Superbikes return to Auto Club Speedway

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Superbike racing returns to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this weekend with the Suzuki AMA Pro Superbike Challenge.

The riders race on a 21-turn, 2.3-mile course that mostly winds through the infield of the two-mile oval speedway, but they also use the track’s front straightaway and reach speeds exceeding 165 mph.

Practice and qualifying races are Friday, followed by races Saturday and Sunday.

The riders include Mat Mladin, a six-time AMA champion from Australia who won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in Florida two weeks ago.

Mladin’s former Suzuki teammate, Ben Spies, won both races at Auto Club Speedway a year ago, the second in a photo finish.

But after winning his third consecutive AMA title last year, Spies has since switched to the World Superbike series and is now riding Yamaha motorcycles. The Texan is off to a fast start in that series, winning both races in Qatar last weekend.

-- Jim Peltz