AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah June 17 Provisional Race Results: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 21 laps 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), -1.731 seconds 3. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), -7.117 seconds 4. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), -21.127 seconds 5. Tommy Hayden (Kw ZX-10R), -30.155 seconds 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), -34.746 seconds 7. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), -37.625 seconds 8. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), -62.678 seconds 9. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), -64.117 seconds 10. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), -67.032 seconds 11. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -72.384 seconds 12. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), -87.029 seconds 13. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), -89.698 seconds 14. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000), -92.500 seconds 15. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 16. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 17. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 18. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 19. Shane Turpin (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 20. Mark Ledesma (Hon CBR1000RR), -1 lap 21. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 22. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap 23. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 24. Marco Martinez (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 25. Michael Sanchez (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 26. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 27. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R100), -1 lap 28. Mike Sullivan (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 29. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), -2 laps 30. David Weber (Suz GSX-R1000), -8 laps, DNF 31. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), -8 laps, DNF 32. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000), -9 laps, DNF 33. Andi Notman (Suz GSX-R1000), -12 laps, DNF 34. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS 35. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS 36. Dale Kieffer (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS Championship Point Standings: 1. Spies, 358 points 2. Mladin, 334 points 3. Duhamel, 275 points 4. Hodgson, 263 points 5. Yates, 254 points 6. Tommy Hayden, 246 points 7. Ben Bostrom, 244 points 8. Zemke, 237 points 9. Pridmore, 214 points 10. Pegram, 189 points More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies won today’s AMA Superbike Championship race at the brand new Miller Motorsports Park in Utah and extended his series lead ahead of team mate Mat Mladin. The young Texan came out tops in an exciting battle with Mladin, Ben Bostrom (Ducati) and Jake Zemke (Honda), who crashed in the closing stages of the race. Aaron Yates raced to sixth place and Michael Jordan Motorsports-sponsored Jason Pridmore and Jake Holden rounded out the top 10. Said Spies: “I got a good start off the line on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. I knew it was going to be a hard race. The pace that the leaders were running was pretty stout but the Suzuki was running good and now we know what the pace is going to be like tomorrow. We’ll go back and make a few changes and see how things turn out on Sunday.” Earlier in the day, Saturday’s final qualifying session saw Spies capture his fourth pole position of the season after posting a blisteringly fast lap of 1:49.167. This lap time set the record for the new Miller facility. Mladin joined Spies on the front row of the grid in third place, thanks to a best lap time of 1:49.694. Yates qualified on the second row with a 1:50.513 lap time. “My team made a pretty big change last night and that made all the difference in the world,” said Spies about his improved lap times from Friday’s session. “We’re trying to get the load off of the front tyre and we accomplished that. We went pretty quick and I’m confident in the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.” Spies’ confidence was not misplaced: The 21-lap Superbike race saw Spies get a good start before falling into second place behind Mladin. Within a few laps, he settled into third, trying to save his Dunlop tyres and watching the fierce battle for the lead. As his team mate diced with a competitor, Spies took advantage and moved into first place and held it until the race’s end. “It was an awesome race,” said Spies. “I told Mat before we got on the podium that even if I had finished second, that would have still been the most fun race of the season. We had four guys running up front and they were battling and swapping paint. It was a fun race and luckily we came out on top. It was the toughest race of the year. I think tomorrow is going to be the same thing.” Like Spies, six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin got a great start and took over the lead immediately. While he and a competitor were battling intensely for the lead, however, Spies got by and Mladin maintained second place. “It was a good race,” said Mladin. “Again, the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was one-two on the podium. We’ll do a bit of homework tonight and hopefully do better on Sunday.” Yates, meanwhile, suffered an unfortunate start. Bu he charged hard on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and moved up into sixth position before the race was done. “I blew the start and lost a lot of ground right there,” he said. “I was stuck behind some guys for a while, but then was able to get around them. I was struggling in some areas but I’m working with my team to come back with something better on Sunday.” More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki at Peak Performance at First-Ever Miller Motorsports Park AMA Superbike Race –Next round, Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA, July 21 – 23, 2006– Round 6 AMA Superbike Series Tooele, Utah Miller Motorsports Park June 16 – 18, 2006 Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies won the inaugural AMA Superbike race and extended his championship points lead at brand-new Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on Saturday afternoon. This Superbike victory is Spies’ seventh of the 2006 season and his eighth career win. Spies won the race after a fierce battle with teammate defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin, who finished in second place. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates came home in a strong sixth position. “I got a good start off the line on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000,” said Spies. “I knew it was going to be a hard race. The pace that the leaders were running was pretty stout but the Suzuki was running good and now we know what the pace is going to be like tomorrow. We’ll go back and make a few changes and see how things turn out on Sunday.” Earlier in the day, Saturday’s final qualifying session saw Spies capture his fourth pole position of the season after posting a blisteringly fast lap of 1:49.167. This lap time set the record for the new Miller facility. Teammate Mladin joined Spies on the front row of the grid in third place, thanks to a best lap time of 1:49.694. Yates qualified on the second row with a 1:50.513 lap time. “My team made a pretty big change last night and that made all the difference in the world,” said Spies about his improved lap times from Friday’s session. “We’re trying to get the load off of the front tire and we accomplished that. We went pretty quick and I’m confident in the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.” Spies’ confidence was not misplaced. The 21-lap Superbike race saw Spies get a good start before falling into second place behind Mladin. Within a few laps, he settled into third, trying to save his Dunlop tires and watching the fierce battle for the lead. As his teammate diced with a competitor, Spies took advantage and moved into first place and held it until the race’s end. “It was an awesome race,” said Spies. “I told Mat before we got on the podium that even if I had finished second, that would have still been the most fun race of the season. We had four guys running up front and they were battling and swapping paint. It was a fun race and luckily we came out on top. It was the toughest race of the year. I think tomorrow is going to be the same thing.” Like Spies, six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin got a great start and took over the lead immediately. While he and a competitor were battling intensely for the lead, however, Spies got by and Mladin maintained second place. “It was a good race,” said Mladin. “Again, the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was one-two on the podium. We’ll do a bit of homework tonight and hopefully do better on Sunday.” Yates, meanwhile, suffered an unfortunate start. He charged hard on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, however, and moved up into sixth position before the race was done. “I blew the start and lost a lot of ground right there,” he said afterward. “I was stuck behind some guys for a while, but then was able to get around them. I was struggling in some areas but I’m working with my team to come back with something better on Sunday.” Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 2nd Place AMA Superbike 2nd Place — Overall Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #20 6th Place AMA Superbike 5th Place — Overall Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #11 1st Place AMA Superbike 1st Place — Overall More, from a press release issued by Miller Motorsports Park: BEN SPIES SETS THE PACE AT MMP Inaugural Superbike Race A Dramatic One Tooele County, Utah (June 17, 2002) Ben Spies can now lay claim to winning the first ever AMA Superbike race at Miller Motorsports Park. It was a storybook beginning as fans were greeted to one of the most exciting races of the year. After running a very calculated race Spies was able to hold off teammate and six-time series champion Mat Mladin. “It was an awesome race, said Spies. “I told Mat before we got on the podium that even if I had finished second, that would have still be the most fun race of the year. We had four guys up front and they were battling and swapping paint. It was a fun race and luckily we came out on top. It was the toughest race of the year. I think tomorrow is going to be the same thing.” Mladin finished second followed by Ben Bostrom. Jake Zemke, who took the early lead and seemed headed to winner’s circle, finished in 8th after crashing on lap 18. In other action at Miller Motorsports Park Honda rider Josh Hayes set the pace and won the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme event. Rounding out the top three were teammate Aaron Gobert and Eric Bostrom. The action continues on Sunday, June 18 with the running of the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Race, Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shooei Helmets Race and the second AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race. Spectator gates open at 7:30 a.m. with practice sessions beginning at 9:00 a.m. and the first race getting underway at 11:30 a.m. Tickets for these events can be purchased on line at www.millermotorsportspark.com or at the Miller Motorsports ticket office. More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati: BOSTROM FIGHTS FOR WIN, EARNS PODIUM IN UTAH SUPERBIKE BATTLE Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Ben Bostrom finished third in Saturday’s Superbike race at Miller Motorsports Park. Bostrom fought with a four-rider pack for the win through most of the 21-lap race, the first-ever AMA Superbike event at the track. Racing his Ducati 999, Ben showed both his aggressiveness and a veteran’s talent for tire conservation to finish on the podium for the first time in 2006. His teammate Neil Hodgson finished right behind Bostrom in fourth place. Bostrom, who qualified on the front row, was a key factor in the exciting scrap for the lead at the 3.048-mile circuit. He moved up to third spot on lap 15 and never relented the position, despite a challenge by Jake Zemke. “It feels good to get back on the box,” said Bostrom, the 1998 series champion. “It has been a while since I’ve been up here and to do it in an exciting race like this one means even more. The pace was really fast. My plan was to stay with the lead pack and wait until the last five laps and then move to the front. We didn’t quite get to there, but it’s great to get back on the podium for Ducati. I can’t wait for tomorrow and the rest of the season.” Neil’s finish helped solidify his fourth place rank in the current AMA Superbike points standings. “We were fourth today despite a few problems,” said Hodgson. “I would have liked to have been up there with Ben today and his performance was encouraging for the team. Still, we got a good finish. Tomorrow, we’ll make some changes and look forward to racing again.” “Ben rode a great race and stuck with the leaders nearly the whole time,” said team owner Terry Gregoricka. “We needed a boost and Ben gave it to us. He had a good shot at the win and really tried hard. Neil was fourth and managed to earn the next spot for the team, so it was a good day.” Saturday Results: 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 3. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 5. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 10. Jake Holden, Suzuki AMA Superbike points (after 10 rounds): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 358 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 334 3. Miguel Duhamel 275 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 263 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 254 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 246 7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 244 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 237 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 214 10. Larry Pegram, Honda 189