Last season Jake Holden earned two wins and six podium finishes in the AMA Superstock class and challenged for the Championship while riding a Corona Extra Honda CBR1000RR. But when Holden showed up at the AMA teams test at Auto Club Speedway this morning to begin the second year of his two-year contract with the team the only Corona Extra Hondas at the track had Neil Hodgson’s number on them. Holden said the current situation stems from the team owing him money at the end of the 2008 season. “There was an issue on payment and I had an attorney get on it,” Holden told Roadracingworld.com via cell phone as he traveled to Southern California February 2. “I don’t know what happened between my attorney and [Corona Extra Honda Team Principal] Tim Saunders’ attorney, but maybe something got misread or something. I don’t know. “They [Corona Extra Honda] e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago talking about this test, so I got a plane ticket. I talked to the new Crew Chief there, Walker, and he asked about bike set-up and stuff. We talked about that a week ago. And then I don’t know. Stuff kind of unfolded. I saw that [news report that Hodgson as riding for Corona Extra Honda], and I was like, ‘Whoa! What’s going on?'” When Holden showed up at Auto Club Speedway this morning the Corona Extra Honda race hauler was there, but Saunders and Holden’s team were not. Instead, new Team Manager Ron Heben and American Honda mechanics were there attending to Hodgson’s factory CBR1000RRs. When Roadracingworld.com spoke to Holden today, he referred us to his new manager, Michael “Murph” Murphy of The Syndicate management agency. “It is a very touchy situation right now,” Murphy said. Murphy confirmed that Holden had retained a lawyer to help him obtain payments owed by Corona Extra Honda, but said that neither Holden nor his lawyer ever sought to end Holden’s contract with the team. “Yeah, that was sent in, basically a payment demand,” said Murphy, “which was responded to by Corona Honda’s lawyer saying that once Jake had been paid that the contract was then still valid. And that is the reason why Jake made arrangements to come here, was the fact that he was instructed by Corona’s attorney that the contract was still valid. Then in January, just a few days ago, the end of January, that same lawyer contacted Jake’s representation and said that now the contract was void, the same lawyer that said it was legit.” Murphy said he wasn’t aware of the grounds on which Corona Extra Honda was claiming Holden’s contract was void. “We’re just trying to deal with the situation,” said Murphy. “We’re not trying to make waves or make trouble. All we want is a motorcycle for Jake to ride, basically. We’re trying to live up to our end of the contract, and we’re hoping that Corona Honda does the same.” At least two other riders have also turned to attorneys to resolve contractual issues with the Corona team regarding the 2007 and 2008 race seasons. A voice mail message left on team owner Tim Saunders’ cell phone seeking comment for this story had not been returned prior to post time.