The AMA series continued its march into terminal boredom, as Yoshimura Suzuki took every podium position in both races of the doubleheader at Virginia International Raceway, with Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, and Tommy Hayden each taking first, second, and third both days. The only real excitement was in post-race tech, when a question was raised about the crankshaft in Mladin’s bike. Said crankshaft has been sent off for examination and comparison to a stock one, so the results are provisional, as they say.
In the Moto ST endurance series, certainly the most interesting racing happening south of the 49th these days, an Aprilia did not win, as the Buell 1125R entered by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing took the overall at Heartland Park in Topeka. Shawn Higbee of Wisconsin teamed with another veteran, Floridian Michael Barnes (in "Barnie’s" first appearance with the team, to take the win.
Second place went to the Touring Sport Ducati 848 ridden by Ryan Clemson and former World Superbike champion Doug Polen, while third went to the Team Hooters Aprilia Tuono ridden by Benny Carlson, Mike Luke, and Andrew Deatherage.
The next AMA race is back at Laguna Seca in California September 28, while the Moto ST crowd reconvenes at the new track in Millville, New Jersey for the Thunderbolt 500K the same weekend.
