Damon Buckmaster shot out front, built a lead and sat on it to win the 10-lap Formula Xtreme race at Road America on a Graves Yamaha YZF-R1/R7. Buckmaster crossed the finish line 5.503 seconds ahead of Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s John Hopkins on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Aaron Gobert was third on another Graves Yamaha YZF-R1/Ry hybrid, another nine seconds behind, followed another three seconds back by Roger Hayden on a Bruce Transportation Group Honda just ahead of Tom Kipp on an Attack Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Results follow:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha
2. John Hopkins, Suzuki
3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha
4. Roger Hayden, Honda
5. Tom Kipp, Suzuki
6. Mark Miller, Honda
7. Josh Hayes, Honda
8. Grant Lopez, Suzuki
9. Chris Voelker, Honda
10. O. Richey


Mechanical DNF:
Jake Zemke, Honda
Rich Alexander, Suzuki



Points
1. Damon Buckmaster, 97 points
2. Aaron Gobert, 81
3. Grant Lopez, 78
4. John Hopkins, 68

By Glenn LeSanto
Australian Steve Martin emerged from the lower ranks of the Superbike order to qualify third for the afternoon’s Superpole session. Martin, a former Australian Superbike championship racer, rides for the semi-factory DFX Racing team from Italy. He’s the type of rider who likes to push the front really hard and, until this weekend, Pirelli have struggled to find a tire to match this very aggressive style. But now they’ve come up with the goods and Martin looks set to impress in Sunday’s race.

Above Martin in the order it’s business as usual with Corser qualifying on provisional pole in front of Troy Bayliss in second. Neil Hodgson, fresh from a win at Donington, lifted himself up the timesheet late in the session to take fourth. The qualifying was interrupted when Johann Wolfsteiner crashed his Remus Kawasaki heavily on the final corner. His bike flew into several parts and spread itself across the track, forcing the organisers to wave red flag. When the action resumed, defending champion Colin Edwards had obviously lost his concentration as he also lost the front end of his Honda and crashed – only two minutes after the restart.

Fuchs Kawasaki rider and All Japan Superbike competitor Hitoyasu Izutsu had a good day at the office, beating the two regular Kawasaki riders – and Colin Edwards, to qualify in provisional fifth place. Izutsu is only riding in a
selection of the WSBK events, in between defending his All Japan Superbike title. His team mates, Gregorio Lavilla and Akira Yanagawa qualified in ninth and 13th respectively. With only just more than half a second between the top 10 qualifiers Sunday’s race looks set to be a close one.

World Superbike
Lausitzring, Germany
Final qualifying times

Rider, nationality, manufacturer, fastest time
1.Troy Corser, AUS, Aprilia, 1:40.212
2.Troy Bayliss, AUS, Ducati, 1:40.384
3.Steve Martin, AUS, Ducati, 1:40.466
4.Neil Hodgson, AUS, Ducati, 1:40.535
5.Hitoyasu Izutsu, JPN, Kawasaki, 1:40.653
6.Colin Edwards, USA, Honda, 1:40.667
7.Regis Laconi, FRA, Aprilia, 1:40.750
8.Ruben Xaus, ESP, Ducati, 1:40.855
9.Gregorio Lavilla, ESP, Kawasaki, 1:40.856
10.Tady Okada, JPN, Honda, 1:40.870
11.Pierfrancesco Chili, ITA, Suzuki, 1:40.977
12.Stephan Chambon, FRA, Suzuki, 1:41.032
13.Akira Yanagawa, JPN, Kawasaki, 1:41.242
14.Robert Ulm, AUT, Ducati, 1:41.528
15.Ben Bostrom, USA, Ducati, 1:41.537
16.Marty Craggill, AUS, Ducati, 1:41.587

All the above qualify for Superpole.

A new section of Air Fence deployed at Road America may have saved Superbike racer James Doerfler from serious injury Saturday, June 9 at Road America. Doerfler appeared to be attempting to overtake another rider on the outside through the turn 11 area on the first lap of Saturday’s Superbike race when he lost the front end and crashed. Doerfler followed his Suzuki into the inflatable safety devices positioned in front of a wall on the outside of “The Kink”, a turn that was previously typically shielded by haybales.

The crash sent one end of the piece of Air Fence rebounding out onto the track, where Chuck Allen hit it and crashed. It’s unknown at post time if the Air Fence was properly secured to the wall behind it.

The race was stopped to give AMA officials a chance to repair and redeploy the Air Fence.

Meanwhile, Doerfler was transported to the local hospital for precautionary X-rays. According to Road America Communications Director Cheryl Barnes, Doerfler was expected to be treated and released.

In 1999, Fast By Ferracci Ducati Superbike rider Matt Wait crashed in exactly the same spot and was helicoptered away with a broken neck.

1. Anthony Gobert, 2:09.471, Yamaha YZF-R7
2. Mat Mladin, 2:09.715, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Jamie Hacking, 2:10.229, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. Nicky Hayden, 2:10.636, Honda RC51
5. Aaron Yates, 2:10.708, Suzuki GSX-R750
6. Kurtis Roberts, 2:10.832, Honda RC51
7. Tommy Hayden, 2:10.903, Yamaha YZF-R7
8. Doug Chandler, 2:11.121, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
9. Eric Bostrom, 2:11.228, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
10. Miguel Duhamel, 2:11.312, Honda RC51
11. Larry Pegram, 2:11.954, Ducati 996
12. Andy Meklau, 2:12.431, Ducati 996
13. Steve Rapp, 2:12.493, Ducati 996
14. Pascal Picotte, 2:13.019, H-D VR1000
15. Mike Smith, 2:14.506, H-D VR1000
16. Jordan Szoke, 2:15.459, H-D VR1000
17. Ben Spies, 2:16.786, Suzuki GSX-R750
18. Vincent Haskovec, 2:17.933, Suzuki GSX-R750
19. Randall Mennenga, 2:24.904, Suzuki GSX-R750
20. James Doerfler, 2:25.777, Suzuki GSX-R750

By Glenn LeSanto

Defending Sidecar World Champion Steve Webster made it four Superpole victories from five today at Lausitzring in Germany. Although he’s had a difficult year he’s proved again in qualifying that he still has that old Webbo magic – his time was over one second faster than second place in Superpole, and title leader, Klaus Klaffenbock. Without the engine troubles he suffered at Monza, and then the disappointment of having to withdraw from the race while leading at Donington, he might have been leading the title.

Webbo’s passenger Paul Woodhead has been suffering from cartilage problems in his right knee, which forced him out at Donington during the race when the knee locked – stopping Woodhead from climbing around the sidecar.

Webster’s teammate last year, Jorg Steinhausen, was third fastest while Steve Abbott, who lies second in the title race, qualified in fourth in Superpole.

World Superside Championship
Lausitzring
Superpole result

1.Webster – Woodhead, GBR, 1:46.083
2.Klaffenbock – Parzer, AUT, 1:47.252
3.Steinhausen – Hopkinson, GER, 1:48.122
4.Abbott – Biggs, GBR, 1:48.468
5.Hanks – Biggs, GBR, 1:50.006
6.Guy – Peach, GBR, 1:51.694
7.Hemmerling – Kolsch, GER, 1:51.694
8.Hauzenberger – Hanni, AUT, 1:51.939

1. Kurtis Roberts, 2:16.345, Honda CBR600F4i
2. John Hopkins, 2:17.118, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Tommy Hayden, 2:17.316, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Miguel Duhamel, 2:17.407, Honda CBR600F4i
5. Aaron Yates, 2:17.535, Suzuki GSX-R600
6. Jamie Hacking, 2:17.677, Suzuki GSX-R600
7. Josh Hayes, 2:17.704, Honda CBR600F4i
8. Anthony Gobert, 2:17.799, Yamaha YZF-R6
9. Roger Lee Hayden, 2:19.072, Honda CBR600F4i
10. Aaron Gobert, 2:19.314, Yamaha YZF-R6
11. Tom Kipp, 2:19.495, Suzuki GSX-R600
12. Vincent Haskovec, 2:20.084, Suzuki GSX-R600
13. Daigoro Suzuki, 2:20.906, Kawasaki ZX-6R
14. Grant Lopez, 2:21.371, Suzuki GSX-R600
15. Jake Zemke, 2:21.444, Honda CBR600F4i
16. Tyler Wadsworth, 2:22.172, Yamaha YZF-R6
17. Eric Bostrom, 2:22.178, Kawasaki ZX-6R
18. Shawn Conrad, 2:22.430, Suzuki GSX-R600
19. Steve Patterson, 2:22.607, Suzuki GSX-R600
20. David Ortega, 2:23.234, Suzuki GSX-R600

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin went to the front and pulled away to win the first of two AMA Superbike races scheduled for this weekend at Road America. Mladin at one point led by over four seconds but eased up to cross the finish line 1.8 seconds ahead of battling Anthony Gobert and Jamie Hacking. Kurtis Roberts, who had been racing with Gobert and Hacking, crashed on lap 14 but remounted to cross the finish line 14th. Aaron Yates also contested for second early-on but faded back and finished sixth.

The race was red-flagged on the first lap due to a crash in the fast back-straight kink, and was completely restarted for 16 laps after a delay to repair and re-deploy Air Fence.

Mladin used a thin-gage Dunlop tire, which has less tread thickness to reduce heat buildup.

Results follow:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki
2. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha
3. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki
4. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda
6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki
7. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha
8. Miguel Duhamel, Honda
9. Doug Chandler, Kawasaki
10. Andy Meklau, Ducati
11. Larry Pegram, Ducati
12. Steve Rapp, Ducati
13. Kurtis Roberts, Honda
14. Mike Smith, Harley-Davidson
15. Pascal Picotte, Harley-Davidson
16. Jordan Szoke, Harley-Davidson
17. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki
18. Mauro Cereda, Suzuki, -1 lap
19. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki, -1 lap
20. John Jacobi, Suzuki, -1 lap


AMA Superbike Points
1. Mat Mladin, 174 points
2. Eric Bostrom, 137 points
3. Doug Chandler, 117 points
4. Aaron Yates, 115 points
5. TIE, Kurtis Roberts/Tommy Hayden, 114 points

Final Superbike Qualifying From Road America

1. Mat Mladin, 2:09.068, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Anthony Gobert, 2:09.089, Yamaha YZF-R7
3. Aaron Yates, 2:09.098, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. Jamie Hacking, 2:09.100, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Miguel Duhamel, 2:09.138, Honda RC51
6. Eric Bostrom, 2:09.187, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
7. Kurtis Roberts, 2:09.290, Honda RC51
8. Nicky Hayden, 2:09.990, Honda RC51
9. Tommy Hayden, 2:10.389, Yamaha YZF-R7
10. Andy Meklau, 2:10.786, Ducati 996
11. Larry Pegram, 2:10.788, Ducati 996
12. Doug Chandler, 2:11.013, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
13. Steve Rapp, 2:11.132, Ducati 996
14. Pascal Picotte, 2:12.070, H-D VR1000
15. Mike Smith, 2:12.600, H-D VR1000
16. Jordan Szoke, 2:13.546, H-D VR1000
17. Jimmy Moore, 2:14.930, Suzuki GSX-R750
18. Ben Spies, 2:16.265, Suzuki GSX-R750
19. Richie Alexander, 2:16.565, Suzuki GSX-R750
20. Vincent Haskovec, 2:17.430, Suzuki GSX-R750

Mat Mladin’s qualifying time from Friday afternoon’s session holds up to earn him the pole position for both Superbike races at Road America, is a new track record, and makes Mladin the all-time leader in AMA Superbike pole positions with 19.

By Glenn LeSanto
The Ten Kate Hondas of Pere Riba and Fabien Foret dominated today’s final qualifying for the World Supersport Championship race on Sunday. Both Riba and Foret have shown brilliant form all season, starting with a superb race win at the first round in Valencia for Riba. As the pair scorched to the top of the time sheet during Saturday’s qualifying session the competition literally fell away – third place qualifier Kevin Curtain crashed with only minutes to go, ruining his chance of a last gasp assault on the ‘Yellow Armada’ as the Ten Kate team is known.

There were jubilant scenes in the Ten Kate Honda garage as the two riders returned on their Honda CBR600FS (CBR600F4i in the U.S.) bikes.

“We worked very hard for this,” explained pole sitter Foret with a smile, “we’ve done loads of testing and it’s paid off. I am so happy for the team who have all contributed to this pole position. My mechanics, the Pirelli tires and the bike are all working perfectly.” But the 28-year-old Frenchman realizes that there’s still a race to be won. “I am already thinking about the race. Sure, the pole position is very important but the podium is even more so. But for us to qualify in first and second is very good for the team’s morale!”

His teammate Pere Riba was happy to have qualified second, especially as the only rider faster than him today was from his own team. But Riba was still a little disappointed, “I’m happy, I started from second on the grid at Valencia and won the race. But I am disappointed because I felt I could go faster.” The 31-year-old from Matadepera in Spain said he had been on a fast lap in the closing stages when he was held up for a couple of corners by a slower rider. “I knew it would have been my fastest lap of the session but I lost just a little time passing someone. But the most important thing is that the team is doing so well and that we have the bike and tyres well set up for the race on Sunday.”

Team manager Ronald ten Kate was also smiling, “It is a fantastic feeling!” he said. “But the podium is the most important goal and, while I am very pleased to be in the first two places for qualifying, I am even happier that we have been able to use this session to find a good set up for the race. Everything is working so well, the Pirelli tires, the White Power suspension and the Honda CBR600FS bikes.”

Kevin Curtain and Adam Fergusson, both Australians and both riding Hondas, complete the front row – making it an all Honda affair. It wasn’t a good session for the championship leader Paolo Casoli who qualified down in tenth. Karl Muggeridge, who’s running second in the title had a better day, he finished fifth fastest – and joined the top four in the 1 minute 43 second bracket. Vitto Guareschi, who has enjoyed several pole positions this season, saw his session ruined when he crashed out. An innocuous looking low-side turned into a spectacular crash when his bike burst into flames as it slid across the track. Marshals were quick on the scene and extinguished the flames – but ruined the engine in the process. The bike was still running and sucked in the foam, which dries up bearing surfaces on contact. All the Dienza Ducati team can do with the motor know is make an expensive
ornament from it!


Final World Supersport championship qualifying times:

1.Fabien Foret, France (Ten Kate Honda) 1:43.526
2.Pere Riba, Spain (Ten Kate Honda) 1:43.686
3.Kevin Curtain, Australia (Honda) 1:43.720,
4.Adam Fergusson, Australia (Honda) 1:43.765
5.Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Suzuki) 1:43.996
6.Jorg Teuchert, Germany (Yamaha) 1:44.140
7.Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 1:44.327
8.Piergiorgio Bontempi, Italy (Yamaha) 1:44.419
9.Christophe Cogan, France (Yamaha) 1:44.446
10.Paolo Casoli, Italy (Yamaha) 1:44.474

1. Rich Oliver, 2:17.376
2. Chuck Sorensen, 2:18.723
3. Jimmy Filice, 2:19.804
4. Perry Melneciuc, 2:21.273
5. Simon Turner, 2:22.616
6. Michael Hannas, 2:23.371
7. William Himmelsbach, 2:24.894
8. Ed Sorbo, 2:25.614
9. Ed Marchini, 2:25.745
10. Chris Pyles, 2:26.080
11. Cory West, 2:26.530
12. Bruce Lind, 2:28.024
13. Roy de Groot, 2:28.062
14. Shane Breeding, 2:28.133
15. John France, 2:28.808