2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies was the fastest rider during testing Tuesday, the first day of a two-day, multi-team test at California Speedway, in Fontana, California. Riding his new 2007 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike for the first time, Spies turned a best lap of 1:24.51, which was close to the fastest lap time he turned (1:24.441) en route to winning both AMA Superbike races at the 2.36-mile infield road course in 2006. “It’s going OK,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com. “I’m just trying to get used to the traction control. It makes the bike easier to ride, not so aggressive. The bike is really good, and we haven’t even messed with it that much. We have a lot of stuff to try while testing here for three days in the next week. It’s already as good as it was last year, and we’re just trying to make it better. It’s looking pretty promising right now.” (Yoshimura Suzuki plans to test at California Speedway again next week, while other AMA teams move on to test at a northern California racetrack.) Spies’ teammates Mat Mladin (1:25.10) and Tommy Hayden (1:26.64) were right behind him on the unofficial time sheets. The fastest Formula Xtreme rider at the test was Jason DiSalvo, who turned a 1:27.04 on his factory YZF-R6, right before crashing it under braking at the end of the infield straightaway. DiSalvo walked away from the crash but did not ride again Tuesday. Erion Honda’s Aaron Gobert (1:28.11) had the quickest Supersport test time even though he and 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes were forced to share their team’s only Ohlins shock. The team said they had more shocks on the way, but the shocks did not arrive in time to use Tuesday. Tuesday’s test was also attended by American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke, Erion Honda’s Shea Fouchek, Corona Extra Racing Honda’s James Ellison and Gary Mason, Monster Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden, Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Steve Rapp, Kawasaki Japan’s Akira Yanagawa and Takahashi Hidemichi, Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom and Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom and Josh Herrin. Duhamel went faster on his CBR600RR Formula Xtreme bike than his CBR1000RR Superbike due to electrical problems on his Superbike. Zemke worked with the engine management system and new shock on his CBR1000RR. Ellison recorded no flying lap times, according to his team, because he was going in and out of the pits trying to sort out electronics on his CBR1000RR Superbike. Mason, meanwhile, was forced to watch his crew finish building his CBR600RR Supersport at the track Tuesday. Hacking and Roger Hayden only rode their new ZX-6R Supersport machines Tuesday, while being supplemented by veteran Superbike pilot Yanagawa, who rode a ZX-10R, and new Supersport racer Hidemichi, who rode a relatively stock ZX-6R. Attard focused on his Formula Xtreme ZX-6R, while Rapp sat on the sidelines with a recent, minor Supermoto injury. Eric Bostrom started working down a long list of test items on his YZF-R1 Superbike, while Ben Bostrom and Herrin continued dialing in their new Yamaha Superstock and Supersport racers. Rain sprinkles began to fall just before 1:00 p.m. local time, chasing most riders from the track. The sprinkles turned into a light rain and then a steady rain by mid-afternoon, when some riders began to leave the track. Testing is scheduled to continue Wednesday, when the local weather forecast calls for a 40% chance of precipitation. Unofficial Best Times of the Test (as supplied by each rider’s Crew Chief): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:24.51, Superbike 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:25.10, Superbike 3. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:26.64, Superbike 4. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:26.93, Superbike 5. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:27.04, Formula Xtreme 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:27.50, Superbike 7. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:28.11, Supersport 8. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:28.25, Supersport 9. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:28.32, Formula Xtreme 10. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:28.33, Superstock 11. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:28.44, Superbike 12. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:28.88, Supersport 13. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:29.49, Supersport 14. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:29.98, Supersport 15. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:30.20, Formula Xtreme 16. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.92, Supersport 17. Shea Fouchek (Hon CBR600RR), crashed, no time provided 18. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), no time provided 19. Gary Mason (Hon CBR600RR), did not ride 20. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6R), did not ride