Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the fastest rider in the final AMA Superbike qualifying session at Road America, but because the track was half-wet and half-dry Spies’ teammate and chief rival Mat Mladin earned the pole position with the new lap record time of 2:11.541 he turned on Friday. “It’s nice to get that extra point. It’s nice to get the pole,” said Mladin. “I done a decent lap yesterday, found a couple of things last night. It would have been nice to have a go at them this morning, but we think we found a couple of things that are going to help out for the race. “I just put some wets on a first. I wanted to get a feel for the new front tire, one that we haven’t had a chance to ride on before. Obviously, in America you don’t get a lot of chance to ride in the rain, so I just wanted to get a feel for the tires because I haven’t been on them for a while. It wasn’t really wet enough to be out there on wets, but it gave us an opportunity to feel the tires and see how they work. I just came in, sat down then took the racebike out for a couple of laps. Again, we made a couple of changes last night in different areas, and just wanted to make sure things are running OK in case it’s a dry start.” The pole position was the 51st AMA Superbike pole of Mladin’s career, the most all-time, but it was his first pole position since the race at VIR last season. The bonus Championship point for pole position moved Mladin into a one-point lead (239 to 238) over Spies, who ended up second-fastest with his 2:12.329 from Friday. “We found a little bit of, hopefully, something last night,” said Spies, , “but didn’t get to really do much to try it today. It was good we had that session. The track was really dry on the front [and wet in the back]. At first, I didn’t really want to go out and burn a set of rains up. I just waited until it dried. Most likely the race is gonna be a drying track issue in the afternoon, from what it looks like. So it’s gonna be one of those days where nobody really knows what’s happening. I think we’ve got a pretty good bike for the race.” The 2:12.666 turned by American Honda’s Jake Zemke on Friday earned him his first front-row start of the 2007 season. Fourth-fastest qualifier Aaron Yates said it surprised his Jordan Suzuki crew to be on the Superbike front row at fast Road America, but he said a new engine specification helped turn the fourth-fastest time, 2:13.166. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden (2:13.268), Zemke’s teammate Miguel Duhamel (2:13.595) and Yamaha teammates Eric Bostrom (2:13.657) and Jason DiSalvo (2:13.697) will start the Superbike race from row two. 2007 AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 2, 2007 Group Two Provisional Qualifying Results (damp-but-drying conditions): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:20.509 2. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, 2:20.531 3. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:21.980 4. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:24.625 5. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:27.199 6. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:30.649 7. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:41.300 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:51.590 9. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:53.180 10. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 8:09.292 11. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, no time 12. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time 13. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time 14. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, no time 15. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time Saturday Morning Group One Qualifying Results: 1. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 2:16.478 2. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:17.297 3. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, 2:19.646 4. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:19.654 5. David Weber (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:21.560 6. James Kerker (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:22.307 7. Dominic Jones (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:23.951 8. Chad Rolland (Yam YZF-R1), 2:24.152 9. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:25.667 10. Brian Boyd (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:26.483 11. Justin Filice (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:26.520 12. Marcin Biernacki (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:30.647 Final Combined Qualifying Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:11.541 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:12.329 3. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:12.666 4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:13.166 5. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:13.268 6. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:13.595 7. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:13.657 8. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:13.697 9. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 2:14.947* 10. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 2:14.984 11. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 2:15.045* 12. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 2:15.297 13. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, 2:15.745 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 2:15.811 15. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:15.903* 16. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 2:15.948* 17. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 2:17.044* 18. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, 2:18.408 19. David Weber (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:18.659 20. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:19.231 21. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:19.654 22. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 2:19.878 23. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:20.896 24. Dominic Jones (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:21.203 108% of Fast Time: 2:22.064 25. James Kerker (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:22.307 26. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R1), 2:23.473 27. Brian Boyd (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 2:23.584 28. Justin Filice (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:24.153 29. Chad Rolland (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:24.760 30. Marcin Biernacki (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:28.670 * known to be a Superstock-spec machine