T. Hayden, Haskovec Captured Daytona Wins DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (March 10, 2005) — Tommy Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., put on a dominating performance aboard his No. 1 factory Kawasaki to claim victory Thursday’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport final at historic Daytona International Speedway. Hayden’s margin of victory over second-place rider Jamie Hacking was 3.723 seconds, the largest margin of victory in the Daytona Supersport race since 1998. “Since we got here we made very few changes,” Hayden said. “The bike was really good. I definitely couldn’t ask more out of my bike, I mean the thing was unbelievable, easy to ride and super fast. I got the pole and I think I led every lap so I couldn’t ask for anything better. “You come in with a new track and a new bike and you never know what to expect. Obviously this is how I wanted it to turn out. I’ve been here many times on slow bikes so it felt really good when I got out there and had the fastest bike.” This year’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport marked another heartbreaker for second-place finisher Hacking, who has now finished runner up at Daytona in major events three times. Jason DiSalvo nosed out Suzuki’s Ben Spies for third place. Repsol Superstock: Vincent Haskovec, a native of the Czech Republic, earned his first Daytona International Speedway victory in the Repsol Superstock final. Haskovec moved his M4 EMGO Suzuki into the lead with three laps to go and held off Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates. It marked Haskovec’s second-career AMA victory and the third Daytona Superstock win for the M4 EMGO Suzuki squad. “I was really pleased when I saw them 10-15 bike lengths behind,” Haskovec said. “I just put my head down and just rolled. The motorcycle was amazing, and the tires were working real well with the setup we got – the change we made right after the qualifying made the difference.” Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore was third giving Suzuki its first Daytona Superstock podium sweep in three years. More, from a press release issued on behalf of Dunlop by Vreeke & Associates: AMA Superbike series kickoff at Daytona launches successful debut of Dunlop Sportmax GP Daytona, FL – March 10, 2005 – The legendary tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) was the setting for the first competition of the 2005 AMA Superbike series. To the delight of the thousands of road racing fans that trek to this sunny locale every year, the series’ four racing classes showcase some of the best teams and motorcycle racers in the world. Dunlop chose the occasion to unveil the company’s newest racing tire, the ~http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/infocenter_news_article.asp?id=133~ Sportmax GP. The multi-compound DOT-approved tire made its racing debut during the Supersport contest on Thursday, March 10. Proof of the Sportmax GP’s performance was demonstrated here earlier this year at the AMA tire testing session in January, when Sportmax GP-equipped Supersport machines chopped nearly a full second off of their laps times compared to Dunlop’s venerable D208 GP tires. Dunlop Motorcycle Tires has long supported the prestigious AMA Superbike series. Along with their engineers and tire technicians, Dunlop brought more than 2500 tires to support the Superbike, Superstock, Supersport and Formula Xtreme factory teams and support riders. DIS underwent extensive changes to the track after the 2004 season. The redesign added more infield turns, eliminated the west banking, and shortened the overall course to approximately three miles. Compared to the previous layout, the new asphalt surface and the added number of infield turns increased tire wear on the left portion of the tread, while the elimination of NASCAR turns One and Two resulted in reduced tire temperatures. Thursday’s first race featured the 1000cc nearly-stock machines of the Superstock class. Suzuki’s all-new GSX-R1000 swept the podium as M4 Emgo Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec put on an impressive charge from sixth position to win the 13-lap event by .302 seconds over Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates. Jordon Motorsport’s Jason Pridmore was third, .332-seconds behind Yates. Yates, who took the pole position earlier in the day with a hot 1:39.667 lap on a Dunlop qualifying tire, took the early race lead on lap two and held that position until he was overtaken on lap 10. “I’m real happy to finish second and get real good points,” said Yates. “We led the most laps and got that point. It’s a long championship, and it’s great that Suzuki swept the podium, that’s the important thing.” Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking was fourth on a YZF-R1, followed by teammate Jason Disalvo. Kawasaki Road Racing’s Tommy Hayden was seventh on a ZX-10RR, Pridmore’s teammate Steve Rapp was eighth and Brent George was ninth on a GSX-R1000 as Dunlop-shod riders took seven of the top ten finishing positions. The 600cc Supersport was next. Tommy Hayden, who topped qualifying with a time of 1:43.510, took the win with a convincing victory margin of 3.723 seconds on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR over Jamie Hacking aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6. Yamaha’s Jason Disalvo was third, followed by Suzuki’s Ben Spies on a GSX-R600 in fourth. Fifth and ninth went to Yamaha-mounted Aaron Gobert and Pascal Picotte, respectively as Dunlop riders took six of the top ten positions. “I couldn’t ask more out of my bike,” said Hayden. “The thing was unbelievable, easy to ride and super fast. Qualifying was good, I got the pole, and I think I led every lap. It felt really good when I went out there and knew that I had the fastest bike.” Thursday’s action also included qualifying sessions for the Superbike and Formula Xtreme competitors. Five-time AMA Superbike champ Mat Mladin snagged the pole position on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 with an impressive time of 1:38.232 on a race tire. He is joined by teammates Ben Spies and Aaron Yates in the second and fourth grid positions while Ducati Austin’s Neal Hodgson qualified third. All four were fitted with Dunlop tires. “I would say the new tires that we’re using are amazing compared to anything we’ve used before,” said Mladin. “We tested them at the test (at DIS in January) the first time. They make the motorcycle so much nicer on the banking. They’d got to a stage last year where, on the banking, it was scary. This year, it certainly gets your attention, but things are a lot more under control. Dunlop are 100 percent to thank for that. They’ve got some good stuff, and the lap times on the tires and the grip on the tires is better than we’ve had, so it’s been a very, very good development for the future, for racing at Daytona.” Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel captured his first-ever Daytona 200 pole position with a time of 1:42.593 aboard the CBR600RR. Two more Hondas made the front row as Duhamel’s teammate Jake Zemke qualified second and Erion Racing’s Kurtis Roberts was fourth. Third position went to Attack Kawasaki’s Josh Hayes on a ZX-6RR. “I’ve been close (before),” said Duhamel of his quest for a 200-pole. “It feels great to get the Daytona Rolex. I’ve been coming here for a long time. I always try hard here. I just really enjoy the 200, it means a lot to me.” The series takes a break on Friday while the AMA Supercross series takes center stage for a day. Then the road racing resumes Saturday as Mladin guns for his 33rd record AMA Superbike victory and Duhamel seeks a record-tying fifth Daytona 200 win. 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 M4 EMGO Suzuki: VINCENT HASKOVEC WINS DAYTONA SUPERSTOCK It would be difficult to imagine a much better way for Team M4 EMGO Suzuki to open their 25th anniversary season than the fashion they did on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. In the very first AMA Superstock race of 2005, Vincent Haskovec piloted his GSX-R1000 to a stunning victory. Over the 13-lap contest’s final half, the Czech-born racer tracked down and overhauled the class’ top factory riders to position himself for the win. Working his way up from sixth following the opening lap into the lead by lap 10, Haskovec built up just enough of a gap over the final laps to prevent any of his rivals from counterattacking with a last-gasp drafting maneuver. Utilizing a clever race strategy, he settled in during the first five laps so that he could readjust to his fire-breathing 1000 after immediately coming from his Formula Xtreme qualifying session. After doing so, his Pirelli tires offered him more grip than his opponents could muster in the race’s late stages. Haskovec raved about the all-new GSX-R1000, which took a clean sweep of the podium, and marveled over how quickly the team was making improvements in the bike’s set-up with the help of new suspension partner Öhlins. “As soon as I got up to the leaders, I sat behind them for five or six laps,” he explained. “I told myself, ‘everything feels good, I should start to roll forward.’ The Suzuki is unbelievable — it’s like they made it for me. I didn’t have the best time in practice — I struggled a lot — but everything came together for the race. I knew three or four laps from the end that I was going to have some rubber on them. I could drive off the corners much better. The motorcycle was amazing and the tires worked real well with the set-up we found. The team gave me the perfect motorcycle today.” While Haskovec’s win was undoubtedly the highlight of Thursday, it was a strong day for both racers on Team M4 EMGO Suzuki. Haskovec’s teammate Geoff May diced with the leaders in the early stages of the Superstock race as well before claiming a clear sixth place in his AMA racing debut as a member of the squad. The Georgian then went straight back out onto the 2.95-mile circuit and picked up his second top-ten finish of the day, taking eighth in the 22-lap Supersport final. But perhaps his most impressive accomplishment of the day was his showing during qualifying for Saturday’s Superbike final. May ripped off a 1:40.608 aboard his GSX-R1000 to set the fifth best time — outpacing several full-factory and factory-supported Superbike stars. Haskovec will also be back in action on Saturday, racing in the prestigious Daytona 200. He put his Formula Xtreme-spec GSX-R600 on the second row of the grid for the 64th running of the grueling 68-lap contest, qualifying in sixth at 1:44.191 just before taking his Superstock victory. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: HODGSON ON FRONT ROW FOR DAYTONA SUPERBIKE Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Neil Hodgson qualified on the front row for Saturday’s opening round of the AMA Superbike championship at Daytona, taking third position in his first qualifying session as an AMA regular. Just one day after rain ended the racing action at Daytona early, Hodgson and teammate Eric Bostrom put in their qualifying runs on board their factory Ducati 999s in clear and sunny conditions. Bostrom will start the prestigious opening event of the AMA season from ninth position. Hodgson, a former British and World Superbike Champion, impressed as he improved his lap times on the 2.95 mile (4.7 kilometer) track, home of the historic American motorcycle race. Despite relatively little track time due to the weather, Neil showed his professionalism by working up to speed quickly on the difficult banked oval. Neil said he didn’t use a tow from another rider, a common tactic at the Speedway, to set his fast qualifying time of 1:39.884. “My strategy was to go as fast as I could. I didn’t really want to even follow anyone. I was just trying to do my own thing,” said Neil. “I was working on the settings a little bit, so I needed to just concentrate on me and my bike, and just get the feeling and understand it.” Hodgson said the intricacies of Daytona make things difficult as riders fight for victory. The 31 degree banked section of the track has walls just inches away from the racing line. “We’re professional motorcycle racers, and then you come to Daytona and it’s almost a different skill. It feels so alien to us,” said Neil. “I don’t think you get used to the feeling of it, because there’s no grip on the infield, and the banking is the banking. So I’m pleased to be on the front row. Hopefully there’s a little bit more to come in the front end direction, based on that session.” Eric Bostrom will start the race from ninth position after a 1:41.654 lap. “We didn’t make as much progress as we would have liked. I felt like I was riding hard, sliding the front and sliding the rear in spots. I’ve been around long enough to know where the limits are and I was pretty close to them. The lap times just weren’t there for us today. We’ll keep our heads down and try to come up with a solution for the race on Saturday.” “We’re impressed and proud of Neil for doing so well in his first AMA qualifying session against some very good competition,” said Team Manager Tom Bodenbach. “We’ll see how the race goes, pace-wise. We’re in pretty good shape for the race. Eric has some things to sort out, but the guys are working on it. We’re going to do our best to get him in position so when he gets his normal good start, he can fight for a podium.” Saturday’s Superbike race, which gets underway at 11:15 a.m. local time, will be over 15 laps. STARTING-GRID: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 1:38.232; 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 1:38.963; 3. NEIL HODGSON (Ducati 999) 1:39.884; 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 1:39.894; 5. Geoff May (Suzuki) 1:40.608; 6. Miguel DuHamel (Honda) 1:40.875 ; … 9. ERIC BOSTROM (Ducati 999) 1:41.654