SUPERBIKE CLASS TEEMING WITH TALENT AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY Suzuki, the reigning champions of the last six AMA Superbike races at California Speedway, will encounter some tough competition during the Suzuki Superbike Challenge this weekend. Several manufacturers, including Honda and Ducati, are positioning their finest bikes in years for contention; while Kawasaki is reintroducing themselves into the Superbike ranks. Combine this machinery, including the dominating Suzuki GSX-R1000, with a group of incredibly talented riders and you get an AMA Superbike battle that is sure to be remembered for years to come. Past California Speedway winners, and Suzuki riders, Mat Mladin and Ben Spies will have to face Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke of American Honda Racing, Ben Bostrom and Neil Hodgson of Team Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin and Tommy Hayden of Kawasaki Racing. As the 1995 AMA Superbike Champion, Duhamel finished fifth in the points last year and has finished fifth or better in the final points standings every season since 2001. He finished third in the Daytona opener and placed fourth and second, respectively, during the doubleheader in Alabama last weekend. Duhamel is currently third in the points (-19) and will concentrate solely on the Superbike class this year. He has no doubt that California’s race will be a great event. “I think that (California Speedway) is a great venue, every year it seems to get bigger and I hope to have a good view of it from the first place podium,” said Duhamel in a teleconference. “(The track) is pretty flat with tight radius corners. We’ve seen that before and it’s a pretty safe track. It’s a good design.” Riders Ben Bostrom and Neil Hodgson will jump onto Ducati 999R’s for Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin Racing. Both riders have AMA and World Superbike experience and both have raced with Ducati in the past. Bostrom is a former AMA Superbike champion in 1998 with Honda, and finished runner up to Mladin in 1999, losing only by 10 points. Hodgson is a former World Superbike champion in 2003 and is in his second year of AMA Superbike racing. He finished sixth overall in points last year, and started the season off well with fourth, sixth and fifth place finishes in the first three events of the season, respectively. The Hayden brothers, Tommy and Roger, are petitioning Kawasaki’s return to Superbike competition this year. Tommy has a second Supersport championship under his belt after last season, and Roger Lee was only 19 points behind him. Due to an accident at Barber last weekend, Roger will miss the California race and may be out until June. Tommy, who has three California Speedway victories, has finished fifth, seventh and fifth in the first three races of the season, respectively. “We returned to Superbike because we feel like it’s the most premier class,” said Tommy Hayden. “It’s the toughest class and that’s where the most competition is, and that’s where we want to be. We want to be racing against the best guys and I think that’s a big part of why we made that decision. Now, we have a new machine this year and we have been preparing for it. We’re excited to make that step and so far we’re really happy with it.” The AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend is shaping up to be quite a battle between these great machines and their pilots. They take to the track April 28-30 at California Speedway. To see all of the rapid, two-wheeled action, call 800-944-RACE [7223] or log on to www.racetickets.com. More, from another press release issued by California Speedway: AMA SUPPORT CLASSES TO COMPETE DURING SUZUKI SUPERBIKE CHALLENGE AMA Supermoto to Hold Season Opener at California Speedway California Speedway’s action-packed Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend will include AMA Pro Racing’s support classes: Supersport, Formula Xtreme and Superstock. These three great races will accompany the featured doubleheader Superbike races and the AMA Supermoto season opener this weekend. Supersport’s season began at Daytona International Speedway last month when 22-year-old Roger Lee Hayden took home the victory. “I’m pretty happy to leave (Daytona International Speedway) with a good result,” said Roger Lee. “It’s going to be a long year. This class is competitive.” Unfortunately, he broke his leg following a crash in last weekend’s race and is not expected to compete until June. Tommy Hayden was last year’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport Champion. But, because of Kawasaki’s return to Superbike competition, he’s not expected to compete full-time in the Supersport class this season. This leaves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking, Suzuki’s Geoff May and Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Damon Buckmaster with their eyes set on Gatorade Victory Lane at the Southern California motorsports facility. The Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series started the season with Jake Zemke winning at Daytona and Jason DiSalvo in Alabama last weekend. Last year, Miguel Duhamel acquired the most points to earn the 2005 Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Championship. This season, Duhamel will not compete in FX to concentrate on Superbikes. This leaves the door wide open for DiSalvo, Josh Hayes and Aaron Gobert as the top three in points to show what the FX class has to offer. Hacking won the first Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series race of the season at Daytona while Aaron Yates has recovered from a testing accident to win in Alabama last weekend. DiSalvo will also be a strong contendor in the Superstock class, after securing podium finishes in the first two events of the season. The Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series will be an exciting competition to watch when it rolls into California Speedway for round three. A new addition to the Suzuki Superbike Challenge is the AMA Supermoto Championship. California Speedway has hosted Supermoto events in the past, but this year the riders will earn points for their efforts when they kick-off the Supermoto Championship Series season during the Suzuki Superbike Challenge. The course is going to be the largest Supermoto track ever at California Speedway with larger jumps and longer straightaways for an incredible fan experience not to be missed. Superstar riders such as Jeff Ward, Jurgen Kunzel and the return of Doug Henry on the newly designed Supermoto track will make this a “must-see” event of the weekend. Take these events, combine them with the Superbike doubleheader and the musical entertainment, a huge vendor display area and an extreme BMX, skateboard and in-line skate stunt show the Suzuki Superbike Challenge will be an incredible event that race fans will not want to miss. Tickets are available for the April 28-30 event at California Speedway by calling 800-944-RACE or visit www.racetickets.com.