From a press release:

MORE SUPERSPORT POINTS BATTLE AT MID-OHIO FOR BARNES

Lexington, Ohio (July 21, 2004) – Michael Barnes will once again battle for points in the AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport championship this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on the championsonline.com Yamaha YZF-R6. Engaged in a see-saw battle for championship points with fellow competitor Steve Rapp since Fontana, Barnes hopes to have a good showing to advance closer to a top five position.

“Steve and I have been within a few points of each other all year, and it’s really been tight since Fontana”, said Barnes. “We’ve swapped position in the standings three times already this season, and there are only three points separating us today. With the right set of circumstances we’re both conceivably within striking distance of third place in the championship, and even more realistically a top five, so I’m sure the racing will be hard and tight once again this weekend. We did not attend the recent tire tests at Mid-Ohio, so we have some catching up to do to get a good setup for the track in the condition that it has been reported to be in with the surface grinding and transition roughness.”

With the Supersport championship as close as it is after eight rounds, the tire war also intensifies, with Pirelli, Michelin and Dunlop all well represented. Mike’s Pirelli shod machine is the top representative of the brand in Supersport. “Tire selection will be even more of a challenge this weekend with the rough track surface, we’ll just have to see how it goes”, said Mike.

Supporting Mike at Mid-Ohio once again will be tuner Tony Pogue and the rest of the championsonline.com crew.