2007 AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 3, 2007 Provisional Race Results (wet conditions): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 16 laps 2. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, -11.793 seconds 3. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -36.612 seconds 4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -62.404 seconds 5. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -84.884 seconds 6. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -122.981 seconds 7. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -142.057 seconds 8. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap, pitted 9. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, -1 lap, 2.267 seconds 10. Dominic Jones (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -1 lap, 25.124 seconds 11. David Weber (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap, 35.048 seconds 12. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -1 lap, 83.682 seconds 13. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap, 98.891 seconds 14. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, -2 laps, pitted 15. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -8 laps, DNF, crash 16. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -8 laps, DNF, crash 17. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, -10 laps, DNF, mechanical 18. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, -13 laps, DNF, crash 19. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -15 laps, DNF, crash 20. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, -15 laps, DNF, crash 21. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, DNS 22. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, DNS AMA Superbike Championship Point Standings (after 9 out of 19 races): 1. Spies, 307 points 2. Mladin, 305 points 3. Duhamel, 236 points 4. Zemke, 232 points 5. Tommy Hayden, 225 points 6. DiSalvo, 206 points 7. Bostrom, 203 points 8. Yates, 197 points 9. Hacking, 188 points 10. Roger Hayden, 157 points 11. Ellison, 153 points 12. Holden, 128 points 13. TIE, Jensen/Weber, 125 points More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Spies Wins Road America Superbike Race II & Mladin Finishes Third Round 5 AMA Superbike Series Elkhart Lake, WI Road America June 1 — 3, 2007 Despite inclement weather, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies won his first-ever Road America AMA Superbike race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on Sunday afternoon. This victory is Spies’ third win of the season and moves the defending AMA Superbike Champion into the lead in the AMA Superbike Championship points chase. Teammate Mat Mladin finished an impressive third in the wet race, while Tommy Hayden, unfortunately, crashed and was unable to finish. “I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki team for doing such a great job, staying up until 1:00 in the morning to rebuild the bike I crashed in practice yesterday,” said Spies. “My Suzuki GSX-R1000 was so good in the rain today. I was afraid the track was going to dry out. We needed this win, for sure.” The 16-lap race went off as scheduled in spite of the rain and Spies got the holeshot. By lap two, Hayden was running in third and Mladin was in seventh. As the storm grew worse, however, the race was red flagged because of conditions. When the storm subsided into merely rain, the complete restart saw Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates get the holeshot but he was overtaken by Mladin and Spies on the first lap. Mladin, who started from pole position, led briefly before being passed by Spies. Spies took over the lead and created a gap and took the win. “In the first start, I got a pretty good holeshot but I was still feeling it out and not going all out,” said Spies. “Then we had the red flag and in the second start I followed Mat and then got around him. I just tried to put some decent laps together and get as big a gap as I could. Then, I just put it on cruise control”¦ I’ve been riding hard all year and trying to not make mistakes. We know we have to win races to win the championship. Now, we just need to take it to a new level and not ride so conservatively.” Mladin, meanwhile, settled into second position before being passed midway through the race. The six-time AMA Superbike Champion played it safe, however, and rode his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the third podium spot. “I didn’t get a good start in the first start,” said Mladin. “There was so much water that I couldn’t see where I was going. I’d already made the decision to not do anything crazy. The conditions in the second start were more sane. It was slippery, but visibility was OK. (As for Jamie and Ben), they just rode better than me. In the race, I saw some things I could improve on. I am lacking in the rain in some areas. But some of the things that hurt me in the rain help me in the dry. And fortunately, most races are on sunny days.” Former AMA Supersport Champion Hayden had gotten off the line and was in third place in the first start. In the second start, he’d moved into position to battle for a podium spot when he went down and was unable to finish. “I made a mistake in Turn One,” said Hayden, who wasn’t injured in the get-off. “Up until then, the race was going good and I felt really comfortable on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. I’d caught the battle for second place and then I locked up the front brake. I was down on the ground before I could do anything about it.” All of Suzuki’s road race teams will return for round six of the AMA Superbike Series at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, the weekend of June 22 – 24, 2007 AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 3. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 4. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 5. James Ellison, Honda 6. Jake Zemke, Honda 7. Jake Holden, Jordan Suzuki 8. John Haner, Suzuki 9. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 10. Dominic Jones, Honda AMA Superbike Points Standings: 1. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Jake Zemke, Honda 4. Tommy Hayden, Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 6. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha 7. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 8. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 9. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 10. James Ellison, Honda More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Racing Honda: ELLISON TAKES SEASON BEST FIFTH AT WET AND WILD ROAD AMERICA SUPERBIKE DOUBLEHEADER James Ellison rode a terrific race to finish fifth, his best finish this season, in the second race of this weekend’s SuperBike doubleheader at Road America. The variable weather was the main topic for conversation with heavy rain, thunder and lightning on both race days. Once again at a track for the first time, James’ usual quick study was hampered by the heavy rain showers that meant quality practice was sporadic. Additionally, a mechanical hiccup early in qualifying sidelined Ellison on the backside of the 4.3 mile course causing him to miss much of the session. Still he was able to qualify on the fourth row with a respectable time for his first event here. James said; “The bike is working well, its just time on-track to learn the course. It’s a lot longer mile-wise than all the other tracks so that time makes a difference!” The first SuperBike race was delayed due to the weather with a big shower soaking everything just before the start. The race was declared “Wet” but it seemed whoever was controlling the weather smiled on the event because within minutes of the start the sun came out and dried up the course. The race started in almost perfect conditions but not with a perfect ending for James whose clutch burned out in the start, forcing him to retire at the end of the lap. A very disappointed Ellison said; ” I got a great start off the line and was fanning the clutch to keep the “R’s” up and it just fried the clutch, slipping from then on real bad so that was that!” The crew put in a new clutch for race two and with everyone crossing their fingers for a good race the heavens once again opened, deluging the track and all everyone attending! The race was designated wet as for race one but this time it was well deserved with heavy rain all around the track. James got a good start and was in the front “pack” but the race was red flagged after one lap due to lightning strikes around the track. The conditions were much the same for the restart half an hour later and once again James was up in the front group, in thirteenth at the end of lap one. Thereafter bikes were crashing left and right in the very slippery and hard-to-see conditions but Ellison used his wet-weather MotoGP experience to keep it upright and pick off riders ahead. By the end of the race he had collected eight positions to finish a super fifth and the first Honda home. A jubilant Ellison said afterwards; “The conditions were very slippery. There were a couple of corners, turns 2 and 5, where I didn’t know if I would make it every lap! Every where else it was OK and I just rode as fast as I could. The crew did a great job getting the bike set up for the conditions so it was a fun race!” Ellison is currently eleventh in the SuperBike Championship points order. Speed Channel once again had a camera on James’ bike for the weekend. Viewers will see the field behind from the rear-facing view.