Eric Bostrom took his second consecutive AMA Formula Xtreme race win of the season on his Dunlop-backed Yamaha YZF-R6 Saturday at Infineon Raceway. It was a two-bike race between Bostrom and his teammate Jason DiSalvo for most of the sprint. The pace heated up as the laps counted down, and Bostrom and DiSalvo began exchanging the lead. On the final lap, DiSalvo attempted to pass Bostrom but nearly crashed in the process. DiSalvo saved the near-highside, but the incident sealed Bostrom’s victory. DiSalvo was able to recover in time to finish second and hold onto his Championship point lead. Danny Eslick’s last-lap pass attempt on Josh Hayes was successful, and the Matsushima Performance Suzuki rider took his first AMA Formula Xtreme podium finish on his GSX-R600. Hayes finished fourth on his Parts Unlimited PJ1 Erion Honda CBR600RR, three seconds ahead of Michael Barnes, the highest non-Dunlop finisher on his Pirelli-shod Team M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600. Hayes’ teammate Aaron Gobert, Eslick’s teammate Blake Young, Rockwall Honda’s Ryan Andrews, Safety First Suzuki’s Tony Meiring and Andrews’ teammate Ty Howard rounded out the top 10 finishers. Former MotoGP star Jeremy McWilliams was running eighth and moving up in the order when his Warr’s/Hal’s H-D Buell XB-RR Firebolt quit on lap 10 of 17. Lockhart Phillips USA AMA Formula Xtreme Championship Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California May 20 Provisional Race Results: 1. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R6), 17 laps 2. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), -8.108 seconds 3. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), -24.068 seconds 4. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), -24.360 seconds 5. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), -27.717 seconds 6. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), -40.390 seconds 7. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), -44.258 seconds 8. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), -51.436 seconds 9. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600), -52.061 seconds 10. Ty Howard (Hon CBR600RR), -60.711 seconds 11. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), -65.909 seconds 12. Grant Riggs (Suz GSX-R600), -68.599 seconds 13. Chris “Opie” Caylor (Suz GSX-R600), -68.986 seconds 14. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6), -91.527 seconds 15. Kim Nakashima (Suz GSX-R600), -104.842 seconds 16. Armando Ferrer (Kaw ZX-6RR), -105.211 seconds 17. Victor Chirinos (Kaw ZX-6RR), -1 lap 18. Craig McLean (Duc 749R), -1 lap, 8.654 seconds 19. Kenny Carlotta (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 12.610 seconds 20. Jeremiah Johnson (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 33.335 seconds 21. Michael Aron (Duc 749R), -1 lap, 41.059 seconds 22. Shawn Reily (Buell XB-RR), -1 lap, 46.210 seconds 23. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 52.854 seconds 24. D. Murrey (Duc 749R), -1 lap, 58.179 seconds 25. Chris Siebenhaar (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 79.782 seconds, two stop-and-go penalties 26. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 749R), -2 laps 27. Jeremy McWilliams (Buell XB-RR), -8 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. James Kerker (Hon CBR600RR), -11 laps, DNF, crash Championship Point Standings (after 4 of 10 rounds): 1. DiSalvo, 133 points 2. Hayes, 120 points 3. Eric Bostrom, 110 points 4. Aaron Gobert, 104 points 5. Blake Young, 91 points 6. Eslick, 81 points 7. Elleby, 80 points 8. Meiring, 77 points 9. Andrews, 72 points 10. Howard, 63 points 11. Caylor, 61 points 12. Nicky Moore, 59 points 13. Chirnos, 53 points 14. Kurtis Roberts, 50 points 15. Eric Wood, 48 points More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: BARNES RETURNS TO FORMULA XTREME WITH TOP FIVE FINISH IN SONOMA Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes made a successful return to the Formula Xtreme class this weekend at Infineon Raceway after missing the season’s opening three races due to a knee injury suffered at Daytona International Raceway. Despite his extended layoff from riding the team’s Pirelli-shod GSX-R600 FX racer, the Floridian guided it to a top-five finish in his comeback performance on Saturday. After leading Friday’s rain shortened session, Barnes claimed a spot on the front row for the 17-lap race during qualifying, which was rescheduled from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning. Starting from the third slot on the grid thanks to his 1: 39.067 lap time, he ran in third early in the race and remained in contention for a podium finish deep into the race before ultimately finishing in fifth. “It’s been a little bit up and down this weekend wondering what the weather was going to do and then using our practice session this morning as qualifying,” Barnes said. “We put in some fast times this morning and the race started out as I wanted it to. I got a strong start but just couldn’t quite stay with the leaders.” “I’m pleased with a top five in my first FX race back,” he continued. “We’ve got the FX bike feeling really similar to my Supersport bike and I think that’s helped us get back up to speed so quickly. While it would have been nice to throw it right on the box, I’ll take this one and move on.” Barnes will have another shot at a podium finish on Sunday. He qualified fourth fastest in Supersport with a fast time 1:38.615 and will start from the outside of the front row for the 17-lap race as a result. “We’ll shift our focus to tomorrow’s Supersport race now,” Barnes said. “We put in a real strong qualifying effort and got on the front row. My team just works so hard, I’m stoked to be back on both of my bikes. I’m feeling as close to 100% as I have all year and I’m looking forward to a strong race in Supersport.” Teammate Geoff May was only one position behind Barnes in Supersport qualifying with the fifth best time in the session (1:38.743). May also impressed in Superstock, guiding his powerful GSX-R1000 racer to a spot on the front row for Sunday’s 60k final. The Georgian was fourth best in the class with a quick lap of 1: 37.430. The team’s developmental rider Shea Fouchek will start tomorrow’s Supersport final from the sixth row. The Texan qualified in 23rd position after posting a time of 1:44.070.

Current AMA Superbike Championship leader Ben Spies rode his Dunlop-equipped Yoshimura Suzuki to his fifth consecutive AMA Superbike win Saturday, at Infineon Raceway. Spies grabbed the holeshot and went on to lead the 28-lap flag-to-flag. Six-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin was well within striking distance of Spies, his teammate, for much of the race, but when a late-race charge didn’t get the results he was looking for, Mladin cruised home for the last five laps to take a safe second place. After a long battle, American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel passed third Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates with less than three laps to go and held him off to finish third. Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Neil Hodgson finished a lonely fifth after racing with Duhamel and Yates for much of the event. Hodgson’s teammate Ben Bostrom passed Tommy Hayden in the late-going to take sixth. Hayden brought his Kawasaki home seventh. After running third early, Duhamel’s teammate Jake Zemke slipped backwards with mechanical problems and finished eighth. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Steve Rapp took ninth on his GSX-R1000 Superstock-spec machine, and Leo Vince/Pegram Racing Honda’s Larry Pegram finished 10th, the highest non-Dunlop finisher, on his Michelin-fitted CBR1000RR Superbike. The race was started at 12:45 local time, immediately after the lunch break and not long after the one and only Superbike qualifying session, in hopes of beating anticipated rain showers. AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California Provisional Race One Results: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 28 laps, 45:25.311, new race record time 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), -6.989 seconds 3. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), -23.039 seconds 4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), -23.520 seconds 5. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), -29.653 seconds 6. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), -36.632 seconds 7. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), -37.098 seconds 8. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), -45.786 seconds 9. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -70.101 seconds 10. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), -87.426 seconds 11. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), -94.934 seconds 12. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 13. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 1.405 seconds 14. Ken Hill (Hon CBR1000RR), -1 lap, 32.184 seconds 15. David Bell (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 45.136 seconds 16. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 48.445 seconds 17. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 57.927 seconds 18. Michael Earnest (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 58.917 seconds 19. Corey Sarros (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 59.316 seconds 20. Andi Notman (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 62.055 seconds 21. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, 62.566 seconds 22. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 64.085 seconds 23. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 66.311 seconds 24. Martin Szwarc (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 78.183 seconds 25. James Randolph (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 87.179 seconds 26. Corey Eaton (Suz GSX-R1000), -2 laps 27. Doug Chandler (Kaw ZX-10R), -2 laps, pitted 28. Leonardo Bagnis (Yam YZF-R1), -17 laps, DNF 29. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), -18 laps, DNF 30. Lee Acree (Suz GSX-R1000), -20 laps, DNF, mechanical Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 19 races): 1. Spies, 220 points 2. Mladin, 195 points 3. Duhamel, 169 points 4. Hodgson, 156 points 5. Yates, 153 points 6. Tommy Hayden, 148 points 7. Ben Bostrom, 144 points 8. Zemke, 133 points 9. Pridmore, 128 points 10. Pegram, 114 points 11. Wood, 104 points 12. Rapp, 100 points 13. Curtis, 83 points 14. Holden, 76 points 15. Hendry, 67 points 16. Tamitsuji, 46 points 17. West, 43 points 18. Lynn, 41 points 19. Bell, 40 points 20. Brian Stokes, 36 points More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki 1-2 in First of Weekend’s Two Sonoma Superbike Races –Next round, Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, June 2 – 4, 2006– Round 4 – AMA Superbike Series Sonoma, CA Infineon Raceway May 19 – 21, 2006 Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies captured his fifth consecutive AMA Superbike victory in the first race of the double-header weekend at Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway on Saturday afternoon. Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Mat Mladin brought home a close second-place finish, and Aaron Yates finished an impressive fourth. “I got a really good start and just tried to put my head down,” said Spies, only the fourth rider to ever win five consecutive AMA Superbike races. “I saw we were gapping the field and I just tried to hammer away at it and hold on to the end. I have to thank my crew because the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was just awesome and I can’t say enough about the Dunlop tires.” Earlier in the day, Spies took his third pole position after posting a track record-breaking fastest lap of 1:35.893. Said Spies, “I really feel that I’m riding the same as I did last year, but I’ve been able to get the GSX-R set up so that I’m more comfortable. I’m also a little more confident and that means I can ride the bike harder.” Teammate Mladin carded the second spot on the grid with a 1:36.556 lap time and Yates was slated to start from the fifth position, thanks to a best time of 1:37.013. The main event saw Spies get the holeshot and lead all 28 laps to take the win. “I really wanted to set the pace and see what I could do,” said the young Texan. “The last few races we’ve followed and so it was good to lead a whole race. I don’t know about Mat but I was pretty worn-out, muscle-wise. By the end, I was just focusing on trying to hit my lines, not making any mistakes and putting good laps together.” Defending AMA Superbike Champion Mladin was off the line right behind Spies and he pushed his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 hard and rode a smooth, consistent race to second place. “It was a good race today,” said the Australian. “Unfortunately I couldn’t get up ahead of Ben. He rode a great race today. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will hold out and we’ll come back with something for him.” Yates, meanwhile, started several positions back from his teammates. The Georgian worked his way through the field and battled hard for third before finishing up in fourth position. “I didn’t really get the best start,” said Yates. “But on the first lap I was able to get past a couple of guys but then I got stuck. Toward the end of the race I tried to work my way up but then I made a mistake and got fourth. Tomorrow, we’ll work on putting my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 up on the podium with my teammates.” Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s next event is the second AMA Superbike race of the double-header weekend on Sunday, May 28. Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 2nd Place – AMA Superbike 2nd Place — Overall Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #20 4th Place – AMA Superbike 5th Place — Overall Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #11 1st Place – AMA Superbike 1st Place — Overall AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 4. Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 6. Ben Bostrom, Ducati 7. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 9. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 10. Larry Pegram, Honda More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati: Sunday May 21 2006 Race 1 – Infineon HODGSON FIGHTS FOR POSITION IN SONOMA Sonoma (California) 20 May 2006: Parts Unlimited Ducati Team racers Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom finished fifth and sixth at Infineon Raceway on Saturday. The two riders had very dissimilar races, with Hodgson fighting for a podium spot with a group of as many as four riders while Bostrom had a relatively lonely race. For Hodgson, who qualified on the front row in third position after an excellent fast lap, raced with Miguel Duhamel, Aaron Yates, and Jake Zemke for a spot on the podium. In the closing laps, Neil battled with Duhamel and Yates for position at the twisty California circuit. “It was one of those races, really,” said Hodgson. “We kept fighting for position, for that spot on the podium. We all were riding really hard out there and it got a little wild at times. I got a chip on my helmet from some flying rocks when one of the other riders ran off the track and into the dirt.” Hodgson ran as high as third, but finished the 28-lap race in fifth. “I was hoping to make a charge at the end, but I made a mistake and lost the tow,” Neil said. “That was the end of it, really. I think we can make some changes and improve things for tomorrow. I like the layout of the track and want to have another shot at it. Hopefully, the rain will hold off.” His consistency has earned Hodgson fourth place in Superbike points this season after five races. Bostrom finished one slot back in sixth place, much of it running uncontested. Ben has finished every race this year but says he is eager to improve his pace. “It was about all we could do today,” said Bostrom. “Not having much track time this weekend because of the weather has really hurt us. We moved up a couple of slots in the race but weren’t able to close on Neil and the others. We’ll try some new settings in the morning and look forward for the race.” Sunday’s race is also scheduled for 28 laps. Race Results: 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 5. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 6. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 7. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 9. Steve Rapp, Suzuki 10. Larry Pegram, Honda Superbike points (after six races): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 220 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 195 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 169 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 156 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 153 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 148 . Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 144 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 133 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 128 10. Larry Pegram, Honda 114

In light of the recent RoadRacingWorld.com article, the following is an official joint statement from LRRS and HJC; “It is NOT LRRS’ position to single out or ban HJC, or any particular helmet brand. We have concerns with plastic shell helmets, SNELL approved or not. We are currently investigating recent crashes involving plastic helmets.”” Jerry Wood (LRRS Safety Director). “HJC developed and introduced its AC Series to meet the needs of both road and dirt racing in 2000. Three model generations later, HJC continues to recommend the AC Series (fiberglass and/or carbon shell options) for racing purposes.” “” Steve Blakeney (HJC Product Development Coordinator)

Lockhart Phillips USA AMA Formula Xtreme Championship Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California May 20 Provisional Practice/Qualifying Results: 1. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:38.054 2. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R6), 1:38.513 3. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), 1:39.067 4. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), 1:39.240 5. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:39.464 6. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:39.482 7. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:40.544 8. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), 1:40.895 9. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600), 1:40.968 10. Ty Howard (Hon CBR600RR), 1:41.159 11. Jeremy McWilliams (Buell XB-RR), 1:41.473 12. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:41.910 13. Grant Riggs (Suz GSX-R600), 1:42.820 14. Chris “Opie” Caylor (Suz GSX-R600), 1:42.970 15. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.673 16. Kim Nakashima (Suz GSX-R600), 1:44.036 17. Armando Ferrer (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:44.420 18. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 749R), 1:44.571 19. Victor Chirinos (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:45.143 20. Craig McLean (Duc 749), 1:45.856

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies earned his third consecutive AMA Superbike pole position and track record with a lap of 1:35.894 on his Dunlop-shod GSX-R1000 during qualifying Saturday morning at Infineon Raceway. Six-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin (who held the previous lap record of 1:36.019) qualified second with a 1:36.557 on his GSX-R1000. Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Neil Hodgson turned his quickest lap on his very last effort, a 1:36.893, good enough for third place on the front row. Earning the final spot on the front row was American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, who turned a 1:36.955 on his last lap on his CBR1000RR. AMA Superbike Qualifying Results: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:35.894 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:36.557 3. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), 1:36.893 4. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:36.955 5. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.013 6. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:37.449 7. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:37.479 8. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), 1:37.588 9. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.646 10. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.130 11. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.830 12. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.893 13. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.039 14. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.142 15. Lee Acree (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.654 16. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.965 17. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.133 18. Ken Hill (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.275 19. James Randolph (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.649 20. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.028 21. Corey Sarros (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.660 22. David Bell (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.248 23. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.293 24. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.320 25. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:42.442 26. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.527 27. Michael Earnest (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.603 28. Andi Notman (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.603 29. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.626 30. Doug Chandler (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:42.903 31. Corey Eaton (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.022 32. Leonardo Bagnis (Yam YZF-R1), 1:43.043 33. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.331 34. Martin Szwarc (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.521

Team Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Philippe has put the SERT GSX-R1000 on pole position for today’s Albacete 8 Horas Nocturnas third round of the FIM World Endurance Championship with a time of 1:31.497 as team mate Matthieu Lagrive was the only other rider in the 1:31s with a lap of 1:31.783. Yamaha Phase One were second with team rider Warwick Nowland recording a time of 1:32.357 ahead of the two Spanish wild card entries from Folch Yamaha. Times were generally faster in this morning’s cooler conditions; the temperature at the start of qualifying today was 19 degrees compared to yesterday’s highs of over 30 degrees. Top Ten Qualifying Positions: 1: Suzuki Castrol Team – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – V.Philippe – 1:31.497 2: Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1- W.Nowland – 1:32.357 3: Yamaha Folch Endurance 1 – SPA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – J.Sarda – 1:32.766 4: Yamaha Folch Endurance 2 – SPA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – J.Monge – 1:32.864 5: Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – P.Muff – 1:33.612 6: Yamaha Austria – AUT – Yamaha YZF-R1 – G.Giabbani – 1:33.638 7: Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – J.Hanson – 1:34.623 8: Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – M.Rohtlaan – 1:34.997 9: Suzuki Endurance Moto 45- FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – D.Briere – 1:35.423 10: Suzuki No Limits & RT – ITA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – R.Ruozi – 1:35.476

Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne put in a storming late qualifying lap to secure second place on the grid for tomorrow’s double header fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park in the Republic of Ireland. Riding with confidence after scoring two podium finishes at the last round at Oulton Park, Byrne secured his best starting place of the season so far with a dramatic and blisteringly fast final lap of the day. Team mate James Haydon struggled through practice to find a comfortable set-up on his GSX-R1000 at the bumpy and twisty track but found extra pace in the qualifying session and will start from the head of the third row in ninth place. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari took pole position. Superbike racing starts at 13:40 on Sunday, May 21st at the 2.176-mile long County Kildare circuit. Shakey Byrne: “My final qualifying lap was not so bad. All I can remember of the lap was coming down the finish straight and seeing my mechanics on the wall urging me on. I thought it had better be a good lap and it was. I was right on the limit, that’s for sure. “Well done to my team for giving me a great bike to ride. It’s nice to be on the front row and that gives me the best chance for a decent start in tomorrow’s races. The target is the podium or better.” James Haydon: “All weekend I have been working hard to get the feedback I want from my Rizla Suzuki and it didn’t gel with me right until the qualifying session. We made some changes just before qualification and immediately I felt more comfortable. I could push harder and was able to get inside the top 10 on the grid. “I wish there was another practice session before the races because we have made a breakthrough and I think we can make a lot more progress quickly. Now I know I can push the limits on my GSX-R1000 I’ll be looking to fight my way through in the races.” Niall Mackenzie – Race Operations Manager: “As a rider Shakey is a little bit special and when he turns on the style you can’t help but smile. He did that today on his last lap and starting from second is his best grid position of the season by far. “Congratulations to Shakey’s crew for the quick tyre change right at the end that allowed him to get out for his final qualifying lap. Shakey is one of the fastest riders on race tyres as well – for sure he will be fighting at the sharp end tomorrow for the podium places. “James showed great determination and resolve to work through the problems he was having with the handling of his bike. He found a fast set up at the end of the day and was unlucky to miss qualifying on the second row. He now has forward momentum and is a better racer than qualifier, so we are expecting a strong showing from him in the races.” Qualifying Times: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1:38.076, 2: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +0.296, 3: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.406, 4: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.738, 5: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.786, 6: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.846, 7: Karl Harris (Honda) +1.141, 8: Michael Laverty (Honda) +1.714, 9: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +1.762, 10: Glen Richards (Honda) +1.907. Audi Performance Award: 1: Lavilla 34, 2: Haslam 32, 3: Harris 29, 4: Rutter 19, 5: Kiyonari 16, 6: Rea 14, 7: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 12, 8: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 11, 9: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 10, 10: Laverty 3.

1. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6), 1:39.255 2. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:39.620 3. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), 1:39.887 4. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), 1:39.956 5. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R600), 1:39.968 6. Danny Elsick (Suz GSX-R600), 1:40.347 7. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:40.518 8. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:41.119 9. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), 1:41.284 10. Chris Siglin (Suz GSX-R600), 1:41.985 11. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.289 12. Opie Caylor (Suz GSX-R60), 1:42.541 13. Ken Hill (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.587 14. Kenny Carlotta (Suz GSX-R600), 1:42.696 15. Armando Ferrer (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:42.914 16. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.212 17. Bobby Fong (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.491 18. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.302 19. Kim Nakashima (Suz GSX-R600), 1:44.766 20. Jeff Seehorn (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.013 21. Shea Fouchek (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.186 22. Scott Jackson (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.233 23. Tristan Schoenwald (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.418 24. Victor Chirinos (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:45.471 25. David Glenn (Suz GSX-R600), 1:45.792 26. Jim Wood (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:45.920 27. Chris Siebenhaar (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.005 28. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.187 29. Eli Edwards (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.238 30. Berto Wooldridge (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.257 31. Andrew Brown (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.394 32. Ryan Teixeira (Kaw (ZX-6RR), 1:46.550 33. Sean Case (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:46.941 34. Spencer Stuart (Yam YZF-R6), 1:47.385 35. Matt Eccelston (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.045 36. Jason Butler (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.435 37. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R6), 1:49.121 38. Jeremiah Johnson (Suz GSX-R600), 1:49.446 39. Morgan Murphy (Suz GSX-R600), 1:49.586 40. Craig Mason (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.005

Repsol Lubricants AMA Superstock Championship Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California May 20 Provisional Practice Times: 1. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:34.492* 2. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:38.322 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.849 4. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.937 5. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.318 6. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:39.402 7. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.786 8. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.127 9. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.519 10. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.821 11. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:41.040 12. Dave Stanton (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.205 13. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.207 14. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.488 15. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.524 16. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.560 17. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.022 18. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.038 19. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.578 20. Corey Sarros (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.255 * Josh Hayes’ fast time is approximately 1.5 seconds under the current AMA Superbike lap record at Infineon Raceway, leading us to believe it is not accurate. His second-fastest lap time was a 1:39.

AMA Superstock practice is underway at Infineon Raceway, 10 minutes late due to track workers and AMA Pro Racing officials drying the track. Workers used a variety of methods to dry the track, including: circulating in safety vehicles, brooms, leaf blowers and a propane-fueled flame thrower to dry small spots on the track. The 30-minute session was red-flagged halfway through due to a crash. Aaron Yates’ Yoshimura Suzuki and another red motorcycle were seen being brought in on the crash truck. When the session resumed, Yates was on track. 10 minutes later the session was red-flagged again. The cause of the second red flag was not known at post time.