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Times Tight In Sunday Morning AMA Superstock Practice At Pikes Peak

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Provisional Sunday Morning AMA Superstock Practice Times: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 55.301 seconds 2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.317 seconds 3. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 55.342 seconds 4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 55.398 seconds 5. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.823 seconds 6. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.909 seconds 7. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.918 seconds 8. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 56.051 seconds 9. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 56.096 seconds 10. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.181 seconds 11. Geoff May, Suzuki, 56.191 seconds 12. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 56.391 seconds 13. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.407 seconds 14. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.482 seconds 15. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.551 seconds 16. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.738 seconds 17. Blake Young, Suzuki, 56.782 seconds 18. Akira Tamitsuji, Suzuki, 56.839 seconds 19. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 57.591 seconds 20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.904 seconds

Zemke Still Looking Strong In Sunday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice At PPIR

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Provisional Sunday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times: 1. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.465 seconds 2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 56.201 seconds 3. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 56.245 seconds 4. Ty Howard, Yamaha, 56.496 seconds 5. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 56.506 seconds 6. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 56.937 seconds 7. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 57.198 seconds 8. Alex Gobert, Honda, 57.266 seconds 9. Heath Small, Yamaha, 57.708 seconds 10. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.923 seconds 11. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 58.177 seconds 12. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha, 58.178 seconds 13. Ryan Andrews, Ducati, 58.199 seconds 14. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 58.431 seconds 15. Ricky Orlando, Kawasaki, 58.488 seconds 16. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 58.554 seconds 17. Dave Ebben, Buell, 58.740 seconds 18. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 58.740 seconds 19. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha, 59.205 seconds 20. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 59.310 seconds

Canadian Superbike Qualifying At Shannonville Postponed To Sunday By Oil Spill

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SHANNONVILLE, ON Granby, QC’s Pascal Picotte set the pace in practice Saturday for this weekend’s opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park, but he will have to wait an extra day to make his bid for pole position. A scheduled 45-minute qualifying session to set the field for Sunday’s race was cancelled, along with the majority of Saturday afternoon’s activities, following an oil spill early in qualifying for the Amateur 600 Sport Bike class. As a result, a 20-minute Sunday morning warm-up session will instead be used as a qualifying period for the Parts Canada Superbike competitors. Picotte, the two-time defending series champion set the quickest time of the weekend in Saturday morning’s practice, recording a blazing one minute, 4.469 seconds on the Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1. Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC was second quickest after recording a time of 1:05.375 on the DXS Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke was third aboard the Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR after setting a time of 1:05.560. Martin, the 1999 Superbike champ had set the pace on Friday with a time of 1:05.040. “We didn’t make any major changes,” Picotte said, “just little things to make me more comfortable. I think we can still find a little bit here and there. There’s always room for improvement.” The oil spill came as the result of a crash in the final turn of the 2.45km (1.53-mile) Shannonville ‘Pro’ circuit early in Amateur 600 Sport Bike qualifying. Initial attempts to clean the track proved unsuccessful, and series and track officials elected to curtail the remainder of the day’s activities rather than risk the safety of competitors on a potentially dangerous track surface. Saturday morning practice times were used to set the field for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race. Mark Douglas of Warkworth, ON will start from pole on his Yamaha YZF-R6 after recording a time of 1:09.957. Woodstock, ON’s James Collins will line-up second, also on a Yamaha after recording a 1:10.057. Hamilton’s Dave Stewart will start third on his Suzuki GSX-R600. He recorded a best lap of 1:10.127. Qualifying was held Saturday for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and Thunder classes. Kleinburg, ON’s Frank Trombino claimed pole for the Pro 600 Sport Bike race with a time of 1:05.752 on his Trombino Yamaha Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC placed second at 1:05.905 on the DXS Diablo Performance Honda CBR600RR and Granby’s Kevin Lacombe was third with a 1:06.380 riding his Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R600. Darren James of North Vancouver led the eight-lap Thunder qualifying heat from start to finish on his Buell XB9R. Saturday morning practice times were used to set the line-up for the Suzuki SV650 Cup feature. Alain Lefebvre of Rouyn-Noranda, QC will start from pole after recording a time of 1:12.345. Feature races in all five national classes will run Sunday. Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. with the first race scheduled for a 12:20 p.m. start.

Updated Post: Castrol Suzuki Wins Eight-hour World Endurance Race At Albacete

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Suzuki Castrol Win Albacete 8H Yamahas Second and Third The Albacete 8 Horas Nocturnas round of the FIM World Endurance Championship has been won by the Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 of Vincent Philippe and Keiichi Kitagawa. Second place went to Spanish team Yamaha Folch Endurance, and third to Yamaha Austria. The first hour saw a battle for honour between championship leaders Suzuki Castrol and local heroes Folch Endurance, as Vincent Philippe and Folch rider Daniel Ribalta swapped the lead repeatedly. Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani settled into a comfortable third place, while Kawasaki Bolliger and Yamaha Phase One Endurance fought for fourth. The first round of pit stops allowed Suzuki Castrol to break away and build up a lead over the rest of the field, a lead which they extended hour by hour through the race. Folch Endurance and Yamaha Austria continued to trade places for the next four or five hours, with no real advantage emerging. A similar fight was developing further down the field, as Kawasaki Diablo, Shell Endurance Academy, Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se and the Sapeurs Pompiers team chased sixth place. Fagersjo-el succumbed to an electrical fault which led to their retirement after a long push-in for Paul Young. The other continued trading places until the closing minutes of the race, with Sapeurs Pompiers finishing sixth, Shell Endurance Academy seventh and Diablo eighth. Yamaha Phase One seemed set for a sure fourth place until the final hour when suspected engine problems brought them into the pits for a diagnostic check and then in again to cool the bike, allowing Bolliger Kawasaki through to take fourth. Suzuki No Limits & RT Motor Team finished in ninth place, just ahead of fellow Italians Suzuki Fabi Corse. The win for Suzuki Castrol has allowed them to stretch out a 19 point advantage in the championship standings. The next round of the championship is the Suzuka 8 hours on July 31st. Press Conference Quotes: Vincent Philippe Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “In the first relay it was quite difficult to go past Folch Endurance, and I was thinking of the championship and not just this one race. This is a very good result for us in the championship.” Keiichi Kitagawa Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “We must do something special for the Suzuka 8 Hour race, because the level of competition there is very high. We hope to get a special engine from the Suzuki factory, and I will be competing in the Suzuka 300km race next month with Vincent Philippe for preparation.” Daniel Ribalta Yamaha Folch 2nd Place “We had competed in the Spanish championship here two weeks ago, so it was easy to get into a fast rythmn at the start fo the race. It was important for us to get a good result here, and not just lead in the first hour.” Thomas Hinterreiter Yamaha Austria 3rd Place: “Right now I feel okay, but in the race it was very difficult. I have an injury in my wrist and in my foot, so it was very hard doing back-to-back relays with Gwen Provisional Top Ten Finishers 1st 2 – Suzuki Castrol Team FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 Philippe, Kitagawa, 299 laps 2nd 23 Yamaha Folch Endurance SPA Yamaha YZF-R1 Ribalta, Noyes, Cabana, 296 laps 3rd 7 – Yamaha Austria 7 AUT Yamaha YZF-R1 Giabbani, Hinterreiter, 294 laps 4th 8 Kawasaki Bolliger Team SUI Kawasaki ZX10R Kellenberger, Morillon, Mizera, 293 laps 5th 3 Yamaha Phase One Endurance GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Cudlin, Notman, Nowland, 288 laps 6th 112 Suzuki Sapeurs Pompiers FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 Molinier, Pialoux, Grelaud, 287 laps 7th 6 Yamaha Shell Endurance Academy GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Rohtlaan, Wylie, Hogan, +0:03.2 8th 666 Kawasaki Diablo 666 GBR Kawasaki ZX10R Mizera, Hutchins, Falcke, + 1:01.6 9th 44 No Limits & RT Motor Team ITA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 Ruozi, De Matteis, Giachino, 284 laps 10th 51 Suzuki Fabi Corse ITA Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Monot, Vieira, Lalavee, 282 laps Fastest Lap: Suzuki Castrol Vincent Philippe 1:33.660, 136.028km/h More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Suzuki Castrol has won the Albacete 8 Horas and increased their lead in the five-round world Endurance series to 19 points. GSX-R1000-mounted Vincent Philippe and Keiichi Kitagawa clinched their second win of the year at the night race, which finished at 2am local time in Spain. The SERT team – fastest in practice and qualifying – led from the start and were never seriously challenged during their winning 299 laps, three more than second-placed Yamaha Folch Endurance 23 and six ahead of Yamaha Austria 7 in third place.. Said Philippe: “In the first relay it was quite difficult to get past Folch Endurance and I was thinking of the championship and not just this one race. This is a very good result for us in the championship.” Team mate Kitagawa added: “We must do something special for the next round, Suzuka 8 Hour race, because the level of competition there is very high. We hope to get a special engine from the Suzuki factory and I will be competing in the Suzuka 300km race next month with Vincent Philippe for preparation.” The first hour saw a battle for honour between Suzuki Castrol and local heroes Folch Endurance, as Philippe and Folch rider Daniel Ribalta swapped the lead repeatedly. Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani settled into a comfortable third place while Kawasaki Bolliger and Yamaha Phase One Endurance fought for fourth position. The first round of pit stops allowed Suzuki Castrol to break away and build up a lead over the rest of the field, a lead which they extended hour by hour through the race. Folch Endurance and Yamaha Austria continued to trade places for the next five hours. A similar fight was developing further down the field, as Kawasaki Diablo, Shell Endurance Academy, Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se and the Sapeurs Pompiers team chased sixth place. Fagersjo-el suffered an electrical fault which led to their retirement after a long push-in for Paul Young. The others continued swapping places until the closing minutes of the race, with Sapeurs Pompiers finishing sixth, Shell Endurance Academy seventh and Diablo eighth. Yamaha Phase One seemed set for a sure fourth place until the final hour when suspected engine problems brought them into the pits for a diagnostic check and then in again to cool the bike down which allowed Bolliger Kawasaki through to take the position. Suzuki No Limits & RT Motor Team finished in ninth place, just ahead of fellow Italians Suzuki Fabi Corse. Results: 1st: Suzuki Castrol Team – FRA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Philippe, Kitagawa, 299 laps. 2nd: Yamaha Folch Endurance 23 – SPA – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Ribalta, Noyes, Cabana, 296 laps. 3rd: Yamaha Austria 7 – AUT – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Giabbani, Hinterreiter, 294 laps. 4th: Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Kellenberger, Morillon, Mizera, 293 laps. 5th: Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Cudlin, Notman, Nowland, 288 laps. 6th: Suzuki Sapeurs Pompiers – FRA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Molinier, Pialoux, Grelaud, 287 laps. 7th: Yamaha Shell Endurance Academy – GBR – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Rohtlaan, Wylie, Hogan, +0:03.2. 8th: Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Mizera, Hutchins, Falcke, + 1:01.6. 9th: No Limits & RT Motor Team – ITA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Ruozi, De Matteis, Giachino, 284 laps. 10th: Suzuki Fabi Corse – ITA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Monot, Vieira, Lalavee, 282 laps. Fastest Lap: Suzuki Castrol – Vincent Philippe – 1:33.660, 136.028km/h. Championship Points (after 2 of 5 rounds): 1 Suzuki Castrol 55, 2 Bolliger Team Switzerland 36, 3 Yamaha Austria Racing Team 30, 4 Diablo 666 Bolliger 26, 5 Yamaha Phase One Endurance 26, 6 Folch Endurance 23 24, 7 Shell Endurance Academy 20, 8 No Limits 44 – Team Marchetti 13, 9 Sapeurs Pompiers 18 12, 10 Team Fagersjo-el.se 10.

Updated Post: Mladin Takes AMA Superbike Pole Position At PPIR

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Provisional AMA Superbike Qualifying Results: 1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 54.433 seconds 2. Eric Bostrom, Ducati, 54.560 seconds 3. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 54.664 seconds 4. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 54.894 seconds 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 54.960 seconds 6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 54.089 seconds 7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki, 55.094 seconds 8. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.152 seconds 9. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 55.208 seconds 10. Larry Pegram, Honda, 55.302 seconds 11. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 55.614 seconds 12. Mark Ledesma, Honda, 55.896 seconds 13. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.912 seconds 14. Marty Craggill, Suzuki, 55.996 seconds 15. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 56.254 seconds 16. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.288 seconds 17. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki, 56.329 seconds 18. Jeremy Toye, Honda, 56.391 seconds 19. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.492 seconds 20. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.589 seconds 21. Cory West, Suzuki, 56.645 seconds 22. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.672 seconds 23. Dan Turner, Suzuki, 56.795 seconds 24. Jeff Tigert, Honda, 56.879 seconds 25. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.943 seconds 26. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.067 seconds 27. Mike Sullivan, Suzuki, 57.179 seconds 28. Heath Small, Yamaha, 57.398 seconds 29. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki, 57.425 seconds 30. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.621 seconds 31. Scott Jensen, Suzuki, 57.720 seconds 32. C.R. Gittere, Suzuki, 57.816 seconds 33. Brad Hendry, Yamaha, 57.819 seconds 34. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 58.544 seconds 35. Reno Karimian, Suzuki, 58.555 seconds 36. James Kerker, Honda, 58.642 seconds Qualifying Cut-off: 110% of fast time = 59.876 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Yoshimura Suzuki rider Mat Mladin will start tomorrow’s AMA Superbike round at Pikes Peak International Raceway in pole position. Five-time AMA Champion Mladin recorded a time of 54.433 seconds on his GSX-R1000 at the Fountain, Colorado circuit to head Eric Bostrom by 120ths of a second with Mladin’s team mate Ben Spies third on 54.894. Third Yoshimura rider Aaron Yates posted fifth-quickest time behind Neil Hodgson. More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin: BOSTROM AND HODGSON ON THE FRONT ROW IN COLORADO Fountain, Colorado, May 21: Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson will start Sunday’s AMA Superbike race from the front row after an exciting final qualifying session. Bostrom, last year’s race winner on a Ducati 999, will start second after his lap of 54.560. Hodgson, at his first time ever at the track, was fourth despite learning a difficult circuit in just two short sessions, both of which were interrupted by red flags. Neil’s lap time was 54.894, set in the blistering Colorado sun. Eric Bostrom continued his annual Pikes Peak mastery in Saturday’s qualifying session. “I’m happy with the lap that put us in second place on the day. We’re still chasing a few things, but we have the bike a lot easier to ride for 48 laps here,” said Bostrom, five-time winner of Pikes Peak AMA Superbike races. Eric feels the weather will still be the wild card, as the track temperature could be much kinder for the Dunlop tires in Sunday’s race. “Tomorrow will really be the indication. The weather might be a lot cooler, so that could change everything. Racing in the heat just makes everything more vague. It’s the same for everyone, though. The team has worked hard and we’ve really made some progress at the last few races. I’m much more happy with the bike this year than I was last year when I won.” Hodgson showed his mettle when he rallied to set a lap worthy of the front row. Neil had never turned a wheel at Pikes Peak before today and was 11th in morning practice, but the former British and World Superbike champion figured out the fast way to get his powerful Ducati 999 around the tricky PPIR speed bowl. “I was well pleased to be on the front row,” said the Isle of Man resident. “I was hoping not to be on the third row, to be honest. I’m a couple of days away from really being comfortable here, actually, so I’m happy with how things turned out so far. I’ve raced for a lot of years, but there’s no corner like turn one here at the tracks I’ve been.” Team engineer Luca Ferraccioli spoke of the team’s performance in the 95 degree Colorado weather. “We’re very happy with both the riders in qualifying as Eric and Neil are on the front row. Eric is unbelievably fast here but we’re also pleased with Neil, too. He had just 45 minutes on the track this morning and that wasn’t enough to learn the track his first time here. We were a bit worried about his position but he did a very good job in qualifying. Neil is very professional in his approach to racing.” Tomorrow’s 48-lap Superbike race begins at 3:30 PM local time. Qualifying Results: 1. Mladin (Suzuki) 54.433, 2. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 54.560, 3. Spies (Suzuki) 54.664, 4. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 54.894, 5. Yates (Suzuki) 54.960, 6. DuHamel, (Honda) 55.089

Updated Post: Zemke Breaks Lap Record, Takes AMA Formula Xtreme Pole Position At Pikes Peak

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Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Results: 1. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 55.036 seconds 2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 55.223 seconds 3. Ben Attard, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 55.690 seconds 4. Chris Peris, Yamaha YZF-R6, 56.005 seconds 5. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.172 seconds 6. Danny Eslick, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.453 seconds 7. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 56.674 seconds 8. Ty Howard, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.114 seconds 9. Robert Jensen, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.496 seconds 10. Ryan Andrews, Ducati 749R, 57.513 seconds 11. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.761 seconds 12. Nicky Moore, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.790 seconds 13. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.909 seconds 14. Heath Small, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.300 seconds 15. Ricky Orlando, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 58.595 seconds 16. Tim Knutson, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.638 seconds 17. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.777 seconds 18. Justin Filice, Honda CBR600RR, 58.842 seconds 19. Nathan Hester, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.956 seconds 20. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.990 seconds 21. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki GSX-R600, 59.252 seconds 22. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha YZF-R6, 59.367 seconds 23. Leslie Gerber, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 59.536 seconds 24. David Ebben, Buell XB12R, 59.550 seconds 25. Brian Destarac, Yamaha YZF-R6, 59.646 seconds 26. Pedro Bravo, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 59.839 seconds 27. David Lambert, Suzuki GSX-R600, 61.159 seconds 28. Jason Mathiason, Yamaha YZF-R6, 61.447 seconds 29. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 61.546 seconds 30. Walt Sipp, Buell XB9R, 62.007 seconds More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: MAY AND BARNES QUALIFY IN COLORADO Team M4 EMGO Suzuki had little time to regroup from the difficult race weekend in Sonoma, CA, returning to the racetrack less than a week later at Pikes Peak International Raceway near Fountain, Colorado, for the fifth stop on the 2005 AMA roadracing calendar. With this weekend’s racing at PPIR fit into a compact two-day schedule, the team had to work flat-out to get up to speed as quickly as possible. That was particularly true in the case of Michael Barnes, making his debut with team filling in for the injured Vincent Haskovec. Despite the late nature of his entry and the short race weekend, Barnes put in a remarkable performance on Saturday, posting qualifying times that earned him second row grid positions in both Formula Xtreme and Superstock despite a fall that caused him to only attempt a minimum number of laps. Barnes qualified fifth aboard the team’s Pirelli-shod GSX-R600 FX racer with a best time of 56.172 around the tight 1.315-mile circuit. The Floridian further impressed by posting a 55.531 in Superstock, sixth fastest in a class he didn’t even plan on racing this weekend prior to Friday’s promoter practice. Crew Chief Keith Perry commented, “I thought Mike did extremely well today, especially on the 1000, which he had never ridden before he got here yesterday. He’s adapted to it pretty well and he’s likes the bike. We couldn’t ask for anything better than what he did in qualifying.” Unfortunately, Barnes suffered a crash on Saturday and was shaken up. He’s being checked out tonight by medical personnel and his status for Sunday is still to be determined. Speaking about whether or not Barnes will likely race in both classes tomorrow, Perry said, “We’ll see how his little bang-up is treating him tomorrow. I think if the weather is like they are predicting it, it would be a plus for him riding both races. He initially was only going to ride the GSX-R 600 until he got on the 1000 yesterday. He went so well and liked it so much, we decided to continue on. I think the main thing is to see how he feels tomorrow and we’ll go from there. There is a break between the two races and it looks to me likely he’ll run both.” Geoff May enjoyed a strong day as well, qualifying his GSX-R600 Supersport bike on the second row. The Georgian registered a best time of 56.646 to set the seventh best time in Supersport qualifying. His lap was second fastest among Suzuki-mounted riders, trailing only the factory GSX-R600. May then broke into the 55s aboard his GSX-R1000 Superstock machine, posting a 55.999. The time was the eleventh best of the session, good enough to put him on the third row for tomorrow’s 60k race. Perry said of May’s day, “We’re just sorting out some set-up issues with Geoff’s bike, but he’s coming along. He’s gaining confidence in what we’re doing and getting the bike to do what he wants it to do.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will finish out the Pikes Peak International Raceway weekend tomorrow with 29-lap finals in Formula Xtreme, Supersport, and Superstock.

Two-for-two: DiSalvo Also Takes AMA Superstock Pole Position At PPIR

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Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 54.613 seconds 2. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 54.787 seconds 3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 54.834 seconds 4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.131 seconds 5. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.313 seconds 6. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 55.531 seconds 7. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 55.548 seconds 8. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 55.666 seconds 9. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 55.689 seconds 10. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.894 seconds 11. Geoff May, Suzuki, 55.999 seconds 12. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.175 seconds 13. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.299 seconds 14. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.472 seconds 15. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.818 seconds 16. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.978 seconds 17. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 57.071 seconds 18. Akira Tamitsuji, Suzuki, 57.311 seconds 19. Blake Young, Suzuki, 57.662 seconds 20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.707 seconds 21. Reno Karimian, Suzuki, 58.337 seconds 22. Christopher Ancein, Suzuki, 58.381 seconds 23. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 58.654 seconds 24. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 58.793 seconds 25. Premel Glinz, Suzuki, 58.919 seconds 26. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, 59.023 seconds 27. Montez Stewart, Suzuki, 59.070 seconds 28. M. Ivan Garza, Suzuki, 59.390 seconds 29. Brad Puetz, Suzuki, 59.580 seconds 30. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki, 62.139 seconds 31. David Littlebrook, Suzuki, 64.518 seconds

DiSalvo Takes AMA Supersport Pole Position At Pikes Peak

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Provisional AMA Supersport Qualifying Times: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 55.609 seconds 2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.950 seconds 3. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 56.193 seconds 4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 56.201 seconds 5. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 56.268 seconds 6. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 56.398 seconds 7. Geoff May, Suzuki, 56.646 seconds 8. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.802 seconds 9. Chris Peris, Yamaha, 56.809 seconds 10. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 56.868 seconds 11. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 57.194 seconds 12. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 57.289 seconds 13. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 57.517 seconds 14. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.934 seconds 15. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 58.364 seconds 16. Blake Young, Suzuki, 58.377 seconds 17. Jimmy Wood, Kawasaki, 58.485 seconds 18. Barrett Long, Yamaha, 58.523 seconds 19. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 58.623 seconds 20. Martin Sims, Yamaha, 59.113 seconds 21. Tamer Kekhia, Yamaha, 59.196 seconds 22. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 59.398 seconds 23. Chris Siebenhaar, Honda, 59.504 seconds 24. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 59.587 seconds 25. Justin Filice, Honda, 59.659 seconds 26. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha, 59.736 seconds 27. Chad Rolland, Yamaha, 59.755 seconds 28. Tristan Schoenewald, Honda, 59.782 seconds 29. David Lambert, Kawasaki, 59.804 seconds 30. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Yamaha, 60.127 seconds 31. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, 60.242 seconds 32. Shannon Moham, Honda, 60.869 seconds 33. Tyler Jones, Kawasaki, 61.052 seconds 34. M. Ivan Garza, Suzuki, 61.144 seconds 35. Eugene Bazyl, Yamaha, 61.223 seconds

Microburst Causes Red Flag, Wrecks Havoc On Pit Lane During AMA Superbike Practice At PPIR

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A mini-tornado, or microburst, wrecked havoc on pit lane during Friday morning AMA Superbike practice at Pikes Peak International Raceway. The sudden burst of localized high winds (which are common to the area just east of the Rocky Mountains) ripped canopies from their securing weights, and other smaller, unsecured items, and blew them across pit lane and onto the front straightaway, forcing the session to be stopped. Torn canopies and broken canopy frames were seen up and down pit lane, after the windstorm, and several people were hit with flying debris, including Lion Racing Suzuki’s John Haner. “I was standing on pit road, holding onto our canopy, when something blue came into the corner of my eye and hit me hard. It hooked my (right) shoulder and flung me,” said Haner, who was thrown 30 feet by another team’s blowing canopy and frame, according to witnesses. Haner complained of pain in his right shoulder after the incident and went to the infield care center to have it checked out. The preliminary diagnosis, according to Haner, was a strained rotator cuff. Haner rode later in the re-started Superbike session but said his shoulder was hindering him.

Mladin Quickest In First AMA Superbike Practice At Pikes Peak

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Provisional Saturday Morning AMA Superbike Practice Times: 1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 55.395 seconds 2. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 55.511 seconds 3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.711 seconds 4. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.831 seconds 5. Eric Bostrom, Ducati, 55.832 seconds 6. Marty Craggill, Suzuki, 56.071 seconds 7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki, 56.121 seconds 8. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 56.147 seconds 9. John Haner, Suzuki, 56.157 seconds 10. Larry Pegram, Honda, 56.165 seconds 11. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 56.273 seconds 12. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 56.332 seconds 13. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 56.431 seconds 14. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 56.541 seconds 15. Mark Ledesma, Honda, 56.603 seconds 16. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.718 seconds 17. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.911 seconds 18. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.958 seconds 19. Brent George, Suzuki, 57.075 seconds 20. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 57.107 seconds

Times Tight In Sunday Morning AMA Superstock Practice At Pikes Peak

Provisional Sunday Morning AMA Superstock Practice Times: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 55.301 seconds 2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.317 seconds 3. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 55.342 seconds 4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 55.398 seconds 5. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.823 seconds 6. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.909 seconds 7. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.918 seconds 8. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 56.051 seconds 9. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 56.096 seconds 10. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.181 seconds 11. Geoff May, Suzuki, 56.191 seconds 12. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 56.391 seconds 13. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.407 seconds 14. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.482 seconds 15. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.551 seconds 16. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.738 seconds 17. Blake Young, Suzuki, 56.782 seconds 18. Akira Tamitsuji, Suzuki, 56.839 seconds 19. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 57.591 seconds 20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.904 seconds

Zemke Still Looking Strong In Sunday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice At PPIR

Provisional Sunday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times: 1. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.465 seconds 2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 56.201 seconds 3. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 56.245 seconds 4. Ty Howard, Yamaha, 56.496 seconds 5. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 56.506 seconds 6. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 56.937 seconds 7. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 57.198 seconds 8. Alex Gobert, Honda, 57.266 seconds 9. Heath Small, Yamaha, 57.708 seconds 10. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.923 seconds 11. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 58.177 seconds 12. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha, 58.178 seconds 13. Ryan Andrews, Ducati, 58.199 seconds 14. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 58.431 seconds 15. Ricky Orlando, Kawasaki, 58.488 seconds 16. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 58.554 seconds 17. Dave Ebben, Buell, 58.740 seconds 18. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 58.740 seconds 19. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha, 59.205 seconds 20. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 59.310 seconds

Canadian Superbike Qualifying At Shannonville Postponed To Sunday By Oil Spill

SHANNONVILLE, ON Granby, QC’s Pascal Picotte set the pace in practice Saturday for this weekend’s opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park, but he will have to wait an extra day to make his bid for pole position. A scheduled 45-minute qualifying session to set the field for Sunday’s race was cancelled, along with the majority of Saturday afternoon’s activities, following an oil spill early in qualifying for the Amateur 600 Sport Bike class. As a result, a 20-minute Sunday morning warm-up session will instead be used as a qualifying period for the Parts Canada Superbike competitors. Picotte, the two-time defending series champion set the quickest time of the weekend in Saturday morning’s practice, recording a blazing one minute, 4.469 seconds on the Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1. Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC was second quickest after recording a time of 1:05.375 on the DXS Diablo Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke was third aboard the Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR after setting a time of 1:05.560. Martin, the 1999 Superbike champ had set the pace on Friday with a time of 1:05.040. “We didn’t make any major changes,” Picotte said, “just little things to make me more comfortable. I think we can still find a little bit here and there. There’s always room for improvement.” The oil spill came as the result of a crash in the final turn of the 2.45km (1.53-mile) Shannonville ‘Pro’ circuit early in Amateur 600 Sport Bike qualifying. Initial attempts to clean the track proved unsuccessful, and series and track officials elected to curtail the remainder of the day’s activities rather than risk the safety of competitors on a potentially dangerous track surface. Saturday morning practice times were used to set the field for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race. Mark Douglas of Warkworth, ON will start from pole on his Yamaha YZF-R6 after recording a time of 1:09.957. Woodstock, ON’s James Collins will line-up second, also on a Yamaha after recording a 1:10.057. Hamilton’s Dave Stewart will start third on his Suzuki GSX-R600. He recorded a best lap of 1:10.127. Qualifying was held Saturday for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and Thunder classes. Kleinburg, ON’s Frank Trombino claimed pole for the Pro 600 Sport Bike race with a time of 1:05.752 on his Trombino Yamaha Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC placed second at 1:05.905 on the DXS Diablo Performance Honda CBR600RR and Granby’s Kevin Lacombe was third with a 1:06.380 riding his Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R600. Darren James of North Vancouver led the eight-lap Thunder qualifying heat from start to finish on his Buell XB9R. Saturday morning practice times were used to set the line-up for the Suzuki SV650 Cup feature. Alain Lefebvre of Rouyn-Noranda, QC will start from pole after recording a time of 1:12.345. Feature races in all five national classes will run Sunday. Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. with the first race scheduled for a 12:20 p.m. start.

Updated Post: Castrol Suzuki Wins Eight-hour World Endurance Race At Albacete

Suzuki Castrol Win Albacete 8H Yamahas Second and Third The Albacete 8 Horas Nocturnas round of the FIM World Endurance Championship has been won by the Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 of Vincent Philippe and Keiichi Kitagawa. Second place went to Spanish team Yamaha Folch Endurance, and third to Yamaha Austria. The first hour saw a battle for honour between championship leaders Suzuki Castrol and local heroes Folch Endurance, as Vincent Philippe and Folch rider Daniel Ribalta swapped the lead repeatedly. Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani settled into a comfortable third place, while Kawasaki Bolliger and Yamaha Phase One Endurance fought for fourth. The first round of pit stops allowed Suzuki Castrol to break away and build up a lead over the rest of the field, a lead which they extended hour by hour through the race. Folch Endurance and Yamaha Austria continued to trade places for the next four or five hours, with no real advantage emerging. A similar fight was developing further down the field, as Kawasaki Diablo, Shell Endurance Academy, Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se and the Sapeurs Pompiers team chased sixth place. Fagersjo-el succumbed to an electrical fault which led to their retirement after a long push-in for Paul Young. The other continued trading places until the closing minutes of the race, with Sapeurs Pompiers finishing sixth, Shell Endurance Academy seventh and Diablo eighth. Yamaha Phase One seemed set for a sure fourth place until the final hour when suspected engine problems brought them into the pits for a diagnostic check and then in again to cool the bike, allowing Bolliger Kawasaki through to take fourth. Suzuki No Limits & RT Motor Team finished in ninth place, just ahead of fellow Italians Suzuki Fabi Corse. The win for Suzuki Castrol has allowed them to stretch out a 19 point advantage in the championship standings. The next round of the championship is the Suzuka 8 hours on July 31st. Press Conference Quotes: Vincent Philippe Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “In the first relay it was quite difficult to go past Folch Endurance, and I was thinking of the championship and not just this one race. This is a very good result for us in the championship.” Keiichi Kitagawa Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “We must do something special for the Suzuka 8 Hour race, because the level of competition there is very high. We hope to get a special engine from the Suzuki factory, and I will be competing in the Suzuka 300km race next month with Vincent Philippe for preparation.” Daniel Ribalta Yamaha Folch 2nd Place “We had competed in the Spanish championship here two weeks ago, so it was easy to get into a fast rythmn at the start fo the race. It was important for us to get a good result here, and not just lead in the first hour.” Thomas Hinterreiter Yamaha Austria 3rd Place: “Right now I feel okay, but in the race it was very difficult. I have an injury in my wrist and in my foot, so it was very hard doing back-to-back relays with Gwen Provisional Top Ten Finishers 1st 2 – Suzuki Castrol Team FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 Philippe, Kitagawa, 299 laps 2nd 23 Yamaha Folch Endurance SPA Yamaha YZF-R1 Ribalta, Noyes, Cabana, 296 laps 3rd 7 – Yamaha Austria 7 AUT Yamaha YZF-R1 Giabbani, Hinterreiter, 294 laps 4th 8 Kawasaki Bolliger Team SUI Kawasaki ZX10R Kellenberger, Morillon, Mizera, 293 laps 5th 3 Yamaha Phase One Endurance GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Cudlin, Notman, Nowland, 288 laps 6th 112 Suzuki Sapeurs Pompiers FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 Molinier, Pialoux, Grelaud, 287 laps 7th 6 Yamaha Shell Endurance Academy GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Rohtlaan, Wylie, Hogan, +0:03.2 8th 666 Kawasaki Diablo 666 GBR Kawasaki ZX10R Mizera, Hutchins, Falcke, + 1:01.6 9th 44 No Limits & RT Motor Team ITA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 Ruozi, De Matteis, Giachino, 284 laps 10th 51 Suzuki Fabi Corse ITA Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Monot, Vieira, Lalavee, 282 laps Fastest Lap: Suzuki Castrol Vincent Philippe 1:33.660, 136.028km/h More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Suzuki Castrol has won the Albacete 8 Horas and increased their lead in the five-round world Endurance series to 19 points. GSX-R1000-mounted Vincent Philippe and Keiichi Kitagawa clinched their second win of the year at the night race, which finished at 2am local time in Spain. The SERT team – fastest in practice and qualifying – led from the start and were never seriously challenged during their winning 299 laps, three more than second-placed Yamaha Folch Endurance 23 and six ahead of Yamaha Austria 7 in third place.. Said Philippe: “In the first relay it was quite difficult to get past Folch Endurance and I was thinking of the championship and not just this one race. This is a very good result for us in the championship.” Team mate Kitagawa added: “We must do something special for the next round, Suzuka 8 Hour race, because the level of competition there is very high. We hope to get a special engine from the Suzuki factory and I will be competing in the Suzuka 300km race next month with Vincent Philippe for preparation.” The first hour saw a battle for honour between Suzuki Castrol and local heroes Folch Endurance, as Philippe and Folch rider Daniel Ribalta swapped the lead repeatedly. Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani settled into a comfortable third place while Kawasaki Bolliger and Yamaha Phase One Endurance fought for fourth position. The first round of pit stops allowed Suzuki Castrol to break away and build up a lead over the rest of the field, a lead which they extended hour by hour through the race. Folch Endurance and Yamaha Austria continued to trade places for the next five hours. A similar fight was developing further down the field, as Kawasaki Diablo, Shell Endurance Academy, Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se and the Sapeurs Pompiers team chased sixth place. Fagersjo-el suffered an electrical fault which led to their retirement after a long push-in for Paul Young. The others continued swapping places until the closing minutes of the race, with Sapeurs Pompiers finishing sixth, Shell Endurance Academy seventh and Diablo eighth. Yamaha Phase One seemed set for a sure fourth place until the final hour when suspected engine problems brought them into the pits for a diagnostic check and then in again to cool the bike down which allowed Bolliger Kawasaki through to take the position. Suzuki No Limits & RT Motor Team finished in ninth place, just ahead of fellow Italians Suzuki Fabi Corse. Results: 1st: Suzuki Castrol Team – FRA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Philippe, Kitagawa, 299 laps. 2nd: Yamaha Folch Endurance 23 – SPA – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Ribalta, Noyes, Cabana, 296 laps. 3rd: Yamaha Austria 7 – AUT – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Giabbani, Hinterreiter, 294 laps. 4th: Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Kellenberger, Morillon, Mizera, 293 laps. 5th: Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Cudlin, Notman, Nowland, 288 laps. 6th: Suzuki Sapeurs Pompiers – FRA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Molinier, Pialoux, Grelaud, 287 laps. 7th: Yamaha Shell Endurance Academy – GBR – (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Rohtlaan, Wylie, Hogan, +0:03.2. 8th: Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Mizera, Hutchins, Falcke, + 1:01.6. 9th: No Limits & RT Motor Team – ITA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Ruozi, De Matteis, Giachino, 284 laps. 10th: Suzuki Fabi Corse – ITA – (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Monot, Vieira, Lalavee, 282 laps. Fastest Lap: Suzuki Castrol – Vincent Philippe – 1:33.660, 136.028km/h. Championship Points (after 2 of 5 rounds): 1 Suzuki Castrol 55, 2 Bolliger Team Switzerland 36, 3 Yamaha Austria Racing Team 30, 4 Diablo 666 Bolliger 26, 5 Yamaha Phase One Endurance 26, 6 Folch Endurance 23 24, 7 Shell Endurance Academy 20, 8 No Limits 44 – Team Marchetti 13, 9 Sapeurs Pompiers 18 12, 10 Team Fagersjo-el.se 10.

Updated Post: Mladin Takes AMA Superbike Pole Position At PPIR

Provisional AMA Superbike Qualifying Results: 1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 54.433 seconds 2. Eric Bostrom, Ducati, 54.560 seconds 3. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 54.664 seconds 4. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 54.894 seconds 5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 54.960 seconds 6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 54.089 seconds 7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki, 55.094 seconds 8. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.152 seconds 9. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 55.208 seconds 10. Larry Pegram, Honda, 55.302 seconds 11. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 55.614 seconds 12. Mark Ledesma, Honda, 55.896 seconds 13. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.912 seconds 14. Marty Craggill, Suzuki, 55.996 seconds 15. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 56.254 seconds 16. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.288 seconds 17. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki, 56.329 seconds 18. Jeremy Toye, Honda, 56.391 seconds 19. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.492 seconds 20. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.589 seconds 21. Cory West, Suzuki, 56.645 seconds 22. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.672 seconds 23. Dan Turner, Suzuki, 56.795 seconds 24. Jeff Tigert, Honda, 56.879 seconds 25. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.943 seconds 26. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.067 seconds 27. Mike Sullivan, Suzuki, 57.179 seconds 28. Heath Small, Yamaha, 57.398 seconds 29. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki, 57.425 seconds 30. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.621 seconds 31. Scott Jensen, Suzuki, 57.720 seconds 32. C.R. Gittere, Suzuki, 57.816 seconds 33. Brad Hendry, Yamaha, 57.819 seconds 34. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 58.544 seconds 35. Reno Karimian, Suzuki, 58.555 seconds 36. James Kerker, Honda, 58.642 seconds Qualifying Cut-off: 110% of fast time = 59.876 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Yoshimura Suzuki rider Mat Mladin will start tomorrow’s AMA Superbike round at Pikes Peak International Raceway in pole position. Five-time AMA Champion Mladin recorded a time of 54.433 seconds on his GSX-R1000 at the Fountain, Colorado circuit to head Eric Bostrom by 120ths of a second with Mladin’s team mate Ben Spies third on 54.894. Third Yoshimura rider Aaron Yates posted fifth-quickest time behind Neil Hodgson. More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin: BOSTROM AND HODGSON ON THE FRONT ROW IN COLORADO Fountain, Colorado, May 21: Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson will start Sunday’s AMA Superbike race from the front row after an exciting final qualifying session. Bostrom, last year’s race winner on a Ducati 999, will start second after his lap of 54.560. Hodgson, at his first time ever at the track, was fourth despite learning a difficult circuit in just two short sessions, both of which were interrupted by red flags. Neil’s lap time was 54.894, set in the blistering Colorado sun. Eric Bostrom continued his annual Pikes Peak mastery in Saturday’s qualifying session. “I’m happy with the lap that put us in second place on the day. We’re still chasing a few things, but we have the bike a lot easier to ride for 48 laps here,” said Bostrom, five-time winner of Pikes Peak AMA Superbike races. Eric feels the weather will still be the wild card, as the track temperature could be much kinder for the Dunlop tires in Sunday’s race. “Tomorrow will really be the indication. The weather might be a lot cooler, so that could change everything. Racing in the heat just makes everything more vague. It’s the same for everyone, though. The team has worked hard and we’ve really made some progress at the last few races. I’m much more happy with the bike this year than I was last year when I won.” Hodgson showed his mettle when he rallied to set a lap worthy of the front row. Neil had never turned a wheel at Pikes Peak before today and was 11th in morning practice, but the former British and World Superbike champion figured out the fast way to get his powerful Ducati 999 around the tricky PPIR speed bowl. “I was well pleased to be on the front row,” said the Isle of Man resident. “I was hoping not to be on the third row, to be honest. I’m a couple of days away from really being comfortable here, actually, so I’m happy with how things turned out so far. I’ve raced for a lot of years, but there’s no corner like turn one here at the tracks I’ve been.” Team engineer Luca Ferraccioli spoke of the team’s performance in the 95 degree Colorado weather. “We’re very happy with both the riders in qualifying as Eric and Neil are on the front row. Eric is unbelievably fast here but we’re also pleased with Neil, too. He had just 45 minutes on the track this morning and that wasn’t enough to learn the track his first time here. We were a bit worried about his position but he did a very good job in qualifying. Neil is very professional in his approach to racing.” Tomorrow’s 48-lap Superbike race begins at 3:30 PM local time. Qualifying Results: 1. Mladin (Suzuki) 54.433, 2. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 54.560, 3. Spies (Suzuki) 54.664, 4. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 54.894, 5. Yates (Suzuki) 54.960, 6. DuHamel, (Honda) 55.089

Updated Post: Zemke Breaks Lap Record, Takes AMA Formula Xtreme Pole Position At Pikes Peak

Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Results: 1. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 55.036 seconds 2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 55.223 seconds 3. Ben Attard, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 55.690 seconds 4. Chris Peris, Yamaha YZF-R6, 56.005 seconds 5. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.172 seconds 6. Danny Eslick, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.453 seconds 7. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 56.674 seconds 8. Ty Howard, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.114 seconds 9. Robert Jensen, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.496 seconds 10. Ryan Andrews, Ducati 749R, 57.513 seconds 11. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.761 seconds 12. Nicky Moore, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.790 seconds 13. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.909 seconds 14. Heath Small, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.300 seconds 15. Ricky Orlando, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 58.595 seconds 16. Tim Knutson, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.638 seconds 17. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.777 seconds 18. Justin Filice, Honda CBR600RR, 58.842 seconds 19. Nathan Hester, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.956 seconds 20. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.990 seconds 21. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki GSX-R600, 59.252 seconds 22. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha YZF-R6, 59.367 seconds 23. Leslie Gerber, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 59.536 seconds 24. David Ebben, Buell XB12R, 59.550 seconds 25. Brian Destarac, Yamaha YZF-R6, 59.646 seconds 26. Pedro Bravo, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 59.839 seconds 27. David Lambert, Suzuki GSX-R600, 61.159 seconds 28. Jason Mathiason, Yamaha YZF-R6, 61.447 seconds 29. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 61.546 seconds 30. Walt Sipp, Buell XB9R, 62.007 seconds More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: MAY AND BARNES QUALIFY IN COLORADO Team M4 EMGO Suzuki had little time to regroup from the difficult race weekend in Sonoma, CA, returning to the racetrack less than a week later at Pikes Peak International Raceway near Fountain, Colorado, for the fifth stop on the 2005 AMA roadracing calendar. With this weekend’s racing at PPIR fit into a compact two-day schedule, the team had to work flat-out to get up to speed as quickly as possible. That was particularly true in the case of Michael Barnes, making his debut with team filling in for the injured Vincent Haskovec. Despite the late nature of his entry and the short race weekend, Barnes put in a remarkable performance on Saturday, posting qualifying times that earned him second row grid positions in both Formula Xtreme and Superstock despite a fall that caused him to only attempt a minimum number of laps. Barnes qualified fifth aboard the team’s Pirelli-shod GSX-R600 FX racer with a best time of 56.172 around the tight 1.315-mile circuit. The Floridian further impressed by posting a 55.531 in Superstock, sixth fastest in a class he didn’t even plan on racing this weekend prior to Friday’s promoter practice. Crew Chief Keith Perry commented, “I thought Mike did extremely well today, especially on the 1000, which he had never ridden before he got here yesterday. He’s adapted to it pretty well and he’s likes the bike. We couldn’t ask for anything better than what he did in qualifying.” Unfortunately, Barnes suffered a crash on Saturday and was shaken up. He’s being checked out tonight by medical personnel and his status for Sunday is still to be determined. Speaking about whether or not Barnes will likely race in both classes tomorrow, Perry said, “We’ll see how his little bang-up is treating him tomorrow. I think if the weather is like they are predicting it, it would be a plus for him riding both races. He initially was only going to ride the GSX-R 600 until he got on the 1000 yesterday. He went so well and liked it so much, we decided to continue on. I think the main thing is to see how he feels tomorrow and we’ll go from there. There is a break between the two races and it looks to me likely he’ll run both.” Geoff May enjoyed a strong day as well, qualifying his GSX-R600 Supersport bike on the second row. The Georgian registered a best time of 56.646 to set the seventh best time in Supersport qualifying. His lap was second fastest among Suzuki-mounted riders, trailing only the factory GSX-R600. May then broke into the 55s aboard his GSX-R1000 Superstock machine, posting a 55.999. The time was the eleventh best of the session, good enough to put him on the third row for tomorrow’s 60k race. Perry said of May’s day, “We’re just sorting out some set-up issues with Geoff’s bike, but he’s coming along. He’s gaining confidence in what we’re doing and getting the bike to do what he wants it to do.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will finish out the Pikes Peak International Raceway weekend tomorrow with 29-lap finals in Formula Xtreme, Supersport, and Superstock.

Two-for-two: DiSalvo Also Takes AMA Superstock Pole Position At PPIR

Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 54.613 seconds 2. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 54.787 seconds 3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 54.834 seconds 4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.131 seconds 5. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.313 seconds 6. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 55.531 seconds 7. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 55.548 seconds 8. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 55.666 seconds 9. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 55.689 seconds 10. John Haner, Suzuki, 55.894 seconds 11. Geoff May, Suzuki, 55.999 seconds 12. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.175 seconds 13. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.299 seconds 14. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.472 seconds 15. Brent George, Suzuki, 56.818 seconds 16. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 56.978 seconds 17. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 57.071 seconds 18. Akira Tamitsuji, Suzuki, 57.311 seconds 19. Blake Young, Suzuki, 57.662 seconds 20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 57.707 seconds 21. Reno Karimian, Suzuki, 58.337 seconds 22. Christopher Ancein, Suzuki, 58.381 seconds 23. Sean Fey, Suzuki, 58.654 seconds 24. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 58.793 seconds 25. Premel Glinz, Suzuki, 58.919 seconds 26. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, 59.023 seconds 27. Montez Stewart, Suzuki, 59.070 seconds 28. M. Ivan Garza, Suzuki, 59.390 seconds 29. Brad Puetz, Suzuki, 59.580 seconds 30. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki, 62.139 seconds 31. David Littlebrook, Suzuki, 64.518 seconds

DiSalvo Takes AMA Supersport Pole Position At Pikes Peak

Provisional AMA Supersport Qualifying Times: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 55.609 seconds 2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 55.950 seconds 3. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 56.193 seconds 4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 56.201 seconds 5. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 56.268 seconds 6. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 56.398 seconds 7. Geoff May, Suzuki, 56.646 seconds 8. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 56.802 seconds 9. Chris Peris, Yamaha, 56.809 seconds 10. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 56.868 seconds 11. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 57.194 seconds 12. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 57.289 seconds 13. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 57.517 seconds 14. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 57.934 seconds 15. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 58.364 seconds 16. Blake Young, Suzuki, 58.377 seconds 17. Jimmy Wood, Kawasaki, 58.485 seconds 18. Barrett Long, Yamaha, 58.523 seconds 19. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 58.623 seconds 20. Martin Sims, Yamaha, 59.113 seconds 21. Tamer Kekhia, Yamaha, 59.196 seconds 22. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 59.398 seconds 23. Chris Siebenhaar, Honda, 59.504 seconds 24. Johnny Rock Page, Yamaha, 59.587 seconds 25. Justin Filice, Honda, 59.659 seconds 26. Greg Greenwood, Yamaha, 59.736 seconds 27. Chad Rolland, Yamaha, 59.755 seconds 28. Tristan Schoenewald, Honda, 59.782 seconds 29. David Lambert, Kawasaki, 59.804 seconds 30. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Yamaha, 60.127 seconds 31. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, 60.242 seconds 32. Shannon Moham, Honda, 60.869 seconds 33. Tyler Jones, Kawasaki, 61.052 seconds 34. M. Ivan Garza, Suzuki, 61.144 seconds 35. Eugene Bazyl, Yamaha, 61.223 seconds

Microburst Causes Red Flag, Wrecks Havoc On Pit Lane During AMA Superbike Practice At PPIR

A mini-tornado, or microburst, wrecked havoc on pit lane during Friday morning AMA Superbike practice at Pikes Peak International Raceway. The sudden burst of localized high winds (which are common to the area just east of the Rocky Mountains) ripped canopies from their securing weights, and other smaller, unsecured items, and blew them across pit lane and onto the front straightaway, forcing the session to be stopped. Torn canopies and broken canopy frames were seen up and down pit lane, after the windstorm, and several people were hit with flying debris, including Lion Racing Suzuki’s John Haner. “I was standing on pit road, holding onto our canopy, when something blue came into the corner of my eye and hit me hard. It hooked my (right) shoulder and flung me,” said Haner, who was thrown 30 feet by another team’s blowing canopy and frame, according to witnesses. Haner complained of pain in his right shoulder after the incident and went to the infield care center to have it checked out. The preliminary diagnosis, according to Haner, was a strained rotator cuff. Haner rode later in the re-started Superbike session but said his shoulder was hindering him.

Mladin Quickest In First AMA Superbike Practice At Pikes Peak

Provisional Saturday Morning AMA Superbike Practice Times: 1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 55.395 seconds 2. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 55.511 seconds 3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 55.711 seconds 4. Jake Zemke, Honda, 55.831 seconds 5. Eric Bostrom, Ducati, 55.832 seconds 6. Marty Craggill, Suzuki, 56.071 seconds 7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki, 56.121 seconds 8. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 56.147 seconds 9. John Haner, Suzuki, 56.157 seconds 10. Larry Pegram, Honda, 56.165 seconds 11. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 56.273 seconds 12. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 56.332 seconds 13. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 56.431 seconds 14. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 56.541 seconds 15. Mark Ledesma, Honda, 56.603 seconds 16. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 56.718 seconds 17. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 56.911 seconds 18. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 56.958 seconds 19. Brent George, Suzuki, 57.075 seconds 20. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 57.107 seconds