May 12, 2008   KAWASAKI AMA SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN: FACT SHEET   KAWASAKI AMA SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN: FACT SHEET Infineon Raceway, May 16-18 WHAT: Infineon Raceway will host the top pavement motorcycle road-racers in the country at the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts. WHEN: May 16-18. This is the fourth stop on the 20-race series for 2008. It will be a doubleheader weekend, featuring 28-lap main events in the Superbike division on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18. The weekend will also feature racing in Pro Honda Oils Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme. CIRCUIT/LENGTH: 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course. Superbike main events, 28 laps. All other main events, 17 laps. SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS (all times Pacific): Friday: Superbike practice, 10:40-11:40 a.m.; Superbike qualifying, 1:50-3:15 p.m.; Formula Xtreme qualifying, 3:20-4:45 p.m. Saturday: Superbike qualifying, 9:10-10:40 a.m.; Superstock qualifying, 12:45-1:50 p.m.; Pro Honda Oils Supersport qualifying, 1:55-3 p.m. Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #1, 3:25 p.m. (28 laps); Formula Xtreme main event, 4:25 p.m. (17 laps); Red Bull Rookies Cup qualifying, 5:25-5:55 p.m. Sunday: Superbike warm-up, 9:55-10:15 a.m.; Red Bull Rookies Cup main event, 10:20 a.m. (7 laps); Superstock main event, 1 p.m. (17 laps); Pro Honda Oils Supersport main event, 2 p.m. (17 laps); Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #2, 3 p.m. (28 laps); For complete schedule, visitwww.infineonraceway.com. 2007 CHAMPIONS: Superbike: Mat Mladin (Suzuki). Mladin won both Superbike main events;Supersport: Josh Hayes (Erion Honda); Superstock: Ben Spies (Suzuki); Formula Xtreme: Josh Hayes (Erion Honda). QUALIFYING RECORDS: Superbike: Ben Spies (Suzuki) 84.134 mph, 2007; Supersport: Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 81.795 mph, 2007; Superstock: Ben Spies (Suzuki) 82.747 mph, 2007;Formula Xtreme: Josh Hayes (Erion Honda) 82.185 mph, 2007. WHAT TO EXPECT: Ben Spies (Suzuki) won his second AMA Superbike championship in 2007, edging teammate Mat Mladin by just one point (652-651). Spies had seven wins on the season. … Mladin again showed his dominance at Infineon Raceway in 2007, sweeping the Superbike doubleheader. Mladin now has eight career wins in Sonoma(all in Superbike--track record). He is the second winningest rider in AMA history inSonoma, trailing Miguel Duhamel’s nine career wins. … Kawasaki made its return to Superbike racing in 2007, with rider Jamie Hacking taking sixth overall in points.Roger Lee Hayden posted Kawasaki’s best Superbike effort in Sonoma in 2007, taking sixth place in the first feature. … Suzuki has dominated at Infineon Raceway in recent years, winning the last six Superbike main events, and nine of the last 10, dating back to 2003. … Josh Hayes (Honda) joined Nicky Hayden (1999) last year as the only riders to win in both Formula Xtreme and Supersport in the same weekend in Sonoma. … The race weekend will feature a bit of Bay Area flavor. Riders with local connections include: Steve Rapp (Acalanes High School graduate in Lafayette); Jake Zemke (San Francisco native); Eric Bostrom and Ben Bostrom (Petaluma High School graduates), among others. … Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan fields a two-rider team in the AMA, including Aaron Yates, who is the only rider in history to win in Superbike (1996), Supersport (2002) and Superstock (1996) in Sonoma. The team is called Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki. …. Fans will also be treated to the U.S. Red Bull Rookies Club, which makes its Infineon Raceway debut. The goal of the series is to find the champions of tomorrow as all riders are between 13 and 16 years of age. Local riders include Shingle Springs’ Cameron Gish and Vacaville’s Joey Pascarella. IN ADDITION Infineon Raceway will unveil its new entertainment area, The Pulse, during AMA weekend. The area will be one-stop shopping for race-fan entertainment, featuring live music from the Unauthorized Rolling Stones, Grape Stomps, Track Talk with top AMA riders and more. It will be located behind the main grandstand. New for 2008 is the return of motocross to the hillsides behind Turn 7. More than 500 competitors are expected and action spans all weekend. The event is hosted by Wine Country Motocross. Supermoto USA will feature a full weekend of supermoto racing at theInfineon Raceway Karting Center. Legendary freestyle motocross rider Carey Hart will be part of the action. SB Freaks Street Freestyle will be featured all weekend in the Turn 10 island. The 5th annual Motorcycle Charity Fundraiser will be held on Sunday of race weekend. All proceeds benefit needy youth groups in Sonoma Countythrough Speedway Children’s Charities. There will also be a motorcycle art show, Grape Crushers Run with Yamaha riders Eric and Ben Bostrom, trials exhibition by multi-time AMA championGeoff Aaron, live music and more. Please visit www.infineonraceway.com for a full list of weekend activities. TICKETS: Friday, May 16: $15; Saturday, May 17: $35; Sunday, May 18: $35. Weekend pass, $60. Children 12-and-under are FREE and parking is FREE. Call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.     More News...