Spies Wins First Shot at Pole

Ben Spies held off teammate Mat Mladin and a severe head cold Friday to win the provisional pole position in record time for this weekend’s AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge at California Speedway.

The superbikes race today and Sunday, and the pole winner starts first in both events. But Spies first has to defend his top spot in a second round of qualifying this morning on the 2.3-mile, 21-turn course.

Spies (pronounced speez) ran a lap at 99.311 mph, breaking the qualifying record of 99.029 set here a year ago by Mladin.

Mladin, who has won the AMA title six times and five of the last six races in Fontana, qualified second at 99.027 mph. Both ride for Team Yoshimura Suzuki.

Spies, 21, arrived in Fontana with an eight-point lead in the series over Mladin, 34, after winning both rounds last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

Spies also arrived with the cold, and said adrenaline helped him get through the day.

“I wasn’t that keen to ride that much,” he said, adding that he had the strength “for a lap time but definitely not for a race. Hopefully, we’ll get rid of this sickness overnight and it will definitely be gone by Sunday.

“It’s a good track for me,” he said. “I feel like we’re in pretty good shape.”

Jake Zemke of American Honda qualified third, and Neil Hodgson of the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team was fourth.

Roger Lee Hayden -- who is leading the points chase in one of the AMA’s support series, called supersport -- will try to practice and qualify today, only six days after breaking his right leg just above the ankle in a crash at Barber Motorsports Park. Hayden, 22, underwent surgery Monday in Fremont, Calif., and the Owensboro, Ky., rider will try to qualify on a modified motorcycle, said Mike Preston, manager of Kawasaki Racing.

The modifications include a thumb-activated rear brake, because a rider normally uses his right foot to work the brake.

“He’s going to give it a try and see how he feels,” Preston said. “Even if he’s a couple of seconds off his normal pace, he should be able to come out of here with 10 or 15 points.

“The No. 1 thing is his safety and the safety of the other riders.” If Hayden is too uncomfortable, “We might have to pull the plug,” he said.

Hayden, who has won the last five supersport races, also rides in the superbike class. His brother Tommy, 27, also rides in both series and has won the supersport title the last two years.

This weekend’s program also includes races in the AMA’s superstock and Formula Xtreme series.