Jason DiSalvo Earns Third in AMA Superbike Championship

Monterey, California: Jason DiSalvo clinched his place in the 2008 AMA Superbike championship, taking third-place overall on his Factory Yamaha YZF-R1, at the final round of the AMA Superbike Series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Jason rode his YZF-R1 to a tempered and thoughtful eighth-place finish, taking stock in the big picture of the championship and bringing his bike to the finish line for maximum points. In a season that saw only five riders earn finishes in the top two positions on the podium, Jason was one of those elite riders. By adding consistency to that, Jason has now been rewarded with a trophy for the season.

From his second-row starting position earned in qualifying at this two-day event, Jason launched his Yamaha into eighth place. Staying clear of all challengers on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s 2.24-mile long circuit, Jason rode smart and sealed his place at the 2008 AMA Awards Banquet, after his team set him up with a bike built for reliability and speed.

After the race Jason said, “I am so proud to have taken third in the Superbike championship. Considering what we’ve been up against and who we had to beat to get this, I feel as though I won the whole championship. I can’t thank my team enough. Crew Chief Jefferson Burks, and Seamus Taaffe and Tony Romo all did an awesome job and made sure we had the best bike, the best set-up and the best racing combination possible. The support of them, the Yamaha family, my family and my wife Bethany, have combined to make this a great season.”

ATL Double Header, DiSalvo Launches to Third in Superbike Points

Braselton, GA: From Superbike qualifying to Superbike Race One and Two, Jason DiSalvo learned that three very-goods add up to one super-great. Factory Yamaha's Jason DiSalvo entered the Road Atlanta AMA Superbike weekend fourth in points, and rode away Sunday afternoon with third place all but secured in the 2008 AMA Superbike championship. Only the single Superbike race Laguna Seca remains. In the battle for a top-three position for the season, Jason and his Team Factory Yamaha crew are proving to be a team on a mission of passion.

Earning second fastest in Superbike qualifying made Friday a day of pride for Jason and his crew. Initially, Jason was recorded as fourth quickest, earning the provisional outside position on the front row for the AMA Superbike double-header on Road Atlanta's 2.55-mile course. Later in the afternoon Jason was elevated to second fastest when it was determined that two other machines on track were modified to more than allowed within AMA Superbike specs. This put Jason and his Yamaha YZF-R1 just one position from the top of the charts at the end of Friday's AMA Superbike action at Road Atlanta.

For final qualifying on Saturday Jason stepped it up, taking more than half a second off his Friday times, and earning a highly sought-after seat on the front row for Saturday and Sunday's Superbike races. Starting on the outside of row one, Jason was again the fastest non-GSX-R racer on the grid, and a scant six hundredths of a second from interrupting the order.

In Saturday's Race One, Jason was early in the fight for third, eventually finishing a close sixth. Seeing that his rival for third overall was all over the turn-twelve gravel trap, Jason went for the big picture of championship points. Jason said, "The way points are awarded in the Superbike series makes it difficult to make up even a small gap in just a few races. So, with my competition for a trophy tumbling and losing half a dozen places, I decided to play it smart. I knew I had to keep in mind to only take what we could earn and not be greedy."

By chance, Jason played it even smarter in Sunday's Superbike Race Two, finishing fifth and on the heels of fourth, while his main competitor finished 21st. Jason said, "In yesterday's race I knew where my finish would put us in the championship, and so I raced with that in mind. But in today's race I had no idea until the cool-down lap that my rival's bike had broken, and the points chase had come to us. I was riding my heart out the entire race, taking chances and dicing for position. I had a few moments out there. So who knows? I finished well, we put on a great show, and we're headed into the last race ranked third in the championship. It all worked out. So maybe a racer just needs to do what he does best? Race."

Jason DiSalvo Jumps in Superbike Points from Fifth to Fourth

Alton Virginia: Yamaha Factory Racing Superbike rider Jason DiSalvo used two hard-fought finishes at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) to leap forward in the overall AMA Superbike points from fifth to fourth.

DiSalvo proved a match for VIR’s ultra-technical race course, riding his Yamaha YZF-R1 to the fastest qualifying lap of any non-Suzuki rider, earning fifth-place on the grid for Saturday and Sunday’s double header AMA Superbike races. DiSalvo said, “This track has lot of tricks to it and a slippery surface that catches a lot of guys out. I think my training and dirt riding experience helped me find the fast way around this circuit’s undulating surface. You spend a lot of time sliding the bike here.”

In Saturday’s AMA Superbike Race One, DiSalvo launched from the inside of the second row into a race long battle with Miguel Duhamel for fifth, giving the fans the best show on track. After 28 laps DiSalvo’s conviction gave him the advantage over his rival, crossing the line with less than a six-tenths-of-a-second lead. After the race DiSalvo said, “I love races like that. Running alone just doesn’t have the fulfillment of battling with other riders for an entire race. Even if you come up losing that battle, which thankfully I didn’t today, you still have a race that sticks in your memory for years.”

Saturday’s performance gave DiSalvo extra confidence for a top finish in Sunday’s AMA Superbike Race Two. After a great start and locking into fourth place for nearly half of the race, an error caused DiSalvo to run off the track. Jason was able to return to the fray, though, clocking consistent times that still earned him a ninth-place finish and valuable points. DiSalvo is now fourth in points for the season and breathing down the back of third, only 15 points separating the two with three races remaining. DiSalvo said, “I’m looking forward to Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca. The R1 should be a competitive bike at those tracks and by staying consistent we’re looking at the chance of finishing in the top three for the season. I’d be proud of that.”

DISALVO HEADS FOR MID OHIO WITH SEVEN RACES LEFT IN THE AMA SUBERBIKE SERIES

With the AMA Superbike Series just past the halfway point, Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, NY and Las Vegas, NV will compete at the track closest to his home.  Many local Western New York fans will be attending at the Mid Ohio Race Course, that Jason refers to as his home track.  The four hour drive to Lexington, Ohio seems small compared to the many long flights to Florida, California, Wisconsin, etc.

Jason is currently 5th in the Superbike Series, most recently having raced at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA where he ran 3rd early in the race, ultimately finishing 8th.

With the home crowd cheering him on, Jason is striving for a good finish.

Speed TV will carry Race 1 on Saturday, August 2nd at 6:00 p.m. EST and Race 2 on Sunday, August 3rd at 6:00 p.m. EST.

DISALVO RANKED 5TH IN AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP HEADS FOR LAGUNA SECA, CALIFORNIA

With the AMA Superbike Series just past the halfway point, Batavia, New York native Jason DiSalvo prepares for one of the most important races of the season.  The Laguna Seca race in Monterey, California, will be hosting the World Championship MotoGP event along with the AMA Series.  It will be telecast in around 200 countries and territories.

The season thus far has proved to be a mixed bag for the young New York rider.  Starting the season with (2) two podium finishes, 3rd at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL and 2nd at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama.  The next 9 races found Jason with 7 top ten finishes and 2 mechanical problems.  Jason commented “All and all it has been an up and down season with the bike setup and mishaps having their impact on my results.  Coming into Laguna, I feel I’m ready for good results.  I’ve worked hard in preparation for this race after a three week break.  The test at Laguna in June was really good; we found a good setup for the race and should be back to our old form.”

With 8 races to go, Jason can better his current 5th place spot with some podium finishes.

The television schedule for this event with qualifying at 10:15 a.m., Sunday and the race starting at 3:45 pm Sunday, West Coast Time, Speed Channel will carry the race at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, July 20th, EST.

DISALVO QUALIFIES THIRD FASTEST WITH INJURED FOOT

Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California hosted the third round of the AMA Superbike Championship April 25th – 27th where Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, NY and Las Vegas, NV competed in the premiere Superbike class.  Coming into this race Jason was ranked second in points finishing third in Daytona, then second and fourth in Birmingham, AL.  With morning practice on Friday the 25th being the start of the race week, after just twelve laps Jason was fourth quickest then interrupted by a low side crash injuring his right foot.  The injury was thought to be a fracture so Jason was transported to a nearby hospital for x-rays and evaluation resulting in a nasty sprain, but fortunately no broken bones.  With qualifying starting just 20 minutes after his return to the track, Jason quickly was fitted with a larger boot  to accommodate the swelling from the incident and proceeded to go on track and qualify third continuing his front row starting position as in all previous races. 

With Saturday morning qualifying being canceled due to high winds, a short 20 minute warm-up took place before the 3:00 race.  The start found Jason sitting seventh after the first lap, then working his way up and then running wide in one turn and running off in another turn, Jason found himself fighting for seventh position, ultimately finishing eighth at the checkered flag by six one thousands of a second (photo finish).  Upon entering pit lane, the mechanical gremlins brought the bike to a halt short of his pit area.  Upon further investigation after the race it appeared there were some issues with the motorcycles performance which Jason felt was part of the problem in his running off course.

On Sunday, preparing for race number two, the swelling in Jason’s right foot remained large so he continued to wear the oversized boot.  His start was similar to Saturdays finding him seventh again, then working his way up to fourth ultimately finishing fifth prior to the checkered flag.  The points garnered from these two races still has Jason ranked fourth in the Championship Series.

Jason appeared with a new look emulating “Mr. T” as a change of pace from the previous races as a “Mountain Man” with full beard cut and a Mohawk strip.  Who knows what is next to come?

Jason will be testing at Miller Motor Sports Park the 7th and 8th of May and racing at Infineon in California the 16th, 17th and 18thof May which will be televised on SpeedTV.  Race 1 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and Race 2 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California hosted the third round of the AMA Superbike Championship April 25th - 27th where Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, NY and Las Vegas, NV competed in the premiere Superbike class. Coming into this race Jason was ranked second in points finishing third in Daytona, then second and fourth in Birmingham, AL. With morning practice on Friday the 25th being the start of the race week, after just twelve laps Jason was fourth quickest when interrupted by a low side crash injuring his right foot. The injury was thought to be a fracture so Jason was transported to a nearby hospital for x-rays and evaluation resulting in a nasty sprain, but fortunately no broken bones. With qualifying starting just 20 minutes after his return to the track, Jason quickly was fitted with a larger boot to accommodate the swelling from the incident and proceeded to go on track and qualify third continuing his front row starting position as in all previous races.

With Saturday morning qualifying being canceled due to high winds, a short 20 minute warm-up took place before the 3:00 race. The start found Jason sitting seventh after the first lap, then working his way up and then running wide in one turn and running off in another turn, Jason found himself fighting for seventh position, ultimately finishing eighth at the checkered flag by six one thousands of a second (photo finish). Upon entering pit lane, the mechanical gremlins brought the bike to a halt short of his pit area. Upon further investigation after the race it appeared there were some issues with the motorcycles performance which Jason felt was part of the problem in his running off course.

On Sunday, preparing for race number two, the swelling in Jason's right foot remained large so he continued to wear the oversized boot. His start was similar to Saturdays finding him seventh again, then working his way up to fourth ultimately finishing fifth prior to the checkered flag. The points garnered from these two races still has Jason ranked fourth in the Championship Series.

Jason appeared with a new look emulating "Mr. T" as a change of pace from the previous races as a "Mountain Man" with full beard cut and a Mohawk. Who knows what is next to come?

Jason will be testing at Miller Motor Sports Park the 7th and 8th of May and racing at Infineon in California the 16th, 17th and 18th of May which will be televised on SpeedTV. Race 1 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and Race 2 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

After finishing third at Daytona International Speedway in the AMA Superbike Championship. Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, NY and Las Vegas, NV heads for Birmingham, AL for round 2 of the series. Having done extensive testing since his Daytona podium, Jason feels strongly about the upcoming event.

In an interview done by Superbike Planet, Jason indicated when asked about the bike's handling ability I'm pretty comfortable with our current setup that we raced with in Daytona, it does everything you tell it to do, which makes it a lot easier to ride.

During testing at Barber Jason showed the speed and time to be in contention for a top three result. Being a two race weekend, Race 1 to be held Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Race 2 to be held Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Note: Saturday's race will be televised on SpeedTV Sunday, April 20th at 3:00 p.m. followed by the Sunday race at 5:00 p.m.

During the AMA Superbike weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, NY and Las Vegas, NV improved his standings in the Superbike Championship from 3rd to 2nd, with a 2nd place podium in Saturday's race and a 4th place finish in Sunday's race.

The weekend began strong for Jason as he consistently ran top 3 in warm-ups on Friday. With qualifying on Saturday, Jason was 3rd fastest getting him a front row starting position for both races. Race 1 on Saturday saw Jason get a good start finding himself 5th, ultimately working himself up to 3rd. With a competitor crashing, Jason moved into 2nd position and never looked back. His lap times were consistent throughout the balance of the race with other competitors unable to challenge him for the 2nd place position. At the end of the race he stated, "the tires started to go away with six laps left, but everyone behind me was in the same boat, so we just brought it home." With Jason finishing 2nd it moved him into 2nd place in the championship standings.

Sunday morning's practice again found Jason running in the top 3 in preparation for the afternoon race. At the green light, Jason got off to a less than stellar start and found himself running seventh. He decided to sit back to wait to see what developed in front of him before making a move midway through the race while his tires were still in good shape. He made the pass from 7th to 6th, then closing on 5th place, ultimately making the pass moving him into 5th, then challenging for 4th place. Once he moved into 4th he closed on 3rd, planning for a move to the final podium position. With five laps to go back markers began to play a role in Jason's progress. During the next four laps, Jason's attempts to move to third were thwarted by limited passing zones and back marker interference. By the last lap, after clearing the back markers, Jason found himself 2 seconds behind 3rd, knowing it would be impossible to set up a pass. Ultimately finishing 4th, Jason commented, "It was a good run, slower riders (back markers) sometimes play a roll in the final results."

The next race takes place April 25th-27th at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. With very little rest, the teams will prepare for Friday, Saturday and Sunday racing. Both races will be televised on Sunday, April 27th at 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on SpeedTV.

The factory Yamaha squad is racing their first event with the former World Superbike equipment the team first tested at Daytona in late November.

Last season Yamaha struggled as they got back into Superbike racing after a multi-year hiatus. At the November test, team riders Eric Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo both felt the so-called "bike from Italy" was a huge leap in performance from the machines the team raced last year.

"So far, everything has been very promising," said Yamaha's Tom Halverson.