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KNAPP POSTS STRONG BUELL FINISHES AT ROAD AMERICA James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing Wins Moto-GT1 Race

East Troy, Wis. -- (Monday, June 08, 2009) Taylor Knapp posted fourth and sixth place finishes aboard his Latus Motor’s Buell 1125R in last weekend’s AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike double header at Road America, his best finishes of the season.

Knapp’s fourth place finish in Saturday’s rain-soaked Race 1, which included a two-lap dash for the checkered flag after a late-race caution, was a test of fortitude and survival for the 22-year-old, Lapeer, MI-based racer.

“Normally I'm horrible in the rain. But I clicked good, and got a good rhythm and flow [going],” said Knapp, who led the 13-lap race early until being passed by eventual winner Chris Peris (Erion Honda) on lap four. “The big difference for me this weekend was that I qualified well. I started up front and was determined to stay up front.”

Saturday’s wet and wild race also resulted in 6th, 7th and 9th place finishes respectively for Buell 1125 riders Danny Eslick, Shawn Higbee and Michael Barnes. “Having four privateer riders from three different Buell teams finish in the top ten was a testimony to how easy the 1125R is to ride in the wet,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company. “It’s also proof of the success of our concept of providing the same parts to all teams instead of running a factory team.”

In Sunday’s cool but dry Race 2, Knapp raced as high as third, then settled back into sixth to finish between the Buell 1125Rs of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR/GEICO rider Danny Eslick in fifth and GEICO Powersports/RMR’s Michael Barnes in seventh.

Knapp also posted Buell’s highest qualifying position of the weekend, earning a fifth place starting grid spot in Friday’s Superpole final qualifying session with a 2:22.164 lap. It was Knapp’s first Superpole appearance of the season.

“Being able to start up front makes a big difference in the weekend. The field is stacked with ten or 20 guys in the same second, so getting up front from the back is really hard,” he said. “But being fourth twice makes me hungrier than ever. Gotta get that podium now.”

Eslick’s combined sixth and fifth place finishes brought his season total to 199 points and solidified his third place standing in the Daytona SportBike championship behind Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking in second (204 points) and championship leader Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas (255 points) who won Race 2.

In Saturday’s two-hour SunTrust Moto-GT endurance race, the James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing team of Paul James and Jeff Johnson won the Moto-GT1 class in challenging wet/dry conditions with a combination of luck, strategy and quick pit stops.

“To win at home, the home of Buell and during the Buell Homecoming, with our primary sponsors, H-D/Buell of Appleton and Hoban Brothers nearby, and to have friends and family here, is very special,” James said. “This win means a lot to me and to our team.”

After starting the race from the pit lane and initially being shown a lap down at the finish, the Liberty Waves Racing team of Eric Pinson and Eric Haugo was elevated to third place in Moto-GT1 after a post-race analysis of timing and scoring restored the team’s missing lap, and is now tied for the championship lead with Old Pros Racing in the GT1 class with 68 points.

In the Moto-GT2 class, the James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing team of moto-journalists Troy Siahaan and Kevin Duke placed fourth, followed by Old Glory H-D/Buell’s Jaycent Gebers and Dennie Huff in seventh.

See the photo highlights from the weekend’s races in the racing gallery.

Founded by visionary motorcycle designer and former privateer racer Erik Buell in 1983, Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel, including the 1125R superbike, 1125CR café racer and air-cooled XB-series Ulysses, Firebolt, and Lightning. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, or to locate the dealer nearest you, log onto www.buell.com.