Ben Spies Takes Maiden MotoGP Win at Assen TT

Ben Spies on the #1 Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura American Suzuki-sponsored GSX-R1000 heads into the carousel towards the end of lap 1 of race 2, leading the pack during the Wiseco 100 Superbike Doubleheader at Mid Ohio in August of 2008, the premier event of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire round of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited.  Following closely on his heels is team mate and then 6-Time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin on his #6 like-sponsored GSXR.  Mladin would go on to win the battle, but Spies would go on to win the war and at the end of the year capture his 3rd AMA Superbike Championship, adding to his '07 AMA Superstock Championship earned in AMA Pro Road Racing over the course of the previous three years.

Just behind Mladin (and partially obscured) is Jamie Hacking on the #2 Monster Energy Kawasaki ZX-10R, Neil Hodgson on the #100 Honda/Parts Unlimited/Suomy-backed CBR1000RR, with team mate Miguel Duhamel on the #17 American Honda/Shark/Joe Rocket-sponsored CBR.  Aaron Yates on the #20 Jordan Brand/American Suzuki-sponsored GSX-R1000 tries to keep the front pack in sight as he just comes into the shot on far left.



Spies control and mastery in all-types of competition over the course of the last seven years of premier-class racing has seen him accomplish things we mortals can only dream of in the sport of high-speed road racing around the world.  After leaving the AMA Series after the end of the '08 season, Elbowz arrived on the World Superbike Championship Series (WSBK) scene, and immediately let everyone know his lack of knowledge of race circuits was not going to leave him deterred.  By the end of the '09 season, he had won the WSBK Championship in a route, winning half the races on the season and 11 of 14 poles on the year.  Spies then left the Yamaha World Superbike team to ride alongside fellow-Texan and Mr. Popularity in the MotoGP Championship, Colin Edwards, on the Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team, winning the Rookie of the Year Award along the way and scoring podiums and a pole position at one of his home events, the RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP round last August, less then six miles down the road from the home of Stu's Shots.

Now riding alongside of 2010 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo on the Yamaha Factory team, the Texas Terror has had a rough start to the 2011 campaign, with three DNF's in the first six rounds.  Today at Assen, however, in what were described as 'treacherous conditions' by journalists throughout the world, the quiet man from Texas made a steep leap in the learning curve process by winning his maiden MotoGP race in The Netherlands, a track Spies noted was very special to him 'after having watched all his heroes' race and win there over the years. 



Today, Spies added to his hero status to us mere mortals by winning his first of what are sure to be MANY more race wins in the premier road racing series in the world.  And probably left even a few of us tearing up seeing him get that first big win in the process.  Congrats Ben for a job well done!
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Ben Spies took the top spot on the box earlier today for his first win in the MotoGP World Championship at the Assen TT round in The Netherlands, breaking his cherry in the premier road racing series in the world after only 28 events.  The Yamaha Factory Racing pilot took his 50th Annivesary-laiden YZF-M1 #11 machine home to the victory over 2011 season dominator Casey Stoner on the #27 Repsol Honda by over 7.6 seconds, setting the fastest lap of the race on the 12th of 26 laps along the way.  Rounding out the podium at the Iveco Assen TT was the #4 Repsol Honda of Andrea Dovizioso another 20-some seconds back from team mate Stoner.

Spies caught the break he needed less then half a lap into the race.  After coming off the middle of the front row, 2010 MotoGP World Champion (and team mate to Spies) Jorge Lorenzo tried to make the pass on Elbowz, only to run wide in the first turn, allowing Spies the margin necessary to stay ahead of the mayhem that was to befall his team mate and allow him to gap the field almost immediately into the event.  Polesitter Marco Simoncelli on the San Carlo Honda highsided his #58 machine shortly thereafter just in front of Lorenzo's #1 machine, causing both to go down while the pack snaked by.  Both remounted, and in a ride that champions are made of, Lorenzo blasted back through the field to eventually finish in the 6th position, just over a second behind 5th place finisher Nicky Hayden on the #69 Marlboro Ducati. 

7-Time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi overcame his 11th starting spot to garner 4th place, only his second time on the season inside the top 4.  Rossi's struggles with the Ducati GP11 have been well-documented on the year, and after receiving chassis updates for this round seems to be coming to grips with the needed-changes after an up-and-down weekend at Assen, and on the year overall.  Colin Edwards on the #5 Tech 3 Yamaha brought it home 7th, and Hiroshi Aoyama, filling in for injured Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda, came home in the 8th spot.  Simoncelli managed to come up through the field after his first lap get-off to bring it home in 9th, and Toni Elias on the #24 LCR Honda rounded out the top 10.

Congratulations go out to Ben Spies for his maiden win in the MotoGP World Championship.  The man from Texas has now gotten that first win in his pocket and we, along with all of his fans around the world, are glad to help him celebrate.  Great ride today Ben!
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Round 7 Assen TT stories and picture links of the race, in the 2011 MotoGP World Championship Series in The Netherlands

Here's the summary to the race as well as the results from the Assen round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship, thanks to David Emmett and his great MotoMatters.com site:

http://motomatters.com/results/2011/06/25/2011_assen_motogp_race_result_first_lap_.html

Matt Beer at Autosport.com filed this report of the race with some quotes from Assen winner, 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion, '09 WSBK Champion, and '10 MotoGP Rookie of the Year, Ben Spies:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92622

BBC Sport.com has this great article, with a very nice shot of Spies on the Yamaha 50th Anniversary #11 YZF-M1 at Assen:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motogp/13914777.stm

GP Update.net has some great photos from the weekend at the Dutch TT in Assen, as well as their event wrap-up here:

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/race-editions/1582/2011-dutch-motogp-grand-prix/
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Results from the Iveco TT Assen, round 7 of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship

MotoGP.com's link to most recent results here (standard versions):

http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics

Round 7 Assen results here (PDF version):

http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2011/NED/MotoGP/RAC/Classification.pdf?v1_facb3226

2011 MotoGP World Championship point standings, after round 7 at Assen (PDF version):

http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2011/NED/MotoGP/RAC/worldstanding.pdf?v1_bbdf240c
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'03 World Superbike Champ Neil Hodgson Catches Up With SuperbikePlanet.com

Neil Hodgson tips the #100 Ducati Austin/Parts Unlimited/Arlen Ness/MotionPro-sponsored Ducati 999R into turn 10 for the run up under the pedestrian bridge during race one of the AMA Superbike Championship round at the Honda Super Cycle Weekend Presented by Dunlop Tire at Mid Ohio in July of 2005.  Just a little over six weeks earlier the '03 WSBK Champion had won his one and only AMA Superbike Championship event at Road America in a race that will go down in history as being one of the wettest events ever at the four mile Wisconsin facility.  Hodgson was loosely quoted by Cycle News after that win as being a 'passenger on a guided missile' in one of the funniest lines used by any rider to describe a race win. 
The personable Brit spent two years with the Ducati Austin team in the U.S. before riding for American Honda and the Corona Honda team before heading back across the pond to ride Yamahas in the British Superbike Championship in 2010.  He suffered another serious blow to his already-injured shoulder early in the season and was forced to retire due to those injuries in April 2010.
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If someone were to take the time to sit me down and ask me 'who are some of the riders that you have truly enjoyed watching race and of those, who would you say you miss seeing on the track the most?' my answers to both lists would be pretty long.  Having all but grown up being around high-speed motorcycle racing, I have had the pleasure of watching quite a few professional road racers and flat trackers on the track, as well as having had the chance to be able to speak and casually meet many of those along the way as well.  Showing up at a race and heading to the paddock area or pits of my long list of favorites with photos in hand needing autographed went hand-in-hand with hanging on the fence and taking all of those shots over the decades.  And after several years of doing it, some of the riders even started to recognize me as I returned again with more of those shots I was so eager to get personally signed.

And like everyone that follows any-and-all types of sports, I've definitely had my favorites.  Those that had a certain style or finesse in the seat, let alone those that had that 'special' or even 'fanatical' personality all qualified, and even after all these years my list of 'non-favorites' would be EXTREMELY short.  I always thought EVERYONE on the track is a star and deserving of some sort of recognition, risking it all to entertain the fans and/or their own individual adrenaline buzz.

But one rider I could add towards the top of the road racers list would be 2003 World Superbike Champion and 2000 British Superbike Champion, Neil Hodgson.  Hodgson always seemed to have that outgoing personality and leisurely attitude about him, from the time I started watching him on TV to the time he hit American Shores in 2005.  And finally getting the chance to talk with him after his first (and eventually only) AMA Superbike win several weeks later cemented in me even more what a great guy he truly was (and IS!)

Just an all around laid-back type of Bloke so-to-speak was the way he talked to me, and genuinely interested in the shots I was shoving in his face and enjoying seeing something different and another well-informed fan.  So naturally after this brief meeting with him, I was even more of a life-long fan of #100.
Unfortunately, due to injuries and the way the DMG takeover at first affected the AMA Superbike Championship, Hodgson was left without a ride here in the States, and his injuries forced him to retire WAY prematurely last year early in the season upon his return to the British Superbike Championship Series.

Losing a rider of Hodgson's capability, let alone great attitude, was a big blow to road racing around the world.  Road racing maybe hadn't lost the great ambassador or safety advocate of the sport, but it had lost one of it's great spokespersons, and great on-track pilots and champions.  And they also lost one of the best rain racers to ever guide a missile!

Dean Adams is one of the long-time journalists among the road race-reporting set, and his SuperBikePlanet.com has been and still is one of the best avenues to get the real news on the net about high-speed motorcycle racing since the mid-to-late '90s.  Dean caught up with Neil recently to hear what the former champ has been doing for the last year, and what he has planned down the road.  Check out the links below to see what he had to say, and thanks to Dean as always for this great stuff!
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SuperBikePlanet.com's one and only Dean Adams caught up with Neil recently and put the pen to this news about what Neil is up to these days since officially hanging up his leathers last year:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2011/Apr/110413-100.htm

Dean Adams also has this article about Neil's retirement announcement from just over a year ago on his SuperBikePlanet.com site:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Apr/100222-100.htm

And here is another article from Deano about Neil, with some links to previous interviews with the Man from The Isle of Man:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Apr/100415hodgson.htm
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Mid Ohio AMA Superbike Preview--Get it All Here! (Updated 7/16/10 w/ Live Timing and Scoring)

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Mat Mladin on the #66 Yoshimura Makita Rockstar Suzuki GSX-R1000 leads team mate Ben Spies on the #1 machine across the stripe early in AMA Superbike race two action at Mid Ohio in 2008. Just coming out of the last corner onto the front straight is Jamie Hacking on the #2 Monster Energy Team Kawasaki ZX-10. Team Honda team mates Neil Hodgson on the #100 CBR1000RR and Miguel Duhamel on the #17 lead Aaron Yates on the Michael Jordan Motorsports #20 Suzuki GSX-R1000 as they all try to keep the front group in sight.
Since the takeover of the AMA Road Racing properties and running of the racing events by the DMG-led folks, the Superbike class has gone from a fire-breathing, 240+ HP and top-of-your-game class to Superstock heavy. With control tires and control fuel being implemented to help level the field--not a bad thing by me, it's working in WSBK!--and less-then-super Superbikes in the way of stock front suspensions-albeit the internals can be changed out-to milder-tuned and less hopped-up engines. With the racing arguably closer in the premier class, but still missing the fire that a full-blown Superbike class should have (see WSBK rules). And due to other problems such as the economy, losing sponsors and teams, the AMA Road Racing series at least appears to be making somewhat of a comeback in 2010. Though they do still need to work on the television package in respect to times shown (or not).
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One of the more user-friendly tracks (in terms of fan viewing and garage-access anyway) on the AMA Road Racing schedule is the flowing 2.5+ mile track known as Mid Ohio, located just outside beautiful downtown Lexington, OH. The Trueman Family still runs the track after all these years, and their ties to one of their original Indy car sponsors in Red Roof Inns is still prominent in the building and rooftop colors.
One of the nicer advantages of viewing a race at Mid Ohio is the way they set up some of the garages on each end of the paddock with stairs and a walkway above and over-the-shoulders of the teams set up inside for the race weekend. It gives you a nice chance to view some of the teams as they prepare for the weekend-or scramble because of it, and not get in anyone's way while doing it. Overhead views seem to lay everything out for you, so to speak, as well, in giving you an idea of where everything is.
In this shot you can see Josh Herrin's Graves Motorsports Yamaha 600 Supersport machine and his team as they prepare for the day's events in the summer of 2007. Herrin can be seen at the bench in the tan cap. Herrin will be looking to extend his lead in the 2010 AMA Daytona SportBike Championship at M.O. this weekend with two races on tap. Herrin won the Daytona 200 back in March riding for Team Graves and has gradually over the course of the last four seasons proved to be a seasoned-veteran with the team on and off the track. Winning multiple races the last couple of years it's just a matter of time before he bags a championship for Yamaha and for Graves Motorsports.
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Coming out of the keyhole onto the back straight at Mid Ohio, several riders run together during the first qualifying session for the AMA Formula Xtreme class in 2004.
Just outside the keyhole area the track offers camping and motorhomes and is a good high-speed vantage to watch from as the riders roll it on through the gears. The track also offers shower facilities just behind the paddock area where the safety garages and cars are. You can't miss that, just look for all the Honda's set up in racing school gear!
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Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, one of the oldest tracks on the current AMA Road Racing schedule that has been an annual stop since the early '80s, hosts round six of the AMA Superbike and AMA Daytona SportBike races this weekend. Also on hand will be the AMA Supersport races and the new Vance and Hines H-D XR1200 race on Sunday.

Honda Supercycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires is the hosting sponsor for the races that will kick off with practice sessions tomorrow at Noon EDT and continue into Saturday for race one and wrap up with race two on Sunday for the top three classes.

Links to all you need to know to follow action at Mid Ohio can be found below!

Mid Ohio has been hosting double-race Superbike rounds since the 2000 season, and this track is a great place to see a race in terms of viewing and bang-for-the-buck happenings. If you can't get excited about watching the races anywhere around this place you don't have a pulse.....

Of note for the race weekend, Eric Bostrom #32 will be returning to AMA Superbike action riding for the Cycle World/Attack Suzuki team and Doug Polen, the '91-'92 WSBK Champion and '93 AMA Superbike Champion, will also be riding a Ducati for DucShop Racing in the Daytona SportBike class. Unfortunately, Aaron Yates' leg is not mended enough for him to ride for Michael Jordan this weekend, but Canadian sensation Brett McCormick is scheduled to fill the seat of the #23 Superbike entry again after filling in for the last few rounds on Aaron's bike.
Also, #79 Blake Young is out after a massive crash in testing after the Road America round in early June, and the rider that was slated to be his replacement on the Yoshimura Suzuki squad, Josh Waters, an Australian Superbike fenom, was also injured in a testing crash a couple of weeks ago, and will not fill the seat as planned. No word if anyone will be in the seat tomorrow when first practice rolls out at 1 P.M. EDT for the Superbike class.

AMA Road Racing Honda Supercycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires Mid Ohio event info:
http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/event.cfm?eid=2010011030

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Various AMA Road Racing Mid Ohio event press releases courtesy of RoadRacingWorld.com:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41118

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41101

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41082

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41169

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41150

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Lexington, OH. weather thanks to the Weather Underground:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=44904

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Google Maps link to Lexington, OH.:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&g=7721+Steam+Corners+Road,+Lexington,+OH+44904-0108&q=lexington,+oh&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lexington,+Richland,+Ohio&ll=40.678815,-82.580624&spn=0.06405,0.110035&t=h&z=13

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Mid Ohio Official track link:

http://www.midohio.com/Home

Official Mid Ohio Track Map (pdf version):

http://www.midohio.com/Assets/Images/Pictures/TS-GenTrackMap-09

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AMA Live Timing and Scoring Mid Ohio event Link--UPDATED Fri. 7/16/10:

http://laptraxtg.racersites-cluster.com/LapTraxTG/AMA/livescoring.html?LAPTRAXID=2010011030
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Neil Hodgson Hangs Up His Leathers and Announces Retirement Today

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Neil Hodgson on the #100 Team Ducati Parts Unlimited 999R goes through turn 14 at Road America in qualifying for the 2006 round of the AMA Superbike Series' annual trek to the beautiful track in Elkhart Lake, WI. Hodgson won the '00 British Superbike Championship and the '03 World Superbike Championship while riding for Ducati. Neil also rode for Team Honda on the factory team in 2008 and for the satellite effort Corona Honda in a one-off ride in '07 and for the partial season that he wasn't injured in 2009. He will be missed on the track by one and all!
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The #100 Team Ducati Parts Unlimited 999R of Neil Hodgson sits under the awning in the team's paddock area at Road America in June of 2006. Hodgson won race one at Road America in 2005 on a similar bike in a roaring downpour of a rainstorm that saw the race called a little over half-way in. Hodgson was later quoted in Cycle News as just 'being a passenger on a projectile' (or to that effect) when speaking about the horrendous conditions that prevailed in that race. 2006 would be his best overall year in terms of points finishes when he got 5th in the AMA Superbike Championship.
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Neil Hodgson pushed the Team Austin Ducati Parts Unlimited #100 superbike into turn 14 during the running of race 2 at Road America in June of '05. Hodgson won the previous day's race in a pouring rainstorm that was called due to not only a torrential downpour but due to lightning in the area as well. Hodgson was a great representative of the racing community and went out of his way to talk to fans and sign autographs. I had the pleasure of speaking with him a couple of times while shoving 8x10 shots in front of him that I had taken of him in action and he was a pure gent and joy to talk to and with. He will be missed on the track and we can only hope that sometime in the near future he ends up in a race team capacity that brings him back to his fans here in the States. Great to have talked with him when I got the chance! God Bless you Neil, your demeanor, style and bravado will be missed on the track as well as in the paddock. We wish you nothing but the best of luck in your future endeavors and life's pursuits!
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Neil Hodgson on the #100 Team Honda CBR1000RR chases Jamie Hacking on the #2 Team Monster Kawasaki ZX-10R at Road America during race one action in June of 2008. This is in the turn 10/11 areas of the chicane off of the carousel that leads into the back straight. Hodgson sat out the better part of the '07 season except for some testing rides and a 'one-off' AMA Superbike ride at Laguna Seca for Team Corona Honda. He raced for the official factory squad teamed with former '95 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel in '08. While riding for the Corona satellite team in '09 he injured his shoulder in a motocross training accident that ultimately led to his retirement announcement today after a try at British Superbikes again for 2010. He crashed during the warm up session at Brands in the opening round and severely re-injured his shoulder predicating the retirement news today.
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News from across the pond hit today that Neil Hodgson, the '00 British Superbike Champion and '03 World Superbike Champion would be hanging up his leathers due to the lingering effects of his injured shoulder that had put him out of action for the better part of the '09 AMA Superbike Championship. Hodgson launched his Rob Mac Motorpoint Yamaha R1 at Brands a few weeks back and landed on the same shoulder. After consulting with several specialists, Neil announced his retirement today as a result of that lingering injury.
He will be missed by one and all and we hope that sometime down the road Neil will end up in some racing capacity that will see him back here in the States again. He has been a true champion and spokesperson for the sport and it would benefit whomever he would be involved with as a rider coach and/or team liason. The level of professionalism and enthusiasm that he has brought to the sport, his sponsors and his fans is unparalled. The man is a true gem.
Thanks for the memories and for your great resolve on and off the track Neil! You will be missed but you will never be forgotten!
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Thanks to Paul Carruthers at CycleNews.com for this rendering of Neil's retirement announcement today:
http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2010/04/22/hodgson-retires
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The official World Superbike site has their version of '03 World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson's retirement announcement from today:
http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-news/3088-former-wsb-champion-hodgson-retires.html
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David Swarts over at John Ulrich's bitchin' RoadRacingWorld.com has an in depth talk with Neil, what led to the decision to retire, and his outlook on his most brilliant future:
http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=40191
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And finally, Dean Adams over at SuperBikePlanet.com waxes poetic on the retirement of Neil Hodgson:
http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Apr/100222-100.htm
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Neil Hodgson Talks About Return to Brands for BSB Opener This Weekend

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Neil Hodgson on the #100 Parts Unlimited Ducati 999R comes out of the turn 9 area for the run into 10 and into the blind uphill left under the pedestrian bridge during qualifying for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend at Lexington, OH. in July of 2005. Hodgson came to the U.S. in '05 after winning the British Superbike Championship in 2000 and the World Superbike Championship in 2003. He won race one at Road America in a downpour that was red flagged just over half way into the 16 lap final approximately six weeks before the Mid Ohio event shown here. His return to British Superbikes is America's loss, and we look for him to do well in the Rob Mac Motorpoint Yamaha team this year and wish him the very best!
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The great blokes across the pond at the British Superbike Series Blog have a post from former British and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson talking about his return to Brands Hatch for this weekend's season kick off for the BSB series. With Neil back in the UK we look to see him up at the front on the Rob McElnea-run Motorpoint Yamaha team with top notch equipment at their hands in the form of the new generation crossplane R1.
Here's what Neil has to say in anticipation of returning to the scene of some of his greatest wins in front of his home crowd. We miss him here in the States already. Good luck and ride safe, Neil, and get back on top of that box!
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/british-superbikes/2010/04/my-brands-hatch-hopes.html
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You can follow the BSB series here at their official link. Action kicks off tomorrow!
http://www.britishsuperbike.com/
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Here's the link to the weekend schedule in PDF form:
http://www.britishsuperbike.com/media/1170145/timetable%20bh1%20v2.pdf
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It's Official--Neil Hodgson Headed Back Home Across the Pond to BSB Series...

As was reported a little over 5 days ago by various entities, Neil Hodgson, who captured

the 2000 British Superbike Championship as well as the 2003 World Superbike Championship,

and had been riding for the better part of the last 5 seasons in America, will be jumping back

across the pond to contest the British Superbike Championship again for the 2010 season while

riding for ex-racer Rob McElnea's Motorpoint Yamaha team.

Having ridden in the U.S. in '05 and '06 for the Parts Unlimited Ducati team, sitting out the better part of the '07 season without a ride albeit his one-off appearance at Laguna, and then having ridden for Team Honda the last 2 years, Neil was left rideless after Honda pulled out

of the AMA series for the 2010 season. And with other major factories and teams also doing so,

Neil was reported to be over checking the landscape for the 2010 season some weeks ago.

The official releases below are thanks to the great people at http://www.motorcyclenews.com/,

http://www.speedtv.com/, http://www.crash.net/ and the Official site of the British Superbike Series,

http://www.britishsuperbike.com/. The deserve a major thanks for their efforts for making this news available to all of us.

While you are checking out the official news from those sources, the shots above were taken

at Mid Ohio and Road America during the '05, '06 and '08 seasons. From the top at Road America in '08 inside the paddock and a look at Honda's stable of CBR1000RR superbikes

for Neil's use that year. Just below is the set up as maintained for Neil by the Part Unlimited

Ducati at Road America in 2006. This was their last official year in AMA Superbike until they

came back with Larry Pegram to win some races this year in the newly formed American

Superbike series. The third shot is Neil in action during qualifying at Road America going into

turn 14 in '05, followed by Neil just out of turn 10 at Road America during Superbike race 1

in 2008. Lastly is Neil leading his team mate, Eric Bostrom, during Superbike race 2 of the

2005 race weekend at Mid Ohio.

We definitely wish Mr. Hodgson the very best. We got to talk with him a couple of short times

over these years and the man was not only very approachable, but a deep pleasure to talk to.

Very personable, congenial, and that sharp British wit. Not to mention being able to do a hell

of a job on a modern day superbike. Neil, you will be missed, but not forgotten. Get back home

and kick some ass. God Bless ya mate! And thanks for all the memories.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/British-Superbikes/2009/November/nov1109-Neil-Hodgson-signs-for-Motorpoint-Yamaha/

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/British-Superbikes/2009/November/nov1109-Motorpoint-Yamaha-back-from-the-brink/

http://www.crash.net/british+superbikes/news/154592/1/neil_hodgson_back_in_british_superbike.html

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-hodgson-talks-bsb-return

http://www.britishsuperbike.com/news/hodgson-talks-ama,-testing-and-bsb-fans.aspx

Former WSBK Champ Neil Hodgson Appears to be Heading Home....

Well, it seems that the fall-out is really beginning to happen now that Honda has

officially withdrawn from the 2010 AMA Road Racing Series. Former '03 World

Superbike Champion and '00 British Superbike Champ Neil Hodgson, who has

been riding for Honda here in the States since the beginning of the '07 AMA season

and who has blessed us in America by first coming to the States and riding for Ducati

originally in '05, appears to be headed home. And by home, I mean as in across the pond,

back to the Isle of Man, and what at least now appears to be looking very strongly to be

another run in the British Superbike Series for 2010. With Honda having officially pulled

the plug for racing in the AMA/DMG series here in the States as of last Friday, Neil spoke

with the folks at SpeedTV.com and stated that things just looked much better back home

for the future. But even more so, stated how bad things really are here with the Damaged

Motorcycle Guys running the AMA series into the ground.

Check out the link from SpeedTV.com and form your own opinion, but it sure doesn't bode

well for racing in the States and how (un) professionally the AMA is and has been running

the show:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-hodgson-headed-home/

The way I read it is what it has been looking like all year. It sure is hard to polish a turd...

And to lose a great personality, let alone a great champion and competitor like Neil Hodgson, well, it pretty much shows you whose head is where and it sure isn't Neil's that mis-placed

and looks even more dark for what has been a very dark year in AMA Road Racing.

That's my opinion, but it seems to be shared by more then a few. Here is another look at the mess from the pen of Dean Adams from SuperBikePlanet.com as to how dark it really is:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Sep/090922tensein10.htm

And just added on Sat. 9/26/09 @ 0900 EDT, this week's version of Honda Road Racerhead from the great folks at http://www.roadracerx.com/, this is a look at the Honda pull-out as well as a

look at the overall picture in the AMA/DMG scenario for the past, present, and future as

we have seen it and know it and how it could be for the future and beyond. Interesting read so

please take the time to read it as well:

http://www.roadracerx.com/features/road-racerhead/honda-road-racerhead-39/

The pics above were taken when things were much grander in the scheme of things as far

as racing in the States is concerned. They are all of Mr. Hodgson and were taken in race 1

of the AMA weekend at Road America in June '08. This was on the official Team Honda

entry #100 as opposed to the Team Corona Honda that Neil rode in the series this year.

Very sorry to hear all this and all I can say is we are losing a great talent and a great guy!

Having had the chance to speak with Neil a couple of times in the AMA paddock over the

course of the last 4-5 years, the man was not only very congenial, approachable, and

wonderful to talk to. Let alone his talent on the track! Here's to hoping for great things

for Neil in the future and to blessing us with his talents while he was here riding in the States.

It was great havin ya mate! Take care and God Bless in whatever you do and where ever you

land on 2 wheels......

Two Milestones Reached in WSBK and AMA Superbike Racing Today....

....and it's just your luck that you are going to find out about them here, that is, if you
should choose to keep reading.

Ben Spies, the former 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion from '06-'08, took a 1-2 tally
at the German Nurburgring round of the World Superbike Championship to take the
points lead over from Nori Haga. In doing so, he has positioned himself for the final 3
rounds and 6 races to put himself as the odds-on guy to win the WSBK World Championship
for 2009. It could get interesting in 3 weeks at the next round in Imola, as Spies has
shown that his 'rookie' status across the pond is just a mere formality. He is no rookie.
You can read more about his accomplishments this w/e on SuperbikePlanet.com
and WorldSbk.com by following the links on the left side column.

And by now you are asking yourself, okay, so that's 1, what the he.. is the other milestone?

Mat Mladin, the reigning '09 AMA Superbike Champion, and NOW 7-time AMA Superbike
Champion, rode his last race today and his last event this weekend at New Jersey, carding
a 2nd this afternoon and 24th---yes, 24th!---yesterday afternoon. After crashing out in
defense of the lead from eventual double event winner Josh Hayes on Saturday afternoon,
Mladin still had sealed the deal on the #1 spot at the last event at VIR three weeks ago, but
still managing to win the championhip by a 47 point margin. He retires from U.S. Superbike
Racing after 82-official wins, some 62 pole positions, and again that little thing of 7 premier
class championships since 1999. Can you say burn the record books........

You can read the updates of this season ending event off of the links on the left column to
SuperBikePlanet.com and RoadRacingWorld.com. Those fine folks did a super job of supplying
us with updates over the w/e and we should bow to their feet for their efforts and
professionalism that they put out such fine material and journalism to keep us informed and
up to date. Bravo to you folks for sure and thank you for your wonderful work!

And to close since by now you are going 'so what is the photo now he's got to tell us.........'

At Mid Ohio in July '08 during race #2 for the w/e, Ben Spies #1 is leading Mat Mladin #6 and
Jamie Hacking--#2 hidden--as well as #100 Neil Hodgson, #17 Miguel Duhamel, and #20
Aaron Yates, coming into, and out of the carousel at the end of the first lap. Mat eventually passed Ben and took the win over Ben, Jamie and Neil.

As we go into the 'labor' part of the Labor Day W/E tomorrow, give thanks to these two--
not too mention all of the other racers--for doing what they do and laboring on the race
track for us to get our adrenaline going.

Thanks to Mat Mladin for giving us 14 years of great competition, of always being on the
forefront of safety, and for never leaving anyone questioning how you feel about something.
It has been your standing up for the right thing, whether it be safety, rules, racing competition,
or event promotion that has raised the level of those things in U.S. racing. And this in spite
of what some of the bumbling types who have taken turns in running this series have tried
or aimed to do.

And thanks to Ben for giving the race fans in the United States who have followed him and his
career for some time now, a hope of a World Championship again. It has been since '02 when
Colin Edwards won his 2nd WSBK title that an American has won the title. We now have hope
again, and it may come in a BIG way. Keep your fingers crossed....