Suzuki’s Spies, Mladin Set Stage for Epic

AMA Superbike Battle in Sonoma, May 16-18

SONOMA, Calif. (April 29, 2008) — Suzuki riders Ben Spies and Mat Mladin have set the stage for what should be an epic battle on the twisting road course at Infineon Raceway at the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, May 16-18.

Spies, who missed testing time after Daytona (Fla.) following knee surgery, swept this past weekend’s Superbike doubleheader at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, narrowing his deficit in the Superbike points standings to 20 (178-158) entering Sonoma.

Spies’ victory in the 28-lap feature on Sunday was thrilling, as he took the checkers over his Suzuki teammate by just 0.011 seconds. Mladin, a six-time AMA Superbike national champion who holds the career mark with eight Superbike wins in Sonoma, led the entire race before being overtaken by Spies on the final lap in what amounted to a photo finish.

The victory came in stark difference from the first Superbike feature of the weekend on Saturday as Spies won by more than 20 seconds. Mladin had opened the season with a win at Daytona, as well as a doubleheader sweep in Alabama.

Both riders have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at Infineon Raceway.  Mladin has eight Superbike wins in Sonoma, while Spies has won twice in Superbike (sweep in 2006), as well as once in Supersport (2004), Superstock (2007) and Formula Xtreme (2003).

San Francisco native Jake Zemke (Erion Honda) will also enter Sonoma flying high after winning the Formula Xtreme main event in Fontana. Teammate Josh Hayes, who swept Formula Xtreme and Supersport in Sonoma in 2007, was second.

Zemke nearly won the Pro Honda Oils Supersport feature but came up just short to another Bay Area product, Ben Bostrom (Petaluma High School graduate). Bostrom took the win over Zemke by just 0.079 seconds aboard his Graves Motorsports Yamaha. Steve Rapp, a graduate of Acalanes High School in the East Bay, was fourth in Formula Xtreme and ninth in Supersport riding a Kawasaki.

For tickets to the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, call 800-870-RACE or visit ww.infineonraceway.com. Parking is FREE all weekend, and children 12-and-under are also FREE all weekend