Superbikes Return to Mid-Ohio for 24th Consecutive Showdown
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rebecca Ackford, 614-793-4620, rackford@midohio.com SUPERBIKES RETURN TO MID-OHIO FOR 24TH CONSECUTIVE SHOWDOWN DUBLIN, Ohio (August 2, 2006) - The AMA Superbike Championship returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the 24th consecutive season during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, August 4-6. Mid-Ohio will host rounds 13 and 14 of the 19-round AMA Superbike Championship. Competition will be fierce during the Wiseco Superbike 100 Doubleheaders as many of the best riders in the world will demonstrate why Mid-Ohio is considered "America's most competitive road course." In an event that is one of the best and most popular on the Mid-Ohio calendar, the competition is tight entering this year's event with defending Mid-Ohio Superbike champion Mat Mladin trailing sophomore Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Ben Spies by 34 points. Spies scored his eighth AMA Superbike victory of the season two weeks ago at Laguna Seca in convincing fashion, holding at least a three-second advantage throughout 29 laps of the race. Mladin, Spies' primary rival, struggled at Laguna finishing the race sixth overall. Mladin's finish and Spies' perfect race opened the gap between the two to its largest all season. With seven races remaining on the calendar, the pressure is on Mladin, the six-time series champion. Honda rider Miguel Duhamel is third in the Superbike points chase with four podium finishes this year. Ducati's Neil Hodgson and Kawasaki's Tommy Hayden, round out the top five with one podium finish each this season. Many of the support series championships could also be influenced at the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire event finishes. Enjoying a four-race winning streak coming to Mid-Ohio, Graves Yamaha's Jamie Hacking, the 2003 AMA Supersport champ, is looking to keep on top of the point standings and ahead of Kawasaki's Roger Lee Hayden. Hayden, who started off the year with back-to-back wins, broke his leg in April and will make his return to Mid-Ohio after finishing second in his first race back in action. Danny Eslick of the Matsushima Performance Suzuki team leads a close three-way battle for third in the standings with Attack Kawasaki's Ben Attard and M4/EMGO Suzuki's Geoff May. Jamie Hacking also reigns supreme in the Superstock Series. He is attempting to become only the second rider in history to win both the AMA Supersport and Superstock titles in the same season. At Mid-Ohio, Hacking will fend off Yoshimura Suzuki rider Aaron Yates, who is a two-time and defending Mid-Ohio Superstock winner. The Formula Xtreme class provides the closest action at the top of the championship with just eleven points separating leader Jason DiSalvo and third-place Eric Bostrom. Erion Racing Honda's Josh Hayes sits just between the two riders and is trying to keep the AMA Formula Xtreme title in the Honda camp. Yamaha's DiSalvo has been consistent all season, finishing on the podium in all but one race. Eric Bostrom is hot off a win at Laguna Seca and is the only rider among the top three who has won an AMA Formula Xtreme race at Mid-Ohio. Spectators wanting to get up close and personal with their favorite AMA Pro Racer also will enjoy the all-series autograph session on Saturday in the Honda Pavilion. Tickets and information for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com <http://www.midohio.com/> . Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire will be the fourth event on Mid-Ohio's eight-race 2006 schedule. Still to come is the Vintage Grand-Prix of Mid-Ohio (August 18-20), National Auto Sport Association Championships (September 15-17), AMA Road Race Grand Championships & AMA Motocross Manufacturers Cup (September 22-24) and the AMA Superbike Shootout (September 30-October 1). Tickets for all events are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com <http://www.midohio.com/> . Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Incorporated is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year. -30-