AMA Pre-Race Test Day

It was an unusually cold morning at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the AMA test day on June 23, 2008, sponsored by Yamaha. It was worth a little discomfort for the large crowd of over 1,000 motorcycle enthusiasts and race fans, and when the sun came out it turned out to be a perfect day at the track.
Eric Bostrom Turn 9

In addition to the AMA testing there were other activities fans could enjoy.

• Supermoto USA demonstrations
• Q&A session with racing legend Wayne Rainey
• Free parade lap for motorcycles and parade lap for cars

This was a valuable "in-depth" testing opportunity for the top AMA teams and riders, due to the a full schedule during the upcoming U.S. Grand Prix weekend at Laguna Seca. There were six riders testing their 1000cc AMA Superbikes and four testing their 600cc AMA Supersport-class bikes. Most of the teams were testing a variety of setups on the old and new bikes to find the winning combination. The riders and team members I spoke to were enjoying the testing without the time constraints and pressure of a normal race weekend.

Miguel Duhamel and American Honda Team: Wouldn't you like to know what they were saying...I had a chance to talk with American Honda Team Manager Ron Heben.

• Q: How is the testing going? A:Very well, we are happy with the results and the bikes are running strong.
• Q: Have there been any surprises today? A:I'm surprised at how cold it was this morning. We came up from Southern California and it's cold here.
• Q: What do you think of the sale to DMG? A:There will be some organizational changes and some rule changes. We'll wait to see what rules changes there may be.
• Q: With colder than expected temperatures, what should we expect for the MotoGP weekend, and what do you expec to learn from this test? A: It can be cool or foggy in the morning at Laguna Seca at MotoGP or the AMA Finale, so we can use the data we capture here and use it when the conditions match.
• Q: So you capture the data and store it for later analysis? A: Yes, everything we capture from the data acquisition is stored in the computer for future reference and analysis. The sensors tell us what the bike and rider are doing and where to pick up time.

I mentioned that I was at the NASCAR race the previous day at Infineon Raceway, and Ron commented that he wished more people understood how difficult it is to race a Superbike. Auto racing fans should come out and see how fast the action is, and the quality of the race action in AMA Pro Racing. Incredible skill and courage is required in order to race modern motorcycles.

Rider Portraits

Hope you enjoy some candid rider shots.
Mat MladinMiguel DuhamelNeil HodgsonJason Di Salvo

AMA Superbikes

A thunder storm the day before the test session washed rubber off the track, making it hard to find traction in the early laps. The bikes' rear tires were laying down strips of rubber exiting the corners. By early afternoon it was warm, and the track was in good condition for some very fast laps.

The Superbike track record of 1:23:1 was set last year by Suzuki rider Ben Spies at the season finale Corona Superbike Championship race.

Unofficial Superbike test session lap times

• Mat Mladin - Suzuki - 1:24:2
• Jamie Hacking - Kawasaki - 1:24:6
• Neil Hodgson - Honda - 1:24:8
• Jason DiSalvo - Yamaha - 1:24:9
• Eric Bostrom - Yamaha - 1:25:3
• Miguel Duhamel - Honda - 1:25:9

Miguel Duhamel Turn 8Neil Hodgson Turn 52008 AMA Test - Mat Mladin Turn 3Eric Bostrom Turn 9Jason DiSalvo - Railing Turn 92008 AMA Test - Jamie Hacking Turn 9

AMA Supersport

The AMA Supersport races always provide fans with great racing action.

Ben Bostrom beat the AMA Supersport track record set last year by Honda Rider Josh Hayes, but does not count as an official record since it was set during a test session.

Unofficial Supersport test session lap times

• Ben Bostom - Yamaha - 1:26:4
• Chaz Davies - Kawasaki - 1:27:3
• Steve Rapp - Kawasaki - 1:27:4
• Josh Herrin - Yamaha - 1:28:0

Ben Bostrom Turn 8Josh Herrin Turn 3Steve Rapp Turn 82008 AMA Test - Chaz Davies Turn 5

Supermoto USA

Even on the tight course, set up in the paddock below turn 10, the Supermotos got some serious speed going on the short straights. Fans enjoyed two Supermoto USA sessions where they were able to get very close to the action.
Supermoto USA - Don't Look at the Photographer!Supermoto USA - Nice Slide

AMA Test Summary

I spoke with Several of the riders about their test day and they all seemed positive about the sessions and what they learned.

I asked the riders if there were any surprises, and all responded that the cold weather was the biggest surprise. I am confident that the weather will be more typical for the season during the MotoGP weekend July 18-20 or the AMA Corona Superbike Finale weekend September 27-28. I think that both will be great race weekends.

By all means, get out to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and enjoy the action!