The AMA Superbike Series Championship picks back up on April 18-20 at
Barber Motorsports Park, located just outside of Birmingham, Ala., for
the second stop on the 2008 calendar.
Second Season Opener
After the high banks of Daytona, Barber Motorsports Park marks the first
traditional road course on the schedule and the first of eight Superbike
doubleheader weekends. In addition, the top teams take advantage of a
six-week layoff following the Daytona opener for extensive testing and
development at Barber. As a result, this week’s races at Barber
Motorsports Park are viewed by many as something of a second season
opener.
Motorsports Enthusiast Paradise
Barber Motorsports Park is a favorite among competitors and fans alike.
The undulating 2.38-mile course wraps back upon itself multiple times,
creating both spectacular sightlines and tight racing.
The meticulously maintained circuit opened in the fall of 2003 and
represents a dream project come to life for George W. Barber Jr., a
former sports car racer and founder of a local dairy business that bears
his name.
In addition to the racing facilities, the Barber Vintage Motorsports
Museum is also located on the site. The museum boasts one of the largest
and most renowned collections in the world, totaling more than 900
vintage and modern motorcycles.
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PARTS UNLIMITED
BMP History
Aaron Yates won the first-ever AMA Superbike race at Barber Motorsports
Park, winning on the last Saturday of the 2003 season. In the second
race of this doubleheader, Kurtis Roberts was victorious in the season
finale the following day.
Mat Mladin and Miguel DuHamel split the honors in 2004 while Mladin
(’05 and ’07) and his Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki teammate, Ben
Spies (’06) have traded double wins ever since.
Suzuki Streaking
In addition to claiming the last six races in Alabama, the factory
Suzuki team carries a 28-race AMA Superbike win streak into the BMP
weekend. In fact, the current generation GSX-R1000, introduced prior to
the start of the 2007 season, is still undefeated in AMA competition,
sweeping all of last year’s races, and claiming the ’08 openers, in
Superbike and Superstock.
History in the Making
Six-time AMA Superbike champion Mladin increased his all-time records,
taking both poles and wins at the Daytona season opener, upping his
career mark in qualifying to 53 and victories to 64.
The Australian swept both races the last time the series traveled to
Barber Motorsports Park, but he had to overcome an intense challenge
from Spies both times out, crossing the stripe less than a second ahead
of the reigning Superbike champion in each 28-lap, 100k final.
DiSalvo on the Box
Despite coming up short of his goal of attaining a Superbike podium in
his rookie campaign, Yamaha USA’s Jason DiSalvo didn’t take long to
do the trick in his sophomore season, finishing third at Daytona.
The New Yorker will be eager to repeat the feat as quickly as possible
but can’t expect it to be too easy in Alabama with a number of other
gifted pilots fighting to get in the top three as well, led by former
Barber winner and ’07 BMP double-podium finisher Miguel DuHamel.
AMA PRO HONDA OILS SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY SHOEI
Youth and Experience
Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s combination of youth and experience came
together to produce a remarkable 1-2 finish in the Supersport season
opener.
Former AMA Superbike champ Ben Bostrom kicked off his first full-time
Supersport title push in a decade by winning at Daytona International
Speedway. The former World Superbike ace narrowly defeated his teenaged
teammate, Josh Herrin, to do so, edging the up-and-coming 17-year-old by
a scant 0.012 seconds at the checkered flag.
Both riders have proven to be quick in Alabama, with Bostrom finishing
third in last year’s Superstock final and Herrin taking the runner-up
spot in the Supersport race.
Gutsy Performance
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden opened his class title
defense with a heroic ride at Daytona, bouncing back from a Superbike
qualifying crash that left him with torn ligaments and chipped bones in
his left wrist to fight for the lead and ultimately claim third at
Daytona.
Hayden won the Supersport final at Barber Motorsports Park in 2006.
Don’t Forget Last Year’s Winner
Erion Honda star Josh Hayes swept the 600cc classes at BMP in ’07,
winning both the Supersport and Formula Xtreme finals in convincing
fashion.
AMA FORMULA XTREME SERIES
Back for the Attack
Attack Kawasaki teammates Chaz Davies and Steve Rapp gave the team
its second consecutive Daytona 200 1-2 finish last month. Like Rapp the
year before, UK resident Davies, won the prestigious race in his debut
outing for the California-based squad.
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Last season Rapp backed up his Daytona triumph with a podium result at
Barber. Davies, meanwhile, failed to finish in his first trip to
Alabama.
Out for Redemption (Again)
Last season double FX king Josh Hayes made up for his Daytona
disappointment by dominating the BMP weekend, claiming the pole position
and winning the Formula Xtreme race going away.
Hayes finds himself in a similar position this season after the
Mississippian saw his picture-perfect ride at Daytona to an apparent
victory erased due to a disqualification following the post-race tech
inspection.
Zemke Back in the Hunt
Hayes’ teammate, Jake Zemke, is once again a FX contender after a
two-year stint spent focused almost exclusively on the Superbike class.
The Californian won his most recent two races in the class at Barber
Motorsports Park, claiming victory in both 2004 and 2005.
AMA SUPERSTOCK SERIES PRESENTED BY DYNOJET
Yates Remains the Favorite
Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates is a standout performer at Barber
Motorsports Park, having claimed the track’s first-ever Superbike win
and taken the last two Superstock victories at the circuit.
The Georgian comes into the event already on an early-season roll after
opening the year with a pole and win in the Superstock class at Daytona.
Young Gun
Blake Young made an impressive debut for Team M4 EMGO Suzuki in the
’08 season opener, finishing a close second to Yates, taking the
checkered flag just 0.112 seconds behind his vastly more experienced
rival. The runner-up result was the first AMA podium of the young
Wisconsin native’s career.
Young also took a top-five result in the Supersport season opener,
adding to his head-turning first weekend with the highly-successful
outfit.
Coverage on SPEED TV
Both rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts
Unlimited from Birmingham will be telecast nationally on SPEED. The
races will be shown back to back on Sunday, April 20 starting with
Saturday’s race at 3:00 pm Eastern followed by Sunday’s race
broadcast at 5:00 pm.
The AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei will
be airing at 4:00 pm on Sunday April 20. Coverage of AMA Formula Xtreme
and AMA Superstock presented by Dynojet begins at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April
22.
Tickets
Tickets for the April 18-20, 2008, Honda Superbike Classic are available
online at www.barbermotorsports.com
or by calling (800) 240-2300.