From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

AMA Riders Pleased with Enhancements at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. – Nine riders from manufacturers American Honda, Yoshimura Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha converged on Infineon Raceway for a two-day test session on Monday, and all were pleased with the improvements made to the raceway over the off-season.

The 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course was repaved during the off-season, and additional runoff was created at Turns 1 and 6, increasing rider safety. AMA riders traversed the twisting road course under sunny skies on Monday.

“The track has really come along in the last 12 months, and the new surface is much better,” said Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, a four-time AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike champion and the winner of the Daytona 200 earlier this month. “It’s also gotten faster.”

This will be the last test prior to the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Cycle Gear, April 30-May 2, at Infineon Raceway and riders were taking full advantage. In addition to the increased runoff, the Turn 1 bridge will be moved about 100-feet closer to Turn 2, removing the bridge abutment as a safety issue. The Turn 6 bridge at the Carousel, meanwhile, has been permanently removed.

Mladin posted the fastest time of the first day at 1 minute, 37.84 seconds and was followed by teammate Aaron Yates (1:38.25) and Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke (1:38.32). Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, a four-time Superbike winner at Infineon Raceway, ran a 1:38.70. All teams were running race-trim.

“This place is one of the best in the country,” said Honda’s Ben Bostrom. “The people here at Infineon have worked with the riders the last two-three years and that’s a big deal.”

Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo, who won the Pro Honda Oils Supersport race at Daytona on March 6, also had good things to say. “The track has really been opened up a lot more and you can carry more speed and it doesn’t feel dangerous,” he said. “It’s kind of like you’re floating out there because the track is so smooth. You don’t even realize there’s a track underneath you.”

Keith McCarty, division manager for Yamaha, also made the trek to Northern California: “I think everyone is quite happy with the resurfacing of the track,” he said. “The speeds are up but they haven’t changed dramatically and that’s good. We’re pleased with what we’ve seen.”

In addition to the manufacturers, Arclight Suzuki, Erion Honda and Team Attack Kawasaki are also attending the two-day test, which will conclude on Tuesday.