Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Hacking Sneaks On To Podium with Last Lap Pass Sonoma, Calif. Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking made a spectacular last lap pass to finish second during a hot AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race at Infineon Raceway. Hacking’s run for his fifth podium of the season didn’t come easy as he had to make his way through the pack after a caution restart. Teammate Roger Hayden moved up and down in the running order, eventually finishing one spot better than his starting position in ninth. Putting His Head Down The caution flag was brought out during the first lap of the race, which had the riders following the pace car for five laps. Hacking’s restart pushed him back to eighth. With only 17 laps left after the restart, Hacking put in clean laps and was able to chase down the top riders for second. “At the restart, I wasn’t sure which line we were taking and I ended up inside,” said Hacking. “I knew I had to hold up a little to make a safe entry and fell back a handful of spots. I always seem to make it hard on myself, but the training really kicked in today since it was extremely hot. I’m really happy that I was able to make up the positions so I can keep the points tight.” Hacking’s Speed Hacking’s speed has been obvious throughout the last several SportBike races. He has come through the field several times to finish on the podium and he is ready for his first win of the season. “I’m not mad or frustrated that I haven’t won yet because I know we have been making progress and I’m still working through different settings to make the bike just right,” said Hacking. “I do know that if we can get a few wins, we might be able to stay on top of the points.” Hayden’s Run With just two races weekends under his belt, Hayden came into his third weekend looking to improve on his time at Barber Motorsports Park. He was able to make it into Superpole where he qualified 10th. During the race, he worked his way back up from 12th to finish ninth during the hot race. “I’m a little bummed with the result, but hopefully we can do better tomorrow,” said Hayden. “I felt good and didn’t think the heat was a factor, but I had a pretty big gap in between some riders and it was hard to move forward. I know we can change a few things so I can improve on my finish from today.” Mercado Gets Pole Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado earned his first pole of the season during the AMA Pro SuperSport qualifying session. He has led the class all weekend during practice and qualifying sessions and looks for his second win of the season during the race on Sunday. A Little Help Hacking has stretched out his mentoring arm this weekend to teammate Mercado, helping coach and give advice to the young rider. Mercado’s talent and speed have been showing throughout the weekend, making Hacking a very proud teacher. “Leandro is at a good stage to learn,” said Hacking. “He’s so fast and when he puts it all together, he shows everyone how great he truly is. And he is only 17 years old.” Sunday’s Excitement After such a great race on Sunday, the Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki team is ready to see the ZX-6R on top of the podium. “We have been so close and I know Jamie (Hacking) is very capable of putting the machine on the top step of the podium,” said Team Owner Richard Stanboli. “We’ll look to Sunday’s race and hopefully we can get valuable points and maybe even a win!” Results AMA Pro Road Racing Series Infineon Raceway Sonoma, Calif. May 16, 2009 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Results 1. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 3. Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha 4. Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla 5. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell 6. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha 7. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canda, Honda 8. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 9. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI 10. Chris Filmore, Oxford, Mich., Yamaha AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Point Standings 1. Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki, 173 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 171 3. Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell, 159 4. Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 123 5. Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha, 114 6. Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla, 108 7. Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha, 88 8. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 87 9. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canda, Honda, 78 10. Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha, 76 15. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 32 17. LEANDRO MERCADO, LODI, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 39 More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports: MORAIS AND PARKES PROVIDE BEST YET… Despite fielding a makeshift team what with a partly-injured rider and a last-minute replacement, the PBM Kawasaki World Superbike Championship Team showed their true mettle with a superb performance at round six of the series which was held at Kyalami in South Africa earlier today. With local ace Sheridan Morais replacing Makoto Tamada who was out injured with a broken wrist following his Monza accident, and Broc Parkes still carrying the legacy of a shoulder injury after a testing crash in the UK, it was all the more creditable that the team recorded their best points haul of the season Aboard the www.supercasino.com, Vent Axia and Kick Energy-backed Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team Ninja ZX-10Rs, Morais impressively qualified on row three in 11th place with 27-year-old Australian Parkes battling against the odds to post 17th fastest time and in the opening 24-lap race, Morais held a top ten spot for much of the race before grip problems relegated him to 13th at the flag, two places in front of the crocked Parkes who battled his way up from 20th to 15th at the flag to claim the last point. Race two saw neither rider get good starts but both managed to hang in the leading bunch and as Morais impressively climbed the leaderboard to record an 11th place finish, Parkes bravely posted 14th place at the end of the race to make it four points scoring rides in four races at the South African track. 32-year-old Japanese rider Tamada is expected to also miss the next race at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City in the USA and if so, his replacement will be announced in due course. Broc Parkes: “This was a difficult weekend after a top ten at Monza. I struggled on the bike and with myself as I’m physically not as fit as I would like and this track is a lot harder on your body than Monza. In race two I had good pace but my injuries let me down towards the end and I couldn’t push any harder. All in all I knew this was going to be a tough weekend but we came away with some points for the team which I’m happy about. I could have taken the easy road and sat out these last two races to fully recover but we’ve been lucky that we’ve managed to score points in all races. I’m happy we’ve got a two week break before Miller so I can regain some strength and keep up the momentum of getting points and top ten finishes.” Sheridan Morais: “At the start of the week, I was lining up to ride a wild card 600 at Kyalami so it’s been a big shock and a dream come true to have now ridden the factory Kawasaki World Superbike. I’ve ridden in Europe before but riding for this team, on this bike was something else. I didn’t really know what to expect from my results but from Friday onwards I felt really good on the bike and was blown away by the speed, the brakes and overall feeling. Both myself and the team were really happy to have been up there in qualifying. I was aiming for the top ten in the races but had to settle just outside of this but overall I’m delighted to have had this opportunity at this level. I’d like to thank the team for making me feel so welcome and for this fantastic experience.” Paul Risbridger, Team Manager: “We came here not really knowing what to expect as Broc was not fully fit so I’m delighted to say it’s been a really strong weekend for the team. Sheridan stepped in for Makoto and was on the pace from Friday morning onwards and didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend. He did a fantastic job, made no mistakes and showed good pace in every session. In race one, he faded in the later part of the race with rear grip but we were particular pleased with race two. We made some small changes after race one and Sheridan lapped very competitively with a very worthy eleventh place. Broc also did a great job this weekend considering his fitness levels. He had good pace early but his injuries showed in the later part of the race so it was a bonus for him to bring home some points. This race result is the best for the season to date and shows we have a good base programme to move onto Miller.” The next round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship takes place in two weekends time (May 30/31st) at Miller in the USA. ( www.worldsbk.com) RESULTS – RACE ONE 13. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki WSB) – 3 points 15. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki WSB) – 1 point 1. N. Haga (Ducati Xerox Team) 2. M. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) 3. B. Spies (Yamaha WSB) 4. J. Rea (Ten Kate Honda) 5. M. Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) 6. C. Checa (Ten Kate Honda) 7. S. Nakano (Aprilia Racing) 8. Y. Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare BRUX) 9. S. Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) 10. T. Sykes (Yamaha WSB) RESULTS – RACE TWO 11. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki WSB) – 5 points 14. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki WSB) – 2 points 1. N. Haga (Ducati Xerox Team) 2. M. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) 3. J. Rea (Ten Kate Honda) 4. L. Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) 5. M. Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) 6. C. Checa (Ten Kate Honda) 7. S. Nakano (Aprilia Racing) 8. Y. Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare BRUX) 9. T. Sykes (Yamaha WSB) 10. J. Smrz (Guandalini Racing) More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Fourth Place For Lascorz In Africa WSS, Kyalami, South Africa, 17 May 2009 Joan Lascorz found himself battling for a podium spot at Kyalami but had to settle for fourth after a last lap packed with drama in the only World Supersport round to be held in Africa this season. The Spanish rider was looking set for fourth place at best before Fabien Foret crashed out, suddenly making Lascorz’s man-to-man fight with Kenan Sofuoglu a podium struggle. As Lascorz and Sofuoglu attempted to gain the advantage in an action-packed last few corners, they were caught by following rider Mark Aitchison, who took the final podium place, behind race winner Eugene Laverty and Cal Crutchlow. Lascorz improved his current overall championship placing to fifth, on 60 points. Lascorz’ Provec Motocard.com Kawasaki team mate Katsuaki Fujiwara rode his Ninja ZX-6R to 13th in the race, having chosen the wrong gearing for raceday. He is now 13th, on 26 points. Joan Lascorz: “The last lap was a very big fight and Sofuoglu got past me again, then I went inside, only for Aitchison to come past us both. I did not know Aitchison was so close behind. The bike was pretty much like yesterday, because we tried a new thing in the warm-up this morning, but it didn’t work, so we went back to what we knew. It’s a shame to miss out on the podium when we got a chance late in the race.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Our bike was a bit better today and the engine was stronger. We changed the gearing a bit because we were running too high revs a lot yesterday but we went a bit too long with it and it did not push so hard up the hills. The start of the race wasn’t so bad but then the rear started chattering and then it was difficult to keep the line. It was also tough under hard braking.” More, from a press release issued by Keith Amor’s publicist: Amor claims first ever NW200 podium Keith Amor took his first ever podium at the International North West 200 road races on Saturday when he finished third in the shortened Superstock race. The Wilson Craig Honda rider also claimed seventh in the only Superbike race that was held as poor weather conditions saw the final two races of the day cancelled. Practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings was held in vastly different conditions, the first session seeing dry roads and blue skies whilst the latter fell victim to wind and rain. Keith posted some strong times on Tuesday, successfully qualifying all of his machines on the front two rows and with no-one going quicker in the damp on Thursday, Keith lined up in 3rd, 4th and 6th in the Supersport, Superbike and Superstock classes respectively. Race day on Saturday dawned grey and extremely blustery and it proved to be a day that tried the patience of everyone, with frequent rain showers affecting various parts of the course. In the opening Superbike race, only two laps had been completed when the red flag came out due to an incident and the result was declared with Keith in seventh spot. The first Supersport race was cut to four laps but Keith’s race was over on the first lap when, travelling at close to 150mph, an electrical problem caused the crank sensor to fail, briefly cutting out the Honda engine and Alastair Seeley was unable to avoid him and clipped the rear of the machine, crashing out, fortunately without injury. Keith made the restart but pulled off at the first corner when it was clear the problem wasn’t temporary. In the Superstock race, Keith found himself down in sixth at the end of the first lap but, by the end of lap 2, he was up to third. Closing in on the leaders, Keith had just started his fourth lap when the red flags were out again, this time for heavy rain. The result was again taken at the end of two laps and Keith was awarded third for his first ever NW200 podium. With rain continuing to fall at various parts around the course, and with time running out, the feature Superbike and second Supersport races were then cancelled. Speaking afterwards, Keith said: “It’s been an incredibly frustrating day for everyone and definitely a case of what might have been. In the first Superbike race we had the wrong gearing for the strong winds and the screen was too small so I was being buffeted all over the place. The wind was trying to pull me off the back of the bike so I had back off a bit but we changed things for the second race and it was flying on the warm up lap so it was disappointing that we didn’t get to race.” “The Supersport race was a bit of a disaster but I regrouped for the Superstock race and after a so-so start, I then got beat up a bit on the first lap. I got my head down though and had worked my way up to third by the end of the second and the bike was working really well. I was confident that I was going to reel the leaders in but the rain came down very heavily and it was the right decision to stop the race. I was happy with third but would have been happier if the race had gone the full distance.” “I was ready to race in the final two races so it was a hugely disappointing when both of them were cancelled. It’s a real shame, especially for all the mechanics – Guy, Brian and Alistair – as they’ve put in so much effort to get us here this week and any problems we encountered, they immediately sorted them out. It’s disappointing for the fans as well and I feel like we didn’t do the racing we should have but, like I say, it was good to get a podium and a big thank you to my sponsors especially Wilson, Dunlop, Honda, Arai, Annandale Design and Macleay Engineering for all their support in getting me there.” Keith now heads to the Isle of Man TT Races, with practice for the legendary event getting underway on Saturday May 30th. More, from a press release issued by Ryan Farquhar’s publicist: Farquhar denied NW200 Superstock victory Ryan Farquhar was controversially denied victory in the Superstock race at Saturday’s International North West 200 road races when the race was red flagged whilst he was leading. The KMR Kawasaki rider was leading on the road on the fourth lap when the race was stopped due to heavy rain and, with the results taken at the end of the second lap, he was relegated to second behind winner Alastair Seeley. Indeed, weather conditions played havoc with the entire meeting and with Thursday evening’s practice session affected by continuous drizzle, the majority of riders’ times from Tuesday evening counted for grid positions. Subsequently, Ryan lined up in 4th, 8th and 10th for the Superstock, Superbike and Supersport races. Race day saw strong winds accompanied by intermittent rain showers but Ryan opened his account with a strong 8th in the first Superbike race, which was stopped after two laps, having led in the early stages on his Superstock machine. Switching to the 600cc ZX-6R Kawasaki, Ryan was again in the thick of the action in the first Supersport race before finishing ninth after four, hard-fought laps. The Superstock race saw the worst of the conditions but, riding Kenny Harker’s Kawasaki, Ryan slotted in to the lead at the end of the first lap. Alastair Seeley then took over at half race distance but with the rain falling heavily, Ryan took command and opened up a lead. However, with conditions worsening, the race was then stopped and although he was comfortably leading at the time, the result went back to the end of the second lap and Seeley was awarded the victory. More controversy followed when the remaining two races, the feature Superbike and second Supersport, were cancelled due to poor track conditions. Talking later, Ryan said: “It’s been a very disappointing day and I felt that I deserved the victory in the Superstock race. I was comfortable in the lead and was pulling away so for the result to be declared after just two laps is baffling, to say the least. On the plus side, the bike was flying and I was happy with how I was riding but second really should have been first.” “In the Superbike race, I got a great start and with a real good slipstream down to University I managed to take the lead. I rode as hard as I could around the Magic Roundabout to pull away a bit but I knew the Superbikes would come past sooner rather than later and I had to settle for eighth although I was more than happy with that.” “I rode as hard as I could on the 600 but we’re still missing the correct camshafts and when we get them at the TT we should be a lot stronger. I was gutted that the final two races were cancelled though as I was ready to race, as were many of the other riders I spoke to. The circuit was changing from soaking wet to damp and then dry but the tyres would have held up so it was disappointing for everyone that the day ended how it did.” Ryan’s next outing comes at this weekend’s Barry Sheene Classic Race Festival at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough where he’ll be riding a 500cc Paton and a 350cc Honda. More, from a press release issued by Paradigm Racing: Sonoma, Ca. – Daytona SportBike race two proved to be a test of wills as the challenging conditions conspired to defeat even the hardiest riders. Track temperatures rose as high as 146 degrees prior to the start of the race. Despite the conditions Paradigm Racing rider Damian Cudlin pushed through the sweltering heat and achieved a tremendous 10th place finish. It was the second top ten finish in two race weekends for the Aussie rider who was completely new to the track. “I thought this race would be easier than the first, but I was wrong! It was another tough one,” said Cudlin. Cudlin had a solid start, but was shuffled down from his starting position to 15th following a near collision with a fellow rider. However, he battled back and took the fight to the competition. Throughout the race Cudlin battled with Michael Beck and Chris Fillmore swapping positions numerous times. With five laps to go Cudlin was able to pass Danny Eslick for 11th and began to close in on Beck. With only three laps remaining Cudlin was able to get past and secure the 10th finish. “We came home strong and jumped up a couple spots at the end. Another top ten finish was just what we needed and now we can build on that at Road America. I really want to thank my crew for working so hard and getting behind me. I’m definitely proud to be a part of this team,” said Cudlin. Paradigm Racing travels next to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America for the AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on June 5-7. For more information please visit www.paradigmracing.net or follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/paradigmracing. More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: M4 Suzuki’s Cardenas Cards Another Daytona SportBike Sweep at Infineon M4 Suzuki’s DiSalvo brings home 2nd place in Sunday’s race Round 5 AMA Daytona Sportbike Series Sonoma, California Infineon Raceway May 15-17, 2009 Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas won both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races and took over the points lead in the AMA Daytona SportBike class at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, this weekend. This feat is Cardenas’ second AMA Daytona SportBike sweep in a row, and the result also marks his fifth win in the series this year. M4 Suzuki teammate Jason DiSalvo also celebrated an impressive weekend. The rider set the fastest lap time in Superpole and picked up pole position for both races and then he finished up in second place in Sunday’s event. Currently, DiSalvo is in fourth place overall in the AMA Daytona SportBike points chase. Martin Cardenas 1st place, Race 1 (Saturday) & Race 2 (Sunday): “The weekend was good. At the beginning, it was a little bit tough because the pace that these guys were running was a little too much but then in every practice session we were able to close in a little bit. In Saturday’s race, the M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 worked awesome and I knew I could win. Today, it was a little bit the same. The bike was great, I think had a little bit of an issue with grip but for everybody it was the same because the tires were spinning a lot. But the Suzuki worked great all weekend and it’s been working awesome for three races and I want to thank the M4 Suzuki team for that.” Jason DiSalvo 2nd place, Race 1 (Sunday): “We really wanted that number-one spot on Sunday and after (crashing) yesterday I was really gunning for it but Martin ran an incredible race. The last lap was flawless by him, actually by both of us. But we were just so evenly matched, that there was no place to make a move. Congratulations to both sides of the garage, they’ve really been working hard and they deserve this, and it’s great to see M4 Suzuki one/two on the podium today.” M4 Suzuki Racing will race next at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, over the weekend of June 5-7, 2009. More, from another press release issued by American Suzuki: Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mladin Wins Infineon AMA Superbike Race 2 Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Hayden gets another Infineon podium Round 5 AMA Superbike Series, Race 2 Sonoma, California Infineon Raceway May 15-17, 2009 Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin returned to his race-winning ways in the second AMA Superbike race of the double-header weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, on Sunday afternoon. The six-time AMA Superbike Champion started from pole position on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, got into the lead immediately and created a gap to take the win. This victory marks Mladin’s eighth win (out of a possible nine) this season and his 80th career AMA Superbike victory. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden celebrated two podium positions this weekend, thanks to a third-place finish on Sunday that followed up his second-place finish on Saturday. This impressive result is Hayden’s sixth AMA Superbike podium finish of the 2009 season. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki rookie Blake Young opted to sit out this race weekend after injuring his hand at the previous round at Barber Motorsports Park. Young hopes to be back racing at the next event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Mat Mladin: “It was a tough one today. I had nothing left out there at the end of the race. I just went as hard as I could on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and kept going and going and going. Toward the end, I just tried to keep it clean and that’s that.” Tommy Hayden: “It was good to get two podiums this weekend. I kind of bounced back after a couple of rough races and I feel like we’re going in the right direction now. Today, it was a hard race. From the beginning, I got a pretty good start on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I was just trying to hold on. It was tough to run the pace but toward the midway point, it got a little easier. I was just kind of hanging there, though a couple of times I was able to close up on them in traffic but I made a mistake with a couple laps to go and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to close it back up after that.” Blake Young: “I got injured at Barber and I got off my pain killers and finished up my antibiotics to make sure I didn’t get an infection. I got back on the bicycle and started training. My finger felt really good, motion was coming back better and better every day. So I decided to come on out here and see what we could do because every day was getting so much better. Maybe we’d have a chance to ride the bike. But when I got to the track, I realized that if I tried to ride at this point I would just damage my hand. So we’re going to sit out this weekend and then go back to the doctor and keep it healthy and get it healed up for Elkhart Lake.” Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the weekend of June 5-7, 2009. AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 2. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha 3. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 4. Josh Hayes, Yamaha 5. Larry Pegram, Ducati 6. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki 7. Taylor Knapp, Suzuki 8. David Anthony, Suzuki 9. Neil Hodgson, Honda 10. Ryan Ellerby, Yamaha AMA Superbike Points Standings: 1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 2. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 3. Josh Hayes, Yamaha 4. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha 5. Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki 6. Larry Pegram, Ducati 7. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 8. Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 9. Taylor Knapp, Suzuki 10. David Anthony, Suzuki More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America: PEGRAM RACING ADVANCES TWO CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS AT INFINEON RACEWAY A pair of aggressive rides reward rider Larry Pegram with sixth overall in the American Superbike Championship Sonoma, Calif. (18 May 2009) As a productive weekend comes to an end, Team Foremost Pegram Racing leaves Infineon Raceway with two top five finishes, advancing rider Larry Pegram to sixth overall in the championship. Following Saturday’s race one battle to third position, rider Larry Pegram set his sights on overall advancement in the American Superbike Championship. As the crew made several changes to his Ducati 1098 R Superbike, Pegram set a goal of leaving Infineon sixth in the championship. Sunday’s race two was held in comparable heat to Saturday’s scorcher, and when the flag dropped Pegram immediately propelled his Ducati 1098 R to fourth position- riding aggressively in pursuit of the number one spot. A failed overtaking maneuver on Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden enabled Geoff May and Josh Hayes to sneak through; dropping Pegram to sixth place. Pegram then twisted the throttle on his Ducati and put his head down, enabling a pass on Geoff May for fifth position. Once the Ducati got past May there was a significant gap to Hayes in fourth, which Pegram fought to the end to close. When the checkered flag fell Pegram took fifth position, and more importantly reached in his goal of sixth in the championship. “Needless to say I’m really happy with what we have accomplished this weekend,” commented Pegram. “My team has been great and the Ducati ran strong all weekend. Leaving Infineon a solid sixth in the championship is a great feeling, and I’m ready to start fighting for fifth at Road America!” Team Foremost Pegram Racing now heads back to their Ohio race shop, where the Ducati 1098 R will be rebuilt in preparation for round six of the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike Championship. The next race will be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 5-7. For more information on Team Foremost Pegram Racing please visit www.pegramracing.com. To learn more about Ducati’s line of racing inspired motorcycles please visit www.ducatiusa.com. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: Mladin and Cardenas Win at Infineon Raceway in Sunday’s AMA Pro Road Racing Finals Ricky Parker Takes First Career AMA Pro SuperSport Win at Kawasaki Superbike Showdown SONOMA, Calif. – Season win number eight put Mat Mladin (No. 7 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-1000R) back on top of the podium in AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited competition as Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-600R) completed his second consecutive weekend sweep to earn win number five in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL competition in the final round of this weekend’s Kawasaki Superbike Showdown presented by Supercuts doubleheaders at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Mladin held off repeated attempts by runner-up Ben Bostrom (No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) to take the number one spot as the two ran like they were qualifying from the moment the green flag dropped. “It was a tough one today,” said Mladin, who holds the record for AMA Pro American Superbike wins at Infineon with nine. “I had nothing left out there today. I went as hard as I could and kept going and going and going. I got stuck behind a couple of lappers but I said (to myself) I didn’t want to give Ben a sniff, but he got one and he got pretty close. I just put my head down and went hard the rest of the way.” Bostrom spent his laps not only chasing Mladin, but holding off the charge of third place finisher Tommy Hayden (No. 22 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-1000R). Hayden threw down fast lap after fast lap at Bostrom but couldn’t get by the rider from California. “It’s a tough track, one of the toughest we go to,” said Bostrom. “I love it so much and I’ve always wanted to win a Superbike race here but I’ve never done it. Congratulations to Mat and Tommy, especially Mat. He rode a perfect race and it was stellar to watch”. Bostrom closed to within .608 seconds of Mladin on Lap 18 as both riders fought through traffic, but was never closer as Mladin led all 22 laps and stretched the lead to 1.833 seconds at the checkered flag. For Bostrom, his second-place finish was his highest in AMA Pro American Superbike this season. Of the leaders, Hayden seemed to suffer the most with lapped traffic, falling back time and time again only to charge back to the rear wheel of Bostrom, but was unable to maintain enough momentum to complete the pass. “It was a very tough race for me,” said Hayden. “In the beginning Mat had his head down and was doing some quick laps. I just tried to hang in and stay close. I knew the bike was good over the distance of the race so I wanted to stay in and I hoped to make something happen but I made mistakes and lost some time. After that, I just tried to hang on.” Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) finished fourth as the Saturday AMA Pro American Superbike winner couldn’t mount a charge to match the front three riders. “It was very disappointing today, especially after yesterday,” said Hayes, whose victory in Saturday’s race came as the first American Superbike win of his career. “The guys worked hard on the R1 and it was all rider error. I had a headache earlier and I don’t know if it was allergies or what, but I just wasn’t feeling right. The R1 was staying up with the front riders and I was just trying to ride my race and hope something happened up front. But I started messing up, hitting the bumps and missing the lines and I just tried to hang on.” Mladin, who has won eight of the last 14 American Superbike races at Infineon, increases his points lead over teammate Hayden, 268-189. Hayes’ performance this weekend improves him from sixth position to third in the 2009 championship points battle with 160, while Bostrom’s strong performance on Sunday takes him to fourth with 150 points. Round Six for AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited will be the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America June 5-7. Daytona SportBike Sweep Cardenas held off teammate Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) in Sunday’s AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL race to claim his fifth victory of the season in the final round of the doubleheader in this weekend’s Kawasaki Superbike Showdown presented by Supercuts at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. “Today’s race was tough like yesterday’s (race) but it was a little different because I got to the front a little early and led a lot of laps,” said Cardenas. “It’s tough because of the pressure. Jason was there and I think (Jake) Zemke was there the whole time so I needed to keep focused. I knew Jason would try to pass on the last lap so I tried to ride as hard as I could and shut the door. It worked out this time; it was an awesome race.” Cardenas’ second consecutive weekend sweep of the season didn’t come easy, as the Colombian had to hold off his hard-charging teammate for the last 10 laps of the race. On the final lap, DiSalvo tried to slip by on the inside of Cardenas in Turn 11 but was unable to make the pass stick in the race to the line, finishing just .104 seconds behind the No. 36 machine. “That was everything I had,” said DiSalvo, the third place finisher in the 2008 AMA Pro American Superbike points chase. “Martin ran a great race and I’d like to say congratulations to all of the M4 guys and our team owner, John Ulrich. It was a great day and I gave everything I had but it just wasn’t enough.” Third-place finisher Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) led the most laps of the race after passing pole-sitter DiSalvo on the first lap heading into Turn 3 and holding off the M4 teammates for the opening 11 laps. DiSalvo grabbed the top spot back on Lap 12 as he and Cardenas passed Herrin in Turn 7. The final pass for the lead came in Lap 13 as Cardenas snuck past DiSalvo under hard braking in Turn 9. “It went pretty good,” said Herrin. “I can’t complain after yesterday’s race when I got a rock in my radiator. Today it was just rider error on tire choice and it paid off for those guys (M4 Suzuki). I hope we can go to Road America and be strong.” Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YXF-R6) ran in fifth most of the day but passed 2008 Formula Xtreme Champion and eventual fifth-place finisher Jake Zemke (No. 1X Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) on the final lap to finish fourth. Cardenas takes 203 championship points into the next round, with Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) slipping to second with 179 points and Danny Eslick (No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R) falling to third with 168 points. Round Six for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL will be the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America from June 5 – 7. SuperSport Sunday Ricky Parker (No. 96 Graves Motorsports/Hattiesburg Cycles Yamaha YZF-R6) and Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) put on a heated battle that made the 99 degree temperature at the track seem mild as the two young riders ran nose to tail for the full 18 laps of the Sunday AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei main event. Parker took the hole-shot and was able to hold off the Argentinean’s aggressive pass attempts for the duration of the race. “It was pretty hot out there, but it was a fun race,” said Parker, whose win comes in his second AMA Pro SuperSport showing. “It’s tough to stay in front of Leandro (Mercado). Man, he is pretty fast out there. I’m just glad we held on and won the race.” Mercado made several attempts in Turns 6, 7 and 9 throughout the race including an aggressive run at just about every turn on the track in the last lap, but just couldn’t find a way to slip past Parker. “It was a hard race,” said Mercado, who was looking for a second career SuperSport win to accompany his Auto Club victory from earlier this year. “I tried to make a pass on Ricky but I knew I couldn’t do it so I settled back and just took second place. I want to congratulate Ricky; he did a great job.” Third -place rider Russ Wikle (No. 5 RoadracingWorld.com Suzuki GSX-R600) ran alone in third for nearly the whole race as he was unable to join the battle for the lead while the battle behind for fourth allowed him to claim the final podium spot without a challenge. “It was pretty fun and low pressure today because I only race for points in the (SuperSport) East Division,” said Wikle. “This was more for bragging rights than anything else. I wanted to stay with Ricky and Leandro but they were tough.” The hard-earned fourth place finish was taken by Bryce Prince (No. 74 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R), who was followed to the line by fifth place Garrett Willis (No. 80 Mach 1 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6). Parker’s previous best finish was a tenth place at Road Atlanta and today’s race saw another podium covered with three different manufacturers as Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki were all represented in victory lane. The next round for AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei will be a combined East and West Division race during the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at Road America June 5 – 7. AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.