Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies claimed the provisional AMA Superbike pole position with a new lap record during qualifying Friday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Spies, the current AMA Superbike Championship point leader, rode his Dunlop-shod GSX-R1000 around the four-mile-long road course in 2:12.156, faster than Mat Mladin’s 2005 lap record of 2:12.554. Spies told reporters that he did the time on a possible race tire and with less-than-ideal gearing. He predicted that he could do a 2:11 lap time in Saturday’s final qualifying session with better gearing and one of his two, rear qualifying tires. Six-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Mladin was second-fastest in Friday’s qualifying session with a 2:12.800, but he was the fastest man overall Friday with the 2:12.120 he did in Friday morning practice. According to Spies, Mladin did not use a qualifying tire Friday afternoon. American Honda’s Jake Zemke (2:13.339) and Miguel Duhamel (2:13.407) were third- and fourth-fastest, respectively, on their CBR1000RRs. AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 2 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:12.156 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:12.800 3. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:13.339 4. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:13.407 5. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:14.060 6. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), 2:14.470 7. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:14.588 8. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), 2:14.610 9. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:16.132 10. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:16.285 11. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:16.464 12. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:16.822 13. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:16.933 14. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:17.817 15. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:18.050 16. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:18.073 17. Lee Acree (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:18.087 18. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:18.638 19. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:18.984 20. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:19.155 21. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:19.588 22. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:19.901 23. Jesse Janisch (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:20.762 24. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:21.086 25. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:21.398 26. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:21.837 27. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:22.066 28. Mike Sullivan (Yam YZF-R1), 2:22.872 29. Michael Sanchez (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:23.113 30. Marcin Blernacki (Yam YZF-R1), 2:24.198 31. Paul Heinen (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:25.318 32. Marco Martinez (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:25.668 33. James Kerker (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:25.721 34. Greg Fryer (Yam YZF-R1), 2:26.292 35. Eric Haugo (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:31.833 More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati: HODGSON AND BOSTROM PREPARE FOR ROAD AMERICA RACE SHOWDOWN Elkhart Lake (Wisconsin) June 2 2006: Parts Unlimited Ducati Team racers Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom completed qualifying at Road America on Friday, placing their Ducati 999 Superbikes on the provisional second row. Hodgson was sixth with a time of 2:14.470 and Bostrom was eighth at 2:14.611. The AMA Superbike field completed qualifying just before a rainstorm hit the beautiful Wisconsin circuit.

Neil Hodgson headed a group of three factory riders within two tenths of a second. Still, the Englishman was disappointed not to be on the provisional front row. “A frustrating day, really,” said Hodgson, a race winner at Elkhart Lake last season. “It was anything but smooth for us today as we had some small problems. It was compounded by the long track. If something goes wrong, you have a long way to ride before you come back around. That cut into our track time. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow, come out fighting and see what we come up with.” Ben Bostrom was almost as fast as his teammate on Friday. “Since I was racing World Superbike last year, I haven’t been here for a while and I wasn’t riding my best today. Any time you’re riding a new bike or a new track, it takes a little while to get into your groove,” said Bostrom, who said the weather didn’t affect him. “There were a few drops out there but not what I would call rain.” Both racers will return to the track for qualifying tomorrow and a 16-lap race at 3:30 local time.