(Press releases posted in chronological order of receipt) Another Race, Another Pirelli Podium: AMA Superbike, California Speedway Pirelli broke from the pack at California Speedway, taking the top spot in Friday morning’s Supersport qualifying, with M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael (Barney) Barnes setting a blistering pace that stunned the factory teams. Barnes threw down a hot lap of 1:27.136 on his Keith Perry-prepared Suzuki GSX-R600, setting the high mark for all other Supersport racers to shoot for. In Saturday morning practice Barnes backed up his fast time with a 1:27.285, putting him fourth fastest prior to qualifying. When the grid was decided Barnes set the third fastest time, slotting into the middle of the front row for the race. The Supersport race was red flagged after two laps and on the restart Barnes nabbed the holeshot, leading the entire field around the circuit and back to the start/finish line. Barnes took over second on lap two and held off every challenger all the way to the end of the race, giving Pirelli a sound second-place podium finish in Supersport. Barnes M4 EMGO Suzuki teammate, Geoff May, was in third behind Barnes until forced on pit lane for a stop-and-go for jumping the race’s original start. May returned to the track in 11th place, fighting his way back to fifth by race’s end. About his second place finish Barnes said, “I saw from the first start how other riders try to push you down low so on the restart I got the holeshot and went down low on purpose. I felt Spies run into the back of me. I’m sorry he went down and hope he’s okay. I’d like to thank Pirelli. The tires ran consistently all race long. I hope to be back on the Supersport podium sooner than how long it was between now and the previous time.” In Superstock, M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May finished just off the podium in fourth place. May had set the tenth fastest time in qualifying, moving up six places during the race after battling with factory riders. May’s fourth place finish made him the top-finishing privateer in Superstock. Pirelli Road Racing Manager Richard Moore said, “We’ve been on the podium for three races in the past two events, so it’s exciting to see how quickly we’re moving forward and staying on top of the game, showing how our tires work on all different types of tracks. We’re looking forward to the next round at Infineon in California. We have new stuff for every race so this is a special time for us.” More, from a press release issued by Leo Vince/Pegram Racing Honda: Larry Pegram had two solid 10th place finishes this weekend at Fontana. Pegram who qualified 9th and the top non factory rider looked forward to moving up the championship ladder. In Race 1, Pegram started well to move into the top 6, after dicing with Duhamel, Hodgson and Hayden, Larry eventually settled into 9th. He would hold that position until the last lap when Jason Pridmore came by him, Pegram stayed with Pridmore and attempted a draft pass only missing out on 9th by the width of a wheel. Race 2 saw Pegram start well, however he found himself pushed wide in turns 2 and 3 which resulted in being relagated to 14th. Larry passed a couple of riders before coming up on Jake Holden, #72 passed Holden for 11th, then he overtook Holden’s teammate Steve Rapp for 10th. Rapp and Pegram would dice for the rest of the race. Pegram stayed ahead of the Jordan sponsored Rapp to the finish. “I chose a harder compound Michelin today, although it was hotter today, the track temp was not quite hot enough for optimum grip. I look forward to Infineon in a few weeks where our bike and tire combo should perform really well.” Pegram concluded. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Double Podium for Honda in California American Honda’s Jake Zemke scored a pair of podium finishes in the AMA Superbike Championship double-header at California Speedway east of Los Angeles, while teammate Miguel Duhamel solidified his hold on third place in the Superbike point standings. Racing in front of friends, family, and his extended American Honda family, who came from the company’s U.S. headquarters in nearby Torrance, Zemke was a solid third on Saturday and followed it up with a fighting third on Sunday, this time after sticking with the leaders deep into the race. In the end, the pace was a little too hot and Zemke couldn’t continue in his quest for a championship win aboard the constantly improving Honda CBR1000RR. “I like the company I’m keeping up here, I just don’t like sitting on the end over here,” Zemke said at the Sunday afternoon press conference. American Honda’s Duhamel trailed Zemke home on Sunday by less than four seconds after winning a racelong battle with three fellow factory riders. Saturday’s race was more difficult. Duhamel recovered from a difficult start to do battle with Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and former World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson (Ducati). Duhamel finished sixth, just three seconds out of fourth. “I think we’re starting to find our zone and I know this bike can be better even than the way it is now,” he said of the Honda CBR1000RR. The pair of top finishes strengthened his third place in the championship, trailing only the Suzukis of Ben Spies and Mat Mladin. The podium was identical on both days, with Ben Spies beating Mat Mladin and Jake Zemke. Jake Zemke, 3rd Saturday, 3rd Sunday The bike is coming better and the guys put their heads together last night and came up with a set-up that at least allowed us to see the front of the race for a couple of laps, anyway (on Sunday). Not that we could make any inroads, but they looked like they had about a second on me. I could just see them right there. Hats off to those guys. They rode a great. We’ll keep working. Our bikes are quick, but obviously Suzuki has done their homework and they’ve got a really good motorcycle right now and they’ve had a good package for the last few years. We’re working to try and make it more than a two-rider race at the front. We’re just going to keep plugging away at it until we get there. Mat (Mladin) was pretty far up there and I could feel my front tire was a bit greasy. I’m sure his was, too. I’m sure everybody’s were. I know he’s in it for a championship and I’m not, and I’m sure he was just backing off being safe. He had quite a large gap on me. The race went well in a way. It just took me too long to get around Aaron (Yates) and once I did I was able to pull away from him a little bit there. But Ben and Mat had already split at that point so it was just kind of a lonely cruise home in third. Miguel Duhamel, 6th Saturday, 4th Sunday The fun thing for me is we’re starting to narrow it down to a pretty decent set-up (on Sunday). We went around the planet a little bit to get back to where we are with the Barber set-up and it’s one click away, one spring turn away. So we just made some adjustments and I had to get used to it on the bike. When I dropped the clutch on the green flag that’s when I was really feeling out the bike. And it worked really well. There was a few little things on trail braking leaned over a lot, I lost the front three times at the beginning. Then after that happened I altered my riding style. I mean we’ll give some points away, but hopefully we won’t lose the whole war. I wish I would have been more aggressive at the beginning but you know I have to feel out the new set-up. For a while there I was catching Jake (Zemke). I didn’t get really lucky with lapped riders. I thought they were letting me through and they’d come down on me so I’d back out. Obviously this track, it’s no secret that I have a difficult time here. We got a terrible start (on Saturday) and then I had to get up from that. And for a while I thought we were keeping Jake (Zemke) and Aaron (Yates) about three seconds adrift. I go, ‘Maybe they’ll come back to us.’ I was letting Ben (Bostrom) do most of the work in front of me. Ben was riding smooth and fast. Then I tried to get in front of Ben, couldn’t do it. Neil (Hodgson) rode a really patient race. Came by and seemed to have more tires than we did. Came by me, came by Ben. Then I got back by Ben. Tried to catch Neil on those last four laps and did my fastest lap of the race at that point, but it was a handful the whole race. As far as the bike goes, I had to be always ten-tenths to make sure I didn’t end up on my head. I felt like I was a juggler in the circus. I was trying to make it work the best I could. Chuck Miller, American Honda Team Manager Although we’re frustrated we didn’t win, we are continuing to move forward. Our self-reliance and development program is getting stronger and stronger race by race. We’re learning more at the races than we are when we go testing. We’re actually excited about getting up to Infineon Raceway. We think that track’s going to be good for our bikes. We have a couple of things we already talked to Miguel and Jake about that we think we’re in the right direction. We don’t want to forget all the other strong riders; our big target now is going after Mat (Mladin) and Ben (Spies) and Jake (Zemke) was able to hang with them for ten laps there and keep them in sight. We’ve got our goals in front of us and we’re going to go after it. Sunday Superbike: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 10. Larry Pegram (Honda) Saturday Superbike: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 10. Larry Pegram (Honda) Superbike Championship: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 182 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 163 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 140 4. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 130 5. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 126 6. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 124 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 119 8. Jake Zemke (Honda) 110 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 108 10. Larry Pegram (Honda) 93 More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: SPIES WINS SECOND DOUBLE-HEADER Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies raced his GSX-R1000 to a second consecutive AMA Superbike Championship double-header victory at the second Fontana race in California. The 23-year-old Texan took the lead from the start from team mate Mat Mladin, lost it, then moved to the front again to win by 4.4 seconds over the six-time champion. Aaron Yates, who finished third in the Superstock race earlier in the day, finished eighth overall. “I really have to thank the Yoshimura Suzuki crew for giving me another Suzuki GSX-R1000 to win on,” said Spies from the podium. “I don’t know if the rest of the races will be quite this easy but we’ve got to keep on it because Mat is a six-time champion and he’s going to come back even harder. So we’ll go home, do some homework and see what we can come up with for Infineon.” Spies started the afternoon’s 28-lap race from pole position and took the lead immediately. He led for several laps before being overtaken by Mladin. With about 10 laps to go, however, Spies passed his team mate back and rode on to victory. “Fontana has always been a good track for me,” explained Spies. “We caught a break yesterday, with Mat having some problems, but I had to work for it today. I just tried to set a good pace and then the gap started growing and I just tried to stretch it out.” Like Spies, Mladin’s start was strong and he led for a number of laps before settling into second place. “With about 10 laps to go, I was wishing I was at the beach,” joked Mladin. “We just didn’t have it today, that’s it. This is the fifth race into the championship and we had to shut it down today to bring it home. It’s good to have somebody here to help me pick up my game and I’m looking forward to the next race.” Yates was feeling some after-effects from the shoulder he injured at Fontana during testing back in February. “This track is a little rough on my shoulder,” he said about finishing eighth. “And we’ve been having some set-up issues with the bike as well.” AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1 Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki) 2 Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 3 Jake Zemke (Honda) 4 Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 5 Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6 Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 7 Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8 Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki) 9 Jason Pridmore (Jordan Suzuki) 10 Larry Pegram (Honda) Championship Points (after 5 rounds): 1 Spies 182, 2 Mladin 163, 3 Duhamel 140, 4 Hodgson 130, 5 Yates 126, 6 Hayden 124, 7 Bostrom 119, 8 Zemke 110, 9 Pridmore 108, 10 Pegram 93. YATES RACES TO SUPERSTOCK PODIUM Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates claimed his third AMA Superstock podium in as many races this afternoon at California Speedway despite the race being red-flagged. Said the defending Champion: “Man, I’m glad that race is over. That was tough and I’m just happy to have my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 up here on the podium and to finish in the top three; so thanks to my Yoshimura Suzuki crew and Dunlop tyres and for all the fans for coming out.” On the previous Saturday afternoon, Yates posted a fastest lap time of 1:24, 470 which was quick enough to get him into the second spot on the starting grid. “Qualifying was really good,” said Yates. “I was a bit surprised at the time we ended up with and I thought we had a shot at pole position. But the race is where it’s at and I’m looking forward to putting the Yoshimura Suzuki back on top.” The Georgian got a good start in the 17-lapper and was running with the leaders when a downed rider caused a red flag. With the re-start, he was again out front and finished strong with a podium position. “My Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 got me off the line really good,” said Yates. “Before the red flag, we had used a different Dunlop tyre than everyone else. It didn’t have as much grip but I hoped that would work out towards the end of the race. But then we had the red flag and we changed the tyre and adjusted the bike. I ended up struggling with a couple of sections on the track so I’m just happy to bring home third place.” Superstock Top 10 Finishers: 1 Jason Disalvo (Yamaha) 2 Jamie Hacking (Yamaha) 3 Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki) 4 Geoff May (M4 EMGO Suzuki) 5 Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 6 Steve Rapp (Jordan Suzuki) 7 Jason Pridmore (Jordan Suzuki) 8 Josh Hayes (Honda) 9 Jake Holden (Jordan Suzuki) 10 Matt Lynn (Suzuki) More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati: HODGSON EARNS FIFTH PLACE IN FONTANA SHOWDOWN Fontana (California) 30 April 2006: Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom saw their Sunday fortunes at Californian Speedway mirror Saturday’s results. Neil earned fifth place on his Ducati 999 and Ben was seventh after the 28-lap race. Both riders battled in a pack that saw four factory riders trade positions around the 21-turn circuit. Neil got a better start on Sunday and was able to fight for position from the beginning. “It was a tough race today. I enjoyed it, concentrating on my riding and trying to get the best result we could while racing some other factory bikes,” said Hodgson, third quickest in the morning warm-up. “The race went by rather quickly for me. We would rather be racing for first place, that’s no secret. Ducati have been working hard and we have been making progress. Infineon Raceway is one of my favorite tracks and we’re looking forward to racing there.” Hodgson leaves Fontana fourth in AMA Superbike points and has finished in the top six each race this year. Ben Bostrom was seventh on the day. “I feel like I am riding well and the bike is fantastic. I think we can improve our setup and that’s where we will work,” said Bostrom. “We learned some things today and I’m ready to get back on the track as soon as possible.” The next race for Parts Unlimited Ducati team is May 19-21 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Results: 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 3. Jake Zemke, Honda 4. Miguel DuHamel, Honda 5. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 8. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 10. Larry Pegram, Honda Points (after 5 races): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 182 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 163 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 140 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 130 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 126 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 124 7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 119 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 110 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 108 10. Larry Pegram, Honda 93 More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Yates Podiums in Fontana Superstock Race Round 3 – AMA Repsol Superstock Series Fontana, CA California Speedway April 28 – 30, 2006 In spite of a red flag and a re-start, Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates claimed his third AMA Superstock podium in as many races on Sunday afternoon at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. “Man, I’m glad that race is over,” laughed the defending AMA Superstock Champion from the podium. “That race was tough”¦ I’m just happy to have my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 up here on the podium and to finish in the top three. So thanks to my Yoshimura Suzuki crew and Dunlop tires and to all you fans for coming out.” On the previous Saturday afternoon, Yates posted a fastest lap time of 1:24, 470, which was quick enough to get him into the second spot on the starting grid. “Qualifying was really good,” said Yates. “I was a bit surprised at the time we ended up with and I thought we had a shot at pole position. But the race is where it’s at and I’m looking forward to putting the Yoshimura Suzuki back on top.” The 17-lap race Superstock did indeed see Yates get his Yoshimura Suzuki on the box. The Georgian got a good start and was running with the leaders when a downed rider caused a red flag. With the re-start, Yates was again out front and finished strong with a podium position. “My Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 got me off the line really good,” said Yates. “Before the red flag, we had used a different Dunlop tire than everyone else. It didn’t have as much grip but I hoped that would work out toward the end of the race. But then we had the red flag and we changed the tire and adjusted the bike. I ended up struggling with a couple of sections on the track, so I’m just happy to bring home third place.” Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 3rd Place – AMA Repsol Lubricants SuperStock 3rd Place – Overall SuperStock Top 10 Finishers: 1. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 2. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha 3. Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 4. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 5. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 6. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 7. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki 8. Josh Hayes, Honda 9. Jake Holden, Jordan Suzuki 10. Matt Lynn, Suzuki More, from another press release issued by Yoshimura Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki First & Second at Second Fontana Superbike Race Round 3 – AMA Superbike Series Fontana, CA California Speedway April 28 – 30, 2006 Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies won an impressive fourth AMA Superbike race in a row by taking the victory at the second Superbike race of the weekend at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Sunday. Teammate and defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin finished a close second, while Aaron Yates came home in eighth. “I really have to thank the Yoshimura Suzuki crew for giving me another Suzuki GSX-R1000 to win on,” said Spies from the podium. “I don’t know if the rest of the races will be quite this easy, but we’ve got to keep on it because Mat is a six-time champion and he’s going to come back even harder. So we’ll go home, do some homework and see what we can come up with for Infineon.” Spies started the afternoon’s 28-lap race from pole position and took the lead immediately. He led for several laps before being overtaken by Mladin. With about 10 laps to go, however, Spies passed his teammate back and rode on to victory. “Fontana has always been a good track for me,” explained Spies. “We caught a break yesterday, with Mat having some problems. But I had to work for it today. I just tried to set a good pace and then the gap started growing and I just tried to stretch it out.” Like Spies, Mladin’s start was strong and he led for a number of laps before settling into second place. “With about 10 laps to go, I was wishing I was at the beach,” joked Mladin. “We just didn’t have it today, that’s it. This is the fifth race into the championship and we had to shut it down today to bring it home. It’s good to have somebody here to help me pick up my game and I’m looking forward to the next race.” Yates, unfortunately, was feeling some after-effects from the shoulder he injured at Fontana during testing back in February. “This track is a little rough on my shoulder,” he said about finishing eighth. “And we’ve been having some set-up issues with the bike as well.” Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 2nd Place – AMA Superbike 2nd Place — Overall Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #20 8th 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. Jake Zemke, Honda 4. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 5. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 7. Ben Bostrom, Ducati 8. Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki 9. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki 10. Larry Pegram, Honda More, from a press release issued by Dunlop: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Race Report: 2006 AMA Superbike Series, Round Three, California Speedway Fontana, CA — The still-young 2006 AMA Superbike Series season produced plenty of surprises with a number of different names and faces appearing on the podiums during round three at California Speedway in Fontana, California over the April 28-30 weekend. During Superbike qualifying on Saturday morning, Yoshimura Suzuki’s ascending star Ben Spies altered reality at California Speedway as the young Texan was the first rider to ever break into the realm of 1 minute, 22 seconds around the circuit. Spies’ time of 1:22.939 came on a cool and cloudy Saturday morning. Even though temperatures increased later that afternoon and on Sunday, he made the most of his pole position, winning both Superbike races. That makes it a stunning four victories in a row while simultaneously shifting the entire axis of the Superbike racing world. Saturday’s action also saw Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom dominate the Formula Xtreme action as he led the field wire-to-wire to capture his first FX win since the big-bore days of 1998. Sunday’s other events included Superstock, won by Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo, while a third member of Team Yamaha, Jamie Hacking, ran away from the field and led the final 13 of 14 laps in a red-flagged Supersport race. Once again, all race winners rode on Dunlop tires and 11 of 12 podium finishes over the course of the weekend went to Dunlop riders. As a bonus, race fans in attendance at California Speedway on Saturday were also treated to the season opening round of the AMA Supermoto Series, which featured a longish course laid out on the Fontana infield. This event was also a Dunlop-driven affair, as Graves Motorsports Yamaha rider Doug Henry won both Supermoto races, Troy Lee Honda newcomer Cassidy Anderson took the Supermoto Lites race and factory KTM pilot Ben Carlson ran away with the Supermoto Unlimited win. When California Speedway first opened in 2002, the new course proved to be quite abrasive””as would be expected””thus causing heavy tire wear. Over the years, the surface has since smoothed out significantly with use, and has therefore become much easier on tires. As a result, during this race weekend racers tended to choose softer compounds than in previous years. The race weekend also started out with cool, overcast weather during Friday and Saturday morning practice, conditions that also favored soft tires. However, as temperatures warmed, a number of riders made a shift to harder compounds. Dunlop came fully prepared, with more than 1600 tires on hand. On Saturday afternoon, the road racing action began with the first Superbike race of the weekend doubleheader, and things looked mighty familiar as reigning Superbike champ Mat Mladin fired his Suzuki GSX-R1000 into the lead. However, by the third lap Mladin’s young teammate Ben Spies had nailed down second place, and he began to close the gap on the Number One plate-holder. At the mid-race point, Spies grabbed the lead when the pair encountered some lapped traffic and the 21-year-old Texan quickly hammered out a short gap, which he increased with every lap thereafter. By the time the white flag showed to signal the last lap, young Ben could afford to put things on cruise and he finished with a fat 6.9-second gap over teammate Mladin, while Honda Racing’s Jake Zemke finished in third place all alone. When asked what he was thinking while he was closing on Mladin from behind, Spies said, “I knew we could move up, bit I didn’t know how long it would take me”¦ I just tried to save my rear tire and I was being real easy, and actually giving up a bit of time coming out (of turns). And it paid off in the end; when we made the pass I just kind of put my head back down”¦ Then the gap kept getting bigger and bigger.” Yosh Suzuki teammate Aaron Yates claimed fourth place by holding off a charging Neil Hodgson on a Ducati Austin 999R and Honda’s Miguel Duhamel claimed sixth place, followed by Ducati’s Ben Bostrom, Kawasaki Road Racing’s Tommy Hayden and Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider Jason Pridmore; all riders in the top nine selected Dunlop tires. Superbike Race One Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) The next race, Saturday’s Formula Xtreme event, provided just one quick thrill at the beginning before Team Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom killed all suspense by flat-out disappearing from the rest of the field aboard his factory Yamaha YZF-R6. As the race waved off, polesitter and teammate Jason DiSalvo suffered a terrible start (“My practice starts were good but the real one sucked,” he said after the race), leaving the door wide open for the adjacent starters on the front row: Bostrom and Erion Racing Honda’s Josh Hayes. Neither wanted to let up going into the first turn, and as a result they both nearly came together. Following that bit of drama, Bostrom eked out a small gap over Hayes and a rapidly closing DiSalvo. From lap five through eight, Hayes and DiSalvo passed and re-passed each other repeatedly, and this tussle allowed Bostrom to check out, which he did with a vengeance: on lap nine he turned a 1:26.387, which was faster than his qualifying time of 1:26.471. He went on to collect the checkered flag with 7.54 seconds over DiSalvo, who had worked out a comfortable gap over Hayes by the end of the race. After his appearance in victory circle, Bostrom explained, “With these 600cc bikes, you have to stay aggressive all the time; you can’t afford to give up even a tenth of a second, because it’s really hard to get it back again. I’m still not used to that mindset, having spent all those past years on Superbikes. I’m used to conserving my tires, which you have to do so you have something left at the end of a Superbike race. In fact, that has been my forte over the years, going back to dirt-track racing. But with 600s, you just have to go for it, and as of today, I think I’m getting used to racing the smaller bikes again. By the middle of the race I just got into a groove, and that’s when I turned my fast lap.” Erion Honda’s Aaron Gobert claimed fourth place ahead of Matsushima Suzuki’s Danny Eslick, while Rockwall Honda riders Ryan Andrews and Ty Howard, plus MPT Performance Suzuki rider Blake Young rounded out the top eight finishers””all bikes again being outfitted with Dunlop tires. DiSalvo still holds first place in the FX standings with 100 points; next come Hayes with 93, Gobert with 79 and Eric Bostrom with 73 points. Formula Xtreme Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 2. Jason Disalvo (Yamaha) 3. Josh Hayes (Honda) 4. Aaron Gobert (Honda) 5. Danny Eslick (Suzuki) 6. Ryan Andrews (Honda) 7. Ty Howard (Honda) 8. Blake Young (Suzuki) Just before lunchtime on Sunday, the Superstock bikes took to a warm track at California Speedway. This race was the tale of two starts: Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking looked confident aboard his Graves-tuned YZF-R1LE for the first seven laps, before the race was red-flagged. Following the restart, Hacking’s teammate Jason DiSalvo quickly rose to the fore as Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates followed before Hacking took over second place on lap 13. However, in the meanwhile DiSalvo had built a cushion of about 1.5 seconds, which he stretched out to 2.5 seconds by the time he took the checkered flag. “I went out there and ran my own race,” DiSalvo said during his post-race interview. “It’s good to be taking home a victory instead of that second place we got yesterday.” With Yates in third place, the next finishers included M4 Emgo Suzuki rider Geoff May, Team Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom, Jordan Suzuki’s Steve Rapp and Jason Pridmore, Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes and another Jordan Suzuki piloted by Jake Holden. Of these top nine finishers, eight used Dunlops. DiSalvo and Hacking now tie for the points lead with 101 each, and Yates trails in third with 94 points. Superstock Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 2. Jamie Hacking (Yamaha) 3. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 6. Steve Rapp (Suzuki) 7. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 8. Josh Hayes (Honda) 9. Jake Holden (Suzuki) Jamie Hacking must have had something very special for lunch; following the break, he came out firing in the afternoon Supersport race and quickly put to rest any questions about who would win this event. By lap 6 he had built up a 2.9-second lead, and when a downed rider brought out the red flag that would end the race after 14 laps, Hacking and his Yamaha YZF-R6 were more than 10 seconds in front of the next rider, Mike Barnes. This was Hacking’s first race win for 2006, although he has a total of 13 Supersport victories to his credit. “What a special race that was,” said an excited Hacking. “Now it’s time to stay focused for the rest of the year!” Danny Eslick guided his Matsushima Suzuki to third place to collect his first-ever AMA podium, and next came Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard, Suzuki-mounted Geoff May, Yamaha-mounted Michael Beck, MPT Performance Suzuki pilot Blake Young, Tony Meiring and his Safety First Suzuki, Jeff Tigert aboard a Pro Honda Oils Honda CBR600RR and Opie Caylor with another Safety First Suzuki. In total, eight of the top 10 riders used Dunlop tires. Hacking now leads the points chase with 104 and Eslick holds second in the standings with 80. Team Kawasaki pilot Roger Hayden won the first two races this season, but due to a broken leg he missed this event and slides to fifth in the ranks with 74 points. Supersport Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Jamie Hacking (Yamaha) 3. Danny Eslick (Suzuki) 4. Ben Attard (Kawasaki) 6. Michael Beck (Yamaha) 7. Blake Young (Suzuki) 8. Tony Meiring (Suzuki) 9. Jeff Tigert (Honda) 10. Opie Caylor (Suzuki) To many people, the second Superbike race of the weekend looked just like the first: the super Suzuki duo of Mladin and Spies traded the lead once again with Spies leading the most laps and taking the another win, and Honda’s Jake Zemke finished all alone in third for the second time in two days. More specifically, Spies grabbed the holeshot and led the first four laps before Mladin asserted himself and took the lead. It looked like vintage Mat at work once again, but the young Suzuki rider was not cowed in the least; Spies seized the lead from Mladin on lap 18, carved out an impressive gap almost immediately and never suffered a serious challenge again. A telling statistic: Spies ran the fastest lap of the race on lap 20, deep into the event. “I was saving my rear tire, making up time on the infield,” he said later. “With eight laps to go I put my head down and tried to lower the pace again and see what would happen. But the Dunlops have gotten so much better I could pretty much ride hard the whole race.” Still and all, Mladin enjoyed a comfortable lead over Zemke, but his Honda teammate Miguel Duhamel had his hands full the whole race fending off determined assaults from Ducati Austin’s Neil Hodgson, Team Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden, Ducati’s Ben Bostrom, Team Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Jordan Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore, who finished in that order. Once again, all top nine Superbike riders chose Dunlop tires. With his four victories and one runner-up spot at Daytona, Ben Spies now holds firm control of first place in the Superbike standings with 182 points. Such unprecedented success is leading many observers to crown Spies as the Man Who Would Be King over his teammate and reigning champion Mat Mladin, while others opine it’s still too early in the season to say for sure. In any case, all agree that 2006 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting title chases in a long while. For the time being, Mladin trails in points with 163, while Duhamel follows with 140 and Hodgson with 130. Superbike Race Two Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) Next stop for Dunlop and the 2006 AMA Superbike road racing tour is Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, May 19-21. Round Four features a doubleheader for the Superbike series. About Dunlop Tires Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, please visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com. More, from a press release issued by M4 EMGO Suzuki: BARNES EARNS ANOTHER PODIUM IN FONTANA SUPERSPORT Team M4 EMGO Suzuki continued to add to their 2006 trophy haul today at California Speedway, picking up a podium finish and three top-fives on the day. After setting the fastest time in Supersport on Friday and then qualifying on the front row on Saturday, Michael Barnes came through in a major way in Sunday’s 17-lap race as well. Following an early red flag and complete restart, the Floridian took the early lead before settling into second place. Barnes held steady in the runner-up position, holding a clear gap over third all the way up until the race was ultimately brought to its conclusion three laps prematurely by a second red flag. The second-place finish was Barnes’ first Supersport podium since 1990. “Today was special,” he said. “Coming back from the Daytona injury and trying to run up front with all of these hungry young riders and old wily veterans isn’t easy. I can’t thank my M4 EMGO Suzuki team enough; they’re obviously well prepared. We did some testing with the Pirelli tires here a couple months ago. To come here and go two seconds faster than I did in the test is a major achievement for the team and myself. I’ve got to thank all my crew and all the guys at Pirelli.” Geoff May was right in the thick of things as well on Sunday, claiming his fourth consecutive fourth-place finish aboard his GSX-R1000 in the Superstock final. May also looked capable of joining Barnes on the podium in the Supersport race but a stop-and-go penalty from the original red-flagged start that was enforced following the restart dashed those hopes. However, despite losing several positions after being forced to return to pitlane, the Georgian charged his way back up to a fifth-place finish. Unfortunately, developmental rider Shea Fouchek crashed late in the Supersport race. He was taken to the infield care center to be checked out but appears to be in relatively good shape following the spill. Following three of eleven rounds on the 2006 calendar, May currently sits in third in the Supersport title race with 79 points. He’s also fourth in Superstock with 82 points. Despite not scoring any points in the season opener after injuring his knee, Barnes has climbed all the way up to seventh in Supersport with 56 points. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will be back in action in three weeks time at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA on May 19-21. More, from a press release issued by Jordan Suzuki: Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki Concludes Successful Race Weekend at Fontana FONTANA, Calif. (May 1, 2006) – Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore captured two top-10 finishes at this weekend’s AMA Superbike double-header at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Teammates Steve Rapp and Jake Holden also finished the weekend on a positive note. The three-man team qualified strongly on Saturday afternoon, with Holden (1:25.421) and Pridmore (1:25.477) on the third row, and Rapp (1:26.064) on the fourth row. In Saturday and Sunday’s 28-lap Superbike races, all three charged hard on their respective Suzukis. Pridmore put in two consistent rides on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and worked his way up to ninth place in both races. “We tried a new clutch,” said Pridmore, “but it wasn’t what we’d hoped it would be. I had to work my way up in both races, and was able to get up to ninth place.” Rapp, meanwhile, finished in 12th position on Saturday and then in 11th place on Sunday. “Both races seemed long since we’re racing the Superbike class on a Superstock bike,” he said. “We’ve made a few changes that are helping us out overall in Superstock.” Holden finished close behind Pridmore in Saturday’s race, using the 28-lap event as practice for his Superstock event. “I wish I had a Superbike,” said Holden. “All this track time is helping me get better on the Superstock bike, though, and it’s good practice for that race.” The Jordan Suzuki team will next compete in the fourth round of AMA Superbike at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., May 19 – 21, 2006. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki Celebrates Three Top-10 Finishes in California Speedway Superstock Race FONTANA, Calif. (May 1, 2006) – Southern California race fans cheered on the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team this weekend as Steve Rapp, Jason Pridmore and Jake Holden captured three top-10 finishes in the Sunday afternoon AMA Superstock race in Fontana, Calif. In the 17-lap race, Rapp started from the second row, got a great start and was battling up front. A downed rider resulted in a red flag and the race was re-started. Rapp wound up finishing in sixth place. “I got a really good start and was running with the leaders,” said Rapp. “The Suzuki felt good and I felt good, although I was pretty disappointed about the red flag.” Teammate Pridmore started from the third row and also got a good start on his Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000. Running in eighth position when the red flag was thrown, Pridmore benefited from the re-start and finished up a strong seventh. “We’re getting closer,” he said. “My guys have been working really hard and it shows.” Young gun Holden started from the front row, having captured his first front-row grid spot. “My Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 was on rails,” said Holden. Holden suffered a minor get-off in the race but remounted. After the red flag, he finished in ninth place. “It was definitely an eventful race,” said Holden. “I lost the rear end coming out of a right-hander, but I was able to pick up my bike and I was back in 17th position. I got a good start after the re-start and was able to salvage some points.” The Jordan Suzuki team will next compete in the fourth round of AMA Repsol Superstock at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., May 19 – 21, 2006. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000, #43 7th Place – AMA Repsol Superstock 6th Place – Overall Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000, #15 6th Place – AMA Repsol Superstock 13th Place – Overall Jake Holden, Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000, #59 9th Place – AMA Repsol Superstock 7th Place – Overall More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A.: The third round of the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship proved a dream weekend on April 29-30 for Yamaha as riders Eric Bostrom, Jason DiSalvo and Jamie Hacking won the Formula Xtreme, Superstock and Supersport races at California Speedway. Making matters even better, the team also finished 1-2 in both Formula Xtreme and Superstock, and now leads the championship points in all three classes. Formula Xtreme Eric Bostrom started Yamaha’s win streak on Saturday by posting a flag-to-flag victory aboard his Factory Yamaha YZF-R6. After sparring briefly with Josh Hayes in the opening lap, Bostrom forged a gap on his R6 and left DiSalvo to battle with Hayes. Their battle allowed Bostrom to stretch out a nearly eight-second lead over DiSalvo at the finish, with Hayes third. Superstock It was Jason DiSalvo who took charge on Sunday, winning the Superstock class despite race-long pressure from teammate Jamie Hacking as well as Aaron Yates. Eric Bostrom came in fifth aboard a third Graves Motorsports prepared YZF-R1. The race was interrupted by a red flag, after which Yates grabbed the lead briefly. But both DiSalvo and then Hacking were able to get past him to score their 1-2 victory at the checkered flag. Supersport Jamie Hacking brought home Yamaha’s third win of the weekend in convincing style. With main rival Roger Lee Hayden injured from a crash at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend, Hacking decided to take it easy at the start and let other riders scrap for the lead. He then passed early leader Michael Barnes and took control, sailing to his 13th career Supersport win. “I think this is the first time we’ve won all three events we’ve entered, with each rider getting a win,” Team Manager Tom Halverson added after the races. “I’m incredibly proud of the whole Graves Motorsports and Factory Yamaha team, as well as all three riders.” More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist: DISALVO LEADS FORMULA EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP AND TIED FOR FIRST IN SUPERSTOCK CHAMPIONSHIP! Jason DiSalvo of Stafford NY and Las Vegas NV raced in the American Motorcycles Association’s Superbike championship at California Speedway Friday April 28th through Sunday April 30th. The 22 year old continued his string of pole positions in the 1000cc Superstock class, extending it to 11 while setting a new track record for the class, with a time of 1:24.02 seconds, bettering his 2005 record by 8/10ths of a second. In the 600cc Formula Extreme class Jason again put his bike on the pole with a time of 1:25.59 seconds, breaking the existing track record. During daily practices Jason led every outing while preparing for the races. In the Formula Extreme class from his pole position on Saturday afternoon Jason found himself running third due to a less then stellar start. He worked his way past the 2nd place rider in the infield only to be drafted on the front straight away due to a shortage of power. During the race, Jason continued to battle for second, finally achieving the pass, to find himself second with only four laps to go, not leaving enough time to catch the leader, finishing 2nd. This position added to his championship points extending his lead to 7 points. The 1000cc Superstock race was held Sunday before a good crowd with a clear sunny sky. From his pole position Jason was running second on lap 7 when a crashed rider brought out the red flag stopping the race. The restart put Jason in 2nd place on the front row with 10 laps to go. Jason got a great start and ran second for one lap before taking the lead. Then never looked back, taking his first win in the Superstock class. With this win Jason is tied for first place in the class. The races will be televised Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 5:00pm on Speed Channel. Jason and the team will have a two and a half-week break before traveling to northern California for the Infineon race, May 19, 20, and 21, 2006.
