Virginia International Raceway Update August 16, 2009 4:00pm (EST)
It was a weekend of steady progression and ultimately success for Paradigm Racing. The weekend began tentatively with the team searching for the ideal setup. Initially, rider Bobby Fong qualified in 15th position in Friday's Basic Qualifying session. However, a great deal of progress was made between the Basic and Final Qualifying sessions. By the conclusion of the Final Qualifying session Saturday morning, the team had improved to an 11th place starting position for the weekend's two races.
Race 1:
Race 1 was a battle of attrition from beginning to end. The race included numerous crashes as the conditions and technical nature of the track caught many riders out. However, Fong was able to run a smart race at a very competitive pace. Fong had a tough start, but began to pick riders off one-by-one almost immediatley after the green flag was waved. He maintained his pace throughout the race and finished in 6th position.
Race 2:
Race 2 saw some of the closest racing of the year with thrilling racing action and countless passes throughout the field. The action began with the green flag and did not end until the checkered flag waved. Fong had a much better start in the second race. He immediately began to engage in numerous tight battles with several riders. At race's end, he finished just three-hundredths of a second behind 5th place finisher Roger Hayden. Ultimately, Fong brought the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home in 6th position for his fourth top ten in a row.
Rider Bobby Fong:
"Both of this weekend's races were crazy from the first lap to the last. VIR hasn't always been my favorite track. I have had some tough weekend's here in the past, but we made a lot of progress throughout the weekend and came away with some good results. Once we got the bike dialed in, it was just a matter of seizing opportunities as they presented themselves. We carried a lot of momentum with us from the last round, capitalized on it, and now we are looking to carry even more momentum into the last round in New Jersey," said Fong.
Crew Chief Perry Melneciuc:
"It's always about finding the right setup. I feel like we accomplished that goal here at VIR and Bobby rode great in both of the weekend's races. We struggled a little on Friday, but were able to find a good direction and ultimately put the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 up where it should be. Finding the right setup at VIR can be tricky at times, but the team pulled together and got the job done. Momentum can be a huge factor in racing and we plan on building on that going forward. New Jersey is a new track and it presents us with a great opportunity to display what we are capable of. I'm definitely looking forward to racing there in a few weeks," Melneciuc said.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 16, 2009 9:45am (EST)
The morning warm-up session has come to an end. Bobby finished the session in 9th position. We were able to get the suspension sorted out and we are in a good position going into today's Race 2. Race 2 starts at 2:00pm (EST). As always we will have instant in-race updates on our Twitter page or you can get post-race results (including race details) here.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 15, 2009 5:00pm (EST)
Race 1 is in the books! Bobby brought the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home in 6th place for a fantastic finish!! The track caught numerous riders out and made the race a true war of attrition. However, Bobby was able to run a smart race and overcome the challenges that the track and conditions threw at him. The team will continue the forward progress and carry it into tomorrow's Race 2.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 15, 2009 10:30am (EST)
Final Qualifying for Group A has ended. Bobby was able to pick-up over a second and a half from yesterday! This was good for 8th position at the end of the session. The adjustments made overnight have proved to be very beneficial. We are looking to capitalize on this progress in today's Race 1. Race 1 will begin at 4:00pm (EST) so check back here or on our Twitter page for in-race updates.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 14, 2009 2:00pm (EST)
Basic Qualifying for Group A has concluded. Bobby ended up in 14th position. We will make some adjustments and hopefully make up some ground in tomorrow morning's Final Qualifying session for Group A.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 14, 2009 12:00pm (EST)
Daytona SportBike morning practice session has ended. Bobby finished the session in 13th position, which is good for Qualifying Group A. We tried out some different settings and made progress at finding the ideal setup. Basic Qualifying for Group A is coming up from 1:20-1:50pm. Check back here post session or get instant updates during the session on our Twitter page.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 14, 2009 8:00am (EST)
Coming up from 10:40-11:30am we have Daytona SportBike morning practice. Check back here or on our Twitter page for instant updates/results from all of the weekend's sessions.
Virginia International Raceway Update August 10, 2009 2:00pm (EST)
Here is video of a fast lap at Virginia International Raceway. **TURN DOWN YOUR SPEAKERS; VIDEO SOUND VOLUME IS HIGH**
Virginia International Raceway Update August 09, 2009 9:00am (EST)
Race 2 has come to a conclusion. The race began with Fong pushing hard, but was shuffled down two spots to 10th as the field battled into a near single file line going into Turn 1 Alpha. However, Fong put his head down and regained those two spot before a red flag was thrown. Fong had a good restart and began to claw his way through the field. He reached as high as 5th before dropping a position one postiHe began battle with Jake Zemke. Zemke was finally able to get past on the second to last lap moving Fong down a spot to 7th position. Fong and the rider behind him nearly collided as a close pass was made. As a result, Fong was forced to stand the bike up, which allowed an additional rider through. However, Fong was able to bring the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home with a strong 9th place finish. Ty also ran a tremendous race. Ty started from 20th position and initially dropped down two spots before the red flag came out. Following the restart Ty pushed hard and was able to regain the two spots he had given up. As the laps ticked away, Ty jumped up two more spots and was able to secure a spectacular 18th place finish. Congratulations to both riders for a wonderful weekend.
Heartland Park Update August 1, 2009 5:30pm (CST)
Race 1 is in the books! It was a tremendous race that saw countless position changes and some of the tightest racing this year. Bobby was able to battle hard to a fantastic 5th place finish! Ty also rode hard from the beginning and brought the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home in 22nd position. It was a tough race that saw Bobby starting from 8th position and Ty starting from 20th. The race was red flagged just one lap in after a rider low-sided and was apparently injured. The race resumed and Bobby was able to get a good restart and quickly moved up two spots to 6th. A tough battle ensued between Bobby and Aprilia factory rider Chaz Davies. The two swapped positions several times before Davies was able to pull away slightly. Bobby then settled in and was able to maintain his position till the race's end. Ty also had a good restart and battled hard with a pack of three riders. By race end Ty was able to secure a solid finish in one of the toughest races of the year! Hats off to both riders for a great race and a pair of solid finishes!!
Heartland Park Update August 1, 2009 11:45am (CST)
Today's warm-up session has ended. An overnight rainstorm has washed the rubber off the track. Consequently, the amount of available traction has gone down dramatically. This factor combined with today's cooler tempatures/steady wind has caused track conditions to be less than ideal. Lap times were off by almost 1.5 seconds at the sessions end. The 2-hour Moto-GT race combined with the Superbike race should put some good rubber down. This should improve the condition of the track come race time for the 20 lap/50 mile Daytona SportBike race at 4:00pm (CST).
Heartland Park Update July 31, 2009 6:00pm (CST)
SuperPole has ended and Bobby brought the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home in 8th position. It was one of the most exciting SuperPoles of the year as each rider battled in a tense session under the hot Kansas sun. Bobby had the bike nearly sideways as he fought for traction coming out of the last corner onto the front straightaway!! It was a great lap to watch in a session filled with suspense and some of the best on track action this year! It was definitely the highlight of the session and provided great entertainment for all in attendance.
Heartland Park Update July 31, 2009 2:10pm (CST)
Basic Qualifying has ended. Bobby was able to secure a SuperPole berth by bringing the Paradigm Racing Yamaha R6 home in 7th position with a last minute push the bumped him from 11th to 7th. Ty also pushed really hard and battled with grip, but was able to get a solid 20th place position at the session's end!
Heartland Park Update July 31, 2009 11:45am (CST)
Today's practice session has ended. Ty was in 18th position at the end of the session and consistently lowered his lap times as the session progressed. Ty's fastest lap was a 1:41.360. Bobby was in 6th position at the end of the session and set a fastest time of 1:39.711. He held 3rd position for the majority of the session, but was bumped to fourth with just 5 minutes remaining. He was bumped down two more positions to 6th with just seconds remaining.
Heartland Park Update July 31, 2009 9:30am (CST)
Practice is coming up from 10:40-11:30am and will determine which qualifying group our riders will go into. As always we will have updates/results both here and on our Twitter page (www.twitter.com/paradigmracing)so check back often!!
Heartland Park Update July 31, 2009 8:00am (CST)
Bobby Fong will be joining the team this weekend. The weather looks good and the team is excited about the possibilities.
