HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Sept. 21) — The penultimate event of the 2012 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series has arrived at Homestead-Miami Speedway and championship points leader Martin Cardenas already has established himself as a favorite.
Cardenas opened qualifying for the Triumph Big Kahuna Miami with a steady 1:25.745 lap around the 14-turn, 2.21-mile circuit, good enough for the second slot in the provisional field of the GoPro Daytona SportBike category. Cameron Beaubier was first with a 1:24.645.
“I did what I could; there was no holding back,” said Cardenas, who holds a hefty 76-point lead in the standings. “We only used one set of tires that session to see if they could go the distance so there were no big times coming from our team at the end of the session. I just rode the course and found a comfortable line.”
Weather always is a factor in South Florida, although despite some heavy cloud cover at times it remained mostly rain-free throughout the day.
“The weather was a little unstable both times out but we managed to get some dry time on the track and work on some things,” Cardenas said. “We changed rear shocks between practice and qualifying and it seemed to respond. I think there is more to get and perhaps we can improve.
“If it’s dry in the morning then I think the top group of riders will all be quicker. It’s hard to tell what will happen. The humidity changes can be very dramatic here. I know the GEICO Suzuki team will be prepared for anything that might come our way.”
Qualifying resumes with a second and final session at 8:50 a.m., Saturday, which will set the field for both races. Race 1 takes place at 2 p.m., Saturday, with Race 2 slated for 2:15 p.m., Sunday. SPEED TV will carry all the action.
