chris ulrich
GEICO Motorcycle Pro Chris Ulrich Miller Motorsports Park Recap
From a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle:
First podium finish of the year for GEICO Honda rider Ulrich
TOOELE, Utah (May 25) — Luck may be changing for GEICO Motorcycle Honda American rider Chris Ulrich, who reached the podium for the first time this year by finishing third in the last round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City.
“It’s been a fun weekend starting all the way back on Friday,” Ulrich said. “We were pretty much in around fifth all weekend. We qualified fifth but we were able to close the gap quite a bit, and I was really happy about that.
“With the Superbikes, it’s all about keeping the gap close, and we were able to do that here. I got a really good start and was fourth off the line. I kept thinking, ‘Keep your head down, keep calm, and keep going.’ I came around one lap and I saw a rider down, and next thing I know I’m in third place. I was pulling away from the guy behind me and I’m pacing along with the rider in second place. It was a good feeling.”
Ulrich knows that without the consistency he had the entire weekend, his podium finish may have been harder to secure. At a track that is known for large gaps in between riders, Ulrich knew that he had to be almost perfect.
“I put myself in a good position by having a good start and qualifying well. I did everything right this weekend, and I feel like I got rewarded for it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the podium, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m glad I can reward my team and my family.
“We still have a lot of work to do and to continue to work on closing the gap, but to get the trophy means you’re doing something right on the bike. It means you worked hard to get there. I’m just definitely super stoked.”
Ulrich will look to ride his momentum when the AMA Pro Road Racing Series season continues with the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader, May 30-June 1, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Zemke, Ulrich Ready To Race At GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout In Utah
From a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing:
TOOELE, Utah (May 24) — Road racing veteran Jake Zemke will contest the third and final leg of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout from the No. 6 spot on the Pro Sportbike starting grid after qualifying with a best lap of 1:31.963 Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park.
Chris Ulrich, Zemke’s teammate on the GEICO Motorcycle Honda team, one-upped his friend with a fifth-best time of 1:29.385 in Pro Superbike.
It was a decent result for the team, considering both riders had less track time than they had hoped as morning rain and cool temperatures kept everyone in the pits during a scheduled early-morning practice session. In the end, most riders used just one practice period to prep for the lone qualifying round.
“We certainly were a bit limited by time today,” Zemke said. “No one even went out this morning because it was wet, and that probably hurt all of us a bit. I know for us qualifying really didn’t quite work out like we had hoped. We took a couple steps back, actually, after making some changes to the rear shock that didn’t pan out.
“We didn’t get our best run in there today but we’re still on the second row for the race, and I think we’re going to be OK. It’s not like we’re a mile behind the guys in front of us. We’ll work on the bike tonight and try to improve it for race day. We do have one more practice session in the morning and although it will probably be a bit cooler, we’ll be able to work on some things. I’d personally like to have the bike turn a little better. I have complete confidence in the guys. They’ll have this thing ready to race.”
Ulrich tempered his enthusiasm after qualifying inside of Row 2, pointing out that a few of the tour regulars had skipped this race to prep for next weekend’s AMA Pro event at Road America. Still, he was very pleased with the progress of his team’s efforts.
“It’s encouraging because we closed the gap on a lot of really good bikes that had put time on us in the first two rounds of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout,” Ulrich said. “We went home and found some thing with the forks that needed changing and it’s helped quite a bit. I have a lot more confidence with the front of the bike.
“We made another change between practice and qualifying today and it didn’t feel as good but we were quicker. We closed right up on the guys in front of us and even passed a few, so we’re encouraged by that, not only for this race but for next weekend and beyond.
“I think we can make this latest configuration more comfortable and stay just as quick. I’m a comfort rider; I like to feel good when I’m riding. If I feel good I’m able to push harder.”
The Dynojet Pro Sportbike race will begin at 2:25 p.m. MT, Sunday, immediately followed by the RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike race at 3:10 p.m. Both races are slated for 18 laps each.
Zemke, Ulrich and GEICO Motorcycle Team To Build On Sonoma
SALT LAKE CITY (May 21) — After a crash in Sonoma, GEICO Motorcycle Honda SportBike rider Jake Zemke is looking for redemption when he makes his way to the third round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout at Miller Motorsports Park, May 24-25, in Salt Lake City.
“The last round of the Superbike Shootout was a tough pill for us to swallow,” Zemke said. “As a team we really felt like we were making progress and moving in the right direction. Accidents happen and I know that. It’s just hard to be in such a great position and then have the day end, not only early but with a wrecked bike as well.
“Sonoma is in the past though. The entire GEICO Honda team has worked nonstop to get us ready and competitive for the last round in Salt Lake City. I feel like we have a great chance to go out there and redeem ourselves. That’s all I can really ask for at this point.”
While Zemke’s teammate, GEICO Motorcycle Honda American SuperBike rider Chris Ulrich, had a better weekend in Sonoma, he really wasn’t satisfied with his overall performance and is ready to try his luck on a track he has seen before.
“It’s going to be a fun event,” Ulrich said. “The race is on a little bit different course than most of the guys are used to, but I’ve been there before in the past, which should help. The racetrack has some of the faster, more fun sections included, which should make for some good racing. I definitely would like to not only improve on my finishing position from Sonoma but work on decreasing the gap between the leaders as well.
“We found some things on the bike after Sonoma that just weren’t right and caused us problems all weekend. We think we have that figured out now, and I’m ready to get on a bike again and make progress from there. I look forward to finishing out the Superbike Shootout Series with a strong effort and then move on to the rest of the AMA Road Racing Series season.”
Racing action in Salt Lake City begins May 24 with a full day of practice and qualifying for both pro classes starting at 2:30 p.m. PT. Road racing continues on May 25 with practice at 9:35 a.m., followed by the Dynojet Pro Sportbike race at 1:25 p.m. and the RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike race at 2:10 p.m.
GEICO Motorcycle Team Recaps Arai Pacific Nationals
From a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle:
SONOMA, Calif. (May 5) — GEICO Motorcycle rider Jake Zemke was staring at a podium finish in the Arai Pacific Nationals, the second round of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout, when the unthinkable happened Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.
Zemke’s Honda slipped out from under him, and while trying to regain control Zemke was clipped from behind. Three riders, including Joe Roberts and Benny Solis Jr., tumbled off the track and out of the SportBike race.
“It was unfortunate for the GEICO Motorcycle team,” Zemke said. “We were definitely looking at the podium this weekend. I guess we’ll just have to roll on to Utah and Miller Motorsports Park, take that momentum, and go forward.”
SuperBike teammate Chris Ulrich is looking forward to the race at Miller as well after making significant progress in Sonoma. Ulrich had a wild race, starting eighth before getting pinched in Turn 1 on the start and slipping back to 12th.
Ulrich, however, had one of the fastest bikes in the race, gaining two spots on the second lap and one more on Lap 4 and was eighth five laps into the 20-lap event. He was closing on seventh place with seven laps remaining when a tire issue slowed his progress.
“We were marching forward,” Ulrich said. “I got to eighth and was closing on seventh and sixth, and then one lap in Turn 4, all of a sudden the back comes around on decel, and I was like, ‘Uh, oh.’ ”
The rear tire got progressively worse on the right side, so all Ulrich could do was ride out a 10th-place finish.
“Overall, I was happy with my performance in the race,” Ulrich said. “We moved up, we made progress, we went faster. We got the bike finally working a lot better for me this morning and bested my qualifying time by about a second. That’s always pleasant to do in the race.
“With the SuperBike class, when you unload with no data it’s always tough. We’ll move on to Miller and we have data from Miller, so that’s a positive.”
Zemke made a solid start to his SportBike race, challenging for the lead on the opening lap before settling into second. He remained third past the halfway point while battling with Roberts and Solis.
“We had made some changes to the bike and kind of took a little bit of a gamble going into the race,” Zemke said. “We’re always trying to make things better, but we actually took a half-step backwards with the bike setup. It was a very small change, just a little tweak to try and make things better, and it probably made it a little bit worse. But we were still able to run competitive times.”
Heading uphill into the right-hand Turn 3A, Zemke’s bike started to slide.
“The rear end of the bike just broke around, broke traction really fast,” Zemke said. “It was a bit unexpected and I was in the process of saving that, and at the same time I believe Joe and Benny had both lost the front end of their bikes. I’m not sure if there might have been something on the track or if they might’ve been reacting to what they were seeing happening in front of them.
“I thought I just about had mine saved, and then all of a sudden the rear end of my bike just shot out from underneath me and threw me over the high side. I think one of the bikes behind me must’ve gotten into my bike. It sent me for a bit of a flip, and one of the bikes ended up hitting me in the helmet and I ended up down in the wall. It was an interesting ride.”
Zemke’s bike was banged up and so was he but otherwise he was fine.
“Yeah, a little beat up, a little bit sore, but all in all we’ll live to do it again at the next one. It’ll be all right. We’ll definitely be looking for that podium at Miller.”
Second GEICO Superbike Shootout Looks Promising For Zemke, Ulrich
From a Press Release Issued by GEICO Motorcycle:
SONOMA, Calif. (April 28) — After a solid weekend in Fontana, Calif., GEICO Motorcycle Honda SportBike rider Jake Zemke has already put race one of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout series behind him to focus on round two, to be held May 3-4 during the Arai Pacific Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.
“I’m definitely looking forward to going to Sonoma,” Zemke said. “It’s always a great race there. Sonoma Raceway is a true road course and is one of the most physically demanding tracks we will see throughout this year. Plus, you have to love the Northern California crowd that comes out to support what we do. Along with the great crowd, American Federation of Motorcycles has a really strong club scene in Sonoma, so there will be a lot of racers there this weekend.
“We’re going to continue to look forward and try to improve the GEICO Honda so we can finally get up on the podium. Our goal right now is to get up to the front of the field and put a little pressure on these other boys.”
After round one in Fontana, GEICO Motorcycle Honda American SuperBike rider Chris Ulrich knows that the rest of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout series can only get better from here.
“We got through the first weekend in Fontana and I think it’s only going to improve,” Ulrich said. “Thankfully, this round we have an extra track day on Wednesday. That extra day is really going to help us have more time to dial in the motorcycle before we have to line up on Saturday to practice and qualify.
“Sonoma is just one of those tracks that has been really nice to me but also been really mean to me in my career. It’s a very nice track, and I was bummed when it wasn’t on the schedule last year. All in all, I look forward to going back there this weekend.”
Racing in Sonoma begins May 3 with a full day of practice and qualifying for both pro classes starting at 1:35 p.m. PT. Road racing continues on May 4 with practice at 9 a.m., followed by the Dynojet Pro SportBike race at 10:50 a.m. and the RaceFuelZ Pro SuperBike race at 3:15 p.m.
Zemke, Ulrich Ready For GEICO Superbike Shootout In Fontana
From a press release issued by GEICO Motorcycle:
FONTANA, Calif. (April 22) — GEICO Motorcycle Honda SportBike rider Jake Zemke will be one of many motorcycle road racers battling it out for a victory in race one of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout when it kicks off at the Yamaha SoCal Nationals at Auto Club Speedway, April 26-27.
As part of a three-race series, Zemke is ready for the Shootout if it means extra seat time on his GEICO Motorcycle. Not only is he trying to battle for a win this weekend, but the extra races really help bring fans closer to the sport, which is the ultimate goal in Zemke’s mind.
“I’m really excited for the start of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout this weekend,” Zemke said. “Most people who follow racing in the United States know that the AMA Pro Road Racing Series doesn’t have a lot of rounds throughout the season. It’s great that the Superbike Shootout is giving the riders an opportunity to go race but also giving fans, especially those on the West Coast, the chance to see the best racers in the United States compete against one another.”
After getting off to a slow start in Daytona, Zemke is hoping that the Shootout will fare differently for him and his team, and they know they are capable of better performances.
“The team has been working nonstop on the bike since we left Daytona,” Zemke said. “Come Saturday, we will see what we have in store for everyone once we get to the racetrack. I’ve got faith in my team that they will get the most out of our bikes, and hopefully we can get back up where we belong competition-wise.”
Zemke’s teammate and Southern California native Chris Ulrich, rider of the GEICO Motorcycle Honda American SuperBike, is ready to return to his home track and try to capture a GEICO Superbike Shootout win.
“This is the first time we have been back to race in Southern California since 2010,” Ulrich said. “With Fontana being my home track, I look forward to being able to show off what I do to all the people who haven’t really been exposed to it, like my friends and family.”
Ulrich and the GEICO Motorcycle team have been preparing for this race like they would for any other. However, the off time in between races was drastically diminished with the addition of the Shootout.
“The bike has improved and we’ve got a little bit more horsepower now than we did in Daytona,” Ulrich said. “We really haven’t had that much time to go ride due to the fact that we have been working hard on getting the bikes ready. Because of the GEICO Superbike Shootout, we have a little bit of a shorter break than we would normally have. That doesn’t matter though because I’m ready and I want to go race.”
Action kicks off Saturday, April 26, from Auto Club Speedway with a full day of practice and qualifying for both the SuperBike and SportBike classes starting at 11:40 a.m. PT. Sunday starts off early with practice leading up to the 1:30 p.m. PT GEICO Superbike Shootout Dynojet Pro SportBike race, followed by the GEICO Superbike Shootout RaceFuelZ Pro SuperBike race at 3:30 p.m. PT.
