LOCKHART PHILLIPS USA FORMULA XTREME AND REPSOL LUBRICANTS SUPERSTOCK SERIES TO SUPPORT AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP AT BARBER PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 19, 2005) — Last year Miguel Duhamel took to the AMA Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series like a fish to water. In a single season Duhamel earned the championship and climbed to third in the all-time wins list. Duhamel could pass Kurtis Roberts and Eric Bostrom to become the winningest rider in the history of the series at Birmingham, Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, April 24, part of the Honda Superbike Classic presented by McGraw Insurance Services. At 36, Duhamel is one of the oldest riders in AMA road racing, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down or quitting. “It helps to be part of Honda, and to have such great bikes that we have, it’s a great team,” said Duhamel on his longevity in the sport. “The great support through Dunlop, and everybody’s given me number one stuff. As far as continuing, I’m hungry, and I’ve been training all winter long, why not? Why not keep going? I’m not even really in that thought process right now (on retiring). I’m still thinking, hey, man, my best is yet to come.” Teammate Jake Zemke could again be Duhamel’s primary competition in the series this year. Zemke is the defending Formula Xtreme winner at Barber. Formula Xtreme also features some of the leading up-and-coming riders in AMA Pro Racing. Former flat tracker Danny Eslick finished a solid fourth on the MPTracing.com Suzuki and hopes to prove that finish in the Daytona 200 was no fluke. Canadian Chris Peris is another young rider showing great promise in Formula Xtreme. He comes into the Barber weekend ranked fifth in the series. Vincent Haskovec has one of the most uplifting stories in all of AMA Pro Racing. Seven years ago the outgoing racer left his native Czech Republic with little more than a dream of pursuing a racing career in America. Fast-forward to March of 2005 and Haskovec found himself pinching himself in the winner’s circle at Daytona International Speedway having just pulled off a stunner in the opening round of this year’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series on his M4 EMGO Suzuki. Haskovec will try to keep the momentum of his storybook start going at round two of the series. “I have some new guys working on my bikes, new tires, some other new things like sponsors and parts suppliers,” Haskovec said. “A lot of things changed and I feel like I’m on a new team in some ways. But so far, it’s working. If everything is right, we can be as competitive as anyone else.” Aaron Yates is back in AMA Superstock racing for the first time since he won the class (then called 750 Supersport) in 1996. Yates, on his Yoshimura Suzuki, has to be considered another big favorite at Barber. The veteran racer from Milledgeville, Ga., is a former Superbike winner at Barber and even had a hand in the design of the scenic circuit. Yates is ranked second in the standings. Jason Pridmore is third in the series on his Jordan Motorsports Suzuki. Like Yates, Pridmore is a former champ in the series and has found a new lease on his racing life riding for basketball legend Michael Jordan. “We went from no resources last year to all of the sudden now I’ve got one of the better crew chiefs in the paddock in Ammar Bazzaz and I’ve got unbelievably great people around me,” said Pridmore, a two-time AMA road racing titlist and the son of three-time AMA Superbike champ Reg Pridmore. “This team is amazing. I’m with Suzuki and this team for two years. We’re going to build a foundation right now. If there’s anybody around that knows teamwork, it’s Michael Jordan.” Defending Repsol Lubricants Superstock champ Aaron Gobert has a long road in front of him after suffering mechanical problems on his bike that put him out early at Daytona. Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden should be another rider to watch at Barber. The Owensboro, Ky., native won the Barber Superstock race in 2003. The Barber round of the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series race will be televised Tuesday, April 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST on SPEED Channel. For additional ticket information on the Honda Superbike Classic presented by McGraw Insurance Services contact (205) 327-RACE or 1-800-240-2300.