Take one of the most famous names in motorcycling, Harley-Davidson. Add in components from high performance motorcycle accessories manufacturer, Vance & Hines and then mix well at one of the classic road courses in the United States, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and you have the makings of a real happening for motorcycle racing fans the world over.
The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series made its debut last month at Road America in the home state of Harley-Davidson, and what a debut it was. AMA Pro Road Racing superstars Danny Eslick and Jake Holden riding their team RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing XR1200's put on a display of side-by-side, give-and-take racing that harked back to the days of the classic Harley-Davidson 883 series that produced so many of the great names in AMA Pro Road Racing today. These two riders battled back and forth for the entire 10-lap race and the margin of victory was a mere 0.055 of a second. Between the two riders, they led nine of the ten laps with Kyle Wyman leading one lap also. But the statistics don't tell the story as these two, and then Eric Stump, the aforementioned Kyle Wyman and his brother Travis all battled and swapped positions many, many times during each and every lap. The performance-matched Harley-Davidson XR1200 with the attractive and efficient performance enhancements from Vance & Hines guarantees that no one can run away from the pack and the 2.4-mile, 15-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will provide a fascinating stage for the second race in this new and exciting series.
Rejoining their battle at the front will be Eslick and Holden on their RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing XR1200s. The team receives valuable support from GEICO Powersports and Lucas Oil as they prepare for Mid-Ohio. Third-place finisher and AMA Pro SuperSport road racer Stump will be back on his Rapide Manage Dan Chivington XR1200 as will the Wyman brothers, Kyle riding another of the RMR Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidsons and Travis is back on his Harv's Harley-Davidson AB-1 Motorsports XR1200.
Two riders that had some difficulty at Road America that will be back for round two are Paul James and John Ashmead. James is back and ready to go on his James Gang/Hoban Bros Racing XR1200 and Ashmead will again ride his Brady/Schwemmer Racing XR1200. James suffered a fall that prevented him from continuing in the Road America round, and Ashmead suffered a mechanical problem that the team repaired during a delay in the proceedings that necessitated the race being restarted later in the day with eight of the ten laps remaining.
With the dedicated Harley-Davidson XR1200s racing around the country alongside with the regular AMA Pro Road Racing classes, interest and participation should build as Harley-Davidson riders, dealers and fans get into the action and show their support for this ultra-competitive series.
Practice for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend Presented by Dunlop Tire will begin on Friday, July 16th. The XR1200s will take to the track Saturday, July 17th and the 17-lap race will be on Sunday, July 18th.