Spoiler Alert: 2012 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike results from NOLA Motorsports Park, New Orleans, listed below
It was a true showdown in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike. GEICO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas clinched the title in Miami, but many times during the 2012 season he had to watch Cameron Beuabier, who had no title aspirations after an earlier injury, win races for Y.E.S /Graves/Yamaha. With the championship decided, both riders could go for it in New Orleans.
Beaubier came out on top as Cardenas crashed out in the waning laps while the duo fought for position at the front. It was the seventh win of the year for Beaubier, which ties him with Cardenas for the most victories on the season in GoPro Daytona SportBike.
Cardenas rode off into the lead twice, as the race was stopped by a red flag caused by an ugly crash that happened on lap three when Meen Motorsports’ Bobby Fong hit the rear of polesitter Jake Gagne’s RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha in turn one. After the race was restarted, Cardenas once again pulled away, only to have Beaubier charge through the pack and catch up with the Colombian. Cardenas had several near-crashes before relinquishing the point to Beaubier. The two-time Daytona SportBike Champion had just slipped back into the lead before crashing out of the final series of turns with two to go.
“I was trying to make my way up towards the front,” said Beaubier. “I put my head down and managed to catch up to Cardenas. He made a mistake and crashed. It’s not the way I wanted to win but my team gave me a great bike.”
Dane Westby finished second for M4 Suzuki, maintaining second place in the series points. He beat J.D. Beach on the RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha and Tommy Aquino on the Kneedraggers.com Yamaha, who tangled in the final corners.
Jake Zemke earned a top five on the DucShop Ducati. Jason DiSalvo was sixth on his Latus Motors Racing-branded Triumph. David Gaviria earned seventh on his Kneedraggers.com Yamaha.
2012 AMA SportBike Race 1 Results:
| Pos | No. | Rider(s) | Team | Bike | Interval | Gap | Best Lap | Points |
| 1. | 6 | Cameron Beaubier | Yamaha Extended Service, Graves, Yamaha | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 18 Laps | WINNER | 1:42.779 | 0 |
| 2. | 5 | Dane Westby | M4 Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 4.782 | 4.782 | 1:43.806 | 0 |
| 3. | 95 | JD Beach | Road Race Factory/Red Bull | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 7.635 | 2.853 | 1:43.769 | 0 |
| 4. | 124 | Tommy Aquino | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 12.437 | 4.802 | 1:43.658 | 0 |
| 5. | 98 | Jake Zemke | Ducshop Racing | Ducati 848 | 22.001 | 9.563 | 1:44.176 | 0 |
| 6. | 40 | Jason DiSalvo | Team Latus Motors Racing | Triumph Daytona 675 | 24.869 | 2.868 | 1:44.746 | 0 |
| 7. | 175 | David Gaviria | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 25.428 | 0.559 | 1:45.014 | 0 |
| 8. | 57 | Cory West | Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 25.706 | 0.278 | 1:45.023 | 0 |
| 9. | 56 | Austin Dehaven | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 26.046 | 0.339 | 1:44.923 | 0 |
| 10. | 22 | Tommy Hayden | Yamaha Extended Service, Graves, Yamaha | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 26.173 | 0.126 | 1:44.881 | 0 |
| 11. | 38 | Kris Turner | Turner`s Cycle Racing | Triumph Daytona 675 | 43.266 | 17.092 | 1:45.112 | 0 |
| 12. | 86 | Ben Young | BYR/Fogi Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 47.759 | 4.492 | 1:46.153 | 0 |
| 13. | 46 | Shane Narbonne | MOB Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 48.898 | 1.139 | 1:45.988 | 0 |
| 14. | 52 | Joey Pascarella | Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 48.903 | 0.004 | 1:45.836 | 0 |
| 15. | 30 | Danny Kelsey | RPS Race Team | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:06.477 | 17.573 | 1:46.896 | 0 |
| 16. | 39 | Nicollas Ferreira | DMS Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:07.375 | 0.898 | 1:47.243 | 0 |
| 17. | 7 | Fernando Amantini | Team Amantini | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1:11.390 | 4.014 | 1:47.263 | 0 |
| 18. | 24 | Scott Ryan | Stiles Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:11.466 | 0.076 | 1:47.595 | 0 |
| 19. | 42 | Kenny Riedmann | Sturgess Cycle Triumph | Triumph Daytona 675 | 1:38.300 | 26.834 | 1:46.001 | 0 |
| 20. | 74 | Josh Galster | Gearzy/Josh Galster Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:39.100 | 0.799 | 1:48.403 | 0 |
| 21. | 63 | Jeff Wrobel | Wrobel Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:41.890 | 2.789 | 1:49.265 | 0 |
| 22. | 61 | Michael Beck | Team Beck Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 17 Laps | 1 Lap | 1:44.864 | 0 |
| 23. | 72 | Bryce Prince | Rotobox/Nexx | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 27.866 | 27.866 | 1:47.292 | 0 |
| 24. | 36 | Martin Cardenas | GEICO Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 15 Laps | 2 Laps | 1:43.239 | 0 |
| 25. | 111 | Derek Wagnon | HSBK Racing | Ducati 848 | 11 Laps | 4 Laps | 1:47.517 | 0 |
| 26. | 25 | Chris Peris | ADR Motorsports 2 | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 2.207 | 2.207 | 1:47.439 | 0 |
| 27. | 75 | Huntley Nash | LTD Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 9 Laps | 2 Laps | 1:46.904 | 0 |
| 28. | 50 | Bobby Fong | Meen Motorsports Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 2 Laps | 7 Laps | 1:44.072 | 0 |
| 29. | 132 | Jake Gagne | Road Race Factory/Red Bull | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 0.162 | 0.162 | 1:43.910 | 0 |
| 30. | 13 | Melissa Paris | MPH Racing | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 15.583 | 15.421 | 1:50.188 | 0 |
| 31. | 20 | Benny Solis | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | DNS | DNS | -no times- | 0 |
| 32. | 34 | Michael Barnes | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | DNS | DNS | -no times- | 0 |
| 33. | 80 | Garrett Willis | SGA Racing/Yamaha Champions Riding School | Yamaha YZF-R6 | DNS | DNS | -no times- | 0 |
