Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mladin Wins Barber Superbike Race II, with Spies in 2nd and Hayden in 4th Round 2 AMA Superbike Series Birmingham, AL Barber Motorsports Park April 20 – 22, 2007 Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin doubled up at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., this weekend, winning both Saturday’s and Sunday’s AMA Superbike races. Defending AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies followed his teammate home in second place, while Yoshimura Suzuki rider Tommy Hayden finished in a solid fourth position. “It was a nice race for us,” said six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin about his 53rd career victory and his fifth win at Barber. “It was good to get some of the points we lost out on from Daytona. I have to say thanks to my crew and to Suzuki for delivering us the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. Now, I’m just looking toward the Fontana race next weekend and having a good rest of the season.” After yesterday’s qualifying session, the Yoshimura Suzuki team was gridded on the front row. Spies led the way after picking up his second pole position of the year, Mladin was in the second spot and Hayden rounded out the front row. The start of the 28-lap race had Hayden out in front with Mladin and Spies close behind. Within a few short laps, however, Mladin had taken over the lead and led the rest of the race to victory. “It was a good weekend for us,” said Mladin. “We tested here about a month ago. We have a good motorbike with the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and we ran a good pace with consistent laps. So coming into this race, we knew what we had and it was just a matter of keeping it clean for all 28 laps. The Suzuki worked well throughout the whole race and we just did what we had to do to bring it home with a win.” Early in the race, Spies slotted in behind Mladin in second position. He pushed hard but was unable to overtake his teammate, with the result being a strong second-place finish. Although he didn’t win the race, Spies’ impressive ride helped him maintain his lead in the AMA Superbike points chase. “I just couldn’t get into a rhythm today,” said Spies. “And I made a bunch of little mistakes that added up. It was all me, I wish we could have been there for the win but we just couldn’t do it today. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was working good, it was actually working better at the end of the race. We kept going faster and faster. We didn’t win the race but we didn’t get outright smoked either. Hopefully we can come back strong for Fontana.” Meanwhile, after initially leading the race, Hayden settled into fifth position and was turning consistent laps. With less than 10 laps to go, however, he made a pass for fourth position and held on to the finish. “The start on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was really great,” said Hayden about leading the first few laps of Sunday’s Superbike race. “Then I fell back a little. But toward the end, I started working my way back up again. We improved over our fifth-place finish yesterday and were a little bit closer to the leaders at the end. Hopefully, we can make the same kind of leap next week and have a chance for the podium at Fontana.” Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round three of the AMA Superbike Series at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the weekend of April 27 – 29, 2007. Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 2nd Place AMA Superbike Race 2 1st Place — Overall Championship Standings Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #66 1st Place AMA Superbike Race 2 2nd Place Overall Championship Standings Tommy Hayden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #22 4th Place AMA Superbike Race 2 4th Place — Overall Championship Standings AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 4. Tommy Hayden, Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 6. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 7. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 8. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 9. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 10. Jake Zemke, Honda More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden Finishes Strong Sixth Position in Barber Supersport Race Round 2 AMA Supersport Series Birmingham, AL Barber Motorsports Park April 20 – 22, 2007 Yoshimura Suzuki rider Tommy Hayden brought home a solid sixth-place finish in the second AMA Supersport race of the season at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday afternoon. This result leaves Hayden in third place overall in the Supersport championship points standings. On the previous afternoon, Hayden qualified on the second row of the grid. The newest Yoshimura Suzuki rider posted an impressive lap time of 1:27.947 on his GSX-R600. “I’d like to have gotten on the front row,” said Hayden. “That would make it a little easier for the race. But we went faster in qualifying than we had been in the past and I think we can pick it up for the race.” Hayden and crew did indeed pick it up for the race. Unfortunately, the event was interrupted on the first lap by a crash and a red flag. With the full restart, however, Hayden was out front before slotting into fifth position and then moving into sixth place. “I was in a couple of good battles,” said Hayden. “We were definitely competitive but we just had a few issues that held us back a little bit. I think we can resolve those before the race at Fontana next weekend.” Hayden and Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round three of the AMA Supersport Series at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the weekend of April 27 – 29, 2007. Tommy Hayden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600, #22 6th Place AMA Supersport 3rd Place — Overall Championship Standings AMA Supersport Top 10 Finishers: 1. Josh Hayes, Honda 2. Josh Herrin, Yamaha 3. Steve Rapp, Kawasaki 4. Aaron Gobert, Honda 5. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 6. Tommy Hayden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 7. Ben Attard, Kawasaki 8. Corey West, Yamaha 9. Blake Young, MPT Suzuki 10. Danny Eslick, MPT Suzuki More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies Finishes Fourth in Barber Superstock Race Round 2 AMA Superstock Series Birmingham, AL Barber Motorsports Park April 20 – 22, 2007 Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies picked up an impressive fourth-place finish in Sunday’s AMA Superstock race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. This result means that defending AMA Superbike Champion Spies is tied for the lead in the Superstock championship points chase. The previous day’s Superstock qualifying resulted in a front-row grid position for the 22-year-old Texan, thanks to a fastest lap time of 1:25.756. “We had a few problems during the session that made it tough,” admitted the ever-optimistic Spies. “And by the time we got it all ironed out, there wasn’t any time left. But my crew is working hard to fine-tune everything and the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is still the bike to beat in AMA Superstock.” In the 17-lap race on Sunday, Spies got a good start and was in third position, working toward a podium finish. About midway through the race, Spies moved into fourth place but continued to battle for that podium spot until the race’s end. “We just didn’t get it done today,” said Spies. “The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was running good and I gave it everything I had. Now, I’m just focusing on next weekend’s race in California.” Spies and Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round three of the AMA Superstock Series at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the weekend of April 27 – 29, 2007. Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #11 4th Place AMA Superstock at Daytona 1st Place (Tied) — Overall Championship Standings AMA Superstock Top 10 Finishers: 1. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 2. Jake Holden, Jordan Suzuki 3. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha 4. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Danny Eslick, MPT Suzuki 6. Blake Young, MPT Suzuki 7. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 8. Chris Ulrich, Roadracingworld.com Suzuki 9. Martin Cardenas, Kawasaki 10. Scott Jensen, Suzuki More, from a press release issued be Vreeke & Associates, on behalf of Dunlop: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Race Report: 2007 AMA Superbike Series, Round Two, Barber Motorsports Park Leeds, Ala.–Double wins by Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Erion Honda Racing’s Josh Hayes bracketed an exciting weekend of racing at the second round of the 2007 AMA Superbike Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., April 20-22. Six-time champion Mladin won both Superbike contests while defending Formula Xtreme champion Hayes collected wins in the Formula Xtreme and Supersport competitions. Rounding out the series’ action was a Superstock victory by Jordon Suzuki Motorsports’ Aaron Yates, the team’s first trip to the top of the AMA podium. Blue skies and 70-80 degree (F) conditions set the stage for some spectacular racing action for the 58,500 assembled fans””a weekend record for the Barber track. Dunlop arrived with nearly 2000 tires for the factory and support teams competing in Superbike, Formula Xtreme, Superstock and Supersport. As was the case last month at Daytona, Dunlop’s multi-compound N-Tec™ rear tire was utilized in every class with dominating results. Of the top ten positions in each of the five races, including the two Superbike rounds, Dunlop-shod machines collected 39 out of a possible 50, a remarkable winning percentage of 78. Just as impressive was the fact that the top qualifying riders in Superbike, Superstock and Formula Xtreme accomplished the feat on an N-Tec race tire, overcoming the purpose-built qualifiers utilized by the competition. Superbike Race One The drama leading up to the first race of the weekend was palpable as the defending Superbike champion, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies, prepared to battle with fellow teammate Mladin. Spies drew first blood with a blistering qualifying run on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 of 1:24.094, shaving .736 seconds off of his record pole time set a year earlier. In the race, both riders rocketed to the front of the pack with Mladin taking the lead. Over the ensuing 28 laps the pair rode away from the field yet the gap between the two was never more than a second. A pass by Spies seemed imminent but Mladin was in near-perfect racing form and was not to be denied the checkered flag as he clocked one of his fastest laps on the final circuit. “When you do ‘25.0, ‘24.99 on the last lap it’s pretty hard, if you keep it clean, for someone to come around, that’s for sure,” said Mladin of his 52nd career win. “We did what we had to do today. It was a good race and we’re really looking forward to tomorrow. It’s going to be a long battle this season.” Filling out the podium was Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel, who prevailed after a race-long duel with Jordon Suzuki Motorsports Aaron Yates. In addition to Dunlop’s podium sweep, the next ten riders across the line were also on Dunlop tires, ensuring that “13” was the lucky number of the day. Superbike Race One Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel -Honda 4. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 5. Tommy Hayden – Suzuki 6. Jake Zemke – Honda 7. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 8. Eric Bostrom – Yamaha 9. Jason Disalvo – Yamaha 10. James Ellison – Honda Formula Xtreme Race Reigning class champion Josh Hayes put his Erion Honda CBR600RR on the pole in Friday’s qualifying session with a time of 1:27.144, then bested that in Saturday’s practice with a 1:26.998. It was a preview of the race to follow as Hayes set out on a torrid pace and cleared the rest of the field on his way to recording his first victory of the season and first-ever at Barber. “Our pace this year here was considerably faster than last year,” said Hayes of his six-second win. “We have a great motorcycle, my team is working hard, every lap I’m working hard and Dunlop’s doing a good job for us.” Haye’s teammate Aaron Gobert doggedly pursued Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp the entire race and applied a masterful last-lap pass to take second place. Of the top ten finishers, six rode on Dunlop tires. Hayes now sits second in the series standings with 63, just three points behind leader Rapp. Rockwall Honda’s Ryan Elleby is third with 47 points. Formula Xtreme Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes – Honda 2. Aaron Gobert – Honda 4. Marty Craggill – Ducati 5. Ryan Andrews – Honda 6. Larry Pegram – Ducati 7. Ryan Elleby – Honda Superstock Race The liter-bikes of the Superstock class provided the first round of entertainment for the record 30,000 fans that came to Barber’s on Sunday. Qualifying on the pole was 2005 class champion Yates aboard his Jordon Suzuki GSX-R1000. Though shod with a non-qualifier, his time of 1:25.796 was good enough to set a new class record. It didn’t last long, however, as Yoshimura Suzuki’s Spies laid down an even faster 1:25.605 in Sunday’s warmup session. In the race, Yates surged into the lead on lap one and never relinquished it, though a determined charge through the field by teammate Jake Holden assured the Jordon Suzuki Motorsports team it’s first AMA victory and one-two finish. “It definitely feels good,” said Yates of his second consecutive Superstock win at Barber. “It just worked out real well for us. The Jordon team did a great job and the Dunlop tires were awesome.” Finishing third was Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom as the first six riders across the finish line sported Dunlop tires. In the championship chase, Yates is now tied with Spies for the points lead with 65, followed by Bostrom with 61. Superstock Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 2. Jake Holden – Suzuki 3. Ben Bostrom Yamaha 4. Ben Spies – Suzuki 5. Danny Eslick – Suzuki 6. Blake Young – Suzuki Supersport Race The field of competitors vying for the 2007 Supersport ring is arguably the deepest of any of the AMA series’ four classes. Defending 2006 champion Jamie Hacking shattered the lap record with a qualifying time of 1:26.623 on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR on Saturday. He was the fastest in Sunday’s warmup session and was staged to lead the charge in Sunday’s race when a low-side slide entering the front straight at the end of lap one, followed by a collision with Emgo Suzuki’s Geoff May, took both riders and their bikes out of contention. Though neither rider was seriously hurt, the subsequent restart shuffled the deck and Erion Honda Racing’s Josh Hayes took full advantage. Hayes stormed to the front on his CBR600RR and built a comfortable lead that was never challenged. “To do this for Honda for the first time in a long time is absolutely fantastic,” said Hayes of Honda’s first Supersport win since the team left the class after 2003. “We’ve been fast all weekend. I want to do well in this championship also”¦ Hopefully we’ll see a lot more good racing this year.” A spirited ride by Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Josh Herrin earned him second place while Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp was third. Seven of the top ten riders were on Dunlop tires. Hayes win ties Kawasaki Road Racing’s Roger Hayden for the points lead, each with 63. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden is third with 54 points. Supersport Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes – Honda 2. Josh Herrin – Yamaha 4. Aaron Gobert – Honda 5. Roger Lee Hayden – Kawasaki 6. Tommy Hayden – Suzuki 9. Blake Young – Suzuki 10. Danny Eslick – Suzuki Superbike Race Two Having moved into third place in series points with Saturday’s win, Suzuki’s Mladin was poised to make further inroads in Sunday’s second Superbike event. The opening lap saw Mladin sitting in fourth behind teammates Tommy Hayden and Spies in first and third, respectively, with Factory Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom in second. Mladin furiously charged through the leaders, however, and by lap three he was in front for good. His victory was even more impressive than Saturday’s as he laid down a string of sub-1:25 lap times and gradually built comfortable lead. Spies rode hard in second but could never close the gap until it didn’t matter, following Mladin across the line by .992 seconds. “The bike really worked well throughout the whole race,” said Mladin of career win number 53. “The best rider is going to win this year and I’m not going to leave anything out there. Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel stayed within sight of the Suzuki duo throughout the race and earned the final podium slot. The top 12 riders all finished on Dunlop tires. Mladin’s double win moves him into second in the championship and just eight points behind Spies, 103 to 95. Duhamel sits five points back in third with 90 points. Superbike Race Two Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel – Honda 4. Tommy Hayden – Suzuki 5. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 6. Eric Bostrom – Yamaha 7. Jason Disalvo – Yamaha 8. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 9. Roger Lee Hayden – Kawasaki 10. Jake Zemke – Honda The next stop for Dunlop and the 2007 AMA Superbike road racing tour is California Speedway, Fontana, Calif., April 27-29. Round two features a doubleheader for the Superbike series. About Dunlop Tires Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, please visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin completed a clean sweep of the AMA Superbike double-header at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama with a Suzuki GSX-R1000 one-two. The six-time champion beat current champion and team mate Ben Spies to the flag with Honda’s Miguel Duhamel third and new Yoshimura team rider Tommy Hayden fourth. “It was a nice race for us,” said Mladin about his 53rd career victory and his fifth win at Barber. “It was good to get some of the points we lost out on from Daytona. I have to say thanks to my crew and to Suzuki for delivering us the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. Now, I’m just looking toward the Fontana race next weekend and having a good rest of the season.” After yesterday’s qualifying session, the Yoshimura Suzuki team was gridded on the front row. Spies led the way after picking up his second pole position of the year, Mladin was in the second spot and Hayden rounded out the front row. The start of the 28-lap race had Hayden out in front with Mladin and Spies close behind. Within a few short laps, however, Mladin took over and led the rest of the race to victory. “It was a good weekend for us,” said Mladin. “We tested here about a month ago. We have a good motorbike with the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and we ran a good pace with consistent laps. So coming into this race, we knew what we had and it was just a matter of keeping it clean for all 28 laps. The Suzuki worked well throughout the whole race and we just did what we had to do to bring it home with a win.” Early in the race, Spies slotted in behind Mladin in second position. He pushed hard but was unable to overtake his team mate, with the result being a strong second-place finish. Although he didn’t win the race, Spies’ impressive ride helped him maintain his lead in the AMA Superbike points chase. “I just couldn’t get into a rhythm today,” said Spies. “And I made a bunch of little mistakes that added up. It was all me. I wish we could have been there for the win but we just couldn’t do it today. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was working good and was actually working better at the end of the race. We kept going faster and faster. We didn’t win the race but we didn’t get outright smoked either. Hopefully we can come back strong for Fontana.” Meanwhile, after initially leading the race, Hayden settled into fifth position and was turning consistent laps. With less than 10 laps to go, however, he made a pass for fourth position and held on to the finish. “The start on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was really great,” said Hayden about leading the first few laps of Sunday’s Superbike race. “Then I fell back a little, but towards the end, I started working my way back up again. We improved over our fifth-place finish yesterday and were a little bit closer to the leaders at the end. Hopefully, we can make the same kind of leap next week and have a chance for the podium at Fontana.” Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round three of the AMA Superbike Series at California Speedway in Fontana, California next weekend. Superbike Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki), 2. Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki), 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda), 4. Tommy Hayden (Yoshimura Suzuki), 5. Aaron Yates (Jordan Suzuki), 6. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha), 7. Jason Disalvo (Yamaha), 8. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki), 9. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki), 10. Jake Zemke (Honda). More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS SUZUKI TAKE TOP TWO SPOTS AT BARBER Yates and Holden Shine in AMA Superstock Race Birmingham, AL (April 22, 2007) Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider Aaron Yates rode his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a first place victory in today’s AMA Superstock motorcycle road race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. This marks the first win for the Jordan Suzuki race team. Yates was joined by teammate Jake Holden, who took his first career AMA Superstock podium, with a second place finish today. Yates, the defending Superstock winner at Barber Motorsports Park, led the 17-lap event flag-to-flag with lap times averaging 1:26.769, and speeds averaging 95.4 mph. He is the only rider to win back-to-back races at Barber Motorsports Park. After two of 11 rounds of AMA Superstock racing, Yates is tied for first place in championship points. In yesterday’s qualifying, Yates, the 2005 AMA Superstock Champion, earned pole position with a lap time of 1:25.619 on the 2.3 mile Barber road course, besting factory Yamaha racer Ben Bostrom, factory Suzuki racer Ben Spies, Geoff May, and Holden. Yates, who ran +1.202 ahead of Holden, said, “I got a really good start. At one point I looked behind me, saw Jake and thought ‘he’s going to try to pass me!'” “I felt really strong in testing,” said Holden, who was the second fastest rider at Friday’s morning practice. “We have great team and my 1000 (Suzuki GSX-R1000) is really good.” “I am so proud of Aaron and Jake,” said team owner Michael Jordan. “We really need to thank American Suzuki for building an incredible stock motorcycle, as well as team sponsors Dunlop Tires, Gatorade, Hanes, Yoshimura, Bazzaz and Gemini Technology. I know how hard the riders and everyone involved with the team works and I’m glad that effort has paid off with what I’m sure will be the first of many wins.” Within 40 minutes of celebrating their finishes in the AMA Superstock race, both Jordan Suzuki riders mounted their motorcycles to compete in the 28-lap AMA Superbike event. Yates finished fifth in today’s AMA Superbike event, after finishing fourth in yesterday’s. Holden, who competes in the AMA Superbike class on his Superstock race bike, failed to complete today’s race, but crossed the finish line in Saturday’s race in 13th place. The team heads to California Speedway in Fontana CA for the next rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship, April 27-29, 2007. Speed Channel, which broadcasts the AMA Superbike Championship racing series, will air the AMA Superstock race on Tuesday, April 24. Visit www.SPEEDTV.com for local listings. AMA Superstock Points: Aaron Yates, tied for 1st place Jake Holden, 11th place AMA Superbike Points: Aaron Yates, 6th place Jake Holden, 11th place Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on the team, visit the race team website at www.23RACE.com. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Attack Kawasaki’s Rapp Earns Second Podium at Barber BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (April 21, 2007) Attack Kawasaki rider Steve Rapp returned to the podium for the second straight race, capturing third place in the AMA Formula Xtreme class at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Following his Daytona 200 victory last month, Rapp wanted to get off to a go start but on the second lap, teammate Ben Attard went down right in front of him. Rapp was able to avoid trouble and moved into second. Rapp held the number two position for a majority of the race until a last lap run in with a lapped rider pushed him back to third. “We were staying really close to each other until the end of the second lap when Ben crashed,” said Rapp. “That gave Josh (Hayes) a few seconds on me. It took a few laps to get back into it, but I felt good the rest of the race. This track is a little difficult to pass on and the lappers really took time off my pace.” Following his Daytona 200 win last month, Rapp continues to lead the AMA Formula Xtreme point standings. Attard, who placed second in qualifying, got a great start aboard his Kawasaki Ninja ZX™-6R. On lap two, Attard made an attempt to pass the leader but ended up on the side of the track. He was able to get up and salvage a 23rd-place finish. “I was feeling pretty good after my start,” said Attard. “It looked like I could run a better pace than the leader so I tried to square up my tire to set myself up for the pass. I just sped up a little too much and had a handful of throttle. I got up and got back out there to get some points. Physically I’m fine and will be back out there for the supersport race tomorrow.” Rapp and Attard return to action Sunday afternoon for the AMA Supersport race. AMA Superbike Championship Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Ala. April 21, 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 2. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 3. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 4. Martin Craggill, Boulder, Colo., Ducati 5. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda 6. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati 7. Ryan Elleby, Powder Springs, Ga., Honda 8. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha 9. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada, Yamaha 10. David Anthony, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha 23. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Formula Xtreme Standings 1. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 66 2. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 63 3. Ryan Elleby, Powder Springs, Ga., Honda, 47 4. Michael Barnes, Boca Raton, Fla., Suzuki, 45 5. Josh Day, Orlando, Fla., Yamaha, 42 6. David Anthony, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 41 7. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 40 8. Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Suzuki, 34 9. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 32 More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hacking Rides Strong at Barber BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 21, 2007) Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking finished seventh during the first of two AMA Superbike races at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Teammate Roger Hayden, coming off a crash during practice on Friday, finished the 28-lap race in 11th. Hacking got off to a good start and worked his way into seventh place from a ninth place starting position. “We tried some different launch control approaches,” said Hacking about his start. “I stood the front end up pretty good. I thought I was going to be in worse shape than I was, so I felt good moving up a few positions.” Working with a different bike set-up, Hacking remained consistent throughout the race. “We started the race today with a totally new set-up than we’ve used before,” said Hacking. “We came up with it last minute and I feel like if we keep going the way we went, we will be in pretty good shape for Sunday.” Hayden, who started in the 11th position, turned in a steady ride and got stronger as the race wore on. “After my crash earlier in the weekend, it took me a little while to get comfortable,” said Hayden. “The more laps I put in, the better I felt. I definitely felt better as the race went on. “We are going to change a few things for tomorrow’s race. The bike is working well, but with the changes I’ll hopefully be able to move-up some positions.” Hacking and Hayden are scheduled on Sunday in the AMA Supersport race, along with the second race of the AMA Superbike doubleheader. AMA Superbike Championship Barber Motorsports Park Brimingham, Ala. April 21, 2007 AMA Superbike 1. Mathew Mladin, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 6. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 7. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 8. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 9. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 10. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda 11. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 71 2. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 61 3. Mathew Mladin, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 58 4. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 54 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 49 6. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 47 7. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 47 8. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda, 43 9. Jake Holden, Eatonville, Wash., Suzuki, 42 10. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 33 More, from a press release issued by Honda: Double Superbike Podium for Duhamel American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel scored a pair of podiums in the second round of the AMA Superbike Championship at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. Duhamel finished third twice on the undulating bends of the track which is the most scenic on the American calendar and one of the most challenging. With long, looping bends and near constant elevation changes, the track puts a premium on handling and agility. Starting from the second row in the first race, Duhamel quickly joined the battle for third. He lost the position briefly, then took it back with a crafty move over fellow veteran Aaron Yates (Suzuki) on the penultimate lap. Though happy to be on the box, the competitive French-Canadian wanted to be closer to the front, which he was on Sunday. Duhamel battled almost to the end for the second position and took 16 seconds out of his deficit to the winner while finishing third. He stands third in the AMA Superbike Championship after three of 18 rounds. Teammate Jake Zemke had a less successful weekend. Tire problems in both races blunted his early race aggression. Front tire problems dropped him to sixth on Saturday. The solution for Sunday’s race fixed the front, but there were other problems with the rear. Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won both races, with teammate Ben Spies again second. Miguel Duhamel, 3rd Place, 3rd Place Saturday We came through the field a bit, got through those guys, and I put my head down. All I could do was run for third, but then Aaron (Yates) came back by me. We ran a good pace for us in the 1:25’s and 1:26’s. There were a few places where I thought I might pass him, but it might be pretty tight. I said, ‘I’m just going to take the opportunity when it presents itself.’ I thought if I could get him-we were pretty evenly matched-it would be hard for him to get back by me. It worked out. Sunday We got third, but 26 seconds behind yesterday and today, until about eight laps to go before I decided, OK, just couldn’t hang with them any more, I was like three seconds or whatever it was to Mat (Mladin), because I was with Ben (Spies). So yeah, that was real good. Learned a lot. We need to do some modifications to the bike, a little different set-up. When the tires get hot, when you’re running a harder pace, the bike starts doing little things that we need to be online. But we did improve a lot. Like I called it yesterday; we’re going to get better today and we did, so we got a good start. The goal is to win and I think we’re on the right track. Jake Zemke, 6th Place, 10th Place Saturday We made some changes in the morning and the thing was quite a bit better, but we had a couple problem areas with the front end. We only had about six laps on the set-up we qualified on. I basically just used up the front tire. The issues we’re fighting with the front wore out the tire. Those last five laps, I think I lost a second a lap those last five laps. We changed a lot of the geometry this morning because we were having problems with the bike backing in going into the corner. We actually changed the thing quite drastically in the morning to alleviate those problems. We got one problem fixed with it backing in, but we didn’t have time to get it to go around the corner the way I needed it to. Sunday In the race I just didn’t seem to have the same grip levels I had this morning. The rear, I just couldn’t get off the corners. Then all of a sudden on the right side, every time I’d lean the thing into the corner I’d lose the rear. I almost crashed the thing about ten times in two laps. And I said, alright, I better slow down. I stood up to take a look to make sure all the parts and pieces were there and there was nothing on the tire. I just basically circulated and brought home some points. Actually the bike wasn’t that bad. When I was in that group of guys I was just kind of sitting there waiting for themselves to wear themselves out because they were dicing pretty good. And I figured I’ll sit back here until they go back into single file and then work my way through them. About that time I started having no grip. Superbike Race One: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 6. Jake Zemke (Honda) 7. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 8. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 9. Jason Disalvo (Yamaha) 10. James Ellison (Honda) Superbike Race Two: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 4. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 5. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 6. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 7. Jason Disalvo (Yamaha) 8. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 9. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 10. Jake Zemke (Honda) Championship Standings: 1. Ben Spies (103) 2. Mat Mladin (95) 3. Miguel Duhamel (90) 4. Tommy Hayden (76) 5. Jake Zemke (75) 6. Aaron Yates (73) 7. Jason DiSalvo (71) 8. James Ellison (63) 9. Eric Bostrom (58) 10. Jamie Hacking (47) More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: DIFFICULT WEEKEND CONCLUDES FOR TEAM M4 EMGO SUZUKI Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s run of misfortune this weekend in Birmingham, AL continued on Sunday. The team entered Sunday’s Supersport and Superstock with high expectations after securing three front row starting positions, only to have their hopes for continued success in the races cruelly dashed. The Supersport race got off to a terrifying start when defending class champion Jamie Hacking crashed entering the start/finish straight on the opening lap. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May was directly behind him and had nowhere to escape. The Georgian hit the fallen machine and both May and his GSX-R600 were sent flying through the air before smashing back down to the pavement. Despite the very scary looking fall, May jumped right back to his feet and somehow avoided serious injury. “I came around and the bike was right there — instantly,” May explained. “There was nothing I could do and the next thing I knew, I was catching some airtime.” Teammates Michael Barnes and Michael Beck also had difficult Supersport races, both riders being penalized for jumping the start. The 19-year-old Beck was determined to have gotten away early on the original start while Barnes was flagged at the restart. Barnes came in for his stop-and-go penalty on lap two, falling from second to outside the top 25 in the process. The Floridian continued to ride hard, however, ultimately working his way back up to a 12th place result. Beck, meanwhile, came in from seventh on lap three and dropped to 20th when he reentered the fray. The Californian also fought his way back up the order, claiming 14th at the end. “I’m disappointed in how the race went with the stop-and-go penalty but we made a lot of progress this weekend,” said Beck. Earlier in the day, May had a less eventful outing in the Superstock final, taking his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000 to a seventh-place finish. At the end of the day, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief Keith Perry said of the Supersport final, “We had a lot of potential going into that race. Two of our riders had a chance to win or at least get on the podium, and the young rider on the team had been having a great weekend to that point. To have it go bad like that was a punch in the gut. Geoff was taken out in the crash due to no fault of his own and the other two riders had starting problems and both got a penalty. We’re a team that expects to win or finish on the podium so this was a calamity for us. We’ll take a deep breath and get ready for next week. “The short week is bad in a way because we have some equipment to repair but we want to get back out there and race. The good part is that Geoff is no worse for wear after a horrific crash. He really wanted to get back out there but the rules wouldn’t let him start on his backup bike.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will now head to California Speedway in Fontana, CA for the third round of the AMA series, which will take place next weekend, April 27-29. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli’s Rapp Earns Another AMA Supersport Podium Under the crimson cross of St. Andrews, at Barber Motorsports Park, Sunday’s AMA Superstock sprint saw front-row starter Geoff May secure a seventh-place finish. The M4 EMGO Suzuki Georgian, May, rode his Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slick-wearing GSX-R1000 to a hard-fought finish, locking him into fourth-place in the 2007 AMA Superstock Championship, after two rounds. RoadracingWorld.com’s Chris Ulrich continued his consistent top finishes with an eighth, earning him seventh-place in points to date. New Pirelli rider, Columbia’s Martin Cardenas, rode a borrowed bike to a ninth-place finish, in his first race ever at Barber. Stars fell on Alabama when, in the AMA Supersport race, Jamie Hacking’s rear tire lost traction as he exited the last turn on lap one. Hacking fell while running in the top three, with the whole field of Supersport riders barely an instant behind his bike. Pirelli rider Geoff May, on his M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600, was only a hundredth of an instant arrear of Hacking, and with no time to react was launched over Hacking’s sliding bike. Surprisingly, luckily, no other riders fell and neither Hacking nor May were seriously injured, which is more than can be said of their bikes; through no fault of May’s, his race was over and he could not join the restart. As the yellowhammers sang, the Supersport race was restarted, this time the hex coming to Michael Barnes, May’s M4 EMGO Suzuki teammate. Barnes was credited with jumping the start and so was forced to do a pit-lane ride through, dropping him from his podium-running position. After that, Barnes rode like an August hurricane to eventually finish a remarkable 12th, maintaining a top-ten place in the Supersport points at seventh. While the longleaf pines swayed, the boys from Attack Kawasaki had lady luck treat them much kinder with Steve Rapp finishing on the Supersport podium in third and his teammate Ben Attard taking seventh. A quiet qualifying performance had put Rapp on the far side of the second row in eighth, but in the race Rapp was running at front right from the flag. Meanwhile, Cory West, on Pirelli’s Diablo Supercorsa DOT race tires, just like those mentioned above, moved forward all race long from his 11th-place qualifying position to finish eighth, taking two positions on his Chuck Giacchetto-tuned Yamaha YZF R-6, on the last lap. Speaking about how his crew never gives in, podium-finisher Rapp said, “We hadn’t been running times very good all weekend but we made a change right before the race that suddenly made the bike feel good.” After this second round of the AMA Supersport Championship, Pirelli has five riders in the top-ten: Steve Rapp 4th, Ben Attard 6th, Michael Barnes 7th, Cory West 8th, and Michael Beck 10th. More, from a press release issued by Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki: ANOTHER TOP TEN SUPERSTOCK RESULT FOR ROADRACINGWORLD.COM SUZUKI Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich backed up his sixth-place run at the season opener with another top-ten result in the second round of the 2007 AMA Superstock Championship held at Barber Motorsports Park. On Saturday Ulrich qualified on the second row for Sunday’s 17-lap final, circulating the scenic Birmingham, AL track with a best lap of 1:27.383, seventh fastest in the session. Unfortunately he was unable to fully capitalize on his fine starting position, completing the race’s first lap in tenth. The 27-year-old Californian kept his head down, however, and ultimately piloted his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000 racebike to eighth at the checkered flag. Teammate Robertino Pietri, the reigning Latin American and Venezuelan Superbike champion, was back in action after being forced to miss the season opener due to difficulties obtaining his visa. Pietri made a solid return to AMA Superstock competition, qualifying 15th with a quick time of 1:29.476, and then improving in the race to claim 13th. Afterwards, Ulrich reflected on the weekend, commenting, “It was a tough weekend for us and we did the best we could. We were solidly in the top ten again and that’s good. I think we were capable of running down Geoff May for seventh place but we lacked just a little grip, which is a common problem at Barber. ‘Tino was 13th in his first AMA race of the year and our mechanics all did a good job this weekend. I’m seventh in the points and just four points behind fifth place, so we hope to make up ground next weekend in California.” “Our goal there is a top-five finish and that’s what we expect,” he added. “It’s early in the season but our team is doing a good job of building on what we learned last year.” Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will be back in action next weekend, April 27-29, at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. More, from a press release issued by Rockwall Honda: Top Five Finish For Ryan Andrews and Rockwall Honda, Elleby Climbs To Third In FX Points in Birmingham Ryan Andrews and Ryan Elleby turned in excellent results at the Barber Motorsports Park round of the AMA Superbike series. Both Rockwall Honda riders were inside the top seven finishers in the Formula Xtreme race, with the young racers battling with veterans Larry Pegram and Marty Craggill for position in a four-rider pack. The hyper-competitive Pro Honda Oils Supersport race saw Elleby finish a fine eleventh place and Andrews follow in 16th, just ahead of several current Canadian Superbike veterans who were racing “south of the border” for the weekend. The Rockwall Honda team entered Barber Motosports Park with high expectations, with the Alabama race being the debut of the team’s 2007 CBR600RR Formula Xtreme machines. Ryan Andrews and Ryan Elleby raced the Daytona 200 in March with last year’s bikes, but the team’s beautiful new 2007 Hondas were unveiled for this event. Both riders did not disappoint, taking advantage of their new mounts to qualify eighth (Elleby) and tenth (Andrews) for the race. Saturday’s 17-lap Formula Xtreme final saw a hot pace and plenty of action, with the pack the Rockwall duo were racing changing order on almost every lap. Eventually, Andrews made a late run to jump from seventh to fifth with two laps to go. “It was a fun race and an exciting one for us,” said Andrews. “I dropped back some off the start but managed to get back up there pretty quickly. Ryan (Elleby) and Larry Pegram came by me near the end but I was able to pass them back to get fifth place.” Elleby took seventh place, just a half second behind Andrews. Combined with his solid Daytona 200 result, Elleby now lies third in AMA Formula Xtreme points after two races. Sunday’s Supersport race saw both riders improve their qualifying positions dramatically. Elleby jumped from 16th to 11th at the checkers and Andrews moved from 22nd in qualifying to 16th by the end of the red-flagged race. Elleby, from Powder Springs, Georgia, got a good start and moved to 13th place in the opening laps and rode a steady race. By lap 14, he had progressed to 11th spot and held the position until the checkered flag. “Ryan Andrews and Ryan Elleby did great in both races,” said crewchief Robert Ward. “With the little development time we had on the bikes, we had a great weekend. We look forward to continuing it at Fontana. At Barber, we had solid finishes but we still have a lot of development to do on the bikes. We want to continue that at Fontana and by Infineon, we expect to really be on our “A” game.” Rockwall Honda will next race at California Speedway next weekend, April 27-29. More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Attack Kawasaki’s Rapp Brings Home Another Podium Finish at Barber, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hayden Tops the Series Standings BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp made another impressive run aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, capturing his second podium of the weekend while teammate Ben Attard took seventh in the AMA Supersport class at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden rode a strong race to round out the top five and remain the series leader. The AMA Supersport race came to halt before on the first lap due to a crash. The red flag caused the riders to restart from their original starting positions minutes later, with Rapp, Hayden, and Attard all on the gas. “On the restart, I got another really good start from the eighth position,” said Rapp. “I wasn’t sure if everything was going to hold together because I was pushing it pretty hard. I didn’t want to try and make any crazy passes. I just wanted to keep it up and eventually was able to bring it home for third.” Rapp battled hard for the duration of the 17-lap race, eventually taking his third podium of the season. Hayden pushed hard to stay with the front runners. He battled with his brother Tommy for much of the race before crossing the finish line in fifth. “I wasn’t feeling 100 percent, but I put in as much as I could to get the most points as possible,” said Hayden after the race. With the points he earned today, along with the Daytona win, Hayden sits atop the standings. Attard, who was riding through injuries, got a ninth-place start, and after adjusting to new settings, caught up to the lead pack and came across the line in seventh place. “We went out there with an entirely different bike that we had practiced with so it took me a little bit to get going,” said Attard. “The red flag actually helped because I was able to get a good start knowing what the bike was going to do. I’m still really sore from my crash yesterday, but I should be back to 100 percent for Fontana next week.” After capturing the pole position in qualifying and setting a new track record for the class, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jamie Hacking looked to go after his first AMA Supersport win of the season. However, he went down on the first lap and was unable to repair the bike to restart. “The rule is that after the race has started, you must use the same bike the whole race,” said Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Manager Mike Preston. “We tried to fight it since there hadn’t been a lap completed but the AMA decided that the race had already started.” Monster Energy Kawasaki and Attack Kawasaki will be back in action on April 29 for the next round of the AMA Supersport Series at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. AMA Superbike Championship Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. April 22, 2007 AMA Supersport 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 2. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha 3. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 4. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 8. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha 9. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki 10. Danny Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Suzuki AMA Supersport Standings 1. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 63 2. Josh Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., 63 3. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 54 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 53 5. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha, 52 6. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 49 7. Michael Barnes, Boca Raton, Fla., Suzuki, 46 8. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha, 44 9. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 39 10. Michael Beck, Simi Valley, Calif., 35 11. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 34 More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Jordan Suzuki’s Yates Wins Barber Superstock Race & Teammate Holden Finishes Second BREA, Calif., (April 23, 2007) American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) congratulates support team Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki for picking up its first race win at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday, April 22, 2007. Rider Aaron Yates took the win after picking up the team’s first pole position, while teammate Jake Holden carded the team’s first second-place finish. “It definitely feels good,” said Yates of the victory. “Coming into the season, I had a good feeling about the whole season, just about all of it. I’m just happy to be there with the Jordan Suzuki team. It’s all so upbeat. The guys are all driving for victory and some good results. To me, this is just another win. But it was good day, for sure. It just worked out really well for us. The Jordan Suzuki team did a great job.” Yates is the first rider to win back-to-back Superstock victories at Barber and this win marks his 13th career Superstock victory. Previously with the Yoshimura Suzuki team, Yates is a former AMA Supersport Champion and two-time AMA Superstock Champion. This is his first year riding for Jordan Suzuki. “Getting this win was like breaking the ice for the season,” added Holden, who is in his second year with the Jordan Suzuki team. “We came into the weekend and were pretty quick in practice on Friday, then we kind of struggled midway through this weekend. I just had to relax; I had the jitters being up there in practice. I had to kind of relax on the track, I was riding too hard. Thankfully, I’ve got a good crew with me. The Jordan Suzuki crew is probably one of the most fun teams to be working with out there.” Jordan Suzuki’s Yates and Holden, as well as the rest of the Suzuki support teams, will next compete in AMA road racing at round three of the AMA Superbike Championship Series at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the weekend of April 27 – 29.