AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 8, 2008 Provisional Race Results (mostly dry conditions): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 16 laps 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -2.695 seconds 3. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, -21.695 4. Neil Hodgson (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -30.321 5. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, -33.234 6. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -48.085 7. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -51.101 * 8. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -52.885 9. Alastair Seeley (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop * 10. Chris Peris (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop * 11. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli 12. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop 13. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli * 14. Hawk Mazzotta (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap * 15. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -1 lap 16. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap 17. Matt Lynn (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -2 laps 18. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -8 laps, DNF, retired 19. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -11 laps, DNF, retired * 20. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -14 laps, DNF, retired * * = Known to be riding a Superstock-spec motorcycle. Provisional Championship Point Standings (After 11 of 19 races): 1. Spies, 378 points 2. Mladin, 338 3. Hodgson, 293 4. Hacking, 292 5. DiSalvo, 265 6. Bostrom, 254 7. Duhamel, 238 8. Yates, 234 9. May, 199 10. Jensen, 188 More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mladin Wins Sunday’s Superbike Race at Road America Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Spies brings home second place Round 11 AMA Superbike Series Elkhart Lake, WI Road America June 6 – 8, 2008 Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Mat Mladin captured the win in the second of two AMA Superbike races at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on Sunday. In spite of semi-wet conditions, six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin rode hard on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSXR1000 and picked up his fourth win of the season and his 67th career AMA Superbike victory. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Ben Spies challenged Mladin for the lead multiple times during the 16-lap race before bringing home a second-place result. Two-time, defending AMA Superbike Champion Spies, who won Saturday’s race, currently leads the points chase in AMA Superbike and Mladin is in second place. Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Tommy Hayden is recovering from injuries sustained at a recent round of AMA Superbike and did not race this weekend. Ben Spies: “It was a good race, but it was just difficult to fly up in there after it had been raining all morning. Today, we went with a bit of a set-up change on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, and between that and how green the track was, I was just hanging on by a thread all during the race. I just wasn’t comfortable running Mat’s pace in the end. I tried to stay there, but he was riding really good and his confidence is high. We didn’t have it today, but hopefully we’ll come back at Laguna Seca next month and be strong.” Mat Mladin: “It was a good race for us, we just tried really hard to get the win. I just had to keep pushing and try to get on top of Ben and get some more wins. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 was a completely different bike today than it was yesterday. We gambled with a set-up change that helped us not lose time in certain areas of the track.” More, from a press release issued by Ben Spies’ publicist: SPIES’ WINNING STREAK COMES TO AN END Defending champ extends series lead in spite of doubleheader split ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 8, 2008) Ben Spies’ record winning streak came to an end on Sunday at Road America when teammate Mat Mladin crossed the line 2.695 seconds ahead of the defending champion in the second leg of the weekend doubleheader. However, it was Spies leaving with a bigger series lead due to his win on Saturday and point for pole. The two Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders battled for the lead throughout the 16-lap race Sunday over the picturesque four-mile Road America circuit. After going wheel to wheel for nearly 14 laps, Mladin opened a small gap in the closing laps. Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking finished third. In the end Spies was satisfied with the fact that he split the doubleheader weekend with Mladin, won the pole, established a new AMA Superbike win streak record at seven straight and left Road America with one more point tacked on to his series lead. Spies now leads the championship by 40 points (378-338) after 11 of 19 races. Spies has seven wins to Mladin’s four so far this season. The race at Road America on Sunday was run on a drying track and Spies pointed to the track conditions as one of the reasons he was unable to keep his streak alive. “The track was difficult after it had been raining all morning,” Spies said. “I went with a little bit of a set-up change and between that and the track being green, I was just hanging on by a thread the whole race. “I tried to stay on Mat’s pace, but he was riding really good and his confidence was up there today. He was really pushing into the corners.” Spies is hoping to start a new winning streak in the next AMA round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, Calif., on July 18-20 – the combined MotoGP/AMA Superbike weekend. “Hopefully we can rebound and come back strong at Laguna next month,” he said. Spies is the defending winner of the Laguna race. It will be a demanding summer break for Spies. He is slated to take part in a MotoGP tire test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in early July. He will then prepare to make his MotoGP debut at Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 18-20, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He will also ride as a wildcard in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14. “I’m excited about the MotoGP tire test and getting the opportunity to race in my first MotoGP,” Spies said. “I’m happy that Suzuki has the faith in me to give me the chance to race at the top level. It’s something I’ve been working for my entire life. I plan on giving it my all.”