AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike Presented by Parts Unlimited Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California May 17, 2009 Provisional Race Results (all on Dunlop tires): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000 K9), 22 laps 2. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), -1.833 second 3. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000 K9), -4.551 4. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1),-13.136 5. Larry Pegram (Duc 1098R), -24.462 6. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000 K9), -29.714 7. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -46.022 8. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -48.056 9. Neil Hodgson (Hon CBR1000RR), -63.456 10. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -62.485 11. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -73.925 12. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR1000RR), -76.179 13. Cory Call (Suz GSX-R1000), -92.087 14. Hawk Mazzotta (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -1 lap 15. Mark Crozier (Suz GSX-R1000 K8), -1 lap 16. Eric Haugo (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 17. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 18. Brad Puetz (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 19. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 20. Jake Holden (Hon CBR1000RR), -14 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000 K9), -16 laps, DNF, retired 21. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000 K9), -19 laps, DNF, crash 22. Mark Simon (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS Championship Point Standings (after 9 of 20 races): 1. Mladin, 268 points 2. Hayden, 189 3. Hayes, 160 4. Bostrom, 150 5. May, 143 6. Pegram, 131 7. Yates, 116 8. Blake Young, 114 9. Knapp, 97 10. Anthony, 96 11. Gobert, 71 12. TIE, Holden/Ulrich, 66 14. Mazzotta, 61 15. Jensen, 59 16. Hodgson, 37 17. Elleby, 33 18. Crozier, 31 19. Barrett Long, 23 20. TIE, Haugo/Michael Laverty, 21 More, from a press release/blog releases by Mat Mladin: I heard yesterday there was a changing of the Guard. You would think after 80+ wins that people wouldn’t write you off so quick, after one race away from the top step. What a fantastic race today. Ben pushed all race, and Tommy pushed Ben the same. I was watching Ben’s lap board and could see that Tommy was right there, in turn meaning Ben couldn’t slow even if he wanted to, so my race at the front had to be solid. As I said to a few people after the race, “If I raced liked that against Spies, my gap would have been plus 10.” That was one of the most solid and mistake free races I can remember running. It had to be, because the boys behind me, were not going away. I have missed that competition. It was great to be challenged, and have to find that focus and concentration to not put a wheel wrong. That’s what racing is all about. Thanks to Ben and Tommy for their hard riding and pushing me to the end. It was fun! I have to thank my boys for their hard work. We changed the new Gixxer completely for today’s race, and the result was obviously very different. Thanks to Blake’s crew who helped us all weekend and thanks to Kev Schwantz for an idea he planted just before the race, an idea that we went with and helped us win today. We look forward to Road America next. The competition is stiff, and we are loving every second of it. Mat Mladin More, from a press release issued by Infineon Raceway: Mladin Returns to Form, Takes Superbike Win at Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. (May 17, 2009) Mat Mladin returned to form Sunday at Infineon Raceway, running away with his 80th career victory on Day 2 of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts. The triumph came some 24 hours after his seven-race win streak was halted by a poor-handling bike and the spirited charge of Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, who captured his first win at this level. To emphasize that his departure from the Winner’s Circle was an aberration, the 37-year-old Australian dropped down and performed pushups before accepting his first-place trophy and spraying a cheering crowd with champagne. “When I won my first championship over a decade ago I heard that I would only win one and that would be the end of him,” Mladin said. “I’ve heard it all before. I won my first national championship 28 years ago as a kid. I’ve been doing this a while and won’t go away that quick.” Mladin and his Suzuki topped second-place Ben Bostrom (Petaluma native) on a Yamaha despite Bostrom leading the 30-minute Sunday warm-up and posting the fastest time in a recent test at the 2.28 mile, 12-turn track. On a day when track temperatures pushed past 120 degrees and heat impacted every competitor, Mladin’s margin of victory was an impressive 1.833 seconds. “I don’t want too many days at the office like that,” he said. Third place went to Mladin teammate Tommy Hayden, followed by Hayes and Larry Pegram in fifth on a Ducati. Mladin, the six-time series champion, entered the weekend pursuing a record eighth straight victory. Instead he had to settle for eight wins in his last nine outings. His performance was the kind that fans and competitors have come to expect. Mladin beat back several challengers entering the first turn, methodically built his lead and then defended it with skill and tenacity.” Said Bostrom: “(Mat) rode a perfect race and it was stellar to watch.” Mladin was up by .734 seconds after one lap, by .826 after 2 and 1.031 after 3, had pushed it to 1.312 after the fourth circuit with a lap of 1:36.730 and 1.347 after 5. By Lap 10 the cushion up was 2.269. Lapped traffic eventually cut into the margin, with Bostrom narrowing it to under a second in the race’s late stages but there was little suspense. For Bostrom, it was another failed attempt to win at his home track. He’s still awaiting his first win at the challenging, 12-turn road course. “It’s a tough track, one of the toughest we go to,” Bostrom said. “I love it so much and I’ve always wanted to win a Superbike race here but I’ve never done it.” Mladin holds a 79-point lead in the standings. Hayden is second, 29 points ahead of Hayes and 39 in front of Bostrom. Earlier, Colombia’s Martin Cardenas completed a sweep of both Daytona Sportbike races by holding off a late challenge from Jason DiSalvo. The win was the fourth straight for the Suzuki rider, fifth of the season and upped his lead in the point standings. In the Supersport class, Ricky Parker drove to victory on a Kawasaki. Santa Rosa’s Robert Tinagero finished eighth. Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown SONOMA, Calif. (May 17, 2009 ) Results of Sunday’s AMA Daytona SportBike and American Superbike races at Infineon Raceway, showing finishing position, number (in parentheses), name, team, motorcycle and laps completed around the 2.28-mile road course. AMERICAN SUPERBIKE 1. (7) Mat Mladin; Rockstar · Makita · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 2. (2) Ben Bostrom; Yamaha Motor Corp. USA; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22. 3. (22) Tommy Hayden; Rockstar · Makita · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 4. (4) Josh Hayes; Yamaha Motor Corp. USA; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22. 5. (72) Larry Pegram; Foremost Insurance · Pegram Racing Ducati; Ducati 1098R; 22. 6. (54) Geoff May; National Guard Jordan Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 7. (44) Taylor Knapp; Taylor Knapp Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 8. (25) David Anthony; Aussie Dave Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 9. (100) Neil Hodgson; Corona Extra Honda; Honda CBR1000RR; 22. 10. (27) Ryan Elleby; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R1; 22. 11. (61) Scott Jensen; Moto Garage Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 12. (96) Aaron Gobert; Team Trifoglio Racing; Honda CBR1000RR; 22. 13. (62) Cory Call; MDK Motorsports; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 22. 14. (121) Hawk Mazzotta; Aussie Dave Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21. 15. (47) Mark Crozier; Four Feathers Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21. 16. (58) Eric Haugo; Moto Garage Racing; Yamaha YZF-R1; 21. 17. (38) Dean Mizdal; M Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21. 18. (45) Brad Puetz; SRK Racing; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 21. 19. (269) Johnny Rock Page; Johnny Rock Page · 944 Magazine · Energized by Verve!; Yamaha YZF-R1; 21. 20. (59) Jake Holden; Holden Racing; Honda CBR1000RR; 8. 21. (23) Aaron Yates; Jordan Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 6. 22. (18) Chris Ulrich; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R1000; 3. Race Time: 35:39.437 Margin of Victory: 1.833 seconds Winner’s Average Speed: 85.9 mph Lap Leaders Mladin: 1 – 22 DAYTONA SPORTBIKE 1. (36) Martin Cardenas; M4 Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22. 2. (40) Jason DiSalvo; M4 Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22. 3. (8) Josh Herrin; Team Graves Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 4. (6) Tommy Aquino; Team Graves Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 5. (1x) Jake Zemke; Erion Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 22. 6. (15) Steve Rapp; Bazzaz; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 7. (10) Chris Peris; Erion Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 22. 8. (27) Bobby Fong; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 9. (54) Taylor Knapp; Latus Motors Racing; Buell 1125R; 22. 10. (51) Damian Cudlin; Paradigm Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 11. (60) Michael Beck; Team Beck Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 12. (9) Danny Eslick; Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Racing · RMR Buell; Buell 1125R; 22. 13. (88) Jamie Hacking; Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 22. 14. (311) Robertino Pietri; Team E.S.P. Yamaha; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 15. (5) Russ Wikle; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22. 16. (47) Mark Crozier; Four Feathers Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. 17. (32) Santiago Villa; Roadracingworld.com · Suzuki; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22. 18. (7) Fernando Amantini; Amantini Racing; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 22. 19. (193) Liko Miles; Miles Ahead Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 22. 20. (73) Dylon Husband; Team Pur Sang Racing; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 21. 21. (90) Jamie LeBlanc; East Coast Racing; Honda CBR600RR; 21. 22. (250) Nadr Riad; Riad Racing; Aprilia RSV1000R; 21. 23. (181) Craig Mason; Fast 50s · Slide Motorsports; Yamaha YZF-R6; 21. 24. (370) Clinton Gibson; Fast Track Education; Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R; 21. 25. (68) Kevin Boisvert, Canada; Bayside Performance; Suzuki GSX-R600; 20. 26. (45) Josh Bryan; Latus Motors Racing; Buell 1125R; 18. 27. (55) Chris Fillmore; Chris Fillmore Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 9. 28. (89) Chip Yates; Swigz.com Pro Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 9. 29. (160) Sebastiao Ferreira; Ferreira Racing; Suzuki GSX-R600; 7. 30. (97) Ben Thompson; Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team; Aprilia RSV1000R; 6. 31. (57) Chaz Davies; Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team; Aprilia RSV1000R; 5. 32. (96) Ricky Parker; RPR Racing; Yamaha YZF-R6; 3. Race Time: 37:10.172 Margin of Victory: 0.104 seconds Winner’s Average Speed: 82.4 mph Lap Leaders Herrin: 1 – 11; DiSalvo: 12; Cardenas: 13 – 22 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. (May 17, 2009) – 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. More, from a press release issued by Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki: WIKLE ON THE PODIUM AT SONOMA FOR TEAM ROADRACINGWORLD.COM Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki enjoyed a positive weekend of racing in extremely grueling conditions at the hot and physical Infineon Raceway for the fifth stop on the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing tour. Chris Ulrich showed major progress in his second weekend aboard the team’s all-new 2009 GSX-R1000 and registered a season’s best result of eighth on Saturday, backing up a strong qualifying effort (1:38.015). Sunday’s race didn’t quite go to plan, however, will a crash costing him a shot at a second top-ten result on the weekend. “We made a lot of progress this weekend,” said Ulrich. “The conditions were tough with the heat but it was a good weekend for Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki. “I had a good race on Saturday and was able to finish eighth. The gap to the front was a lot closer and we were pleased with that. “On Sunday I was mixing it up some guys for eighth place in the early laps and I touched a paint line and I went down. I broke some stuff on the bike so I couldn’t continue and that was that. “Obviously, we’re still learning with the new bike and developing our stuff. We’re happy with how it’s going. For Road America, we’ll have some new chassis parts that will help us run even stronger.” Rising star Russ Wikle again showed great promise and maturity, putting his Suzuki GSX-R600 racer on the podium after starting from the front row (3rd, 1:42.606) during Sunday’s SupeSport contest. Making the feat all the more impressive, Wikle registered 15th and 17th-place results in the hotly-contested Daytona SportBike class and put in his third-place SuperSport ride immediately following Sunday’s SportBike final, both contested in 100-degree weather on a racetrack that offers racers very little opportunity to catch their breath. “Getting off the Daytona SportBike, I was just hoping to be able to finish the SuperSport race,” Wikle admitted. “I’m really excited I was able to stick in there and finish third. That was a hot race but it was fun. It was kind of low pressure because it was a non-points paying race for me because I’m in the East division. It was more a ‘bragging rights’ kind of race.” Ulrich added, “Russell did great in SuperSport and got on the box again, plus he did well in Daytona SportBike on a track he’d never seen before. This was a good experience for him and we think it will pay off when we get to a track that he knows.” Santiago Villa picked up a pair of solid results in Daytona SportBike as well. The gritty Colombian once again put his courage on full display, riding to two of his best rides of the season despite being far from 100%. Villa finished a season’s best 17th on Sunday to improve on Saturday’s 20th. “Villa got two top 20 results with a broken right hand and a broken left wrist,” Ulrich said. “That guy gets the Iron Man award again.” Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will next head to Road America on June 5-7 for the sixth round of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing series.