World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2006 Round 9 Assen Netherlands CHARPENTIER BACK TO PARITY WITH FOUR ROUNDS TO GO Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) will start the final four rounds of the World Supersport Championship in the same fashion as he started the season itself, with no advantage over his expected number one championship challenger, Kevin Curtain. Having enjoyed a massive 40-point championship lead before a testing injury disrupted the mid section of his championship defence, Charpentier’s bravery alone was not enough to overcome the lingering effects of a broken pelvis and collarbone, and he now shares a points total of 131 with Curtain, with third place rider Broc Parkes only 12 points behind. Having missed the San Marino race entirely, and being forced down to 11th and then sixth at Brno and Brands Hatch respectively, Charpentier enters the Assen round confident that he can reassert his authority at the top of the championship table. His confidence is well founded in 2006 season statistics, with an injury free run of first, first, first, third and first being posted before his fateful crash. Joining Charpentier at the sharp end of competition at Assen, the home race for their Winston Ten Kate Honda squad, will be the resurgent force of Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) a full-time season rookie in World Supersport. Two third places in the last two races have given him a boost up the championship table, putting him in a good position to both help his team-mate and help himself to more silverware at the new look Assen. The classic Circuit van Drenthe has undergone another one of its many makeovers in terms of track layout and this year it is a stubby 4.555km version, hosting a WSS race weekend for the first time. Supersport rookie Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) is seeking his second win of the 2006 season, as he shares a total of 67 points with Sofuoglu. Another Honda Supersport rider who has suffered unexpected complications after injury is Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) who now makes what he hopes will be a final comeback ride of the year, having been forced out of four meetings in total so far. Hence his championship total of 22 points does not reflect his true talents, as his ability to qualify on the front row for three of the four races he has started in 2006 shows he still has competitive pace. After two agonising recent rides in WSS, Charpentier knows that the summer break since the last Brands Hatch race, on August 6th, should make all the difference to him at Assen, one of his favourite circuits. It was at this very track in 2005 that he took the points to give him the overall championship win. “I have had a full month to recover and I did all things possible to get fitter,” states Charpentier. “I can guarantee that I feel much better compared to Brands Hatch, where I managed to remain with the leading group only for half of the race. It’s like starting the season from the beginning for me and I am really ready for these last four races.” Sofuoglu’s roller coaster season is currently on a vertical climb, and maintaining that is the number one concern for the rider who wants to improve in leaps and bounds on his current seventh place points ranking. “I am really happy to step back on my bike at Assen,” said Sofuoglu. “A month without racing is too much for me. It’s going to be a home race for the team but also for me, because I live only thirty minutes away from the circuit. I made it to Turkey for a short period to recharge my energies and now I am ready to race. I really hope to do well for the many fans that support the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team around here.” After missing the first round of the year Tiberio enjoyed some immediate success, but the last two races have not been kind to the young French rider – a run of fortune he aims to turn around at Assen. “Before the summer vacation I passed through a not so good period, with two bad races,” affirms Tiberio. “Now we will go on a track that I like very much and I want to change my situation. I know that the track is changed, especially the first part; it’s slower and smaller than the old circuit”¦ but for me it is the same. My target is to run a good race, and get into the first five positions. Only with this kind of result will I be happy come Sunday evening.” Even though Fujiwara has dropped to 13th in the championship table, and he expects to suffer pain in his right wrist once more, the tough Japanese is ready to return to the fray. “Now I’m happy, because I will return to the World Supersport Championship after more delays, and for a round that I like very much,” said Fujiwara, glad to be returning at Assen. “The hand is OK now, the doctors have told me confident words about my situation and I feel good. Now I must understand the way my hand will work on the bike. I don’t know if I will feel pain after three minutes or hours, but I know only that I want to return in competitive fashion.” TOSELAND OUT TO TRIM BACK THE LEADER’S ADVANTAGE With four rounds and eight races left in which to catch and overhaul long-term championship leader Troy Bayliss, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) knows he has to score every win possible to take the championship fight to the very end. He has good form at Assen, having scored a win there as recently as 2004, his championship winning season, and despite the fact that it will be a different and truncated Assen he faces in 2006, his form is such that nothing can be ruled out. Currently third in the standings, Toseland is 88 points behind Bayliss, but only 11 from second place rider, Noriyuki Haga, his immediate Assen target. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) will find many aspects of the Assen layout familiar, after an extensive MotoGP career, but in his first ever season of World Superbike racing he would ideally have liked to approach the same Assen he has known and loved over the years. Unfazed by his tough mode Chili will be giving his all, as ever. “I am curious to see the new Assen after the work they have done to the track,” said Chili. “I hope for my team, and for Honda, to take an important result. I want to leave my people with the ‘better’ Frankie to the fore. The race will not be easy because we don’t have the same electronic package as some of the official motorcycles – but with Domenico Brigaglia we will still find the correct set-up for the race.” The entire SBK circus strikes canvas just after the final laps will have been completed at Assen, and heads across to the east of Germany, for round 10. The impressively proportioned Eurospeedway Lausitz hosts the German stop-off of the series, between 8 and 10 September.introduction to World Superbike, Barros is currently fifth and looking for win number one, already scored four podium finishes. Another rider in his rookie season, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) found the spark that ignited a double podium charge at Brno, valuable points which have now pushed him to tenth overall, despite a disappointing weekend in round eight at Brands Hatch. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has had a tough season, with illness and injury sapping his strength and true form away at crucial times. Two crashes at Brands Hatch belied his rapid qualifying pace (third quickest) and at his team’s home round, he is expected to be a real threat to the top few positions. Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) is another Honda rider who has suffered serious problems through injury this season, but the most experienced SBK rider of all is a big fan of Assen, and has won a race at the old style Dutch venue, in 1998. A lowly 20th currently, he hopes the new Assen will allow him to shine, just as the old version did on numerous occasions. For Toseland, the championship battle will never be over until it’s over, and he enters Assen with optimism and confidence. “I had a good break which has really recharged my batteries,” said the determined rider, now resident on the Isle of Man. “I also kept myself in shape during this time because I still believe we can have a shot at the World Championship. We are not so far from the top considering that there are still 200 points to be won. I know it’s an important race for the team because they are at home and I will do my best to make them happy.” Barros scored a 500c Grand Prix victory for Honda at Assen during the 2000 season and, unsurprisingly, has fond memories of the old layout. “I knew Assen very well and during the last years I took part in many races there with different bikes,” said Barros. “Now they changed the course a little bit – and I think I still prefer the old style of track. But this version now is new for all of the riders and I’m looking forward to ride at Assen once again.” A back injury and an allergic reaction to an insect bite have held back Muggeridge in 2006, but he is prepared to give his very best on his team’s home circuit. “I’m feeling good,” affirmed Muggeridge. “We had a good ‘warm up’ at the Ten Kate workshop last weekend for the pit stop day and a lot of fans showed up. The forecast seems to promise some rain for the weekend but this doesn’t worry me so much. I will try my best to earn as many points as possible for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team and me. I know it’s a really special race for them.” Fabrizio has experienced the ecstasy and agony of SBK racing in the eight rounds so far, and expects Assen to be more of a leveller than in any previous season. “After the highlights of the Brno race we went to Brands Hatch with big expectations,” said Fabrizio, “but in Great Britain traction problems were the reasons for the very poor results. The new Assen will maybe be a problem for everyone so I want run with the top riders.” For Chili, curiosity is the initial watchword as Assen approaches, but in race mode Chili will be giving his all, as ever. “I am curious to see the new Assen after the work they have done to the track,” said Chili. “I hope for my team, and for Honda, to take an important result. I want to leave my people with the ‘better’ Frankie to the fore. The race will not be easy because we don’t have the same electronic package as some of the official motorcycles – but with Domenico Brigaglia we will still find the correct set-up for the race.” The entire SBK circus strikes canvas just after the final laps will have been completed at Assen, and heads across to the east of Germany, for round 10. The impressively proportioned Eurospeedway Lausitz hosts the German stop-off of the series, between 8 and 10 September.

Anti-doping controls were carried out at the 24 Hours of Oschersleben, held on the circuit of Oschersleben (Germany) on August 12-13 last. Neither prohibited substances nor markers of the use of prohibited methods were found in the tested samples. The riders controlled were : Christer Minin (SWE), Gwen Giabbani (FRA), Matthias Heendorf (GER), Rico Penzkofer (GER), Massimo Accornero (ITA), Keiichi Kitagawa (JPN).

ASSEN 9th ROUND 1st, 2nd and 3rd September ANOTHER FACELIFT FOR THE GRAND OLD LADY Assen has quite rightly been regarded as one of the true classic motorcycle racing venues, just one of the reasons why the Circuit van Drenthe and World Superbike have enjoyed a mutually beneficial unbroken relationship since 1992. This year Assen has evolved once more, with the new 4.555km layout the latest in a long line of alterations to the still uniquely cambered Assen tarmac. The North Loop has been radically shortened, to allow for off-track expansion of facilities, to make the most of the circuit in the 21st century. The immediate upshot for all the riders, even World Championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), will be a period of adjustment to the new circuit layout, before qualifying and racing itself gets underway. CHASING RIDERS SHARE ONE SINGLE GOAL BAYLISS Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) has scored more wins than any other rider this year so far, an impressive nine, and thus his immediate aim will be to reach double-digit wins at Assen. His current championship lead of 77 points (with a maximum possible 200 points available for any rider who wins all eight races from now on) puts him in an enviable position, but a clutch of strong challengers are ranged behind Bayliss, sharing an equal level of determination to push him all the way. Second place in the championship, based on consistency rather than outright levels of winning, is Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia). He scored his first 2006 race victory at the most recent round at Brands Hatch, and has won at Assen before, albeit way back in the 2000 season. The third placed rider in the current series, 2004 champion James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) has also scored an Assen race win, taking victory in race one during his championship winning year. He sits 11 points behind Haga, and his bulldog spirit will ensure that Bayliss will be chased all the way to the finish. Assen is one of the few circuits that current overall fourth placed rider Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) has never scored at least one race win at, and given his recent reversals of fortune, the 1996 and 2005 world champion could find no better place to rediscover the winning touch which he has demonstrated twice this year already. BARROS AND PITT READY TO RUMBLE Having to learn the nuances of Superbike racing in what is his rookie SBK season, the otherwise vastly experienced Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) now finds that even the familiar will feature yet another set of learning curves, as he – like his fellow riders – approaches an unfamiliar layout of Assen circuit. A proven Assen winner in his MotoGP days, Barros is a fan of the ‘old’ Assen, and is expected to allow at least a part of his circuit knowledge to shine through from the first session to the final chequered flag. With some impressive performances under his belt already, but still no win, Assen may be his best opportunity to rediscover his podium form, and maybe even score that elusive win number one. That particular 25-point maximum landmark has already been reached by a rider in his second full season of SBK racing, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia), who scored his first career SBK win at Misano in June. Having got a taste for winning, Pitt will be satisfied by nothing less at Assen, as he tries to make up the short gap of nine points to Barros, in fifth place. KAGAYAMA BACK WITH A VENGEANCE After the huge misfortune of being skittled from a probable race win in round one at Qatar, Corser’s talented team-mate Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) has surged back into the upper echelons since his third place at round six at Misano. His double race win at Brno was possibly a surprise to some, but it underlined the class that everyone knows Kagayama has. He currently sits in a lonely seventh on points, ready for any slip form the riders above him to take his second overall top five finish in his second year of SBK competition. Behind Kagayama, a two-rider points tie sees 2005 race winner Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) and Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) battling for supremacy, with Walker the highest-place rider in the three man PSG-1 squad. The top ten is rounded out by another Brno sensation, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda) who is out to add to his double podium in round seven, at Brno. ASSEN WINNER XAUS LEADS THE PRIVATEER DUCATI CHARGE Another two current riders have garnered SBK wins at Assen in previous years, with Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda Berik) having won race one in 2003, while riding for the factory Ducati squad. His solid season thus far sees him 11th, and another private rider, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda), shares his status as a former Assen winner, thanks to a magnificent ride in the 1998 season. Chili is currently 20th, after sustaining serious injury at the mid-season point. ROCK HARD MIDFIELD FEATURES COSMOPOLITAN MAKEUP Just outside the top ten the Superbike series has taken on the mantle of a game of snakes and ladders, with each passing week providing vastly different fortunes for some seriously talented competitors. Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) has scored some impressive results in his second SBK season, but inconsistency of set-up has not allowed him to make a concerted run out of the midfield, leaving him 12th, just ahead of other riders who have struggled to find form a more than fleeting companion. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) finds himself ahead of multiple SBK race-winner Regis Laconi, the third PSG-1 rider in the pack, with neither rider quite able to climb onto the podium this year so far. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) has fought injury and ill health this season, but nonetheless has put in some impressive qualifying performances, despite finishing no higher than sixth at best after the flag drops. Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) has enjoyed his rookie season, but found SBK a difficult net to crack on a privateer machine, despite some bright early season adventures in the top ten. PETRONAS RIDERS OUT TO SHOW METTLE The 900cc Petronas FP-1 has always had something of a performance disadvantage in World Superbike, but this year, despite the speed and experience of Steve Martin, and the youthful aggression of rookie Craig Jones, Martin has been the team’s lone point scores, with only four so far. The never-say-never spirit of the squad is always in evidence, and Martin has often displayed a liking for Assen, despite its fast nature and his machine’s modest power output. MID SEASON SIGNINGS OUT IN FORCE SBK podium finisher in 2005, Max Neukirchner, makes a return to competitive Superbike action at Assen, riding for the Alstare Engineering team for the first time, after an unhappy start to the current season in the Pedercini team. He will line up alongside Brands Hatch Pedercini Ducati inductee Kurtis Roberts, and Bertocchi Kawasaki rider Josh Brookes, who also started his season on a Ducati, albeit in Supersport. All three will hope to score points, and in the case of Roberts and Brookes, they would be their first SBK points of the season. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The early season runaway performances of Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) have been halted by a combination of pelvic and shoulder injury, plus the resurgent form of his main championship rivals, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany). Charpentier and Curtain now share the lead, with Parkes some 12 points behind – and with 100 up for grabs to any rider who can win all of the last four races. Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports) still sits an impressive fourth, with proven race winning rookies Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) and Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda) fifth and sixth respectively. Two podium finishes in the last two races have put Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) equal on points with Tiberio, and in his team’s home country the Turkish rider will be looking to help out his team-mate Charpentier, as well as going for his first career WSS win. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki Italia) continues to lead Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) in a battle of the men most likely to score overall championship victory, but Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) run of third, second and then first (the latter at the previous round in Brands Hatch) have taken him to within 19 points of the lead, with four rounds to run. The only other 2006 race winner, Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) is forth overall, some 50 points from Polita, while the top-placed English speaking rider is Brno podium placer, Richard Cooper (MS Racing Honda). SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) extended his lead over Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox) to 39 points after a thrilling Brands race, while another 2006 season find, Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki), slips further away from the fight for the title. In this exciting class for younger riders on virtually stock machines, the top three places are held by riders on machinery of disparate origins. SBK ON THE MARCH RIGHT AFTER ASSEN After the Dutch treat at Assen the entire SBK paddock heads immediately to the Eurospeedway Lausitz for the German round of the championship, round 10, between 8 and 10 September. The final two rounds take place at Imola (Italy) and Magny-Cours (France), with racedays on 1 and 8 October respectively.

2006 Superbike World Championship Preview: Round 9, Assen Netherlands – 3rd September After a couple of weeks break, Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra are refreshed and ready for the ninth round of this year’s championship at Assen. The Assen round marks the first of four rounds taking place in just six weekends and so all at Alstare are eager to get things rolling with a good performance at the Dutch circuit. Assen has been a long-standing favourite of riders and fans alike, but this year the track has been dramatically changed and will be a new experience for all concerned. The major changes have taken place in the Northern Loop section and now riders will have to negotiate a series of slow turns before beginning the back straight. Both Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama are determined to finish the last four rounds strongly and are looking for podium places at Assen. TROY “I was at a presentation at Assen recently and had an opportunity to look at the new layout – from a course car. For me, Assen always was a fantastic track – flowing and a blast to ride. From my two laps in the course car last week, I think that it is now a completely different track to ride and the first five or six turns are going to ruin the flowing nature of the track somewhat. I don’t think the new layout is going to suit our bike so well and getting the gearing right for the first part is going to have an effect on the second part. The set-up is going to have to be a compromise for sure and it’ll be vital to get a good set-up as quickly as you can and then make really good starts in both races or you’ll be left behind and struggling. I will need to qualify well and be at the front of the pack to have any chance of podiums, but that’s the plan.” YUKIO “The new Assen layout is very different and I don’t think it is going to be as good as before – too many slow corners! I like big, fast turns. But, this new design will be different for everybody, so it is up to me to learn it quickly and get a good bike set-up. I have had a good break and now I cannot wait to get on to my racebike again. After my success in Brno, I want to get podiums in all the last four rounds and end the season well. I am sure that Assen will not be easy, but I will try my hardest – as usual – and go 110% for the podium.” 2005 Results: Race 1: 1 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 Toseland (GB-Ducati), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha), 4 TROY CORSER (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 YUKIO KAGAYAMA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), Race 2: 1 Vermeulen, 2 Haga, 3 Toseland, 4 TROY CORSER (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 11 YUKIO KAGAYAMA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), DEBUT FOR TEAM ALSTARE ENGINEERING RIDER MAX NEUKIRCHNER 2006 Superbike World Championship Preview: Round 9, Assen Netherlands – 3rd September German rider Max Neukirchner will make his race debut for Team Alstare Engineering in the ninth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Assen this coming weekend. He takes over the Alstare GSX-R1000 K6 bike of Fabien Foret at the Dutch circuit and will also be in the saddle for the remaining rounds of the championship. MAX “Recently, I had a chance to test the Alstare Engineering bike and my initial feeling is that it has a lot of potential. I wasn’t fully fit a the time, because of an injury earlier in the season, but I have been getting stronger day by day and hope to be able to put on a good show in Assen. Like every other rider, Assen is one of my favourite tracks but now that they’ve changed it so much, I’ll have to see how it rides. It was always a fast track, but very technical, and you needed a good bike set-up to do well there. Now, because of the big changes to the first section (the Northern Loop), it’s going to be a series of relatively slow turns before getting on to the back straight. But at least, nobody will have any advantage over me because none of the World SBK riders has raced there with this new layout. In Assen last year, I finished in the top eight in both races, but this year is going to be so much more difficult as the field is stronger in depth and it’ll also be my first race on the bike. In Assen, my priority is to learn the bike and help develop it, but of course I’d love to get a couple of good results and maybe a top ten finish.”

DUBLIN, Ohio Longtime Superbike supporter Dunlop Tire will serve as title sponsor of the qualifying races at the AMA Superbike Shootout at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, September 30 – October 1. The event will be the 2006 season finale of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited and will feature a unique qualifying format titled the Dunlop Qualifying Races. The format will feature three heat races and a last chance qualifier (LCQ). The heat races and LCQ will be short, intense five-lap sprints. The top five riders from each heat race and the LCQ will make up the grid for the exclusive 20-rider final. It has been 16 years since AMA Pro Racing last used heat races to determine grids for the final at regular series races. “We’re pleased to be associated with motorcycle racing, Mid-Ohio, and such a unique and exciting event,” said Dunlop Tire Vice President of Motorcycles Mike Buckley. “The Shootout is a great concept and the intensity of the Dunlop Qualifying Races should make it even more so. We’re certainly looking forward to it.” “We’ve enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Dunlop and are excited to have them involved in this unique new event,” said TrueSports, Incorporated President Michelle Trueman Gajoch. “We were looking to create something truly exceptional with the Shootout, and the support of the AMA and Dunlop has made that happen.” The qualifying races will be held on Saturday of race weekend, while the AMA Superbike Shootout will be run on Sunday. In addition to five Superbike races, the weekend also will feature championship-crowning events in the AMA Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme classes. Tickets for the AMA Superbike Shootout at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course are available now by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or logging on to www.midohio.com. Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring “tuner” tire sizes and race series sponsorships. 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. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Incorporated 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.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – When the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited visits Road Atlanta this Labor Day weekend, Friday, Sept. 1 through Sunday Sept. 3, for the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Makita, it will mark the 35th anniversary of the very first AMA road race national held at the scenic facility in Braselton, Ga. In 1971 Australian native Kel Carruthers won the AMA national at Road Atlanta. Carruthers is now in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. This year possible future Hall of Famers Ben Spies and Mat Mladin will continue their battle for the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship. Spies, the 22-year-old second year Superbike rider from Longview, Texas, holds a 29-point lead over Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Mladin. For the first time this season the title race is solely down to Spies and Mladin. Despite turning in a strong showing at the doubleheader two weeks ago at Virginia International Raceway Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, who is third in the standings, was mathematically eliminated from championship contention. Spies’ lead in the standings was as high as 45 points before he broke his right hand in qualifying at the last round in Alton, Va., and finished second and fourth at VIR. His fourth-place in race two at VIR was the first time Spies has finished off the podium this season. The Texan will not be fully healed in time for Atlanta, but he hopes to finish somewhere in the top three at both of Road Atlanta’s races to give him a solid lead going into the series finale in Lexington, Ohio, on Oct. 1. “I’m fortunate that I had as big of a lead as I did when I broke my hand,” said Spies, who has the opportunity at Road Atlanta to tie or break the single-season win record in AMA Superbike. “I’m going to Atlanta with the idea of making it through without too much more damage to my lead in the championship. A lot depends on how my hand feels. Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in and I won’t notice it too much.” Mladin seemed almost resigned to turning over his crown to Spies after falling 45 points behind in the standings. And while he still thinks the championship is Spies’ to lose, Mladin at least comes into Road Atlanta with some hope of retaining his title. “All we can do is try and win,” said Mladin after sweeping the VIR doubleheader. “In Atlanta [testing] we found a few things with the bike, and I almost feel like 2005. It’s something that we really haven’t had this year as much as I’d like. But that’s the way it goes. I look forward to Atlanta. The test was good for us. We were pretty fast. I really enjoy the racetrack. I’ve done very good there. If we can get a couple more in, we can keep the pressure on.” Mladin has a record seven AMA Superbike wins at Road Atlanta. Honda’s Duhamel keeps closing the gap on the leading Suzuki riders. The 1995 AMA Superbike champ who hails from LaSalle, Quebec, but now lives in Las Vegas, says the veteran riders still have something to say in the series despite a youth movement. “We get older, but we might get meaner,” Duhamel said. “You get bitter when you get old. We don’t want to let it go. We ride really hard and we’re not going to give nothing away, that’s for sure. You’re going to have to come over and take it away.” Duhamel’s teammate Jake Zemke is the only other rider besides Spies and Mladin to earn a victory this season. He is hoping for another win this weekend. Georgia’s own Aaron Yates is facing an uncertain 2007. He appears to be leaving Yoshimura Suzuki after 10 successful years on the squad. A victory at Road Atlanta would be a tremendous resume builder for Yates. “My last win was there last year, the final race of the year,” Yates said. “That track is one that you can get up there and you get in such a rhythm, and you just flow around the place. We had a really good test there, or a pretty decent test, a couple of weeks ago. It helps having friends and folks and family and all that up there cheering for you. And plus just being close to home. It doesn’t take so long to get there and get home. I’m looking forward to going there, for sure.” Also making their swan song at Road Atlanta will be the factory Ducati Superbikes of Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom. Ducati has announced that it will temporarily leave the series while developing a new Superbike. Kawasaki’s Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden always have a strong following of fans coming down from Owensboro, Ky. The Kawasaki ZX-10RR has shown rapid improvement in the factory’s first season back in Superbike after a couple of year’s absence. Tommy, the eldest of the three racing Hayden brothers, scored his first-career AMA Superbike podium earlier in the season when he finished second in Monterey, Calif. Georgia has long been a hotbed of motorcycle road racing with riders like Dale Singleton, Doug Brauneck, Scott Russell and Yates coming from the Peach State. A new crop of up-and-comers are hoping to follow in the footsteps of those champions. Superbike riders such as Matt Lynn from Ball Ground and David Weber of Alpharetta are hoping to have a good showing at their home track. The Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Makita will be televised on SPEED. Saturday’s will be shown on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 2:00 pm eastern, while Sunday’s race will air on a same day tape-delayed basis starting at 7:00 p.m. eastern. For additional information call 800-849-RACE or visit the website www.roadatlanta.com. WHAT: The Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Makita, rounds 17 and 18 of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. WHERE: Road Atlanta is located in Braselton, Ga., about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, Take I-85 to Exit 129, Go West on Highway 53 approximately 5.5 miles Road Atlanta is on the left. WHEN: Sept. 1-3, 2006 COURSE: Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course SCHEDULE: Friday, Sept. 1 Practice begins 8:30 a.m., qualifying at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 2 Practice begin at 8:30 a.m., Superbike race one at 3:00 p.m., Formula Xtreme final at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 3 – Practice begins at 8:30 a.m., Superstock final at noon, Supersport final at 1:30 p.m., Superbike race two at 3:00 p.m. TICKETS: Call 800-849-RACE Toll Free or on the web at www.roadatlanta.com.