Veteran racer Michael Barnes lapped near AMA race pace during promoter’s practice Friday at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) in Fountain, Colorado, in preparation for this weekend’s AMA Superbike round at the 1.3-mile infield road course. Barnes spent the majority of Friday riding a Pirelli-shod GSX-R600 Formula Xtreme bike and turned consistent low 57-second laps by the end of the day. For reference, Jake Zemke won the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme race at Pikes Peak with a pace of low 56-second laps. The Floridian then tried one of the team’s GSX-R1000 Superstock machines, and in his first and only session, Barnes turned 56-second laps. Jamie Hacking’s pace that won the 2004 AMA Superstock race at PPIR was 56.0-second laps. But instead of comparing his Friday lap times to last year’s times, Barnes was more concerned with comparing himself to the man he is filling in for, Vincent Haskovec, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s regular rider, who suffered serious injuries during the AMA Formula Xtreme race May 15 at Infineon Raceway. “I’ve got a heavy heart right now, just thinking about him all of the time,” Barnes told Roadracingworld.com. “These are some pretty big shoes to fill. Vincent is the most popular guy in the paddock, which is evident by the reaction from everybody. “Nobody says to me, ‘glad to see you here,’ without making mention of Vincent, every single person. But we have to continue working. The team has a responsibility to have two bikes out there, and that’s why I’m here. It’s truly an honor to receive a call from John (Ulrich, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki owner) asking me to ride for him. I just wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.” Asked what he thought of riding the team’s FX racebike, Barnes said, “It’s fun, light, but I don’t think there’s a lap that went by today when I didn’t think about Vincent and how he rode it. Again, living up to what he was doing on the bike. That’s all I’m trying to do is fill those shoes as best I can and thinking about Vincent every second of the way.” Having not ridden at all since Daytona and not ridden a big-bore bike regularly since 2003, Barnes was hesitant, at first, to commit to running the Formula Xtreme and Superstock races at PPIR, which were originally scheduled back-to-back. After a modification to Sunday’s race schedule separated the FX and Superstock finals and one ride on the 2005 GSX-R1000 Friday, however, Barnes’ mind was changed. “I was a little worried about how the big bike was going to be, but Suzuki has done such a heck of a job with this new bike,” said Barnes. “It’s a light, nimble bike with plenty of power. I just rode it in only one session today and surprisingly went faster than I was going on the FX bike on a tight track. So it’s promising. It didn’t wear me out, and I’m in better shape than I thought.” Another new-for-2005 face was in the AMA paddock and on the track Friday during promoter’s practice, that of former Formula USA Sportbike and Superbike Champion Scott Greenwood. Greenwood rode the Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R1000 formerly ridden by Tony Meiring, who has been temporarily suspended from the team. Greenwood rode for Corona Extra Suzuki in 2004, replacing Christian Pistoni mid-season.