2003 World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson is very close to finalizing a deal that would see him return with the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team for the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship. “My priorities are stay in America and stay with Ducati,” Hodgson told Roadracingworld.com during a recent interview at his home on the Isle of Man. “I’m still working on the second one, but it’s looking pretty good.” “It’s very close,” Paolo Ciabatti, Director of Ducati Corse’s Superbike Racing program, told Roadracingworld.com during the World Superbike races at Brands Hatch. “It’s about 90 percent done. We should know for sure very soon.” Ducati has asked AMA Pro Racing for some rule concessions in the 2006 AMA Superbike technical regulations to make their V-twin-powered 999 more competitive, but AMA Pro Racing officals have said they find it hard to give rule concessions to a bike that is still winning races. Ducati has won four AMA Superbike races this year with Eric Bostrom and Hodgson, four British Superbike races with Gregorio Lavilla and Leon Haslam, and four World Superbike races with Regis Laconi and James Toseland.