AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike

Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha) was quickest in opening qualifying in the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike. Beaubier emerged on top after the checkered flag had flown and was the final competitor to improve the fastest mark of the session in the waning moments.

Meen Motorsports’ Bobby Fong looked to have locked up the provisional pole when his lap of 1:43.083 went to the top of the charts, but moments late Beaubier bested him.

Cameron’s lap time was 1:42.958.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know it was Bobby. I just saw ‘P2’ on my pit board,” said Cameron. “I was pushing really hard on the last lap and my lap timer said I went 1:43.2, a little slower than my actual time, so I was kinda bummed out. But they told me I had done a 1:42.9. I like the track. It has a really cool layout and is fast and flowing.”

Miami winner Jake Gagne of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha was third, a shade more than a tenth behind Fong.

Series champion Martin Cardenas was fourth in his first race after locking up the 2012 title. The GEICO Suzuki pilot is now a two-time Daytona SportBike champ after winning seven races this year.

Tommy Aquino was fifth on the Kneedraggers.com Yamaha.

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport

RoadRace Factory/Red Bull’s Hayden Gillim earned provisional pole in AMA Pro Motorcycle-SuperStore.com SuperSport on Friday in the first day of action at NOLA Motorsports Park. Gillim, the winner at Utah earlier this year, put his stamp on the session early and ended it on top of title hopeful James Rispoli (Celtic Racing Orient Express) and Garrett Gerloff (Y.E.S./Graves/Yamaha)

Gillim said, “The first practice this morning I was feeling really good. For qualifying, the bike was feeling great. We led the whole session, setting some awesome times and kept stepping up from there. I was glad to get back into first on something. It’s been a while.”

Gillim was the only rider in the 1:44-range.

Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D) and Tomas Puerta (RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha) rounded out the top five.