Updated Post: More From The AMA Races At Barber

Updated Post: More From The AMA Races At Barber

© 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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HODGSON EARNS ANOTHER PODIUM SPOT AT BIRMINGHAM, BOSTROM IN TOP FIVE Birmingham, AL, April 24, 2005: Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Neil Hodgson finished an excellent second in Sunday’s AMA Superbike race from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Hodgson rallied from his fourth place finish on Saturday to fight his way back onto the podium in Sunday’s 28-lap contest. Hodgson’s teammate Eric Bostrom also came home in the top five on his Ducati 999, his best finish of the year. Hodgson got the holeshot in the race on his Ducati L-twin Superbike but was passed by the eventual race winner Mat Mladin on the first lap. Neil rebounded to battle with Aaron Yates for second place but the resident of the Isle of Man made the slot his for good once Yates stopped for a tire. “It was a tough race for us. I was quite comfortable to sit behind (Aaron Yates) and bide my time to make a pass late in the race. I was pretty shocked when he pulled in. I thought it would be a tough battle to the flag,” said Hodgson. Neil said he chose a harder Dunlop tire than he had used on Saturday for the weekend’s second Superbike race held in clear conditions. “Yesterday, I lost some side grip late in the race so I decided to run a harder tire the others used. At least I would be in the same boat,” said Neil. That wise choice, along with some setup changes and some excellent riding help put Neil and the Ducati 999 back onto the podium. Hodsgon also finished “on the box” at the Daytona opener as well. Neil has consolidated his second position in Superbike points after three races. “Today, the bike was better for Neil than yesterday, so we are happy with that,” said Luca Luca Ferraccioli, Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team engineer. “We worked on a solution for quicker direction changes and that seemed to help the lap times at this course and maybe others, too. We also decided to go with a harder tire for this race and Neil found it to be much better than yesterday’s choice.” Eric Bostrom improved to finish fifth in the 28-lap race, up three slots from Saturday’s result. Suspension changes to both ends of the 999 were good enough to better his feel for the track but not a perfect solution. “Today we were hoping to accomplish more than we did. We’re glad to get fifth and the points, but we fell short of my goal and I’d sleep better tonight if we could have done better lap times. But I’m going to put it behind me because I am ready to go to Fontana and I think we’ll do well there.” The next AMA race is next weekend at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN) 3. Ben Spies, Suzuki 4. Miguel DuHamel, Honda 5. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN) AMA Superbike Points After 3 of 16 Races: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 113, 2. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN) 91, 3. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 87, 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 82, 5. Miguel DuHamel (Honda), 6. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN) 69 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin swept to victory in the third race of the AMA Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday to give him a 100% win record on his GSX-R1000 at the weekend’s double header. The five-time AMA Champion started from pole position and then took the lead quickly; winning the 28-lap race by more than nine seconds as six Suzukis took top-10 places. “This was another good race for us,” said Mladin at the end of the cool but sunny weekend. “I’d like to thank my team for all their hard work, Suzuki for giving us such an unbelievable motorcycle as the GSX-R1000 and Dunlop for stepping up with better tyres. I’d also like to thank the fans for coming out and I hope to see everyone again next year.” Team mate Ben Spies – who took third overall – also got a good start and then settled into fourth position for much of the race. But with just a few laps to go, he moved up quickly and was fighting for a rostrum spot and in a daring last-lap manoeuvre, snagged third. “I wanted to be on the podium,” said Spies. “But I don’t like the way we’ve been doing it – on the last few laps. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 got me up here and that’s the important thing.” Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates got an excellent start and was running in second for the first half of the race until tyre issues forced him to pit late in the race and he was never able to fully recover his position. “I had been struggling all weekend,” said Yates. “Then the bike started feeling funny and it seemed like the right thing to do to come in and get a new tyre. When I came back out I was pretty far behind but I had fresh rubber so I just tried to push as hard as I could and I ended up in the top 10.” AMA Superbike Results: 1 Mat Mladin (Suzuki), 2 Neil Hodgson (Ducati), 3 Ben Spies (Suzuki), 4 Miguel Duhamel (Honda), 5 Eric Bostrom (Ducati), 6 Josh Hayes (Kawasaki), 7 Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki), 8 Aaron Yates (Suzuki), 9 Marty Craggill (Suzuki), 10 John Haner (Suzuki). Championship Points (after 3 races): 1 Mladin 113, 2 Hodgson 91, 3 Spies 87, 4 Yates 82, 5 Duhamel 78, 6 Bostrom 69, 7 Craggill 60, 8 Acree 53, 9 Pegram 51, 10 Pridmore 49. SUPERSTOCK: For the second time in as many races, Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates captured a spot on the AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock podium and took the lead in the series. Yates started the cool but sunny afternoon off right by making a competitive play for the front row during qualifying. He pushed his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 hard and carded a spot in fourth place on the front row of the grid with a 1:26.640 lap time. “My Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 is going fairly good,” said Yates after qualifying the previous day. “We’re starting on the front row and I have confidence in my guys with what they’re trying with the setup so we’re looking for the win.” He was up front on the first lap although he faded back a few spots and ran in fifth for much of the 17-lap event. “After yesterday’s Superbike race and this morning’s Superbike practice, it was a little weird jumping back on my Superstock bike,” said Yates after the race. “I was having a few problems getting used to it, but the bike is so good overall that even the stock bike races well. At the end, I was just charging hard and then they kind of gave it back to me at the end.” SUPERSPORT: Ben Spies and his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 are the factory’s sole effort in the production-based AMA Supersport class and in Sunday’s race he charged hard for a strong top-10 finish. During qualifying the previous day, Spies gave it his all and came away with a second-row spot on the grid after posting a 1:29.304 lap time. Said Spies: “I’m pretty happy with how we qualified. We still have some work to do but I have faith in my guys – the GSX-R600 is a good bike and I think we can put together a pretty good package.” On race day, Spies got a decent start and was in ninth position when a downed rider caused a red flag. The riders were eventually re-gridded in running order and at the restart, Spies was still in ninth position. “After the red flag, I got a pretty bad start,” said Spies. “I charged as hard as I could but I just couldn’t make up any time. We’ve been testing a lot and trying different things with the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600. It’s a great bike but we just need to get it to a place where I feel most comfortable on it.” More, from a press release issued by Team EMGO Taiwan: Caylor is back in the top 10 LEEDS, Alabama – “It feels good to be back to a single digit finish,” Chris “Opie” Caylor said as he pulled off his helmet after finishing 9th in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme race this weekend. Caylor and team had worked hard on the EMGO Taiwan sponsored Suzuki GSX-R 600 since their fire-involved, early finish at Daytona. Their efforts shined in both qualifying and the race at Barber Motorsports Park. Caylor qualified 12th on a nearly wet track. Rain had drenched the park only hours before qualifying and the race line was slowly drying. Caylor readily accepted advice from friend and mentor Kevin Schwantz and started the qualifying session on Dunlop slicks even though the majority of the track was still wet. As the session progressed and the race line further dried other teams struggled with “burning up” rain tires that actually need wetness to cool them or had to pull in and decide what type of tires to use. Caylor was able to stay out the entire session and steadily lower his lap times to his 3rd row grid position time. As always at Barber, suspension tuning played a major role in lowering lap times. Along with the rest of the damage to the bike, the fire at Daytona had actually destroyed the internals of one of his Ohlins rear shocks. Mike Fitzgerald of Thermosman Suspensions quickly built and custom valved a new one in time for Opie to test prior to this AMA weekend. “Mike will listen to me explain the feedback I’m getting from the suspension and he’ll ask a few questions then perfectly describe back to me what I’m feeling. He’ll think for a minute and then make a few adjustments that exactly correct what I was feeling!” Caylor also worked very closely with the Ohlins crew that are onsite at the AMA races. “Jamie, Doug, Brad and Eric worked with me after my initial set-up and had the suspension feeling better than it ever has,” said Caylor. “Without the recommendations and changes they made I could not have made the consistent lap times I did.” Specific thanks go to owner Paul Wright and everyone else at 1888Fastlap.com for their help in allowing Opie time-off to rebuild the damaged bike from Daytona. “Because they work every day with racers at all levels of competition they understand all that goes on between rounds,” said Caylor. “Especially after Daytona, they knew how hard I would be working with the team to get back where I and my sponsors needed to be. I would not have been on as good of a bike if not for their help, understanding and sponsorship.” Caylor and Team EMGO Taiwan are currently traveling to Fontana, California for round three of the Formula Xtreme series where they hope to continue progressing towards the podium. More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: HASKOVEC RACES FOR SUPERSTOCK LEAD AT BARBER Team M4 EMGO Suzuki closed out a successful weekend at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday by claiming another top-five result to go along with the podium finish earned the day before. Hard-charging Vincent Haskovec was impressive again, challenging for the lead throughout much of the 60k Superstock contest aboard his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000. He gave the factory entries fits before eventually having to back off his incredibly hot pace in order to secure a fifth-place result. Team Crew Chief Keith Perry was encouraged by Haskovec’s follow-up to his spectacular season-opening Superstock victory at Daytona. “Early on I saw Vincent running with those guys and I thought, ‘Here we go again!'” Perry said. “He had a great run; he’s riding really well, the guys have the bike working great, and the Pirelli guys are trying their hearts out. As it was, we just couldn’t hang with ’em at the end of the race. Vincent rode well to save a few slides there and keep it upright. Still, we’re happy with a top five. If we can do that all year to put the pressure on the other teams — and grab podiums and wins when we can — we should be right there in the end,” said Perry after the race. “We have high expectations,” he concluded. The Czech Republic native wasn’t quite finished. He also raced in the 100k Superbike final aboard his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000 and claimed a very respectable seventh. Haskovec’s teammate, Geoff May, had a tougher time on Sunday. He was forced to retire early from the Superstock race for safety precautions race after mechanical problems surfaced. However, he did put in a solid effort in the day’s earlier Supersport final. The Georgian just missed a top-ten finish after crossing the stripe in eleventh, a half-second behind the factory Suzuki entry. “I guess the racing gods just weren’t with me today,” May said afterwards. “The good thing is I get another chance at Fontana.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will be back in action next week as the AMA roadracing series travels to California Speedway in Fontana, CA for the third round of the 2005 championship. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Duhamel Just Misses out on Podium American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel came within the blink of an eye of finishing on the podium in the second race of the AMA Superbike double-header at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. The prolific French-Canadian missed out on third place by a scant 0.048 seconds after a thrilling racelong duel with Ben Spies (Suzuki). “I’m real happy with the race,” Duhamel said, adding that his team, led by crew chief Al Ludington, had continued on the upward path of development of the American Honda CBR1000RR. “I’m just happy I had a shot at third.” Teammate Jake Zemke had a frustrating weekend. A phantom electrical gremlin struck during Saturday’s race, knocking the popular Californian out of the race. Despite the best efforts of his team, led by crew chief Merlyn Plumlee, the problem reared its head again on Sunday, again sidelining Zemke. Zemke’s consolation was winning Saturday’s Formula Xtreme race over teammate Duhamel. The Honda CBR600RR-mounted pair shared every lap of the race, Zemke leading for eight laps before giving way to his more senior partner for five. Then Zemke took it back and held on to the end. The margin of victory was 0.440 seconds. The win, Zemke’s seventh, moved him into a tie with Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden, and one other rider, for third on the all-time list. Duhamel is the all-time wins leader with nine. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) won both Superbike races. Teammates Aaron Yates and Ben Spies finished second and third. Former World Superbike Champion Neil took second on Sunday with Spies third. Miguel Duhamel, 4th, Sunday Superbike It was a classic last corner with Ben (Spies). You go on the inside, the guy squares you up on the outside. I’d rather take that chance and be in third in that last corner and try to outdrag him to the front straight. I was a little unlucky there. The bike actually hooked up a bit and wheelied. That probably cost me a little bit of speed. He did it right. Not much more I could do. I really rode as hard as I could. Third would have been wonderful. Jake Zemke, DNF, Sunday Superbike Same thing as yesterday. Something’s amiss in our package there and it’s not very happy. It’s probably starting right from the get-go and the problem is it gets progressively worse and worse. The guys are looking at the data and just going, ‘Well we see what you’re talking about, but we don’t understand it.’ I thought everything was going to be OK this morning. So we never really did that many laps this morning because we’re still trying to search for a set-up. So it was kind of like three or four laps, in-out, if the problem was there you’re not really feeling it. Miguel Duhamel, 5th, Saturday Superbike It was one of those races where I just worked as hard as I could the whole race. I mean I was really trying. I saw exactly what you were seeing; I’m going to catch them the next lap, I’m going to catch them. I’d make some time, then make a little mistake and drop back and come back on them. I just wanted to get up there and I wanted those guys to start messing around a little bit so I could get back into that draft. Some areas of the racetrack I was pretty fast, but I wasn’t able to get around, get close to them. It was unfortunate. Jake Zemke, DNF, Saturday Superbike I’m not quite sure yet what the problem was. Something electrical, I believe, because in the warm-up something didn’t feel quite right on it. I got a few laps in and the same thing started happening. We’ve got something in there. I think they call them gremlins. There’s something in that and they’re looking right now trying to figure out what it is and hopefully they can find it before tomorrow. Jake Zemke, 1st , Formula Xtreme The whole race was really good. Even early I wasn’t trying to go very fast, I was just cruising around. I kept watching Miguel’s (Duhamel) board and I could see that Vincent (Haskovec) was right there, right there. When you get three guys going it changes everything as far as race strategy. Boy, that last lap was a lot of fun. We were back and forth, back and forth. Luckily I was the guy who was able to sit on top today and close some points on Miguel some of the points I lost at Daytona. Miguel Duhamel, 2nd, Formula Xtreme It was a great race. This is a perfect example of a terrific race and I guess with my experience I’m able to appreciate it even though I got second. Today Jake couldn’t be denied. He was riding really good. Sunday Superbike; 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 3. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 5. Eric Bostrom (Ducati) 6. Josh Hayes (Kawasaki) 7. Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki) 8. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 9. Marty Craggill (Suzuki) 10. John Haner (Suzuki) Saturday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 3. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 4. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 5. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 6. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 7. Steve Rapp (Suzuki) 8. Eric Bostrom (Ducati) 9. Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki) 10. Marty Craggill (Suzuki) Formula Xtreme; 1. Jake Zemke (Honda) 2. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 3. Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki) 4. Ben Attard (Kawasaki) 5. Chris Peris (Yamaha) 6. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 7. Steve Crevier (Honda) 8. Nicky Moore (Yamaha) 9. Chris Caylor (Suzuki) 10. Ryan Andrews (Ducati)

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