RUTHLESS RACING INC. - BLOG

DAYTONA ROUND 1 AMA PRO VANCE & HINES XR1200 RECAP - #123 Dave Estok 4th #229 Darren James 5th

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:16:09 -0800

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2012 Green Lake Invitational....let the preperation begin!!! Very cool frame by frame....check it out!!!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:31:12 -0800

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Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup PROMO VIDEO for 2012 - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:02:18 -0800

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CANADIAN HARLEY-DAVIDSON® XR1200® CUP – ROUNDS 6 AND 7

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:13:59 -0800

Action-Packed Grand Finale in Mosport

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (August 23, 2011) – Mosport International Raceway

Going into the CSBK-hosted final rounds of the 2011 Canadian Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup Series, MotoSport Plus-sponsored Steve Crevier had a healthy lead in the points battle with a full 61-point lead on Cochrane, Alberta rider, Cody Matechuk, riding for Privateers Harley-Davidson® of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Darren James sat solidly in third overall.

Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, Darren James, who was sitting in fourth place in overall points, made his case known during Friday’s qualifying session with the day’s best lap time of 1:32.526 on the challenging 3.957-km Mosport circuit, earning his second pole position in a row. John Ross McRae had a brilliant outing with the second fastest time – only 0.098 of a second behind James – earning the Ruthless Racing Inc. rookie his first front row start in Saturday’s race. However, the stress of Friday’s qualifying took its toll on the transmission of James’ Big Twin engine, leaving the Ruthless Racing Inc. mechanics the arduous task of rebuilding the engine until four o’clock in the morning. They completed the job just hours before the XR1200® bike was to be rolled out to do battle in the penultimate race of the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup Series.

With dark, menacing rain clouds rolling in, and after painfully long delays in the action, the XR1200® motorcycles were finally rolled to the grid for their race. When the start lights finally dimmed, Ruthless Racing Inc. support rider, Michael Barnes, from Boca Raton, Florida, jumped out to an early lead. But the race quickly became a four-rider freight train of Barnes, J.R. McRae, Steve Crevier, and Darren James all vying for the win. McRae backed up his great qualifying session, constantly jumping into the lead, only to lose the advantage again to the hard-charging Barnes. Crevier looked for a way to seal his championship right then and there and briefly held the lead, but with constant pressure from Barnes and McRae he opted to not take any unnecessary chances of throwing it all away. The four lead riders continued their battle with Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson® rider, Samuel Proulx, making up the gap. Behind him, a war was also being waged between Chris Harmon, racing for Vision Harley-Davidson®, Cody Matechuk, racing under the umbrella of Privateers Harley-Davidson®, guest rider, Oliver Jervis, racing on the Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada media bike, and Elie Daccache, supported by Harley-Davidson® de L’Outaouais. When the chequered fabric was aired out at the end of the 14lap final, it was Michael Barnes who dominated the race with a narrow margin of victory. J.R. McRae had another great ride to finish second – his first podium finish of the season. Darren James held on to the final step of the podium, while Steve Crevier chased the leaders to the flag with a richly deserved fourth place, earning him the inaugural #1 plate for the Canadian Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup Series Championship, which was awarded to Crevier in person by none other than motorcycle racing patron, Don James, Chairman & CEO of Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada.

Crevier commented after the race, “Those guys were getting away from me a little bit on the back straight and I decided that racing with them was getting a little too risky, so I stayed out of it a bit so I could win this championship.” He added, “I just have to thank MotoSport Plus of Kingston and Pete Snell, my mechanic, because if it wasn’t for their help I wouldn’t be here right now.” With his great showing, J.R. McRae won the “Performance Under Gear Performer of the Race” Award.

With the new champion already crowned, Sunday’s race was just for bragging rights, and for a race that could have been lacklustre it was anything but uneventful. Once again, just as in the previous day, four riders took an early check-out on the field and waged a war for the appreciative Mosport fans. In what turned out to be one of the most exciting races of the weekend, Barnes and Crevier left nothing on the table and all four lead riders were in the 1:31 lap times with only 0.2 of a second separating them. This time, Crevier, sporting his new #1 plate, was not playing it safe and was challenged for the lead at every turn, occasionally getting in front of the four-rider battle. On the final lap, Barnes seemed to have it all sowed up, but in the treacherous last turn, corner 10, Crevier made a daring pass up the inside of Barnes to win the drag race at the finish line, relegating the US rider to runner-up status. Darren James again took the final step of the podium with Samuel Proulx in a hard-earned fourth. Cody Matechuk finished in fifth, just ahead of Elie Daccache, with J.R. McRae falling back in the later stages of the race to finish in seventh.

The best-of-the-best Canadian racers will be competing in the upcoming AMA Pro’s Vance & Hines XR1200® event at the Red Bull Indy GP in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 27 and 28.

Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada would like to take this opportunity to thank the racers and their teams, the Harley-Davidson® Retailers supporting them, the many sponsors involved, as well as all of the enthusiasts across Canada who have helped make the new Canadian Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup Series an extraordinary experience for all involved.

CANADIAN HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR1200 CUP ROUND 5

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:08:32 -0800

The Plot Thickens Leading Up to the Final Doubleheader in Mosport

SHUBENACADIE, Nova Scotia (August 9, 2011) – Atlantic Motorsports Park

Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, Darren James, was ecstatic after winning his first pole position of the season. Not because of the achievement of besting Steve Crevier, but more for the pride of meeting his commitment to crew chief, Dave Murphy. “I told Dave I was gonna get him a watch,” (the Tactical Products Canada Luminox watch for winning the pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session). “Dave has been with me for 11 years now, and the team has had such a tough time; I think he really deserves this,” James added.

Series leader and MotoSport Plus of Kingston rider, Steve Crevier, qualified for second position, only 0.201 of a second behind James, with Privateers Harley-Davidson®-sponsored Cody Matechuk a close third.

Sunday morning was welcomed by slate grey skies, but the mood in the Shubenacadie paddock could not have been brighter. The stage was set for the final, and Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, Darren James, could not have been happier. He had not only set the track record in the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup, but he had also managed to place his BuellTM 1125RTM bike onto the Pirelli Tire Superpole in the Superbike Class, a first in his years of trying.

As the day progressed, the skies cleared, and the big Harley-Davidson® XR1200® motorcycles were staged for the final on the challenging 2,560-km Atlantic Motorsports Park track. With the start lights darkened, Crevier and Matechuk had shot off, jostling for position going into the first corner with Crevier gaining a slight advantage. James was hot on their heels with J. R. McRae, Chris Harmon, and Samuel Proulx in a three-way battle behind the lead trio.

Crevier held on to a narrow margin in the lead, and Matechuk hounded the veteran at every corner; showing him a wheel at every turn. James continued his solid run in third, and had the best seat in the house to watch the battle in front of him. Behind them, a long train of Harley-Davidson® XR1200® bikes had their own war.

By lap five of the 16-lap event, Vision Harley-Davidson® rider, Chris Harmon, jumped ahead of McRae and Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson® rider, Samuel Proulx.

The battle for the lead waged on for another six laps, with Crevier and Matechuk banging through the corners, until Matechuk’s race came to a sputtering halt as he pulled the Harley® bike to the side of the track, the victim of an electrical problem. With Matechuk out, Crevier romped to the win with James taking second and Chris Harmon finishing a brilliant ride to take third. Samuel Proulx managed to hold off Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, J.R. McRae, for the fourth spot, while Trev Deeley Motorcycles-sponsored Ov Spilbourghs took sixth. With his podium finish, Chris Harmon was the winner of the Performance Under Gear Performer of the Race Award.

After the race, Crevier commented, “I have to thank Pete Snell for all his hard work to make this happen, I don’t let him out from under that canopy all weekend, and he just works so hard to keep me going.” He added, “I made a bit of a rookie mistake on the start line [by] leaving my visor up, but I wasn’t letting go of the handlebars for nothing.”
With this win, Crevier holds a solid 21-point advantage over Matechuk: 208 points to 187.
The next round of the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup will be a doubleheader weekend. This final contest of the season will be held at the Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, on August 20 and 21.

ROUND FOUR OF THE CANADIAN SUPERBIKE RACING SERIES IN QUEBEC

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:57:43 -0800

Sparks Fly at Saint-Eustache in the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup
SAINT-EUSTACHE, Quebec (July 12, 2011) – Autodrome, Saint-Eustache

Round four of the Canadian Superbike Racing Series took place on the newly paved 1.7-km road course at the Autodrome, Saint-Eustache under sweltering heat on July 8 and 9. Being the shortest track of the 2011 Canadian Superbike Series, the Saint-Eustache Autodrome offered spectators some of the closest racing to date with the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup. The striking leader of this class, Steve Crevier, riding #14 for MotoSport Plus of Kingston, continued his tenuous hold on the series and on Saturday’s Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup qualifier, he again took pole position and again was awarded the Tactical Products Canada Luminox watch for his efforts. Crevier had his hands full for the entire 20-minute session with Ruthless Racing Inc. teammates, Darren James (#29) and J.R. MacRae (#27), hot on his heels. Harley-Davidson® de L’Outaouais rider, Elie Daccache, closed the gap and looked to qualify in a solid third, but was displaced on the final lap of qualifying by a hard-charging Privateers Harley-Davidson® rider, Cody Matechuk, who had to battle from mid-pack to earn a spot on the front row of Sunday’s main event.

Once again, Sunday’s final in the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup was a showpiece for the series. In one of the gutsiest efforts ever, Ruthless Racing Inc. racer, Darren James, who in the morning practice session badly damaged his leg in a crash, not only competed in the race, but challenged the whole race for the lead. For his efforts, James rightfully won the Performance Under Gear “Performance of the Race” Award.

Pole sitter, Steve Crevier, put the MotoSport Plus XR1200® motorcycle into the early lead, but in a daring late-braking move, Cody Matecuk, rushed to the front. The young Privateers Harley-Davidson® rider enjoyed the advantage for only a couple of laps when Crevier returned the favour by going into the front straight and regaining control. Darren James held steady in third, looking for any opportunity to pass on the tight Saint-Eustache circuit, but none came.

Behind the leading pack, another battle was waging between the trio of Elie Daccache, Samuel Proulx riding for Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson®, and OV Spilboborghs, supported by Trev Deeley Motorcycles. The three riders pushed each other to the limits until they got into traffic, which turned out to be the undoing of Spilborghs. As the three moved around a lapped rider, Spilborghs got pushed wide and ran off the track and crashed, ending his challenge early. Proulx displaced Daccache to take over the fourth spot and held it to the chequered flag.

While Crevier romped to another victory, Matechuk had to settle for the runner-up spot. James soldiered through his injury to earn third place. Crevier commented after the race, “They keep telling me that I’m in my fourth decade of racing, but I’m feeling like this is my first decade. These bikes are so much fun to ride and it is great to be out here racing against these kids.”

The next Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup event will be held at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia from August 5 to 7. For further information on the series, please refer to www.csbk.ca.

DOUBLE-HEADER FOR ROUNDS TWO AND THREE OF THE CANADIAN SUPERBIKE SERIES

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:44:58 -0800

Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup Enthuses the Shannonville Audience
SHANNONVILLE, Ontario (July 5, 2011) – Shannonville Motorsport Park

Canada Day was marked by qualification rounds of the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® Cup, as part of the double-header Canadian Superbike Series event hosted in Shannonville, Ontario on July 2.

The qualifiers saw a banged-up Darren James of Ruthless Racing shake off the pain of a late practice session crash on Friday and bravely soldier on, with surprisingly good lap times. As MotoSport Plus of Kingston rider, Steve Crevier, and Privateers Harley-Davidson® of Nova Scotia rider, Cody Matechuk, resumed hostilities, Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson® rider, Samuel Proulx, continued his push to the front of the XR1200® ranks with some impressive lap times, getting the second fastest lap times of the morning session, thus setting the stage for the race battle scheduled in the early afternoon. Going into race one, pole position holder, Steve Crevier, was awarded the Tactical Products of Canada Luminox watch.
As advertised, Round two on Saturday turned out to be a barn-burner, with spectators in the grandstands on the edge of their seats for the entire race. Right off the start, an early four-way battle ensued with Crevier and Matechuk taking the lead in the 16-lap final. The best seat in the house went to Samuel Proulx, who pushed his way into third, ahead of Darren James, who refused to show any signs of letting up. Olivier Spilbourghs, riding for Trev Deeley Motorcycles, got involved in a three-rider battle with Harley-Davidson® de L’Outaouais rider, Elie Daccache, and Vision Harley-Davidson® rider, Chris Harmon. Just behind them, John Ross McRae, riding for the Ruthless Racing Camp, pulled away from Kitchener Harley-Davidson® rider, Steve Hoffarth. Matechuk continued to show Crevier a wheel at every corner, but in the end was unable to make good on his threat to get around and he handed first place to Crevier. This left Matechuk and Crevier leading the series in a points tie. Proulx held his position for third and Darren James earned a hard-fought fourth place finish in the race, as well as the Performance Under Gear “Performance of the Race” Award.

As soon as the start lights flashed the second half of the double-header weekend at Shannonville Motorsports Park was off to an exciting start with Privateers Harley-Davidson® of Nova Scotia rider, Matechuk, jumping into the early lead of Round three. But hot on his tail was MotoSport Plus of Kingston rider, Crevier. Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson® rider, Proulx, had his hands full as Darren James pushed the young rider through every corner of the tight Shannonville Pro track until technical issues forced James to silence his engine.

When the chequered fabric was aired out at the finish line, it was Steve Crevier with the deciding win in the weekend event. Matechuk chased him all the way to the line for a hard-earned second. Proulx held off the advances of the battling trio behind him to grab his rightful third spot on the podium where he was rewarded for his efforts with the Performance Under Gear “Performance of the Race” Award.

A jubilant Crevier said after the race, “It was a lot of fun. I know a young guy like Cody has a lot of MotoCross experience and he was getting out of the hairpin a lot faster than I was, so I just had to get back around him and do a little blocking so he couldn’t get by me again. I thank Pete Snell for building me a good bike with great brakes and of course, MotoSport Plus of Kingston for making it happen.”

Round four will be held at the Autodrome in Saint-Eustache, Quebec from July 8 to 10. For further information on the series, please refer to www.csbk.ca.

Round 1 Parts Canada Superbike Series ICAR Montreal

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:26:38 -0800

KICK-OFF OF THE NATIONAL HARLEY-DAVIDSON® XR1200® CUP EVENT IN CANADA

Tue, 31 May 2011 21:15:08 -0800

The 2011 Canadian Superbike Championship Season Opens in Quebec

Mirabel, Quebec (May 31, 2011) – Circuit ICAR, Quebec

Horrible conditions and constant showers could not dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of the Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada XR1200® contingent at its inaugural performance in the Canadian Superbike round one weekend of the 2011 season. Canada’s Snowbirds did a fly-by, seeming to tear a hole in the unrelenting grey blanket that hovered overhead of Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec. Skies began to clear and the difficult course dried long enough for the Harley-Davidson® XR1200® motorcycles to make their appearance on the track for qualifying.

Thirteen riders rolled out onto the track for the first laps of the very popular XR1200® spec class and, as excited fans jostled for position behind the barriers, riders got their first chance to ride the bikes in the heat of battle. Handlebar-to-handlebar action became common and, almost immediately, the gauntlet was thrown as 17-year-old Cody Matechuk, racing for Privateers Harley-Davidson®, diced it out with Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, Darren James, and MotoSports Plus rider, Steve Crevier. By the end of the 20-minute session, Matechuk posted the fastest qualifying time of 1:30.433, earning him the Tactical Products Luminox watch for winning the pole position. James closely followed suit in second and Crevier boasted the third fastest time.

Sunday’s main event proved to be one of the most exciting races of the weekend, with the sun making a guest appearance. Matechuk got a brilliant start from the pole and shot out to the lead, dragging Crevier and James behind him. Behind the lead trio, a clump of riders battled for position with Samuel Proulx, riding for Sherbrooke Harley-Davidson®, leading the charge ahead of Vision Harley-Davidson® rider, Chris Harmon, and Trev Deeley Motorcycles-sponsored Olivier Spillborghs in pursuit. Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, J.R. MacRae, had his fill of Costa Mouzouris riding the #22 Harley-Davidson® media bike. Another youngster, Lee Kuhn Jr., riding for Jacox Harley-Davidson®, diced it out with Elie Daccache.

Back up front, Matechuk and Crevier slugged it out in every corner while James ran a close third just biding his time to strike. As the 14-lap race wore down, traffic became an issue and James lost several positions. This was all Matechuk needed as he crossed the line with just a wheel length to spare ahead of Crevier, leaving Darren James to settle for a third place finish.

Crevier said after the race, “I just can’t believe I got beat by a kid, but it was a lot of fun.” An elated Matechuk commented after, “It was great race. Steve got up there and he kept showing me a wheel.” Matechuk capped of his weekend by also walking away with the Performance Undergear “Performance of the Race” Award.

Missing the race weekend were veteran Ruthless Racing Inc. rider, Dave Estok, and Freedom Harley-Davidson® rider, Steven Nickerson. Both riders are nursing injuries and hope to return to action for the next round at Shannonville Motorsports Park on July 2 and 3.

For further information and race results, please refer to www.csbk.ca.
About Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada
Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles, Genuine Motor Parts and Accessories, and MotorClothes® apparel, which are provided through a national network of authorized Harley-Davidson® Retailers. Office and distribution warehouse facilities are located in Richmond, British Columbia, and Concord, Ontario. Please visit www.harleycanada.com for further information on Harley-Davidson® products in Canada.

Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada Media Contact:
Alex Carroni – Public Relations Specialist – (905) 482-4236; email: alexcarroni@deeley.com

CALABOGIE TIRE TEST - thank you John Walker for the pictures

Sun, 22 May 2011 10:05:05 -0800

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