AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike
Spoiler Alert: 2012 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike results from NOLA Motorsports Park, New Orleans, listed below
Martin Cardenas of the GEICO Suzuki squad got a measure of revenge on Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha) in Sunday’s AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at NOLA Motorsports Park as the two class titans put on a memorable show during the final race of the 2012 season.
Cardenas crashed out of Saturday’s race won by Beaubier and the Yamaha pilot tied the series champion for victories this year with seven heading into today’s race.
Cardenas won Sunday’s nail-biter after a thrilling ending, one that saw both riders giving it all they had on the final lap. The Colombian was able to answer each of Beaubier’s tries at a pass and held off his younger rival for a 0.208 second win. For Cardenas, it was his eighth victory in his championship season.
Cardenas pulled away from the field early and Beaubier managed to catch up to make it a two-man fight. Both riders had slight bobbles that set up the last-lap showdown.
“For sure I wanted to beat Cameron,” said Cardenas. “Lately, he was winning a lot. I was prepared to give everything. If it worked out? Fine. If not? The ground was also okay. I gave everything I had.”
“Going into the last lap, I was pushing as hard as I could,” said Beaubier.
Tommy Aquino (Kneedragers.com Yamaha) beat Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki) to the line after that duo traded paint on the final lap.
J.D. Beach (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull) finished fifth after a podium on Saturday. He topped Jason DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Triumph) by less than half a second. Tommy Hayden, still recovering from an injury sustained at New Jersey in the fall, was next. Michael Beck of Team Beck Racing recovered from a crash on Saturday to finish eighth.
2012 New Orleans AMA SportBike Race 2 Results:
| Pos | No. | Rider(s) | Team | Bike | Interval | Gap | Best Lap | Points |
| 1. | 36 | Martin Cardenas | GEICO Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 18 Laps | WINNER | 1:42.593 | 0 |
| 2. | 6 | Cameron Beaubier | Yamaha Extended Service, Graves, Yamaha | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 0.208 | 0.208 | 1:42.374 | 0 |
| 3. | 124 | Tommy Aquino | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 14.856 | 14.648 | 1:43.417 | 0 |
| 4. | 5 | Dane Westby | M4 Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 15.052 | 0.195 | 1:43.258 | 0 |
| 5. | 95 | JD Beach | Road Race Factory/Red Bull | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 23.859 | 8.807 | 1:44.097 | 0 |
| 6. | 40 | Jason DiSalvo | Team Latus Motors Racing | Triumph Daytona 675 | 24.175 | 0.315 | 1:44.098 | 0 |
| 7. | 22 | Tommy Hayden | Yamaha Extended Service, Graves, Yamaha | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 44.411 | 20.236 | 1:44.522 | 0 |
| 8. | 61 | Michael Beck | Team Beck Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 48.833 | 4.422 | 1:44.697 | 0 |
| 9. | 175 | David Gaviria | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 55.022 | 6.188 | 1:44.895 | 0 |
| 10. | 38 | Kris Turner | Turner`s Cycle Racing | Triumph Daytona 675 | 1:03.243 | 8.221 | 1:45.251 | 0 |
| 11. | 74 | Josh Galster | Gearzy/Josh Galster Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:07.492 | 4.248 | 1:45.752 | 0 |
| 12. | 42 | Kenny Riedmann | Sturgess Cycle Triumph | Triumph Daytona 675 | 1:08.276 | 0.784 | 1:46.099 | 0 |
| 13. | 25 | Chris Peris | ADR Motorsports 2 | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:12.175 | 3.899 | 1:46.204 | 0 |
| 14. | 75 | Huntley Nash | LTD Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:12.234 | 0.059 | 1:46.357 | 0 |
| 15. | 30 | Danny Kelsey | RPS Race Team | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:12.423 | 0.188 | 1:46.280 | 0 |
| 16. | 52 | Joey Pascarella | Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 1:12.511 | 0.087 | 1:46.036 | 0 |
| 17. | 86 | Ben Young | BYR/Fogi Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:13.774 | 1.263 | 1:46.434 | 0 |
| 18. | 72 | Bryce Prince | Rotobox/Nexx | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:21.233 | 7.458 | 1:46.630 | 0 |
| 19. | 39 | Nicollas Ferreira | DMS Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:41.794 | 20.561 | 1:48.053 | 0 |
| 20. | 7 | Fernando Amantini | Team Amantini | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1:42.005 | 0.210 | 1:48.033 | 0 |
| 21. | 111 | Derek Wagnon | HSBK Racing | Ducati 848 | 1:47.111 | 5.106 | 1:47.044 | 0 |
| 22. | 56 | Austin Dehaven | Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 17 Laps | 1 Lap | 1:44.819 | 0 |
| 23. | 13 | Melissa Paris | MPH Racing | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 1:18.565 | 1:18.565 | 1:48.934 | 0 |
| 24. | 63 | Jeff Wrobel | Wrobel Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:18.794 | 0.229 | 1:49.124 | 0 |
| 25. | 24 | Scott Ryan | Stiles Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 15 Laps | 2 Laps | 1:47.678 | 0 |
| 26. | 57 | Cory West | Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki | Suzuki GSX-R600 | 6 Laps | 9 Laps | 1:43.917 | 0 |
| 27. | 50 | Bobby Fong | Meen Motorsports Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 3 Laps | 3 Laps | 1:43.822 | 0 |
| 28. | 98 | Jake Zemke | Ducshop Racing | Ducati 848 | 1.073 | 1.073 | 1:43.843 | 0 |
| 29. | 46 | Shane Narbonne | MOB Racing | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 0 Laps | 3 Laps | -no times- | 0 |
| 30. | 132 | Jake Gagne | Road Race Factory/Red Bull | Yamaha YZF-R6 | DNS | DNS | -no times- | 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 |
