +0.796
3. Dane Westby (Yam)
4. Bobby Fong (Duc)
5. Danny Eslick (Suz)
6. Cory West (Suz)
7. P.J. Jacobsen (Suz)
8. Chris Fillmore (Suz)
9. Paul Allison (Yam)
10. Steve Rapp (Duc)

The AMA Superbike is underway at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Tommy Hayden and Josh Hayes will be battling it out for the lead in the championship. Hayden will be starting from the pole position today, just one spot ahead of Hayes.

Hayes currently has a 10 point lead over his rival, and is seeking to hold onto as many points as possible for the final round of the AMA Superbike in Alabama.

We're just a few minutes away from the starting flag being dropped.

And we're off. Tommy Hayden gets a good jump, but Hayes is sitting right behind him.

Lap 1: Hayden set a 1'25.794 lap time on the opening lap, but the pace quickens on lap two with most riders setting 1'22 lap times.

Lap 3: Josh Hayes has taken the lead, and currently has put a second gap between him and Hayden.

Hayden drops dow behind Jake Zemke. Bostrom and Blake Young are also making moves at the front of the pack.

Lap 4: The top four riders are beginning to seperate. Blake Young is currently 2 and a half seconds behind Hayes who continues to lead.

Lap 5: The top five riders are now riding in the low 1'21's. Hayes continues to lead the pack, with Zemke in second followed by Hayden and Bostrom.

Lap 7: Hayes has extended his lead to almost two seconds ahead of Ben Bostrom. Jake Zemke drops down to third infront of Tommy Hayden.

Lap 15: Josh Hayes has led from the second lap onward, but hasn't able to completely break away from the pack. Hayden is back in second, 2 and a half seconds behind Hayes.

Lap 17: Bostrom and Hayden are the only two riders left that have a chance of catching Hayes. John Hopkins, who sits in fourth, is more than 8 seconds back behind the leader.

Lap 18: Tommy Hayden is slowly closing the gap. Hayden's last two laps have both shave a few tenths off of Haye's lead.

Lap 19: Hayes and Bostrom are both back within two seconds of the leader. Young and Hopkins are currently battling for the fourth place position.

Lap 20: Slowly but surely Haden is advancing on Hayes. Hayes trailed by as much as three seconds, but is now nippping at the championship leaders wheels.

Lap 21: Hayes just put in his best lap of the day. A 1'21.417 lap that brought him within inches of Hayden's back wheel.

Final Lap: Hayden and Hayes are kneck and kneck going into the final lap.

With 21 completed laps, the race has been red flagged.

All riders have returned to the pits.

Josh Hayes is awarded the win. Tommy Hayden and Ben Bostrom complete the podium. All About Bikes will have a full race report shortly.

Joey Pascarella is back in top form at New Jersey this weekend. Pascarella claimed his intentions early on with free practice and qualifying wins, and backed up those early performances by claiming his second AMA Supersport win of the season with the race one win at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Pascarella started the season strong, but had a mid-season slump when he switched teams to DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports. But the transition isn't hindering Pascarella anymore, as he dominated the competition today, finishing more than 4 seconds ahead of former teammate Huntley Nash.

The only person that could have kept up with Pascarella today was J.D. Beach. But since Beach clinched the AMA Supersport last weekend, he missed this weekend's event so that he could focus on AMA Flat Track.

Eric Stump ended up with an impressive third place finish, followed by Austin Dehaven and James Rispoli.

AMA Supersport - New Jersey - Race 1 Results

1. Joey Pascarella (Yam)
2. Huntley Nash (Yam) +4.703
3. Eric Stump (Yam)
4. Austin Dehaven (Yam)
5. James Rispoli (Suz)
6. Tomas Puerta (Yam)
7. Daniel Guevara (Suz)
8. Elena Myers (Suz)
9. Stefano Mesa (Yam)
10. Travis Wyman (Yam)

Check out the rest of the day's race results here.

The first round of AMA Pro Racing races are underway at New Jersey Motorsorts Park.

In the Supersport division, Joey Pascarella continues his dominance in New Jersey. Pascarella won today's race from pole position, beating out Huntley Nash and Eric Stump.

AMA Supersport - New Jersey Motorsports Park - Race 1 Results

Pos Rider(s) Bike Best Lap 1 Joey Pascarella Yamaha YZF-R6 1:25.048 2 Huntley Nash Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.244 3 Eric Stump Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.324 4 Austin Dehaven Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.670 5 James Rispoli Suzuki GSX-R600 1:26.681 6 Tomas Puerta Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.701 7 Daniel Guevara Suzuki GSX-R600 1:26.412 8 Elena Myers Suzuki GSX-R600 1:26.901 9 Stefano Mesa Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.835 10 Travis Wyman Yamaha YZF-R6 1:27.554

Martin Cardenas claims the race one win for the Daytona Sportbike division. Cardenas beat out Josh Herrin and Dane Westby for the race win.

AMA Daytona Sportbike - New Jersey Motorsports Park - Race 1 Results

Pos Rider(s) Bike Best Lap 1 Martin Cardenas Suzuki GSX-R600 1:23.999 2 Josh Herrin Yamaha YZF-R6 1:23.944 3 Dane Westby Yamaha YZF-R6 1:24.097 4 Bobby Fong Ducati 848 1:24.126 5 Danny Eslick Suzuki GSX-R600 1:24.247 6 Cory West Suzuki GSX-R600 1:24.072 7 P. J. Jacobsen Suzuki GSX-R600 1:24.623 8 Chris Fillmore Suzuki GSX-R600 1:24.547 9 Paul Allison Yamaha YZF-R6 1:24.909 10 Steve Rapp Ducati 848 1:24.198

Josh Hayes was able to hold of Tommy Hayden for the AMA Superbike win. Ben Bostrom finished the podium in third.

AMA Superbike - New Jersey Motorsports Park - Race 1 Results

Pos Rider(s) Bike Best Lap 1 Josh Hayes Yamaha YZF-R1 1:21.210 2 Tommy Hayden Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:21.417 3 Ben Bostrom Yamaha YZF-R1 1:21.505 4 Blake Young Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:21.868 5 John Hopkins Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:21.603 6 Jake Zemke Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:21.335 7 Brett McCormick Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:21.800 8 Larry Pegram Ducati 1098R 1:22.355 9 Geoff May Buell 1125RR 1:22.767 10 Taylor Knapp Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:22.415

 

 

Danny Kent did everything he could today during the final race of the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Kent won today's race, but Jake Gagne won the 2010 Red Bull Rookies Cup Championship.

Kent needed the race win to put the pressure on Gagne, but the Californian didn't crack, and ended up with a second place finish, enough to secure the championship. Kent tried to slow the race down, creating a bunch up at the front of the pack, but none of the other riders could find there way passed Gagne.

“I realized what he was trying to do,” said Gagne. “He's clever and he needed to try and get the other guys between us. I gust kept my head down and knew that as long as I was close to him I had a good chance of getting the points I needed.”

Kent rode a phenomenal race, but it wasn't enough to take the title from Gagne.

“I knew that I needed to get some other guys between us, just 2 was enough so I played it every way I could,” Kent said. “But Jake was just too good today and all credit to him he rode a great race. I did everything that I could, won the race but it wasn't enough. It's been a great season with a lot of great battles.”

Daijiro Hiura finished third for the race, and took third in the overall standings.

Gagne started from tenth on the grid, but after the first lap was up competing with the top five riders. Gagne is Red Bull Rookies veteran, and is at the start of a promising career.

“I started with the Rookies Cup in the US 3 years ago and then with these 2 years in the Rookies Cup in Europe I have learned so much, not just the great GP tracks I've ridden on but so much about riding from the great coaches, Gustl (Auinger), Kevin (Schwantz) and Raul (Jara) and talking to the media, just everything to help me with my career.”

Red Bull Rookies Cup - Race Results

1. Danny Kent (GBR) 30 minutes 59.551 seconds (139.082)
2. Jacob Gagne (USA) +0.060
3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) +0.401
4. Kevin Calia (ITA) +0.577
5. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) +1.006
6. Harry Stafford (GBR) +1.055
7. Alessio Cappella (ITA) +1.363
8. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) +2.189
9. Xavier Pinsach (ESP) +2.258
10. Alan Techer (FRA) +2.753

Red Bull Rookies Cup Final Standings

1. Jacob Gagne (USA) 170 points
2. Danny Kent (GBR) 164
3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) 125
4. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) 115
5. Brad Binder (RSA) 109
6. Kevin Calia (ITA) 97
7. Harry Stafford (GBR) 79
8. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) 56
9. Alessio Cappella (ITA) 53
10. Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) 52

 

Eugene Laverty took the pole position today for the World Supersport in Nurburgring, followed by season leader Kenan Sofuoglu and Broc Parkes. Katsuaka Fujiwara rounds out the front row.

Sofuoglu leads the series by 17 points ahead of Laverty.

World Supersport - Nurburgring - Qualifying Results

1. Eugene Laverty IRL Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR 1min 58.415s
2. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 1min 58.557s
3. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki Motocard ZX-6R 1min 58.617s
4. Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN Kawasaki Motocard ZX-6R 1min 58.654s
5. Gino Rea GBR Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR 1min 59.110s
6. David Salom ESP Triumph BE1 Racing 675 1min 59.277s
7. Fabien Foret FRA Lorenzini Kawasaki ZX-6R 1min 59.374s
8. Michele Pirro ITA HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 1min 59.381s

Tommy Hayden will have one less point to worry about when he lines up for the AMA Superbike race this afternoon in New Jersey. Hayden, who was trailing Josh Hayes by 11 points entering this weekend, shaved a point off today with pole position victory.

With just two events left in the season, every point counts, and Hayden just inched a little closer to the AMA Superbike title. He won't have much of an advantage during the race though, as Josh Hayes finished second during today's qualifying event.

Both Hayes and Hayden will have to fight off Ben Bostrom and John Hopkins, who have both been consistently fast around the New Jersey Motorsports Park track.

In the Daytona Sportsbike Division, Danny Eslick extended his lead by a point over Martin Cardenas by claiming the pole position. Eslick has a 13 point lead over Cardenas, who will start from the fourth position on the grid. The other title contender, Josh Herrin, took a fall during Q2, and will have to work his way back into the title fight from 11th on the grid.

AMA Superbike - New Jersey - Qualifying Results

1. Tommy Hayden (Suz) 1:20.624
2. Josh Hayes (Yam) 1:20.769
3. Ben Bostrom (Yam) 1:20.982
4. John Hopkins (Suz) 1:21.048
5. Blake Young (Suz) 1:21.649
6. Jake Zemke (Suz) 1:21.492
7. Brett McCormick (Suz) 1:21.662
8. Chris Peris (BMW) 1:21.731
9. Larry Pegram (Duc) 1:21.871
10. Geoff May (Buell) 1:22.066

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike - New Jersey - Qualifying Results

1. Danny Eslick (Suz) 1:23.563
2. Tommy Aquino (Yam) 1:23.679
3. Dane Westby (Yam) 1:23.680
4. Martin Cardenas (Suz) 1:23.873
5. Cory West (Suz) 1:23.887
6. Steve Rapp (Duc) 1:23.092
7. Bobby Fong (Duc) 1:24.298
8. Chris Fillmore (Suz) 1:24.500
9. Paul Allison (Yam) 1:24.509
10. P.J. Jacobsen (Yam) 1:24.575

Tony Elias is enroute to claiming his fourth consecutive Moto2 race. Elias claimed the pole position today in Misano, beaing out Scott Redding and Julian Simon.

Despite having three consecutive race wins, this is only Elias' second pole position win of the 2010 Moto2 season. Elias hasn't started from the front row of the grid since the opening round in Qatar.

Scott Redding missed out on the pole position by just .04 seconds, but earned his second consecutive front row start, and will be aiming for another podium finish. Julian Simon and Jules Cluzel will complete the front row, while Elias' biggest competition, Andrea Iannone will start from the front of row two.

Iannone might have been able to earn a better qualifying position, but his session was cut short by a mechanical problem. Simon Corsi, Alex De Angelis, and Shoya Tomizawa will complete the second row.

Moto2 - Misano - Qualifying

Pos.RiderNationTime 1 Toni ELIAS SPA 1'38.991 2 Scott REDDING GBR 1'39.035 3 Julian SIMON SPA 1'39.280 4 Jules CLUZEL FRA 1'39.413 5 Andrea IANNONE ITA 1'39.426 6 Simone CORSI ITA 1'39.664 7 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM 1'39.686 8 Shoya TOMIZAWA JPN 1'39.778 9 Mattia PASINI ITA 1'39.856 10 Gabor TALMACSI HUN 1'39.857

The final round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup is just a few minutes away. Jake Gagne and Danny Kent will be battling it out at the Misano track to see who will be crowned the 2010 Red Bull Rookies Cup Champion.

Gagne has an 11 point lead over Kent, but Kent has the front position on the grid. Kent needs a race win, and two other competitors to keep Gagne off the podium if he wants to claim this years title. Gagne will have to work his way up for the tenth position on the grid to protect his title. The situation will make for a great race today, as Kent and Gagne fight for the championship.

If Kent finishes 1st, Gagne needs 3rd. If Kent Finishes 2nd, Gagne needs 6th. And if Kent finishes 3rd, Gagne needs 11th.

Diujiar Hiura, Brad Binder, and Daniel Ruiz will all be fighting for the last spot on the podium. Hiura and Binder are tied for 3rd with 109, while Ruiz is just 5 points behind.

There are blue skies above the Misano track, and the Red Bull Rookies are waiting for the race to start.

5 Minutes until the flag comes down...

The engines have started firing, and the Red Bull Rookies are off on their first warm-up lap.

The Rookies are back at the starting line, revving their engines and waiting for the red flag.

And they're off.

Gagne gets off to a great start. He jumped up from tenth until fourth by the second turn. Kent also held onto his pole position, and currently leads the Red Bull Rookies around the Misano track.

15 Lapts to go. Gagne overtakes Cappela for 3rd place. If the race ends like this, Gagne wins the championship.

Alejandro Pardo runs off the track. He's back on the circuit, but well behind the pack.

Hiura works his way up into 5th, into a three way battle between Capella and Calia.

Kent slows the pack down at a turn, bunching up six riders at the front. A great move to give the other riders a chance to overtake Gagne.

13 laps to go. Calia overtakes Kent for the lead, Gagne is behind in third.

Calia and Kent switch positions three times over the 4th lap, but with 12 laps to go, Kent finds his way back up at the front.

11 laps to go, the top 8 to cross the line: Calia, Kent, Gagne, Hiura, Hook, Pinsach, Binder, Ruiz.

Kent overtakes Calia as Calia edges the dirt on turn 1. Kent drops back down to third behind Hiura.

The Red Bull Rookies are lapping at about 1'49. Qualifying times saw the top riders lapping in the 1'47 range.

Two riders go down with 10 laps to go. Josh Hook highsides and takes Brad Binder out wtih him. Both riders are back on the track, but far behind the others. 

9 laps to go, and the top five riders are beginning to pull away. Kent is back in the lead, followed by Gagne, Calia, Hiura, and Ruiz.

Gagne takes the lead from Kent. Kent drops back behind Calia.

7 laps to go. Ruiz makes a great move to take the third place spot.

Ruiz is riding agressive, and just took the lead from Calia.

6 laps to go: Calia, Ruiz, Kent, Gagne, Hiura, Stafford.

Kent takes the inside line and retakes the lead from Calia. Kent and Calia are trading positions at the top, but the battle for the front has grown to an 8 man battle.

4 laps to go. Calia, Kent, Gagne, Ruiz, Hiura, Capella.

3 Laps to go. The five riders are still bunched up at the front. Kent will need to make a move soon if he wants to break away from the pack.

2 laps to go. Calia leads, followed by Kent, Hiura, and Gagne.

The Red Bull Rookies are lapping in the low 1'48's. Kent is back in the lead, but no one has been able to hold the lead for an entire lap as of yet.

FINAL LAP - Kent, Hiura, Calia, Gagne.

Kent is holding the lead and building speed. Gagne moves up into third place. If he can hold onto third he'll win the Championship.

Kent leads, Gagne has moved up into second place. We're getting into the final turns.

Danny Kent wins!

Danny Kent did all he could in the last race of the Red Bull Rookies Cup, but Jake Gagne's second place finish secures the 2010 Red Bull Rookies Cup Championship.

Race Podium: Kent, Gagne, Hiura

2010 Red Bull Rookie Cup Championship Podium: Gagne, Kent, Hiura

Red Bull Rookies Cup Championship Recap to follow on AllAboutbikes.com.

Max Biaggi may have the most wins this season in the World Superbike, but today, he claimed only his second pole position. Biaggi hasn't been pushing himself that hard this weekend in Germany, claiming top five time finishes instead of podium finishes, but when it counted today during Superpole, Biaggi turned on the speed to claim the front spot on the grid.

Biaggi not only ended with the pole position, but he also ended with a new lap record at Nurburgring. Biaggi set a 1'54.595 second time, beating out Carlos Checa by just .03 seconds.

James Toseland and Sylain Guintoli also had a fantastic superpole session, as all four of the top riders set times under the 1'35 mark.

Jonathan Rea will start the second row from the fifth position tomorrow. Biaggi's biggest competitor for the World Superbike crown, Leon Haslam, will start from the sixth position.

Noriyuki Haga and Tom Sykes complete the front row.

World Superbike - Nurburgring - Superpole

1. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 1min 54.595s
2. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198 1min 05.621s
3. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 1min 05.909s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 54.934s
5. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 55.138s
6. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1min 55.161s
7. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198 1min 55.276s
8. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 1min 55.378s

9. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1198 1min 55.264s
10. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 1min 55.295s
11. Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 55.375s
12. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198 1min 55.524s
13. Jakub Smrz CZE PATA B&G Racing Aprilia RSV-4 1min 55.577
14. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1min 55.599s
15. Max Neukirchner GER Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 1min 55.735s
16. Luca Scassa ITA Supersonic Ducati 1198 1min 55.908s

For the second day in a row, Joey Pascarella is on the top of the time sheets. Pascarella won the first qualifying session in the AMA Supersport in New Jersey, and now he has successfully claimed the pole position for tomorrow's race.

Joey wasn't the only rider to carry over identical results from the first qualifying. The top five riders remained unchanged from Q1.

Pascarella was expected to do big things this season, but a mid-season team switch seemed to slow his progress. Pascarella was still able to lock down the West title, but not in the dominant form that was expected.

"At the beginning of the year I had all the confidence in the world and I was winning," Pascarella said. "And we switched teams and we switched bikes and it played with my head a little bit. But my team is behind me 100% and they give me no pressure -- there's pressure, but no pressure from them. It's a really friendly environment and that helped my confidence a lot. There for a while my confidence was really low. I was just trying too hard and it just wasn't working. And now I think I'm back up to speed.

"I wish J.D. was here to race with me because I know it would be a good race. I think the old Joey Pascarella is back for sure."

AMA Supersport – New Jersey - 2nd Qualifying

Pos No. Rider(s) Bike Best Lap 1 25 Joey Pascarella Yamaha YZF-R6 1:24.358 2 75 Huntley Nash Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.054 3 77 Eric Stump Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.268 4 5 Corey Alexander Suzuki GSX-R600 1:26.376 5 12 Tomas Puerta Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.605 6 56 Austin Dehaven Yamaha YZF-R6 1:26.882 7 17 James Rispoli Suzuki GSX-R600 1:26.982 8 24 Travis Wyman Yamaha YZF-R6 1:27.204 9 72 Miles Thornton Yamaha YZF-R6 1:27.480 10 21 Elena Myers Suzuki GSX-R600 1:27.669

Dani Pedrosa continues to ride the fastest around the Misano track. Pedrosa has been in top form this weekend, and in tomorrow's MotoGP race in San Marino, he will start from the top spot on the grid.

Pedrosa claimed his fourth pole position of the season today, and hopefully, the Repsol Honda rider will be able to turn it into his fourth win. Pedrosa claimed the pole position on his final lap, with a blistering 1'33.948 lap time. He was the only rider to finish under 1'34” and beat out season leader Jorge Lorenzo by three tenths of a second.

Lorenzo held the lead during today's qualifying session for the final ten minutes, but was overtaken as time was running out by Pedrosa. Lorenzo still maintains his record of starting every race this year on the front row.

Behind Lorenzo came Casey Stoner. Stoner held the lead briefly during today's qualifying in Misano, but his building speed was broken twenty minutes into the session with a crash at turn 4. After some front end work by his crew, Stoner was able to remount and finish third for the day, a half a second behind Lorenzo.

Valentino Rossi still isn't where he wants to be on the Misano track, but managed a fourth place finish today in front of his home crowd. Rossi will be leading the second row during tomorrow's race, and will need a superb effort if he wants to pass up the top three riders.

Ben Spies took his Yamaha Tech 3 motorcycle into 5th place, and Randy de Puniet secured the last spot on the second row with a 6th place finish.

It was a pretty clean session for the MotoGP riders at Misano. Only one other crash occurred, when another Ducati crashed again at turn 4. Hector Barbera was able to remount and finish 12th.

MotoGP - Misano - Qualifying Results

1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 33.948s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 34.256s
3. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 34.397s
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 34.470s
5. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 34.472s
6. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 34.751s
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 34.782s
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 34.826s
9. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 34.934s
10. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 35.018s

Joey Pascarella took the provisional pole in the AMA Supersport division at New Jersey Motorsports Park today. Pascarella beat out Huntley Nash and Erick Stump.

AMA Supersport - New Jersey - 1st Qualifying Session

Pos Rider(s) Team Best Lap 1 Joey Pascarella DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports 1:25.547 2 Huntley Nash Huntley Nash 1:26.265 3 Eric Stump Eric Stump Racing 1:26.655 4 Corey Alexander National Guard 1:26.764 5 Miles Thornton Miles Thornton Racing 1:26.794 6 Tomas Puerta Tomas Puerta 1:27.322 7 Elena Myers Lucas Oil Roadracingworld.com RMR Suzuki 1:27.582 8 Austin Dehaven Austin DeHaven Racing 1:28.071 9 James Rispoli James Rispoli Racing 1:28.125 10 David Gaviria Top Gun 1:28.537

Joey Pascarella took the provisional pole in the AMA Supersport division at New Jersey Motorsports Park today. Pascarella beat out Huntley Nash and Erick Stump.

AMA Supersport - New Jersey - 1st Qualifying Session

Pos Rider(s) Team Best Lap 1 Joey Pascarella DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports 1:25.547 2 Huntley Nash Huntley Nash 1:26.265 3 Eric Stump Eric Stump Racing 1:26.655 4 Corey Alexander National Guard 1:26.764 5 Miles Thornton Miles Thornton Racing 1:26.794 6 Tomas Puerta Tomas Puerta 1:27.322 7 Elena Myers Lucas Oil Roadracingworld.com RMR Suzuki 1:27.582 8 Austin Dehaven Austin DeHaven Racing 1:28.071 9 James Rispoli James Rispoli Racing 1:28.125 10 David Gaviria Top Gun 1:28.537