From a press release issued by Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:

HONDA RIDERS ROLL TO MID-OHIO

DUBLIN, Ohio – As the AMA Superbike Championship returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Honda’s “Red Riders” will be riding for more than just pride during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, July 23-25.

American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke are chasing points leader Mat Mladin, and with a Wiseco Superbike doubleheader in store for the weekend, points are at a premium. Forgotten, but not gone, during this season has been 1998 AMA Superbike Champion and ex-World Superbike rider Ben Bostrom, who snuck up on many to win at Laguna Seca Raceway during the last superbike round.

Duhamel is no stranger to Mid-Ohio, with seven race wins (including the 1995 Superbike race and 5 Supersport races) at the circuit. As the all-time wins leader on a Superbike with 30, other racers know that Duhamel will be a contender at every track. The crafty veteran hopes to use that to his advantage.

“Psychologically, maybe it’s a little bit intimidating for the competition,” said Duhamel. “I hope so, but I’m racing some tough guys. Mat (Mladin)’s really tough, and Jake (Zemke) has proven to be a seasoned veteran in his first year, which is amazing. Then you’ve got Ben (Bostrom), who’s starting to show some real speed, so it’s going to be tough.”

More important than psychological advantages has been Duhamel’s fitness entering this season. Though Duhamel has climbed to the top of the podium more than any one in Superbike history, he has managed just one AMA Superbike title.

“I woke up and said ‘hey, I’ve only got one Superbike Championship – that (stinks)!” said Duhamel. “I came into the season seriously wanting a Superbike Championship. In winter testing, I knew the CBR1000RR was going to fit my riding style really well.”

Fitness has played a part in the resurgence as well.

“I figured I needed to get stronger, and I started training about two years ago by myself and then figured I might need a professional. I hired the CTS people, the same people that are working with Lance Armstrong. It’s a lot of cycling and training and I feel great.”

Zemke, in his rookie season on a Superbike, has surprised many fans, but not himself with his success.

“Coming into the season, I knew I had a great team,” said Zemke. “The (Erion Honda) guys have just been phenomenal and they finished off the season strong last year with Kurtis (Roberts). We’ve been competitive pretty much every race this year, and it’s put us right in the thick of things. Obviously, we’re going to have our work cut out here. Mat (Mladin)’s going to be strong, Miguel’s going to be strong.”

Zemke acknowledged the difficulty of riding at Mid-Ohio during the July heat.

“Mid-Ohio is always hot and humid. We’ve tried it out now and it’s quite a bit smoother than it was before,” said Zemke. “They’ve smoothed out the concrete patches and it’s actually like riding on a brand new racetrack.

“It is actually surprising. Before, the track was quite rough and, actually, that was what I liked about it,” a smiling Zemke continued. “But all the grinding work on all the concrete patches has been amazing; you can’t even feel the seam between the asphalt and the concrete.”

American Honda’s Ben Bostrom, after some early season struggles, captured a win during the last Superbike round at Laguna Seca. The 1998 AMA Superbike Champion declared himself “back” after the weekend, which also included a win in Formula Xtreme.

“Mid-Ohio is a tough track because there are a lot of elements that go into it,” said Bostrom. “They’ve done a really nice job of shaving the track down. All of a sudden it’s become one of the smoother tracks we come to, which is pretty neat.”

Duhamel and the American Honda team urges Mid-Ohio spectators not to miss this year’s Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, including the Wiseco Superbike 100 races on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

“We have the best show, honestly. I really believe we have the best show. This year’s racing has been the tightest and most competitive ever, and if you don’t show up this year you’re really going to miss something.”

For tickets or more information on the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, contact Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at 1-800-MID-OHIO or www.midohio.com.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. Mid-Ohio’s 2004 schedule features seven spectator events, including the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire (July 23-25), Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic (August 6-8), Unlimited Audio and Accessories presents the Triple Crown Tuner Challenge (August 21-22) and SCCA National Championship Runoffs(r) presented by Kohler (September 20-26).

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Inc. is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.