Mount Vernon News

Superbikes invade Mid-Ohio course

GAHANNA — The sound of cars racing around the track will be replaced with the loud roars of motorcycles as the AMA Superbike Championship Series hits the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Mid-Ohio is hosting the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, starting today and ending on Sunday.

Some of the top riders will compete for top honors in each of the Wiseco Superbike 100 Doubleheader races featured on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. 2006 champion Ben Spies of Yoshimura Suzuki leads teammate Mat Mladin in his chase for another title. Spies has won four in a row entering this weekend. American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel and Jake Zemke are in a battle for third place in the points standings with another Yoshimura Suzuki rider — Tommy Hayden.

“I was in third place in the points, but I had a DNF (did not finish) at the last race at Laguna Seca,” said Zemke. “We had a mechanical issue and Miguel passed me. We are still only 13 points behind him for third. Coming in, there is definitely a battle going. Our goal is like any other — to get on the podium. If we can accomplish that, then we can maybe get the win as well. Looking at the overall scheme of things, if we can accomplish those two goals, the points will take care of themselves. Tommy Hayden is one point behind me and Miguel is 13 ahead so we have a nice little battle there. I know we are coming to some tracks that Tommy and Miguel are really strong at and we only have a few more races this year, but I am looking forward to it. I would much rather be fighting for the championship, but we will have to settle for fighting for third this year.”

Hayden, who is from Owensboro, Ky., is happy to be back in central Ohio. A short drive from home makes Mid-Ohio one of his favorite tracks to race on.

“Mid-Ohio is always a place I look forward to going to,” said Hayden. “It is one of the closest for me. It is actually where I raced my first professional race so I have some good memories here. I got my first podium finish here. It is a really cool place. They’ve been making improvements to the track so hopefully that is a good thing.”

Yamaha Motor Corp. rider Eric Bostrom is also happy to be back. He is still nursing a sore shoulder following a crash in Utah, but isn’t about to let that stop him this weekend.

“I definitely enjoy Mid-Ohio because it is one of the best tracks in America,” said Bostrom. “The course is fantastic to drive around. There is a lot of elevation. There are some technical areas and some high speed areas. It really has everything a good track should have.

“I plan on going for the wins. I certainly don’t think we will run away with a race, but we can be competitive. I want to win and mix up the dynasty Suzuki has.”

In all, the two Wiseco races this weekend should help determine the pecking order of the AMA Superbike Championship Series as the season winds down.

“In a way, this is crunch time for us,” Zemke said. “We’ve got two races here (at Mid-Ohio) then we go to Virginia, Atlanta and then back to Laguna Seca. We’ve got quite a few races to go, but we are definitely past the midway point. We can see who the guys are that we have to battle with for the championship. It also seems like those are the same guys battling on the race track, but it is always fun. I think it should be really good racing this weekend.”

LIFE AS HE KNOWS IT: 2006 was a little hectic for American Honda rider Jake Zemke to say the least. He got married and added a newborn daughter to his clan, which already included three boys. To add to it, he also finished seventh in the AMA Superbike Championship points race.

“My life has changed a little bit, but not drastically,” sad Zemke. “My daughter, who was born right before the race last year, just had her first birthday, but we have three boys at home as well. A lot of people said it would be big life-changing steps, but it really isn’t any different. Now, we just have another kid running around the house. I really enjoy it.”

CELEBRATING 25: The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the American Motorcyclist Association are celebrating an anniversary of sorts this weekend — the 25th running at Mid-Ohio. This is a record for series involvement at Mid-Ohio.

“We’re pleased to join the American Motorcyclist Association in bringing the AMA Superbike Championship Series back to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the 25th consecutive year,” said Michelle Trueman Gajoch, president of TrueSports, Inc., owner and operator of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “It’s a track record we are very proud of, and we appreciate the part that American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Dunlop Tire, Wiseco, Budweiser and our many other corporate sponsors continue to play in making it possible.”

Rounds 13 and 14 of the AMA Superbike Championship Series presented by Parts Unlimited will be complemented for the 17th year by the Nationwide Dealer Ride to Mid-Ohio. 120 dealers from eight states will be represented by over 1,200 motorcyclists who will get their shot at traversing the Mid-Ohio circuit on Sunday.

“It’s exciting to note that AMA Superbike Championship racing has been part of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course’s history for 25 years,” said AMA Road Race Director, Keith Kizer. “Mid-Ohio has consistently brought in some of the most enthusiastic crowds in our series and we look forward to another great edition of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire this year.”

Weekend support races will include AMA Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme presented by Budweiser. Additionally, for the first time, two AMA District 12 amateur motocross events will commence today and Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Motocross Park presented by Toyota Trucks.