From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Kawasaki, Hayden Brothers Ready to Roll in Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – Kawasaki has jumped to the top of the pack in the AMA’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport class in 2004, thanks in large part to two brothers from the small town of Owensboro, Ky.

Tommy Hayden has certainly been the catalyst, leading the points chase after the first two events of the season in Daytona and Fontana, while younger brother Roger sits in third place. The Haydens will certainly be the riders to watch in Pro Honda Oils Supersport when the AMA visits Infineon Raceway for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Cycle Gear, April 30-May 2, featuring Sunday’s Supercuts Superbike Challenge.

“It’s great to race with Tommy but we’ve been racing together for as long as I can remember,” said Roger. “Things are going pretty good right now and I hope we can keep it up.”

Tommy began the season with a third-place finish at Daytona, and followed that up with a victory in Fontana on April 4, leading wire-to-wire on his Kawasaki. He’ll enter the Sonoma Valley on a definite high, having won the Repsol Superstock main event at Infineon Raceway in 2003. Tommy tested at the twisting 12-turn, 2.2-mile Sonoma Valley road course twice in the off-season and feels ready.

“They’ve made some changes with runoff at Turns 1 and 6 and they’re going to help,” Tommy said. “This should be a good track for Kawasaki.”

For Roger, it will be his first competitive event for Kawasaki at Infineon Raceway. He missed last year’s race weekend with a broken wrist. “Our tests went real good in Sonoma and I’m hoping to show that I can ride with everyone. We’ll see what happens,” Hayden said.

The Haydens are pulling double-duty this year, also competing in the Repsol Superstock Series. Tommy sits in fifth place after two events, with Roger occupying seventh place. The fast start to the season bodes well for both Tommy and Roger, whose brother Nicky Hayden is a former AMA Chevrolet Superbike champion and currently rides for Honda on the MotoGP circuit.