Defending AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes put his Erion Honda CBR600RR on pole position during AMA Formula Xtreme qualifying Friday at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama. Not only was Hayes’ time of 1:27.274 the fastest time it was just 0.130 second short of Jason DiSalvo’s FX lap record, which is notable because Hayes did not use a qualifying tire Friday. “There are no Dunlop qualifiers in FX this weekend,” revealed Hayes, who said he did not know that would be the situation until Thursday. “When I got my tire allotment sheet. I hope that’s not going to be the case for the rest of the season, because we’re going to need them. Look at what a difference pole points would’ve made last year. If we could’ve got some more of those pole points last year Mid-Ohio [the season finale] would’ve been a completely different race. “But the bike is working really good. I think this bike is a big improvement over last year’s [bike]. I really noticed the weight. The bike transitions so much easier in that chicane on the back straightaway than any bike I’ve ever ridden through there. And the bike turns better. I’m getting on the front straight really well and things are just clicking.” Second- and third-fastest, respectively in qualifying were Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard (1:27.347) and Steve Rapp (1:27.349), both of whom used Pirelli qualifying tires on their fastest laps. Complicating things for Attard this weekend is the fact that he is suffering from fatigue caused by infectious mononucleosis. Then again, Attard unknowingly had the disease when he finished second, behind teammate Rapp, in the Daytona 200. Earning the final spot on the Formula Xtreme front row was Hayes’ teammate Aaron Gobert, who turned a 1:27.359 Friday and is just coming off a strong test at Infineon Raceway. Just missing the front row by 0.021 second was Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes, who turned a 1:27.380 in spite of fighting a bad chatter problem on his Pirelli-shod GSX-R600. A similar chatter problem led to Barnes crashing and destroying one of his bikes in Formula Xtreme practice earlier Friday afternoon. Lining up next to Barnes for Saturday afternoon’s race will be Chaz Davies, who turned a lap of 1:27.744 on his Dunlop-equipped Celtic Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Seventh-quickest man Larry Pegram turned a 1:28.969 on his Leo Vince/Pegram Racing Ducati 749R/848. Completing the second row was Ryan Elleby, who turned a 1:29.009 on his brand new 2007 CBR600RR FX machine. (Elleby raced a 2006 model CBR600RR at Daytona). 2007 Lockhart Phillips USA AMA Formula Xtreme Championship Presented by HMR Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 20, 2007 Qualifying Results: 1. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:27.274 2. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, 1:27.347 3. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, 1:27.349 4. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:27.359 5. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, 1:27.380 6. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:27.744 7. Larry Pegram (Duc 749/848R), Dunlop, 1:28.969 8. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:29.009 9. Marty Craggill (Duc 749/848R), Dunlop, 1:29.165 10. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:29.181 11. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:29.408 12. Kevin Lacombe (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:29.498 13. Josh Day (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:29.543 14. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:29.577 15. Steve Crevier (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:29.832 16. Chad Herrmann (Suz GSX-R600), 1:30.290 17. Andrew Nelson (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:30.527 18. David Anthony (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:30.948 19. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, 1:31.010 20. Tony Meiring (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin, 1:31.340 21. Steven Breckenridge (Tri Daytona 675), Bridgestone, 1:31.492 22. Tyler McDonald (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin, 1:31.526 23. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:31.618 24. Kenny Carlotta (Suz GSX-600), Michelin, 1:31.967 25. Mark Crozier (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:32.087 26. Brian Hall (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, 1:32.118 27. Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:32.335 28. Robert Mclendon (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:33.008 29. Scott Ryan (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:33.613 30. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R600), 1:33.625 31. J.B. Layman (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:33.752 32. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:34.332 33. Robert Oliva (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:34.548 34. Ryan Clay (Yam YZF-R6), 1:35.013 35. Jeremiah Johnson (Suz GSX-R600), 1:35.106 36. Scotty Van Hawk (Yam YZF-R6), 1:35.175 110% of Fast Time: 1:36.002 37. Carlos Rodriguez (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:36.110 38. Robert Terando (Duc 749R), 1:38.564 39. Brian Gibbs (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:44.841 40. Jessica Zalusky (Kaw ZX-6RR), 2:07.331, crash More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: BARNES AND M4 EMGO SUZUKI FIGHT FOR FORMULA XTREME POLE IN ALABAMA Team M4 EMGO Suzuki put in a strong opening day’s work at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, AL, the scene of two podiums and three top fives for the team when they visited the circuit during the 2006 AMA season. Michael Barnes was just over a tenth of a second away from claiming pole position during the afternoon’s Formula Xtreme qualifying session aboard his Pirelli slick-shod GSX-R600. However, the Floridian will only start from the inside of the second row in Saturday’s 17-lap FX race despite his impressive 1:27.380 lap time as just 0.106 seconds separated the top five in the ultra-tight session. Barnes rebounded from a crash to contend for pole. “Barney had a little tip-over but we recovered from that pretty well,” said Crew Chief Keith Perry. “Qualifying was very, very close and I am assuming the race will be similar. Hopefully, Michael can get a good start and race with the other fast guys. We think it will be a good race for sure.” Barnes and teammate Geoff May were also on the pace in the morning’s Supersport free practice. May logged the second fastest lap of the session, circulating the undulating racetrack with a quick time of 1:28.099. The Georgian is off to a quick start in his attempt to improve upon last year’s third-place Supersport result at the scenic venue. Barnes was right on May’s heels in the Supersport session at 1:28.140, the third best time posted during the practice. Youngster Michael Beck put in a solid Friday as well, giving the Team M4 EMGO Suzuki squad three riders in the class’ top eleven with a time of 1:29.440. May also put his powerful GSX-R1000 in the top five in the Superstock session, posting the fourth overall time (1:26.550) in the morning practice that kicked off the Barber Motorsports Park race weekend. On Saturday the team will qualify for Sunday’s Supersport and Superstock finals and then Barnes will shift his focus to the afternoon’s 60k Formula Xtreme race. More, from a press release issued on the behalf of Pirelli: Surrounded by the lush greens of April in Alabama, racer Geoff May took his Suzuki GSX-R1000, with its Daytona-200-wining Pirelli Superbike Slicks, to fourth fastest in opening Superstock practice for the AMA Superbike Series event at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama. May, racing for M4 EMGO Suzuki, was closely followed by Chris Ulrich, who set the sixth-fastest Superstock time on his Team RoadRacingWorld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000. In Supersport, the blue and white bikes of M4 EMGO Suzuki teammates, Geoff May and Michael Barnes, set the second and third fastest time in Friday’s first round of practice, each using Pirelli’s new Diablo Supercorsa DOT tires. May was within three tenths of a second of Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking, with Barnes just a few hundredths off May’s time. Other Pirelli riders in the top ten in Supersport practice include Ben Attard in sixth and Steve Rapp in ninth, on a pair of Team Attack Kawasaki ZX-6Rs. Around the 2.3 miles of Barber Motorsports Park’s black pavement, Attack Kawasaki teammates Ben Attard and Steve Rapp set third and fourth fastest times in the opening Formula Xtreme practice on the two Pirelli-shod bikes that took first and second in this year’s running of the Daytona 200. Right behind them, at fifth fastest, was M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes, also on a set of Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slicks. In final qualifying for Formula Xtreme on Friday afternoon, the green and blue bikes of Team Attack Kawasaki earned places on the front row of the grid, showing the consistent competitive edge of Pirelli’s technologically advanced Diablo-class of tires. Attard set the second fastest time, barely seven-hundredths of a second from the pole, and was followed by two-thousands of a second by Rapp in third. Taking the first place on the second row of the FX grid was Michael Barnes, merely four-hundredths of a second back.