YAMAHA GRIZZLY GOES TO WORK

We had a huge snow Friday and we put the Grizzly to work plowing the parking lot and the drive way. Around 8 inches of snow fell at Cycle & Marine Supercenter made quick work of cleaning the lot for our customers using the Yamaha Plow on the 700 Grizzly with power steering. The power steering made it so easy to drive it was hard to believe it was pushing so much snow. Come on in and test ride a Grizzly today and see for yourself

SUZUKI WINS AGAIN

The 2008 AMA Superbike Championship opener took a familiar shape, as six-time series king Mat Mladin powered off the line from pole and was never seriously challenged throughout the 15-lap contest at Daytona International Speedway.

As was so frequently the case in ’07, one of the series’ top two riders managed to nail the start while the other missed it ever so slightly and was never able to rebound. Defending series and race champion Ben Spies dropped a couple positions off the line, and while he fought to quickly work his way up to the runner-up position, his Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki teammate opened an early two-second advantage by the second lap.

From there the Australian did what he does, putting his head down and maintaining a relentless pace, never allowing Spies to make any headway.

Mladin, whose goal this season is to re-break his year-old mark of 12 AMA Superbike wins in a single season, is off to an ideal start, quite the contrast to ’07 when he started his championship campaign in a big hole after crashing during the opener.

The victory was a record-extending 64th of Mladin’s illustrious AMA Superbike career.

While Spies was unable to triumph, he did manage to keep his season-plus streak of runner-up finishes intact, an approach that allowed him to successfully defend his crown last season.

Late last season Yamaha USA’s Jason DiSalvo appeared to be in danger of losing his factory Superbike ride following his rookie season. Ultimately, Yamaha decided to retain the youngster and he’s made them look wise already, backing up his first-ever Superbike front row qualifying performance with his first-ever class podium result.

Once Spies dropped him from second to third following the opening lap, DiSalvo held strong in third, opening several seconds of padding back to fourth aboard his YZF-R1 Superbike, which also looks to have turned a corner over the offseason.

Third works Suzuki entry Tommy Hayden escaped from a four-way tilt for sixth, which included his brother Roger Hayden on the Monster Energy Kawasaki ZX-10R and the American Honda duo of Neil Hodgson and Miguel DuHamel, to track down Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking.

Hayden overtook the English-born Kawasaki ace on the final lap to steal away fourth with Hacking holding on for fifth and Yates claiming sixth.

Despite running wide in the infield Hodgson took seventh, followed by the younger Hayden.

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Blake Young followed up his Superstock runner-up finish with a ninth-place ride in the premier class opener, edging Jordan Suzuki’s Geoff May and former World Superbike star Akira Yanagawa.

DuHamel finished off an already frustrating day by crashing his all-new CBR1000RR, while DiSalvo’s teammate, Eric Bostrom, was forced to retire with a mechanical issue.

Mladin and Spies will go back at it when the series picks up at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL on April 18-20.

YAMAHA R6 DOMINATES DAYTONA

Graves Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom finished what he started, adding a Pro Honda Oils Supersport victory to his Wednesday pole, following an unpredictable 22-lap showdown with his young teammate, Josh Herrin.

Bostrom looked to be in serious danger of losing the victory at the checkered flag, as Herrin appeared to have the Californian exactly where he wanted, sucking up into his draft as they entered the banking for the final time. Herrin was unable to pick a side to slingshot past Bostrom on, however, and the two made contact just moments before Bostrom hit the stripe a wheel earlier, claiming a scant 0.012-second margin of victory.

The win was Bostrom's second career in the Supersport class, the previous one coming just short of ten years ago at Road Atlanta.

While Herrin narrowly missed backing up his first-career victory in the ’07 finale with his second in the ’08 opener, the 17-year-old’s impressive Daytona runner-up performance was an encouraging sign that he will emerge a full-fledged title contender in 2008.

While the race ultimately belonged to Yamaha, a special mention must go to Monster Energy Kawasaki’s defending class champion, Roger Hayden, whose very participation was in doubt after after tearing ligaments and chipping bones in his left wrist during a Superbike qualifying crash earlier in the day.

Hayden did more than just ride around for points, clawing his way back up to the Graves Yamaha stars after they formation flew their way out of the race’s early pack war. On lap 16 the Kentuckian made a double draft pass to take the lead for a short time but his thoughts of victory were effectively squashed when he was severely balked by a slower rider on lap 19 of 22.

Another title hopeful, Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes, had a more disappointing outing, being forced into the pits on lap 8 while running in fourth due to an issue with his machine’s exhaust system. The Mississippian returned to the track and ultimately finished in 17th.

The race for fourth was as spirited as the battle for the win, with Team M4 EMGO Suzuki teammates Blake Young and Martin Cardenas clashing with Attack Kawasaki teammates Chaz Davies and Steve Rapp throughout the 100k contest.

Davies won out at the flag, .053 seconds ahead of Young, 0.108 up on Cardenas, and 0.263 ahead of Rapp.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke took a lonely eighth, 22 seconds off the win, while two-time class champion Tommy Hayden finished ninth, another 12 seconds back. Matsushima Suzuki’s Danny Eslick just pipped Safety First Suzuki’s Bobby Fong for the final position in the top ten at the stripe.

DREW WINS BIG

Drew Barbre competed in the Arkansas Series of 2007 winning the overall 1st place in the Beginner class aboard his Suzuki RMZ 250in his first year of Motorcross racing. Congratulations Drew.

The New 2008 Rhino 700 in stock

New for 2008:

• · All-new 686cc engine puts out plenty of broadband power. New four-valve head with 9.2:1 compression bumps power and efficiency.
• · Electronic fuel injection ensures peak performance in nearly all conditions and elevations, along with instantaneous cold starts.
• · Tough, blow-molded doors keep mud, water and dirt on the trail where they belong.
• · New four-wheel disc brakes provide unsurpassed stopping power, and a new parking brake is super convenient.
• · Cool, comfortable sport-style steering wheel and new passenger grab handles.
• · Now with two cup holders for even greater creature comfort.
• · New underhood tool-free air filter is a snap to service.
• · CV joint protectors for long, trouble-free life.

SUZUKI B KING

Meet the Hayabusa's first cousin -the all-new B-King. And while 2008 B-KING the Hayabusa is a sleek sophisticate, the B-King is its rowdy alter ego. Its aggressive styling gives it an attitude that simply says, "Don't mess with me." Featuring a slightly modified version of the 2008 Hayabusa's new engine, complemented by state-of-the-art chassis and suspension systems, the B-King offers incredible all-around capabilities - breathtaking acceleration matched by precise, responsive handling. The performance differences between the two bikes are minimal. The B-King has its own valve dimensions to produce smooth, extraordinarily strong low-end power. And it has some unique chassis components, such as its finely crafted swing arm. The real difference, though, is styling. The B-King's imposing engine is out there for all the world to see. One look at its twin exhaust pipes is enough to know that it has the power to reward you with a one-of-a-kind sport riding experience. The new B-King -you've never ridden anything like it.

See the new B King today at Cycle & Marine Supercenter

ARE YOU READY?

THE FASTEST JUST GOT FASTER

The Suzuki Hayabusa holds the Guiness record for the fastest stock street legal motorcycle. The new 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa is even faster with a bigger motor, more power, better aerodynamics and a taller windshield for more protection to name just a few of the new and improved features.

Place your order today and be one of the first to own this new King of the streets.

Mike takes Second Place

In the Little Rock Zoo photo contest with this photo of a spotted Leopard. The photo was taken at the Little Rock Zoo and earned second place among 344 entries in the adult color category. It’s Mike’s first time to enter a photo contest although he has been taking pictures for some time and all the photo’s you see on the “Mike’s Photo’s page and the “Pine Bluff MX” pages are his.

BUDDY WINS HIS FIRST

Buddy Wilkins bought a motorcycle and took it to Warren MX for his first ever Motocross race. He Won! Congrats Buddy. Buddy has a 2003 Yamaha YZ125 he purchased from Cycle & Marine Supercenter. If you like winning come see Cycle & Marine Supercenter, we know racing.

FATHER AND SON GO 1-1-1-1

Chris Nordin (above) and Mark Nordin (father-below) raced at Pine Bluff MX and won every moto they entered. Mark recently came back to motorcross after 20 years of retirement when his son Chris decided he wanted to race. They have racing at Arkansas tracks and winning has has become a regular occurance. Congrats to Mark and Chris.

Ricky, John and Broc