Triple Podium for American Honda at Miller Motorsports Park American Honda riders Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel dominated the podium on the sweltering second day of AMA Superbike Championship racing at Miller Motorsports Park. “It was a great race,” Duhamel said after finishing third on Sunday, one spot behind teammate Jake Zemke. “It was fun to be up there again and it was fun to have such a good bike and hopefully we’ll get back on the march.” The teammates were on their best form on a track where Zemke scored a Superbike win last year, and on a weekend when the weather approached 40 degrees C. Sunday’s race was stopped on the sixth of 21 laps when former champion Mat Mladin crashed heavily out of the lead. The re-started race would run for 17 laps. Zemke gated well on Sunday, sticking close to race leader Ben Spies in the early going before settling into a secure second, his best finish of the season. A day earlier Zemke had ascended the podium with a third place finish. On Sunday Duhamel came out the best of a three-way battle for the final podium spot with a crafty move on the final lap. Duhamel passed third placed Mat Mladin-who’d re-started after his crash-a few turns from the checkered flag to vault himself next to Zemke on the podium. Duhamel had an eventful Saturday race. Battling towards a podium position, Duhamel was hit by a fellow rider, knocking off the toe slider on his boot. But he quickly recovered to finish fifth. The success of the American Hondas solidified their championship positions. Zemke is third in the point standings, one spot in front of Duhamel. Both of the weekend’s races were won by Ben Spies. Teammate Mat Mladin was second on Saturday, with Duhamel third. The Superbike series takes a one month break before reconvening at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 22-23. Jake Zemke, 2nd Place Sunday I was out there in second and I could see on my board”¦I started having a little bit of problems with the motorcycle and it took me a few laps to figure out how to ride the bike, ride around the problem, and while I was doing that, that battle for third was catching up to me quick. I was pretty surprised when I saw the ’66’ ( Mat Mladin) on my board. ‘Wow, Mat is all the way up to third.’ Luckily I was able to figure out how to ride around the problem and hang on and those guys were busy battling with themselves. I’m real glad to see Miguel (Duhamel) get up here too. Jake Zemke, 3rd Place Saturday I think the only guy to get a worse start than me was Mat (Mladin). It was a little bit tough. My bike was overheating pretty bad, and when it was doing that I couldn’t even draft anyone down the straight. I had to pull out to the side to get some air through the radiator. The thing cooled down a little bit and we were able to make forward progress. By the time we got up to third, Mat and Ben (Spies) had already checked out. It was a good race, but we are hoping for more tomorrow. Miguel Duhamel, 3rd Sunday Got a decent start and then forgot to turn the traction control on and almost high-sided out of turn seven and then I went, ‘Why did that happen? Oh yeah, traction control.’ Chased down and then I got by Mat (Mladin). Twice, I showed him a wheel, going, like, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to get going. We’ve got to get closer to Jake (Zemke).’ (Mladin) tried, and considering how beaten up he was, I guess that was pretty good. Then it came down to this is a podium, so I did everything I could. I thank god for my team and the Honda CBR1000RR, all the power we had. Got a drive on him coming out of turn ten. And I got in on the brakes a little bit better than he did and kept it tight a little bit. And he couldn’t outdrag me because I got the power, so I got third. Miguel Duhamel, 5th Sunday I could hear him (Jamie Hacking) all over the place. And it was your typical battle. His bike turned, mine didn’t. But my bike was fast, his wasn’t. And I think he got a little agitated about it and he ran into me in the last corner and knocked my toe slider off. And it was just, I think, maybe the heat got to him a bit; he was very impatient and ran into me. Then after that I put my laps together and held him off and actually pulled a little bit on him. It’s just one of those things Sunday Superbike 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Jake Zemke (Honda) 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 4. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 5. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 6. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 7. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 8. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 9. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 10. Luca Scassa (MV) Saturday Superbike 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 4. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 5. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 6. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 7. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 8. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 9. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 10. James Ellison (Honda) Championship Standings 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 382 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 364 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 293 4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 279 5. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 274 6. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 252 7. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 243 8. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 235 9. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 210 10. Roger Hayden (Kawasaki) 197 More, From A Press Release Issued By Michael Jordan Motorsports: JORDAN SUZUKI’S AARON YATES 3rd AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK Earns Podium Finish in AMA Superstock Race Tooele, Utah (June 25, 2007) Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates rode his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a third place finish in Sunday’s AMA Superstock race at Miller Motorsports Park. This is Yates’ third podium for the Jordan Suzuki team and his second podium at this track. With team owner Michael Jordan in attendance, Yates qualified for the event with a time of 1:51.574, earning a front row start next to teammate Jake Holden, who started from third place with a qualifying time of 1:51.261. Both riders got off to a good start before the race was red flagged after Holden crashed going into turn two. Holden visited the medical center as a precautionary measure and chose not to restart the race. Yates, who was quickest in Sunday’s AMA Superstock morning practice, found himself in 11th place on lap one of the restart after another rider knocked his handlebars, causing a broken clutch lever. Yates overcame the damage to his bike and moved rapidly through the field into fifth place in the 13 lap race, eventually crossing the checkered flag in third place. “It was great to have Michael here,” said Yates. “I just wish our results could have been better. We’ll go home, regroup and get ready for the next round.” Today’s podium finish puts Yates third in total points for the Championship and only six points out of second place. The next stop for the Jordan Suzuki team and the AMA Superbike Series is Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California July 20-22, 2007, featuring an abbreviated AMA Superbike racing schedule and Moto Grand Prix World Championship racing. AMA Superstock racing will resume at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. For more information on the team, visit the race team website at www.23race.com. More, From a Press Release From Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hacking Dominates AMA Supersport in Utah TOOELE, Utah (June 24, 2007) Jamie Hacking rode his Monster Energy Kawasaki ZX™-6R to a commanding win in the AMA Supersport class at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. After setting a new track record and gaining the pole position during Saturday’s qualifying, Hacking was out to prove he’s a contender for the AMA Supersport championship. The defending champion lead every lap and ended up cruising to the win with a 5.8 second margin of victory. He also cut his deficit in the standings to 11 points. “I really paid attention to the gearing on the start and I got a good launch,” said Hacking. “Going into the first turn, one of the guys decided to make a pass on me and that was the last I wanted to see of anyone else. I went right back underneath him, put my head down and rode a steady consistent race. The team did a great job of getting the set-up the way I like and it paid off.” Teammate Roger Hayden also put in a noteworthy performance, battling with the front-runners for much of the race, ultimately coming across the finish in fifth. “I had some problems with the front tire and I was just trying to keep it up on two wheels,” said Hayden. “We are still in the hunt for the championship, so we are thankful for that.” Hayden maintains his second-place standing in the race for the championship, while Hacking, who was 11th and had a 29-point deficit at round two, is now in contention in third. Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp finished the race in 10th, while teammate Ben Attard finished in 13th. The second AMA Superbike race of the weekend was red flagged after the sixth lap. The AMA rulebook states that the riders grid where they were a lap prior to the flag, which placed Hacking in third and Hayden in sixth. Hayden got a good jump on the restart and made his way up to the front, eventually working into the top five. “It was kind of a fun race for me,” said Hayden. “My second start was better and I was battling out there for the last podium spot. I learned a lot from the two veterans in front of me. It was a good race for me and I hope to carry the momentum into the next race.” On the restart, Hacking was brought back into the pits for a stop-and-go after jumping the start. He didn’t let it stop him from moving up the pack and ended up with a notable ninth place. “I think we have definitely improved and are much more competitive with the bike,” said Hacking. “I don’t think I should have been brought in, but when I went back out, I ran some great lap times and made up a lot of positions.” The next round of the AMA Superbike Championship is a support race for the Moto GP circuit set for July 20-22 at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. Since it’s a support race, only AMA Superbike and Supersport classes will compete. AMA Superbike Championship Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah June 24, 2007 AMA Supersport Results 1. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 2. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki 3. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki 4. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha 7. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 8. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Yamaha 9. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 10. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 13. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Supersport Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 185 2. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 176 3. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 174 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 149 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 136 6. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki, 124 7. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 123 8. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha, 119 9. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 113 10. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 109 AMA Superbike Results, Race Two 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 3. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda 4. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 8. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 9. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 10. Luca Scassa, Willow Grove, Pa., MV Augusta AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 382 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 364 3. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 293 4. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 279 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 274 6. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 252 7. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 243 8. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 235 9. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 203 10. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 197