MAY’S PODIUM MOMENTUM CONTINUES WITH DAYTONA SUPERSTOCK THIRD PLACE Geoff May guided his Team M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a podium finish in the opening race of the 2007 AMA season on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. The Gainesville, GA resident continued to display the impressive form he showed in practice and qualifying, controlling the 13-lap AMA Superstock race from the front for several laps before ultimately finishing third. May’s third-place result is a fine start to the season in a class the team expects to challenge for all year long. Afterwards, May explained, “The plan was to get out there and run a good consistent pace. We had been impressed with the longer stints we’d been able to do in practice. The bike and tires were very consistent over the long runs I’ve done this week. I did a 12-lap stint in yesterday’s Superbike practice, late in the day — the same time as today’s race.” In the early stages of the race, May and his Pirelli-shod Suzuki GSX-R1000 pulled out into a lead ahead of two former AMA Superbike class champions now racing in Superstock. “I passed the guys because I felt I was stronger in the infield and I wanted to see where they were going to come around me, if they were going to come around me. I got out front and led a bunch of laps and thought I’d stay there until they tried to come by me. I actually backed the pace down a little bit to make them come by me.” Although a slight grip issue hindered him in the final laps, May had the pace to finish on the podium once again. “If you look on the positive side, I was able to run up front with those guys and show them we’re going to be a threat all year long,” he said. Immediately following May’s successful Superstock outing, the team’s three riders took to the AMA Supersport final aboard their Pirelli-shod GSX-R600s. Michael Barnes led in the early going before settling alongside May in a spirited multi-rider dogfight for third position. Barnes made a last-lap push, improving two positions to secure fourth place at the checkered flag. Meanwhile May suffered a stroke of bad luck; on the last lap his machine experienced a technical problem. While he was able to cruise to the finish, he dropped from fourth to ninth on the race’s final circulation as a result. The team’s newest addition, up-and-comer Michael Beck, took 13th place after taking part in a hard-fought six-rider battle for eleventh. In addition to the racing on Thursday, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki qualified for Saturday’s finals. Barnes will start the 66th running of the prestigious Daytona 200 from the inside of the second row, as the Floridian qualified fifth best for the grueling race with a quick time of 1:42.115 aboard his GSX-R600 Formula Xtreme racer. May out qualified a number of factory stars in the Superbike session aboard his Superstock-spec machine, setting the seventh fastest lap for the premier class final with a lap of 1:39.032. While the focus will shift to Supercross at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, the 15-lap Superbike race and the 200-miler will take center stage on Saturday. More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies Wins Season-Opening AMA Superstock Race Round 1 AMA Superstock Series Daytona Beach, FL Daytona International Speedway March 8-10, 2007 Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies picked up his first-ever victory at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., by winning Thursday’s AMA Superstock race. “At the beginning of the race I had a little issue, but it was all me and the bike came through,” said Spies. “I can’t say enough about the power of the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.” In Wednesday afternoon’s qualifying session, Spies picked up the first Superstock pole position of the year after posting a 1:38.355 fast lap time on the production-class Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. “It was a really good qualifying session though we struggled a bit at the end,” said Spies. “We went out on race tires and went good and were consistent. I used the first ‘Q’ and that didn’t work too well. I used another one and I had a good lap going but I came up on another rider and that cost us a little bit.” Although Spies would have preferred to have posted a quicker lap time, he was extremely pleased with the overall performance of his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. “The GSX-R1000 is working good, the team is doing a great job and I’m happy with my riding,” said Spies. “We know what everybody else is doing on race tires and I’d like to say we’re going to go out there and win the race. Our lap times are right there with the Superbike’s and this GSX-R is right off the showroom floor. It’s definitely the best bike in the class, now we just have to out there and win the race.” In the 13-lap race itself, Spies got a great start and took the lead immediately. A few laps in, however, he was passed and settled into second for most of the race. But with just a few laps to go, the defending AMA Superbike Champion retook the lead and captured his first Daytona victory. “We’ve always been so close here,” said Spies. “Today’s race played out like I hoped it would at first, and then I rode like a provisional novice and made a bunch of mistakes. Geoff (May) was riding good and got by me”¦ eventually I was able to get to the front and tried to get a gap. When I realized that I had about a second on the field, I put my head down and tried to check out. I’m just glad we were able to bring home the win.” Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round two of the AMA Superstock Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.., the weekend of April 20 – 22, 2007. Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #11 1st Place AMA Superstock at Daytona 1st Place — Overall Championship Standings AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha 3. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 4. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 5. Danny Eslick, Suzuki 6. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki 7. Blake Young, Suzuki 8. Scott Jensen, Suzuki 9. Tristan Palmer, Suzuki 10. John Haner, Suzuki More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden Podiums in First AMA Supersport Race of the Season Round 1 AMA Supersport Series Daytona Beach, FL Daytona International Speedway March 8-10, 2007 Newly signed Yoshimura Suzuki rider Tommy Hayden brought home an impressive podium finish in his first AMA Supersport race aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Thursday afternoon. “I was really glad to get on the podium,” said Hayden. “Hats off to my Yoshimura Suzuki crew for giving me such a great bike in the GSX-R600. They did a great job and welcomed me and help make the transition to a new team as easy as possible.” The previous day, Hayden carded a front-row starting position after posting a 1:42.610 lap time. “It was good to get on the front row,” said Hayden, who struggled during the first part of the session. “We definitely made a jump toward the end. Being on the front row is important at Daytona because it makes the first few laps easier. I hope I can get away with the front group.” Because Hayden was injured during testing at the end of 2006, he hadn’t put that many laps on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600. This makes his third-place grid position even more impressive. “I felt more comfortable on the GSX-R600 toward the end,” said Hayden. “I missed the Daytona test so I’m a little behind. Overall, we did pretty good, especially considering how few laps I have on it. We’re making it a little better every time I ride it.” In the 22-lap race, Hayden got a great start and took the lead immediately. As the lengthy race played out, however, Hayden moved back into fifth position but took advantage of lappers to eventually get into third place, which he held onto until the checkered flag. “It felt like I was surrounded by five or six people for almost the whole race,” said Hayden. “I got a good run with a lapper and put my head down because I knew it was my best chance. I was going a lot faster on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 than I had been all weekend.” Yoshimura Suzuki will return for round two of the AMA Supersport Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., the weekend of April 20 – 22, 2007. Tommy Hayden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #22 3rd Place AMA Supersport at Daytona 3rd Place — Overall Championship Standings AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 2. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 3. Tommy Hayden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 4. Michael Barnes, M4 EMGO Suzuki 5. Josh Hayes, Honda 6. Ben Attard, Kawasaki 7. Steve Rapp, Kawasaki 8. Chaz Davies, Yamaha 9. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 10. Cory West, Yamaha