Adam Sinclair - Results from #7270

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its annual visit to the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" on Saturday with the La Crescent Wine & Spirit Spring Creek National from Spring Creek MX Park in Minnesota's Mississippi River Valley. While hometown riders were focal points on the afternoon, it was a rookie who stole the show in the 450 Class as GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac dominated en route to his first career win, sweeping each of the day's motos to become the fourth different winner in the division this season. In the 250 Class, Millville native Jeremy Martin put his Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha atop the podium for the fourth time this season, extending his points lead with a triumphant effort at the track owned and operated by his parents.

After taking his second overall win of the season one week ago, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey looked for more of the same at his hometown track by capturing the Motosport.com Holeshot Award in the first 450 Class moto. Dungey was closely followed by his Red Bull KTM teammate and main championship rival Ken Roczen, who soon put the pressure on Dungey and took over the top spot on the opening lap. The duo continued to race within mere bike lengths of one another before Roczen slowly started to pull away.

Tomac lurked in third behind the KTM duo and was on a mission to the front. Following a crash by Dungey on Lap 3, Tomac assumed control of second and set his sights on Roczen. Tomac methodically closed down the gap to the German out front and before long it became a head-to-head showdown between the pair of 450 Class rookies, who also were championship rivals one year ago in the 250 Class. The duo went bar-to-bar for multiple laps, trading positions and using every inch of the Millville track before Tomac made the pass stick on Lap 12. Once in control of the moto, the Honda rider checked out and took his first checkered flag in the premier division by over 16 seconds. Roczen finished second, with Dungey third. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard followed in fourth, with Toyota/Yamaha/N-FAB/JGRMX's Josh Grant rounding out the top five.

Tomac, who missed the first four rounds and eight motos of the season with an injury, carried the momentum into the second moto by securing the Motosport.com Holeshot Award ahead of Dungey while Roczen battled from a start deep inside the top 10. However, a malfunction with the starting gate was deemed to have resulted in a disadvantage for some riders and brought out the red flag to signify a restart.

As the gate dropped for the second time, Tomac once again emerged at the front, claiming the Motosport.com Holeshot Award again but losing the lead briefly to Toyota/Yamaha/N-FAB/JGRMX's Justin Brayton. The Yamaha rider's time out front was short lived, as Tomac reclaimed the position with Dungey soon following suit to take over second. Behind this trio, Canard and Roczen were also making their respective charges to the front and both riders also made their way around Brayton to establish a four-rider breakaway out front.

Mother Nature may not have cooperated for Saturday's on-track action of the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but it makes for an action-packed Sunday schedule.

With the first day's qualifying sessions and races washed out by rain, AMA Pro Racing will move all of the weekend's green-to-checkered action to Sunday.

Early morning rainfall resulted in a delayed start Saturday, and the most experienced riders, those in the AMA Pro SuperBike class, tested the track and reported back on the circuit's conditions. When the skies cleared and the track dried sufficiently, the SuperBike, GoPro Daytona GoPro SportBike, and SuperSport classes worked in afternoon practice sessions. Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes (1:31.889), RoadRace Factory/Red Bull's Jake Gagne (1:30.944) and TOBC Racing Suzuki's Hayden Gillim (1:37.700) led the way in their respective classes.

An abbreviated schedule then called for the races to be grid by points. Unfortunately, returning and recurring showers spoiled multiple attempts to stage Saturday's contests as the day progressed.

In an attempt to hold races in the afternoon, the SuperBike riders had a 10-minute evaluation period, but between the completion of that session and the call to grid, conditions worsened and no bikes went on-track the rest of the day.

Sunday's schedule has been pushed forward forty minutes and will now get underway at 8 a.m. local time (5 a.m. PT) with the opening AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series session. The remainder of the day's slate is still being determined.

How to Watch

FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2014. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.

In a race in which it seemed no one wanted to keep the lead, Scott Hargrove was the last man standing and expanded his championship lead in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. Hargrove, 19, from Surrey, British Columbia, won Round 5 of the season Saturday, July 19 in the No. 69 OpenRoad Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car on the Streets of Toronto. The victory was his fourth in five starts this season for Vancouver-based OpenRoad Racing.  

"Four wins in five rounds now, so it's been a phenomenal year, and we are going to try and keep this going," championship leader Hargrove said.  Hargrove leads Chris Green, 98-84, in the championship after five rounds. 

Marco Cirone, from Toronto, finished second Saturday on his hometown track in the No. 88 Mark Motors Racing Porsche, 6.702 seconds behind Hargrove. It was the first overall podium finish of the season for Cirone, who expanded his Platinum Masters (drivers 45 and older) championship lead.

"I didn't have a very good qualifying," stated Cirone. "We were in sixth place when the race started, and it seemed like the five guys in front of me were just battling, and I just managed to stay behind them and be as cautious as I could because I saw everyone was being aggressive up there. But I got luck and managed to get by a couple of guys, and then it kind of spaced out a little bit, and I was able to keep up a pretty good pace. I was really lucky to get that second place because a couple of my other competitors had some misfortunes out there. Sorry for them, but I will take the second place, and I am very happy. My thanks to Mark Motors for giving me the opportunity to be here, and Porsche and IMSA. And the tires ... the Michelins were wonderful, and I hardly noticed any change." (What does it mean to you to be on the overall podium at your home race?): "It means a lot! I am really, really happy to have done well in front of my family and friends, and I love Toronto and have lived here most of my life. It was a great pleasure to be up here with Scott (Hargrove) and Santiago (Creel)."  

Santiago Creel, from Mexico City, placed third overall in the No. 60 Wright Motorsports entry. It was the first Canadian series start for Creel, a regular in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.

 "This is my first time here in Canada racing, and my first time with Michelin tires and my first time on a street circuit," added Creel. "We did well in the race and being behind and trying not to commit errors, which was the key factor." (How tough was it to adjust to a circuit you have never been to, and a street circuit for the first time?): "Well, my first practice I was in 14^th place, but then I saw ways I could go faster. And by the race I was in third."

Platinum Masters competitor Perry Bortolotti, from Kanata, Ontario, placed fourth overall in the No. 84 Mark Motors Racing Porsche.

"It was a lot of fun," commented Bortolotti. "Unfortunately Turn 1 was a little hectic with Carlos (de Quesada). I don't know what happened there, but we ended up touching wheels and I shot him into the wall, which is unfortunate for him. It knocked my toe out, so I struggled the rest of the race. I just tried to stay in touch with the top runners there, but it was a struggle. Good day overall, though. I can't complain. The car is in one piece, so it was a good day. I've raced all over the world, and this is one crazy racecourse, I'll tell you that. It's really bizarre. There is very little room for error. It's a big balls track. There's no doubt about it."

Jerimy Daniel, from Candiac, Quebec, placed fifth overall in the No. 75 TRC Porsche that competes in the Gold Cup (2010-2013 car models) championship. The result tied the best overall finish this season by a Gold Cup driver, as Daniel also was fifth in Round 2 in May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.

 "I had a little advantage maybe due to my experience here with Star Mazda, but I know some of the other drivers have done this, too, so it's fairly equal," Daniel added. "It was a really good track, even with the rain. We had really good strategy, and I only ran two laps in qualifying that gave me the second position, and I had really good tires for the race. Even at the last lap, my tires were really good. So I had fun, and that's the important thing!"  

Daniel and Tim Sanderson are tied, 84-84, atop the Gold Cup standings after this event.

"Great day, but we didn't quite have enough for Jerimy (Daniel) today," Sanderson stated. "He drove a great race and got me at the start. Our car ran really well. The Racing for Joanne's House GT3 Cup car was awesome. The guys had it prepared beautifully. Tomorrow's another day, and we will get back out there and try it again. The track is a little slippery. He (Jerimy Daniel) ran four laps in qualifying and I ran 15, so I think he had a bit more rubber than I did at the end. But we will see what happens tomorrow when we are all on fresh tires."

Hargrove and championship rivals Green and Spencer Pigot each led and then lost the front spot during the 36-minute race, shorted from the scheduled 45 minutes due to track repair after a previous race in another series. Green led the first five laps in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche after earning his second pole position of the season earlier this morning. But Green slid sideways into the wall in Turn 8 on the sixth lap, shortly after light rain started to fall around the 11-turn, 1.75-mile temporary street circuit. Hargrove zoomed past into the top spot while Green dropped in the running order. 

Montreal resident Green continued but finished 12^th, his first result outside of the top two this season. Hargrove then led the next seven laps before spinning in Turn 8, handing the lead to Pigot. Hargrove recovered quickly from the spin to take second.

  Championship leader Hargrove trimmed Pigot's lead from 1.714 seconds to .833 of a second during the next six minutes. Then Pigot, from Orlando, Florida, suffered a tough break as he sought his first victory of the season in the No. 21 Alegra Motorsports Porsche.

  A belt broke on Pigot's car, causing his engine to overheat and fluid to trail from his car. Pigot slowed, handing the lead back to Hargrove, also his rival in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires junior open-wheel series.

  Pigot was forced to the pits, out of the race in 15^th place.

  Hargrove admitted he nearly spun in the fluid from Pigot's car, but he kept control over the final five laps to earn the wild victory.

 Daniel earned his third Gold Cup victory of the season after starting from the class pole. But the win didn't come without strong resistance from Sanderson.

  Sanderson, from Pickering, Ontario, pulled to within .768 of a second of Daniel with 15 minutes left in the race in the No. 07 Alegra Motorsports/Northwest Atlantic Motorsports Porsche. But Daniel gradually eased away over the closing laps, leading Sanderson to the finish by 2.720 seconds.

Ilker Starck, from Toronto, finished third in Gold in the No. 48 SCB Racing/Downtown Porsche entry.

 "It was a great race being at the home track in Toronto," added Starck. "It was fantastic being at home and at least placing third. Of course, we tried to make it further up the podium, but we had a good car and everything worked pretty well for us after having a rough start Friday in practice."

  Chuck Harris, from Tampa, Florida, continued his perfect record in Silver Cup (2005 ½-2009 model cars) with his fifth victory in the class this season in the No. 50 Alegra Motorsports 911 GT3 Cup car.

 "It was awesome! It was my first time on a street course, and it was really, really fun," stated an elated Harris. "The car ran great, and the tires held up really well. I was very glad the rain held off. It kept trying to rain, but we got lucky. It got a bit slippery in places but not enough to slow us down too much. It was a good day. I am very happy to have the car in here without meeting the walls up close!"

Teammate Keith Bass, also from Tampa, Florida, was second in the No. 49 Alegra Motorsports entry.

"I love the track; I love Toronto. It's a beautiful track, and it's a lot of fun. Once you get used to the track, it's really a ton of fun," Bass concluded.  

Round 6 is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. (ET) Sunday, July 20 on the Streets of Toronto.   Live commentary for both races will be provided on Twitter at @IMSALive.

After winning last season at Toronto, Sheldon Creed of Alpine, Calif. picked up where he left off in the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS series by winning again on the picturesque downtown street circuit in Canada.

Creed’s TRAXXAS-sponsored truck fought alongside fellow 16-year-old Scotty Steele’s machine for most of the race until Steele made a late mistake on the final lap, which relegated him to a third-place finish, allowing Robby Gordon to inherit second. 

Creed started last in the field given that he missed the pre-race driver’s meeting, but drove a steady smart race in the rain to pass every truck in the field en route to victory.

“The difference in driving on asphalt and concrete was incredible,” Creed said referring to the wet, slick conditions. “Scotty was great on the concrete, and when we came off the asphalt his truck just took off. I’ve made a couple of late mistakes in these races and thrown a few away, and I wasn’t going to do it again. I just took my time and didn’t over drive the truck.”

Michigan’s Aaron Bambach came home fourth in his 3deminsional.com truck, with Mexico’s Apdaly Lopez finishing fifth after not getting any practice during Friday’s session where he crashed in turn one of lap one of the session. Toronto’s Paul Tracy fell victim to the wet conditions early in the race and came in sixth, as did Bill Hynes from Nazareth, Pa. in the Freaks for LIVE truck who finished seventh.

NBCSN will broadcast the race at 10 p.m. PDT on July 31 (1 a.m. EDT Aug. 1). Following its trip to Toronto, the series will shift to the west coast for its final three races of the 2014 season at the Sand Sport Super Show in Orange County, Calif. Sept. 19-20; the Coronado Speed Festival Sept. 21 and in Las Vegas in conjunction with the SEMA Show in early November.

With one of the most decorated nostalgia Nitro Funny Car fields ever assembled on the property, it was IHRA newcomer and Grand Blanc, Michigan native Shawn Bowen making the first move, propelling the "Violator" 1977 Pontiac Firebird Nitro Funny Car to the top of the charts at the IHRA Summer Nationals at Cordova Dragway Park.

Cary Goforth (Pro Stock), Mike Scott (Nitro Harley), Mike Hilsabeck (Nitro Altered) and Marisha Falk (Jet Dragster) also topped qualifying in their respective classes Friday in Cordova.

Bowen put down a stout lap in the first round of qualifying Friday night, rocketing to the top of the charts with a 5.819-second pass at 251.02 miles per hour to put the 2013 DRO champion in the No. 1 position entering eliminations on Saturday. Current IHRA points leader and four-time IHRA national event winner Jason Rupert qualified second in the Bays and Rupert "Black Plague" '69 Camaro with a 5.853 at 243.63 mph.

Mark Sanders, in the "Mr. Explosive" '69 Mustang, was third with a 5.880 at 244.25, while Paul Romine and John Hale rounded out the top five. Former IHRA Top Fuel world champion Bruce Litton snuck into the field in his final qualifying attempt to place sixth on the ladder, joining 2010 IHRA Funny Car champion Steve Nichols and Mike McIntire Jr. as the final drivers in the eight-car field.

Five drivers failed to make the field, including IHRA regular Tim Boychuk and heavy-hitter Marc White.

Cary Goforth, from Holdenville, Oklahoma, paced IHRA's Mountain Motor Pro Stock class on Friday, driving the Dean's Casing Service 2013 Chevrolet Camaro to the top spot on the ladder with a 6.254-second pass at 222.91 mph. Two-time IHRA Pro Stock champion Pete Berner qualified second with a 6.338 at 220.98 and Dean Goforth was third with a 6.357 at 218.72.

In Nitro Harley, Canadian Mike Scott led the way with a 6.617-second pass at 180.24 mph. Alvin Kobernusz, from nearby Manly, Iowa, was second with a 7.103 at 187.50 and Rocky Jackson was third.

Rounding out the nitro categories was Nitro Altered as Arizona native Mike Hilsabeck drove the aptly named "Arizona Thunder" to the top spot with a 6.738 at 157.61. Troy Martin was second with a 6.813 at 185.69 and Kyle Hough was third.

Finally, Marisha Falk was quickest in IHRA's Jet Dragster category with a 5.791-second pass at 276.41 mph, just edging Elaine Larsen and her 5.816 at 275.45.

The IHRA Summer Nationals at Cordova Dragway Park will continue on Saturday with final eliminations for all professional classes with the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series and first day action of the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL.

Robby Gordon edged TRAXXAS-driver Sheldon Creed on the final lap of practice Friday to set the fastest lap in qualifying for Saturday’s first of two Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS races at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Although Gordon, driving the SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires/TRAXXAS truck, set the quickest time in the session, he will not start on the pole for the 2:20 p.m. race Saturday given that he will draw a number from a hat during tomorrow’s pre-race driver’s meeting to determine how many rows in the eight-truck field will be inverted for the start. It is guaranteed, however, that he and Creed will start alongside each other when they get the green flag, but it is yet to be determined whether it will be row two, three or four.

Scotty Steele, who like Creed is 16-years-old, was third quickest following by Toronto’s Paul Tracy, Aaron Bambach and Bill Hynes. X Games gold medalist Apdaly Lopez, who also won earlier this year at Indianapolis, crashed in the first corner of the first lap of practice and did not record a lap time. The final spot in the field will be filled by Long Beach, California’s Nick Vanis who was delayed in his travels to Toronto due to a family illness.

The eight trucks will navigate the same 11-turn 1.755-mile (2.84 km) circuit as the IndyCar series, however, the trucks will also negotiate four man-made metal jumps placed strategically along the circuit’s front stretch.

NBCSN will broadcast the race at 10 p.m. PDT on July 31 (1 a.m. EDT Aug. 1). Following its trip to Toronto, the series will shift to the west coast for its final three races of the 2014 season at the Sand Sport Super Show in Orange County, Calif. Sept. 19-20; the Coronado Speed Festival Sept. 21 and in Las Vegas in conjunction with the SEMA Show in early November.

The Stadium Super Trucks that will race in Toronto will hit huge man-made ramps at more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the downtown street circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150 feet down course. The series features identically prepared trucks which are made to resemble their scaled-down Traxxas radio-control-car counterparts. Like their Traxxas namesake the trucks are designed to take flight. However, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds upwards of 130 miles per hour and race on DOT approved Toyo Tires.

VIEW: Practice 1 Results | Practice 2 Results

TORONTO (July 18, 2014) - Chris Green, Spencer Pigot and Scott Hargrove continued to be interchangeable parts of speed in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, as Green led his two championship rivals during practice Friday, July 18 on the Streets of Toronto.

Green, from Montreal, turned the quickest overall lap during the two 30-minute practices, 1 minute, 13.147 seconds, during the afternoon session in the No. 9 Pfaff MotorsportsPorsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

"The Pfaff Castrol car was fantastic," Green said. "I couldn't have asked for a better car today. There's room to grow, but it's putting us where we need to be for tomorrow, and the confidence is sky-high. The Michelins were fantastic. A really, really good tire."

Pigot, from Orlando, Florida, was second at 1:13.486 in the No. 21 Alegra MotorsportsPorsche, followed by Hargrove at 1:13.703 in the No. 69 OpenRoad Racing entry. Pigot was the quickest in the morning practice at 1:14.124, followed by Green and Hargrove.

Hargrove leads the single-make Porsche series, 78-74, over Green after four of 10 rounds this season. Pigot is third with 54 points.

"The focus is to do the best we can," Green said. "Scott is going to be quick. I know he's going to be fast. We're here to present a good battle, a good fight. I'm looking at it race by race."

The trio has dominated the premium Platinum Cup (2014 model cars) this season. Hargrove and Green have occupied the top two spots on the podium in all four rounds this season, with Hargrove winning three races and Green one. Pigot has finished third in three of four rounds.

They are expected to battle for the pole during qualifying at 7:30 a.m. (ET) Saturday, July 19 and in two 45-minute races this weekend as the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin is a featured part of the Honda Indy Toronto Verizon IndyCar Seriesweekend.

Round 5 is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, with Round 6 at 1:20 p.m. Sunday on the 11-turn, 1.75-mile temporary street circuit around Exhibition Place. This is the first time the series has competed in Canada's largest city.

Marco Cirone, from Toronto, was the leading Platinum Masters (age 45 and older) driver in practice Friday at 1:14.017 in the No. 88 Mark Motors Racing Porsche. Cirone leads the Platinum Masters standings as he aims for his second consecutive season championship in the class.

Jerimy Daniel, from Candiac, Quebec, led Gold Cup (2010-13 model cars) drivers at 1:15.240 in the No. 75 TRC Porsche. Tim Sanderson, from Pickering, Ontario, was the top Gold Masters driver at 1:15.510 in the No. 07 Alegra Motorsports/Northwest Atlantic Motorsports car.

Chuck Harris, from Tampa, Florida, paced the Silver Cup (2005 ½-2009 model cars) at 1:21.158 in the No. 50 Alegra Motorsports 911 GT3 Cup car.

For more information on the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com and @IMSA on Twitter with the hashtag #GT3CAN. Live commentary for both races will be provided on Twitter at @IMSALive.

POST-PRACTICE QUOTES

CHRIS GREEN (No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports, first, Platinum Cup): "It was a question of managing traffic. The pit crew was on the radio with me and said you have clear track, try to put something together. I wouldn't say it was a perfect lap, by any means. A lot to improve on. But the Pfaff Castrol car was fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a better car today. There's room to grow, but it's putting us where we need to be for tomorrow, and the confidence is sky-high. The Michelins were fantastic. A really, really good tire." (Have you raced on this track?): "I ran here 12 years ago in Barber Dodge Pro Series. I remember nothing. It's a long, long time ago. Basically learning a new track today." (How important is it to try and gain ground on Scott Hargrove this weekend?): "I don't think this weekend is more important than any other one we have coming up. The focus is to do the best we can. Scott is going to be quick. I know he's going to be fast. We're here to present a good battle, a good fight. I'm looking at it race by race."

JERIMY DANIEL (No. 75 TRC Porsche, first, Gold Cup): (About how previous experience in Pro Mazda at this track helped today): "It helped me know the corners, the layout of the track, but it didn't help me learn the track with this car. It's twice the weight, and Star Mazda is more grippy, with more downforce. So it's really, really different. You've got to learn to drive again. When you get on the track, you just remember doing it in Star Mazda. It's really hard to get used to it. That's why this morning I was not pushing. We had a little problem with the steering. Now we fixed it, and this afternoon it was really good with new tires." (About bouncing back after tough weekend at Calabogie): "My goal is just to finish the race. Whether I finish first or second or third, I'll be happy. It's important for me to be back on top because I want to make my name, my place in this kind of car. It's important for me to finish the race."

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The IMSA Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in one of the world's most successful and iconic race cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The series is one of Porsche's global single-make Cup Challenge series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The 10-round series races in 2014 at four classic Canadian road and street courses, providing thrills for drivers and fans.

IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the road-racing series resulting from the merger of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

(IMSA PR)

The opening half of the 2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series has featured four different winners in as many races. And now with four races to go, the championship picture is starting to come into focus as AMA Pro Road Racing arrives at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend. 

2010 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series champ Danny Eslick on the No. 69 Ruthless Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 has assumed the points lead after claiming his first victory of the season last Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. After getting caught up in the last-lap shuffle in the series opener at Daytona International Speedway - where he ended up crossing the line in sixth - the hard-charging Oklahoman has finished no lower than second. He actually hit the stripe second again last weekend after registering a measured ride to the win, well aware that the disappearing Steve Rapp and his No. 1 Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson XR1200 had been hit with a ten-second penalty for jumping the start. Eslick is looking to score a clear victory this weekend and open up a commanding championship lead heading into the season's final three races.

 "I think everybody expected me to just come in and win and it just shows that these guys have been busting their butts and riding these Harleys really hard," Eslick said. "They're definitely not the easiest bikes to get around a racetrack. When you get up to the pace Steve and some of these other guys are going, it makes it pretty tough. It's a lot of fun. It's not the way I wanted to win it - by penalty - but a 'W' is a 'W', and we need the points. We'll definitely take the money and move on to Mid-Ohio."

 Rapp, meanwhile, has found his form in terms of sheer pace, but his odds of claiming a repeat championship are growing ever longer. Last week's penalty resulted in a ten-point swing and he no longer controls his own destiny. Currently fifth and trailing Eslick by 38 points, even if Rapp sweeps the last four races of the season, he'll need Eslick to average worse than third in order to successfully repeat.  Despite the mistakes and misfortune that have left him in such a precarious championship position, Rapp remains the man to beat on any given weekend, as evidenced by his breakaway speed at the most recent two rounds. The Californian won at Mid-Ohio last season, but it came following a tight fight for the win in contrast to his more common jailbreak-style escapes at the front.

 "I just wanted to get a good start and try to build up a lead if I could and it looked like everything was going as planned," Rapp said of his Monterey runner-up performance. "I didn't know the penalty was for me. I wasn't really aware of what was going on, I was riding as if there was nothing going on. The bike was good and the tires felt great. Everything felt pretty good overall."

 Even though there have been four winners in four races, Kyle Wyman, pilot of the No. 33 KWR/Millennium Technologies Harley-Davidson XR1200, is the only man besides Rapp to have taken the checkered flag first this season. His Daytona disqualification handed the season-opening victory over to Tyler O'Hara on the No. 29 Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels Harley-Davidson XR1200. Wyman successfully bounced back to win at Road America, but crashed out the following weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. He continued his rollercoaster ride of a 2014 season by rebounding to claim the final spot on the box last weekend.  Wyman is hoping to end that up-and-down trend by backing up one strong race with another - this time at the closest thing he has to a home track on the tour.

 "Mid-Ohio is actually the closest AMA track to my home in New York," Wyman said. "I'm looking forward to some better track familiarity and this short week to rest my knee. I feel I will be 100 percent by Saturday morning and ready to make a charge."

 O'Hara, meanwhile, is hoping to reclaim the championship lead he had maintained all season until being displaced by Eslick last weekend California.  The perennial title contender, who is now second in the points and eleven back of first, has been uncharacteristically quiet as of late, stringing together three consecutive fourth place results. While he's been both quick and consistent, he'll be plenty motivated to get back on the box this weekend at Mid-Ohio.

 Ben Carlson on the No. 45 Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson XR1200 and Gage McAllister aboard the No. 51 Folsom Harley-Davidson XR1200 remain championship dark horses, currently ranked third and fourth, respectively.  With a fifth for Carlson and a seventh for McAllister, the two suffered their worst races of the season last weekend in Monterey. Fortunately, they won't have to stew long with an opportunity for redemption rapidly upon them.

 Meanwhile, up-and-comers Nick Hansen, riding the No. 97 Aerostar Global Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson XR1200, and Hayden Schultz on the No. 59 Chili Pepper Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 are just behind Wyman in the order in seventh and eighth, respectively.

 "Steve and Danny pulled away from our group, but we kept passing and re-passing each other," Schultz said. "I could pass in a few corners, but just couldn't make them stick for a whole lap. On the last lap, I pushed hard into the last turn, and tried to get a good drive, but I got kicked out of the seat and lost some time on the guy ahead of me."

 Ryan Kerr on the No. 28 Ryan Kerr Racing XR1200, the last man in the championship top ten, is excited about the prospects of performing in front of his home crowd this weekend. Hailing from nearby Johnstown, Ohio, Kerr is coming off an excellent sixth place run, which equaled his best result of 2014.

 "The weekend was full of ups and downs but overall it was good," Kerr said. "The race was a battle and I am happy with my sixth-place finish and even more thrilled with my lap times. My times prove that I can ride with the leaders and become a top competitor in this series.

 The AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series will first take to the track on Saturday at 10:20 a.m. local time (7:20 a.m. PT) for their opening practice. The 11-lap race will get underway at 12:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon (9:15 a.m. PT).

FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2014. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.