Spies is hottest on a superbike

Ben Spies and his estranged teammate Mat Mladin are the top contenders to win this weekend’s superbike motorcycle races at California Speedway, a battle they previewed in first-round qualifying Friday.

The pair swapped the fastest times in a 40-minute qualifying session until Spies prevailed with the quickest lap to win the provisional pole for the AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge, which is split into two races today and Sunday.

Right behind was their other teammate, Tommy Hayden, giving their Team Yoshimura Suzuki a sweep of the top three spots on a day when temperatures soared into the low 90s.

Spies, the reigning series champion, ran a lap at 98.434 mph to edge Mladin’s 98.169 mph on the 2.3-mile, 21-turn Fontana course. Hayden’s best lap was 97.973 mph.

“I’m really happy with my bike,” said Spies, 22, of Longview, Texas. “The bike is sliding around a lot, it’s hot, but that’s how I like it.”

A second round of qualifying is scheduled this morning before the first race.

Spies won his first AMA Superbike championship last year, ending Mladin’s dominance. The 35-year-old Australian has won the title six times, and five of the last eight races at the California Speedway.

Spies won both races a year ago at Fontana, where the superbike course mostly winds through the infield of the two-mile oval. The riders also use the track’s front straightaway to reach speeds in excess of 160 mph.

Both remain at the top of superbike racing, despite their chilly personal relationship. Spies has said Mladin does not respect him, and Spies said after qualifying Friday, “We don’t communicate much at all.”

Asked about his respect for his teammate, Mladin said, “He’s a good motorbike rider.”

Mladin added, “He’s my main rival out there. Him and I come from two different sides of the tracks. We go about things very differently. I’m fine with that.”

When Mladin was asked whether talking after practice might help both riders exchange valuable information, he replied, “I would say he’s had a pretty good teacher over these years, hasn’t he?”

Also scheduled this weekend are races in the AMA’s supersport, superstock and Formula Xtreme series.

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james.peltz@latimes.com