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Spies captures second Superbike Championship |
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Posted by Staff
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Monday, 17 September 2007 |
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies captured his second AMA Superbike Championship in a row after
winning the final round of the series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday afternoon.
Although Spies led the championship points chase for most of the year, he went into the final
Laguna Seca round behind by three points. Defending AMA Superbike Champion Spies won the
pole position and the race, however, taking the title over his teammate Mat Mladin by one point.
Six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin finished a close second behind Spies, Jordan Suzuki’s
Aaron Yates rounded out the all-Suzuki podium with third place and Yoshimura Suzuki teammate
Tommy Hayden brought home a solid seventh-place result. Newly crowned Spies’ victory also
belongs to the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, which won all 19 AMA Superbike races this year – the
first time a manufacturer has accomplished this feat.
Ben Spies:
“We came into 2007 looking to win two championships – Superstock and Superbike – and I told myself I
wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than that. We got the Superstock title in Atlanta and now we won
the Superbike Championship. I’d like to thank Yoshimura Suzuki and my crew for working hard all year
and for giving me a great bike to race in the GSX-R1000. With this win, I feel like a weight has been lifted
off my shoulders. At the beginning of the race, I thought about the fact that we only had 45 minutes left in
the season. I knew it was time to get it done.”
Mat Mladin:
“Ben was stronger all weekend and I knew it. He got a chance to get by me and I didn’t so much as pass
him back as get sucked in. I had a few problems with lappers and Ben had put his head down. I did
everything I could but in the end we just weren’t fast enough today. Now I’m looking forward to the off-season
to try and pick up my pace a little more and see if we can give it another shot next year.”
Aaron Yates:
“I got a decent start on the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 but Mat and Ben were already pulling away.
We’ve been struggling all weekend in the first six to eight laps. It takes a little while to get the bike
to work like I need it. But then I put my head down and the bike was getting better and I was able
to get into third place and bring it home.”
Tommy Hayden:
“Today’s race was all right. I was working my way up in the race and ended up seventh. My times
on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 were better than we’ve been running. Hopefully, in the off-season
I can get healthy again and come back strong next year.”
from The Creative Works
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